By [ad_1]
With a wrap on Superman & Lois Season 1, one antagonist has room to grow in Season 2, as long as he hears out Clark Kent.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the Superman & Lois Season 1 finale, “Last Sons of Krypton,” which aired Tuesday on The CW.
Season 1 of Superman & Lois threw fans for a loop with the revelation Morgan Edge was Tal-Rho, the Man of Steel’s Kryptonian brother who wanted to replace humans with his own people. It was a fresh take on Zod, with Edge spending years on Earth, only to seed out sleeper agents using the Eradicator. However, while Kal-El and Steel finally take down the tyrant, there’s a chance he can be redeemed.
In the finale, Tal’s shooting out Kryptonian souls into human vessels he deems worthy, beginning with some of Sam Lane’s soldiers. He then breaches Smallville’s mines, using the X-Kryptonite crystals to begin a mass possession, only for Superman to pierce the energy bubble and restrain Tal. This allows Steel to fling his hammer a long distance, cracking Tal in the chest and destroying the Eradicator’s energy within.
As the dust settles, a dejected and seemingly depowered Tal admits all he wanted was his family. Kal isn’t angry or vindictive as he tells him he already had that. All Tal had to do was speak to his brother and forge a peaceful way forward, without bringing genocide into the picture. Unlike Zod, he doesn’t bite back or force the issue.
Tal hangs his head, resigned and sad. He went out his way to achieve the mission, but it wasn’t even his. He was conditioned by his dad, Zeta, who abused him and punished him on Earth. Tal was treated like a military slave by Zeta’s crystal and hologram, with the dictator willing to sacrifice Tal’s body by placing the Eradicator in it. This is fodder for Tal to renounce Zeta once and for all, especially after seeing Kal so dedicated and inspired by humanity.
It’d make sense if they bonded over terrible dads, as Jor-El wasn’t the most loving father either. However, seeing as Tal crushed his crystal, he and Kal now have common ground in dead dads. It’s easy to envision Superman being willing to forgive and forget for the last of his kin, and Tal could work toward redemption after the pain he caused. Seeing as it was never his war, Superman may be willing to let these terrorist ghosts of old die as his brother was a misguided tool.
Kal did so with John Henry Irons, and now, he and Steel are friends. Thus, Clark can show the sympathetic Tal compassion to teach him a lesson — one he can evolve from after Zeta’s mental entrapment. It’d be healthy for Tal, as a sibling like the Man of Steel would help wash away the pain of losing Lara as well.
Both love her, so that’s more territory to bond over, and in the process, Superman would get a brother-in-arms back to help defend their home. Ultimately, Tal can remember Earth as a haven as he spent decades here infiltrating it after his ship crashed. If Kal talks sense into him and Tal buys in, this could be a senior take on the Super Sons and the Last Sons of Krypton come Season 2.
Superman & Lois: The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 19.
About The Author
[ad_2]
