‘Superman & Lois’ Heritage Review: Cruising Altitude

Heritage is a small step back from the fantastic premiere of Superman & Lois. Adjustments abound as the Kent family officially move from Metropolis to Smallville.

There’s plenty of good in the episode. Lois is given a bit more of a storyline after the Clark-centric pilot episode. Bitsie Tulloch is great at playing the more rebellious side of Ms. Lane. Lois starts the episode at a loss as to how to fit in Smallville, but finds a place to be herself by the episode’s end. However, she should have had an even larger role throughout the episode.

The chemistry between the more cautious Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin is really good at playing the meek aspect of Clark) and Lois is truly special.

The brotherly dynamic is a strength for the show. However, I was a little disappointed to find Jordan’s social anxiety disorder, which was such a focal point of the Pilot, toned way down. Jonathan’s story arc on the football field and in school is handled well in Heritage.

The villains appear to be the weakest link so far. Morgan Edge has very little personality and falters in Lois’s shadow. Wolé Parks does his best as Captain Luthor. However, another version of Superman killing Luthor’s planet is a pretty weak vendetta. The voice in Luthor’s ship even makes it clear that this isn’t the same Superman as your [luthor’s] world. Luthor replies “not yet.”

With the non-spoiler details out of the way, lets dive into superhero theatrics, family drama and more in Heritage. Superman & Lois is airing on The CW and streaming on CWTV.

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Not a Small Town Girl

Heritage begins with a narration from Lois. She quickly recaps the lifestyle change for the Kents. Dan Romer‘s score throughout the episode is stellar and the musical choices during this sequence are beautiful.

Clark discovered his reason for moving the family to Smallville in the Pilot and Lois finds a mission of her own in Heritage. Lois spends most of the episode writing a story about Morgan Edge, who is also her boss. While Clark supports Lois, he does point out that there’s no way Edge is going to allow the Daily Planet to publish the story.

While working on the story, Lois meets Leslie, the all-in-one staff of the Smallville Gazette. Lois notices Leslie watching her at a diner and they meet during a city council meeting. Stacey Farber is great at providing Leslie with more of an endearing-than-annoying quality. Leslie is clearly enamored by Lois but has an eye for good journalism and by the episode’s end, she shows her ability to understand Lois’s journalistic voice. There are some similarities to Chloe Sullivan from Smallville, but in this context, that’s a good thing.

Lois eventually submits her story revealing Edge’s history of using small towns for cheap labor then moving on to the next town. The story is changed without Lois’s knowledge and reads like a puff piece. She quits and accepts a job at the Smallville Gazette. How are Clark and Lois going to be able to keep the farm with only one parent working at a small-town newspaper? No idea.

The episode begins and ends with Lois’s story, but could have used even more of her throughout. The rest of the episode features Lois in the supportive wife and mother role, which is fine, but Tulloch’s best work in Heritage was as the dogged reporter part of Lois.

Kent Family Heritage

Clark and Lois inform Jordan that due to the newfound powers, he can’t go to school right away. Jordan is angry, which is a bit of a character shift. In the last episode, Jordan’s social anxiety disorder was front-and-center, but it’s mysteriously absent here. While Lois drops Jonathan off at school, Clark flies Jordan to the Fortress of Solitude for a crash course on Krypton’s history and to meet Jor-El played by Angus Macfadyen.

The father-son bonding at the Fortress of Solitude is my favorite part of the episode. This entire sequence features some truly stunning cinematography and the look of elation on Clark’s face when he finally connects with Jordan is lovely played by Hoechlin and Alex Garfin as Jordan.

Jonathan is excited to support his brother after first fortress visit, but the same can’t be said of the subequent trip for anyone.

Jor-El runs some tests and determines that Jordan won’t have powers like Clark, which understandably leaves Jordan crestfallen.

When Jordan returns from the Fortress, Jonathan is less than supportive. He unleashes a verbal tirade, which is interrupted and put to rest by Lois. Jonathan is suffering at school from Jordan attempting to kiss Sarah Cushing and the fight that ensued. He’s practicing with the football team but hasn’t received the playbook due to her boyfriend’s subterfuge.

The episode ends on a sweet note for the twins. If no one else is going to help, Jonathan promises Jordan that he will help him. Clark tells the boys he’s going to do a better job being a father and Superman. Yes, that’s very similar to the promise he made in the Pilot. Clark tells Jordan that he can return to school and gives him a pager.

General Lane and Captain Luthor

Sam Lane has been hunting Captain Luthor since’s Superman’s last encounter. He stops by the farm to talk to Clark. The military is able to track his Luthor’s ship. As General Lane is leaving, he stops to ask why Clark moved the family to Smallville. Clark to his credit tells Gen. Lane a half-truth. He revealed his identity to the boys but doesn’t mention that Jordan has abilities. Lane says Clark should have kept the secret and revealing his identity will tear the family apart. Clark tells Lois about the conversation to which she replies “we must be doing something right.” Tulloch’s delivery of the line is quintessential Lois.

Clark cuts the conversation with Gen. Lane short. He’s able to locate Luthor’s location and heads off. They have another physical conflict. Luthor forces Superman to choose to fight him or prevent his ship from exploding, which could kill many people. Superman chooses to stop the ship, which he pushes into space, where it explodes.

The episode ends with a flashback to Luthor fighting in a battle alongside General Sam Lane. As the camera pans up, we see Hoechlin’s Superman in a black suit mowing down soldiers with his ocular blast. Hoechlin’s great as the red-blue boy scout Superman, but I didn’t by even this brief glimpse of him as a Kingdom Come type of Superman.

Heritage Final Thoughts

2nd episodes are always tricky and Heritage does a strong job with the occasional misstep along the way.

Superman & Lois needs to figure out how to make their villains stand out. Luthor’s motivation feels similar to Bruce Wayne’s crusade in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Morgan Edge feels like an emotionless version of Lionel Luthor.

The Kent family dynamic rises above the negative aspect to stick the landing by the end of the episode.

What did you think?

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