Men’s Health
Superman and Lois the episode a spoilers to follow.
Over the past 80 years, Superman has defeated all the villains that even the most inventive comic writer can cast on him. And in the 90s, there was a time when death itself was no match for the Man of Steel.
But that does not mean that Superman cannot be hurt. In fact, the first episode of Superman and Lois illustrates all of this very well, with no trace of kryptonite in sight.
Things start out in a typically optimistic way with a montage that fills Clark’s story. Longtime fans will notice a quick tribute to the debut of Superman comics, recreating the cover of Action Comics # 1 with that car lift and an old version of its “S” emblem that appeared in the Fleischer cartoons.
(Here is your final spoiler warning.)
However, nostalgia soon gives way to sadness when we discover that Jonathan Kent, Superman’s adopted father, passed away sometime before the events of the show began.
This tragic news is revealed in the first five minutes of the premiere, which would be a shock, except that this is not the first time Daddy Supes has blacked out on the screen. Remember when Kevin Costner was (unnecessarily) swallowed by the one turned into Steel man? Or how about when SmallvilleJonathan died of a heart attack in the 100th episode?
Superman’s father died several times in the comics too, but on the Arrowverse, at least, his name survived thanks to a new anguished Jonathan Kent, who Clark created on the show. Although this son is described as “always happy, always smiling”, his brother, Jordan, is “more challenging” thanks to his various outbursts of anger and social anxiety.
It soon becomes clear that Clark’s struggle to balance parenting with superheroism will be a central conflict for Superman and Lois moving forward. Early on, Martha Kent calls Clark and reminds him that he must be with his children just as he is around the world in general. Sure, it’s easier said than done, but Martha has a plan that will go into action when she dies …
Martha is not going to get out of this deadly spiral for a while, right? Well, right after that call, Clark’s mother suffers a stroke that turns out to be fatal. And so, both Superman’s parents are sent to “the farm”, leaving their Smallville property behind for Clark and his family.
It turns out that Martha wanted Clark to come home all the time. She believed that moving away from Metropolis could help bring the Kents together, and thanks to some remorturing antics, Clark’s mother manages to make this a reality.
Sam Lane tells Lois, his daughter, that “Superman can’t live a normal life, no matter how much you want one for him”, but it seems that the Kents, now deceased, are eager to prove him wrong.
While this is a sweet feeling, we cannot help but question why Clark’s parents needed to die for this to happen. What worries us most is that the show has already been accused of sexism by a former writer, and given the surprising lack of scenes with Lois, was it a smart move to kill another important female character anytime soon?
Yes, it is important that Superman and Lois must differentiate from several Superman stories that came before, and of course, it’s not easy to challenge a character that is almost indestructible, but the debut isn’t exactly easy for Clark.
Not only does he lose both parents in less than 30 minutes, but Clark also loses his job while defending himself against a new villain – and then there are also her two teenage children to deal with, all of whom hate Clark for trying to protect them from the truth. That’s a lot for any man to deal with at once, let alone one super guy.
It seems that the writers made all of this happen in an attempt to make the Last Child of Krypton more identifiable for us, normal human people. But in doing so, it seems Superman and Lois it is dangerously approaching the realm of traumatic pornography, just like Clark’s big-screen counterpart.
Saying that, though, we’re only in one episode right now. Although the death of both Kents came as a shock, it is entirely possible that the writers will use this tragedy to exploit Clark’s humanity in a way that many other Superman stories cannot. Sure, we were stolen from another “Maaartha” moment, but if the show can make its own way like that, then maybe everything is worth it.
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