Well, we certainly didn’t expect it WhichIt’s fair to say we’ve gotten used to a particular tone from The CW’s DC TV shows, with the titular superhero surrounded by love interests, mentors, wacky allies (here you’re looking at Cisco), and a flush- and-repeat weekly villain with a big bad wait in the wings to be defeated in the final. It remains to be seen if Superman and Lois succumbs to those well-known, clichéd attributes, but from now on this series premiere points to the network moving further from the Arrowformula, delivering a cinematic, exciting new take on the Man of Steel.
After a fantastic summary that brought us up to date with the history of the postalCrisis on Infinite Earths Superman, we pick up with Clark Kent, Lois Lane and their two teenage sons in Metropolis. However, a family tragedy brings them back to Smallville, and this hour-long opener does a great job of laying the groundwork for a new interpretation of Superman’s world, while feeling like a big-budget movie. The Man of Steel inspiration is plain to see (we’re surprised Zack Snyder doesn’t have Executive Producer credit), but that’s not a bad thing, and what many felt was a bleak take on this iconic DC Comics character in that movie was replaced by the hopeful , optimistic Superman who has been desperate to see many fans on screen for years. Jonathan and Jordan Kent are by no means a disadvantage to the series so far, and while the teenage drama could eventually bog down the series, their story is just as compelling as their parents’ story right now.
Tyler Hoechlin has been a great Superman since he first made a cameo appearance Super girl, but with stronger material to work with here, his work really takes off. The same can be said for Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane, although we’d love to see future episodes show what makes her the greatest journalist in the world. As Jordan and Jonathan, Alex Garfin and Jordan Elsass do a strong job, especially the first to keep an eye on. Honestly, there’s not a bad performance to be found in this premiere, and it helps that the cast doesn’t shrug off crazy puns, meet in sci-fi-inspired, unrealistic bases, or walk the routes we expect these CW shows to take.
Visually Superman and Lois looks phenomenal. It feels like a series that The CW has spent a lot of money on, with the battle between the Man of Tomorrow and his mysterious new nemesis looking like something we could expect in a superhero movie on a big budget. Honestly, the show is better than it’s entitled to, and while there don’t seem to be any plans for Superman on the big screen for the foreseeable future, this show promises to fill that void nicely (and weekly too). Dan Romer’s score may be the only part of this premiere that doesn’t always work, as it doesn’t always manage to match the epic on-screen action. The big question from here is whether Superman and Lois can maintain this quality level; right now we’re happy that COVID means it will stand on its own as it doesn’t feel like Batwoman or the Flash are racing to Smallville for a team-up, but The CW really seems to have something special up their sleeve with some ultimately could be the best DC TV show to date.
The epic Superman series we’ve been waiting for, the premiere of Superman & Lois, is cinematic, daring and a step in the right direction for the Man of Steel as The CW tries to embrace what makes this character great.
