Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Break the Cycle

Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 5, “Break the Cycle,” is a chilling case study of Lex Luthor’s heart and an intimate portrait of his relationship with his daughter. 

This episode can’t find a better director than Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s Elizabeth Henstridge, who directed Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 7, “Ant-Hero,” and Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 2, “Uncontrollable Forces.”

Her directorial experience with this show and her unique perspective as the actress bringing an adult Elizabeth Luthor to life combine to make an impressive feat. Written by Adam Mallinger, “Break the Cycle” introduces Elizabeth beyond a photo in Lex’s wallet and newspaper clippings on a bulletin board. 

With Superman & Lois Season 4 only being ten episodes, “Break the Cycle” has a lot of heavy lifting to do with this father/daughter relationship. 

By the end of Act 2, Elizabeth becomes a well-rounded character with concerns rooted in cool-toned flashbacks. Recollection of her parents’ contentious divorce impacts her memories of her father, while Lex’s perspective emphasizes his attempts to love and value her. It’s all conflicting and heartbreaking.

Henstridge gives an incredible, subtle performance opposite Michael Cudlitz, who continues to impress as Lex. Because of the 17 years between Ella Wejr and Henstridge’s iterations of Elizabeth Luthor, it works that the performances don’t feel like direct continuations of one another.

Significant life changes — a father going to prison, moving countries, starting a family — have understandable impacts on Elizabeth. Henstridge embodies all of those experiences and years in her emotion and physicality. It weighs as much as what’s lost and can never be recovered between Elizabeth and Lex.

As for Henstridge’s directing choices, it’s clever to emphasize the space between Elizabeth and Lex at the bar after Lex aggressively reacts to knowing he can’t get those 17 years back. That space feels like an insurmountable whole ocean or world between the father and daughter. Henstridge tells a story with that angle.

It’s strange that Superman & Lois successfully establishes this significant character in a few scenes but still struggles with Jonathan and Candice. Their dynamic is a part of the show from Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 1, “What Lies Beneath,” but it never finds its footing again after the X-Kryptonite arc.

Then, distance impacts the couple when Candice moves out of town to live with her aunt. However, Superman & Lois Season 3 Episode 10, “Collision Course,” is the beginning and end of any communication issues for the couple.

Jon deals with a lot between then and “Break the Cycle,” but no mention of their relationship until now makes Candice’s arrival a bit jarring. The disconnect makes Jordan telling Candice the whole truth confounding. 

It doesn’t help that Superman & Lois inadvertently contrasts Candice with two other characters knowing the truth — Denise and Sarah. 

Denise putting it together after Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 2, “A World Without,” is expected. Sarah’s awareness of everything is logical after her experiences and her relationship with Jordan and the Kents over the last four seasons.

Meanwhile, Candice experiences a few communication issues with Jonathan on “Break the Cycle” after being far less present on Superman & Lois. The show could use that miscommunication to rebuild the couple’s foundation before relaying such a hefty secret, which the brothers realize is in growing jeopardy.

Instead, “Break the Cycle” breaks the cycle of “puppy conspiracy” stories when Jordan tells Candice the truth off-screen. Sadly, Superman & Lois doesn’t use the seismic revelation to strengthen Jon and Candice’s relationship. 

It lands as another missed opportunity for Jon, like the wayside firefighter plot.

Alternatively, one of the other best things “Break the Cycle” does is refuse to excuse Lex’s actions because of his past. Instead, Superman & Lois works to understand his actions and choices because of his parents’ tumultuous relationship and the abuse his mother inflicted upon him. 

Villians are notoriously some of the best and most interesting characters on TV.

Lex Luthor is among the most notable (Michael Rosenbaum’s turn on Smallville will always stand out). Superman & Lois pulling from the character’s source material and expanding on it to create a multi-faceted antagonist character makes for better TV.

That context makes this episode’s examination of Lex Luthor’s heart compelling. This character is far from one-note. Not to mention, his motivations are clear — so clear that he can’t see beyond them. 

Superman & Lois bookends that driving force with Clark and Lex’s conversation about fatherhood and Superman arresting Lex outside Elizabeth’s school.

These layers explain why Lex Luthor’s heart is so challenging to appeal to, let alone find. “Break the Cycle” juxtaposes that with Lois appealing to Bizarro Doomsday’s heart. Looking at the monster Lex created out of his anger and injustice, it’s easy to assume the being’s heart is lost in all that.

Lois proves that assumption wrong, revealing that even the biggest, scariest “monster” can find the heart to choose to be and do better. Perhaps that means there’s hope for Lex Luthor — and his relationship with Elizabeth — after all. 

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

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