The seeds for Superman & Lois' upcoming fourth season are prominently planted in the third season's penultimate episode, which also deals with the fallout from Bruno Mannheim's defeat. Titled "Injustice," the episode finally provides the long-awaited debut of the show's version of Lex Luthor, played by Michael Cudlitz, who is poised to have a major role in the series moving forward. While building up Luthor as a truly intimidating threat, the episode also explores a strain between Superman and his sons.
With Mannheim incarcerated and publicly confessing that he framed Luthor for murder years ago, Luthor is quietly released from prison. He contemplates the circumstances that put him behind bars in the first place. Meanwhile, news of Superboy's existence and exploits around Smallville have become public, with The Daily Planet breaking the story nationwide. As Lois Lane and Clark Kent try to sideline Jordan Kent until the news coverage blows over, a tornado threatens Smallville and exacerbates the Superboy situation.
The idea of Luthor's release coinciding with a massive storm brewing over Smallville isn't exactly a subtle metaphor, though Superman & Lois was never particularly subtle. The tornado has become something of a rite of passage for the Superman mythos, though how Superboy handles the natural disaster puts him at odds with his family rather than bringing them closer together. It is also the only major action set piece of the episode, perhaps foreshadowing the reportedly reduced production budget of Superman & Lois Season 4.
The conflict between Jordan and his parents is the weaker aspect of the episode, with Jordan's recent reaction to the public adoration of his superheroics a jarring contrast to his past portrayal. The heightened melodrama and friction between teenagers and their parents has been a recurring element throughout Season 3, and it tends to be the season's most visible weak point. That remains true in "Injustice," though an emotionally charged argument between Jordan and his parents near the episode's ending helps lend a sense of authenticity to the subplot.
The real standout of the episode is Cudlitz's introduction as Luthor, an on-screen appearance that had been teased and hyped up even before the season premiered back in March. Cudlitz approaches the role with a slow-simmering rage, calculating and cocky until the moment when he allows his fury to overtake him and explosively boil over. This makes for a much more frightening depiction of Luthor than the ones seen in the Arrowverse or Titans, with Cudlitz promising a very different take on the iconic supervillain and a worthy foe for the Kent family.
Reports indicated that Superman & Lois Season 3 would end on a cliffhanger, even before the series was officially renewed for a fourth season. This thankfully means that the audience will get more of Cudlitz's villainous performance. He commands full attention whenever he's on-screen. While Mannheim and Onomatopoeia may both be defeated, the stakes are as high as they've ever been as Superman & Lois heads into its Season 3 finale, and the show is all the better for it.
Developed for television by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing, Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW, with episodes available to stream the following day on The CW App.