The fanboys were in a tizzy this week as it was announced that David Corenswet will play Superman in James Gunn's upcoming Superman: Legacy. People online debated whether Henry Cavill should have stayed or whether audiences will even turn out to see this newest interpretation of the Man of Steel on the big screen. Meanwhile, on the small screen, we have continued to get a solid Kal-El for three seasons in the form of Tyler Hoechlin on Superman & Lois.
The CW series was on the rocks as to whether it would return for a fourth season. The show is CW's #1 show, but also its most expensive. With The CW cancelling shows, and knowing an integrated DC Universe was coming, I knew this series would not have a long run, but I was hoping for another season before we get a new live-action Superman in Corenswet. And then word came down from high that we will get a shortened season four with a smaller budget, and possibly losing some supporting characters because of the money constraints. No matter what, I am excited for this show to return for one more season. Since the season one episode where Clark tells his son about the struggle he faces every time he puts on that suit, and the complete control he must have every time he does, I knew the people making this series get what Superman truly is, and where the character's strengths lie.
Season 3 gave us a great Superman story. People say the character isn't interesting because he's too powerful and perfect. But that is what makes a good Superman tale. In this season, his wife, Lois Lane, is diagnosed with cancer. This isn't some villain trying to take over the world or destroy Metropolis. This is something Superman can't fight. The most powerful being in the world is helpless to save his wife. That is a good Superman fable. You give him something he can't fight, like his father having a heart attack. You make this alien human. And then you have a scene where his sons argue with him about using Kryptionian technology to help, but come to find out Lois and Clark have made the decision not to use it, because it wouldn't be fair to all the other millions of people who have cancer.
My favorite scene this entire season was the diner scene. Clark is frustrated with his wife being sick and comes to find out a man hit his son and pulled a gun on his wife. He walks into that diner, knowing he could kill this man with his pinkie. But he doesn't. He barely touches him. The control Clark has to have in that moment is remarkable.
As good as season three is, it does have a few faults for me. Lex Luthor came into the season with two episodes left. Instead of focusing on Bruno Mannheim most of the season I thought Lex should have been brought in sooner. Although the idea of a man just trying to save his wife from cancer by using any means at his disposal was interesting. The new actor playing Jonathan Kent took some getting used too. But now I think I like this actor better than the other. As for Jordan, well, I've always thought Jordan was a little bitch, and when he started to disobey his parents, I would have taken him to the Fortress of Solitude and put him in a crystal like in Superman II until he gained some perspective. John Henry and Lana hooking up I called back in season 2, and I could care less about Kyle and Chrissy.
They brought back Bizarro in the season finale and did something interesting. The season two premiere saw a beast coming out of the ground, which I thought was Doomsday, and I thought it was too early to bring that character into the series. But the creators tricked us when under the suit was Bizarro. But now, they've almost walked that deception back, and turned Bizzaro into Doomsday. Honestly, I'm not thrilled with it. I think fighting a newly brain-washed Bizarro would have been sufficient. Plus, less costly to the budget. But that last shot of the two characters about to rumble on the moon was cool. My favorite live-action version of Doomsday is still from the Syfy series Krypton.
This season of Superman & Lois gave us a very human story. And that's what this series continues to do. It tells the tale of a man who is burdened with being the most powerful being in the world, but can't save everyone, even those closest to him. Clark is constantly being told by people what he should do but tries to continue to do what he feels is right, and protect all life, not matter how hard it is. I'm going to miss this Superman, and I can only hope James Gunn is going to give us one who, as Mark Waid once wrote, doesn't make the 'Super' more important than the 'man'.
