Superman & Lois S1: Spoilers, Discussion, & Speculation

[Frontier]

There will be more “Killgraves” at the very least, so I’m assuming more one and done “villain of the week”. But that poses a risk that without an overarching season storyline, the stakes may not feel very severe.

Maybe it'll be Superman vs Intergang.

[JAK]

There will be more “Killgraves” at the very least, so I’m assuming more one and done “villain of the week”. But that poses a risk that without an overarching season storyline, the stakes may not feel very severe.

Maybe - but if enough smaller villains complicate things, there could be tension about the family's secrets getting out, all kinds of things. There are ways to do it, at least, that don't lessen the tension (just makes it more "our world ending" as opposed to "the entire world ending").

Maybe it'll be Superman vs Intergang.

That's actually a great idea, too! Make it all seem like smaller villains, but Intergang is coordinating them to try to find out where Superman's "new base of operations" is or something like that (since they said people can tell he's not there as much).

[RobinGA]

The writing was all over the place, but for a CW show not bad. It was also a first
season, with Covid, so you have to make allowances. But I would like more
time spent on character development, but that is just me.

On the Jon power issue. One way that they could address it, is to give him
powers in bits and starts, where he slowly starts to be just a tad better than
a typical 15 year-old boy. Stay away from flying, heat vision, x-ray vision, anything like
that. But maybe he could have some Iron Munro type of power. Jon begins
to run faster than anyone on the team, not like the Flash, but olympic world record time
or close to it. Increased strength, not like Superman, but very strong. Increased
vulnerability, with a tougher skin. That would avoid the Jordan copy question.

Jon could thus gradually be developing powers. So slowly that Clark barely even notices.
Of course, there would have to be a moment where you cross the threshold where Jon
actually is super-powered. Teenage brothers are highly competitive, there is no way to
avoid a competition between the two. Hopefully, it won't be written in a lame way if it
happens to both of them.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Frontier's suggestion of splitting the powers between the twins is the best way to handle it. It's also easy to handwave away. The boys are hybrids so Clark and Lois are figuring out the rules as they come up.

It's easier on the budget and easier to come up with scenarios etc. They could still do it in season 2 and by the shows end you could give them the full set. But for the bulk of the show they should have some of them but not all.

They could course correct Clark's neglect of Jon by having it backfire on him. The show is built on Clark's struggles as a parent and balancing his dual responsibilities. So having the shoe drop on him is fair play.

[Vordan]

I saw someone suggest Glorious Godfrey on Reddit as the Lois villain and that would be perfect.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I saw someone suggest Glorious Godfrey on Reddit as the Lois villain and that would be perfect.

&%$# yeah, that'd be a great idea. Despite their clear budgetary issues in the final seasons, I think Smallville did a decent job of repurposing the Fourth World characters for the demands of CW superhero soap opera baddies.

[Frontier]

I saw someone suggest Glorious Godfrey on Reddit as the Lois villain and that would be perfect.

I mentioned Intergang but you mentioning Godfrey makes me wonder if they might tackle Apokolips at all.

I mean, thinking on it, Darkseid and his family would make an interesting contrast with the Kents. Like is Scott Free the Jon in the family who the best thing that happens to him is meeting a girl ?

[Vordan]

I just can’t see them pulling off Darkseid or Mongul, the big brute villains who are going to need a lot of CGI, satisfactorily. How the hell could you have Hoechlin fight those guys without it coming off as weak? But I’m perfectly fine with using Godfrey as a sort of herald of Darkseid who may or may not ever show up down the line, or keeping the basics but revamping him otherwise as they did Edge/Eradicator.

[Yoda]

They could probably do a decent Darkseid or Mongal if they based it in practical effects first like they did on Krypton. They had Lobo and Doomsday. Full CGI could look awful though. Titans with its full HBOMax/DC Universe budget had Trigun for one scene and he looked like he stepped out of a PS3 cutscene. It was awful. But Flash and Legends have managed to make some CGI characters look ok, their King Shark was passable, and with the time and the better effects company behind S&L it may be something they can pull off.

Godfrey would work also with how they described wanting a villain for Lois too, with Darkseid being the threat Clark deals with.

It’d probably be worth some sketchy CGI if for nothing else to see the Snyder people lose their minds over the show using Darkseid.

[Frontier]

I think you could pull off Darkseid with practical effects. Like especially classic Darkseid.

[Stanlos]

Wow! So far I am LOVING this show! As with Supergirl, CW is giving me everything that the DCEU and the comics are not. That high speed chase ending in the train rescue was DELICIOUS

[manwhohaseverything]

I would rather jon be competent and resourceful than a flying brick.Just use x-kryptonite if at all necessary.Even then i would appreciate the kid going through hell to get his abilities.Have jon be training under sam's military.Now,that his resourceful side with steel had been brought forward.

[Vordan]

I think you could pull off Darkseid with practical effects. Like especially classic Darkseid.

You couldn’t pull off a fight between the two though. Not without massively upping the budget even more. The fights so far have been solid, better than the rest of the Arrowverse, but still far below what the DCEU or animation offer. The TV shows just can’t compete with that kind of spectacle which is why I don’t think going with villains whose appeal is they can beat Supes via brute force is a good idea.

[JAK]

I just had a thought: have a season that's all going against smaller foes, or maybe something's happened to Clark's/Jordan's powers and they're trying to figure out why. Finally, it's solved two episodes from the end and the savings from the rest of the season lets them do a proper Darkseid fight. lol

[Frontier]

I wonder if we might see any of the other Kryptonite's show up.

Like what would Jordan be like thanks to Red Kryptonite?