To others it was the most frustrating aspect of the whole series. It was like a four and a half season rule that went on for the entire series. It didn't help that the flying was taken up by other characters like Kara Zor EL.
Could've had it been like Jessica Jones can't fly very well.
Clark did fly. Only he was under blue kryptonites power. But was frustrating was the real Clark couldn't figure it out after words. Still a good series.
shareThink they didn't want him to fly until he's finally Superman like The Movie and DCEU?
shareClark not being able to fly before the end was making him the most stagnant character in the show.
shareEven in the Lois & Clark pilot he was able to fly long before he puts on the suit what was wrong with that?
shareMidvale episode of Supergirl Kara was able to fly in her teens, Clark could've easily flow in his teens but was held back to keep costs down.
shareMeh, he could run and jump everywhere so it wasn't an issue for me.
shareCause the show makes you forget he's gonna be Superman.
I suspect the original intent before Gough & Millar left the show that gaining the power of flight was gonna to be him putting on the suit.
I think they just didn't want to turn it into the "Superman Show".
shareWouldn't feel the same flying without the suit.
Also the lack of flying was to keep costs down.
Other modern versions have a pre Superman Clark Kent being able to fly long before he puts on the suit.
shareLooking back it was like a four season rule that lasted the entire run of the show, as a result his first flight of the final episode was a bit of a let down when we look back at the amazing flying sequences in the season 4 premiere Crusade.
shareEven in the Lois & Clark pilot he was able to fly long before he puts on the suit what was wrong with that?
The more you think about it how many secret rescues from Clark until people start pointing fingers, in season one there was a dirty cop and reporter on to him.
I can agree with this. I don't think he HAD to fly. The problem was the teasing by the writers and characters on the show. The moment Kara showed up was awful. you can't have a full powered Super girl to me when Clark is supposed to be the leader, older, more experienced person. When that one group from the future came out and were actually scoffing at him flying. Everyone was telling Clark he needed to fly like it was some epic historic destiny and he was just like: 'um...nope, not gonna do it' it was awful. That is what was frustrating to me.
shareAs said it was like a four season rule that lasted the entire series, probably should've had better excuses on why he couldn't like being absolutely crap at flying like doing a surf landing, it felt like their logic of not having him fly because he looks cooler flying in costume well if look at other modern versions of the Superman origin he was able to fly years before he puts on the suit and was some what of a guardian angel myth.
shareObviously the writers didn't intend for Clark to go through any major changes, to grow and evolve when he's suppose to be Superman, they ended up making Clark the most stagnant character on the show.
shareThe writers would say they couldn't have him fly because they couldn't afford to do it every week or once every few episodes.
shareThink holding back the flying was torture for the writers?
shareIt kind of was too implausible to not being able to fly while his other powers were manifesting before he puts on the suit.
shareOne of the reasons Clark couldn't fly because the format of the show demands that all characters have to be in the same place doing the same thing for the entire run.
share"Had you always been working toward a plan for the ending that you wanted for the series?share
GOUGH: You have ideas, but I don’t think you can plan for that, in terms of a script that was sitting in a safe for 10 years and then you’re like, “Finally, here’s the last episode.” The characters evolve and the series evolves. If it had gone five years versus 10 years, you’d end it one way.
MILLAR: Ultimately, in our own heads, we had an ending that we wanted. The last moment of the show would be him putting on the suit and flying off into his future and his destiny. That was always in our heads. That would be the ultimate end to the show. The thing that was always frustrating for us was that the whole “no flights, no tights” became this ball-and-chain to us. For us, that’s his destiny as Superman, but it was also a budgetary concern. Initially, we wanted to ground him and ground the show.
GOUGH: They were slaves to that for the entire run of the series, and it went 10 years. After awhile, it was like, “Come on, already!”