TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 8: Into Oblivion

After a delay (due to March Madness), and on the day that Season 3 was confirmed (though all other Arrowverse shows save for Flash are up in the air), Superman & Lois are back! And while not flawless, “Into Oblivion” did do a lot right.

Not the least of which was furthering the “other side” storyline as Ally (through Anderson) got the pendants and was able to start the “transition to be gods”. Yeah, because that’ll never backfire! And seeing that portal and people going through it was admittedly really interesting, even if it went sideways as one might expect. But still, it’s progress, and we all know that Anderson and the others aren’t dead…maybe, hard to say. Maybe the X-Kryptonite was something that made sure Anderson survive, that’s my guess.

Another nice thing to see was the family moments that percolated throughout the episode. Including little things like the “roshambo content” with Lois & Clark, as well as the bigger ones like Lana and Kyle having that debate practice. I was honestly kind of worried about how things would progress with them, and having them alone in that setting. But, they kept it on track, made it personal, and yet real. That “emotional barf” for example was spot on and Lana’s actress did that spot perfectly. Even Kyle’s “will you forgive your husband” came off perfectly because of the previous scenes and the clear desperation he had when saying it. And Lana being “happy” he found a new place was also good as usually that kind of thing would lead to a “you’ll be home soon” kind of moment, but it didn’t happen here, and I’m glad.

And despite Lois’ misgivings at the end, I was happy to see “Stern Clark” going at it with Jonathan. Mainly because he really did screw up and while he may think he’s doing this scapegoating for altruistic reasons, that doesn’t hide what’s happening. Which was proven when Candice was nearly hurt by her supplier. Leading to both Jonathan and Jordan having to come save the day in their own ways. Jordan “hooding up” was definitely a fun spot, and one that we might see more of in the future.

That being said, there were some spots that did hold the episode back. Including the “friends date” with him, Sarah and Aubrey. I get why she wanted to do it, but it was a bit rushed, and then, of course, it as ruined at the last moment because of Jonathan getting attacked. So that’s going to put a strain on him and Sarah next episode no doubt.

Second, it was HEAVILY implied that Lucy was alive, and while I did like seeing the emotional toll it took on Sam and Lois, her popping up, and then her being evil…again…was just a bit too much. At least wait for one episode before doing that twist. Also, it made no sense why Anderson betrayed Allie, but then again, he’s a terrible person, so why not?

Finally, the way that Natalie was handled this episode was again too much. Between the dialogue and how it was acted, Natalie came off as a major brat instead of someone who was in emotional pain. And then all she needed was a “place of her own” to get better? Huh?

In the end, “Into Oblivion” handled many things well, and given the cliffhanger, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next.

4/5