Spoiler warning.
I watched the pilot episode of Superman & Lois and, well, I didn’t find it particularly good. It certainly wasn’t wretchedly bad or anything, either. I suppose I might as well keep watching the show out of curiosity, but I won’t be surprised if I end up dropping it soon.
I can’t really say I found these versions of Superman/Clark or Lois to be interesting. Superman just seems kind of passive and there doesn’t seem to be much elaboration on his character other than the basics that are true of every version of Superman. Lois didn’t really have any great character moments or get much to do, so I struggle with what to even say about her.
Thankfully, their sons, Jordan and Jon, are somewhat more interesting. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make either of them great characters. Jon is mean to his brother and I don’t find that very appealing. I liked Jordan a bit better, and certainly more relatable, but at the end of the day he seems like a fairly stereotypical angsty teen.
I could end the review right there. To me, it’s the characters that make the show (or whatever media), so if they’re not great, I’m unlikely to be happy. But I suppose I’ll try to go on a little longer.
First of all, before even watching the show, I was very annoyed that it was being set on the Smallville farm. And I’m still annoyed. I don’t see the point. I don’t see what’s the point of pushing Superman into his past instead of his future. Clark is a reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper. That’s who he is. Leave the farm stuff in the backstory.
Having watched the episode, I don’t even really understand what the in-universe point is. I guess it’s a combination of some financial contrivances and wanting a simpler life. Those seem like weak reasons, especially considering the reason Superman is so busy is because he’s Superman, and I don’t see why moving back to Smallville would change much for him considering he can (and should) still fly around at super speeds protecting the whole world.
But anyway, onto something actually a bit positive. I do think Jon and Jordan trying to investigate the truth of who they are was compelling. And I could feel Jordan’s pain and hurt when the truth was revealed. On the not-so-bright side, I confess that as Clark was actually revealing the truth, I was laughing. It just seemed too ridiculous to imagine a seemingly normal man just calmly telling his kids this information about being an alien from outer space. I think it was especially goofy when Jordan said it couldn’t be, he’s seen Superman, and then Clark took his glasses off. Are they seriously implying his sons have never seen him without his glasses before? Comedy gold.
All in all, I think the concept of balancing family life with superhero responsibilities has potential, but the execution was just so-so. I don’t think there was enough acknowledgement of how crucial his responsibilities as Superman are. The thing is, there’s only one Superman. Other people literally physically can’t do the things he does. There are times that he has to prioritize that. In particular, I thought it was painful that Clark promised Jordan he’d always be there for him in the future. Like, dude…you can’t promise that.
Overall, it wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great. It was OK. Would I recommend it? Not really, no. But if you’re a Superman fan, or bored, you could give it a try.