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Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois Review – Morgan Edge’s Plan Finally Revealed (1×04)

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Clark Kent was pulled in various directions on Superman Season 1 Episode 4.

He was conflicted between being Superman, a father, and a husband. The fact of the matter is, he can’t be all three things… not at once, at least. 

Kent is very much aware that being a parent and having a career is quite the juggling act, and he’s proven that he’s up to the task. 

Since moving to Smallville, he prioritized being a father and even got involved as a coach for the football team. 

But there’s something to be said for trying to be all things at once — you end up falling short in every aspect. 

Thaddeus Killgrave, a psycho killer, was able to plan a whole attack on Superman because he noticed that he’s been taking a bit of a break from Metropolis, which meant that he was not only distracted but vulnerable. 

It’s not good when you’re enemies begin picking up on your weaknesses.

However, being a father also gave Superman the jolt of power and energy needed to overcome Killgrave. When he heard that his kids were in danger, he wasted no time mustering up the strength to defeat the villain who was keeping him away from his boys.

And while Kent couldn’t keep his promise to Lois and skipped out on the town hall meeting that gave Morgan Edge the rights to the mine, he did try to make it up to her by prioritizing date night. 

But how long can Superman truly keep this up?

He may have neutralized Killgrave, but General Lane is right in warning him that there’s still another villain out there that wants him dead. 

While Lane may have overstepped by informing Jordan and Jon not to waste their father’s time, I don’t think it’s completely out of bounds to expect them to understand that their father has other obligations and priorities. 

It’s clear that Kent will be there for them as much as he can, but sometimes, the world needs him more. 

He has to pick and choose his battles very carefully. 

However, that inner struggle is one of the most human things about Kent, and it’s the heart of a series that aims to showcase him as more than just a superhero — he’s also a super dad. 

Killgraves seemed like a promising villain, but the series seems to be falling into the trap of other Arrowverse shows that don’t give deserving foes an arc. 

Maybe he’ll come into play at a later time, but for a scientific supergenius who was able to create two incredibly powerful devices, Superman took him down without breaking much of a sweat. 

After being told to let Clark prioritize his duties as Superman, Jon and Jordan tried to take care of Tag themselves when he began exhibiting super-human powers. And it almost got them killed.

Superman & Lois Review Haywire Season 1 Episode 4

Superman & Lois — “Haywire” — Image Number: SML104a_0090r.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Stacey Farber as Leslie Larr and Adam Rayener as Morgan Edge — Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW — © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Jordan thought his heat vision explosion caused Tag’s spazzes, but apparently, there was another material present that activated his meta-human development. It’s unclear if that’s the end of that story or if we’ll see Tag again… maybe when Jordan gets enrolled in that special school (the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted from Legacies, anyone?)? It’s a strange thing to mention if there’s no intention of ever bringing it up again, don’t you think?

Lois Lane once again proved that she’s absolutely fearless with or without Clark by her side to offer protection.

Not only did she confront her father about his lackluster parenting skills and told him that he’ll no longer be welcome in their home if he keeps trying to interfere, but she also confronted Morgan Edge about trying to silence her. 

She may not have been able to publish her scathing expose of Edge or stop him from getting control of the town, but she made sure he knew that she wouldn’t be intimidated into backing down. 

Of course, Edge didn’t seem all that concerned because his plan is already in motion. After winning the people’s vote, Edge and his sidekick Lesla-Lar took to their newly acquired mine and revealed it contains enough X-Kryptonite to resurrect an army. X-Kryptonite is a variant of kryptonite that temporarily gives non-Kryptonians the power of a Kryptonian. In other words, Edge wants to build an army of Kryptonian soldiers to… do what exactly? Take on Superman? Destroy him? Gain control of the world?

Edge’s motivations become even more concerning when it comes to Lana. He took a vested interest in her at the football field and became even more enamored when he found out she was “one of his” aka she worked at his bank. 

His attempts to woe her during dinner were borderline creepy and uncomfortable — and I’m glad she called out Kyle for not even batting an eyelash — but the comment he made to Lesla-Lar about there being “enough willing candidates” because he has an “eye for talent” seems to confirm the speculation that Lana was drugged while taking that shot during girl’s night with Lois. 

Not only was the camera-angle telling, but Lana’s lovey-dovey attitude towards Kyle the next morning was questionable. This is a woman who has been pretty vocal feeling like she’s trapped in her marriage. She hasn’t been afraid to call out her husband at every turn, and Sarah has made plenty of comments about them sleeping in separate rooms. Why was she all of a sudden so smitten with him when he made pancakes? I mean, dinosaur pancakes are legit but come on. Even Sarah was weirded out by their unusual PDA. There’s something strange going on here, and Lana’s love is anything but “willing.”

And then there’s General Lane, who may not fully be in Clark and Lois’ corner after all. He’s seen mulling over what Captain Luthor told him about Superman’s future (aka dark Superman) and enacted a contingency plan called Project 7734. But the bigger question is — does he remember anything about 7734? His lack of loyalty is concerning, but it’s the only hope we have of getting answers about Luthor, who has been on the backburner for two of the four episodes this season! The search for Kryptonite is bound to bring him to Smallville though, right?

To sum it up: Morgan Edge is a creep who is planning to build a powerful army in Smallville and has blinded people with false hopes of a better future and more jobs, Superman/Clark Kent is juggling all of his responsibilities and unintentionally letting people down, Lana might be under some spell to do Edge’s bidding (which really puts a damper on a girl’s night that found two women connecting, discussing their love lives, and uplifting each other), General Lane’s personal and professional relationship with the Kent’s/Superman may be on thin ice, and Jon and Jordan are still just trying to find their groove in Smallville. Also, I have no choice but to agree with Jon that while it’s great Jordan is finally happy and feels like he fits in, it comes at the expense of all the other players who don’t have superpowers. 

What did you think of the episode? Are you ready for the mini-season finale next week? 

Sound off in the comments below, Cravers! 

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois Cancelled at The CW—Here’s When the Superhero Drama Will End

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Superman & Lois Review Season 3 Episode 12 Injustice

If you’ve been following what’s been happening at The CW for the past few years, it comes as no surprise that Superman & Lois will be ending with the fourth season. 

The network has been scrapping most of its pre-sale programming, allowing only a handful of shows to return and finish out their run with a proper conclusion, the superhero drama being one of them.

The upcoming fourth season of the Tyler Hoechlin-led series will be its last, with the 10 final episodes airing sometime in 2024. 

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe,” CW president Brad Schwartz says in a statement. “We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”

The news was a long time coming, especially when the network renewed the show for a fourth season but reduced the cast to only a handful of series regulars, cutting everyone else loose with the possibility of guest appearances to wrap up their storylines. 

In addition to Hoechlin, Bitsie Tulloch as Lois, Alex Garfin as Jordan, Michael Bishop as Jonathan, and new villain Doomsday, played by Michael Cudlitz, will return are series regulars.

 We’ll update this post when new information about a premiere date becomes available. 

For now, you can binge Sullivan’s Crossing on The CW. 

Fates of ‘Superman & Lois’ and ‘All American: Homecoming’ Revealed at The CW

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Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois Season Finale Review – An Engagement, a Pregnancy, and Doomsday (313)

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Superman and Lois Season 3 Finale Review Episode 13 What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger

From Bizarro to Doomsday, Superman & Lois delivered an action-packed Season 3 finale that forced Superman to face his biggest threat to date.

Since getting out of prison after 17 years of being wrongfully incarcerated, Lex Luthor focused on getting revenge against those who wronged him, specifically Lois Lane. 

He made it clear that the reason Lois didn’t listen to him initially and ran with the inaccurate story that put him behind bars was because she had the protection of both General Lane and Superman. And since she didn’t heed his warning to put down the pen and retire, he knew that the only way to get to her was to eliminate the safety net. 

For the next 33 days, Luthor poured every inch of himself into concocting his master plan, which involved killing Bizarro over and over again and making him immune and indestructible. Luthor always knew he wanted payback, but Bizarro was the secret weapon that simply fell into his lap, and Luthor wasted no time taking full advantage. By the time he was done with him, the Inverse Superman morphed into a beast that set his sights on the Man of Steel in one of the most epic fights to ever play out on The CW. (And just as a reminder, with The CW doing away with most of its programming—and giving Superman & Lois a shortened fourth and final season with virtually no cast— so this fight scene is likely as good as it’s ever going to get for the network.)

Things weren’t looking so hot for Superman, but while it’s one thing to have an immense amount of power, Superman has two things that Bizarro doesn’t—brains that he can use to outsmart him and love; and the love he has for his family is what brings him back from the brink of death and energizes him. 

Superman and Lois Season 3 Finale Review Episode 13 What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger

Superman & Lois — “What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger” — Image Number: SML313a_0028r — Pictured: Michael Bishop as Jonathan Kent — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Pretty soon, Doomsday and Superman’s heads to the moon far away from any humans that can be harmed, though there’s no telling how it ends. 

With General Lane in Luthor’s possession, and Superman otherwise occupied, Luthor has Lois right where he wants her–vulnerable…or so he thinks. The one thing he didn’t account for (and how could he?) is that she’d have another asset in her corner—a son who inherited his father’s powers. Of course, Jordan is still pretty new at this and just getting the hang of his powers, but I’d say it’s enough to keep his mom out of harm’s way and stall until his dad returns. 

Clark thought he was doing the right thing by punishing Jordan and forbidding him from using his powers, but with danger lurking in every corner—and the imminent threat of Lex Luthor (Lois knew he was coming for her)—it would’ve been more beneficial to have him continue training specifically for this moment. 

Superman exchanged a telling look with his family before flying off to handle Doomsday, and in that look, he made it clear that Jordan was under no circumstance to help him. As a father, it only makes sense that he wouldn’t want to put his son in the line of danger. 

But what’s next? Doomsday is bred to kill, and he won’t stop until Superman is neutralized as those were Luthor’s orders. What’s the solution?

It almost seems as though there were two different episodes smushed into one, with the first half providing a happy and positive update on the families in Smallville, while the second half unveiled Lex’s plans and set the tone for what’s to come in the final season. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both parts—even if I’m far too skeptical when things are too good as I know the other foot is about to drop—particularly as it gave us some good momentum on all the characters that make this show so fantastic, and the ones that won’t be around much, if at all, next season. 

Lois’ recovery was tough and personal but she finally arrived at a place where she felt ready to be intimate with her husband again—and it was so beautifully captured. Clark being so soft with her when placing a hand on her chest was incredibly touching. They truly did right by her storyline this season, giving a realistic glimpse into a cancer battle rather than using it solely as a plot device.

It was also so nice to see her genuinely smile with excitement as she talked about their family vacation—Lois deserves this triumphant moment, and it’s a shame it was cut short by Lex. 

Fans who have been picking up on vibes between Lana and John Henry finally got their moment as well. Not only did the two go on a romantic first date, but they also hooked up in a hot and steamy moment as she was determined to make him regret accepting Lane’s offer to move to Metropolis. 

And yes, that’s an attempt at seemingly writing off John Henry and his daughter Nat for next season, which is a bummer, but it’s also a natural progression for the characters as they’ve always been destined to work closely with the DOD, doing what they do best and creating tools and gadgets to help them fight the enemy. Plus, it makes sense that Nat would go to the DOD Academy where Mateo just enrolled—it’s a promising future for her that allows for so much more than Smallville could ever offer someone with her brains and skills. 

Kyle and Chrissy Beppo also had quite an eventful episode as they not only found out they’re expecting their first child together, but Kyle even hopped on stage in front of the whole town and asked her to marry him. I enjoy this coupling, so no complaints, but I wish Chrissy continued to have a storyline of her own separate from Kyle instead of being reduced to his secret hookup for most of the season. Chrissy was always on the same playing field as Lana and Lois—and she deserved to stay there. 

Lana has put on a happy face throughout it all, even telling Kyle that she was happy for him and asking to spoil the baby, but it has to hurt on some level. She’s watching him become the man she’s wanted him to be for years, and that has to be so hard. Someone else got the version of Kyle that she always knew he could be, but he never was for her. 

However, Lana is right when she says that they are better as friends—and they make great co-parents, so at least there’s that. She’s tough and strong, so she’ll get through this. It may have taken her a little longer to move on than it has Kyle, but at least she’s seeing a future outside of her relationship with him.

This is also a good time to remind anyone who is online dating to just be super cautious about who they allow into their lives. 

Sam Lane was so eager to get back out there that he allowed the enemy to get too close to him, and he paid the price. 

The moment he introduced his new girlfriend to his absolutely stunned grandchildren, I knew there was something off about Gretchen and the way she was so eager to be involved in his life. 

It’s a shame because someone in Sam’s position should’ve vetted anyone he ended up meeting and pursuing for this exact reason. He works for the DOD for crying out loud—there have to be some protocols because this was just too easy. 

It’s also a bummer because Sam let his guard down one time, and now he’ll never trust anyone else with his heart again. 

And finally, Clark gave Jordan a pep talk that convinced him to apologize to Sarah. He admitted that his anger stemmed from them not being together, and they agreed to remain cordial but go their separate ways, which is honestly for the best considering everything that transpired between them. 

How do you think the series will continue on without Sam, Lana, Sarah, Kyle, Chrissy, John Henry and Natalie as series regulars, especially as we may never see any of them again and there were so many developments with their storylines? It seems like a huge miss for the series as they are so integral to the series and are responsible for making the small town of Smallville what it is.

And how do you think Superman will bring down Doomsday? Will Lex Luthor finally get what’s coming to him, rightfully this time around? He’s just giving Lois so much more ammo to put him away for good. 

Grade the season in the comments—we’re giving it a solid B! 

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Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois Review – Lex Luthor’s Arrival Reveals His Master Plan (312)

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Superman & Lois Review Season 3 Episode 12 Injustice

Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 12–also the penultimate episode of the season—introduced Lex Luthor in all his glory. 

As Lex was acquitted and released from prison, he set his sights on his #1 enemy: Lois Lane, before hatching and revealing his post-prison master plan. 

If the episode had solely focused on Lex Luthor’s arrival, it may have felt out of place, but it found the right balance of introducing this new yet familiar menacing figure all at once while keeping in tune with the tone of the series. Luthor’s arrival was interposed with the introduction of Smallville’s new superhero, SuperBoy, which brought forth plenty of drama with Sarah and Jordan, while also managing to deliver some parenting strifes for Clark and Lois with both Jordan and Jon.

There was even a tornado, which I was fully convinced was conjured up by Lex Luthor, hinting at a new supernatural take on the iconic character, though it turned out to be a mere coincidence. There’s truly never a dull moment in Smallville—one moment there’s an unanticipated tornado, and the next moment the scariest man on the face of the Earth is just casually walking the backroads. 

Lex’s release from prison was paralleled with his time in prison, showing that even behind bars, the CEO of LuthorCorp yielded all the power and was able to manipulate people into doing whatever he wanted through sheer force. He’s a bully in every sense of the word, but seeing how he obtained control of Stryker’s Prison is enough reason to make us fear him. 

Superman & Lois Review Season 3 Episode 12 Injustice

Credit: Superman & Lois

This version of Lex is rough around the edges; a blue-collar villain, if you will, who swaps the dapper suit for a jean jacket and freshly shaved head. 

And it somehow makes him even more terrifying. Michael Cudlitz plays him well. 

Mere minutes into his prison stay, flashbacks reveal that he managed to get his goons to show the others who was boss, and by the end of the day, he was catered to hand and foot, enjoying a fancy meal with a glass of wine. He’s a man that will get his way, one way or the other.

He’s a man who was misjudged and cast away by society only to regain his freedom—and it gives him the room to do a lot more damage than previous iterations of the character. He’s a man scorned, looking for vengeance and comeuppance for those who wrong him, something Lois is all too aware of.

She assumed that Lex would have it out for her the minute he was released from prison, but what she didn’t anticipate is that he would make a beeline for her house, simply to show her that he’s kept tabs on her and threaten her if she doesn’t agree to his terms to retire.

He also made a point by walking all the way to their house, proving that while he has men who will carry out tasks for him, he’s not above doing the dirty work when necessary. 

And honestly, Lex’s anger is justified; Lois and her words are the reason he’s in jail. It wasn’t sloppy reporting as she followed the evidence, which led her to Lex, but it was an error nonetheless. And sorry doesn’t really cut it when you’ve missed out on two decades of life, a point he drives home when he informs her that his daughter, who was 14 when he was locked up, is no longer willing to speak to him. 

However, he can’t overlook the fact that he’s seeing the light of day once again because Lois chose to do the right thing and clear his name, ignoring every warning from Peia about how he’s the devil incarnate and the world is better with him behind bars. Lois knew that setting Lex free would likely unleash evil onto the world—including herself as he’s had two decades to plan his perfect revenge—but her journalistic integrity couldn’t let him sit behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. She had to do the right thing and set the record straight. 

And now, with her decision to give in and give up her career in journalism, she’s making herself a target for Lex. 

As for Superman, well, he’s clearly someone that Lex has in his line of sight as well, otherwise he wouldn’t be risking it all to get his hands on Inverse Superman, who has really evolved into a creature of the night type monster thanks to Mannheim’s experimentation.

When Lex and his buddy Otis make their way down to the underground bunker once occupied by Mannheim, they find Inverse Superman literally gorging on rats—and he doesn’t waste time turning Otis into dinner. 

What’s Lex’s plan for Inverse Superman? Will he try to coach him into killing Superman?

Superman & Lois Review Season 3 Episode 12 Injustice

Superman & Lois — “Injustice” — Image Number: SML312fg_0018 — Pictured (L-R): Inde Navarrette as Sarah Cushing and Alex Garfin as Jordan Kent — Photo: The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Other Memorable Moments

  • Superhero or mere mortal, parenting teenagers—and all their raging hormones—is hard, and it didn’t go so well for Lois and Clark when Jordan disobeyed them and decided to go public with her alter-ego. He helped his dad stop a tornado, but instead of whizzing away before anyone saw him, he stuck around for a photo-op, proving that he’s absolutely careless about protecting his identity and superpowers. He doesn’t realize the weight of what he’s doing and rather, chasing the clout and trying to stroke his ego, which makes sense considering he’s always been pushed aside by the popular kids. However, I’m with Sarah on this one–he’s letting it get to his head and he’s losing the charm he once had in the process, including the level-headedness. Even his parents are stunned by his behavior and realize they have to rein him in before it’s too late. 
  • Jordan thinks that he’s so much smarter than everyone, but he failed to realize that the two Smallville encounters will prove that Superboy has a connection to the small town. If Junior put two and two together, it won’t be long before everyone else does. And then what? 
  • Can no one really see past the goggles? I know, I know, goggles are better than glasses! 
  • Clark, however, overstepped by going to talk to Kyle about treating Jon differently. He may have noticed his boss’ behavior changed upon learning the truth about his father’s identity, but if he wanted his dad to handle it, he would’ve asked him to. Clark’s decision to head over to the firehouse and ask Kyle to treat Jon like all the other guys simply proved Jon’s point about his father controlling his life. And, naturally, Kyle felt offended and took it out on Jon. Overall, it was messy and would’ve been better if Clark just let Jon handle his own problems. But what will come of it? At this point, it seems like the show doesn’t really know what to do with these two characters.  
  • The parents of Smallville are all really busy, but they still manage to meddle in their children’s problems all too often. Case and point: Lana telling Jordan’s parents that he was letting the powers get to his head. It further drove a rift between Jordan and Sarah, though, at this point, they really just need space from each other. 
  • Sarah decided she was over this version of herself, including the one who lied to everyone to keep Jordan’s secret, and she asked her mom to dye her hair, which was a cute bonding moment. I can’t wait to see how she changes it up.
  • Lois may be taking on a new villain in her life (an unwelcome distraction), but she’s still very much in the healing process from the cancer as it’s a full-time job. Maybe Lex is the push she needs to get back to her old self and regain the confidence and the fire. She was the Lois Lane when she didn’t even wince when confronting him on her front porch—a very targeted move on his part as he encroached onto her personal territory.
  • It’s also nice that amid all the drama and chaos that the series is introducing as it barrels toward a season finale, it isn’t losing sight of Lois’ health journey that’s been so crucial to the plot this season. 

What did you think of Lex Luthor’s arrival? Should Superman and Lois be scared? And who do you think his daughter is? How will she play into all of this?

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