Review: Superman and Lois Pilot – “a darker tone w/ rich characters”

DC has had a hard time with the Man of Steel on the big screen, specifically when it comes to storytelling. However, on the small screen, he seems to shine. When Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) made his first appearance in season 2 of Supergirl, many fans hoped that Clark Kent would finally come back to tv. And after a handful of cameos, Superman finally is back home on The CW.

The first 30 minutes of this pilot moves as fast as The Flash. Superman & Lois doesn’t dwell on the Man of Steel’s backstory. Instead, quick edits give you a glimpse of Clark Kent growing up in Smallville and dawning the Superman suit. Thrown in is a brief snippet of Clark and Lois’ (Elizabeth Tulloch) love story; Starting from when they first met and ultimately ending with their lives now as parents living in Metropolis. 

Clark has a hard time balancing being a superhero and raising his twin boys (who have no clue their father is Superman).

When tragedy strikes, the Kent family has to make their way back to Smallville. There, Clark and Lois are in for a rude awakening, and so are their twins.

There’s also a setup for the show’s villain, The Stranger. You forget about him after he’s introduced, but when he appears again, it’s a doozy. There’s a huge twist that will have some fans jumping for joy.  

The look and feel of this superhero drama is entirely different from its predecessors. It is darker in both storytelling and visuals. There’s also no quirky background music and no quick-witted team.

We have met Clark and Lois in a few cameos throughout the Arrowverse, but this pilot doesn’t even acknowledge the existence of those.  There’s also no mention of his super cousin Kara Danvers.

If the goal were to step away from the Arrowverse, it would have been beneficial to have a pilot episode that gave a full backstory instead of crushing everything into the pilot. Yes, people know the story of Superman. But you are trying to sell Superman and Lois in a different way than we know them from appearances on Supergirl. Let’s see their story, and let’s fall in love with these characters before starting a new show.

The casting of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch has always been a win. The duo’s chemistry is off the charts, and they play well off of each other. I was also impressed with the twins’ casting, Johnathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alex Garfin). They share an excellent brotherly bond, and it was nice to see siblings get along instead of having them be at odds.  

The overall story is compelling, and the pilot plants seeds for an intriguing season. As I said, Superman and Lois moves lightning fast. There’s a lot of information that showrunners slammed into a 90-minute pilot, which makes it feel a little clunky.

Superman and Lois is more cinematic than any DC show that’s been on The CW. In fact, it doesn’t feel like a CW show at all. It has a darker tone with rich characters, and I, for one, am really excited to see where the season leads.