'Superman & Lois' in development at the CW

[Superlad93]

It's the fact that Crisis and the multiverse are such a part of the DNA of the pilot that makes me think you're likely right on some level. The world where this alternate Lex comes from may even be a hint somehow?

I'm getting some slight Flash season 1 vibes with this having some potential mystery that's tied to both the past and identity of characters here. The way that story built upon itself was what really engaged me when watching season of Flash, and it's something that has never really be replicated (though not for lack of a LOT of trying)

I hope that "Council of Supermen" idea gets properly folded into this show.

[phantom1592]

I'm super-nervous about this show and in particular this version of Superman.

I fear that Tyler Hoechlin's Superman exists purely to make others look better. Yes, he jobbed to Kara constantly, but "it was HER show" is the lame excuse we get.

And now we get the new rebuttal "But on his own show, he'll surely be the star".

No, I don't think he will. Especially with this really unfortunate twin teenage sons set-up.

I think, and I hope I'm wrong but Berlanti has lost ALL benefit of the doubt with me, that this Clark is going to play the role of Dumb Dad.

You know, the type who can't change a diaper without help, the type who is always shown up by his wife, the type who constantly needs a pep talk from his kids (instead of the other way around). The kind who constantly needs to be bailed out by someone else.

Hopefully this is all sky-is-falling syndrome, and Berlanti and Co. actually do see value in Supes as something other than a punching bag.

I'll believe it when I see it.

He has the stink of a jobber.

I have zero doubt this is going to happen. It's the CW. One of their trademarks is to nerf the hero to general incompetance only to show how badly they need a team and most especially a non-powered love interest.

Fully expect Superman to get completely overwhelmed... with just about everything only to have Lois be the smart/effective one who can talk sense and veto the 'hero' decisions. It happened with Flash, Arrow, Vampire Diaries, and even Superglrl. Alex and Jimmy got WAYYYYY to many 'big moment's for a show with a full powered kryptonian… but hey, CW.

If he comes out looking at least as well Barry and Ollie did... we should count ourselves blessed.

[Yoda]

I mean, the leaked script is like a handful of posts back. It's already obvious that that isn't the direction that the script or the show seems to be going. If anything, for a show called Superman and Lois it's Lois who gets shorted. At least in this episode.

[superduperman]

I question how legit this thing is, honestly. I doubt the final product will look like this even if it is real. The dialogue is hokey as hell. Especially the Sarah character. Sorry, but teenage girls don't really talk that way. Maybe it's just the way it looks on paper, IDK. There's a lot to unpack here. There's several things here that make me question it's legitimacy. For starters, Clark doesn't drink. Kara established that pretty early on in her show. So unless the writers decided the Crisis changed his personality too, that's a contradiction. Second of all, the reference to red heat vision. We all know heat vision in this universe is blue. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe this is just a draft and not the final product. But it's suspicious to me.

[Nelliebly]

I mean, the leaked script is like a handful of posts back. It's already obvious that that isn't the direction that the script or the show seems to be going. If anything, for a show called Superman and Lois it's Lois who gets shorted. At least in this episode.

Lois is absolutely the one treated the least fairly by this script but it doesn’t shock me that you are the only one who cares enough to focus on that.

The way that Lana is introduced to the series is genuinely enraging and honestly I wish her and her husband would just take a hike. I’m so angry that Lois is being put in this position on a series with her name in the title.

Also super letdown that it doesn’t feel like an equal story. Not once does Clark ask Lois how she feels about anything. She gets no POV and no narration. Why bother to call this Superman and Lois if she’s going to be treated this poorly?

[Yoda]

Lois is absolutely the one treated the least fairly by this script but it doesn’t shock me that you are the only one who cares enough to focus on that.

The way that Lana is introduced to the series is genuinely enraging and honestly I wish her and her husband would just take a hike. I’m so angry that Lois is being put in this position on a series with her name in the title.

Also super letdown that it doesn’t feel like an equal story. Not once does Clark ask Lois how she feels about anything. She gets no POV and no narration. Why bother to call this Superman and Lois if she’s going to be treated this poorly?

It'll depend a lot on where some of this stuff goes. I could see them wanting to do more to reestablish Hoechlin's Superman for the pilot since he's gotten so much (undeserved) backlash recently. Tulloch's Lois is on much more solid footing at this point. It does play oddly focused on Clark here though. I think there should have been more back and forth on moving back to Smallville than what we saw. They apparently discussed it together but we don't see that. It should be more balanced as a pilot. Clark's interactions with the kids is a little odd, I don't necessarily mind them not going the perfect dad route with him like Rebirth did, but he seems a little too detached and unsure of things. If this was a direct continuation of the Pre-Crisis set up it'd make more sense, but he should have already gone through this. I do get not telling them immediately, I'm reminded of Secret Identity a little.

The Lana stuff was worrisome because that is really tired avenue for this show to explore. And considering we're looking at a married Lois & Clark who have kids and a married Lana who has kids it'd be Riverdale levels of gross to go at either relationship. It is interesting that Lana does not know Clark is Superman here. That puts his relationship with Lois on a clearly different level, which I liked a lot actually. And they didn't really play up much tension other than the initial look between them. Lana and Lois even seem to be being set up to work together. So it's possible that they won't go in that direction ultimately. A lot of that could change with the actual acting of it (assuming it gets shot) so we could see.

I'm more curious how they are going to handle the Daily Planet. It looks like they are going to treat it like the later half of Rebirth, with Lois commuting back and forth or something.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I’m hoping Lois gets her time to shine when it comes to taking down Morgan Edge. The twins story can have them face off against Cobb and maybe a earth prime resurrected Manchester Black. And Clark obviously have Captain Luthor.
I think I’m on board with powerless Jon, might end up being a good twist. Plus 3 kryptonians on one show might be pushing it. Though it’ll probably end up being Black Lightning thing where he gets powers later.
I am cautiously optimistic about this show. Though I don’t love farmer Clark.

[superduperman]

I'm hoping this isn't just "It's Smallville only he's Superman now". Which is kind of what it's shaping up to look like. They've set up all kinds of future plots here. Maybe too many? And they clearly plan to keep milking the Crisis for all it's worth. I wonder if Jon will even develop powers at all. Which would be an interesting twist if he doesn't.

[Superlad93]

As I understand it, each page of a script is supposed to equal out roughly a minute of screen time, and there are 60 pages here, so that checks out for this being an hour long show.

I'm guessing it's legit.

[Yoda]

As I understand it, each page of a script is supposed to equal out roughly a minute of screen time, and there are 60 pages here, so that checks out for this being an hour long show.

I'm guessing it's legit.

It might be two hours or hour and a half then. An hour long show usually only has about 40-45 minutes of actual content when you factor in commercials. Unless they are going to cut out commercials for the pilot.

[Superlad93]

It might be two hours or hour and a half then. An hour long show usually only has about 40-45 minutes of actual content when you factor in commercials. Unless they are going to cut out commercials for the pilot.

That's exactly right. The pilot for The Flash was longer than normal if I remember correctly, right?

Also do you or anyone else happen to have the doc for the pilot still? It's no longer there, and never downloaded it.

[Superlad93]

I'm more curious how they are going to handle the Daily Planet. It looks like they are going to treat it like the later half of Rebirth, with Lois commuting back and forth or something.

I found myself not too worried about Lois' treatment going forward. It's not early Rebirth where she basically has nothing of import lined up. She's kind of the only official reporter in the family now, and she's taken a very vocal and personal stance against Edge, and that plot line seems like it's going to spill directly out into what's going on in town.

If I had to give ranking for how much focus was given to the family I'd say Clark's on top, followed very closely by Jordan, then Lois with the great promise of the Edge stuff, and Jon brings up the back with us only hinting at ideas regarding him.

But I pretty much forgive the pilot for its lopsided focus because there seems to be something to built towards here. Though, if it's a continuing trend, then I'll worried that it should just be called "Superman and the CW's OC".

[phantom1592]

I mean, the leaked script is like a handful of posts back. It's already obvious that that isn't the direction that the script or the show seems to be going. If anything, for a show called Superman and Lois it's Lois who gets shorted. At least in this episode.

Don't judge it by the pilot. The fact that Lois is in the title at all says a lot. I mean, we have Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, Black Lightning.... and 'Superman and Lois'? Superman will totally get overshadowed by his non-powered love interest. It may take a couple of episodes to build up his 'supporting cast'... but by season 3 he'll be a sidekick in his own show. CW is all about the 'ensemble'. Everybody gets a team. Everybody gets equal say despite how little you bring to the team... I just hope we get a few great episodes and awesome Superman moments out of it. he had some awesome moments that I loved in Supergirl… hopefully they can give us some in his own show.

[Yoda]

That's exactly right. The pilot for The Flash was longer than normal if I remember correctly, right?

Also do you or anyone else happen to have the doc for the pilot still? It's no longer there, and never downloaded it.

I think a few of the premieres have all been longer than average episodes. I want say Black Lightening was as well, but I could be wrong.

And, no I didn't download it either. Maybe they were actually legit and someone got hit with a cease and desist or got cold feet. Although the lack of any kind of water mark made me question it's legitimacy a little bit.

I found myself not too worried about Lois' treatment going forward. It's not early Rebirth where she basically has nothing of import lined up. She's kind of the only official reporter in the family now, and she's taken a very vocal and personal stance against Edge, and that plot line seems like it's going to spill directly out into what's going on in town.

If I had to give ranking for how much focus was given to the family I'd say Clark's on top, followed very closely by Jordan, then Lois with the great promise of the Edge stuff, and Jon brings up the back with us only hinting at ideas regarding him.

But I pretty much forgive the pilot for its lopsided focus because there seems to be something to built towards here.

Yeah, it does seem to set her up with quite a bit to go forward with. Hopefully it does even out. Like I said, I think they may be deliberately trying to flesh out Hoechlin's Clark a little bit initially to build him up a bit from Supergirl. I think they kind of had a decent handle on Lois' voice with a kinda glaring exceptions. Like I kinda don't really buy Lois agreeing to move back to the farm that quickly, but they at least hinted at there having been some discussion and it being a mutual decision. They have been together here for probably in the area of 15 years.

I will still be a little disappointed if her and Clark don't work together in that capacity, but as long as they do have a more balanced focus on her.

Though, if it's a continuing trend, then I'll worried that it should just be called "Superman and the CW's OC".

Heh. "Welcome to Smallville!" Jordan seems to be the Ryan here to Jon's Seth.

[Frontier]

spoilers:

If they make the alt-Luthor's suit look like Rogal Zaar, that'll be pretty funny. If they have someone other than Cryer play Luthor here that'd be a shame. I'm also curious if they'll use the old Smallville farm as the farm here. Given they seem to have ready access to it.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

Just the fact that the main villain is an AU Luthor makes me wonder if they're going in that direction because they can't, for some reason, use Cryer so they need a new Luthor on-the-spot. I mean, they might be trying to play more with Crisis but I don't really see the sense in Superman fighting a Luthor he has no history or relationship against. Especially when Hoechlin has yet to really play off Cryer at all.

end of spoilers

I think it's been set up that Oliver was the one driving the merger of the universes, along with the Paragon's, which explains why Lex got his "wish." So I don't necessarily think that you can place the split of the kids completely at Clark's feet. Supergirl has dealt with the cosmic leftovers and Batwoman just addressed duplicates having trouble co-existing. I'm still not putting a Reborn type issue where we find out that the two kids are really supposed to be one and how that plays out.

A part of me wondered whether the Earths merging did some wish granting for the Paragons...Lex got to restore his reputation and standing, Kara had Lena forget she hated her (briefly), and Kate got her sister back...but none of the other Paragons seemed to get anything, so that was probably not the case.