This is where I must acknowledge that I lack the appropriate comic book background to review this show. Even though it was obvious that "Man of Steel" wasn't going to refer to our Supes, I had no idea who John Henry Irons is. Thankfully, there is the internet.
So Wolé Parks' character just got a lot more interesting, since John Henry Irons, a.k.a. Steel, is clearly a genuine hero and a very good guy bent on saving the world. I'm on board. And intrigued that John Henry Irons had a good marriage going on with alt-Lois Lane on their own Earth. And a teenage daughter named Nat! This could add a whole new and complicated family dynamic to the Lois/Clark marriage. Lois has a biological daughter she doesn't know, and Jonathan and Jordan have a half-sister! Where is Nat? If their Earth is gone, she must be hiding in that bunker somewhere on Earth Prime, waiting for her dad to come back. Metropolis?
I wonder if that hair band that Irons has around his wrist contains DNA proof that Irons and Lois have a daughter?
On that other Earth, alt-Superman and other Kryptonians were destroying Metropolis. Horribly, alt-Superman killed alt-Lois with his heat vision. That was massive. She sacrificed herself by reporting a critical bit of information: the existence of Kryptonite as a weapon that could be used against him. It made me wonder if this is something Irons could ever get past. Was there a Clark on Irons' Earth? Was Superman truly evil there, or somehow taken over by a bad guy? So many questions.
Meanwhile, Jordan suffered by staying home from school and wearing earphones until he was able to control his superhearing, just in the nick of time. I'm trying not to let my irritation with Jordan's immaturity bug me too much, but I think about how I would have felt if I were a teen acquiring superpowers after just finding out my dad was Superman, and I don't get the anger and pouting. All while Jonathan, with a badly broken wrist, had to go to school and talk up Jordan with Sarah Cushing, while Jordan super-eavesdropped on them. I know we're going for the light and dark kid balance thing, but I'm finding Jordan frustrating and feeling badly for Jonathan.
But I did really enjoy the twins awkwardly crashing the truck into the warehouse and actually into Irons himself to save their father's life. It reminded me of the constant wreckage of every red and blue car in Smallville. I cracked a lot of car insurance jokes in my Smallville reviews. Ah, memories.
And yes, it was way past time to tell the twins everything. I'm glad Lois and Clark finally decided to tell all.
Finally, Morgan Edge is being very Lex Luthor with his evil plan, creating a super army to take over the world. But why would he want people who are good leadership candidates as superminions? You'd think he'd choose stupid, malleable people who would do exactly as they were told at all times, like Leslie Larr. Larr has been super-uninteresting (maybe it's her key superpower) but apparently, she's the only "subjekt" so far that hasn't shown signs of rejection.
Lana deliberately left her friend Emily Phan off the candidate list, but Morgan Edge added her back in. I think Lana is either going to have an in with the superminions, or she is going to lose her friend, motivating her even more strongly to bring Edge down. Does Edge really want Kyle for his team, too? You know, that would set up some amazing marital conflict, and hopefully, divorce.
Bits:
— The super action sequences didn't blow me away this time, but I just loved Superman grabbing the SUV out of the convoy and leaving it on top of a mountain.
— That hammer or whatever hitting Superman? Tyler Hoechlin made it look super painful.
— The AI is set for Lex Luthor. That's why Irons has been letting it call him Captain Luthor. How old is Lex on Earth Prime? Is he still Jon Cryer? If so, he's not old enough to be Irons' father, anyway.
— It's too bad Irons' AI isn't Gideon. That would have been fine. Possibly too much work for Amy Louise Pemberton, though.
— I'm looking forward to Superman interrogating Irons at the DOD prison next week. Some cool stuff is bound to come out.
— Nat appears to be a brilliant engineer, just like her father. More of the supersuit, please.
— Irons spoke Kryptonian.
— A cute, popular girl named Tegan talked to Jonathan. I'm sure we'll see her again.
— David Ramsey (Diggle from Arrow) directed this episode.
Quotes:
Irons: "Lois Lane."
Lois: "Hello, guy who is not Marcus Bridgewater."
Irons: "How 'bout you come inside and we talk about it?"
Lois: "Yeah, that's a hard pass on me entering your creepermobile."
Irons: "That's unfair, and pretty hurtful."
They banter well, don't they?
Irons: "Trente green tea with a splash of almond milk."
Of course he knows his wife's favorite drink.
DOD guy: "So this guy came back from the dead to try to kill you?"
Superman: "Wouldn't be the first time."
Jonathan: "I don't even have a learner's permit!"
Jordan: "Or know how to drive!"
Yeah, that's right, they're supposed to be fourteen. I keep forgetting because they so don't look fourteen.
Irons: "Forged in fire, strong as steel."
That sounded like a catch phrase for Steel, the superhero. Can you tell I didn't read the entire wikipedia page about the guy?
Good one. Three out of four green teas with a splash of almond milk,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
This is an exciting development, Irons is one of the good things that came out of the death of Superman saga. This version has a ways to go, but I hope he realizes this Superman isn't a bad guy.
ReplyDeleteAgreed
Delete