“It Went By So Fast”

Superman & Lois ends its four-season run with a final showdown against Lex Luthor and reflections on life, love and family.

The final episode of Superman & Lois is so much more than the final episode of a TV show. It represents the end of a near-uninterrupted run of DC Comics TV adaptations that began with Smallville. It may well represent the end of genre network TV shows, at least for a while so it is very much the end of an era that may never come again. However, it’s unfair to judge the final episode on those terms as it never set out to mark the end of that era and it shouldn’t be expected to do so. The end of the second season established that Superman & Lois exists in its own universe so it was free of the shackles of the shared universe that preceded it and was free to blaze its own trail. The final episode is true to what the show was while still honouring the long period of DC storytelling on TV in its own way.

At its core, Superman & Lois has always been about family and the final episode embraces that. The Kents are in the fight of their lives against Doomsday and Lex Luthor with Clark initially remaining fixated on his wrongheaded belief that he has to solve these problems alone. Clark began to come around to the idea of Jonathan and Jordan fighting with him in the previous episode but he still firmly believes that they aren’t ready to be in the kind of danger Doomsday and Lex represent so he defaults to being the solitary hero. It makes sense as a mindset because it’s all he has ever known so it’s difficult for him to take the step to allowing Jordan and Jonathan to risk their lives in such high-stakes circumstances. It comes from a place of love but it’s also stubbornness on Clark’s part and something that he needs to move beyond to deal with the threats being faced. Lois points out that he needs to accept that he can’t handle everything on his own any more and highlights that sticking to this attitude will guarantee his death. He has to face up to the reality of the situation and understand that his sons are in danger whether he likes it or not so he needs to trust them to fight with him.

Solitude being the wrong approach is punctuated by John and Lana offering their help and Doomsday being brought down by a team effort. It proves Lois’ point and demonstrates what can be achieved when people work together. Alone Clark was heading for certain death but once he allows others to help and take their own risks he survives and can defeat Doomsday. It’s a strong moment that impresses as spectacle and has considerable heft behind it because of the emotional underpinning. The victory was earned because of what the characters went through to achieve it.

Doomsday’s death is moving and tragic. Having him defeated by his humanity was a potent conclusion for a monstrous figure that was created under tragic circumstances. Lois appealed to his humanity in a prior episode to end the threat and Doomsday ends his own life as the man he was rather than the monster he became. He also escapes Lex’s influence and ends his suffering on his own terms. The flashes of his past show what was important to him and add to the tragedy as he was never able to go home to make amends. This is interesting, meaningful and thematically relevant.

Lex is the only threat following Doomsday’s sacrifice and he’s portrayed as a cornered animal violently lashing out. He knows that he’s beaten and elects to do as much damage as he can before he is inevitably brought down. His rage as he strangles Jordan and allowing himself to be baited into carelessness by Lois shows this. Any sense of control he had over the situation is gone so all he has left is violence. This engineers his defeat as Lois is able to weaken the Warsuit and allow Clark to overpower him in an atmospheric and cathartic final showdown that allows Clark to unleash before delivering him to justice. It’s the culmination of all the rage and frustration Lex has caused.

His downfall is neatly set up by losing Amanda’s support after she realises that he doesn’t care about her and that all of the unconditional support she gave him was one-sided. Bruno Mannheim talked about Lex only caring about himself and having a history of only keeping people around as long as they’re useful. Lex’s gesture of making Amanda second only to him in ownership of Luthorcorp was in service of her continuing to work in his interests. Seeing him unleash Doomsday on Smallville while she’s there makes her realise that Lex doesn’t care about her and she turns on him. The handling of this is questionable as Amanda comes across as a hysterical ex lashing out rather than the confident and calculating businesswoman that was seen in prior episodes but the bones of an interesting dynamic are here and it’s clear that Amanda has come to a crushing realisation that was always within her grasp but her feelings for Lex prevented her from reaching that conclusion.

Their brief conversation had a lot more potential than was realised. It does more to highlight how Lex sees their relationship and, more generally, how he sees his relationship with anyone. He states that he expects loyalty but it’s evident that he has no concept of true loyalty as he creates that loyalty through fear. He only keeps people from realising it by killing them before they get the chance to betray him. Amanda is the exception because she has Clark’s sons looking out for her so she can survive to tell the truth and ensure Lex is put away for the crimes he actually committed.

There’s an obvious yet effective contrast between Lex and the Kents. Lex controls people with fear whereas the Kents forge genuine connections through compassion, friendship and honesty. Lex ultimately loses because his approach of controlling people ultimately fails him but the Kents cultivating proper relationships makes for unbreakable bonds. The contrast is an extension of the exploration of Lex’s relationship with his daughter earlier in the season. He chose to abandon his relationship with her in favour of revenge which left him isolated while the Kents can rely on each other and those around them for support.

Lex’s defeat is rendered absolute with the reveal that he has lost the control he enjoyed in prison because he isn’t feared any more. Bruno Mannheim takes delight in telling him that he has no power and will endure the same treatment he supplied to others during his previous incarceration. Lex is truly brought to justice and robbed of every resource he once enjoyed. There is no more satisfying defeat for the character and it’s heartening to know that Lois and Clark brought him down without compromising their values.

The action-packed opening of the episode is followed by jumping forward a year to the wedding of Lana and John. The limitations imposed on the production team this season mean that it’s impossible for this relationship to have the buy-in necessary to make the wedding the meaningful development that it should be. The relationship hasn’t had the time to grow organically so the event comes across as a container for closure on the characters. Some of these developments make sense such as Sarah concluding that her future won’t be in Smallville and Natalie embracing this universe as home. Kyle and Chrissy expecting their second child along with Kyle and Lana finding a new equilibrium that allows them to be happy for each other are satisfying conclusions for those characters. Knowing they will likely have happy lives and have put any animosity behind them is a welcome development that leaves them on a positive note.

Another thing that devalues the wedding as a development for John and Lana is Lois delivering a speech that is more about her than them. It makes narrative sense as it summarises what they meant to Lois but it also prevents the moment from being about the couple getting married. It is a reasonable narrative device to enable information about the projected future of the characters while summarising how the happy couple’s relationships with Lois have developed but it’s also a transparent mechanism for delivering this information.

Not all of it works. Sarah is only present in a single scene that also seems to exist as a conclusion of sorts for Jordan but doesn’t provide anything meaningful for him. Jonathan doesn’t get a scene offering any kind of finality at all which recalls unfortunate memories of him being sidelined in prior seasons. Michal Bishop and Alex Garfin all but disappearing shortly after this point only draws attention to the lack of closure for these characters. There’s only so much that is possible in a single episode but this stands out.

John and Lana taking this step into their future encourages them to consider their future and what they will be remembered for. They collectively agree that they hope their legacy will be truth, justice and a better tomorrow. It’s an excellent use of Superman’s updated motto as an open declaration of what they stand for and what they hope they will be remembered for.

The episode closes with Clark narrating from beyond the grave. This provides a clever link to the first episode which opened with a similar narration, implying that the entire show has been Clark posthumously reflecting on his life. Whether that was the original intent or not, the two narrations match up and bookend the show perfectly.

Clark’s narration talks about his increased awareness of the state of the world and his recognition of how many people need help far beyond what Clark ever offered as Superman. It’s a timely message about the increase in the divide between the rich and poor that offers a fresh spin on the notion of Superman as a global force for good. His near-death experience opened his eyes to the true extent of suffering that exists in the world and awakened a desire to do more.

He accomplishes this in two ways. The first is finally fully acknowledging that he is unable to serve as a protector alone and embracing the help that others can offer. He makes suits for his sons and the shot of Clark flying in formation with the twins, John and Natalie encapsulates in one image that he is comfortable with teamwork. That’s growth and it’s an inspiring confirmation that even Superman can recognise when he’s wrong and take steps to correct that.

The second is starting a foundation with Lois and using their celebrity to put systems in place that provide support to those who need it most. Clark’s narration points out that they didn’t solve all the world’s problems but they helped push things in the right direction and give people the sense of hope that they were lacking. Progress is slow but steady and little by little the world becomes a better place thanks to what Lois and Clark put in place. The strong suggestion that the world got measurably better feeds into the idea that Superman represents inspiring people to be their best selves.

Clark’s narration stating “I didn’t just want to be a hero that saves people. I wanted to connect with them, to change their lives for the better” reinforces Clark’s altered attitude to being a hero and the expansion of his outlook beyond what he was doing as Superman. He becomes a global force for good and is able to accomplish a great deal by putting himself out there as someone who practices what he preaches.

I mentioned in prior reviews that Clark going public with his secret identity might alter how the public perceives him as Superman. Instead of being an untouchable and unflinching symbol of goodness, he may be seen as a flawed man. This appears to happen but to a different extent than I predicted. The altered perception seems to frame him as a man trying to make the world a better place and offering people a hopeful symbol to look up to. Many interpretations of Superman in the comics refer to him changing the world one person at a time and incrementally making the world a better place by encouraging people to do right by one another. Clark’s narration supports this by pointing out that all the world’s problems weren’t fixed but Lois and Clark left it in a better condition than they found it.

Clark’s mortality is addressed immediately in the narration when he reveals that he lived another 32 years with Sam’s heart beating in his chest. It isn’t stated when he lost his powers but not suiting up after the group shot strongly suggests that he was without his powers when running the foundation. He is shown to age in line with Lois until her cancer returns and she is unable to defeat it the second time. Her death is bittersweet as it is underscored by Clark’s narration stating they never took the time they had together for granted and they were grateful to have each other. It doesn’t diminish the tragedy of Lois’ passing but the montage showing the twins growing up and having large families of their own as the narration describes full hearts shows that there are no regrets. Lois’ cancer returning and being the cause of her death shows that life is full of ups and downs and adds greater realism to the happy montage. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch’s performances in Lois’ death scene are devastating. The weight of them being torn apart by natural causes is perfectly conveyed and the underlying fact of Clark still outliving Lois despite being rendered mortal adds extra heartache to the moment.

After Lois’ death, Clark was never alone as his family and friends looked in on him most days but he talks about things never being the same. Losing Lois left a hole that was never filled but he carries on living, forever changed by his loss and gets a dog for company. It’s a quietly realistic portrayal of loss and grief with understated acknowledgement of the lingering reality of loss. Clark continues to live the best life he can and find happiness where possible but nothing would ever fill that void. He’s aware of that and embraces his new normal as much as he can.

Eventually, his heart gives out in almost the same spot his father’s did. Kyle is able to keep him alive so that his sons can be with him as he passes. He states that his second death was “amazing” because it was accompanied by a feeling of unparalleled joy as he is shown the meaning of life and reminded of the meaningful relationships that defined his. Even Lex is represented along with the word “forgiveness” to highlight that Clark is incapable of hatred and takes no ill will with him into the afterlife. The moments following his death are a summary and celebration of a life well lived as he takes a step into whatever lies beyond. The final shot depicting his reunion with Lois in the afterlife with her wearing the dress that had an episode named after it is a touching end to a wonderful show.

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Verdict

A powerful and moving finale that concludes the show in a beautifully satisfying way true to its depiction of the mythology.

Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois should be recognised for being a fresh take on iconic characters -at least as far as live-action goes- that took them beyond what audiences had seen before. Depicting Lois and Clark as parents of teenagers dealing while balancing their own lives and Clark’s exploits as Superman was something new and daring for a property that is typically depicted close to the beginning of the story. For the most part, it was a resounding success. The show typically did a good job spinning the various plates such as teen drama, superhero action, adult relationships and others. It was a sophisticated show, especially for the CW.

It always excelled in the visuals, consistently delivering cinema-quality set pieces that were dynamic and creative despite having a fraction of the resources given to its big-screen counterparts. The show was visually distinct from its contemporaries on the same network and impressed with its flair, particularly in its reduced-budget final season depiction of Doomsday.

The true strength of the show was its characters. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch deserve recognition for the work they did bringing their versions of Clark Kent and Lois Lane to life. Hoechlin’s Clark was earnest, corny in all the right ways and never anything but believable in the demanding dual role of Clark Kent and Superman. Elizabeth Tulloch was tenacious and fiercely intelligent as Lois Lane while also being tender and thoughtful. Together they formed the heart of the show with their excellent chemistry and constantly engaging relationship.

I loved this show right from its first episode and, despite some confusing choices -usually in its finales-, it was consistently compelling and emotionally rich. The characters grew and changed throughout the show and were a joy to spend time with every week the show aired. Its contribution to the Superman canon should be celebrated and, unfortunately, it was brought to an end when it had so much more to give.

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