Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 8, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” renews the stakes in an emotional fever pitch while setting the stage for Lex Luthor’s arrival. The propulsive outing pushes the characters until the last second. 

The episode utilizes every corner of its growing universe by spreading the ensemble throughout Smallville and Metropolis. Ironically, the expansive storytelling compliments the small-scale stories at the core of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

As Superman & Lois‘ fantastical and geographical scopes expand, the story becomes increasingly personal, creating blurred lines that vibrate with compelling tension.

The nuanced, multi-world drama between John Henry Irons and Bruno Mannheim only grows with the genuine, grounded emotions between their children, Matteo and Natalie. Unknowingly — to the characters — combining them at a “meet the family” dinner is electric entertainment.

It creates an engaging viewing experience that makes the audience complicit, nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it does, Superman & Lois‘ cast steps up their superhero game with an action sequence filled with bleeding hearts.

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” uses the fight sequence to tell a story, showing how its purpose evolves from a point of defense to desperation. The visible turn in the action hits as a character-level gut punch and a significant blow in a plot reveal.

Accordingly, Clark, as Superman, races to save an adversary’s wife who is fighting cancer like Lois while he simultaneously processes that Peia, too, is a murderer. 

That realization coming on the heels of Clark and Lois discussing the necessity of reporting the truth about Bruno Mannheim, even if it involves Peia, is good. It plays up the journalistic bias and integrity of Lois and Clark. When the latter often takes a backseat, seeing Superman & Lois Season 3 lean into Clark’s journalism is a blast. 

The layers of this conflict result in a meaty story that involves every major player on Superman & Lois, including Lex Luthor, who the show hasn’t properly introduced yet.

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” cleverly toys with the character’s existence in the show’s universe while Lois, Clark, and Chrissy dig through files or Lois catches a commercial for Lex’s airline on TV. Then, the episode takes it further by hearing Michael Cudlitz’s voice before physically showing him.

It’s such a fun fake-out because it involves Onomotpeia’s powers and Bruno and Peia’s history that it’s impossible to be frustrated at its execution. If anything, it only amplifies the anticipation of Lex’s arrival. 

Back in Smallville, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” gives Kyle a purpose with longevity as he trains Jonathan and investigates Jordan.

Finally, after multiple seasons of Kyle feeling unanchored in most stories, these threads have the potential for real effects, especially since Kyle is the only one within Superman & Lois‘ leading ensemble who doesn’t know the whole truth.

Scaling it back, the episode pulls another outstanding and heartbreaking performance from Michael Bishop when Jonathan hears that his brother doesn’t view him as a real hero. The weight of that lands extra heavy on the shoulders of a teenage boy who has struggled to find his place in Smallville since he arrived.

This confrontation between Jordan and Jonathan is a long-time coming and will likely never fully resolve. Consequently, it’s refreshing that  “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” treats the argument as pivotal as the showdown between Bruno, Peia, Superman, and Steel because, to Jonathan and Jordan, it is.

Also, with this episode, Superman & Lois continues its delivery of delightful and often unexpected pairings — from Chrissy and Clark to Lana and Sam.

The latter is a breath of fresh air during “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” It’s nice to see Lana exist within story outside of work, and it’s perfect that she does so with Sam, who also breaks free to become a more fully-realized character in Season 3.

Still, there’s nothing more healing and rewarding than seeing Lana and Sarah dance around the living room to The Cure’s “Lovesong.” The non-linear progression of their dynamic is one of many fine moving parts this season.

Moreover, Superman & Lois takes that song that represents nostalgia and hope and gradually turns it into a haunting tune that foreshadows what’s to come. It’s brilliant! 

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Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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