Following Lana Lang's tough decision, Superman & Lois star Emmanuelle Chriqui explains her character's reasoning. Season 2 of the Arrowverse series has featured several surprising moments as Clark, Lois, and the rest of their family deal with Ally Allston and the Bizarro versions of themselves. However, one of the show's most shocking scenes thus far took place at the end of Superman & Lois season 2, episode 11. After keeping his identity a secret from Lana for their entire lives, Clark finally told her he's Superman. The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Lana's reaction left up in the air.
The most recent episode started immediately after Clark's reveal. Lana spent the Superman & Lois hour trying to process the news. She made it clear she felt betrayed by Lois especially since she sought Lana out to become friends despite having a huge secret. Though Lois told Lana she could share Clark's identity with her family, Lana opted to keep Sarah in the dark, as she didn't want to make her lie to her little sister. Arguably the episode's most surprising moment came at the end when Lana told Clark and Lois that she needed time away from them and thought a clean break would be best. Considering how intertwined the two families have become throughout Superman & Lois' two seasons, it's a big change that could drastically alter the show's status quo.
Speaking with TVLine about the episode, Chriqui talked in part about Lana's decision to stop seeing Lois and Clark for the time being. She explained that her character's desire to stay as honest as possible despite knowing this huge secret played a role:
It did feel like a breakup. In a lot of ways, it was a breakup. It’s a temporary time-out. Lana just became the mayor and preached about transparency, and these secrets are so enormous. All of this is complicating her complicated life even more. She has to look out for her family, and she can’t be the liar. That’s where she gets really stuck in her boots. She can’t be the liar every single time they’re together.
Chriqui's explanation of Lana's decision in Superman & Lois makes a lot of sense. As she says, Lana just became mayor of Smallville, making Clark's timing inconvenient at best. After running an honest campaign, she's now faced with having to keep a massive secret from both her constituents and friends who helped get her elected. Additionally, Lana has long done whatever is necessary for her kids, and staying away from Clark and Lois for the time being could keep her family safer, especially coming off her kidnapping in episode 11. It also allows Lana to compartmentalize, keeping the secret away from other aspects of her life, including her career and relationships.
Despite Lana's decision probably being the right one for now, it's good to hear Chriqui describe it as "a temporary time-out." Lana is a unique Superman & Lois character in that she's essentially become both Lois and Clark's best friend, maintaining a separate relationship with each of them and serving as an irreplaceable confidant. It's rare for an episode to go by without Lana talking to either Clark, Lois, or both, and the show would likely suffer long-term without those scenes. With any luck, Superman & Lois will find the right balance, giving Lana time to process her understandable hurt without keeping her away from Lois and Clark for too long.
Source: TVLine