The CW's newest superhero show Superman & Lois sees the titular duo facing their biggest challenge yet -- not supervillains or earth-shaking disasters, but family. The pilot episode shows their family life and how they handle some of the more mundane problems of life, though Clark does don the cape several times.
In the "making of" special that aired after the pilot episode, several of the show's creators expressed glee at making a more family-oriented Superman, noting that the characters had never been in this sort of situation before. While that's odd to hear, considering Superman's nearly century-long run, this is a new take on the Man of Steel on TV. Comic book characters are very rarely allowed to progress out of the situations they were introduced in, and retcons setting them back to square one aren't unusual -- just ask Spider-Man.
What makes the show so appealing is this "new ground" the show is treading -- something fanfic writers would call a Domestic AU. Domestic AUs (alternate universes) take characters out of their weekly adventures and shows us how they would behave in their off time--like the Avengers playing board games or the Justice League at a company picnic. The usual is juxtaposed against the fantastic elements of the media, which is what makes it so fun. Fans love visualizing their favorite characters in their downtime, having soft moments with their family or just chilling--which, depending on the character, is something they don't get very often.
And that's what makes Superman & Lois so appealing. Plenty of shows, like Smallville, have given us years of "will they or won't they" with the titular characters. Not only are they past that in this show, but they're married with teenage sons. The Kents move back to Smallville because Clark has the realization that many fathers have: that in focusing on his job he's missing his boys as they grow up. It's the sort of drama we’ve seen before in other shows, but it's different here because it's Superman. It's fun to watch our favorite heroes fight bad guys in the stratosphere--but we're also happy watching our favorite heroes cook scrambled eggs for their kids.
Superman & Lois also promises to have a nice balance between the fantastic and the domestic. They may be out of Metropolis, but there's enough shady stuff going on in Smallville to keep the newshounds busy, as well as an old foe that won't let Superman hang up his cape. But the important part is the family dynamic and all the domestic fluff that goes with it. Superman & Lois boldly go where they've never gone before, and everyone is excited to go along with them.
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