As far back as I can remember Superman has been my favorite superhero. Which is why sometimes I can judge his adaptations more harshly than some others. When Tyler Hoechlin was announced to play Superman in the second season of Supergirl I was unfamiliar with the actor. After seeing his first few episodes I thought he did a fine job as the Man of Steel, but not great. Plus, he seemed a little short. Then the announcement came that he was getting his own show beside his Lois Lane co-star, Elizabeth Tulloch. Again, I wasn't thrilled with these versions of the characters, but I was happy Superman was getting some attention after Henry Cavill's portrayal left Warner Bros treating the character almost like a pariah.
The first season of Superman & Lois was a pleasant surprise to me. We saw Clark and Lois moving back to Smallville, being parents with teenage boys, and one even developing his own powers. It still had that CW/Arrowverse feel to it, but with a little more in my eyes like better effects. Plus, the series seemed to distance itself from the rest of the Arrowverse with almost no references aside from a brief appearance by David Ramsey playing John Diggle. A cameo that didn't even need to be in the episode. I think my enjoyment from this series really owes a lot to my age. As a Superman fan I'm now at the point in my life where I am raising my own child and juggling a work-to-family life balance. Much like how Smallville related to me being a teenager navigating my way through the world at the same time Tom Welling's Clark Kent was.
As I said, the first season of this Superman series left me enthusiastic about a second season, especially with the additions of John Henry Irons and his daughter; Natalie. And much like how season one tried to trick us into thinking The Stranger was Lex Luthor, the creators also tried to trick us into thinking Doomsday was coming. And fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I didn't like the idea of bringing in such a definitive character so early in the series, and apparently neither did the showrunners. It was revealed that the creature giving Clark headaches was a version of the character Bizarro, that set-up this season's overall story arc.
In season two a character known as Ally Allston is looking to merge with her alternate self from another world, and bring the two worlds together, thus merging every two people into one. But we were never told what actual consequences this would have. Would each one be as powerful as Ally? Would someone need the pendant to have that power? I just never truly got the big ramifications of making the two worlds one, or why Ally even wanted to do it? After she had merged, she was all-powerful. What else does she want? Why merge the worlds? The idea just doesn't sit right with me.
One the other side of this season is the Lane family dealing with Lucy, who was brought into Ally's cult and believed in her to the point of turning against her family at every turn. I was honestly disappointed when Ally turned out to be the big powerful villain Superman has to defeat in this season. Ally started off as someone who Lois was trying to deal with to get her sister back, but then became Superman's problem, leaving Lois kind of in the dust for the rest of this season.
Season 2 saw our supporting characters struggle as well. Jordan was dealing with whether to tell Sarah his secret or not. Jonathan had to accept being the powerless brother, and the Cushing's struggled to get back together as a family after Kyle's deceit. Lana, Sarah, and Chrissy also all learned about Clark's secret identity. This is a story point that doesn't sit well with me. Arrow and The Flash started to lose its luster when so many people knew the main hero's alter ego, and their homebases became very crowded. I'm glad Sarah knows about Jordan because after many seasons of Smallville I've see the teenage hero hide his secret from his would-be-girlfriend already, and that went on for too long as is. But Lana and Chrissy knowing I think could hurt the series in the long run as it's only a matter of time before all the main characters know Clark is Superman, which is really just Kyle at this point.
However, the real short coming of this season was the release schedule. I count almost five breaks in twenty-five weeks for the 15-episode season. This kept me having to try and remember what was happening in the series after weeks of not having a new episode. I think it interrupted the flow of the season, and possibly lessened my interest in the story. I also could never remember when new episodes aired.
But don't get me wrong. This season had some great moments like the submarine save, and Lois reminding Clark that Superman isn't just about saving people, he's about giving them hope. I'm very interested in what's to come for season 3. What's Tal up to in the other world? Will Clark's major exposure to sun rays affect him long-term like in Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman? Is John Henry and John Diggle about to team-up like an 80's action movie? And how does Aquaman feel about Superman setting up his new clubhouse in the middle of the ocean? I don't expect that last question to be answered, but it'd be cool if it did. This season I felt wasn't as strong as its predecessor but was still solid enough to get me to watch season 3. I just hope that as The CW and Arrowverse seems to be falling, Superman & Lois continues to fly up, up, and away.
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