“House of Zod” is episode five of season one of Krypton.
In the previous episode, “The Word of Rao”, Lyta had been arrested for being a member of Black Zero. The Voice of Rao wanted someone to be the scapegoat for the failure of the Rankless Initiative in the episode of the same name. The Sagitari that Lyta had arrested for murdering a Rankless, Kol-Da, gave evidence – utterly false evidence – against her.
This concerned Nyssa-Vex, for she and her father Daron need the support of the Sagitari, and therefore their Primus, Jayna, Lyta’s mother. For they intend to overthrow the Voice of Rao. Which is interesting, as until now Daron has appeared to be the Voice’s most loyal supporter. Overthrowing the Voice may now be irrelevant. Rhom had been infected by one of Brainiac’s Sentries, and after their first host is used, the Sentries try and infect someone with more power and authority. Rhom’s daughter, Ona, had given a figure that belonged to her mother to the Voice, which had the Sentry in it. When the Voice was alone, the Sentry infected him. So the Voice is now a puppet of Brainiac. Nyssa has offered to save Lyta, if Jayna swears loyalty to House Vex.
Seg had been captured by a man associated with Black Zero, but had escaped. However, he was injured and in the Outlands, which is not good.
This episode with a man talking about what makes a Zod, whether it’s blood or something else. He is talking to a boy and a girl – the girl is a young Jayna and the boy is called Vidal. Interspersed with their sparring is the older Jayna sparring in the present. The man tells the two that the House of Zod is a great house, a house of warriors whose loyalty is without equal or question. No Zod has ever been a traitor. Vidal is Jayna’s brother, and the man is their father, Lor. Lor tells his children that House Zod puts honour above all – even above family. More of the, pretty brutal, testing that the House of Zod undergoes comes later.
Those after Seg are following his blood trail, but the trail is deliberate to lure them away from the base. When they leave, Seg re-enters but is unable to find a communicator. Instead, he finds an ill-used woman who is restrained. The woman, Raika, tells Seg she knows a way to safety, if he’ll free her. Which he does.
Adam is concerned that he and Ken can’t find Seg. He’s convinced that something is wrong. Kem says that there is – Lyta is going to be executed. Kem thinks that Seg will turn up eventually. Adam asks what he is supposed to do, stand around with his thumb up his arse? Colloquialisms need working on to translate properly, for Kem assumes Adam is being literal.
Raika tells Seg that she was being tortured because her captors wanted to know where something was that she helps protect. She leads Seg to a location with what looks like a door is, one with the symbol of the House of El on it. Plus a bunch of not exactly friendly armed people who speak another language and don’t look to like those of the House of El.
Daron isn’t happy about the offer Nyssa gave to Jayna-Zod – an offer Jayna has not accepted. The Voice of Rao wants blood, and if he doesn’t get Lyta’s blood, Daron says the Voice will have theirs.
Krypton is a really inhospitable planet outside of the protected city (or cities), with sub-zero temperatures and not enough oxygen. Inhospitable enough that long term survival requires artificial aid. Which begs the question as to how life managed to evolve in the first place – or what happened to the planet to make it inhospitable. Seg gets some hints about the heritage of the House of El, but these are only hints and are incomplete. At the end of the episode, Lyta gets one heck of a surprise – one she may not believe without some extensive proof.