The following contains spoilers from Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 10, “It Went By So Fast” currently streaming on the CW app.
After the Warner Brothers Discovery merger and the sale of The CW to Nexstar, the fourth and final season of Superman and Lois it was a gift. The network unceremoniously canceled almost every other WB-produced series, making this show’s existence a miracle. With “It Happened So Fast”, Superman and Lois delivered a series finale with the most comprehensive retelling of Kal-El’s story to date. Despite the penultimate episode ending on a terrible cliffhanger, the final trailer for the series Superman and Lois ruined it. Rather than losing a fight against Doomsday, the Man of Steel had a final showdown with Lex Luthor in the sky. But even once the day is saved, for the Man of Tomorrow, nothing lasts forever.
“It Went By So Fast” covered a lot of narrative ground in a single hour, but it ultimately delivered a deeply satisfying ending to its story. The first half was an impressive visual effects extravaganza, even more exciting than the fight between Doomsday and Superman in the Season 4 premiere. Once the heroes defeat the villains, the rest of the episode covers the remainder of Clark Kent’s life and his legacy as a husband, father and Superman. The series also gave Superman and Lois Lane something they don’t usually get: a definitive ending to their story.
The Superman & Lois series finale gave Superman a proper final battle against Doomsday
The finale highlighted one of the series’ most important messages
As in their first confrontation, Superman lost the battle against Doomsday. He knew he couldn’t defeat the monster. All Superman could do was keep Doomsday busy and away from Smallville, Lois, and the boys. Only this time his plan didn’t work. As their fight decimated the city, Superman grew weaker. Reluctantly, Clark accepted help from his sons and John Henry Irons. Steel’s hammer was the key to winning the fight, knocking out Doomsday long enough for the tide to turn.
While the first fight against Doomsday was interspersed throughout the Season 4 premiere, this battle was quick. Superman took the monster into space to protect Smallville and the people of Earth from collateral damage, but this forced him to confront the creature alone. This time, the battle took place in and around Smallville, endangering the residents while allowing Superman’s friends to rally and help him. Throughout Superman and Loisthe Man of Steel only cared about protecting others, especially his boys. In the finale, Lois stopped supporting him in this regard, and that made all the difference. Rather than allowing his understandable but selfish isolation, Lois encouraged her husband to allow others to fight for and with him.
“The boys no longer live in a bubble. They live in the real world, with real threats… Alone [they’re not ready]Of course. But they have each other, and they have you. And that will have to be enough.” – Lois Lane begging Superman to let Jordan and Jonathan help him.
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The episode in which Clark revealed his identity was also about Superman’s inherent loneliness. Although he revealed the secret to his sons, John Henry, and others, he was accustomed to flying solo. Superman couldn’t defeat Doomsday alone, but with help, the creature was incapacitated long enough. Before the creature was Doomsday, he was Bizarro Superman. Waking up in space, the creature accepted its fate. Rather than harm anyone else, the Kal-El inside the monster surrendered, allowing Superman to push it into the sun. By burning, the Superman of the Inverse World found peace after having long known only his opposite. Not only was it a fitting and dramatic way to end the fight, but it was also a great emotional payoff for Superman and Lois in its entirety. The series focused on Superman realizing that he didn’t have to shoulder the burden of the world alone, and the series finale made sure of that.
The Superman & Lois series finale ended Superman and Lex Luthor’s rivalry in an emotionally satisfying way
The finale showcased the power of Superman’s humanity
After Doomsday’s death, Superman stayed for a while, allowing the sun to heal him. While Superman was off-planet, Lex went to work in his war suit. The first thing he did was pursue Amanda McCoy, ready to kill her for her so-called betrayal. Surprisingly, the twins saved her. Considering they held off Doomsday, it’s surprising that Lex was able to take them out so easily. He actually killed Jonathan, but Jordan was able to use a solar blast to restart his brother’s heart. After Lois weakened the Steel suit with John Henry’s bomb, Superman defeated Lex’s suit, dropping him to the ground.
The only reason Lex was a formidable opponent was Superman’s restraint. Wearing the Steel suit allowed Superman to finally stop holding back. As Lex continued to attack him, Superman angrily yelled at him for hurting his family, Smallville, and the torment Luthor had inflicted on the world off-screen. When Superman knocked Lex out of his suit, there was a moment where viewers couldn’t be blamed for thinking the supervillain would fall to his death. At the last moment, Superman flies to the ground, safely dropping a beaten and all-too-deadly Lex into the street. A year later, Lex is sentenced to life in prison.
“Like the director said, a lot has changed here. There’s one thing that’s still the same. The manager needs a good chair. And you, Alexander? You’re going to make one hell of a chair.” – Bruno Mannheim to Lex Luthor in prison.
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Superman and Lois The version of the Man of Steel is not a Superman who kills his enemies. Sending the Kal-El of the Inverted World into the yellow sun was an act of mercy. Lex’s torture made the Bizarro Superman look like a monster, but he had lost his way long before. Despite everything Lex had done, Superman wasn’t going to let him die. Back in prison, Bruno Mannheim was in charge, promising that Lex’s incarcerated life would be unpleasant. Clark finally forgives Luthor. The final scene where Lex was crying showed viewers the price of his hatred. He lost his daughter and his freedom twice, all for nothing. Although anyone who has ever watched (or read) a Superman story might find Lex’s survival and Superman’s restraint a bit predictable, it was a fitting conclusion to this version of their rivalry. Superman and Lex ended the series in places that made the most sense for the characters and choices, and both of their respective leads did a fantastic job wrapping up their interconnected stories.
The Superman & Lois series finale also concluded the supporting characters’ stories
The finale was a heartfelt celebration and farewell to a strong supporting cast
Superman and Lois spent the majority of its finale telling the stories of the people around the Kents’ lives.. Foreshadowed since the discovery of Kyle’s infidelity, Lana Lang married John Henry Irons. He arrived in season 1 as a broken and angry man. He lost his wife and his world. Yet John Henry got his daughter back, found a new family with the Kents, and marrying Lana completed his recovery. Perhaps most importantly, John Henry adopted the Superman sigil and cape, proudly wearing the same symbol of the man who destroyed his world.
The rest of the remaining characters also had their epilogue.Kyle Cushing and Chrissy Beppo were happy to have a son with another on the way. The scene with Sarah and Jordan showed that the two children were on the verge of breaking up their relationship. They still loved each other, but were best friends like Lana and Clark. As the time jump continued, Jordan and Jonathan raised their own family and continued their father’s heroic legacy, carrying his seal as well. While Natalie Irons’ future remained unclear, she too stepped in as a hero, alongside her father and adoptive family.
“Suddenly it came to me. What life is: joy, hope, forgiveness, wonder, friendship, family, love…. I came alone into this world, but when I left it, I had so much, and all because of love That’s what makes life worth living – Clark Kent’s final narration in.
Superman and Lois
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Unlike Zack Snyder’s dark and deconstructive Superman films,Superman and Lois is a bright and hopeful story that gives audiences (especially children) a man of tomorrow to look up to and admire. Yet the narrative itself also revolves around family. Kal-El arrived on Earth in a solitary existence, hiding his truth from the world he was trying to save. Over time, he let more and more people into his life, gaining strength from his super-sons, heroic allies, and ultimately letting the world see who he truly is. The world needs Superman, but “It Went By So Fast” makes it clear that Superman needed the world too. Audiences who have been invested in Superman, his family, and everyone in his life since the start of the series will undoubtedly leave this finale happy, knowing that everyone is now where they’re supposed to be.
The Superman & Lois series finale ended with a risky but interesting clip
The finale gave Superman one of his most definitive endings yet
The last 10 minutes of Superman and Lois It was a risky decision, as it relied on montages and narration to tell its story. When a TV episode – let alone a series’ grand finale – ‘tells’ rather than ‘shows’, there’s every chance the message will fall flat. It didn’t help Superman and Lois chose to look through the last 32 years of Clark’s life, both as an ordinary person and as the world’s greatest superhero, through a clip in the final moments of the series. Given the series’ unceremonious ending, cramming as many recaps and epilogues as possible into a quick montage was the only way for viewers to experience how a world destined to lose Superman would survive.
This clip show reaches its emotional climax when Lois dies. When her cancer returned, Lois could no longer beat it. After his death, Clark had a dog – named, of course, Krypto – until his heart finally gave out where his father suffered a heart attack. Kyle, who was most excited to learn Clark’s identity, saved Superman long enough that when he died, he did so in the same room as his mother. Although viewers might see a tragic ending, this is how everyone’s story ultimately ends. It’s just rare to see this with immortal characters like these.
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The final scene shows Clark in a version of his house reminiscent of the Flash-Sideways world of Lost. The fact that Sam Lane or his parents are not part of his “bardo” is likely due to budgetary constraints and production realities. However, Clark sees his friends, his family, Lois (in a bright red dress) and his dog. There are two ways to end stories like this. There are open endings, which allow viewers to imagine the characters living forever having adventures. Superman and Lois chose the second option, which consists of showing the definitive end of the characters’ lives. Although a risky choice, the finale executed it beautifully. Not only this cement Superman and Lois as one of the best retellings of Superman history to date, but it’s arguably one of the best and most complete endings to the modern superhero genre. Just as James Gunn’s highly anticipated vision for the DC Universe gets closer to becoming a reality, there couldn’t have been a better way to close out this iteration of Superman and the CW version of that world.
The entirety of Superman & Lois is streaming on The CW app and will eventually move to Max.