A “Seank Peek” at the New Season
Death comes to Smallville as The CW drama SUPERMAN & LOIS reveals the arrival of the Man of Steel’s deadliest enemy! Does this signal the beginning of the end in the Final Season of the series’ story arc?
The Superman mythology has proven one of the most popular of all to serialize for television. Smallville, starring Tom Welling, aired for ten consecutive, very successful seasons, opening the door for super-producer Greg Berlanti’s “Arrowverse,” which introduced the Maid of Steel, Supergirl portrayed by Melissa Benoist. The series ran for six seasons, crossing over with its sister series Arrow and The Flash. It was inevitable that it would bring her world-famous cousin into the fray.
Long-time fan-favorites Tyler Hoechlin (MTV’s Teen Wolf) and Bitsie Tulloch (NBC’s Grimm) were tapped for the roles of Clark Kent/Superman and ace Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. The pair remained significant recurring characters, participating in the multi-part crossover events “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” before headling their series. Superman & Lois debuted in 2021 and elaborated on the story of the married Kents raising twin teenage sons, Jon and Jordan, who return to Smallville in pursuit of a more balanced existence.
The series, headed by Todd Helbing, promised a more “down-to-earth” narrative that put the family’s issues front and center, but the heroics remained very much rooted in Superman’s larger-than-life struggles. While dealing with teen angst and the difficulty of raising the two boys, the series also tackled real-life tragedies. There were serious real-world challenges, such as economic inequity facing small towns and farming communities, as well as confronting the opioid epidemic. In Season 3, Lois is diagnosed with cancer as an old enemy prepares to upend their lives.
Into its run, Superman & Lois set its continuity as an “alternate earth” parallel to the post-crisis “Arrowverse” Prime-Earth. It may have bargained in Season 1 to connect to its predecessors. Still, eventually, for the sake of the stories it needed to tell, it decidedly proclaimed that S&L existed in the multiverse of the DC primetime series. The decision would alter the DNA of the show, which became much more centric to the lives of its leads and not beholden to the superpowered “big bad,” even though it had its share of epic villains that have laid severe consequences on the line.
It’s DOOMSDAY!
After Season 3’s reintroduction of arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (portrayed by Michael Cudlitz), the episode cliffhangers with Luthor unleashing Doomsday on the Man of Steel, setting up the primetime adaptation of the comic book series's classic “Death of Superman” story arc. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, WB and DC teased the show's upcoming Final Season, set to premiere in a 2-hour event on The CW on Thursday, October 17, with a clip of the continuing confrontation between these two powerhouses.
From the trailer, the last ten episodes of the landmark show will tackle the outcome of Superman’s battle with Doomsday and its effect on his family as Luthor makes his most daring move. Whether it will lead to a “Reign of the Supermen” or “Return of Superman” interpretation is not entirely clear, but it has been rumored that there will be some major surprises for viewers. Former The Flash star Tom Cavanagh was brought on board to direct episodes this season and has eluded to the fact that he will also be playing a role in the drama, a character that he “may or may not” have played before.
With this being S&L's final season, fans have speculated that since the series is also the last of the shows on the network that emerged from the “Arrowverse,” audiences are hopeful that there might be some additional surprises, especially some that might tie the series back into the “Prime-Earth” continuity somehow. Fans have wondered if, besides Cavanagh’s mystery character, other former “Arrowverse” classmates might mark the occasion for a brave and the bold reunion. We’ll have to wait and see, but fortunately, the season will launch in the fall with the last episodes taking flight.
Here’s your “FansEyeView of the action in this “Sneak Peek” of Season 4 of The CW’s SUPERMAN & LOIS premiering this fall:
SUPERMAN & LOIS | starring Tyler Hoechin, Bitsie Tulloch, Emmanuelle Chrigui, Michael Cudlitz, Alexander Garfin, and Michael Bishop | returns for its Fourth and Final Season on The CW, Thursday., October 17. Check your local listings for details. Superman & Lois: The Complete Third Season is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download.
<<Spoiler Alert!>> The HQ.Remixed may be going away, but you can continue to get your dose of entertainment and pop-culture coverage at the central HQ, the OG ThrillseekerHQ site here. Also, visit our sister site TheFanzite.com (available on Apple News).
Comments