Superman & Lois Review: Lies that Bind (Season 2 Episode 12)
Decades of lies fracture and forge relationships on Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 12, “Lies that Bind.”
The show proactively decides to pick this episode up precisely where the last leaves off — with Clark hovering in front of Lana after revealing he is Superman.
“Lies that Bind” immediately chases that bombshell revelation with the briefest flashbacks that flesh out Superman & Lois‘ superhero lore and Smallville’s history.
The vignettes into Clark and Lana’s past inform Clark’s decision to become Superman, detail their romantic relationship, and add emotional significance to the very place they’re standing.
The execution of the flashbacks (there and later in the episode) lends itself to Lana’s journey of diving into those pinpoint memories. They come through as bursts, which feels realistic to how memories resurface.
Then, instead of giving Lana the space to grapple with the information, Superman & Lois turns her against Lois, with who Lana harbors more anger than she does Clark.
This source of conflict wouldn’t be so jarring if the show spent more time expanding on Lois and Lana’s friendship until recently.
Lana explains how Lois has become the person she talks to, which the show displays a good amount this season. However, Superman & Lois partially retcons the degree of their closeness beyond that statement.
A later conversation between the pair suggests there has always been a special connection between them upon Clark and Lois’ arrival in Smallville. Yet, the show hasn’t shown enough of that dynamic to believe that to be true.
It’s one thing for the characters to speak it into existence, but it’s another to show its evolution as a significant part of the series.
The delayed realization to know to do that with Lois and Lana shouldn’t be surprising since Superman & Lois has only started to recognize the importance of Clark and Lana’s friendship this season.
Maybe the slight fumble of this storyline could mean the show will lean further into Lois and Lana’s friendship as the series progresses so this doesn’t happen again.
Regardless of if that becomes a reality, the content of Lois and Lana’s disagreement is complicated because of the underdeveloped context and Lana’s stance.
Lana can be hurt that Lois keeps secrets from her, but, as Lois says multiple times, Clark being Superman isn’t Lois’ secret to share. So it’s surprising to see Lois change her perspective on that later in the episode.
Lois isn’t immune to mistakes, but it’s challenging to see keeping Clark’s secret as one of them. It seems as though Superman & Lois is interested in exploring the nuance of the situation at some point.
Nonetheless, Lois sharing Jordan’s secret will likely be a rightful source of drama moving forward. It’s won’t go over well that Lois divulged the secret she pleaded with Jordan to keep.
Though much of the Lois and Lana storyline is rocky, “Lies that Bind” soars when it comes to Jordan, Jonathan, and Natalie’s story. Their family bonding is a breath of fresh air for all of them.
It’s delightful to watch them band together to garner some sense of control, and it’s perfectly in line with their rebellious teenage natures for that to take them to dangerous mines.
Their ditch day gives Jordan, Jonathan, and Natalie a chance to have fun and literally laugh together, and it’s been a while since any of them have done that.
Also, it’s a small beat, but it’s affecting to hear Natalie validate Jonathan’s feelings because of everything he’s been through during the season. Natalie is one of the few people who can sympathize with his experiences.
That’s something Superman & Lois could have doubled down on with Lois and Lana since Lois mentions she knew Lana would be upset about Clark keeping Superman a secret.
Lois has been there, just like Natalie. But, while that brings the teenagers together, it pushes Lana further away from Clark and Lois by the end of “Lies that Bind.”
With three episodes left in the season, it’s fascinating to imagine how Superman & Lois will bring Lana and Sarah back into the fold after Lana sets some clearly defined boundaries.
Alternatively, his season effectively ropes in Tal-Rho when necessary, giving him more depth and genuine likability. All of which contribute to the likelihood of Tal’s longevity on the series.
Adam Rayner is magnificent in this part; Tal-Rho energizes every scene he’s in on Superman & Lois. Not to mention, “Lies that Bind” draws direct parallels between Clark’s conversations with Bizarro Jonathan and Tal.
They’re both people who deserve better support systems, went down wrong paths in connection to their fathers, and need to take responsibility for their actions.
This episode threads the needle between Bizarro Jon and Tal far better than it does Lana and Lois. Nevertheless, there are three episodes left in the season for Superman & Lois to make up for lost time with the emotional payoff with Lana and Lois.
This season has done great things for Clark and Lana’s friendship and Tal-Rho as an individual. There’s no reason not to have hope it won’t stick the superhero landing with Lois and Lana before all is said and done.
Stray Thoughts
- Jordan seeing Sarah in slow motion is a perfect depiction of first love.
- It could also double as a callback to Clark seeing Lois for the first time.
- It’s cool to see John Henry and Sam work together after not seeing much of their dynamic on John Henry’s planet.
- I will never stop thinking about how many times Tal-Rho has read The Fault in Our Stars.
- Tal-Rho knew he needed an edge when meeting Lois; the peonies were a nice touch.
- It’s a great touch for Tal to know she would still be angry about him rewriting her article in The Daily Planet.
- Did Kyle have to take Sarah to the open mic at the bar where he met Tonya?
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 8/7c 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.