Awesome / Superman & Lois

Season 1

Episode 1: Pilot

• The summary of Superman's backstory. From landing to Earth to his current family life, viewers get to see a nice narration of Superman's backstory and the build-up to the show's current events.
  • The part where he saves a kid from being squished by a car is a nostalgic tribute to the first issue of Action Comics and the very first appearance of Superman. Plus, he's wearing the suit from the Fleischer Cartoons!
  • How awesome is this sequence? Only a short time after its debut, it became regarded as not only one of the finest pieces about Superman on TV, but one of the finest works about Superman period.
• Superman preventing the destruction of a nuclear power plant. How does he do it? He flies to the ocean and freezes a huge chunk of it to create a gigantic glacier and carries it into the cooling tower to dampen the heat.
• To show just how dangerous The Stranger is, he manages to defeat Superman in their first encounter.
  • The fact that he got the drop on the Big Blue twice while they were flying despite Clark stating that he has superhuman senses earlier in the episode. The first time, he manages to disappear within his sight while he was being chased by him, only to sneak up behind him and punch him into a store. The second time, he was able to sneak up behind him while on they were on the Earth's atmosphere and manages to completely overpower him. It culminates in him stabbing Clark with Kryptonite and Clark almost falling and making a crater.

Episode 3: The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower

• The fight with Subjekt 11 is extremely well-shot, especially how Superman defeats him by using all of his powers combined. The music is also very fitting.

Episode 5: The Best of Smallville

• The flashback to Clark's days as Superboy in all but name and costume. He frightens a trio of robbers into returning the merchandise they stole by breaking their shotgun in half and smacking away a bullet fired at him.
  Clark: Put it back.

Episode 6: Broken Trust

• The stunning opening where Superman manages to catch a train about to derail, using heat vision to fix the tracks and correct the damage and send the train on its way with no hesitation.
• Clark is holding Jordan after he suffers a beating from the entire Metropolis football squad, as well as sensory overload from his evolving powers, and tells the boy to "Let it all out"; that's amazing parenting. But it's taken further by the fact that "it" happens to be uncontrolled heat vision, directly into Clark's hand. Unlike most things, it actually hurts Clark, but he bares it all without anything more than a slight grimace, because that's what good parents do.
• Jonathan showing the first signs of having Super-Speed when he catches Jordan's punch that would've taken off the head of Metropolis' quarterback. It breaks his wrist, but still.
  • Simultaneously, Superman puts himself between Tag and the DOD soldiers, letting the bullets bounce off of him. That is, until one soldier shoots Kryptonite bullets, and they wind up lodging in Clark's shoulder. He goes down...
    Then gets back up, eyes glowing red. He destroys the bullets and Flash Steps into the soldier's face, ending the confrontation with two growled words:
    Superman: Stand. Down.

Episode 7: Man of Steel

• The reveal that The Stranger is not an alternate universe version of Lex Luthor, or even a member of an alternate Lex's family. No, this is the Arrowverse debut of John Henry Irons, aka Steel! And while the name reveal was cool enough, seeing him summon his iconic warhammer and declare that Superman isn't the Man of Steel, he is, is worthy of a straight-up Nerdgasm.
  • John Henry Iron's battle with Superman shows just how dangerous he actually is. He successfully lures Superman into a trap, and uses his new war hammer to pummel Superman into submission. Had Jonathan and Jordan not intervened, it would have been very likely that John would have killed Clark in a brutal Curb-Stomp Battle.
• Using Jordan's still out of wack Super Hearing, the twins track down where the Stranger has Superman overpowered and hit the man with a car just in time to save their dad. Later at home, they admit to having been totally terrified...and then admit how awesome their stunt was.

Episode 9: Loyal Subjekts

• Seeing Superman take on and utterly demolish a bunch of bank robbers is totally awesome, especially given how much this version has been subject to The Worf Effect. It's a reminder as to just why Superman is such a Living Legend.
• Jonathan revealing he swiped some of Irons's weapons before the man left town, and using one to take down not one, but two Kryptonian-powered attackers.
• Also, Sam, despite being a Badass Normal up against the aforementioned two attackers, holding them off long enough for Jonathan to reach the stolen weapons in the first place.

Episode 11: A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events

• An expansion of the scene in the pilot as, on his first day in Metropolis, Clark hears a car going off a bridge. Racing into an alleyway, he tears off his suit and makes his debut as Superman to save the kid.
  • The fact that Clark ends up changing his clothes back inside...a phone booth.
• Lois stands right up to the flamethrower-wielding madman torching a neighborhood while boasting that "I'm the hero!"
  • He lets out a blast only for Superman to arrive and literally cool the flamethrower down with a blast of cold air.
  • The man throws grenades around, noting "even you can't save all of them." Without hesitation, Superman uses his heat vision to destroy one in mid-air, then catches the other before it hits a family.
  • And then Lois hits the guy with a taser to knock him out. "Who's the hero now?"
• A subtle one, but it's a testament to Clark's acting ability that Lois' producer just thinks of him as "the guy with the glasses."

Season Two

Episode 2: The Ties That Bind

• Jordan protecting his dad from Tal-Rho, and getting a few good hits in. When the elder Kryptonian turns the tables, Clark gets back up and lays a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on his brother, pounding him into the wall. He looks ready to kill Tal-Rho before Lara's hologram intervenes. Beware the Nice Ones, indeed.

Episode 3: The Thing in the Caves

• Major props go to the crew for the Bait-and-Switch with The Reveal that the titular thing isn't Doomsday, but Bizarro! Many have said that they didn't expect it and were just as excited to see their expectations blown away.
• Bizarro himself is no slouch, either—he goes toe-to-toe with Superman and comes out the clear winner.

Episode 4: The Inverse Method

• Lois is completely calm throughout her confrontation with Ally, even remaining unfazed when it turns out four other diners are her people.
• When she's told that Mayor Dean might use her suicide attempt to attack her, Sarah defiantly says that she's not ashamed of it, that she's learned from it, and she'll be willing to get up on the stage and go toe-to-toe with him.
• Sam Lane hacked and scrambled a security camera video, from his phone, the moment Jordan got in trouble. He describes it as being easier than Candy Crush. There is a reason he was head of the DOD.
• A villainous one for Ally, whose Manipulative Bastard skills are on display throughout the episode. She convinced Lucy—who almost died of an overdose that she was close to "revealing her true self," and now Lucy's more in her thrall than ever.
• Bizarro vs. three teenagers with military training and Kryptonian superpowers. It's a Curb-Stomp Battle—for the teens, two of whom are dead in seconds, while Tag is injured. Bizarro then starts to beat up on Clark, before John saves him. Clark then picks himself up and returns the favor, beating Bizarro to a pulp and hurling him through a mountain.
• Another villainous one for Mayor Dean: Turns out he's not going after Sarah, as Kyle and Lana had first thought (and which might backfire on him, as Smallville voters might well dislike him targeting a teenager). He's going after Kyle.

Episode 5: Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon

• Clark has a rematch with Bizarro, and this time, although they're fairly evenly matched, Clark proves the superior fighter and beats his other self into unconsciousness before imprisoning him at the Fortress.
  • It should also be noted this version of Superman is usually subject to the Worf Effect against other beings on his power level. Here, while it's shown that Bizarro is a competent fighter, our Superman is clearly the better.
  • More to the point, Superman is not Dumb Muscle. He figures out, from pretty limited clues, that Bizarro is the opposite of him, so takes the fight to the Smallville mines, where there is still X-Kryptonite. Reasoning that, if X-K has no effect on Superman but gives humans a measure of Kryptonian power, inverted that would mean it would affect Bizarro like Green Kryptonite.

Episode 8: Into Oblivion

• Chrissy's courage in volunteering to go undercover with Ally's organization deserves a mention.
• Another for Ally: While being interrogated by Sam Lane (who, it should be remembered, is almost certainly no slouch when it comes to this kind of thing), she turns the tables on him, plays on his insecurities and emotional wounds like a Stradivarius, and gets him to completely lose his temper while not giving away a single detail herself.

Episode 9: 30 Days and 30 Nights

• Jordan rescues Kyle from an out of control fire at an X-K distribution facility. Because the fire is blocking the exit and Kyle's turnout gear is already damaged, Jordan needs another way out. So he flies (albeit very briefly) for the time. When John Henry tells Jordan to leave, Jordan smiles and zooms away at Super Speed.
• Later, Sam and Lois go snooping on the X-K processing plant, ordering Jordan to stay in the car. That is until they are captured, tied up and about to be executed. Lois caves and calls out to Jordan, who rushes in and curb stomps two large, grown men hyped on X-K. In particular, Jordan showcases the skills his grandfather had been teaching him earlier in the episode, like precision targeting heat vision on small objects and using Super Breath tactically.

Season Three

Episode 4: Too Close To Home

• The whole saga of the Kent clan versus Emmitt Pergande, the father of Jonathan's girlfriend.
  • Jonathan goes to see Candice, but finds her dad, who makes some vaguely threatening comments about Jon "spreading lies" about him. Jon tries to smooth things over at first, then gives up and states he knows Emmitt stole his truck in the previous episode. He's willing to let it slide for Candice's sake, but isn't going to pretend Emmitt is anything but small-time sleazy crook. Emmitt punches Jon for "lying."
  • Lois finally gets out of Jon that Emmitt did it, and she drives herself, Jon, and Jordan to have words with him. She stands firm against all his veiled threats, refusing to back down, and stating that the only reason she isn't calling the sheriff on him is, again, the Kents don't want to hurt Candice. When Emmitt tells Lois "Don't think I won't lay hands on a woman," Lois just smirks and retorts "Men like you don't scare me." Bear in mind, Lois has just had her first chemo treatment for Stage 3 cancer, and she's still confident Emmitt's no threat to her. Even when he displays the handgun in his belt, she doesn't back down so much as tactically withdraw, letting Jordan know he doesn't need to get involved and making it clear to Emmitt that, gun or no gun, she is not intimidated by him.
  • Finally, Clark hears the story, declares "No," and heads for the door. When Lois says that this is not a job for Superman, Clark replies "He's not going" in a very upset and dangerous tone. Clark catches up with Emmitt at the diner, and tells Emmitt they need to talk. Emmitt refuses, and Clark makes clear that they are going to talk, either outside or in the diner in front of several people and his daughter. Emmitt loses his temper and tries to shove Clark, to no effect. When he tries to punch Clark, Clark blocks and pins him to the bar with one hand, then spells it out for the white trash idiot:
    Clark: Now, if you ever threaten my family again, take something that isn't yours, or sell another dangerous drug, I will come for you.
    Emmitt: Okay!
    Clark: (pulls Emmitt up, then stands in front of him, crossing his arms) And my wife will expose who you really are, and you will go away for a very long time. (beat) Now leave.
    Emmitt: (scurries for the door)
  • And after, the Kents let Candice stay with them until she gets things sorted out, and don't blame her, and encourage her not to blame herself, for her father's actions.