REVIEW: Superman & Lois S2 Finale: Waiting For Superman
Is the Superman & Lois S2 Finale an explosive and exciting end to a story that we’ve been following for nearly half a year? Absolutely. Does it do all the characters that it built up and made us sympathise with justice? It largely succeeds. Does it make use of the titular song? It fits the episode like a glove.
The Superman & Lois S2 Finale brings us the end of the season and when they name an episode after a song, you know it’s going to be good.
Superman & Lois finally concludes its second season and it’s been an absolute blast as the Bizarro World saga comes to a brilliant solar-charged end. There is everything a Superman fan wants here, especially those who favour the pre-crisis incarnations, because this grand finale takes the Man of Steel back to his original roots as the greatest hero of all time in order to defeat this all-powerful enemy. At the same time, we see Smallville turn the page to a new chapter in their small town lives.
As learned from the last episode, a powerless Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) doesn’t mean it’s entirely hopeless. Still, it’s hard to remain optimistic with the merge happening with everyone randomly blipping around between the two Earths. Family is the dominant theme in this finale as The Kents and Lang’s try to stay together as Ally Alston (Rya Kihlstedt) brings the two Earths closer and closer. Meanwhile, the Irons’ take to space themselves to see if they can stop the merging. That’s pretty much 75% of the episode. The other 25%, to avoid spoilers, is the falling action.
It’s cosmic madness with Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) and Sam (Dylan Walsh) stuck in Bizarro World where The Kent (or rather El) farm has fallen into decay. Clark and his sons (Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin) are back on the usual Kent farm and are joined by Tal-Rho (Adam Rayner). Since his last encounter with Clark at the DOD, he has learned a valuable lesson in family which comes full circle as he joins them as a defender of Earth. He does mention he was “the Eradicator” back then and the redemption arc could not be more clear – not bad for the antagonist from the first season. Clark especially shines in this episode, both metaphorically and literally, as an unrelenting beacon of hope. You have Optimus Prime telling you that freedom is the right of all sentient creatures and should always be fought for, then you have Kal-El telling you that there is always hope and a way to win and you should never lose sight of it. While these messages may be nothing new to the human ear, we can’t help but get chills or feel inspiration when our colorful heroes rally around what they stand for. In order to beat the Parasite, Superman is going to need to jumpstart his powers. What better way to do it than take a dip in the sun? Get ready for a confrontation high above the atmosphere you’ll never forget.
The Lang’s coming together as a family in a crisis despite everything that has happened is another highlight of the main theme throughout the episode. Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Crissy (Sofia Hasmik) have done great in taking charge of Smallville during this otherworldly incursion, but the new mayor is having trouble keeping her family together with Kyle (Erik Valdez) stuck in the Bizarro World. It’s a good thing he runs into Lois and Sam there in Bizarro Smallville. Even though Kyle put himself in the situation he is in with Lana by having an affair, you may finally feel sorry for him at this point with how much he is banking on his family. The Lang’s are, without a doubt, the family with the most dramatic development this season. It will be interesting to see the new dynamic in the next seasons because things can never truly be the same for them again. Still, they are together.
John Henry (Wole Parks) and Natalie (Tayler Buck) are having a mission to space themselves. In Superman’s absence, John had gone to try to stop the merge then Natalie went after him after regaining contact. The all-is-lost moment they experience together set against the backdrop of the empty void of space can be seen as the defining moment in their relationship. Despite everything they lost on their home Earth, the Irons’ will always have each other. It also gives Natalie the chance to tell her dad things she never got to tell her mother in what is a very emotional scene. Watching Natalie grow into the hero we know in Action Comics has been one of the most satisfying things the season has to offer. Everyone’s so focused on who the new Superman may be, but no one ever thinks of the new Steel. I think the DC Universe needs more of Natalie Irons altogether.
With all this darkness must come light and Superman delivers as he always has in a way that would make the All-Star Superman team proud. It’s a light show of a cosmic fight with hard hits and bursts of energy – pure comic book camp brought to life as the CW has done so many times before. It’s moments and scenes like this that remind us why the Arrowverse became so popular. It’s interesting comparing the battle cinematography between CW superhero production and how they tie into the main character. For example, The Flash doesn’t fly so the landmass of the Earth is his battlefield while Superman brawls above clouds. The space and sky shots will always be a staple in Superman & Lois.
Once again to keep spoilers vague, the second half of the Superman & Lois S2 Finale is a feel-good time that sees our dramatic and character subplots resolved or put past them. They all end on a hopeful note with all truths coming out and bridges being mended. Call me crazy, but I think there are several references to Bendis’ recent run on the main comic series before Tom Taylor took over with Jon Kent. So, you have Superman inspiration from the past and present with this episode for one of the most faithful adaptions of all time.
That’s another thing that has been so great about the CW series – diehard comic purists who seem to be hostile towards any changes can even find something to love. This episode is also known for a certain special guest whose revelations change everything about where the show is taking place. Whether it’s controversial or not is entirely up to the viewer, but I feel it raises more questions than answers. Especially with all the recent news coming out of the CW, it will be interesting to see where this takes us.
Is the Superman & Lois S2 Finale an explosive and exciting end to a story that we’ve been following for nearly half a year? Absolutely. Does it do all the characters that it built up and made us sympathise with justice? It largely succeeds. Does it make use of the titular song? It fits the episode like a glove. The Kents of this show has become an official part of the Superman lexicon and I can’t wait to see more of them and what else happens in Smallville in season three.
