Angellwings Reviews: “Plastique”
Smallville’s eighth season started strong and is continuing the tradition, check out SHoE’s latest site review by our very own Angellwings!
Click the jump to see what she thought of the introduction of the villain Plastique on the show and Clark Kent’s first day at the Daily Planet!
You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Angell feedback directly here!
Here we go, SHoEligans, time to review “Plastique”. Let me start out by saying that they were some things in this episode that really impressed me, but there were also some things that I felt were very weak. Overall this was a good episode with strong performances all around, but there were some characters this week that rubbed me the wrong way.
Creatively and technically this episode was very well done. Again, there was an amazing score, but this week the visual effects really stuck out to me. We’re talking everything from Bette’s ability to that shot of Davis at the very end.
As for favorite scenes from the episode I immediately fell in love with any scenes that featured Chloe and Davis. Their relationship (whatever it is or will be) is certainly going to be one of my favorite aspects of this season. There are some major sparks going off between those two. Jimmy better start worrying. Another favorite scene was the scene between Lois and Clark at the hospital. I love when Lois and Clark go at each other with sarcasm and snark.
Tom Welling’s reactions in his scene with Davis in the hospital also put that scene on my favorites list. Clark’s clueless confusion makes me want to see this humorous side of Smallville more often. There was a significant amount of humor in this episode and the premiere. I’m hoping to see more of it as the season continues.
The last two scenes (or snippets in one of them’s case) that are on my favorites list is the scene between Bette and Tess, and that shot of Davis at the very end. The scene with Bette and Tess really hit home how much of a threat Tess is going to be. I had kind of sensed it before, but in that scene Tess was so manipulative that you couldn’t help but fear her even more. I love that Tess is recruiting a team of people with abilities. It has a very Task Force X/Suicide Squad feel to it, and I want to go ahead and call that we will see more of this idea later this season. I hope I didn’t just jinx that storyline (probably did). The very last scene we’re going to discuss is more of a shot than a scene. Davis shaking and recovering from whatever it is that happens to him was truly a suspenseful and shocking moment. It’s going on my “Best Smallville Moments Ever” list. I wasn’t expecting to have Davis’s evil side alluded to so soon, and was truly jumping out of my chair in excitement while it was happening.
Now for specific performances. Top performance in this episode is tied between Allison Mack and Sam Witwer (I definitely almost typed Witwicky). I didn’t expect to be as impressed by Sam Witwer as I was. Honestly I expected to feel the same indifference I felt over the character of Grant Gabriel. Sure I liked the guy, but I was never really impressed by his presence on the show. But Sam blew me away. Anytime Davis was on screen I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I especially enjoyed him with Allison Mack. Allison had to portray a wide range of emotions in this episode, and did an amazing job. I think this was the most screen time Allison Mack has gotten in a non-premiere or non-finale episode in a long time, and I was certainly very glad for that. Chloe has always been one of my favorite characters, and I believe she is finally getting the spotlight she deserves.
Now that I’ve talked about what truly impressed me in the episode let’s talk about what didn’t. I was really put off by Lois in this episode. I’m a big fan of Erica and Lois, but during “Plastique” I found myself being annoyed by her. During the entire episode I went back and forth between clearly seeing a little of iconic Lois Lane and feeling like this Lois was WAY too full of herself. Now I know that Lois IS full of herself, but in this episode I felt it was a little over the top. She just started at the Dailey Planet about a year ago maybe less with her only experience being a tabloid. I don’t think that gives her enough status to rattle of “Lois Lane’s Rules of Journalism”. Every time she stated a rule I inwardly groaned, and yet when Lois wasn’t stating her rules I found myself really enjoying her. I loved that moment at the end where Lois was talking about Chloe getting married and dropped her voice when she said “to Jimmy Olsen”. That was a moment where I clearly saw the Lois I know and like, and I want to see more moments like that. More moments like her interaction with Officer Derek outside of the scene of the explosion, and like her scene where she pulled out a whole stack of I.D. and Access Cards that allowed her to sneak in to restricted areas. I want more of that and less of a Lois that feels she the most experienced journalist out there when she really isn’t that experienced at all.
I’m afraid it’s that side of Lois that I don’t like that earns this episode three plastic gumball machine engagement rings out of a possible five. “Plastique” was not as weak as it could have been, but I also don’t think it was as strong as it could have been. Overall it was a good episode, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next episode of Smallville.
