Superman & Lois ended its four-season run with an epic finale that was as emotional as it was breathtaking. Premiering in 2021, the show offered a new, fresh take on Superman and his family. It focused not just on his heroics, but also on the everyday challenges he faced as a husband, father, and member of the Smallville community.
By balancing epic battles with beautiful family moments, Superman & Lois became an important piece of modern superhero television. The finale, which aired on December 2, 2024, celebrated the show’s motives. Focusing on hope, justice, and love helped to deliver an emotional and tearful goodbye to this wonderful show.
[Warning: Spoilers from the Superman & Lois series finale are below!]
Story of Superman & Lois and its importance
What makes Superman & Lois different from other adaptations of the Man of Steel lore is its commitment to exploring all the human aspects of its characters. The series was not only about Superman. It was about Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and his family. From the beginning, the show explored everything about Clark’s and Lois’ (Elizabeth Tulloch) marriage, their sons growing up, past events, memories, and caring for their family.
The story focuses on the Kents, their relocation to Smallville, fighting bad guys, and learning what it means to be a hero. But life in Smallville was anything but simple and peaceful. The boys struggled, they caused problems and were trying to find out who they were. Jonathan (Jordan Elsass/Mike Bishop) tried to be some popular kid, and Jordan (Alex Garfin) was an introvert trying to understand why he received the powers, not his brother.
These dynamics created a very relatable family drama that was consistently interesting across all 4 seasons. The show’s fresh approach to storytelling extended beyond the Kent family to help other characters to shine as well. Characters like Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui), John Henry Irons (Wolé Parks), and General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh) became interesting characters who were given enough depth and complexity. We could have seen them struggling with their problems and their inner demons.
If I had to pick my favorite moment from this season, I wouldn’t be able to do it. It had so many amazing moments, story arcs and motives that picking one would be like picking your favorite baby. But just to mention some, my favorite moments are the ones where we see flashbacks from the past or where Clark, Lois, and others are simply talking, enjoying life, and doing casual stuff. I didn’t need a lot of Superman moments to enjoy this season.
For example, one of the biggest and most important moments to me, that I wanted to see was the introduction of this version of Jimmy Olsen (Douglas Smith). We didn’t get to see him much because he was only in one episode (the most important one), but from the first flashback, we knew they had a history and that they were friends. Clark had to lie to him to keep him safe, even though Jimmy already knew he was Superman. Later, when Clark revealed his identity to the world, I was relieved that the first person he went to talk to was Jimmy. I’m sad that we didn’t get to see more of him, but at least we’ve got the proper Superman story where Jimmy Olsen is part of Superman’s life.
Themes of mental health, personal redemption, living a good life, caring for each other, love, and the power of community were the main focus of the plot of this series. Focusing on them made Superman & Lois an important (and arguably the best) addition to the Superman mythos. Throughout the series it proved that the Man of Steel’s greatest strength wasn’t his invulnerability or superpowers, but his empathy, humility, love for others, and constant belief in the potential for good in people’s hearts.
The Superman & Lois series finale is a perfect, unique, and emotional story
To me, the series finale is a masterpiece when it comes to balancing character development and emotional resonance with intense action, closing the story arcs, and giving you goosebumps. The iconic showdown between Superman and Doomsday was a spectacle that showcased the full extent of the show’s production capabilities. Even though in this adaptation Doomsday is a version of Bizarro, he was still an unstoppable force. Superman’s battle against Doomsday pushed him to his limits. Yet, the fight was about more than brute strength. It symbolized Clark’s resilience and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good.
This fight was another example of writing the villains in a way that you will feel sorry for them. The moment when Clark takes Doomsday to the sun to weaken him is the one I didn’t expect to happen. When Doomsday starts losing his powers, he regains all of his memories and becomes Clark from Bizarro world again. He doesn’t want to fight himself. He wants to stop hurting people. It was a very important scene because it showed us that the writing of this show is magnificent.
The finale also brought Lex Luthor’s (Michael Cudlitz) arc to its end. After 4 seasons of manipulation and scheming behind the curtains, Luthor’s defeat felt both satisfying and needed. His journey throughout the series to become the man who will kill Superman was well-written and not rushed at all. His ultimate downfall and demise served as a reminder of Superman’s moral superiority through the fight for truth and justice.
The episode’s emotional moments when it comes to seeing Kent’s family’s future were something that many didn’t expect. Through a series of time jumps, we witnessed Clark and Lois going through life like nothing happened. They were happy and wanted to live life as best as they could. They had many grandkids and the peace they wanted so much. Unfortunately, the tears started to appear in my eyes when we found out that Lois’ cancer was back and that she was dying.
It was a moment that came too fast but was written in a way that you experienced it, in the saddest way possible. When you look at it, it portrays the reality of human vulnerability even in a world with superhumans or alien technology. Clark’s life without Lois was tough, and the idea of helping him by getting Krypto was the best play they could have done. It was therapeutic and lovely. But unfortunately, even the Man of Steel himself has to die sometime.
Clark’s time came, and he ended up in the afterlife with people he loved. Lois, the boys, his friends, everyone. You won’t see it in any other media when it comes to showing Superman’s proper and real death. He was not killed by Doomsday or by Luthor. He dies of natural causes and is happy to meet his loved ones again.
That’s an ending for Superman and Lois that I didn’t expect, but it’s one I gladly accepted with many tears in my eyes and a decision to remember this show forever.
It’s not about the visuals, it’s about the story and the characters for this superhero series
While Superman & Lois delivered its fair share of impressive visual effects in the early seasons, the CGI wasn’t as good in later seasons. But it’s not that bad. Mainly because the true strength of this show was the storytelling and character development. The finale focused on this and on the most important part of the story, which is the honorable end for the show.
Jordan and Jonathan’s journey in the finale was particularly meaningful. They finally embraced their father’s legacy and became full-time heroes. Their growth throughout the series mirrored the struggles of many young adults who want to be accepted for who they are and not for what others want them to be.
The supporting characters were also amazing in the finale. Lana Lang and John Henry Irons’s relationship reached a satisfying conclusion with them getting married. Small flashbacks of General Sam Lane’s legacy and his relationship with his family provided another layer of emotional depth, especially after he gave his heart to revive Clark.
The show’s ability to focus on character-driven storytelling rather than attempting cheap-looking set pieces is what made Superman & Lois stand out in the world where there are many superhero shows present. It proved that even in a world of superpowers, the most important and emotional stories are those that explore the complexities of human life, problems, and mentality.
An emotional conclusion to Superman & Lois and a big thank you
The final moments of Superman & Lois were an important love letter to the fans who had followed the show’s journey for the last few years. The montage of Clark and Lois’s life together, from moments of joy to moments of loss, was a perfect conclusion to their story. Their reunion in the afterlife was a beautiful end that gave them a sense of closure.
Tyler Hoechlin’s and Elizabeth Tulloch’s performances were perfect. They were amazing as Clark and Lois, and their performance as those characters must be remembered. This is the best Superman adaptation to date, and nothing will change it. And it’s all thanks to them.
With its focus on family, characters, and important themes of life and love, Superman & Lois stands as the best adaptation of Superman’s story. It wasn’t just a show about a superhero. It was a story about humanity, reminding us all to aspire to be the best versions of ourselves.
For that, we owe it our heartfelt gratitude. And for what it’s worth, I have to say a big thank you to everyone who was a part of this show. Thank you for making something that let us cry, laugh, and get chills for so many years. It was one of the most emotional shows that I’ve ever watched in my life. It was so personal to me on many levels and made me so happy to experience it. Remember, don’t be sad that it’s the end. Be happy that it happened and you were there to experience it.
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