Well, we certainly didn’t expect that that. It’s fair to say that we’ve gotten used to a certain tone of The CW’s DC TV shows, with the titular superhero surrounded by loving interests, mentors, creepy allies (here we look at you, Cisco) and a bad weekly rinsing and rehearsal with a big bad wait on the wings to be defeated in the final. It remains to be seen Superman and Lois succumbs to those familiar and topical pitfalls, but for now, this premiere of the series points to the network going from Arrow-formula and the presentation of a new and exciting film version about the Man of Steel.
After a fantastic recap that updates us with the history of the post-Crisis in infinite lands Superman, we pick up with Clark Kent, Lois Lane and their two teenage children in Metropolis. A family tragedy brings them back to Smallville, and this one-hour opener does a fantastic job laying the groundwork for a new interpretation of the world of Superman, making it feel like a big-budget movie. He Man of Steel the inspiration is clear (we’re surprised Zack Snyder doesn’t have credit for an executive producer), but that’s not bad, and what many thought was a huge lead for this iconic DC Comics character from that one Movie is replaced by the hopeful and optimistic Superman, many fans have been desperate to see on screen for years. Jonathan and Jordan Kent are by no means a detriment to the series so far, and while teen drama could sink the series, their story is currently as compelling as that of their parents.
Tyler Hoechlin has been a great Superman since he first appeared in Supergirl, but with harder material to work with here, his work really skyrockets. The same can be said of Lois Lane, by Elizabeth Tulloch, although we would like the future episode to show what makes her the greatest journalist in the world. While Jordan and Jonathan, Alex Garfin and Jordan Elsass do a hard job, with the former, in particular, a vigilante. Honestly, there isn’t a bad performance in this premiere and it helps that the cast isn’t rejecting silly puns, gathering in unrealistic science fiction-inspired bases, or traversing the routes we hope for these shows to take.
From a visual perspective, Superman and Lois it looks phenomenal. It feels like a series in which CW has spent a lot of money, with the battle between the man of tomorrow and his mysterious new arch-enemy that seems like something we might expect to see in a superhero movie with 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 gap very well (and weekly as well)). Dan Romer’s score is perhaps the only part of this premiere that doesn’t always work, because it fails to match the epic action that appears on the screen. The big question here is whether Superman and Lois can maintain this level of quality; right now, we’re glad COVID means it will continue to be natural, as it doesn’t seem to benefit from Batwoman or the Flash races in Smallville to form a team, but The CW really seems to have something special on their hands with what they finally get could be the best DC TV show.
The epic Superman series we were expecting, the premiere of the Superman & Lois series is cinematic, bold and a step in the right direction for Man of Steel, as The CW seems to embrace what makes this character great.
