2024 is almost here, and at some point in the new year we will be getting the fourth and final season of the Superman & Lois TV series. The CW has not yet announced a premiere date, but especially considering the new season hasn’t started filming yet, it may be late Spring or Summer before we see our favorite characters again for one last 10-episode run.

To celebrate the new year, though, we’re listing our Top Ten Hopes for the final season of the series…. things we’d like to see or not see in 2024. Here goes!

#1. Superman Lives… though I’d also accept a “Reign.” Sure, the Season 3 finale didn’t look too encouraging there, but it’s not like The CW’s new budget would be so cheap that they’d get rid of Superman. The show is called Superman & Lois, after all! We better see Tyler Hoechlin and that “S” again pretty swiftly… though if they want to do a “Reign of the Supermen” with Tyler playing an Eradicator and a Cyborg version of Superman, I might allow it. We’ve already got John Henry Irons/Steel and surely The CW casting folks could find a fun Superboy. This story has never been fully adapted in live action and it’s a key part of my Superman comics reading experience. (If you’ve never read “Triangle Era” Superman comics, you are missing the best of Superman’s 85-year run!)

#2. No more Superman vs. Superman. Now, obviously if they did “Reign of the Supermen” I’d take this wish away, but in three seasons + Crisis and Elseworlds crossover appearances, Superman & Lois has managed to have Tyler Hoechlin fighting another Tyler Hoechlin Superman like 8 different ways, or playing different “evil” versions of Superman. Enough with that already! It’s the same trap The Flash would run into with different speedster villains every season. Variety can be good, and while part of me would love to see other Superman actors from across the multiverse show up, such as Brandon Routh or Tom Welling, I’m honestly pretty Multiverse-d out at the moment.

#3. Other Kryptonite. Blue, red, rainbow… we haven’t seen too many variations of these on Superman & Lois, and it might be cool, and so specially Superman.

#4. Continued presence for some no-longer series regulars. Like many, I’m bothered by the demotions of several actors who were series regulars on the series, now being guest stars. With a few exceptions, we don’t know how much they will show up again… but it would be a real shame to not have John Henry and Nat around, and while I am 100% against more Jordan and Sarah angst, I really want Sarah to stick around. They’re a part of the tapestry that makes the show good, just like the Kents are.

#5. A better costume for Jordan. He looks like a huge dork with those goggles… sorry, Alex. Give him something cool!

#6. Let the family be happy! Sometimes I feel like Lois and Clark hate their children, with the amount of times they yell at them every episode. After how emotionally taxing Season 3 was especially, I hope the Kents get to have fun sometimes. Remember the time they were painting the house together and Superman had to go do a save with paint all over his hand? That was charming and cute. More please.

#7. Metropolis and the Daily Planet. The Daily Planet is as important to the mythos as Lois, Clark, Perry, and Jimmy are. A return to the great metropolitan newspaper would put Lois back at the top of her game, especially now that the paper isn’t owned by a bad guy anymore (that we know of… I mean, Lex Luthor might try something). If the Planet isn’t available, WGBS will do! And hey… maybe if Jordan is following his father’s side of things, Jonathan could take an interest in journalism and start working with his mom?

Beyond that, it appears the Kent Farm house is taken down. It could just be relocated, or they might just use stock footage from here on out, but if it’s gone, it might be worthwhile to go to a new setting for Season 4… returning the Kents to Metropolis. Also – let’s see the show’s version of Jimmy Olsen, now that we know the show isn’t on Earth-Prime.

#8. An actual conclusion. We know Season 4 is the last; the show isn’t moving anywhere else, and The CW isn’t renewing it after the ten episodes of Season 4. For those of us who have stuck with the show for all four years and 50+ episodes, I want a satisfying ending. Don’t leave us on a cliffhanger. Imagine if the 2023 strikes made the studio and network decide “we’re not doing Season 4 after all.” That would have sucked.

#9. A set visit for KryptonSite. Set visits seem to have fallen by the wayside, but it would be so cool to visit and interview the cast as we go into Season 4. Apparently there was a trip considered prior to Season 3, but we weren’t included on that list.

#10. A flash forward. As DC welcomes David Corenswet as their new Superman, combining with my own personal hopes for a happy ending, I’d love to get a glimpse into the future to see Clark and Lois happy decades from now, their children continuing their legacy. The Superman and Lois of Earth-WhateverThisIs deserve it.

There are surely other things that could have made this list — “Uncle Tal,” a Jordan Elsass cameo, and Supergirl being high on the list — but I’m sticking to ten with this one. What do you think? Leave your wishes for the final season on the KryptonSite Forums – registration is easy and free!

As a pop culture institution for 85 years, there have been a number of animated Superman projects. This week gives us the start of another one: The long-awaited My Adventures with Superman which drops at midnight Thursday, July 6 on Adult Swim. If you don’t have Adult Swim, it’ll be on the Max streaming service the next day.

Featuring The Boys’ Jack Quaid as Clark Kent aka Superman, Alice Lee (Heathers: The Musical) as Lois Lane, and Ishmel Shahid (Jury Duty) as Jimmy Olsen, this project gives us slightly younger versions of the iconic trio than we are used to seeing at the Daily Planet. Clark and Jimmy are best friends, Lois is not yet taken seriously as a journalist, and all three are presented as contemporaries on the ground floor of the Daily Planet. If I were to compare their interaction to any previous Superman project, I’d compare them to Clark, Chloe, and Pete in the early seasons of Smallville… except in this case, Clark is actually into Lois, where he wasn’t into Chloe in that way. They even have a Wall of Weird… err, “murder board” in their little hideaway at the Daily Planet.

Without getting into spoilers, I do have a few things that I’d like to point out in my review.

It’s fun: That’s probably my biggest takeaway. My favorite aspects of Superman & Lois, for example, are the flashbacks, where Clark and Lois are new and excited and happy and not getting irritated by their kids. The interplay here is similar, except that it’s often very fun. Sure, there’s occasional drama – when isn’t there? – but in this show, you have three lead characters who seem to genuinely enjoy being around each other.

The chemistry: Between the animation and the voice acting, you can tell that, like every other version of this story, this Clark and this Lois are very into each other. Their friendship with Jimmy and their interactions with Perry White are similar. As such, when there are complications in their relationships, the characters are visibly affected.

Characters: One thing I really like about this series is that Lois, Clark, and Jimmy are all their own complete characters. They have hobbies and interests. They don’t all fit into a box. It’s also interesting to see, say, a more sensitive side to go-getter Lois, or to notice that the way Jack Quaid voices Clark and even the way Clark moves is different from the animation and voice of Superman. That is cool. The Neckbeard Brigade might make a complaint about the characters not all being white, but this series feels like it’s going from a stance of “what if these characters were created in 2023?” Why would they have to be white? Frankly, what matters most to me is that the characters act like they do in the comics and media I’ve loved for so long; that they respect the core of what makes them what they are. Lois, a steadfast, determined journalist? Check. Clark, an awkward farmboy who wants to help people in his alter ego? Check. Jimmy, dork with a camera? Check, again. So, I’m quite good here. (Side note: Ishmel Shahid’s Jimmy might be the most involved Jimmy Olsen to the story since Michael Landes in the early episodes of Lois & Clark… possibly the most involved since Jack Larson. He’s really, really good). And hey… the show is called “My Adventures with Superman” which says to me that it’s not necessarily Clark at the center, but that Lois or even Jimmy may be the “My” here, in a “The King and I” sort of way.

The villains: One thing that I found particularly interesting here is that the villains aren’t immediately identified, leaving it to the viewer to guess who they are. As such, the new, young audience might be introduced to these characters at the same time a longtime fan is! I was a little bit disappointed, though, that one of my hunches was proven correct by the closing credits, especially since 7 episodes in, I don’t think they’ve said that particular character’s name out loud even by that point. It’s not a spoiler to say some notable DC characters and villains do show up, though.

The animation: The animation almost gives me a circa-2000 anime feel which is actually a big compliment coming from me. All of the characters are very cute, but at the same time, the movement and designs are all seamless. I love how Superman flies, for example. I’m glad it’s not, say, evoking and copying Superman: The Animated Series just like I’m glad it’s not a huge departure like The Batman (which I did like, don’t get me wrong). The opening and closing titles are also A+… stay tuned at the end of every episode for a photo that would represent something lingering from what you just watched.

Fun for all ages: I’m old enough that I was already almost finished being a teenager when the 1996 Superman animated series came out. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed the show as much as a young person would now. My Adventures with Superman makes Superman fun for a new generation without needing to know a million things before going in.

What’s the Catch? I’ve been really glowing here. So… what don’t I like? Honestly, just one thing: I worry that with all of the recent changes to the industry, from Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO — err “Max” to budget cuts everywhere — that the lifespan of My Adventures with Superman won’t be as long as I’d like for it to be. Which would be a real shame, because this show is a winner and everyone involved did a phenomenal job.

Krypton Rating: I don’t think it would be fair to nick it because of the possibility of not going on for too long, so I’m going to give this a 10/10. Highest possible recommendation. Whether you’re 9 or 90, you’ll find this fun.

May 13, 2011 – the final episode of Smalvlille aired on The CW. After 218 episodes of Tom Welling as a young Clark Kent, he finally took flight toward his destiny.

Anyone who knows me personally (and perhaps, many who don’t) know what an important role Smallville the series played in my life. I might not be writing about TV today if not for Smallville. The CW might not have its many superhero-based shows without Smallville coming in first to pave the way. Coming to an end was a personal experience as well as a professional one. We all knew the end would come someday, and perhaps the notion that the show even got 10 years might be a surprise if we were to tell our younger selves about it.

Setting the record straight, I was definitely not a “shipper.” I rooted for Clark to end up with his cape, and I sort of got what I wanted. Which isn’t to say that the final minutes of the finale – complete with adaptations of John Williams’ iconic scores – didn’t make me smile with glee. I was also very excited to see Michael Rosenbaum back as Lex Luthor – it’s hard to believe there was a time that I thought that maybe “Arctic” was the last we’d ever see of him. Honestly, I still don’t like the notion that Lex’s memories were mostly wiped – but it is what it is. It’s just like how I was so excited that Aaron Ashmore’s appearance was kept a surprise… until his name appeared in the credits. Oops. Wish they had saved that one for later. I still don’t understand how and why Superman’s “inspiration” stopped Darkseid so easily, when it seemed like such a difficult task only a few episodes earlier, but oh well.

I am grateful for all Smallville gave me, but I was excited to see what would happen next in life. Yes, it’s a crime Smallville was so successful for the network and the studio yet they never had a spinoff. What’s that all about? Still, I felt almost like Clark when all was said and done… I was free… I could fly. No more shipper wars and fans fighting, I thought. I wasn’t aware of the Olicity around the corner…. it gets worse.

With all that said…

I feel Smallville hasn’t always gotten its due for the impact it had on television. At ten seasons, it is one of the most successful series in the history of Warner Bros. Television. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar created a concept that could endure for a decade, with talented people shepherding the series along with them. To a generation, Tom Welling was their Superman Clark Kent. If you look around the Internet, there’s plenty of evidence of this: When a website posts something about Smallville, it drives traffic. Whenever Michael Rosenbaum has a Smallville guest on “Inside of You,” the numbers surely go up. Podcasts talking about the series thrive, when I can remember a time when all we had was the excellent SHoE. Convention appearances, real and virtual, are now a thing, now even attended by Tom Welling himself – who would’ve expected that? The cast of Smallville gets to see the fan love… though, if it were up to me, I’d want to see a 20th anniversary panel at Comic-Con (or a virtual one) with creators Gough and Millar present. And invite Annette O’Toole already — I haven’t seen her at any events – perhaps she’s too busy or uninterested – but she was by far one of my favorite Smallville people to interact with.

I’m okay with no continuation of Smallville beyond the Season 11 comics and the appearances of Tom Welling and Erica Durance in Crisis on Infinite Earths which was truly one of my favorite things, seeing them talk and banter like it’s 2010 all over again. Sometimes it’s better for “what happens next” to happen only in our imaginations, where surely Clark, Lois, Oliver, Chloe, Lex, Lana, and everyone else continued to have adventures. With that said, I wouldn’t be disappointed if I saw the characters again someplace, but it’s not a requirement…. more like it would be a very pleasant surprise. After all, I thought the final moments of “Finale” were the end for these characters, as they usually had been with the Superman franchise… little did I know that door would someday open and the possibilities would be there.

When Smallville began, the “Freak of the Week” concept was a very clever way to build that world: Kryptonite, or “meteor rocks” as we called them then, exaggerated impulses. The show continued to explore DC Comics mythology over the years, with Impulse, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Lois Lane and more introduced over time. The series introduced us to fantastic original characters like Lionel Luthor, Tess Mercer, and Chloe Sullivan, and employed so many fantastic actors that I would feel like I’d miss out on someone if I were to specifically call them out… though I will say Michael Rosenbaum is the best Lex Luthor ever, with Jon Cryer a close second place.

Smallville gave us such epic moments. The tornado. Leaping a tall building in a single bound. Christopher Reeve. “Shattered.” Lonely Lex in “Memoria.” “Kal” taking flight. The introduction of Lois. Clark and Bart racing. Meteor showers. “Reckoning.” The exploding baby. The Justice League. Supergirl. Clark vs. Zod. The helicopter rescue in “Homecoming.” The phone booth transformation in “Booster.” And that’s barely scratching the surface. Yes, there were the “shipper wars” at times which could be frustrating, but one thing the series did, especially in its earlier years, was it made an effort to give every character agency and importance. Even if, say, Clark was dating Lana at the time, Chloe was his best confidante. And hey, if people cared so much to back certain pairings, then obviously these characters were so well loved that we’d be rooting for them. This would only truly be bad if the audience became apathetic, and Smallville never let its viewers get to that point, even with over 200 episodes.

It’s interesting to think that even in 2011, social media and the Internet weren’t what they are today. While Twitter and Facebook did exist, a lot of the Smallville discussion still happened on the KryptonSite Forums (they still exist!) In fact, I invite everyone to check in and share their memories on this ten-year anniversary of the final episode.

So, again, thank you to everyone who has visited KryptonSite over the years, who bought the companion guides, who posted on the forums…. thank you to the great friends that I’ve made along the way, as a result of this show… and most especially, thank you to everyone involved with Smallville. It was a great 10-year ride and I can’t believe it’s been a decade since then. Always holding on…