It’s hard to see a parent in those conditions, and while I understand Lana not wanting to help him, telling Sarah he’s not her responsibility is a bit harsh. Kyle – who broke Lana’s trust, to keep the theme alive – has put himself in this position, as Lana reminds her, but Sarah feels responsible for her father, particularly now that he has no one in his life. Her mother is on the verge of an election victory (you didn’t think they’d let Mayor Patriarchy beat her, did you?), but her father is living alone in a studio apartment with no furniture and a dirty mattress lying directly on the floor. Speaking of the Cushings, Sarah finds herself in the unenviable position of a child of (probable) divorce, torn between two parents she feels need her. I know he has his reasons, and he’s right in not trusting a flighty high school girl with a secret like that, but right or wrong, this is the consequence of distrust. (Even Candice gets on the trust train, trusting Lois and Sam – and, really, trusting Jon by trusting them – with all she knows about the suppliers.) The one person who gets hurt is Jordan, and it’s because he doesn’t trust Sarah with the truth about his powers. She also trusts Jon to lead them to the supplier, which, in turn, allows Jon to trust them with the identity of his dealer when they promise him Sam will protect Candice. And then, when they’re captured and facing death, she asks for Jordan’s help, trusting her son to take care of himself as he saves them. Lois is predictably angry when she learns that Jordan saved Kyle from a fire, but when they can’t locate the drug suppliers, he convinces Lois to let Jordan use his super-hearing to help them. The solution is to rely on each other – or, in keeping with the season’s theme, to trust each other. Suddenly, none of them have Clark around to center them (or, in Jon’s case, glare at him and tell him he sucks), and they’re forced to confront their issues head-on with no Superman to catch them if they fall. Lois has been struggling with seeing her kids grow up, Jonathan has been suffering through the fallout of his drug abuse, and Jordan has been honing his powers and preparing to be a hero. This is so easy to establish because these are natural evolutions of the arcs they’ve been having all season. As for the twins, Jon worries that he’ll never be able to reconcile with his father, and Jordan feels the responsibility to use his powers to save the people Superman no longer can. Lois is forced to put on a brave face for the boys as fear tears her apart. The rest of “30 Days and 30 Nights” shows the Kent/Lane family after living a month without Superman or Clark Kent. It’s a quick moment, but it embodies both the world’s greatest superhero and the man who makes him so. Superman will do what’s right no matter the cost to himself, and he’ll do the impossible to save the world. So, Superman does what anyone who’s even slightly familiar with the character knows he’ll do he flies right into the portal and, through the pain and deterioration it causes him, emerges on the other side. When Superman shows up, it’s too late to stop her, and the cult member waiting in the mine tells him that even he, with his immense power, won’t be able to survive traversing the portal without similar protective gear. Once Alston’s acolytes get her out of DOD confinement, she uses the restored suit Bizarro wore and goes through the portal. While Superman is barely in “30 Days and 30 Nights” – a title which refers to the length of his absence – his single scene is great and character-defining (or character-re-affirming, perhaps) in its simplicity. Natalie feels the weight of her mother’s death. Lana’s campaign enters its last push on Election Day, but Sarah is more concerned with her dad. Lois and Sam investigate the local X-Kryptonite trade. Jon finds that Smallville’s parents aren’t pleased with him costing them the high school football season. Jordan begins using his powers to help others. Lucy’s ruse helps Ally Alston return to the portal, and once she’s crossed over, Superman follows her. This isn’t a perfect episode – Lois is becoming unbearable – but I enjoy seeing the show stretch its premise a bit beyond Superman, especially since it mostly succeeds. “30 Days and 30 Nights” is the episode without a Superman, and that it works so well affirms the strength of Superman & Lois’ supporting cast – especially Jon and Jordan, the Kent twins who are becoming almost as compelling as their legendary father.
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