Superman & Lois Review – The Dress (309)

Reviews

Superman & Lois Season 4 Episode 5 was an even mix of the start of Lois’ chemo journey and a glimpse into Intergang’s next move. 

Bruno Mannheim spun up a tale explaining his motivations behind opening the cancer center, noting that it was personal and stemmed from his mother’s illness caused by a chemical waste dump built next to what was known as the Suicide Slums.

He put up a great front, and I have no doubt that he was telling the truth—the bottom line is that he still has a nefarious plan in motion, which we see when Mr. Distefano, Deadline, attacks the DEO, stealing the location of several secret locations and thus, Bizarro’s frozen corpse (or whatever that is!). 

Mannheim strikes me as the kind of guy who thinks he’s doing a good thing and overlooking all the hurt and danger he’s causing in the process. 

We know that he’s been using Superman’s blood to give the lifeless power, and when he sees Bizarro—who looks just like Superman only deader—he seems to want to try out his little life potion on the Man of Steel’s replica. 

Is he hoping Superman’s blood will provide him with a cure for cancer while creating people with superpowers in the process? It’s possible that it’s the reason why he chooses people who are sick and dying. 

But all of these experiments could be very dangerous for the world, especially since Superman seems incapable of fighting against said powers. Deadline was able to keep landing jabs with Kryptonite, but Superman couldn’t get a hit on him no matter how hard he tried. Could this be a fight that Superman simply cannot win?

It seems as though Mannheim’s idea of helping his community and taking matters into his own hands hinges on giving the people back their power—the power and voice stolen from them—but at what cost?

Mannheim is a man who doesn’t have much trust in a government that’s turned its back on him and his community, so he doesn’t seem to care that the DOD is protecting certain assets for the greater good. 

I have some major questions about the security of the DOD if they keep having breaches. First Superman’s blood was stolen and now this? The place isn’t as impenetrable as I thought. 

And maybe that just means that Sam Lane needs to spend a little bit more time running the ship rather than hanging out at the farm. It’s nice that he’s spending time with his family and being a grandad to Nat—they had some genuinely heartwarming moments and heart-to-hearts—but things are falling apart when he’s not around.

He’s seemingly been in Smallville lending a hand due to Lois’ cancer. It’s a parent’s instinct to make sure a child is safe, and he’s on hand to make sure she’s well taken care of and making the best choices that respect their limits, particularly in this new phase of her life. 

Lois hasn’t come to terms with the fact that chemo is going to take its toll and slow her down. She’s an on-the-go gal with a fervor for life and a desire to seek out the truth at every cost. She focused more on breaking into Dr. Hook’s office at Hob’s Bay to get some dirt on Mannheim and less on the chemo process, but she can’t run away from the truth forever. 

For this to work, acceptance is necessary; she has to accept that she’s sick, that she needs to change her lifestyle, and that she needs to lean on her loved ones for help.

She was so determined to make it to the dance because she wanted to prove that she was stronger than the cancer, but it was actually strong of her to admit that she simply couldn’t do it no matter how hard she tried; there was nothing wrong with that. She acknowledged her limit and everyone was grateful that she was putting herself first.

Superman & Lois — “Head On” — Image Number: SML305a_ 0468r — Pictured (L – R): Sofia Hasmik as Chrissy Beppo and Erik Valdez as Kyle Cushing — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2023 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

That same zest for life and desire to come out on the other side will come in handy, according to other cancer patients, when the “pull” starts to set in. It was heartbreaking hearing these tough women and survivors detailing the effects that cancer and chemo have on people, but it was important for a series to highlight it as well. Information is power. 

Essentially, Lois is going to need to channel all that courage and energy into getting better rather than giving up when her body wants nothing more than to shut down. Thankfully, she has an incredible support system, not to mention a case that she needs to see through. That seems like all the motivation she needs. 

I was actually a little concerned that Lois was being treated at Hob’s Bay where the show is run by Mannheim because if they are sworn enemies, it would so easy to have her eliminated. He would have the resources to inject her with something other than the chemo and he doesn’t have to care about bad press as he has enough money to make it go away and never see the light of day. 

It’s a dangerous game Lois is playing because Mannheim has absolutely no good or valid reason to keep her alive unless he personally benefits from her survival, which would be a very interesting plot twist. 

Lois may not have made it to the school dance, but Clark and the boys brought the dance to her—and it was all the more special. 

The dance was your run-of-the-mill high school experience, and I was actually more invested in the adult relationship developments than I was in the teen ones. 

Natalie’s moment with Matteo was cute because it proves he’s a good guy who really likes her (and she got a love life pep talk from this Earth’s version of grandpa), while Jonathan realized that his relationship with Candice would be tested by her move and his new firefighter training gig on weekends. I don’t actually believe young love could weather a long-distance storm, but I am eager to see Jonathan find a new purpose in life. 

Meanwhile, Sarah was a good friend to Junior, providing a shoulder to cry on as he reminisced on his late father. Junior is going through a grieving process, but thankfully, Sarah figured out that it’s what caused him to lash out—and her mom understood exactly why her daughter was being a good friend. It even inspired her to bury all of the drama with Mayor Dean and dedicate a memorial hall in his honor rather than digging up secrets and exposing him. It would be no good to do that to a man who can’t defend himself, plus I don’t think the town would react well to those tactics, even if she is simply being honest. It would only fuel the flames and serve as proof to those that believe she wanted to destroy him and cheat the election—some people just don’t want/deserve the truth. 

Chrissy let out a sigh of relief when she realized Lana’s text was to discuss Mayor Dean and not the fact that she was hooking up with her husband. 

Lana doesn’t seem to know about Kyle and Chrissy just yet, but it’s only a matter of time before people start figuring out that the duo is sneaking around together. Everyone saw them dance, right? The sparks were flying.

Considering Lana’s close relationship with Chrissy, it might feel like a betrayal, but at the same time, Kyle is single so he’s allowed to mingle. 

What did you think of the episode? Do you think there was too much of a focus on Lois’ cancer or do you feel like it’s vital to Mannheim’s storyline?

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