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Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman - The Complete Third Season

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Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Season Three was in many ways a dramatic departure from the previous two season for THE ADVENTURES OF LOIS AND CLARK. The romantic will they/won't they of the first two seasons gave way to: will they be able to? Season Two had ended with Lois about to reply to Clark's proposal of marriage, her words being interrupted by the "to be continued" message. Season Three picked up the last few minutes of Season Two, only this time we get her answer in the form of a question: "Who's asking? Is it Clark or Superman?" removing his glasses to show that she knows his secret. Thus, Season Three begins with a radically premise from the first two seasons. Instead of dancing around how they feel, each acknowledges their love for one another, Lois knows Clark's secret, and they both try to answer the question of whether Superman can marry. Some fans preferred the tease of the first two seasons to the full-blown engagement of Season Three, but I personally always love when a show tries to move forward and do something different.

Season Three also saw some improvement in the primary weakness of the first two seasons: the strength of the villains. While LOIS AND CLARK was always delightful for the wonderful chemistry between Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in the lead roles (whether the many rumors of their off-screen antagonism was true or not), the show sometimes lagged from rather lame villains and single-episode storylines that seemed to have been produced with little effort. If one contrasted what was happening on a contemporary show, THE X-FILES, which was producing single episodes of near-cinematic quality, the problem is highlighted. Shooting almost exclusively on the Warner Brothers lot hurts as well (fans of THE GILMORE GIRLS will recognize much of Stars Hollow in Metropolis). Still, in Season Three there was a sharp increase in the quality of the individual episodes. The villains were truly menacing and there were genuine moments of tension. Also, Lois's knowledge of Clark's secret identity added many delightful new wrinkles to the show, and she quickly proved herself to be far more adept at covering for Clark's sudden departures than Clark had ever been in the past.

Season Three is also remarkable for some significant changes in the way the show approaches story arcs and narrative. THE X-FILES, following in the wake of TWIN PEAKS, had begun to popularize story arcs that extended beyond a single episode. Though the technique had been developed by HILL STREET BLUES in the eighties, in the nineties it was extended to Sci-fi and fantasy genres as well, and expanded so that on shows like THE X-FILES arcs could extend for several years. LOIS AND CLARK had only one real story arc, the potential for romance between Lois and Clark, while all the other arcs were with minor exceptions contained within single episodes. In Season Three the engagement took over as the main arc, with Clark and Lois struggling to resolve the main issues connected with his being Superman. But in addition to this, towards the end of the season they began stretching the narrative over one episode to another. Only occasionally in the first two seasons had they done this, but beginning with the episode where villains are able to clone humans using enzymes found in frogs until the end of the season, we see nothing but episodes that flow from one into another. This represented a major change in narrative strategy on the show. Traditionally networks do not like shows that do this. The assumption is that you might lose potential viewers who are distraught at being behind the curve on what is happening on the show. Such shows try to catch these viewers up with the "Previously on . . . " at the beginning, but networks generally prefer shows that depend entirely on stand alone episodes. Even if a viewer misses a few episodes, they can easily jump back into the middle of things. So, it was a very important change on LOIS AND CLARK when they jumped on the ongoing story arc bandwagon in the final third of the season.

I really enjoyed Season Three, not least because they took a highly unusual step, one followed by few other shows with romantic tension between the main characters. The received wisdom is that you can't have a successful show where a natural romantic couple actually gets together. For instance, the ratings collapse for MOONLIGHTING after Maddie and David got together is taken as a warning to all other shows. So, Maggie and Joel mainly are not together on NORTHERN EXPOSURE, and as soon as Buffy and Angel get together they are torn apart, and JD and Elliott on SCRUBS get together only to fall apart immediately. Clark and Lois are prevented from marrying, but with a couple of minor qualifications, they are essentially a committed couple for the entire season. Again, their ratings began to fade after they became a steady couple, so perhaps this could be viewed as reinforcement of the MOONLIGHTING lesson. But personally, I love seeing a couple stay together on TV. Maybe I'm not wired like others, but I enjoy seeing a couple be together as much as I like seeing them get together. I think that LOIS AND CLARK's ratings decline can actually be blamed on other factors, such as some unfortunate decisions about where to take story arcs. I do think that by getting Clark and Lois together, the show did create a problem for itself. Once you have resolved the central dilemma of the show, which was whether Lois and Clark will get together, you have to find a new source of dramatic tension. I don't think the show did a good show of doing this, and that is the main reason that the show began to slip a bit in Season Four.

One other general comment. Season Three was the first season to really start showing the effects of the growing capabilities of CGI. It wasn't utilized extensively, but it made Clark or Superman's quick getaways far more believable. Although SMALLVILLE came around only three years after the end of LOIS AND CLARK, you can see there how good CGI got only a few years later. Nonetheless, it did really enhance the believability of the show in the final two seasons.

In summary, this was another really great season in one of the most innovative romantic comedies that we have seen in the past couple of decades. It is also a season in which the show began to branch out in new directions. Lois and Clark don't yet get to live happily ever after, but at least they were clear in their own minds what they wanted to do.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman is my favorite show of all time. The show was on for four seasons from 1993-1997. What made this show so special was the great chemistry Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher had on screen along with a great supporting cast. I was a huge fan watching the first episode in the fall of 1993 (I was 16 years old) and never missed an episode. When the last episode aired in 1997 (I was 20 years old) I was sad because like so many other reviewers I grew up with this show and it was a huge part of my life. I remember every Sunday night I would look so forward to seeing Lois & Clark. Me and my best friend Maria would talk about the show the next day and say how we had so many similarities to these characters. I think it is great that after years of the fans asking Warner Brothers to release this great show that they have finally listened. The fans truly do deserve a DVD release of all four seasons of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. This show means so much to so many people because it was a good show that lasted longer than anyone ever imagined it would. The third season is another great season of Lois and Clark with better special effects and a more grown up feel.

Below is a complete list of all 22 episodes of the Third Season of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman which will be released on June 20, 2006.

1: "We Have A Lot To Talk About"
2: "Ordinary People"
3: "Contact"
4: "When Irish Eyes Are Killing"
5: "Just Say Noah"
6: "Don't Tug On Superman's Cape"
7: "Ultra Woman"
8: "Chip Off The Old Clark"
9: "Super Mann"
10: "Virtually Destroyed"
11: "Home Is Where The Hurt Is"
12: "Never on Sunday"
13: "The Dad Who Came In From The Cold"
14: "Tempus Anyone?"
15: "I Now Pronounce You..."
16: "Double Jeopardy"
17: "Seconds"18: "Forget Me Not"
18: "Forget Me Not" Grant
19: "Oedipus Wrecks"
20: "It's A Small World After All"
21: "Through A Glass, Darkly"
22: "Big Girls Don't Fly"

Below are a list of The DVD Bonus Features!

*Lois & Clark: A History of Romance
*The Man of Steel Trivia Challenge (hosted by Dean Cain)
*Look, Up in the sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (excerpts from the new documentary by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns)
*Plus you get a FREE Movie Ticket (while supplies last) for the SUPERMAN RETURNS movie coming out this June!

Everything hinges on Lois's answer to Clark's marriage proposal--and the question of whether she knows his dual identity in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - The Complete Third Season. Developed by Deborah Joy LeVine (Dawson's Creek) and a brilliant staff of writers, including [this season] stars Dean Cain ("Virtually Destroyed") and Teri Hatcher ("It's A Small World After All"), Lois & Clark takes the Man of Steel on his most exciting and challenging adventure of all - rivalry & romance (and later marriage) with Lois Lane!

At the time, many critics and fans thought the series was tampering with success by advancing the romance between the two title characters. Not me. And certainly not the show's producers who were extremely confident (and rightfully so) about the direction the third season took. Their plan, according to producer Robert Singer, was to take it forward [then] put up an obstacle.

And as you'll discover in this super 3rd season set, there are obstacles aplenty including Intergang's Bill Church Sr. (Peter Boyle), his ditzy (or is she?) new bride Mindy (Jessica Collins) and his traitorous son Bill Church Jr. (Bruce Campbell) in "We Have A Lot To Talk About"; the return of time traveler Tempus in "Tempus Anyone?" and Lex Luthor in the back-to-back "Double Jeopardy" and "Seconds"; the nefarious Newtrich sisters (Shelley Long & Mary Gross), who unwittingly transform Lois into "Ultra Woman"; and in the back-to-back season finale "Through a Glass, Darkly" and "Big Girls Don't Fly" two visiting Kryptonians (Justine Bateman & Jon Tenney, Teri Hatcher's then-real-life husband) who extend Clark an opportunity to reclaim his alien heritage as ruler of New Krypton, which means saying goodbye to Earth, his parents and Lois.

Episodes include:
45. "We Have a Lot to Talk About": As Lois's answer to Clark's proposal lingers, Metropolis becomes strangely crime-free.
46. "Ordinary People": Lois and Clark escape work with a getaway to a tropical island, unaware that a madman awaits them.
47. "Contact": Lois claims to have been abducted by aliens, and Superman feels powerless to help when she later slips into dangerous trances.
48. "When Irish Eyes Are Killing": Lois believes jealously is prompting Clark's accusations against her visiting Irish friend.
49. "Just Say Noah": Lois and Clark go undercover at a fanatical TV therapist's marriage-counseling retreat.
50. "Don't Tug on Superman's Cape": A wealthy couple want help in capturing Superman for their museum of oddities.
51. "Ultra Woman": The Newtrich sisters plan to destroy Superman unwittingly turns Lois Lane into a superhero.
52. "Chip Off the Old Clark": Lois and Clark investigate a woman who claims she bore Superman's love child.
53. "Super Mann": Nazis preparing for a "new Reich" expose Superman to a nuclear bomb that renders him radioactive.
54. "Virtually Destroyed": An evil computer wizard leads Lois and Clark on a death-defying tour of his virtual-reality "fun park".
55. "Home Is Where the Hurt Is": Superman battles a crime wave and a deadly flu virus during the holidays.
56. "Never on Sunday": Clark begins having strange visions that seem linked to supernatural forces and a voodoo-practicing illusionist.
57. "The Dad Who Came in from the Cold": Jimmy gets an unexpected visit from his estranged father, an enigmatic secret agent.
58. "Tempus Anyone?": Tempus returns to snatch Lois away to a parallel universe, where she links up with H.G. Wells and a more cynical version of Clark.
59. "I Now Pronounce You...": As their wedding day approaches, Lois & Clark's probe into the theft of exotic amphibians leads to a freakish biologist.
60. "Double Jeopardy": Lois's topsy-turvy life begins to play out like a bad novel after Lex Luthor escapes from prison.
61. "Seconds": Superman declares war on the maniacal Lex Luthor over Lois, who with temporary amnesia, is being primed to kill the superhero.
62. "Forget Me Not": Hoping to regain her memory, Lois enters a sanitarium, where Clark is forebidden to visit her.
63. "Oedipus Wrecks": A floodgate of memories opens for Lois just as Dr. Deter is trying to purge all thoughts of Clark from her mind.
64. "It's a Small World After All": Lois discovers that a vengeful former classmate is armed with a secret shrinking formula.
65. "Through a Glass, Darkly": A mysterious terrorist and a new Planet researcher bring nothing but chaos to Lois & Clark.
66. "Big Girls Don't Fly": Just as the two visiting aliens bring Superman a new-found knowledge of his past and his destiny, Lois fears that Clark is drifting away from her for good.

Lois & Clark - The Complete Third Season is a 1010 min. 6-disc set, which features all 22 episodes in full frame (1.33:1) video, and English Stereo Surround audio, French and Spanish subtitles. The super extras include: Lois & Clark: A History of Romance featurette, The Man of Steel Trivia Challenge (hosted by Dean Cain), Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (excerpts from the new documentary produced by "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer and documentary filmmaker Kevin Burns).

Highly Recommended!!

I think it's a great season for one main reason - okay, no spoilers right? So let's just leave it to say something major happens between Lois & Clark - in the first episode in fact. It changes the whole feel of the series from this point forward.

Okay, I know a lot of fans really hated the whole 'wedding arc' in this season. And I admit that it is definitely not my favorite part of the series. But there is some really good angst involved in the episodes it encompasses ("I Now Pronounce You", "Double Jeopardy", "Seconds", "Forget Me Not" and "Oedipus Wrecks".) I remember when the episodes were airing though, I was thoroughly irritated at the situation, just like everyone else was. But I got over it and then felt like my heart had been wrenched away just a few episodes later for the season cliffhanger of "Big Girls Don't Cry". I never thought that summer would be over for Season 4 to start.

Anyway, I loved Season 3 for all it was and wasn't. I have always loved the great chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, it only got better each season and this season we really get to see the romance. My two favorite episodes were "Ordinary People" and "Ultrawoman".

I highly recommend this series - all of it. Take it for what it is...a great love story. Sure it's corny sometimes, and over the top other times, but come on, it's "Superman". It's sci-fi/fantasy. Don't take it too seriously. And hey, at least it's a good clean show, unlike some of the shows on TV these days. My recommendation - buy it, and if you haven't bought the other 2 seasons, pick them up first and watch them. I've heard season 4 is supposed to be out before the end of the year - I can't wait.

Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but make no mistake, he's given limited exposure in this series. The focus instead is firmly on the relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and the format is more romantic comedy than anything else. Of the four seasons Lois & Clark graced the airwaves, the third one is my favorite. It opens with Lois revealing to Clark that she knows he's in fact the Big Red S. Fans of the show were entranced as they awaited each progression resulting from Lois's discovery: from the engagement and the fake wedding, to the cloning, the bout of amnesia and finally, to Superman's departure from Earth.

Dean Cain may be the third best Superman so far (after Christopher Reeve and George Reeves, and pending on Brandon Routh) but Teri Hatcher is the best Lois Lane (apologies to Margot Kidder, who is almost as good, and Phyllis Coates). Hatcher is the main reason I tuned in to every episode when it was on prime time ABC. She instilled a spunky yet vulnerable, competitive yet fun-filled spirit into her Lois Lane that made her the premiere viewing pleasure of the series - sorry, Supes. It doesn't hurt that she's also drop-dead gorgeous. Back in the mid-90s, Teri Hatcher's image was the most accessed on the Internet. And with that one very sexy picture of her as Lois wrapped up in Superman's cape (c'mon, you know the one I mean) gracing the Internet ether, who can blame the computer groupies for downloading en masse?

With the television budget not commensurate to that of a theatrical film, the special effects were "iffy" and kept to a minimum. To make up for that lack, other areas of the series were tightened up. I thought the scripts were witty and amusing and the acting, laudable. I've mentioned Hatcher but Dean Cain was also very good, very easy to like. He infused his Man of Steel with a more human quality, while bestowing a more masculine, down-to-earth look on his Clark. A special mention goes out to supporting actors Lane Smith (the Elvis-adoring, gruff yet caring Perry White), K Callan and Eddie Jones (the wise, loving Ma and Pa Kent) and John Shea (the suave, ever-scheming Lex Luthor). The storylines were nicely put together, if a bit infected with the soap opera syndrome. The show recalled to mind at times certain elements of the classic screwball comedies, mostly when Lois and Clark were at rivalrous play with each other. After all these years, the give and take between the two leads are still gold, the chemistry still palpable.

It might be inevitable "jump the shark" to have the love interests taking the next step but, personally, I couldn't wait for these two to be with each other. I mean - Geez, finally! I took particular pleasure in watching the season opener "We Have a Lot to Talk About" because, as I've mentioned earlier, this is where Lois finally lets on that she knows of Clark's dual identities (yes, she also found out in season two's "Tempus Fugitive" but then, she forgot). Anyways, after this episode, Lois and Clark's relationship goes to another level.

Other episodes of note (besides "We Have a Lot to Talk About") in season 3 are:

"Ordinary People" - Lois & Clark go on a tropical island vacation with a bet: Lois stays off journalism and Clark doesn't become Superman.

"Just Say Noah" - Lois & Clark go undercover as a married couple.

"Ultra Woman" - Lois gets Superman's powers.

"Tempus, Anyone?" - An alternate reality featuring a more cynical Superman.

"Oedipus Wrecks" - An amnesiac Lois Lane finally remembers!

"Through a Glass, Darkly" & "Big Girls Don't Fly" - two part season finale; New Krypton needs Superman. But what of Earth and Lois Lane?

Special Features include "Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman" documentary excerpts by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns on disc 3; "Lois & Clark: A History of Romance" feature and "The Man of Steel Trivia Challenge", hosted by Dean Cain on disc 6. Very disappointed that there aren't episode commentaries here.

Lastly, I would like to thank Desperate Housewives, whose popularity made possible the release of these Lois & Clark dvds.

I was only an occasional viewer of "Lois & Clark" until the third season got me completely hooked. If you are a die-hard Superman fan, you may enjoy this series, but keep in mind that the Superman persona takes a backseat to the "Lois and Clark" relationship. The show is a romantic comedy in every way, and the third season's focus is on Lois & Clark's struggles to make it as a couple as they deal with the reality that Clark is Superman.

While not a single episode of this 22-episode season should be missed, a few shows are particularly entertaining. In the extremely creative "Virtually Destroyed"--penned by Dean Cain himself--Lois and Clark find out what a deadly game virtual reality can really be. The next episode, "Home Is Where the Hurt Is," tugs at the heartstrings as Lois keeps vigil at the bedside of a gravely ill Superman. The season-ending "Big Girls Don't Fly" is yet another tear-jerker as Clark and Lois are faced with the decision of whether or not Clark should leave Earth to rule over New Krypton, a planet in trouble.

Finally, while some fans dislike the "Wedding Arc" that occurs in the second half of the season, these episodes do not fail to keep us on the edges of our seats. Besides, how boring would it be to see our favorite couple happy all the time? This lengthy separation makes their reunion all the more satisfying. It's also great to see the return of John Shea as Lex Luthor during this arc. Born to play this role, Shea creates a character that is so easy to love to hate.

Having grown up on the story of Superman, I find any addition to that story worthy of my attention...Lois & Clark was one of the best, I love this series and can't wait for the 4th season to be released on DVD.

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher make a wonderful team as Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Together they get into a much trouble as they get out of. In the 3rd Season, things get more intense between Lois & Clark as they try to get married, which for those of you who follow the comic book actually happened in the original story line. It's great to be able to watch them over and over again.

The question is popped and the secret is finally revealed in the third season of the ABC series. `Superman express' flies 22 episodes of the 1995-1996 season directly to your DVD player.

Because she had figured out that he was Superman just before he told her, Lois and Clark get into an argument in the season opener "We have a lot to talk about". The Kents try to comfort this couple with their own marital difficulties, but Lois and Clark instead decide to put marriage on hold--only for a while.

Ironically, being captured--and Clark lacking the opportunity to change into `Superman' provides the perfect opportunity for them to talk out mutual fears about marriage ("Don't tug on Superman's cape"). Both of them recognize that marriage is a very big step.

This Clark Kent thought that he was what ultimately has become known as `metrosexual' but learns that he is in fact threatened when his super powers inadvertently and temporarily get transferred over to Lois during a `red kryptonite' encounter a baddie had calculated wrong ("Ultra Woman"). While Lois learns what Clark endures as `Superman', Clark discovers that he feels disempowered without--well, `his' powers.

Lois and Clark confront a similar personal-public hurdle when a woman claims to have given birth to Superman's `love child'. Clark's adamant this the kid cannot possibly be his (we subsequently learn he is a virgin in "Virtually destroyed"), but eyebrows are raised when the kid apparently exhibits superpowers in front of them--much like a young Clark had growing up in Smallville.

Parenting is an important and consistently believable story arc throughout this season. Up until this point, the only recurring parents were the Kents. However interesting Jonathan and Martha are in their own rights, bringing in other people's parents undoubtedly enhanced the series.

Previously much discussed, Lois's parents finally make their appearance in "Home is where the hurt is". This episode is also where Superman gets his own personal physician--Dr. Sam Lane (Harve Presnell) is subsequently asked to help save Superman from an engineered Kyrptonian virus that has made Superman sick for the very first time in his life and will threaten to kill him unless removed from his body.

Ellen Lane (Beverly Garland) thinks that she's trying to help her daughter plan the perfect wedding. However, because they are both strong-willed and independent women, her `help' consequently balloons the wedding into the extravagant affair which Lois and Clark specifically did not want.

Lois wasn't the only Daily Planet staffer with a colorful family life. Jimmy Olsen's infamously absent dad (James Read) finally returns in "The dad who came in from the cold". He loved his son very much but the senior James Olsen frequently had to skip town frequently because of his `secret identity' being a spy is not compatible with being a constantly involved father. This revelation makes Clark think about the potentially conflicting challenges which would be posed from trying to be both a father and Superman. Even if he and Lois do have kids, will he actually be able to do everything well? Would that kid come away with irreparable damage or still turn out to be an upstanding citizen?

Finally, our favorite couple do get married...or so we think. After building up the suspense, we have to wade through a ghastly `clone' story arc which ---still, in my opinion--never added anything whatsoever to this series.

The real Lois Lane gets kidnapped by Tempus Fugit ("Tempus anyone?") escapes from her ordeal unscathed, but then conveniently gets a BAD case of amnesia as she is escaping from an altogether different kidnapping ("Double jeopardy") We don't get relief from this ridiculously divergent plot line (just how many times can an award winning investigative reporter hit her head in one season without blacking out?) until "Oedipus wrecks". I'm still convinced that something really bizarre happened to the usual writers and producers of this series because this section of episodes never quite seems up to par with other episodes from this season or overall series quality. Thank goodness for the `episode selection' button on my DVD remote!--and other episodes.

Having presumed that he was the only survivor from Krypton, Clark is then genuinely taken aback to meet travelers from "New Krypton" and learn of his arranged marriage to Zara (Justine Bateman---who will of course remain best known as `Mallory' from `Family Ties'). Zara is herself in love with body guard Ching (Jon Tenney) but she also wants Clark to recognize and uphold his Kryptonian heritage---and go through with their obligated duties to return with them---which he seemingly does in the season 3 cliff-hanger finale. Despite being raised as an earthling, Clark is admittedly curious about his own cultural customs. However, Lois needn't have worried because Clark's genetically Kryptonian heart always emotionally belongs to her.

Extras for this season include. "Lois & Clark: A history of romance", excerpts from the new Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns documentary about the world's quintessential `super' hero. Dean Cain continues to pitch in to this franchise--this time with the "Man of steel trivia challenge" where people can see how much information they REALLY know about one of the world's most beloved icons. A limited supply (and time-sensitive) ticket to this summer's "Superman Returns" movie is also included in this release (at least for now).

Even with unnecessary story arcs for this season, Lois and Clark continues being a `super' series.

The 3rd season wasn't as good as the 2nd in my opinion. Certain episodes were great, but what made it not as good was the whole cloned Lois/amnesia/Lex Luthor/destroyed wedding episodes. I thought they were never going to end. And just when I thought they finally did, there was another twist in the plot. But all of the other episodes were quite good (there were only about 5 bad ones that I will probably rarely watch again!). I love this series, though because it is funny and sweet. I hope that I don't have to wait too long for the 4th season - does anyone know when it comes out?

This is a great show, and the third season is no exception. In addition to the episodes themselves, the box set includes several interesting special features. I would definitely recommend this!