S01.E05: The Best of Smallville

[scarynikki12]

Quote

As Smallville celebrates its first Harvest Festival since Martha's passing, Clark is reminded what his mother meant to him.

 

 

[scarynikki12]

I cannot adequately express how much I love that Luthor drives a camper. It’s a super fancy camper but still.

I was worried for Chrissy while she was sleuthing so I’m glad she’s smart enough to call Lois so Clark can overhear.

It was brief but Jon was allowed to express his frustrations and Jordan got to take care of him for once. 

Nice family talk at the end.

Yes Martha Kent was the best of Smallville so well done Lana.

So Tag’s back and after Jordan. 

Luthor I’m going to say this once so pay attention: doppelgängers only look the same. The Superman you knew was evil but this one isn’t. The Lois you knew loved you but this one doesn’t. You have some time to realize this but don’t fall for the lie that they’re all the same just because they share a face. I do not want to start yelling at you like I did Quentin Lance. 

[cambridgeguy]

It's a nice sentiment but I think Clark is overstating the value of the box - I'm pretty sure that Kryptonian crystal had something to do with helping him figure out his destiny.

I have to admit, I didn't expect them to go with alternate Lois being Captain Luthor's wife (girlfriend?).  It explains why he was so friendly with the alternate Sam Lane.

[bettername2come]

I did not see Captain Luthor as other world Lois's husband. Makes sense with him knowing other Sam Lane and trying to convince him to not trust Superman. Guess he doesn't know that Clark's Superman. When Not-Siri made a comment about biometrics after he watched them on the bench, I was sure it was going to reveal it. 

Is it just me or do Clark's glasses pick up every single glare possible? I mean, for realism's sake, I like it, but I swear I have never noticed this much glare on a a pair of glasses on camera before. 

Tyler and Bitsie continue to have chemistry. Loved him lying down and putting his head in her lap. 

27 hours of labor with superbabies seems deeply unpleasant. I did like the "it seems like they were just born" since their Pre-Crisis (and probably on a different Earth) kid just was. 

I thought Chrissy was done for when she tracked Derek. 

Jonathan walked a fine line between making completely valid points and being a brat. I like that his jerk behavior was really mild. He got drunk and revealed it was Jordan's first date. I'm liking the brothers more and more. 

3 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

It's a nice sentiment but I think Clark is overstating the value of the box - I'm pretty sure that Kryptonian crystal had something to do with helping him figure out his destiny.

Thank you! I was expecting the crystal, but then, for it to be empty and him be like "Oh, right, your brother has it from when you snooped around and found my spaceship." Seriously, brother gets powers and he gets...a box. Like that box should at least be made of lead so Clark won't spy on whatever's inside.

I really think they should've just changed the Cushing family name since they're emphasizing the Hispanic culture with the dad. Isn't Lana the only one from the comics?

[Primal Slayer]

Im a sucker for Dopplegangers so Luthors E? is very intriguing even if COIE was useless outside of "merging" Supergirls/BL Earths w rest of the Arrowverse. Lois Luthor huh...though doesnt look like she was much different from our Lois. But funny that Luthor is the only one who changed physically on this Earth.

[thuganomics85]

As soon as they brought up Elsa/Jonathan's girlfriend in the Previously, I was like "Whelp, she's going to dump him!"  Poor Jonathan.  He definitely was being a brat, but I really feel for him and I think it makes sense that he would snap like that after everything that has been piled on him these past few episodes.  Even then, I liked that in his drunken state he still felt bad once he realized he ruined Jordan's date with Sarah, and apologized for it.  Even at his lowest, he still cares about his brother.  He might not have powers (yet?), but I think Jonathan has quite a lot of traits that could make him a damn hero in his own right.  He might be my favorite character that isn't named Clark or Lois.

As mentioned above, I also kind of get a kick out of Luthor's headquarters being a camper now.  The whole idea is just amusing to me for some reason.  But I felt like there was something.... "there" with his undercover scene with Lois, so I wasn't too surprised when it was revealed he was married to her in his universe, but it was still a nice reveal.  But the man is probably going to get even angrier if/when he finds out she is married to the Man of Steel himself!

Enjoyed seeing flashbacks scenes of Teenage Clark and Martha Kent.  They even got an actor who looked like he was in the ballpark of a teenager playing Clark, instead of making viewers try and believe that a mid-twenties Tom Welling is a loner "teenager" (I swear, I actually have a lot of fondness for Smallville!)

Really thought Chrissy was going to get kidnapped or worse, but she came through instead!  So, it looks like Larr (and Morgan Edge?) are using come kind of tech to not only resurrect people, but give them Kryptonian powers?  That can't be good!

Still a lot of Lang/Cushing drama.  It feels like they're trying to make Tyler more sympathetic now, but I'm not fully on board yet.

Tag coming out of nowhere!

Looks like we are on break till May, in order for Supergirl to finish off its last season.  Seems like an odd thing to do with a show that has gotten a lot of chatter.  I get that the CW isn't concerned about live ratings compared to other networks (which is a good thing), but the wait might kill some of its momentum.

[legaleagle53]

28 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

Looks like we are on break till May, in order for Supergirl to finish off its last season.  Seems like an odd thing to do with a show that has gotten a lot of chatter.  I get that the CW isn't concerned about live ratings compared to other networks (which is a good thing), but the wait might kill some of its momentum.

That isn't why it's happening. Supergirl wasn't originally supposed to launch its last season until June, but Superman & Lois forced an earlier launch date due to issues with COVID-19 that interrupted production on the latter show for a few weeks. Launching Supergirl next week will give Superman & Lois a chance to catch up on production.

[Lantern7]

Is it weird that I'd want a S&L/Stargirl crossover just to see Clark and Pat have a dorky dad-off?

This week, we got Jon angsting, Jordan going on a kindasorta date, Clark dealing with memories of his mother, and Luthor lurking in the background while Superman fights the putz that vanished a few weeks ago. I'm thinking maybe there's stuff in Smallville that can activate powers, and Maxwell Lord Morgan Edge wants to get his paws on it? Maybe Lois should check out the towns where Edge built faulty monorails essentiall bought and decimated.

There's going to be some whiplash going from the quieter Luthor from (presumably) another Earth to the Jon Cryer version.

 

[ukgirl71]

I think I love dorky Clark more than Superman 😍  Lois and Clark’s relationship just keeps getting better and better - it’s strong, loving, intimate, and fun when it needs to be.  Lois as Mom is also a continued treat (the line to the boys about getting home faster), and I’m even kinda glad Clark actually “stood up” to Jon, albeit briefly, and even though he knew how he felt.  Jon is even a good guy when he rebels - please, please don’t ever make him break bad!  The resurrected Kryptonian storyline is deliciously intriguing, and as for the revelation that Captain Luthor had his own Lois Lane 😵  I’m glad it was Chrissy rather than Lois who found the CAT scan device.  I’m intrigued by how Tag managed to escape Krypto College, and why he seemed certain Jordan caused his powers, but what I’d really like to know is, what was notGideon about to tell Captain Luthor about variables before he smashed her in a fit of jealousy?  Roll on May 18th!

[ruby24]

I'm so sad we have to wait two months for it to come back. I hope it doesn't crush any momentum because I really like this show a lot. It's surprised me so much, because I've seen a lot of these CW superhero shows and due to that I really wasn't expecting too much. But this is good and it's not like all the others. I love Lois and Clark and I even like the boys. I like all the storylines they're setting up with this alt universe Captain Luthor and the Sam Lane conflict, and even Lana and her family. It's just being done really well, paced out well, with a good balance between the family stuff and the superhero stuff. I'm impressed (again, especially because it's CW). 

[cambridgeguy]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

So, it looks like Larr (and Morgan Edge?) are using come kind of tech to not only resurrect people, but give them Kryptonian powers?  That can't be good!

It sounded more like they were somehow resurrecting Kryptonians, hence the you are not alone anymore line (Kara who?) and voice change.   A regular human wouldn't call Superman Kal-El.

[arc]

Smallville was established in 1949????? WHAT????? Come on, even Superman in print in the real world goes back to to 1938. It feels kind of ridiculous to venerate this good-old-real-American-heartland small town and then we learn Clark's own parents might have moved there from somewhere else. 1949!!!!!!

Y'know, if Clark really loves the Harvest fest so much it doesn't track that he never brought his kids back here for this when they were living in Metropolis. He coulda pulled them outta school for a week, esp back when they were younger. Especially if it's close enough that Eliza could come visit. This is one of those things where stuff that should have happened before the show's first episode never did because the show hasn't thought through its backstory hard enough.

I'm liking teen Clark. It's surprising adult Clark didn't get Jordan more, considering how moody Clark was as a teen himself.

It's weird that Sarah didn't text Jordan she'd be late, right? Like, even if she was preoccupied by her dad and all, once she left the house, why not text? I realize this may be a part of modern communications technology ruining classic TV plots, but still, fix it.

Why is there a crazy "bride of Frankenstein machine" in Smallville? (OK, maybe it was in New Carthage.) And why did Supes burst in through the roof instead of, say, through a door? Did he know there was criminal or urgent enough stuff to cause that much property damage?

I don't buy that Leslie Larr makes out with some rando, even if he has super powers. Maybe Morgan Edge was psychically controlling Derek's body or something.

I said it before when Luthor destroyed his ship for next to nothing, but it's hilarious he's downgraded to an RV of Doom. Also, having hit Superman with a big gun, why did he switch to a pistol for the followup? Did he want to be absolutely sure to lose?

Maybe this alternate-universe love triangle between Luthor, Lois, and Clark will have Luthor so upset he won't ever notice that Clark looks exactly like Superman.

Whoa, looks like Arrowverse Hogwarts sucks if Tag can just run (or fly?) back to Smallville for a little mini-rampage.

 

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, bettername2come said:

9 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

It's a nice sentiment but I think Clark is overstating the value of the box - I'm pretty sure that Kryptonian crystal had something to do with helping him figure out his destiny.

Thank you! I was expecting the crystal, but then, for it to be empty and him be like "Oh, right, your brother has it from when you snooped around and found my spaceship." Seriously, brother gets powers and he gets...a box.

Do you mean Clark was as confused by the empty box as I was? 

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, bettername2come said:

Is it just me or do Clark's glasses pick up every single glare possible? I mean, for realism's sake, I like it, but I swear I have never noticed this much glare on a a pair of glasses on camera before. 

I didn't notice Clark having eyeglass glare, but IRL, most all glasses have anti-reflective coating these days. Still, if I was using my glasses to create a secret identity, not having antireflective coating seems like a good idea --especially for Clark/Superman, since going all  CSI-Miami-Horatio-Caine and just wearing reflective sunglasses all the time would ruin his Dorky Dad personna. 

Edited March 24, 2021 by shapeshifter
Typo

[Winston Wolfe]

2 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

It sounded more like they were somehow resurrecting Kryptonians, hence the you are not alone anymore line (Kara who?) and voice change.   A regular human wouldn't call Superman Kal-El.

A thought occurred to me the other day - five episodes in and no one has mentioned Cousin Kara. Interesting.

[thegirlsdad]

Someone please explain...If that Luthor from another dimension is the same as Luthor in this dimension, how did Lois not recognize him? Or anyone else recognize him for that matter??  So confused!

[scarynikki12]

9 minutes ago, thegirlsdad said:

Someone please explain...If that Luthor from another dimension is the same as Luthor in this dimension, how did Lois not recognize him? Or anyone else recognize him for that matter??  So confused!

He’s not. The Lex Luthor of this new world is Jon Cryer’s (seen on Supergirl). When Crisis merged a bunch worlds into one a new rule is No More Doppelgängers. Supergirl, Flash, and Batwoman showed this take effect in different ways but it all comes back to that rule. Now that doesn’t seem to have an effect on same name non-doppelgängers which is likely how Luthor still exists even though his world, including the Lois, Superman, and Sam doppelgängers, no longer does.

We’ve seen them play with Crisis related memory issues so that may also be something Luthor’s dealing with. The Paragons only remember the original timeline, their teams have memories of both timelines, and timey-wimey Doctor Who type shenanigans can bring on various outliers if the shows choose. 

[cambridgeguy]

18 minutes ago, thegirlsdad said:

Someone please explain...If that Luthor from another dimension is the same as Luthor in this dimension, how did Lois not recognize him? Or anyone else recognize him for that matter??  So confused!

Remember that there's no rule saying different versions of the same person have to look identical.  Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.  Lois herself has met Brandon Routh's Clark and Tom Welling's Clark. 

[tennisgurl]

Two months? I am so sad that we are taking a break, I've been liking this show so much and I don't want it to lose momentum. Its such a good show, I really enjoy both the family dynamic and the superhero action equally, which is quite impressive. There is a lot going on but they all feel intertwined instead of a bunch of random subplots. Its got great characters and actors to play them and a really promising story mixed in with a  very sweet but realistic family story.

Poor Jonathan, I knew that when we saw his girlfriend on the Previously On's where that was going, but that still really sucks. No wonder he finally got angry and started acting out a bit, but Jonathan is such a nice kid that even his acting out is pretty tame and he shifted almost immediately into apology mode. Even when he's being angsty he is still really polite about it. I thought that his drunk apology for messing up Jordan's date was really sweet, as was Jordan trying to look after him. You can tell its normally Jonathan that handles the care taking and that Jordan is a bit unsure about being the least angsty teen in the house, but that he was trying his best to be there for his brother. Their relationship is one of my favorite things on a show full of things that I love. Jonathan has gone through a lot lately, and has handled everything with a lot of maturity and kindness, so I am glad that Clark and Lois cut him a bit of slack. 

The flashbacks with young Clark and Martha were really nice and the actor they got to play young Clark did look like he could be a younger version of adult Clark. He was so earnest but also confused enough to be a normal teen despite his powers. It makes me sad that Martha died in the first episode, she really was the best. The box was a nice gesture Clark, but maybe get Jonathan something a bit more space-y? Not so symbolic? Jordan got the powers, at least give him keys to a spaceship or something. 

I was worried that Chrissy might be killed snooping around, so I am glad that she not only got out fine but got Lois some important information. So is Morgan Edge using people as hosts for the...souls of dead Kryptonians? To raise a Kryptonian zombie army with human bodies and Kryptonian ghosts? That's certainly one hell of a bad guy plan, I have a LOT of questions...

I am also really amused by Lex Luthor driving around in his RV, even if its a really tricked out one. No wonder this Lex knows Sam Lane so well, he was apparently married to his Earths Lois. I swear, I hope this doesn't lead to another "person refuses to realize that a double from a different universe is not the same as the person they know" story even more than it already is. Lex is apparently trying to kill this Clark because of what the other Clark did, so is he now going to assume that this Lois is just the same as his Lois? I swear, someone needs to start a seminar or something on this. 

[arc]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I am also really amused by Lex Luthor driving around in his RV, even if its a really tricked out one

Is it really tricked out? He has an Arrowverse/supervillain Alexa and a small assortment of guns in there.

[PAForrest]

Well, if that was supposed to be Jonathan's time to receive some overdue focus in comparison to Jordan, that's seriously disappointing.  He melts down for like 2 minutes, acts out for another 2 minutes, gets reprimanded by Lois, immediately turns around and apologizes to everyone because apparently he's not to be given the same latitude to be upset about his life that his brother was given. Then Clark gives some very weak speech about Jon maybe someday doing great things, without sounding like he believed it at all. I think the empty box was sadly quite appropriate - everything about this situation felt flat and empty, including if not especially his parents' very fleeting interest in Jon. Given how much focus the show and the parents have given to Jordan, this was a rip-off. It confirms my feeling that Jordan is an authorial insert and very much a Mary Sue. Really don't like Mary Sues.

So Luthor's primary interest isn't just in destroying Superman, but more so trying to snag a new Lois for himself? Well, the CW does love its love triangles, even if this one is mostly in theory.

Tag certainly seems to blame Jordan for what happened to him. And he's right. Without Jordan igniting the chemical around the fire that caused the mutation, it wouldn't have happened. And apparently the school they sent him to has the worst security system in the world if he can just fly out of it anytime he wants to.

So it appears that Morgan's experiments with the locals are going to be very hit or miss. I predict many more epic failures.

Kyle has a tough job. I think his family forgets that. But this is a trope I see in every series that focuses on cops or firefighters or members of the military. The family always acts like they don't understand what the job is about, that the hours aren't 9-5, and that they see hard things and their friends/coworkers often get hurt or killed. It screws people up.

Sure, it was sweet seeing some flashbacks to young Clark and Martha. But too much else was crammed in that it didn't feel like anything really got the attention it deserved. Apparently Jon's plotlet was really only thrown in to serve as a springboard for Clark to remember his own childhood and to bring Martha back in.

[memememe76]

That is a long break! How many episodes is this season supposed to have—13? 
I don’t know much about the mythology, but where is Preteen Clark going? He is not going to Metropolis, right? He is too young? That school? 

[rtms77]

Hmm sorry but the idea that Clark never went back to Smallville after he left is both unbelievable and contrary to what he is like. If he hated the place and his mom so much why go on about how great it was? Something is missing there.  Did he really make Martha take trips out to see the boys? That comes off as self centred jerk, not farm boy, Boy Scout Clark.
 

Poor Luthor, not only does he lose his cool space ship, his world now he’s lost his girl 😂. Honestly this guy needs to snap out of it and really take a good look around. Your telling me he never knew Superman ID on his world? Was he an alien conquer there?

Jon is still hurting 8 think and still heading for a bigger meltdown. Everyone’s right they poo poo his feelings this ep . I think they do this because he’s never really had problems, he has always been the mellow cheerful guy. For two reporters who can spot a lie and villain a mile away Clark and Lois are lousy at picking up emotional cues of danger especially with the boys. At least they finally scolded one for the drinking, but hello they’ve been doing that since they got there. 

[scarynikki12]

15 minutes ago, rtms77 said:

Hmm sorry but the idea that Clark never went back to Smallville after he left is both unbelievable and contrary to what he is like. If he hated the place and his mom so much why go on about how great it was? Something is missing there.  Did he really make Martha take trips out to see the boys? That comes off as self centred jerk, not farm boy, Boy Scout Clark.

In the pilot Jon asks him if they're going to see Grandma and Clark responds "I think we're overdue" and the boys know Sarah from a summer in Smallville so he definitely came back for visits. Since Martha's dead and the visits weren't for big town events like the Harvest Festival he's looking back and feeling that he should have done more. Which, yes and no. They could have visited more but the boys had school, Clark and Lois had the Planet, and Clark had Superman duties, to name three things, so time just got away from them.

I assumed that Clark was finished with high school when he left Smallville. Otherwise it makes no sense for Martha to send him away if he was still a minor. I also assumed that Clark doesn't actually intend to send Jon away since he's also a minor but wanted him to give the town a real effort to he told a white lie. If Jon continues to be unhappy then my guess is they'll compromise and find things that interest Jon away from Smallville during school breaks. And I think Jon getting a chance to really show his stuff on the field will go a long way in making him happy so that can still happen. We're also going to need an explanation for why the coach has no interest in him when he was set to be starting quarterback at a high school with a major football program. Even if the coach feels he's too young to start that isn't something that gets overlooked when you're aiming to win state.

[rtms77]

13 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

We're also going to need an explanation for why the coach has no interest in him when he was set to be starting quarterback at a high school with a major football program. Even if the coach feels he's too young to start that isn't something that gets overlooked when you're aiming to win state.

Because he’s new, and too young? Sorry but not even Tom Brady would be picked to start quarter back a team just starting high school at age 14. A senior would be in that role, getting scouts in etc.Maybe Jon was going to be quarterback of his junior team but not a full fledge high school team . I think things are very exaggerated in this series. Jordan got noticed because he used his slight power to impress . It sucks but for now Jon is stuck being over looked. Not only that but this move was unexpected, it’s not like the coach had advance notice about Jon and his talent. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by rtms77

[arc]

1 hour ago, rtms77 said:

Maybe Jon was going to be quarterback of his junior team but not a full fledge high school team . I think things are very exaggerated in this series.

I agree with you, but the pilot explicitly stated that Jon was going to be starting QB of the elite Metropolis varsity team as a freshman. It was why Lois and Clark suspected Jonathan might have some super powers. Then he had his new Smallville High playbook temporarily stolen, which meant he was behind on knowing the plays at his new school. I still say the Smallville football coach is horrendous at his job, but I kinda suspect the writers don’t know or care about the nuances of a high school football team vs an elite HS football team.

[Trini]

They're really casual about underage drinking on this show. I'm not much into the teen scenes, and the Cushings just seem like filler. All the other storylines are working for me, though.

Okay; so we're doing an interdimensional love triangle. That's one way to keep things interesting.

Still hate the sepia filter; why does everything have to look so dingy?

[cambridgeguy]

7 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I assumed that Clark was finished with high school when he left Smallville. Otherwise it makes no sense for Martha to send him away if he was still a minor. I also assumed that Clark doesn't actually intend to send Jon away since he's also a minor but wanted him to give the town a real effort to he told a white lie. If Jon continues to be unhappy then my guess is they'll compromise and find things that interest Jon away from Smallville during school breaks. And I think Jon getting a chance to really show his stuff on the field will go a long way in making him happy so that can still happen. We're also going to need an explanation for why the coach has no interest in him when he was set to be starting quarterback at a high school with a major football program. Even if the coach feels he's too young to start that isn't something that gets overlooked when you're aiming to win state.

We haven't seen Jon interact with anyone aside from Sarah and the football team but I'd expect him to branch out soon enough and make new friends - he's good natured, on the team, and has no weird quirks.  Whether he wants it or not he'll also get some attention from the ladies, so Clark knows the sting of getting dumped won't last.

I'm also wondering if they're going to set up Clark as coach if the current one has something unfortunate happen to him. 

[PAForrest]

7 hours ago, rtms77 said:

Jon is still hurting 8 think and still heading for a bigger meltdown. Everyone’s right they poo poo his feelings this ep . I think they do this because he’s never really had problems, he has always been the mellow cheerful guy. For two reporters who can spot a lie and villain a mile away Clark and Lois are lousy at picking up emotional cues of danger especially with the boys. At least they finally scolded one for the drinking, but hello they’ve been doing that since they got there. 

I hope you're right there's more to come with the overlooked child, but I have this nagging feeling this is probably it for the season at least. I don't know what if any plans they have for the non-Mary Sue half of the Kent kids, but I'm not confident a lot of thought has gone into Jonathan beyond the incredibly superficial at this point. We certainly haven't seen any evidence of it yet.

But the drinking is confusing because these kids have been underage drinking since the first episode. I thought it was problematic that's all the kids seem to have to do in this no-horse go-nowhere town. Yet at the same time it's also very believable in a place like Smallville that has little to nothing to offer anyone - even the adults much less the kids growing up there.

But what's annoying is how already this show appears to be falling into the same CW series pattern where the writers don't talk to each other and don't have any clue who wrote what the episode or two before. What were we supposed to believe were in those party cups at the bonfire or the party last week - kool-aid? Come on. Besides, google your 20th century cult facts - kool-aid is deadly anyway. But the point is, they've all been drinking, so for Jordan Sue and Sarah to act all high and mighty and shocked that Jon was drinking when they've partaken just fine up to now is causing me a whiplash.

6 hours ago, arc said:

I agree with you, but the pilot explicitly stated that Jon was going to be starting QB of the elite Metropolis varsity team as a freshman. It was why Lois and Clark suspected Jonathan might have some super powers. Then he had his new Smallville High playbook temporarily stolen, which meant he was behind on knowing the plays at his new school. I still say the Smallville football coach is horrendous at his job, but I kinda suspect the writers don’t know or care about the nuances of a high school football team vs an elite HS football team.

I agree the writing for this coach is dreadful, because at this point it looks very much like the guy has a personal vendetta against Jonathan. I agree with whoever pointed it out before that the coach is borderline abusive. He's awful and should be fired. And Jon's own father can't be bothered to give a damn, because let's be honest, Clark really only cares about Jordan Sue. We weren't given the impression that Clark was all that interested in Jon's trajectory in Metropolis. He only gets involved with the football program here after Jordan Sue uses his powers to become an unearned superstar. I just don't understand why the showrunner and producers of this show think we're supposed to see it as awesome that one kid is literally being screwed over week after week so the other one can shine. This is another trope I have issues with - elevating one character on the broken back of another.

On 3/23/2021 at 10:02 PM, scarynikki12 said:

Luthor I’m going to say this once so pay attention: doppelgängers only look the same. The Superman you knew was evil but this one isn’t. The Lois you knew loved you but this one doesn’t. You have some time to realize this but don’t fall for the lie that they’re all the same just because they share a face.

Yeah, Luthor's motivation so far is really weak. I understand that his idea of Superman in any 'verse brings up the painful memories of how on his own earth the supe was evil and responsible for the destruction of his home world. But at some point Luthor should have learned that the worlds are different, and the people are different from one iteration to another. It's good that we were shown his initial motivation for hating on Superman, but his learning curve about this world should be faster than it is. And if he thinks he's going to force this Lois Lane to love him whether she likes it or not, that's going to veer into very rapey territory that I don't want to see.

[Lady Calypso]

44 minutes ago, PAForrest said:

But what's annoying is how already this show appears to be falling into the same CW series pattern where the writers don't talk to each other and don't have any clue who wrote what the episode or two before. What were we supposed to believe were in those party cups at the bonfire or the party last week - kool-aid? Come on. Besides, google your 20th century cult facts - kool-aid is deadly anyway. But the point is, they've all been drinking, so for Jordan Sue and Sarah to act all high and mighty and shocked that Jon was drinking when they've partaken just fine up to now is causing me a whiplash.

I don't think it was necessarily about this particular instance of drinking, but it was a reaction due to other things happening in the episode. Obviously the kids have been drinking since episode 1, but what made it different this time was an accumulation of things: Jonathan was clearly drinking due to his girlfriend breaking up with him over the phone, adding to another loss in Jonathan's life, as well as his fight with his father. As for Sarah's reaction, this was due to what happened earlier in the evening, when her father came home drunk and the conversation they shared before she left for the party. Jordan's concern was over why his brother was drinking, not that he was (as shown by him telling their parents that it wasn't a big deal to Jonathan getting drunk). 

I will say, Jonathan starting to lash out has been needed for the last few episodes but even when he lashes out, he's still the most polite kid on this show. He's not mean-natured, he didn't call his father names when he was angry with him, and he apologized when he knew he did or said something wrong. He really deserves so much more credit than his parents are currently giving him. He's such a caretaker and I love that they gave him that quality. It strays away from the stereotypical popular kid trope that teen dramas resort to, and it gives him a much more enriching storyline overall. 

Though, I do wonder if Jordan Elsass intentionally played drunk Jonathan as if he wasn't that drunk, especially after the Sarah fight, or if he wasn't directed nearly as well on adding a few little subtle flairs with drunk Jonathan. Because, for the most part, Jonathan seemed fine. 

And, one more thing that made me chuckle with this plot was, when Jordan tried to defend Jonathan's drinking to their parents, Clark's "excuse me?" was so perfectly said and acted by Tyler Hoechlin, as was Lois' anger at Jonathan in that scene. 

I am so very glad the Chrissy part didn't end up with her being dead or badly injured. Other shows would have had Chrissy go investigate and then get killed before she could tell Lois. This show not only had Chrissy have her own investigation (letting her have a scene without any of the main characters!), but also have her find out crucial information AND deliver it to Lois safely without getting caught! And Superman got to swoop in and learn some stuff along the way.

I'm gonna say it right now; I agree with others that Luthor's whole motivation is pretty weak, and the weakest part of a great show. Man, is he delusional about how this world works and how his Lois isn't this Lois. It just makes him look like an idiot, rather than someone blinded by his own feelings and being sympathetic to that. So it makes me care way less about his scenes, especially since he's supposed to be one of two main villains.

The Morgan Edge stuff is far more terrifying because, despite the whole superpowered aspects in his minions, he's still very much rooted in the human aspect of the show. He's using superpowered individuals for a more human problem, so it affects way more than just Supeman with humans as a casualty, because Morgan's goal is to affect everyone, human and superpowered individuals. 

The Clark/Martha flashbacks were pretty good.

Tag's back, and he's after Jordan, and now we have to wait nearly two months to find out the fallout from that.

 

[Chicago Redshirt]

3 hours ago, PAForrest said:

I hope you're right there's more to come with the overlooked child, but I have this nagging feeling this is probably it for the season at least. I don't know what if any plans they have for the non-Mary Sue half of the Kent kids, but I'm not confident a lot of thought has gone into Jonathan beyond the incredibly superficial at this point. We certainly haven't seen any evidence of it yet.

But the drinking is confusing because these kids have been underage drinking since the first episode. I thought it was problematic that's all the kids seem to have to do in this no-horse go-nowhere town. Yet at the same time it's also very believable in a place like Smallville that has little to nothing to offer anyone - even the adults much less the kids growing up there.

But what's annoying is how already this show appears to be falling into the same CW series pattern where the writers don't talk to each other and don't have any clue who wrote what the episode or two before. What were we supposed to believe were in those party cups at the bonfire or the party last week - kool-aid? Come on. Besides, google your 20th century cult facts - kool-aid is deadly anyway. But the point is, they've all been drinking, so for Jordan Sue and Sarah to act all high and mighty and shocked that Jon was drinking when they've partaken just fine up to now is causing me a whiplash.

I agree the writing for this coach is dreadful, because at this point it looks very much like the guy has a personal vendetta against Jonathan. I agree with whoever pointed it out before that the coach is borderline abusive. He's awful and should be fired. And Jon's own father can't be bothered to give a damn, because let's be honest, Clark really only cares about Jordan Sue. We weren't given the impression that Clark was all that interested in Jon's trajectory in Metropolis. He only gets involved with the football program here after Jordan Sue uses his powers to become an unearned superstar. I just don't understand why the showrunner and producers of this show think we're supposed to see it as awesome that one kid is literally being screwed over week after week so the other one can shine. This is another trope I have issues with - elevating one character on the broken back of another.

Yeah, Luthor's motivation so far is really weak. I understand that his idea of Superman in any 'verse brings up the painful memories of how on his own earth the supe was evil and responsible for the destruction of his home world. But at some point Luthor should have learned that the worlds are different, and the people are different from one iteration to another. It's good that we were shown his initial motivation for hating on Superman, but his learning curve about this world should be faster than it is. And if he thinks he's going to force this Lois Lane to love him whether she likes it or not, that's going to veer into very rapey territory that I don't want to see.

I'd say there's a difference in drinking at a private party with just teens and drinking openly at the big festival on Main Street with a bunch of adults around. It'd be easy for Jonathan to be busted for minor in possession of alcohol at the Harvest Festival and therefore more shocking/foolish for him to do it, whereas in someone's private home or at a remote bonfire the cops are less likely to know about it and more likely to turn a blind eye. The other difference was the amount of drinking. At least of what we saw nobody at the previous parties were trashed, whereas Jonathan was supposed to be, or at least he had enough  to drink that it clearly affected his behavior.

I don't think it's fair to say that Clark didn't care about Jonathan's football potential in Metropolis. When he found out that Jonathan was set to start varsity as a freshman, he was psyched.  Clark and Lois care about Jonathan, but it's just that they have gotten so used to him being low-maintenance that they are not paying attention to when he has needs.

I don't think Jonathan is being screwed over so Jordan can shine. Yes, it sucks that Jonathan is only QB2, but that's not Jordan's fault. That's the fault of the coach who is unwilling to recognize Jonathan's talent, or maybe it's just that QB1 is just better than him. Yes, it sucks that Jonathan got dumped, but again, not Jordan's fault. If anything, it's Clark and Lois's fault for pretty unilaterally deciding to move the family to Smallville. 

[blackwing]

Why didn't Leslie Larr hear Chrissy snooping?  Kryptonians have super hearing.  I know Clark says he has to block it out but sometimes he just picks up on things.  I know Larr was focused on getting Derek into the machine but she still should have been able to hear someone snooping at the door.  Or Chrissy making a call from the car.  I expected Larr to swoop up to the door and grab her.

On 3/23/2021 at 9:18 PM, bettername2come said:

I really think they should've just changed the Cushing family name since they're emphasizing the Hispanic culture with the dad. Isn't Lana the only one from the comics?

I assume the character is supposed to be half-Hispanic?  The actor himself looks like he could be half-Hispanic.  I certainly had no idea that he was Hispanic until he called his daughter "mija" an episode or two ago.

On 3/23/2021 at 9:35 PM, thuganomics85 said:

So, it looks like Larr (and Morgan Edge?) are using come kind of tech to not only resurrect people, but give them Kryptonian powers?  That can't be good!

 

On 3/24/2021 at 5:36 AM, cambridgeguy said:

It sounded more like they were somehow resurrecting Kryptonians, hence the you are not alone anymore line (Kara who?) and voice change.   A regular human wouldn't call Superman Kal-El.

Yes, I think they are using these human bodies as hosts for Kryptonians.  I don't think Derek acquired powers.  I think Derek's body was taken over by a Kryptonian.

12 hours ago, rtms77 said:

Hmm sorry but the idea that Clark never went back to Smallville after he left is both unbelievable and contrary to what he is like. If he hated the place and his mom so much why go on about how great it was? Something is missing there.  Did he really make Martha take trips out to see the boys? That comes off as self centred jerk, not farm boy, Boy Scout Clark.

As others mentioned, the family clearly has been out to see her.  I just thought he meant he left and never came back to live permanently in Smallville.  Kind of like going away to college and never moving back to your hometown.  I still visit my parents in my hometown, but I have friends who went to college and moved back after college.  They are now raising their own families there.  The kids are going to the same schools they went to (some kids had a few of the same teachers as their parents years earlier!), the grandparents are nearby... and I am more than a bit jealous.  So I can understand how Clark feels wistful about missing out on so much time with his mom.  I am assuming that he obviously went and visited with her frequently... it helps when he can get there in seconds.  But I think he is sad about missing out on the years of Smallville experience together with her.

[PAForrest]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I don't think it was necessarily about this particular instance of drinking, but it was a reaction due to other things happening in the episode. Obviously the kids have been drinking since episode 1, but what made it different this time was an accumulation of things: Jonathan was clearly drinking due to his girlfriend breaking up with him over the phone, adding to another loss in Jonathan's life, as well as his fight with his father. As for Sarah's reaction, this was due to what happened earlier in the evening, when her father came home drunk and the conversation they shared before she left for the party. Jordan's concern was over why his brother was drinking, not that he was (as shown by him telling their parents that it wasn't a big deal to Jonathan getting drunk). 

I will say, Jonathan starting to lash out has been needed for the last few episodes but even when he lashes out, he's still the most polite kid on this show. He's not mean-natured, he didn't call his father names when he was angry with him, and he apologized when he knew he did or said something wrong. He really deserves so much more credit than his parents are currently giving him. He's such a caretaker and I love that they gave him that quality. It strays away from the stereotypical popular kid trope that teen dramas resort to, and it gives him a much more enriching storyline overall.

I would agree that there were circumstances different from the last two times we saw all the kids drinking, but then there was that line from Jon about giving Jordan his first drink, his "first time". Uh no, sorry writer of this episode, that's not even a little true. Did you miss the two episodes where the kids were drinking, or are we already attempting to ignore canon or change canon just a few episodes into the series? Either way, it was a glaring mistake in the writing.

Yeah, Jonathan is SUPER polite, incredibly well-mannered to the point that he's more like a robot than a human teenager. Good grief, he wasn't even really drunk - though that could be because the actor is young and still working on his craft. But it just looks like this is what the producers want of this character right now - to not be a problem for the other characters they're clearly more interested in, and to be there mostly to prop up his brother and the parents too when it's warranted. I hope not, but that's where we're at at this point with this character. He's too one-dimensional so far, and that's a shame if the series is truly interested in exploring the family dynamics. Makes me wonder why they even bothered giving the Kents twins - why not just have Jordan and leave it at that? I hope for better when the show comes back, or at least by season two.

I remember that I did laugh out loud when Lois told the kids to take a ride-share home to the farm. Um, seriously, there's a need for Uber or Lyft in Smallville? What, is it one guy with a vintage Ford Pinto named Jerry, because I can't imagine there's much money to be made in Smallville for a ride-share business. Where is there to go? Honestly I think the kids should have/probably just walked home.

53 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

If anything, it's Clark and Lois's fault for pretty unilaterally deciding to move the family to Smallville. 

No argument there. We should have seen a little discussion between Lois and Clark as to what this would mean to uproot the kids. Jordan was having problems prior to the move, so for him a slower pace might have been considered a good move. Obviously it was, plus he got to be introduced to his powers. But there should have been some acknowledgement that they were also very likely going to screw up their one son's higher profile trajectory which included probably a football scholarship at a good college. They essentially took all that away from Jon with little to no thought to give him instead what is likely a far more mediocre education at a rural school with no scholarship and possibly no better college prospects than languishing at Smallville Community College. So where's the trade-off for the one son? So far the attitude has been very "whatever", which isn't what I'd expect from two parents with the resumes and careers they have behind them. Again, if exploring the family dynamics is going to be a big part of this iteration of the Superman story, I hope for better soon.

Edited March 25, 2021 by PAForrest

[Chicago Redshirt]

43 minutes ago, PAForrest said:

No argument there. We should have seen a little discussion between Lois and Clark as to what this would mean to uproot the kids. Jordan was having problems prior to the move, so for him a slower pace might have been considered a good move. Obviously it was, plus he got to be introduced to his powers. But there should have been some acknowledgement that they were also very likely going to screw up their one son's higher profile trajectory which included probably a football scholarship at a good college. They essentially took all that away from Jon with little to no thought to give him instead what is likely a far more mediocre education at a rural school with no scholarship and possibly no better college prospects than languishing at Smallville Community College. So where's the trade-off for the one son? So far the attitude has been very "whatever", which isn't what I'd expect from two parents with the resumes and careers they have behind them. Again, if exploring the family dynamics is going to be a big part of this iteration of the Superman story, I hope for better soon.

I don't think  we can write Jonathan's future in Smallville off just yet, or be assured that he was guaranteed stardom in Metropolis.

Yes, starting QB for the varsity squad at a good school is likely to mean success, but there are such possibilities as him actually sucking or him getting injured.

And though Jonathan isn't starting at Smallville now, there's still a chance that he either steps up his game this year, or gets promoted in his remaining three and still gets all the football glory and scholarships. 

I do wish that there  could be episodes that would just be devoted to the family dynamics rather than advancing the super-intrigue. But alas, it's not to be.

[waving feather]

5 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Though, I do wonder if Jordan Elsass intentionally played drunk Jonathan as if he wasn't that drunk, especially after the Sarah fight, or if he wasn't directed nearly as well on adding a few little subtle flairs with drunk Jonathan. Because, for the most part, Jonathan seemed fine.

Yeah, I don't know if this is poor acting or direction but he definitely didn't seem drunk to me. Tipsy at most. Because he sobered up real quick when Sarah yelled at him.

Even though the answer is (understandably) no, I appreciated that Jonathan gave the proposal about moving back to the city to stay with his friend. Instead of just whining about it and feeling sorry for himself, at least he's thinking of a solution for himself. And it's not a bad idea either if they trust that friend/family. Many people (my parents included) left home when they were teens to live with someone (e.g. family friend or relative) in the city to get better education/ opportunities. 

I don’t get Clark's logic either. Just because he did it when he was younger, he is advising Jon against it? Because he regretted it? But if he hadn't moved away, he would not have the same opportunities he has right now. So it doesn't really make sense to me. 

I feel like even though Jon lashed out, he took it back so quickly that the parents may not even think of it as a big deal and probably will forget about it after some time. Bet he will still continue to get the short end of the stick w.r.t attention from the parents about his needs.

ETA: I was glad to see Jon making new friends with Tag in the previous episodes but the writers had to ruin that too by making Tag a problematic super. He really can't win.

Edited March 25, 2021 by waving feather

[Chicago Redshirt]

There are a few questions about Tag's sudden appearance that hopefully have intriguing answers.

Like: How did Tag randomly find Jordan? Why does Tag blame Jordan for what happened to him? Presumably he wasn't able to see Jordan's heat vision or know about the chemicals that were nearby. So someone had to suggest it to him. But who and why? Or if he did suspect that Jordan had done something at the time, why didn't he act on it?

How did he get free from Metahuman Hogwarts? What did they do so that he seemingly has at least some control of his powers?

[arc]

4 hours ago, blackwing said:

Why didn't Leslie Larr hear Chrissy snooping?  Kryptonians have super hearing. 

Derek couldn’t control his own heat vision in this episode. Leslie is clearly more in control but she may still not have the full menu of Kryptonian super powers or be as adept at wielding them.

[norcalgal]

18 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

In the pilot Jon asks him if they're going to see Grandma and Clark responds "I think we're overdue" and the boys know Sarah from a summer in Smallville so he definitely came back for visits. Since Martha's dead and the visits weren't for big town events like the Harvest Festival he's looking back and feeling that he should have done more. Which, yes and no. They could have visited more but the boys had school, Clark and Lois had the Planet, and Clark had Superman duties, to name three things, so time just got away from them.

I assumed that Clark was finished with high school when he left Smallville. Otherwise it makes no sense for Martha to send him away if he was still a minor. I also assumed that Clark doesn't actually intend to send Jon away since he's also a minor but wanted him to give the town a real effort to he told a white lie. If Jon continues to be unhappy then my guess is they'll compromise and find things that interest Jon away from Smallville during school breaks. And I think Jon getting a chance to really show his stuff on the field will go a long way in making him happy so that can still happen. We're also going to need an explanation for why the coach has no interest in him when he was set to be starting quarterback at a high school with a major football program. Even if the coach feels he's too young to start that isn't something that gets overlooked when you're aiming to win state.

GREAT points @scarynikki12!

15 hours ago, Trini said:

They're really casual about underage drinking on this show. I'm not much into the teen scenes, and the Cushings just seem like filler. All the other storylines are working for me, though.

Still hate the sepia filter; why does everything have to look so dingy?

WRT to the bolded, yeah - right!  

6 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Clark and Lois care about Jonathan, but it's just that they have gotten so used to him being low-maintenance that they are not paying attention to when he has needs.

There's a famous adage:  the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Sucks for Jonathan though. He's a good son & brother. Does all the right things, and yet gets shafted. Unfortunately, it's just human nature [and with Jordan's super power(s)] to give more attention/resources to something that's a "problem" (i.e., Jordan). 

[AnimeMania]

Wow, someone on the show feels the same way about Jordan that I do.

[rtms77]

Thanks for the answers everyone. 
 

So either the highscool Jon was going to sucked that they accepted a freshman as starting QB  or they ran out of senior players. It’s rare to accept freshmen straight in, and in this case so young. Junior varsity I can see but again seniors would have been in front. Not to mention Jon seems small compared to the other players. Not that he has to be huge but it just looks like he could be pushed aside easily. 
 

Glad I’m not the only one calling out the casual drinking these boys have been doing. You have to wonder if that continues if either of them blurt out that Dad is superman,lol. Jon I think would still be the likely candidate, he’s still inching towards a melt down I think even with this little hiccup. 
 

Get a ride share? How big is Smallville, and how far out is the Kent farm? I’m also wondering how far it is from Metropolis. 
 

I don’t think Clark would accept the coaching job, he’s too busy and I doubt he really knows about football.

[arc]

 

5 hours ago, rtms77 said:

So either the highscool Jon was going to sucked that they accepted a freshman as starting QB  or they ran out of senior players.

Again, in the pilot Lois says it's "one of the most competitive high schools in the nation". It's why Lois and Clark thought Jon was the twin with powers.

Sigh. Overall I like the whole family focus, that Superman has kids and they're teenagers with all the teenage angst that means. I just wish this had been set in Metropolis rather than Smallville, because everything about Smallville on this show drives me nuts. It's a farming town that's also a mining town. Superman can't reveal his powers but he can go flying and lifting trucks on the farm and might be running the whole farm by himself with powers rather than hiring farmhands. Lois goes to work for the local Smallville paper, which is kinda like if Michael Jordan had quit in the prime of his career, not to play baseball but to go play basketball for a Z-tier pro minor league team.

... and all of this is because it'd be good for Jordan! Good for him to grow up in a no-future small town (Kyle says so right in the pilot!) where underage drinking and severe beatings are common! The main good thing about having gone to Smallville for Ma Kent's funeral was that a stupidly avoidable accident luckily revealed Jordan has some superpowers, which led Clark to finally stop lying about his own secret.

Also, teenage Clark "left home", which is absolutely ridiculous. He already had superspeed, as shown in the flashbacks. And per the pilot, Metropolis to Smallville is literally seconds away for Clark. This is equivalent to a normal teenage son moving from their bedroom to the basement as far as how much trouble it would be to see his mom regularly.

So basically what I mean is the show has a lot of charm but hasn't thought through most of its stuff at all.

[Chicago Redshirt]

11 hours ago, arc said:

Derek couldn’t control his own heat vision in this episode. Leslie is clearly more in control but she may still not have the full menu of Kryptonian super powers or be as adept at wielding them.

Even Clark, who has full command of his powers and two decades' experience in using them, still regularly fails to notice things that someone with super-senses plus super-speed should probably notice even when he's in full Superman mode, let alone when he's focused on something else. For example, Clark shouldn't have been fooled for more than a few seconds by the device that Killgrave set up to cover his escape. Nor should  Killgrave been able to fire his sonic blaster because Clark should have been able to see/hear that he had it and reacted far faster than Killgrave's merely human reflexes could have accounted for.

We just have to accept that Clark uses his powers suboptimally or else there wouldn't be a show.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[Greg]

On 3/24/2021 at 6:37 AM, arc said:

Smallville was established in 1949????? WHAT????? Come on, even Superman in print in the real world goes back to to 1938. It feels kind of ridiculous to venerate this good-old-real-American-heartland small town and then we learn Clark's own parents might have moved there from somewhere else. 1949!!!!!!

I thought that was weird, too.  Looks like 1949 is when Smallville was first mentioned by name in the comics.  Maybe 1949 is when Smallville was formally incorporated as a municipality?  Or maybe Clark just wasn't paying attention when his school covered local history?

[Greg]

Despite only watching this show and Season 1 of Supergirl, I'm now apparently obsessed with the Arrowverse continuity. 

So...*sigh*... don't the people of this universe still think that Lex Luthor is a good guy?  Even if Lois knows better, why does she matter-of-factly call him evil when talking to a complete stranger?

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, Greg said:

Despite only watching this show and Season 1 of Supergirl, I'm now apparently obsessed with the Arrowverse continuity. 

So...*sigh*... don't the people of this universe still think that Lex Luthor is a good guy?  Even if Lois knows better, why does she matter-of-factly call him evil when talking to a complete stranger?

Although Luthor initially retconned himself in the new continuity to seem a good guy, I guess it is safe to say that this is roughly 10+ years from when he did so. That would be a long time for that tiger to not show his stripes. I think it is fair to assume that he has been exposed as the bastard he is by now, and the public knows it.

[rtms77]

8 hours ago, arc said:

So basically what I mean is the show has a lot of charm but hasn't thought through most of its stuff at all.

This is what’s frustrating! The basic concept is nice- Superman

has a family and goes home to be a farmer and spend more time with them- is the basic concept. But the rest of the story like filling out the characters went out the window .  I keep getting the idea these writers are pulling these fantasy ideas about family and general life out of tv land instead of real life reality. Pilots are often thrown away or reconned during the season which is why I think that prestigious varsity team was a throwaway line not fact checked or there as a red herring about Jon. 
 

Lois quitting is not far out, especially since the Daily Planet was bought out with new owners. Doing a potential hit piece on your boss doesn’t doesn’t give her much room .

So how does Clark make any money? He doesn’t have a job and until he sells his crops can’t make money from the farm. Which probably explains why he’s doing all the work. Martha had put the farm in debt from what Lana said. Is Lois supporting the family on a tiny salary?

[blackwing]

9 hours ago, arc said:

Sigh. Overall I like the whole family focus, that Superman has kids and they're teenagers with all the teenage angst that means. I just wish this had been set in Metropolis rather than Smallville, because everything about Smallville on this show drives me nuts. It's a farming town that's also a mining town. Superman can't reveal his powers but he can go flying and lifting trucks on the farm and might be running the whole farm by himself with powers rather than hiring farmhands. Lois goes to work for the local Smallville paper, which is kinda like if Michael Jordan had quit in the prime of his career, not to play baseball but to go play basketball for a Z-tier pro minor league team.

I'm curious about the farm as well.  When Martha was alive, was it a working farm?  I got the sense it was not.  Because I think the tractor was broken, and it had been a working farm, then there would have been farmhands all over the place, and Clark and Lois would have felt obligated to keep employing them.

It looks like the fields have corn.  I am ignorant about farming, is corn a perennial?  Or does it have to be planted every year?  If it has to be planted every year, who planted it?  Did Clark zip over at the start of the season and plant it all?  Did he make weekly trips to take care of it?  If it wasn't a working farm, wouldn't the neighbours wonder who planted all the corn and who is taking care of it?

I agree that I think they should just have Clark run the whole farm himself, in between Supermanning.

When Clark used his superbreath to put out the firm at the donation center, why didn't he change into his costume and make an appearance as Superman?  Kyle clearly noticed the frost and was wondering where it came from.  He seems thick brained, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to wonder if someone in town is in fact Superman.  And Lois has an obvious and known connection to him.  I would have to think something is going to come out of this, otherwise they would not have shown Kyle noticing the frost.

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, rtms77 said:

Lois quitting is not far out, especially since the Daily Planet was bought out with new owners. Doing a potential hit piece on your boss doesn’t doesn’t give her much room .

So how does Clark make any money? He doesn’t have a job and until he sells his crops can’t make money from the farm. Which probably explains why he’s doing all the work. Martha had put the farm in debt from what Lana said. Is Lois supporting the family on a tiny salary?

If Lois and Clark's reporting careers were analogous to real-world reporters, they would have been doing pretty well financially.

Lois is the world's most famous journalist and Clark traditionally was no slouch. They both have been at the Daily Planet for about two decades. I at some point had Googled the New York Times reporter's salaries and IIRC, the average was about $100k a year. I think with their higher levels of experience and their higher profile, it's probably a fair assumption that their annual household income was more like $350-$400k in recent years. Now the boys and Metropolis living would eat into that a great deal, along with the premiums that they would have to pay on "I got kidnapped again" and "Aliens blew up my apartment trying to get to Superman" insurance. But they should have been able to bank some decent cash.

In addition to Martha's life insurance, presumably Clark would have gotten some amount of severance pay after his getting fired. I'm operating under the assumption that we are still within a month of his being fired and losing his mom, so I would think there wouldn't be financial pressures on the family yet. 

[Affogato]

20 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm curious about the farm as well.  When Martha was alive, was it a working farm?  I got the sense it was not.  Because I think the tractor was broken, and it had been a working farm, then there would have been farmhands all over the place, and Clark and Lois would have felt obligated to keep employing them.

It looks like the fields have corn.  I am ignorant about farming, is corn a perennial?  Or does it have to be planted every year?  If it has to be planted every year, who planted it?  Did Clark zip over at the start of the season and plant it all?  Did he make weekly trips to take care of it?  If it wasn't a working farm, wouldn't the neighbours wonder who planted all the corn and who is taking care of it?

I agree that I think they should just have Clark run the whole farm himself, in between Supermanning.

When Clark used his superbreath to put out the firm at the donation center, why didn't he change into his costume and make an appearance as Superman?  Kyle clearly noticed the frost and was wondering where it came from.  He seems thick brained, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to wonder if someone in town is in fact Superman.  And Lois has an obvious and known connection to him.  I would have to think something is going to come out of this, otherwise they would not have shown Kyle noticing the frost.

Martha would likely be renting the fields, in Which case the corn would belong to someone else. It makes no sense that he could run a farm alone and it wouldn’t be noticed. 
 

philanthropist that she was she could have paid someone to plant a field to give away for the harvest festival. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Affogato

[Proteus]

16 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Although Luthor initially retconned himself in the new continuity to seem a good guy, I guess it is safe to say that this is roughly 10+ years from when he did so. That would be a long time for that tiger to not show his stripes. I think it is fair to assume that he has been exposed as the bastard he is by now, and the public knows it.

I don't think so. There's nothing indicating that this show isn't taking place in present day and playing out the same time as Supergirl, Flash, Batwoman, etc. current seasons.