WARNING: Spoilers for the sixth episode of Superman & Lois.
The people of Smallville unite.
Devoted Partnership
In the latest episode of Superman & Lois, Lex Luthor is on an unstoppable rampage. Following the fallout with his daughter Elizabeth, Luthor moves forward with his plan to relocate LuthorCorp to Smallville. After a montage of Lex brutalizing the inside of his hotel, Luthor burns everything that reminds him of Elizabeth. McCoy shows up, and Luthor requests that Milton make some lights. Luthor then tells McCoy the only other thing that kept him going while he served time in prison, was Amanda’s loyalty. This is either the last honest thing Luthor has to say or another form of manipulation. Either way, Michael Cudlitz has honored the character in several ways. The calculated demeanor and the bitter-aged wisdom fueled by rage and anger are all the perfect ingredients for a Lex Luthor who despises Superman and his entire family.
Smallville Citizens Come Together
Whenever Mayor Lana Lang comes into the picture, you can guarantee she is fighting for the greater good of Smallville—even in the face of someone as powerful as Lex Luthor. Lana gets called to the Mayor’s office to find Lex demanding his plans be pushed through. Lana does not back down. At the Gazette, Lois and Clark brainstorm how to find Luthor’s pupils to speak for his crimes. While shopping for some hair dye, Clark runs into Lana who asks for help, and Clark agrees. Although successful, Clark now finds himself wondering how many people in Smallville are aware he might be Superman. This all comes to a head when Luthor goes and forces the sale to continue. The denizens of Smallville step up to Luthor alongside Aidy Manning to prevent it from happening.
Teenaged Responsibility
All three main teens of this show are in very different places. Jonathan may be doing a bit too much superhero work, which concerns Lois and Clark. While they’re proud of Jonathan for being heroic, they also stress the importance of finding a balance and not trying to expose his identity. Jordan on the other hand is playing too many games and told to find a job before school starts again. This leads him to the diner Sarah works at, asking for a job which Sarah declines. Sarah also finds herself dealing with finding her path in life and contemplates going to study abroad. For a truncated season, these characters have all been given time to shine and grow in several ways.
Clark Kent vs. Lex Luthor
This episode of Superman & Lois culminated in an all-out brawl between Clark and Lex in the streets of Smallville on a rainy night. After Luthor loses the Manning farm purchase, Otis is sent to kill Lana in the middle of the night but fails after Sarah catches him off guard with a bat. This is the breaking point for Clark, and he walks to the hotel Luthor stays in and calls him out. Luthor flips a switch, revealing all the lamp posts in the area to be replaced with red solar lamps, which weakens Clark. The fight that ensues is one of the most knuckle-drag fights in the rain that’s been done in the CW. No superpowers. No super suits, just a good old-fashioned fisticuffs fight between Superman and his arch-nemesis.
Killer Suits
The episode ends with Luthor departing Smallville for good, after taking a beating from Clark. Licking his wounds, he makes his way back to Metropolis. Amanda chooses to ultimately stand by Lex no matter how dastardly things become and offers to stitch up his wounds. Then she remarks he’s going to need a “killer suit” to combat Superman the next time they fight. With only four episodes left, and through various promotional images, we know Luthor will don a suit that is similar to John Henry Iron’s, it might even be the same suit. With only four episodes left in the series, the events leading up to the final episode are building strongly. While this episode didn’t have much spectacle, the heart, and humanity were all the strength it needed this week.
New Episodes of Superman & Lois air on Mondays on the CW.