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

[The Realist]

Lots of tears in my house over that final act. I've long said that, to me, the heart and soul of the Superman legend is the love story of Lois Lane and Clark Kent. This great show understood that on the most profound and fundamental level, and honored it with enormous feeling in its final minutes.

It was clear, given where we left off last week, that the show was going to have to devote some portion of the hour to plot mechanics, which was basically the first three acts. It was all pretty good, but ultimately felt a little hasty and by-the-numbers. The show knew it had more important character and emotional fish to fry. (The first couple of acts were also noticeably short -- about five minutes each -- leaving more time for the later stuff that really mattered.)

The fourth act ("one year later") was nice, bringing back all the surviving characters and giving them appropriate sendoffs into their respective futures. I was happy for John Henry and Lana, the former of whom, in particular, has been among my favorites of the show's supporting characters (along with Nat and the late, lamented Sam).

But that last act ... as soon as Clark said that he lived 32 more years, I knew it was tearjerking time. And boy, did the show deliver. Every minute of that final act wrecked me, in the best, most moving, most cathartic, most satisfying way. The funnybook fan in me loved seeing Superman, his Superboys, Steel, and Starlight all flying together. But the stuff after that -- Lois's death, Clark's time alone after her passing (with Krypto), Clark's own death, and his passage and reunion with Lois -- so sorrowful, and then ultimately so beautiful. (And I thought it was a lovely grace note that Luthor was there, seemingly himself filled with sadness and regret, and that Clark could share that moment of forgiveness with him.)

I remember saying back in the first season that this show was a gift to us Superman fans, and it only became more so over the course of its run. Thank you to all the creative team and the wonderful cast -- especially to Bitsie Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin, who gave us such richly human versions of their beloved characters, and an unforgettable telling of their unique love story.

 

[thribs]

At least the DCEU went out strong with Justice League

 

[StarTrek1701]

At least the DCEU went out strong with Justice League

The DCEU went out with Orm the Ocean Master eating a bug with his burger.

 

[thribs]

The DCEU went out with Orm the Ocean Master eating a bug with his burger.

Just ignore those ones.

 

[StarTrek1701]

Earlier this year DSC ended and tonight S&L ended. Same feelings, likean end of an era. This one started way out in 2001 when Smallville started.

 

[Tosk]

I cried equal amounts of happy tears and sad tears.

That's my finale review.

 

[Christopher]

I didn't mind most of the final sequence, but "Double-exposed ghost stands up from their corpse" was already a cheesy cliche 50 years ago, so it pulled me out of the moment. I'm not crazy about stories that depict the afterlife as literally existing, but I guess it's consistent if this series belongs to the same multiverse as Constantine, Legends of Tomorrow, and Lucifer. But when you go to the afterlife, aren't you supposed to be reunited with people who are actually dead, instead of illusions of what your kids looked like as teenagers, or whatever? I get that it was more symbolic than literal, a way for the cast to take a final curtain call, and they couldn't bring back every guest actor for a cameo, but it seemed wrong that Sam Lane wasn't there, or Tal-Rho, or Ma and Pa Kent or Jor-El and Lara (Ma and Pa El?).

Come to think of it, did we ever see Pa Kent on this series?

 

[Mudd]

He fell down and died in the pilot.

People have weird experiences near death. They are not literal. If one is uncomfortable with sentimentality, this entire scene and narration may be seen as Clark's internal process as his awareness fades out of existence at last.

And what the hell - this is a comic book, and we're posting on a board dedicated to a "science fiction series for adults" which has always treated the existence of eternal souls as literal fact.

 

[Mudd]

TVLINE | When Clark and Lois are reunited, are we calling this heaven? Or are we leaving that up to interpretation?
HELBING | I think it’s up for interpretation. What he says in the montage is, “The first time I died, I saw darkness. And then the light came back.” We love to do misdirects on this show, so at the beginning of the season, it was like, “Yeah, we’re doing the Death of Superman.” But what we were really talking about was the end — that was the death of Superman. And we wanted that to be full of light, and hopeful, and to represent everything that he and Lois stood for.

TVLINE | Then it’s only fitting that she should get to wear that incredible red dress again. It deserves its own billing at this point.
FLETCHER | For Clark, everything is being framed at its best. When he sees the boys, they’re young again, because the most connected he ever was to them was at that age. When she wore that dress to [to the awards gala], it was the most perfect moment of their love for him, so when she meets him in that dress, it’s just everything at its best. That was the intent behind it.

Link

 

[The Realist]

I don't think I actually believe in an afterlife, but I did last night. And what are fantasy stories for, if not to let us believe in things, if only for a moment?

 

[FreezeC77]

I'm glad I recorded the episode because I had to stop and wait a few minutes after Lois died.

For the episode itself I feel like Doomsday/Bizarro was actually a satisfying conclusion and seeing him happy and content to finally die FOR REAL and not be forced to continue on being disintegrated by the sun was a cool moment.

Although it makes you wonder why he was dead 'longer' this time and Clark could take him to the sun than their past fight. Also a lingering question. Did Bizarro-Lana and Bizarro-Jon just stay locked up the rest of their lives?

There were some really dodgy fx moments in the Doomsday appearance. Some of the shots of him on the street in Smallville you could almost literally see the 'outline' of him contrasting with the actual real world... but yea we know budget was cut for this season.

Which brings to the Luthor fight and so much being in the clouds and not shown really. The stuff with Clark having to struggle to barely remove a Kryptonite screw that he used all his strength to keep from fully implanting into his body then the next second the OTHER screws were removed and one had burrowed even further then the first one.

I think I may have rather seen some clips of Jordan and Jon (and Steel/Starlight) making saves or doing superhero stuff and shaved 30 secs to a minute off the final 'epilogue'.

Jordan telling Sara he was happy doing it would have had more impact if you had seen him doing it either right before or after that statement IMO.

As for the epilogue. It was definitely a 'finish' to the story. What I believe or don't believe in the afterlife in real life doesn't matter much. We don't have superpowered aliens flying around here.

Also while not set in the main Arrowverse universe, it was a tangent world and in the Arrowverse we've seen the afterlife and Heaven/hell/purgatory exist.

One thing I did wonder... With it being emphasized by Clark how the 'first time' he died was just darkness, it made think. Is it possible the interpretation is that Sam giving up a human heart to Clark and Clark then having a 'human life' may have actually given him a 'ticket' to an afterlife he wouldn't have gotten as a full-Kryptonian? Or is it just simply a "wasn't really his time after death 1"

Or is it just final gasps of a dying brain sending random imagery hence the twins going back to teenage form, seeing his still alive grandkids, still alive (probably) friends, etc...

There's a lot of different closure/ending to this beyond the show itself. A final (even if not even crossing over) nail in the Arrowverse coffin... A final nod to Smallville which certainly helped to jumpstart the DC TV presence... but also for me an end to dramas going back to the WB/UPN and then becoming CW. UPN and the WB launched when I was a junior in high school. Eventually UPN winning the battle with some shows from the WB moving over before rebranding into the CW.

So pouring one out for over a thousand hours of my life spent watching dramas on them/it.

 

[Mudd]

Also while not set in the main Arrowverse universe, it was a tangent world and in the Arrowverse we've seen the afterlife and Heaven/hell/purgatory exist.

There was never anything in the so-called "Arrowverse" that rose to the levels of this series.

I was surprised by the depth of the show in the very first episode, having no reason to expect it from the previous CW superhero series, and Superman & Lois never let me down.

Well, okay, the occasional plot moments over the years. But I'm a Star Trek fan; I've loved a franchise through far worse than anything herein.

 

[Romulan_spy]

WOW. That was a real series finale!

The fight scenes with Doomsday and Lex were epic and very cinematic. I was really struck by how movie level many of the shots were. It was very intentional. For example, the shot with Superman standing in main street with the wrecked heli in the background as you see his cape waving or the shot when he pushes Doomsday into the sun. The shots were purposely framed like iconic posters. I also loved Lois standing up to Lex where he says you can't beat me and she says "no but he will" as Superman comes flying in and grabs Lex. That was a "hell yeah!" moment. Also when Superman is hovering in the sky facing off with Lex and he keeps punching saying something to effect of "you will not hurt my family ever again". It had many of those fist pumping cheer moments. I could imagine being in the theater and the crowd erupting in cheers during those scenes.

And then the epilogue. Bring on the tissues. I loved seeing how Superman with his boys helped make the world better. I loved seeing that his boys grow up and have a family. Seeing old Clark and old Lois with their grandkids was wonderful.

But I will say that I kind of wish they had ended it with old Clark and old Lois sitting on the porch watching the sunset. Clark says something like "every day was better than the last". I feel like it would have ended the show on a more uplifting note. It would have left on a "and they lived happily ever after" kind of way.

The way they ended it with showing Lois die of cancer, and then Clark living alone with Krypto and then finally dying was a real downer for me. And yes, Clark's final monologue when he dies about the true meaning of life being love, joy, family, forgiveness was very touching. Seeing Clark go the light and seeing Lois in that red dress was amazing. It was a real tear jerker. I am guessing since it was the series finale, they wanted to completely close the book on the story. They did not want any loose ends. By showing Lois and Clark's death, there was definitely a finality about it. But it was still a downer for me.

 

[Mudd]

Romeo and Juliet. Roman Holiday. All the really good love stories end in separation and loss.

 

[Christopher]

But I will say that I kind of wish they had ended it with old Clark and old Lois sitting on the porch watching the sunset. Clark says something like "every day was better than the last". I feel like it would have ended the show on a more uplifting note. It would have left on a "and they lived happily ever after" kind of way.

The way they ended it with showing Lois die of cancer, and then Clark living alone with Krypto and then finally dying was a real downer for me. And yes, Clark's final monologue when he dies about the true meaning of life being love, joy, family, forgiveness was very touching. Seeing Clark go the light and seeing Lois in that red dress was amazing. It was a real tear jerker. I am guessing since it was the series finale, they wanted to completely close the book on the story. They did not want any loose ends. By showing Lois and Clark's death, there was definitely a finality about it. But it was still a downer for me.

Yeah... I did have mixed feelings about it. I liked getting the glimpses of the charity work they did, the reconciliation with Mannheim, and Krypto, but I could've done without seeing Lois and Clark die. Since this was the final installment of the Arrowverse, I would've rather seen it end on a more reassuringly open-ended note, a promise that the adventures would continue even if we didn't see them.

 

[Set Harth]

I also loved Lois standing up to Lex where he says you can't beat me and she says "no but he will" as Superman comes flying in and grabs Lex. That was a "hell yeah!" moment.

I wanted a parallel to that exact exchange to happen in a certain Star Wars show... but it was not to be.

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

Yeah... I did have mixed feelings about it. I liked getting the glimpses of the charity work they did, the reconciliation with Mannheim, and Krypto, but I could've done without seeing Lois and Clark die. Since this was the final installment of the Arrowverse, I would've rather seen it end on a more reassuringly open-ended note, a promise that the adventures would continue even if we didn't see them.

Honestly, who had that "bright idea"? "Yeah, let the hero and his wife die", why not? It's not as if Supes would be a symbol of hope, or something like this, and that this symbol of hope prevails, no matter, what. Arrrgh.

 

[FreezeC77]

Honestly, who had that "bright idea"? "Yeah, let the hero and his wife die", why not? It's not as if Supes would be a symbol of hope, or something like this, and that this symbol of hope prevails, no matter, what. Arrrgh.

Superman doesn't really have to live forever and Lois obviously isn't going to... but I think what would have been more impactful is seeing their legacy in longer clips. We're supposed to infer from starting their charity, and a newspaper clipping or two that hope *DID* prevail and that their legacy has made the world better for them being in it and them being together in it.

Very few beings ever 'change' the world (for good or for bad). I think we're supposed to take away from it that they did.

 

[Mudd]

"And the adventures continued..." is a more lamentable cliche than a dying ghost walking into a bright light. Both are lies about the nature of life, but at least the latter acknowledges the truth that it ends.

The ending was right, and will likely make this series unique in the canon, such as any real Superman canon exists. I certainly expected far less.

And thanks to John Byrne, who first took the silly rom-com relationship between Lois and Clark introduced in the Reeve Superman movies and elevated their relationship to become the central story element of the whole mythology. From the 1930s through the 80s, the comic book version of Supes related to Lois in an uncomfortably adolescent posture of teasing and denial juxtaposed to her endless longing and sulking. Byrne made it clear once and forever that Clark was head-over-heels for Lois from first meeting, rather than the other way around. That changed everything.

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

Superman doesn't really have to live forever and Lois obviously isn't going to...

True - but is this neccessary? After all, this is not reality, this is not real life, where people inevitable grow old and die. This is a television-series, that can end at any time.

"And the adventures continued..." is a more lamentable cliche than a dying ghost walking into a bright light.

In all honesty: I'd prefer that.