REVIEW: Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 8 (Sharp Dressed Man)

With only three episodes left, Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 8 pushes full speed ahead, deftly knocking down Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) as Lex (Michael Cudlitz) re-emerges from the shadows to turn the court of public opinion against them, aided by his right-hand Amanda (Yvonne Chapman) and TV host and “carnival barker” Gordon Godfrey (played by The Flash alum Tom Cavanagh) — a man who definitely isn’t just resentful that Lois, a woman, is far more respected in the field than he. Elsewhere, with their super secret out in the open, Jon (Michael Bishop) is stunned when Candice (Samantha Di Francesco) breaks up with him, while Natalie (Tayler Buck) begins to regret signing up to work for the Department of Defense. This is a major episode — as it should be, with so few left — that sets the scene for a spectacular showdown with Lex before the series comes to a close.

Is This the Most Infuriating Lex Luthor Ever?

First of all, every single person truly gave a magnificent performance during this episode. It’s interesting to see the Superman & Lois writers take Lex in such a vastly different direction in these final episodes, turning him into someone who more closely resembles his comic book counterpart. That said, what is brilliant and, frankly, utterly infuriating about this version of Lex is he feels like he’s been ripped straight from the headlines, á la any of the shitty billionaires who are constantly fucking everyone over right now. Like so many of the rich criminals in the world, Lex genuinely believes he’s done nothing wrong, ever. He continues to blindly charge forward as though he’s completely innocent — it’s maddening to watch, especially given the state of our real world and how many Lex Luthor wannabes are in positions of power.

As I’ve said before, the primary reason I can stomach watching this version of Lex is he hates Lois far more than he hates Superman, which continues to be such a refreshing change from canon. Superman is a means to an end, an obstacle in the way of Lex exacting his revenge upon Lois for her role in ruining his life. Instead of a madman obsessed with cleansing the world of aliens, this version of Lex is real and grounded, making him even more terrifying and adding something more to his threats and misdeeds. Personally, live-action adaptations of Lex have held little interest for me, as the character doesn’t ever feel like a real threat. This approach, specifically how he could easily fit into the real world and get away with his long list of criminal activity, elevates the character.

Additionally, as someone with an (obvious) interest in journalism, watching Lex, Amanda, and Godfrey manipulate the truth and spread outright lies about Lois on national television—causing many weak-minded watchers to lose faith in her reporting after what was so clearly a hit job—landed a bit too close to home. The depiction is true, as we constantly see this so-called “carnival barker” behavior on cable news and somehow there are never any lasting consequences for delivering outrageous lies with no evidence whatsoever. But, as difficult as it was to watch, there were two positives. First, Lois’ ability to stand her ground and defend herself against coordinated attacks from Lex, his team, and Godfrey was truly impressive. If not for matters out of her control, Lois would have come out on top in that debate, despite Lex and his team planning this for weeks and Lois only having a few hours. Second, giving Godfrey the Fox News treatment is another punch in the face to anyone who still doesn’t understand that Superman is not on their side.

The Real Teenagers of Smallville

Although this episode is remarkable, the biggest flaw is that every one of these stories needed more time to be fleshed out. Lex causing the public to begin to doubt Lois and Superman in one episode is quite unbelievable, especially with the latter and how much he has done for the world for roughly two decades. It’s of no fault to the writers, as their hands were tied by the slightly shortened episode count for this final season. But, the stories with Jon and Natalie were especially hurt by not having time for dedicated buildup.

Because we’ve only seen Natalie once this season until now, her sudden disinterest in working with her father to help the Department of Defense felt like it came out of nowhere. There was nothing to indicate this was coming. But, it’s no surprise, given that the series never knew what it wanted to do with the Irons family. On the other hand, we definitely could have gotten some buildup to Candice calling things off with Jon (though, in the end, they get back together). She learned the secret before everyone else, barely, which gave her time to adjust off-screen. However, we should have had an episode where we see this treatment that Candice is getting from strangers—positive and, particularly, negative—for dating one of Superman’s sons.

It’s not difficult to believe she would be getting weird messages from jealous strangers or be offered money for exclusive interviews, just look at the world we live in. But, it would have made this relationship feel a bit more real, as the progression of this romance over the seasons has been… lacking. Seeing Candice deal with this treatment while Jon is oblivious before the inevitable breakup would have given both characters and the relationship an opportunity for some much-needed, on-screen development. Alas, this romance will continue to be something I cannot wrap my head around whenever I watch this show again in the future.

Final Thoughts

A round of applause for Denise Olowe (Kelcey Mawema), who has easily become my favorite Smallville resident during this final season. After her heartwarming greeting to “Mr. Kent” during Clark’s first outing after revealing his secret, the way Denise treated Jon and Jordan (Alexander Garfin) at the store was so beautifully normal and natural. Holding a grudge against Jon for quitting, even after learning his secret, is exactly what these teens need to keep their feet on the ground as the media and fan attention ramps up.

Second to Lois’ “carnival barker” comment (could you tell I liked that?), my favorite moment of the episode is Jon and Jordan teaming up to destroy Natalie’s unmanned suit after Milton (Nikolai Witschl) commandeered both of the Irons’ suits. That was a nice little tease of what’s to come in their future, specifically with the revelation that Clark will one day wake up and be powerless due to his new/old heart from Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh). Losing his powers is predictable, but I will say I’m a little miffed that now he has, at maximum, probably about 25 years left, if the heart will only last as long as it was going to for Sam. So much for a happily ever after for the Kent-Lane family?

Lastly, Lex stealing the Steel suit from John Henry (Wolé Parks) to presumably be his new Lexosuit is a nice little callback to the first season and the suit’s AI referring to him as “Captain Luthor”. Well done.

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