REVIEW: ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Season 2 Episode 7 — “Olsen’s Eleven”

There’s definite heartache that pulsates throughout My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 7. From the lingering effects of Episode 6 that dripped with despair, to Lois (Alice Lee) wanting to reconcile with Clark (Jack Quaid) and her panic that she won’t get the chance, “Olsen’s Eleven” utilizes a tremendous amount of grief. It’s also hilarious, with some of the biggest laugh-out-loud moments in the series to date. Lois and Jimmy (Ishmel Sahid) are determined to get Clark back and are willing to reach out to unexpected foes turned allies to accomplish as much.

We learn immediately that, since Superman’s disappearance, Amanda Waller has instituted martial law as a means to protect the Earth. Despite footage clearly showing Superman being kidnapped, Waller is using it as a means to demonstrate his risk potential. He might be gone for now, but he will return. And she and the weaponry in her arsenal, including new mechs created by Lex Luthor, are waiting on standby to stand against him when he reappears.

It makes Jimmy and Lois’s plan in My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 7 daunting. Their goal is to steal a spaceship and track Clark down. But to infiltrate S.T.A.R. Labs, they need help. One of the episode’s funniest moments comes early when Jimmy balks at Lois’s suggestion to ask Livewire (Zehra Fazal), to which she responds with an impassioned “we know her!” Lee is always terrific as Lois, but in “Olsen’s Eleven,” her comedic timing truly shines.

The entire infiltration team reminds us how deep the cast goes on My Adventures with Superman. Livewire ultimately accepts due to the hefty paycheck Jimmy promises her, seemingly emptying his once sizeable bank account. The moment is understated and sweet despite the big centerpiece, with him promising there’s no amount he wouldn’t pay to get Clark back. While Livewire is on board, Heat Wave (Laila Berzins) — now in a romantic relationship with Livewire — refuses, believing the plan too risky. Their team is rounded out by Season 1’s Brain and Mallah, who will help operate the ship.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 7 is charged with an electrical undercurrent of energy as Jimmy and Lois enact their plan. Well, Livewire’s plan once she joins. It’s fast-paced as the characters race against the clock to deceive Waller and her team, including Lex and Slade Wilson. They remind themselves that they don’t have Superman here to save them. There won’t be last-minute intervention. At least, not by Clark.

Jimmy and Lois are the driving force behind the emotional and comedic moments, and their friendship is strengthened throughout. It’s a good reminder that, away from Clark, they’re friends too, just as able to ground one another and help each other out. Jimmy tries to be the voice of reason for Lois’s steamroll-ahead attitude, especially her fury at Kara (Kiana Madeira). She’s brought the kryptonite with her, which launches them into an argument about her being trigger-happy and too eager to see Kara as villainous. The moment starts comedic with the direction whisking them away into a closet to bicker, but their differing mentalities trail them throughout the episode.

Jimmy gets through to her by saying that Kara is alone. Clark turned out good despite everything because he had people like Jimmy and Lois surrounding him with love. We know this is true after watching “The Machine Who Would Be Empire,” but Jimmy admitting as much as well drives it home. Kara was a victim of her upbringing. Clark has a family, while Kara has only ever had a ruler intent on brainwashing her.

The episode takes a deep dive into the heartfelt as the episode closes. While Livewire seemingly abandoned them in a moment of selfishness, she appears at the last minute to save the day. She becomes the hero, swooping in when they need it most, aided by Heat Wave and their crew, to help Lois and Jimmy reach the stars. She overheared Lois in a moment of vulnerability, worried she’d never get to apologize to Clark and make things right. Heatwave and Livewire fight off the Metallos attacking Lois and Jimmy, with the latter reminding them that no one deserves to be a coward when it comes to love.

The episode ends with Lois, Jimmy, Brain, and Mallah reaching Kara, who stops the spaceship in its tracks. My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 7 is staggeringly plotted and anchored by hilarious, playful visuals and an emotional core. With the team rallied and in contact with Kara and Clark still missing, the stakes are raised as Superman himself needs saving.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 is available now on HBO Max.

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