Carstairs Considers....: TV Show Review: Lois and Clark

Sunday, May 5, 2013

TV Show Review: Lois and Clark - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Good story telling on the superhero and romance levels.

Cons: "Seasons Greedings;" could have used more bonus features.

The Bottom Line:

A fun Superman

Getting stronger this season

Watching the sparks fly

"Unless You're Superman, I Wouldn't Do That."

One advantage of TV on DVD is the ability to catch up on shows you wanted to watch but missed. That's what I did with Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - Season 2. And I enjoyed almost every minute of it.

The elements for the show are made up of the familiar. Heck, I'm not a comic book fan, but I know what is required. Clark Kent (Dean Cain) works as an investigative reporter at The Daily Planet in Metropolis where his partner is the lovely Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). Their world consists of editor Perry White (Lane Smith) and young photographer Jimmy Olsen (Justin Whalin, picking up the part this season). But Clark has a secret. He is really Superman (also Dean Cain), the caped superhero who is incredibly strong, can fly, has laser and ex-ray vision, etc. The only people who know his secret double identity are his parents Jonathan and Martha (Eddie Jones and K Callen).

Season two picks up in the aftermath of Lex Luthor's (guest star John Shea) death. Even though the villain has been unmasked, the citizens of Metropolis seem upset with Superman. Even more unsettling is the idea that Lex might not be dead.

But Lex plays a minor role this season. Intergang has moved into town in their disguise as CostMart and are attempting to take over the city for their own evil purposes. But that's not all investigative reporters Lois and Clark have to face this year. There's the Prankster, an evil mastermind who wants to incorporate Lois into his criminal pranks. A whistleblower is in danger when he discovers faulty products have been used. Gangsters come back to life and start wrecking havoc on the city leading to Clark Kent's death. A toy maker figures out a way to bottle greed and sell it to kids and adults right before Christmas. Superman is sued by someone whose life he has saved. And Jimmy Olsen becomes a trained assassin.

Since this is the romantic comedy take on the mythology, all this plays out against the backdrop of the building romance between Lois and Clark. There are complications with love interests for each of them. Clark struggles with maintaining his two identities and keeping them secret. All this leads up to a cliffhanger aimed squarely at their relationship.

Most of all, this show is fun. Every week, they manage to combine growing romance with a decent plot. I was constantly amazed watching this show how they kept coming up with ways to make Superman vulnerable. I mean, when you have a superhero who can do just about anything, the show could quickly become boring without some kind of stake for Superman. But they come through with soundwaves, temporary blindness, and, of course, kryptonite to name a few. That certainly kept me entertained.

The only thing that made my eyes roll was the number of times someone needed to be saved because they walked into a street in the line of traffic. Really, did no one in Metropolis learn to look both ways before crossing the street?

Just as entertaining is the romantic aspect of the show. The will they or won't they get together tension is at its best this season. There are so many near misses and false starts. The chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher makes these scenes work. I especially enjoyed flirty banter they often shared.

There are two storylines that are played out over multiple episodes this season, Lex and Intergang. Both are handled well with bits and pieces being given to us at a time. There are just as many stand alone episodes. The mix works better than it did in the first season.

The acting is great here. Much rests on the already praised leads. I've got to say I enjoy Eddie Jones and K Callen as the Kents. They aren't in every episode, but when they are around they really add to the emotional reality of the show. Lane Smith is a hoot as Perry White. Justin Whalin has a tough job of stepping into an already established part, but he makes us forget about anyone else as Jimmy before too much time has passed. And this season is full of guest stars including the likes of Bruce Campbell, Peter Scolari, Peter Boyle, William Devane, Cindy Williams, Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford (in the same episode), and Robert Culp.

This season's only kryptonite is "Season's Greedings," the Christmas episode written by Dean Cain. Despite some very funny scenes, it moved too slowly overall. I was bored with it and ready to be done about half way through.

This six disc set contains all 22 episodes from the season in their native full frame and stereo sound. The only extras are an audio commentary by Dean Cain on "Season's Greedings" and two featurettes, one about the behind the scenes stuff for season two and one on the fans of the show. Both are under 10 minutes each, so they don't go into too much depth. I did find the one on the fandom interesting, especially when they touched on the aspect the internet played in how the fans interacted with the writers and producers.

One weak episode out of 22 isn't bad at all. If you enjoy superheroes or romantic comedy, the second season of Lois and Clark is for you.

Season Two Episodes:

1. Madame Ex

2. Wall of Sound

3. The Source

4. The Prankster

5. Church of Metropolis

6. Operation Blackout

7. That Old Gang of Mine

8. A Bolt from the Blue

9. Season's Greedings

10. Metallo