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 series.

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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)

On to Season Two now, and in Tempus Fugitive a criminal from the future steals a time machine (created by famed author H. G. Wells), and journeys back to the past in an attempt 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 man threatens to expose Clark’s secret identity unless he agrees to perform one small favour – kill Lois Lane.

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Tempus, Anyone? (Season Three – Episode Fourteen)

Onto Season Three now and Tempus returns in an episode largely set in an alternate universe. In this world, Charlton Heston is the President, and Clark Kent is yet to become 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 convincing.

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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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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 once again, only this time 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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Recap

To recap, the best episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman are:

• Pilot (Season One – Episodes One & Two)
• The Green, Green Glow of Home (Season One – Episode Nine)
• Barbarians at the Planet/The House of Luthor (Season One – Episodes Twenty-One & Twenty-Two)
• Tempus Fugitive (Season Two – Episode Eighteen)
• And the Answer is… (Season Two – Episode Twenty-Two)
• Tempus, Anyone? (Season Three – Episode Fourteen)
• Lord of the Flys/Battleground Earth (Season Four – Episodes One & Two)
• Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark (Season Four – Episode Eight)
• Meet John Doe/Lois and Clarks (Season Four – Episodes Fourteen & Fifteen)

If you would like to explore more episodes beyond the ones highlighted above, then I also recommend you check out the following:

• The Man of Steel Bars (Season One – Episode Ten)
• All Shook Up (Season One – Episode Thirteen)
• The Phoenix (Season Two – Episode Thirteen)
• We Have a Lot to Talk About (Season Three – Episode One)
• Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape (Season Three – Episode Six)
• Ultra Woman (Season Three – Episode Seven)
• Twas the Night Before Mxymas (Season Four – Episode Eleven)

While these additional episodes don’t quite make the cut as ‘the best’ episodes of Lois & Clark, they are also fantastic stories, well worth anyone’s time.

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Thank you for stopping by I’ll Get Drive-Thru to read this post about the best episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. For more DC-related content, be sure to take a look around this blog and don’t forget to check out the recommended reads below.

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