Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) is being put through the wringer this season on Superman & Lois… And thus far the season is only two episodes old. And while the events of the Season 4 premiere will continue to reverberate throughout the season (more on that in a moment), it’s her Sophie’s Choice toward the end of the second episode that is even more upsetting than the death of Superman, as Lois needs to choose which of her sons will live — and which will die.
Spoilers for Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 2 “A World Without” past this point.
In the second episode of the two-part premiere, with Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) dead, his heart ripped out by Doomsday, Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) is turning the screws on Lois Lane. Yes, she’s barely had time to mourn the death of her husband. Lex wants Lois to give up journalism as revenge for sending him to jail for nearly two decades, and he’ll push her to any lengths to make that happen.
It doesn’t help things that her sons Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Jonathan (Michael Bishop) are also pretty upset about their dad dying, and aren’t listening to a word she says. In Jordan’s case, he’s on the warpath, trying to find Superman’s heart to activate Clark’s Wolverine-style healing factor. In Jonathan’s case, thanks to some urging from Sarah Cortez (Inde Navarrette), he’s sneaking into Lex’s dilapidated hotel room to find clues about the location of the heart.
That’s when Lex uses an automated voice system to call Lois and tell her that both her kids are about to die… And she can only save one. Lois is back at the Kent farm, unaware of where the kids are, or what they’re up to. All she knows is that Lex — who makes good on his promises — is threatening to kill one of them. She has 10 seconds to press a button on the phone and choose one or the other.
…And horrifyingly, though we don’t see or hear who she chooses, she does indeed choose one of her sons.
Both Supersons Are Alive, But The Ramifications Of Lois Lane’s Choice Remain
Turns out, though, we as viewers know that Jordan is in serious trouble. He’s been trapped by Luthor thanks to a sound device and some kryptonite ray guns and is forced to watch as Luthor steps on Clark’s heart (a potent metaphor if there ever was one) and destroys any chance of bringing Clark back to life. Meanwhile, Jonathan is okay! Lex was nowhere near the hotel, and Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui) came to find Jonathan and get him out of there safely.
But the damage is done, as Lois has chosen one of her sons to live, and one to die. That’s awful on many levels and something that will clearly weigh on Lois. It’s also not a piece of information that Lex is going to let go by the wayside, either. He now knows which son Lois arguably loves or values more, even though that sort of emotional truth isn’t easy to come by.
There’s a logical solution here, of course… Jordan has superpowers, but Jonathan doesn’t. Perhaps in the moment, Lois was gaming out that Jordan has a better chance of escaping Lex, thanks to his Kryptonian heritage, and therefore chose Jonathan. It’s tough to think that Jordan would see it that way, given even with his powers he’s constantly felt like he’s in Jonathan’s shadow. There’s the more grim possibility that she chose Jordan because he has a better chance of saving Clark, versus the powerless Jonathan. Or that she chose Jordan because he’s always needed more help and guidance.
Either way, this is yet another awful thing Lex Luthor has done to the Kent family, and it’s going to weigh heavily on all of them — particularly Lois — going forward.
Superman & Lois airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Superman & Lois Season 4 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
The final season of Superman & Lois premieres with two episodes on The CW on Monday, October 17, 2024 at 8 pm ET / PT. Episodes then stream the next day on The CW website and app. After the premiere, it will air once a week for 10 episodes total in Season 4, with exact air dates TBA.
Here’s the full list of episodes in Superman & Lois Season 4, with premiere dates:
- Monday, October 7, 2024: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 1: “The End & The Beginning”
- Monday, October 7, 2024: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 2: “A World Without”
- Monday, October 14, 2024: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 3: “Always My Hero”
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 4
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 5
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 6
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 7
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 8
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 9
- TBA: Superman & Lois, Season 4, Episode 10 *SERIES FINALE*
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