‘Superman & Lois’ Drags And Shines At The Same Time
by Frank Martin
It’s tough making a full season of television. Perhaps this is why streaming services have been limiting their seasons to only a dozen or so episodes. Eventually, seasons run out of steam and end up having filler episodes to extend drama and tension until the finale. Superman & Lois hasn’t quite reached that point yet, but it’s getting close with some of its storylines.
This past episode saw the return of Superman’s villainous brother, Tal-Ro (Adam Rayner). His appearance provides some much needed closure to lingering character relationships from the previous season. It’s also interesting to see Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) up against the military and in a position of weakness as a prisoner — something not seen too often. But the majority of the episode was filled with drama-oriented conversations as Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui) continues to deal with the fallout from her marriage and Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) has to handle Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) being caught with the superpower X-K drug. Bizarro, a highlight of the season, is barely featured, as is Ally Allston (Rya Kihlstedt). And John Henry (Wolé Parks) hasn’t been seen in two episodes. The focus on drama seemed out of balance and an attempt to extend certain plots.
The episode does have some high moments, though, as other plot threads come to a head. Jonathan’s drug use has finally caught up with him, which leads to great scenes with his mom and dad. This is the show’s strong suit as Superman struggles with being a normal parent. Also, the ever-annoying Mitchell Anderson (Ian Bohen) continues his spiral into villainy. But it felt as if the main function of this episode was to continue allowing pieces to fall into place. Still though, a slow episode of this show has a bar higher set than others. Superman & Lois might possibly be the best superhero show on television, even if not every episode lives up to its potential.
Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays on The CW.
