Superman & Lois
Things are really starting to pick up here. It's revelation after revelation as Morgan Edge's plans for Smallville and its citizens finally become clear. Let's get to it.
"Holding the Wrench"
Lois Lane: [after on got trapped in Irons' RV] "I said I would go back in there with you. What were you thinking?"
Jonathan Kent: "I-I just thought I'd look around."
Lois Lane: "Without me? Jonathan, what were you really doing in there?"
Jonathan Kent: "Mom, even I knew how upset you were earlier about what we saw in there, and then that crazy hammer thing that he made, I thought that maybe I could go in there and I could... I could look for..."
Clark Kent: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. You were looking for weapons?"
Jonathan Kent: "Dad, you and Jordan basically are weapons. I am the only one in the house that is completely unarmed."
Clark Kent: "Jonathan, your mother and I will protect you."
Jonathan Kent: "Really?"
Clark Kent: "Yes!"
Jonathan Kent: "Because I was one second away from being dead, and Mom couldn't do anything, and you? You almost didn't even make it in time."
Lois Lane: "Jonathan, look at me. Look at me! I let you come with me because I trusted you. I trusted that you were responsible enough to know what's at stake, to know how dangerous this all is!"
Jonathan Kent: "So, now... so now you-you don't trust me?"
Clark Kent: "Okay, okay, let's calm... calm down."
Lois Lane: "You knew there was a risk! I know you did, and yet you went in anyway, alone, behind my back! What... to find weapons? You almost DIED not because you were unarmed, because you were reckless and stupid! And if you had died, the only person that would've been to blame is yourself."
John Henry Irons is being held by the DoD but he's not talking. He keeps demanding to see Lois Lane. Lois and Jon check out his RV and learn of his connection to his Earth's Lois. All this triggers things in Lois, that she tries to keep in check. But when Jon goes back to the RV alone and is almost killed, Lois lays into him. Meanwhile, when one of Edge's Subjekts attempts to break Irons out of the DoD, Superman learns what they've really been doing with that surplus of Kryptonite.
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| Two different Lanes. |
Do you ever watch something and because of something that has happened in your life, maybe something that is pretty fresh, this thing on TV hits you a little harder than it would otherwise? That is exactly what happened to me when I was watching "Holding the Wrench." When Lois is talking to her therapist about how when she feels she needs to, she can go scorched Earth on someone using her words, man, did I feel that. And the regret she feels when she uses that on someone that didn't deserve it. Now, I did go off on a former friend earlier in the week. They said some things and I responded. I shouldn't have and it didn't make anything better, so I was really completely feeling how Lois was feeling and what she was going through, even though our situation was different.
Lois may be listed after the ampersand but I have to say that Lois Lane is the star of this show. Elizabeth Tulloch is killing it and this episode is just a showcase for her. Everything she does is perfect. I like the sort of framing device that begins the episode. You don't know who she's talking about at first. And I think Jonathan is the best possible person to be the focus of Lois' wrath. I like how the show is really highlighting the similarities between Jonathan and Lois. I'm sure Lois has gone through the same feeling of insecurity that Jonathan is currently feeling, but due to her standing as a world famous reporter, we don't really see a lot other than the cool, confident Lois Lane. I love seeing parents making wrong decisions and being the bad guys. As soon as she cools down, Lois realizes that she completely overreacted and handled this the wrong way and so she sort of has to go and throw herself at Jonathan's mercy. That's not saying that what Jonathan did was OK, but Lois took it to another level. My parents never really admitted to handling things wrong with me, so I appreciate seeing it and I hope that it happens in real life, too.
The big revelation here is Lois' miscarriage. It was a reveal I didn't see coming and I honestly never thought that i would be seeing real talk about something so serious like this on a CW superhero drama. I have to really give it up for episode writer, Norma Bailey. I've never looked up an episode writer on an Arrowverse or Arrowverse adjacent show. Bailey is a Canadian writer who is pretty well known for her work in feminism and intersectional film theory and that serves this episode really well. This is the only episode that she has written so far and I'm not sure if the showrunners sought her out for this particular episode, but it's just great. The reveal that they were going to name their daughter Natalie is another gut punch.
This is "Superman & Lois" so we can't just have an introspective episode, so there is some action and most of it takes place at the DoD. Sam Lane mentioned to Superman earlier in the season that the DoD was stockpiling Kryptonite to keep it out of the hands of Superman's enemies, but to the surprise of no one, they were actually making weapons. They are weapons that Superman finds himself on the receiving end of when he tries to stop the subjekt from taking Irons. These are some hardcore weapons. There is Krytponite that has been released in an aerosol form. A spear with a Kryptonite tip. By the end of the episode, Superman and Irons have formed an uneasy truce. But who knows how long that will last?
The only part of the episode that doesn't work is the stuff with Sarah and Kyle and the talent show. It just sort of feels like the same beats. Kyle makes a promise to his kids or wife and ends up getting blasted instead of actually following through. This just felt like an excuse for the actress who plays Sarah to sing.
Grade: A-
"Loyal Subjekts"
Chrissy Beppo: "Thank god you're back. Edge just sent someone over with a massive ad buy for tomorrow's paper."
Lois Lane: "For more recruits?"
Chrissy Beppo: "Twice as many. Okay, whatever crazy voodoo Edge is doing to those people, he's kicking it into high gear."
[Lois turns to leave]
Chrissy Beppo: "Where are you going?"
Lois Lane: "Oh, to make a scene."
After being exposed to the Kryptonite gas, Superman gets sick. And he gives the virus to Jordan, who is having some issues with his freeze breath because of it. This also causes him to have to miss the talent show where he was going to accompany Sarah. Clark takes him to the Fortress for treatment. Meanwhile, Edge's plans for Smallville finally come into clear focus.
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| The Zeppo. |
I know that two paragraphs ago I was complaining about the scenes with Kyle and Sarah, but hear me out. Am I the only one who, after this episode, would totally watch a "Nashville" inspired spin-off, where Kyle and Sarah were a father/daughter country music duo? If you'd be into that, sound off in the comments. Big ups to the show for having Sarah sing an Amos Lee song. I love Amos Lee and I don't think that he gets the respect that he deserves.
We have to start off here talking about the reveals that this episode gave us. I sort of love how "Superman & Lois" isn't dragging things out. It's not just piling on one question after another. It is actually giving us answers while asking some questions which is what a good show does. The episode ends with the big reveal that Morgan Edge himself is a subjekt. It makes complete sense. Edge is a power hungry narcissist. Why would he grant others powers if he didn't already have them himself? It seems like Edge has been trying to put the spirits of dead Kryptonians in a lot of people with the X-Kryptonite, but it just doesn't hasn't worked. It seems like the people of Smallville are made of sterner stuff. They can handle it. The question remains, why are the people of Smallville the only ones who can handle it? Does it have something to do with living with Superman all those years? Is it something else? I'm excited to find out. Edge refers to Superman as brother at the end of the episode when they confront one another. Is that just a generic brother due to them both now being Kryptonians? Or is it something else?
The other big reveal is that Kyle is a subjekt and I don't think I saw it coming because I figured it would happen by now. But, when he showed up in the Kent barn and walloped Superman, I gave a whoop. Kyle is a sad sack d-bag and really the only way for me to care about him at this point is for him to be a subjekt. I loved when Superman just let him have it. I do think the amnesiac subplot with his new powers could get a little old, but I'm willing to see where it goes before I pass judgment.
The other big plot of the episode is we finally find out what happens when Superman gets sick and it's not great. It seems like Big Blue is still fighting off the effects of the Kryptonite gas he got hit with in the last episode and the effects are much like a virus. He feels them when he is trying to take down some run of the mill robbers in a Spanish speaking country. The bullets aren't going through him, but they are certainly having more of an impact then they usually do. And while I never am upset about a Tyler Hoechlin shirtless scene, this one was not as titillating since he's covered in bruises from said bullet impacts. It's always sobering to see Superman with injuries. It's like seeing a cat walking on its hind legs.
It turns out this virus is communicable when Jordan starts sneezing at school and instead of snot its large ice crystals that are coming out. Jordan definitely has it worse than Clark due to his half human physiology and so it's another trip to the fortress and a chat where Jor-El continues his competition to be the worst grandpa ever with Sam Lane. But at least Jor-El is an AI, Sam doesn't have that excuse. The solution is for the remaining Kryptonite in his system to be burned out by lasers in the Fortress and hoo buddy. I have never been Jordan's biggest fan, but this is a lot. And Tyler Hoechlin does some amazing face acting as he holds his sun while he gets shot with lasers over and over again.
Some other brief bullet points before we wrap things up:
- Clark finally does some reporter type stuff with Chrissy and Lois, helping them try to piece together what exactly Edge wants with Smallville.
- Lois finally enlists Clark to use his Smallville bonafides i.e. golden child, son of the beloved Martha Kent to try to get people to realize that Edge is no good.
- Leslie Larr was originally from Smallville, but with a name that had 100% less alliteration.
Next up, Lana looks to Lois & Clark for help with her Kyle problem and Clark does some reminiscing while Superman learns some more disturbing things about Edge.
I'm really enjoying this series a lot more than I thought I would and am kind of bummed I didn't watch it sooner. What do you all think? Let me know in the comments.
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