Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
DC has been steadily working at expanding their superhero database over the years, but we never got the MAIN superhero fans asked for. Supergirl was kinda cool, but everyone wanted Superman to show up, but DC was reticent as they have a strange policy of keeping the main fan favorites for the big screen, and use the lesser ones for TV. At least that’s what we all surmised over the years, especially after Superman was surprisingly absent from Supergirl. Well, that is until they hired Tyler Hoechlin to make a few cameo appearances in later seasons. Those few cameos expanded as the fans ate up every episode he showed up in to the point where they had him at the center of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover last years. Finally The CW and DC decided to give fans what they wanted, a new Superman show using Tyler’s version of Supes in another spinoff (The Arrowverse literally spins one right off the other).

I had no idea what to expect of the show as I never once watched an episode this year. I knew it was out, but like most of the Arrowverse shows I binge watched it when I got the Blu-ray in to review. My thoughts are mixed and varied. There is some very solid stuff in there, but there is also a LOOOOOT of angst. Especially in the first 3-4 episodes that start of rocky and rather cringey (seriously, that first episode or so had me wincing from the teenage angst and soap opera melodrama). However, as the season progresses and our new main villain from the multiverse makes more of an impact, the show actually starts to find its footing and tell a good story. Unlike Batwoman which started weak and got progressively worse, Superman & Lois starts to get better and better, to the point of the season finale actually having myself tip my hat to it.

After Crisis on Infinite Earths reset the timeline a bit Superman (Tyler) decides its time to have a family. He marries Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and has two sons named Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Jonathan (Jordan Elsass). However, Supe’s ability to protect the planet AND take care of two young boys (who may or may not be exhibiting super powers) is not so easy, and Clark watches as Jordan succumbs to depression and clinical mental issues, and neither of his sons respect their father. After Martha Kent dies and leaves him the farm, Clark and Lois decide that the only thing that they can do in order to save their family is to move back to Smallville and live a more quiet life.

A quiet life is not exactly in the cards though, as Jordan begins to exhibit manifestations of power like his father, a mysterious man in a Lex Luthor war suit (Wole Parks) drops in to raise havoc in his life, and Lois begins to smell a rat when her new boss takes a sudden interest in Smallville. Yup, you guessed it. Lots of superman, lots of battles, and lots and LOOOOOOOTS of melodramatic CW angst.

Angst is really what stands out this season. I know I said that the first 3-4 episodes were the worst and it gets better, but the angsty melodrama is a staple of most of the modern CW shows, and this one just revels in it. Drug addicted teens with benzos, overly sappy romances and teen drama, and of course a big bad villain with weak CGI. It most certainly is a mixed bag in terms of delivery. The first 1/3rd of the series struggles to find its feet, setting up so much soap opera esque moments that by the time the show starts to take off it’s hard for the audience to elevate themselves out of the boredom of the first 4 eps or so. HOWEVER, It does get better and by the end of the season I was getting kind of hooked. Tyler Hoechlin was always a good “do gooder” in Supergirl and does well here as well. The new addition of “Captain Luthor” (I won’t spoil anything) adds some nice flair, but Elizabeth Tulloch is pretty unimpressive as Lois Lane. She has very little of the pizazz of the famous journalist and I never got the attraction to her in the Supergirl moments she was in.




Rating:

Rated TV-14




Video:

As with most of the CW shows, Superman and Lois looks great on Blu-ray. While the series is a rock solid performer in the digital world, it has a slightly soft and diffused look to it with an obviously sepia color grading to make it look more rustic. That means while many shots are incredibly sharp and precise, we get a mildly soft look when heavy CGI use comes into play (and there’s a lot of CGI) as well as long distance backgrounds can look intentionally hazy. Colors are on the warmer side, with lots of primary reds and dark blues (duh, the show revolves around red and blue). The CGI looks a bit on the weak side, showing that this show probably had a lower budget than even The Flash or Arrow did, with MORE CGI (looks about on par with Supergirl). Solid performer with a few flaws (including some mild banding), but otherwise nothing to complain about.







Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is right on par with the video score. It’s more dramatic and dialog centric than some of the other shows, but when the action gets going it certainly does pick up some steam. The swooshing of Superman battling the war suited villain fill the sound stage with a sense of directional shifting as well as powerhouse bass. That flashback that Captain Luthor has to when General Lane died in the 2nd episode really adds some SERIOUS low end, and even during things like steel bars falling on top of the boys and other such sundry incidents, we get some impressive immersion. Again, nothing that truly sets it up to the bar of The Flash or Arrow, but a very fine TV show quality mix.






Extras:

• Superman: Alien Spirit
• Superman and Lois Legacy of Hope
• Never Alone: Heroes and Allies
• DC FanDome Panel: Superman & Lois

Final Score: ​

Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season is actually pretty good. Definitely a rocky start, but the show has promise. That being said, with how rocky most of the other CW DC shows have been the last year or so, I’m not sure how long that high will last. But that’s just me being cynical. Either way, the Blu-ray is very solid, with minimal extras, but good audio and video. Worth checking out if you enjoy the CW superhero shows.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Jordan Elsass, Alex Garfin, Wole Parks, Adam Raynder
Created by: Greg Berlanti, Todd Helbing
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: TV-14
Runtime: 671 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: October 19th, 2021

Recommendation: Check It Out