Superman and Lois: S1E1: “Pilot”

Although Superman & Lois is the kind of show that should appeal to my sensibilities, I came into this series with some mixed feelings. Except for the excellent Stargirl, I haven’t been heavily invested in the CW DC live action shows in recent years. They do a good job of appealing to fanservice at the right times, such as during the Crisis event, but there’s also a CW network sensibility that seeps into the tone and makes these shows feel less like proper superhero series. As much as I love Tyler Hoechlin in the role of Superman, my lingering question about Superman & Lois is whether it would feel more like a Superman show or like a CW show.

The answer is ultimately somewhere in the middle, trying to thread the needle between the two approaches. To be fair, Superman & Lois keeps enough of the Superman sensibility that the debut episode is worth watching. The opening sequence that introduces Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman is nothing short of fantastic, and this sequence deserves all the praise it gets. These scenes feel larger than life, mythic, and like the Superman from the comics. Even the subtle callback to the classic Superman For All Seasons feels earnest and wonderful, and Hoechlin’s delivery of that line is pitch perfect. Moreover, the Fleischer-inspired Superman costume Hoechlin wears in the scene is exactly how the character should look. In a world where bright and colorful costumes are held in derision by a certain segment of the fandom, this show proves conclusively that yes, bright and colorful costumes do work, and yes, Superman looks good in red trunks. The scene is optimistic, hopeful, and fun, which is what Superman always should be. There is a magic to this scene that evokes Christopher Reeve, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman, and the work of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. If the show had kept this magic throughout the episode, it would have been a flawless Superman story.

Unfortunately, while the episode is generally good, there are times where the spell is broken. The problem with this episode is that the CW influence breaks the magic that a Superman show should generally have. Following the beautiful opening scene, the episode wastes no time in piling on tragedy and forced teen drama. The intention is to make Clark Kent feel more real, more “human” and more of a struggling father. To some extent, this approach does work—Hoechlin’s Clark struggling to understand his twin sons feels believable, and his conflict between his family and his duty as Superman is a compelling approach. It helps that Hoechlin sells the character so well that it’s easier to believe his inner struggle. Lois is flawless, and I don’t even have a problem with the character of Jonathan Kent, an athletic boy who seems to lean to Superman’s character. There are also some very good family moments towards the end of the episode that help it to recover after some of the more noticeable problems. What this show tries to be is quite promising, and I think it’s this foundation that may hold it together for the first season.

What works less is the character of Jordan Kent, and although Alex Garfin does his best to make it work, he’s up against an inconsistent script. This character embodies most of the CW sensibility, and while I think there are good intentions behind this character, there’s much about his writing that feels forced. He’s presented as a socially anxious young man, perhaps with the idea that Jordan represents the mild-mannered side of Clark’s character. If they played the social anxiety more believably, there could be a good character arc as Jordan tries to overcome his fear of social interaction. Unfortunately, they waste no time setting up a romance between him and Lana Lang’s daughter, Sarah Cushing, and it doesn’t make sense. A severely socially anxious person likely would be uncomfortable trying to talk to her, much less have the confidence to act on his romantic feelings. This relationship needed much more time and character development to build up, and it is forced too quickly to provoke the violence at the party scene late in the episode. Moreover, Jordan is often treated as surly and rebellious in ways that don’t feel natural simply for the sake of drama. Finding out that his father is Superman should be much more life-altering, and it should be an exciting moment as he learns that he has powers. But to build conflict for dramatic purposes, Jordan acts out with anger and accusations, and it never feels true to what the character should be or what the tone of the show should be. In fairness, Jordan is handled better towards the end, and he does get a good moment with Clark together as they reconcile, but the journey often feels stilted and unnatural. Hopefully future episodes will treat Jordan in a better light, because the idea behind him is a reasonable one.

To the show’s credit, the casting is fantastic, and there’s not a single performance that feels wrong to me. Tyler Hoechlin embodies the simple farm boy charm of Clark Kent, capturing the optimism of the character while bringing weight to the dramatic moments. Elizabeth Tulloch is an excellent Lois, and she’s easily one of the standout performances in this episode. I like a Lois with fire, inner strength, and curiosity, and Tulloch brings all these things to the role. However, she balances this with maternal warmth, and her Lois comes across as the glue that holds the family together. Alex Garfin puts in a good performance as Jordan even with the questionable writing decisions, and there is potential for his character to improve despite the underlying issues. Jordan Elsass also delivers as the younger Jonathan Kent, and though he’s different from the Jon from the comics, he’s a fun character who is believable in the role of Clark’s son. The remaining cast fill out the world of Smallville well, and provide a good ensemble that make the small town feel lived in and real. The biggest question mark is the villain of the piece, played by Wole Parks, but this is likely a character whose secrets will be revealed as the season progresses. Overall, it’s a good cast that is held together firmly by the acting talent and character strength of its Superman and Lois, and Hoechlin and Tulloch are easily the standouts.

Although I wish this show would have kept the tone of the first few minutes of the episode, Superman & Lois generally starts on the right note. The idea of balancing the superhero adventure with small-town mystery and family drama is a good approach, and one that can serve the series well. Moving forward, I hope that the creators embrace the hopeful superheroics, including the bright colors and fun of the character. My main concern is that this show doesn’t descend too much into CW-style teen drama, as that was the weakest part of this episode. Still, the lead characters are charming and enjoyable to watch together, I like seeing Superman in the role of a father, and there’s enough good here to keep watching for the time being.

Score: 4/5

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Writers: Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing

Cast: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Inde Navarrette, Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chiriqui, Erik Valdez, Wole Parks

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).