Superman and Lois season 4 episode 9 recap and ending explained: [SPOILER] returns

The feud between Lois Lane and Lex Luthor has been dominating Superman and Lois season 4. It was clear that they were destined to collide whenever the latter was released from prison in the penultimate episode of the previous season, and things have certainly grown even more bitter this season. While it's not exactly one-sided, Lex is the one responsible for how things have played out, driven by revenge for Lois having him imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. The ironic thing is, however, that he absolutely deserved to be in prison and had committed equally heinous crimes (but he has conveniently forgotten about that).

Tensions have risen over the past few episodes, as Lex targeted Lois' loved ones, having Doomsday kill Superman and General Lane, while also targeting her children Jonathan and Jordan Kent, and her best friend Mayor Lana Lang. The Man of Steel returned to life and had enough of playing nice, brutally assaulting Lex in Smallville without his powers.

After the jaw-dropping moment that saw Superman reveal his true identity to the whole world, Lex and Lois decided to take their feud to the screen, engaging in a public debate with the world watching yet again. While Lois held her own, Lex found himself the victor due to the incredibly biased show (hosted by Gordon Godfrey) and a well-executed plan by Amanda McCoy to discredit the truth was successful. But there is no keeping Lois Lane down.

As always, this article contains SPOILERS for Superman and Lois season 4 episode 9 "To Live And Die Again". Don't read on if you don't want it spoiled.

Under Lex's skin

Lex Luthor's plan to plant some public doubt on Lois Lane's esteemed reputation in the previous episode worked like a treat, but make no mistake about it; it was not his plan. While Lex is a brute in all Superman adaptations, he's always more comfortable playing it up to the cameras and scheming behind the scenes. This Lex is not; he's a brute through and through who will wage all kinds of physical war, and even though he likes scheming, he will allow himself to get in the way of his own plans. And he's not comfortable in a suit nor in front of the cameras.

Lois and Clark knew this, so they took it upon themselves to get under his skin in a bid to return the favor for his antics during the debate. With that, Superman flew to meet him in Metropolis and gave full credit to Amanda McCoy for the brilliantly devilish plan, knowing that Luthor wouldn't react well to that. Predictable as ever, Lex didn't like the fact that he had a partner in crime, and attempted to remind Amanda of her place. How did he do that? By rewarding her with extremely large shares in Luthorcorp in a bid to distract her, allowing himself to take back control of the plan to get revenge on Lois.

The scene between Superman and Lex was the stuff of legend, and Tyler Hoechlin and Michael Cudlitz committed to it, ensuring that we all felt the gravity of the tense meeting between these two comic book legends.

But Superman wasn't the only one out to defeat Lex. Lois was more driven than ever after what he did to her reputation. With advertisers pulling out of the Smallville Gazette for fear of being associated with her, she decided it was time to hit Luthor where it hurts. Before she could come up with a plan, however, Amanda strutted into the Gazette office to tell her that any attempt at a comeback was futile (oh, and to sue her for defamation). Lois is understandably frustrated, especially as Amanda tells her not to bother looking for Cheryl Kimble (a.k.a. Gretchen Kelley) as she won't find her, but a conversation with Clark reminds her how good she is at reporting, and thus she decides to start at the beginning of her investigation - a beginning that takes her back to Bruno Mannheim.

Lois and Mannheim share an unexpectedly touching reunion at Stryker's Island when Lois tearfully offers her condolences for the loss of Bruno's wife Peia. He then tells Lois that he's glad she is in remission from cancer, and although he refuses to help her take down Luthor at first (because she was the one that let him out of prison), he eventually agrees. They do hit a wall, but upon hearing of Cheryl's name, Bruno tells Lois that Cheryl used to be in love with Lex and he tossed her aside when she was no longer of use to him. Very much like Amanda herself.

Speaking of Amanda, she is thrilled when Lex rewards her with shares of the company but that very quickly turns to upset when he freezes up during their kiss and he enacts the next phase of the plan without her. That next phase also involves returning to Smallville to track down Doomsday, as he and Milton Fine discovered that the creature was back in the mines trying to find a way home. And, with Milton's help, John Henry Irons' suit has now been upgraded for him. Yes, the infamous Lex Luthor warsuit (or, as Lex called it "Killer suit") is coming.

Lois attempts to appeal to Amanda by telling her about his past with Cheryl. She initially brushes it off, but Lois really clocks Lex's behavior, predicting what he would do before Amanda could even tell her. And so Amanda tracks him down to Smallville, furious that he cut her out of the plan and has once again reverted to taking out his aggressions on Smallville. Because that's what his petty obsession is about now, Smallville rejected his money and now he has to make them pay.

Clark was busy training the boys to be prepared for whatever would come next as he was coming to terms with his reality: He wouldn't be Superman forever and he was already starting to get weaker. Though initially harsh on them because they couldn't do what he did, he eventually realized (with the help of his Kryptonian mother Lara) that this was actually their strength and attempted to train them to work with that. They are a team of Super Twins and he wanted them to use that to their advantage. And Smallville was going to need all the help in the world (or universe) when Doomsday roars himself back into town.

Amanda confronts Lex in Smallville but he roars at her, putting her in her place and telling her that he is in control and he always has been. She knows he never loved her when he flies through the hotel roof and carries out his plan to free Doomsday. And he does that, reuniting with the beast in the mines and vowing to "kill him one more time" so that he never has to feel pain again. He fires at him, which results in Doomsday evolving into a more comic-accurate, spikier version of himself.

Is Superman going to die again?

It's hard to overlook the title of this episode of Superman and Lois. "To Live and Die Again" may have just lived up to that name, as it closes out with Superman taking on the super-charged iteration of Doomsday in Smallville town square and the fight very quickly stops going his way. Battered and beaten by the beast, the Man of Steel tells Lois and the boys that he loves them, but before he can even finish the sentiment, he is yeeted by the beast across town and out-of-view as the outro title envelops the screen.

So, is Superman set to die again? Well that's a complex question. Normally, we might say that he won't be killed off as the show is literally called Superman and Lois, but this show already killed him off in the season premiere and next week's episode is the series finale. So, yeah, it's possible that it could happen again. But here's why he probably won't die in the battle with Doomsday.

The Kent Family have been through so much loss just this season alone (the shortest season of the whole series might I add). They lost Clark in the premiere and Sam Lane in the third episode, while their best friend Lana Lang was almost killed during the season and their own privacy was infringed upon when Lex orchestrated a series of events that would result in the whole world finding out that Clark Kent was Superman (although he managed to take control of that revelation before Lex could). It simply wouldn't make sense to pile more trauma on them right before the series comes to a close.

There has to be a sense of victory, which means Doomsday must be defeated. Lex Luthor must be defeated. And our beloved Fam of Steel must triumph over this evil once and for all. That's how the season - and the series - needs to end, because the Kent Family deserve a happy ending.

Even so, prepare for a cinematic battle between Superman and his two archenemies from the source material. It's undoubtedly going to be a spectacle for the ages!

The Man of Steel defending his family, his town, his home from ambitiously larger-than-life foes and unlikely odds? We couldn't think of a more epic - or fitting - way for Superman and Lois to bow out. Prepare yourselves, it's going to be a big one!

The series finale of Superman and Lois airs on The CW next Monday, December 2, at 8/7c.