Well dang, that was some heavy stuff there. This episode perfectly encaptured what a good superhero show should be: emotionally resonant themes and stories, merged with intense action and a sense of heart that's relatable. It's why the first season of The Flash is often heralded as the show's best season, as it also managed to balance the light and dark elements perfectly. Honestly, this entire first season is reminding me of The Flash's early days, not so much in the storylines, but just the overall vibe. It feels like the season is building up to something huge and shocking in the vein of both Flash 1x23 and Arrow 1x23, and I am totally here for it.
The episode really had two primary storylines, and both were fantastically done. The main plot involved both Clark and Lois discovering more about John Henry Irons and where he came from. In a shake-up though, Jonathan joins Lois in her investigation. They snoop around Irons' RV and find out about his life on his Earth. Clark on the other hand talks to Irons directly with the DOD and discovers that his alternate self had caused all of Irons' suffering. We also see in a flashback that the destruction of Irons' Earth was most definitely the result of Crisis On Infinite Earths, which was much speculated, but it's nice to get a confirmation on it.
Backtracking a bit, at the very beginning of the episode, we see a flash-forward with Lois entering a therapy session. Considering the Arrowverse's track record with those, I was admittedly a bit skeptical. Thankfully, my concerns were soon thrown out the window, as the therapy angle proved to give us some of the show's most vulnerable, emotionally resonant material yet. As the episode plays out, the true reason for Lois' therapy appointment is revealed. When Jonathan attempts to investigate the RV himself, he triggers the van to go in full lockdown mode and then attempts to kill him. Thankfully Lois realizes this (I have to admit it was a bit coincidental that she was in earshot) and calls out for Superman. Superman gets there with a second to spare and saves Jonathan.
What ensues is Lois lashing out at Jonathan in a complete rage that leaves Clark taken aback and Jonathan emotionally broken. She calls him stupid and selfish and says if he'd died he'd only have himself to blame. This finally brings her to the therapy session, where she completely breaks down as she reveals to us that she had a miscarriage many years ago and that almost losing another child caused her to snap. We also find out that the daughter was going to be named Natalie (Irons' daughter from his Earth). All I have to say is Bitsie Tulloch deserves a freakin' Emmy for her performance here, as she absolutely nailed this scene. It didn't stop there either, as the scene near the end with Lois apologizing to Jonathan pulled on the heartstrings big time. I loved the concept/theme of her and Jonathan being the normal people "in the orbit of superpowered beings", it solidifies their ties just as Jordan and Clark's powers solidify theirs. Just an incredible episode all-around for her character.
The other storyline for the episode involved Sarah contemplating auditioning for a singing competition. This leads to some touching scenes between her and her father, who plans to play guitar with her for her audition. Of course, things don't go smoothly at all. After being told that Edge was trying to hire him, Kyle confronts Lana about her lie, only for her to lie again as she claims Edge didn't think he was leadership material. Kyle then gets drunk and passes out, completely abandoning Sarah for her audition. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, however, as we then get a heartwarming scene involving Jordan performing piano as Sarah's accompaniment. (Side Note: Loved the moment where Jonathan tells Jordan that he's all he has right now. Really built up their brotherhood well.)
In terms of the overarching narrative, Sam is forced to reveal Project 7734 to Clark in order for him to stop Irons from escaping the DOD facility. This will surely have a major impact on Clark and Sam's already strained relationship, so I'll be looking forward to seeing where that goes. To close out the episode, Clark attempts to join forces with Irons in hopes of preventing this dark future that seems to be coming, but Irons declines saying he's not ready for a team-up quite yet. Though I'm not entirely convinced that Irons has fully turned to the good side, if he has, who is the real threat this season? (Side Note: anybody else getting Smallville Season 9 vibes with the dystopian future and evil Superman?)
What did you guys think of the episode?
