The Kent family faces pressures from all sides as Superman & Lois Season 3 nears its climactic conclusion, from the family secret facing fresh scrutiny to its central villains reuniting. For all the super-powered action, the show maintains a clear focus on the Kents themselves, from Lois Lane's recovery to Clark Kent's parenting struggles. The season's tenth episode, titled "Collision Course," masterfully balances a number of subplots and avoids the melodramatic flourishes preceding episodes have suffered from.
Though Lois completes her chemotherapy treatments, she is far from ready to sit on the sidelines, launching immediately back into her investigation of the villainous Bruno Mannheim and his family. Meanwhile, Clark has trouble connecting with their sons. Jonathan and Jordan ditch their dad for a high school kegger with disastrous consequences. All of this only fuels Kyle Cushing's suspicions that there's a secret superhero active in Smallville as he embarks on his own crusade to learn who the mysterious super-powered individual saving the day is.
While much of Superman & Lois Season 3 has put the spotlight on Bitsie Tulloch's Lois as she overcomes her harrowing cancer battle, "Collision Course" really is Tyler Hoechlin's episode. Finally given a moment to breathe after Lois completes her chemotherapy, Clark looks forward to catching up with his sons, only to find they have plans of their own. What's more, is that these plans come with their own set of teenage complications that bring a fresh round of parenting challenges for the Man of Tomorrow that not even super-speed can fix.
It would've been so easy for "Collision Course" to veer into the overwrought, self-serious drama that has plagued John Henry Irons' character arc this season. But for all the friction between Clark and his sons, there is a general sense of empathy and understanding that makes every action and argument feel organic and earned. This is a testament to the solid cast and the consistently good writing behind the series in what could've felt like a filler episode of family drama before the main conflict in lesser creative hands.
There is a strong setup for the conclusive battle brewing against Mannheim that doubles down on the idea of Season 3 revolving around rival families that could've been friendly under different circumstances. The action is virtually nonexistent in this episode, but this omission is overshadowed by escalating personal stakes and the promise of a bigger confrontation right around the corner. This is a setup episode for the wider narrative that doesn't feel like a setup until its climactic moments, which is a strength in itself.
There are three episodes remaining in Superman & Lois Season 3 -- and perhaps Superman & Lois as a series overall -- and the endgame is rapidly coming into focus. Though Lois' cancer character arc is ostensibly resolved, the Kent family drama continues to power the show and underscore its emotional stakes. At the same time, the series is aware it's firmly within the realm of superhero action, and fans who have been patiently awaiting that payoff are soon to be rewarded in grand fashion.
Developed for television by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing, Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW, with episodes available to stream the following day on The CW App.