Where to watch Superboy (19
3 Stars
A Superboy impersonator is robbing banks and jewelry stores to get a million dollars so he can marry Florida’s beauty queen.
Original Air Date: 11/19/1988 – “The Beast and Beauty”
The seventh episode of the first season of ‘Superboy’ is a step in the right direction, featuring a fun story directed by Jackie Cooper, who portrayed Daily Planet editor Perry White in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. Alonna Shaw, a childhood crush of mine from her work in Double Impact, is the first adult character introduced in the show. She is pursued by her scorned ex-lover, played amusingly by David Marciano, who impersonates Superboy. This impersonation leads to the Boy Wonder being arrested for robbery.
While each episode thus far has presented a subtext or an outright message—often bordering on a public service announcement—this installment lacks any larger themes aside from the angle of lost love. Typically, I don’t applaud shallow writing, but “The Beast and Beauty” stands out as a good episode in a series that has been uneven up to this point.
A highlight of the episode is the confrontation between Superboy and the heartbroken imposter. It’s a lightly comedic moment that aligns well with the Superman films of the 1980s. All the cast members have settled into their roles, appearing more comfortable with each other and handling the special effects. Although Superboy doesn’t appear much in this episode, the weaselly impersonator compensates for this with his overconfident attitude and misplaced belief in his limited abilities. “The Beast and Beauty” is better than average in a season marked by varying degrees of quality.
Directed by: Jackie Cooper
Written by: Bernie Kahn, Toby Martin
Starring: Alonna Shaw, John Newton, James Calvert