My parents and I have been getting back into Superman and Lois after only seeing the first season as it was coming out, and my mom asked me why I think it doesn't bother me so much when the characters are making objectively rash or illogical decisions/accusations, suggesting maybe it was because I was already so bought into the DC fandom in general that it didn't bother me.
At the time I didn't have an answer for her other than knowing that wasn't the reason, since it definitely does annoy and frustrate me, but I've been thinking about it. Bc yeah, I'm still enjoying the show a lot and am getting more and more into the show, while the last three shows I tried getting into with them, my dad and I both tapped out bc we were cringing too much at the characters choices. So what was different with Superman and Lois?
And I think the answer is Clark.
Not only because there is truth to my mom pointing out how much I love a well-written Superman (and Tyler being my favorite on-screen version of the character), but also bc Clark's usually the member of the main cast making the "best" choices: compartmentalizing in a crisis, prioritizing safety over ego or temporary emotions but also treating emotional health as important and worth occasionally taking careful risks for. He balances the paranoia and coldness of characters like early General Lane by knowing when to put his family and friends first, but he also can put aside the personal when needed, whether that's putting aside a grudge to team up with a former antagonist or being the voice of reason when Lois or one of the boys are making a dangerous or hurtful choice/behavior bc they're caught up in an emotional response.
And when this Clark does mess up, it's usually pretty justified and he still recognizes and apologizes for it without making excuses. And then he actually does better in the future bc he learns from his mistakes, which is so refreshing to see.
The other shows I was struggling to get into, the protagonist was either the problem or just as bad as the other characters with making decisions with easily foreseeable negative consequences for potential little reward, not learning from those mistakes and repeating them, and then acting like the very foreseeable consequences were totally unpredictable and not at all their fault. This makes it really, really hard to get invested in these characters and their shows bc I'm torn between second hand embarrassment and wanting to shout "I told you so" at the screen.
But i CAN root for Superman and Lois's Clark Kent. And the characters who are making choices that feel obviously unwise to me (an adult with adult regulation skills) are usually the teenage characters who are acting in completely age-appropriate ways for teenagers. The teenagers are written exactly like children of their age, with all the short-sightesness, emotional regulation issues, and black-and-white morality that goes with it. And these conflicts and character flaws make the story better bc the writers give them the respect they deserve. Yeah, a teenager is going to think that his first love is going to last forever, and yeah, his adult parents are going to know that's unlikely and immature, and yeah, that doesn't make it any less meaningful to him at that moment. The writers get teenagers and the way that everything is bigger to them bc of their life stage in a way that few shows tend to understand and fully explore, especially among shows not written solely for teens.
