Superman & Lois has been a wild and difficult ride. Primarily the reason behind the show being so up-and-down involves the difficult balance between showcasing the Kents as a family and the responsibility of being a superhero while having a family. I always loved the idea that this was the premise behind the show. My struggle continues to be the execution of that premise. In the final episode of the season entitled Last Sons of Krypton, the show wraps up 15 episodes worth of story as cleanly as possible.
Lois can enter the subconscious of Jordan to remind him that his biggest superpower is his own personality. Jonathan nearly gets choked out by Jordan before Lois can get to her son, which was a fascinating exchange. I didn’t really feel the brotherhood between the two actors like I had all season. For some reason, the chemistry there was missing, and I don’t know why.
Superman was continually working on trying and stopping The Eradicator from destroying Metropolis. This finale felt cohesive but lifeless. There is no way that Superman would fail to save the city. Furthermore, I love the teamwork between himself and Steel, or John Henry Irons. They work really well together to stop the impending threats. I wish there had been more of those heroic duo moments.
The issues I have with the finale largely concern that there is no community involvement in Smallville. Everything is squarely focused on Lois and Clark, but the community at large basically has no place in the entire episode other than to be puppets for the Eradicator. They already did that plotline once; thus, the whole thing feels like a retread. The only new ideas for the episode are thrown in at the end, and as an audience member, I don’t appreciate that even if I love the performances.
Moments of the episode that I feel were strongly involved in the aftermath of the climax. Jordan telling Sarah he loved her was sweet and honest similar to how Lois speaks with Clark. I love when Steel saves Lois from being attacked by Leslie Larr. I love the Eradicator being stopped. Lois purchasing the Smallville Gazette was an inspired writing choice. Everything in between felt like filler, though, and made for a clunky finale.
What I would’ve liked to see is the entire family coming together to stop the major threat. I don’t know how that wasn’t the first thought in the writer’s mind when tasked with crafting the finale. In short, I like the show itself, if only for the characters. The situations they are placed in do nothing for the overall mythos of Superman. This further proves that you can have all the right pieces character-wise, but the whole series can fall flat if the story doesn’t measure up to it. The weaknesses of the episode do not fall on guest director Tom Cavanagh. He worked adamantly to make sure the finale was a showstopper. I can only hope that season two gives these characters much more story to work with them they got in this initial run. They would be better served for it.
