Review: Superman & Lois Begins A Bold New Direction For DC TV

A new series starring Tyler Hoechlin as the Man of Steel and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane, Superman & Lois premieres Tuesday, February 23 on The CW with a two-hour event. The CW made the pilot episode available for press review and the embargo lifts on the day this is posted. While caution is made to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, some elements of the TV series premiere are being discussed within.

This is certainly not my first Superman TV series to be writing about. My personal TV internet fandom began back in 1994, when I first dialed in on Prodigy, the night of the Season 2 premiere of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, seeing posts noting the sudden recasting of Jimmy Olsen and lamenting the loss of key characters from Season 1. The Lois & Clark pilot starring Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain is still one of my favorite TV series introductions, and Teri still ranks as one of my favorite Lois Lanes. It was my love of that show that had me starting a “Krypton Club Newsletter” on AOL with a friend when I was still in high school; ultimately, some fellow fans and I wrote an “Unaired Fifth Season” of fanfiction to send out on Sundays the Fall after ABC canceled the show.

Then came Smallville. One brilliant thing that creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar never quite got enough credit for is that they managed to create a situation for Superman in a TV show that could go on for a full decade. No comic book show had ever done that, and none has done it since. Smallville was also transformative for me — I was able to write the official companion guides for the series, and for that show I created KryptonSite — a website you surely have heard of, if you happen to be reading this.

When Tyler Hoechlin first showed up on Supergirl as Superman, he was a breath of fresh air. He was respectful and kind, yet still felt commanding. He seemed determined to do the right thing, and cared about others above all. While some movies that had come out in recent years gave us a darker Superman I couldn’t quite identify with myself (despite great casting in Henry Cavill), Hoechlin’s Superman felt like he was written for me to enjoy. That’s okay; we can enjoy what we want, and part of the joy of being a Superman fan is that if you’re not a fan of the current incarnation, another is surely around the corner. But I digress… I liked Tyler a lot. I didn’t feel as connected in some of the later crossovers, but that was more of a matter of not getting to spend a lot of time with him. The same went for Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane. She seemed great, but hadn’t had a whole lot to do… yet.

The first thing I can say about the Superman & Lois is that the new series fixes that, and the rapport and chemistry between the two actors is so strong.

I spent the opening minutes of the show with a big grin much like the one I had watching “The Adventures of Supergirl” episode where Tyler’s Superman was introduced. There was more than one time when I squealed at my TV at what I had seen. This is a full-on Superman TV show, with movie-quality visual effects. Smallville gave us a Superman who wasn’t Superman yet, so flights were few and far between and tights were even rarer, but here, we have Tyler Hoechlin flying around and doing things in ways the Lois & Clark technology and budget could have only dreamed of. And, yes, he looks much better in the new costume.

The show feels and looks different from anything we’ve seen before in the Arrowverse. (Yes, I still refuse to call it anything else.) The way it is shot, the way in which it is written… I almost wish it took place in its own little world, even though Crisis had recently smooshed so many worlds together. Superman & Lois is not burdened by the requirement of watching 25+ seasons of past Arrowverse shows to follow it; someone can come in from Day 1 and they will completely get the story. Moreover, I feel this is the start of a new direction, as other shows get older and switch out and new properties come in to The CW lineup in particular, whereas there’s a distinct effort to be unique vs. creating more of what’s just comfortable. As far as I can tell, there are no references to any other series in the pilot, at least, and I kind of like it that way as it keeps things grounded. And as much as I love some of the other shows, I feel like if Superman & Lois was the only DC Comics show on television at this time, it would surely get more attention than it may end up with. It could still do very well, but if it was the only… I can only imagine.

Adding to the uniqueness of this show is that I don’t see it falling into some of the traps of other Arrowverse series. I don’t think this show will end up having a “Team Flash” or “DEO” to back up our heroes. Even if the Super-kids (more on them in a second) have powers, I don’t see them suiting up the way the daughters of Black Lightning have, although I love that that is also a series about a Super-family. This is a family drama first and a superhero show second — or at least that’s the impression I get from the first episode.

Tyler and Elizabeth shine as Clark and Lois. I don’t know if it is a result of the pandemic and the actors all having to stay in the same bubble, but especially the four actors that make up the Kent family have already developed a realistic and natural chemistry. But about the parents – I feel like that there is a mutual respect between them. Even when it is not said out loud, the body chemistry, and the way they look at one another… these are two people who care about each other very much, and this certainly serves as an argument against the trope from some comic book fans and creators that “married Superman and Lois is boring.” The pilot shows the first time they meet and it is adorable, and it is great to see that many years later they are going strong. Yes, they disagree on some things, like whether or not to tell their sons Jordan and Jonathan the truth about their father. That is still natural for a relationship. As I mentioned, Tyler seems to embody everything I want from a Superman, and Elizabeth has that drive, the thirst for truth, and the love for printed journalism and helping people through the press that only the world’s greatest reporter could accomplish. Tyler gets Clark as much as Elizabeth truly gets Lois.

While I’m not sure anyone would say they look like twins, Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin already also have a fantastic rapport as brothers Jonathan and Jordan. (I’m still unsure why, after they did the casting, they didn’t just flip their character names so Jordan could be Jordan, to prevent confusion.) Jonathan is the golden boy of the family, having girlfriends and already on his school’s Varsity football team as a freshman. Jordan is more introverted, playing video games, listening to loud music, with some personal conflicts within. Although the two of them are very different, you can tell that they look out for one another, which will come in handy as the family finds themselves back in Smallville. It will be very interesting to see where the show goes with these two; while the show is called “Superman & Lois” it is also very much about their kids, as well.

In Smallville, we will see Martha (why did I say that name?) Kent, and also Clark’s old friend/girlfriend Lana Lang, now married to fire chief Kyle Cushing and played by Emmanuelle Chriqui. I do find Lana annoying, but I think that’s intentional; I am intrigued by where her character might go in the series and if it will involve any interactions with the Morgan Edge story, especially as he’s been behind some shady deals in Smallville involving her bank. After all, an actress of Chriqui’s stature has got to be doing more than explaining reverse mortgages, I hope?! Erik Valdez plays Kyle Cushing, and they have two daughters. Kyle is deeply proud of Smallville but politically is surely as different from Lois Lane as one could possibly be, which might bring some tension; however, with that said, Valdez gives a very realistic performance as someone you’d expect to see in a small town.

Inde Navarrette plays the Cushings’ oldest daughter Sarah and she has a complicated “Emily van Camp in Everwood” vibe, but is just as immediately likable. Like the others, she has a lot of chemistry with the entire cast and fun and surprising interactions with them. <sarcasm> I just can’t wait for the Jorah vs. Jonah shipper wars. </sarcasm>

Dylan Walsh takes over as Glenn Morshwer who played General Sam Lane in Supergirl, and while I was afraid he’d be too young, he fits into the tapestry well. I do wonder what a General has to do with the overarching plot, but I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to it than we know. He also knows Clark is Superman (revealed in the trailers so I’m not ruining anything), so I’m very curious how that would go. If anything, he also offers a different adult opinion, and we all have family who falls into that category from time to time. I do wonder if we’ll ever see Lois’ sister Lucy Lane again and if it will be as big of a recast; if Jenna Dewan isn’t available to reprise her Supergirl role, I hope someone has Jessica Lowndes’ number because that’s who I’d have in mind.

Finally, there’s “The Stranger” who will be played by Wole Parks. This guy’s a wild card. He’s the only super-villain, really, that Superman faces in this first episode, and for only a small percentage of the story. I’d say he probably has the same percentage of story as Jeremy Creek in the Smallville pilot, so I know this is a usual pilot thing. Because of this lack of time I’m not sure I can really form an opinion, but I’m sure he will keep Superman busy doing Super things while Lois investigates Morgan Edge, whose presence is felt in the pilot even if he isn’t seen any more than possibly a photo.

If I have anything I didn’t like about the pilot and my impression of the series so far, it would be that the middle parts of the pilot weren’t as exciting as where things started and where they stopped, but then again, all of those scenes were necessary for the narrative, and as I mentioned, the end was very rewarding. I was left with a strong sense of wanting more, though at the same time, I felt the show was paced so an episode was a very complete, rewarding experience. This was probably one of the more story-filled TV episodes that I’ve seen in recent history, and I do appreciate that. The other thing isn’t a complaint so much as a hope. I know many have pushed for more diversity in the show, and I do hope there are some major characters of color coming to the series. Perhaps someone like John Henry Irons/Steel, who as far as I know has not appeared in live action since the Shaq movie?

Surprisingly, I wasn’t disappointed that the new “Kent Farm” was not the one from Smallville as many of us originally hoped. After all, Martha Kent did live there in “Elseworlds.” But, I do think with this show’s aesthetic – where it’s shot, having two kids, and the need for a lot of open land, it seems – new choices were actually worth it. Like I said, this looks different than any other CW superhero show, and a different house may represent part of that. Otherwise, we’d just be thinking of those previous projects all the time. It’s not to say I want the past ignored forever — but to start, it might be best to go completely new. With that said, I’d love for Jonathan and Jordan to meet their second cousin Kara someday… though perhaps crossovers would be best seen on the other shows, so as to not interrupt the grounded nature of Superman & Lois.

Showrunner Todd Helbing wrote the pilot script based on a story credited to him with Greg Berlanti, and with everyone involved, it became a mix of things that would make for a very good introductory story. I left desperate for Episode 2, and I’m glad that at least when this airs, we’ll surely be getting an Episode 2 or “This Season On…” trailer to get hints of what’s next. I also have to give credit to Lee Toland Krieger and the cinematographers involved with this show — they developed a look that was even unique from previous projects, and I say that as someone who has loved the aesthetic of Krieger’s previous work. And the casting… again, this mix of actors really seemed made for each other.

I mentioned two other successful past Superman projects at the start of this review, and a big reason for that is that I feel that like those two shows, Superman & Lois finds something relatable to make it last and endure. Lois & Clark paired Superman with the then-popular sexual tension of a series like Moonlighting. Smallville began as Superman by way of Dawson’s Creek. And now we have  this — Superman via Friday Night Lights or Everwood? I find this is a formula that can appeal to fans of the comics as well as others who may not have this history. On a letter grade scale, this one gets an A. Tune in on February 23. It’s not going to take away or ruin anything you loved in the past, but it might make you love Superman and Lois Lane even more.

Read more about Superman & Lois here at KryptonSite.