Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 2 Review: A World Without

Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 2, “A World Without,” turns the fight over Superman’s heart into a horror show.

As Lex strengthens his ties to the small town through shady dealings, Smallville’s charm and kindness become the backdrop for dangerous mind games and traps.

Written by Katie Aldrin & Kristi Korzec and directed by Sudz Sutherland, “A World Without” is perfectly paced and structured to support the tension it elevates from Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 1, “The End & the Beginning.”

Though this episode works as a standalone, its beginning creates an iron-clad case for why it works as the second part of a two-hour premiere event.

“A World Without” begins with a POV shift from ensemble characters to Chuck, a Smallville local. He cuts through the devastating scene to see the heart of it — Lois Lane (and Jonathan and Jordan) mourning someone she loves.

While an excellent representation of Smallville, Chuck’s reaction to discovering Superman’s identity brilliantly juxtaposes Lex’s response to putting together the truth. Chuck wants to keep the secret because of everything Superman has done, and Lex plans to exploit the secret for that very reason.

Superman & Lois improves both instances by incorporating Lana and Sarah into the season. “A World Without instantly makes them active players in this action, with Lana preventing a crowd from forming and whispering. Meanwhile, Sarah steps up as a friend for Jonathan and creates a plan to stop Lex.

Lana immediately leaning on her role as Mayor is a realistic way to distract Lana from dealing with the inevitable. It works as well as Lois turning to journalism.

It’s also so rare to see a one-on-one scene with Lois and Lana — even four seasons into Superman & Lois — that it’s exciting to see them take a beat and catch up. Unfortunately, their scene at the kitchen table continues the pattern of Lois and Lana’s interactions that are not driven by upsetting contexts.

On Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 12, “Lies That Bind,” their scenes concern Lana being upset that Lois keeps Clark’s secret from her. Their next extensive scene is on Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 6, “The Dress,” when Lana and Lois have a refreshingly candid conversation after Lois’s cancer diagnosis.

With “A World Without,” their scene about Lex Luthor — and Clark’s death, but they can’t bring themselves to say that last bit. Hopefully, Lois and Lana can have a more lighthearted scene before Superman & Lois ends.

It’s easy to be optimistic because this season already expands on one of the show’s most underrated dynamics — Jonathan and Sarah’s friendship.

“The End & the Beginning” sees Jon shoulder a lot for his mother and brother. He even excludes himself by saying, “I don’t know if my mom and Jordan can recover from this.” It’s refreshing to see Sarah suggest Jon take everything one step at a time. That advice is welcomed — and meaningful coming from Sarah.

Superman & Lois doesn’t stop there, thankfully. Jon, Sarah, and Lana, doing what they can to fight back against Lex, answer Lana’s question from earlier in the episode — “But if Superman can’t stop Lex Luthor, how can we?”

Lex expects people, especially those without Superman’s powers, to fold under his threat. The irony is that one of the people who has affected him the most is Lois Lane, who put him in jail. According to Lex, that distance made it easier for his ex-wife to turn his daughter, Elizabeth, against him.

While less important to the story of “A World Without,” it’s exciting that Lex’s bulletin board confirms that Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Elizabeth Henstridge will portray Elizabeth. That casting is extra special because Henstridge has directed two episodes of Superman & Lois.

It’s better for the longevity of the season’s drama that Lois, Lana, Jonathan, and Jordan don’t find a way to stop Lex in the second episode. It would be rewarding to see people stand up to him whenever it happens, but the series now has the opportunity to build that momentum across a few more episodes.

In the meantime, “A World Without” solidifies Lex’s villain status with a painstakingly and uncomfortably long third act. Superman & Lois turns into a horror series when Lois receives a call from “Clark.” It’s a testament to Tyler Hoechlin’s talent that the shift from caring to threatening is audible in his tone.

As if that isn’t a lot already, it gets creepier from there — with an automated option for Lois to pick one of her two sons to survive. Elizabeth Tulloch embodies the all-encompassing fear and panic that sets into Lois’s bones during that sequence.

The pressure is palpable, the choice is impossible, and the act break can’t come soon enough. It’s brutal to watch, and the stress around it is only elevated by Jon navigating the shadows of Lex’s place and Jordan following a false lead.

The act finally ends with a crushing defeat — Clark’s heart under Lex’s foot.

Superman & Lois then doubles down with a one-two punch: Lana confronts her best friend’s death, and Clark’s family prepares to say goodbye. After an intense episode, it’s a devastating relief to see Clark’s hologram at the Fortress.

It’s only then that the ground starts to feel solid under the characters again, but there are still irreparable cracks. “A World Without” knows a world without Superman is dark, but it emphasizes that a world without Clark Kent is equally so.

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

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