“The End & The Beginning” and “A World Without”

Superman & Lois returns for its fourth and final season with the man of steel in the fight of his life and his family having to come to terms with something they never thought possible.

Frequent readers of this site will know that I think highly of this show. Its ability to spin different narrative plates has never been anything less than impressive. The superhero elements combine with family drama, teen angst and even small-town politics to create a truly unique storytelling tapestry. It doesn’t always get the balance right. but succeeds more often than it fails. It routinely delivers on its mission statement as well as depicting a time in Superman’s life never seen in live action in ways that are consistently engaging. The previous season detailed a moving and thoughtful cancer storyline covering a wide variety of angles of how people deal with a diagnosis. It included what the one suffering from the illness -in this case Lois- and everyone around them go through and depicted it with sincerity as well as sensitivity. It was jarring when this story gave way to the return of Lex Luthor and his plan to torment Lois in a very visceral way but the show is to be commended for how much attention it gave to an ambitious and difficult plot.

The final season picks up where the previous one ended. In the final episode of the previous season, Lex Luthor unleashed this show’s version of Doomsday -a corrupted version of the Bizarro Superman seen in season two– against Superman which resulted in a fight that was cut off by the credits to be picked up here. The fight rages through most of the episode as Lois and the boys deal with the uncertainty of Clark’s fate back on Earth. Stretching the fight over most of the episode gives the stakes considerable weight and shows how profound a challenge this is for Clark. Doomsday is supposed to be like nothing he’s ever faced before and the sheer amount of time spent fighting helps to sell that. Clark was visibly scared when the fight began, something Jordan points out, and this episode does a great job justifying that fear.

Visually the fight is excellent and the action is dynamically presented with a lot of creative choices and impressive visual flourishes. There are some questionable physics on display such as Clark being able to breathe and scream in outer space but as pure spectacle, it was impressive to behold and made the notion of this physical challenge claiming Clark’s life believable regardless of how invincible he was shown to be previously.

Clark’s invulnerability is repeatedly referenced to underscore how impossible the eventuality of Clark’s death once seemed. While Lois waits for a development she thinks back to key times in her relationship with Clark. One of them depicts a news report on the radio mentioning that Superman is under attack by Kryptonite weapons before Clark strolls in nonchalantly shrugging off the apparent threat to his life. He promises Lois that nothing can kill him and that she is stuck with him for the rest of her life and demonstrates this with an injury instantly healing once the Kryptonite is removed. A later flashback takes place during the birth of their sons. Lois had a small seizure and Clark wants to take her to the Fortress for tests as he’s afraid that his alien biology is creating complications in the birth but she insists on staying and points out that his invulnerability doesn’t prevent her from worrying about him because that’s what love means.

The flashbacks serve several useful purposes but in terms of Clark’s invulnerability, they show that Lois is thinking about all the times he had casual disregard for his own safety because of his assumption that nothing can kill him. It’s on her mind at this point because he’s facing something that can kill him so all of her worrying was justified. Another purpose they serve is to remind the audience of the depth of their connection. Lois is thinking back on happy memories of times she felt particularly close to Clark. Notably, two of them are adjacent to major milestones in their lives which shows their relationship is more than the highlight reel of things like their wedding. The first is shortly after she finds out the truth about his double identity, the second isn’t long after their wedding and the third is when she is in labour following a complication. This highlights that their relationship has depth and history while also getting the intended point of those specific flashbacks across and offering insight into Lois’ mental state.

Outside of the flashbacks, Lois is in crisis management mode and is trying to take charge of a chaotic and overwhelming situation. She tries to be strong for her sons who are reacting to the uncertainty differently while stopping herself from spiralling. Added to that is Lex Luthor threatening her and lording over her with his confidence that he has successfully removed her two greatest sources of defence. It’s a lot to deal with and Lois does so with her usual unflinching determination while masking being on the brink of falling apart. The multiple perspectives on a given situation are one of the major strengths of this show as it allows Lois to be the one with all the answers as far as her sons are concerned while showing the private moments where she admits to herself that she’s struggling.

Jonathan and Jordan’s differing perspectives are equally compelling and in line with their established characters. Jordan is unravelling and looking for a way to deal with what he’s feeling whereas Jonathan is the voice of reason and almost takes on the Clark role of offering calm and considered advice. Lois giving Jordan the task of listening for signs of Sam’s whereabouts is a practical instruction as finding him is a priority but it’s also recognition that Jordan will spiral if he isn’t given something to focus on. Jonathan also understands that and keeps Jordan on task. Taking charge the way that he does here is a coping mechanism for him as it gives him a part to play as a secondary parental figure in the absence of Clark.

Part of the reason for Jordan’s unravelling is that he’s wondering what it will mean for him as a super-powered being if Clark doesn’t come back. He talks about not being ready to step into the role that Superman occupied. This is a stark contrast from the bravado he exhibited in the previous season when Clark insisted he keep training until he was prepared for any eventuality. It was easy for him to be abrasive and confident when he knew that his father would be there to support him but without that crutch, his true feelings come to the surface and he realises how much he doesn’t know. Clark made heroics look effortless even though they were anything but and Jordan now fully realises that he has no idea how he would be the new Superman. This somewhat explains Jordan’s inability to find Sam as he’s so consumed by his own self-doubt that his focus isn’t on the problem.

Even though it makes sense to some degree there are still logistical issues with Sam’s kidnapping. Sam has a conversation with Gretchen -not her real name- in a location that doesn’t seem to be blocked from Jordan’s hearing so he should have heard Sam’s voice clearly since he was -albeit distractedly- actively searching for him. It takes recognising Gretchen’s -not her real name- voice to locate Sam and there’s no evidence in the episode that he overcame the self-doubt that was preventing him from finding his grandfather. Another issue is that Sam sees Lex ordering his death but doesn’t use that first-hand observation as a reason to have him arrested. He may not have physical proof but he can testify that Lex Luthor ordered someone else to kill him. He even says that he’s surprised that Lex is there rather than keeping his distance to avoid incrimination and taunts him by declaring that he may have given Lex too much credit. These two factors are clumsy and stand out among such strong storytelling.

Sam’s kidnapping makes for a strong secondary problem as it adds to the overwhelming nature of what is being dealt with. As Lex points out, it removes a guaranteed source of support from Lois which means she has to deal with her kids without any adults to talk to. She’s forced to be the strong parental figure and has nobody to confide in which adds considerable stress. This comes out when it looks likely that Sam is dead and she panics about never telling him he was a good father. It’s one of the rare cracks in her resolve in the first episode and it’s a brief yet powerful moment and highlights the immense pressure Lois is under.

The lack of other adults for Lois to confide in is a contrived situation never explained narratively. This season of Superman & Lois comes with considerable concessions such as the majority of the primary cast being jettisoned. The only main cast from prior seasons seen in the first episode are Lois, Clark, Jonathan, Jordan and Sam with Lex Luthor being upped to main cast status. Lana and Sarah appear in the second episode but Sam is missing. This omission is likely to free up the budget to bring Lana and Sarah. The absence of the rest of the cast is certainly felt. Under normal circumstances, Lana and Sarah would be around in the first episode supporting Lois and the boys through the uncertainty which would give Lois a natural emotional outlet in Lana and give the boys someone their age to talk to with Sarah. John and Natalie would also be in the mix offering their support. John would likely be used as an interim Superman of sorts and would certainly have accompanied Lois and Jordan when Sam was located. Perhaps Jordan would have been instructed to stay out of sight while John used his power suit to rough up Lex’s goons. It’s impossible to know for certain but the structure of the prior seasons suggests a similar pattern would be followed here. It stands out that the characters are absent as they aren’t even mentioned and it makes no narrative sense for Lana in particular not to appear in the first episode. It’s doubtlessly a difficult problem to manage particularly when picking up from a cliffhanger but it hasn’t been dealt with well in the context of how the show is written.

Lana and Sarah’s appearance in the second episode makes it closer to a normal episode of the show with one avenue of support for Lois and the boys present and subsequently makes it less glaring that so much of the cast is missing but there’s still a glaring emptiness to the ensemble of the show. One of the major strengths of Superman & Lois was its characters so removing so many of them may create a problem that’s impossible to overcome. It hasn’t come to fruition yet but there are strong signs that the reduction in characters is negatively impacting the overall quality of the show. It’s masked to some degree by the strong personal family story depicted in the first two episodes but it’s evident despite that and likely to worsen throughout the season.

The overall story of the uncertainty of Clark’s fate works well both as a springboard for the emotional challenges the Kents face and as a consideration in its own right. In the first episode, the family are grieving in their own ways even though they haven’t had confirmation. The closest analogue is the family of a soldier finding out that their loved one is missing in action and may be dead. There is no body so there is still hope. The pain comes from the uncertainty and the hope is a barrier to them accepting what may be the truth as they are awaiting a definitive answer one way or the other. Thinking about it on those terms makes the situation more understandable and relatable which has always been another one of this show’s strengths; finding a way to present a fantastical situation to the audience so that they can relate to it on some level. The first episode is at its core, a story about waiting by the phone to find out if your loved one has been found dead and it’s presented very effectively.

This uncertainty and fragile hope gives way to actual grief in the second episode and the Kents all react to this in line with their personalities. Lois feels empty and needs to feel useful to preserve her sanity, Jordan is in denial and embarks on a quest to save his father and Jonathan instinctively steps into the Clark role to hold the family together. Clark doesn’t appear in the episode -save for a hologram- at the end which helps to sell the loss through the lack of any presence. The holographic representation only comes after Lois and the boys have accepted the fact that he isn’t coming back so a conscious effort was made to remove Clark almost entirely. There are no flashbacks and the only physical appearance is his lifeless body. It helps put the viewer in the headspace of the grieving characters.

Lois takes something of a backseat in this episode other than some key scenes where she reacts to developments. Her conversation with Lana is a strong showcase of the deep friendship that has developed between them and the support that only Lana can offer her. The narrative reason for their conversation is for Lois to warn Lana not to cross Lex Luthor but the emotional underpinning was Lana supporting her friend. This conversation made Lana’s absence from the first episode all the more glaring but it was still engaging regardless.

Another key scene is Lois berating Jordan for his reckless behaviour giving Lex all he needed to work out the truth about Clark and their family. This makes Lex a far greater threat and creates the risk of their family being put under intense scrutiny should he decide to go public with that information. Lois is uncompromising when chewing Jordan out and states that Jordan isn’t his father. This statement is given a second to breathe before Lois follows up with “not yet anyway”. It’s another example of her armour cracking and allowing herself to fully experience what she is feeling. Jordan has Clark’s powers but he doesn’t have the finesse Clark had when using them or approaching a situation. The recklessness Jordan displayed caused her to react viscerally and lash out as Jordan. It isn’t unfair of her to call him out on thoughtlessly blundering into increasingly dangerous situations but the way she does it is indicative of feelings she has yet to resolve.

Also teased is Lois’ “The Death of Superman” article. She is prevented from publishing it by Jonathan who is stalling her on Jordan’s behalf while he continues his efforts to retrieve Clark’s heart. Lois is eager to face what she considers to be reality so that she can begin the healing process. She also sees it as her obligation to inform the world that Superman is dead given her personal and professional connection to him. Events get in the way of her releasing the article but it is written and hanging over her family as well as the world. Once its released a global grieving process will begin for the loss of a major symbol of hope and goodness.

Jordan’s denial is portrayed brilliantly. He tries to fill the void created by the loss of Superman but lacks the experience or the confidence to do so. He fixates on finding Clark’s heart because he is convinced that retrieving it will bring his father back. It isn’t until Lex brutally destroys it right in front of him that he’s able to accept the truth of what has happened and truly begin the grieving process. Lois points out that he needs to be careful when dealing with Lex Luthor but Jordan is initially convinced that his powers will be enough to mitigate any threat that Lex represents and he learns the hard way how wrong he was. Lex is prepared for him with countermeasures designed to combat his powers and doesn’t fear or respect Jordan so his threats are shrugged off. It’s another example of how Jordan is far from ready to step into Clark’s shoes as a global protector.

Jonathan stepping into the role Clark traditionally occupied in the family is a natural fit for him and is used well. He struggles with dissuading Jordan from carrying out increasingly reckless actions and being a supportive brother who also wants his father back. Ultimately he condemns Jordan’s actions and becomes the voice of reason. The scene where it’s revealed he’s sitting in the dark waiting for Jordan to come home and asking him where he has been is a classic Dad move as well as highlighting Jordan’s relative powerlessness when it comes to actually stopping Jordan from making a bad situation worse. There are flaws in the way Jonathan copes with the loss. He spends too much time thinking long-term and worrying about all the things that will have to be done down the line rather than allowing himself to take things one day at a time. Grief is experienced differently by different people and this is evidenced wonderfully through the Kent family left behind.

Lex Luthor looms over the two episodes as a persistent and escalating threat. Despite his lack of powers, he is a very imposing and intimidating presence who has more than enough resources to be a problem for the Kents. Buying the hotel opposite the Smallville Gazette so he can keep an eye on Lois while also looking down on her is a calculated power move that keeps him close to her while also being his first foothold into Smallville. So consuming is his desire for revenge that he is willing to expend significant sums of money to be a major player in Smallville. Lana makes it her mission to stop another billionaire from putting down roots in her town for their own nefarious reasons but Lex is so adapt at covering his tracks and manipulating people that it may be an impossibility.

This version of Lex is as calculated as any other but he’s below genius level so it doesn’t involve a 100-point plan that could only be guaranteed to succeed if he was able to see the future. His calculated strategy in this case is actually very simple and only has two prongs. The first is to take Superman out of the equation by pointing his newly created monster in his direction to kill him and the second is to remove DOD support by kidnapping and killing Sam. What isn’t explained is why he assumes the DOD won’t continue to protect her regardless of whether Sam is alive or not and why he assumes Doomsday will definitely be able to kill Superman. Despite these counters, his simple yet carefully considered plan is clear and effective. The Sam part of it doesn’t work but he ends up gaining knowledge of Superman’s secret identity and Jordan’s powers so he has more than enough to exploit that makes him a very dangerous adversary.

His motivation is simple also. He is gunning for Lois because she was responsible for his wrongful -for those crimes- incarceration and he wants revenge for losing 17 years of his life. He also wants revenge for losing 17 years with his daughter and he will stop at nothing to make sure that Lois and her family pay for what was taken from him. Aside from ordering Sam’s death when Sam could hear and see him, Lex seems adept at keeping himself distanced from any activities that could incriminate him. This makes him invulnerable in his own way as he can do whatever he wants without fear of consequences. The way he goes aboout attacking Lois’ support system is indicative of that approach and reinforces how difficult it is to bring him down.

The two episodes also showcase a variety of relationships. He interacts with four characters outside of the main cast, all of whom work for him. The first is Amanda (Yvonne Chapman) who seems to be a personal assistant of sorts, similar to the character of Mercy Graves depicted in other media. This character is notable because she displays clear affection for him and is personally pleased that he is out of prison. She also gets away with challenging him when she feels that his obsession with Lois is compromising his objectivity but backs down when Lex makes it clear she’s close to crossing a line. Whether Lex holds her in the same regard remains to be seen but there’s clearly more to their connection than an employer/employee dynamic.

Otis (Ryan Jefferson Booth) is his employee and very much his muscle. There is no depth to this character but that is very much the point as there is nothing more to him than taking delight in doing the dirty work on his instruction. Gretchen -not her real name- is someone who is being controlled by fear. It seems that she is coerced into kidnapping and killing Sam and she tries to redeem herself by telling Lois where he’s buried. How she is being manipulated is never revealed but it’s evident that Lex has leverage that makes her feel forced into carrying out his instructions.

The fourth is one of the board of directors at LuthorCorp looking for Lex to take an active role in running his company. He also doesn’t seem to be afraid of Lex but he does know when to back down because Lex has made up his mind. There may be an undercurrent of terror in every relationship Lex has to different degrees. It’s encouraging to see such a varied representation of relationships he has with other people in such a short time. More nuance will no doubt come when he reconnects with his estranged daughter. Giving Lex a daughter makes sense in this show due to the family focus so it will be interesting to see what Lex Luthor’s version of a parent/child relationship is.

This two-episode opening of the final season of Superman & Lois gets things off to a strong start. Clark being definitively dead at the end of the second episode and seeming to leave the Kents to carry on without him is a striking and surprising development that creates a lot of possibilities to be explored in the coming episodes. The jettisoning of most of the cast is an unavoidable yet unfortunate problem but these episodes make great use of the Kent family to deliver an engaging and moving tightly focused story about uncertainty and loss.

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Verdict

An excellent start to the season with strong characterisation, surprising developments and stunning visuals that delivers and moving tightly focused story about uncertainty and loss.

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