This episode begins a four-part epic which deals with Superman's roots. It's to its credit that it stands out from your typical Lois & Clark episode right from the beginning: While we still get plenty of scenes from the villains' perspective, they provide only cryptic teasers as to who they are and what their plans are. Even at the end, though much is revealed, there are questions which are left for the viewer to ponder until the next episode.
More crucially, the episode pushes the conceit that Superman is being tested as he has never been tested before - mentally, physically, and morally - and does a pretty good job of living up to that bold conceit. With each trial, Clark perceptibly takes one more step towards proving that he truly is Superman.
The villains also deserve credit for being utterly intriguing on the first viewing, and after watching the entire four-parter it's enjoyable to re-watch this episode with knowledge of who they are and exactly what their relationship is. Both were clearly written as fully realized characters from the start, not empty enigmas.
There's also a very good B plot here as Lois and Clark start talking about buying a home, and Lois finds herself not so keen on the idea. It exhibits one of the strong points of seasons 3 and 4: They moved beyond Lois and Clark cutely sniping at each other to confronting the often difficult realities of a relationship, forcing them to deal with the fundamental differences between them and make them work together.
If you're looking for an episode that explores the essence of Superman, there are few which nail it as well as this.
More crucially, the episode pushes the conceit that Superman is being tested as he has never been tested before - mentally, physically, and morally - and does a pretty good job of living up to that bold conceit. With each trial, Clark perceptibly takes one more step towards proving that he truly is Superman.
The villains also deserve credit for being utterly intriguing on the first viewing, and after watching the entire four-parter it's enjoyable to re-watch this episode with knowledge of who they are and exactly what their relationship is. Both were clearly written as fully realized characters from the start, not empty enigmas.
There's also a very good B plot here as Lois and Clark start talking about buying a home, and Lois finds herself not so keen on the idea. It exhibits one of the strong points of seasons 3 and 4: They moved beyond Lois and Clark cutely sniping at each other to confronting the often difficult realities of a relationship, forcing them to deal with the fundamental differences between them and make them work together.
If you're looking for an episode that explores the essence of Superman, there are few which nail it as well as this.
