#Superman & Lois Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Man of Steel

Welcome to the party, John Henry Irons!

Superman & Lois Season 1 Episode 7 finally lifted the lid on The Stranger’s true identity, and it was an exciting hour that successfully steered the narrative in a new direction.

The writers pulled off quite the feat by revealing that The Stranger was not a Luthor and was someone else entirely.

No Superman story would be complete without a Luthor thrown in for good measure, but I’m all for switching things up, especially coming off the Luthor-heavy Supergirl.

Witnessing the destruction of John’s world was tragic, but seeing his connection with Lois and their daughter Natalie added some humanity to a character that was poised to be a clean-cut villain.

The truth is, there are heroes and villains in every story, and just because John wants to rid the world of Superman, it doesn’t necessarily make him a villain.

His world was obliterated at the hands of Superman and another bunch of super-powered beings, and with his daughter still being in another part of the multiverse, he’s going to battle to get back to her.

Maybe Natalie will find her way through the multiverse to save her father, but meeting Lois Lane will only complicate matters.

How do you explain to a teenager that her dead mom is shacked up with the man that killed her? Multiverse logic, you guys!

The way the reveals came hard and fast throughout this explosive outing made it feel like a season finale, and a lot is riding on how the rest of Superman & Lois Season 1 plays out.

The DOD has John Henry Irons in their custody, but something tells me they will need to utilize his power to deal with the rising threat of Morgan Edge and his homemade superhero, Leslie.

Morgan is a straight-up villain, but I would have thought he would have been smarter than to put Lana in a position of power.

How do we know he hasn’t bugged her phone, watching her every move? Yes, the Cushing family hardly has the strongest of relationships with the Kents, but why wouldn’t Morgan give another family the job?

My theory is that he thinks the Cushings can be manipulated into doing his bidding, but Lana is so far above that.

Now that she’s working with Lois, she has inside knowledge on what’s going on, but I only wish their team-up was kept under wraps in a better manner.

Lois being this high-flying journalist, you would think she would have picked up on the fact they shouldn’t be speaking on open phone lines.

Then there’s Lana trying to find the eggs for Morgan’s nefarious plan. That must have been tough, but adding the woman Lana knew had fallen on hard times into the mix was a wicked move.

Maybe it was Morgan’s way of showing Lana he was watching her every move, even when she thinks she’s in control.

It would have been exciting to throw Kyle onto that list, purely because he’s the worst character on the show.

Kyle has so much potential, but the writers don’t know what to do with him, and it’s showing.

This particular installment was much more exciting without him.

Sarah’s pursuit of answers was just par for the course. Tag changed the way she thought about certain events since the Kents arrived in town, and it was surprising just how Jonathan managed to change her train of thought.

Jonathan doesn’t get the recognition he deserves on this show. He was part of why he and Jordan found their father before John’s plan to kill him came to fruition.

Despite not having powers, Jonathan is a big help to his brother, and I’m starting to get the feeling he will be crucial in helping his brother harness his abilities.

Jonathan has felt inferior to his brother, but no superhero is complete without some non-super sidekicks, so hopefully, the brothers continue to work through their issues together.

Yes, they get under each other’s skin, but when it comes down to it, they’re pretty solid.

As for Lois, how is she going to come to terms with the fact that Superman killed her in another part of the multiverse?

The positive here is that she knows a lot about the multiverse, and it was about time she and Clark actually acknowledged its existence.

Many fans have been frustrated by the show completely separating itself from the Arrowverse, but with some subtle hints here and there, it works to show that the show remains tethered to the shows that came before it.

As things stand, this was by far the best episode of the series to date.

We’re finally shedding light on what is truly going on in Smallville, as well as lifting the lid on the wider mythology at play.

Exciting times are ahead, but I hope the Kent family manages to work through all of it together.

What did you think about those Stranger reveals? Are you surprised he’s not a Luthor?

Do you think Natalie will make it to Smallville?

What will Lois do when she realizes what happened to her in another dimension?

Hit the comments below.

Remember, you can watch Superman & Lois online right here via TV Fanatic.

Catch new episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.