Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Superman & Lois episode “The Thing in the Mines.” Read at your own risk!
When Superman & Lois seemingly set up that Doomsday was Season 2’s big bad, fans should’ve been suspicious. After all, this is the same series that teased a member of the Luthor family in Season 1 but then revealed it as John Henry Irons. The CW series also gave us classic Superman villain Morgan Edge, only to reveal he was posing as a human and is actually Superman’s Kryptonian half-brother. All the signs were there we’d get another villain switcheroo, and yet, I didn’t see the reveal that this season’s big bad is actually Bizarro coming at all.
The big reveal came when “Doomsday” finally escaped the mines and looked to be wearing a suit inspired by a popular DC Comics issue. The creature then proceeded to pummel Superman into the ground without mercy, and not even intervention by Irons (who is still dealing with family drama following his daughter’s arrival) shook his resolve. Irons did manage to chip off a piece of his headgear, however, and that’s when viewers saw a very familiar face, albeit with ashen skin and with glowing blue eyes. Bizarro quickly fled after the face reveal and let Superman off the hook from his brutal beating.
In hindsight, the reveal that Bizarro is the one causing Superman’s power disruption and causing his headaches and visions makes sense. After all, they’re practically the same person, so perhaps there are some side effects with existing in the same space. Just before he fled, it seemed like Bizarro suffered the same headaches as Superman. Did he attack because he thought Superman was responsible for his pain?
One thing I’d like to know is how Superman & Lois’ Bizarro came to be. For example, most stories in DC Comics tell Bizarro was a lab creation and goes on to create Htrae, also known as the alternate dimension Bizarro World. I think other possibilities are possible, and I think it's possible Bizarro's from another dimension based on his arrival at the Fortress of Solitude. If this Bizarro was lab-created, I’d think he wouldn’t necessarily have Superman’s thoughts and memories, but I could be wrong.
All we know right now is that actor Tyler Hoechlin sounds pumped to be playing the character, which he confirmed to TVLine. Hoechlin called the new role “triple duty” and talked out his reaction when he learned about his new role in Superman & Lois Season 2.
I remember the conversation I had with Todd Helbing, our amazing showrunner. I was insanely excited about it when he told me. With TV, there’s always the fear that sometimes you’ll get locked into doing the same thing over and over to the point where you feel like it’s Groundhog’s Day. This was a really cool chance to do something different — an opportunity to play on set and really let go.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Bizarro drama plays out on Superman & Lois. In some tellings, Bizarro isn’t inherently a villain, it’s just the backward thinking of his universe that gets him in trouble. I think it’s possible he may not be a villain at all, which leaves another question. If Bizarro isn’t the true villain of Season 2, who will be?
Superman & Lois airs on The CW on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Get prepped for more Bizarro fun in upcoming episodes, and be sure to check out other returning tv shows this month with our helpful guide.
