What deepened the similarities between the third episodes of both shows is what occurred with Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and her daughter, Sarah (Inde Navarrette) in Superman & Lois. In rebellion against her mother, Sarah quit the cheerleading squad. What’s interesting about that is that Smallville’s Lana quit being a cheerleader at the same time. Her decision happened in the third episode, and coincided with Clark joining the football team. Clark had hoped that they would be on the football field together, and was disappointed when he discovered that this wouldn’t be the case.
The stories of Jordan and Sarah in Superman & Lois lining up so well with Clark and Lana in Smallville make it seem like it can’t be a coincidence. But regardless, the show did eventually veer into a slightly direction at the end of the episode. Jonathan reluctantly decided to support Clark in Smallville, but it ultimately didn’t matter because other events kept him from playing. When the issue became relevant again in season 4, Jonathan allowed it but never really approved. That’s in stark contrast to Superman & Lois, as episode 3 saw Clark completely change his mind, having come to the conclusion that playing football may be just what Jordan needs. As more parallels occur in the upcoming episodes, it’ll be fun to see how their stories compare with each other, and how their decision-making will differ from what happened in Smallville.
Originally from https://screenrant.com/superman-lois-episode-3-smallville-clark-lana-football-cheerleading/