Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Jordan Elsass, Alex Garfin, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Taylor Buck, Sofia Hasmik, Ian Bohen, Adam Rayner, Mariana Klaveno, Jenna Dewan, Rye Kihlstedt, Joselyn Picard, Nathan Witle, Monique Phillips, Danny Wattley, Dee Jay Jackson, Samantha Di Francesco, Toby Hargrave, Cynthia Mendez, Stephanie Cho.
So many iconic heroes from the pages of the graphic novel, so many reasons to believe in the fight between good and evil, some don’t last, some achieve greatness and others…others find that their status has been assured from the first glimpse; such is their impact on the psyche on the human mind that they become almost synonymous with life itself, their name becomes part of the vocabulary, they are a reflection of society itself.
There is no doubt the impact that Superman has had on the conscience of society, the exploits of the man from Kryton, the life of the alter ego in the human shape of Clark Kent, and one to whom, like fellow stable mate Batman, and Marvel’s Captain America, has never seemingly gone out of fashion, on either side of the Atlantic.
An abundance of television series and films, actors galore taking on the mantle of the hero and the red and blue uniform, from every possible age and experience, and yet it comes with the second series of Superman & Lois that the very existence of the character reaches perhaps its pinnacle of appreciation for the fan and casual viewer alike.
It is the mirroring of humanity, those who wish to embrace it, and those willing to reject in place of the promise of something greater, that drives the second series, and one that in any adaption for the cinema or television has not touched upon the subject is such a way that conveys empathy, of sympathy for both the perceived devil, and the hero alike.
Following on from the finale of the debut season, the Kents, still coming to terms with having made the move from Metropolis to the supposed closeness of spirit and neighbourly determination of Smallville, the actions of Kal-El’s brother Tal-Rho, played with a sense of forgivable malevolence by Adam Rayner show further repercussions as the appearance of what was once a dated joke but has become a mainstay of the graphic novels, Bizarro, and the deranged actions of Rya Kihlstedt’s Ally Allston threaten to tear the world apart.
It is the mirror of what bubbles away inside that holds the series in high value, the fear that what are is not enough, that somehow, we can adapt and grow by using outside sources and influences rather than digging deep within our soul to be a better person, maybe not a Superman or Superwoman, but the best we can be with all that is in our heart, uncorrupted, unsullied.
The series amplifies this belief appropriately, and with terrific performances by Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/ Superman, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana Lang-Cushing, and Jordan Elsass in the roles of Jonathan Kent and his own doppelganger from Bizarro’s Earth, series two of Superman & Lois is one of the great adaptions of the Man of Steel, and on the same plinth of hierarchy as Gotham.
With a third series in the works, it is good news for the fan that Superman & Lois is going from strength to strength.
Ian D. Hall