Superman and Lois just gave a HUGE nod to Superman ’78 (and a bunch of other cool easter eggs)

Which one did that spinny thing better?

Superman and Lois S2E9: “30 Days and 30 Nights” easter eggs and references to Superman movies

Hi. I have Apophenia.

It’s a tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things (such as objects or ideas). It serves me very well as a writer, editor, and storyteller.

If you’ve never experienced this phenomenon, try looking up at the clouds. Do you see a bird? A plane?

Do you want to experience this every time you watch Superman and Lois?

Because Superman and Lois (S2E9 “30 Days and 30 Nights”) is a stunning example of the connections each episode has been hiding right in front of our noses.

EASTER EGGS/REFERENCES

30% OF THE TIME, THE SPINNY THING WORKS 100% OF THE TIME

The opening with Superman desperately spinning around the wormhole is like Superman desperately spinning around the world in Superman: the movie (1978).

SUPERMAN COMES HOME

Yes, yes, yes, the parallels to The Death of Superman and World Without a Superman are obvious. But the episode of Superman and Lois “30 Days and 30 Nights” also references another Superman storyline: Superman Returns (the less said about the director, the better).

KINGDOM COME TO CW

And a world suffering immensely without their Man of Steel evoking Superman Returns circles right back around fast enough to turn back time once again. We’re going to that CW multiverse event that has thus far won the Civil War with Disney/the MCU.

Remember when Brandon Routh reclaimed that incarnation of Superman and doubled as the Kingdom Come version in one fell swoop?

SUPERMAN RETURNS…AGAIN

Steel showing up to save a falling airplane evokes, again, the return of Superman in Superman Returns.

It’s also just a fun way to pay homage to almost every version of Superman that’s come before this one. The scenes uses the most common crisis to introduce or reintroduce Superman: saving an airplane.

It’s so common that they even used it in the mother series that gave birth to this one: Supergirl.

SUPERMAN 3 PREVENTS A SICK BURN

Jordan goes to save a bunch of folks in the same way Superman saved overwhelmed firemen in Superman 3.

But the scene takes it one step deeper.

Mid-rescue in Superman 3, famed photographer Jimmy Olsen goes for the shot of his career — and nearly gets himself killed. Much like hopeless-yet-persistent-father Kyle Cushing, Jimmy’s quest for the perfect photograph leaves him incapacitated and as good as dead. At least until a certain Kryptonian comes to his rescue.

ALWAYS BUY BRAND NAME X, SUPERMAN

Jordan doesn’t exactly turn “evil” (but he might!) after being exposed to an alternate version of Kryptonite (X-Kryptonite). But his sudden “switch” does darkly mirror Superman 3 just as much as that version of Supes realizing that he feels as fulfilled saving people as he does flicking peanuts at mirrors.

BONUS BURST OF YELLOW SUN: SUPERMAN 2

Sarah breaks up with Jordan when he confirms the cost she has to pay in order to be with him.

Superman broke up with Lois in Superman 2 for a similar reason.

Somehow, they found their way back to each other in Superman Returns and, presumably, Kingdom Come. And though both versions of Lois in those universes met tragic ends, I believe it’s better to have loved than never loved at all. That’s why I’m still here for the CW’s version of Superman and Lois — and why I can’t wait to show you this next easter egg.

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT PARENTING

In season one of Superman and Lois, Lois pointed out that while she could consent to coming in second as Superman’s wife, his children didn’t consent to coming into existence. Not into any life at all, and certainly not as Superman’s kids.

He’s a father now. Think about what that means, Kal-El.

It’s a clear illustration of what the show has to say about good parenting. While it’s just the two (or more) of them, parents can consent to all sorts of things, but once you have kids?

Whatever your life was going to be — whatever powerful manifestation you hoped to bring forward that ultimately would have just been an extension of your own goodness — you must now dedicate your life to someone other than yourself.

And that won’t be an extension of you.

Your child may start off as one, but they aren’t merely a bizarro reflection of you waiting to be switched into their proper form.

Much like we’re almost certain to find out about Bizarro’s origins when Superman and Lois returns on April 26, our children may share striking similarities, but once they get their own 45 minutes of impeccable television, you’ll see their story belongs to no one but them.

NEXT TIME: How the CW’s STEEL secretly retells KINGDOM COME

THIS AD IS SECRETLY FOR CHARITY

Since you made it to the end…

Join us for the 2022 #WritersforHope Auction, April 4–8, to support the great work being done by @EveryVoiceCoal and @LambdaLegal.

In support of Writers for Hope and all bids for all auctions, please enjoy this free link to read the article I wrote in support of their mission: “The Most Offensive Moment in Batman (2022) — Dubious Consent”

About Stephenie Magister

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