“The Ties That Bind” is episode two of season two of Superman and Lois.
Lois has made an extensive breakfast for everyone, including John Henry and Natalie who moved in with them in the previous episode, “What Lies Beneath”, though Natalie turns out to be vegan. Clark is talking when another vision hits him and he collapses.
Clark explains the visions to Lois and John Henry; the latter offers to take the kids to school. It’s Natalie’s first day for one thing. Lois asks Clark what he sees. Destruction. Maybe a cave-in. In the last he heard screaming. She asks if it sounded like a planet being destroyed. Like Krypton. Perhaps residual memories from Zod. Lois says if it is, that’s a major problem as Clark wasn’t the only one with a Kryptonian consciousness inside. Clark says there’s only one person he can talk to.
Lana and Kyle are heading to the diner, which they’ve booked to hold a meeting for Daniel Hart’s mayoral campaign. Only to find Mayor Dean did some politicking there first. He’s smug about it.
At school, Jordan speaks to Sarah and asks if she’ll meet him at lunch. She agrees, and Jordan calls Natalie over when they dine. Natalie and John Henry are being described as friends from Metropolis. Natalie is looking for shop class and this leads into a conversation about the Firebird that Kyle bought Sarah. Kyle can’t get the engine to start but Natalie sounds like she can.
Lois arrives at the Gazette. Chrissy has been listening to a podcast about a self-help guru that Lois took down, a cult leader who caused a woman’s death. Lois is being attacked on a podcast about journalists abusing their power for personal reasons; it seems the guru hurt one of her family. Chrissy thinks Lois has a different set of rules when it comes to family. Lois says Sam was different and this will blow over.
The person Superman heads to see is Tal-Rho, who is currently locked up and bathed in red sunlight. Superman wants to know if there’s a lingering effect from the Eradicator when other consciousnesses are rejected. Tal-Rho has never experienced any memories other than his own and he’s fairly certain he had more Kryptonians inside his head than anyone. The only way to know for sure is to go to Tal’s fortress. Don’t be afraid he’ll fly off; he’s got no more power than any other insufferable human.
Lois and Chrissy head to the mines to interview a Dr Faulkner. They talk and Faulkner says what they are doing isn’t responsible for the earthquakes. X-Kryptonite won’t explain the seismic activity either. Afterwards, Lois wants to find a seismologist whilst she gets another opinion.
At the diner, Daniel Hart arrives late, then tells Lana he’s dropping out. He got a job offer in another county. He then tells everyone else.
Natalie is heading home with Sarah, who was supposed to be seeing Jordan, to work on the car. He declines to come.
The opinion that Lois wanted is from John Henry. Nothing that requires the steel suit. Clark returns, then excuses himself when he hears gunfire at an airport. Superman flies there and knocks the gunman down. Who then inhales some yellow gas – X-Kryptonite is yellow – and slams Superman across the hangar. Superman starts struggling but is rescued by some of General Anderson’s superpowered minions. One of whom is Tag. Then Superman passes out.
Superman is being looked at as Anderson is asking what happened. And saying if Superman isn’t a part of his team, he no longer has free reign and can’t interfere with missions. The man at the airport stole a large quantity of X-Kryptonite and has been selling it. Everyone wants superpowers. If Superman isn’t part of Anderson’s team, he has no backup, and whatever is wrong with him, he’s more a liability than anything unless he figures it out.
Lois and John Henry set up a seismometer at the mines. Then wait for a seismic event to happen. Kyle and Lana are trying to work out a new mayoral candidate. There’s an obvious answer. And whatever is within the mines looks to be close to getting out. It looks like it can be guessed what it is.