The CW
Beware of significant spoilers for the finale of “Superman & Lois”.
The curtain has fallen on the Arrowverse, along with the era of DC superheroes on The CW. It’s a fitting end, considering the journey began with “Smallville”, which narrated the origin of Superman over 20 years ago, and now concludes with “Superman & Lois”, providing a final curtain call for the Man of Steel’s tale.
“Superman & Lois” deviated from the traditional origin story format that is common amongst Arrowverse shows. Instead, the series introduced us to Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin), portraying him as a seasoned superhero with a 20-year career under his belt. He was already married to Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and was a father to two teenage boys. This Superman had already achieved most of what we would ordinarily see in a trilogy of films, including defeating Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) and imprisoning him before the series began.
“Superman & Lois” was a unique series that managed to achieve several firsts with its characters. The series touched on sensitive topics such as Lois Lane’s battle with breast cancer, the death of Jor-El’s hologram, the introduction of a hologram for Superman’s mother, Lara (Mariana Klaveno), and even the transformation of Bizarro into Doomsday. We also witnessed Clark revealing his true identity to the world and the gradual loss of his powers, turning him human.
The series finale saw the climactic battle between Superman and Doomsday. Bizarro, the monster previously known as Doomsday, allowed himself to be hurled into the sun in a tragic moment before Superman engaged Lex Luthor in his power suit. With these iconic villains defeated, we fast forward to Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui) marrying John Henry Irons (Wolé Parks), followed by a glimpse into the final years of Superman and Lois’s lives. “Superman & Lois” made history by portraying the first live-action deaths of Lois Lane and Clark Kent, providing a complete resolution to a Superman story for the first time.
It’s intriguing that every major aspect of Superman’s life has been explored in a live-action TV series. “Krypton” delved into his ancestry, “Smallville” revealed his origins, “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” narrated his love story, and now “Superman & Lois” has depicted the legacy he leaves behind and his final years.
The swift journey of Superman & Lois
The CW
At its core, “Superman & Lois” was about the relationship between the two characters. Sure, there were ample scenes of superhero action, the Man of Steel’s heroics, and moments of his sons learning about heroism. But, the underlying focus was always on the bond between Lois and Clark, their challenges as parents and a couple, and their fight against Luthor’s attempts to tarnish Lois’ reputation, along with their joint fight against Lois’ cancer.
The series began with Clark narrating his origin story and concluded with him narrating the twilight years of his and Lois’ lives. Clark loses his powers and grows old, becoming the ordinary man he always pretended to be. For 32 years, Clark and Lois dedicated their lives to charity work, making the world a better place as their children matured, married, and had children of their own. In a touching tribute to Margot Kidder, Elizabeth Tulloch requested her character to sport bangs and wear light blue in the final few scenes, a nod to the star of 1978’s “Superman.”
Unfortunately, Lois’ cancer returned after many years, and she was unable to win the battle this time. In a heart-wrenching scene brilliantly acted by Tulloch, Lois reaches out to her father, Sam Lane, before passing away in the presence of her husband and sons.
Even though the show centered around Clark, “Superman & Lois” gave equal importance to Lois. She was portrayed as a fierce reporter, a devoted mother, and a formidable woman. Throughout the four seasons, we saw how her aggressive journalism didn’t come without a price. She made many enemies and faced criticism. It became clear in the final season that Lois had a personal grudge against Lex Luthor for his campaign against Superman, and she was ready to do anything to protect Clark — even if it meant sending Lex to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Despite these challenges, she stood up for independent journalism and Smallville and fought against billionaire bullies like Morgan Edge and Lex Luthor, even facing threats to her and her family’s lives. It was a brilliant portrayal of her character.
A historic conclusion to Superman’s journey
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One of the most poignant aspects of the “Superman & Lois” finale was Clark dedicating his life to charity work and opening a hospital after revealing his secret identity to the world. Clark finally acknowledged Bruno Mannheim’s assertion that Superman wasn’t doing enough to help humanity. He was always reacting to crises rather than proactively preventing them. It was the most heroic act of Superman – using his status as a symbol to not just provide hope but to effect real change in the world.
In the end, he dies. In the season 4 premiere, Superman perishes in a battle with Doomsday, a remarkable adaptation of the “Death of Superman” comic book story arc. Then, in the series finale, “Superman & Lois” kills Clark Kent. After passing on the mantle of Superman to his sons, Clark spends the remainder of his life as an ordinary man, living with Lois until her death, adopting a dog named Krypto, and enjoying the company of friends and family. For someone who always saw his powers as a duty rather than a gift, it’s significant that Clark’s final days were spent as an ordinary human, doing ordinary things: celebrating a life well-lived and spending time with loved ones.
The fact that Clark collapsed and nearly died from a heart attack in the same place his father died from a heart attack is deeply moving. Seeing Clark’s heart finally give up and the Man of Tomorrow pass away is heartbreaking. Although the character has died in the past (even semi-permanently in “All-Star Superman”), it has never been like this. “Superman & Lois” did something no other Superman adaptation has done before – it gave Clark Kent a fitting end.
Tyler Hoechlin was truly a remarkable Superman. Not since Christopher Reeve has the character been so relatable, nor has an actor so seamlessly brought out the character’s human side, making him easy to connect with. With a new live-action Superman on the horizon, the contributions of “Superman & Lois” to the character and the mythos of the Man of Steel should not be overlooked.
You can stream “Superman & Lois” in its entirety on the CW app.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
