Animation
Good Times
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
If you’re familiar with the DC Comic Universe, then you know all about Superman: He was sent to Earth as a baby because his home planet Krypton was destroyed. He was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, two farmers from Kansas. They named the infant alien Clark and raised him as their own.
However, as Clark grew, he started to display extraordinary powers, such as super speed, strength and senses (though he admits he doesn’t use his super sense of smell very often). He could also fly, shoot lasers from his eyes and freeze things with his breath.
Clark, being the humble, all-around good guy that he is, decided that he was going to use his powers to protect his new home. Donning a costume made for him by his mom (which doesn’t even include a mask, since apparently the glasses he wears as Clark Kent is enough to fool people), he became Superman, Earth’s resident superhero, and the rest, as they say, is history.
But we all know that’s not the whole story. After all, the show is called Superman and Lois.
Clark started working for a newspaper called The Daily Planet. There, he met and fell in love with journalist Lois Lane. In this iteration of their romance, he told her the truth about his powers and heritage. He asked her to marry him, and she accepted. And then they had twin boys.
For years, Jordan and Jonathan Kent had no idea that their dad was Superman. As far as they were concerned, the reason he was out of town so often was because the Planet was sending him to cover stories.
Their parents suspected that Jonathan’s talent for athletics might have something to do with his Kryptonian blood, but they worried what would happen if the boys knew the truth. Because as happy and talented as Jonathan is, Jordan is quite the opposite. Diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, he has to take medication to help with his tantrums and night terrors. So finding out that his dad is an actual alien might make him feel even more alienated from the world than he already does.
Of course, after Jordan starts to display powers of his own (resulting in him blowing up a party with the laser eyes he didn’t know he had), Lois and Clark have no choice. They have to tell their boys the truth, especially since there are even bigger threats at hand than someone discovering Superman’s identity.
While working for the Daily Planet in Metropolis, Lois discovered a corrupted businessman firing people without cause and ruining businesses. And when she travels to Clark’s hometown of Smallville, she sees that the businessman’s reach and his corruption has poisoned the small town as well, so she’s determined to get to the bottom of it—which will turn out to be a deeper abyss than she could have ever imagined.
And, of course, there’s that whole political problem Superman has with the United States military (because being a defender of the world is great, as long as that doesn’t come in conflict with American plans).
And if all that wasn’t enough to deal with, Season 2 brings the full force of Season 1’s introduction of the multiverse, complete with an inverted world, a cult and lots of drama to boot.
Man, the world would be so much simpler if we just had someone who could fly around the world to reverse time.
Superman & Lois is a nice little continuation of Superman’s story rather than a remake of the same-old same-old.
Yes, we still get the classic Superman fighting against evil and protecting the world from new dangers. However, we also get to see him act like a normal human being. Clark and Lois struggle to raise their two boys and connect with them in a meaningful way. And unlike many a CW drama, we actually see two parents parenting. They care about Jonathan and Jordan; they correct their behavior when the boys are rude; they offer advice to help their kids; they make choices based on what’s best for the whole family. They even give their children “the talk.”
Fans of other shows from the Arrowverse (such as Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Batwoman) may recognize Superman and Lois since actors Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch play the same characters there as well. And viewers will find similar content here as they do in the rest of the franchise.
Language can be a little harsh at times. There are passionate kisses between adult and teenage couples alike. In Season 2, we hear about an affair as well, and we discover that Jordan’s girlfriend is actually bisexual, having cheated on him by kissing another girl.
There’s also the elephant in the room that the comic book version of Jonathan, Superman’s son, is bisexual. While that hasn’t occurred in the show (and producer Todd Helbing has stated that “the comic book story and what we’re doing are two separate stories”), it could still be a plot point in the future, which will be something for families to consider as the seasons go on.
And because we’re dealing with superheroes, we see cosmic battles where people get beat up, blown up and everything in between—whether in this universe or the next one. People die onscreen, though the deaths are typically quick and non-gruesome.
Overall, while Superman & Lois may come with the same content concerns as the rest of the Arrowverse, its focus seems to be less on cosmic drama and more on family. Because while Superman will always be there to save the world, he needs to be present for Lois and his sons now.
After Natalie, Lois’ daughter from another universe, reunites with her father, she struggles to fit into the society of her new world. Lois struggles with her emotions and her role as a mother after Natalie arrives. Superman makes a startling discovery.
In a recap of the previous season, we see Natalie’s father, John Henry, kiss his version of Lois, and we hear a reference to a miscarriage.
Throughout the episode, Superman has painful, debilitating headaches which cause him to collapse to the ground each time. A North Korean nuclear submarine full of soldiers sinks in the ocean, and Superman saves it. An earthquake shakes Smallville, causing a water tower to collapse and mining equipment to explode.
A shirtless Jonathan and his girlfriend, Candice, passionately kiss while she straddles Jonathan on his bed. Lois’ interruption of this event causes her and Clark to discuss fears that their children might start having sex, and Clark has a brief sex talk with Jonathan and Jordan. Jordan and Sarah share a quick kiss, and Kyle and Lana passionately kiss.
Lana and Clark contemplate drinking a bottle of wine. Clark and Lois discuss which alcohol to bring to an event.
We hear God’s name misused once. “D–n” is used four times, and “a–” is heard once. Someone says “crappy.”
As Superman faces the threat of someone who wants to kill him, his family makes the decision to move back to Smallville to help his sons learn about their Kryptonian heritage.
Superman uses his powers to stop a nuclear reactor from melting down and rescue people from car crashes. A man in a suit that gives him the same powers as Superman fights the hero and stabs him with Kryptonite, poisoning Superman and causing him to fall from the atmosphere. However, Superman pulls the shard out at the last moment, stopping himself from crashing into the ground. Jordan and Jonathan are nearly crushed beneath falling pipes, but Jordan’s powers save them. Jordan later blows up a campfire with his laser vision after he and Jonathan are brutally beaten up by other teenage boys. A boy plays a video game where characters beat each other up.
We learn about a girl’s suicide attempt. Clark’s dad dies of a heart attack and later his mom dies of a stroke. A boy has uncontrollable temper tantrums and night terrors. Clark misses a therapy session with Jordan.
Clark and Lois kiss several times. Jordan kisses a girl and she gets upset since she already has a boyfriend. Lois wears several cleavage-baring outfits.
People drink alcohol. We hear about two parents who cooked meth in their home and caught their house on fire by accident with their kids inside. We see a church in the background of a funeral and hear a prayer being said. We learn that Clark’s parents attended church. We hear uses of “p-ss” and “h—,” as well as misuses of God’s name.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
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