On Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8, with John Henry Irons in custody at the Department of Defense, Lois and Jonathan begin searching Irons’ trailer for answers, stumbling onto the truth that leaves them both shaken.
Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8 is a major episode for Lois, as learning the truth about John Henry Irons’ life on his Earth brings back the memory of the daughter that she and Clark lost when the boys were young (who shared the same name as Irons’ daughter).
Meanwhile, with the boys now in on the truth, Jonathan is trying to compensate for having a super-powered father and brother, getting himself into some serious trouble, physically and with his mom. Which one of those is worse?
‘Superman and Lois’ season 1, episode 8 review
Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8 is a beautifully raw episode of television, and unarguably the strongest episode of the season thus far. It’s a rare sight to see in the Arrowverse, but Superman and Lois is proving that the episodes about those without powers can be just as strong and important as those that do (if not more so, in some cases).
The idea to entangle Lois’ therapy session with the events of the episode was genius, and we really got to see just what Lois is truly capable of. On other shows, it feels like fans are always begging for a character to have some time in therapy to work through the trauma they’ve experienced, so it was nice to actually see Lois hit her breaking point, take control, and talk with someone. It’s a wonderful message to send to viewers.
Putting the focus on Jonathan, too, only strengthened the episode. Lois and Jonathan have so much in common, especially now that Jordan has powers, and it’s beautiful to see their bond grow (since Jonathan was much closer with Clark growing up). Jonathan has a lot to learn from Lois until he gets powers (assuming he does), as no one understands wanting to be a hero in a world full of aliens as much as she does. Bring on the lessons!
Overall, Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8 is a shockingly well-done hour of television, and brings my fears that have lingered about the show to rest. I was worried the show wouldn’t make much of an effort to truly show Lois as a titular character, but it’s clear that’s not the case.
(Right now, she’s written better than Superman himself.)
Lois’ trauma and her bond with Jonathan
What an incredible showing of Lois’ complex grief we saw on Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8. Revealing she had a miscarriage when the boys were young, a miscarriage she never really dealt with, is devastating, especially because the photo she showed Jonathan looked like she was fairly far along in her pregnancy.
It’s a true showing of how grief can stick with you even decades later, and Elizabeth “Bitsie” Tulloch gives a marvelous and devastating performance. Tulloch captures the many complicated emotions Lois is feeling at one time so effortlessly, the pain Lois felt over losing this daughter and nearly losing Jonathan was palpable. I don’t understand how anyone could have any doubt about her being the perfect Lois Lane at this point.
It’s also a sweet nod to how close Clark and Lois are that upon learning the truth of Irons’ life and his daughter, Clark instantly started questioning how Lois was doing. That’s something that would likely go over most husbands’ heads. They have such a beautiful relationship, and it’s nice to see it given the focus and love it deserves, even if it’s just with little things like that.
Lois and Jonathan have such a sweet and understanding relationship, it’s nice to see their similarities bringing them together. (I’ll take watching Jonathan with any parent over Jordan at all, though, so…)
I feel for Jonathan. It’s unimaginable to be in his situation and know how you’d react to being the kid who didn’t get powers, but I’d say he’s handling it better than most. Despite showing as a stubborn, ignorant jock at the beginning, we’re really seeing just how deep Jonathan actually is. He’s proving how capable he is of handling the super-powered lifestyle, and is clearly emotionally strong, being a rock for his brother and now, to an extent, his mother.
Jonathan is probably going to be getting into trouble in the near future, though, as he seems like he’s going to be a bit (or a lot) reckless as he struggles to reconcile with being the powerless, vulnerable child.
I also wonder how seeing the video of alternate Earth Clark killing Lois is going to impact him. He has the understanding that it’s not actually them, at least, but how can you really separate that? It’s still a video of his father killing his mother, which will likely make him more protective of Lois and more distrustful of Clark. (Poor Clark. Everyone really needs to give him a break and stop expecting him to turn on everything he knows and loves…)
Maybe watching this video will create a rift between Jonathan and Jordan, who are now getting closer with the opposite parent that they were close to growing up. And if anyone is going to lose control and turn on humanity right now, that’s going to be Jordan.
Sarah and Kyle Cushing
While Sarah auditioning for the school play wasn’t the most interesting story on Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8, it definitely showed another side to the Cushing family. Kyle missing her audition (particularly when he was playing a major role in it as her guitarist) is just another in a long list of times that Kyle has let Sarah down, making the tension between them much more understandable.
Kyle always puts himself first, and after the debacle at Edge Enercorp with Leslie and Lana telling him two different things about why he didn’t get the leadership role, he pulled out his bottles of alcohol and drank away his sorrows. Clearly this was not the first time that Sarah has walked in on a drunken Kyle after missing another moment of her life, so it’s hard to root for this relationship to be repaired.
Yes, Kyle has a disease, and I hope he’ll start to put his family first and get help, but that seems rather unlikely in the near future. He seemed rather ashamed when Sarah walked in, but not enough to seek help. For right now, Lana and Sarah deserve better, and I want to see them leave Kyle behind until he puts in the work to help himself and be a better partner and father.
It’s only a matter of time before he learns Lana lied to him and goes to Edge personally. If Kyle somehow ends up with powers, especially given his current issues, it’s going to be a disaster.
‘Superman and Lois’ season 1, episode 8 final thoughts
All in all, I’m very impressed with Superman and Lois season 1, episode 8. While this may be another superhero show, it’s not just another superhero show. The writers are digging into complex issues with grief, power, and alcoholism, which is exciting for what comes next. These stories are being given the thought and care they deserve, instead of being surface-level problems that are never brought up again as far too many shows opt for.
Lois has been very focused on uncovering the truth about Morgan Edge, so she hadn’t had time to really deal with any of the major life changes they had experienced. While I’m still waiting on that, it’s nice to see her have some kind of powerful, emotional arc tied into one of the bigger stories.
I’m hoping to see more from Clark, though. Tyler Hoechlin has proven himself the perfect Clark Kent already, but I want to see more. Clark’s story is all about everyone else (Jordan’s powers, Lois’ investigation into Edge, or General Lane’s kryptonite experiments), and we haven’t seen a real emotional arc since his mother died in the pilot episode.
With John Henry Irons released from the Department of Defense as everyone prepares for the war that Morgan Edge is on the brink of starting, I have no idea how his story will progress. Considering Steel is a hero in the comics, it’s safe to assume that he’ll be fighting alongside Superman against Edge’s army when the time comes as part of his redemption. Whether he’ll survive and become a fully-fledged hero on this Earth is a bit trickier to predict.
This season is shaping up to be one of the best of the entire Arrowverse. For right now, things are a bit calmer in Smallville… but with all of that kryptonite at the DoD, bad things are coming.
Superman and Lois continues Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW!
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