Many classic Superman storylines and characters have been reinterpreted by Superman and Lois. However, one key character has been notable for his absence since the beginning. That’s changed with the episode “A Regular Guy,” which answers the question many have asked: Where is Jimmy Olsen?
“A Regular Guy” found Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) trying to defuse rumors in Smallville that he was Superman. Many people witnessed the Kent family’s reaction to Superman’s defeat at the hand of Doomsday earlier in Superman and Lois Season 4. They concluded that it hit them harder than most because Clark Kent was Superman.
While most were willing to keep the secret, some became increasingly hostile about Clark and his sons’ apparent dishonesty. Clark agreed this was uncomfortable, but thought the secret was essential to giving his family some semblance of a normal life. This story echoed a flashback, which offered the first glimpse of Jimmy Olsen in Superman and Lois.
Jimmy Olsen (Douglas Smith) tried to reach out to Clark when they worked at The Daily Planet, pushing him to join the company softball team. Clark was reluctant, fearful that competing in any kind of sport might draw attention or risk hurting others. However, he relented after Lois Lane persuaded him it would be good for him to make friends and have fun outside of work.
Ironically, this would lead to Jimmy Olsen discovering that Clark Kent was Superman, but not because he was a great player. Jimmy noticed that Clark’s sudden absence from games corresponded to Superman responding to various disasters. Clark denied everything when Jimmy confronted him with what he had discovered. This drove a wedge between them, as Clark felt his secret was more important than their friendship.
Why Jimmy Olsen’s absence is so important
The Clark Kent depicted in Superman and Lois is perhaps the most lonely interpretation of the character in any live-action adaptation. He has no real friends outside of his work and what spare time he has is devoted to helping others. This is ironic for a character who has long been defined as a friend of the friendless. Indeed, that is how he introduced himself when asked who he was before adopting the Superman name, “A friend.”
Jimmy Olsen serves an important function in Superman media beyond giving him someone to save. He humanizes Superman, giving him someone he can talk to when the weight of the world is too much even for his shoulders. Paradoxically, Superman and Lois have made it clear just how essential Jimmy Olsen is to Superman by removing him from the Man of Steel’s life.
“A Regular Guy” ends on an upbeat note, despite the drama built around Superman revealing his secret identity to the world. This revelation comes after he realizes his secret is starting to do more harm than good. The episode ends with Jimmy Olsen meeting Clark for breakfast at the diner in Smallville. Clark apologizes, Jimmy forgives him, and the two begin to catch up, pals once again as they should be.
Superman and Lois Season 4 airs at 8 p.m. ET on The CW and streams the next day,
