Superman & Lois: Lois Lane Deserves a Happy Ending – Please, DC!
Lois Lane's Non-Stop Trauma: Why DC Needs to Give Her a Break!
Superman & Lois has been seriously rough on Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch). In just four seasons, she's faced way more heartbreak than almost any other Lois Lane iteration before her. It's tough being married to Superman, sure, but Superman & Lois keeps throwing relentless waves of tragedy at her, making her the ultimate punching bag for this entire series. Cancer, family drama, losing loved ones — this woman's gone through hell! The finale is approaching fast; and with only seven episodes remaining; making her current predicament even worse because the viewers are reminded this current predicament really is far more dangerous!
With Superman's own death this season and everything that came afterward – this only gets worse. It's left many viewers concerned that Lois faces even more hardships before she gets a moment’s rest, leading some people to question if the entire series will conclude satisfyingly enough. This truly begs the question – why is this so dramatic? And when viewers are shown all the other plot elements which remain significant – the audience might realize there is truly far more underlying drama; something this article discusses in detail.
A History of Heartache: Lois's Story in Superman & Lois
Let's look back on some lowlights which contributed to Lois’ increasingly negative situation! For example, that whole thing with Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan)? That really went horribly sideways and was clearly damaging! She is introduced once again into the series (reprising her role from Supergirl), and despite Lois's earlier attempts to bridge that damaged sibling relationship following earlier incidents; Lucy completely betrays Lois multiple times; driven by blind faith in the villain Ally Allston's false promises; resulting in Lois making multiple attempts to warn Lucy but is unable to; further illustrating Lois's own desperate situation.
Then there’s that other thing – Lois thought she might be pregnant; resulting in her receiving that devastating stage three inflammatory breast cancer diagnosis. It completely emphasizes the severity and impact for Lois' personal condition and the subsequent stress. This storyline; the impact shown here and throughout season 3; really digs into Lois's internal turmoil– the denial; and all her continued investigative work instead of undergoing necessary medical treatments. That emotional complexity shows just why the producers and writers felt this plot needed to be highlighted further; adding even greater depth to Lois’ portrayal.
Season 3’s narrative really makes you emphasize with Lois, especially when contrasting this narrative to some other prior depictions, which might emphasize more the heroic or action aspects rather than those profound human struggles that Lois encounters and overcomes. There is a reason to empathize with Lois. While the story doesn’t necessarily get that strong “fridging” label that people like to toss around; she’s allowed to display and express those emotions completely, independent of her Superman. Even undergoing brutal breast surgery she prevails, a remarkable feat, ultimately conquering everything involved; leaving the viewers wanting more.
Season 4's Onslaught of Tragedy: Superman's Death and Beyond
You would assume Lois deserves a break, right? Think again. Season 4 adds to Lois’s pile of burdens. It’s intense and many parts were intensely written to highlight Lois's pain and to generate additional anticipation, as Doomsday kills Superman; rips his heart out– giving it to Lex Luthor (just awesome, that twist). And it gets worse as Jordan’s attempt to get the heart back results in Lex stomping on it. That alone’s heart-wrenching; Lois lost her husband and now viewers recognize this terrible impact.
But then Sam Lane gets killed while resisting Lex; his noble death (trying to save Superman’s life) only creates even more emotional weight; Lois is without her father now, not to mention all the pain concerning how Sam's death would create additional emotional damage that was already existing before and that these kinds of traumas will affect how people decide and act. This creates a totally unbearable situation that the fans felt entirely, demonstrating just why many audience members wanted to see those particular storylines resolved. And who can really even possibly feel safe, given just what else could happen? There is additional pain to be recognized: knowing Sam's sacrifice saved Superman adds immense weight. The amount of pain she is subjected to really makes many viewers wonder if it is too much!
Lois Lane Deserves Her Happy Ending (Now Please, DC!)
There are few remaining episodes to tie loose ends together, mostly bringing Superman back to life; likely making the plot and ending feel very emotional. And many viewers want this not simply to resolve Clark’s fate; this ending is necessary to ensure Lois finally has that much needed break – which we haven’t actually seen before. Tulloch herself notes that the finale’s “very emotional, causing everyone to cry”.
There’s hope and reason to be optimistic, even though things look dire. That emotionality and eventual closure; that satisfying finale needs Lois’s happiness. We really deserve to see it, we have been given enough time for viewers to understand just why Lois should get to finally have those things resolved happily enough, not without also having that immense amount of emotionality that a plot like this requires. The entire finale; a really good reason for continued viewership until that final December 2nd airdate!
Conclusion: It’s Time For Lois Lane to Get a Much Needed Rest
Superman & Lois has made Lois Lane suffer. Her ongoing troubles generated significant tension for viewers, and also generated an intensely emotionally impactful viewing experience, emphasizing the emotional realities behind a troubled plot that is highly complex and relies completely on emphasizing emotional storytelling as its very narrative method. Yet it needs a strong finish; emphasizing that resolution! Let's give this amazing character a break, because the long-term mental well-being of our plucky journalist needs it, and we definitely deserve that.
