Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 10 Review: Collision Course
Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 10, “Collision Course,” is filled with breakthroughs — even in its quietest moments — that propel the characters into the season’s final three episodes.
The script embraces duality at every turn, so every bit of dialogue becomes an entanglement of truth and secrets.
Even as it amplifies the interpersonal tensions to explosive extents, “Collision Course” never loses sight of the families at the core of Superman & Lois. Instead, they are the ones who feel the immediate aftershocks of the episode’s biggest revelations.
For instance, the angles at play in Lois and Peia’s scenes are as great as Elizabeth Tulloch’s and Daya Vaidya’s performances.
The extent and expanse of their partner work this season elevates the scenes where Lois and Peia go toe-to-toe. The characters’ connection runs deep and makes every misstep or betrayal lands like a knife being twisted in either their backs — or hearts.
“Collision Course” runs with that motif during Clark, Jonathan, and Jordan’s scenes, and Superman & Lois plays that conflict so well by valuing every perspective.
The best character work can come from conflict where multiple standpoints are viable. Superman & Lois is great for many reasons, and one of them is that even though the Superman is a point in the conflict, the show never holds him as the only one who can be right. Instead, the story pushes him to be better, too.
“Collision Course” does this by addressing the underdeveloped interpersonal cornerstone that is Clark’s relationships with his sons this season.
Understandably, Clark has been preoccupied with Lois’ health, and Superman has his sights on the Bruno Mannheim situation. Instead of touting Clark and Superman as figures who never make mistakes, Superman & Lois holds them both accountable.
It’s great to see how the script builds to that quiet moment of reflection. Clark turns to Sam and Lois before a confrontation with Jordan that is too high pressure for either of them to discuss the situation calmly.
Then, Tyler Hoechlin and Michael Bishop deliver a scene that may go under-appreciated in another stellar episode of a season that goes above and beyond every week. Jonathan expresses his frustrations with his father in a way that Clark visibly receives. It’s a tremendous blink-and-you’ll-miss-it expression from Hoechlin.
That scene embodies how Clark and his sons haven’t heard each other all season, and “Collision Course” is their undeniable breakthrough.
That familial drama works so well, and its extension into the tension brewing tension between Lana, Kyle, and Sarah about Jordan’s secret makes it better. It’s clever to bring those stories together through Clark protecting Jordan by revealing his powers in front of Kyle, pivoting that story in a new direction.
It energizes Kyle’s purpose in the overall story beyond his relationship with Chrissy. It’s telling that Superman & Lois finds a more compelling angle in Lana and Chrissy’s evolving dynamic than Kyle and Chrissy.
Chrissy speaking up in defense of Lana when Lana missed the opportunity to do so for Chrissy earlier in “Collision Course” is a much meatier scene than any of Chrissy and Kyle’s this season. Plus, it takes place as Superman & Lois expands Lana’s political aspirations — a delightful turn in the story.
Even as Superman & Lois still tries to find the right place for Kyle, Season 3 soars to new heights with the story it crafts for its younger ensemble members.
The geographical distance between Jonathan and Candice plays into a communicative disconnect that “Collision Course” underscores in how Jonathan doesn’t know about Candice’s father, and Candice doesn’t know about Jonathan’s stint at the firehouse. Those are life changes to which their significant other isn’t privy.
While Superman & Lois could continue down this path of catching up and meeting each other halfway, the episode’s otherwise confrontational nature suggests a more significant change looming for the long-distance couple. After all, the same is true for Sarah and Jordan — well after their breakup.
Instead of the drama between Jordan and Sarah playing as tired, “Collision Course” finds a refreshing angle in a complex and long-form adjustment to falling in and out of love with your first love. It’s a delicate story that’s only heightened by Sarah still wanting to protect Jordan’s secret despite how her feelings for Jordan have changed.
The dynamic between Sarah and Junior is unexpected and relatively unsupported narratively. Still, it ultimately works as a catalyst for Sarah and Jordan to have a discussion they’ve clearly avoided until this episode.
Like plenty of other interpersonal scenes on “Collision Course,” that scene contains a conversation that makes way for something bigger in the remaining three episodes.
Rather than viewing these scenes as inconsequential because they occur before that more pivotal moment, Superman & Lois utilizes them on a leveled scale. This show uses every second to its advantage and never falls victim to pointless filler. This season — more than ever — values a character-driven narrative.
The stories keep getting tighter and more impressive as the season progresses, making it impossible not to have sky-high expectations for the remaining three episodes of Season 3. If Superman & Lois continues down this steady path, it will undoubtedly stick that coveted superhero landing.
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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.