WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "Pilot," the series premiere of Superman & Lois.
The WB"s Smallville dove deep into the romance between Clark Kent and Lana Lang, expanding on their romantic history in ways the comics never did. Sure, later on, Lois Lane would enter the picture, but the series, for the most part, was a Clark and Lana love story, with their formative years defining the road he'd take when becoming a hero.
Now, come Superman & Lois, this relationship is explored once again, only this time with a unique twist that'll invigorate the franchise, attract new fans and shake up the status quo.
In Superman & Lois' case, it's Clark Kent's son, Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Lana's daughter, Sarah (Inde Navarrette) who are being set up as the new couple in Smallville, with the same drama and theatrics fans saw when Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk were teen heartthrobs on primetime TV being at play. Here, when Clark and Lois come back for Martha's funeral, they meet Lana, her husband, Kyle, and Sarah. It's an awkward reunion for the parents, not because of Clark and Lana's dating history, but because of a political issue between Kyle and Lois. However, that doesn't deter the teens from hanging out. Jordan's brother, Jonathan, has a girlfriend back in Metropolis, and Sarah wasn't even interested in giving him her number. After she connects with Jordan, however, she slides it t him during a bonfire later that night.
Jordan had a crush on her the last time they visited, so this is perfect for him, especially because he's been battling his social anxiety, as well as issues with Clark and Lois constantly sacrificing family time for their reporting job. And as the episode progresses and Jordan discovers who his dad really is, the show frames him in a similar situation to Welling's Clark, as he also has to deal with the responsibility of powers. His father's already warning him about being discrete, but it's already looking like he wants to tell Sarah. In fact, since he's hurt his dad kept his Man of Steel identity a secret for so long, it will only encourage him to want to open up to Sarah more.
To make things even more similar to Smallville, there's a love triangle brewing as well. Just like how Lana and Clark bonded over astronomy in that series, only for her boyfriend Whitney to come between them, Jordan has Sean, Sarah's boyfriend to deal with. At the bonfire, as the duo discusses his anxiety and her depression, Jordan ill-advisedly kisses Sarah, which results in Sean punching him and a fight occurring where Jordan's abilities go a bit haywire.
Fortunately, Jordan wasn't found out, but this will likely evolve into a rivalry, possibly one that could see him having to learn to hold back. So, while this plot thread is essentially a retread of Smallville, with Jordan and Sarah, it's a bit more than just hobbies, which will hopefully paint a more nuanced story.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
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