Please be aware of plot spoilers in the article. If you have not seen the episode and do not agree to be spoiled, please do not continue reading.
introduce:
The show’s fourth episode begins with Superman flying back to Kent Farm to reunite with his family. Even with the budget cuts for Season 4, the show’s score and the way it was shot really made Superman & Lois feel like a weekly movie rather than a series. This week’s episode is written by George Kitson and Max Kronick and directed by Gregory Smith.
Three weeks later:
Three weeks after Clark returned from the dead, the show moved forward quickly. Tyler Hoechlin narrated this episode, which made me realize how much of a backseat he had been in the last three episodes and how his presence on the show was missed. Three weeks later, Lois and Clark had an argument because Clark wanted to go after Lex, but Lois was worried that Clark wasn’t ready and they didn’t know how Sam Lane’s heart would affect him in the long run. Superman & Lois proved to me that writers can write a TV show about a couple and give them some conflict in their relationship without making their relationship toxic.
Kyle and Chrissy:
Kyle and Kris made their debut while planning their wedding. Chrissy is nervous about her mother, and a water pipe bursts at the courthouse, preventing Chrissy and Kyle from getting married there. Louis suggested to Chris that they get married at Kent Farm. Lois is happy to be distracted from her own family drama. Kris agreed to the new venue and asked Louise to be her maid of honor. Kyle and Clark also have a cool scene in the barn where Kyle asks Clark to be his best man. I love that the writers of this show understand that the small character moments are just as important as the big action moments.
Clark and Jon:
Jordan was still angry about finding out his mom chose to save Jon (before his powers were activated), so he didn’t train with Clark and Jon. Jon is a natural, and the shot of Clark looking shocked as Jon masters flying in one go over the canyon is pretty cool. Jon even looked incredibly strong, tearing through an actual mountain unscathed. The visuals in the show are still top notch. I was worried when we didn’t get to see a close-up of Jon flying last week, but this week’s episode made up for it. We even got a daytime close-up scene of Clark and Jon flying side by side, which was pretty cool.
It seems Lois was right about Clark needing to take it easy, because when he was flying with Jon and Clark fell from the sky, his heartbeat was racing. Things could have been much worse if Clark had been alone or had a rematch with Doomsday. When Lois found out about Clark, she was rightfully concerned.
Biebo family drama:
Chrissy’s mom said it was funny that Chrissy and Sarah were almost the same age. Chrissy is old enough to be Chrissy’s sister, not her classmate. Sara has become more likeable so far this season. I wonder how Mrs. Bebo would have felt about Sarah being a good kid if she had met Sarah as a rebellious teenager.
Mrs Bebo and Kyle:
Chrissy’s parents clearly don’t approve of Kyle marrying Chrissy (Dad didn’t even show up at the wedding), and the tension is palpable in the dinner scene. Mrs. Bebo asks Kyle if he only married Chrissy because she was pregnant, and Kyle tells her that he loves Chrissy. Silk is older.
Jordan:
Jordan has been replaying Lex’s audio for three weeks now, and I feel like the Kents have been through too much to create a rift between them. So Jordan should know better now, but Jordan never seemed to fully deal with his past insecurities. He just got his powers and hid behind them, and now that Jon has the powers, he feels like he’s not special anymore and Jon is the favorite again, at least that’s the impression we were given in the first half of the episode.
Louis and Jon’s mission:
Lois and Jon pursue General Lane’s ex-girlfriend Gretchen (real name is Cheryl Kimble) after Jordan overhears her talking to someone in Metropolis. This is one thing Jordan can say he’s better at than Jon by far (super hearing). Lois tells Cheryl that Sam is dead and offers to protect her in exchange for writing an article with her. The world still believes Superman is dead, so I wonder what Lois thinks she can truly offer Cheryl in terms of protection that she would accept, and in terms of personal safety, she’d be better off staying with Lex.
Jordan and Louis:
Louise made the first move to get closer to her son, and Jordan revealed what was really bothering him. Jordan feels responsible for the deaths of his grandfather and father. Jordan tells her that he’s not angry that she chose to save Jon, but she’s probably right because he feels like he ruined everything and isn’t worth saving. Everything the family has been going through lately seems to have reignited old insecurities in him. I’m glad Jordan had a good conversation with his mother and they worked things out.
The Runaway Bride:
Chrissy breaks down and tells Sarah about the family pressure she’s been feeling. Unfortunately, it seems the show has finally figured out how to use Sara as a supporting character and the show is coming to an end. Highlighting Sarah’s empathy as a character makes her a more likeable character. Sarah runs into the barn and announces that Chrissy is missing. Clark calms Kyle down, confiding in Kyle that he feels different since his return. Clark tells Kyle to be patient, and Kyle calls him “the best Super Man ever.”
Louis found Chrissy in the town square and chatted with her friends. Chrissy and Kyle bonded quickly, and Chrissy felt like she didn’t even know Kyle well, even though she did love him. Chrissy says she hopes they can be a couple like Lois and Clark, and Louis tells Chrissy that Clark and her put a lot of work into their relationship and that it didn’t magically happen overnight. In the end, Kris and Kyle agreed to stay together but not rush into marriage and slow down. Coach “DJ” Gaines gets everyone in the barn dancing to ’80s-style music, capping off Chrissy and Kyle’s subplot in a really cool scene. By the end of the episode, Mrs. Bebo seems to be on board with the idea of Chrissy and Kyle becoming a couple.
Jon’s solo mission:
Jordan and Jon hear a fire in Metropolis through their super hearing. Jordan told his brother to go alone since he had been training with Kyle for months, but part of me knew this wasn’t going to end well for Jon. Jon flew to Metropolis and used his super breath to put out the fire, but he discovered that the fire was caused by one of Lex’s thugs trying to kill Cheryl Kimble. Jon is knocked down by a shooting device from one of Clark’s thugs. Jordan heard his brother was in trouble and told his father Jon needed help. Superman shows up to save Jon and quickly dispatches Lex’s goons in a pretty epic display of power. Clark says John Henry Irons brought Lex’s goons to the Department of Defense, keeping Superman’s return a secret for now, but I know Gretchen’s escape could mean she might tell Lex. By the end of the episode, it was confirmed that Superman was still alive and had been leaked to the press, leaving me wondering if that was how Jimmy Olsen’s character joined the fight, now that we’re into the fourth episode of the season.
Other ideas:
1. I think the lack of extras is probably the biggest sign that the show’s budget has been cut so far, but this episode really tried, and the barn scene was pretty crowded.
2. It’s funny that Sarah asked if the barn at Kent’s farm was cursed because there was always drama there, and the barn did mark the beginning of the end of her parents’ marriage.
3. Jordan gives Jon a Superboy costume (similar to his). I’m not a fan of Jordan’s Superboy suit, even though I understand its practicality, but I hope we at least get to see the boy in a more comical suit before the show ends.
4. Has anyone else noticed that Sophie is now taller than Sarah? , which alone shows us how much time has passed since the show began.
judgment:
I think the show feels more intentional this season, and this episode is a great example of that. This season has been great so far and I can’t wait to watch next week’s episode to see how the world and Lex Luthor react to Superman’s return.
grade:
1. Story: 8/10
2. Visual effects: 8/10
3. Sound: 8/10
4. Performance: 8/10
5. Overall: 8/10
Join me every week for more reviews of the fourth and final season of The CW’s Superman & Lois.
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