The best episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Between 1993 and 1997, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman delighted audiences with its mix of romance and super heroic feats. The show – which stared Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in the lead roles of Lois Lane and Clark Kent – ran for 88 episodes, entertained millions of viewers worldwide, and added a new spin on the Superman mythology.

But what are the best episodes of Lois & Clark? If the show had to be whittled down to a collection of great stories, what would those stories be?

In this post, I take a look at the best episodes of Lois & Clark from the show’s four-season run. These episodes are the ones to return to again and again, as they serve up a great mix of action, adventure, and excitement.

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Pilot (Season One – Episodes One & Two)

First up on this list of best Lois & Clark episodes is the double-length series opener, which is titled ‘Pilot’. In this story, Clark arrives in the city of Metropolis, starts working as a newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet, meets Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor, and eventually adopts the persona of Superman.

So much of the Superman mythology is crammed into this story, that it is the perfect gateway for those new to Superman lore. More importantly, the show’s razor-sharp wit and great characterisation is on display for all to see, making this 90-minute story a whole heap of fun.

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The Green, Green Glow of Home (Season One – Episode Nine)

Pilot ticked off many of the major elements of Superman mythology, but it did miss off one very significant one – kryptonite! The green rock – a fragment of Superman’s home planet – is deadly to the Man of Steel, can potentially kill him, and always gets introduced into Superman stories at some point in time.

But rather than just use kryptonite as a mere plot device to weaken Superman, in The Green, Green Glow of Home, the deadly rock is used as a way to explore what life would be like for Clark if he didn’t have super powers. Cue a trip back to Smallville, and a different side to Clark Kent in what is easily one of the best episodes of the entire series.

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The Man of Steel Bars (Season One – Episode Ten)

In The Man of Steel Bars, Metropolis has gotten very hot all of a sudden. So hot in fact, that scientists are starting to wonder why?

Could Superman’s recent arrival have caused the strange and worrying weather problems? And if so, is he willing to abstain from using his powers for the sake of everyone’s safety?

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All Shook Up (Season One – Episode Thirteen)

Continuing Season One (which is a cracking season), and the world is in danger when an asteroid is on a disastrous collision course with Earth. Surely Superman can stop it, right?

Possibly not, because Clark Kent is suffering from amnesia and has no memory of who he is. In fact, he’s just as puzzled about Superman’s sudden absence as everyone else.

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Barbarians at the Planet / The House of Luthor (Season One – Episodes Twenty-One & Twenty-Two)

Another two-part story, and this time it is the double episode which closed Season One of Lois & Clark. In this story, the Daily Planet is destroyed, Lois is set to marry Lex Luthor, and for the first time in the show’s history, it looks like the bad guy is going to win!

Barbarians at the Planet / The House of Luthor is a fantastic storyline which works great for long-time fans, but is just as enjoyable for newcomers. If you have never watched an episode of Lois & Clark, and you don’t have time for the rest of the series, dive in here and witness Superman’s darkest hour.  

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Tempus Fugitive (Season Two – Episode Eighteen)

Onto Season Two now, and in Tempus Fugitive a criminal from the future steals a time machine (created by famed author H. G. Wells), to journey back to the past to kill Superman. Along the way he kidnaps Lois Lane, reveals Clark’s secret identity, and nearly bumps off baby Supes.

It sounds bonkers, and it is, but Tempus Fugitive is a brilliant episode filled with great dialogue and some killer moments. And best of all, it introduces one of Lois & Clark’s greatest villains – the diabolical Tempus!

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And the Answer is… (Season Two – Episode Twenty-Two)

Picking up a leftover plot thread from Tempus Fugitive, And the Answer is… is the Season Two finale which finds Clark at the mercy of a mysterious blackmailer. The mysterious villain threatens to expose Clark’s secret identity unless he agrees to perform one small favour: To kill Lois Lane!

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We Have a Lot to Talk About (Season Three – Episode One)

Onto Season Three to pick up where And the Answer is… left off. And in this season opener, Lois knows Clark’s identity, and she’s not too happy about the fact he concealed the truth for two years.

To make matters worse, Clark just proposed and he was hoping thing would run a little smoother.

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Ultra Woman (Season Three – Episode Seven)

In Ultra Woman, Lois and Clark find themselves encountering a new challenge when Superman’s abilities are transferred to Lois. With Lois now able to perform magnificent feats (and Clark powerless), the ace reporter dons a costume, as well as a secret identity, to become Metropolis’ latest champion.

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Tempus, Anyone? (Season Three – Episode Fourteen)

Continuing Season Three and Tempus returns in an episode largely set in an alternate universe. In this world, Charlton Heston is the President and Clark Kent never became Superman.

The only chance to stop Tempus from ruling supreme is for Lois to convince Clark to become a super hero. But Clark is a little unsure about flying around in tights and his transformation from mild mannered reporter into super hero is going to take some work.

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Lord of the Flys / Battleground Earth (Season Four – Episodes One & Two)

Now onto Season Four, and in this double-dose of episodes a group of Kryptonians arrive on Earth and lay siege to Smallville. Led by the tyrannical Lord Nor, the Kryptonians seem undefeatable and cause havoc and destruction.

Keen to remove the Kryptonian threat, Lois and Clark infiltrate Smallville in the hope of freeing the town from Nor’s grip. But when the Kryptonian warlord becomes aware of their presence, the duo find themselves in a battle for survival.

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Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark (Season Four – Episode Eight)

In this episode, Lois and Clark become friends with Bob and Carol – a seemingly friendly and likeminded couple who have recently moved to Metropolis. But Bob and Carol are keeping a dark secret and it has the potential to break apart what could have been the perfect friendship.

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Twas the Night Before Mxymas (Season Four – Episode Eleven)

It’s Christmas time in Metropolis, which usually means trouble! And of course, this Christmas-themed episode is no different, as there is a new villain in town.

The villain is Mr. Mxyzptlk – an imp from the fifth dimension. He has travelled to Metropolis to cause chaos for Superman in the shape of a time loop.

On Christmas Eve, Clark finds himself forced to repeat the same day, Groundhog Day-style. Only thing is, with each new repetition, everyone in the loop begins to lose hope that tomorrow will ever come, leaving Clark facing a dire situation.

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Meet John Doe / Lois and Clarks (Season Four – Episodes Fourteen & Fifteen)

And finally, yet another two-parter and yet another story involving Tempus.

In Meet John Doe / Lois and Clarks, Tempus returns for the final time, only this time around he has a piece of technology which can influence the minds of the masses. Using his advanced tech, Tempus becomes a politician with plans to take over the world, in what is a hilarious and action-packed adventure that is without doubt a superb entry in this classic series.

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