Heartwarming / Superman & Lois

WARNING: Spoilers are unmarked.

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In General

• This show is overall full of heartwarming moments. Most secrets are revealed in a handful of episodes (unlike other Arrowverse shows, where characters tend to hold onto their secrets for ages only for it to backfire), and while significant tensions occur between characters, usually they're resolved rather than being played for cheap angst.
• In particular, a consistent source of heartwarming in this show is that Clark Kent—for all that he is the strongest, toughest, most powerful being on the face of the planet, with abilities humans could only dream of—is also the show's kindest, gentlest, most idealistic character and a total adorkable sweetheart who enjoys nothing more than spending time with his loved ones.

Season 1

1x01 — "Pilot"

• The pure unapologetic pride Superman exudes when telling the kid that his first outfit was made by his mom is adorable and sweet as hell.
  • Said outfit is the one Superman originally had in his comics debut, and in his first animated appearances—a touching throwback to his roots.
  • The first spoken line out of Tyler Hoechlin's Superman in the series is "Here you go, friend", peppered with a kind smile as he gives the kid his hat back after he accidentally blew it off in a flyby.
• Clark and Lois' Meet Cute, with Clark staring in awe at his future wife.
  • Superman has no doubt seen some of the most insane and amazing things in the universe with his escapades, but his favorite and most vivid memory is meeting Lois.
• Seeing General Sam Lane be a kind man and loving, if stern, father, father-in-law, and grandfather instead of a General Ripper is very nice to see, especially considering how he and other military men are often portrayed in comics and the Arrowverse. Even in later episodes, it's clear that he still genuinely cares for his family and truly respects Clark, even if he's not good at showing it.
• Jon Taking the Bullet and diving on top of Jordan to shield him from the metal pipes. The Reveal later shows that Jordan just as quickly flipped their positions so he's the one protecting Jon.
• Jordan's first manifestations of his powers are triggered when he's trying to protect his brother. His strength and invulnerability manifest when he shelters Jon from the falling debris with his body, and his heat vision is triggered when he's trying to stop Sean from beating Jon to a pulp. Despite his tense relationship with his brother and father, Jordan proves he inherited Clark's love of family and willingness to protect them from harm.
  • Jon began fighting Sean in the first place because he was accosting Jordan. It's the first time in the series that we see Jon genuinely angry, and it's because his brother was being threatened.
• Jon would have every reason to be jealous of his brother inheriting superpowers, while he's the normal one. Instead, he's nothing but genuinely happy for his brother.
• The ending shows the entire Kent family whole and accepting of Clark being Superman and being genuinely happy for each other.

1x02 — "Heritage"

• Jonathan comforts Jordan after it is revealed that Jordan is not likely to fully inherit Clark's full power-set, and he says that he can still accomplish great things. Jordan in return states that Jonathan always had his back growing up and now it is his turn to return the favor.

1x03 — "The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower"

• After Jordan has his fun knocking down Sean and his friends as payback for their bullying, he extends a hand to help Sean up while sincerely apologizing for kissing his (now ex) girlfriend Sarah. Sean seems surprised by the apology and accepts both it and the helping hand. One can't help but smile at how Jordan is indeed Superman's son in that he doesn't let the power go to his head as much as he really could have.
  • Jonathan is once again in an appropriate position to be jealous of his brother's newfound success. But he's quickly shown to notice that Jordan is genuinely happy in football and successfully convinces their dad to let him play. The ending even shows that Jon isn't at all bothered by being stuck as backup quarterback.
• Clark bonding with Jordan by admitting that he too wanted to play sports when he was younger but was also forbidden by his own dad. Unlike Jonathan Sr., though, Clark allows Jordan to join football on the condition that he watches over him as the new assistant coach.
• Clark's Amazingly Embarrassing Parents moment when he's the new assistant coach is all kinds of adorable, especially when he tells Jordan that "the coach gave me this jacket and I bought a hat!" He's so happy to be part of his sons' lives that even Jordan is smiling.
• Sam calls Superman "the most powerful force for good" in the world. No matter how stern and gruff he might be, and no matter how much they disagree, he really does respect his son-in-law.
• At the end of the episode, Kyle and Clark both perform sweet gestures for their respective wives, reaffirming their commitment.

1x04 — "Haywire"

• Jon's pride for his brother becomes even better when this episode reveals that Jonathan is jealous of Jordan, but he loves and cares for his brother enough to not let it get in the way of their rapport, even humbly admitting his jealousy to Jordan in his efforts to comfort him after what happened to Tag.
• Kyle opens up to his wife and daughter, something which he might never have done just a couple of episodes previously. He really is coming along as a person.

1x05 — "The Best of Smallville"

• Seeing Clark—aka the strongest, toughest, most powerful being on the planet—geeking out over the Harvest Festival like a little kid over ComicCon is pretty adorable.
• When he finds out about Jordan and Sarah's date (which Jonathan helped set up), Clark starts beaming all over his face.
• In general, Jonathan being a total Shipper on Deck throughout the series for Jordan and Sarah is really sweet. It becomes even better when you remember that his own girlfriend dumped him.

1x06 — "Broken Trust"

1x07 — "Man of Steel"

1x08 — "Holding the Wrench"

• Kyle encouraging Sarah to perform, and them opening up to each other, is something that they would never have done at the beginning of the series. It's great to see how they've both grown, and grown closer as well.
• Jonathan looks at pictures of Nat Irons and refers to her as "sis," saying he would've liked to get to know her.
• Jonathan and Lois reconciling after the latter's blow-up at the former earlier in the episode.
• Superman taking a leap of faith with Irons, letting him go, and giving Irons a means to contact him. Even after everything Irons has done, Superman is willing to give him a chance. Not that you’d expect less from Superman, of course.

1x10 — "O Mother, where art thou?"

• As if there was ever a doubt, Lara-El proves to have been a loving mother to Superman. With the little time she has in Lana's body, she wants to know all about her son's life on Earth; admitting her fear that he would be alone and without a loving parent after being forced to send him away as a baby. When hearing he's had a good life during his time on Earth, she's relieved that he grew up happy and has since started his own family.
  Lara: My biggest fear in letting you go was that you would be without a mother.
  Superman: I had a mother here. Her name was Martha. She loved me very much.
  Lara: You have no idea how much that means to me, Kal-El.

1x11 — "A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events"

• During her first interview with Superman, her coworker is near giddy about Superman clearly being into Lois and urges her to take advantage of going out with "the world's most eligible bachelor". However, Lois confesses that she's in love with Clark and she isn't interested in anyone else, even Superman. Her coworker is happy for her and says that Clark is a Nice Guy. Lois admits she hasn't confessed her feelings to Clark himself yet and begs her not to say anything, which she obliges. Clark, who's sitting nearby, overhears her conversation and has to fight being moved by the revelation.
  Superman: He's a lucky guy.
  • Doubles as a heartwarming moment since, earlier in the episode, we see Clark get heartbroken when he sees Lana has become engaged. He was just about to give a Love Confession to her. His face is utterly crushed as he notices her with her fiance and wearing her ring, simply walking away without talking to her. Hearing Lois privately declare her love for him and only him had to leave him overjoyed at finally getting the girl.
    • Especially since it reverses the traditional dynamic of Lois being completely smitten with Superman while dismissing Clark as nothing but a coworker. Here she is completely uninterested in the charming and world-famous Man of Steel because she's completely in love with the Adorkable but good guy from Smallville who firmly supports her.
• For fans of the Superman mythos, the flashbacks to how he started out are just littered with little nods to the classic elements—Superman is described as flying "like a bird, or a plane," there's the reenactment of the famous comic book cover, changing clothes inside a phone box, ripping his shirt open to reveal the suit—that warm the heart.

1x12 — "Through the Valley of Death"

• The Lang-Cushings having a water fight while they clean the graffiti defacing their house. Despite becoming Smallville's pariahs, this family is stronger and happier than ever.
• John Diggle standing by Lois in her determination that Superman can be saved, citing the times he has fought alongside him, and declaring that Oliver and all the other Arrowverse heroes would do the same.
• John Henry has a Brainwashed and Crazy Superman at his mercy, aiming a solar missile at him. Superman, barely holding onto the fringes of self-control, begs him to take him down in order to protect his loved ones and the world from an evil version of him. On the comm piece, Lois begs John to spare Superman and insists Clark is still in there. John decides to shut down the missile and the armor and talks to Superman, telling him to fight and return to his family, because the loss of those you love is a terrible feeling, but it can't destroy them. John Henry, who had been hellbent on killing Superman to avenge his late wife, has finally abandoned revenge to be a real hero.
• Lois invites John Henry to dinner.

1x13 — "Fail Safe"

• Clark brings John Henry a home-cooked meal.
• Superman and John Henry bumping fists after taking down Larr.

1x14 — "The Eradicator"

1x15 — "The Last Sons of Krypton"

• Lois is able to help Jordan resist Zeta-Rho's control by telling him how strong he is. But it's Jonathan who finally breaks Jordan free by simply telling his brother that he loves him.
  • Jordan immediately casts Zeta from his mind and engages in a mid-air Cooldown Hug with Jonathan, with Lois joining in as soon as they touch down.
• Sam steps down from the DOD to spend more time with his family and implies that he wants Irons to take his place as the DOD's leader.
• Kyle's friendship with Clark and Lois is lovely to see, after the tensions they'd been through before.
• John is reunited with Natalie, much to the joy of both of them.

Season 2

2x01 — "What Lies Beneath"

• Clark remembering Natalie's first day of school.
• Lana and particularly Kyle greeting Sarah with gigantic hugs when they first see her again. It's so sweet, given how they started out.
• The sailors cheering and hugging after Superman saves them.
• Jordan setting up a whole bunch of candles on the river for Sarah.

2x02 — "The Ties that Bind"

• Kyle is downright giddy that Lana is running for Mayor. He and his ego have come a long way.
  Kyle: Coupla months from now, I might be Smallville's first First Dude!
• The twins geeking out over Jordan going mano a mano with Tal-Rho.

2x04 — "The Inverse Method"

• Jordan uses his powers to thwart some petty theft at a store his friend's family have sunk everything into but panics when he realizes that it was caught on surveillance. He calls Sam for help, who doesn't mince words about how stupid that stunt was but also notes how noble Jordan was in doing it. Even the recrimination is kind and understanding, Sam knowing it was just Jordan thinking things through poorly. Sam even offers advice for how he could have avoided making the mistake in the first place, showing support for Jordan's altruism and guiding him in how to avoid similar screwups in the future. Sam may struggle at being a father even in the present but you better believe he makes up for it by being a Doting Grandparent.
• After earlier nearly blowing his secret identity, Jordan decides that he needs more training than his dad can give him, and turns to his grandfather for help. Sam finally has an opportunity to bond with his grandson.
• Seeing Clark casually offering John some coffee, and the latter accepting, as well as their shared pride in Natalie's mechanical abilities and enjoying the peace of farm life. They've come so far from when they started.

2x05 — "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon"

• Just how gentle, sweet, and polite Jordan is with Sarah throughout this episode. He may just be the best boyfriend in the entire Arrowverse.
• Kyle's pride in his daughter is also adorable, before everything goes down the drain.

2x06 — "Tried And True"

• Sam telling his daughters that they are his world.
• Superman coming to the funeral of the two teenagers who were killed by Bizarro, and speaking pleasantly with the mother of Jessie, the girl who was murdered.
  • More than that, he calls her a hero. While he was furious at Andersen for stealing his insignia, and never even spoke with her, he still recognizes that she was a good person who genuinely wanted to help people. All in all, it's a beautiful aversion of Mauve Shirt.
• Lucy and Sam's pride in the twins is really sweet. They stay for hours and talk with the boys about football, much to Lois' pleasure.
• Clark helping counsel Lana over what happened with Kyle, just being there, supportive and listening.

2x13 — "All Is Lost"

• This episode might as well be titled, "How To Be A Good Father."
  • Clark gives Jonathan a pep talk, telling his son that he is so proud of him and that he will always love him.
  • Clark also teaches Jordan to fly and cheers him on.
  • When Kyle hears that Lana is upset about Sarah singing at the bar where he used to have an affair, Kyle hugs his daughter and promises that it's not her fault, it's his, and he'll fix it.
  • Kyle brags about Sarah's performance to the rest of his family and friends.
  • Sam handcuffs himself to Lucy, telling her that he's not letting go of her. He tells his daughters that their issues are his fault, not Lois', and that he's proud of both of them.
    • When Lucy finally comes around, Sam is nothing but supportive and tells her that his daughters are the best thing that ever happened to him.
  • John is at first angry that Natalie built her own suit, but later comes around and has her show him the upgrades she made, and lets her fly into battle with him.

Season 3

3x04 — "Too Close to Home"

• Kyle is genuinely angry when he learns that Lana slapped Sarah, because they had a deal that neither of them would ever resort to physically hitting their daughters. On the other hand, when he finds out why she slapped Sarah, he's quick to shoot down Sarah's attempts to justify her hurtful words towards her mother.
• Sam gives Jordan a proper costume, including a pair of flight goggles that belonged to his grandfather. He also admits that Jordan's harsh words earlier hurt his feelings (though he doesn't hold a grudge), and lampshades that once upon a time, he would never have been able to say that.
• After learning that Emmit punched Jon, Clark goes and confronts him and warns him that if he lays a hand on anyone ever again, Clark will hurt him. When Emmit subsequently skips town, abandoning his daughter Candice, Clark and Lois offer to let her stay on the farm until she finds somewhere else to live.
  • Throughout the confrontation, despite how utterly furious he is, Clark still makes it clear that he doesn't want to do this in front of Candice, and doesn't blame her at all for the sins of her father.

3x05 — "Head On"

• After catching Lois trying to sneak through his hospital, Mannheim decides to pull a charm offensive, showing her the facility and telling her that he will both make sure that she gets properly cared for and that his people will provide her access to the files she was looking for, as long as she leaves his hospital and its patients out of her investigation.
• Sarah consoles Junior over his father's death.
• After spending half of the episode trying to go to the school dance to try and prove that she's still active, Lois concedes that she's too wiped out to leave the house, so Clark throws her a small dance at home with the boys, Sam, and Candice.
• Sam comes to Natalie after seeing her leave the dance, and listens to and empathizes with her problems.

3x08 — "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"

• After Onomatopeia wears herself out to almost the point of death using her powers, Superman—who she had literally just been attacking—flies her to the nearest hospital. Part of it, of course, is that he's seen the good parts of her, but it's also just because he's genuinely that good of a person.
• Peia and Bruno are actually very sweet and loving parents (at first, anyway), teasing their son about embarrassing childhood stories.
• Sam has a nice evening with Lana, encouraging her to not stay alone.

3x09 — "The Dress"

• The title comes from a dress that Clark bought for Lois back before they got married. Not being particularly rich at the time, he bought it by selling his treasured baseball card collection, and she wore it the night that she was nominated for her first big award, which was also the night that they decided where to get married.
• Sarah puts her stubborn nature to good use, badgering Jon and Jordan into making up and hugging it out.
• Thanks to Lana's encouragement, Lois and Clark have an open and honest conversation about her fears regarding the upcoming surgery and how it will change her. He reassures her that he will always find her beautiful, not just her body, but her heart and mind. The episode ends with them floating up into the sky, her wearing the dress and him in a tux, sharing a midair kiss.

3x10 — "Complications"

• Jon patiently helps Jordan through a panic attack as the latter's X-ray vision begins to come in, breathing with him and helping him focus and relax.
• Kyle at first doesn't want to talk to Lana when she shows up at his apartment, but the second he hears that Sarah's in trouble, he's all ears.

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