‘Superman & Lois’ Star Adam Rayner Calls Tal-Rho the ‘Hannibal Lecter to Clark’s Clarice Starling’ in Season 2
To say that Clark and Tal-Rho have a contentious relationship in Superman & Lois is an understatement. And after Clark, with the help of John Henry Irons, defeated his brother in the season 1 finale, it seemed like Tal-Rho was gone for good. However, in Superman & Lois Season 2 Episode 2, the Man of Steel asked the villain for help. And, according to Adam Rayner, Tal-Rho’s story is far from over.
Clark found out Tal-Rho was his brother in the first season
Clark first met Tal-Rho as Morgan Edge in Superman & Lois Season 1, and they were immediately enemies. Lois, in particular, didn’t like Edge because she believed he had ulterior motives for wanting to help the people of Smallville. As the season went on, it was clear that Edge was a villain. But it wasn’t until episode 9 that Edge revealed his true identity to Clark.
Edge is a Kryptonian named Tal-Rho, and he and Clark share a mother. After Tal-Rho and his father, Zeta-Rho, were made aware that Krypton was dying, Zeta-Rho sent his teenage son to Earth to resurrect their planet with the Eradicator. As the years went by, Tal-Rho prepared to carry out his father’s plan. But Clark, as Superman, stood in his way.
By the season finale, Clark stopped his brother and turned him over to the Department of Defense. However, Clark started experiencing unusual visions in Superman & Lois Season 2. So, he believed that Tal-Rho might have been able to help him. Clark, Tal-Rho, and Jordan traveled to Tal-Rho’s fortress. There, they talked with Lara to find out what was wrong with Clark.
Unfortunately, Tal-Rho betrayed Clark and attacked him and Jordan. Clark was able to stop him, and he sent his brother back to prison. Before leaving, Clark told Tal-Rho that he didn’t believe there was good in him, but he wanted to.
Adam Rayner teases Clark and Tal-Rho’s relationship in ‘Superman & Lois’ Season 2
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Adam Rayner discussed what’s in store for Tal-Rho in Superman & Lois Season 2. Plus, the actor agreed that the relationship between Tal-Rho and Clark is similar to Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling’s in The Silence of the Lambs.
“Well, that reference is apt and inevitable, given the surroundings in which [Clark] goes to see [Tal-Rho],” Rayner said. “I am playing that role, someone who has a particular insight into particular things because of their criminality and can therefore be of assistance. So yeah, I am Hannibal Lecter to his Clarice Starling [Laughs].”
Hopefully, Superman & Lois Season 2 ends with Clark and Tal-Rho in a better place than The Silence of the Lambs did with Hannibal and Clarice.
Could ‘Superman & Lois’ Season 2 redeem Tal-Rho?
It’s possible that Clark can bring out the good in Tal-Rho in Superman & Lois Season 2. But there’s still a lot of work to be done to repair their relationship.
“The animosity is still there,” Adam Rayner told Entertainment Weekly. “[Tal-Rho] feels rejected. He feels betrayed. I think he’s perhaps, even if he can’t admit it [and] hasn’t fully recognized it in himself, coming to an understanding of what motivates his brother. He’s perhaps not driven solely by personal revenge and a vendetta against his brother. I think ultimately, his ultimate goal is to bring his brother around to his way of thinking.”
Rayner added, “He wants a relationship with his brother. He needs his brother. He’s the only family he’s got. He’s not prepared to reject him finally and completely. He wants to find a way for them to be on the same side. Now, it has to be on his terms. But no, I don’t think he’s motivated by revenge. He wants to find a way for them to be a team, to be a family. But of course, he wants to set the agenda.”
The actor further teased Tal-Rho’s story in season 2 by saying, “The big thing is that we get to [see] another emotional hole in Tal’s life.”
Superman & Lois Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
