REVIEW: Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 5 (Break The Cycle)

Now settled into the Kent-Lane family’s new normal, Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 5 takes a moment to press pause and shift focus over to Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) and his estrangement from his daughter Elizabeth (Elizabeth Henstridge). In both flashbacks and the present day, we learn of exactly what went wrong in their relationship and, unsurprisingly, how this estrangement was practically inevitable, even if he hadn’t been framed by the Mannheims and wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of Boss Moxie (the one murder in Metropolis he wasn’t responsible for at the time).

The Luthor Family Dynamic

Essentially, it seems Elizabeth severing all ties with her father would have happened regardless of the circumstances because of who Lex is, fundamentally, and how he chooses to go through life. While Elizabeth did choose to stay with her father as her parents divorced, Erica (Natalie Moon) knew it would never last because Lex is incapable of truly loving someone. She accurately predicted that Elizabeth would one day ask for his love, but he wouldn’t be able to give it to her, which is exactly how things played out in the present day as Lex chose his hatred for Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) and desire for retribution over a relationship with both his daughter and his future grandson.

Personally, this Luthor family drama isn’t very strong. In comparison, while The CW’s Supergirl had many, many faults, embracing the toxicity of the Luthor family, particularly from Lena’s (Katie McGrath) point of view, was one area where the series almost always shined. Perhaps it’s just me, but it doesn’t feel like exploring the relationship between Lex and Elizabeth here is worthwhile, especially during a shortened final season, because there are no emotional stakes for the audience, as we had with Lena being desperate for a family and opening herself up to their manipulation and cruelty because of it.

Learning that, in this universe, Lex grew up poor with two horrifically abusive parents causes the edge with this version of the character to be justified, as well as the anger and hatred that courses through his veins. This background certainly amplifies the long-standing character’s narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies, but does it feel like Lex Luthor? I’m not sure. It’s in stark contrast to a world in which Lex was always overtly privileged and never had to learn to accept “no” as an answer, all while having a mother who practically worshipped at his feet.

Nonetheless, I’m happy to see Lex double down on his vendetta, determined to make Lois pay for “falsely” imprisoning him. (On the other hand, Lex’s inability to admit that he’s done plenty of things to deserve to be in prison, even if it’s not what he was convicted for, is perfectly on-brand for the character.) Seeing Superman as an obstacle on the path toward his real enemy, rather than being his ultimate enemy, is an adjustment to the longtime character that is working quite well. It’s allowing this story, despite the Doomsday of it all, to feel grounded and human, as Lois and Lex are simply fighting for what they, respectively, believe to be the truth.

The End of Doomsday

Well, that was rather anticlimactic, wasn't it? Although seeing Lois reach out to and make an emotional plea with Bizarro Superman, the man underneath the monster, was touching, it’s just a little disappointing that this is seemingly the end of the heroes’ biggest threat ever. (I say seemingly as it’s always possible this is a fake-out, considering the circumstances.) Perhaps it’s due to the extreme budget cuts, so the series couldn’t do what was originally envisioned for Doomsday, but my hope for this story was to see Clark (Tyler Hoechlin), Jon (Michael Bishop), and Jordan (Alexander Garfin)—and maybe John Henry (Wolé Parks) and Natalie (Tayler Buck)—come together to fight him and save the world.

That said, I’m a bit conflicted because I did enjoy this take for what it is. It’s the perfect example of how Superman & Lois proves that, like Clark, Lois is a hero because of what’s in her heart. Although she’s a bit more jaded than Clark and recognizes that not everyone has the capacity to be a better person, she is incredibly skilled at determining who does and making an emotional connection with them. So, it’s a great counter to see Clark’s attempt to reach out to Lex and make a heartfelt plea for mercy fail while Lois does the same with Doomsday and succeeds.

Final Thoughts

As for Jon and Candice (Samantha Di Francesco), does anyone care? Candice has been around on the show for quite some time, but this relationship has failed to make an impact. There’s just nothing there, really, and the only time it was the least bit enjoyable was the aftermath of Candice’s dad punching Jon and Lois confronting him last season. (Plus, the interactions between Candice and Jordan when she was staying at their house.)

Candice learning the Superman secret and that Jon and Jordan have powers also doesn’t make an impression whatsoever, which is no doubt in part because it’s nowhere near as interesting as people around town figuring out the truth, like their friend Denise (Kelsey Mawema) piecing it together after Doomsday returned Clark’s body to Smallville. Also, since we’ve seen this play out between Jordan and Sarah (Inde Navarrette) already, the teen romance that the series has actually put some effort into developing, Candice learning the truth feels like a formality.

I do appreciate finally seeing Jordan step up for his brother though. For far too long, it has been almost exclusively the other way around, as Jon has given up so much since arriving in Smallville to help Jordan. Jordan saving Jon’s relationship, although he once again opened his big mouth about their secret, finally feels like things are beginning to equal out between them. It’s just a shame this is happening so late into the series.

Overall, while a perfectly respectable and enjoyable episode, it wasn’t very strong. The Lex and Elizabeth drama gave some needed insight into Lex but lacked any opportunity for the audience to feel something because not even Lex seemed to feel anything when finally reunited with his estranged daughter. Jon and Candice’s relationship is almost as boring as the relationship between Kyle (Erik Valdez) and Chrissy (Sofia Hasmik), but at least it has the advantage of including one of the Kents. Here’s hoping the series picks up steam as we head into the final five episodes.

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