Spoilers "Superman & Lois" Season 1 spoiler discussion!
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Superman and Lois
Season 1 - Episode 10 - "O Mother, Where Art Thou?"
Last week, Edge dropped a bomb on Superman by telling him that no only is he an alien, but his "brother".
Clark/SM / Lois: Clark is confused by Edge's proposal, but with his family at risk, he does not want to leave...but has to. Going to the fortress, holo-daddy tells Clark that he was not told about Edge's claims, the Kryptonian consciousness, Lara's invention of the Eradicator device, etc., because there was not "a need". Clark is on his own.
Lois theorizes that Edge gave Superman time to think (instead of attempting to kill him outright) because he needs time for the machine to finish transforming his subjects. Superman, Sam and the DOD find Donovan and the Eradicator machine, but Donovan knows little about it, saying that they should find the one who designed it--meaning Lara.
Jonathan and Jordan take Sarah to see Kyle at the DOD holding facility, but Sam initially prevents that from happening. Arguing that Sam should act like a person, rather than a secretive soldier, Sam relents. However, the alters Kyle does not recognize Sarah at all...but instantly remembers Jonathan (who shot him with one of Irons' alien rifles) and promises to kill him the moment he escapes.
Needing a volunteer to test the Eradicator / try to revive Lara, Lana steps up, since she--being from Smallville--was exposed to X-Kryptonite as much as anyone else. Lois tries to talk her out of it, but Lana stands her ground, stating that she--and Kyle--are responsible for Edge gaining as much ground with his project as he did.
Edge/Larr: Edge calls himself Tal-Rho, who claims he was Lara's first child when she was matched to another man years before she married Jor-El and conceived Kal-El. He was sent to earth long before any other member of that species, with the purpose to restoring Kryptonian heritage. He argues that his work with X-Kryptonite was intended to restore not only heritage, but actual life--at the expense of all mankind, and one of those restored lives would be Lara. Getting nothing except resistance, he attacks Superman, warning him that if he does not stand by his side. he will be killed.
That evening, Tal-Edge is convinced Superman will not join him, so he's settled in the idea that Superman needs to die.
Returning to the Eradicator lab, he (and Larr) discover the machine is missing. He yells at the woman to "prepare for our arrival". Later, he meets Superman in yet another field, and recalls that he--unlike Kal-El--was not greeted by humans, but hunted (in the British countryside). He was captured an experimented on, then escaped--after using his powers to kill an unknown number of people. Superman says all humans are not like that, but Edge says they are--especially when they're afraid, and adds that he's going make mankind afraid of them again...
As he tries to sell his hostile takeover of earth, a number of augmented Samllville residents take to the sky, heading toward Superman. Flying back to Smallville, he tells Sam that with his own energy, he can create the equivalent of a solar flare to power the device, thus triggering the reversal process (with Sam noting he'd be out of commission for days. That said, Sam has no options, and agrees with Superman's plan.
Superman obtains the device, as his family watches. Firing heat vision into it, the device activates, and successfully removes the Kryptonian essence from the Smallville residents. At the DOD holding center, Kyle collapses, but slowly comes to, with Sarah calling out to him...
Lois checks on Lana, who has also made a full recovery. Edge is nowhere to be found, so Sam orders his people to search the planet to find him. Meanwhile, Superman lands at the fortress, so weak he has to crawl toward it.
At an undefined desert setting, Larr greets Edge, who mentions that although they are the the only Kryptonians left, they will not be on their own for much longer...
Jonathan / Jordan Kent: Jonathan wonders if the alt-Superman agreed to that world's Egde's proposal, hoping to restore his mother and culture, perhaps leading that Superman to turn on mankind. He fears that such an offer to see lost loved ones (and the rest of his species) might be enticing to Clark, but Lois disagrees, saying the difference between the alt-Superman and this one is that Clark has a life--a family here. His family.
Jonathan decides to tell Sarah what's happened to Kyle (despite Jordan's disapproval)--and that Lana and Kyle are not to blame for recent events.
Jonathan prods Jordan to just support the depressed Sarah. She admits that the last time she saw her real father, she was shitty to him, calling him a drunk, She now wants him back.
Sam Lane: While in the DOD holding facility, the possessed Kyle threatens Sam and his family, and is promptly subjected to a DOD version of Star Trek's Agony Booth.
Kyle/Lana/Sarah: Sarah--being especially petulant--makes assumptions about Kyle's recent disappearances and leaves the house; Lana asks Kyle for as much information about his "change" as possible. When Lois cannot reach Lana, she decides to pay her a visit, with Sam sending a DOD unit to find Kyle. Kyle's Kryptonian side emerges, forcing him to attack Lana and Lois; although Lois temporarily hold him off with a Kryptonite device, the possessed Kyle rises, but thanks to the arrival of Sam and his DOD soldiers, Kyle is apprehended.
Later, Lana shares her discovery of a Dr. Dabney Donovan, who left a prominent position at M.I.T to work for Egde on the Eradicator device....
Lana lays in the Eradicator machine, its effects causing her to writhe in pain. When the process is over, Lana emerges, as Lara, addressing Kal-El by name. She says the technology was not designed to replace another race. She explains that she bailed on Tal-Rho's father when she fell in love with Jor-El, thus validating Tal-Rho's story. She's pleased that he had an adoptive mother who loved him, and his relationship with Lois.
Lana/Lara informs Sam that each subject needs to be placed in the machine again to release the Kryptonian essence; Superman suggests they need to do treat the subjects all at once--which would require the energy of a sun,...
NOTES:
A Superman production with Kryptonians attempting to eliminate mankind (supplanting them with Kryptonian souls is just as bad as killing them off in another way). Hmm...
GRADE: C+.
Season 1 - Episode 10 - "O Mother, Where Art Thou?"
Last week, Edge dropped a bomb on Superman by telling him that no only is he an alien, but his "brother".
Clark/SM / Lois: Clark is confused by Edge's proposal, but with his family at risk, he does not want to leave...but has to. Going to the fortress, holo-daddy tells Clark that he was not told about Edge's claims, the Kryptonian consciousness, Lara's invention of the Eradicator device, etc., because there was not "a need". Clark is on his own.
Lois theorizes that Edge gave Superman time to think (instead of attempting to kill him outright) because he needs time for the machine to finish transforming his subjects. Superman, Sam and the DOD find Donovan and the Eradicator machine, but Donovan knows little about it, saying that they should find the one who designed it--meaning Lara.
Jonathan and Jordan take Sarah to see Kyle at the DOD holding facility, but Sam initially prevents that from happening. Arguing that Sam should act like a person, rather than a secretive soldier, Sam relents. However, the alters Kyle does not recognize Sarah at all...but instantly remembers Jonathan (who shot him with one of Irons' alien rifles) and promises to kill him the moment he escapes.
Needing a volunteer to test the Eradicator / try to revive Lara, Lana steps up, since she--being from Smallville--was exposed to X-Kryptonite as much as anyone else. Lois tries to talk her out of it, but Lana stands her ground, stating that she--and Kyle--are responsible for Edge gaining as much ground with his project as he did.
Edge/Larr: Edge calls himself Tal-Rho, who claims he was Lara's first child when she was matched to another man years before she married Jor-El and conceived Kal-El. He was sent to earth long before any other member of that species, with the purpose to restoring Kryptonian heritage. He argues that his work with X-Kryptonite was intended to restore not only heritage, but actual life--at the expense of all mankind, and one of those restored lives would be Lara. Getting nothing except resistance, he attacks Superman, warning him that if he does not stand by his side. he will be killed.
That evening, Tal-Edge is convinced Superman will not join him, so he's settled in the idea that Superman needs to die.
Returning to the Eradicator lab, he (and Larr) discover the machine is missing. He yells at the woman to "prepare for our arrival". Later, he meets Superman in yet another field, and recalls that he--unlike Kal-El--was not greeted by humans, but hunted (in the British countryside). He was captured an experimented on, then escaped--after using his powers to kill an unknown number of people. Superman says all humans are not like that, but Edge says they are--especially when they're afraid, and adds that he's going make mankind afraid of them again...
As he tries to sell his hostile takeover of earth, a number of augmented Samllville residents take to the sky, heading toward Superman. Flying back to Smallville, he tells Sam that with his own energy, he can create the equivalent of a solar flare to power the device, thus triggering the reversal process (with Sam noting he'd be out of commission for days. That said, Sam has no options, and agrees with Superman's plan.
Superman obtains the device, as his family watches. Firing heat vision into it, the device activates, and successfully removes the Kryptonian essence from the Smallville residents. At the DOD holding center, Kyle collapses, but slowly comes to, with Sarah calling out to him...
Lois checks on Lana, who has also made a full recovery. Edge is nowhere to be found, so Sam orders his people to search the planet to find him. Meanwhile, Superman lands at the fortress, so weak he has to crawl toward it.
At an undefined desert setting, Larr greets Edge, who mentions that although they are the the only Kryptonians left, they will not be on their own for much longer...
Jonathan / Jordan Kent: Jonathan wonders if the alt-Superman agreed to that world's Egde's proposal, hoping to restore his mother and culture, perhaps leading that Superman to turn on mankind. He fears that such an offer to see lost loved ones (and the rest of his species) might be enticing to Clark, but Lois disagrees, saying the difference between the alt-Superman and this one is that Clark has a life--a family here. His family.
Jonathan decides to tell Sarah what's happened to Kyle (despite Jordan's disapproval)--and that Lana and Kyle are not to blame for recent events.
Jonathan prods Jordan to just support the depressed Sarah. She admits that the last time she saw her real father, she was shitty to him, calling him a drunk, She now wants him back.
Sam Lane: While in the DOD holding facility, the possessed Kyle threatens Sam and his family, and is promptly subjected to a DOD version of Star Trek's Agony Booth.
Kyle/Lana/Sarah: Sarah--being especially petulant--makes assumptions about Kyle's recent disappearances and leaves the house; Lana asks Kyle for as much information about his "change" as possible. When Lois cannot reach Lana, she decides to pay her a visit, with Sam sending a DOD unit to find Kyle. Kyle's Kryptonian side emerges, forcing him to attack Lana and Lois; although Lois temporarily hold him off with a Kryptonite device, the possessed Kyle rises, but thanks to the arrival of Sam and his DOD soldiers, Kyle is apprehended.
Later, Lana shares her discovery of a Dr. Dabney Donovan, who left a prominent position at M.I.T to work for Egde on the Eradicator device....
Lana lays in the Eradicator machine, its effects causing her to writhe in pain. When the process is over, Lana emerges, as Lara, addressing Kal-El by name. She says the technology was not designed to replace another race. She explains that she bailed on Tal-Rho's father when she fell in love with Jor-El, thus validating Tal-Rho's story. She's pleased that he had an adoptive mother who loved him, and his relationship with Lois.
Lana/Lara informs Sam that each subject needs to be placed in the machine again to release the Kryptonian essence; Superman suggests they need to do treat the subjects all at once--which would require the energy of a sun,...
NOTES:
A Superman production with Kryptonians attempting to eliminate mankind (supplanting them with Kryptonian souls is just as bad as killing them off in another way). Hmm...
GRADE: C+.
I found the movie a slog to watch but it seems to have a lot of Brightburn in its DNA as well.
A slog? I saw that movie 4 times at the cinema. Probably the most fun I’ve had in a movie
It's the first mention of the Eradicator in the Arrowverse. But it's fitting, since they're also featuring Steel in this arc. Plus Dabney Donovan, who in the comics is the founder of Cadmus, the organization that created the clone Superboy. All they need is for David Harewood to show up as Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman (who as far as we know is still alive).
Tal-Roh (Edge's real name) and his father Zeta-Roh are apparently brand new characters, although it's interesting that "Tal-Roh" is one letter off from an anagram of "Luthor." The idea of Lara having an unrevealed previous husband and son is a novelty, though surprisingly reminiscent of Sybok's backstory in Star Trek V. Also, the idea of Kryptonians being genetically matched to mates is one that I think has been around since John Byrne's The Man of Steel and was featured in Snyder's Man of Steel and the Krypton TV series. I'm not sure how well it fits with Supergirl's portrayal of Zor-El and Alura, though.
We did finally get one bit of continuity with Supergirl, indirectly, with Superman using the same "Solar Flare" heat-vision overload that Supergirl has used from time to time, with the same effect of burning out their powers completely for several days. Although the ability originated in the comics about half a year before Supergirl premiered, so it's maybe not an intentional nod.
Okay, so if the Eradicator took away their Kryptonian powers and personalities while they were high up in the air, how the heck did they land safely? Did it take time for the powers to wear off? For that matter, how does implanting Kryptonian consciousnesses give them Kryptonian powers -- and vulnerability to kryptonite, as with Kyle?
Think that’s what the X-K component of Edge’s process is for. It gave Tag Kryptonian powers independent of the Eradicator device.
Oh, that's right. Thanks.
But does that mean all the Smallvillians (Smallvillites?) who went through the process still have superpowers? Is that why they survived the fall?
Good question! I was watching the episode myself, and kept hoping they'd survive the fall. While I'm glad they did, it does raise some interesting questions. Maybe they will retain their powers, and that will be a subplot throughout the rest of the series: humans who have Kryptonian powers and struggle daily to deal with them.
Great episode! I always love the Krypton mythology. The scenes with Kal-El and his mom in Lana were really touching. The show also does justice to the Superman character. He stands up for what is right and his sacrifice to save all the people possessed by Kryptonians was very noble and very Superman-like. And a great cliffhanger with Superman barely making it to the Fortress of Solitude and Edge apparently planning his next move.
My understanding is that "Morgan Edge" is just his fake Earth name, like "Clark Kent" for Superman. "Edge" is a real Kryptonian and the real half-brother to Superman. It was explained in the episode that Superman's mother was married to someone else before she was married to Superman's dad. She had "Edge" first and then left his dad when she fell in love with Superman's dad.
That Edge got lost in Crisis.
Yes. I wonder if in the post-Crisis history, Tal-Roh killed the real Edge and stole his identity, which would explain why they look and sound nothing alike. (Wouldn't explain Sam Lane's recasting, though.)
Maybe or Superman & Lois is a different continuity.
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