Now that the fourth and final season of Superman & Lois is upon us, it’s time that we address the elephant in the room. Alex Garfin is great as Jordan Kent, there’s no doubt about that, but it feels like the character himself hasn’t grown too much since his family first moved to Smallville. Sure, Jordan has developed powers, learned that he can’t always get what he wants, and has become Kansas’ latest “Superboy,” but as far as impulse control is concerned, Jordan has basically none. Never has that more been on display than now, especially now that his father is gone.
Jordan Needs to Get a Grip on ‘Superman & Lois’
Jordan’s biggest problem is that he doesn’t allow himself to be constrained. Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) was effective as both Superman and Clark Kent because he kept himself in check. He didn’t allow himself to lose control, he separated his secret identity from his public persona, and he spent years mastering his abilities before he began using them to save the world. But even with Superman as his mentor, Jordan has barely done any of that. Every time he gets the urge to make the wrong choice, he seems to take it. We see that in his relentless pushing of Sarah (Inde Navarrette), and especially in the way he conducts himself publicly while using his powers. Need we mention his infamous “reveal to the world” from last season?
The problem is that as smart as Jordan is, he never thinks before rushing into things. Back in Season 1, we could explain some of that as part of his struggle with mental health. He worked through a lot when the Kents moved from Metropolis to Smallville, and with his brother and Sarah’s help, he overcame many of those issues. Of course, that doesn’t mean he was always going to be at his best, but even after working through those issues, Jordan hasn’t taken any active steps to reign in either his ego or his lack of impulse control. Sometimes, he acts like Smallville‘s Clark Kent (Tom Welling) on Red Kryptonite; only we know that Jordan hasn’t got his hands on any.
As Jordan continues to run into situations half-cocked without a real plan, fully allowing his emotions to interfere with his super-heroics, he puts himself and those he loves in danger. He nearly ruined Jordan’s (Michael Bishop) potential as a firefighter before Kyle (Erik Valdez) learned the truth about Clark’s secret, and he barely even cared. In contrast, Jon has learned quite a lot since the show started. After making plenty of his own mistakes in Season 2 (back when he was played by Jordan Elsass) and seeing another version of himself, he’s made every attempt to be more level-headed like his father going forward. Jon still makes mistakes, sure, but he also continues to learn from them. That’s what growing up is. However, Jordan continuously makes the same ones over and over, likely costing Superman his life after losing his heart to Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz).
Season 4 Ought to Push Jordan Into Becoming the New Man of Steel
With Superman gone, and seemingly any hope of resurrecting him gone with Jordan’s failure to reclaim his heart (though let’s be honest, Lex has a backup, right?), this may be the final “rock bottom” that the younger Kent needs to be a true hero. In many ways, though Jordan and Clark share Kryptonian DNA, the would-be Superboy is a lot more like his mother in personality. Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) is notorious for rushing bull-headed into situations without thinking them through, but, like Jordan, she’s used to Superman coming to her rescue. Both of them would be wise to take a step back while dealing with Lex Luthor and actively plan their next move before making any more poor decisions.
Without Clark there to guide them, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jonathan (whose own personality best echoes his father’s) stepped up and helped his brother to better control not just his emotions but his powers. In the past, Jon has been able to help calm Jordan down when he’s had panic attacks, and this might just be the time for the two to repair their relationship by relying on one another. Especially now that Lex knows their family secret, it’s more important than ever that Jordan takes his father’s lessons to heart and proves his worth as the next Man of Steel.
Superman & Lois is currently airing its fourth and final season on The CW.
- Release Date
- February 23, 2021
- Rating
- Seasons
- 3
- Network
- The CW
- Streaming Service(s)
- HBO Max , Prime Video
Watch on The CW
