Superman & Lois Season 4 Ending Explained

With a heartfelt farewell to its two title characters, the Superman & Lois finale offered a final glimpse of the venerable DC series and all of its adored characters. Episode 9 of Superman & Lois season 4 ended the plot at a pivotal and tense moment, with Superman engaged in a battle with Doomsday that seemed impossible to win. After revealing the resolution of this conflict and Clark's fierce rivalry with Lex Luthor, Episode 10 focuses on wrapping up the last loose ends in the narrative.

It has taken a long time for the live-action Superman series to reach its last episode, which airs more than three years after the first episode debuted in February 2021. This time has been well spent, though, as the final chapter makes significant use of nearly every story and relationship that has developed over the seasons and years. Overall, Superman & Lois season 4 ends the series with a final, powerful, and emotional farewell to its protagonists and all that makes them who they are.

The Second Round of Superman vs. Doomsday Takes an Odd Turn

Naturally, since Superman was murdered by Doomsday in their first fight at the beginning of season 4, the show's conclusion begins with a significant emphasis on the pair's second round. This is because Superman & Lois season 4 episode 9 concludes with Clark having a rematch with Doomsday. Fortunately, after some prodding from Lois, Clark learns from his past errors and allows Superman to fly him up to the sun by having Jordan and Jonathan fly Doomsday straight into Steel's hammer.

There is another twist in space, though, as Doomsday seems to regain some of his consciousness and memories as Bizarro. Recalling his own memories as Superman in the Bizarro world, he sacrifices himself to end things and to ostensibly save Superman, who probably would have otherwise had to give his life in order to finally stop Doomsday. It's a suitable and rather poignant farewell for the character, considering that Bizarro was both Superman's ally and antagonist in earlier sections of the plot.

Finally, Superman defeats Lex Luthor.

Following Doomsday's demise, the focus shifts more directly on Luthor, who remains committed to attempting to defeat both Clark and Lois. In order to defeat Superman, Lex dons the improved Steel suit. He even employs the Kryptonite screws that Milton made, which pierce Clark's skin in a horrible way. However, driven by a desire to put a stop to things once and for all, Superman uses his bare hands to smash a Kryptonite screw before putting all of his might into defeating Lex.

Following Lex's arrest, Clark and Lois find out that his appeal has been rejected, and he will be imprisoned in Stryker for the rest of his life. Crucially, Lex is placed in a regular cell instead of the opulent life he had lead in the prison after breaking it to suit his whim. This is because Bruno Mannheim is present and committed to making sure Luthor doesn't have a fancy prison stay. In fact, when he was last there, Mannheim mentions Lex making someone his human chair and threatening to have Luthor take his place.

Significant Updates to Superman and Lois' Timeskips

There are two timeskips in the Superman & Lois ending: the first lasts for a year, while the second happens more gradually, taking place 32 years after the events of season 4. There are many significant revelations in the first timeskip alone, including the marriage of John Henry Irons and Lana Lang, Chrissy and Kyle getting ready for the birth of their second child, and Sarah telling Jordan that she believes staying overseas is the correct decision for her. When Jordan says, "I feel like I'm in the right place myself," it implies that his previous internal conflict has been at least partially resolved.

With Superman, Jordan, Jonathan, Steel, and Starlight flying together as a superhero team and Clark establishing a connection with Bruno Mannheim in the hopes that the criminal can be redeemed because of his later help to him and Lois, the second timeskip is the more somber one. In a similar vein, Clark Kent's narration also discloses that the hero started working on a foundation in order to harness the fame and attention associated with the Superman moniker to assist others in ways other than merely defending people against natural catastrophes and superpowered enemies.

Most importantly, during the parts of the concluding montage that also offer a glimpse of an older Clark and Lois, the timeskip depicts Jordan and Jonathan as adults. The lads continue to be heroes, and each of them gets married and has kids, making their parents grandparents. This sets the stage for the show's last moments, which bring Clark Kent and Lois Lane's narrative to a close.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent's DC Show Comes to an End

Superman & Lois's last minutes are appropriately devoted to the last days of the two main protagonists. Clark's voiceover indicates that Lois' disease tragically returned and ultimately resulted in her death, even if it also affirms that the two had many, many happy years together following the defeat of Lex Luthor and the defeat and sacrifice of Doomsday. After this, Clark lives for a few years, keeping Krypto, a normal golden retriever without any special abilities, by his side following Lois's death.

But it appears that Krypto may have outlived his owner because, according to Clark, he died 32 years after the major events of Superman & Lois season 4, and shortly after Lois, his human replacement heart finally failed. Fortunately, despite the sadness of Superman's death, the scene that follows gives the hero a final farewell, as he has a vision of bidding farewell to everyone who matters in his life, including Lex Luthor, before meeting Lois in the afterlife, guaranteeing that the two can conclude their show together.

The Final Episode of Superman & Lois Shows What Makes It So Unique

What has made Superman & Lois successful and unique over the years is demonstrated in the show's finale. In order to show how Clark Kent's civilian life is just as significant as his heroic life—both in terms of his family and friends and how these relationships influence his bravery—the series has always made sure to concentrate on him just as much as Superman. The importance of human connection has long been at the center of the narrative, and its conclusion makes care to emphasize how important all of these ties have been.

Even though it is bittersweet to watch Superman die after a long life, the conclusion seems more sweet than bitter because, in spite of the odds and the numerous plots that seemed to have been designed to kill him off earlier in life, he lived a long, happy life with his loved ones and doing the work that was most important to him. As a result, the Superman & Lois conclusion ensures that the series continues to be an important part of the hero's on-screen legacy while also bringing the show to a suitable and emotional close.