WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman & Lois Season 2, Episode 4, "The Inverse Method," which aired Tuesday, Feb. 1 on The CW.
While Superman & Lois Season 2 has shaken fans up with the bombshell Bizarro is the new Man of Steel villain, there's a more cerebral arc at play involving Lois and the Lane family. It involves her sister, Lucy, being part of a cult run by Ally Allston, but while it's intriguing to get something less action-oriented and more emotional, this narrative is particularly scary for Smallville fans for one major reason.
Lucy didn't have a military background and was instead lured into the cult by Ally. She was depressed over her mom leaving and Sam dedicating way too much time to the army, thus Lucy fell in with the wrong crowd and devoted herself to Ally's cult.
It almost ended in tragedy as she nearly drowned in a tub after taking pills Ally recommended, only for Lois to save her. Lois would then use her journalism to expose the cult, but it fractured the sisters. Now, Ally and her followers are back, and shockingly, Lois' sibling is officially an acolyte once more.
The problem with this, however, is tied to Smallville's Allison Mack, who played Clark and Lana's bestie, Chloe. She was the intrepid, wannabe reporter, who helped Clark on his path to journalism and being a hero. Unfortunately, years later, Mack was arrested as one of the recruiters for a dangerous cult called NXIVM. In 2018, she pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy charges, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
It's a sensitive topic for many Smallville fans but the comparison's inevitable given Ally's actions. Make no mistake, she cut a very cerebral figure who knows how to work people's minds. It culminated in Ally laying a trap by baiting Lois in at New Carthage, all so Lucy could have a chat with her sister at a hotel.
As they argued, Lucy tricked Lois into providing evidence that she doctored the story back in the day to bring Ally's cult down, damaging Lois' credibility. Lucy recorded the admission, giving her and Ally the ultimate weapon, warning Lois to back off their project. It led to Lois finally admitting she was afraid of the cult's power, but Clark urged her to keep fighting as there was still hope to redeem Lucy.
No one could predict the big bombshell at the end, however, as Lois' editor, Chrissy, lost faith and called Ally for a secret meeting. She wanted to discuss Lois' compromised stance, but hints were also dropped a lonely, overworked Chrissy might be buying into Ally's "Inverse Method" as a way to happiness. Only time will tell how these two connect, but it definitely showed how sinister, manipulative and inviting the friendly Ally was.
To see how Lois goes after Ally's cult, Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW.