Wow, excellent story! Very thought-provoking! I love the insight about Lois perceiving imperfection as failure -- such a powerful line! And really, it is so true about Lois, for herself primarily, but also for everyone around her that she cares about. She did see Clark's imperfections as failures, and sometimes found it hard to forgive him even when he forgave hers so easily. I love that the nun wanted to help them both and found a way to do so in a way that didn't compromise either of them or make Superman uncomfortable with her knowledge. It's also nice to know that someone was on Clark's side -- I usually end up feeling badly for him in the episodes where he and Lois are at odds because everyone up to and including his parents generally take Lois's side and aren't afraid to let him know it, so it was nice to have someone looking out for him here. I've always loved this scene where we see how people see him, and Lois gets a reminder -- even though she's not looking for it and resents it -- that Clark might not be the perfect hero she once dreamed about, but he is a hero and a good man.
The nun's character was very well-drawn. I loved that she tied back to the Pilot -- when I saw this was about a nun, I wondered if it would be the Pilot nun or the Just Say Noah nun, and it was a treat to have her be both. So sad that she recognized Clark's haunted look for what it was after he saved so many people's lives.
Such a great episode-centered story. Thanks for sharing!
