It’s been quite an emotional season of Superman & Lois, but “Complications” served up all the feels as it closed the chapter on Peia and Bruno Mannheim’s storyline while subsequently arriving at the end of Lois’ cancer journey.
There were plenty of tears and heartfelt moments, and though things seemed bleak for a moment, everything turned out the way it was supposed to.
I’ve said this since the beginning of the season, Lois’ cancer storyline has been the biggest surprise of the season as it’s proven that the show—and these characters—can withstand the test of time even without all the superpowers. There was nothing super about the diagnosis, the chemo, the effect it had on both Lois and the family, her coming to terms with being sick and then having to get a double mastectomy, and finally, going through the surgery on a day when everything was up in the air and unstable. And yet, Lois was the real superhero throughout all of it.
Her journey was raw and candid and shined a light on what so many cancer patients and survivors go through on a daily basis. And they found a way to tie it in with the overall big bad of the season, which was just a huge plus. Lois’ experience never felt disconnected from the main event.
Peia’s cancer journey was slightly different than Lois’, but essentially, she and her family were after the same thing—getting a cure. In her case, it ended up becoming nuclear and impacting all of Hob’s Bay and possibly Metropolis.
Bruno’s decision to give her multiple doses of the cure stemmed from a loving place, but unfortunately, he was running on borrowed time so he never got around to testing what the cure would do to a human, let alone a human with powers already in place and someone that had so much radiation already coursing through their veins.
He may have bought a little more time for Peia at the onset, but her suffering became much greater. By the end, there was nothing he could do to help her, nor could he and his son even get close enough to her to say goodbye without getting injured.
So Superman stepped up to the plate to let her know that it was okay to let go and make sure that she wasn’t alone in her final moments. He did it for the city, and his wife, whose operation was put in jeopardy due to all the tremors, but he also did it for Peia because he understood the pain that she and her family were going through, and he understood their desire to save her at any cost.
When push comes to shove, villains and enemies quickly become allies. Bruno prayed that Superman could help his wife, and despite his disdain for the Intergang leader, Superman went above and beyond to help her find peace, even delivering the body after her death.
Bruno seemingly realized the error of his way, striking up a deal with the DOD to get his son Matteo’s freedom back in exchange for information. Peia made it clear that her priority has always been to give Matteo a normal life, so Bruno’s decision honors her wishes. It’s also the noble thing to do; Matteo didn’t have any skin in the game, he was only involved because of his love for his mother. Bruno was the mastermind that needed to pay for his crimes.
In a touching moment, Bruno turned Matteo’s care over to his sworn enemy, Henry John Irons, who gave him his word that he would protect the boy at all costs. And as we all know, Mr. Irons keeps his promises and is an incredible caregiver. Plus, he knows how much Matteo means to Natalie. She was a complete mess upon realizing that she might never get to see the boy she loves again—but where there’s a will there’s a way, and it seems like Matteo will likely be joining them on the farm in Smallville.
You would think that this action would have culminated in the season finale, but the series has much more up its sleeve. While there will be a bit of a hiatus leading up to the next episode, which arrives on June 20, it will also bring Lex Luthor into the fold. We knew this day was coming considering how much he’s been talked about in relation to Bruno, but seeing “the devil” pop up on the screen in a teaser trailer made it much more real.
We’ve seen plenty of iterations of this famed villain, but Michael Cudlitz’s version may be the most surprising because he has a full set of hair and even facial hair! Where is the bald Lex Luthor we’ve come to know? It seems promising, especially since they’ve pretty much saved the best for last. Superman & Lois hasn’t been renewed just yet, and his arrival coincides with the penultimate episode, so either it will be a short-lived arc, or the forces behind the series are hoping that the storyline will continue into the next season.
In addition to Lois’ mastectomy, the series balanced out the super storylines with a deeper dive into Sarah’s downward spiral, which alerted both of her parents, who were concerned that she would once again go into a depressive state and try to harm herself. What I love so much about the scene between Kyle, Lana and Sarah talking at the diner is that they are a family that values communication; they don’t shy away from it, they talk through the important things and underscore when something is getting a little too concerning. Unlike most teens who would brush their parents off, Sarah acknowledged that she was also getting worried about herself, which allows them to have an honest chat about “the sadness” creeping in and the feelings of hitting rock bottom.
It was refreshing to see this as a priority scene, especially when other things are happening that could be considered bigger and more important in the grand scheme of things. It’s a necessary reminder to talk to your loved ones about what’s going on and let them in. Kyle and Lana were undoubtedly very mad at their daughter for the DUI, but that didn’t mean they were going to turn their back on her. They were there to support her and help her work through it. We all make mistakes, but it’s how we pick ourselves up that truly matters.
And for Sarah, step one was channeling all of her energy into something that gave her purpose—a job at the diner. It’s not ideal, but it’s reality.
Sarah has been going through a lot, but part of that was the guilt she felt for what she said to Jordan. And the fact that Jordan didn’t just forgive her and welcome her back with open arms threw her for a loop. While I genuinely like Sarah as a character, it’s evident that she kind of takes advantage of Jordan’s kindness, so it was also pretty great to see him stand up for himself and set up a boundary. He loves Sarah so much that he cannot just be friends with her, especially with how she treats him sometimes. I’m sure they’ll patcht things up sooner than later—though with the Lex Luthor of it all looming over the next two episodes, their little squabble might not even matter.
As for Kyle, his pep talk to Sarah also gave him some perspective on his fight with Chrissy. He was 1000% being a jackass when he held it against her for lying to him about Superman. He didn’t even acknowledge that she was protecting this major secret. While I want to believe that Kyle is a changed man who can be trusted with this information, I just don’t think that’s the case. His reaction was proof that he is not equipped to handle something this important. He may have come around in the end, but it only takes one moment of weakness to destroy everything.
We also cannot overlook Jordan’s big moment—his X-Ray vision coming in! It’s true that he always gets his powers at the worst possible time, but on the bright side, at least he’s getting them! The scene between Jon and Jordan was also very sincere. They may have their moments of tension, but there’s a brotherly love there that’s undeniable, and despite Jon being jealous of Jordan, he still made it a priority to help his brother work through his moment of panic. It seems like being a firefighter that helps people during dire times is a career that will suit him.
What did you think of the episode? Are you glad the Mannheim storyline is over?
What will happen with Inverse Superman now that he’s seemingly recharged and booted up?