TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Superman & Lois Season 3 Finale

If you recall, one of the biggest fears I had about the Bruno Manheim storyline is that it was a simple setup for Lex Luthor’s arrival. Sure enough, Bruno was “put aside,” and then Lex arrived last episode in grand fashion. The question was, what would be done in the season finale to make his arrival worth it? And as “What Kills You Makes You Stronger” showed me…it wasn’t anything good.

I know some of you might be shocked to hear me say that, but being blunt, I really didn’t enjoy this season finale on multiple levels. Not just because of that cliffhanger which was…yeah. But also because…it didn’t feel like a season finale. It honestly felt like this was the SETUP for the season finale, and then the final episode got cut, like with Titans Season 1. And that sucks because there were moments of this episode that was good, and then when that “twist” happened, I was totally out of it on many levels.

I’ll start with the good, which, not-so-ironically, was about the “family” element of the show. Easily the best part of the episode was Lois telling Clark she was “ready” for an intimate moment post-surgery and how they handled it. Now, typically, I would blast the CW for moments like this because they make them raunchy or rather unrealistic. But because of the care they put into this scene, you could feel the vulnerability of Lois as she disrobed and had Clark touch wasn’t there before, and the emotion that they felt when it was clear that nothing had changed and they were just happy to be “together” again. Most people wouldn’t put such care into a single moment, but I’m so glad they did.

Another moment that I was happy about was the sternness that Clark and Lois had with Jordan and his power usage. It didn’t make up for what happened last episode, but I’m glad they stuck to their guns and tried to instill in Jordan what it means to be a true hero. Plus, how Clark handled him regarding Sara was also well-handled, as was the apology scene. Again, it doesn’t make up for what scenes we had before, but at least the resolution was worth it.

While not good or bad per se, I do wonder if this episode was made with the knowledge that Season 4, if renewed, wouldn’t be the same as Season 3. I note this because in the course of one episode, Sam Lane was abducted, and possibly will be killed, and then John Henry was offered a job in Metropolis. Which obviously means he and Natalie would be “too far away” to help Superman & Co. if asked. If you didn’t hear, Season 4 will only be ten episodes, and the cast as a whole is being seriously downsized. So “writing off” these three characters would help with that immensely, even though I don’t approve. However, a nice shoutout by Natalie about “Steelworks,” their real company in the comics.

Another divisive element for me was the reveal that Chrissy…was pregnant. I groaned the moment this happened, and the only thing that came from it that was good was the way that Lana and others handled the news. Lana admitting that her and Kyle were never a great match was nice and very self-aware, and it led her to be with John Henry…even if only for an episode. Kyle asking her to marry him at the end of the episode was a nice gesture…but the whole relationship still felt hollow and this was kind of a rushed way to “make it feel normal” when it was anything but.

Alright…I’ve delayed long enough…let’s talk about Bizarro…becoming Doomsday. I recently wrote a piece about the Arrowverse and how they changed the lore to fit their narratives for better and for worse…and this is definitely in the worse column.

It was one thing when Bizarro came to the world in the Doomsday-style suit. But then, for Lex to SOMEHOW transform Bizarro into Doomsday simply through torture? Really? That makes no sense at all. And yes, I know that in the comics, Doomsday was literally born through numerous cycles of death…and yet most people agree that origin is stupid. That’s why when Krypton (the show) did their take on Doomsday, the writers did everything they could to make it feel more realistic and emotional…and it worked.

There’s no explanation given for WHY Bizarro can suddenly “resurrect infinitely,” or why he “gets stronger through each death,” or what happened to the…wait for it…intelligence of Bizarro! Remember, he was a full-on talking being before he died…and now that’s just gone after resurrecting? That makes no sense given that the other resurrection victims of Bruno Manheim not only talked, but had their memories intact.

The “final battle” of the season wasn’t much to watch either, and not to mention that cliffhanger was anything but tantalizing. “The battle will continue…next season!” Well, duh! But we’re lucky we got that next season! And due to the budget cuts, I’d be shocked if that battle lasted more than a few extra minutes before they have to write Doomsday off. Furthermore, adding to my “this doesn’t feel like a season finale” thing, all of this was done so that Lex could kill Lois, and yet…we don’t see him make an attempt. Is that supposed to happen next episode? It would’ve been a better cliffhanger if Lex took his shot, and it seemed like she was going to die, and then the boys had to go and save her somehow, like by taking her to the Fortress of Solitude.

In conclusion, this was easily the worst season finale for Superman & Lois. Over half the episode just felt like “another episode,” and when they did ramp things up…it was nonsensical, mind-numbing, and ended on a note that I honestly don’t care to see fulfilled next time. Yes, I will watch Season 4, but it’s not because of this finale. It’s because I know that when this show goes the extra mile, it can deliver beautiful things.

…it’s just they didn’t do that here.

2.5/5