WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Superman & Lois Season 1, Episode 11, “A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events,” which aired Tuesday on The CW.
One of the most emotional beats of many Superman stories has always been how Clark Kent didn’t end up with high-school sweetheart Lana Lang. Smallville dove deep into this, painting a melodramatic story of love because, despite Lana eventually finding out Clark’s secret, they both realized Lois was his soulmate. However, come Superman & Lois, their romantic history, thanks to a mature approach, is more heartbreaking.
While Smallville did a decent job, it dragged out the “will they, won’t they” angle a bit too much, but what eroded Clark and Lana’s romance was the injection of too many forced complications. Lana would become a temporary villain at times, marrying Lex Luthor. There were just too many obstacles, and it’d take away from their journey together. In that sense, it felt at times they really weren’t meant to be, only for the series to then bring them back to each other’s orbits right when fans accepted the inevitable. It was too much of a turbulent rollercoaster ride that didn’t feel organic.
Superman & Lois, on the other hand, proves simplicity is the best option. It instead takes an adult approach with Clark leaving Smallville as a teen, then returning in his 20s after being mentored by Jor-El. He finally knows his destiny and wants Lana to be part of it, but when he approaches her at the cinema, she’s blindsided and kissed by Kyle.
Clark zooms in and sees a ring on her hand, and fans can feel his heart breaking. He realizes she’s happy and decides not to interject at all, which smartly removes the drama. He’d then leave for Metropolis and marry Lois, which makes it even better that he and Lana are now so awkward around each other as they never got closure, thinking one abandoned the other.
It’s human, relatable and feels real because Clark realizes while it works differently for him, time doesn’t wait around for everyone else. It also shows his selfless side, as he doesn’t view Lana as an object, where Smallville’s Clark unhealthily obsessed over her.
In Superman & Lois, Clark had a clear path to Lana, and it wasn’t Lex, monsters or his secret that complicated things — it’s himself. It’s uplifting yet sad they didn’t get as much time to explore what could have been. Ultimately, this makes Lana a learning aspect of loss and regret in Clark’s journey, and it’s why he doesn’t hesitate to propose once he finds out Lois loves him, not Superman. By then, he realizes love does trump duty and he can’t waste another shot at the woman he adores.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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