Superman & Lois S1: Spoilers, Discussion, & Speculation

[Bored at 3:00AM]

If Steel isn't a major player by a prospective third season, that's a shame. I understand he and Natasha would eat up a lot of budget, so I'm okay with John only suiting up sometimes and being a mentor to his niece. A big part of the show is about the next generation so they'd play into the show nicely.

I know there were some within the black community who had issues with the whole "John Henry" aspect of Steel, but I think the character has more than enough potential that we'll get to see him on this show.

[Alpha]

I get why you want them to move back to Metropolis, but I'm not sure about it. They sold this as Friday Night Lights, which I believe is set in a small town. And while I sort of doubt Martha Kent was trying to tell her son where to live, and it could be part of his storyarc this season, there is far too much for them to deal with in Smallville right now. Maybe by season 3 they move back to the city. Not right now though.

[Alpha]

John Henry abd Iron could be a great addition if they move back to Metropolis. I hope he isn't just Clark's support staff, or even partner. I hope he has his own goals and way of dealing with things, that is parallel to Clark.

[Robanker]

I get why you want them to move back to Metropolis, but I'm not sure about it. They sold this as Friday Night Lights, which I believe is set in a small town. And while I sort of doubt Martha Kent was trying to tell her son where to live, and it could be part of his storyarc this season, there is far too much for them to deal with in Smallville right now. Maybe by season 3 they move back to the city. Not right now though.

I don't know how they're going to serve Lois well in Smallville for multiple seasons. Guess we'll see.

[Alpha]

You might be right. But again, it seems like she is the one trying to do something in the town based on the solicits tor episode 4.

Also, am I the only one that felt like the villain had a south asian accent? Everyone is saying he's black, but I don't think so

[Vakanai]

You might be right. But again, it seems like she is the one trying to do something in the town based on the solicits tor episode 4.

Also, am I the only one that felt like the villain had a southeastern accent? Everyone is saying he's black, but I don't think so

As someone from the southeastern part of the country I can say we do have black people here.

[Alpha]

As someone from the southeastern part of the country I can say we do have black people here.

Ah crap, I messed up. Meant to write south asian. Fixed it now.

[JAK]

Oh, and I should mention this: I could easily see Kyle as a new Conduit. Especially if he ends up being manipulated by Morgan Edge.

As for Lois at the farm, I see it a few different ways: 1, she's a top-tier reporter, so she could very well work from anywhere; 2, they could do something like the comics where she has a quick way to get back and forth from Metropolis or; 3, she could write much as she did at the start of Rebirth. Any of those would be solid and wouldn't reduce her agency or options.

And if the show ever needs a shake-up, she can be given a huge opportunity in Metropolis that she doesn't want to pass up, and so they all move back to Metropolis.

[Frontier]

Here's where I want to scream. Lois Lane. Tulloch is great with what she's given and, frankly, that's not much. She's got the setup for a good arc and we can see her marriage to Clark has made her a bit more idealistic than a traditional Lois (she doesn't cringe at the concept of human interest puff pieces, which I'd argue a younger, hungrier Lois Lane would see as wasting her time or trying to silence her acerbic wit) and she clashes with her husband in all the right ways. She and Tyler have a good relationship especially, often butting heads and never once coming across as dysfunctional; this is a Lois and Clark who are strong together and unafraid to speak their mind without worry it'd damage their marriage. They're a team, which is highlighted well when Sam Lane comes to recruit Clark for a mission.

I think human interest is very much Lois Lane's beat, although not necessarily as a puff piece but in terms of going after a corrupt businessman or like Edge or Luthor.

They're going through a very rough patch and need to pull together. If they remain in Smallville past this season, I'm honestly not happy. They need to get back to Metropolis with the farm either being sold, given to Lana who leaves her awful husband, or simply given to the farmer who had to sell because times are tough. Lois is handicapped being so far away from the city beat where she thrives, and Superman doesn't feel right when he's too far from the City of Tomorrow.

I'd like to see them balancing Smallville and Metropolis. Even Superman's fight with Captain Luthor ended up in Metropolis (unless that was supposed to be National City?).

The special effects are great. A cut above what I expect from television, and most the Superman feats were fun to watch. I shouted "he's going to Superman III the reactor" eliciting a groan from my partner, but it was fun to see and Tyler sells it. The sole exception, sadly, is the Doom Slayer fight. The fight pulls in too close and just feels a bit too much like a video game cutscene, lacking weight. The voice over from our antagonist was dispassionate and dull given he's actually fighting Superman, and Clark taking green K to the chest should be more impactful even if I'm glad he was able to dig it out. That whole sequence didn't match the quality of the show before or after, so it just felt like the Supergirl team took over for a minute.

Captain Luthor talked like a Luthor in my opinion. Just not as hammy as Cryer.

Heroic Willpower man, Heroic Willpower .

(Supergirl has had good fight scenes).

Lana and her family are another point of concern. The way they shot her arrival is very much "guy sees the girl of his dreams" even though she's Clark's ex and it got me to say "aww #$&@ ass no" when it happened, compounded by her daughter confirming she's still got a bit of a thing for Clark, but thankfully it appeared to be a bait and switch and is never really touched on again. I'm done to death with Lana pining for Clark as an adult, though if she's in a failing marriage I can see her longing for the one who got away, or really anything/one else. Kyle sucks, but he's supposed to. The one humanizing moment we get of him is more about Clark being a genuinely good person to people he probably doesn't like and says more about our protagonist than anything else. It works, but as of now Kyle is just a one-dimensional foil for Clark and seemingly there to potentially add some tension to the marriage if ratings dip and the showrunners think it'll spice the show up. That will be the episode I drop the show. Lana herself was likable and shared that small-town charm Clark's generation seems to have. She feels like she comes from the idyllic world he was raised in and one of the last vestiges of Smallville as we remember it. This works for the show. Contrasting Clark, who is always idyllic Smallville, Lana who is its last gasp struggling for air, and the kids which are dealing with the death of small town America (complete with meth lab fires, Jesus) works on a lot of levels (like contrasting Lois, Clark and Lana with respect to city, adaptable and small-town life).

Then there's her daughter. Like Jordan, she's complicated. That's good. I like her fine, but overall she seems to mostly be used to either define Jordan or provide precious teenage drama plots. I'm a bit worried that she has little else going on. Like her mother and Lois, so far each of the women in the show satellite around a male character. It makes sense for Lois and Clark to be in each other's orbit, but I'm concerned about Lana and her daughter.

Lana's family seems to be there as the main contrast with the Kents as far as family life/perspective on Smallville is concerned.

I think Kyle's less one-dimensional and more just stuck in his ways and beaten down by his job and how Smallville's fallen from it's heyday, and he takes that out on others. He could very easily be turned into a stereotype, but I guess we'll have to see.

Sam Lane is probably the place I want to wrap. He's fine, and not a complete dick (yet?) but I really cannot stand how Clark seems buddy-buddy with a military official. This really feels awful. My headcanon until otherwise is it's more because that's his father-in-law than because he's some patriot following the government's direction. I really don't like Clark working that closely with a government. It just doesn't sit well with him being the people's champion. Sam is probably going to be a seasonal antagonist for the couple whereas Captain Luthor/Edge are Clark/Lois's foes respectively.

I mean, if Sam isn't a raging hardcase over aliens and seems relatively benign and willing to help, I don't see why Superman wouldn't want to work with him. It's not making Superman a government agent just to have a source in the government in my opinion and he doesn't seem to be a government lapdog.

I think Sam's going to be more of an emotional conflict than an antagonist because he believes Clark should focus more on being Superman than having a life as Clark. That was even apparently the reason he didn't want Lois to marry him, because Sasm believed Clark could never commit to her like he has to commit to Superman.

I forgot I was supposed to write up my thoughts in a longer post so I’ll just appropriate Robanker’s and say he basically nails how I felt watching this. Solid write up.

You guys think there’s any chance John Henry Irons could show up in this? I was reminded in another thread that he hasn’t shown up in live action since the Shaq film and I kinda hope they rectify that. He’s the one character who would actually work as tech support/backup for Clark, and given the nature of his tech, you wouldn’t need much to justify him showing up. I wish they were using him instead of Sam Lane here.

I think with any new hero they're going to add, the main thing will be figuring out how they work within the Kent family dynamic.

[Vordan]

I get why you want them to move back to Metropolis, but I'm not sure about it. They sold this as Friday Night Lights, which I believe is set in a small town. And while I sort of doubt Martha Kent was trying to tell her son where to live, and it could be part of his storyarc this season, there is far too much for them to deal with in Smallville right now. Maybe by season 3 they move back to the city. Not right now though.

They also had to make a deal with the town they’re using for Smallville where they paid to use it for three years I believe. So for three seasons (if it gets renewed) they’ll be keeping things in Smallville. I can roll with it as long as they keep finding things for the core four (Clark, Lois, Jon, and Jordan) to all do.

[Prime]

This should be move to HBO Max. Make it 12 or 10 episodes and increase the budget.

[Robanker]

I think human interest is very much Lois Lane's beat, although not necessarily as a puff piece but in terms of going after a corrupt businessman or like Edge or Luthor.

I'd like to see them balancing Smallville and Metropolis. Even Superman's fight with Captain Luthor ended up in Metropolis (unless that was supposed to be National City?).

Captain Luthor talked like a Luthor in my opinion. Just not as hammy as Cryer.

Heroic Willpower man, Heroic Willpower .

(Supergirl has had good fight scenes).

Lana's family seems to be there as the main contrast with the Kents as far as family life/perspective on Smallville is concerned.

I think Kyle's less one-dimensional and more just stuck in his ways and beaten down by his job and how Smallville's fallen from it's heyday, and he takes that out on others. He could very easily be turned into a stereotype, but I guess we'll have to see.

I mean, if Sam isn't a raging hardcase over aliens and seems relatively benign and willing to help, I don't see why Superman wouldn't want to work with him. It's not making Superman a government agent just to have a source in the government in my opinion and he doesn't seem to be a government lapdog.

I think Sam's going to be more of an emotional conflict than an antagonist because he believes Clark should focus more on being Superman than having a life as Clark. That was even apparently the reason he didn't want Lois to marry him, because Sasm believed Clark could never commit to her like he has to commit to Superman.

I think with any new hero they're going to add, the main thing will be figuring out how they work within the Kent family dynamic.

I think a young Lois would be out to make her name and prove to everyone she cannot be overlooked. She'd treat every article like a high caliber round, so puff pieces or human interest stories would be a waste of her time. It's not that they're without merit, but that she just thinks she's better suited to tearing down people like Luthor or Edge. I think that Clark's idealism would help balance that drive and round her a bit much like she gets him to see things a little less idyllic. Let me put it this way. Daniel Day Lewis doesn't take a check and phone it in for a Netflix movie. She's the best. Leave the softer-hitting stuff to Kent, Troupe, etc.

My problem with Luthor was he was speaking but not exerting. There was no passion in his voice. He fought Superman and it seemed effortless. He impaled Superman and felt nothing. He was so dispassionate I thought he may be a Brainiac drone or a Metallo who has lost his humanity. It was so dry, I had to put moisturizing lotion on my speakers to get them to stop crackling.

Kyle absolutely got wrecked by life, but he's still the kind of ******* who goes to a funeral chewing tobacco or gum and being rude to Lois, Clark's (sole surviving family of the recently deceased) wife. He's a pretty shallow stand-in for bullish, selfish small-town conservatives and there to provide a contrast to how far Smallville has fallen. Even if you agree with his politics (which I firmly do not), his behavior at the funeral was inexcusable. He was an ******* from his first scene.

The thing with Sam is that a lot of people view Superman as Mr. Status Quo and a tool of the US Government at times. Having him work so closely with a general without establishing he is firmly not their tool kind of feeds into that in the worst way.

[Frontier]

I think a young Lois would be out to make her name and prove to everyone she cannot be overlooked. She'd treat every article like a high caliber round, so puff pieces or human interest stories would be a waste of her time. It's not that they're without merit, but that she just thinks she's better suited to tearing down people like Luthor or Edge. I think that Clark's idealism would help balance that drive and round her a bit much like she gets him to see things a little less idyllic. Let me put it this way. Daniel Day Lewis doesn't take a check and phone it in for a Netflix movie. She's the best. Leave the softer-hitting stuff to Kent, Troupe, etc.

Wouldn't that also mean she would see puff pieces and human interest stories as bullets in her reporter revolver ?

She entirely goes after people like Luthor and Edge because of human interest.

My problem with Luthor was he was speaking but not exerting. There was no passion in his voice. He fought Superman and it seemed effortless. He impaled Superman and felt nothing. He was so dispassionate I thought he may be a Brainiac drone or a Metallo who has lost his humanity. It was so dry, I had to put moisturizing lotion on my speakers to get them to stop crackling.

I guess it depends on ones train of thought when it comes to Luthor, although I feel like we have a very weary, experienced, and clinical Luthor here who has been through this song and dance before and just wants to finish the one thing he sets out to do (which is killing Superman).

Now, granted, if Cryer was doing it he would probably sit around and gloat long enough for Supreman to actually defeat him.

Kyle absolutely got wrecked by life, but he's still the kind of ******* who goes to a funeral chewing tobacco or gum and being rude to Lois, Clark's (sole surviving family of the recently deceased) wife. He's a pretty shallow stand-in for bullish, selfish small-town conservatives and there to provide a contrast to how far Smallville has fallen. Even if you agree with his politics (which I firmly do not), his behavior at the funeral was inexcusable. He was an ******* from his first scene.

I think he's a wearied and beaten down man just scraping by and leaving his family to pick up the pieces, but he still does his job as a firefighter (which is all about saving lives).

His behavior is inexcusable, but I feel like there's more to him than that.

The thing with Sam is that a lot of people view Superman as Mr. Status Quo and a tool of the US Government at times. Having him work so closely with a general without establishing he is firmly not their tool kind of feeds into that in the worst way.

But we don't really see any indication of that in their relationship here. Superman's just averting disasters, not protecting government policy. Sam's not ordering him to go places because the government needs him to do it, he's coming off more like a Commissioner Gordon type.

[Mia]

Just finished watching this, and suffice it to say I loved it. I always a Batman fan. But since MOS have slowly been warming to Superman (or at least a SM who isn’t written like Mr. Rogers).
But I guess as I have gotten older, I have more respect for a guy who knows how powerful he is without having to get into the big man/chest thumping antics. Superman/Clark was much like Henry in MOS. He can beat the hell out of someone, but he knows that he can’t because he’s been brought up to be the bigger person and understands that would lower him. It takes much more strength to control ones
Also loved Lois, her quiet strength and dignity. She was straight forward without turning into some pushy ‘Karen’ like career woman.
The only CW SH show I stuck with was Arrow, so I don’t how if this is a normal thing. But I can’t tell you how impressed I have been with the fact that they are couching this in reality. There’s hints of the devastation wrought by the 2008 financial meltdown and the whole subprime mortgage debacle and the effects that it has had on families. The job loss, the financial struggles as well as the opioid epidemic. And now with the COVID epidemic, the show has really has spoken to our time. And a yet to be corporate billionaire who doesn’t care whose lives he destroys just so long as he makes money. It all looks very interesting and I think I’ll catch more episodes.

Which one's Kylo Ren? You know that's happening. Without all the mass murder but one's going dark and have to be brought back.

LOL! Glad to see that I’m not that he only person who got this vibe from the get go.

[Robanker]

Wouldn't that also mean she would see puff pieces and human interest stories as bullets in her reporter revolver ?

She entirely goes after people like Luthor and Edge because of human interest.

I guess it depends on ones train of thought when it comes to Luthor, although I feel like we have a very weary, experienced, and clinical Luthor here who has been through this song and dance before and just wants to finish the one thing he sets out to do (which is killing Superman).

Now, granted, if Cryer was doing it he would probably sit around and gloat long enough for Supreman to actually defeat him.

I think he's a wearied and beaten down man just scraping by and leaving his family to pick up the pieces, but he still does his job as a firefighter (which is all about saving lives).

His behavior is inexcusable, but I feel like there's more to him than that.

But we don't really see any indication of that in their relationship here. Superman's just averting disasters, not protecting government policy. Sam's not ordering him to go places because the government needs him to do it, he's coming off more like a Commissioner Gordon type.

Sure, but I think she trusts her colleagues to tell those stories.

That's fair, but it's not particularly engaging.

There were people like Kyle at my mother's funeral. There's no excuse. You don't have to pop some gum or chewing tobacco when you're paying your respects. He's a selfish ass. It's not like he stepped out for a smoke and Clark went to talk to him. He came to their table and acted like an *******. **** Kyle.