TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 4: Too Close To Home

It’s not a lie in my opinion that if the quality of this season holds, Superman & Lois Season 3 could be one of the best seasons that the CW has ever made in the Arrowverse, which is very high praise. Tonight’s episode of “Too Close To Home” already stands out as the best of the season for the quality of storytelling it did and the refining of elements that happened last week.

First off, Lois’ cancer. While she is getting chemotherapy, which is great, we’re still seeing the nervousness that Clark has around her. Clark being super overprotective is not only realistic, but it’s something that speaks to the Superman character. He’s an all-powerful being…yet he can’t save his wife in this case. His trying to compensate does make things worse at points, and he had to own up to that, which I’m glad they touched on in numerous ways. Again, the team took many steps to ensure that they gave a worthy and accurate (enough) cancer storyline, and it showed here. Including Lois going after Candice’s dad after he decked Jonathan and then Clark putting him in his place after he threatened all of them with a gun. That scene in the diner was great and it shows why you don’t mess with the Kents.

Another great storyline here was how John Henry Irons got more involved in the Bruno Manheim hunt and felt the consequences of the actions of his doppelganger. The scene with the sister was great because he didn’t hide how he was from another Earth, and thanks to the last season, she knew that other words did exist, so they were able to cut through serious red tape right off the bat. The back and forth between them was heartbreaking at points because you could tell Darlene wanted nothing more than to have her brother back, and yet she couldn’t stand the sight of John because he “wasn’t really him,” which was a good thing to touch on.

Moving to Lana and co., you might remember that I was very worried about how that storyline went near the end with how Sarah came off and the storylines that were likely going to happen. To my relief, only one of them came to pass, and I’ll get to that later. But they avoided MANY pitfalls by actually having Kyle have depth and not only hearing half the story most of the time. Kyle actually wanting to hear the truth and then reacting as he did was arguably one of the best things the character has done. He realized the hard way he was duped by his daughter to get sympathy, and that was wrong. And again, Lana did all she could to apologize to Sarah for what happened.

Once again, the diner scene was well-handled with them. That includes how Sarah didn’t want Lana to touch her quite yet, which in this case, was an understandable reaction.

One thing I didn’t mention in my review last week was how Bruno Manheim somehow got Superman’s blood. Not surprisingly, it was from the DOD, who stocked up on it after Superman got wrecked last year. I was RELIEVED that it wasn’t Sam’s fault, and they even noted that they didn’t know how he got it exactly or how he was able to replicate it so completely. So hopefully, we’ll get more on that later. Lois going “undercover” at his hospital is bold, but I’ll let it play out before giving judgment.

So, where did this episode stumble? A few points. First, with Sarah. While her “playing the parents against each other” was a typical teen move, how she’s acting right now really feels like a betrayal of the character from the last two seasons. After her father cheated on Lana, she grew even closer to her, and yet that was apparently all washed away because of a grounding that she totally deserved. And her statement about how “everything’s changed” felt like a terrible excuse for everything because Kyle had been gone for a while at that point, and Lana had done nothing to Sarah during that time. Her not even wanting to admit at first that what she said crossed the line made her seem foolish, and she’s not that at all. Hopefully, she “recovers” so that Sarah isn’t the weak link in this season.

Second, the hair storyline felt not only tacked on but unnecessary. Especially since it was resolved WITHOUT a haircut and Jordan getting his first super suit. Plus, the idea that the haircut would “help him blend in” is stupid because what would happen if he got caught without his hood again and it revealed that haircut? Would he have to go bald? This was another example of Sam jumping the gun “in the name of safety,” and it’s getting really old.

Finally, while the Bruno Manheim/Irons storyline was compelling, it felt like the character was trying to wear multiple hats at times. He starts talking to John Henry as though he is a “noble soul” and then drops the act to showcase that Darlene is in danger…even though she was fine right before Irons got into the car with them. Did he have another team pick her up and drive her away right after they split up? That seemed a bit overelaborate and contradictory to what he was trying to convey originally. After all, now he has another enemy to worry about that has an axe to grind…and a hammer to smash with.

Despite those flaws, “Too Close To Home” hit pretty much every note perfectly and delivered a fun episode. Things are starting to really cook here, and I really look forward to what happens next.

4.5/5