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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 10 Review

It’s all come down to this. The Eradicator is a threat to the entire multiverse and Superman’s family and it needs to be stopped! But the only way to stop is for Clark to get his powers back. And while we all knew he would get them back, I can’t help but feel like he had to sacrifice something that’s going to come back to haunt us in the future. That is, if MAWS has a future!

That is what makes Superman strong

When we last left off, the Kryptonian android known as Brainiac was trying to kill Clark in a fit of rage over his refusal to conform to his people’s brutal ways. But then Bizarro stepped in and saved him, and actually managed to put the fear of death into Brainiac. And then, Clark managed to calm his cloned cousin down, stunning Brainiac, who can’t understand why Clark would risk his life like that. But that moment makes him finally see what Clark’s real strength is: the strength of mercy and compassion.

It sounds corny when I write it, I know. But it’s the truth. Superman’s not the greatest hero because he’s the strongest or the smartest. He’s the greatest hero because he’s willing to help anyone, even if they’re his enemies. And while the heel-face turn feels a little rushed, I’m not complaining. Especially since we learn that the Fortress is powered by the living offspring of Rao, Krypton’s sun! It’s Rao Jr. that has the power to restore Clark’s powers, but there’s no guarantee that it will do so if it doesn’t consider him worthy.

To make a long story short, it does. But that’s the thing: we never actually see how Rao restored Clark’s powers, beyond a brief scene of him being covered in its flames. In addition, at the end of the episode, Clark says that he had to give something up to get his powers back. He plays it off like it’s no big deal, but…I can’t help but fear the worst. What if he had to give up a huge chunk of his lifespan or something else? Something that will come back to bite him in the future? Lois and Jimmy would be heartbroken about that.

The House of El Stands

Meanwhile, the House of El and Task Force X’s last stand against the Eradicator is…well, it’s a massacre. The Eradicator tears through them all like it’s nothing. The Kryptonians are barely able to put a dent in him or his clones. And to make matters worse, the monster (voiced by the incomparable Steve Blum) boasts about how he’s done this across multiple timelines. Who knows how many versions of Superman and his family he’s killed by now?!?! And the best reaction that we get out of him is that he’s irritated that someone always gets away.

And the reason why the Eradicator is doing all of this? Why he’s so driven to kill Clark and his family? Because he’s afraid. He’s the living embodiment of Lex’s fear of that which he can’t control. In fact, fear and dealing with it seems to be the main theme of this entire season. Jimmy’s afraid of taking the next step with Kara. Lois is afraid of the future and how that will change her. And Lex? He’s afraid of something he can’t control or trust. But at least Lex tries to redeem himself by stopping his creation. It’s no use, though. No one is strong enough to stop him.

No one, that is, except for Superman.

Well, just like people on Reddit said, if MAWS was fighting it before, they can’t now: the show’s staff took inspiration from Dragon Ball. Because what’s more Dragon Ball-esque than for the heroes to have to wait for Goku? Or in this case, Superman. He shows up clad in this new golden armor, and just starts beating up the Eradicator. It’s glorious. In fact, the fights in this episode are all glorious. Even more glorious, though, is how Clark calls the Eradicator out for having such a lame motivation! It’s just so pathetic! And in the end, the Eradicator chooses to die rather than accept help from the one he fears the most.

So lame.

Darkseid has to be coming.

So, I’m just going to come out and say it: I don’t think that this season finale was as amazing as the one from Season Two. The Eradicator felt less like a foe that needed to be stopped and more like a reason for Clark to want his powers back. The fight against Brainiac was personal because he destroyed Krypton and killed Clark and Kara’s parents, and it made for an epic final battle. This wound up being not as bad as it could have been, at least for this timeline.

But even now, MAWS is sewing the seeds for what comes next. As Lex is put in prison, Waller asks him why he did all of this. The answer: after Kandor’s destruction, he saw something out in space. Something that terrified him. It’s not confirmed, but with all the hints that have been dropped throughout the show, most fans have guessed that he’s talking about Darkseid and his hordes. Considering what Darkseid can do, I don’t blame him for being scared. Sadly, we may not see what happens if MAWS doesn’t get renewed. Or it might not happen anyway and end up being the focus of a future series in the same universe. Come on, DC! Give us the second coming of the DCAU!

OMG, CLARK AND LOIS ARE GETTING MARRIED!

With that, everything goes back to normal. Jon and Lara return to their time to await the future. Oh, and Kara friendzones Jimmy. She decided that as punishment for what he did to her, she’s going to make him work for a relationship. Honestly, I think it’s for the best. Neither of them was ready for a romantic relationship yet. If we get another season, maybe that will be the payoff. But that means we can focus on the real OTP of the series, Clark and Lois.

Having come to accept what the future may or may not hold, Lois isn’t afraid of settling down anymore. And, in a moment that I wasn’t expecting but is totally in character for her, she’s the one who asks Clark to marry her! SQUEE!

To the people in charge of this show at DC, I swear to all that I hold holy, if you do not give us another season with Clark and Lois’ wedding, I WILL RIOT!!!

Seriously, DC. Just give season four. I don’t care when. I need more of the House of El!

I Give “The Return” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 2 Review

I’m sorry that I didn’t post my review for last week’s episode of MAWS sooner, but I got distracted by other things. The good news is that this means that I am able to get the new reviews out back-to-back. The bad news? There are a few moments in this episode (and the next) that just feel so cringe! And it’s all thanks to Jimmy Olsen, who might have just fumbled the easiest romantic W I have ever seen! And I am so disappointed in him!!

I love Conventions!

It all starts when the gang heads to a fan convention for the day. Lois is going because Cat got her assigned the gig because she knew something crazy would happen around her, and Clark is supporting her. Jimmy is going as a guest because he turned his adventures into a comic book series that has made him a millionaire once again. And Kara? She’s going as the guest of honor, and wants to be close to Jimmy.

Jimmy, Why you Fumble the Ball?

This episode is really just three plots running concurrently with each other, but the one I was most invested in was the one with Kara and Jimmy. The two have such incredible chemistry together, and it’s obvious that the show wants us to ship them. But it’s insisting that the two go through the same relationship hurdles that Clark and Lois did in the first two seasons! In this case, Jimmy is the one who is insecure at the idea of dating a superpower alien. And it frustrated me to no end throughout this episode.

On the one hand, I wanted to feel proud of Jimmy for having the maturity to turn down Kara when she straight-up asks him to be her boyfriend. He doesn’t want to take advantage of her or ruin things if it goes wrong and that she should expand her horizons first. But as someone who’s never been able to get a girlfriend or have a romantic relationship, I’m super mad at him!!

JIMMY, DUDE! YOU ARE BEING GIVEN THE CHANCE TO DATE A BEAUTIFUL, SUPERPOWERED ALIEN GIRL WHO IS TOTALLY INTO YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE IN THIS DAY AND AGE?!?!? HOW CAN YOU BE FUMBLING THE BALL SO BADLY?!?

I know that the showwriters are only doing this for the sake of drama, but still, it frustrates me to have to see history repeat itself with our beta couple. I was practically foaming at the mouth when I saw Kara use the convention to announce she was looking for a date. Because despite what Jimmy js afraid of, there are plenty of guys and girls out there that could take advantage of Kara. In fact, I’m going to bet that that will end up happening before the season is out and Jimmy is going to regret doing that to her.

Not Interested in the other Stuff

The other main plots of the episode are not as interesting, sadly. Superman spends it fighting this woman with Kryptonite whips that is way too into him. Meanwhile, Lois sees the Toyman selling toys at the convention, and becomes convinced that he’s up to no good. All she manages to do at first is just make her out to be the bad guy that Jimmy initially makes her be in his comics. But it turns out she was right! Toyman managed to turn his entire booth into a mecha from Gundam, complete with the pose as he used it!

I know that should be a bad thing, but my nerdy half has to respect Toyman for doing that. Thank heavens it’s more acceptable for adults to play with toys now. Superman doesn’t even need to stop him, though, because another beats him to the punch. However, it’s who does it that is most concerning.

Hank Henshaw is gone. There is only Cyborg Superman. And if you know what he did in the comics, then you know to be afraid. Very afraid!

This is going to be a crazy season and I’m already enjoying where this will go. Though I have lost a lot of respect for Jimmy for that UNBELIEVABLE FUMBLE, and will only regain it when he steps up and gets the girl of his dreams!

I Give “Mobile Suit Toyman” a 2.5/5

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