Posted in: CW, Max, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: opinion, preview, season 4, superman & lois, the cw

Superman & Lois: We're Not Sure The CW Deserves Season 4 Victory Lap

Tyler Hoechlin & Elizabeth Tulloch's Superman & Lois will be back for a fourth season - but does The CW REALLY deserve a victory lap for it?

"We made it happen." Those were the words expressed by Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment for The CW, last week while explaining to The Wrap why Superman & Lois (as well as All American, All American: Homecoming, and Walker) were brought back for new seasons. And from what Schwartz had to share, it sounded like it should've been a no-brainer. Tagged as one of the network's biggest performers, the small-screen Man of Steel is a top earner when it comes to total linear audience, scores well as a digital performer (based on how the series performs on The CW app), and often appeared on HBO Max/Max's Top 10 shows rankings. Plus, the shows do well for The CW's minority shareholders, Warner Bros. and CBS Corporation – with Superman & Lois scoring a nice deal with Max. In fact, Schwartz noted that the companies know "what they make on them [the shows] internationally, know what they make from their Netflix and HBO sales" – a nice way of saying that the show does nicely for the companies from a financial standpoint. But with all of the fanfare and self-congratulating going on compared to the realities of the fourth season deal, does Schwartz & The CW really have a reason to be taking a victory lap?

First off, let me start by saying that we're glad to have a fourth season that at least has Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Michael Bishop, Alex Garfin, and Michael Cudlitz returning as series regulars – along with showrunner Todd Helbing. But with that said – and keeping in mind what Schwartz had to share about the decision & why it was so advantageous for all parties involved – is a new season coming at too high of a cost? Along with a season order that was reduced to 13 episodes, the new season also sees Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck, and Sofia Hasmik not returning. Granted, there's always the possibility of some returning as recurring or guest stars, but it looks like the lineup of series regulars will be reduced significantly. And with the new deal built with an emphasis on maximizing profits over budgets costs, we can't help but wonder if the days of huge effects-filled action are inching closer to being over (we're assuming that those Doomsday fights in the Season 3 finale don't come cheap). So, at the end of the day, Schwartz, The CW, Warner Bros. & CBS Corporation can claim to be the heroes who saved "Superman & Lois" – we just have to wait to see if they stuck the sweet three-point landing or not. Right now? We're cautiously optimistic…

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