Superman & Lois Review: 1×01 “Pilot”

PLEASE BEWARE OF SPOILERS IN THE BELOW REVIEW

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It’s been nearly 2 decades since the Man of Steel got his own solo tv series that had him flying around week to week. But with the growing age of comic book TV shows, does this new iteration fit in well? The answer is, we hope so.

Related Article: Angus Macfadyen Cast As Jor-El In Superman & Lois

Superman & Lois is a very new take on the story of The Daily Planet’s intrepid reporters. Swapping out chasing leads for parenting teenagers, this almost cinematic-feeling story kicks off by establishing a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths world where Clark and Lois are mama and papa. 

We also start off by getting a montage of Kal-El’s upbringing. This takes him from his arrival on Earth and through life events such as the too usual death or Jonathan Kent, his first meeting with Lois Lane and his first appearance as Superman in which his first costume echoes back to the character’s earlier appearances in both the comic books and cartoons.

Throughout this debut story, the new angle of viewing Clark and Lois mainly from a domestic standpoint is doubled down. We view the two parents as they deal with two teens, one of which who suffers from severe anxiety, and as they deal with normal life events both big and small, such as losing parents, losing jobs and dealing with real estate jargon.

Both Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch continue to shine in their Arrowverse roles. Emulating previous on-screen versions of their characters, they make use of their additional screen time and put an evident stamp on their Clark and Lois. 

Teen actors Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin settle into their roles comfortably. Though the “twist” concerning them could be seen from a mile off, it doesn’t take away from how well these young actors hold their own against the senior actors on set. 

The action usually associated with any and all Superman content is still there thankfully, though don’t expect it every couple of scenes. However, there is no expense spared on the look and feel. As Supes takes on his latest foe, the action dials up very quickly and sticks well. 

Speaking of the episode’s foe, we now know that this specific villain (an alternate version of Lex Luthor supposedly) will be here to stay as the big bad of the freshman season. This ‘Captain Luthor’ may come off as yet another “big twist” for the episode, but in a world where we are all too familiar with the Superman/Luthor relationship, don’t we deserve something bigger and more elaborate? The second episode is due to delve more into this Luthor’s backstory.

As a Superman-based show, it gives us everything a fan wants, and with the show being renewed for a second season, the network clearly have faith. However, to age well the stories will need to become more unexpected and shocking than we’ve had already. But on the whole, we have a solid opening that can blend slow drama with ecstatic action scenes. We can only hope that we get more and more to make us wide eyed moving forward. 

Superman & Lois airs Tuesday nights on The CW in the US, with a UK release to be announced.