"My Adventures with Superman": Episodes Two and Three - Familiar waters, charted well

 

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Episode two begins with a rather emotional sequence - maybe the most powerful scene of the show’s first half. A young Clark is led to the craft he arrived in by Ma and Pa Kent (Kari Wahlgren and Reid Scott, respectively). The boy touches the jagged metal designs of the vessel, which triggers a blue light and a projection of what we can logically assume is Jor-El. It should be a wonderful moment of discovery for Clark, but through the eyes of a child, it’s terrifying. Strange machines hover around him, Jor-El speaks in a language he doesn’t understand, the earth shakes so much that his adoptive parents are nearly injured. The boy quickly buries the craft, rushes into the arms of his mom and dad, and breaks down crying. The innocent curiosity in Clark has been replaced by fear of the unknown, both externally and from within.

From there, we take a short break at the Daily Planet, where Lois launches a new investigation to uncover Superman’s identity. Meanwhile, Leslie’s theft has not gone unnoticed, and she finds herself being tracked by some shadowy individuals. The primary aspect of this episode, however, is Clark regaining his curiosity, returning to his crashed ship, and eventually dawning his iconic blue and red costume. Again, this is well known lore, but the show honours its source material. We're never given a full explanation of how the ship works (it appears to be an illusionary room with artificial intelligence of some kind), but at the same time, you often have to suspend your disbelief for comics. The beats that are done right are done quite well; The flashback of a dying Krypton, the musical nod to the classic Superman theme, the Kents being earnest midwestern parents to their immigrant son - it’s all repackaged with respect.

Aside from Clark becoming the Man of Steel, the rest of the episode’s proceedings are as expected. Lois and Jimmy have their little side plot investigating Leslie’s theft, who also shows her true power in a fight with this universe’s Slade Wilson (with both his eyes, this time). Superman comes in to save the day, and thanks to hair gel and a lack of glasses, Lois fails to recognize Clark…because why not? The trio give their boss some breaking news, and Jimmy shows up to spoil a cute romantic exchange between his friends. All very safe, but similar to the first episode, all quite endearing. I probably should’ve reviewed this episode in conjunction with the first, because they do go hand in hand. It’s a solid continuation of the premiere’s content and tone, and establishes the dual nature of Superman in preparation for the show’s biggest conflicts.

As for episode three, it introduces a few more elements to the series. My favourite new detail is the Anime style opening; I like the energy, the framing of our leads, and the musical riff that accompanies their resolve. My only gripe is that the sequence needs to be longer than twenty seconds, but you can’t have everything. This episode also establishes two new factions for Clark, Lois and Jimmy to contend with. One is a fairly innocent rivalry with a fellow news team, while the other is a more serious threat in Intergang, a group of recently escaped prisoners with more of Leslie’s stolen weapons. I’ll freely admit…out of the latter group, the only person I vaguely recognize is Silver Banshee. If anyone has more knowledge regarding Rough House and Mist, I implore you to inform me.

Once again, the antics between our central trio are funny enough. Here they manage to secure an interview with the prison warden who failed to stop Intergang’s breakout (thanks to Lois’ stolen badges, of course). They also give some amusingly mocking impressions of their fellow co-workers, right down to the particular inflection and enthusiasm of each member. On an action related note, there’s another throw down that ultimately occurs between Superman and Intergang. The ex-cons decide to rob a bank using an ice generator, which is very convenient for Clark, who then discovers his heat vision. As one might predict, the gang are subdued, the citizens of Metropolis are saved, and Lois gets her interview with Superman. We even get the famous sequence of Clark flying Lois up the Daily Planet building, which is played here as yet another charming, magical gesture. Performance wise, Jack Quaid does a fine job of differentiating the formal diction of Superman, with the typically nervous delivery of Clark. Alice Lee also does some good work capturing Lois’ exuberant personality, while also leaving room for quiet vulnerability as needed.

These two episodes overall are proper expansions of the serie’s initial premise. The stakes are increasing, the roles of our main cast are becoming more defined, and the plan for this season is starting to materialise. It’s not a masterful subversion of the genre or story by any means, but it does feel like a genuine evocation of the Superman so many know. I wonder how well this show will keep this consistency going…only time will tell, I suppose.