Superman & Lois 2x1 : What Lies Beneath review

 

            Be warned there will be *SPOILERS* involved in this review. With that being said let's get into it.

Superman and Lois returns for it's seconds season and right off the bat there is a ton to talk about including what is to come and what is seemingly already in Smallville just waiting to be fully unleashed. The episode opens up where last season ended as John Henry Iron's daughter Natalie crash landed outside of the Kent farm. When she gets out she embraces with her father but soon sees Lois Lane who was her mom on her planet. She calls out mom to this planet's Lois but she doesn't answer infact she doesn't say anything at all even after being asked by Clark to respond. She just walks off into their home without saying a word. It was a pretty cold and crushing move but later on we get a very good wrap around as to why she did what she did and how he is going to fix the situation. But more on that a bit later. The boys Jordan and Johnathan are now both dating girls. Jordan hasn't seen Sarah in over a month as she was away at a camp but when she comes back she's acting pretty differently as if she doesn't even want to be with Jordan what could've changed?? she even brushes off Jordan as they go out together to spend some together for the first time in a while. Could Sarah have met someone else? we'll find out in all in due time, as for Johnathan he is feeling frustrated at the lack of football time he has been getting from the team's coach. He even yells at Clark and his new girlfriend with whom he is left alone at home with as Clark has to rush off after hearing of immediate danger. That immediate danger leads to one of the best action sequences this show has ever done and Superman saves a Korean submarine from sinking to the bottom of the ocean. But before he is able to rescue everyone on board and return them to Korea he suffers some sort of attack which almost paralyzes and stops him right in his tracks. He eventually overcomes and rescues all people on board like I mentioned but this scene was so well done from the effects to Superman's struggle it was just wonderful stuff all round. 

Back on the ground and we see Superman talking to a man named Mitch Anderson who says not only did he do America a disservice by giving the submarine back to Korea given that it had nuclear intentions but he also wonders about Superman's true intentions and where he stands. Superman says he stands and fights for the world before having to rush off as Lois calls out to home with a problem at home. Before we get home though I have to talk about Mitch Anderson and my mind immediately jumped to the Supermen of America. They're seemingly going to be spearheaded by Mitch Anderson in this show while in the comics he was a member of the group. Now they're not called the Supermen of American yet or even closer to it but it's definitely the direction they're seemingly going with here. Back at home now and as Clark arrives he is greeted by Johnathan and a furious Lois who moments earlier had found her son in his bed with his new girlfriend in a pretty intimate situation. Lois is strict and stern with her son while Clark takes the situation a whole lot less seriously. Clark and Lois end up having a pretty big fight which leads into the ending of the episode. Speaking of..

The episode draws to a close as Clark and Lois have a pretty strong heart to heart. Lois tells Clark about her feelings and what happened with Natalie at the beginning of the episode. Basically Lois's feelings of her mom leaving both her and her sister all came crashing down almost freezing her in the moment. Clark says she is not her mom and what happened to Natalie's mom isn't her doing and she could not have done or said anything about it. The two embrace but really my words don't do this scene justice, it's fantastic, emotional and well put together and acted. When the two are hugging cracks on the window begin to form which turns out to be an earthquake that hits Smallville. Superman rushes off and goes into the mines where he finds two members of Mitch Anderson's group of Superman individuals who are even sporting a Superman style S symbol. Superman goes to see Anderson who tells him that if he isn't willing to put America first he will come up with his own group that will work towards the greater good. Superman says the symbol is not for Anderson to just up and use but he says in return that it's the most recognizable symbol on the planet. There's a lot to take in here but the episode isn't over yet there's still a lot more to go. We're soon back with Lois who rings John Henry Irons and asks to meet him and Natalie. Natalie who has been really struggling since coming to this planet. She goes to school and stuff but feels so unwanted and like she doesn't belong. Things take a turn for the better for her though when Lois tells her that she wants her in her life and is willing to even let both her and John Henry Irons stay at the Kent farm. She just wants her in her life in yet another truly great scene. The episode ends as the boys agree to show Natalie around their home as we're thrown into the mines, deep, deep into the mines. Rocks shatter and fall as the cause of the earthquake from earlier is seemingly found. It's none other than the Superman killing villain Doomsday who is making his way through the underground. We don't see his face but we see his arm and he is getting closer and closer which is absolutely terrifying to even think about. That's how the episode ends and boy oh boy was this a great way to kickstart season 2. Emotional, intense and full of action and great character moments Superman and Lois season 2 is picking up right where season 1 ended and is going full steam ahead with no sign of slowing down. 

★★★★