Superman and Lois season 4 episode 10 recap and ending explained: Till Death Do They Part

The fourth and final season of Superman and Lois has been thrilling audiences over the course of its 10-episode run, reminding folks that some of the best adventures in the superhero medium come from the small screen. The CW series is the last remnant of the Arrowverse, having been spun out of Supergirl, but even though it's now set on a different Earth, it has earned itself a rightful place in all of our hearts as part of the greatest shared universe to ever exist on television.

Season 4 has seen the Kent-Lane-Irons family hit by so much loss and it all began when Doomsday killed Superman himself. When the beast returned for Sam Lane, the general came up with a plan to inject himself with Bruno Mannheim's super-powered serum, which would imbue his heart with some super-powered durability. And thus, they were able to revive the Man of Steel using Sam's heart.

With Superman now aging like a normal human being and Lex Luthor intent on bringing Doomsday back to Smallville to finish the job, would the rematch result in imminent death for one of the two Kryptonian titans? And with Superman and Lois delivering one of the most beautiful, heartfelt, and engaging stories that its iconic title characters have ever lived through, could the show come to a conclusion worthy of that story?

As always, this article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the series finale of Superman and Lois (season 4 episode 10), titled "It Went By So Fast". Don't read on if you would prefer it wasn't spoiled for you.

Superman and Lois Lane battle their archenemies in the series finale

"It Went By So Fast" picks up from where the previous episode left off, as Superman and Doomsday are locked in battle. It's violent and vicious as the Kryptonian beast from the Inverse World continues to pummel the Man of Steel with every single blow. And, for a moment, everything looks as if it is going to go the same way that their first battle did; that is, until Jonathan and Jordan get involved.

Clark had told his sons to stay out of the battle because it was too dangerous, but Lois overruled him, telling them to save their father. The twins provided a distraction, luring Doomsday away so that Superman could recover from the beating he had taken. He begins to do that, but he is worried to hear that Doomsday has taken off after the boys. Lois tells him that he needs to recognize that the boys are no longer in need of protection and that they can hold their own; adding that they aren't alone because they have each other and they have them, their parents.

But the boys aren't the only support that the Kents have, as John Henry Irons and Lana Lang show up with an idea. The pair had been enjoying some time in the nearby bar, acknowledging how they had barely seen each other since they got together, when the battle between Superman and Doomsday broke out. Although John Henry was injured, he came up with an idea to use a prototype hammer on the beast. And with that, Clark told the boys to bring Doomsday back to Smallville town square, where they laid a trap that did indeed kill him.

It was a temporary death (as Doomsday always heals and comes back stronger) so Superman decided to take him to space, figuring that the yellow sun would weaken him as he is from the Inverse World. He did that, planning to throw him into the sun, but Doomsday woke up and - for a moment - remembered who he was. Sharing a moment of realization with Clark, he wordlessly asked him not to punch him and instead allowed himself to drift into the sun; finding peace as he was destroyed once and for all.

Meanwhile, Amanda McCoy attempts to leave Smallville, telling Lex over the phone that she would be resigning from LuthorCorp imminently. He tells her that he expects loyalty and she made a wise observation in realizing that he never loved her. As expected of him, he tries to kill her by sending a missile towards her car; thankfully, Jonathan and Jordan rescue her just on time, bringing her back to Smallville.

Back at the Smallville Gazette, Lois, Lana, and John Henry set up a live interview so that Amanda can reveal the truth about Lex to the world. That is, until Lex has Milton Fine shut down all communications (John Henry successfully tracks down Milton and has the DOD take him into custody). Just then, Lex himself arrives in Smallville and immediately does battle with the boys, sending Jonathan flying into the nearby hotel he purchased. He tries to choke out Jordan, but Lois challenges him to face her instead; baiting him with truthful comments about how he was threatened by a powerful woman. He takes the bait too, rushing towards her; but Lois had a plan, using an explosive disk that John Henry created to destroy anything. And it worked, destroying the front of the Warsuit and stunning him.

Jordan finds Jonathan in the hotel wreckage and his heart has stopped beating. He attempts to restart his brother's heart and, in doing so, he lets out an emotional wave of energy that manages to do it. Jonathan wakes up and the two embrace, as Jordan begs his brother to never leave him. Jonathan promises that he won't in what is undoubtedly one of the best scenes from the whole episode.

Superman, who spent some time in the sun to recharge, returns and takes Lex into the sky, where the two have a violent battle. Lex uses the Kryptonite drills that Milton created for him and one of them gets scarily close to Superman's heart. But the Man of Steel has had enough, pulling the drill from his chest and proceeding to batter Luthor in the sky, calling him out for attacking his family, his friends, and his town. And with an emphatic final blow, he sends Luthor plummeting to the ground (catching him and ensuring that he lands safely).

Lois and Clark then emotionally embrace. The nightmare that Luthor put them all through is finally over.

One Year Later

One year later, everything is back as it should be. That includes almost all of our favorite Smallville faces, as Chrissy Beppo, Kyle Cushing, Sarah Cushing, Natalie Irons, Candice Pergande, and more return for the wedding of Lana Lang and John Henry Irons. Lois officiates the ceremony, telling us all how much she loves both Lana and John Henry, and that it makes total sense that two of the most loving, wonderful people in Smallville would fall in love with each other.

It's incredibly emotional, as it should be, as it's the last time that all of our beloved characters are together at the same time. And there are some lovely moments in there that pays tribute to all of the character dynamics over the years: Chrissy is pregnant with her and Kyle's second child, Lana and Kyle share another dance as longtime friends, and Jordan and Sarah converse about where they are in life; Sarah doesn't think she belongs in Smallville, while Jordan is finally happy where he is.

Lois and Clark discuss their legacy as Superman and Lois Lane, hoping that it will be one of Truth, and Justice, and a Better Tomorrow. They are hopeful, especially as Lex Luthor's appeal has been denied, meaning that he's going to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Speaking of Lex, he returns to Stryker's, expecting to pick up where he left off as the king of the hill, but the warden tells him his new stay won't be like his previous one as that position has already been filled. In that moment, Bruno Mannheim exits his cell and tells Lex that he looks forward to him being his new chair. Oh, how they mighty have fallen.

It Went By So Fast

The final 10 minutes of Superman and Lois are a beautiful glimpse into the future, showcasing what the titular pair's lives looked like after the adventures of Superman came to an end. Clark continued to be a hero for as long as he could, but he no longer needed to do it alone, as the Super Fam now consisted of him, Jonathan, Jordan, Natalie and John Henry Irons. And one day, his powers did indeed fade.

He and Lois work to help people in other ways, giving back to the community by using their newfound star-power to launch charities and helping Bruno Mannheim protect his community from inside Stryker's. Jonathan and Jordan grew up, married and had a lot of children, gifting Clark and Lois with the extended family they always dreamed of. There was so much warmth; so much love.

Clark then reveals via voiceover that Sam Lane's heart gave him 32 more years to live a fulfilled life, allowing him and Lois to grow old together. However, Lois' cancer also returned and she died peacefully in bed surrounded by her family, seeing her father Sam as she passed. Life was never the same for Clark after that, and even though Jonathan and Jordan visited every day, he was lonely; so he got a dog and named him - you guessed it! - Krypto. The pair were inseparable and spent many nights on the porch of the Kent Farm watching the sunsets, just as Clark used to do with Lois.

Clark's heart gives out when he's on a walk with Krypto but he is temporarily saved from death by Kyle. He then peacefully passes away in bed with Jonathan and Jordan holding his hand. Then he wakes up; no longer old and frail, but young and vibrant, much as he was throughout the series.

Clark sees his body, his adult sons, and his home. He reflects on how the second time he died is so different compared to the first, as this one is full of joy, wonder, forgiveness, and love. He then walks through the Kent Farm to be greeted by the younger versions of Jonathan and Jordan, and their children. The warmth breaks for a moment as he sees a tearful, suffering Lex Luthor, who he frees from his struggles by offering forgiveness. Then he is greeted by Krypto, Kyle and Chrissy, and Lana and John Henry.

And then. He turns to see his young sons again, waiting for him by the front door of the house. They open it, and standing there is Lois; young, radiant, and ethereal in that red dress she wore all those years ago. She's been waiting for him. Clark emotionally walks towards her and the two share a kiss, as he reflects on how much love his life has been filled with, telling the viewers to embrace every moment of love that life has to offer because It goes by so fast.

Till Death Do They Part (And Reunite)

The ending of Superman and Lois is bittersweet because, as fans of the characters, we don't want to see any of them die. However, Clark Kent and Lois Lane's deaths came after of living a long, happy life together. Given that the show is all about love - familial love - dying surrounded by nothing but the love of their family and friends feels like a fitting way for any beloved character to bow out. And the finale purposely contrasts Clark's second death with his first one at the hands of Doomsday, because it's a completely different, warmer way to go out. The first time Superman died, he was surrounded by darkness; the second time, he was surrounded by love.

Dying isn't the end of the story; it's simply the end of a chapter. And when Clark had reached that point in his story, he was reunited with his beloved Lois. She was waiting for him, having died sometime before him. And that is how any hero should die, graced by the presence of those that he truly loves.

The other characters who appeared to him likely weren't real spirits, if you will. Jonathan and Jordan were still alive as adults, so the younger versions of them that appeared to him simply reflect the kids that they once were and the glory days of his life. The same could be said for their own children, who also appeared to Clark, as well as Kyle, Chrissy, Lana, and John Henry Irons. It's safe to assume that all of those characters are still alive (we know Kyle is), just as Krypto is, but their appearances here simply act as guides on Clark's final journey, echoes of the time that he spent in Smallville and the relationships that he formed. Lex is there to symbolize the importance of forgiveness and how it doesn't just free the person who did the wrongdoing, but the people it was done too - an important step for Clark on his final journey.

Lois, on the other hand, is real. That's why she was left to the end and was surrounded by the Heavenly glow of light outside of the Kent Farm. Clark stepping forward, leaving his beloved house behind was symbolic; for, as important as it was to him, the house wasn't what made Smallville a home to him, the people were. And the most important person of all - his person - was waiting for him in the light.

Clark tells us all to hold onto love for it's the most important thing in life. And that's what made Superman's heart beat each and every day. When that love was no longer there, he longed for the day that he would be reunited with her. His eternal reward was that reunion in the light. Clark Kent and Lois Lane's lives went by so fast, but their love is everlasting.

Thank you Superman and Lois for a truly stunning run.