‘It’s going to turn people’s world upside down’

Spoiler alert: we’re about to break down season 4, episode 7 of Superman and Lois. Didn’t watch? You have been warned.

Yes, Superman and Lois I really just did that.

Monday’s episode, the seventh of ten in the final season of The CW drama, ended with the Man of Steel doing something we’ve never seen him do on screen. During a live news broadcast with the entire world watching, Clark Kent revealed that he – wait for it – Superman. Crazy, right? But as he explained, “You’d be surprised what glasses do.”

“I got a little teary when I first read it,” Erik Valdez (Kyle) tells TVLine of the breathtaking moment. “I was very emotional and I felt honored to be part of such a profound moment in such a great story – not just on our show, but with the Superman property as a whole. It was really cool to be on set at that moment, knowing that (if it airs) it’s going to rock people’s worlds.”

What prompted Clark to let Streaky the Supercat out of the bag? His crisis of conscience was partly the result of some long-awaited introspection, as he finally examined the unintended consequences of his secret. As he explained in his TV interview, “I’ve made good people doubt themselves,” expressing his regret at having deceived some of those close to him.

Flashbacks to Clark’s time at The Daily Planet revealed that lying is exactly what destroyed his friendship with Jimmy Olsen (played by Douglas Smith, brother of Gregory Smith, who directed this episode). Fortunately, the emotional hour ended with Jimmy and “CK” mending fences in present-day Smallville.

But the real catalyst for Clark’s decision came from a tense moment in the restaurant. Candice’s loser dad fired his guns and interrupted an otherwise lovely double date between Kyle, Chrissy and the Kents. He started shouting some nonsense about the mild-mannered Smallvillian Clark Kent who was Superman (let’s say whaaaat?), then pulled out a gun and threatened to prove it.

Despite knowing Clark could take a few bullets, Kyle still stood up to protect his friend, but the future mother of his child wasn’t about to let that happen. “Did you see how quickly Chrissy pulled Kyle back?” says Valdez. “She says, ‘Whoa, whoa, there’s a kid coming!'”

What followed was a beautiful slow-motion scene in which Clark, without saying a single word, weighed the consequences of potentially revealing himself. He landed on ‘reveal’ and quickly donned his Superman suit in front of a room full of lame diners.

“The way that moment was captured was just incredible,” Valdez adds, offering a tip of his hat to Smith’s inspired direction. “The way Greg chose to direct that whole thing, what an amazing moment.”

It’s also worth noting that Clark gave his exclusive interview to one of his former associates Daily planet colleagues, Jimmy’s sister Kelly – sorry, fix that Janet – Olsen. It is sometimes difficult to keep this earth straight.

Did you ever think you’d see the Man of Steel reveal his true identity to the world? And what do you think? Superman and Lois dealt with this historic event? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the groundbreaking hour.