From the CW comes a new show featuring Superman’s greatest challenge yet: fatherhood.
“Superman & Lois” stars Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as they try to raise the latest additions to the Super-family, teen sons Jonathan and Jordan.
Despite the countless characters in the incredibly popular superhero genre, not many of them have settled down with a family of their own. From a production standpoint, a stable marriage fixes the character’s age and removes the illusion of the eternal youth of a long-running series. Plus, it lacks the intrigue of various romantic partners to keep the weekly comics fresh.
Most superhero stories focus on the effects on work and the social lives of their powered protagonists. “Superman & Lois” takes on these familiar beats and adds on the challenges of family life.
While not entirely necessary, it’s a nice touch that Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin were chosen to look like they could biologically be Hoechlin and Tulloch’s kids. The young actors face a tough job as the emotional corner of the show, and by and large, they succeed. Occasionally, they over-act just a little bit, but overall they give believable performances.
Personally, Garfin’s Jordan is more likable, as his struggle with social anxiety contrasts with the confidence in his athletic brother Jonathan. However, I could be biased because Garfin voiced Linus in “The Peanuts Movie” a few years back. It also helps that he gets the best line of the pilot episode:
“You may have been sent here to be a hero, but you sure as hell weren’t sent here to be a father.”
Almost thrown away, Garfin’s delivery sells the deep hurt behind the impactful line. Although it’s a pretty brutal takedown, he isn’t wrong.
Garfin isn’t the only noteworthy performance in the episode. Hoechlin’s Superman has an earnestness you can’t help but trust and believe in. You believe him when he smiles and joyfully tells someone his mom made his costume before flying off. He’s honest in his highs and lows as he carries the weight of the world on his flannel-clad shoulders.
Coming into the episode, I was worried about the overall continuity of “the Arrowverse,” especially considering the large-scale crossovers it has become known for. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that “Superman & Lois” seems to be following an independent story.
There’s no better place than Smallville, Kansas to tackle the problems facing contemporary Middle America. However, the first episode puts more focus on Clark than Lois, so hopefully the show will give her more character development as it progresses.
Like any superhero adaptation worth its salt these days, “Superman & Lois” pays homage to the storied history of its source material with enough well-placed references to satisfy the hardcore fans but doesn’t saddle itself with calling back to every comic, movie and cartoon under the sun.
I’m excited to come back every Tuesday and see what the Kent family will do, which I haven’t felt for a superhero show since my dad and I would sit down and watch “The Flash” when I was in high school.
