REVIEW: ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Episode 6 — “My Adventures with Mad Science”

The conflict between Clark, Lois, and Jimmy was never going to last long. Despite knowing as much, the series doesn’t lose its tension in My Adventures with Superman Episode 6 as the three must work through the struggles they’ve been having as friends. Aided by Lois and Clark needing to get over their individual baggage in order to go save a missing Jimmy, the episode sets the three back on the right path as they share truths and admit hurts all the while learning more of the peculiarities of their world in “My Adventures with Mad Science”.

For the majority of the episode, the narrative is split in two. We get Lois and Clark as they search for Jimmy and divulge personal insights. The other story involves Jimmy who has been taken by The Brain, a robot with a human conscience, and Monsieur Mallah, a talking gorilla. The duo he’s been abducted by have lived on this compound for over twenty years, following an invasion by Task Force X which led to their current isolation, as they worked in secrecy to build a black hole device that would be able to transport them to different worlds as they sought one that would accept them and their love for what it is.

Jimmy’s portion of the story allows us to explore the intricacies of this world and get greater background on groups (Task Force X) that are likely to become greater adversaries to Clark while also offering a hilarious bait and switch. Because Jimmy isn’t afraid during his capture. He’s thrilled and it’s a hilarious and on-brand twist. More than anything, he’s too happy to have been proven right to be bothered. He might not be facing off with Bigfoot as had been his dream, but he’s being interrogated by a talking gorilla, which is just neat.

Monsieur Mallah and the Brain are yet more elements that hint at the rest of the DC universe while keeping it contained to this version and timeline of events. This isn’t the duo who are supervillains who work with Gorilla Grodd but younger iterations on the verge of becoming something more sinister with the tests they’d been brewing up until the trio’s arrival at the compound.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark are given more to do in terms of digging deeper into their characterization. From Lois sharing that she was taught survival skills when she was young, skills that are crucial in locating Jimmy, to the realization that Clark is somehow affected by the tech — further hinting that he might be more connected to it than he realizes — there’s plenty of context brought to the table. Still, the most potent moments are the ones in which they bounce off of one another.

She’s still angry with him for his secrecy, while he makes concerted efforts to assure her that none of those secrets were because of him not trusting her. Nothing about her inquiries is simply self-serving and it’s demonstrative of her strong character that she isn’t just wondering about herself — especially as the two haven’t known each other very long. She asks about Jimmy too, wanting to know why he didn’t even ever tell his best friend.

Another revealing moment comes after Clark’s angry rebuttal. He’s told her more than he’s told anyone, ever, so how much more could she possibly want? It’s a good reminder that despite this version of Clark who is kind and good to his core still refuses to be a pushover. He has understandable concerns about people finding out the truth no matter how deeply he trusts them. But she harbors insecurity too and is worried that part of him keeping his secret has manifested in him lying about his feelings for her.

Of course, he’s able to discredit those fears but it’s this moment as well as one where he steps in front of her as bullets are fired at them that further reveal their true character. He’s selfless, telling her that while he didn’t know if he was bulletproof or not, he knew for sure she wasn’t and potential self-sacrifice was the only answer. But she’s able to see that sacrifice as the scary personality trait it is. Both are strong and both require the other to make them even more so.

All of this comes to a head when they find Jimmy. Clark is about to tell him the truth but Jimmy beats him to it, saying he’s known for ages that Clark has superpowers so put two and two together when Superman started showing up on the scene. Jimmy just wants to know why Clark would cut him out of a huge part of his life, as the three run from more alien tech as they gain the answers they’ve needed. Clark was worried, he tells them, that they wouldn’t see him as the same person he was before, all going back to the first episodes where he just wanted to feel normal. Jimmy assures him though that it’s not about what Clark is, but who he is.

It’s a message that permeates throughout the series as Clark looks for answers about his powers while understanding that by having them he’s able to help people. He can figure it all out as he goes and still manage to save lives. That is the greatest indicator of who he is being larger than what because with his powers his first instincts are to help.

My Adventures with Superman Episode 6 set the stage for the back half of the season as greater threats — such as Ivo working with The General from Episode 5 — continue to multiply as Clark and co. seek out answers to the ongoing criminal activity in their city. With Lois and Jimmy now in the know, however, Clark and the show are on stronger footing as the three work together without the secrecy that tends to infiltrate most superhero stories. By admitting the truth the series opens up great possibilities while allowing for these characters to become their own, distinctive versions separate from the past.

My Adventures With Superman Season 1 is available to stream on Max.