This past Tuesday, the CW premiered the new Superman show, Superman and Lois. The new and innovative take on the story of Kal-El not only pleased audiences, but the debut scored big time in key demographics and the Tuesday time slot.
The Arrowverse is beginning to struggle. With its flagship show, Arrow, now retired and the other main shows becoming advanced in seasons, some people wander if it might be coming to a close. If the Superman and Lois debut indicates anything, it’s that the future looks bright.
The Tuesday debut brought in a 0.4 share in the 18-49 demographic and 1.7 million viewers. No other DC show has reached this number since the Crisis on Infinite Earth cross-over event (Flash specifically) of 2019. It also ranks as the best CW premiere overall since Batwoman in 2019.
Debut Scored Big – Laying a New Foundation
How does a show help a genre it does not fit into? The Arrowverse is getting old. Arrow kicked off the reborn genre in 2012 and ran for 8 seasons before being retired in January of 2020. Flash, now the strongest of the Arrowverse shows, begins its 7th season next Tuesday. Legends of Tomorrow kicks off season 6. After that we have Supergirl, Black Lighting, and Batwoman. These shows may be younger, but all of them are either ending or are rumored to be ending after this season.
Superman and Lois brings new life and could help reinvigorate the Arrowverse shows, but how does it do that if it doesn’t fit in with the other shows? Sure they share the same multiverse, but, tonally, Superman and Lois stands apart. Its grounded much more in realism than the other shows, and while we will see plenty of action by year’s end, the show looks to focus more on family dynamics than the superhero aspect.
The CW has also said there will be no major cross-over this year, and rumor is there will be no show crosses, just cameos by assorted cast members.
Debut scored big – A Show That Survives
The show may only be one episode in, but the future looks promising for Superman and Lois. If the Arrowverse does fold, the show more than stands by itself. Its tone and started in a way that can go on with or without its sister shows.
Another major plus for the longevity of this show is the story itself. After one episode, the show already proved its going to take everything we think we know and stand it on its head. For the first time ever, Clark and Lois have twins, not a single boy. Between the personalities and powers involved, the story will be something new.
And did we mention the villain? In every show so far, we knew Clark and Lois. We knew Lex Luthor, or at least where he would end up as the story progressed. With the ending of the premiere, we know nothing about this new Luthor or where his story might lead.
Add it all up and Superman and Lois looks to have a promising run ahead of it.
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