Journey to KRYPTON

Article first published as TV Review: KRYPTON on Seat42F.

Are you tired of all the superhero television shows out right now? If you aren’t, SyFy has a new entry in the genre called KRYPTON. And if you are tired of them, KRYPTON might be something a bit different, since it takes place on the alien world two centuries before the birth of Superman. Hence, it’s not a bunch of people with powers running around. If tonally it didn’t feel so similar to other SyFy programming, I would say this is a very unique take on what has become a saturated market, giving it a hook to allow it to break through. As it is, it’s still pretty good.

As only a casual Superman fan (with basic knowledge primarily from movies and TV, not the comics), KRYPTON is a completely new story, full of things I’d never heard of, so I don’t know if it follows established mythology or is something original. Either would be a valid choice for a show to make, but I don’t know if it’s a very loose reimagining, like Gotham, or if it sticks close to previously established backstory. A cursory internet search seems to indicate the latter, with some liberties taken.

KRYPTON begins with Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe, The Halcyon) watching his grandfather (Ian McElhinney, Game of Thrones) executed and his family stripped of their title. The House of El is no more, and Seg and his parents are forced to live with the un-titled down in the ghettos of the city. Years later, Seg is coming of age and, despite family grudges, saves the life of Daron-Vex (Elliot Cowan, Da Vinci’s Demons), the chief magistrate who executed Seg’s grandfather. Daron offers Seg the chance to join the House of Vex and bind with his daughter, Nyssa (Wallis Day, Hollyoaks), the youngest of five, who otherwise probably wouldn’t marry anyway. This might be an opportunity for Seg to climb back up the social ladder, or it could be Daron’s chance to fully conquer the Els once and for all.

If that doesn’t sound complicated enough, don’t worry, it gets even more twisty within the first hour. See, Seg may be making a child with Nyssa (which does not involve sex), but is sleeping with Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell, Broadchurch), a soldier. And Seg’s parents, Ter (Rupert Graves, Sherlock) and Charys (Paula Malcomson, Caprica), are secretly continuing Seg’s grandfather’s work to try to save their race. Also, Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos, The Vampire Diaries) arrives from the future to warn of Brainiac’s (Blake Ritson, Da Vinci’s Demons) impending coming, the villain intending to destroy Krypton before Superman can even be born. So there’s a LOT packed into this series opener, and I haven’t even mentioned all the series leads.

It takes some time to get into KRYPTON. Not only is there a dense story, but the society is so much different than ours. The caste system feels very outdated, even while the planet is futuristic. Procreation without physical intercourse and babies raised in bubbles cared for by machines feel cold and impersonal, which matches much of the rest of the culture we’re seeing. Except in the lower class, which still parties and fights and loves at will. Is this a cautionary tale or a commentary? The refusal of some to listen to science and fact hits a little too close to home in the current political climate.

All of this is very interesting, and I found myself more and more drawn in as it played out. Where my hesitation lives is that most of the central characters are good looking, very young adults, an overdone television trope, and the tone of the program is not as weighty as it could be with the material. I hope it finds its legs, but I fear it will be a ‘typical’ Syfy show lost in the crowd.

KRYPTON airs Wednesdays on SyFy.

SINBAD Kinda Bad

Article first published as SINBAD Kinda Bad on TheTVKing.

SyFy is airing the British series SINBAD, beginning this week. With a similar feel as the recently-concluded Merlin, SINBAD seeks to retell the story of a legend with young, sexy actors, lots of special effects, a mix of magic and science, and enough mythology to keep a series going for awhile.

When first we meet Sinbad (newcomer Elliot Knight), he is a street rat, rigging fights and picking pockets to make ends meet and support his family. With brother Jamil (Devon Anderson, EastEnders) in tow, Sinbad runs through the town, making lots of enemies, but without many worries or stresses. He assumes his charm and wit will get him out of any tough situation. Up until this "Pilot," it does.

Then things go horribly wrong, with Sinbad and Jamil arrested not only for thievery, but also for the death of the heir to the city, Lord Akbari's son. Lord Akbari (Naveen Andrews, Lost) is furious, intent on making Sinbad feel as bad as he does. Akbari takes some revenge, which I won't spoil because it is quite pivotal, but it's not enough to satisfy the lord, who intends to keep hunting Sinbad down, though he doesn't get a second shot at the boy in the premiere.

We all know that Sinbad won't be put to death in the "Pilot" of a series that bear his name, so there is little risk of spoiling things to reveal that he escapes Akbari's prison. But the stakes do seem pretty real anyway, a credit to the writing. SINBAD starts off making us care about the characters, and after introducing us to Sinbad's life for half an episode, dramatically changes it, which is the kick start of the story.

I think it's a good decision to hold off on the main plot until halfway through the hour so that viewers get a sense of who Sinbad is. After all, if he is going to change and become a hero, he has to have a starting point, a pit from which to climb out of, if his journey is to mean anything. This "Pilot" sets that up nicely.

Unfortunately, the follow through leaves something to be desired. After being cursed by his own grandmother (Janet Suzman, Tinga Tinga Tales) to always roam the seas, seldom ever setting foot on land (spurred another plot point I won't spoil), Sinbad wastes no time in making up for his bad deeds. The boat he sets out on encounters some scary water demons, and he pretty much single-handedly saves the day, rescuing almost everyone, and earning himself some new friends.

This comes way too easily. The crew knows what kind of person Sinbad is the moment he steps on board, but after witnessing his somewhat selfless actions, they are won over. This doesn't present any real challenge for the character, not having to fight his way up the ladder, instantly being instantly beloved. I guess it's understandable, as the others have only Nala's (Estella Daniels, Thorne: Scaredy Cat) words to paint a different picture of the lad, she being the only one personally wronged by Sinbad.

Having Sinbad be a hero washes out the personality of the rest of the crew, at least in this "Pilot." The compassionate doctor, Anwar (Dimitri Leonidas, Grange Hill), the funny cook (Junix Inocian), the sturdy crewman, Gunnar (Elliot Cowan, Da Vinci's Demons), and Rina (Marama Corlett, The Devil's Double), a fellow stowaway, all seem like chumps, falling for Sinbad's schtick. Of course, they probably are chumps if not one, but two, stowaways managed to make it on board. But if they are to be as layered as Sinbad, it doesn't happen in this installment.

As such, despite a promising start, I am not won over by SINBAD. It looks fantastic, to be sure, and Sinbad is a legend begging for a good adaptation. But on the heels of other mediocre historical drama efforts, such as Da Vinci's Demons and The Borgias, it blends into the pack, not giving us enough to really make a name for itself.

My hope is that the magic aspect of the series will be played up as the episodes unfold. In that realm is the path for SINBAD to win loyal viewers, establishing itself as an enjoyable genre series. The characters and story just don't have enough depth for it to break into the mainstream, nor to entice me to watch the other eleven episodes.

Should you be so inclined to tune into the series, be warned that SINBAD has already been cancelled in Britain, and these twelve installments will be the only ones one made.

SINBAD airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Plagued By Da Vinci's Demons

Article first published as DA VINCI'S DEMONS Review at Seat42F.

Grade: 84%

Starz is launching a new series this week called DA VINCI’S DEMONS. Yes, that title refers to the famous artist and dreamer Leonardo Da Vinci. But rather than seeing an old, brilliant man, as most screen portrayals of the character have been, DA VINCI’S DEMONS picks up early in the figure’s life, when he is in his mid-twenties.

It makes sense that Starz would want this show to be young and sexy, just like its lead. While some networks might try for historical accuracy at least a little, DA VINCI’S DEMONS fits perfectly into the mold of a network that knows that skin and violence sell. What we get here is no boring retelling of events, but a larger than life, adrenaline-racing mix of mystery, magic, politics, and outsize personalities.

Da Vinci (Tom Riley, Monroe) himself is tortured by his incredible mind, and knows he is every bit as smart as he think he is. He does what he wants, when he wants, and has little regard for rules or societal norms, which offends many. He looks down on everyone, and is plenty willing to use and manipulate people to meet his goals, hoping his charm will save him from the consequences.

This doesn’t always work, of course. His chief detractor in the pilot, called “The Hanged Man,” is Da Vinci’s own father. Da Vinci is a bastard, and his dad resents what Leonardo is doing to his family’s reputation. Having recently fathered a legitimate heir, Da Vinci’s maker is not at all above chaining and beating his own son. Obviously, this takes daddy issues to a whole new level, and I don’t see any resolution between the pair ever happening.

But Da Vinci’s dad is small potatoes, when there is so much more at stake. “The Hanged Man” begins with the Duke of Milan (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey) being assassinated, which throws the delicate balance between the lands, including Florence, where Da Vinci lives, into disarray. Da Vinci is determined to take advantage of the situation, tricking his way into an audience with Florence’s leader, Lorenzo Medici (Elliot Cowan, Alexander), and getting himself hired as a military engineer.

One might think that Da Vinci would be satisfied with having such a position, but of course he’s not, tempting fate by taking up with Medici’s mistress, Lucrezia Donati (Laura Haddock, The Inbetweeners Movie). This is the obligatory sex piece of the episode, as, because this is pay cable, there must be nudity.

Honestly, I feel like all of this is enough for a show. We’ve got the battles and the betrayals, a promise of action and war surrounding our protagonist, and plenty of plot. Yet, DA VINCI’S DEMONS doesn’t stop there, also bringing the Vatican and Pope Sixtus IV (James Faulkner, Bridget Jones’s Diary) into the mix, who has secret files. And there is a mystical group, represented by the mysterious Al-Rahim (Alexander Siddig, Star Trek: Deep Space 9) searching for the so-called Book of Leaves, which supposedly contains lost knowledge of humanity.

On top of that, I’ve only gotten around to mentioning less than half of the main cast so far in my outlining of the story, so there are many minor things going on, too, that flesh out this world into a very complete, very busy place.

Yes, all of this makes for a very full, very exciting story. But it also presents a tad bit of a problem. If all of the things portrayed in DA VINCI’S DEMONS really happened, surely Leonard Da Vinci not only was a genius in his own right, but also contributed to a huge global power struggle, and likely helped save the world. This is not something that could possibly be covered up over the centuries, and so these additional plots basically toss any sense of historical fact right out of the window.

That being said, it is doubtful that the target viewer of this series is looking to learn about the past. This is going to appeal to the lovers of other Starz shows, like Spartacus, and it’s also kind of a more adult version of the British series Merlin. As such, most people who would watch will be satisfied with the impressive special effects, bare breasts, and scenes of posturing between powerful men.

Speaking of the effects, Starz has spared no expense. There are several visual treats in “The Hanged Man” alone, and none are flawed. The computer-generated magic is as good as the real magic within the story, and there’s little chance that viewers will be taken out of the experience because of them. Rather, they enhance the show.

Overall, while a little disappointed that the portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci isn’t more accurate, I did find DA VINCI’S DEMONS to be highly entertaining and worth watching. I don’t know if it will be any luckier than Starz’s short-live Camelot, but it seems to have taken that concept and kicked it up a notch, so it certainly has a chance. The acting isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s serviceable for the purpose. And the total package satisfies.

DA VINCI’S DEMONS premieres Friday, April 12th at 10 p.m. ET.