Superman & Lois
We reach the midway point with these two episodes and things are starting to amp up as we get closer to Ally Alston's goal and we learn what a world without a Superman really looks like. Let's get to it.
"Into Oblivion"
General Sam Lane: "Maybe... brunch?"
Lucy Lane: "Brunch? You brunch?"
Lois Lane: "Yeah, he also wears Hawaiian shirts now."
With the other pendant in her possession, Ally Alston leads her followers, along with Chrissy Beppo, to ascend. In the mines, a portal opens and as her followers approach they seem to evaporate. Superman barely gets there in time to save Chrissy and take Ally into custody. Lois and Sam are worried that Lucy was part of the group that Superman was unable to save. Anderson takes the pendant into the other world. Meanwhile, Lana is trying to navigate debate prep and her newly odd relationship with Kyle.
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| The future mayor of Smallville? |
I feel like I haven't really given Rya Kihlstedt her flowers for her portrayal of Ally Alston on this season of "Superman & Lois." She's so good. I have loved to hate her since she had her first one on one meeting with Lois at the diner. She's the kind of character that when you have to watch her interact with another character you just kind of seethe. You can't wait for her to finally get what she has coming to her. The scene where Sam interrogates Ally at the DOD is so freaking tense. You just watch Ally pick at Sam using all the things she has learned from Lucy. Even though Ally is the one that is custody, she's the one that is control. She's completely steering this and she is saying and doing everything to get under Sam's skin and get out of him the exact reactions that she wants and it works. Thank goodness for Lois storming in. Ally is dangerous because she is a true believer. Even after all that she sees in the mines, she's still committed to her vision. And people like that are terrifying. I'm interested to learn more about Ally's Bizarro World doppelganger, but I have no doubt that Kihlstedt will make that Ally just as quietly menacing as this one.
A lot of this episode is spent with Lois and Sam trying to locate Lucy. They are all concerned that she was one of the followers that Superman was unable to save. This is a little anticlimactic to me because as a viewer you know the show isn't going to potentially kill of Lucy in this sort of ambiguous way, so you're just waiting on her to show up at the end of the episode. It's not a huge shocker when she betrays and drugs Sam to steal his security card to get into the DOD and rescue Ally. I understand feeling like Sam and Lois should have seen this coming, but I'm a little less harsh on them. They love Lucy. They want her back in their lives so I get taking all this at face value.
Jonathan is still protecting Candice and Clark is still really disappointed and it's really getting to Jonathan. I like that Lois makes a point to tell Clark that it might be time to forgive Jonathan and just let this go. I really am not a huge fan of this drug storyline and I know you are probably sick of me saying that at this point, but I'm going to keep doing it. I guess it's kind of sweet that Jonathan is sticking up for Candice, but it's tough because I don't care about Candice. I haven't been given enough to be like oh yeah, it makes sense that Jonathan would jeopardize his future for this girl aside from the fact that she's been dealt a bad hand. And that's not really enough.
We do get a showdown between Jordan and Mickey, Candice's X-K dealer. It's nice to see Jordan's training paying off and I feel like we are getting closer and closer to a real Superboy-style moment with Jordan. Mark my words, we'll be seeing him in a costume with an "S" on his chest before season three is done.
John Henry is ready to come home and this is another storyline that feels a little half cooked. Due to his brain injury he forgets that Lois isn't his Lois which makes Natalie very upset. Natalie is mad at Clark, too and this all makes sense. But, the memory hiccup with John Henry is forgotten about as quickly as it is introduced. So, it feels a little trite. The whole purpose of this seems to be just a way to get Natalie and John Henry their own place, but maybe it's going somewhere else that I haven't seen yet. I do think those flashbacks to Natalie being lost between time and space felt like they were just padding the episode out a little bit, but again, maybe they will become important before the season ends.
The episode ends with Superman pushing his way through the portal and entering into this other world.
Grade: B+
"30 Days and 30 Nights"
General Sam Lane: "How many times have you been tied up?"
Lois Lane: "Better you don't know."
It's been a month since Superman entered the portal into the other world with no sign of him. The world is suffering with no Superman even with John Henry Irons trying to pick up the slack. In Smallville, Jordan is doing his best to help out whether his mother likes it or not. And election day has finally arrived. Will Lana Lang-Cushing become the new mayor of Smallville?
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| Mayor Lana. |
It was only a matter of time but we finally got an episode without any appearance by Superman. It's an interesting concept and I think the show pulls it off. I like how they don't come out right away and tell us how long exactly Clark has been gone. We get context clues that tell us it's been a while. Lois is sleeping alone and the look on her face tells us it's not the first, second or even tenth day that she's been alone. I love the shot of Clark's glasses on the nightstand with a blurry Lois in the background. We get news reports of multiple national disasters occurring with no sign of Superman to swoop in and stop them. They do make a note of commenting on how there hasn't been any casualties so far on the oil rig that was burning. It's one thing to have Superman gone and show the things that he'd usually be taking care of, but it's another for a bunch of people to be dying because Superman is gone. That's maybe not something the show wants to contend with and I think that's fair.
The Jordan as vigilante plot line moves forward a lot this episode and it's giving big "Smallville" vibes. It starts with Jordan saving Kyle from a very strange fire. In the warehouse, there are two like fire tornadoes. I've never been Jordan's biggest fan, but he's kind of impressive in all of this. He flies, sort of, when he rescues Kyle and it's a pretty nice moment. We get the slo-mo. The swelling music. The look of pure, unadulterated joy on Jordan's face when it happens. It's a nice moment.
Lois finding out about Jordan's secret training and vigilantism were bound to come out and I'm honestly a little surprised that it happened in this episode. I think the way this plot is going to be successful is the show continuing to stress that Jordan and Clark are not the same. If Martha and Jonathan Kent told Clark that they didn't want him doing any hero-ing, he would have said yes sir, yes ma'am. Jordan does not do that. He basically tells Lois he'll do what he wants and it's not like she can stop him. It's a little chilling to be honest. And I'm a little concerned that this may be some foreshadowing of an upcoming heel turn for the only one of the Fraternals with actual superpowers.
That's not what happens in this episode, though. They find out the accelerant used in the fire that almost killed Kyle was X-K, so Sam and Lois press Jonathan to tell them who the actual dealer was. He finally gives up Candice once everyone promises that she won't get into any trouble. She tells them all she knows which leads them to the warehouse where the main Smallville X-K operation is housed. I love Lois so much. She can't stop taking photos of the inside of the warehouse which is why she and Sam end up getting captured. The moment that Jordan saves Sam and Lois is pretty badass. Like, I'll give this kid props where it's due. This is definitely not the end of this X-K storyline because we still have to find out who was funding this Smallville operation.
I will say that I do have a difficult time taking Jordan seriously in this black emo hoodie. I just want to laugh every time I see him in it. They have to find something better for him.
I really like this storyline with Kyle the sad sack more than I thought I would. I think it's because it shows Sarah supporting him. She still loves her dad and it hurts her heart to see her dad living in squalor. Sarah knows that there is a chance that Lana and Kyle won't get back together so bringing him the stuff from the garage to furnish his new place is a really nice gesture. Sarah has a bit of a rough episode since Jordan's unexplained disappearances cause her to break up with him. It's nice to see her in a good place with both her parents. Now, bring on Aubrey.
I feel bad saying about this, but I really don't care at all about the storyline with Natalie and John Henry Irons about John Henry forgetting about the anniversary of their Lois's death. I get it. No one acts out of character and it has a sweet ending with them eating waffles and watching old videos of their Lois. I just didn't really connect with it. Maybe because I don't have a heart. Who knows?
This entire episode takes place on election day and I wasn't sure which way it was going to go. But I am happy that Lana was elected and I'm genuinely curious to see where this storyline is going to end up. The episode ends with Lois and Jordan being confronted by Jon-El after Jonathan gets a weird headache walking Candice home.
Grade: A-
Next up, we find out about Superman's month in Bizarro World and Jon-El makes his move.
What do you guys think? I'm really invested in where they are taking this season for the most part. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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