Spoilers "Superman & Lois": The Fourth and Final Season

[Commander Troi]

Agreed. Clark's decision was handled very well.

 

[Ovation]

An overall observation rather than a comment on the episode (though it was quite good). There are plenty of other shows that don't need to keep going (and for which their budgets could go to this one). I know it doesn't work that way...but, just this once, perhaps it should (does the world really need all those Bachelor shows?!). Just sayin'.

 

[The Realist]

The upside is that the show is going out from a position of incredible, almost defiant, power and strength. These last two episodes, in particular, are all-time classics for the characters and the genre. We don't have to watch the series stagger, wheezing, to a conclusion after long since losing all creative steam.

As for the CW's new management, and their part in S&L's early demise, I take some satisfaction in knowing that I will have absolutely no reason to tune to their network ever again after December 2.

 

[Christopher]

The upside is that the show is going out from a position of incredible, almost defiant, power and strength. These last two episodes, in particular, are all-time classics for the characters and the genre. We don't have to watch the series stagger, wheezing, to a conclusion after long since losing all creative steam.

It's definitely improved massively on the first 2-3 episodes of the season. Doomsday and Luthor were both weak characters; the show is better when it minimizes them and focuses more on the Kent-Lanes and the Smallvillians. Unfortunately, we'll have to deal with Luthor again for the remaining three episodes.

As for the CW's new management, and their part in S&L's early demise, I take some satisfaction in knowing that I will have absolutely no reason to tune to their network ever again after December 2.

They do have a limited series upcoming next year, a British co-production called Sherlock & Daughter with David Thewlis as Holmes, that I'm a little curious about. Might be cheesy, might not. Otherwise, I doubt I'll have much use for The CW anymore. The new The Librarians sequel series was commissioned by The CW, but they dropped it and it'll be on TNT now.

 

[The Realist]

It's definitely improved massively on the first 2-3 episodes of the season. Doomsday and Luthor were both weak characters; the show is better when it minimizes them and focuses more on the Kent-Lanes and the Smallvillians. Unfortunately, we'll have to deal with Luthor again for the remaining three episodes.

Fortunately for me, I don't share your dislike of the show's Luthor. Can't wait for next week, and to see how he comes off in his more traditional clean-shaven and business-suited guise.

Also, the peak moment of last week's stellar outing was Clark and Lex's rain-drenched smackdown, which would have been a difficult thing to pull off in Luthor's absence.

 

[JD]

An overall observation rather than a comment on the episode (though it was quite good). There are plenty of other shows that don't need to keep going (and for which their budgets could go to this one). I know it doesn't work that way...but, just this once, perhaps it should (does the world really need all those Bachelor shows?!). Just sayin'.

The Bachelor shows are on ABC which is a Disney owned station, so them being on or not has no impact on the amount of money that goes to a show on the WB owned CW. For a shows' cancellations to affect a CW show's budget, it would have to be on CW or maybe another WB owned networks like TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, or the Discovery networks.

 

[Christopher]

Also, the peak moment of last week's stellar outing was Clark and Lex's rain-drenched smackdown, which would have been a difficult thing to pull off in Luthor's absence.

To each one's own. I felt it diminished Clark by reducing him to that. I've been saying all along that what I hated about The Death of Superman was that it reduced Superman to mere punching, when he's so much more than that.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The Bachelor shows are on ABC which is a Disney owned station, so them being on or not has no impact on the amount of money that goes to a show on the WB owned CW. For a shows' cancellations to affect a CW show's budget, it would have to be on CW or maybe another WB owned networks like TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, or the Discovery networks.

WB sold their stake in the CW awhile back.

 

[JD]

Who's in charge of it now?

 

[Christopher]

Who's in charge of it now?

The CW - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The CW Network, LLC[3][4] (commonly referred to as the CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network that is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75-percent ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the first letters of the names of its two founding co-owners CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Nexstar closed its acquisition of a controlling interest in the network on October 3, 2022, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery (CBS Corporation and Warner Bros.' respective successors) each retaining a 12.5-percent ownership stake.[5][6][7]

So Warner Bros. still has a partial stake, apparently.

 

[The Realist]

To each one's own. I felt it diminished Clark by reducing him to that. I've been saying all along that what I hated about The Death of Superman was that it reduced Superman to mere punching, when he's so much more than that.

Clark regretted it as well. I fall more on the boys' side on that question, but in any case, it was the emotions driving it that were more important to me than whether it's what Clark "should" have done. Plus I found the execution -- the visuals, the music, the direction -- to be rivetingly effective regardless.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Who's in charge of it now?

Nextstar Media with 75%

I was wrong WB still owns 12.5 % and Paramount also has 12.5%.

 

[JD]

The CW - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So Warner Bros. still has a partial stake, apparently.

Nextstar Media with 75%

I was wrong WB still owns 12.5 % and Paramount also has 12.5%.

Thanks. So I guess there are a lot more options where more money for CW shows could come from, but ABC still isn't one of them.
And it sounds like they're trying to keep costs down on the shows they are producing, so sadly I think the days of bigger budget shows like the Arrowverse, Supernatural, and The 100 are over.

 

[Commander Troi]

CW is closing its whole "scripted" department. No new anything.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

@Commander Troi
I was just coming her to post that same thing

The CW Undergoes Layoffs With Scripted & PR Hit Hard; Read Brad Schwartz’s Memo To Staff

Layoffs are underway at the CW. According to sources, as many as 35 people have been let go, with scripted PR particularly hard hit.

deadline.com

The entire "scripted" department is being let go as the CW shifts its focus to Game Shows and Sports coverage. I'm already seeing it. Those times I'm flipping through the channels on the weekend, I'm seeing a lot of golf, basketball, and racing being aired.​

 

[Christopher]

Clark regretted it as well. I fall more on the boys' side on that question, but in any case, it was the emotions driving it that were more important to me than whether it's what Clark "should" have done. Plus I found the execution -- the visuals, the music, the direction -- to be rivetingly effective regardless.

I'm not talking about what Clark should've done, I'm talking about what the writers should've done. I don't like them choosing to approach the narrative in that way. I like stories about emotions, but I've never been a fan of the idea that the way to explore emotions is to have two guys punch each other a lot.

 

[Samurai8472]

I just found out this episode was directed by Gregory Smith who used to be in "Everwood" on the WB opposite Smallville.

Also recurring character Emmett is played bAdrian McMorran who was in the very first episode of Smallville(Electric Kryptonite) is at the tail end of another Superman series

 

[The Realist]

I just found out this episode was directed by Gregory Smith who used to be in "Everwood" on the WB opposite Smallville.

And his younger brother Douglas Smith played Jimmy.

Also recurring character Emmett is played bAdrian McMorran who was in the very first episode of Smallville(Electric Kryptonite) is at the tail end of another Superman series

That's wild. Did not know that.

 

[JD]

CW is closing its whole "scripted" department. No new anything.

@Commander Troi
I was just coming her to post that same thing

The CW Undergoes Layoffs With Scripted & PR Hit Hard; Read Brad Schwartz’s Memo To Staff

Layoffs are underway at the CW. According to sources, as many as 35 people have been let go, with scripted PR particularly hard hit.

deadline.com

The entire "scripted" department is being let go as the CW shifts its focus to Game Shows and Sports coverage. I'm already seeing it. Those times I'm flipping through the channels on the weekend, I'm seeing a lot of golf, basketball, and racing being aired.​

I skimmed the article is says they will still have some scripted shows, they'll just all be co-production and foreign imports.

 

[Tosk]

Also recurring character Emmett is played bAdrian McMorran who was in the very first episode of Smallville(Electric Kryptonite) is at the tail end of another Superman series

Similarly, Dee Jay Jackson was in the first episodes of both Smallville and Superman & Lois. (Though he only returned once to Smallville but his S&L tenure has been at least a dozen eps throughout all four seasons.)