S&L is the superman fans deserve
Anyone I’ve ever met is undoubtedly well-versed in the knowledge of just how much I love the dark knight but I don’t think nearly as many of them realize just how much I adore superman as well. So naturally, you can imagine my euphoria when news first broke they were making a new series centering around the big blue boy scout. The history of live-action superman series on tv is complicated to say the least. The only full-fledged ones we’ve gotten prior to this were dean cain’s turn as the man of tomorrow back in the 90’s & the original george reeves series during the sock hop era.
But that was a generation ago so for many, this was their first encounter with a live-action man of steel on the small screen. So naturally, there was a lot of pressure on the network to get it right. Fortunately, they did. They already had most of the core characters casted with tulloch & hoechlin reprising their roles as lois & clark from the arrowverse. So all that was needed was to cast the boys. Eventually, the choice was made with alex garfin stepping into the role of jordan & jordan elsass ironically taking on the role of jonathan (based on superman’s actual son in the comics). Rounding out the family was alan rayner as (spoiler alert) uncle tal, clark’s brother, & dylan walsh as sam lane, lois’s father & four-star general working for the DOD.
By all accounts, this is a series that probably shouldn’t have worked & in fact seemed destined to fail. I mean its conception began as a spinoff of supergirl, a series that was divisive to say the least, & it premiered at a time when the arrowverse seemed to be in a tailspin. But despite it all, it blew our expectations out of the water & ended up being one of the best superman series we’ve ever seen. The series sees the titular couple return to their roots in smallville as they take over the old kent farm after his mom’s tragic passing & attempt to start over. It was a superman fans had never seen before: grounded & realistic but not too edgy or hardcore. It reinvented him but also kept the essence of what makes him superman: the constant inclination to be kind to everyone & fight for truth, justice & the american way (preferably not with violence but if all other options failed, so be it).
& it’s not just the portrayal of superman that makes it great; it even pulls straight from the comics. The very first episode pulls from action comics #1, the very first appearance of superman, as he saved a kid from getting squashed by the iconic green car & delivers the famous line, “thanks; my mom made it (the suit) for me” (which is a direct line from the classic comic, superman for all seasons #1). This is clearly a superman who will stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves, not just his family but every single human being on the planet. They also use the classic suit from the old max fleischer cartoon which should not work in live-action at all but somehow it actually kind of does. They even did the classic phone booth switch which is also straight out of the comics. He’s empathic, kind & always trying to see the best in everyone which is exactly who superman is. Just replace spider with super in friendly neighborhood spiderman & that’s the essence of the character in a nutshell.
Beyond that, the series isn’t afraid to tackle real-world issues. Whether it’s cancer, suicide or dealing with the effects of drugs, the writers clearly have a good handle on what a grounded superman series should look like. Even the cast is top notch, Hoechlin outright excels as the last son of krypton as does tulloch & everyone else. Even some of the minor cast members have just knocked it out of the park in their respect roles, whether it’s Michael Cudlitz as lex luthor or jenna dewan as lucy lane, lois’s sister.
It’s no wonder they keep getting renewed. Even when Zaslav declared open season on pretty much every other DC series, this one somehow managed to circumvent the dreaded superhero purge. Whether the fourth season is the final one remains to be seen. I’m okaywith however many seasons the writers need to tell their story but as long as they get a chance to end their story the way they want, I’m good. No one truly knows what the future holds but I think it’s safe to say this will go down as one of the greatest superman portrayals in tv history. But however it ends, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved for capturing the true spirit of superman & bringing joy to so many fans around the world. For all intents & purposes, this series truly is the gift that keeps on giving.