Superman & Lois Review: O Mother, Where Art Thou? (Season 1 Episode 10)
Superman & Lois Season 1 Episode 10, “O Mother, Where Art Thou?” juggles as much as a season finale usually would. This weight gets in the show’s way at some points with certain reveals. Maybe more importantly, with five episodes left, it makes us ask: What could possibly come next?
Clark and Edge have their big showdown. The subjects are free of the Kryptonian consciousnesses. Lana and Sarah know more than ever before. What else is Superman & Lois leading to for a season finale?
Is it going to follow up on whether all those falling bodies that no longer have Kryptonian healing powers are okay? Probably not, but it would be nice, nonetheless.
Better yet, the remainder of the season could be used to make Morgan Edge (or Tal-Rho) a better villain.
He’s capable of holding that title because he’s presenting himself as a supremacist who is unafraid of burning worlds if that means his people get to thrive. That’s terrifying and very resonate to the times we live in even now.
It would work so much better on “O Mother, Where Art Thou?” if Superman & Lois gave Edge the time to brew as a villain. The reveal that he’s Kal-El’s stepbrother is already shocking enough. To then dive right into his scheme on top of everything else this episode juggles is too much too fast.
It could have been beneficial to leave us with that cliffhanger for another week and have this episode be an Edge-centric flashback episode that leads us to the present. That wouldn’t justify his actions, but it could have let us understand his perspective a little more than this episode does with its brief flashbacks.
It’s also disappointing that Edge’s big plan is the thing that ends up ruining his big plan. He tries to get Clark on his side by telling him that they could bring back their mother, even though Edge knows that his mother is the one person who could burn his plan to the ground. And she does in Lana’s body.
This twist is extraordinary in that Kal-El can stand in front of his mother again and tell her about Lois, Jonathan, and Jordan. There’s no denying the emotional impact of getting to speak to a loved one you’ve lost.
Personally, it’s a little challenging to get past the part of Clark’s mother’s consciousness being inside the body of his ex-girlfriend.
All of that weirdness does not take away from Lana’s courageous moment when she volunteers as tribute, or test subject. Lana’s dedication to her family, both the nuclear and larger scale of Smallville, is admirable. Without Lana, there’s no telling what cataclysmic things could have taken place by the end of the episode.
It’s terrific that Lana’s most poignant moments before the transfer and after its reversal are with Lois. Their budding friendship and growing trust in each other is easily one of Superman & Lois‘ highlights.
It’s easier to pit Lois and Lana against each other, but they’ve come together in a much stronger way that defies all that cattiness. There’s genuine respect between them that can’t be shaken, especially now.
Overall, Lana’s moment of heroism is another reminder that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. That may be a good thing for the residents of Smallville, and the world, to be reminded of because Superman is MIA.
Well, he’s at the Fortress, but no one knows that, not even Lois. Now Smallville and the rest of the world must exist (at least for a few days) without its favorite hero.
For Smallville, with people like Lana and Lois on its side, they should be okay. That is unless Edge decides to make his next move in the interim, which seems exactly like something a calculating villain would do.
The fact that Edge so clearly has a backup plan to create more Kryptonians begs the question of whether he knew everything would fall apart as it did during “O Mother, Where Art Thou?” Superman & Lois gives us hardly any glimpses into what he’s thinking, so it’s all a mystery.
Hopefully, the series isn’t planning on building to the same fight from this episode in a slightly different font in time for the season finale. If Edge wants to be an excellent big bad, he needs to have a more exciting card up his sleeve than that.
Stray Thoughts
- The way time slowed down when Lana saw Superman is super relatable.
- Clark standing with his hands behind his back while he talks to his mom is a cute acting choice.
- I’ll never be over Clark calling Lois “the love of his life.”
- Why did Jonathan spill so much to Sarah? He could’ve held back a little bit.
- I’m still wondering when I’m going to warm up to Kyle and Sam.
What did you think of this episode of Superman & Lois? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.