TV Review: The ‘Superman & Lois’ Final Season Premiere Does It Better Than The Snyderverse
by Frank Martin
The previous season of Superman & Lois left off on a huge cliffhanger that was all resolved in the this week’s season premiere. It adapted a storyline already used in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but approached it from a completely different angle. The framework for this show is totally different than that of Zack Snyder DC films, so, obviously, the event was never going to play out the same way. But the family dynamic featured in the show adds such a strong level of emotion that it actually pulled off the Death of Superman story to a much stronger degree.
Once Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) transforms Bizarro into this universe’s version of Doomsday, Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and the monster engage in a brutal fight on the moon. Meanwhile, Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) seeks out her father after he is kidnapped by Lex’s goons. The entire episode is filled with tension as Clark’s family has no idea if he is going to come out of this fight alive, but they also have to find Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh). Eventually, Jonathan (Alex Garfin) locates his grandfather in the nick of time. Unfortunately, Doomsday returns to Earth with Superman’s corpse and delivers it right in front of his family’s feet.
There’s a reason this show is called Superman & Lois. It’s because they are equal partners in terms of being the main character. This show is about the Superman family and that unit is extremely important. So it’s fitting that Doomsday doesn’t have a big spectacle after beating the Man of Steel. Instead, he quietly leaves Superman’s body with them before leaving without a word. Lois’s reaction to finding her dead husband is harrowing. It’s a true moment of familial grief that will haunt the rest of this season. Hopefully, the show’s fans will be able to cheer by the end rather than be stuck in this rut of sadness.
Superman & Lois airs Mondays on The CW.
