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Superman and Lois marks the return of Superman to the small screen spinning of the events of the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths as well as the show that followed Clark’s Kryptonian cousin Supergirl. While this new series is a spinoff featuring the return of Tyler Hoechlin as Superman and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane this series so far has been pretty standalone as you don’t need any prior Arrowverse experience to watch. With a higher budget then the other Arrowverse series this series really gets to stand on it’s own with very notable different cinematography and better CGI. Here’s what we had to say about the first two episodes entitled “Pilot” (Episode 1) and “Heritage” (Episode 2).
Meet The Super-Family
Prior to this series I’ve always been a big fan of Tyler Hoechlin as Superman so I was very excited when he was announced to be getting his own series. Unlike previous iterations of Superman we get to see this version grounded with the struggles of losing a job and raising a family. Throughout the first two episodes I was easily connected with this interpretation of the character as he felt like just like any other average guy. Both episodes managed to capture that modern day struggle of a father wanting to connect with his sons but also dealing with the weight of being one of the worlds biggest superhero. Tyler really gets the chance to showcase that he can portray that iconic characterization of Superman as the beacon of hope that we all know from the comics. I really love that this show shyed away from the typical tropes of its predecessors. Unlike all the other series (aside from Black Lightning), Superman is already a seasoned veteran at being a superhero, so we have skipped the typical origin story (although the opening of the pilot gave us an amazing montage of events that have led us to this point in the series).
We also have shied away from the typical team format with this series as Clark only really works as a superhero with his father in-law Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh), but for the most part does his own patrols as a hero around the world. That dynamic has been a great change in pace as General Lane has been mostly portrayed as an antagonist in Superman adaptations so it’s great to see them actually working together as allies.
Elizbeth Tulloch has finally been given more to do as Lois Lane and I am so happy to see her finally shine as the character. Seeing Lois be given more of a spotlight has been a joy to watch so far as we finally get to see one of the most famous reporters in DC comics get their due in the Arrowverse. While we have seen these types of stories with the likes of Iris West-Allen on ‘The Flash’ and Kara on Supergirl we haven’t seen her really get that much focus until now. Elizabeth does a great job at bringing this intrepid reporter to life as she deals with the corruption from Morgan Edge on the Daily Planet. I was really rooting for her when she decided to quit the Daily Planet as even she acknowledged she can’t take down Edge from the inside. Seeing her work for the Smallville Gazette with Chrissy Beppo as a “fish-out-of water” story should be very interesting to see play out. The show has done a great job so far balancing her life as a reporter and while being a mother to her two sons.
With the multiverse shattering event ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ the classic couple “Clois” now has two teenage sons with Jonathan Kent (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan Kent (Alex Garfin). Going into the show I was honestly worried these two would be the worse elements of the series, but to my surprise they were actually some of the best. I really liked seeing how different these two are with Jonathan being what may seem like the typical jock and Jordan dealing with anxiety and depression. Despite their differences though the two brothers have remained very supportive of each other and as someone who has a brother too I’m glad to see this kind of sibling bond represented on the series. I am very intrigued to see how their dynamic grows as Jordan begins to develop his powers more and Jonathan there to help him along the way.
A Return to Smallville and The Cushings
When we first heard that the series would be returning to Smallville as its main setting I won’t lie when I say I was worried that it was just going to be another carbon copy of the series Smallville which had most of its stories revolve around that. However, I really do like how they made the Kents moving there revolve around both Clark and Lois wanting a simpler life there in order to save the town and reconnect their family. While we haven’t gotten to see much of the town just yet we can already tell how hard this small town has fallen from when Clark was a kid. Having Clark’s old flame Lana and her family the Cushings with her husband Kyle(Erik Valdez) and her two daughters Sarah (Inde Navarette) and Sophie(Jocelyn Picard) has been perfect to include as people that are still fighting for Smallville to thrive. One of the best parts about the first two episodes has been seeing Kyle’s sorta rivalry with Lois as he’s all for Morgan Edge getting involved in Smallville whereas Lois knows he’s up to something far more sinister. In addition I have also enjoyed Sarah’s scenes with both the two Kent sons and can’t wait to see how their story plays out further.
The Villains (Captain Luthor/”The Stranger” and Morgan Edge)
You can’t have a superhero show without villains which leads me to talk about this season’s big bads in Captain Luthor/”The Stranger”(Wole Parks) as well as Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner). Unlike the rest of the Arrowverse series ‘Superman and Lois’ has given us two main villains as “The Stranger” represents Superman’s big bad while Morgan is Lois’s. While we haven’t gotten much of either villain yet the first two episodes have done a great job establishing who these people are. With The Stranger we all know that Lex Luthor is the de facto Superman villain, but with Captain Luthor we have a whole new version to explore that’s different then Jon Cryer’s Lex Luthor as seen on Supergirl. So far at least he’s been a very menacing villain and I can’t wait to explore more of his backstory. That ending scene with him recounting the events of seeing his world’s Superman kill all his fellow soldiers gave me chills. In terms of Morgan Edge though we have only seen him in one episode, but just from that I can tell he’s going to be a credible threat. Adam Rayner has done a great job being a charming yet menacing businessman kind of filling in that classic Lex Luthor type role for the show.
Final Thoughts
The very first two episodes were a very solid start to this new series (and hopefully new era of CW DCTV series). From amazing cinematography, CGI, and action this is easily one of the best interpretations of the Man of Steel. It perfectly managed to capture the superhero fun and action as well as balance the real world more grounded elements that will only continue on as the series continues. I can’t wait to see how this story continues to play out as well as its connection with the larger Arrowverse to grow.
Superman and Lois will continue to air at 9pm EST on Tuesdays following episodes of The Flash at 8pm EST. And be sure to check back with The Cinema Spot on our socials- Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Facebook (@TheCinemaSpotFB) to catch our latest review of The CW‘s shows!
