In the wake of the tumultuous events of the last episode, John Henry and Clark are at odds over how best to proceed. Lois struggles to process certain elements of her life to come.

I’m aware that I have been somewhat of an unabashed fan of this show since its inception, and this season in particular has been extraordinarily strong for me, so it is with no little sorrow that I have to announce this is a rare imperfect instalment.

To be clear, nothing here is bad per se, but it feels like the show deploys an unusual (for it) amount of rapid-fire handwavium to move certain elements of the plot along, as well as relying on a bit too much cliché to get certain things in place.

The main conflict here is between Clark and John Henry – the former is disposed to be a little more lenient towards Mannheim given the circumstances and his own personal struggles. As Lois says to him at one point, what makes him Superman is his ability to see the good in anyone, even his enemies, but both he and Lois feel a little too much like they are sympathising with a career criminal they’ve pursued for years and his murderous wife just because she’s poorly now and he’s sad. I get that cancer is a massive, life-changing event and it’s good that the show has taken time to show us how it can rock even these two strongest of people and their relationship (this latter being the other main angle of the episode) but the sheer totality of the about face and the speed with which it has occurred are a little jarring.

Contrasted against that is John Henry, who is understandably less inclined to sympathy with Mannheim given he tried to kill him. His reaction to Natalie is bad enough, seemingly forgetting all the adventures and adversity they have faced together and essentially locking down her entire life, but the single-minded callousness with which he deals with the issue at hand doesn’t feel like the John we have come to know. It’s a heel turn that’s too fast and not well-enough explained, and when he takes things a little too far, it feels not just wrong in and of itself but wrong for the character.

As for Lois, now that the chemo is nearly over she has to face up to other unpleasant realities. Surgery which will save her life will also fundamentally alter her. This is a valid and interesting storyline for the show to pursue, but again it feels like it all gets wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. I love that the show has always leaned in favour of the inherent goodness of the Kent family and their collective intentions, but it feels like that element gets leaned on a little too heavily here, as well as using some narrative elements that feel a little on the nose. Lois’ issues are realistic and valuable in a show of this kind, but the way in which resolution is reached is too pat and slightly glib, in a way that ill fits both the show and the subject matter.

Elsewhere, we have Nat and Matteo trying to come to terms with the conflict between their parents and what that means for their relationship. It feels like the L word is thrown around a little too early here – they barely know one another after all and whereas yes they are teens, Natalie is also a traumatised survivor of a dead world who saw her mother murdered on live TV. It feels like she’d be a little more circumspect with her feelings, especially given the circumstances.

There’s also more heavy over-leaning on the Kent goodness in the way in which Jonathan and Jordan resolve their own issues, again taking what could be an interesting conflict and rendering it sterile, and even Mannheim himself feels odd. When he isn’t pleading to see his wife, he’s negotiating with Superman, sending thugs after John or trying to convince his son that he’s only acting for the greater good. It’s tonally all over the place, and feels like the writers are trying to usher us towards a conclusion while simultaneously spinning the wheels, narratively.

As I said, it’s not bad, it’s just below the standards of the show. There’s plenty of really good moments and Hoechlin and Tulloch really knock it out of the park in some of the heavier emotional scenes, but it feels like the first misstep in many ways of an otherwise strong season.

Verdict: Still better than most other genre shows out there, but starting to show some cracks. 7/10

Greg D. Smith