Commentary: ‘Superman & Lois’ Is An Exploration In Gods, Men, And Monsters

The concept of Superman is about the contrast of power. There are two basics to his name: super and man. The dichotomy between these terms is also part of what makes Superman & Lois so special, especially this season. People tend to think Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) is all about action, fighting big monsters, and multiversal threats. But Lois’s (Elizabeth Tulloch) name is in the title for a reason. This is a story just as much about the man side of Superman as the super. He has a family and deals with real father issues in addition to his superheroics. And now that Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) and Doomsday have been introduced into the show, the exploration of this territory is even deeper.

In beginning of the season, we learn Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh) did not want Clark to marry Lois because he could only see the superhero. But he was reminded that Clark is also a man who deserves to have love and a family. This is in contrast to Lex, who had a family that he ruined with his criminal activities. His seventeen years in jail demolished his relationship with his daughter. The same argument can be said for Doomsday, who was originally Superman from a different universe who destroyed his family and then eventually became a monster with Lex’s help.

It’s amazing how this dynamic of looking below the surface runs parallel throughout all these characters. Superman is essentially a god, and yet he is more of a man than Lex Luthor, who doesn’t have any powers at all. By contrast, Lex is a man who’s really a monster inside. His hate has consumed him so much that it’s even driven away his own daughter. The character who’s actually a monster, Doomsday, is straddling both these lines as he used to actually be Superman.

Superman & Lois airs Mondays on The CW.