As the Kents face off against Jon-El, they are forced to confront the fact that keeping their family’s secret may no longer afford them the protection that they thought it did.

What do you do when confronted with an evil twin mirror version of yourself/your brother/your son? Well, that’s half the question in this instalment of Superman & Lois, as Jon-El runs rampant in Smallville causing all sorts of havoc and forcing some serious confrontation with Clark and his sons as he attempts to further Ally’s plans by merging with his brother and bringing another of her disciples from the Bizarro world to merge with their double here.

Aside from all the apocalyptic stuff though, there are the smaller conflicts. Jordan’s desperation to fix things with Sarah, Jonathan and Clark’s severely strained relationship, and all of it – both the big and small scale – comes back to secrets. Can Jordan ever truly repair things with his true love without revealing to her his true nature? Can Clark continue to protect his secret while there’s a mirror version of his son causing mayhem and with no compunction about revealing himself? Can Jonathan ever reconcile the unfairness of his father’s anger at his having lied about Candice when Clark himself hid his identity from his sons for over a decade?

Can the Kent family really keep its secrets? And having seen the fate of his alter ego’s family over on the other side, can Clark really countenance risking that same fate for himself and his family? The ego, the pressure of the fame – is that the life this small-town Kansas farm boy wants?

Per usual, though there’s action aplenty in the episode, it’s the smaller, more intimate moments which really help to make the show. Jordan’s heartbreak at his issues with Sarah, a quiet moment between the brothers which cements that for all their differences and occasional conflicts, they really do have one another’s backs when it comes to the crunch. Clark struggling with his desire to tell his oldest and closest friend the truth and the hurt it causes them both as he doesn’t. Lois’ well-meaning interference in her son’s romantic life and the clear-eyed, honest way in which they are able to communicate with one another about her overstep.

But yes, there’s action too. Impressive fight sequences, and a confrontation for Nat and John Henry that seems to prove once again Supes’ new partner in crime is every bit as durable as the Man of Steel is, despite being completely human. As the episode winds to a close, the show proves once again that as far as the writers are concerned, there are no boundaries that can’t be broken.

Verdict: Buckle up because this is promising to be one hell of an epic showdown! 9/10

Greg D. Smith