‘Superman And Lois’ Season 4 Episode 3 Recap: Is General Lane Dead Or Alive?

After a mournful beginning with the double episode premiere of the final season, CW’s Superman and Lois soars higher with its third episode, “Always My Hero,” which sets events in motion in a massive way. The relationship between Clark/Superman and Lois’ father, General Sam Lane, has not been explored that much—aside from them conveying a sense of mutual respect and both being two of the most significant presences in Lois’ life. The latest episode addresses this in a sublime way, which at the same time adding a unique sci-fi twist to the narrative and acts as a strong emotional anchor as well. 

Previously, Sam had been rescued from Luthor’s clutches by Jordan and Lois. After killing Superman, Doomsday brought his corpse to the Kent family while delivering his heart to Luthor. Hell bent on taking revenge on Lois, Lex decided to settle in Smallville, following which Mayor Lana Lang started planning on resisting Lex in an attempt to help the grieving Kent family in every capacity. To bring Clark back to life, Jordan made a hasty move by attempting to steal Superman’s heart from Lex, which ended in a disaster as Lex destroyed it in front of him. On the other hand, Lex wants to reconcile with his long-estranged daughter, Elizabeth, who had approached Sam to keep her whereabouts a secret from Lex in her attempt to sever all connections from her father. Family ties play a major role in the series itself, and the third episode of the fourth season of Superman and Lois is a brilliant testament to that. 

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Sam’s Remembrance of Clark

The episode begins on a pensive note as Lois and her sons gather outside the Kent household for a funeral, while Lois’ voiceover reminds viewers how impossible it is to convey through words exactly how much someone close means to us. The family seems to be grieving Superman’s passing; a morning with the absence of Clark is a reality they have to get accustomed to. 

The focus shifts to Sam Lane, who is back at the DOD, having to tackle even more responsibilities now that Superman is no more, and his killer, Doomsday, is lurking somewhere unknown. While having a conversation with General Hardcastle, Sam mentions bringing John Henry and his daughter Natalie Irons into the DOD, as they need any help they can possibly get at the moment, and also asks her to bring the last remaining vial of specialized serum made from Superman’s blood, which Bruno Manheim tried to use to restore the health of his ailing metahuman assassin wife, Peia. The serum had also created Doomsday after it was used on Bizarro’s corpse, which is why Hardcastle fears that Sam is probably asking for it to create a countermeasure for the threat on his own. 

Throughout the episode, fleeting memories about Clark hover in Sam’s mind, and we get a glimpse of the kind of relationship they shared with each other. In a flashback sequence, Lois and Clark are seen approaching Sam at his office as Clark reveals his true identity to him. This creates a problem later on, when Clark goes to Sam alone to seek his blessing after proposing to Lois. Sam feels that his responsibility to the world and the risk to his own life will never allow Clark to have a normal relationship with his daughter, and doesn’t approve of their relationship. A polite, determined Clark conveys how much Lois means to him, and how, just like her father, he is willing to do anything to keep her happy and safe. Sam retorts by mentioning that if he indeed meant what he said, Clark will leave her—knowing that dangers will always find their way to Superman, and Lois will be left alone to pick up the pieces. Sam maintains his stance even on Lois’ wedding day and overhears Clark sharing his disappointment with his mother, Martha Kent, about not being able to make Sam feel like a part of their family. Finally, as Sam meets Lois moments before walking her down the aisle, he can’t help but share his concerns with his daughter. Sam fears that, given how both Clark and Lois have huge responsibilities to bear, their marriage might end in failure much like how Sam’s own did. However, Lois pleads with her father to have some trust in their relationship, and knowing how much Lois and Clark love each other, Sam gives his blessing to his daughter at long last, despite having his reservations. At present, now with Clark gone, it breaks Sam’s heart to see his daughter mourning the demise of her husband. 


Steel and Starlight Join the DOD 

Finally, the third episode marks the much-awaited return of John and Natalie Irons. I almost feared that, as per previous updates, the beloved father-daughter armored superhero allies of Superman were not going to return in the final season. Glad that didn’t happen at the end. John is aware of Clark’s fate, and to some extent blames himself for not being able to help him in his most perilous hour. Natalie reminds her father that it was Clark himself who asked him not to risk his life battling Doomsday, but knowing that if Clark were in his place, he would have assisted anyway, John remains in a dejected state. 

Sam’s request to join DOD reaches John Henry soon enough, and he feels a bit upset to ask Natalie to once again uproot her life elsewhere, especially now that their job is to replace Superman and face the threat that killed him. However, Natalie comes around; from a very young age, she has known the risks this life entails after an evil counterpart of Superman destroyed their world and killed her mother. And now that the responsibility calls for it, she is willing to step up with her father. At the DOD, Sam quickly brings them up to speed with the situation; he is especially concerned about Natalie’s wellbeing, whom he considers his granddaughter, as their bond grew stronger in the third season. John is given the moniker of Steel, while Natalie goes by the codename Starlight.


Jonathan Gains Powers And Lex’s Evil Ploys

Lois publishes the story on Superman’s demise; as a wife, she might have been crestfallen, but at the same time she needs to maintain professional ethics as well. Jonathan, who remained in denial about his father’s death for as long as possible, is grief-stricken after knowing this, and he starts blaming Jordan for messing up by squandering their only chance at bringing Superman back to life. Jordan tries to calm his brother down, but Jonathan is emotionally too wounded to listen to reason and can’t help lashing out at his brother. This is the first time we’ve seen Jonathon as emotionally charged as he is now, and this triggers his dormant powers to get active. Jonathan probably had a stronger strain of superpower genetics, as within a couple of hours he displays every power Superman possessed and harnesses them with relative ease; while it took Jordan years to master them, that too with the help of Sam and Clark. 

Jonathan is ecstatic after the emergence of his powers; he had felt distanced from his brother and father for a long while due to lacking powers, and now that he has obtained them, he feels a sense of closure. Jordan, on the other hand, is a bit dejected, not because his powers gave him confidence or made him exclusive or anything, but now he feels a sense of becoming second fiddle to his brother. Lois decides to take Jonathan to the DOD to inform Sam about recent developments, while Jordan chooses to stay at home. Sam thinks this is a cosmic sign that, in Clark’s absence, Jonathan has gained powers as well, and just as the youngster wants, he must use his powers to help others—after learning the ropes, that is. 

Jordan goes to the barn to reminisce the first time his powers emerged, when Lex Luthor drops by to play his mind game on him. He simply reveals the audio recording of him playing a prank on Lois by threatening her with her sons’ lives and forcing her to choose one of them—as shown in the previous episode. Jordan is heartbroken after learning Lois had chosen Jonathan, and he goes to meet Lois at the DOD. Lois mentions Jonathan not having powers back then, which means her judgment was taken out of context, and says that she loves both her sons equally. But a sensitive kid like Jordan will need time to get over Lex’s obviously manipulative ploys, which are aimed at dividing the Kent family even more during this hour of crisis. Jordan angrily returns to the Kent household; the only relief is Lex doesn’t know that Jonathan now has powers as well. However, Lex initiates the next phase of his plan, which is to extract his daughter Elizabeth’s whereabouts from Sam.


Why Did General Lane Sacrifice His Life?

General Hardcastle opens up to Steel and Starlight about Sam’s possible plans with the serum, but by now it’s too late, as a certain Lieutenant Jones, whose family has been put in peril by Lex, betrays Sam’s trust and puts him at gunpoint to force him to reveal Elizabeth’s location. Sam refuses to do so despite Lex warning him that he will send Doomsday to the DOD otherwise, and as a scuffle ensues between Sam and Jones, Sam is accidentally shot. Jones leaves in panic while Sam injects himself with the serum, moments before Natalie and John arrive to rescue him. Sam confides something to the duo, which is revealed a bit later in the episode. 

As Doomsday approaches the DOD, John and Natalie fly off to engage in battle with it, donning their armor, but they are no match for the monstrosity. Outside the DOD, Jonathan and Lois, along with an entire unit of army personnel, face Doomsday, and asking them to stand by, go forward to confront the monster. It seems for a moment that Sam will turn into some sort of monstrous creature to battle Doomsday or gain superpowers, but nothing of that sort happens. Turning to his daughter for one last time, Sam bids her adieu and sacrifices his life to save them, to keep Elizabeth’s location a secret from her psychotic father, as Doomsday snaps his neck in an instant. With Sam killed, Lex’s plan of reconnecting with his daughter is probably foiled, and Doomsday leaves just as soon as it appeared. 

A devastated Lois breaks down in tears, losing both her husband and her father in quick succession; she is literally living through a nightmare at the moment. However, Sam’s sacrifice has greater meaning, as following his directions, John Henry flies off with Sam’s body to Clark’s Fortress of Solitude and requests Lara to initiate a heart transplant. The serum made from Superman’s blood has modified Sam’s heart, which theoretically can become compatible with Clark’s Kryptonian physiology, but Lara states that there are too many variables still, which could render the transplantation ineffectual. John reminds her that there aren’t any other options available, and they have to make do with what’s at their disposal. 

Natalie goes to the Kent household with Jonathan and Lois, and Jordan is informed about the tragic incident. Natalie reveals that Sam was looking for a donor, but after Lex initiated his plan, he had no choice but to sacrifice himself to provide the slightest chance to bring Clark back to life. Natalie presents a recorded holographic message from Sam, addressed to Lois, where he had recorded his final farewell to his family—mere moments before his demise. An emotional Sam acknowledges Lois’ presence in his life and shares his love and all the tender feelings he had for his family. Sam assures Lois that Clark will forever be there for her; he is fairly positive that this transplant procedure will bring Clark back, and with his every heartbeat, Sam will always be present to watch over his daughter. The emotional whiplash ought to bring anyone to tears; the general couldn’t have had a more heroic and noble send off. The scene cuts to a funeral scene from the beginning of the episode; it was Sam’s funeral, and John and Natalie are seen present with the Kent family as well. Sam’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain; as the episode ends, Clark is seen waking up in the Fortress of Solitude. Is Superman really back so soon?

The reconciliation between Clark and Sam never happened through direct confrontation, but the way Sam’s fatherly love and protectiveness for Lois prompted him to build a way to bring Clark back to life—it can easily be termed as the most doting expression of love I have seen in a while. It is often said that, according to some psychological studies, women tend to find a presence of their father in their husband, and the way Superman and Lois handled that concept through Sam’s sacrifice remains unique, to say the least. In an era where everyone is busy making superheroes more grounded and boring than ever, credit should be given for attempting something so comic-book-y, and I say that in the most positive connotation. Another aspect that surprises me most is how the sci-fi concept of body swapping has been time and again employed in the series with great results and philosophical weight. In the first season, Lana Lang acted as a physical vessel for Kal El’s Kryptonian mother, Lara Lor-Van’s consciousness, creating a unique moment as a result. In the present season, Clark will live again through Sam’s heart, and although there is no consciousness sharing this time, their love and care for Lois will remain synced all through. 


Siddhartha Das
Siddhartha Das
An avid fan and voracious reader of comic book literature, Siddhartha thinks the ideals accentuated in the superhero genre should be taken as lessons in real life also. A sucker for everything horror and different art styles, Siddhartha likes to spend his time reading subjects. He's always eager to learn more about world fauna, history, geography, crime fiction, sports, and cultures. He also wishes to abolish human egocentrism, which can make the world a better place.


 

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