Superman & Lois is a show that finally, after ten years of waiting for Clark Kent to finally put on his supersuit in Smallville, shows Superman fully grown into the hero recognized throughout the world. It also, as the title suggests, gives us a Lois Lane who is the world-famous reporter from the Daily Planet.
But one might think – didn’t we already see this story in the 90’s in Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman? While this show and Smallville feature the same characters, they do not run in continuity with each other. That is because executive producer Todd Hellbing (who actually got his start writing an episode of Smallville) wasn’t interested in how Superman and Lois Lane become the icons they are. He was interested in what happens after.
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As this show starts, Clark and Lois are married and settled down in Metropolis with two teenage sons, Jonathan and Jordan. They have already faced a lot of Superman’s greatest enemies as well as suffered some personal tragedy which is revealed later in the season. The show kicks off with Clark (Tyler Hoechlin, Teen Wolf) actually being fired from the Daily Planet. And after Clark’s mother Martha Kent passes away, they both feel drawn back to the Kent family farm in Smallville.
Clark feels drawn because of the memories of the simple life and loving family he felt when he lived there. In his busy life as reporter and the Man of Steel, he feels as if he is failing as a father. Indeed, his sons are going through their own battles. Jonathan (Jordan Elsass, Little Fires Everywhere) is trying to land the quarterback position in his high school football team, and Jordan (Alex Garfin, The Peanuts Movie) suffers from anxiety and depression. Clark believes that shedding his reporter role and living the country life will allow him to be a bigger part of his sons’ lives.
Meanwhile, Lois (Bitsie Tulloch, Grimm) is dealing with the upheaval at the Daily Planet as well as discovering that her new boss Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner, Tyrant) could be interested in Smallville for nefarious reasons. In her investigations, she teams up with the editor of The Smallville Gazette, Christy Beppo (Sofia Hasmik, Mad About You) to find out what Edge’s interests are in the mines that employ many of the citizens of Smallville. Her father, General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh, Nip/Tuck) also gets involved as his worries about his son-in-law and daughter revealing Clark’s true identity to their sons come to the forefront after an accident at the farm.
The series also features Clark’s high school flame Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Entourage), and her family living in Smallville. She is in a rocky marriage with fire chief Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez, Graceland), who is not a fan of the city folk coming to his town and thinking they know better. They have two daughters, teenage Sarah (Inde Navarrette, 13 Reasons Why) who has a connection to Jordan because of her struggles with depression, and young Sophie (Jocelyn Picard, Motherland: Fort Salem).
Finally, an enemy known only as The Stranger (Wolé Parks, The Vampire Diaries) is featured as the series begins. He wears a superstrong mech suit and seems to know all of Clark’s secrets, like his real name Kal-El and his vulnerability to kryptonite. His origin is one of the ongoing mysteries of the first season, and his name (I won’t reveal it here) is the big needledrop at the end of the pilot episode.
All this adds up to a fantastic show with equal parts family drama and super-heroics. It has all the trappings of an Arrowverse property but its focus on small-town life, football, and parenting at times make it feel like Friday Night Lights. Hmm, maybe they should have called this Friday Night Tights?
This show has gotten its share of complaints from fandoms of the Arrowverse. The characters of Superman and Lois Lane as portrayed on this show were first introduced on episodes of Supergirl and The Flash, yet there is barely any mention of the characters from those shows, most notably Clark’s super-cousin Kara. However, I think it was wise for Superman & Lois, much like Stargirl, to stand as a show on its own. The Arrowverse, which started nearly ten years ago at this point, has complicated intertwining mythology that could be hard to enter from someone who might want to just check out the new Superman show.
Also, what sets Superman & Lois apart from the shows that came before it is the gorgeous cinematography and incredible special effects. Warner Brothers has invested a lot into this show and you can definitely see it on the screen. It looks even better on Blu-ray.
• Superman: Alien Spirit | This features interviews with the cast and writers discussing the various themes of the show.
• Superman & Lois: Legacy of Hope | This was a special that was aired the night of the pilot that talks about the history of the characters of Superman and Lois Lane and how they relate to the show.
• Never Alone: Heroes and Allies | This is a 30-minute feature which fans of the current roster of Arrowverse shows will like. It discusses the characters that help the heroes in not only Superman & Lois, but also Batwoman, The Flash, Stargirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.
• DC Fandome Panel: Superman & Lois | This was a fun panel that ran online before the show premiered, moderated by DC Comics legend Jim Lee.
“Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season” Blu-Ray & DVD is now available to purchase on Amazon.
By Contributing Writer Robin Burdge
