Superman & Lois episode 12 will not be releasing until the middle of July due to the global pandemic affecting most TV schedules this season. The Arrowverse has had an on-and-off 2021 schedule, following the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Normally most of the shows have a 22-episode order, with a few exceptions like Legends of Tomorrow, which goes for 16 episodes. While the Arrowverse shows have been able to shoot their latest seasons, they had to follow the provided health guidelines. It caused most of the Arrowverse shows to have significantly shorter seasons, with The Flash and Batwoman having an 18-episode order while the rest have 15 or fewer.
Superman & Lois season 1 was originally picked up for 13 episodes before getting ordered for two additional episodes. However, the newest Arrowverse drama was forced to go on a hiatus after airing only five episodes. Someone on production tested positive for COVID-19, and that is why filming had to stop temporarily. That was why Supergirl season 6 came back earlier as they filled in for Superman & Lois until the middle of May.
Despite returning in May, Superman & Lois episode 12 will not be airing until Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Since Superman & Lois season 1 fell behind schedule, they still haven't finished some of the remaining episodes that have not aired yet. While they have shot most of their remaining episodes, there is also post-production to take into account. That includes having to do heavy VFX work, giving the composer time to complete the individual episode scores, and many other factors. In fact, while Superman & Lois episode 12 airs on July 13, there will be another short break after Tuesday, July 20.
The Superman & Lois season 1 finale is scheduled to air on Tuesday, August 10, and only four episodes are left. Superman & Lois episode 15, which is titled "Last Sons of Krypton," only started filming very recently, with The Flash's Tom Cavanagh directing the season finale. While it is understandable that these many hiatuses can get annoying, there is a lot to look forward to in Superman & Lois episode 12 and beyond. That'll include David Ramsey finally showing up as John Diggle, having visited most of the Arrowverse shows this season.
Since Clark submitted himself to Morgan Edge/Tal-Rho in episode 11, it will be a big cliffhanger for Superman & Lois episode 12 to pick up on when it releases on July 13. While Lois called John Henry Irons for backup, time will tell how they will be able to save Superman from what the Eradicator machine did to him. Hopefully, Superman & Lois season 2 will not have as many abrupt breaks in 2022, especially now that people are getting their COVID-19 vaccinations.