Reviewed by: Michael Bailey
Originally Aired: November 25, 2024
WRITTEN BY: Jai Jamison
DIRECTED BY: Jai Jamison
REGULAR CAST:
Tyler Hoechlin (Clark Kent/Superman)
Bitsie Tulloch (Lois Lane)
Michael Bishop (Jonathan Kent)
Alex Garfin (Jordan Kent)
Michael Cudlitz (Lex Luthor)
GUEST STARS:
Erik Valdez (Kyle Cushing)
Sofia Hasmik (Chrissy Beppo)
Douglas Smith (Jimmy Olsen)
Adrian Glynn McMorran (Emmitt Pergande)
Patricia Cullen (Linda Ryan)
Zane Clifford (Timmy Ryan)
Gregory Smith (First AD)
Yoshie Bancroft (Janet Olsen)
Monique Phillips (Aidy Manning)
Danny Wattley (Coach Gaines)
Kelcey Mawema (Denise Olowe)
Pavel Romano (Corey Wellnitz)
John Carlson (Umpire)
GUEST STARS:
Yvonne Chapman (Amanda McCoy)
Nikolai Witschl (Milton)
Mariana Klaveno (Lara Lor-Van)
Kelcey Mawema (Denis Olowe)
Stacee Copeland (Vicky May)
Jason Cermak (Sebastien “Bash” Mallory
Dee Jay Jackson (Cobb Branden)
Paul Lazenby (Doomsday)
Rating – 5 (out of 5): (SPOILER WARNING! THIS REVIEW REVEALS KEY MOMENTS FROM THIS EPISODE OF SUPERMAN AND LOIS)
On both a personal and objective level I wish the CW had released this episode and next week’s episode on one night like they did with the first two episodes of this season. On the personal side, I just want to see the finale because that cliffhanger was awesome. On an objective level, I think the series deserves a big, two-hour (with commercials) send off. The show has more than earned this, but that’s not how most of the DC shows have ended, so it was probably never going to happen.
Oh well. It staves off the final episode and the emotions that come with it one more week.
The best parts of this particular episode were the head games Lois and Clark were playing with Lex and Amanda. With the exception of Smallville it is rare to see Superman and Lex be on equal footing when it comes to live action. Usually Lex has the upper hand, which makes sense because you have to give Superman a handicap because…you know…laser eyes, super speed, flight, strength, and invulnerability. Also, Lex is usually played as the smarter one and usually loses because of his own arrogance and not because Superman out thought him. The thing is, Superman now has a handicap. He’s not as powerful as he once was and is getting weaker, so the playing field has been leveled a bit. Watching Superman confront Lex and really get under his skin was so satisfying to watch. Last week I discussed how Lex was more leather jacket cool on this show and the moment where he tears that tie off lends more weight to that. He’s playing a part and wearing clothes to do so, but they’re not him and Superman pulling that thread was great.
Likewise, Lois and Amanda having their confrontations was great as well. Amanda really got under Lois’s skin during their first scene and thanks to a helpful pep talk from Clark (which highlights the relationship the two have and Lois pays him back later by pointing out how wrong his bio-parents have been in the past) she digs in. Their second confrontation was the answer to the first scene and the performances were so well done. You see the doubt creep into Amanda and Lois gets to have her win.
Lois’s scene with Bruno was very well played and is further proof that this show rarely does characters without depth. Ally Alston is probably the closest they have to an irredeemable and straightforward bad guy, where most of the other villains have a lot going on. Even though they were adversaries during the last season the connection between Pia and Lois changed that dynamic and now we get to see a Bruno that obviously has some respect for Lois, even if most of that has to do with Lois’s friendship with his late wife. Again, the performances were so well done and I really liked seeing Bruno again.
The scenes with the boys were a lot of fun as well. Them dealing with the sudden fame and Jordan being jealous because his item at the diner is on the kid’s menu gave the episode the comic relief it needed, but it was also a good example of the dynamic of Jordan and Jonathan have. I’m really glad they didn’t go after Lex themselves because the way Jonathan was acting it was a possibility. The training scenes both in the Fortress and in Smallville were great and even gave us another shirt rip.
Special mention to Alex Garfin for the scene where he helps Vicky during the attack. It was a great moment for Jordan as a character because he was able to help someone through a panic attack just as his mother and brother have helped him. It was a sweet scene.
This episode also cemented this show as having the best live action version of Doomsday ever. The “final form” looking so comic book accurate was great to see. For having a limited budget and being on television, they really knocked this one out of the part and gave us the Doomsday I’ve always wanted to see outside of the comics.
So…here we are. One more episode to go. Milton has given Lex a power suit that really should have been painted green and purple, but I won’t complain about that because everything else has been so good. Superman and Doomsday are fighting again, and Lois wasn’t able to talk him down this time. If it wasn’t for the preview for the final episode, I would be more concerned. I’m still thinking that somehow…and this is a long shot, I know…but somehow either Lex still has Superman’s heart, and he gets it back so that Clark is back to full power, which, I fully admit is a long shot. Or…and this is another long shot…Doomsday is going to be the key to Clark getting back to full power because they are genetically alike, even with the mutations.
Or none of that is going to happen.
Still…one more episode.
And no, I am still not ready.
