Superman & Loisseason 4, episode 4, balances some major reveals about Superman and his family alongside advancing another key story as well. WithSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 3’s endingshowing General Lane’s death and how Superman could be revived as a result of it, episode 4 was set up to need to shed light on whether Clark had actually come back to life or not in theDCshow. Given this had to be balanced alongside many other storylines, it seemed possible the story could mishandle this moment, or otherwise delay answering crucial questions until it had to.
Mercifully, this was not the case forSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 4, which immediately kicks off by showing that Superman has returned, albeit with some crucial differences to when audiences last saw him up and alive. How the show handles the miraculous return of the iconic DC hero certainly suggests some interesting events are on the horizon for the last chapter of thelive-action Superman show- though Clark isn’t the only member of theSuperman & Loisseason 4 castto get an interesting update to his arc in this episode.
Superman Returns - But Not Exactly The Same
Superman Has Been Revived, But He May Never Be As He Once Was
AfterSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 3’s ending tease about the Man Of Steel’s revival, episode 4 confirms the procedure to replace Superman’s missing heart with General Sam Lane’s - enhanced via a serum made from Superman’s blood to make it a suitable match for the Kryptonian - was successful, with the episode jumping to weeks after Clark has returned home to the Kent family. While it’s clear he’s still recovering from his ordeal, the DC hero being back at all is a major event for the series, and no doubt a relief for fans who weren’t sure whether they’d ever see him return.
However, the show also suggests that Clark may never be quite the same after the transplant surgery, as he collapses when flying alongside Jonathan halfway through the episode. As is directly stated in the story,since Sam Lane was a human in his 60s, his heart doesn’t seem to hold up to the kind of pressure Superman’s original Kryptonian heart could. While this sets a worrying precedent for if and when Superman has to face off against Doomsday and Lex Luthor again, it makes sense in terms of ensuring there are consequences to Clark’s death and revival.
Chrissy & Kyle’s Wedding Takes An Unexpected Turn
Chrissy & Kyle’s Relationship Gets An Update
Superman & Loisseason 4, episode 4 also makes sure to focus on one of the storylines outside of the Kent family, showing Chrissy Beppo and Kyle Cushing’s wedding, which was set up earlier in the show. The story sheds a little more light on Chrissy’s past by introducing her mother, who she has a complicated relationship with, and who appears to be worried that Chrissy’s own wedding is mirroring her own, which took place before she was truly ready to get married and instead because she was pregnant with Chrissy herself.
While Chrissy’s mother has misread the situation in some ways, it turns out Chrissy isn’t ready to get married, and she disappears from her own wedding, causing Lois to go find her. The pair have a heartfelt conversation, where Chrissy reveals she has felt pressure to marry Kyle because of her pregnancy, and would rather keep getting to know him without going forward with the ceremony. Ultimately, Kyle understands her perspective, andwhile the wedding is canceled, the event is still used as a celebration of their love for one another, providing a happy ending for the episode.
Jonathan Begins His Superhero Career
Jonathan Starts Using His Powers In Earnest
Following Jonathan gaining his powers in episode 3, episode 4 explores more about his new abilities and how they’ve come in, underlining the potential of the young prospective superhero. Based on the scene of Clark guiding Jonathan on his flight powers, he’s already proficient in the air - and definitely has inherited his father’s physical resilience too, since he’s able to fly through the side of an ice wall with seemingly no problem. Episode 4 also shows Jonathan being invulnerable to fire, and able to use ice breath.
Fittingly,the story quickly sees Jonathan take on his first superhero-esque activities, with him flying Lois out to confront the woman who previously kidnapped General Lane, and then flying to the Metropolis Mall later to try and save Lex’s former underling after he sends someone to dispose of her. Jonathan struggles here, but arguably only because the criminal in question has X-Kryptonite gauntlets, which naturally present him with some more considerable problems than the simple fire he at first thought he was dealing with.
Jonathan has to be saved by Superman - who returns from being in hiding in order to protect his son - but this part of the story still serves as a helpful showcase of Jonathan’s overall power set. As it stands, it seems like Jonathan’s lack of experience with his abilities or using them in combat may slow him down in battle situations, which suggests Jordan may still be the better of the two of them in a fight - even though this episode also suggests Jordan will be avoiding this kind of conflict for the time being.
Jordan Takes A Step Back From Being Superboy
Jordan Draws Back From Being A Superhero
At the end ofSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 4, Jordan gives Jonathan the Superboy suit that General Lane gave him, in a move that is simultaneously both a kind gesture of brotherly affection, and a worrying continuation of previous story developments. Episode 4 sees Jordan still struggling with the guilt of what he perceives as him failing his father in terms of not being able to use his powers to save him - something made much worse by Lex setting a trap for him when he went to try and retrieve Clark’s heart from Luthor’s base.
While Jordan has a meaningful chat with Lois wherein they make amends over Lois choosing Jonathan’s survival when Lex phoned her threatening to take down one of them - because Jonathan didn’t have powers at the time - this conversation only underlines howJordan feels he’s been failing his family since long before they moved to Smallville, and still considers himself a burden. His step back from superhero-dom appears to also be a reflection of this.
The show underlines that Jordan is better than his brother with some of his powers by having Jordan be the one to flag Jonathan down to go on his missions in the episode, since Jordan’s superhearing is more well-honed. However, it’s not yet clear if the plot is intended to counter Jordan’s previous issues with doing superhero work for external approval and attention, or whether it could see him step back from the cowl in a more considerable capacity. Either way, it’s likely Jordan will join the fray to protect his loved ones at some stage before the series ends.
The World Discovers Superman Isn’t Dead
Clark Rescuing His Son Has Let The World See That Superman Isn’t Gone
Superman donning the cape and suit once more to go and defend his son is a move that is shown to have its own set of consequences, asSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 4, closes with Lois' phone lighting up with notifications that a series of news outlets have published pieces on the sighting of Superman at the Metropolis Mall. Since Superman was still in hiding before this, the ending signifies that this is no longer possible, with the Man of Steel having been spotted in his seemingly short time in the costume - meaning Lex is now surely back on Clark’s trail.
Interestingly, the ending also has major implications for Lois and her career as a journalist, since it must now appear as though her report about his death was incorrect to the general public, which is likely to also have ramifications for her going forward. As such, it’s likely the aftermath of these articles will be a key part of the story explored inSuperman & Loisseason 4, episode 5 - especially since whoever saw Superman potentially also saw Jonathan using his powers without any costume or cowl to conceal his identity.
Superman & Lois
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Superman & Lois follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane, attempting to live a quiet life in Smallville with their twin sons Jonathan and Jordan. Unfortunately for the couple, their lives continue to be effected by Clark’s superhero identity and powers. Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star as Clark and Lois, with Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin portraying the couple’s sons.
