[NAS] Whine, Whine, Whine

TV Programme: The New Adventures Of Superman
Season: 2
Episode: 21
Date I watched this episode: 21/10/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 4 days.

Despite that a lot of the main story was recycled ideas from "The Man Of Steel Bars", and to a lesser extent "I'm Looking Through You", this was a very enjoyable episode whilst also being very important in the grand scale of this show. It's another thing of trying to "bring Superman down to Earth" when he resides up there in the sky, and that contrast is interesting to see, but here it served a much stronger storyline purpose. Lois realises that doing this is wrong and that it has brought out a selfish side in her personality to even want to do this. And I think that's the core of a lot of problems - Lois trying to make people what they're not.

Now that her psychiatrist sessions with Friskin are becoming more frequent, Lois finally realises she has to decide between Clark, Superman and Dan. And having discounted Superman, it's really between Clark and Dan. Interestingly, Clark does not see himself as "competing" with Scardino, despite the fact that pretty much everyone else does.

Dan Scardino just doesn't get the kind of person that Lois is. She isn't the typical doting young girl, she's a very independent woman who wants others to treat her as an equal rather than speaking down to her or trying to protect her. And here, we finally find out why Scardino and Lois aren't getting along, and it comes down to that Scardino just doesn't get it. And what's more, he can't be serious when he needs to be in order to discuss it; he doesn't take Lois as seriously as she deserves. It's ironic that he is essentially a good person - and was the one who put Superman in touch with Constance Hunter in the first place.

Meanwhile, Clark and Lois haven't exactly found a way to get past the "disappearing" problems they've been having. But it's a testament to how strong they are as a couple that Lois chose Clark despite that fact. Now that she has chosen him, things will be at least a bit easier. This followed a brilliant montage to an Eric Clapton song - where Lois and Clark struggled with their emotions and finally reached their own convictions in an almost tearjerking set of scenes. In fact it was not dissimilar to the inevitable section in the last third of a romantic comedy where the two lovers are trying to weigh up their situations. Only on a much larger scale: after 42 TV episodes rather than just an hour of film. The nature presenter was a brave addition to the ep, who really did add something in terms of a uniquely-framed commentary on the progress of the relationship.

The main "story" of the episode was nothing more than a vehicle really. Calvin is quite a believable whiner - although they would have to make him British!! Calvin's relationship with Elise was used by Lois as a kind of mirror in which to reflect her own relationship with Clark - and realise the real strengths of that partnership. Meanwhile, justice was served as, in a touching/sickening (depending on your standpoint) view of the American legal system, right really triumphed over wrong and greed. Superman embodies everything about that: he was a voice for good even when ridiculed and faced with resentment in the courtroom.

So overall this was not your typical episode, but a really relaxing, tense, enjoyable, fun and important one at that. I guess it serves as a kind of prelude to the season finale, but it still stands in its own right as one of the best episodes of the season.