Scene begins with a smartwatch screen and a finger as it taps the screen and the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand as it taps an app on his phone as it opens a portal.)
(It cuts to James and the characters he’s played until it cut to his face and the credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun and the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces. The credits of “Paulo and Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca and Nick Yaun” are shown then slides away to different images of Doug Yaun and Crosslyn Castillo and the characters they’ve played, until it cuts to their faces.)
(After that, the credits “Doug Yaun and Crosslyn Castillo, Nick Lopez and Jessica Lopez-Barkl” are shown, as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, and Olivia Horvath. Following this, the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” are shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays.)
(Everything becomes a swirl of reds, whites, and blues, as the credits “Produced by First Choice Productions in association with Manic-Expression.com"; “Executive Producers: James Faraci, Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Olivia Horvath”; “Editing by Eric Kurtzke and James Faraci”; “Written and “Directed by James Faraci” are shown, as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays.)
(We then see an image of James as he jumps through the portal and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a black background. Finally, the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays.)
(The scene changes to the outside of James’ studio, where a gigantic metallic suit with a hammer walks away as James stands and watches.)
TLOTA:
Sorry, your onboard computer and GPS gave you the wrong directions; it happens. (Cut to the team as the gigantic metal suit, wielding a hammer, walks away.)
Jessica Lopez-Barkl:
So, what just happened?
TLOTA:
Typical events, A man in a metallic suit thought something was wrong here and immediately went on the attack, and just when I was about to do my thirteenth anniversary and another “American Icons.”(Cut to Guitar music like “American Idiot” plays as James Faraci and Paulo Fonseca on guitars, Andrew Beach on Bass Guitar, and Nick Lopez on the Drums and the set is like the set of “American Idiot” except the colors are Patriotically Red, White, and Blue)
James Faraci (Singing):
All year we’re cheering American Icons! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Twelve months of heroes of Cinema! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) From John Wayne to Rocky Balboa (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Oh, hell yeah, we’re talking about them all! (The tune continues) [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me that’s good enough! (Drums play and the music continues.) We’re going to show off the hard work! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Even if it makes me look like a real jerk. (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) Now everyone get ready to celebrate with us! (Guitars play the tune for three seconds.) And make sure you have a dose of common sense. (The tune continues) [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me that’s good enough! (Drums play and the music continues with a guitar solo.) All year we’re cheering American Icons! Twelve months of heroes of Cinema! Information about them will be a lot, you’re going to know whether you like or not [Chorus] Welcome to the two hundred and fiftieth, hoping we’ll see two fifty-one! And we can finally be Okay! Humans dream of a better tomorrow, knowing it won’t be hollow! For me that’s good enough! (Drums play and the music continues and concludes and the words “Americans Icons” are put up in different styles of text. The scene cuts to James in his office.)
TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and I can say that if I continue to do anything related to Zack Snyder, I’m going to be in worse mental shape than before. Besides, the recent success with DC Entertainment under James Gunn’s capable hands, it looks good. But that doesn't mean I’m not done with DC. This time, we’re going to the small screen, and in this go-around for “American Icons,” I’m talking about the American Heartland and Superman. (Cut to clips from the classic Superman series, with him in Smallville as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And it’s not hard to understand why. It’s those core values that Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster infused into the character that made Superman. Hard work equals rewards, education means you can make smart decisions in life, and faith will keep you safe from those with no morals who will do whatever it takes to destroy you. It’s the stuff that the DC movies under Zack Snyder just seemed to mock. (Cut to clips of the “Arrow-verse” as James does a voiceover.) [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
After a decade of success with the series “Smallville,” which told the tale of young Clark Kent and his journey to becoming Superman. The CW was in need of something to keep their momentum going. And thus, we were given the “Arrowverse.” Starting with “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” “Legends Of Tomorrow,” and other shows on the CW based on the DC properties. However, by the start of the eighth season of “Arrow,” it looked like its better days were starting to be behind it, which is why when they did their big crossover event “Crisis On Infinite Earths,” it was clear that they were doing everything to reboot the “Arrowverse,” going without “Arrow.” So, what to do? Look to something that has been known to gain a solid audience from the get-go. Enter Tyler Hoechlin, who donned the Superman Suit in the second season of “Supergirl.” His performance was so good that execs wanted him to be in both the “Elseworlds” and “Crisis On Infinite Earths” crossovers to test the waters. They also introduced Lois Lane, played by Bitsie Tulloch, to further test the waters. And by the time the show in question was ready to begin production, the “Arrowverse” was on its last legs. (Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA :
But was it good? (Cut to the opening title card of “Superman & Lois.” Cut to Clips of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Debuting in February 2021 and ending in December 2024, lasting four seasons. “Superman & Lois” had a great concept. What would it be like for Superman and Lois to have a family in the modern world, and then decide to take that family back to Smallville to raise them with the values he was raised with?
TLOTA:
Let’s not waste any time. This is “Superman & Lois"
TLOTA (V.O.):
Okay so our pilot opens with the usual, Krypton goes boom, Baby Kal-El lands in Smallville, Raised as Clark Kent, he discovers that he has powers, Jonathan dies of a Heart Attack and NOT by a Tornado, He discovers his past as a Kryptonian, Joins The Daily Planet, Meets Lois Lane, uses his abilities as Superman (And yes, that is the Fleischer Studios’ Suit in live action form before going into his own Superman suit), Clark tells Lois that he is Superman, the two marry and have twin boys?! [Beat] (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Oh, the current comics have Clark and Lois be loving parents as well as married and working at the Planet, while Clark is still Superman and struggles with fatherhood and saving the world from the likes of Lex Luthor and the rest of his rogues' gallery. (Cut to clips from “Superman & Lois” as James delivers a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And in this series, Clark and Lois are still working at the Daily Planet while Clark continues his work as “Superman” and is trying his best to balance that with being there for Jonathan, played in the first two seasons by Jordan Elsass and by Michael Bishop in the last two seasons, and Jonathan’s twin brother Jordan, played by Alex Garfin. However, Clark is fired from the Daily Planet by the paper's new owner, Morgan Edge, played by Adam Rayne. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
While he is working with Lois’ father, General Sam Lane, played by Dylan Walsh, as a member of the Department of Defense, Superman comes face to face with a man in a super suit and a hammer. But there is another moment that defines this pilot as Ma... Kent joins her husband on the other side. After burying his mom, Lois, Clark, Jonathan, and Jordan discuss the next step. Complicating things is Lana Lang, played by Emmanuelle Chriqui, and her family, who just so happen to include her husband Kyle, played by Erik Valdez, and their two girls, one of whom catches Jordan’s eye. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
As our pilot continues, Jonathan and Jordan discover A) the ship that brought Kal-El, aka Jonathan and Jordan’s dad, to earth, and B) their dad is Superman. On top of that, Clark, Lois, and Lana begin investigating what Morgan Edge has in store for Smallville. By the end of the pilot episode, we discover that the Kent Family decided to move to Smallville. Jordan has powers like his father that are coming in on top of the issues the poor boy has with his mental health, and that the man inside the super suit is called “Captain Luthor” wait... (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Lex Luthor isn’t a mad scientist or a criminal mastermind out to control the world through real estate, or a bastard billionaire trying to take over the world by becoming the owner of every business, or becoming the president? Yeah, there was a bit of a problem with the season. (Cut to season one of “Superman and Lois as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
So, the series is “Arrowverse” Adjacent because they mentioned the “Crisis” and actor David Ramsey does return as John Diggle, by the end of the second season, the series is set in its own reality, though from some research, there were crossovers planned, but real-world issues put the kibosh on that! (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Which explains... Quite a bit, actually! (Cut to season one of “Superman and Lois as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
As the season progresses, we discover that “Captain Luthor” is the sole survivor of a world where Superman went evil and then slaughtered everyone in his squad, Lois after embarrassing her sons at a town meeting where Kyle agrees to something for Smallville involving Morgan Edge and I love Jonathan and Jordan’s faces when their mom does what they did NOT to, Clark trying to train Jordan on his powers while Jordan joins the School’s football team and trying to get through life as Lois then quits the Daily Planet to be a part of the Smallville Gazette with Chrissie Beppo, local events such as The Harvest Festival, something called "X-Kryptonite" which gives humans superhuman powers and while it looks like the Cushing family is starting to become unglued and The Kents are adapting to life in Smallville. [Beat]
TLOTA(V.O.):
And that was just the first half of the season. We soon discover in the second half of the season that Morgan Edge is the son of Laura Lor-Van-El and Zeta-Rho and is named Tal-Rho, making the guy Clark’s Half Brother and plans on using the X-Kryptonite to put Kryptonian souls into human bodies, “Captain Luthor” is in fact John Henry Irons AKA STEEL, played by Wole Parks and after discovering that the Lois Lane in his world married him and had a daughter, they created the suit using an AI that recognized John as “Captain Luthor” because on John’s earth, Lex Luthor was a Captain that worked with John. Also, Lois is in therapy for a daughter who had a miscarriage, which is why she’s protective of her children. But the first season ends with many resolutions. After getting blamed for what happened, Lana and Kyle are given a chance to be redeemed and stay in Smallville, Tal-Rho is imprisoned, Sam steps down from active duty at the DOD, John realizing that the Superman he fought isn’t the same one Clark is and helping rescue Superman from being possessed by Zod and Superman helping Jordan from being possessed by Tal’s father, it looks like things. Clark putting the shattered crystal that had Jor-El in it and burying it and John getting ready to move on. That is until... (Show the clip of Natalie arriving on the “Superman & Lois” earth and calling Lois “Mom.” Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
Natalie survived and called Lois her mom! Yeah, I saw that coming. (Cut to Season 2 of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA(V.O.):
Jumping into Season 2 we discover that Sam’s successor at the DOD doesn’t like that Superman puts the world above the United States and has instituted those who kept their powers from the X-Kryptonite and speaking of that stuff, it is now being sold as an illicit drug that Jonathan is caught holding and before then, he was using the stuff momentarily, meanwhile Lana Lang and her family is falling apart at the seams as Kyle is trying to help make Lana the next Mayor of the town even though she helped one guy try to be the next Mayor and both were as corrupt. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
Though one moment had us take a back as Clark tells the boys about the birds and the bees, Natalie not handling what has been happening not too well though she and John are welcomed to stay with the Kents until she can acclimate to this world and the second season opener ends with well (show the clip of an incredibly large fist pounding through the wall of a mine. Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
So I guess we’re jumping the Doomsday gun? (Cut to Season 2 of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O):
As the season progresses, we soon discover that Clark and Jordan are having massive headaches as part of a plan by someone named Ally to merge two worlds that can’t survive the combination, and that the thing we saw punching its way into our world is, in fact, Bizarro. Episode Six, which was directed by Amy Jo Johnson, takes place after Sarah's Quinceañera, when Lana gives Kyle the heave-ho, and, as that’s going on, Bizarro tells Superman that if Ally were to get two halves of a pendant, we’re all sorts of screwed. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
However, Sam’s successor thinks Superman is dangerous and arrests Superman, putting him next to his half-brother. We also get an episode in which we get backstory as to how Bizarro became Bizarro, and Clark learns from it to be a better husband and father to his family, and eventually tells Lana the Kent Family secret. Later in the season, Ally can merge with her doppelganger from the other dimension and the two with the pendant takes the powers out of Superman and it looks like this is the end of it all, while Superman is doing as much as he can, one big dose from the sun is enough to... well... (Show clip of Superman being able to permanently separate the different earths. Show the rest of the season two finale as James does a voiceover.) [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
So after that WHOLLY SHIT moment, Ally and her other half are imprisoned, never to be together again, Tal-Rho goes to the inverse Earth where he can be himself, and Clark creates a second Fortress in the middle of the ocean. Can’t wait to see how the Coast Guard is going to respond to that! (Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
And, as previously mentioned, after this season’s finale, Jordan Elsass left the role of Jonathan and was replaced by Michael Bishop for the rest of the series' run. So let’s pick up with Season 3 (Cut to Season 3 of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
This season picks up about a month after the end of season two, as Lois is experiencing symptoms that might be considered pregnancy. After a year away from the DOD, Sam returns and recruits John, in hopes of also recruiting Natalie. However, a lot more happens this season, including the introduction of Bruno Mannheim. As for the symptoms, Lois, well, it’s not pregnancy, I’ll just let this clip play out. (Show the clip of “The Room” as Claudette says “I've got the results of the test back; I definitely have Breast Cancer.” Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
I just had to use that clip! I just had to! (Cut to Season 3 of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
We also get some fallout from the previous season as Jonathan’s girlfriend’s father tries to flex his muscle as he hits Jonathan and pulls a gun out on Lois, who is still fighting cancer, which pushes Clark Kent, NOT Superman, to this moment! (Show the clip of Clark confronting Emmett and scaring him out of town.) [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
Yeah, I’d be halfway to Aruba by this point. Meanwhile, we discover that one of Lois’ fellow cancer treatment patient friends is Bruno’s wife, who has superpowers through her exposure to X-Kryptonite, which is also how she got the cancer. While eventually Lois’ cancer does go into remission, Bruno’s wife is not as lucky. Even worse, all the evidence against Bruno will allow Lex Luthor to be released from jail. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
So the question is; “Do we allow Lex to be released or do we allow Bruno to be out and causing chaos?” As that goes on, Kyle also discovers the Kent family secret. Speaking of what is happening with Kyle and Lana Lang and their family, well, Kyle and Lana finalize their divorce; Lana becomes the mayor of Smallville; Jordan and Sarah seem to be hitting hard times; and Kyle is given Jonathan to take on as a Firefighter under Kyle’s command. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
Eventually Kyle and Chrissy hook up, and Lois publishes the paper after Mannheim’s wife dies and of course the REAL Lex Luthor, played by Michael Cudlitz, comes to Smallville ready to make Lois’ and the Kent’s lives a living nightmare as not only does Lex subtlety threatens the family, he begins a plan that takes the corpse of the Bizarro Superman from the end of the last season but shove it with enough power and torment to turn it into Doomsday! OH, so it’s the end of THIS season we get Doomsday. At least Lex didn’t put his DNA into it! But we do get a battle better than the one in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and it ends in a cliffhanger for the end of season three. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And now, the big problem with this series: while the ratings were good, they were pitiful after the first season. Also happening, James Gunn! He wanted to bring Superman back to the big screen, and the first thing he needed to do was to end any other live-action Superman series; even though the series had a seven-season plan, they now had to cram every idea they had into one season. (Cut to the door as Lex Luthor, played by Joe Colon)
Lex Luthor:
I can tell you what really should’ve happened in the final season... (Cut to James’s face as it zooms closer and closer as the voice of Lex Luthor becomes repeating echoes of racist and sexist slurs and what he thought SHOULD’VE happened in the final season and “How I’m Rich and therefore infallible to the laws of man and god.” Cut to James as he stands up in furious anger)
TLOTA:
SHUT THE FLYING FUCK UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU COCK SUCKING ASSFUCKER! GOD FUCKING DAMN YOUR ASS! YOU THINK THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE MONEY THAN EVERYONE IN OUR INDUSTRY FUCKING COMBINED YOU ARE INFALLIBLE, WELL GUESS WHAT DICK SHITTER YOU AIN’T! I CAN’T STAND ASSHOLES LIKE YOU THINKING THAT “OH I HAVE MONEY THAT MAKES ME GOD!” IT MAKES YOU SHIT! I AM TIRED OF HAVING TO SEE YOU COME UP ON TOP WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AS BROKEN AND BEATEN DOWN AS I AM! I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU EXISTING! I WANT YOU DEAD! I WANT YOUR FAMILY DEAD! I WANT TO BURN YOUR EMPIRE TO THE FUCKING GROUND, AND I WANT TO PISS ON THE ASHES AND SHIT ON YOUR NECROMANTICALLY VIOLATED CORPSE!
(James is foaming at the mouth. Cut to Lex Luthor starts to walk backward before tripping and running for his life out the door! Cut to The Final Season of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
So as the battle between Doomsday and Superman continues, Lex holds Lois’ dad hostage, and Jordan rescues him from Lex’s Minions. And since the Comics have always had Superman lose in the end of the battle, Doomsday gives Lex Superman’s heart. While Jonathan and Jordan try to rescue the heart, it ultimately fails as Lex destroys it in front of an incapacitated Jordan as the hologram shows the Kents a holograph of Clark telling his family that they’re going to have to learn how to adapt without him, and it lasts most of the third episode as Sam takes the last of the formula that was in Season Three, face off with Doomsday and dies. But what Sam did was allow Clark to live as the formula allows Sam’s heart to be transplanted into Clark, but the side effects are that he is now more human and that his powers will diminish in time. On the plus side, Jonathan’s real powers finally activate. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
And on top of that, Luthor just continues to haunt the Kents and Smallville. It does lead to a great moment in which Clark and Lex fight. But knowing it will lead to one of the show's only missteps, Clark is forced to reveal to the public that he is Superman. However, the fact that Lex takes John’s suit and reprograms it into his war suit is something that puts people in the mood to do to Lex what you said, without foaming at the mouth. Things led up to the finale: “It went by so fast.” Lois convinces Clark to fight alongside him against Lex, and John, though injured, helps Clark take down Doomsday once and for all; Doomsday then sacrifices himself. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
And Luthor, being the whiny little bastard, is trying to block the truth about him being evil. While John and the DOD finally arrest Luthor’s men, Lois goads Lex on just enough to distract him as Superman hits Lex with a whopper of an “I AM A MAN!” punch that demolished the Richter scale! With Lex defeated, we then jump a year later, as Lois officiates the wedding between Lana Lang and John Henry Irons. As for Lex, let’s just say he is NEVER getting out of jail ever again, and Bruno Mannheim has plans for Lex. Yeah, Lex is Bruno’s bitch! We then find that in the years since, Clark continues to be Superman while rebuilding John’s suit and bringing his kids into the family business. We then see Clark and Lois enjoying life together, the boys growing up to become parents, and sadly, the cancer Lois thought she had conquered returns and ultimately takes her life. [Beat]
TLOTA (V.O.):
And as we see Clark try to live without Lois by adopting a Golden Retriever and naming it Krypto, eventually Sam’s heart gives out after 32 years since getting it and the series ends with Clark going to the afterlife to be with Lois forever. (Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
And to be honest, it is just as great a finale a series can get. (Cut to Clips of “Superman & Lois” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
So that was “Superman & Lois” and even though it didn’t last long, but it was so memorable as a closing act for not only the “Arrowverse” and its adjacent universe series, but for all intent and purpose The CW. But it was such a great series that was cut off by James Gunn, but I wholly understand. I enjoyed the show a lot. The Family drama, the moments where Clark Kent was given time to shine as much as his alter ego, we got time to see the kids be somewhat normal, as normal as anyone can be, being the sons of the Man of Steel. And what makes this series truly great is that it doesn’t succumb to many of the tropes of a superhero series. I am also glad that there was minor interference from either the network or the source of the material. If you haven’t seen it, then you can check it out on physical media and digitally, streaming for now on the HBO MAX App. Check it out to see a truly amazing and more real “Man Of Steel” than the guy who did it on the big screen at the time.(Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
So now we’re halfway through the....(James looks at his watch) DAMN! I’M GOING TO BE LATE! (James runs out of his office)
TLOTA:
Guys, I have a trip to take for the next “American Icons”, and it’s set to be done in Philadelphia.
Nick Lopez:
Why there?
TLOTA:
It’s set to be released on the Fourth of July! I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and that’s my opinion!
