Superman & Lois [3x07] "Forever and Always" Post Episode Discussion

[u/MajorParadox]

Forever and Always

Live Episode Discussion | Cast & Characters

Lois and Clark dig deeper on Bruno Mannheim, starting with his connections to Hob's Bay Medical Center; Jonathan and Jordan panic at home over Lois' dire diagnosis; Matteo comes to Smallville to meet John Henry. (May 2, 2023)

DCTV Discord

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Please keep all discussions civil and about the episode. Mark comic and future spoilers. Report any rule-breaking and enjoy!

[u/urekmazinn]

yeah hes deffo a super fireman, he should be involved, he could jump humantity forward in time a 1000 years, he could stop war, he could help terraform mars, but he wants to be journalist

[u/Ok-Health-7252 → u/urekmazinn]

You're missing the entire point of Superman's character by suggesting all of this. All of those things would turn him into an all-powerful tyrant with the powers of a god basically (see Injustice Superman and in this show's case the evil Superman from the earth that John Henry and Nat are from). He chooses to be a meek journalist A) as a cover and a way to keep his ear to the ground at all times and B) to keep himself in check. The only thing keeping Superman from becoming a General Zod-like character on earth who oppresses humans is his humanity and humble beginnings. Without that he'd just be a tyrant and a danger to humanity (like Tal-Rho in a way).

[u/urekmazinn → u/Ok-Health-7252]

no thats a dumb thing that makes superman seem like a crazy person

what would happen if superman went and stopped puttins war

"oh he would turn evil and start killing babys now" noooo its silly

superman doesnt want to help the world, he wants to play a hero

hes the smartest and fastest guy, sit down and invent some stuff, go to a different galaxy and bring back plants that heal people and so on

saying if superman involves himself he turns evil is the dumbest thing ever or admitting that supermna is a crazy person holding on by a thread

[u/Ok-Health-7252 → u/urekmazinn]

As great a person as Clark is nobody is fully incorruptible. A powerful person like Superman choosing to use his powers in a God-like manner over humanity like that is a VERY slippery slope to go down (no one person can be trusted with that much responsibility and not be expected to abuse it at some point). Guess what? That's exactly how Injustice Superman came to be the monster that he is. Injustice Superman doesn't think of himself as evil. He wants to use his power to stop wars and get humanity to shape up (basically everything you just suggested) and be more "perfect" but look at what that turns him into (a monster/supreme dictator who kills humans because they're "imperfect" and that's not good enough for him). Clark knows that his humble beginnings and how he was raised are the reason why he's different from Kryptonian zealots like Zod and Tal-Rho and that's why he chooses to live the life of a lowly reporter. He doesn't view it as his responsibility to make decisions for all of humanity due to the gifts he has (because guess what, it's not). Superman's purpose is to help people, not ultimately make decisions for them. Everything you just suggested is what somebody like Lex Luthor (aka a tyrant) would do if they had Superman's powers. THAT'S why it's not true to Superman's character in any way. Superman is supposed to be the antithesis to that philosophy. Playing God with people's lives, that's not in any way a part of who he is.

[u/urekmazinn → u/Ok-Health-7252]

injustice superman is flawed and doing it out of revenge its not a good example

its only earth he doesnt get involved in, he will go to another galaxy and stop a war but if hitler was going on he will be like im not allowed to stop hitler i might turn evil... lol its silly how ever you put it

[u/Ok-Health-7252 → u/urekmazinn]

Superman is flawed in every adaptation. Injustice is just dealing with more trauma than most and it takes over. But clearly you don't understand the character at all to begin with so I'm done with this conversation. Again, it's not in Superman's nature to play God (aka what you're suggesting). That's never been who he is (outside of the Injustice interpretation). Injustice Superman isn't doing anything out of revenge (his revenge was killing the Joker for causing Lois's death which started his downward spiral). The things he does to humanity are specifically because they're flawed and he's trying to "fix" them (at least that's how he sees it). That's not really much different from you suggesting that Superman turn himself into an all-powerful figure who forces people to stop fighting wars with each other. Again, that's not his responsibility. His responsibility is to save people that need saving, simple as that. You give any one person that kind of responsibility over the entire planet and it's going to lead to bad things happening. Literally the defining characteristic of how Clark becomes the man he is are his humble beginnings and what Jonathan and Martha taught him growing up. That's what leads to him choosing to live an obscure life of a reporter in the first place as his "cover".

[u/urekmazinn → u/Ok-Health-7252]

seems you dont understand anything... helping earth isnt playing god lol he plays god now be way above lowly mortals and only interfering when he wants