“Warrior” Airs Tonight!
METROPOLIS HOSTS A COMIC BOOK CONVENTION — DC COMICS’ CHARACTER ZATANNA RETURNS — Clark meets Zatanna (guest star Serinda Swan) at a comic book convention, where she tells him her father charmed a copy of the comic book “Warrior Angel” and it holds magical powers. A young man named Stephen (guest star Carlo Marks) steals the comic book and develops super powers, transforming himself into Warrior Angel and saving Chloe from a horrible accident. Meanwhile, Lois becomes jealous of Clark’s relationship with Zatanna.
Check back at the first of the week for episode 142 of SHoE, with TV Guide senior editor Damian Holbrook!
In the meantime, when the episode is over come back here and let us know what you thought, or email us so we can read your thoughts on the air!
I’m doing it old school (VCR)…again.
Stupid belt test.
Really looking forward to this episode.
Too bad they don’t mention the creator of Warrior Angel, Big Honkin Steve.
Look at Damian’s interview with Allison Mack (find it through superman homepage) Steve, was that you pimping all the podcasts in the comments?
I must admit that how much I enjoyed this episode. When I heard about it and that it would be following “Absolute Justice”, I thought that “Warrior” would be the show’s way to cool things down from that two hour event. To get a better explanation of what I mean, the episode “Rosetta” to the one that followed it, “Visitor”. Glad to see that I was mistaken.
The scenes at the Comic Con like expo was short and didn’t really divert from what was going on. Laughed when I saw the little throwback to an extra wearing the red and blue outfit that Clark used to wear. Speaking of extras, the one that simply walked into the scene, got kissed by Lois then walked out must’ve been a nice moment for him.
As a whole, I liked what was done with all the different pairings of the characters as they mixed well with one another. Showed how comfortable the actors are with each other. Although, I must admit that I’m not sure about the possible Oliver/Chloe pairing. Currently, I’m up in the air about it and I’ll just have to wait to see where they go with it.
For a rating, I’ll give this episode a 3.5 out of 5. Not the best episode but I go way to continue from last week and all the rescheduling didn’t seem to mess it up.
Lastly, Big Honkin Steve must liked the moment when Lois was in the Stormtrooper outfit.
Well….it had to happen eventually this season. It pains me to say this….but I didn’t really like this episode. And I can’t really figure out what it was I didn’t like. I’m not sure whether I think it was a writing problem or a direction problem. Making no mistake, I love Allison Mack so my complaints are not meant as an insult towards her. I didn’t think it was bad per se. On the contrary, there were some cute moments. I think my favorite moment was Clark talking with that little boy in the barn about being a hero. Clark was Superman there with that child. It was nice to see Chloe smiling and having fun again and the last scene with Oliver was interesting. Carlo Marks was adorable but I’m going to be honest that I was bored through a lot of his scenes. I think they could have found something better for Chloe to do.
Lois in the stormtrooper outfit and the Amazon Princess outfit was made of win.
The Clark/Lois/Zatanna stuff again had some cute moments. But….it also seemed to be completely lacking in emotional continuity to the point where it reminds me of previous seasons where characters would act one way one week and another the next week. In “Disciple” Clark was the one pushing Lois to go faster and the episode ended with them comfortable and at ease….now what was supposed to be one episode later and with on explanation he’s keeping her at arm’s length and Zatanna is all over him? That made zero sense and I think it was a poor choice by the writing. I did not think Clark came off well in this episode.
I really like Allison Mack….but this is now the second episode that she has directed where in my opinion Clark Kent came off weak. He had a great moment with the little boy in the barn and he was cute with Lois. But I’ve seen better from him. He seemed off the whole episode. More mopey than usual and weaker.
I think the biggest dissapointment for me as a fan is that this is now the 3rd week in a row where Clark Kent, the star of the show, has been sidelined while other people were given more to do and more reasons to shine. I LOVE the entire supporting cast. I love Allison and I’m thrilled that we got a chance to see Chloe have some fun tonight. BUT—this is a problem for me. I do worry sometimes that these writers have forgotten who the star of this show is.
I’m really hoping this show gets back on track next week with Clark as the focus. At least his scenes with Lois usually revolve around HIS growth in some way.
I didn’t hate this episode….but it’s probably my least favorite of the season so far. And that makes me sad. The first half of Season 9 was stellar. This show has a history of dropping in quality during the second half….I’m really hoping it won’t happen this year.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m nuts. But I didn’t love this. Something just felt “off” the whole episode. Maybe I’ll like it more on repeat viewings. I don’t blame Allison. But at this point, I’m also not sure that I’m dying to see her direct again either because of the way Clark was portrayed in this episode.
This was a great episode, as I’m typing this on my Apple iMac, “Warrior” has just concluded and The CW is replaying “Hex” from last season. First of, Miss Allison Mack did a great job directing. I’m glad she had better material to work with this season because “Power” have to say, my least favorite episode of the eighth season.
For you Apple iPod/iPhone or Microsoft Zune/Zune HD SHoEligans who have heard the “SHoE Crew” say on previous episodes that episodes that fellow huge episodes are kind of all right, this one was not one of those types of episodes. I mean sure, there was some kind of lame stuff here or there I won’t go into specifics because I can’t think of any of them off hand. Loved The Clark look a like, Geekwood: Kal-El ripping his dress shirt open to reveal the silver House of El symbol was great.
I also liked the parallel between the 12 year old boy Alec and Lex’s story arc. Part of the reason Lex mirrors his boyhood idol is because of what the same stuff that Alec goes through. Being bullied and absentee parents.
I loved that Kal-El learned more about why people idolize him and the idea of fantasy and this episode really helps understand not just the practical real life stuff in becoming “The Man of Steel” but how he needs to keep his powers and what he can do in prospective.
Serinda Swan… HOTT! Loved her in this episode and Steve and Derek were discussing during the Live Show last week, who they should bring in for another “Justice” type episode. Please bring her in as a JLA Member. Loved her scenes with Kal-El.
Great job, Louis Febre again with the music very classic DC Comics score, it sounded like music you would hear if a comic book from the 1940’s was turned into audiobook.
Lastly, that ending scene with Ch-ollie… one of the most suggestive sexiest scenes I have ever seen on Smallville. I guess when Zatanna shows up things will get more “magical.” I want to see more Ch-ollie in future episodes.
Episode Rating: Strong 4 out of 5.
Can’t wait for the podcast episode with Damian.
Anthony….I agree that everything at the Con was awesome and the attention to detail was impressive. I really did enjoy that part of the episode. I should have remembered to mention that.
Kathleen makes a great point, I really enjoyed this episode but I didn’t notice until she mentioned it, that Clark was in the B story-line again this week. But I wouldn’t say it’s the weakest episode of the season. I’m not going to say what was the weakest until we hit another “Season Break.”
Woo, I don’t know if I even thought it was weak. I can’t really decide how I felt about it. Is that strange? Something just felt off to me and I think what felt “off” was Clark Kent. He seemed to be more of the old Clark Kent tonight–mopey, blank faced etc. I’m so used to seeing him act more like a man. Now, I’m not saying that there wasn’t some good stuff. I liked his scene with that little boy. I really really did. And I thought it was really sweet that he told Lois in the end that she was his dream. But…eh…I also thought he was kind of a jackass to his girlfriend in this episode. It lacked emotional continuity to me. I’m not a shipper but I do like the Clark/Lois relationship. What I saw from him tonight just made no sense based on what we saw in “Disciple.” It just really bothers me when he winds up getting shafted. I feel like it’s been so long since Clark was the focus fo the story. There were some amazing moments for him in Absolute Justice but even there he was sharing that with so many other guests and heroes.
Lastly, am I the only one who is tired of seeing Clark basically get sexually assaulted or roofied by women on this show? It’s not sexy for a women to put a spell over a man or hypnotize him in order to try to get him to fool around with you. That’s attempted rape. It doesn’t make it any more ok because Zatanna is hot and Clark happens to be a man. Honestly….I’m just sick of seeing that on this show. How many times has Clark been sexually assaulted on this show now? And they brush it off like it’s not even a huge deal. Clark was barely even mad at Zatanna. He was FLATTERED. It’s just a really really bad message to send.
Great points Kathleen. And you and I are on the same wave length as far as when the episode began I was like “I don’t know what’s going to happen here.” Especially after the teaser. You bring up another good point, how many times has Clark been “seduced” by women on this series?! “Spell,” “Unsafe,” “Hypnotic,” “Crimson,” “Instinct,” and now this episode it does seem to happen a lot. And according to The Notorious B.A.G it happened in “Metallo” do not mess with the sexy of Brian Austin Green.
Allison Mack did a great job directing Warrior. I honestly have not disliked one episode this season. Great work from everyone involved.
I liked this episode more after a second viewing. I understand and agree with some of the criticisms above. I think the long hiatus for Smallville this year was particularly jarring and having ABsolute Justice thrown inbetween Disciple and Warrior due to the telethon did make some things seem “off” this week. I also think it’s been tough to not see Clark in the starring role for several weeks in a row. That is not to say that I didn’t like the episode despite understanding the criticisms. I thought the episode was solid.
I’m happy for Allison Mack because I did think this episode was light years ahead of her last episode. I’m so glad that she got a second chance to direct.
I thought the casting in this episode for Stephen Swift as a child and as an adult was pitch perfect. That kid was so lovable and his scene with Clark in the barn was a real treat. (Tom always does so well with children. You always see Superman when he’s with children.) It was nice to see Chloe emotionally acknowledge that there is something missing in her life. You can tell that she’s searching for her own fulfillment and trying to find some meaning in her life. Now I want to see how this all ties in with her job at Watchtower and how her upcoming relationship with Oliver is going to influence her emotional approach for the rest of the reason.
Actually, I think the episode made some interesting parallels and contrasts between Clark and Lois and Chloe and Oliver last night that are worth talking about.
There was some insecurity in Clark and Lois’ relationship last night and I actually think that’s very realistic. They both have a lot to lose. They’ve both been burned before and you can tell that they both really want to make this work. I think it’s pretty clear that he’s in love with her and she’s in love with him and they are just so scared that they are going to screw it up. We often forget that WE know the end of this story. We know that they end up together but THEY DON’T. So from their perspective, this relationship could crash and burn just as easily as their previous relationships and they are both scared and trying to figure out how to make this work. Then you throw in that Clark is still trying to figure out the balance between his personal life and his hero duties and I understand the insecurities. But I think it’s interesting and realisitc that there is going to be some adjustment to trying to figure out how they can be a couple and how they can get over their fears and express the fact that they love each other and make it work this time around. The truth is that even when you love someone making a relationship work—especially a NEW relationship—is difficult and oftentimes can make both people unsure. I did think it was particularly touching in the end when Clark told Lois that she was his dream. It was a big step for him to combat his fear and say that out loud.
Chloe and Oliver’s situations are really different. Justin and Allison have both indicated in interviews that their relationship might be more “business” like. Both of them have already hit rock bottom and are trying to figure out a new perspective. I don’t think either of them are looking for love per se nor do I think that they are going to wind up soulmates. (We already know that Oliver ends up with someone else.) In a way, they don’t have as much to lose as Clark and Lois do. I think they are both lonely and both looking for a companion and they see in each other someone that they can really respect and that they know they can count on and trust. And you know…that’s also realistic. Sometimes you connect with someone and it’s not true love. And yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from the relationship or grow from the experience. So these two are going to have a different path than Clark and Lois because I don’t think either of them are going to be looking at the other one as their potential husband or wife….and that does change things and take some of the pressure off. It’s going to be more about growing and healing and just having a companion again. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea of a Chloe/Oliver pairing when I first heard the news but I just didn’t really “get” it. But when I think about it this way and then I see the obvious parellels between what Clark and Lois are going through I think it’s all very interesting.
While not exactly a GEEK-WOOD, Lois in stormtrooper armor= WOOD. I need to go to the Kryptonsite forums and look for a new wallpaper of that.
I really enjoyed this episode. I think it was smart, funny, and well-executed. There was a lot going on and Mack did a great job. I just wish they would stop making Clark quasi-fly when he saves people because it belittles the idea of “my wings are clipped”.
I agree 100% Mike, they had flight 3 episodes in a row if you think about it, Hawkman in both parts of Absolute Justice, and Stephen Swift and Chloe in Warrior. By now he should be wearing a Blue and Red version of the current Blur costume, and hopefully fly by the finale. If you look at Crusade and Hex for example, the effects are exactly the same for take off. (ALSO, does Alex really know Clark is the blur? I have issues with that that if so, but his drawing of the RBB? Geek-Wood!)
I agree 100% Mike, they had flight 3 episodes in a row if you think about it, Hawkman in both parts of Absolute Justice, and Stephen Swift and Chloe in Warrior, therefore I doubt it’s the budget. By now he should be wearing a Blue and Red version of the current Blur costume, and hopefully fly by the finale. If you look at Crusade and Hex for example, the effects are exactly the same for take off. (ALSO, does Alex really know Clark is the blur? I have issues with that that if so, but his drawing of the RBB? Geek-Wood!)
He definitely knows Clark is the Blur and I’m sure Miller wrote a scene where they discuss keeping it a secret. Scenes like that aren’t neccessary in this new Smallville. It’s pretty obvious this kid can be trusted :)
lois in stormtrooper armor? nerd fantasy fulfilled
I mailed in a belated birthday gift to Steve, a digital painting of Stormtrooper Lois. Hopefully it will be in the AAC for the next SHOE so you can all see it. Phill is right, it puts the WOOD in Geek-Wood
i was watching your guys live show guys put up on your site. i think he should go a different look but keep darkness to it… there pic i found on some budies myspace page……….. that would be kewl way to go kinda like oliver costume but bigger s and sunglasses ………
This was an great episode , I loved it ,and for those trippin’ on Clark being b- story or whatever . You are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over analyze stuff.Some of u on here trip too much on stupid stuff., man !.Enjoy it for what it is ,(sometimes) its not real. lol. Ne with that said . thought it was a great episode really enjoyed especially for a filler type .(For record been watching from the beginning). Thanx Steve and Derek for doing the podcasts really enjoy them !
Daniel, a few things.
First off, the fans that post on this webpage (or any Smallville fansite) are huge fans of the show and part of being a part of an online fandom or listening to a Podcast like this one IS analyzing the show and breaking it down. There is nothing wrong with that nor is it “stupid” just because you don’t agree. I think everyone that comes to this site CLEARLY enjoys this show. I enjoy this show immensely. It is very possible to love something and enjoy something and yet still have a few things that you might disagree with from time to time.
Second, if you listen to Steve’s podcasts on a regular basis then you know that Steve is very big on the idea that it’s OK for people to have different opinions as long as they are presented in a mature and logical manner. No one on here has presented their concerns in a way that is disrespectful in any way. Everyone does not always have to agree and the fact that some people didn’t care for this episode in the same way that you did does NOT make them stupid. And I think Steve would probably agree with me because he’s usually the first person to be open to people have different viewpoints.
Third, while this show has an amazing ensemble cast (one of the best on TV in my opinion) the central focus of this show is Clark Kent’s journey to become Superman. Now, obviously, there have been a lot of other plots that have come into play over the years and many other WONDERFUL characters who have been a part of this journey. I don’t think anyone would argue that the ensemble cast of characters on Smallville has been an important part of the story and have all enhanced the story over the past 9 years. That being said, I understand people’s concerns. We just came back from a very very long hiatus of over 2 months. Our first episode back was “Disciple” and while I thought it was a solid episode….Clark was in the background. Now, I had less of a problem with this in “Discple” because I thought Clark came off very strong and very mature in his scenes with both Zod and Lois in the episode. Personally, sometimes I Care less about the time that Clark is onscreen and more about HOW is he is portrayed when he is. Again, even though Clark was an ensemble player in “Absolute Justice” the event itself was so awesome and he was given some great material that really made him shine as a hero…so again…I had no issue with that.
I did have an issue with the way Clark was portrayed in “Warrior” and from what I’ve seen across the fandom….I was not alone. This episode seems to have gotten very mixed reviews from the fans. It might be the most mixed reviews I’ve seen yet this season over at places like Ksite.
I thought there was a lot of good stuff in this episode. I was happy to see Chloe happy again and that she got some time to get out of the Watchtower and into the world again. I thought Allison did a great job with all of Chloe’s scenes in “Warrior.” I don’t think anyone is disputing that Chloe came off well.
What a lot of people seem to take issue with is how CLARK came off particularly in the first half of the episode….and I agree. Tom Welling seemed particularly off in this episode. I’m not sure if it was the script or the direction….but I will say that a lot of people seem to have noted that this is the second episode directed by Allison Mack where Clark has seemed much weaker and less decisive than he was the previous episode in his delivery of the lines. (Compare how weak Clark was in “POwer” last year to how strong and mature he was in “Bulletproof.”) Again, compare how mopey and down Clark seemed (seemingly out of nowhere) at the beginning of “Warrior” compared to how strong and comfortable he was at the end of “Discilple.” There’s a continuity error there for the main character and yes THAT is a problem that is legitimate for people to take issue with. The Clark in most of “Warrior” almost reminded me of the Clark of previous seasons as opposed to the strong Clark we’ve gotten in Season 9. This might have been a continuity problem with the script. Although it was a “stand alone episode” it probably would have fit better as far as Clark’s development WAY WAY earlier in the season.
I actually felt sorry for Lois during this episode. Lois is such a strong character that I don’t normally find myself feeling that way but I did in this one. We learn right away that he’s basically been making her feel rejected and avoiding her. (Which makes no sense compared to his beavior in “Disciple”.) Then he shows up at the Con and he seems down right mopey and depressed. Don’t even get me started on that whole thing with Zatanna. That was just….weird. And a lot of it was in the acting. A different delivery of the lines on Tom’s part might have made Clark look a little bit better. Did the episode have some cute stuff? Sure. The ending scene where Clark gives Lois the tickets was really really cute. And the overriding theme of fantasy throughout the episode was fun and interesting. But Clark was off in this episode and unfortunately, some of that I think is the fault of the direction. Allison Mack has admitted that she doesn’t watch the show and I think it showed in some instances in “Warrior.” Is that a bash on Allison? No. I love Allison Mack. But I also think that if and when you choose to be a director you do open yourself up for someone to potentially not like the direction that you take the characters. That’s just a part of the process. It doesn’t mean that people love Allison any less or that they respect her any less. She seemed to have a wonderful grip on her own character….but I’m not sure had sucha good grip on Clark or the Clark/Lois dynamic. And since Clark is the star of the show…yes, that is a legitimate complaint and concern for the fans.
I thought this was one of those episodes that had a lot of stuff like that I liked and thought was done well (Chloe and Stephen, Chloe and Oliver, Clark with the child, the Con comedy stuff) and some stuff that I didn’t think was done so well (mainly Clark).
am i the only one who cant take the kid coming up with the superman suit seriously? i mean , im all for “embracing the paradox” and whatnot, but thats just reduculus.
I don’t think we are supposed to think that the child literally came up with the suit and that is how Clark gets the idea. I think it was just a cute shout out.
I thought the scene with Clark and the child was probably the strongest scene in the episode. Tom Welling is consistently excellent with children and Clark felt the most in character to me (where he felt very out of character earlier in the episode and with Zatanna to me) in that scene with the little boy. It was as if being with that little boy helped him reconnect with who he really was. It was also a nice reminder at how much Clark has grown up. His life hanging out in the loft is far behind him now. He seemed happier when he brought the little boy back to the Daily planet and he found the courage to get over his fear and tell Lois that she was his dream.
Was I the only one thinking of Jonathan Kent during the scene where Kal-El was talking to young Alec in the loft? And by the way, how long has it been since we have had a loft scene on Smallville?
thats where clark and lois got it on in pandora, though it was an alternet timeline so im not sure if it counts.
Andrea I am a hardcore fan too , I don’t really watch alot of series but this one I dont miss smallville ,I just think ppl have more crushes on characters then really liking the show and if they rn’t in it,( like Clark ) which I think is a good actor, and does a great job. They get all bent. I like Chloe alot but I dont think she should b in everything plus this show is called smallville and not superman actually which can have lots of other ppl besides Clark and he need days off.( I mean the kryptonite thing came into play so the guy who did the voice on the radio series could have some time off) Ironically not really much in smallville ne more lol , I love the show too . I live in San Diego I nevvvverrrr goo to Comic conn . but I went yrs b4 last, just for smallville .Some ppl at Comic Con Scare me and I am an ex gang banger lol.Bought tickets for Sunday this year which I hope they r going to b there on that day . Ne way I wass just voicing opinion that was bugging me . Like Steve and Derek do with shippers sometimes .
Daniel,
I think you are missing my point although you are making a different one for me. Believe it or not, not everyone that has problems with this show from time to time are “shippers” and not everyone that enjoys the way the characters relate to each other on this show are shippers. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves sometimes and I’ve seen people voice that to Steve before. (And to his credit, I think he has listened and has adjusted the way he handles that idea on this show. I know I’ve appreciated it.) People assume that if you care about the way a relationship is portrayed that you must be a shipper. Frankly, that’s a huge assumption on your part and it’s FALSE. Caring about the way relationships are portrayed on this show doesn’t make you some kind of shipper that bases your entire enjoyment of the show on one character. I’m just a fan of the Superman mythos and I don’t think I’m alone by what I’ve seen in the fandom. I care about the relationships because I feel as though it’s Clark’s connections with his family and friends that give him humanity and keep him grounded. Without those connections…he’s all alien and he has no reason to fight for good. The connections with humanity inspire him. You don’t need to be a shipper to have issues with continuity on a show. When I watch a TV show I expect to see EMOTIONAL continuity and character continuity from one week to the next. I don’t think that is asking too much. When I feel that emotional continuity on the part of the LEAD CHARACTER, Clark Kent, is missing then I feel it’s worth discussing. I still thought it was a fun episode. But do I have a problem with the show presenting the idea that Clark is just fine and dandy with someone sexually assaulting him?? AGAIN?? Yeah, I do. Do I have a problem with the idea that Zatanna was presented as a sexual predator and it was basically excused because she’s hot? Clark was even flattered?? Yeah, I do. Do I have a problem with Clark being mopey and down at the beginning of the episode when the last time we saw him (at the end of Disciple) he seemed confident and at ease in his new relationship? Yes. Because that lacks emotional continuity and this show is BETTER than that this Season. This season has been STELLAR. That’s the kind of stuff I would expect from old Smallville but not this new Smallville this season.
Second, it’s a bit insulting and rather presumptious to assume that people might have issues now and agani because they have “crushes” on characters. What the heck is wrong with you? First off, I’m a married woman. I don’t need to base my emotions on a fictional character on a TV show. Second, again, I feel as though you are making a huge generalization and stereotype about the fans of this show. There are PLENTY of us that love everyone on the show and simply want the show to make sense from week to week.
Honestly, I feel like you must be 16 years old or something and I’m not even going to try and respond to your comment about gang bangers. Just….strange.
Woo, you were not the only one thinking of Jonathan Kent in the loft scene. I thought there was a beautiful expression in that scene of how far Clark has come. He is no longer the child. He was playing the father figure this time around. He was in Jonathan’s shoes. It was touching and my fave moment int he episode by far.
andrea u took it wrong , sorry :/ and the number next to the K is closer to my age and the crush thing was a general comment not an attack on u
oh yeah and the gangbang thing was just light hearted joking about , not the ppl that just dress up but the ones that get alittle tooo much into it ( not meant meanly). I grew up in L.A. it was just what I grew up threw (Gang bang thing) I am nothing like that now .ne way sorry for the misunderstandings . ppl can have opinions it was just mine. hope it helped .