Had a lot to do around the house yesterday, so I couldn't start watching until the wee hours of this morning. Anyhow, here are my brief thoughts on the season opener. Really good casting for the most part. You know how people say it takes a certain type of actor to wear the suit and not look silly in it? Well, I think that applies to the Superman character in general if that makes any sense. As a performer, you can't just dive into his altruistic sensibilities w/ reckless abandon; there's a certain finesse that's called for. If you get that right, it not only ups the earnestness and likeability factor but also lightly ameliorates the "cheese" factor without downright nullifying it. Because unless you're taking the deconstructionist approach, you really don't want to do that with this character. For Superman, a little cheese is generally a good thing! And, fortunately for us, Tyler seems more than capable in that regard.
Bitsie has a similar, albeit subtly different task in conveying Lois's no-nonsense drive, but also her warmth and accessibility; and so far, she hasn't disappointed. It's not at all hard to see why the showrunners went with her for the part. And I keep saying this, but she has such a great dynamic with Tyler. I suppose it helps that they seem to have just as much chemistry off-screen. Hopefully, we'll get more flashbacks to the early days of their relationship, as the "first meeting" scene was a personal highlight in an episode full of them. (That beautiful homage to Action Comics #1 being another!) And do Tyler and Bitsie look like they stepped right off the page or what??
Moving on to the super sons, Elsass and Garfin are both more than serviceable in their respective roles. The angsty approach to Jordan could stand to be toned down a notch, but he is a teen after all. Hence, some of those dramatics are to be expected. Either way, I'm fine with it.
Chriqui's Lana didn't impress all that much if I'm being honest. Valdez, on the other hand, was rather convincing in his portrayal of a small-town family man whose contempt for liberal politics and college-educated urbanites perhaps blinds him to the threat a man like Tru... ahem, Morgan Edge poses to Smallville. There's likely to be a good bit of struggling with him, ethically speaking, over the course of the series, I'd imagine.
Plotwise, there isn't a whole lot to sink your teeth into at the moment, but here's hoping that changes with future episodes. Another wish would be for Superman's rogues' gallery to prove a little more complex than your typical moustache-twirling villains. Lex, in particular, needs to be utilized better than he was here.
All in all, the show's off to a good start. Bring on Episode Two!
