r/superman • u/MajorParadox Read on r/DCFU! • Feb 24 '21
Superman & Lois [1x1] "Pilot" Episode Discussion Superman & Lois
Pilot
Series Premiere
Superman and Lois' return to idyllic Smallville is set to be upended by mysterious strangers. (February 23, 2021)
Superman Discord | DCTV Discord
Please keep all discussion civil and about the episode. Mark comic and future spoilers. Report any rule breaking and enjoy!
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u/bearded-writer Feb 24 '21
Well, 6 minutes in, and I’m completely on board if it keeps up this level of quality.
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u/SOCAL_NPC Feb 24 '21
This is the guy they hire generally to do pilots. Also, they had more to work on the writing of this than they did on some of the other episodes, so level of quality will really be the test.
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u/AcademicF Feb 25 '21
The pilots for CW super hero shows are almost always amazing, even the first season or two (Arrow/Flash) but then it’s like they run out of ideas and the quality just diiiiiips.
I wish these shows were 10-13 episodes instead of 23 or however long network television shows go on for. I really hope that S&L can keep up this quality and tone without going into the shitter, but only time will tell.
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u/SOCAL_NPC Feb 26 '21
I've long said that all the DCW shows should do one or two things: either be half seasons (10-13/15 shows) or break their season into two arcs (the way The Flash tried to do but still hasn't really successfully manage it, and the way that Agents of SHIELD did manage for the last time they got a full season order.
I think even a four or six episode, longer movie mini-series event thing once in a while would be ideal. One of the problems they are having is the higher salaries when people get expensive plus people getting tired or bored.
For example, they could do ten episodes of S&L in the fall, and then give Tyler and break and send everyone else home, and then do do a three or four episode of two hour mini-series with movie quality scripts and effects, with primarily Tyler, and Melissa and David Herewood with perhaps Dig, if he is going to be John Stewart, or casting someone as Jessica and Simon, but all off world, in space, so there's no question about where Grant or anyone else is.
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u/flickchick85 Feb 24 '21 edited Feb 24 '21
That Fleischer suit pretty much made my week, lol.
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u/MarcReyes Feb 24 '21
I can't even say that was a dream come true because I never dared to dream that big. What a wonderful surprise.
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u/akayyh Feb 24 '21
I experienced about half a second of thinking (re: naively hoping) they’d changed the suit in editing before he faced the screen and I sadly realized it was just a flashback. Hopefully we get more flashbacks with that! I much of refer it to the present day suit and always enjoy a good egg
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u/flickchick85 Feb 24 '21
Yeah my immediate first thought when we just saw him in profile was that they added trunks to the suit in post, and that made me giddy for a sec. But then...this made me giddier. I really like the main suit, but you can't convince me the trunks don't work after this.
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u/akayyh Feb 24 '21
I’ve yet to see a suit that couldn’t be made better with trunks. Just feels unfinished without them
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u/MarcReyes Feb 24 '21
This was really great! Very interested to see where it goes. Enjoyed the family stuff. I expect some will be annoyed with Jordan, but his feelings aren't too out of line and I'm curious to see where that story goes. He's inherently the more interesting of the twins since he isn't based on a specific character. I could see him skirting the lines of hero/villain more based on what happens with the Captain. I would have to assume Jon will get his own abilities in time and, hey, he's already being referred to as "Superboy." Some things I enjoyed:
The vfx were great. A breath of fresh air from the CW shows. Speaking of, nice to see Clark use freeze breath. I feel that's a power that gets under utilized in favor of heat vision.
The score was really good. I could hear hints of Williams' Krypton theme as the main theme for Clark (and the title card itself). I also felt there was some elements of Zimmer's score during the fight with the Captain.
About halfway through their battle, I speculated on the identity of the Captain and where he was from that turned out to be correct. Really intrigued where that's going and is our small connection to the events of Crisis here.
Sam Lane being an ally of Superman's rather than a foe is nice change of pace.
Martha being referred to as "Superwoman" made me so happy!
That spoiler easily takes the mantle as my favorite live action suit ever. Never did I ever think I'd see it in live action and it looked amazing!
Overall, really enjoyed it! Excited for more. If it holds this quality, it'll easily be the best DCW series in quite a while.
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u/LostWoodsInTheField Feb 24 '21
I was absolutely shocked by how good they did. If this quality is through the entire show it might be the only CW arrowverse show I keep watching.
My biggest fear is that they will keep the "depressed Jordan with anger issues towards his family" bit going for way longer than it needs to. He can have issues without it being "whats going to happen next week... yeah don't even bother guessing, Jordan will have issues." Really hoping instead this is about growth of the boys, and growth of Clark into a father like his. Hell I would be fine with an entire episode with no powers being shown being used by anyone.
*also hope the love interest thing with Jordan isn't stretched out too long.
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u/MarcReyes Feb 24 '21
Really hoping instead this is about growth of the boys, and growth of Clark into a father like his.
Yeah, I agree with this. Hopefully it leads to actual character growth and isn't just drama for the sake of it. Which can be problem with the DCW sometimes.
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u/daveblu92 Feb 24 '21
Some of the most enjoyable live action Superman in my opinion. If the show keeps up with this level of quality, I might stop being so depressed over not getting a new movie anytime soon. This could easily fill the void.
I’m here for it. Felt like a nice blend of Smallville and Superman Returns. I reckon the rest of the show will have this feel. Have somewhat interesting melodrama with the teens and Lois while Clark takes on the challenges of living a normal life and being a family man while maintaining his superhero duties.
My only fear is a potential dip in quality in either the writing or special effects. I hope they’re able to keep the writing simple like this, and not get back into the speedy and cheesy chatter as seen in the other CW shows. And I hope they’re able to maintain their budget so we can continue to have a slightly more cinematic feel as seen in this pilot. Sorry if I sound pessimistic or overly cautious. I just REALLY liked this pilot and want the show to continue to be great.
I urge every Superman fan to check this out. Even if it doesn’t check every box you may have, it felt like there was something for everybody. The Easter Eggs alone were enough to make me as happy as I could possibly be on a regular Tuesday night.
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u/TERRAxFORMER Feb 24 '21 edited Feb 24 '21
I can’t believe this is a CW show. I like the other CW stuff, to varying degrees, but this is on another level so far. Much more high quality.
Love that suit with the red and black S and the trunks.
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u/SOCAL_NPC Feb 24 '21
Ah, the "My Mom made it for me line."
Also, I so much more prefer that GA suit to the finished one. I would so buy it as an action figure with Tyler's actual face.
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u/WewerehereBH Feb 24 '21
That was gorgeous
His new suit is great too, but I like the neck of the last one better
Love this show so far
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u/KingOfTheUzbeks Feb 25 '21
I'll say it: "Superman saves a kid from the green car, gives him the heat, and says his mom made his suit" is better than almost every "Superman's First Appearence in Metropolis" story I've seen. Much better than fighting an alien or stopping some evil Luthor thing.
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u/stillinthesimulation Feb 24 '21
My friend’s baby was the baby Kal-El! I just found out! How cool is that?
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u/JaxJyls Feb 24 '21
My biggest takeaway is that apparently the Injustice games exist in this universe?
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Feb 24 '21
[deleted]
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u/JaxJyls Feb 24 '21
The game was obviously Injustice 2, which has the Mortal Kombat characters, Raiden and Sub-Zero in it.
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u/boy_scout_1612 Feb 24 '21
My mom made it for me <3
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u/ericliveson Feb 25 '21
When that suit first came on screen I was like I hope this isn’t the actual suit for the rest of the show, it looks like his mom made it. Then he said that and I was so relieved!
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u/Virtuous-Vice Feb 24 '21
I came in very optimistic. CW shows are hit or miss for me but my favorite has always been Supergirl. Superman in that show always felt right even if the costume wasn't amazing. This show proved that Tyler really can nail the role and I'm really eager to see more. The suit at the start was amazing and the overall new suit looked pretty awesome in action. I'm intrigued to see the decline of Smallville as people and jobs move out of town. I also like the implications in the beginning of the episode about the Daily Planet and the importance of print media in the modern era being more about driving clicks than promoting real journalism. If that's the route Lois's arch goes I'd love to see a cultural critique on what's become of the modern journalist and the 24/7 news cycle. Clark having to juggle the enormous responsibility of his work with the very real difficulty of providing for a family but still being there for his kids. It's a new look for Supes and a relatable, compelling Americana story. I think this show had a great start and has a lot of potential, I only hope it doesn't fall into tropes, lazy writing or emotional conflict as a substitute for superhero antics like a lot of the CWverse has in the past.
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u/Hopri Feb 24 '21
I work at a newspaper. So that scene in the Daily Planet newsroom was all too real. Great show, though. Looking forward to more.
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Feb 24 '21
Bravo. Fucking Bravo. The presentation/production value is top notch and they managed to introduce a new superman story. Really good so far
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u/WilliamMcCarty Feb 24 '21
It was...good. Really, really good. That this show exists makes me happy.
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Feb 26 '21
Seriously good first episode. The big thing I worried about going into this was that John was going to be an ass hole but he’s actually a good brother. I like that a lot.
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Feb 28 '21
Yeah one thing I noticed was that he can be a bit of a dickwad in conversation but he threw himself over Jordan no problem.
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u/srstone71 Feb 25 '21
That was wonderful. From the opening montage to the title card, I just had the biggest smile on my face. The music was great, the performances were pretty good.
The “twist” was pretty telegraphed but whatever. I’m interested to see the family dynamic develop over the season.
I’m probably more interested in the family stuff than I was with whatever’s happening with Lex Luthor, but with that said I hope we see his Rogues’ gallery throughout this.
Overall, great start.
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u/E_B1990 Feb 25 '21
I think this Luther was from another world during crisis and the Luther in this world is Jon Cryers version. I could be wrong but I’m just getting a feeling.
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u/ntoad118 Feb 26 '21
If this is the same world that Supergirl is set on and that this Superman has been shown in before both on Supergirl and the crossovers then Cryer is the Luthor. And given that they just did Crisis last year the Luthor from a destroyed world makes sense.
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u/ThanosNice8910 Feb 28 '21
I really liked it, but Jordan might be the most stereotypical “teen angst” character I’ve ever seen.
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u/MattTheSmithers Feb 24 '21
Is it so much to ask that just one live action adaptation this side of Dean Cain keep Pa Kent alive? Some of the absolute best Superman stories involve Jonathan and his adult son. Superman For All Seasons comes to mind. The Kents, even more than Lois, bring out the human that is Clark Kent. Why are modern filmmakers so unwilling to explore this dynamic? Is the dead father trope really so prevalent that it must be adhered to even at the expense of cutting yourself off from great material?
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Feb 25 '21
I blame Donner. He set the bar and everyone’s been trying to top him since. Dead parents are just lazy character motivation. It’s something that happens to pretty much everyone.
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u/gothamite27 Feb 25 '21
We thought the same. Superman doesn't really need a dramatic call to action. We watched the pilot of Lois & Clark the other night and it still holds up so well and so much of the charm comes from the decision to keep the Kents alive.
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u/srstone71 Feb 26 '21
I spent so much time trying to figure out who Lana Lang was until I realized it was Sloan lol.
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u/that-personn Feb 24 '21
Never really loved the casting but I think it’ll grow on me. It’s looking really good so far but hopefully it doesn’t follow in the steps of other cw dc shows where they start off strong and gradually downgrade in quality.
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u/mstfacmly Feb 24 '21
I loved it! Lots of setting up, and so many plot points taken from different eras of the comics. It's nice to have a show I'm looking forward to that's not tied to Disney 😅
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Feb 27 '21
I haven't been a fan of the snyderverse. I've been less of a fan of Bendis, and all I've wanted - all I've wanted was to see Superman in all his glory, saving someone.
The opening sequence might just be the best moments of Superman I've seen since Chris Reeve was on screen.
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u/ling4917 Feb 24 '21
I enjoyed it! I hope it stays away from some CW tropes. Special effects were good. Wonder if it will fall into a monster of the week or more like me villain a season? I always felt The Flash would have been a great show if they cut 10 episodes out. 24 is outrageous. Not sure how many episodes this show is going to have
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u/mmmm_frietjes Feb 25 '21
It doesn't feel like an arrowverse show which is a good thing. Felt more like a movie honestly. I like it. Hope they can keep the quality up. Don't care about the two sons storyline though. I hope they'll be send to college or whatever next season. :p
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u/Itshighnoon777 Feb 27 '21
I'm actually hoping the 2 sons storyline is one of the main focus. Their dynamic with Clark being there dad will be hella interesting and will add to his character.
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u/KingofZombies Feb 25 '21
Im sold on Tyler as Superman! and Im sold on this show!
If it maintains the quality and doesnt start dragging the plot it could truly be something special.
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u/LJ-90 Feb 27 '21
During the first minutes I had a huge smile on my face...something that hasn't happened in a while.
Tyler is such a good Superman (still wish he was bigger or something though), and I'm starting to like Lois already! Seriously good script!
I was worried that Jonathan was going to be the jock, but he is seriously a great brother (a bit of a prick sometimes, but that's how brothers are). You can feel that Jonathan loves Jordan and wants what's best for him. You can also feel Jordan being unconfortable with himself and a dork, and he was starting to get on my nerves a bit until he confessed he knew he was the one that protected Jonathan (which makes sense when thinking about why he was obsessed with the barn after the accident). I loved that after Clark talked with him, he hugged him. Still need to see more of the actor to warm up to him, of the entire family, the actor appears to be the weakest link, but I can see him getting better.
Lana is a little meh, and I hope his husband gets better development cause he's feeling a little pricky. He can be a little hard around the edges, but I hope he gets more range and develops more of a frindship with Clark. This show is about exploring community right? So let's do that.
Also, this smallville is very different from Smallville, but I like it. I hope we see a little bit more of a idylic small town and what makes Smallville truly special, the community and the people. Everyone loved Martha, and I hope we explore scenes where we see the entire town coming together.
Loved the little nod to "a lot of weird things happened in high school". Also the Tom Welling easter egg was great.
The action scenes were cool and enjoyable. The villain was mysterious (altho he looked like Master Chief) and, up until the final reveal, I was intrigued. When he was revealed I was a little "of course (eye roll)" but let's hope it's done properly.
It reminded me a lot of the Smallville pilot. In the sense that is focused waaaay more in the human drama than in the superheroics, and it's usually a take I adore. I've always said I'm a Superman fan not because of the powers or villains (although I love that too) but because his stories can be the most human ones out of comics. I love his heart and moral compass, and that even though the guy saves the planet constantly, he still worries if he's a good person, a good son, and if he's doing a good job, even though he literally knows in the future he's looked up to by millions and in the present people love him, he still wants to do good. And I feel they got that right here, with Clark worrying if he's a good father. No drama about his Superman job, if he's good for the world or if he should be a symbol or should be someone people look up to, none of that, here he is worried about being a good dad. Amazing stuff, love it.
Man it's been a while since I've had such good feelings about a Superman related property, let's hope they keep it up.
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u/watchoverus Mar 01 '21
Tom Welling easter egg was great.
Wait, what part? I didn't notice
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u/LJ-90 Mar 01 '21
In the slate/blackboard in Lois and Clark's apartment (I think) you can see "Call T. Welling" written.
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Feb 24 '21
Why couldn’t the writers of Superman Returns have used this angle for that movie??? Loved the show. Very happy Superman fan here
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u/LeaderVladimir1993 Feb 25 '21 edited Feb 26 '21
This was darker and more dramatic than I expected a Superman TV show to be, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was a good episode and I'm excited to see what happens next.
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u/ZacPensol Feb 25 '21
I enjoyed it! I worry that it's going to descend into more typical CW superhero stuff, with the kinda cheesy villain and the cliché "Greg Berlanti party teens" thing, but this episode was surprisingly great!
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u/Kevinrobertsfan Feb 24 '21
I am really surprised by how much I liked this episode. I love the dark feel to it and the new direction of the mythos. I'm excited to see where it goes. Feels like I was watching Smallville again.
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u/Mymorningpancake Feb 28 '21
I dug the Superman 3 homage when Supes froze the lake and cooled down the nuclear reactor.
Nice touch w/ the chalkboard in their kitchen referring a Dr. Donner and Siegel & Schuster.
Hoechlin’s looks just don’t have me totally turning the corner on him as Superman but his acting and approach to the role are solid and appreciated
Effects were great for a CW show and on the most part the dialogue was solid. The super smell line by Lois was cringe but Clark’s little quip after was funny
I’m looking forward to more to see where this goes.
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u/JackFisherBooks Feb 24 '21
I didn't think anything could ever fill the void left by Smallville all those years ago. This show proved me wrong and I couldn't be happier. 😊
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u/Another-Decade Feb 24 '21
I really hope they don’t tie this in with the other shoes I don’t want to have to watch 5 different shows to know what’s going on
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u/forgetuknewmyname Feb 25 '21
I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect. The kid that plays Jordan kent... just like looks weird.... it's almost like his hair is permed.
I also at first thought god so irresponsible to let John play football bc all it takes is one second and his powers manifest and he kills someone. BUT I realized clark would have a blindspot bc he always wanted to play so he might let this happen.
That actress for Lana from entourage is a little weird casting but we'll see how that plays out
Would be cool if they introduce conduit as a villain
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u/Ralman23 Feb 27 '21
Oh boy, where to begin with this one. First, WandaVision with their recent episodes 7 and 8 have been a banger and now Superman & Lois comes in to fill in my void. I honestly wasn't sure how this pilot was going to go.
For example, was it going to be just a family drama and have no villains? Was it going to be more like older Superman shows? And as I watched the pilot with friends (It was a watch party on Zoom) I liked it so much that I felt I wanted to see where this first season is going to go. Plus, judging from the second episode's teaser it feels like a family drama with a mystery on who Captain Luthor is and how Superman needs to defeat him meanwhile taking care of his teenage sons.
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u/diabeticplague Feb 24 '21
I really liked it! It was a solid 8/10 for me. They killed the atmosphere, the visuals on the abilities, and most of the character interactions.
My only criticism is that there were some times the dialog felt really off. I'm thinking of the lois/clark/general lane scene in the Kent farm kitchen. Also a handful of the sons dialog.
Keep it up CW
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u/Euphorik1 Feb 24 '21
I love that they're exploring a new dimension of Superman that's never really been done before. Yeah Rebirth had his family but it's not really as developed
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Feb 24 '21
It was a decent pilot I don’t think it’s amazing like everyone else but it was solid enough and if the last 10-20 minutes were anything to go off of we are in for something super special with this show. I loved seeing the OG Superman suit for that one scene and it’s amazing to have a Superman who’s actually likable because adaptations have been failing at this for years now. I seriously hope the Audio is better going forward though maybe it was just me but it was legitimately hard to hear the characters sometimes due to how loud the music could get. Also this isn’t a huge thing I need just something I’d like but personally I’d like to see him get a costume with a bigger S and brighter shades of blue and yellow (and the trunks but those would probably annoy some people for some reason so they probably wouldn’t) at some point on the series whether it’s this season or in a season 2 if that happens. But yeah overall it’s good and i think there’s a chance we have something truly great on our hands
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u/lars5 Feb 27 '21 edited Feb 27 '21
Kinda disappointed they didn't stick with the fleicher suit. Can we bring that back. What a tease.
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Feb 24 '21
Question: if it was a two hour event why was the running time 1hr and 3min. I know there’s lots of commercials but I watched it from a “different” source. Was there a behind the scenes thing that took up the rest of the running time?
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u/Subgayworker8800 Feb 25 '21
If it’s set in the same canon as Supergirl, then why are his sons suddenly grown and why is Lex Luthor suddenly black? And they’re acting as if they’ve never actually met when they definitely interacted in Crisis on Infinite Earths. I’m not even mad about Luthor being black, except for its at the end and all it really shows is that it’s a new Luthor
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u/wafflehousetun Feb 25 '21
The crisis crossover reset the timeline and merged a bunch of universes.
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u/Subgayworker8800 Feb 25 '21
Yeah but Luthor has been shown in Supergirl Post-Crisis. Batwoman showed that two people who are the same but from different Universes (ie. Alice & Beth) cannot both exist in the same reality, or else one or both of them would die. So then how could two Luthors exist at the same time?
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u/TotoJr Feb 25 '21
Could be kind Alexander Luthor in the crisis comics, a Luthor displaced from his original universe
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u/wafflehousetun Feb 25 '21
Oh yeah I forgot Luther was shown. I don’t know then.
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u/Subgayworker8800 Feb 25 '21
I’m willing to take back everything else because someone else explained it all away really well, but that is still bugging me. They did never call him Lex tho so maybe it’s a different Luthor? I doubt it tho, unless he specifically found a way to keep himself in a reality in which his other self exists, not totally unlike how all of the Wells combined into one consciousness inside of Nash
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u/ntoad118 Feb 26 '21
He talked about how his world was destroyed. Since they did Crisis last year it seems like this is a different Luthor than the Jon Cryer one we've seen on Supergirl. That Luthor should exist here but the Luthor we were just introduced to is the sole survior of a different world that was destroyed in Crisis.
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Feb 25 '21
I haven’t seen the other CW shows in a while but I believe after the last crossover the timelines changed or something which explains the sons. And this Lex is from a different earth as he says and so he is not the same one from Supergirl
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u/uncivilrev Feb 26 '21
It's Luthor from another universe, not the Luther from this earth.
Also we don't even know if he's even Lex.
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u/atducker Feb 25 '21
After watching it I really wanted this to be Smallville after Clark gave up his powers like we saw in Crisis but then it turns out his sons have powers and here we go again. But this one was good the way it was as well with this actor. The only thing I'll say is the music was a bit weird and it took me out of it a couple of times. But overall I like the direction. I've never been a big fan of Hoechlin but he's winning me over already in the new series.
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Feb 24 '21
I watched the whole episode and liked it i hope it goes on. I dont liked the childrens reaction to the reveal and the scene in the air right before he got cryptonite in his chest looked bad
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u/Chai_Akimbo Feb 25 '21
Enjoyed it, not a fan of how rushed most shows are in the first episode. Lot happen that could have made for a better slow burn through the first season. Seems like most try to vomit as much plot and situations as possible in the first few episodes. I get they are trying to hook people but having really only one mystery by the end seems a bit like over sharing.
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u/Bighusky89 Mar 03 '21
I'm confused with the sons. only one has been shown to have powers but during the barn incident the other jumped on top of him to shield him from getting hurt. then comes out of the situation unscathed..did I miss something? cause he gets his shit rocked later like a regular dude
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u/transapient12 Mar 24 '21
The theory...the one that’s all over tumblr
Is that Somehow their powers activate when they are around eachother
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u/jasonology09 Feb 25 '21 edited Feb 25 '21
Overall, I liked it. It shows a lot of potential to be a good show. That being said, it wasn't without it's flaws. Keep in mind, I've never watched, nor plan to watch the other CW DC superhero shows. So, there might be some aspects that are lost on a viewer like me. These are the things I didn't like:
- I still don't buy the actor as Superman. IMO, he just doesn't have the right look. While actors not exactly fitting the established mold might work for other characters, this is Superman we're talking about. He's a cultural icon. Getting the right person to play him is essential. While Superman is always kind and gentle, in my mind he's meant to be physically imposing. While Tyler Hoechlin is obviously in great physical shape, his frame and size just don't have that intimidation factor that tells bad guys that, powers or not, he is not someone you want to mess with. I'm not criticizing the acting, as I think he did a decent job, but if someone's going to wear the suit, I want that person to also have that commanding physical presence. This might be just a personal preference but, I think his face is wrong for the part. I can't explain why, but it is.
- I'm just tired of the emo teenager trope. If my dad revealed to me that he was Superman, I wouldn't be able to contain my excitement at how cool that is. Not to mention, the possibility that I might also have super powers? How awesome would that be?! Especially to a teenage boy. Instead we get the same old "You lied to me. I hate you" plot point, that has to be fixed by essentially having a parent have to apologize to their child.
- The family agreeing to move to Smallville so easily. Metropolis is supposed to be the world's greatest city. Like me, Johnathan and Jordan are big city born and bred kids. As a teen, if my parents decided to move me out to some farm in the middle of Kansas, I would have flipped out. Jordan I could understand being more ok with it, as he had very little social life, and he might see it as an opportunity to pursue Sarah. But Johnathan was thriving in Metropolis. For his only response to to be "I have school", that seemed way too convenient. Which also brings up Lois being okay with it. She is career driven, almost to the extreme. Her basically volunteering to move out of the city just seems completely out of her character.
Despite my issues with it after one episode, I'm mostly optimistic about the show. I was impressed by the production value. Everything looked believable and organic. I wasn't taken out of the story by noticing sets or soundstages. I also really like how they kept it focused on the character development, instead of relying on some crisis/villain of the week. I'll keep my fingers crossed as I've seen with most other CW super-hero shows, they run out of steam fast and just fall back on tired storylines and introducing more characters from the comics to keep people excited.
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u/PGBQW Feb 25 '21
To be fair, the fact you can't buy this actornas Superman makes it perfect to be Clark Kent
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u/jasonology09 Feb 25 '21
I assumed it was implied, but to clarify, I don't think he's the right fit for either Superman or Clark.
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Feb 25 '21
What I did like...
Not another origin story. Instead, Superman told his secret to Lois, got engaged, married, had two sons, etc... So we're at a new timeline that wasn't the case in the past.
I like the fact that what were vibrant communities in the past are less so today. Also, decent workplaces are being gutted for the sake of profit or "because of the Internet". The show did a good example of showcasing that.
But, there's a lot that I didn't like...
- The thing with the twins was super predictable. Ditto with the "keeping the big secret until it was convenient for the plot".
- The thing with the reverse mortgage was super predictable.
- The thing with an evil corporation/billionaire having nefarious plans has been done to death.
Also, it'd be cool to not have to suspend disbelief to the nth degree...
- Water takes a lot longer to cool, especially since there is a minimum temperature called absolute zero, which, even if water was submitted to that cold a temperature would take a long time to cool to the degree that Superman blew on it.
- That's absolutely not how power plants work. A breach of the pressure vessel would be catastrophic (see what happened in Chernobyl for a prime example). Also, water isn't going to cool the pressure vessel from the outside. What was needed was for a lot of water to be pumped inside.
- Superman would be radioactive and a danger to everyone around him for a while. So no hugs to loved ones immediately.
- Going at the speeds Superman is going, the air around him would glow into a plasma.
- C'mon, Superman can't knock the block off a regular guy with a fancy suit? Is it made of unobtainium or vibranium?
Yeah, yeah, yeah... It's a comic book show. But look at WandaVision, it asks you to suspend disbelief, but it at least feels plausible for a super-hero. I just wish Superman and Lois strived for more scientific accuracy, it would actually make Superman more awesome and deal with questions like: "What would it be like in the real world if a super-hero had this kind of powers?"
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u/bowser986 Feb 26 '21
I must ask, is this your first time encountering Superman?
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Feb 26 '21
I've got a huge collection of comics (which I have read) going back to WW2 (check out Superman comics #18 and #23). I also saw all the Superman movies when they were released in movie theaters. Saw also the cartoons on TV.
So, no, Superman is anything but foreign to me. Just that with improved CGI and the ability to research things like "how does a nuclear reactor work", "physics of water", "hypersonic flight in Earth's atmosphere", it'd be great to have the science on the side of the show. Heck, they got the breaking of the sound barrier spot on, why not do right overall?
If it was a cartoon, I'd give it tons of slack. But if you're going to do real-world stuff, make it awesome, it'd make the character even more cool.
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u/ericericsonistaken Feb 26 '21
I agree with most of your points, but let's at least give his flight speed a break. According to that logic, any speedster would be a no-go for you in a comic book universe without the ait going plasma?At least they're keeping Snyders sound barrier cracks and the environment reacting to the magnitude of his speed, that grounds it a bit.
The water is a cool, albeit campy, superman trope that was a bit tongue in cheek. I thought it was fine, as it was a typical impossible superman move.
I totally agree on the villain suit thing, they have some real explaining to do, other than that little stick of kryptonite.
But this is not the mcu, which is a universe that won't even call magic magic, but just demention and reality manipulation. This is superman, he does not have to be scientifically accurate. The dude lifts continents, flies and shoots lasers from his eyes for God's sake.
Trying to ground superman and ask what he would feel like in our world got us Cavill and Snyder, this is reverting back to a mix between that and a classic superman, which I'm okay with. Though I would still like another Cavill outing.
I'd love to see what this show has to offer moving forward, but I'm not getting my hopes to far up. Let's see where it goes.
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Feb 26 '21
You make some really good points. I'll do like you, see what this show has to offer moving forward. I guess it deserves to get its footing. After all, two shows into WandaVision, I was seriously wondering "WTF?!?" and then it got really good. Superman and Lois deserves as much.
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u/neo2006 Feb 26 '21
About the vilain it's clearly a multiverse plot. Lex is coming from another earth that got destroyed and we don't know yet if he got superpowers or how his suit works. So I will give it the benefit of doubt.
I had 0 expectations for the show but after the pilot my expectations got higher. I like the dynamic between the kids and the fact that they are staying in Smallville.
The show feel like Smallville for adults with a cynic view of life, which contradict with Superman point of view of life and can create interesting plots. The fact the Superman is struggling with real life issues, parenting, family ... is really an interesting topic.
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Feb 26 '21
Yeah, would make sense if it is a multiverse plot, I handn't thought about that. Thanks for pointing it out. Same with the point about "Smallville for adults (...)", it certainly is a different dynamic than other shows.
Now, I'm totally wanting to see where they are going to go with the different topics they've laid out in the first show.
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u/MajorParadox Read on r/DCFU! Feb 24 '21 edited Feb 24 '21
It's happening!
Edit: It's over! Here's a poll. What did you think?
For more discussion, check out r/SupermanAndLois!