Superman and Lois just did something no other Superman story has ever done

Ever since Superman and Lois debuted on screens in 2021, its devoted fans have widely called for more attention to be given to the show. It's not hard to see why, for The CW series has reinvented the classic Superman and Lois Lane lore for a whole new generation, adding more gravitas and emotional weight to the classic characters' lives and taking them in directions that the source material never had.

Here, they are parents struggling to raise their twin sons Jonathan and Jordan Kent in a very busy, noisy life as superheroes and reporters in Metropolis. That warranted a move to Smallville, where they have grown closer as a family and made themselves at home in the local community. It's been a delight to watch over the course of its four-season run, and it's one of the many reasons why the beloved series deserves to be on the air for a lot longer.

It's currently enjoying a successful run in its fourth and final season, and it is continuing to change the game for the Man of Steel and his family. That much is clear in its seventh episode, which lives up to the promise that the creative team made ahead of its premiere: That it would do something that no other Superman adaptation has ever done before. Mission accomplished.

This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Superman and Lois season 4 episode 7. Don't read on if you have not yet watched the episode.

Superman reveals his true identity to the world in Superman and Lois season 4

The seventh episode of Superman and Lois, titled "A Regular Guy", saw Clark Kent struggle to keep the lid on the biggest secret in the world as Smallville townsfolk began to realize that he was indeed the Man of Steel. In spite of some initially successful attempts to throw his friends off the scent, he was eventually put in an impossible situation that forced him to reveal the truth.

Emmett Pergande, Candice's father, confronted him in Vicky Mays with a gun, having heard through the grapevine that Clark Kent was really Superman. He wanted revenge and pulled a gun on the Man of Steel, firing in a bid to make him reveal himself. After a moment of hesitation, Clark allowed the bullet to hit him, but not before he revealed the Superman suit underneath. The secret was out in the open and now all of Smallville knew he was Superman.

This is a major step for Superman and Lois, but one that is a clear indicator of the fact that the show is coming to an end. The secret is out there now, and it means that the lives of Clark, Lois, and the boys are going to change forever now. Not only will all of their enemies know who they are, the whole world will know who they are, meaning that simple things like a trip to the shop or a night out for dinner could be done under a lot more observation.

But it was also a loosening of the shackles for the Man of Steel, as it meant that he got to stop looking over his shoulder out of fear that somebody could expose his secret and put his family in harm's way. Now, the truth about his family is out there in the world, and the Kents can be prepared for any publicity that comes their way. Furthermore, by doing this, it allows them to take back control of a situation that could have left them feeling quite helpless, all while allowing them to cultivate relationships that won't be harmed by any lies or excuses.

Superman and Lois takes a page out of Supergirl's playbook

Having Clark Kent reveal his true identity to the world is something that no other live-action Superman movie or TV series has ever done before, but it's not the first time that a member of his family has made this decision. In fact, it's not the first time that a member of the House of El made on that decision on The CW.

Superman and Lois' parent series Supergirl concluded its sixth and final season with Kara Danvers, the Girl of Steel, making the equally brave decision to reveal her true identity to the world in the series finale. Much like Clark, she emphatically left her glasses down in a public setting, symbolizing her decision to take control of her life. The final scene in the last episode features Kara doing an interview with CatCo's owner Cat Grant in which she confirmed to National City and the world that she was indeed Supergirl.

Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch got their starts as Superman and Lois Lane on Supergirl, playing alternate versions of their respective characters before their Arrowverse-adjacent spinoff launched. So the Superman we met in that series' secret identity is still presumably intact (as Superman and Lois is set on an alternate Earth), but it is rather ironic that the last remaining shred of the Arrowverse took inspiration from the show that originally spawned it.

Both Superman and Supergirl revealed their true identities towards the end of their respective shows' runs, but the difference between them is that Supergirl closed on that status quo-shattering note, whereas Superman and Lois still has three episodes to go at the point in which Clark opens up to the world. That means that fans actually get to see how it plays into the story and how the world responds to mild-mannered Clark Kent being the legendary Man of Steel.

It's a major moment for both characters and an ambitious storytelling decision for the creative team to make. But when the show is coming to an end, you can afford to be ambitious. It's likely that the decision will have paid off for Kara off-screen, and it's pretty clear that it's also paying off for Clark.