If Adventures of Superman was always as bonkers as “The Wedding of Superman,” the show would be among the most fun ever made. The campiness of the color episodes is always appreciated. Because the second episode was so fun and the first one merely fine, we’ll do one thought on “The Girl Who Hired Superman” and dedicate the rest to the nuptials.
1. One of the smarter crooks we’ve encountered
The premise of “The Girl Who Hired Superman” is a fun one, involving someone ‘hiring’ Superman for a private event with a diplomat in exchange for a large charitable donation. While Superman is performing like a dancing bear, a robbery is taking place, and the host of the event has set it up. Beyond that, he’s going to have Superman fly the evidence away to a foreign country. It’s a really clever plot that is undone by him simply being lazy about where he put some film.
Honestly, this episode is fine, even fun at times. You get to see stuff like Clark Kent get electrocuted to repair a radio, and who does’t love that? But there’s just not that much to say about it. Unlike the main event, which we will get to right away.
2. Breaking the fourth wall
“The Wedding of Superman” begins with Lois directly addressing the camera. This is an odd move, but does something essential, which is let the viewer know that this episode is Lois’s, in some very significant ways. Not only is she the character we follow throughout, it is through her eyes that we view the bulk of the episode. Thus far, this is the only instance of a character talking to the audience, aside from a wink or knowing smile from Clark whenever someone suspects he’s Superman.
3. The gimmick
It is pretty clear from what point the episode becomes a dream sequence, which is inspired by Lois working on the personal ads/advice desk while the usual writer is away. Lois dreams that Superman professes his love for her and proposes marriage. The show does a good job of letting you in on the joke, just from the way that people are speaking and, specifically, how Lois and Superman fall into this deep, deep love instantaneously, without much acknowledged attraction/flirtation ahead of time.
4. Lois’s dreams are full of misogyny
Every man in Lois’s dream is not only complementary of her, but every one, save maybe for Jimmy, crosses the line. Inspector Henderson refuses to congratulate her on her engagement because “I hate to see you off the market.” Henderson is, or at least was, married (we’ve met his son and he’s wearing a wedding ring), so he’s just mad that it is now a harder task to fantasize about he and Lois getting it on.
Before she gets engaged, the men just sit around and wonder why she, “a good looking girl,” isn’t married yet. Clearly, men are still pigs, but this seems to be somewhat normal conversation for the 1950s, though it is sad that even in her dreams Lois can’t be appreciated as a reporter and person, but just a sexualized object.
5. Arrested Development Logic
So, the conflict in Lois’s dream comes from a crime boss being identified to Lois, so he’s afraid she’s going to testify against him. To rectify this, he kidnaps a justice of the peace and is going to force them to marry them, so that she cannot be forced to testify against her husband. This, if you recall, is a major plot point in the first season of Arrested Development, though George Sr. misunderstands and thinks a husband and wife cannot be tried for the same crime.
6. The saddest ending
So, eventually, Lois wakes from her dream, and is awoken by basically all of the men in her dream knocking on her door and getting involved in a story. It’s a little bit like The Wizard of Oz, except that waking up didn’t make Dorothy go into hysterics because she’s single. Lois is unbelievably sad at the fact that her love was all imagined, to the point where she won’t even see who sent her flowers, as she can’t bear it.
Look, in her dream, she can’t decide if she loves Clark or Superman, neither person who she has ever really spent some time with outside of work/almost dying. Show Clark some interest and I’m sure he’ll take you out to dinner. The only time we’ve really see him shag ass on this show was when a cowpoke was flirting with you!
What I’m saying, Lois, is be the architect of your own world.
