Superman & Lois S3 Ep. 2 Personal Highlights

 "Uncontrollable Force"

This week’s episode of Superman & Lois continues to solidify why this series deserves to continue forward without the threat of cancellation as its other Arrowverse adjacent and DC Comics shows have recently faced. There’s so much packed in here to enjoy from both a visual spectacle and storytelling standpoint. And if you’ve followed the CW Network’s DC Comics shows for years, you'll know that this is a pretty rare balance to witness and one that is certainly worth celebrating. So for this discussion specifically, I'll like to skip pass some of the side character plot points and instead focus more on the two pivotal narrative components. In other words, less teenage angst (which I actually didn't mind too much this episode) and more Superman and Lois facing new obstacles. With that said, let's dive into my personal highlights of this week's episode.

Onomatopoeia Continues To Steal The Show

Of all the various comic book TV shows that I’ve seen over the years involving super powered or trained assassins, serial killers, and mercenary villains, Onomatopeia is shaping up to be my top favorite of the bunch. This is largely due to the artistic and conceptual nature of what this villain is capable of doing, their elusiveness, and the overall presentation that surrounds their scenes. Last week's episode introduced the new antagonist in what I praised as being one of the show's strongest villain debuts with Henry Miller's supposed death leading to the simultaneous introduction of the Suicide Slums setting. With the 2nd episode, we're able to see the character showcase more of their formidability with two visually engaging attack scenes playing out as an extension of Intergang's agenda. 

Let's talk about the first scene which involves the death of a major character (or at least major in the sense of their position within the show's corner of the world). After Sarah leaves to the house to "hang out with Natalie", the camera stays on Lana in the kitchen as an unexpected phone call from ex-mayor Dean interrupts her work. What starts off as the sound of a desperate man frantically talking to Lana through distortion about an ambiguous Smallville related project transitions to the sound of something sinister taking place. Here enters Onomatopoeia who is revealed to be source of this overwhelming modulated interference blocking George's voice over the phone as if he was stuck in the middle of a raging sandstorm. The sound design here is absolutely phenomenal as is the cinematic direction with the mysterious killer sonically affecting the environment.

Onomatopeia steps forward and appears to charge up an attack resulting in the surrounding debris slowing down and the pattern design on their mask changing. I thought this was a really cool detail to further visualize the idea of their powers involving the manipulation of sound waves being represented by shape shifting (a real scientific study that's pretty fascinating). Typically whenever sound powers are being shown in TV shows and movies, the audience would gaze up some form of a blurry wave effect with nothing more added aside from maybe the physical damage being done to the target or a specific color to match the source (like Pied Piper from The Flash series). The production team on Superman & Lois decides to go the extra step by artistically connecting this power with the design of the character visualizing intent through costume presentation. Also...it looks pretty cool.

What I also love about this scene, keeping things tonally consistent with the direction of Onomatopoeia's debut, is that George's death isn't shown in some spectacular action bit. Instead, the scene cuts to Lana's perspective showing her emotional reaction of being frightened by the sound of a loud static charge and a gun shot. Having the camera focus on her being confused and scared listening on the phone adds an unnerving layer of terror to the villain's presence. The aftermath of the murder reveals the ex-mayor's body laying on the hood of a car with a massive blast wound to the chest and a brief shot of blood over the shattered windshield. Lana's voice is heard calling out to him over the phone which Onomatopoeia walks over and shatters silencing the foreboding sound design in favor of a chilling score. It's quite honestly one of my favorite villain scenes on the show so far.

During a crime report discussion between Kyle and Chrissy, we learn that the police ruled the death as a shotgun blast wound with the peculiar element of missing pellets. So, just for a second, let's remove the Bruno Mannheim, Intergang, previous global threats, and multiversal element of the series prior to this episode. Just isolating this as a solo crime story with a mysterious and uniquely dangerous killer on the loose, I must say that I find the show's presentation of Onomatopoeia to be one of the most engaging crime-thriller narratives ever presented in the "Arrowverse + Superverse" franchise. The threat level and presence behind this villain popping up at any given time alongside their destructive capabilities is deeply felt as is my intrigue regarding their identity.

Later in the episode, Lana, with the help of John Henry Irons, teams up to uncover a secret USB drive that ties to George's final words linking to the plaque on the mayor office's wall. As the two plugs in the drive to load up whatever files were being secretly hidden, Onomatopoeia shows up just in time to attack the duo. Again, major props to the exceptional editing and direction surrounding this character as the modulated sound design from their power gradually dominates the scene as the character itself steps into frame. In a similar same vein to the White Walkers from the Game of Thrones series frequently arriving with an unexpected snowstorm, this character is preceded by a sonic trembling with the addition of objects in the environment fluttering around as if a supernatural storm is being summoned from the ether. 

It's the perfect embodiment of impending doom in such a small isolated space which I think is perfect for this particular antagonist. Onomatopoeia, like before, sends out a massive sound wave with the change of their mask pattern blasting both Lana and John down to the ground in sheer agonizing pain. The sound of the glass shattering from the wave coupled with the incredible cinematography is probably my favorite super power related scene in the entire series. Not to sound like a broken record here, but I can't help but praise the production values being executed with this villain. Topping things off is a cool shot of Onomatopoeia picking up the drive then shattering the laptop without looking at it. I'm just amazed by how they've taken what could've easily been a forgettable villain of the week on another show and elevated them to something more substantially impressive. 

Also, on a side note, I still can't help but relate this characterization as matching another DC Comics villain by the name of Spellbinder. The design reminded me of his appearance from the Batman Beyond animated series (the orange suit character in the picture shown). That character also had powers related to hallucinations and even sound manipulation to an extent in some of the other source material appearances which fits with what we've seen so far. But, as the internet has corrected me on, this apparently is in fact Onomatopoeia who is typically a Green Arrow villain (the character in black shown in the same picture). Either way, I'm absolutely loving this adaptation and how they've changed things to fit this universe. And, to add one final DC comic parallel, it's hard not to think of Rorschach from Watchmen when seeing the pattern shifting mask effect.

Intergang Brings A Refreshing New Type of Threat To The Man of Steel

So for two seasons straight, this series has placed a large portion of its villain focus on cosmic, world ending threats. Whether it's the global conquering and body stealing agenda of a Kryptonian invasion force or the existential reality merging threat of a cult leader, the show has certainly tackled its share of galactic obstacles. What I'm really loving about Season 3 so far is how lower scaled things have felt while still keeping the impact of what a new antagonist can bring to our heroes. I've felt that superhero franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even the Arrowverse's crossover events should always exercise restraint in order to keep a dynamic sense of scope. If you keep going bigger and more epic in stakes with your villains, you ironically run the risk of making the audience feel desensitized towards the state of the universe revolving round the heroes.

This is why shows like the Disney+ Hawkeye series, the Falcon & The Winter Soldier, and the Netflix Defenders franchise was always highly appreciated by me. It allowed for us to wine down as an audience from the big "end of the world" stories to take on something perhaps more grounded and intimate for our heroes yet just as dramatically potent. Doing so keeps things more versatile given each narrative an opportunity to stand out on its own without being immediately overshadowed by its successor. In its 3rd season, Superman & Lois seems to understand this with the introduction of Bruno Mannheim and what this particular crime boss can do that would be worthy of Superman's attention.

One of the fan concerns that I think can be completely understandable going into this season is the switch from intergalactic cosmic threats to street gangs feeling like a boring step down comparatively speaking. But if one were to consider the type of story that's being told here and the gang itself in question, the potential is actually rather promising. I talked about it a little bit in the season premiere, but I must reiterate to the uninitiated that Intergang isn't just some street gang selling illegal drugs or robbing convenient stores. Instead, they're an organization that's resourced by the very same world that Darkseid reigns over. Just keep that in the back of your mind as the show progresses until the writers decide to either allude to or fully solidify that comic book trait.

What we can however shine a light on from this episode that I think should be noted is how Bruno Mannheim (leader of Intergang) is both presented in addition to how he presents himself to Superman. In just two episodes, the writers have done an excellent job at taking other characters and utilizing them to represent the scope of this new criminal faction. Before Bruno takes center stage himself verbally confronting Superman, we're gradually witnessing the extent of his power surrounding Clark's world through individual interconnecting pieces. A previously apprehended neo-nazi with a flame thrower now having superpowers, a highly formidable sound manipulating killer, and a person of high authority who can release criminals that Superman put away conveys that Bruno has ties to various concerning resources.

Immediately bringing to mind other comic book villains like Spiderman's Kingpin and Black Lightning's Tobias Whale (and I suppose we can sprinkle in some irony with Arrow's Tobias Church), Bruno is a villain whose threat level doesn't come from his own power to beat the hero but instead his influence. One of my favorite story types in superhero comics revolve around the protagonist being completely ambushed by an overwhelming and exhausting assault of dynamic threats happening by some elusive mastermind. Popularly, the puppeteer behind the scenes is someone who isn't able to physically take on the hero on their own but has the networking capability to strategically form a team that can do the job for them with precise planning. Looking at the events of these past two episodes paints a very promising picture for Bruno as our new big bad in this regard.

The death of the ex-mayor and near fatal attack on Lana and John Henry shows that our villain can easily and effectively kill off pivotal side characters. The release and transformation of Henry Miller conveys the idea that Intergang has the means to take virtually any previously incarcerated villain and retrofit them to their cause. Thinking about it now, I think this is a golden opportunity to inject some exciting world building by having villains from Superman's rogues gallery appear as extensions of Intergang's plot. And with the corruption of a Metropolis judge, we can also surmise that Bruno has both the law and maybe political corner of the city (and who knows where else) in his pockets. This is a threat that cannot simply be punched away or heat visioned as it would take more than just a physical approach by Superman but instead deep investigative work. 

This is why I think Intergang is the perfect new season villain for this series. It allows for both Superman as a superhero and Clark Kent/Lois Lane as reporters to play equally significant roles. And on that note, let's talk about the incredible way in which they intercut Bruno's confrontation with Superman with Lois's emotional confrontation with Judge Reagan. During the episode, Lois is shown to be internally troubled by recent news from her doctors following the false pregnancy cliffhanger. This results in her acting more uncharacteristically aggressive during her and Clark's investigation of the judge. During their talk with Judge Reagan who is clearly nervously hiding something, a group of men appear essentially silencing her leading to Superman tailing them to their hideout as Lois stays behind. 

This is where things start to really ramp up in the episode as the judge is shown standing at the edge of the building attempting to jump as Lois rushes over to help talk her down. With Superman flying over to eavesdrop on the men's conversation with Bruno and Lois's pressure inducing talk with Judge Reagan, we're able to slowly paint a larger picture of Intergang's citywide hold. The judge, in her agonizing state of hopelessness talks about the revelation that she had as someone genuinely pursuing justice in her career only to uncover a corrupted system at the core. Now what exactly these men told her to keep her silent isn't revealed to us here, but the anxiety that it brought that would drive her to attempted suicide perfectly coincides with Bruno's later discussion with Superman about where he grew up. 

Fearlessly calling the man of steel out to have a talk after seeing nearby security footage of him, Bruno unravels his origins and motivation. He apparently grew up in the corner of Metropolis known as the Suicide Slums due to its people losing hope and takin their lives as a result. He witnessed leaders rising to power in Metropolis such as Lex Luthor (interestingly being referenced on this show yet again) and Morgan Edge while "the slums" continued to decline. This is what supposedly lead to him to becoming the savior that his community can look up to being that no one else was coming to save them. His comment about making real change for this overlooked town as opposed to just "putting out fires" is a dramatically interesting jab at Superman being a global hero yet not being the savior that the Suicide Slums needs.

This is a great confrontation for Clark to face as it involves a villain who claims to have done good for a people that have been sidelined by our titular hero amongst other self proclaimed Metropolis philanthropists. In a roundabout way, Bruno is categorizing Superman in the same box as other powerful beings claiming to make positive changes for their world like Lex and Morgan Edge (aka Tal-Rho's villainous past). It's a classic conundrum of a hero being faced with the fact that they simply can't save everyone no matter how hard they try. Only here, the hero's failure to do so is also being used to classify them alongside their very own villains which is an extreme but very understandable human sensibility to see. Bruno is being built up as the personification of this savior dilemma being shown through the prism of a crime boss. 

If we are to believe this character motivation and origin story to be true, I think I confidently say that I find this particular big bad to be more interesting as a threat than Ally's cult leader doppelgänger situation last season. With this character motivation context, it becomes more than just about who Bruno has in his pockets that can pose a huge problem, but the moral conflict of Superman being as effective as a superhero as he thinks he is. The complicated question that is being laid out by Bruno is "If Superman is such a successful hero for the world, then why does it take someone to become a 'criminal' in order to help a city feel protected and prosperous?". 

Now again, we can't quickly jump to extremes just yet since the show hasn't confirmed his story to be entirely accurate. However, if we do get to investigate the state of the Suicide Slums before and after Intergang's rise, I truly believe that this can be an interesting multi-layered story worth exploring. There's just too many potential-rich opportunities to skip over that can bring dramatic character building while also entertaining with the concept of surprise villain appearances. Is Bruno the savior that this part of Metropolis truly needed that Superman overlooked or is there something far more sinister happening behind his fronted sense of community? If he does indeed detests the Suicide Slum's namesake, why would he drive a judge into committing a fatal act that he knows all too well? Again, there's a lot to explore here. 

Going back tot he savior title jab, it's an interesting new problems that, as I've mentioned, will require more than just a few punches or heat vision beams to stop. As this dilemma is being brought to Clark's attention, we're watching as this hopeless judge renounces the law staring that the people behind everything is unstoppable (echoing Henry's ominous statement to Superman during the season premiere). She's only halted from jumping once Lois begins to reveal her very own turmoil to her, and once Superman sonically picks up on Lois's anxious voice, he flies over just in time for the big unveiling. Lois discloses her recent medical scare being stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer to Judge Reagan as a fight that's still worth fighting no matter the obstacles. This disclosure both helps Reagan reconsider suicide while also directly telling Clark the fight that's ahead for them.

So evidently, Clark goes from a moral dilemma being thrown at him about being a better hero, an elusive physical threat lurking somewhere in the world with modified dangerous people showing up, and now a closer to home battle that he isn't able to just knock down and throw into a cell being his own wife's medical crisis. Think about that. We're only two episodes in and we're being hit with all of these varying dynamic conflicts being introduced. And something that should be notably spotlighted is that it doesn't feel rushed or forced whatsoever. This is a huge accomplishment of pacing considering how much this season is tackling early on without anything feeling half-baked or hurried over. With that sentiment, I'll happily say that Superman & Lois continues to kick off the new season on a very high note giving us just enough to be intrigued by and eagerly looking forward to. 

I'll end this episode discussion with one question. One idea that came to mind that can quite frankly be the most sinister and villainous thing ever done on the show but one that I'd highly praise the series for boldly trying. Here it goes. What if Intergang is the one responsible for Lois Lane's cancer in response to her digging into their business? How crazy would that be? Talk about truly taking the threat to a much more intimate and emotional level. It's just a thought to consider. Either way, I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for us. Will there be more villains showing up alongside the likes of Onomatopoeia? Will we get some teases towards Apokolips? Only time will tell, and if we're lucky, the show will have enough time to tell its story without any cancellation flags being waved at it.

Episode Rating: 9/10