Superman & Lois
Since our last recaps, the CW announced that the fourth season of "Superman & Lois" would be its last. It's not a huge surprise. The CW is moving away from scripted shows it seems. And the show demoted all of its series regulars except for the Kents. I'm glad the creators know now so they can hopefully craft a great final season. I have no doubt they will. Let's get to it.
"Of Sound Mind"
Clark Kent: "Don't worry, it's fine."
Lois Lane: "How is this fine? You're shooting our son with lasers."
Clark attempts to go to to a support group for family members with cancer but can't stay the whole time. And he shuts down Lois trying to talk to him about wills and estate planning. Lois bonds with fellow chemo patient, Peia. Clark is being overprotective of Jordan at the same time that Mannheim is getting ready to try to take out Superman. Lana learns that Chrissy and Kyle are dating.
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| Lil' Kent. |
The introduction of Lois's cancer storyline in season three has injected the series with a pathos that it hasn't really had so far. Everything is very heightened and everyone involved with the storyline is doing amazing work. The only downside to this is that it can sometimes make the various B plots that the show is juggling feel less than. Like, why are we worrying about Chrissy and Kyle hiding their relationship from Lana when Lois is fighting for her life? I get it from the perspective of, well, life continues on even when someone else is going through something so monumental and life changing. But every time we are dealing with something unrelated to Lois's diagnosis, I just keep wishing that the episode would move back to it.
Up to this point, Clark's place in Lois's journey has been the supportive husband. He's been doing his best to allow her to navigate this the best way she knows how and stepping in when it is completely necessary. I think that has been a great way to use him. But, this episode asks the question, what do you do when you're married to a man who's entire brand and identity is built on hope. The belief that everything will be OK. Clark leaves the support group when the woman leading it tells a story about how her husband was holding on for her and how she had to give him permission to let go. Sidebar, kudos to that actress who slayed that monologue. Clark can't hear that. He subsequently poo poos Lois's suggestion that they get a will and plan for the future if the worst happens.
It's not too long before Lois has to let Clark have it. She reminds him that she is human and something she and other humans have to deal with is that they could die at any time. That things may not work out for the best. And while Clark's hope is great, it can sometimes feel delusional and a little condescending. It's always good to see Superman be reminded of his humanity and see him admit that he sort of went full tilt into the hope/denial combo because of what he was told about how cancer patients will sometimes think about giving in. And that he was being extra hard on Jordan because he felt like Jordan was someone he could definitely keep safe even if as what was happening to Lois was out of his control.
It was nice to see Lois connect with fellow chemo patient, Peia. I appreciate that the show doesn't shy away from the fact that this disease is terrifying. That it has different levels and stages. That the cure can be just as bad as the disease. It was nice to see Lois and Peia bond over this beautiful meal. And I always just have to point out that Elizabeth Tulloch continues to do Emmy worthy work on this series week after week after week.
The B plots in this episode are kind of meh. Jonathan has started his work at the fire station and Kyle is putting him through his paces, making him wash the fire truck over and over again. Forcing him to wear a past trainee named Rusty's clothes even though they don't fit him. This plot somehow collides with the Cushing divorce plot. Youngest Cushing, Sophie, is feeling abandoned by her family. I get it. I barely remember Sophie exists. She runs away because no one is paying attention to her. Jonathan has a heart to heart with her. All this and Lana finds out about Chrissy and Kyle. Like, there isn't anything wrong with this overall, it's just kind of been there, done that.
The action in this episode is great, but it feels a little perfunctory. Butthole Mask attacks Superman with Mannheim's goons and Jordan has to step in in his awful costume. It looks like a cheaper version of the Night Monkey costume from "Spider-Man: Far From Home." But we also find out that due to his half human/half-Kryptonian physiology, Kryptonite doesn't affect Jordan like it does Superman. The big reveal of the episode is that Butthole Mask is actually Peia. And for me, it was a great reveal that the episode did a great job building up to. It is tying together Lois's story with the Mannheim story and it's great.
Grade: B
"Forever and Always"
John Henry Irons: "Thank you for talking me off the ledge."
Lana Lang Cushing: "Oh, well, at the most you had your head out the window."
Lois tries to get Peia to admit her connection to Bruno Mannheim and it begins to drive a wedge in their burgeoning friendship. Clark interviews Mannheim to try to get more information and figure out why he's giving these men powers and putting so much money into cancer research. When Lois tries to apologize to Peia, she learns about Peia and Mannheim's startling connection. John Henry tries to deal with Nat dating while Sarah starts to bond with Chrissy.
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| Power couple. |
Season three begins to bring together the disparate threads together this episode and it is happening just in time.
Lois continues to try to get more information out of Peia. I love how Lois has never stopped being Lois Lane throughout her cancer journey. She talks in this episode about how she feels like she's not able to trust her gut anymore, but this situation with Peia really proves that Lois's gut is still something that she should trust above all things.
One of the things that I love the most about Lois is that she is extremely self aware. Lois can't help herself. When she smells a story, she can't not go after it. She knows there's something up with Bruno and Peia. And I don't think that it's that Lois believes Peia when she goes to apologize to her, it's that she wants to believe her. She's made this connection this woman in these extraordinary circumstances. She wants this bond to continue. Clark's hope from the last episode is rubbing off on her. Peia admitting to Lois that she is married to Bruno Mannheim is kind of heartbreaking and it really throws Lois for a loop. When it comes to a story, Lois is a dog with a bone. This is a new side of her that we are seeing. Her perspective has changed realizing that maybe Mannheim has done all this for his wife. Out of love.
We get to see Clark in reporter mode, which we haven't seen much of in the series so far. It's kind of cool to watch how the context of their conversation changes as the interview goes on. Clark is on the attack at first but then things shift when it dawns on him that he's not giving these people powers so they can hurt him as Superman, he's doing it so he can save the person he loves. I'm always impressed when Tyler Hoechlin and Chad Coleman have scenes together. They meet each other and it definitely feels like they are pushing each other harder and harder.
Jonathan and Jordan have sort of been on the outskirts of Lois's diagnosis and it's nice to check on them and see how they are dealing with it. Jonathan is especially emotional since he is human too. He goes off on Lara at the Fortress. He says some really unkind things to Clark about his hopeful attitude. I always appreciate when parents admit to their kids that they were wrong. I think that's important and I think if parents see it on tv, then maybe they will do it in real life. The quiet moments in this episode were some of my favorites, like when Clark tells Jonathan he's both human and Kryptonian, powers or no.
I definitely wished that I cared more about Sarah being mean to Chrissy and being disgusted that she's ten years younger than Kyle. I was happy that Lana shut that down. All it took for Chrissy and Sarah to become fast friends were pot gummies and Coachella talk. It sort of feels like this storyline is sort of adrift. It's not really connected to anything else that is going on. I thought Lana would be more in the midst of things after Mayor Dean's death, but they seemed to have dropped that plot point and I'm hopeful they will bring it back.
I was ready to say the same about John Henry and Nat who are back this episode with Nat's new boyfriend, Mateo. I was yawning throughout the whole overprotective father can't deal with is daughter's new boyfriend thing, but then we get another great reveal. It turns out that Mateo is the son of Bruno and Peia Mannheim. And he wants Nat to come over for dinner. Knowing Mannheim's history with both John Henry's, I'm sure that is going to go great.
Grade: B+
Next up, Nat has dinner with the Mannheim's and then has to pick up the pieces.
What do you all think? Are the B storylines struggling in comparison to Lois and the Big C? Were you happy to see Superman be a little more human? Let me know in the comments.
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