We’re only three episodes in, but Superman & Lois Season 3 is hands down the best one yet. 

Truthfully, I was skeptical about Lois’ cancer storyline at first, but the creative forces have tackled it with such grace, and it has added life to the narrative, deepened my love for these characters, and grounded the series. The superhero aspects of the show are still fun, but there’s just something about seeing these people who have dealt with near-apocalypses and bad guys who mean them harm facing the worst villain yet—an aggressive diagnosis.

That very sentiment was portrayed so beautifully on-screen with Clark’s recurring night terrors. 

His fear and helplessness upon not being able to save Lois, no matter how hard he tried, manifested in the nightmares.

And it’s a very valid feeling considering he’s Superman after all. If anyone can save her, it should be him, and yet, stage 3 breast cancer is something that no one can do anything about except for maybe the doctors and the chemo, which Lois seemed to avoid at all costs.

That very fear and helplessness that Clark felt spread through all of Lois’ loved ones as they found out what was going on, and then eventually, Lois owned up to those feelings as well.

As she pursued every lead and angle in the Bruno Mannheim story, she was using it as an excuse and distraction so that she wouldn’t have to admit that she was sick. I love that the series emphasized a very real reaction from people who have dealt with similar situations. Even the strongest and bravest people in the world struggle to come to terms with a potentially incurable disease that will steal their time and energy. 

Much like Clark Kent, Lois has tracked down, pursued, and faced some of the world’s most dangerous criminals, but this is her greatest battle. 

Thankfully, she has a very good support system, not only in Clark, but in her children, their friends, and the extended family. 

Natalie’s decision to give Lois her mother’s watch was beautiful as it somehow brought things full circle. Nat couldn’t be there for her mother in her final moments, but she can be a beacon of strength and light for Lois. In a way, it kind of gave Nat the closure she always needed. While Henry Lyons wasn’t on board with Nat’s idea initially, when he saw how moved Lois was upon receiving the watch, he knew that his daughter made the right call and admitted that the only reason that he was so against it was because of his fear of losing Lois… again. She may not be his wife, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less—it was just an excuse to stop the hurt from settling in.

Lois gave everyone quite a scare with the cancer announcement, and she doubled down by putting herself in even more danger by following a lead to a medical facility where she and Chrissy got locked up in a freezer filled with blood. The place was lined with kryptonite so it blocked her distress signal, so it seemed like they were going to be trapped forever.

Eventually, when the foot soldiers came to clear the unit out, Lois devised a sneaky plan that allowed her to ping Superman for assistance in the knick of time.

The biggest reveal from that situation—other than the irony of Lois putting herself in a near-death situation to avoid chemo—was that the blood inside the facility belonged to Clark Kent. Is Mannheim trying to create an army of Superman-like beings? He’s definitely trying to give the terminally ill patient’s he’s spared some superpowers, but what’s his endgame?

Clark can’t really stay mad at Lois when she uncovered such a vital piece of information that allows them to build a better case against Mannheim. 

Superman & Lois — “In Cold Blood” — Image Number: SML303fg_0022r — Pictured: Tyler Hoechlin as Superman — Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

And if there’s one thing she’s going to see through, it’s bringing down Mannheim once and for all. I don’t agree with Lois’ decision to keep rescheduling chemo, but I do understand wanting to get there on your own terms, just as much as I understand the desire to still prioritize a job that’s meant everything to you for most of your life and that remains the one and only thing still keeping you sane and feeling like yourself.

Everyone copes in different ways, and Lois’ way just happens to be throwing herself into work… it’s not exactly shocking. She’s this season’s superhero!

It’s also nice to see the Kent boys and Nat get into a little action of their own. The family is dealing with a lot now, but this is a superhero series after all, so it would be a shame not to utilize that, especially when there are super teens in the mix. So far, Nat has helped save the world on a few occasions, but Jordan has been sidelined to complete his training, never really breaking free to do his own thing without his dad’s assistance. 

But when Jonathan’s truck gets stolen and they realize that the culprit is his girlfriend Candice’s father, they decide to take matters into their own hands and get it back without involving the police. 

There was a lot to love about this storyline, including Jonathan’s desire not to get Candice’s dad arrested because he knew that would just make things worse for her. I also love that they didn’t leave Jonathan out of it despite not having any powers. Instead, Jordan and Nat both supported and protected him while he made a beeline for his truck. I hope that eventually, Nat creates a suit for Jonathan that will allow him to fight alongside his loved ones. 

As for Candice, she apologized for insinuating that Jonathan lied about her father being a thief, while Jonathan seemingly came clean about kissing his ex, Eliza, at a party. A lot is working against them, but it seems like he loves her and wants to make things work, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they figure it out. There was a time Jonathan was selfish and self-centered, but he’s come into his own this season. 

And then there’s the unfortunate fallout between Sarah and Lana. Lana has had a lot on her plate recently, and taking on the Mayor gig just added to her stress and workload. Sarah is also trying to establish her independence, and she feels stifled by her mom, who hasn’t been prioritizing her or taking into account her feelings. And it all culminated in the fight where Sarah called her mom selfish and made a snarky cheating comment that triggered Lana, who responded by slapping her daughter. They were both in the wrong, but Lana’s behavior crossed a line. We later see her apologizing for the slap, and she notes that she feels especially bad because she grew up with an abusive mom, but sadly, the damage has been done as Sarah snuck out to go meet with her dad. 

This seems like a turning point in the mother-daughter relationship, and I can see Sarah’s next step being a request to move in with Kyle instead. 

While I can see the teenager’s perspective on this, I do also feel for Lana as she’s painted as the villain by her child, who doesn’t truly understand what her mom has taken on or is going through. In addition to the divorce, Lana was the target of a freaky attack. She never really processed it or accepted it, and then Kyle lit the fuse by questioning her about a security system, which stemmed from a jealous place versus a genuine one. It made Lana feel insecure and as though her privacy was invaded because she thought her ex was snooping around and trying to dig up information. 

It’s heartbreaking to see how quickly this family fell apart, and how they are continuing to lose their way without each other. However, I am rooting for a Lana and Henry romance, and Kyle and Chrissy are also pretty cute. They both need someone to lean on and confide in now that they don’t have that relationship with each other anymore. 

What did you think about the episode?

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Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 2 delivered such an intense blow, revealing that the main villain this season would be less supernatural in nature and something that affects quite a lot of people—cancer. 

Coming off of Lois’ pregnancy scare, the cancer diagnosis wasn’t entirely surprising, but it was heartbreaking to watch her try to come to terms with it first, then share it in such a bold way with Judge Regan (and Clark) before finally clueing in her family that everything would be changing. 

Lois informed Clark of the inflammatory breast cancer, which is rare and aggressive, and I can’t help but think that everything that happened in the mines is somehow to blame. 

But that’s still my attempt at trying to deflect from the very real situation at hand, which will play a huge role this season. The “why” doesn’t matter, it’s the “how we fight it” that does.

As Clark mentioned, Lois is the strongest person he’s ever met—there’s no situation she isn’t equipped to handle—so there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s going to beat this. However, the road to the end likely won’t be pretty and will take a toll on her and her loved ones. She’s always been the source of support, but she’s going to need to rely on them more than ever. 

Personal matters are made even worse when there’s a menacing threat looming large, with Mannheim’s zombie-like experimental trials that involve Onomatopoeia, who just took out the former mayor, George Dean, in a rather gruesome way. It was evident that Dean got into bed with some bad people and they came for him almost immediately following the change of hands. 

Lana heard the whole thing go down, so it’s understandable that she was rattled. The jist of their deal or partnership was never made known to Lana, who took the reins as Mayor of Smallville, though Dean did give her a call right before his death to lead her to a mysterious USB hidden behind the seal in his office. 

Take this as a reminder never to plug in random and unknown USB drives because they can wreak havoc—and apparently summon the former mayor’s murderer, who created an office nightmare with papers flying everyone and laptops shattered into pieces. She also stole the drive, so we’ll never know what was on there, but thankfully, Lana and John Henry Irons got away unscathed. 

While not much is known about Mannheim and Onomatopoeia’s goals, the latter was pretty thrown off by the fact that John, who she recalls killing, was very much alive. I can understand how this would be confusing, but trust us, there’s a logical explanation!

In the Superman & Lois season premiere, things between Kyle and Chrissy heated up—and that spark is still there when they briefly meet up while working Dean’s crime scene—and now, Lana and John are giving me “soon-to-be” couple vibes. 

And honestly, what’s stopping them? Lana signed the papers, so she’s officially divorced from Kyle, there’s an evident connection between her and John, and she’s in the know about all the super secrets so he can be totally open and transparent with her. I’ll be honest, this transparency is refreshing. Nothing is standing in the way of John and Lana, especially as they are both single and lonely people who could, frankly, use the company. Plus, Sarah and Natalie are already like sisters anyway. 

Superman & Lois — “Uncontrollable Forces” — Image Number: SML302a_0236r — Pictured (L-R): Michael Bishop as Jonathan Kent and Alex Garfin as Jordan Kent — Photo: Shane Harvey/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Before Jonathan and Jordan’s worlds came tumbling down with Lois’ cancer news, they experienced one carefree high school day, traveling to Metropolis for a party. Turns out, those Metropolis kids kind of suck—and are super stuck up. Not to mention, they don’t stand a chance against Sarah and Jordan in beer pong. The fact that they were dominating everyone didn’t sit well with the birthday boy, who tried to exert some kind of power move over Jordan before Sarah, his ex-turned-best-friend, stepped up to the plate and doused him with beer. 

The guy is lucky because Jordan is capable of so much more. People think it’s so fun to bully him because he’s different and quiet, which makes him an easy target, but Jordan could wipe the floor with that guy, and part of me wishes he did. Though, props to Jordan for having such a good grip on his powers and not losing his temper when it would have been totally valid. Plus, his payback idea was even more brilliant—icing the guy’s car seems like a pretty good use of superpowers. 

As for Clark and Lois’ time in Metropolis, they were teaming up like in the good old days for a story that involved questioning Judge Regan about her decision to reverse her decision and free Henry from prison. She chalked it up to his tumor, but when Lois pressed for more information, she hit a nerve with a team of “fixers” coming to shut down the interview and relay a message to Regan, who then proceeded to attempt jumping off the building.

Lois was able to talk her down by simply finding a way to connect and empathize with her. She didn’t have to dig hard because she was all too aware of what it felt like to deal with a situation that felt impossible and as though it had no resolution in sight. The one thing that matters most is that they stay strong and face the danger headfirst. 

Regan may be scared, and she has every right to be considering how things turned out for Dean, but she also has Superman on her side, who will do anything to protect her. She can tell her new superfriend everything she knows, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to stop Mannheim and whatever plan he has in motion that involves reviving dead people.

He says he’s just helping his community, but that’s far from the truth if he’s actively killing people. 

What did you think of the episode? Do you think Lois will beat cancer? Will Sarah and Jordan find a way to stay just friends? Will Kyle and Chrissy go back to the formalities? Will Lana and John spark a romance? And how will everyone who knows Clark’s secret rally together to stop the new enemies?

Superman & Lois made its grand return on Tuesday night, March 14, and season 3 wasted absolutely no time getting back into the action while also nailing the balancing act of throwing in plenty of emotional moments that resonated with the show’s family-first theme.

At the kickstart of Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 1, Lois pointed out that it’s been 27 days since the world almost ended, which has brought everyone closer together. When you almost lose the people that matter most, you never take them for granted. For the Kent couple, that meant tapping into their romantic side, so much so that they had a pregnancy scare, though, I use the term scare very loosely because, by the end of the hour, both were in agreement that they would be open to welcoming another super baby shortly after celebrating Jonathan and Jordan’s 16th birthday with a very Smallville-like celebration. 

A baby wasn’t in the cards for them at this point, and while it’s a bit of a bummer, it’s probably for the best since Clark’s plate is pretty full with two new villains, including Bruno Mannheim, the boss of Metropolis’ Intergang, responsible for killing this earth’s Johny Henry Lyons, who is also the brother of Lois’ doctor, who is still concerned/curious about what’s causing her pregnancy-like symptoms. And while that’s a lot to digest—also same. Is Lois going to be subject A and develop symptoms from the near-apocalyptic showdown of last season? Only time will tell.

Superman & Lois — “Closer” — Image Number: SML301a_ 0224r3 — Pictured (L-R): Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Another realization stemming from the earth’s near destruction is the need to prioritize one’s own self-happiness. Despite Jordan’s feelings, Sarah knew that she simply needed to take time away from their relationship to find herself, and she asked him to respect it. It’s a tough situation to navigate for a teen boy, especially since she’s the only person that knows about his powers, but I believe that the time apart is good for both of them.  Sarah needs to figure out who she is and what she wants, while Jordan needs to focus on his training right now. He doesn’t need any distractions, but a good friend is always welcome. 

Good friends are the backbone of Smallville as the episode digs into the strong connections between Lana, Clark Lois, and Chrissy. Since Lana and Chrissy are both clued into Clark’s superhero identity, my guess is that they will play a huge role in the super events that will follow, which I’m also assuming involves former Mayor Dean. It’s nice to see Lana take charge and really go above and beyond for the town, trying to undo the mess that he left behind, but it’s a bit scary when his warning comes off as more menacing than just a threat about uncovering his cooked books. I’m going to go out on a limb and say he made a deal with some bad people like Mannheim, and so it’s a good thing she has Superman on her side. Did anyone also pick up on some romantic energy between Lana and John Henry? The moment was brief, but when he defended her, it was electric. 

The end of Lana and Kyle’s relationship was also addressed, with the former finally signing the divorce papers after stalling for quite a bit. It’s heartbreaking to see the demise of this relationship, but it makes sense in terms of their characters. They weren’t serving each other anymore, held together only by memories and a fondness of what once was. Lana is in a different place in her life—and she’s thriving. 

And while Kyle might not be there just yet, the next phase of his life is about to start. I truly didn’t expect for things between Kyle and Chrissy to take off, but I’m so glad it did because it just makes sense. Chrissy made it clear that this was a one-time occurrence, but we all know that’s not the case, and when Lana finds out, it’ll be, as Chrissy suggested, very messy but also a fun shakeup. Small towns, am I right?

While Jordan is training to become his father’s sidekick—and he has a long way to go because his desire to help with the tower in Malaysia was probably not his best moment)—Jonathan was also looking for his thing, which turned out to be as simple as passing his driving test. It might not be flying, but it’s his freedom, not to mention a right of passage. As the boys forge their own paths, the series really gets to underline their difference on a larger scale. 

It was a bit of an adjustment to get used to the new Jonathan Kent. The recasting isn’t bad by any means—I’d actually say he fits in with the family more than the original actor–but even if pretty seamless, it’s an adjustment nonetheless.

And finally, the villains. As mentioned, Mannheim is on the radar along with a black-hooded figure that DC Comic fans may recognize as Onomatopoeia. There’s a big plan in motion in the Suicide Slums, and though it’s unclear how things will progress, I’ve heard the creative forces feel that Mannheim is a formidable foe for the super family. Spoiler alert—Lex Luthor will also be making his appearance with The Walking Dead alum Michael Cudlitz in the supervillain role.

I’d imagine John Henry Lyons, Superman’s other ally, will also be pulled in considering he’s fighting for justice for his doppelgänger on this earth. It’s deeply personal. 

Another surprising yet wholesome moment during the episode involved Natalie and Sam Lane. It’s easy to forget that on her world, Sam was her grandfather, so it’s understandable that she’d be eager to forge a relationship. Though Sam expresses interest, she quickly learns that he’s nothing like the man she knew as he only seems interested in getting to know her to recruit her for the DOD Academy. Eventually, he realizes the error of his ways and makes a genuine interest in forming a bond, which is just sweet. He doesn’t always get it right the first time, as we’ve seen with his daughters, but he does get it right. I will say, however, that while John Henry wants Natalie to have a normal life, her life is far from it and it never will be. She’s smarter than anyone in this town, so not only would the DOD benefit from having her around, but she’d also benefit from it. 

What did you think of the Superman & Lois Season 3 premiere episode? Are you as excited about this season as I am? Hitting refresh seemed to put things into perspective and allow the series—and the characters—to grow.