While Clark Kent/Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) have previously appeared in some of the DC TV Arrowverse crossovers, these characters finally get a show of their own. However, Superman & Lois isn’t your usual origin type story for the couple. Instead, the first 5 minutes of the pilot blast through Kal-El crashing on Earth as a baby, being found by the Kents, losing his Early father, finding his Kryptonian father, moving to the city, and meeting/marrying Lois (but not before revealing his true identity to her). In the present, the couple now lives in Metropolis with their 14-year-old twins Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan Kent (Alex Garfin), who are just about to start high school. Jonathan was always a happy child, and as an athlete has never had any trouble fitting in. Jordan, on the other hand, was more challenging, throwing tantrums and having night terrors as a child, and just a year ago, he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Jordan has always felt like more of an outsider. The teens are still unaware that their father is a superhero, but that is about to change.

Businessman Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner) has been foreclosing on and buying up lots of small family farms in Smallville. There seems to be a max exodus happening in the town. When Clark discovers that his mother had planned to sell him Kent farm as well, the family heads to Smallville to look after the property and settle Martha’s affairs. Being back in Smallville brings back old memories for Clark. He and Lois debate as to whether they should have told their boys a long time ago that their father is Superman. However, that quickly becomes a moot point when an accident in the barn causes Jordan to accidently activate his latent powers to save him and his brother. Jordan is initially upset with his parents for lying to him all these years, but Jonathan is kind of happy that his football skills aren’t due to any alien superpowers. Clark sees this as an opportunity to finally have a way to connect with his son, and help him learn to control his powers, which isn’t going to be an easy task. Due to this recent discovery, Clark and Lois decide that Smallville would be the better place for the family to live, and move into the farm.

As Lois starts to investigate Morgan Edge and why he has been buying up lots of property in Smallville, she soon discovers that there is something much more sinister going on with the citizens of Smallville. During her investigation, she also often crosses paths with Clark’s old flame Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who’s a loan officer at Smallville Bank, and her husband, fire chief Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez). Meanwhile, the DOD has been looking into a series of attacks on nuclear power stations in the area. Army General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh)—yes, there is a relation, he’s Lois’ father—has called upon son-in-law Superman to help avert a meltdown. However, Clark soon finds himself under attack by a mysterious, seemingly-alien hunter who goes by the name Captain Luthor (Wolé Parks), and seems to know exactly who he is.

In some ways Superman & Lois is your traditional Superman story, with our hero stopping various alien threats, and with Lois doing her investigative journalism. But this time around, there is a whole new family drama dynamic to the story. While out saving the world, Clark also must make time for his family, especially now that Jordan needs him more than ever to learn how to control and use his powers. Some of the threats that Clark faces also have a very personal connection to him, forcing him to confront things and relationships from his own past. Meanwhile, Lois left the Daily Planet to work for the Smallville Gazette, which doesn’t quite have the same resources, but does have more integrity, especially after Morgan Edge took over the Planet. She also wastes no time getting herself into some dangerous situations. The boys also have to deal with typical teen drama and issues, such as sports, girls, or bullies at school. Years earlier when they spent the summer at the farm with their grandmother, Jordan had met Sarah Cushing (Inde Navarrette), and seeing her again he is immediately smitten. However, there are lots of obstacles in his way, including her boyfriend, and these pesky uncontrollable powers. Jonathan was about to be the first freshman starter on the high school football team in Metropolis, but now that they’ve moved to Smallville, he has to start all over again.

Superman & Lois is a very serialized series, with each episode building the character drama or involving some new twist to the the threat that Superman is trying to take down, or new details revealed in Lois’ investigation of Edge. The season has lots of great twists and turns and interesting drama and character growth, building to an action-packed finale that not only provides a solid conclusion to the season-long arc but also sets things up nicely for the upcoming second season. I really enjoyed this show’s new take on the Superman and Lois story, finding an interesting and entertaining new family dynamic angle to explore. Having a family also adds this new vulnerability to Clark/Superman. He’s not the perfect father, but he tries, and his wife and sons also provide the perfect target for his enemies. The Smallville setting also brings a more intimate small town feel to the show rather than many of the other Arrowverse shows that take place in big cities.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The picture is pristine and clean with an excellent level of detail. From the beauty of the Smallville countryside, to the darkness of space, the picture always looks great, no matter how much or how little chaos is happening. The audio track provides clear dialogue and makes excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to put the viewer in the center of the action and provide a fully-immersive viewing experience. The 15 extended episodes of the season are evenly spread across 3 discs, which are packed in a standard multi-disc HD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover, along with an insert containing instructions for redeeming a digital copy of the episodes on Vudu. Any potential deleted scenes have already been re-integrated into these extended episodes. The rest of the bonus material includes last year’s DC FanDome panel for the series, a 19-minute TV special that originally aired before the premiere, a 9-minute feturette with the cast/filmmakers, and a 21-minute look at DC sidekicks from across the Arrowverse (this featurette also appeared on many other recent DC TV releases).

What’s Included:

Episodes: (11:10:48)
Blu-ray:
• All 15 extended episodes of the first season:
  Disc 1: “Pilot”, “Heritage”, “The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower”, “Haywire”, “The Best of Smallville”
  Disc 2: “Broken Trust”, “Man of Steel”, “Holding the Wrench”, “Loyal Subjekts”, “O Mother, Where Art Thou?”
  Disc 3: “A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events”, “Through the Valley of Death”, “Fail Safe”, “The Eradicator”, “Last Sons of Krypton”
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.78:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH​

Digital: (expires 12/31/2022)

• Digital HD copy of the season redeemable via Vudu.

Extras:
Bonus features are spread across all three discs.

• Superman & Lois Legacy of Hope (18:57)
  This special originally aired before the premiere of the series on The CW. The cast and filmmakers talk about the legacy of Superman, reimagining him as a father, the theme of family, the Kent home and returning to Smallville, the relationship between Clark & Lois, the brothers, the vulnerability of Superman, the connected Arrowverse, and more. Plus a closing welcome from the various actors in the other Arrowverse shows. Includes clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producers Marc Guggenheim, Todd Helbing, Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns & Sarah Schechter, publisher/Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee (DC), and stars Tyler Hoechlin (“Superman/Clark Kent”), Elizabeth Tulloch (“Lois Lane”), Jordan Elsass (“Jonathan Kent”) & Alexander Garfin (“Jordan Kent”).
• DC FanDome Panel: Superman & Lois (27:41)
  This virtual panel for the series was part of the 2020 DC FanDome event. Jim Lee, publisher and Chief Creative Office of DC, talks with executive producer Todd Helbing and stars Tyler Hoechlin & Elizabeth Tulloch, who preview the series discuss how it will be different from other depictions of the iconic superhero.
• Superman: Alien Spirit (9:05)
  The filmmakers and cast discuss the themes, premise and relationships of the series, and the focus on emotion and family drama. Includes interviews with co-executive producer Kristi Korzec, executive producer Todd Helbing, staff writer Katie Aldrin, and stars Elizabeth Tulloch, Tyler Hoechlin & Alex Garfin.
• Never Alone: Heroes and Allies (20:48)
  The cast and producers discuss the history and changing role of the sidekick in the DC Comics universe, how the sidekicks are heroes in their own right, and some of the sidekicks that appear in the various Arrowverse TV shows. Includes clips, comics footage, and interviews with Stargirl executive producer/creator Geoff Johns, Batwoman executive producer Caroline Dries, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Phil Klemmer, Superman & Lois executive producer Todd Helbing, The Flash executive producer/showrunner Eric Wallace, and actors Danielle Panabaker (“Caitlin Snow/Frost”), Camrus Johnson (“Luke Fox”) & Javicia Leslie (“Ryan Wilder/Batwoman”). This featurette also appeared on other recent Arrow-verse releases.

Final Thoughts:

Superman & Lois takes an entertaining new approach to the Superman story, which has been around for over 80 years. Giving Clark and Lois twin sons with potential powers opens up an interesting new family dynamic for the series and allows the filmmakers to explore a whole new side of this superhero. The series successfully mixes teen/family drama with all of the usual superhero villains and storylines to make something that feels quite fresh and new. Warner Bros’ Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent and includes a solid selection of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended for any DC TV or Superman/superhero fan. This may be my new favorite Arrowverse show!