I actually enjoyed this episode quite a lot, but it did have a certain major flaw that kept me from rating it more than 6/10. I'll get to that in a minute.
First, the good. This episode had the perfect cheesy premise that was a whole lot of fun and fits with this show quite well. For the record, I actually generally have a very strong dislike of reincarnation as a concept, but Lois & Clark (as you might expect from this show) doesn't take it very seriously, and as a results are very, very fun. We get to see the cast of the show in different lifetimes across different eras, with Clark cast in roles that seem highly appropriate, such as Robin Hood and Lone Ranger parodies, complete with secret identities.
For whatever reason, I'm just very tickled by this concept of reimagining familiar characters in very different settings, and seeing the similarities and differences. I got my first taste of it from "Fly Hard", where the flashbacks inexplicably use the modern characters to play the characters in the past. I loved it then and I still love it here. Plus, the highly silly yet endearing way that it's handled (not just having Lois and Clark play familiar roles in different lives, but a whole lot of other regular characters) adds a lot of appeal to me. I remember something similar from Tempus' first episode where Clark's parents' ancestors looked identical to his parents. This willingness to embrace the goofy often (though unfortunately not always) works quite well for this show.
There's an extra layer of interest with the fact that Superman doesn't have powers in his previous lives, obviously giving him a challenge. On top of that, I thought it was interesting how they had to go to another life because of how they messed up, with the explanation of them messing up the "balance of good and evil".
Unfortunately, that leads me to the biggest problem with this episode. I was extremely unhappy that their "solution" in the first era they visited (the Robin Hood one) was to let the bad guy get what he wanted, rather than defeating him. In fact, I think that's ridiculous. These are our HEROES, people. You know, Superman? The champion of truth and justice? And his equally-committed-to-fighting-evil soulmate Lois Lane? Why is this the solution they arrive at? Why don't they care about the people in the past and selfishly only care about breaking the curse and going home? They're literally giving the bad guy what he wants and...ugh, I'm sorry, it just makes me so mad thinking about it! This is one part of the episode I hope I can forget.
Other than that, yes, there was a lot to love about this episode. Aside from what I mentioned earlier, well, this episode gave us some nice looks at Clark's muscles, so if you're shallow like me, that'll definitely give you something to enjoy about it! And at the end of it, when Lois and Clark finally got the opportunity to do what they've been waiting to do for a very long time, it just feels very satisfying, knowing that after everything that happened, these two are finally together. A nice warm feeling to help wash away the bad taste left by what I described in the previous paragraph.
Unfortunately, despite the large number of great points, the flaw I described just flies in the face of what Superman is all about to a rather egregious degree, and as a result I can't overlook it. But in most other respects, it's a good episode, and if you're anything like me you'll have a fun time watching it. And it certainly deserves kudos for making a plot about reincarnation so very enjoyable to someone like me who normally despises the very idea.
First, the good. This episode had the perfect cheesy premise that was a whole lot of fun and fits with this show quite well. For the record, I actually generally have a very strong dislike of reincarnation as a concept, but Lois & Clark (as you might expect from this show) doesn't take it very seriously, and as a results are very, very fun. We get to see the cast of the show in different lifetimes across different eras, with Clark cast in roles that seem highly appropriate, such as Robin Hood and Lone Ranger parodies, complete with secret identities.
For whatever reason, I'm just very tickled by this concept of reimagining familiar characters in very different settings, and seeing the similarities and differences. I got my first taste of it from "Fly Hard", where the flashbacks inexplicably use the modern characters to play the characters in the past. I loved it then and I still love it here. Plus, the highly silly yet endearing way that it's handled (not just having Lois and Clark play familiar roles in different lives, but a whole lot of other regular characters) adds a lot of appeal to me. I remember something similar from Tempus' first episode where Clark's parents' ancestors looked identical to his parents. This willingness to embrace the goofy often (though unfortunately not always) works quite well for this show.
There's an extra layer of interest with the fact that Superman doesn't have powers in his previous lives, obviously giving him a challenge. On top of that, I thought it was interesting how they had to go to another life because of how they messed up, with the explanation of them messing up the "balance of good and evil".
Unfortunately, that leads me to the biggest problem with this episode. I was extremely unhappy that their "solution" in the first era they visited (the Robin Hood one) was to let the bad guy get what he wanted, rather than defeating him. In fact, I think that's ridiculous. These are our HEROES, people. You know, Superman? The champion of truth and justice? And his equally-committed-to-fighting-evil soulmate Lois Lane? Why is this the solution they arrive at? Why don't they care about the people in the past and selfishly only care about breaking the curse and going home? They're literally giving the bad guy what he wants and...ugh, I'm sorry, it just makes me so mad thinking about it! This is one part of the episode I hope I can forget.
Other than that, yes, there was a lot to love about this episode. Aside from what I mentioned earlier, well, this episode gave us some nice looks at Clark's muscles, so if you're shallow like me, that'll definitely give you something to enjoy about it! And at the end of it, when Lois and Clark finally got the opportunity to do what they've been waiting to do for a very long time, it just feels very satisfying, knowing that after everything that happened, these two are finally together. A nice warm feeling to help wash away the bad taste left by what I described in the previous paragraph.
Unfortunately, despite the large number of great points, the flaw I described just flies in the face of what Superman is all about to a rather egregious degree, and as a result I can't overlook it. But in most other respects, it's a good episode, and if you're anything like me you'll have a fun time watching it. And it certainly deserves kudos for making a plot about reincarnation so very enjoyable to someone like me who normally despises the very idea.
