Review: Superman & Lois 1×12 – “Through the Valley of Death”
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Director: Alexander LaRoche
Writers: Katie Aldrin, Michael Narducci, Jai Jamison, and Andrew N. Wong
Starring: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Wole Parks, Adam Rayner, Dylan Walsh, with special appearance by David Ramsey
Reviewed by: Steven Brown
Summary
Superman struggles to deal with being under mind control by Morgan Edge. Meanwhile, Lois deals with trying to stop John Irons and General Lane from launching a plan to end Superman once and for all.
Positives
In Superman & Lois 1×12, we find Superman confined to Morgan Edge’s very own version of the Fortress of Solitude, which happens to be in the desert. Edge has Superman trapped in a device that causes severe pain to his brain. In an attempt to brainwash Superman and make him submit, it seems that Edge doesn’t have long to accomplish his goal. In a last moment of desperation, Lois reaches out to John Henry Irons, who doesn’t tell Lois exactly what she wants to hear. General Lane and Irons make a plan to take down Superman for good–thanks to the help of some tech from ARGUS. An appearance from John Diggle, who makes the delivery for ARGUS, isn’t enough to dissuade General Lane from his decision.
Negatives
Superman’s last attempt to break from Morgan Edge wasn’t successful, but it was enough to alert a listening Jordan Kent to his father’s location. Thanks to Jordan’s super hearing, Irons flies immediately to engage Superman in battle. Iron’s initially goes into the conflict to kill Superman, but changes his mind when he sees Superman struggle to fight against the mind control during the conflict. If I had to pick out a flaw about this episode it would be that I expected the fight to last longer if anything else. A mind altered Superman should be pretty difficult to stop, but it seemed the fights between Irons and Superman in previous episodes were longer in comparison.
Verdict
I thought that Superman & Lois 1×12 was a great episode. I enjoyed seeing Lois and Superman both clinging to hope on their own respective ends. They demonstrate a couple that will do anything to keep their family together.
