Superman & Lois
CW
Season 1, Episode 1
Before I start this review, I want you to all know I have a love/hate relationship with the Arrowverse. This show does not feel like a typical Arrowverse show, it’s so much more. From the aesthetic of Smallville to the cast, SUPERMAN & LOIS feels like it’s in a separate universe and that’s exactly what the show needs. The pilot basically takes all the great things about Flash Season 1 and applies them to Superman, with a tablespoon of nostalgia, and a dash of heartbreak.
SUPERMAN & LOIS kicks off with a small refresher of this iteration’s history. Starting with Superman’s arrival on Earth, growing up in Smallville, making it to Metropolis as Superman. The stellar narration from Tyler Hoechlin and well-placed Easter eggs really set the tone for the introduction to Superman. This opening montage for this show was handled so well that I totally forgot that he was even part of the Arrowverse. It felt like this was the first time I was actually seeing this version of Clark and Lois and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
The supporting cast was also refreshing; the lack of tech-savvy “side kicks” is a nice change of pace, and the introduction of Superman’s teenage sons is completely new territory for any live action Superman. His sons Jonathan and Jordan are both entering high school, and although they are both very different, the the chemistry the two share on screen shows that they have a strong bond and love for one another, despite their differences.
Elizabeth Tulloch has a commanding presence as Lois Lane (Kent). Sometimes you forget who the one with super powers is as she dominates every scene that she’s in. I am grateful for this, as she’s been under-utilized since she was cast as the iconic character. The more Lois the better. She is Clark’s anchor and I’m glad she’s also a title character and not someone just tossed to the side.
Now onto what is the most important part of any Superman story: The villain. The show has some mystery attached to it, and that was always one of my favorite aspects from the Flash and Arrow early seasons. The whole “mystery bad guy” will always have my interest and for Superman, someone known as “The Stranger” has been targeting nuclear power plants and baiting Superman with potential disasters, while looking like a really good Master Chief from Halo cosplay. Lois’ father, Sam Lane and Superman are starting to notice a pattern and understand that there is a larger threat at hand.
The villain isn’t the biggest challenge for Clark so far in this show. His biggest challenge is the most important one of them all: Being a father. And oh man, Clark has his hands full with being a father of two teenage boys, protecting the world, providing for his family, being a husband, and finding time for himself. If this show can find a way to balance all of those things in the life of Clark and then add in all the necessary Superman tropes, that task within itself is worthy of praise.
I give the show a solid recommendation and although it’s not on the big screen, I am a big fan of this Clark. There is always room for another Superman.