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TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Superman & Lois Season 3 Premiere!

March 15th, 2023 by Todd Black Comments

Given all that’s going on in the Arrowverse, and lack thereof, recently, it’s both refreshing and odd to talk about the season premiere of Superman & Lois. Why? Because up until the finale of last season, we all assumed it was in the Arrowverse…and yet it wasn’t. It was a rug-jerking move that many didn’t like, and yet, the series as a whole is still one of the best representations of superhero television on the market. And tonight’s premiere of “Closer” showed that…despite some missteps.

Without a doubt, the best parts of the episode were the ones with the Kents and showing their family dynamic in all its many forms. I really enjoyed the article from Lois at the beginning and how she noted how long it’s been since the Bizarro World incident and how since everyone almost died…they’re looking at each other differently and wanting to be closer. That went especially for Lois and Clark as they decided to spend some…close personal time together…and they were NOT subtle about it at all! …which I didn’t mind this time. Granted, I usually HATE how they handle relationships on this network (and I’ll talk about one such relationship later…) but with these two it worked that they spent that “close time together” away from the kids.

That also led to another great beat of the episode, the question of Lois being pregnant. While it turned out to be a red herring (for now…), it did lead to really heartfelt moments between Lois, Clark, and their friends. Because while wondering “should we have another kid” is a VERY relatable circumstance that many couples deal with…it’s different when one of the parents’ is Superman. And seeing how the two went through the process of wondering whether they should have a kid was great. Lois started out nervous, but talking with Lana (which I’m SO GLAD they continued that friendship) helped her realize she really wanted one. And for Clark, he was a bit more hesitant, and it’s easy to see why given all he had been through with his boys in the last year or so alone.

I will say I do hope that they don’t go the “Lois might die from whatever she has” arc because we all know that won’t happen…her name is literally in the title of the show. Just saying.

Another hurdle that I’m glad they crossed was bringing in the new Jonathan. If you hadn’t heard by now, the former actor bowed out due to mental health reasons, and so it was on this Jonathan to make things work. While he had limited showings at times, he did feel good in the role, and he has chemistry with Jordan’s actor, which is crucial. I look forward to seeing what they do with him later on.

As for Jordan, him dealing with stuff via his superpowers, and his relationships were handled well enough. I’m not sure where this new thing with Sara will go, but hopefully they won’t drag that out either. It’s totally fine for her to want time to figure this out. But let’s hope we get an answer soon. And Jordan having to rein in his impulses to help people until he controls his powers is something they’ll also need to walk a tightrope on, but it was handled well here.

We also got some surprises in the episode via the arrival of Bruno Manheim and freaking Onomatopoeia! I mean, holy crap! That villain was rumored for the live-action DC Comics shows for YEARS, but mainly with Arrow. So bringing him into Superman & Lois? That was pretty cool, and he clearly got a power upgrade, which is warranted in this case.

…but, while the episode was strong in many ways, it did falter in others. The biggest one for me was the Sam Lane plotline. Remember, he left the DOD so that he could be a “family man” and stop being “country first.” And the first chance he gets 1-on-1 with Natalie he tries to recruit her to the DOD? Really? Yes, he did say it was stupid and a “character flaw,” but after all he went through with his daughters last season, you’d think he’d be better with the girl that was his granddaughter on another Earth. Especially AFTER Henry told Sam that he didn’t want Natalie to be roped into that until she got a more stable social life. If this was Season 1? Yeah, that would fit, and we saw that in the past. But two seasons in? No, not so much.

Adding to the woes is the now repeated problem of “Superman-level fighters coming out of nowhere.” Sadly, this is the recurring problem with most Superman media, but to take his first villain (from the flashback episode last season) and suddenly give him powers, only to tie it to Bruno Manheim? That feels lazy. Especially how, right after that fight, they reveal Onomatopoeia.

Also, the Kyle/Chrissy fling? No…just…no. That’s a full-on CW thing and I do not approve!

Still, even with those flaws, “Closer” was a strong start to a new season. Hopefully, the quality keeps going because this show is a “beacon of hope” amidst many odd and bad things happening in the DC Comic multiverse.

4/5

Todd Black is reader of comics, a watch of TV (a LOT of TV), and a writer of many different mediums. He's written teleplays, fan-fictions, and currently writes a comic book called Guardians (guardians-comic.com). He dreams of working at Nintendo, writing a SHAZAM! TV series, and working on Guardians for a very long time!