“Lies That Bind” is the second episode of The CW’s “Superman & Lois: Season 2.” This new series follows our favorite Kryptonian and his wife as they work together as a team to solve crimes in Metropolis.
The “film critic in superman” is a character that appears in the episode of “Superman & Lois – Season 2, Episode 12: Lies That Bind”. This character is an expert on film who has been watching Superman’s escapades for years. He tries to convince Lois that Clark Kent is not her husband but actually Superman and that she should leave him.
REVIEW: Superman & Lois – Season 2, Episode 12 “Lies That Bind”
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The second season of Superman & Lois heads into the home stretch with “Lies That Bind,” a fun – and surprisingly funny – episode that closes more plot threads than expected while setting up the final threat Superman and his allies will have to face. The trust theme is also advanced, with detail added from new wrinkles that muddy the waters on which truths and lies sail.
John Henry and Sam have devised a plan to prevent Ally Allston from conquering Earth, but the price is too high for Superman to bear. Lana’s rage at having been deceived for so long is aimed towards an unexpected person. Feeling betrayed by their parents, Jon, Jordan, and Natalie keep a secret from each other. Sarah uses music to escape her issues in the real world.
The ending of “Truth and Consequences” seamlessly transitions into the beginning of “Lies That Bind.” Lana is taken aback by Clark’s confession, and many of her doubts about her background are abruptly answered. Clark saved her and Pete Ross (who, of course, has to show up at some point); Clark left Smallville to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do with his life, eventually becoming Superman; Clark was going to come back for Lana, but she’d moved on with Kyle; Clark was going to come back for Lana, but she’d moved on with Kyle. Finally, Lana feels unloved since Clark has never trusted her. The weight of a falsehood that has been repeated for decades is crushing, and when it is ultimately uncovered, it causes a great deal of pain. This is a fantastic sequence, not just for its honesty and compassion, but also because it sets the tone for the remainder of the show.
*SPOILERS*
The central topic of “Lies That Bind” is how a falsehood has a ripple effect that affects more individuals than the ones who are directly affected. Lana now understands that Clark is Superman, but as she tries to make sense of it, her rage shifts to Lois. Lana felt she’d found a new best friend in Lois, and Lois became her confidante once she arrived to Smallville a year ago. But Lois has been lying to Lana the whole time, and Lana believes that the faith she placed in Lois – even turning to her when her marriage broke apart – has not been returned. She put her faith in someone who didn’t believe in her. But now that she knows about Clark, as well as all of the other secrets Lois confided with her in order to save their relationship, she must decide whether or not to inform her family. Lana chooses not to tell Sarah, but she’s now lying to her daughter in the same manner that Lois and Clark lied to her, and it’s reasonable to assume she won’t tell Kyle either. She’s now a part of the deception that’s destroying her.
In other words, “Lies That Bind” argues that deciding whether to reveal the truth or a lie isn’t always easy. Clark was saving Lana the pressure of maintaining his secret or even deciding to keep it or disclose it by lying to her. She’s now torn between lying to her children and burdening them with a new obligation they didn’t ask for and shouldn’t have to bear. When Lana accuses Lois of withholding Clark’s secret from her, Lois responds that it wasn’t hers to reveal. And she’s correct; if she’d informed Lana, she’d be betraying Clark’s trust, which is amplified in this situation since Clark is her husband. (Although she seems to be OK with informing Lana about Jordan; I’m hoping this comes back to bite her.) In the same manner, revealing Sarah about Clark would constitute a betrayal of his and Lois’ trust. Anyone who takes a choice is betraying someone else, putting one person’s trust above another’s. Lana’s choice to urge Clark and Lois to leave her life is perhaps the most logical; she can’t alter what she knows, but she can choose how much it affects her relationships with her children.
The children are also affected by the mistrust. When Jon is confronted by some of his former teammates who are still salty over losing their football season, he starts ranting about how the world could end soon, which Jordan and Natalie quickly mask because nobody is supposed to know about Ally and her impending apocalypse – in large part because they may piece together that Jon has a tie to Superman. The kids all share Lana’s burden: they know things they have to keep hidden, even if it pains them. Despite requiring children to keep secrets like this, they’re painfully aware that their parents don’t wholly trust them and conceal other things from them. So they do what teens do naturally: they make up their own secrets to conceal from their parents, preferring instead to trust one other. Natalie’s super suit is more than simply a tool to retaliate against the grownups; it’s also a sign of a growing camaraderie between the three children, who are all more honest with each other than anybody else. And, when the parents find out, how will they deal with their children?
This back-and-forth appears in the main narrative as well. Sam and John Henry have devised a method to closing the gate to Bizarro World, so preserving our planet from Ally. The issue is that this would subject Bizarro World under her authority, and although Sam and John see this as a viable option, Superman isn’t having it. He won’t commit innocents to an all-powerful ruler without first attempting to rescue them, even if it means risking his life and putting his confidence in Tal, a man who attempted to murder his family. Is this, however, the superior option? If Tal turns out to be untrustworthy, Superman may have made matters worse. And after they’ve destroyed the necklace and rescued Bizarro World, Ally is stranded here with revenge on her mind and a new strength that Superman may not be able to fight. Superman may have just destroyed his own planet in favor of another, rescuing them by sacrificing us, by refusing to compromise on his ideals. Clark’s worldview is being questioned from every angle, and the possibility that his utopian moral absolutism is more harmful than Sam’s lesser evil compromise is an intriguing strand to follow.
“Lies That Bind” is a major issue thematically, and breaking the necklace while exposing Ally’s parasite abilities is a significant thing that sets the stakes for the next three episodes. But it’s also quite amusing, maybe even more so than usual. Some of the lines, even basic ones like Clark guessing who Lana despises more than him, had me laugh out loud. Who’d have guessed a Greg Berlanti show would mock Greta Thunberg and global warming? I loved Natalie and Jordan’s ploy to cover up Jon’s outburst; who’d have guessed a Greg Berlanti program would mock Greta Thunberg and global warming? Superman’s reaction to the plan to shut the gateway is another example of the show’s creative staff understanding the character, even if it suggests he could be incorrect (though I doubt he will be in the long term). Of course, Superman would never condemn the whole planet to someone like Ally; even a glimmer of hope that he might rescue everyone would suffice. Kyle’s encouragement to Sarah to pursue her gift is nice, and I like watching Jordan, Jon, and Natalie join up for excursions away from their parents. Although Jon’s shrieking about the end of the world is a little silly, and Lois can’t seem to stop screaming at people, “Lies That Bind” is an excellent episode.
Plot – 8
Acting – 9 points
9 – Progression
Design for Production – 7
Themes (nine)
8.4
Good
“Lies That Bind” is a hilarious episode that further divides the major characters and sets the tone for the season’s closing stretch. One scene is a little goofy, and Lois is still unpleasant, but the trust theme is developed, and Superman behaves like Superman once again.
“Superman & Lois” is a 2017 American superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. The show was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, starring Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/Superman, Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane, and Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher in recurring roles. Reference: superman movie characters.
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