Superman and Lois season 2, episode 1 review: What Lies Beneath

“We’re not still talking about Kyle, are we?” Spoilers for Superman and Lois season 2, episode 1 follow.

Three months after Natalie made her way to this Earth, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are still trying to come to terms with what that means, all while Clark is still trying to be Superman.

Meanwhile, a new threat is attacking Smallville that Clark seemingly can’t simply just punch.

Here’s what happened in the Superman and Lois season 2 premiere, “What Lies Beneath”.

Family drama

Trouble in paradise, or what seems like paradise from the outside looking in, has come to the Lane-Kent household. So much of this episode revolves around Lois’ pain over Natalie’s arrival on this Earth and it’s so well done.

The fights between Lois and Clark feel so real because you can just see and hear the pain in Lois’ voice every single time and the frustration in Clark’s voice and body language are something that so many people can relate to. And when Clark talks with Lana about his frustrations and how he sometimes ends up feeling like the bad guy when he just wants to help Lois, it’s very relatable (as it’s very much how this writer felt when in fights with his ex). And yes, there’s Superman action in this episode, but it’s clear that, like the first season, the family aspect of the show is coming first, which is absolutely still a good thing.

But the residents of the Lane-Kent household aren’t the only ones struggling, as the members of the Irons family are having a hard time as well, especially Natalie. Her anger and frustrations, it’s hard to think of them as anything other than justified given what her world currently is.

Yes, John is trying his best to help her, but that’s easier said than done, so when Lois finally gathers the courage to talk with Natalie, we get such a great scene between the two. It’s weird and painful, but at the end of the day, it’s a hopeful conversation. Having your world change, and not for the better, is something hard to adjust to, but this episode does a great job of showing that there’s still hope within that initial despair, which is perfect for a Superman show.

Superman and the world

Beyond the family drama though, we get to see Superman’s first interaction with the DOD now that General Lane isn’t in the picture anymore. Unsurprisingly, it does not go well. Lieutenant Anderson truly does not understand that Clark’s responsibility isn’t just to America, but to the world; no matter what the best interests of America are. Clark simply wants to save lives and help people.

Honestly, the two scenes between Clark and Anderson in this episode do a great job of setting up the relatively normal antagonistic relationship that Superman has with the military in the comics, while having it make sense within the context of this world and universe. It’s really well done and doesn’t tread over the same territory as last season as of yet.

Earthquakes aplenty in Superman and Lois season 2

But the real villain of this episode isn’t something that Superman can punch, even if he might try to at times, as it is the earthquakes in Smallville. Bad ones too. And, speaking as a Californian where earthquakes are relatively normal, the quakes depicted here are terrifying, even if they didn’t cause that much damage.

Fighting earthquakes is also a nice change of pace for a normal Superman fight as a basically, it’s just a race to see if see if he can save everyone, not who can punch the hardest. It’s nice.

Superman & Lois kicks off its second season incredibly strongly, very much carrying the momentum from the first season forward.

Superman and Lois airs new episodes on The CW on Tuesday nights at 8/7c.

What did you think of Superman and Lois season 2, episode 1? Let us know in the comments below!