Oh, what a difference a cliffhanger makes! The last time we saw Superman & Lois back in March, the show ended with a rather perfunctory tease about a newly superpowered teen coming to seek revenge on Jordan Kent. Tonight’s compelling midseason premiere not only manages to make speedster Tag Harris a more interesting character, it also ends with a stronger, more gut-wrenching cliffhanger of its own. “Broken Trust” puts Jordan through the wringer both physically and emotionally, and then ends with the angst-y Kent twin collapsing in a superpowered seizure that only the Fortress of Solitude can heal. And while I don’t think there’s any real risk of the show killing off Jordan, the cliffhanger is still viscerally upsetting in its own right.
It’s a strong conclusion to an overall strong episode of the freshman superhero series. Though it’s not ideal for a brand new TV show to take a seven-week (COVID-related) break after airing just five episodes, in this case, absence definitely made my heart grow fonder. The time off made me realize that for all its pacing issues, Superman & Lois has done a great job making me care about its central characters and their world. I was genuinely excited to dive back into Smallville (and Metropolis!) this week. And it’s nice to return with an episode that has a lot of big, meaty things to say about the Superman ethos.
In the same way Supergirl once used Kara’s powers to explore female anger, Superman & Lois uses the notion of superpowers to explore male anger and vulnerability—specifically as it relates to teenage boys. Jordan and Tag are both young men overwhelmed by the abilities that have been thrust upon them; desperate for help, but also struggling to find the emotional vulnerability to ask for it. That vulnerability is especially hard for Jordan to access because there’s a part of him that still wants his super-strength too. With a big football game coming up, he dreams of living out the fantasy of taking down all his old bullies back at Metropolis High.
“Broken Trust” does reveal some of the flaws of Superman & Lois’ early worldbuilding. I still think it was a mistake not to spend more time on the Lane-Kents’ life in Metropolis, which would’ve helped the contrast with their new lives in Smallville, and also made Jordan’s rivalry with his old tormenters feel much more personal in this episode. Similarly, if Tag had been a more active member of the show’s teen ensemble to begin with, there would’ve been a lot more emotional resonance to the scenes where he tries to reach out to Sarah for help.
Thankfully, some standout superhero sequences (mostly) make up for that shaky foundation. As in the show’s strong third episode, football once again brings out the best in Superman & Lois. A brutal skirmish during the Smallville vs. Metropolis game causes Jordan’s powers to build up beyond his control. And in a genuinely unnerving moment, he has to stealthily beam his heat vision into his dad’s hands to keep himself from exploding. It’s a terrifying reflection of Jordan’s unchecked abilities—and an impressive reminder of Clark’s indestructibility.
While some of Jordan’s early breakdowns call to mind similar sequences in Man Of Steel, the heat vision explosion feels unique in the live-action Superman canon. Jordan’s eruption makes Kryptonian abilities seem like a threat and a burden, not just a cool power fantasy. And it’s a sequence that’s just as impactful on a metaphorical level as a literal one. The image of Clark absorbing his son’s blast is a powerful encapsulation of the way that parents can inadvertently pass on burdens to their children, but then help them carry them too.
Indeed, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface of this episode. Particularly when it comes to the central themes of trust, honesty, and vulnerability. On the surface, the subplot about Lois and tech reporter “Marcus Bridgewater” (a.k.a. Captain Luthor) sneaking into Morgan Edge’s mines is a fun way to get Lois in on some investigative action—one that lets her prove she’s no slouch in how quickly she sees through Luthor’s act too. But it’s also interesting that the way “Marcus” asks her to trust him without knowing the full picture is almost exactly the same thing that Lois asks of Lana and Kyle when she comes to them with her suspicions about Edge. Maybe Lois and her alternate universe husband aren’t so different after all…
But by far the best thing about “Broken Trust” is its ability to ramp up tension. Director Sudz Sutherland crafts an edge-of-your-seat climax in which all three of the Kent men find themselves testing their mental and physical strength. As Jonathan tries to stop Jordan from losing his cool with some Metropolis bullies, Clark tries to stop the U.S. military from murdering a scared teenager in cold bold. And Superman & Lois gets to the heart of what makes Superman a hero: It’s not his powers, it’s his restraint.
Tyler Hoechlin colors his performance with angry, authoritative notes this week, which adds some incredibly effective depth to his sunny Superman persona. We see just how hard it is for Clark to keep a level-head as the military shoots bullets at a teen and then Kryptonite at him. And we also see just how easy it would be for him to take them all down in one fell swoop if he wanted too. But doing so would mean losing humanity’s trust forever, as Clark tries to explain to Jordan in a stand-out monologue: “It took me a minute to realize that other people were more afraid of what I could do than I was.”
Unfortunately, it’s the son who didn’t inherit his power who did inherit that magnanimous spirit. Jonathan continues to emerge as the heart of Superman & Lois. He selflessly sacrifices his hand (and potentially his football career) to stop his brother from maiming a bully with a superpowered punch. Jordan, meanwhile, is petulant, selfish, and downright unlikable in this episode. But that’s part of what makes his climactic breakdown so powerful too. His teenage mistakes feel real, as does his teenage regret. It’s Alex Garfin’s best work on the series yet.
Indeed, one lovely grace note of Superman & Lois is how real the family dynamics feel. Like Sarah’s sweet attempt to buoy her mom’s spirits after Kyle’s less-than-thrilled reaction to Lana’s new job with Morgan Edge. Or the way Clark and Lois wrap-up their tough-love parenting only for her to casually segue to the fact that she almost got killed earlier in the day, which is such a great depiction of their marriage of equals. Across the board, “Broken Trust” delivers a reminder of what Superman & Lois does best, while also laying storytelling groundwork that I suspect will have dramatic ramifications on the rest of the season. It’s a strong way to welcome the show back to our airwaves.
Stray observations
- Though the CGI is far from perfect, I appreciate the ambition of the opening train rescue. Superman & Lois is clearly committed to depicting Superman’s powers in big-scale ways, even on a TV budget/schedule.
- I love how Lois casually namedrops her friendship with Superman while trying to get Lana and Kyle to agree to her plan to spy on Edge.
- I know Lana and Kyle were a little drunk in love after their date night, but it seems really weird that they didn’t check on their daughters as soon as they got home.
- I don’t know if it’s a conscious thing or not, but Tyler Hoechlin and Jordan Elsass have a lot of the same mannerisms in a way that really makes them feel like father and son.
- “Why does a journalist have a ray gun? That makes no sense!”
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He can be pretty grating at times but I do feel for Jordan’s situation since a lot of it is outside of his control. Should have told Clark about the super concussion though.I guess we won’t be getting that Superhero school after all with how Tag was talking about it tonight.
You know, I think Sam Lane might be a bit of an asshole.But maybe that’s just me.
Still wanting Lucy Lane to show up & find out about her relationship with Lois, and to a lesser extent Sam (I would assume that she also realizes that he is a jackass)
I’d love to see that.I’d love to see Jenna Dewan reprising her role from Supergirl as well.
Where is S&L filming? I thought she was effectively written out of Supergirl because of the filming move to Vancouver? (Same reason as Callista Flockhart)
Oh just a little.
Not just you.
So… where are Metropolis and Smallville geography wise? I got the sense from previous eps that the former was NYC and East Coast.
Hasn’t Smallville always been depicted as “middle America”?
Usually, but not always, Kansas-adjacent.
Originally, Smallville was located in Delaware before it was relocated to Kansas.
Lots of good acting in the episode including that final scene.
It really doesn’t make sense taht Metropolis and Smallville would play each other in football, but whatever, maybe Earth-Prime high school teams do more out of state travel or something.I do wish that in Clark’s variation on the world of cardboard monologue they had driven home what Jordan would’ve done to the bully if Jon hadn’t interceded. Maybe that would’ve been too much piling on, maybe, but I would’ve liked some acknowledgement that Jordan was trying to knock that kid’s block off.Otherwise, dope episode, and Clark is a dang good dad. I loved the Kent boys’ reaction to Jordan punching the log, very wholesome.
Yeah confused about the Metropolis Smallville geography. That was clearly NYC.
I suppose canonically DC has always been a little vague about where any of their made up cities are, but yeah Metropolis is vague on the east coast and smallville is in the plains.
I guess Crisis moved Smallville significantly eastward?
Or they just forgot where they put it.
Lois actually says “Smallville, Kansas” in this episode, so maybe they move Metropolis to St. Louis?
I live in St. Louis and we’re on the far side of Missouri from Kansas. More likely someplace like Wichita.
Smallville has always been in Kansas in every incarnation (I’m 90% sure), because you can make up a fictional small farming town in a given state. It’s just Metropolis (and the other big DCU cities) that wobble in geography.
Smallville used to raise the same questions because they would sometimes jaunt off to Metropolis like it was nothing more than a day trip, if that.
Yeah, definitely seems to be Smallville geography, where Metropolis could literally be seen from the top of a windmill in Smallville.
I think Smallville (the series) eventually established Metropolis was 3 hours away, mainly for the plot convenience of Clark having adventures and still being able to go back to the farm. This episode showed the kids were put up in a hotel so the assumption is it’s likely not that close (or the schools have a very liberal policy on post-game celebrations).
Yea, if people are gonna get bent out of shape about fast travel on Game of Thrones, the least a show like this could do is make a trip to Metropolis actually, you know, feel like a trip.
In “Smallville”, they establish that Metropolis is only a four hour car ride (if that.)
I know the comics have often suggest Metropolis was New York, but my memories of Smallville kind of had it more like Chicago?
I think that was their thinking, as well, even though Chicago is obviously much further than a four-hour-drive from central Kansas.Frankly, it makes no sense for Metropolis to be close to Smallville at all.Massive cities don’t grow up smack dab in the middle of plains country. They just don’t. Cities grow up around water.But, the writers wanted Metropolis to be within arm’s reach of a bunch of teenagers, so that’s what they did.Not sure what the deal is on “Superman & Lois,” as I’ve only seen one episode, but I’d imagine they wanted to keep the route to Metropolis similarly short for story reasons.
“Massive cities don’t grow up smack dab in the middle of plains country. They just don’t. Cities grow up around water.”…er?
Lots of cities are located amid plains. The whole of central Asia, siberia and inland china would like to say hello! Omsk? Ulaanbaatar? Nur-Sultan? Oklahoma City? Hell, plenty of cities are located in or next to deserts, let alone plains! Phoenix! Even many of the world’s biggest cities are located in or near some fairly dry plains – including Delhi, Cairo, Karachi, Mexico City…It’s true that most cities before the modern era were built near water. But usually that just means a river. Or it might mean a lake, or even the sea – but you can easily be 4 hours from a river, lake or the sea and still be arid!
Did you really just “well, actually” me about my claim that cities grow up around water?
And your counter argument to that is Delhi, Cairo and Karachi??? Because they’re “near” arid areas? And, not, you know, on major rivers or oceans?
Guess what’s in Oklahoma City and Phoenix? Rivers!
Jesus Fucking Christ.
…no, I ‘actually’ed you on the claim that cities aren’t located within four hours’ drive of plains. If you read, you’ll see I agreed that “it’s true” that most pre-modern cities were built near water. But that doesn’t mean they can’t also be within four hours of plains. Is Oklahoma City on a river? Yes. Is it within four hours of ‘plains country’, such that you could have both a city (like Metropolis) and a plains farming town (like Smallville) within four hours of each other? Also yes.
1) No, that’s not what you actually said…“Lots of cities are located amid plains” – your quote. Not the same thing!
and…2) so your point was that you can drive four hours from a city and wind up in nowhereseville?Um, no fucking shit. What a pointless, obviously, needless thing to say.But I guess we’re on the same page….?
but, jesus….what a dumb exchange.
As noted, in the show Smallville I thought they clearly were in the same state. It it whatever the show continuity wants. Kansas, home to the city so big its name basically means big city.
Still not as bad as Arrow. Where normal humans were traveling half-way around the Earth, to the remote fortress in the Himalayas Nanda Pardat, as if there was a commuter bus going there.
They’ve confirmed a few. Like Central City is in Missouri
I’ve always understood the general consensus to be Gotham ~ NYC; Metropolis ~ Chicago. Which admittedly doesn’t help much, since that’s still a roughly 10 hour drive from Kansas. But people from out that way always say they’re way more used to driving long distances for things than East Coasters are…
“Gotham ~ NYC; Metropolis ~ Chicago”Isn’t that the other way around? Superman’s adventures in Metropolis always seemed like New York, while Gotham has always seemed like a big city, not a BIG city (like Chicago).
Let’s not look over the fact that Metropolis would definitely be a Division I school, while the way they depict Smallville it’s probably a Division 5, maybe Division 4 school, and no state’s athletic commission would sanction a game between schools with such enrollment disparity.
Metropolis was kinda a stand-in for Chicago. If Smallville is halfway to Iowa (or even just across the border) it’d be doable. 150 miles, with most of that on a highway.
Either Metropolis is somewhere in Kansas, say Wichita, or Smallville is in New York state.
Strictly speaking, Johnathan shouldn’t have been able to absorb the full blow so the other kid should have still gotten a fat lip or bloody nose. And if the boys keep sustaining mysterious injuries it won’t be long until Family and Child Services gets involved.
My brother mentioned that too lmao
This was the part where I was lost my suspension of disbelief. Those schools would never play each other. Aren’t prep sports normally separated by size as well as distance? They would be in different divisions. It would be the most unfair match ups for a high school in Gardner, IL to face off against one in Chicago, IL.
Although the distance would match the show. Reasonable to drive and in the same state. But far enough that you wouldn’t make the drive unless you had to.
If Smallville is in Kansas, maybe it’s located more toward the NE portion, like Hiawatha…with Metropolis to be located somewhere along the Great Lakes area, southwest of Chicago? An estimated 530 mile wiggle room would allow for there to be the bodies of water we’ve seen in far-shots of Metropolis, and would explain the overnight stay in this episode. We know he can get to Metropolis in seconds using a parabolic arc outside Earth’s atmosphere, so…I think that would fit a narrative.
Lois and Lana continue to have perhaps the show’s most interesting relationship, mercifully free (I think?) of jealousy or rivalry, but instead with obvious mutual respect. The scenes with Lois & Luthor and her not taking any shit at all are a nice example of showing & not telling why he would be in love with her.
I just worry they’re going to go into this “you were my wife in an alternate timeline, you belong to me” thing. Right now it’s on the edge of this being that tired trope where Lois only seen as an object to possess, and it won’t take much to push the story into that direction.
Yeah after Nadria Tucker’s comments, I am looking at all the Capt. luthor’s scenes with stronger scrutiny. I hope it doesn’t fall into this trap.
well, Sarah got to meet Superman, so this episode I guess didn’t *totally* suck for her
So far there’s too much football & not enough Lois Lane swinging hammers.
Isn’t that more of a John Henry Irons thing in the DC Universe? Particularly the Superman corner of same.
This comment aged *very* well.
What can I say, I’m a real Nostra-dumbass.
Wow, foreshadowing, lol
Since this little break, I got inspired to watch Smallville to give me an idea of what it was like for Clark back in those days. So far, I got to complete three seasons; putting the others on hold until Season 1 of Superman & Lois is complete. No spoilers, mind. 😉
And imagine my surprise that Lana Lang happens to be a central character in Smallville. Some part of me thinks that Lana may become a bit jealous of Lois, who so happens to be Chloe Sullivan’s cousin. What did Clark see in her enough to marry her? And how did Lana fall for a guy like Kyle, who’s clearly no Whitney Foreman?On the bright side, Lana’s daughter being shipped with Clark’s son? Might be some hope of becoming a family, after all.
While Jordan messed up big time, at least it wasn’t as bad as slaughtering a whole village of Tusken Raiders or destroying a whole Jedi Temple in one night. Right?
imagine your brother and your father having superman powers and you dont? Thats GOTTA suck. Why do I feel like the kid is gonna discover he does have powers, at the most dramatic time possible?
You’ve watched television before?
why yes i have
It took what, like 2 seasons before most of the supporting cast had super powers on The Flash? By the time, they get to season 5 on S&L, even the pets will have super powers. And Superman would have lost his powers at least three times.
probably. also wouldnt suprise me
Krpto, Comet and Streaky confirmed!
In a way, Superman’s lore is a lot like Trump. It’s so ridiculous, that it’s hard to exaggerate it
Godwin’s Law, 21st century edition.
I doubt it. One is a genocidal maniac. And the other one is a clown. If anything, Trump’s legacy is probably closer to Nixon’s.
Still a(n inevitable) comparison. Can’t escape it
Maybe for the time being. When W. Bush was president, online ads with his face on it were inescapable. Thought it was never gonna end.
“ By the time, they get to season 5 on S&L, even the pets will have super powers.”Go Streaky!
If it means live action Krypto the Super-dog, I’m down with that.
I was thinking more someone tempting him with powers with a devil’s deal… like Lex promising to activate them somehow (he is half his dad. They’re gotta be in there somehow)
I think you’re thinking of the wrong show, or an old storyline. Lex doesn’t share DNA with Johnathan or Jordan.
I think they’re confusing him with Conor Kent, the clone who is indeed half-El and half-Luthor.
He’s referring to the two most recent versions of “Superboy”.Conner Kent (the taller of the two here) is Superboy from the Death of Superman era of comics. As John Byrne’s Superman has re-emerged as the current version of Superman in the comics, so to did this version of Superboy. Conner is half human and half Kryptonian, with his human half coming from Lex Luthor. Conner is a clone.Johnathan Kent is the son of Clark and Lois. During Convergence, John Byrne’s Superman and Lois were trapped in a dome along with 80% of Gotham. The dome was opaque, so Clark gradually lost his powers. He still fought crime because “Bruce would have wanted me to protect his city”. Lois and Clark got busy and Lois got pregnant. She was 9 months or so along when the domes were lifted.In Rebirth, John Byrne’s Superman (and Lois) arrived on the New 52 Earth. We had about a year with the New 52 Superman and Post-Crisis Superman. Then New 52 Superman died. Jonathan Kent is revealed as the new Superboy. Post-Crisis Superman takes up the mantle. Then New 52 Superwoman Lois Lane died. Then Mr Mytzleplitlickasedef whatever, happened and everything got mixed up in a reality PB&J sandwich. Then Dr. Manhattan took that sandwich and beat the stuffing out of it. Jon went to go hang out with Jor-El, and hung out next to a black hole and came back as a teenager.Then Conner Kent showed back up. And then the Legion of Superheroes showed up to invite Superman to go back to the future with them – Clark was very flattered until it was revealed that Jonathan Kent was the Superman they were referring to.The current members of the House of El are: Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent, Kara Zor-El, Conner Kent, with help from Krypto and Brainiac 5.
Whoops bad wording. I meant Clark is his biological parent, so there’s gotta be something super in his dna. He couldn’t be 100% ordinary human… and Lex (being a genius) could try to activate what’s already there
what? hes half the dad of superboy in the comics, on tv its a different kid, no?
You’re thinking of Conner Kent from the comics. Johnathan is Clark & Lois’ biological child.
maybe he gonna be queer and feel even more like an outsider.
could be. wouldnt suprise me. maybe he gets exposed to the pink kryptonite. (if you never heard of it, thats a real thing in the comics. way back.)
I imagine a “solar flare” is happening sometime in the future.But it would be cool if he instead got inspired to hone his skills by Batman in some sort of reverse-Nightwing situation.
Welcome to drama television. He most likely gets in the finale as a cliffhanger for season 2
Adding to that: Imagine that you were originally an only child, and the one with powers only showed up after your dad helped reboot the universe.
Good News, Jonathan- you’ve got Kryptonian powers, too!Bad news- they are super-ventriloquism and super-sensitive sense of smell.
This show is solid; all the Kents make sense, even as they’re all imperfect. There isn’t a character who is an inveterate screw-up like Alex over on “Supergirl”; even when Jordan or Jon makes what we recognize as a mistake (such as leaving their hotel room), it feels authentic.About this …“And Superman & Lois gets to the heart of what makes Superman a hero: It’s not his powers, it’s his restraint.”Sometimes I see people wish that Superman would return to his earliest roots, as a guy who would take on wife-beaters and the like. Back then, Superman had only a fraction of his current powers; if current Superman tried doing that sort of thing, it would seriously raise the question of what to do about someone who maybe is going after deserving targets, but it raises the question of what happens if he ever goes off-target. We saw the potential tonight, when he told that one soldier to stand down. But fortunately, this is a Superman who doesn’t feel he has the liberty to lay down the law as he sees fit.
For those wondering, DC has always been super inconsistent on where both Smallville and Metropolis are. In the show Smallville they are both in Kansas a couple hours drive from each other. In the comics sometimes, Metropolis is on the coast in Delaware and Smallville is a couple hours away in Maryland. I would guess that this is what Superman and Lois is doing.
Great return. The parallels between Superman’s adventures and Jordan’s tribulations were smartly drawn. Superman angrily ripping the kryptonite bullets out of his chest and telling the soldiers to stand down was a fantastic sequence (I assume the Kryptonite bullets were meant for Tag, though Superman is more frustrated than surprised his father-in-law has them at all).Did anyone receive a concussion in the first five episodes? Watching Sarah get knocked out I got Smallville vibes. The amount of head trauma that cast took, they should’ve all had brain injuries by the series finale. I look forward to a long future of Superman & Lois characters getting knocked out and racking up huge hospital bills.I know Lana and Kyle were a little drunk in love after their date night, but it seems really weird that they didn’t check on their daughters as soon as they got home.Also weird the younger sister didn’t hear/notice anything or realize her sister was gone and presumably sat alone in the house for a few hours without calling her parents.I’m completely baffled with constitutes COVID filming restrictions now. The other Arrowverse shows are practically bottle episodes at this point, here outside of some social distancing in the bleachers during the game, there was a healthy amount of crowd shots and group shots all episode.
That might have been what lead to their Covid shutdown. Too many extras and one was sick.
I’m not sure the kryptonite bullets were meant for Tag. What good would they have done? More likely they were in case Clark “got in the way.” Sam apparently took Capt. Luthor’s warning to heart.
I thought Clark would’ve been more pissed if his father-in-law had authorized kryptonite bullets specifically for him. He seems to grit his teeth and begrudgingly accept the military has kryptonite, which lines up with some of his early distrust of J’onn and the DEO in Supergirl.
I’m sure Clark was all kinds if PO’ed but he also had other things on his mind and besides him giving full vent to his anger wouldn’t be a good look and it would destroy that trust he was talking about. I’ll be disappointed if there isn’t a conversation with Sam in the next episode or two.
Catching up on the show so a couple of months late with this comment, but was there not a line in the previous episode about how Jordan’s outburst could have hit a kryptonite deposit and this is what has awakened/caused Tag’s speed? Maybe the DoD have a similar theory and had kryptonite bullets ready just in case they worked.
With this episode I realized what my biggest current issue with the Berlanti-verse is as I would be able to be more invested in all of this if I felt there was a strong end for the character arc in sight. Yet instead they dragged these shows out for so many seasons that for me there is this sense that ultimately this won’t wrapped up in a worthwhile fashion.It’s an odd problem to have, I admit that, and does not in anyway reflect negatively on these episodes. It is just that I constantly feel that if this was from the start projected as a show with a season or two instead of the eternal six, there would be so much more power to it. But currently you kind of have a sense what happens with all of these shows at a certain point.
I think it’s not even 2 seasons vs 6; it’s limited vs unlimited.Unlimited series can be a lot of fun – monster of the week, big bad of the season, and hopefully some gradual growth of the characters and relationships over time.But there are certain stories that are difficult to tell in that format, because they require conclusion: things need to be permanent – or at least, not visibly undone on screen later on – in order to seem to matter. But in an unlimited series, you can almost guarantee that everything will be undone eventually (and even the things that aren’t, feel like they could be). In part because even if a series is unlimited in time, it’s usually very limited in how many actors it can have, how many sets it can build, and how willing it is to do something truly new an risk losing existing viewers: so the same people bump around the same places doing the same things, so it’s hard to make it feel like any one moment really matters.Unfortunately, some shows attempt to go for a prestige-style, limited-style storytelling, where it appear like they’re… well, telling a single, limited story; and yet we know that economically these shows are intended to be unlimited, to run and run as long as people keep watching them. And it’s really hard to square that circle – imagine watching something like WandaVision, and knowing that there were going to be another 9 series or more of it. Not just other shows with the same characters, but WandaVision, in the Hex, the same cast (more or less), for ten seasons. It wouldn’t entirely lose its charm, but most of the big moments would lose their significance!If you want to tell a limited story, the writers have to know how much time they have to tell it, and the audience have to have faith that when the story ends, the show will end. Otherwise, you need to tell a different sort of story…
Another great episode for the vault. Just wish people would drop the “B-but how does this fit into the Arrowverse? W-where is Kara?” shit already. I for one, couldn’t care less. Base this show on its own merits. And to be frank, the other shows are cheesy cosplay fanfic-pandering trash anyway, and could stand to learn a thing or two from this show.
I dunno what it is, maybe the writers for Superman and Lois ate their wheaties during the extended time off, but I thought this was a really strong ep. Some great acting, good sfx, and a solid story. I honestly thought that I’d be uninterested in the young Kents but Johnathan, as Caroline said, is the heart of things. Even Jordan is growing on me.But of course, I’m all in for Hoechlin’s Supes now. I think they’ve all been great but this fatherly figure is new and interesting to me. That ending was pretty heartbreaking.
“His name is Tag!”*Snickers* Not sure that came out as powerfully as they wanted it to. I appreciated the intensity of the scene, but then it’s deflated by a goofy line like that (or the soldier making the weirdest face), and then my mind starts wandering again- like Superman just took 3 kryptonite bullets, and pulled them out easy (which he shouldn’t have been able to do) and treated it like a mild annoyance. The scene was good until the conclusion, is what I’m saying.“…lets her prove she’s no slouch in how quickly she sees through Luthor’s act too.”-He had to bust out a friggin laser before Lois realized anything, so I wouldn’t give her too much credit on that one
She saw discrepancies in his whole backstory even before he brought out the laser.
I thought it was a very strong episode, especially in the way it really took on and refuted “Man of Steel,” first by having Clark able to withstand a full-force blast of heat vision and not break the user’s neck, then with that monologue about gaining the public’s trust and not abusing it. Snyder’s Superman has no interest in either helping the public nor being concerned about how people react to him.
“first by having Clark able to withstand a full-force blast of heat vision”I appreciated Clark grimacing during that scene, showing that Jordan’s unleashing his heat vision on his hand was actually hurting him, but he was putting up with it to protect Jordan.
Man, this show is so good. Another super solid episode, and I can’t yet think of a single thing I dislike about the show. I’m not sure if Hoechlin is the best on screen Superman we’ve seen, but for me he’s definitely the best on-screen Clark Kent.
Hard to believe this is still technically Arrowverse, the quality is so good.
This show continues to impress. Hoechlin is a fantastic Superman, and an even better Clark Kent, which is what really matters. Glad this show is around.
John and Lois are the stars of this show. I love them both so much and Clark’s speech about his power etc was great and so what Superman should say.Now I wonder if Luthor will someone convince Jordan that he can help him and for a season he is with Lex.
Every time I look at stills from the show I say “those aren’t Tyler Hoechlin’s real shoulders.” There’s a lot of padding in that super suit.
I like the sense in this episode that Lois & Lana are teaming up, exclusive of their husbands, though I worry that Lana will take it badly if and when she figures out that Clark is involved since he is Superman, which she might already suspect and be testing Lois about. Though if that is the case than she realizes Clark saved her daughter in this episode, so maybe it is all good…
My usual random thoughts: 1. Does Clark know Barry? I mean, Black Lightning does. He might be a help dealing with Tag. 2. Jordan should know any—and I mean any—symptoms or weirdness probably have something to do with his powers. 3. And his heat vision is triggered by pain or noise? Better than Smallville, there Clark’s heat vision manifested when he was horny, LOL. 4. In some ways, Sam Lane is what Clark might have been without the Kents, seeing threats instead of people. He’s like Kara in that regard. 5. Nobody seems to remember Tag can move really fast. Just because he was in Metropolis a few hours ago that doesn’t mean he’ll stay there. 6. And once again, does every teenager in Smallville have a drinking problem? Plus, Jordan just got a lecture on responsibility. 7. Does Leslie only have heat vision and not speed? Lois and “Marcus” wouldn’t be able to get away from a real Kryptonian. Or was she toying with them? And if she’s invulnerable, what did he shoot her with? 8. Interesting that Clark manifests heat vision when he’s hurt too. Or perhaps he was angry? Have we seen that before? 9. Interesting that the soldiers just happened to have kryptonite bullets, which wouldn’t have affected Tag. They were clearly meant for Clark in case he got in the way.10. And how long has Clark been working with Sam that his outlook is a surprise?11. Jordan had better get used to lying to people because he’s carrying a very big secret.
I keep hearing good things (good for CW at least) about this show but the size disparity between that header image of Superman and Clark Kent below it is just too ridiculous for me. I’d believe a man could fly before I’d believe he’d go out in public puffed up like that.
I love how beaming with potential this show is. The dynamic between the twins can go in any direction with Jonathan getting the short end of the stick and taking it like a champ (but still realistically) almost every time and Jordan woefully under-appreciating everything he has. I watch for two main reasons1. As a parent myself I watch to enjoy the way Clark struggles with meeting every demand as a father and how he trips up but moves forward regardless2. The show teases with ups and downs of how Jonathan’s story is going to go. He could be a late bloomer or he could go full villain. I hope he stays who he is and never gets powers. It’s like Jordan inherited the powers, but Jonathan inherited the character and that contrast works.
Clark’s reaction to Leslie Larr having powers is endlessly funny.
Angry Superman was genuinely scary. Listen very carefully to that scene where he zooms up to the soldier and you can hear the terrified guy squeak out a nervous fart. Not having Supes pummel the military, or even destroy their weapons, was an excellent way of showing how well he restrains himself. This show has done a great job so far of tying its heroics and family drama together in a thematically satisfying way. Glad it’s back!
I particularly loved when Lois tells Clark about her day. He doesn’t get possessive or angry or super protective, he’s just like OMFG THATS CRAZY so what’d you learn?He knows who he’s married to, and even though he’s freakin’ Superman it’s still a marriage of equals. Well done on that little bit, writers.
Why are the high school bullies acting more like cartoons than the actual villain in a Superman show?
When Jordan told Jonathan that their dad thinks he’s made of glass, Jonathan was in the best place to call back to Superman’s “World of Cardboard” speech from JLU’s last episode, but didn’t. Could have gone like “Nah, man, it’s not like you’re made of glass, it’s everyone else compared to you. No, it’s more like you and Dad are made of steel, and everything else is cardboard.”