And hey, fun fact: “In Superman the Movie, when Jor-El (Marlon Brando) takes the young Clark (played by Jeff East) on his journey through the 28 known Galaxies he says that 12 earth years will have passed. This is when we first see Superman in the movie, so there is significance that Clark’s dream sequence at the start of the episode takes place in 2013 (12 years after Smallville first started).” – from Smallville Wiki.

Clark wakes up and finds a present from his mother – the suit! Let’s hope he suits up for Season 10. The trenchcoat has worn its welcome. Although the Connor Kent-inspired t-shirt look Clark sports at the end of the episode looked cool. Maybe we could get a red shield on the shirt though? That’s my Tim Gunn report. On with the rest of the episode!

Nearby on a gothic patio high above the streets of Metropolis, Lois finally gets to meet the person she’s been talking to on the phone. “FBI Agent” Zod reveals himself to be the Blur and warns Lois that Clark is not who he says he is. At Watchtower, Chloe, still sporting her green jacket, awkwardly talks to Oliver about the upcoming war of the worlds. They are still not being truthful about how much they care for each other. After Oliver hangs up, Clark shows up with the Book of Rao. When Clark tells her that it means exile for all Kryptonians, Chloe starts to think that maybe Clark’s destiny is to lead his people off the planet.

At the Fortress, Zod bellows away at the silent Jor-El. Before he destroys the crystals, Tess steps out from behind a glacier. She admits that she has seen the error of her ways and is looking for redemption. Zod throws her against the wall and denies her forgiveness. But Tess was talking about her conversation with Martha, not Zod. She pulls out some krypto-knuckles and beats him. He catches her monologuing though, as he crawls far enough away from her weapon to get to his feet and set her ablaze with his heat vision.

When Clark shows up, he also bellows at his mute biological father. He argues that his destiny is on Earth, and if all the training was just so he could help Zod, then it was no use. Zod steps out from what I am assuming might have been the Bathroom of Solitude and tells Clark that he can’t stop him. Clark notices the console was destroyed. He debates with Zod over whether war is actually necessary, and to not make a mistake like the murder of Faora again. He even says that he was able to find redemption after he caused the death of Jonathan. But Zod is sure of his destiny and takes off. Clark finds the char-broiled body of Tess Mercer being preserved in the cold.

At the Daily Planet, Lois snoops into Clark’s computer and finds a picture of Zod when she does a search for the Blur. At Met Gen, a strange old woman knits in the hallway as Clark looks in on Tess. Two Face Mercer apologizes to Clark and says that she wanted to stop Zod. She tells him to open the Book of Rao, he should use crystals she got from the rubble of Rao Towers. She left them in his “crow’s nest”, which I guess is the gothic patio that we have seen Clark hanging out on now and then. She tells him he is out of time.

Now we get to see a pretty cool montage of Kandorians hanging out at famous landmarks, burning the seal of Zod into them and setting them on fire. Pretty good CGI, I would say, but I was disappointed we didn’t get to see one of them burn Zod’s image into Mount Rushmore. I would say this episode was a total win if that happened. But, according to Chloe, even with all the destruction, the military is under the impression that this is all a hoax. Are they not getting live footage of this chaos? Where’s Geraldo when you need him?

At Watchtower, the two teams of superheroes, Justice Society and Justice League, are talking on an epic video conference call. It’s funny to think of how they set these cameras up. Stargirl is a big fan of patriotism, so she set up a flowing American flag in the background. Hawkman, who is in Giza, and also has some ties to Egypt, figured that his feed should have sweet hieroglyphics behind him. Cyborg loves technology, so he stationed himself in front of some screens with technostuff on it. Black Canary and Martian Manhunter have hit the streets and set up a link from respective dusky warehouses. It just cracks me up when I start to think about the scenes we don’t see on Smallville.

Anyway, the teams argue over what course of action to take. Clark joins the debate and tells them he has decided to use the Book of Rao to lead them all off Earth. He asks the heroes to accept his destiny to protect the world as a team. Oliver tells Clark he should tell Lois everything before he goes. Clark thinks it would hurt Lois, but Oliver tells him he should at least say goodbye.

The Kandorians cut off communications from Watchtower to the rest of the heroes by taking down the satellites (so much for our TV shows). This is when Oliver reveals a gift he has been hiding from Chloe, Watchtower’s own personal satellite. Oliver takes off to flip the switch at “the Earth station” to turn the satellite on after giving Chloe a (final?) kiss.

Lois continues on her snooping mission by looking through Clark’s things at the barn. She finds Dr. Swann’s journal, with the drawing of the Book of Rao. Clark shows up to say goodbye. He tells Lois that she is the one he has always needed. Lois tells Clark that Perry offered her a job in Kenya. After gathering himself, Clark throws on a smile and congratulates her. Lois admits she will give up Africa if they stop with the secrets. Clark tells her he doesn’t know what she is talking about. Clark gives her a hug and sends her on her way. Cold, but it was needed.

Meanwhile, Tess is fighting for her life in the hospital. She loses though, and the old woman goes in to her room….Chloe and Oliver communicate through radio handsets as Oliver goes through ventilation shafts to turn on the satellite. But Oliver is swarmed all of a sudden, and after they quickly exchange their declarations of love for each other, he tells her that they are not Kandorians! And that, ladies and gents, is the beginning of the end of the season finale. The cliffhangers have begun!

At the crow’s nest, Clark, finds the crystals that Tess hid, but realizes Lois swiped the Book of Rao from him. At a phone booth nearby, Lois meets with Zod to deliver the Book. Lois admits how hurt she is over Clark. Zod tries to console her by putting a hand on her shoulder. When she touches it, she realizes that it’s not the same hand she felt in Charade. She immediately starts to tell Zod that she hid the book where she confessed to the Blur he was the most important person in her life. Zod realizes the jig is up and throws Lois into the phone booth. But before she crashes completely through it, Clarks superspeeds in, clocks Zod and grabs Lois. He sets her to the ground before she comes to her senses. She stands up, looking around, and sees the real Blur in the shadows. She hands the Book of Rao off to him, and he whisks her into his arms and kisses her. After he leaves her, she realizes that the Blur is Clark Kent. Zing! Cliffhanger #3!

At the crow’s nest, Clark confronts Zod. The other Kandorians land on the building all around him. Clark tells them that the Book of Rao won’t hurt them. It will bring them to another place where they can live in peace. Clark talks about what happened when Faora wanted to leave him. Zod, in a fury, grabs Clark and whispers that Faora was a traitor and he didn’t want to kill his own child. Bad move, Zod, when you are surrounded by people with super hearing! Zod tries to argue his case more, but the Kandorians start to rip their Zod Fan Club armbands off. Vala asks Clark to take them home, where they can deal with Zod.

Clark places the book into the crystals as the Kandorians are taken away by a bright light. Zod pulls out Plan B, a dagger made of blue kryptonite, which neutralizes his and Clark’s powers and makes them mortal. As the rain falls, Clark and Zod beat the everliving snot out of each other. Zod slashes Clark with the dagger. Clark gives him an awesome slow motion uppercut. Zod gives Clark a Guy Ritchie jawbreaker and knocks him through some stained glass. Zod tries to stab Clark with the dagger, but Clark holds him back. Zod declares that everyone on this planet, including Lois, will kneel before him.

Clark tells Zod, “You already destroyed my first home. I won’t let you take this one.” He takes the dagger into the gut willingly and stumbles backward off the side of the building, smiling. Zod, out of range of the blue kryptonite, becomes Kryptonian again and is accepted into the golden light of the Book of Rao. He screams as he is taken away. Meanwhile, cliffhanger #4 arrives, as Clark falls from the roof, evoking religious symbolism. Clark is victorious, but as he said earlier to Hawkman: “At what cost?” Bring on Season 10!!

This episode brought us at least four things I was waiting for: Chloe’s apology, more information about the Book of Rao, the return of Martha Kent and Perry White, and the break-up of Lois and Clark. Now, I don’t take delight in the unhappiness of our characters, nor am I one of those people who push their glasses up as they scream at their TV about the continuity of Smallville leading into the Superman comics. I subscribe to the same notion Big Honkin Steve talked about way back during last season, Smallville is an Elseworlds tale. Period. I’m pretty sure it was established in the first episode anyway when we met a stranger named Chloe and noticed that Pete Ross had zero chemistry with Lana Lang. When Lois showed up in Season Four, I can’t believe people got upset.

Sorry. Tangent. What I am trying to say is that I wasn’t waiting for Lois and Clark to break up because they don’t belong together this soon. I was waiting for them to break up because I truly believe that unless Clark is completely honest with Lois and Lois is completely accepting of Clark’s secret, they will never be a real couple. I’m married and I can tell you that my wife and I wouldn’t ever be happy with either of us having a “secret life”. Happy commitments usually don’t usually involve a bylaw that states “mystery adds spice to a relationship”. I may be crazy but I think it adds doubt and mistrust, unless your relationship isn’t serious. But when they are finally straight up with each other, they will be the power couple we all know and love. In Charade, Clark ended up distancing himself more from her by ending her relationship with the Blur. Now if he tells her he is the Blur, he risks making her hate him for putting her through so much emotional strife. The question now is: Will he decide to build up his secret identity, and keep his nightlife away from Lois? Or will Clark’s story continue to be Elseworlds which will lead to him revealing his secret to her?

Unfortunately, what doesn’t help and what eventually is the tipping point to Lois breaking up with Clark is that he is majorly distracted. Or should I now say generally? *wink* But Clark is desperately looking for the Book of Rao because there are now a group of superbeings that are ready to burn this mother down. But Lois is feeling kind of lost since she lost her way to that higher purpose she had. I am certain she saw the Blur as that savior that will need her just as she needs him, as Dr. Fate prophesized. That loss has not just simply upset her; it has made her question what she is supposed to do with her life. When Clark tells her to give him a break, I knew she had just about enough. Obviously you can’t blame Clark because of what he is now up against. But, again, to paraphrase Dr. Fate, love is a two-way street.

I don’t have much to say about the Lois and Perry subplot other than it was a lot of fun. We got Perry’s catchphrase: “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” She called him “chief” which is something we all know Perry is going to get tired of in the future. We got to see how easily these two work together and how Perry can inspire her to be better. I was glad Perry helped Lois since Clark couldn’t be there for her. Although it was great to see Clark smiling as he watched Lois rescue Perry in front of the crowd that had gathered. Nice Superman reference, too. “I’ve got you.”  Also, it was nice to see his pull at the Planet got their desks back, too. I felt bad about his love for Martha. Perry will never get her to marry him. I’m sure she sees him as fun, but I think she will remain single in the end. I also have a sneaking suspicion that their relationship was something to keep him distracted from his search for the Book of Rao. I hate to think of her as that calculating, but he then got a tip that the Red Queen was in Nairobi. Who do you think planted that? I’m thinking that after a visit back home, Martha may need a break as well.

But, ah, to see Martha Kent again, back at Kent Farm. Boy, that big house has seemed empty these past three years. But seeing Ma Kent making a pie just felt like home. But Martha is different now. I’m not sure if you can call it hesitation, but certainly a thoughtful pause was taken as she looked at her old apron. She had a few moments like that. For instance, staring wistfully at Jonathan’s workbench, with his gloves and toolbox or seeing Perry’s silhouette as he brought in firewood wearing Jonathan’s old coat. Martha has been through a lot of change taking on the Senate seat, getting away from the farm, and putting the loss of the love of her life behind her. I can say from personal experience, after the loss of my father, my mother had to almost reinvent herself and find a life outside of what she did before she became a widow. Wounds like that never heal; you just find different ways to distract yourself so the pain doesn’t keep you from functioning.

I must take one moment to mention that I loved hearing her tell the story to Lois about how she and Jonathan sandbagged a river all night to protect 20 families from getting their homes flooded. I would love to have seen that as a flashback episode, or maybe even in comic book form. The thing is, up until now, Martha has always been portrayed as the big city socialite that gave up all the opportunities she had because she fell in love with a man who believed in the goodness of people. But what we have never heard was that it wasn’t just love that brought her to Smallville, it was purpose. Working in the rain and mud all night filled that space inside her that she might not have gotten if she stayed in Metropolis. Not to say her love of Jonathan wasn’t a huge part of what kept her in Smallville, but I am guessing what she found inside herself that night probably gave her the excitement that Lois got when she first talked to the Blur.

But her life as a Senator sure hasn’t kept her from protecting Clark. In fact, it has helped her discover forces inside the government out to get him. We find that she is the Red Queen, as many of you easily guessed. She also has a bit of a manipulative side to her, because while she keeps her son and the two reporters “hostage”, she sends a nasty virus to Watchtower, and has Maxwell Lord kidnap Tess to discover the location of the Book of Rao. I’m not sure either how Tess obtained the book or how Martha knew Tess had the book either. But Martha calls Tess out for only being into the saving the world game just to save herself. She also threatens her to stay away from Clark and if she’s not careful, she’ll end up on the wrong side of the apocalypse. I really think Tess isn’t long for this Earth.

On the Zod front, the stakes were certainly set up for the season finale. No doubt that it was Zod who contacted Lois at the end of this episode and not Clark. And how about the information Martha gave Clark about the Book of Rao? We now see that Clark will be able to use it to get rid of Zod and his army, but he runs the risk of getting transported to “another plain of existence” himself. What does everyone think that plain is? The Phantom Zone? Earth-2? The Legion’s Future Time? New Krypton? The Bottle of Kandor? Bizarro World? A CW spinoff called The Unexpected Diaries of Valla, One Supernatural Gossip Girl from Melrose Tree Hill, 90210?

Finally, the moment many have been waiting for happened tonight. Some were happy about it. Some thought it wasn’t enough. I’m talking about Chloe’s apology. After last week’s discussion here on SmallvillePodcast.com about whether or not we still love Chloe after Season 9, I was happy to hear her tell Clark she was sorry. If anything, let’s quickly recap that scene:

Clark shows up at the wrecked Watchtower. He wonders what the holdup is with the repairs. Chloe reveals that Watchtower is ready to go but she isn’t. She admits that she found footage of Jorel hiding the Book of Rao months ago. She apologizes for keeping it a secret because she became tangled in her own world wide web. She lost track of what was important. When Clark disappeared, she retracted into Watchtower, playing Big Sister. She tells him that it turned out having all the information doesn’t mean having all the answers. She wants to start plugging into the real world with Ollie and have a normal life because virtual reality bites. But Clark won’t let her just give up. He tells her that they are on the brink of war and he needs her. They open the shutter for the main window of Watchtower and everything starts powering up. Chloe tells him that even when she was hurting him, she was trying to protect him.

So I don’t know about you, but I think that any problems I had with Chloe were resolved with this scene. I spent a great deal of time talking Chloe last week, and the conversation between her and Tess in Sacrifice must have been on her mind as she repaired Watchtower. I just wanted to quickly mention that I’m sure this is what led her to tell Clark she wanted out. I almost expected Clark to sympathize and tell her he can handle it. But he told her he still needed her. And if I know my TV dramas, this means that something bad is going to happen to Chloe. No need to curse at me! I just have a feeling about this one.

OK, we’ll talk again soon about the season finale, Salvation!!

Tess Mercer has also gained entrance, using DNA that Chloe has left behind from previous break-ins to Luthorcorp and the mansion. She holds Chloe at gunpoint, trying to get her to hand over all the information she has on the Kandorians. Chloe responds with a feisty “I knew you were the Kandorians’ lapdog, but I didn’t realize you were Zod’s little bitch, too.” A security breach is detected by Watchtower and it puts itself on lockdown. It turns out that Tess unwittingly brought a bug, that Checkmate had implanted her with, to get the information on the Kandorians as well. Chloe tries cutting it out of her, but it is programmed to read Tess’s biorhythms and burrow deeper into her when it feels threate

I thought Tess’s reaction to the fact that she had been bugged spot-on. It reminded me of her reaction to Lex implanting her with nano-technology so he could see through her eyes anytime he wanted. I think Tess is someone on the show that would have the most violent reaction to being used a puppet or a pawn.

Tess tells Chloe that once Checkmate arrives and breaks in, they are both as good as dead. As the air starts to run out, Tess’s defenses start to fall. Tess swears that she just wanted to save the world and admits jealousy of what Chloe has. She points out that Chloe seems to have programmed Watchtower so no one can get close to her. She says that Chloe gives Oliver something she never could – purpose.

Chloe gets the idea to use chemicals from Watchtower’s cooling system to freeze the steel door keeping them in, and breaking through it. But she realizes that in order to save their lives, she must sacrifice her own – or at least the one that she has built since Jimmy died, the one revolving around Watchtower. Breaking through the security will trigger another security measure: the mainframe will melt down. Chloe hesitates, but decides their lives aren’t worth it and they break through the wall. But they need to move quickly because Checkmate with their new White Knight, the scarred and extremely ticked off Stuart Campbell, has defied Waller’s orders and is hell bent on killing Tess.

Meanwhile, Clark is on a mission to track down Zod, and enlists Oliver’s help, but no killing this time! He wants to find a way to take care of Zod, but keep his followers, his Kryptonian family, from feeling threatened. Oliver reminds Clark that they aren’t his only family. We next find Green Arrow repelling into the mansion and a body gets thrown through a window. Zod has dispatched a Checkmate agent staking out the mansion and asks Arrow to join him against their common foe. When Green Arrow refuses, Zod and him come to a standoff. Zod knocks him into a wall but he has gotten off a kryptonite arrow to Zod’s leg, which drops him like a rock. Zod dares Arrow to murder him, but Ollie is keeping his promise not to kill.

At the same time, Clark goes to the Kandorian hideout to find the Kandorians performing a ritual, involving a flower blooming in Faora’s hand. After the Kandorians exit, Clark shows Faora Dr. Swann’s journal, which depicts how the original General Zod destroyed Krypton. He worries the same thing will happen to Earth. Faora tells Clark about how the Kandorians have split. Some wish to live the simple life as a human and others have left to gain power with Zod. She hopes, however, that what Zod gave her will unite them again. Clark listens and hears a second heartbeat coming from Faora. The ritual must have been kind of like a Kryptonian baby shower. Clark insists that Krypton lives on through her. Faora then tells Clark that Zod has been looking for the Book of Rao, which is more than a religious text, but also wields great power. This is when Oliver calls and tells Clark that he is with Zod. But Zod must have been able to get the arrow away from him because the next thing Clark hears is Oliver screaming as Zod burns his seal into his chest.

The action switched to Met Gen for a bit when Tess and Chloe, still on the run from Agent Campbell, show up in a last ditch effort to neutralize the bug. Unfortunately, Tess has got to die. But only for a few minutes. You could see that Tess was ready to die because Chloe knows that she has too much information. Chloe stops her heart with the paddles just as Checkmate is searching the hallways. But with the signal lost, so are they.

If you’re just joining us, Tess Mercer has died. Now Wikipedia states that reviving someone after 3 minutes of clinical death (which is when the heart and circulation stops) is highly rare. I don’t know how long it took between Chloe killing her and bringing her back to life because it cut away to a different scene. But when it came back, the bug is taken care of and Tess is in a body bag to hide her from the Checkmate agents. Did Chloe have to take the bug out herself? Or did it just die from the paddle shock? Then Chloe had to wrestle her dead weight into a body bag. I’m not certain if I buy it, but Chloe then revives her ala Pulp Fiction and tells her to remember what she did for her or else. Tess is back to being Tess again: “I guess you’ll have to trust me….”

Ollie is wheeled in to the hospital and warns Clark that Checkmate is after the Kandorians. Back at the warehouse, Faora is trying to convince her people to stand against Zod. But this is cut off because Waller’s Checkmate team raids the hideout. Waller takes Faora into custody and tells her agents to dispose of the rest. Waller leaves with Faora, but before Valla and the others are executed, Clark superspeeds in taking out all the agents.

At the super-secret Checkmate hanger, Waller tells Faora that Zod had just leveled their field offices in Metropolis. When Faora said she’s defecting, Waller doesn’t believe she would betray her own kind. Faora insists that she is only betraying one. Speaking of, Zod shows up and throws Waller into a windshield. He goes to finish her off but Clark shows up and throws Zod into the side of the hangar. As Zod dislodges himself and levitates back down to the ground, I immediately sat up and yelled “Oh it’s on now!” But unfortunately it’s just a staredown as Zod and Clark debate whether murder is justice. When Clark is distracted by checking on Waller, Zod swoops Faora away.

Back at the hideout, Zod tells Faora how much he has done for her and how much she disappointed him. The title of the episode comes back up as Faora accuses him of already sacrificing one world for his evil. Zod tells her she knows nothing of sacrifice and Faora tells him she knows more than he ever will. Zod orders her to kneel, but she won’t. So he chokes her and when she dies, the flower from the ritual drops from her hand and Zod notices. Then he sees that her belly had grown. He listens as his baby’s heart slows and then stops. This was so hard to watch. I really was wondering where Clark was. I mean, Smallville only has so many sets. How quick does it take to check them all? No, but seriously, I felt so bad for Faora and I really think Clark dropped the ball on that one. He should have left Waller and followed Zod.

Zod’s reign of destruction begins again as he shows up at the Checkmate headquarters murdering everyone. It seems that Waller and Campbell were also victims although if they died (which I am certain of), their deaths were offscreen. As annoying as Waller was, I don’t think I’m a fan of her dying this soon though. Chloe, Oliver and Clark watch the castle burn, which apparently was a monument of some sort, on TV. Then Chloe detects some movement at the Fortress. It looks like not all of Chloe’s toys were ruined when Watchtower melted down.

At the fortress, Zod is officiating a funeral for Faora. Using her death as a rallying cry, he tells the group that the first son of Kandor has been killed by humans. Clark tries to tell them it’s a lie, but the Kandorians are so outraged by Faora’s death and Clark’s supposed betrayal by trying to help Waller that they will follow Zod to the ends of the Earth. In fact, they now call him “General Zod”. And when they all take to the skies, Clark realizes he’s got quite the challenge ahead of him.

This catches the attention of a new player in the game of Checkmate, Maxwell Lord, who has the power to scan your mind, annoying called a Jedi mind trick by Sacks, who I’m thinking needs a Star Wars rewatch. Maxwell is the black king in this game, and he is frustrated with how little the White Queen has accomplished from behind her desk. I’m thinking he’s being a bit unfair to Ms. Waller. She at least came out of the castle once to slam the side of a van while bellowing at Tess.

But while Waller wants to recruit metahumans (a word I just had to add to my spell check’s dictionary) for her Suicide Squad, Maxie wants to kill them all. So, along with a pizza delivery guy that snapped a photo of the Blur, Lord kidnaps Lois to hook her up to some contraption that I think I last saw on the alien ship in The X-Files. Could this room be any creepier? I think Maxie and Dr. Chisholm from Conspiracy should get together and create a Megacreepy Lab. They were both no problem for Clark to defeat either, so maybe they should get some henchmen, too.

In the end, Maxie is thrown in a limo by some guy from LA Confidential. While I’m sure he was hoping to see Ed McMahon in there with a couple of supermodels, instead he comes face-to-red-pump with the Red Queen. If those end up being Martha Kent’s legs, let me be the first to high-five her Pilates instructor. That’s one foxy pair of legs. And if that turns out to be Perry White, let me be the first to retract that last statement.

But seriously folks, that wasn’t really the main focus of Charade. In this episode, the writers decided to put our emotions through a grinder by tackling the Clark/Lois/Blur triangle head-on. Clark has invited Lois to do a candlelit dinner and some stargazing, and Lois excitedly tells Chloe that the “L bomb” is about to be dropped, after they confess each other’s secrets. When Chloe confronts Clark about it, it turns out he isn’t telling her anything. He just wants her to tell him what she’s been keeping secret. But then he starts to entertain the thought that maybe it’s time to trust Lois with everything.

But after a near death experience with one of Ray Sacks’ henchmen, Clark realizes that Lois has been talking to someone other than him. As Clark, he tries to get her to give some information on who she thinks is the Blur. Out of this we get a great speech from Lois, who makes Clark realize again why he shouldn’t tell her.

“I am sure he is dying to tell me, but how could anyone who cares about me put me in that kind of position! If I knew his true identity, then every lowlife with high hopes of hurting him would come after me. And he would never put me in that kind of danger just to get a secret off his back. That’s why I trust him!”

Ahh, the plight of the everyday superhero. You try to save the world, but you can’t ever be honest with the one you love. And quicker than you can say “Can You Read My Mind?”, Lois shares a tender moment with the Blur after getting rescued, holding his hand but refusing to turn around to protect his identity. Clark soon realizes that in order to protect Lois, he needs to break her heart. What struck me here was how intense Lois’s feelings for the Blur were. I suppose after being saved countless times and being trusted with what she defined later as a “calling”, it makes a lot of sense. But the question remains, with the Blur gone, will Clark be enough? I think Lois might just be calling it quits soon in her relationship with Clark. If she does, does that make her a lesser person?

Other random thoughts I had:

1. Since when did Clark start spraying that S on his shirt with Day Glo? I still thought the shot of him on the roof, as CGI as it looked, still was pretty darn cool. How about when Clark jumped to get to the roof? It sure looked like he was taking off flying to me…

2. Who is Rick Degroot? The camera seemed to linger on his record as Chloe was talking about how Sacks’ cellmates were released. Was he Sacks’ henchman? Or is he yet someone else to look out for in the future?

3. Hey, that indoor/outdoor café has a name – the Brasserie Georgina. I spotted the name on Lois’s menu.

4. I think my favorite line might have had to be when Lois was talking about how Clark’s kiss altered space and time. I could see him making a mental note of that.

5. Clark finding out Zod has been calling Lois on top of him eventually finding out that he’s been holding Kandorian Survivors/Bloodletting Parties in the Fortress is most certainly going to lead to a big battle. I cannot wait.

Lois wakes up in bed by Clark, who just got there. She is not sure what happened but covers it up so Clark doesn’t worry. He notices a scratch on her arm, which she says came from opening The Hangover dvd with a Swiss army knife. I know how she feels! Clark is persistant, saying that there isn’t a need for this much mystery in their relationship, as he hasn’t seen her in a week. Lois tries her charms on him, but it’s put aside quickly when she gets a call from “the Blur”. Clark leaves as Lois fills Zod in on the events of the previous night, thanking him for the rescue.

Leaving the Talon’s apartment, she hears some noises coming from the basement. She goes in and finds John Corben in a weakened state. She is ready to turn him over to the authorities but he pleads with her that his mind is almost normal except for the upgrade he got: a chip implanted in the back of his neck which would have controlled him if Lois didn’t save him. But his electronic heart is in need of meteor rock for fuel. They take off in Lois’s car.

Meanwhile, Clark is trying to figure out what Lois was up to the night before. Chloe is helping from Watchtower but calls him on their trust issues, citing the lowjacked keychain they are tracing. The signal leads Clark to underground to the lab, where he discovers some red meteor rock in a mist. Back at Watchtower, Clark is doing some computer searching. Chloe comes in and jokes that she might not be needed. Clark tells her he was tired of waiting for her.

Clark shows Chloe what he’s discovered: that Tess has been stockpiling kryptonite across the country. Chloe confesses that it was really her and Oliver behind it. Clark’s eyes blaze red as they begin to argue. Chloe pleads that it was to protect them from a possible war with the Kryptonians. He bellows that he is Kryptonian and even goes as far as to push Chloe onto the ground. “There is a war, Chloe, right now, and you’re about to lose it.” He brands the Watchtower with his shield and leaves.

John Corben is inside one of these stockpiles. Inside a tractor trailer, he doses himself with a meteor rock. When he comes out, Clark is there. He winces at the light of the green rock, but then a couple bolts of fire destroy the trailer. From the sky, Zod swoops in, looks at Clark and then speeds away. Clark is learning that everyone is lying to him at the wrong time!

Lois arrives at the scene. She finds Corben naked. He tells her they need to get out of there in case the Blur decides to wreak more havoc. She surprised the Blur was involved. At the ruined lab, Chloe tries to discover what Clark got into. Tess steps out of the shadows and the two exchange barbs for a bit before Chloe finds the red meteor rock. Chloe tells Tess that if she wants to protect her alien pet project, she should help her find Clark.

Meanwhile, Zod is unsheathing a glowing green sword, which must mean goblins nearby. Clark shows up and, after coercing Zod, finds out that Zod got his powers from Clark’s blood. Zod asks him to join him because of the lies that Chloe told him. Red-K-infused Clark has no problem sealing the deal with the super-cool forearm-clasping handshake.

Lois and Corben are getting settled on a bus, but he wants her to go. She tells him she won’t leave him until he is at the military base in South Dakota getting help from the General’s friend, Dr. Hale. Corben notices that a lady is having trouble securing her bag in the overhead, so he gets up to help her. With his back turned, she places an emotion chip onto the implant in the back of his neck. He immediately starts to leave the bus. Lois gets up to protest but gets injected with a sedative and left on the bus.

Meanwhile, Clark and Zod are proving that walking away from flames is still cool. Their conversation drifts to Jor-El and Zod says they were like opposite sides of the same coin. Clark admits he had a friendship like that once (Lex), and declares that it’s time to live a little. At the Space Needle in Seattle, Zod wishes Jor-El could see them now. Clark says that he can, but first gives the city an unexpected wintery blast with his super cold breath.

Chloe and Tess are still at the lab when Chloe finds a weather alert for Seattle. UUsing satellite imagery, she catches a shot of Clark and Zod atop the Needle. They wonder about the sudden bromance, when Corben returns.

At the Fortress, Clark welcomes home his new brother, but is frustrated that Jor-El is silent. He announces that he is done with constant lectures and mindgames anyway. Zod asks him if he would like the answers to everything in the universe. He tells Clark that on Krypton, they revered the red sun god, Rao. To them, religion is science, but their bible, the Book of Rao is on Earth. He states that “With the Fortress and the Book there are no limits to what we can achieve.”

Chloe watches Corben’s GPS feed at the lab, but stops it so Tess doesn’t see where he’s going. Chloe hears movement in the lab and hides just as Lois shows up, cracking that this is the “least secret secret lab I’ve been in twice.” She tells Tess that she can’t cover up what she did to Corben, just as Chloe chloroforms her. Lois was talking about The Hangover earlier. I can imagine with that much sedative in her system; she may wake up with a tiger in her bathroom, too.

Back at the Fortress, we realize as Corben arrives through the portal that Chloe must have sent him to the Caves. Clark and Zod are baffled at this sudden arrival, but when he comes at them, they make a good team. Zod zips around him, and when he turns, Clark blasts some ice from the ceiling to rain down on him. This knocks the chip off. He remarks, “I sure like what you’ve done with the place” and starts to advance on Clark. But he is caught in a tornado of freeze breath as Zod and Clark turn him into a block of ice.

But Corben is not beaten yet. He breaks free and tries to make a field goal with Zod. He tells Clark that he is here to save him before he plunges a sharp kryptonite rock into him. The red K in his body is cured and Corben tells Clark to thank me another time before putting the key into the crystals and disappearing. You can see that Clark realizes he has made a mistake, but now Zod is gone.

Lois is stopped on street by Corben. She hands him the cybertronic self-sustaining heart, which makes Corben even more enamored with her. He declares that she is his hero and asks her to come away with him. Lois lets him down easy and tells him she is seeing someone who “is it for me.” Corben tells her, “You are a real dame, Lois Lane.”

Zod is drinking in his lair when he finds pictures of him and Clark on the Space Needle. Tess is there and worried he may be backing out of their arrangement. She tells him that he can’t bet on someone who so quickly switches allegiances. To further her cause, she reveals that she has discovered a secret rebellion of Kandorians that answer to Clark. She shows Clark pictures from the episode Conspiracy where Clark was giving Faora and Vala their identities.

At Watchtower, Clark remarks that an apology on video would save him some time. He isn’t mad that she lied to him, because in the future, her weapons saved the Earth.  He admits that what happened with him and Zod was partly due to the red K, but also could be attributed to wish fulfillment, as he feels that Zod is the only one that can really understand him, and that he feels close to him, like a brother. At the Fortress, Zod has assembled a small group to drink his blood and gain powers. He raises the blood to the heavens as we fade to black.

I’d like to say thanks for all the feedback last week as most of you figured as I did that the Red Queen is probably Martha. It’s so strange how Elseworlds this show can get because I just don’t see our Martha as this government puppetmaster that can hold her own against something like Checkmate. Then again, I never felt like John Corben was such an empathetic character until Smallville either.

There were a few “what in the Sam Hill?” moments for me, and maybe as a discussion this week, you can help me fill in the blanks that I seemed to have missed:

1.       We see Lois and Corben drive off after she found him in the basement of the Talon. Next thing you know, Lois is gone, and Corben is getting his Krypto fix before Clark and Zod show up. So where did Lois run off to and how the heck did either of them know about the stockpile?

2.       We see that Corben has the key when he disappears from the Fortress. Does the key stay in the caves or do you think Chloe actually directed Corben to go to Kent Farm, find the key, and then go to the Caves to use the shortcut to the North Pole? Or maybe Chloe carries the key in her purse?

3.       Lois gives Corben the (Cyberdyne) cybertronic self-sustaining heart. Do you think she stole it right under Tess’ nose before she got knocked out, or do you think Chloe gave it to her?

4.       Also, Brian Austin Green is awesome. Discuss.

Til next week…

Tess is disguised in a La Femme Nikita wig as she pensively walks the streets. First, she is followed by the FDA lady from Hell and then Joe Chill steps out of the shadows. A fight ensues, which looks like it was lifted straight from a Guy Ritchie movie. Watch as Joe Chill’s flabby face gets ruptured by La Tess Nikita’s fist. The fight attracts the attention of Green Arrow, but IT’S A TRAP!

At Watchtower, Chloe is worried because of a surveillance blackout where Green Arrow was last seen. When the cameras come back up, Clark sees that John Jones (do you think he spells it J’onn J’onzz?) is investigating the crime scene. We have a funny moment where Chloe turns to talk to Clark but he has supersped to the scene on camera. John is being secretive about why he is there, so Clark x-rays him and sees an earpiece with an incredibly easy-to-read serial number on it. John is upset Clark did that and takes off. Um, literally.

In an armored van racing to Checkmate’s headquarters, Green Arrow is handcuffed to a chair. Tess is considering taking his sunglasses off to see who he is, but Waller pops up on screen. Tess leaves as Oliver wakes up. Waller welcomes him to Checkmate and Oliver says, “I don’t remember signing up for chess club.” Waller tells him he is being forced into recruitment to work for the government. When she is done, Oliver has picked his way out of the handcuffs and pulls some explosives out of his costume to blow the door on the van, which he rides to safety. Doesn’t anyone frisk these heroes anymore? Tess certainly deserves the screamfest that Waller gives her later.

Meanwhile, John has hunted down the man who belongs to the earpiece. Probably because manhunting is his specialty. The guy is actually a CEO living a double-life, working for Checkmate. Apparently he has been scared into loyalty to them because he poisons himself as John interrogates him. John scans his memory for clues and sees flashes of Waller, a rook and the castle. Oh, hey, that’s interesting. A rook IS a castle. Nice. Wow, these chess metaphors are pretty neat…

Chloe has tracked down who the earpiece belongs to, just as Oliver shows up. Clark has an awkward moment as we see a blonde-on-blonde nuzzlefest. Oliver gives them the rundown about Checkmate, and Chloe links that to who Sylvester Pemberton was scared of several weeks ago. But when they get back to business, Chloe discovers that the owner of the earpiece is dead and he is last seen with John Jones. Clark whooshes off. Chloe decides to check on Icicle’s whereabouts at the psych ward at Met Gen because he may be connected to this as well. Oliver wants to go but Chloe insists he hang up his tights for the evening. Then Oliver insists they are not tights.

Oliver shows up at the Luthorcorp Shareholder Dinner at Luthor Mansion, where he greets Tess. At this point, I’m baffled that they have not recognized each other. I knew Tess didn’t know Oliver was Green Arrow from the van scene, but I didn’t think Oliver didn’t recognize Tess in the wig. But then again, in a world where a man will soon hide his world famous super-face with just a pair of glasses, it’s not totally unbelievable. But in a scene reminiscent of Batman Returns, where Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle discover each others’ alter-egos by repeating some lines they said “in costume”, Tess and Oliver figure each other out.

As Clark follows the clues from the morgue to Tess’s office, John Jones has already infiltrated the castle. He discovers the blood slide Lois acquired from Bernard Chisolm’s House of Horrors and Waller shows up, asking who he is working for. When he doesn’t give it up, she traps in flames. Meanwhile, Chloe has a gadget fight with a shifty doctor at Met Gen. As she remote scans his PDA, he pulls off a COUNTERSCAN, which just is made even more silly when the LED lights on his PDA show it in big bold letters. Oh yeah, and we get yet another chess piece – a pawn. I guess they must think of Chloe as a pawn to get to The Blur at this point.

Oliver has to defend himself against more tights accusations from Tess. Oliver really had some funny lines tonight. Especially when she throws a knife at him, and he informs her they are not in a cartoon. Cheesy inside jokes like that are so much more palatable than the barrage of chess metaphors we got. Clark zips in and grabs Tess, and in a flash, he is dangling her off a building. By now, Smallville viewers are realizing that when it comes to Clark interrogating Tess, there is no good cop.

Tess tells Clark, after begging for her life, that she is a part of Checkmate, Amanda Waller is the White Queen and she first involved Tess in her first days at Luthorcorp, because she wanted information about Lex’s alien investigations. However, she never told Waller about Clark or the Kandorians. In fact, something called Watchtower is actually the target. DA DA DAAAAAAAA!

At the castle, John tricks a guard into freeing him from his flame cell. Clark shows up in Waller’s office, shrouded in darkness. Waller admits to not being a fan of the costume. Has anyone this season told CK that his dark threads are kicking? I don’t believe one person has. If anything is going to get him to go back to the red and blues, it’s going to be peer pressure. Anyway, Waller tells him that Checkmate needs his help to stop an alien invasion. He has a choice to be with them or against them. And, uh, if he says “against”, Chloe’s head will be ventilated. She makes him step out of the shadows and lectures him about something that seemed to be a metaphor for chess as well. These Checkmate folk need to get a new game to make metaphors about. Seriously! “You wouldn’t have a Chance at getting Free Parking even if you won 2^nd prize in a beauty pageant, Mr. Blur! Mwahahahaha!” Oh wait, Monopoly is more of a Lex game. He’s the one that’s all about the real estate.

Waller wants the identities and locations of all the Justice League members from Watchtower along with Clark’s loyalty. She also lectures him on how vulnerable his greatest asset, Chloe, is. But then, the power goes out. Clark uses his super hearing to figure out where in the castle the guard is, and then begins one incredibly creative action scene. The problems with the power in the castle started this strobe effect, so the whole fight was seen in flashes. I really dug it. In fact, I ended up rewinding the DVR to watch it again. The best part was the last bit after the guards were taken out. You see Clark face to face with Chloe as he checks to see if she is alright, they stare at each other for a moment, and in the next flash, they’re already gone. Excellent job, Smallville!

Back at the Watchtower, Clark is freeing Chloe from her handcuffs. I don’t know how far away that castle is, but could he have put her down for a moment during the run home to make her wrists a little more comfortable? Clark is feeling guilty, but not because of the handcuffs. What Waller said hit home for him, and he apologizes to her. She understands because she knows she has been acting a little unorthodox. Not that she admits that she has a weapons cache to defend against the Kandorians or anything, but the two are now a little more honest. But Chloe is still worried that Waller knows who they are.

The next scene, conveniently enough, we see John erasing the memory of Amanda Waller. He has also destroyed the blood slide, too, effectively putting her in checkmate. Oh great, now I’m doing it, too! We also see Tess beg for Oliver’s help at a coffee shop, but he turns his back on her because he can’t trust her. I swear, as evil as that woman can be, I still feel bad for her. Look at all she’s had to put up with between Zod and Clark and now Oliver.

Back at Kent Farm, Clark is relieved to hear that their identities are safe. But he is still haunted by Waller’s words as it is concerned with the Kandorian problem. Eventually he might still need to choose a side. John reminds him that he is here for something much greater than this. Clark asks him who he is working for, and John tells him that sometimes things aren’t always black and white. Like a chessboard. Ugh.

At the end, Amanda Waller is upset that her plans have been foiled by people she can’t remember, but is intrigued to find a red queen sitting on a lone chessboard. Is it game on, or off with her head?

All in all, an excellent episode. Lots of action, funny lines and good stuff to write about – all I can ask of Smallville. So, who do you think is the Red Queen? I know I have one idea, but I just don’t see her as the covert government ops type. Maybe her time away from the show changed her……

Welcome back to another installment of Goodman Covers, your look into the Superman comic universe.  This time we will be taking a look at this week’s latest comic release: World of New Krypton #8. You can read the full review after DC’s official solicitation and the jump:

On a mission in space, Superman and his fellow Kryptonians encounter the might of the Thanagarian Army. Can Superman keep things peaceful between the two races – or will The Man of Steel discover that Hawkman’s legendary temper is shared by all his people?

World of New Krypton #8

Written by James Robinson and Greg Rucka

Art by Pete Woods

“Good. Grand.”

These two words are repeated several times throughout this eighth issue of World of New Krypton and perfectly describe the quality and scope that this book carries.  Without getting into spoilers, this issue really starts to see more galactic dealings of New Krypton, as a battle rages between the Thanagarains (think Hawkman and Hawkgirl) and the Kryptonians.  The Thanagarains are just as interesting and diverse as the Kryptonians, and Wing Master Dae is one of my favorite new characters.  I hope we see more with her and the rest of the Thanagarains in the months to come.

The space battle and the political negotiations that take place throughout the issue really reminded me of the Star Wars prequels.  While some might consider this as a bad thing, in the case of World of New Krypton, that isn’t true.  For example, with the battle scene, Robinson and Rucka do a great job with the written execution, and Pete Woods’ art is perfectly suited to show the chaos of the battle.

I was concerned about the necessity of this book when it was first announced, but month in and month out, Robinson, Rucka, and Woods continue to make the adventures of Superman and New Krypton interesting and intriguing to read. From the start, the book was good, and the scope was grand and 8 issues into the series, nothing has changed.  World of New Krypton is hard for me to recommend to those that have not been reading the series from the start, but if you’ve been following it for this long, you won’t be disappointed.

What did you think? Sound off in the comments below!

Over the past couple of weeks there has been a “cold war” of sorts that has started between myself, Steve Glosson host of Starkville’s House of El, and some of the masses that post on other sites and forums concerning the venom that has been spewed on our beloved Smallville, based on the attacks of others.

The war has broken down into anger-filled rants against these people given by Derek and myself, and quite frankly, they’ve had some words about us too. I stand by my complaints against those who would tear down the honest work by the producers, directors, writers, actors, and crew of a television show that has made just about every night of the week something to look forward to at some point in history.  (Remember Smallville started on Tuesdays, moved to Wednesdays, then Thursdays, and now Fridays…I think if the show does go to a tenth season it should be aired on Mondays to round out the weekday hat trick.)

However, there have been some good points made, though one has to sift through mounds of vulgarity and unfounded criticisms of an actor’s performance here or a story choice there to actually see the points.

Ultimately, as a fan of this show, if you don’t like the direction the show has taken or the direction taken with a certain character or relationship, that’s fine.  Part of episodic television is that everyone can’t be pleased every week.  There are going to be people who like a certain aspect of the show that may eventually go away, and this may cause the viewer to no longer enjoy the show.  In this case, opinions are valid and, honestly, should be aired, albeit in a well thought out polite manner.  Instead, what a rather vocal portion of fandom has chosen to do is to attack the show runners, writers, and actors who put in a lot of hard work just to entertain their viewers on a weekly basis. (I use the term “vocal” because I’m not sure how “large” this particular part of fandom is.)

As I stated, I stand by my rant on episode 128 of the show against the idiocy of  some who have chosen to be rude and downright mean in their comments concerning those involved with the production of Smallville.   However, I felt compelled to bring to you a response to those criticisms which I feel like have some sort of validity to them from a Smallville fan’s standpoint.  Issues with the direction of the show in season nine, issues with direction of certain characters, primarily Chloe, and problems with the CHARACTER of Lois are all things that can be discussed calmly and politely, if not a little heatedly.  That is what I am seeking to do here.  What follows is my response to the critics.

This is why I still watch Smallville…

The direction of Smallville has changed decidedly in recent years.  This season, the show has become, as Derek stated in his review of  “Savior”, a decidedly more Superman show.  I honestly can’t speak to whether or not this was the original intent of Al Gough and Miles Millar, though I feel pretty confident that they had a more short term vision in mind when they came to the Smallville table.   However, as fate and ratings would have it, Smallville has lived beyond the teen angst of Clark and the gang’s high school years.   It has remained one of the CW’s flagship shows.  Indeed, it has grown into something that hasn’t been nearly this  successful since George Reeves brought the Man of Steel to the masses over half a century ago.   It’s true that no Superman related show has ever enjoyed the longevity of Smallville.  To that end, there is destined to be a section of Smallville fans that are alienated by the turn to more comic bookish/sci-fi television.

However, the catch is this.  Had Smallville remained the teen angsty show that it was in it’s first few years, it most likely would have ended somewhere around season 6.  Why?  Because most television fans won’t accept a television show where the characters in which they have invested hours of time don’t change.   Most television fans won’t accept a television show that tries so hard to remain what it’s always been because it would get boring.   If Clark were still running the farm pining after, hooking up with, and breaking up with Lana, even the most die hard fans would grow cold to the show.  Even if Clark jumped from Chloe to Lana and back, fans would get bored with the same old same old.  It stands to reason that Clark had to begin to get out of Smallville and find himself as a hero in Metropolis.  The gang had to grow up.

If the problem is that this show is now more of a Superman show than it’s ever been, then I submit that it’s nowhere near enough of a Superman show to be considered a Superman show.  The truth is that Clark, in the show, is at a point where we’ve never really seen the character before.   He’s in his early twenties trying to get his life figured out.  Comparably, the only time we’ve seen Clark at this age in other incarnations is the Superboy television series and a few pages of Superman: Birthright, a limited series written by Mark Waid about 7 years ago that gave us a new origin for the Man of Steel.  In the silver age, there was a story where Superman recounted deciding that he was no longer a boy and was now SuperMAN.  It was hokey and fun, but the transition from Boy of Steel to Man of Steel seemed a bit too easy.   While on the subject, let’s face it, as great as Superman: The Movie is, Clark did spend TWELVE YEARS with Jor-El in the fortress and suddenly have the big blue suit at the end of things.  So…no angst…no struggle…just…twelve years and here he is.  Which worked in the movie, but no so much in episodic television.

What we have now is a young man struggling with the destiny he must accept.  He still has a desire to cling to the values given to him by Jonathan and Martha, but also desires to be able to distance himself from those he loves to better be able to serve humanity as a whole.  This isn’t the Superman we read about in comics. Why?  Because Clark in Smallville isn’t there yet.  He’s headed there though.  That’s what makes this season of Smallville so compelling to me as a Superman fan…Clark is soooo close, I can see it, you can see it, but none of the people around Clark have any idea just how great he is going to be.

I have a Star Wars analogy to make, but I will refrain.

I’m now 32 years old.  When I look back on my life, I realize that when I was 23 I wasn’t sure what I was gonna do with my life, much less what my destiny was.  Honestly, I’m still not sure what I’m gonna do with my life.  I have a career that I enjoy, I have the whole podcasting thing that is fun, and there are few signs pointing to the fact that there will be any drastic changes in my life anytime soon.   However, I still don’t know if where I am now is my destiny or not.  I still don’t know what I’m gonna do with my life.  When I look back to almost ten years ago though, I was then only a shadow of who I am now.  That’s where Clark and the gang are.  Lois may be a reporter for the Daily Planet, but she’s not the STAR reporter.  Clark may be wearing the \S/ – but he’s not Superman.  Chloe may be Watchtower, but she’s not…well, Chloe is the X factor isn’t she?  My point is things change.  It’s part of the reality that the creators have striven to have at the center of a world where the fantastic is possible.  I accept it, I enjoy it, and I move on.  Do I have a few problems with the way things have progressed?  I think I do.  I think it makes me uncomfortable that Clark can’t snap his fingers and just be Superman.  I think it makes me uncomfortable that I have loved Chloe so much for so long that she got married, became a widow, and now seems to be at odds with her lifelong best friend.  Then I think back to my life.  I think about how much has changed since I was a Freshman in high school.  I think of the falling outs I’ve had, the fences I’ve mended, the mistakes I’ve made, and how those moments shaped my life today, and I start to buy into the direction Smallville has taken.

Then there’s Chloe.  As I wrote earlier, Chloe is the X factor on this show.   She is the one character for whom we have no precedent.  We don’t know her ultimate fate, and no matter how much we like her, we can’t look at the creators and say, “THIS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE COMICS.”   Some have said that Chloe turning away from journalism is a light switch.  In other words, with no rhyme or reason Chloe left journalism.  The truth is, that most of our life changing choices are light switch moments.  We may have thought about things.  We may have struggled with things, but the choices we make happen in a moment.  Sometimes even those closest to us have no idea we were considering the change.  I can only speak definitively for myself, but for years I was on course to do something fairly different with my life than what I am currently doing.  The moment I decided to shift courses came in a light switch moment.

Chloe went from reporting on the amazing to being a part of it.   Chloe could have said, “I love journalism, so I’m gonna stay at the Planet rather than become a part of a group of the most powerful people on Earth.”   But she said, “I love journalism, but I found something I love more.”  There’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s a very real turn of events in a person’s life.

Let’s not forget that the turn from journalism as Chloe knew it started the moment she found out about Clark’s abilities.  In her desire to protect her friend, she started to pull back on the things she reported.  Then, she found out she had meteor powers, and that sealed the deal on stepping back from “her style” of reporting.

Most people peg Chloe as an intelligent, passionate reporter.   All of that is based on what the girl did in high school.  This is a young lady that pushed for stories of meteor freaks and was on her own personal campaign to prove that kryptonite gave normal people incredible abilities.   The very story that got her a job at The Daily Planet was a story on krypto-vampires.   I’m not saying that Chloe was a one trick pony, but the closer things hit to home, the more she pulled away from those stories, and the more she pulled away from those stories and found out about this other side of life – the super hero side of life – she discovered she was more passionate about being a PART of the amazing rather than just reporting on it.  I like that.  It’s true growth.  It makes sense to me.  It should make sense to anyone who had one idea of themselves as a teenager and has since learned who they really are.

I submit that Chloe’s character has not been destroyed in the eight plus seasons of Smallville.  Rather, Chloe’s character has taken a journey.  Like most television shows, some of the changes may have seemed to come out of the blue, but I don’t feel like any of them have been unbelievable.

Of course, there’s the question of Chloe and Clark’s relationship.  They had their two seconds way back at the end of season one.  Frankly, for three years, I wanted more.  I wanted Chloe and Clark to have their time in the sun.  However, as happens all too often in life, it wasn’t meant to be.  What an adult thing of Clark and Chloe to accept that and choose to keep their friendship in tact.  Chloe has been Clark’s most loyal supporter and his biggest fan.  Chloe has believed completely in Clark.  Chloe has been there for Clark again and again and he has been there for her.  Now, in the wake of personal tragedy, a wedge has been driven between them.  This doesn’t make Chloe or Clark a villain.  It makes them more realistic.

Honestly, we’ve seen Clark and Chloe at odds before.  Think back to season two and three when a love-spurned Chloe agreed to investigate Clark for Lionel Luthor.   Did this “destroy” Chloe’s character?  It’s the closest to being a villain that she’s ever been on the show, outside of the Brainiac stuff, and it didn’t “destroy” her character.  Ultimately, because she was trying to help Clark…at the expense of everyone else around her.   How has that changed?  it hasn’t.   Clark is still the one person for whom she’d sacrifice everything.  She still believes in Clark that much.  The problem is the grief she is experiencing over the loss of Jimmy, coupled with a sense of confusion and (a little bit of) jealousy that Clark won’t break ties with Lois as seemingly easy as he did with her are causing the two to be at odds.

But why was it so easy for Clark to leave Chloe behind?  Because Chloe knows Clark completely.  To Lois, the Red Blue Blur was just a faceless hero.  When he talks to Chloe, she knows all of the hurt, all of the failures, all of the weaknesses, that Clark has.  To Lois, he’s perfect, impeccable, and can do no wrong.   That’s hard to give up.  It’s hard to leave the accolades and be left with reality sometimes.  So, yeah, Clark said goodbye to Chloe pretty easily.  He didn’t let go of Lois.  I can buy it.  I can also buy the ultimate repairs that will be made to Clark and Chloe’s friendship.

Oliver has been a sticking point for many as well.  Here’s a guy who was seemingly altruistic with very few vices who woke Clark up to the need to be a hero for everyone, not just the people around him.  Now he’s on a path of self destruction.  Why?  Guilt.   If one follows the path of Oliver Queen from the time we were first introduced to him in season six to the point we now see him, we will see a man who was obsessed with a mission to take down Lex Luthor’s schemes, to a man who has some questions about his place among those with extraordinary powers, to a man who questions the loyalties of those he’s put his trust in when he found out the truth that Clark already knew about Ma and Pa Queen, to a man who was out for vengeance and didn’t care what that looked like – until he got some form of vengeance – to a man who was dealing with his actions, to feeling like a good, innocent person was put in harm’s way and killed because he failed to do what was needed.  So, yeah, now he’s on a spiral of self destruction that will have to be resolved.  It’s the nature of storytelling to introduce conflicts to a character whether they be external or internal, and Ollie’s conflicts have always been primarily internal.  Season nine is no different for him.

Finally, there’s Lois.  Lois Lane is a name that is as embedded in pop culture as Clark Kent and Superman.  Lois and Clark go together like peanut butter and jelly.   There are a few things that cannot be forgotten when discussing the character of Lois though.

First, there is the argument that Lois is more intelligent than she has been portrayed on the show.   Really?  Are we talking about a character that for over fifty years worked with Superman…right across the desk from him nonetheless and never knew it?  Are we talking about a character that constantly put herself in danger only to have Superman bail her out?  Yes.

Don’t get me wrong.  Lois is intelligent.  However, the defining characteristic of Lois in her 70 year history has never been the intelligence.  Her defining characteristic (outside of her feelings toward Superman) has been her tenacity.  Smallville’s Lois is nothing if not tenacious.  Partier? Sure.  Sleep around with various and sundry men? Ok.  Ultimately, though, this is a more tenacious, yet compassionate Lois than we’ve been given in any incarnation of the character outside of the comic book panels.

In all of my years as a Superman fan, I never thought Lois received any of her accolades by being more intelligent than the next reporter.  Rather, she gets to where she is by being strong, willful, courageous, and unstoppable when she is turned on to a story.  Her instincts are unparalleled, and her drive is unstoppable.

In the past, when we’ve been introduced to Lois, she is Perry White’s top reporter, she’s an established journalistic force to be reckoned with, and in some instances, she’s a Pulitzer Prize winning writer.  Smallville has given us a Lois that has yet to accomplish any of these things, but it’ll come one day.  The things we see on Smallville are her learning to be what she will one day become.   Lois has gone from no interest in journalism to a desire to seek out the truth at any cost.  Is it completely altruistic?  I don’t think so, but I honestly don’t know that Lois has ever been completely altruistic in her actions in any format we’ve seen her.  Her motives have always been to prove herself, draw out Superman, or win that aforementioned Pulitzer.   Will she go after her goals by any means possible?  Any legal means, and some means that are a bit shadier than legal.   That’s the Lois we all know from 70 years of comics, cartoons, movies, and other television shows.  This Lois is the Lois that is becoming that Lois, and knowing where she ends up, I completely buy in to where she is now.

In the end, that’s the thing we can’t forget as viewers.  We are in an untapped time in the lives of Clark, Lois, and of course Chloe.  If a person is unhappy with the show, I have to believe it’s one of two reasons.  Either the person doesn’t like where the characters are in relation to where they will one day be, or the person doesn’t like where the characters are based on where they began in the show.   You know what?  That’s ok.  We can talk all day long about those things.  However, when one trashes the cast and crew of the show, he or she negates any intelligent argument that he or she may have as it pertains to criticism of the show.

Fan fiction, speculation, and what if conversations all have their place in fandom.  However, attacks on the people who have only sought to entertain us for an hour a week over the past eight years have no place in any discussion.

My conclusion is that if you don’t like Smallville, let’s talk about it.  Let’s geek out about what we wish could be.  Let’s talk about the possibilities of what could have been.  Let’s celebrate the moments that made us cheer.  Let’s discuss what is and why it may not be so bad.  Let’s be entertained.  Then, if you’re still not convinced, maybe it’s time to let it go.  It’s what I would do…but that’s just me.  For now though, I’m honestly hooked.  I still watch Smallville because it still entertains me.  It’s still a show about the rise of the greatest super hero of all time, and my favorite super hero of all time.  It’s still a fun show, a surprising show, and I’m still invested in these characters after all these years.  That’s why I still watch Smallville.

Finally, to quote so many of our great listeners in their e-mails, “sorry I went on so long.”

Of course, last week saw the release of Superman: Secret Origins, but what did we think of it? The spoiler-free review is here for you reading pleasure after the jump. Sound off and let us know your thoughts on this first issue!

Superman: Secret Origins #1

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Gary Frank

We all know the story, a planet on the verge of death, a parents’ last desperate attempt to save their only son.  A ship crash-lands on the planet of Earth, a kind couple in a small town takes in a baby from another world and raise them as their own.  This is the story we all know and love, this is the story of Clark Kent, Kal-El, or Superman.  Over the years, there have many different retellings, and Superman Secret Origins is another take on the man of tomorrow’s origins, but there’s something new and fresh about this retelling.

I will try to be as spoiler free as possible during the process of this review.  Let me start out by saying that this first issue is a fantastic start for the 6 issue mini series.  Johns and Frank craft an amazing story that combines elements from the Superman movies, Superman comic book history, and even Smallville.  Unlike past origin stories, Johns doesn’t spend anytime dealing with the last days of Krypton.  We jump straight into the life of a young Clark Kent.  All the important key members of Clark’s childhood in Smallville are there. We see Lana, we see Pete, we see Smallville High, and see Clark starting to gain powers we know and love.  John’s has an incredible handle on the characters of the Superman universe, and the way he writes them makes them feel like we’ve known them for years.  The Kents are just as warm and inviting as they’ve always been, and you really feel for Clark as he begins to learn about his past and how it will shape his future.

One minor issue I have with this issue is the art.  Gary Frank is a fantastic artist, and one of my favorites in the business.  Frank normally draws Superman so that he looks very much like Christopher Reeve.  While this is in no way shape or form a bad thing, Frank tries this same approach for Clark when he is a teenager.  The art falls apart in some scenes, as the teenage Christopher Reeve-ish looking Clark just comes off more awkward than anything else.  I’ve seen Gary’s art before and know that it’s much better than this, so I look forward to some better art in the future.

Art issues aside, Superman: Secret Origins #1 is well worth your time and money.  Johns and Frank look ready to redefine the character for a brand new audience and now is the perfect time to jump into the Superman universe.

Please do not repost this as your own, simply link back to www.smallvillepodcast.com – thanks!

There’s been a lot of great villain centric episodes in the past eight seasons. Some people would agree there’s been better ones than others. I liked the introduction of Toyman in “Requiem”, Lex as “Zod”, Mxyzptlk and several others.

I don’t think one has ever had as much screen time, presence or capability as that of John Corben’s Metallo in the second episode of the season. While Brian Austin Green handles the role perfectly, he’s got some years worth of research from being a comic book fan on how to handle himself and the man pays off. Such a sympathetic character we were introduced to in the premiere, takes a dark turn in the opening seconds of the second episode. It’s a bit sad that a Metallo story can’t involve Lex Luthor in season nine, but It’d be hard for it to make sense now.

As much as I loved “Savior”, this episode is leaps and bounds better to me than the premiere. It felt like everything one would love about an episode of Smallville, plus a little extra for longtime fans. Not only do we get the appearance of Shelby and a mention of Martha Kent, we see what’s become of the Kent household in the void of Clark over the last four weeks.

The wedge between Chloe and Clark takes a greater strain, but Tom and Allison never miss a beat. Handling these characters in a new way is far too interesting to ignore since the friends have gotten along so well these past few years. The duo start off at odds but try to find some common ground before all is said and done. Unfortunately, like all things in Smallville, it’s not that easy. Luckily for us, the two realize some mistakes they’ve made and try their hardest to look forward, even though a grudge can’t disappear in forty-two minutes this time around. Where we end with the two makes me very anxious to see what lies after “Rabid”.

Erica shares most of her scenes with Brian’s “Metallo”, who with his newly found gifts sets out to take vengeance on the Blur, who he blames for his sister’s death. Lois is very Lois in this episode: curious about Clark, searching for the Blur, and trying to get the story. One of my main complaints in these two episodes is that Lois’ realization of the events from Doomsday never came to light. I’ll suggest that somewhere between Lois finding Oliver, and her phonecall with the Blur at the end of “Savior”, she has learned about the demise of Jimmy and Davis. I’ll go as far to say that it’s a scene that was filmed but didn’t make the cut. I’ll anxiously await the season nine DVD for that clip. Even in her scene with Tess (one of my favorite between the two characters) Lois keeps the upper hand in a calm, and cool behavior, especially after being challenged to a rematch.

Tess is on a search of answers herself, trying to locate the missing Kandorians who escaped the mansion. She has some help in that of Stuart, played by Ryan McDonell – some kind of whiz kid who we almost get a kid brother kind of vibe from. Or Lenny Luthor, depending on how you look at it. He knows his stuff though, and while Callum Blue doesn’t appear this round, the presence of Zod is very much felt, almost as if he were watching over our shoulders. Usually when an actor “goes to visit Aunt Nell” or “is in Metropolis” it’s really noticed but with Zod, it’s like he’s in the shadows the whole time and whether you see his face or not, you know he’s there.

We get to see more of Dr. Hamilton who has the unfortunate privilege of encountering Metallo at Metropolis General. His meeting with The Blur is handled great and really feels like something out of a Superman movie.

We get to see more aspects of the Watchtower which I’m growing more and more in love with. I think it’s the most fantastic set they’ve had in the series and I catch something new everytime I watch a scene that takes place in there. You can tell Chloe has been doing some training of her own there, catching the hang of the new Queen technology goodies quite well. I think Allison shined in this episode more than she has in a long, long time. Probably since “Abyss” or “Bride”. Her encounter with Clark at the Kent Farm is particularly noteworthy, as her disdain and judgement of Clark carry out quite well. While Brian has the most screen time and definitely steals the show, this episodes acting award goes to Allison Mack for showing us some sides of Chloe we haven’t seen before. There’s even a shot that will have Chloe fans cheering for more as she tries to protect her cousin.

Erica takes Lois to something that’s so familiar to us, but we haven’t really seen on Smallville, and that’s someone eager to help the hero, in this case being the Blur. Clark’s decisions to implicate Lois in the search for Metallo definitely don’t end well, but the final confrontation between the hero and villain is one of the longest, most heartfelt encounters we’ve seen in this series, and the two characters really make for a tense battle.

One instance between Tom Welling and Erica Durance is my favorite scene of the episode, if not my favorite scene between the two characters of the series. Clark’s playful banter to Lois’ inquisitive nature really brings everything home for the episode and I would have been perfectly fine with it ending right there….

…but we’re treated to more, and the cliffhanger for this episode is one of those things that makes Smallville great.

All in all, my favorite episode of Smallville since “Beast”, and now in my top ten of the series. It’s all so perfectly done. Lois and The Blur/Clark share a lot of scenes in this one, several phonecalls and their final encounter in the Daily Planet bullpen that will have audiences smiling. If there’s one thing Brian and Kelly do well, it’s continuity and from the looks of these two episodes, this season will be no exception. From Kara, to Jonathan and Lionel, to Martha and Shelby, it feels like a show we’ve known for years, while still looking forward to what every man and woman has to do, grow up. Living in the past is not an option for these characters, and while Lois’ dreams continue to haunt her in this episode, the realizations will be something that reach far into the weeks to come for herself and Clark, as they eventually cross paths with Major Zod, and, as funny as it sounds, battle Kryptonian Virus zombies next week.

Lots of people are saying Smallville is having its best season yet. Who am I to disagree? It’s probably the strongest start to a season ever and without a doubt the second strongest episode of a season since “Phoenix”, written by Kelly and Brian themselves. Personally, my favorite seasons go in order of 3, 5, 8, 2, 1, 7, 4, 6 – but I can easily see this one climbing the charts with iconic episodes like this one pulling out all the stops early on. They’re not running out of steam at all, they have a plan of attack that we’ve seen in the first two weeks that will be carried out in months to come. The show is in good hands, the characters are safe, and the story is as super as ever.

Please do not repost this as your own, reference www.smallvillepodcast.com Thanks!

Let’s make this very clear from the word go:

These are the two weirdest episodes of Smallville I’ve ever seen.
You know why? This isn’t Smallville anymore. It’s Superman

And it’s not because of the new suit, or Zod, or the defeat of Doomsday last season, or anything like that.

It’s the writing, it’s the heart, and it’s the adventure. Clark Kent is no longer the boy running from his training and his Kryptonian destiny, he’s the hero that the world needs.

I’m going to keep this very un-spoilery, just putting that out there now. I’ll also be saving my advanced review of “Metallo” for early next week.

This is an all new show this season, it’s the characters we know and love but the dynamic has shifted into something that doesn’t get wrapped up in a nice little bow from week to week.

That’s one complaint I always have with season premieres of Smallville…it feels like that huge cliffhanger we were left with several months earlier can be explained, justified, and fixed in 42 minutes.

Not this time.

If anything, every scene of the season premiere is a new and exciting cliffhanger in itself.

Clark has begun his training with Jor-El, a workshop he’s been skipping out on since season two. And even when the Fortress was formed in 5×01 and he got downloaded for all of 15 seconds, he still had to exit early to save Chloe’s life, who had been transported to the Arctic with him. Clark finally realized he needed to join Jor-El in the Fortress to continue his training midway through season 6, but not until he had righted the wrong of releasing the prisoners from the Phantom Zone. Once that task was complete, Martha had moved away, and he believed Lana was dead, Clark once again returned to fulfill his destiny and continue his training with Jor-El. The training didn’t begin quite like Clark (or we) thought it would, as his father explained that the appearance of Kara was a mystery, and that he must find the reasons she was on Earth before he could continue.

While that storyline progressed, others occurred. With the Veritas plot, Clark had to battle for his own answers, and have a final confrontation with Lex Luthor in the Fortress, which was destroyed in the process. As season 8 began, Clark and Lex were missing with the Justice League in pursuit. Once again, Clark is found in the premiere and most of the loose ends were tied up…but a new danger arose in that of Braniac and Davis Bloome (aka Doomsday). Once Clark was ready to begin training again, Braniac took control of the Fortress and damaged it, using it as a cocoon for Doomsday to emerge. Clark was able to rebuild the Fortress in an effort to split Davis from his Kryptonian monster side and send him to the Phantom Zone. When he was unsuccessful, he did all he could to destroy Doomsday and save Davis. Ultimately though, Davis was as terrible as the creature within him, and he killed Jimmy Olsen before dying himself.

Clark, riddled with guilt about trying to protect Davis and not defeat him and Doomsday in the process, decided that humanity was his weakness after all, and to be the hero he needed to be, he had to give up all that he’d known as Clark Kent and follow Jor-El’s instructions to become something more. Clark’s decision, however haste, came after the events of the eighth season finale, the falling out between him and Chloe, and the absence of Lois Lane.

Season nine begins three weeks later (on September 25th no less) and a lot has changed in the state of Kansas. Chloe now resides in the Watchtower, actively seeking her cousin after her mysterious disappearance. With the help of the ever loyal Dr. Emil Hamilton, she begins her own journey this season.

While I love Chloe she has remained pretty much the same since the end of season four, even taking into consideration “Chloiac”.  But this is a new Chloe. She’s not the innocent sidekick anymore, but not the loyal friend either. She’s been hurt, betrayed, and left behind. She wants answers and doesn’t want to wait around on her heroes anymore to find them. I really like the scenes between her and Hamilton (who I hope is seen a lot more this season) but at times I can’t tell if he’s flirting or just meant to be a little awkward.

Lois returns from her most excellent adventure, only to be pursued by something that followed her back. As she searches for answers, dreams begin to haunt her. We’ve all seen the flashes of Clark-Lois sex since the scenes were released at Comic Con…but those dreams are only the tip of the iceberg to the fallout of an overall season arc, and one that will not be concluded in the final seconds of “Savior”.

Clark and Chloe reconnect, but it’s not a Clark and Chloe we’ve ever seen before. He’s a hero, she’s been scorned. They are on very different sides of the table this season, and the resentment that’s been left behind makes for some very uncomfortable glares and silences that we’re not used to from the pair of best friends we’ve known all these years.

We get to see the introduction of John Corben, played by Brian Austin Green, who really shines in the second episode of the season, but we’ll get to that. John shares his two scenes with Erica’s Lois Lane and the two work really well off of each other. It makes you very sad to know what’s to come for the iconic Superman villain.
Oliver is in there as well, though his short scenes (which have now been released on the Internet) don’t offer much more than a look into his downward spiral over the guilt of Jimmy’s death. I’m very interested to see where his storyline goes this year.

Callum Blue. What can I say?

Callum Blue is Zod.

I’ll wait while you kneel.

Done kneeling yet?

Good. This guy is INSANE! I’ve never seen anything with him in it before, so I did not know what to expect. His arrogance is impeccable, and the way Blue delivers his lines is like he was made for the role. And he was. The mystery behind Zod’s appearance is another storyline that’s not easily answered in the course of the premiere. And like everything else that happens in this one, I love it.

An overall season arc like this has not been seen before in nine years. Sure we’ve seen a phantom appear at the end of an episode, or a body appearing from underneath a ship…but this is different. It’s fresh, and the twists and turns make for what I guarantee you will be one of the best thrillrides Smallville has ever offered as the season progresses.

Outstanding performance of the premiere? Cassidy Freeman. It’s rare you feel sorry for Tess Mercer, but her loyalty to a glowing orb at the end of last year was based on her trying to be the good guy. The wrong thing for the right reasons rarely ever work out well, and Tess learns that early on in this episode. Her scenes with Major Zod are the stuff of legend, and will only get better as time goes on.

So what’s the stuff people have been dying to know about? The suit.
Clark dons his family crest well, and wears it proudly as he protects the streets of Metropolis. I’ve seen a lot of people refer to this persona as a more Batman type of chivalry, but I disagree. The way Clark watches over the streets reminds me of something out of an Alex Ross painting, or the way Brandon Routh hovered in space, listening, waiting, helping. The red and blue may be missing, but the Blur is still out there, leaving his Zorro-like mark on surroundings of those he saved.

I cannot tell you how much it excites me to see the \S/ around town and on Clark’s chest. It’s the first major push in a long time to a destiny he’s been running from for far too long. Though Clark only shares his scenes with Chloe and Jor-El, he knows what he’s doing is right, and will stop at nothing to do the thing he knows is right.

Jor-El wants him to turn his back on everything, but Lois returning makes that very hard to do. And Lois’ dreams when only further complicate Clark’s destiny with Jor-El and with the Blur as the weeks continue.

I can’t wait to watch it again on Friday night with finished music and affects. One thing that was great to see at the end of this was the names of the remaining two showrunners Brian Peterson and Kelly Sounders. They’ve definitely taken fans to a new place this year, and the season premiere does not disappoint. The show is in good hands yet again and will only continue to thrive as Clark and Zod’s cross paths, with our other characters mingled in the mix.

Get ready, Smallville season nine premieres this Friday, September 25th on The CW.

Check out my thoughts on Smallville The Complete Eighth Season DVD after the jump.

Packaging:

Let’s start off with the first thing anyone is going to see when they look at this one, the box. It’s no secret that Warner Bros has had fun changing the design of our favorite Superman show over the years. The first four seasons were bulky sets with invidual plastic trays for each disc; they then upgraded to a sleeker design when Smallville wrapped it’s fifth season on the CW in 2006. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 all featured a bi-fold design that, when opened, featured a large (epic) image from one particular episode of each season. Season 5 featured Lex/Zod atop LuthorCorp Tower while Metropolis burned below, season 6 had the Justice League walking away from the iconic blast, and season 7 depicted Lex and Clark’s final confrontation in the Fotress of Solitude from that season’s finale. While I loved the images, I kind of felt like it might ruin the show for people who didn’t tune in until the DVD came out. I for one would have been VERY angry if I’d never seen season seven, bought the set to catch up on, and saw one of the last images of the year plastered across the set.

Season eight brings, yet again, a new look for the DVD’s, meeting somewhere in the middle of 1-4 and 5-7. A plastic case insert rests inside the box, and features indivdual trays for the discs yet again (and the crowds rejoice: no more “easy scratch edition” cases!) The plastic lining is clear, and a faint image can be seen of our season 8 cast in the background in the bullpen of the Daily Planet. As always, there is a booklet accompanying the set with a message from our new showrunners, Kelly, Brian, Todd, and Darren, that talks about the challenges of taking the reigns on Smallville in the midst of losing Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, John Glover, and Al and Miles. The booklet also offers a brief synopsis of all 22 episodes of the season, and which episodes/discs contain special features like audio commentaries, unaired scenes, and documentaries.

Content:

I think the episodes of this season speak for itself. It was a high charged change for the show, moving away from the barn and into the streets of Metropolis for Clark Kent aka the Red-Blue Blur. There are new faces and new trials and tribulations, all leading to a climactic battle with Doomsday in the end, and the loss of fan favorite Jimmy Olsen. All 22 episodes are featured, covering the season that aired from September 2008 – May 2009. One thing I love about the DVD’s is the unaired or deleted scenes. Sometimes they’re just fun little moments, but sometimes they are great dialogue that delves deeper into the mythology of the show, and I love that they are able to be seen and get some recognition. Deleted scenes included are from the episode Plastique, Instinct, Legion, Power, Requiem, Turbulence, Hex, Eternal, Beast, and Injustice, and are some great insights into some already fantastic episodes.

There are two episode commentaries this go around, one for Instinct featuring Cassidy Freeman, director Marizee Almas, and Executive Producer Brian Peterson. This one was of the best episodes of the season in my opinion and I’m very glad they devoted one of the features to it. The other was for a huge episode for Smallville in general, Legion, which was written by DC favorite Geoff Johns, who also is featured in the commentary alongside executive producer Todd Slavkin and supervising producer Tim Scanlan. The Legion commentary alone was, without a doubt, worth the purchase of this set. Hearing Johns describe the Legion, what he wanted to do, and where they wanted to go was incredible and a great listen for fans of Superman and Smallville alike.

Two documentaries grace this set, one on the evolution of Doomsday and what it took to bring him into the series, and another behind the scenes look at Allison Mack’s directorial debut with the episode, Power. This was a great look at the cast and crew and makes me wish there had been one for John Schneider, Tom Welling, and Michael Rosenbaum from previous seasons when they directed. The documentaries are great and having two this year was really a treat, though I would have liked to maybe seen a documentary focusing on lots of the DC characters from this year like Maxima and the Justice League, instead of just Doomsday.

The real thing that always bothers me about these sets, is the lack of features. In years past we had gag reels that always made for fun to watch, but I think some things should go deeper than that. It’s no secret that Smallville knows how to put out a trailer or TV spot for upcoming episodes, like the 2009 promo for Legion:

Or the one for Bride, which was particularly epic:

I’m a big fan in these trailers being on the DVD alongside their corresponding episodes, but I’m afraid that’s something we’ll never get to see. One other feature I think that would have been great was the Smallville panel from last months San Deigo Comic Con, which was the first that was attended by Tom Welling, but that might have been too close to the release of the DVD to put together.

In Closing:

A+. Smallvile always knocks it out of the park and there’s even more reasons to love this DVD as it’s one of the strongest seasons of the show. As far as the BluRay goes, the Audio and Video are spectactular and I strongly suggest watching episodes like Legion and Abyss in full resolution for some amazing eye candy. I love that Warner Bros gets these out towards the end of the summer to increase awareness for the upcoming season, and this is no different. Smallville season 9 airs September 25th on The CW so order your Complete Eighth Season today on DVD or BluRay today!

Check it out after the jump to see what she thought of the last bout with Doomsday, and everything else!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Ever since the day we first heard the spoiler that Doomsday was coming to Smallville in S8, we’ve been waiting to see the inevitable outcome of his arrival: the final showdown between good and evil, played out on the streets of Metropolis. Lots of people assumed we would see Clark die in the fight, the way Superman did in the comic book version of this story. The show put a surprising twist on things by giving us Doomsday in the person of Davis Bloom, who appeared to be a sweet, sensitive paramedic, and the exact opposite of the killing machine we expected. But the real shocker was when it turned out that Clark’s greatest challenge this season came not from the indestructible monster from Krypton, but rather from his best friend, and his brother in arms.

Once Clark realized that Davis was Doomsday, the ultimate destroyer Jor-El had warned him about, he came up with a plan to keep the world safe from him. In fact, he came up with three successive plans, any one of which would have worked. The first and best plan was sabotaged by Chloe, his BFF, because she thought the fate Clark had planned for Davis was too harsh. The second was thwarted by Tess, who destroyed the Phantom Zone crystal in an attempt to force a confrontation between Clark and the beast. And when Clark enlisted the help of the Justice League to ensure the third time would be the charm, they turned on him and literally stabbed him in the back. As the old saying goes, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Clark allowed Chloe to change his mind about Davis. He decided to ignore his instincts and revise his plan, to try to find a way for the human part of Doomsday to have a normal life. The results were disastrous. Clark was felled by his own allies, Chloe unleashed the beast, and the JL proved powerless to stop his resultant rampage. Doomsday couldn’t be destroyed, but Clark did manage to contain him. Unfortunately, by that time Metropolis had already paid a terrible price. And as Clark battled the beast, the human part of Davis turned out to be a monster, too, who attacked Jimmy and then went after Chloe. In the end both Jimmy and Davis lay dead, a burden Clark will carry on his shoulders for all time, placed there by Chloe and Oliver’s inability to have faith in the hero who stood before them.

The two people who did believe in Clark, Lois and Jimmy, were gone, and everyone else close to him had let him down. Seeing only his own hand in the tragedy of Jimmy’s death, and battered by betrayal, Clark turned away from humanity altogether. Of course he was wrong to do so; of course Clark needs his human side. But I couldn’t help but think he was right, too. I don’t blame Clark for wanting to take a step back. And maybe that’s just what he needs to gain some perspective and balance. I’ve never been more proud of Clark than I am this season, but the one thing he has yet to master is believing in himself. Perhaps by exploring his Kryptonian side without fear or shame, he can finally embrace every part of himself, human and alien both, and truly become the man he is meant to be.

There were a lot of things about this episode that bothered me, and most of them came down to the same problem we’ve seen all too often on this show: too much story to tell, and not enough time or money to tell it properly. Smallville is nothing if not ambitious in trying to give us as much as possible in every episode, especially when it comes to season premieres and finales. Sometimes this can lead to rushed scenes, unexplained details, and plot holes that don’t make sense, where we’re not quite sure what’s going on, and we wonder if something critical didn’t accidentally get left on the cutting room floor. And the ongoing budget cuts are killing this show.

Don’t get me wrong, I applaud what Smallville is able to accomplish given their limited resources, and usually I hardly notice the cut corners. I love that little city block of Metropolis where everything happens, and I’m perfectly happy to see an intensely focused look to represent Clark’s x-ray vision, or an offscreen whooshing sound effect to indicate his super speed. But if I see one more scene filmed next to those old train tracks under Vancouver’s elevated SkyTrain, I think I might scream. And when they end up shortening or even leaving out scenes because the necessary effects are too expensive, that hurts the storytelling. Much worse is that most of the series regulars appear in only half of the episodes. Their absences are notable, and can make the story appear abrupt or choppy. I sometimes wonder if one can truly do justice to a superhero story on a CW budget.

In Doomsday, the things they left out were disappointing. We didn’t get to see the orb explode out of Tess’s safe, or exactly how the JL captured Davis, or what went down at the Geothermal Plant when Clark vanquished the beast. I would have liked to see the conversation where Lois found out that Chloe had run off with a serial killer, or the one where Oliver convinced Bart and Dinah to turn against Clark, or the scene where Clark searched for Lois. I suppose the biggest disappointment was the big fight between Clark and Doomsday, the one we waited all season to see, that turned out to be just a couple of minutes long. What we saw of it was awesome (beyond the actual fighting, I loved the car catch, and Clark with the little girl), but it was so short! We also saw an overhead shot of Metropolis that was recycled from Vessel, and the big explosion was obviously unused footage from Justice. Noticing that took me right out of the moment.

What redeemed the episode for me, however, was every moment that Clark was oncreen. Between bad news and bad friends, Clark took a lot of hits this week, but never gave in to anger or despair. Instead he was my hero, completely focused on just one thing: removing Doomsday as a threat to mankind. Only when that battle was over did he finally break down.

I loved the scene between Clark and Rokk at the top of the episode, with both of them so serious, where Clark refused to regret his decision to save Chloe from Brainiac, and Rokk smiled because he expected nothing less from his hero, Kal-El. Clark took the sobering news that his own end could be near with courage and determination, prepared to die for the people of Metropolis if that’s what it took to keep them safe. But first he sought to leave them a message, of hope and inspiration:

To the Citizens of Metropolis: You have welcomed me into your city and allowed me to make it my home. I will always be grateful for that. Which is why I cannot leave without saying goodbye. This newspaper has made me into what you think I am – an example, a symbol, a “hero.” But the truth is, I’m simply one of you. The only difference is that my days in the shadows and my nights on the streets have allowed me to see what you’ve lost sight of – the good in each of you. I’ve seen regular people do extraordinary things. I’ve seen you help each other up after you’ve been knocked down. I’ve seen you stand together when times are tough. And I’ve seen the smallest act make the biggest change. If I’ve done anything right, I hope it’s help you realize one person can make a difference in the lives of others – that Metropolis doesn’t need a hero. Have faith in yourself, and you will find hope in each other. Remember, it’s not the mask that makes the hero. It’s the choices we make and the desire to do what’s right. I’ve seen that desire in all of you. It inspired me to promise I would do everything in my power to protect this city – but I can’t promise that I’ll be around forever. One day, there may be a fight I cannot win. But if that day comes, please, keep fighting without me to make the world a better place. Be the heroes I know you are. — The Red-Blue Blur

*sniffles*

I love Clark so much. Clark’s RBB phone conversation with Lois was a beautiful moment that brought both of them hope. Clark was reeling, trying to come to terms with what his fate might hold, and Lois was frantic with worry over Chloe. He promised to find her cousin, and she showed him just how complete her faith in him truly was. These two need each other! I have no doubt that Lois will play a critical role in bringing Clark back from the edge, once she gets back from the future, that is. I think losing Lois was the final blow for Clark, the one he could not withstand.

The scene where Jimmy learned Clark’s secret was wonderful. And heartbreaking. As soon as we saw Clark’s cut heal right before Jimmy’s eyes, we could read the handwriting on the wall. So even as my heart swelled to see Jimmy’s absolute joy and Clark’s quiet happiness as they shared this moment (complete with Supes music), my eyes filled with tears, because I knew just how short-lived that joy would be. It wasn’t Jimmy’s death scene that made me cry, but this one, where we saw the incredible potential of this character, but realized, sadly, that we were about to lose him. Still, I loved this scene, and have watched it again and again.

My favorite scene of the episode was Clark’s last, with Chloe. Coming from Jimmy’s funeral to the place where he died, his blood still staining the floor, Clark was devastated. He was in mourning for his friend, but also for so much more: the loss of faith, and trust, and hope. He looked so sad, and so alone. But along with the bleakness in his eyes, there was something more: a steely resolve. When Clark said, “Clark Kent is dead,” I heard the promise of something hard and ruthless inside him being given free reign, and a desperate inner struggle to come. I can only hope that a superhero will be forged in the fire of that conflict. As Clark said goodbye and walked away, only to disappear, my heart went out to him. I hope next season brings us light as well as dark, but I’m looking forward to seeing what Tom Welling brings to his performance as Clark without his humanity.

I was intrigued by the showdown between Lois and Tess. Lois’s fierce loyalty to her family is one of the things I like best about her, and I loved that she didn’t apologize for breaking into Tess’s office, or even seem embarrassed that she was caught. Was it her snooping for information about Chloe that made Tess suspect her of stealing the orb? Or was Tess remembering Faora and her talk of Kal-El? When Tess meets Zod, will she remember that Faora mentioned him as well? Things could get very interesting between these two next season! In any case, their banter was fun, as was their catfight atop the desks of the Daily Planet. I know Lois has bigger problems right now, being zapped into the distant future and all, but I’m guessing she’ll be out of a when she gets back.

The other scene I liked a lot was Jimmy’s encounter with Lois in Tess’s office. Cute, funny, and awesome. That is the Jimmy I’ve always loved, not Chloe’s insecure, jealous boyfriend. Why do they wait until the episode in which they’re going to kill him off to tease us with the Jimmy who might have been? Oh, we’ve seen him before, just not very often. Taking sneaky photos while meeting with Lex in Fallout. Having a heart-to-heart with Clark in Sleeper. Working at the DP in Apocalypse. Vowing to track down Metropolis’s mystery hero in Prey. Every moment of Identity. I never liked the Chimmy, but Jimmy as sidekick, comic relief, and DP photographer completely won me over, as did Aaron Ashmore. I’m sorry to see Jimmy go, even sorrier that they killed him, and sorriest of all that they stripped him of his iconic identity as well. It just seems like a slap in the face to everything AA has contributed to this show, and the great character he brought to life. I know the official story is that DC had a problem with the age discrepancy between Smallville’s Jimmy and the one in the comic books, but when you already have Super!Lana and U.S. Senator Martha Kent on the show, and you’ve supposedly killed off Lex Luthor, that seems kind of nitpicky. And don’t even get me started on Jimmy’s last scene, with Chloe. Ugh.

So let’s talk about Chloe. I am so angry with her right now! All season long I’ve been making excuses for her in my head, calling her behavior OOC as she questioned Clark’s actions and told him what to do, time and time again. But when she lied to Clark and betrayed him so that she could run off with Davis, I finally had to accept that Chloe no longer has the same loyalty to Clark she once did. She said she did it all for Clark, but I don’t buy it. Everything about the way she interacted with Davis said there was more to it than that. She herself told Davis she once thought she loved him. Was that before or after she “never left” Jimmy? And using the black kryptonite on Davis was all about helping him, and nothing to do with Clark. I’m also outraged that she never apologized to Clark for any of it. Her plan to control the beast didn’t work. She screwed up. And yet, right up until he walked out on her, she was still telling Clark how he was doing it wrong, and making it all about her. I haven’t been this mad at Chloe since she made her dirty deal with Lionel at the end of S2. I loved her more than ever in S3, and I hope I will love her again in S9. But right now? Not so much. Whatever she’s suffering, she brought upon herself.

Oliver was awful in this episode, and even worse, he corrupted the JL as well. I couldn’t believe that Black Canary would lure Clark to an ambush! Or that Oliver would shoot him in the back!! And then they just left him there on the ground, writhing in pain, at the mercy of whomever came along. And these are the good guys?! Was Ollie’s single manly tear at Jimmy’s funeral supposed to signify his return from the dark side, instantly cured by remorse after seeing the consequences of his actions? I hope it’s not that easy. I wonder if they’re going for a complete role reversal next year. Will we see the same man who helped strip Clark of his faith in humanity try to restore it? Or will Oliver’s darkness continue?

Random thoughts: Edge City looks a lot like Metropolis looks a lot like Smallville. *rolls eyes* Tess and Lois are furiously fighting, and Lois finally gets the upper hand when she knocks Tess out with a ring box? The JL have captured the most powerful creature in the universe, and they restrain him with plastic zip ties. Then they stand around and wait for him to wake up. And when he breaks free, how is it that they’re all just left unconscious, instead of ripped to shreds and dead? How in the world could Jimmy afford that place he gave to Chloe? Even as a fixer upper, it had to cost millions. Awww, and Jimmy almost gave Clark his hero name. He’s some kind of super… guy!

Because of all the spoilers and hype, and the comic book canon about Doomsday, a lot of fans came to this episode with expectations. Most were surprised by what they found. Clark didn’t die. Neither did Chloe or Lois. Jimmy did. Except Jimmy wasn’t Jimmy, he was Henry. Jimmy Olsen was a young boy we met for the first time at his brother’s funeral, not the sweet, funny guy we’ve known for the past three years. Rather than a tragic figure who struggled to conquer his inner demons and failed, Davis was simply a monster. The fight between Clark and Doomsday was over almost before it began. The Daily Planet was not destroyed. Clark still didn’t fly. And instead of recreating the iconic Death of Superman image with Clark and Lois, the show gave it to us with Jimmy and Chloe. In true Smallville fashion, everything had a little bit of a twist. And in the end, Clark Kent simply walked away. Most Smallville finales have left me on the edge of my seat, saying I can’t wait to find out what happens next. And while I’m certainly looking forward to the next step on Clark’s journey, and wondering how the show will resolve the crisis he is now facing, mostly Doomsday just left me feeling sad. For better or worse, S8 is a wrap. And I, for one, am ready for a break.

Check it out after the jump to see what she thought, what she liked, and what left her wanting more.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Every year I look forward to the episode that Tom Welling will direct. He’s been behind the camera as well as in front of it for one episode each year since S5, and they have all become favorites of mine. I don’t think anyone has a more clear vision of the man Clark Kent is meant to be than Tom, and when he is given the artistic freedom to direct himself and craft an entire episode, something magical happens. Injustice was a story of unrelieved darkness, with no romantic lightness and little comic relief, where Clark faced challenges at every turn, and realized that saving mankind truly might be something he is destined to do, like the heroes in the comic books, alone. And once again Tom rose to the occasion, giving us an episode that inspired us even as it broke our hearts, and showing us exactly why Clark Kent will one day be the symbol of hope for an entire planet.

I don’t think Clark has ever felt more alone than he does right now. Everyone around him in this episode questioned his judgment, and told him his plan to dispatch Doomsday would fail. They urged him to kill the monster instead, if that’s even possible. But convinced by Chloe’s passion in the Fortress, and the drastic actions she has taken, he has resolved to find a way to save Davis before following through with his original plan of banishing Doomsday to the Phantom Zone. I think looking to Black!K for a solution is a desperate measure, with no predicate for success in this situation. I also think Clark is giving Davis too much benefit of the doubt. Clark hasn’t seen all the sides of him that we have, and I remain convinced that Davis is but a thin veneer covering the beast within, and that the woobie part of him is more manipulation than truth. I love Clark for his faith in Davis’s humanity, but I have a bad feeling about this.

This week Tess assembled the Injustice League, a group of meteor freaks that included Plastique, Parasite, Livewire, Neutron, and Mirror. She had them hunting for Davis and Chloe, just as Clark and Oliver’s Justice League were doing, but for an entirely different reason. Tess still hopes to force the confrontation between Clark and Doomsday, believing it is the necessary final test Clark must face before he can emerge victorious as the savior of the world. The IJL didn’t know Clark was the fabled Traveler, but they knew he played a part in Tess’s plan, and that was good enough for them. Mirror, a shapeshifter, pretended to be Chloe, and used some very creepy tactics in an attempt to prey on Clark’s devotion to his best friend and convince him to do exactly what Tess wanted.

When Clark found Chloe, frantic and traumatized on a lonely road through the woods, she was dirty and disheveled, and appeared to be naked under her short trench coat. Back at the farm, she was jumpy and tearful, and could barely speak about her experience, her voice shaking as she described how afraid she was. And later, when Oliver asked Clark how Chloe was, he cryptically answered, “Something happened.” Was Tess setting Clark up to believe Chloe had been sexually assaulted by Davis? If so, she truly is ruthless. And sure enough, Clark blamed himself for everything he thought had happened to Chloe, attributing her decision to lie to him and run off with Davis to some failing on his part, rather than her lack of faith in him as a hero. I get that Chloe would never have been exposed to Brainiac or Doomsday if she weren’t in Clark’s life, but she chose to be with Davis, and she knowingly betrayed Clark. Having good intentions doesn’t make her blameless.

Clark’s relationship with Oliver continues to deteriorate. Oliver is a handy ally, but Clark has been reduced to lying to him to get him to do what he wants. Not good, and behavior beneath the future Supes, I think, but it reflects just how deeply Clark distrusts Oliver now. And his feelings were only validated by the shocking revelation that the head of the Justice League keeps and wears a kryptonite ring, and his subsequent admission that he murdered Lex. Even though he shares Clark’s desire to keep the world safe, Oliver hardly seems like one of the good guys anymore.

That said, however, I actually found Oliver more sympathetic than usual in his conversations with Clark in this episode. For once he didn’t hurl wild, unfounded insults at Clark, but rather expressed a lot of frustration that was at least understandable. I still believe he’s totally wrong, of course, but I imagine he speaks for a certain segment of the audience who are not necessarily Superman fans, and are feeling their own impatience with Clark’s reluctance to bend his rules in Davis’s case. The conflict between Oliver and Clark gives our hero the perfect opportunity to articulate what his moral code is, and to present an alternative to Oliver’s vigilante justice, but I worry that the growing rift between them will prove impossible to mend.

I also delighted in Oliver’s scenes with Tess, as he played the sexy spy. Except for Clark’s hilarious first line of the episode, Ollie provided the only moments in Injustice that made me smile, and I thought his charming antics were adorable. And he still looks amazing without his shirt. Or pants, for that matter! I had to laugh when Tess told him it was time for him to leave, and he spread his hands to indicate his glorious bare chest and asked, incredulously, “Really?” As in, have you seen this body?! He was the definition of incorrigible. And I still think there’s something there between these two. Oliver was working his seduction skills way too hard to be completely faking it, and Tess freaked when she thought he was hurt. Plus he raged out of control when Plastique and Parasite hurt her, and seemed to cradle her quite tenderly as he carried her away. I find that fascinating to ponder. Will Ollie decide he has more in common with Tess than Clark?

Tess just keeps getting crazier, and more dangerous. “Clark, the mark of a true hero is somebody who’s willing to sacrifice his own personal morality to help keep the world safe.” WTF? I never know what Tess is going to do or say next, but I always love where she takes us. And she’s such a bundle of contradictions! She’s utterly devoted to Clark, without question. Did you see how devastated she was when he said she was just like Lex? And yet she thinks nothing of lying to him, manipulating him, and trying to change him. She has the passionate fervor of a religious zealot, but also the cold ruthlessness of a sociopath, murdering anyone who gets in her way without hesitation or remorse. I continue to enjoy how straightforward she is as well. There is no more pretense between Clark and Tess about the existence of his abilities, although he still refuses to discuss them with her, or use them in front of her. Do we see more of Smallville’s convenient unconsciousness in her future? And the best thing about Tess is the actress who plays her. Cassidy Freeman more than owns this role, giving us a performance that is unpredictable, yet consistent, and always captivating.

I was stunned to see Tess communicating with the orb at the end of the episode. That explains why she chose its symbol for the IJL jackets. I don’t believe for a moment that anyone from Kandor is speaking to her; that has to be Zod. We don’t know how or where Tess came to possess the orb, do we? I can only speculate that while Brainiac was in Chloe’s body, where, as a human, he could touch the orb freely, he somehow located it, reprogrammed it to serve his only purpose, to bring Zod to Earth, and then delivered it to Tess. Or not. I don’t know, I’m totally guessing here! Does Tess mean to repopulate the Earth with Kryptonians? Or simply bring more of what she sees as a superior race to our world? And how does Clark figure into all of this? Does she seek to give him back a piece of his home planet? In any case, after hearing what the orb said to her about being the savior of Kandor, I’m seeing some of the things she said in the episode in a whole new light: “Clark, don’t you see that I’m doing all this for you?” “I understand that if everyone was more like you, the world would be a better place.” “That’s simple, Clark. An entire civilization’s survival depends on it.” I can’t wait for next week!

Clark was every inch the hero this week, in spite of one devastating hit after another. First he believed Chloe had suffered unspeakable horrors in the name of protecting him. The he discovered just how far Tess was willing to go to manipulate him. Again and again he had his judgment questioned; again and again people tried to thwart his plans. Oliver had a kryptonite ring, and refused to give it up. Further, he confessed to Lex’s murder. Tess stole and destroyed the PZ crystal. And whether Clark could bring himself to recognize it or not, Chloe continued to choose staying with Davis over trusting her best friend to know what’s right. Clark’s world was falling apart around him, but still he stayed strong. He did what he needed to do to put his plan in motion, and he kept his resolve. And when Oliver railed at him, AGAIN, he responded with a speech that made me want to stand up and cheer: “My responsibility is to do what’s right. Like it or not, we stand for something. We set an example for others to follow, and if we don’t, then we’re no better than the people we fight.”

After the events of this episode, Clark is hurt, angry, and frustrated. And utterly alone. But he is far from lost. He’s worried about Chloe, and he’s more worried about the world. But he’s working on a plan, and he’s not backing down. And through it all, in spite of seemingly universal opposition, he remains true to a belief that lies at the core of every choice he has made with regard to Davis Bloom: “No one has the right to choose who lives and dies.” I believe in you, Clark Kent. You go take care of Doomsday the best way you know how; just promise me you’ll come home safe after, okay?

Tom Welling’s performance was wonderful. He always seems so comfortable in his own skin when he directs himself. I loved the strength and fire he gave to Clark, and I equally loved his tenderness and vulnerability. The bleak look in Clark’s eyes after he lied to Oliver, his complete devastation when he thought Chloe had died in his arms, and the quiet, wounded way he asked Oliver about the kryptonite ring, all broke my heart. His heroic moments were just as moving. And I think I have to give thanks to both actor Tom and director Tom for the insane amount of pretty in this one. Between the killer wardrobe, the great hair, the beautiful lighting, the stunning close-ups, and all the shots of that perfect profile, I was swooning every other second. Tom may not do interviews, but he still knows how to give with both hands to his fans.

I don’t pretend to know a lot about directing, but I think Tom’s skill behind the camera is obvious. Injustice was a compelling, dramatic episode, and I was impressed by the choices Tom made with the blocking, the camera angles, the lighting, and many other details. I do have some favorite moments. The Chlark reunion in the woods was both intense and haunting, with a beautiful ethereal quality. Seeing a desolate Clark through the glass of Ollie’s office window, the buildings of nighttime Metropolis reflected on its shiny surface, was a heartbreaking reminder of how alone Clark was at that moment, even surrounded by the big, busy city. I loved the use of slow motion in the climactic scene in Tess’s study. I held my breath on a gasp when Clark and Oliver locked gazes as Green Arrow stalked out with Tess in his arms. Clark’s eyes narrowed in anger and renewed distrust, while Oliver’s face was stony and unapologetic, and we saw every nuance that passed between them. And finally, I found the last scene between Clark and Tess in the barn breathtaking. The warm, pretty lighting and the incredible beauty of the two actors belied the ugly menace of Tess’s ravings. I think Tom should be proud.

Dr. Emil Hamilton rocks. I love his unflappable demeanor and his dry delivery. There was no mistaking his meaning when he explained to Clark that there had been two witnesses to Doomsday’s latest rampage, a man and a woman, and then looked straight at Chloe as he pointedly added, “both dead.” hee! I don’t think he liked the way she threatened him last week. He works with John Jones, he appears to be a deductive genius, he’s a capable hacker, and Alessandro Juliani can deliver exposition with the best of them. Plus I think the character has great chemistry with Clark. I hope we see lots more of him in S9.

I thought the troubled teens of the IJL worked well, although Brendan Fletcher will always be Max Miller from Supernatural to me. His Parasite was suitably creepy, and I liked Jessica Parker Kennedy’s portrayal of Bette much better this time around. With another season (or two!) to go, I suppose we might see these two again. Neutron was kind of hot; it’s too bad they didn’t give the actor even one line before they killed him off.

Random thoughts: Chloe’s control sure didn’t last long. Just a week has gone by, and Doomsday is killing again. Lex had his blue water bottles, and now Ollie has green ones! How did Tess miss the unconscious guard Oliver carelessly left lying in the hallway on the way to her bedroom? I thought the effect used to show Clark’s powers leaving and reentering his body was cool. And Clark was at the corner of Marshall and Beeman? hee!

Now that Tess has destroyed the PZ crystal, it looks as though the fight she wants so badly will come to pass after all. Clark changed his mind about Davis because of Chloe, and will now try to save the man before taking on the beast. When that plan goes horribly awry (and you know it will), will he take that as proof that he needs to retreat from such close relationships with humans, or will he find further cause to heap guilt and blame on his own shoulders? Either way, I see even darker days for Clark ahead. There’s a showdown coming, with consequences for our hero we can’t even imagine yet. I’m afraid this season’s finale will bring us a far from happy ending, but I’ll be there, front and center, to see it for myself. Bring it on, Smallville!

Clark vs. Doomsday – Round 2!

tariel22 shares with us her thoughts on why “Beast” was dark, epic, and awesome.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

This season we’ve seen Clark move closer to becoming Superman than ever before. He has embraced his destiny, and in so doing has struggled with some of the bigger issues of living as a superpowered alien among men, such as revealing his true identity to the world, and deciding what limitations to place on himself to insure he doesn’t abuse his powers and become a tyrant. But I think the biggest adjustment he has faced is the reluctance of his closest allies to fully accept him as a superhero, and to trust him to take a leadership role when his abilities are needed to keep the world safe. Oliver seems to second guess Clark’s every move, and is rudely critical of him on a routine basis, while Chloe lacks faith in his decisions, and feels compelled to constantly tell him what to do. Both of them are hiding things from him, and the situation just got worse in Beast. How is Clark supposed to believe in himself when those who know him best don’t?

Chloe is Clark’s BFF, and outside of Martha, there is no one he trusts more. She has put helping him above everything else in her life, and he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. But the events of this season have put their friendship to the test, and their lives are no longer as closely entwined as they once were. First Chloe hid her Brainiac enhanced intelligence from Clark, and then they argued over whether her new abilities were a fortunate side effect or an ominous warning sign. Chloe doesn’t know that Clark had Jor-El wipe her memories clean of his secret. Clark doesn’t know that Chloe killed a man who was a threat to him while under Brainiac’s influence. Clark started a whole new life at the Daily Planet, and Chloe wasn’t part of it. Chloe developed a deep friendship with Davis, and Clark knew little to nothing about it. Chloe hasn’t approved of some of Clark’s activities as the Red Blue Blur, and Clark didn’t agree with how Chloe reacted when Jimmy accused Davis of being a killer. Most recently they clashed when Clark discovered how much time Chloe was spending with Davis, and how much she had been keeping from him about the anomalies of Davis’s life. As devoted to one another as these two clearly are, they’ve never been more seriously estranged.

Chloe took even more steps away from Clark in Beast. Almost every word she spoke to him was a lie, she ridiculed his assertion that Davis was still alive, and she even sent him on a wild goose chase to Alaska in an effort to buy herself time to get Davis out of town. She has convinced herself that she only has Clark’s best interests at heart, but I think her motives are a bit murkier. With her erotic dream that ended so gruesomely, her subconscious seemed to be telling her she has a dangerous attraction to Davis, one that may prove fatal to Clark. The plaintive way she said to Oliver about Davis, “he needed me,” spoke volumes, I thought, as did the stricken look on her face when Oliver told her Clark had taken Davis away. In the confrontation with Clark in the Fortress, Chloe’s concern for Davis’s suffering in the Phantom Zone seemed at least equal to her worry over Clark’s guilt about it. Her anger toward Clark was obvious, and the things she said to him were hateful. Even if you theorize it was all an act, that she sought to manipulate Clark for his own protection, I think she crossed a line. When the solution you come up with is just as harmful as the problem you seek to solve, how have you won?

Chloe claimed that she stopped Clark from sending Davis to the PZ because she couldn’t bear to see the burden of guilt it would place on his shoulders. Ignoring for the moment all the pain she caused Clark in achieving that goal, does she honestly think the thought of her, out there somewhere with Davis, giving up everything to stay forever by his side in order to tame the beast, will torture him less? Especially after she dropped the bomb of her excuse for everything she had done to betray him: “Anything I’ve ever done, right or wrong, I did for you.” She said herself that she knew Clark better than anyone. What did she think he was going to do with a statement like that?! We need look no further than that crumpled file cabinet to gauge his emotional distress. Way to go, Chloe. I think she’s playing the martyr here, and I have no patience for that. Her final words to Clark just made me roll my eyes: “Clark, if there’s one lesson I’ve learned from you, it’s that choosing the greater good is never a sacrifice.” *rolls eyes* See? What did I tell you? I think Clark said it best: “Chloe, you’re wrong! You’re wrong, Chloe!”

The real tragedy is that with Chloe’s cooperation, Clark’s plan would have worked perfectly. We saw in the Fortress that Davis physically can’t doom out when Chloe is near, and even loses his strength in her presence. With Chloe by his side, Clark could have opened the portal and sent Davis to the PZ quickly and without a struggle, minimizing the likelihood of Zod escaping, or Clark being sucked in. And I really do think Clark’s solution was the best one. The PZ was created to hold the worst criminals the universe had to offer, and that certainly describes the killing machine known as Doomsday. As Clark pointed out, at least Doomsday could be himself there, and no longer fight against his true nature. If Chloe really is interested in the greater good, she should listen to Clark. Her plan is infinitely more dangerous to the human race. What if something happens to her, or separates her from Davis? What if her soothing effect wanes over time? Then you have Doomsday fully realized, in the midst of humanity. And that would be bad.

Obviously I feel no sympathy for Davis’s plight. I never have. He’s been a monster from the moment he arrived here on Earth, he exists to kill my boy Clark, and he must be stopped. End of story. My take on Doomsday is, he was created to adapt and survive, and the Davis persona is just one of the tools in his arsenal, the one he uses to manipulate the humans who surround him. Isn’t that what we saw in this episode, as he lied to Chloe, and acted differently when she wasn’t around? With Chloe he plays the woobie, because that’s what works, but he was positively chilling in the basement with Jimmy and Oliver, and he couldn’t wait to throw down with Clark once he saw that his attempt at emotional blackmail wouldn’t do the trick. I don’t know if the part of Doomsday that is Davis could ever be separated from the monster within, but it doesn’t look likely. Anyone care to haul out the Black!K and try for a Hail Mary pass in the last seconds of the game? Even if that were possible, I shudder to contemplate the undiluted version of Doomsday that would unleash upon the world.

I both hated and loved Oliver this week. I wanted to kick him for the way he spoke to Clark, especially at the end of the episode. Ollie, you’re such an ass sometimes! But at least he’s consistent in his expectations, and I suspect he’s got an agenda as well. If he can convince Clark to kill Doomsday, maybe that will somehow make the way he murdered Lex seem less awful. [You're grasping at straws, Ollie, but ease your mind. That wasn't the real Lex anyway.] And why does Oliver assume killing Doomsday is simply a matter of Clark agreeing to do so? The guy was already dead, and he came back! In any case, the growing discord between Oliver and Clark worries me. They’re the heroes in this story, and they need to stick together. Oliver needs to swallow some of his arrogance and see that Clark’s is the better way, and Clark needs to tell Oliver to shut up.

On the other hand, Oliver was a wonderful friend to Jimmy in Beast. He didn’t beat around the bush in confronting his drug addiction, but he didn’t humiliate him with it either. And he offered to help without preaching or proselytizing. Oliver really is one of the good guys. He was also great with Davis in the basement, trying to calm him down and keep him that way until Chloe arrived. He’s no dummy. But where he earned my undying devotion was in the glorious smackdown he delivered to Chloe. No, he wasn’t very nice, but I don’t blame him. Her actions almost got him killed. And she needed to hear what he had to say, for all the good that it did. Or maybe I just needed to hear it, because it’s what I’ve been thinking since the moment Chloe took Davis in, and it was immensely satisfying to hear someone speak the words out loud on the show.

Jimmy continued his downward spiral in this episode. Not only did he find out he was right about Davis all along, he learned that Davis was also the beast who destroyed his wedding day and nearly killed him. Worst of all, he found out Chloe had been willingly hiding him in the basement of the Talon. In his weakened, drug-addled state, the news proved to be too much, and he lost all hope, lashing out at Davis and daring him to kill him. Luckily Oliver stepped in to save him from himself, and he escaped, battered but still alive. Oliver extended another helping hand when he offered Jimmy a job. There was a world of difference between the nervous, shifty Jimmy who approached Oliver for a loan early in the episode, and the one who accepted the job from him at the end. Maybe there’s hope for Jimmy yet!

Beast was a little light on Clark, probably because Tom Welling was busy preparing to direct next week’s episode, but I didn’t really notice, because the scenes he was in were all so good. Once again, as far as I was concerned, Clark didn’t make a single wrong move. He investigated his suspicions about Davis, discovered the truth about his resurrection, and formulated a plan to save the world from the threat of Doomsday without the loss of a single life, not even the monster’s. Nothing Chloe or Oliver said kept him from doing what he knew was right, and he was every inch the hero. He truly had compassion for Davis, but he knew there was no place for him on Earth. Hey, Oliver? Clark makes tough decisions all the time. And Chloe? He’s a big boy, I think he can handle living with those decisions. Let’s give the guy a little credit, shall we? Davis chose to fight rather than face a world without Chloe in it, and his brief showdown with Clark before Chloe intervened was a thrilling preview of the inevitable and final conflict still to come. I can’t wait!

When Clark finally realized how completely Chloe had deceived him, he was devastated. He knew she had lied to him about Alaska, but when she showed up in the Fortress, key in hand, there was no longer any question that her involvement with Davis was voluntary. As Clark stared at her, stunned, and quietly asked, “Chloe, what are you doing?” he broke my heart. When she proceeded to berate him for even considering sending Davis to the PZ, of course he stopped and listened. He has always valued Chloe’s opinion. Her condemnation, combined with the shock of her betrayal, made him freeze in confusion, and gave her the time she needed to whisk Davis away.

When Oliver found Clark later, using the bank of monitors at Isis to search for Chloe, he looked grim. He refused to rise to the bait of Oliver’s asinine remarks, but his face told a story of frustration and cold fury. He couldn’t make sense of what Chloe had done, but he never lost faith in her, and never stopped believing the best of her. I wish Chloe could have had that same faith in him. When she called to tell him she was okay, and to ask him not to look for her, he grew desperate, frantic in his need to save her from the reckless path she had chosen. After she hung up, lost to him again, his control finally broke, and we saw the toll this crisis had taken on him emotionally. Oh, Clark.

The acting in this episode was amazing. Sam Witwer seemed to delight in showing us another side of Davis, letting a creepy coldness peek through, giving us just a glimpse of the monster who simmers right below the surface, and who lives to kill. *shivers* Justin Hartley’s Oliver was the arrogant, flawed hero I have come to love, even as he infuriates me, and I found his performance both consistent and compelling. Aaron Ashmore blew me away, especially in Jimmy’s bitter conversation with Davis in the basement. How his acting talents have been squandered on playing little more than Chloe’s jealous boyfriend! Allison Mack perfectly portrayed Chloe’s strength, and her vulnerability, showing us her steely resolve as she fought to save Davis from both beast and banishment, and her tearful despair as she faced the true cost of life by his side. And Tom Welling was phenomenal. Clark faced challenges everywhere he turned in Beast, going from confident leadership and unshakable determination at the beginning of the episode, to hurt confusion and blinding frustration at the end, and every moment was unmistakable in Tom’s hands. In the scene with Oliver at Isis, I couldn’t take my eyes off of his face, as a world of emotion played out in his eyes and even in the set of his jaw, telling us so much more about what Clark was feeling than any dialogue ever could. We may be heading for the final countdown on this season, but this wonderful cast is still bringing everything they’ve got to the game.

Random thoughts: Dream!Davis was charming and sexy. Rowr. It totally cracked me up that the two fake movie posters the art department designed to put on the wall for Chloe and Davis to make out against were “Casa Bronte: A Love Story,” and “Zytron: The Clock Is Ticking, The Last Day Is Today.” Love! And aliens! Clark’s dead torso, strung up and dripping blood, was easily the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen on this show. I liked Dr. Emil Hamilton. Can we have more of him, please? I know I keep harping on this, but the plates of cupcakes on the counter and the buckets of flowers by the door seem to indicate the Talon is open for business, but what exactly are their hours of operation? And I love Clark’s new blue-on-blue combo. It’s so pretty!

Beast was a dark episode, showing us the shadow Doomsday has cast over Clark and his friends. It explored the conflicts in Clark’s life, and resolved none of them. It was dramatic, suspenseful, and intense, leaving me impatient to find out what happens next. I may dread where this storyline is heading, but I can’t wait to get there! I see tragic endings ahead, as Oliver is forced to face his demons, Chloe risks losing everyone she holds dear, and Clark finds himself at odds with those he once trusted most. Not to mention we still have Doomsday to consider. I hope Clark doesn’t lose faith in himself, and that he can weigh the doubts Oliver and Chloe have expressed against Lois’s open admiration for the RBB, and the public’s appreciation for all he does. This isn’t the first or last time our hero will be tested, but this challenge feels particularly personal, and the possibility that Clark will face his greatest enemy completely alone is daunting indeed.

tariel22 shares with us her thoughts on why this episode went from “cheesefest” to “epic” in 42 short minutes.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Stiletto was a fun episode, but it was far from a piece of fluff.  The light comedic and romantic moments were balanced by darkness as we saw Lois, Chloe, and Jimmy all face the consequences of rash, impulsive decisions, and met a brutal new villain in Bruno Mannheim.  In the midst of all the conflict, Clark stood tall and true, playing both hero and moral compass, and showed us just how ready he is to put his life on the line to protect the world.  This episode made me laugh, but it also made me worry.  I see more darkness ahead, and a price to be paid, and I’m very much afraid that Clark’s broad shoulders will once again be asked to bear the biggest burden.

I have really come to adore Smallville’s Lois Lane.  I like her passion, her courage, and her vulnerability.  I like the way she makes mistakes and owns up to them, and gets right back out there and tries again.  I like her fierce loyalty, and the way she never gives up on love.  I had my doubts about the premise of this episode, and I still think the plot was a bit silly, but I thoroughly enjoyed Lois’s foray into Clark’s world.  Lois was a delight as Stiletto.  She was beautiful, and she kicked ass, but she was also wry and self-deprecating.  There were a lot of funny moments, but it wasn’t played entirely for laughs.  Lois made an impulsive decision in a moment of weakness, and as a result not only risked her career in journalism, but also saw her friends’ very lives put into danger.  She was humbled by the experience, and learned an important lesson about ethics and integrity, unanimously delivered by Jimmy, Clark, and Chloe.  I appreciated that the show was adamant about that!

As much as I loved Lois, I loved Lois and Clark even more.  *draws hearts around them*  The scene of the two of them both working late, listening to the police scanner with their matching costume bags stashed at their feet, was adorable.  And Clark’s first meeting with Stiletto was hilarious.  When Lois tried to brazen it out with that fake English accent, I couldn’t stop laughing!  Things quickly got more serious when Lois found Clark and Jimmy in trouble at the Ace of Clubs, and after her phone died while she was dialing 911, she was magnificent as she threw caution to the wind and crashed through the skylight to their rescue.  First Lois saved Clark, and then he saved her right back, taking a bullet that was meant for her.  Even made powerless by kryptonite, our boy didn’t hesitate to throw himself in harm’s way.

After that, everything was different.  At the DP the next morning, Lois struggled to express her gratitude, and apologize for involving Clark in the first place.  We could tell she was seeing Clark in a whole new light after his selfless act of heroism.  Clark in turn seemed quite touched by Lois’s genuine contrition, and her concern for him.  By the end of the scene, the teasing banter was back, but it did nothing to mask the new level of intimacy between these two.

And then we had the best scene of the episode, Lois’s phone call from the Red Blue Blur, where Clark called Lois “Miss Lane,” and Lois asked, “Can you read my mind?”  *swoons*  The whole conversation was like that!  That was Superman and Lois Lane, right there.  It was romantic, it was iconic, and it was awesome.  Clark never took his eyes off Lois the whole time he talked to her, and what he saw was something rare, at least to him:  Lois without her walls and without her snark, open and vulnerable, more interested in the man than the myth, and more concerned for his loneliness than the scoop of a lifetime.  How could that not affect him?  The sweet smile on his face at the end of the conversation told us everything we needed to know.  And I especially appreciated that Lois came from a place of pure admiration and hero worship for the RBB.  She wasn’t flirting or trying to spark a romance.  After all, she likened herself to Barney in the Flintstones analogy, not Wilma!  Clark, on the other hand, was a different story.  I think he’s falling for her, and hard.

There is no question in my mind that Clark’s feelings for Lois grow deeper by the day, but he may not be able to face them anytime soon.  He told Chloe that romance is the last thing on his mind right now, and I think that’s just as it should be.  I don’t know, maybe he’s over Lana, but he certainly isn’t over their breakup, and going slow is absolutely the right thing to do, both emotionally and for the sake of the show.  With another season ahead of us, this relationship has time to develop naturally.  In fact, as much as I hated the Lana arc, I have to concede that having Lana leave Clark’s life in some traumatic fashion was pretty much the only way to go.  Otherwise, what would stand in the way of Lois and Clark getting together right now?  I still want to hear Clark say that kryptonite or no kryptonite, he and Lana would never have worked out, but I’m not holding my breath.  I’m sure TPTB don’t want to alienate the Clana fans, and so far I think it’s working.  I’ve already seen the theory that somehow the suit will prolong Lana’s life into the realm of immortality, and that long after Lois is dead and buried, Clark and Lana will find a way to be together once more.  In any case, I think they’re handling the Lois and Clark romance perfectly.  It’s all about the journey, right?

I’m not so sure about what they have planned for Clark and Chloe, however.  *sighs*  My heart broke for Chloe in this episode.  Her devotion to Clark and her compassion for Davis are at war within her, and that struggle led her to make an untenable decision in the face of impossible circumstances.  Now she’s in over her head, and seems completely lost and alone.  When she collapsed in despair in that alley, her hands bloody, I had tears in my eyes, even as I condemned her course of action.  I know she sees no way out, but I wanted to shake her, and tell her to go to Clark.  NOW.  And instead she pushed him away, even though it was clear he knew something was wrong, and wanted to help.  I have to ask, how did she think this was all going to play out?  Did she plan on keeping Davis in the basement forever?  I guess the answer is that she wasn’t thinking, she was following her heart, but in the end I still think Chloe should know better.

I hate what they’re doing with Jimmy.  I don’t see what purpose this whole drug addict storyline serves, and it’s way too dark for a character who works much better as comic relief.  Jimmy, too, made a hasty, ill-advised decision, throwing back a day’s worth of pain meds in a single swallow and quitting his job at the DP in the wake of his breakup with Chloe.  This week we saw how far he has fallen since then, and it wasn’t pretty.  He’s not all bad, of course.  He didn’t give Lois up to the bad guys, even when they beat him half to death, and he helped save both Lois and Clark in the fight at the Ace of Clubs, but I found it a bit ironic that he lectured Lois about ethics, and then turned around and evidently used stolen counterfeit money to buy illegal drugs.  I have a bad feeling about this.

And then there’s Clark.  How completely awesome was he in this episode?  He was smart, proactive, independent, and heroic in investigating the theft of Chloe’s laptop and getting it back.  He didn’t berate Chloe for her mistake, was sensitive enough to realize there was something else wrong, and reached out to her, but also respected her right to privacy when she asked him to back off.  He was stern with Lois about her Stiletto story, saving her from herself in the process, but was also tender and compassionate, and went out of his way to reassure her and make sure she knew just how special he (as the RBB) thinks she is.  Not to mention risking his own life to save hers!  I don’t think he hit a single false note, although maybe he needs to start using his x-ray vision to check for suspicious green substances before he blurs into any strange rooms.  Oh, and he flashed us!  When Clark nonchalantly hauled up his shirt to show Chloe he was okay, fandom exploded, and fangirls around the globe flailed at the rare sight of bare Tommy tummy.  Thank you, Tom Welling!

So, what else?  I loved the Chlo-Lo in Stiletto.  We need to see more of that!  I didn’t like Bruno “Ugly” Mannheim;  he was a little too ugly for me.  He was a cruel, violent thug, and his brutality was hard to watch.  I like my villains handsome and charismatic as well as evil, and this guy was utterly repellent.  I loved seeing the iconic trio of Lois, Jimmy and Clark in action, that was fun.  And every one of the four principal actors turned in an outstanding performance.  Our cast just keeps getting better and better.  I applaud them all.

Random thoughts:  Does Chloe know that Lois knows that Oliver is Green Arrow?  How did the Blur-etto shippers already know about Stiletto?  Or was it that user known as ChloeSullivan who started it all?  Did everyone see that they’re calling Impulse “Flash” now?  I want to live in Metropolis, where every moon is an impossibly big, full one.  The music during that last scene was amazing.  And how tiny did Clark’s cell phone look in those big, sexy hands of his?

Stiletto held the promise of a deeper friendship between Lois and Clark, but it also warned of darker days ahead.  As Clark continues to find his place in the world, struggling to fight the good fight, his two closest allies, Chloe and Oliver, are both lying to him.  Regardless of their reasons for doing so, he’s going to be hurt when he finds out, and probably angry as well.  I don’t know how easily forgiveness will come.  And of course Doomsday looms large.  I suspect that this episode gave us our last lighthearted moments of the season, and that we now turn toward the inevitable final conflict.  Brace yourselves, guys, and make sure you have a box of tissues handy.  I think we have a rough road ahead.

So check out after the jump for Steve’s review of 8×19 – ‘Stiletto’.

I just watched Stiletto and really liked it…I figured since I wasn’t on the show and to save time of future shows, I would write up a quick review and send it to you. If you want to post it on the site that’s fine, if not, that’s cool too. Here it is:

It’s been said on SHoE that filler doesn’t necessarily mean “Noir.” In the past, filler episodes have done everything from giving us a SAW homage (read “ripoff”) to exploding babies, to…well…Noir. So it was with great trepidation that I turned my DVR on to watch the latest Smallville offering, Stiletto.

By now, you’ve watched the episode or heard the recap on SHoE, so there’s no need to go over everything that happened, however, if for some reason you’re still in the dark about this episode, know that the following will contain spoilers and you may want to wait until you’ve seen the episode to read on.

What we all expected from this episode was a freak of the week type outing in which Lois would be granted temporary super powers which she would use to fight crime, get preached to by Clark, lose and take away a lesson learned from the whole thing. At least, that’s what I expected. The first breath of fresh air in this episode came in the teaser when, without exposure to meteor rocks, kryptonite laced gum, sorority vampires, or a bolt of lightning mixed with the green stuff, Lois took down some would be muggers and the idea struck her to masquerade as a super heroine all to capture the attention of the Red Blue Blur. I was so glad that Caroline Dries decided to go this route with the story. It was a bit of a surprise and, given that we’ve seen Lois kick a little butt in the past, actually more believable and “acceptable” than a freak of the week story featuring Lois.

The next thing I expected was a bunch of cute little jokes about Stiletto, girl power, and how the new kid on the block isn’t to be trusted. Thankfully, we got very little of that. There was a bat signal reference (which was quite funny to me), the whole shipper thing on the web (an “anvil” for Clark and Lois’ eventual relationship TWoP people?), and the “S” sewn on the chest remark, but other than that things were played as straight as they could be played with Lois placing herself in this ridiculous position. In fact, the side stories gave this episode much more gravitas and dramatic weight than I ever thought possible for it to have.

Jimmy’s story is particularly interesting to me because we don’t know what his angle is outside of drug addiction. However, I wouldn’t put it past Jimmy to not only be trying to take down this nacent version of intergang, but also trying to single handedly uncover a drug dealing ring. Alas, I’m afraid he’s still just an addict though, and that makes me sad as it gives too much weight to a character who has already become too weighed down by the big issues he’s had to face. The direction that the creators of the show have given young Mr. Olsen causes him to never be able to be the happy go lucky guy we’ve all come to know and love from Superman mythology. For this story, and this series for that matter, though, it really worked well, and it was nice to see him back and doing something other than whining about Chloe keeping secrets and not trusting her.

Chloe’s story breaks my heart for her. We’ve all been where she is though. Not necessarily taking out garbage bags full of dead mutilated bodies for the monster that lives in our basement, but I know I have found myself in situations were I have no idea how I can get out, because getting out means making a choice harder than I may be willing to make. Her scene with Clark at the end showed us just how torn up inside she is. She so desparately wanted to tell Clark everything, but knew she couldn’t and that hurt her so deeply. Her tears were not because she’s scared, or confused, but because she knows what she needs to do, and can’t bring herself to do that. The weight of keeping the most dangerous man on Earth under control is tearing her apart.

Then, there’s the payoff of the whole episode for me…the Red Blue Blur’s conversation with Lois…I will now speak in bullet points.

- Ms. Lane!
- You’re a great reporter Ms Lane.
- The Red Blue Blur is a mouthful.
- YOU CAN COME UP WITH A NEW NAME FOR ME!
- When I’m ready to tell the world my secret you’ll be the first to know.
- You can talk to me off the record.
- CAN YOU READ MY MIND?!?!?!

OH MY LANTA! What a terrific conversation!

The Lois/Clark relationship has deepened as Clark “put his life on the line for Lois.” And therein lies the true success of this episode and one of the strongest points of the entire series for me: the handling of Lois and Clark. Lois has seen Clark screw up, look weak, and almost die time and time again, there is no way that he can ever be a super hero to her. Yet, she still has feelings for him. All the while, she’s developing this crush on a hero she’s never seen. AND THAT WORKS! It’s so fitting that her real feelings develop for Clark and what she feels for the future Superman is just a crush born out of admiration and a certain bit of awe. It’s a twist we’ve never really seen before. Not in this way at least. I’m loving it.

Overall, I was expecting a bummer of an episode and walked away with my faith once again restored in the current creative staff. This is a crew that knows how to make an episode of Smallville and I think it speaks volumes that the episodes that have worked the least this season are the ones in which the viewer and the story becomes too bogged down in what has come before. (Lana trilogy, I’m looking in your direction.)

I have to give this episode a very solid 3.5 out of 5 whatever I give 5 of because it was so good. I can’t go full on 4 or 5 because for all of the episode’s strengths I still have a hard time suspending my disbelief enough to get Lois into that outfit with that mask doing the super hero thing…however her amazement that dropping through the skylight actually worked coupled with the bad guys only being taken down because evertime they got the upper hand a member of the three Muskateers (Jimmy, Lois, and Clark) stepped up and took it away made for a great climax to the action of the main story.

As we look to the last three episodes, I cannot wait for what we’re gonna see…I think it’s gonna be amazing.

tariel22 shares with us her thoughts on why the episode worked in part 1, and why it didn’t in part 2.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Eternal was an episode full of exposition.  In order to set up the events to come in the remaining episodes of S8, the show rewrote Clark’s story, reaching all the way back to the Pilot to do so.  I don’t mind a little revisionist history, especially if it comes with a compelling storyline, but if you mess with something I hold dear, we’re going to have a problem.  This episode was a bit of a mixed bag in that respect.  Along with the retcon, Eternal gave us some intense confrontations, revealed a few surprises, and finally brought Davis’s dark secret out into the light, setting the stage for the showdown we’ve been anticipating ever since we first heard the word “Doomsday” in spoilers last summer.

Most of this episode played out as a series of conversations between two people, bringing an intimacy to the action that infused it with emotion.  We saw Davis and Chloe, Chloe and Clark, Clark and Tess, and for the first time ever, Tess and Davis.  We even had a glimpse, in flashback, of Davis with Lex.  Clark and Davis had a couple of brief encounters, and the second one was chilling in the promise it held for what is yet to come, but the show is wisely keeping these two mostly apart until they come together in final conflict.

Chloe and Clark were not getting along this week, and I can understand why.  Chloe has had the year from hell, and Clark has been absent for a lot of it.  Most of his time is spent at his new job at the Daily Planet, and that’s a life he shares with Lois.  When he’s not working, he’s patrolling as the Red Blue Blur, or helping Oliver with the Justice League.  He and Chloe still get together for coffee, but it’s not like the old days.  He doesn’t heed her advice like he used to, or ask for her help as often.  Most recently he missed her birthday, and he wasn’t there to pick up the pieces when Jimmy dumped her in front of a public audience at Met Gen.  The one person who has been there for her without fail is Davis, and now Clark is giving her a hard time about him.  No wonder she’s a little put out.

Clark, on the other hand, can’t understand why Chloe won’t listen to him about Davis.  All he cares about is protecting her, and he has a bad feeling about this guy.  And it looks like Chloe’s hiding things from him again.  First it was her engagement, then her Brainiac infection, then her memory loss, and then Jimmy’s apparent breakdown.  How can he keep her safe if she doesn’t tell him what’s going on?  When they made the shocking discovery that the serial killer they were investigating was Davis himself, Clark lost it, overcome with the thought of the danger Chloe had put herself in, and the lives that had been lost.  And Chloe was in despair herself, awash in guilt even as she tried to come to terms with the truth.  Their argument was a wonderful, passionate scene, and Tom Welling and Allison Mack were electric in it.  It seems that Davis has come between Clark and his BFF, with what I fear will be dire consequences.

In the meantime, Tess has been doing some investigating of her own, and there is little she doesn’t know, or at least suspect.  Thanks to Lionel’s journal, she knows the whole Veritas story, and she’s gathered other information from Lex’s journal, her brief conversation with Faora, and professional surveillance, as well as her own perceptive observations.  Frustrated that Clark wouldn’t confide in her, she took matters into her own hands, going to great lengths to prove to herself, and Davis as well, just what his destiny is here on Earth.  Like Lex before her, she wants to save the world, but she sees Clark as a savior rather than an enemy.  Unfortunately, she’s a little crazycakes, and has hatched a plot worthy of any zealot, determined to make her fantasy a reality.  She’s a loose cannon, and we all need to watch out.

The parallels between Superman and Jesus are inescapable, and were evoked in the very first episode of Smallville, when Clark was mock crucified by Whitney and his football thugs.  But to baldly state that Clark is like Christ, and Davis is his Judas, destroys the beauty of the allegory, and gives the story religious overtones that are sure to alienate some viewers.  Besides, the Judas story is a poor analogy for the role Davis is destined to play in Clark’s life.  I could have done without all of it.

I can live with all the S1 retcon.  It’s messy, and I’m not sure it’s necessary, but it’s not egregious.  It was nice to see Martha and Jonathan again (awww, I miss them), and John Glover always played Lionel with just enough ambiguity that I could well believe he knew all about Clark from the start.  It was a treat to see Connor Stanhope as Little!Lex again!  He’s a wonderful actor, and his sensitive performance made my heart ache for the little boy who will forever have to live with the consequences of his father’s endless quest for power.  Little!Davis left me cold.  He hatched from a pod, killed Lex’s pet, and started his lifelong murderous rampage, all within five days of hitting the planet.  He’s a monster.

On the other hand, I completely reject the retcon of the Kawatchee legend of Naman and Sageeth.  Sageeth is Lex.  Not only is Talisman one of my favorite episodes, the legend perfectly describes the lifelong relationship Clark and Lex are destined to share (we’re all clear that Lex isn’t really dead, right?).  Besides, the Starblade disintegrated at Lex’s touch.  I say the idea that Davis is Sageeth is just Tess’s interpretation of the legend, and she’s wrong.

Because of my rampant anti-Davis bias (he’s here to kill my boy!), I was mostly unmoved by Davis’s plight, and Chloe’s anguish over it, but I do think both Sam Witwer and Allison Mack turned in stunning performances.  When Davis started to doom out in front of Clark, I was genuinely scared, and just like Chloe, I would have pulled that lever in a heartbeat if I thought Clark were in danger, no matter what I once felt for Davis.  Of course I think Chloe is woefully misguided in choosing to stay with Davis, and I’m sure there will be a terrible price to pay for that decision, but I appreciate that she is just trying to protect Clark at all costs.  The only thing that bothers me is that ultimately, I think her actions show a lack of faith.  If she truly believed in Clark, wouldn’t she trust him to find the solution to this problem?  But perhaps she knows him a little too well, and still sees not the superhero he will become, but the sweet, shy boy she kissed in the loft, and still holds close to her heart.

Just as in Turbulence, my favorite scenes were between Clark and Tess.  Cassidy Freeman is an incredible actress, and her Tess is wonderfully complex, and a joy to watch.  Together, she and Tom Welling are nothing short of explosive.  Their chemistry is breathtaking.  At the top of the episode, Tess saw Clark in her office, and I swear she was flirting with him, even as she turned his story idea down flat.  She gleefully baited him by dissing the RBB, and openly called him a liar!  And Clark responded with complete insubordination!  “You need to print it!”  hee!  I love these two!  *draws hearts around them*  Later, when Clark came to see her in the hospital, she shocked him by telling him what she had read in Lionel’s journal, including the secret of his alien origins.  She then theorized that Davis, too, fell from the sky that fateful day.  Clark tried to laugh off her wild assertions, but Tess remained undeterred.

Their best scene was their final one.  Tess came to the Kent farm, happy and eager to have an honest conversation with Clark.  He shut her down completely, all self-righteous indignation and angry denial as he lied to her face!  It was so Clexy I got chills!  Clark was rudely dismissive of Tess as he went about his chores (looking absolutely delicious in his snug blue tee), and the sparks flew between them as Tess finally gave in to frustration and let Clark see her hurt, and her fury.  The whole scene was unbelievably HOT.  And when Tess calmed herself, quietly called Clark “Kal-El” (she knows!), and then went home, opened a locked cabinet, and pulled out the Orb (GASP!), my jaw dropped.  OMG!!

All four of the featured actors this week were phenomenal.  I honestly think Eternal had some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from Tom Welling on Smallville.  His performance was focused and controlled throughout the episode, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him more engaged.  It amazes me how he can bring new depth and strength to the character of Clark Kent after all these years.  He owns this role, and he owns this show.  I’m beginning to get seriously excited about S9!

Random thoughts:  Watching Eternal made me go back and watch the Pilot again.  If you haven’t watched it in a while, you should.  It’s glorious!  The scene of the Kents walking away with Baby!Clark, as Little!Davis watches, must have been a new insert.  Because those were definitely not the original actors.  Lex’s Warrior Angel comic was the same one we saw in Ryan, from S2.  It cracks me up that Clark no longer wears his red jacket/blue tee combo unless he’s patrolling, for fear of being recognized as the RBB, but the blue jacket/red tee combo is perfectly fine.  I liked the black jacket Clark wore in his last scene with Chloe, at the Talon.  And in spite of all the clues, I don’t think Clark or Chloe realized that Davis was Doomsday until he said, “I was sent here to destroy you, Clark,” and started to doom out.  I loved that even though Clark was clearly shocked when Davis’s voice changed and his eyes went red, his first instinct was still to protect him.  That’s my Superman.

When I first watched Eternal I had a LOT of problems with it.  But I find myself watching it again and again, and each time those things bother me less, as I lose myself in the acting, the drama, and the emotion.  I give a lot of credit to the actors, of course, but I also give major props to the director, James Marshall.  That shot of the kryptonite raining down on a writhing Davis, while Clark mirrors him, collapsing in front of the containment unit, is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen on this show.  As we’ve lost more and more of the veterans from the Smallville production staff over the years, I can’t even begin to express how fortunate I feel that he has chosen to stay.  He has been instrumental in making this show great since the beginning, and this episode is a perfect example of what a gifted director he truly is.

tariel22 shares with us her thoughts on why the episode worked in part 1, and why it didn’t in part 2.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

All the times Smallville’s Eternal made me say, WTF?

The first time I watched Eternal, I liked it, but I had a LOT of questions.  So I did my homework.  I rewatched parts of the Pilot, Lineage, Skinwalker, Memoria, Talisman, Traveler, Veritas, Quest, and Arctic.  I even dug out my Bible and read up on Judas.  And then I watched Eternal again.  And the second time was even worse.  I thought my head was going to explode.  I mean, seriously.  They should have called this episode Retcon.

Between the continuity conflicts, the contrived plot points, the OOC behavior, the heavy-handed attempts to tug at my heart strings, and the bizarre dialogue, this episode drove me CRAZY.  But still, there was a lot to like in there, too.  So I decided to let it all out, and then let it go.  Maybe then I could find the joy in this one.  So in the interest of therapeutic catharsis, here is my list of all the WTF moments and quotes from Eternal.  Did any of these bother you, too?

1)  Once again we have pictures (drawings, this time) of events that no one but the viewing audience could possibly have been there to see.  That’s just sloppy, Smallville.

2)  Um, show?  If you want me to sympathize with your woobie villain, don’t show him emerging from a pod and forming out of a substance that looks a little too much like puke.  That doesn’t exactly humanize him for me.

3)  Clark:  “You need to print it!”  hee!  Okay, I LOVE Clark in this scene, but let’s get real.  He would be so fired.  Well, if his boss weren’t totally fascinated with him and his alien origins, anyway.

4)  So Chloe and Davis are best buds, hanging out and being all cutesy funny with each other?  They’re kind of adorable, but this is the relationship that cost Chloe her marriage.  Ramping up the intimacy in the aftermath seems wildly  inappropriate to me.

5)  Jimmy’s a big jerk who sends abusive emails now?  Fine, show.  I still like him better than Davis.

6)  Chloe:  “I thought we were best friends, but obviously there was some stuff brewing beneath the surface for awhile.”  Beneath the surface?!  Jimmy’s insecure jealousy has been his defining characteristic since the day we met him!

7)  Chloe:  “How can you be so close to someone, and not really know who they are?”  Oy, with the irony already!

8)  Davis cuts his finger with a knife, and it’s covered in blood, which Chloe wipes away to reveal no cut at all.  Davis says, “Quick reflexes, huh?” and Chloe looks at him suspiciously.  Then Clark bursts in, and that’s the last we hear of it.  Did Davis’s words satisfy her?  Did she forget all about it?  And isn’t Davis supposed to be invulnerable to knives after Bloodline anyway?

9)  Why is Clark running to Chloe for information on a story?  Hasn’t he been doing his own research for a while now?  I suppose Chloe could have been doing some kind of hacking for him, but it just seemed like a contrived way to get them together so they could argue about Davis.

10)  Chloe:  “Since when did newsworthy have anything to do with what was on the front page?”  Was that a dig against Clark, or the Daily Planet, or journalism in general?  In any case, bitter much?  What’s that about?

11)  Chloe:  “No, please, I love trudging through stagnant water.”  Huh?  What does that mean?  And what’s with the attitude?

12)  Chloe:  “He’s kind, supportive, and a strong shoulder for me to lean on.  Which I don’t know if you’ve actually realized, but I could really use right now.”  He’s also creepy, intense, and kind of a stalker.  And since when has Clark not been there for Chloe when she really needs him?  Weren’t they having a nice little heart-to-heart over coffee just last episode?  Has Chloe even tried opening up to Clark?  When he asked her about Jimmy in Turbulence, she lied and said everything was great.  Is he supposed to read her mind?

13)  Clark:  “He’s full of secrets, Chloe.  There’s not even a record of his childhood.”  Chloe:  “Sounds familiar.”  Is she saying that he sounds like Clark, and that’s a reason to back off?  Because Clark is an alien.  From another planet.

14)  So first we found out Lex kept a journal, and now they tell us Lionel did, too?  And Tess has them both?  How convenient.

15)  If Lionel had a whole team of commandos combing the countryside after the meteor shower, why did he have to hitch a ride with the Kents to get Lex to the hospital?  And why didn’t they take the ship when they took Davis?

16)  In the Pilot Clark tells Lex he remembers when the mansion was first moved to Smallville, that the trucks rolled through town for weeks.  Lex in turn tells Clark that Lionel has never stepped through the front door.  And yet here the mansion is, fully furnished and occupied, just a few days after the meteor shower.

17)  Davis can speak and read English already?

18)  Yeah, the woobie little boy who kills birds doesn’t get my sympathy either.

19)  Miller’s Field sure doesn’t look anything like the way I remember it from Obscura.

20)  Were Davis’s memories of his days at the mansion repressed before?

21)  Oh, come on!!  Why in the hell would there be a meteor rock in the lead box?!  And doesn’t Lex receive that box on a birthday that’s still several years in the future?

22)  Judas?  Christ?  Really, show?  You’re going there?  Have you read the story of Judas?  Because that analogy doesn’t work for me at all.

23)  Clark:  “And all the times that you were angry at me for doubting him!”  Have they been arguing endlessly about Davis in Offscreenville?

24)  When Clark and Chloe figured out that Jimmy was right all along about Davis, I hope they at least called him to let him know.  And I hope Chloe apologized for not believing him in the first place.

25)  Chloe knew it was Tess who had checked out Davis’s records and she didn’t think that was worth mentioning until now?  And if she didn’t know who it was, how did she make the connection to Tess all of a sudden?

26)  Chloe:  “I think it’s time to pay a visit to the widow of LuthorCorp.”  Widow?  What’s that supposed to mean?

27)  So once Lionel found out about Clark, he figured Davis was just a random naked human boy who lost his clothes in the meteor shower and ended up huddled next to Clark’s ship?  Um, okay.  So why would he just dump him on the side of the road, when Davis could lead the authorities right back to him?  Why not pay someone off, and bury him in the foster care system?

28)  Davis is Sageeth?  Oh, hell no.  Lex is Sageeth.  According to the legend, Sageeth is like a brother to Naman, but later turns against him, and together they form the balance between good and evil in the world.  That’s not Davis.  And do you even remember the Starblade, show?  I’m not buying it.

29)  Tess:  “Why else would Lionel Luthor arrange an adoption for a boy who seemed to come out of nowhere?”  Last time I checked, so he could blackmail Jonathan into helping him get the creamed corn factory.

30)  Tess:  “Looks like you’re the reason Davis was abandoned in the first place.”  Oh, bite me.

31)  Davis:  “That guy, that I killed, he was a drunk driver, he was a three-time offender.”  Okay, you get a pass on that one, then.  It’s not murder if he deserved it.  [/sarcasm]

32)  Chloe:  “You lied to me!”  Because that’s way worse than the killing part.

33)  Why doesn’t the proximity of the gigantic tank of kryptonite have any effect on Davis?  Or Clark, for that matter?

34)  So Davis was dooming out even as a child?  Yikes.  Was that a repressed memory?

35)  You know the part where Chloe sank to her knees next to the containment unit, weeping, and reached out in anguish to meet Davis’s hand, palm to palm, for one last, tender touch through the glass before he slipped away?  I felt NOTHING.  Yeah, evidently I’m dead inside.

36)  Chloe:  “I won’t risk the safety of the world because of your code of ethics.”  So it’s not about Clark, it’s about the world?  I don’t have a problem with that, but I think it’s new.

37)  Why did Clark throw those cave pictures into the fire?  Didn’t they belong to Chloe?

38)  Clark:  “When I was a kid I used to have this nightmare. My ship landed in a field and no one ever found me.”  Except that Clark didn’t know about the ship until he was in high school.

39)  Chloe:  “That nightmare was Davis’s life.”  Oh, boo hoo.  He’s a freaking monster, Chloe!  Do you even remember your wedding day?

40)  Clark:  “I can’t imagine what it must have felt like knowing that, no matter how you lived your life, you were doomed.”  I don’t think Davis knew that.  Based on what we saw earlier this season, Davis didn’t know who or what he was until Faora showed up.  Although I suppose Clark doesn’t know that.

41)  Tess:  “Yeah, but betrayal.  You know, the more you love someone, the harder it is.”  Is she talking about how much Lex loved Clark?

42)  Clark:  “Are you threatening me?”  With what?  Where did that come from?  I’m so confused!

43)  Is the Talon still open for business?  Or is it just where Chloe lives, throws the occasional party, and stashes monsters in the basement?

44)  Oh, yay.  Another woman martyrs herself to protect Clark.  Promise redux.  Doesn’t Chloe remember how that worked out for everyone?  On the day of the wedding Chloe said to Clark, “She’s marrying a monster and trapping herself into a loveless life.”  Deja vu.

45)  Exactly what is the deal between Davis and Chloe?  Why does she keep the beast at bay?  I just don’t get it.  *sighs*  And please tell me “stay with me” is NOT a euphemism for sex.

46)  Is anyone else getting the feeling that Chloe is the new Lana?

Well, I feel better, how about you?  Thanks for letting me vent!  Now I’m off to write a happy Eternal review, celebrating everything I found to love in this episode.

tariel22 is back with her review of “Hex”. Click the jump to see her thoughts on Smallville’s magical “freaky Thursday”.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Hex was an interesting combination of pure fun and serious mythos, as a crazy magic spell made Chloe take a hard look at her life and her dreams, and come to a realization that I think holds great promise for the future of Smallville. We met a great new character, Zatanna, straight from the comics, were treated to some wonderful performances, welcomed back Lois and Oliver, and took a break from the gloom and doom that I’m sure is hurtling us toward a heartbreaking season finale. I loved it!

Chloe has pretty much had the year from hell this season. She was imprisoned for months, was possessed by Brainiac, had her memory wiped, had her wedding crashed by a monster, lost her husband, gained a stalker, and was almost killed several times over. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Add to that a birthday party where everyone you care about either doesn’t show up or bails partway through, and I don’t blame a girl for feeling a little down. I don’t think Chloe’s fleeting wish for Lois’s life was jealousy so much as it was wistfulness for the path she left behind, the path she was on the last time her life was truly happy. All the burdens of the present made the past look very inviting, but Chloe soon realized that life at the DP didn’t hold the appeal she once thought it did. A lot of Chloe’s time in Lois’s body was played very effectively for laughs, but the more important message was that while Lois’s life may be perfect for her, Chloe now yearns for something completely different. And although I know many people saw that as an inexplicable change, it made a lot of sense to me.

Chloe has been a reporter since day one on this show. In fact, as we saw in Progeny, she has been one pretty much forever. And reporting for her has always been equal parts writing and investigating. What we’ve always seen on the show is her passion for finding the truth. But now the biggest truths in her life are ones she can never disclose, so I don’t wonder that some of the thrill has gone out of reporting for her. All through S7, we almost never saw Chloe working on a story. All her time at the DP seemed to be spent working on something for Clark, or researching her meteor power. And then the Justice League found its way into the mix. Chloe’s special skill set of brainstorming, problem solving, and computer hacking seemed tailor made to help superheroes keep the world safe, and I’ve rarely seen her more excited than she was in Siren, after her little adventure with Oliver. So to see Chloe embrace the role of Watchtower as the next phase in her life not only made me cheer, it seemed like a logical next step for her.

I think Chloe has been kind of adrift for a while now. What she was doing at Isis was a noble effort, but as Chloe herself said, she wasn’t really qualified for the job, and I don’t think it has been all that fulfilling for her. Clark seems to need her less as a sidekick, as he becomes increasingly more independent and confident, and more as a friend. She needs something more, something that will challenge her. For a moment she thought that was reporting again, but as she saw firsthand what that life had to offer her, and contrasted it with the way she was able to inspire Clark to rediscover his inner hero, I think she realized she had a higher calling, one that was about something much more than helping just one man. And so the spell was broken. Chloe as Watchtower has limitless potential, especially for S9, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Chloe in Lois’s body was a riot. I laughed all the way through this episode, thanks to the scenes between Chloe and Clark. Erica Durance did a great job of capturing Chloe. Her expressions, mannerisms, and speech inflections were very evocative of Allison Mack’s Chloe, and there was a world of difference between the real Lois and the hexed one. I applaud her efforts in a very demanding role. And how completely awesome was Tom Welling? The man is just too funny! He has an amazing gift for comedy, and I wish we could see that side of him more often. The way Clark struck a heroic pose and manfully called 911 was hilarious, and the whole scene on the roof of the DP made me laugh so hard I could barely breathe. Everything about hexed Clark just screamed mild-mannered reporter, right down to his body language. He was adorable! I especially loved the incredulous way he asked Chloe if she had locked the door to the roof, and the way he threw up his hands to defend himself when she came toward him holding the pipe. hee! TW and ED were pure gold together, from start to finish.

What a contrast we saw when Clark’s spell was broken, and he made that glorious leap to stop Zatanna. He was a true hero then, and it touched my heart to hear him speak about Jonathan so passionately, and to share his pain to bring Zatanna back from the brink. I also liked the other side of Clark we saw earlier in the episode, when he was full of snark, showing us the tempestuous side of Lois and Clark’s working relationship. I guess there’s no question that our boy truly has grown up. Last week he tried to get Tess drunk, and this week he looked directly at Lois’s breasts and commented on them! Clark’s side of that initial conversation in the DP showed us how close he and Lois have become. It’s clear they talk often, and about subjects well beyond the scope of their jobs. And he immediately knew that something wasn’t quite right with her. These two are tight.

Of course so much with Clark is inferred on my part. I’ve seen countless signs since the beginning of the season that Clark has feelings for Lois that go far beyond friendship, but it’s all a matter of interpretation. Clark still hasn’t uttered a single definitive word on the subject. I know that others watch and see nothing but simple friendship in his eyes, or ambivalence, or even regret that he will inevitably hurt Lois because he doesn’t feel that way about her, and never will. I know what my fangirl heart believes, but who am I to say anyone who thinks differently is wrong? I understand why the show has hit the brakes so hard: we have an entire season of UST ahead of us now. I look forward to the flirty, snarky fun! And it even makes sense to me, given what happened with Lana. As I’ve said before, Clark needs time to process, and to heal. But the ambiguity continues to fan the flames of the shipper wars, and I hate to see this fandom torn apart.

I was so happy to see Lois find her inner strength and resilience after Infamous! She was having a blast at Chloe’s party, not sitting in a corner pining for Clark. You go, girl, that’s exactly the quality that captivates him, IMO. And I adored the way she teased him in their one scene together, reveling in the knowledge that he had saved and framed her rules. And how cute was Clark, with the big sigh of resignation and the self-conscious look around the bullpen before he handed them over? *draws hearts around them* I also liked that Lois made no secret of the fact that she was going on a date. I’m glad to see her moving on, even though it’s obvious she’s carrying a massive torch. Maybe next season will be Clark’s turn to chase her. I’d love to see that!

Chloe’s scenes bookended this episode, and Allison Mack positively sparkled in them. Chloe looked beautiful at her party, and my heart went out to her. Of course we all want our birthday to be special, and when it’s not, it makes you feel like you’re not special either. I would have been bummed, too. And Chloe’s reappearance as herself at the end of the episode reminded me anew of what AM brings to this role: a life and vibrancy that jump off the screen, and a talent that is nothing short of magical. I think Chloe’s Watchtower is going to rock!

I’m always happy to see Oliver join the party, but he still troubles me. Clearly murdering Lex haunts him, as it should, but I don’t know where the show is going with that. I adore Oliver, and I think he makes a fascinating counterpoint to Clark in the hero game, but is he still a good guy? I hope so. And BTW, I don’t count the way he talked to Chloe at her party among his sins. He doesn’t see Chloe as someone to protect and indulge, he sees her as a colleague, a strong and valuable member of his team, and I like that. The way he ruthlessly manipulated her in Requiem? Not so much.

Zatanna was fun. She wasn’t malicious, just driven to relieve the pain of her loss, and she was sympathetic to Chloe, wanting only to make her birthday wish come true. In the end she did the right thing, and I’d love to see her come back as a Justice League ally someday. Serinda Swan was beautiful and visually perfect for the part, and a good actress as well. Another example of fabulous casting by this show. It’s always been their greatest strength.

Random thoughts: I thought Clark’s gift to Chloe was especially thoughtful, a sweet reminder of their long and meaningful history together. What was with those flower barrettes? I haven’t seen Chloe wear anything like those in years. I like Oliver’s new office at LuthorCorp, especially the ginormous Queen family crest. Overcompensating much, Ollie? There’s something about a guy in a dress shirt with his top button unbuttoned, and his tie slightly loosened, that is all kinds of sexy. I don’t care what anyone says, that was flying! I loved Lois’s squeaky chair callback to Clark in Odyssey. And Tom is very, very pretty.

Hex was a great episode, and far from filler. I honestly think it was meant it to put the Chlois theory to rest once and for all, especially with Chloe’s assertion that “after spending a day at the Daily Planet, I realized that’s someone else’s life,” and Clark’s statement that “there’s only one Lois Lane.” And while I don’t think Clark ever really wanted to give up the superhero half of his life, the results of his passing wish to have nothing more complicated to worry about than his next deadline did serve to remind him that he is on the right path. It was nice to hear Clark articulate that, and reaffirm that this is the life he wants, especially when it seems certain he will face his greatest challenge ever in the episodes ahead. I appreciate his resolve, because I fear a reluctant hero would be ill-equipped to battle Doomsday.

tariel22 is back with her review of “Turbulence”. Click the jump to see her thoughts on the shaky ground of our characters.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

With Turbulence, S8 of Smallville is well on its way back to being my favorite season of all again. Clark was a joy to watch in this episode, and his scenes with Tess were absolutely captivating. The Doomsday storyline advanced in some intriguing ways, and Chloe’s ill-advised marriage to Jimmy Olsen just might be over. What’s not to like? To top it all off, we were treated to one of the best promos for future episodes in Smallville’s history. And the pretty was off the charts. I can’t wait to see the rest of this season’s episodes, and I’m getting pretty excited about S9, too.

Clark was making all my dreams come true this week. He embraced his powers, took charge of every situation, and played the hero throughout the episode. Once again he was my Superman. Did you you see the happiness he radiated in that first scene with Chloe? He was practically bursting with pride over his Red Blue Blur rescues, and he delighted in showing off his ability to change clothes in the blink of an eye. He was beyond adorable, and I just sat there drinking it all in, with the biggest, goofiest smile on my face. How long have we waited for Clark’s powers to bring him joy? Thank you, Smallville! There were so many great Clark moments in Turbulence. My inner fangirl swooned at the oh-so-iconic shot of our boy with his buttons undone and his tie loosened, pulling his crisp white shirt open to reveal that flash of royal blue beneath. Ditto for the scene at the Daily Planet where he blurs into the phone booth to change, emerges in all his red and blue glory, and then speeds off as the camera shoots him from below, his determined face and broad shoulders filling the frame. I also loved him on the plane as all hell broke loose, with the pilot gone and Tess unconscious, figuring out a plan of action and then making it happen. And who else thrilled at the sight of Clark bursting through those double doors at the mansion, just like old times?

I reveled in every scene he shared with Tess, as they did their fascinating dance around what remains unspoken between them, each not quite ready to put their cards on the table. This is the way to keep Lex alive in the story, by making him the common ground between Clark and Tess, not by giving us the lame Fake!Lex we saw during the Lana arc. I especially liked how Clark defended Lex, and said their friendship was real. Tess obviously learned from the master, and her pursuit of the truth about Clark was very reminiscent of Lex’s before her: reach out to him in genuine friendship, open up to him about the secrets you share with no other, hoping he’ll do the same, and set up a test to give you proof of the suspicions you already accept as fact. But Tess added another layer that was all her own. She fangirled Clark like nobody’s business, flirting, making double entendres, and batting her impossibly big eyes at him. And she was surprisingly direct, imploring him point blank to spill for her. She also put herself right in the middle of the manufactured crisis, instead of observing from a safe distance the way Lex always did. Where Lex was cool and calculating, Tess is hot and unpredictable, but they’re both intelligent, manipulative, and dangerous. Tess is no replacement for Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex, but as the next best thing, she’s not half bad.

The banter between Clark and Tess is different from what we’ve seen before. It’s not snarky and flirtatious, like with Lois, or friendly and cute, like with Chloe. It’s serious, and smart, and fraught with sexual tension that, like the Clex, will probably never be acted upon, but still adds an intriguing facet to the relationship. Clark, as always, wants to believe the best of Tess, but he is suitably wary of what she may already know, and what she is still trying to find out. I like the way he holds his ground with her, an adult in every way, quietly confident and for the most part unshakable. Clark still can’t tell a decent lie (and I love that about him), but he’s a lot more smooth with Tess than he ever was with Lex. Our sweet farmboy has grown up. He did a pretty good job of hiding his shock at the news that Lex left a journal behind, although his attempts at nonchalantly grilling Tess about the contents were a bit transparent. And I laughed out loud when he went for the booze as a way to get her to talk! Smart boy, I approve!

Tom Welling and Cassidy Freeman have fabulous chemistry, and they were both great in this episode. Their scenes together gave us intensity, emotional resonance, and humor. I remember when CF was first introduced at Comic-Con last summer, and the new showrunners went on and on about what an amazing actress she was. I had never heard of her, and I was still mourning Michael Rosenbaum’s departure, so I dug my heels in and vowed not to like her. But they were absolutely right, and with every episode she’s in, I become a bigger fan. Turbulence didn’t do Chloe any favors, I’m afraid. Since when did she become Clark’s naysayer? Maybe the writers were trying to show us how much Chloe cares about Clark. Or maybe they were giving Clark a chance to demonstrate his independence, and his commitment to his new life as the Red Blue Blur, by dismissing her concerns. Either way, I thought Chloe came off as a wet blanket who didn’t show a lot of confidence in Clark’s judgment. Even worse, though, was how she treated her husband. Jimmy told Chloe he witnessed Davis committing a murder. Chloe has seen Davis act inappropriately toward her, and display some pretty stalkerish tendencies, and yet she immediately believed him over the man she’s supposed to trust above all others. She didn’t even give Jimmy the benefit of the doubt. And then she rushed to apologize to Davis for Jimmy’s accusation, and found comfort in his arms just a few feet from where her husband was standing. What the hell? Later she tasered Jimmy into unconsciousness to protect Davis, when simply making her presence known would probably have been enough to stop him. I have to agree with Jimmy, Chloe doesn’t trust him. And I also have to echo Jimmy’s question: why did Chloe marry him?

I think we have to consider that Brainiac had a hand in Chloe accepting Jimmy’s proposal. First of all, he proposed for all the wrong reasons, because he was jealous, and insecure, and afraid, and he wanted her to prove to him that she loved him more than she loved Clark. Chloe knew they had unresolved issues, and that Clark’s secret stood between them. Did anyone really think she should have said yes? But it served Brainiac’s purposes quite well, ultimately inciting Doomsday to fully emerge when Chloe’s wedding day threatened to put her forever out of Davis’s reach. Chloe has made a valiant effort to see this marriage through, but I think it’s time to admit it never should have happened in the first place. What Jimmy said to Chloe before he stormed out of the hospital was awful, but it also held a lot of truth, and I really can’t blame him for lashing out. In his place, I would see Chloe’s actions as nothing short of betrayal.

Aaron Ashmore’s performance in this episode was the best I’ve ever seen from him. I’m a much bigger fan of Jimmy the way he was in Identity, intrepid reporter wannabe with a side order of comic relief, but I give AA props for making desperate, confused, angry Jimmy completely believable. Allison Mack was also great. I may not have liked the way Chloe was acting, but AM sold every nuance of her anguish over Jimmy and her compassion for Davis. Which brings us to Sam Witwer, and his incredible portrayal of Davis Bloome. I don’t know how Smallville manages to attract the caliber of actors they consistently bring us, but I’m so thankful they do. Like Michael Rosenbaum and John Glover before him, SW has crafted a villain of great complexity. The monster he showed us this week, the one who has taken over Davis on the inside and now looks out at us through his eyes, was infinitely more frightening than that rubber suit they call Doomsday. Davis was the anti-Clark in Turbulence. As the RBB patrolled the streets of Metropolis saving lives, Davis made his own sinister rounds, taking them. Yes, he was only killing the “bad” guys, and yes, he was doing so to keep the monster at bay, but those were only rationalizations for his insupportable actions. He has crossed a line from which he can never return.

While Clark struggled to tell a convincing lie, Davis was the master, deflecting the suspicion cast on him by throwing it back on Jimmy, undermining both Jimmy’s credibility and his character with his insinuations. When Jimmy scoffed at him, Davis became condescending and dismissive, and utterly convincing. I was infuriated on Jimmy’s behalf, and truly scared of what havoc Davis would wreak next. He went to church at the beginning of the episode, ostensibly to confess his sins. But as he poured out his story to the priest, and we saw in his mind’s eye how his words subtly but fundamentally differed from his actions, I realized he sought not penance, but validation, and justification to carry on. He lies to everyone, including himself. And God.

Davis ended the episode in the rain, staring intently up at Chloe’s window. What exactly is her connection to him? She is Brainiac free, and yet he is still drawn to her. Chloiac said he had no free will, so who controls his destiny now? And why does Chloe’s mere touch have the power to soothe the savage beast he holds within? When Chloe chose not to tell Clark about her troubles with Jimmy, was it because she was embarrassed, or was it an attempt to shield Davis from Clark’s scrutiny? I hope we’ll find the answers to these questions in the episodes ahead. The Doomsday story isn’t playing out the way I expected it to, and I’m glad. I’m more interested in it than I’ve been all season, and now that Jimmy has put Tess in the loop, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Random thoughts: I liked that Clark went to see Jimmy at the hospital. I wish we could see more of a friendship between them. Did Clark change clothes between the farm and the DP, or was that supposed to be a different day? Tess’s new straight hair style looks good. Jimmy had a bouquet of yellow roses in his hospital room. Did you know that traditionally they symbolize jealousy? Was Tess’s question about the weather in L.A. her prearranged signal for the captain to ditch the plane? If the prop people aren’t going to do a better job of writing the articles we see, then stop giving us close-ups of them. The one about the plane crash was the worst one yet. And when Tess said she and Oliver share all of their toys, did that include Clark? *snerk*

In terms of time, Clark’s story seemed almost secondary in Turbulence, but it was far more compelling and entertaining to me than the Davis/Chloe/Jimmy triangle. Clark and Tess together are made of win, and I hope we see more of their verbal sparring in future episodes. The Doomsday stuff brought some chilling developments, and one welcome one. Let’s hope the Chimmy breakup sticks this time. Thanks to that amazing promo, I’m counting the days to the next episode, and I have high hopes for the rest of S8. Smallville owns me again, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

tariel22 is back with her review of the “Infamous”. Click the jump to see her thoughts on this alternate Smallville-verse.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Smallville, my love, THIS is why you are my show. With Infamous you gave us a story that was all about Clark, as he struggled with another issue that is critical to his journey to become Supes: his need for a secret identity. In the best episode I’ve seen since Bride, you showed us a Clark who is truly his own man now, making his own decisions and dealing with the consequences of them. You brought us a little joy, a little heartache, a little action, and more proof of the superhero our boy will soon be. In addition, you advanced the Doomsday story arc, and gave us new insight into the relationship between Clark and Lois. You even included impressive levels of continuity, and great callbacks to previous episodes! But what surprised me the most was the way you integrated the events of the Lana arc. I was afraid it would be as if those episodes had never happened, but instead we saw a Clark who was believably shell-shocked and wary, mindful not only of the hurt he suffered, but that for which he feels responsible. He’s moving on, but not too fast, and for that I love you, show. Yeah, it’s official, guys. Smallville and I have kissed and made up.

Clark took an important step in Infamous. He has always wanted to be accepted, but in the past he tried to seem normal to fit in, hiding and denying his special abilities. Over the course of this season, we’ve seen him begin to embrace who he truly is and what he has to offer, and this week he was ready to face the world as himself, with no more secrets or lies. Linda Lake may have forced Clark’s hand, but he made his decision on his own, with both hope and relief. I loved that Clark wanted to believe the best about the human race, that we would welcome him, stranger in a strange land, with open arms. I never want him to stop believing in us that way. Chloe sensibly tried to dissuade him. Chloe’s a realist, and after what she’s been through lately, I wouldn’t blame her if she became a cynic as well. But I was glad Clark didn’t heed her advice, even if things did turn out badly on the original timeline. I liked seeing Clark be independent and proactive, and I enjoyed watching how he met each new challenge as things went crazy after Lois’s article hit the stands.

How wonderful was it to see the joy on Clark’s face as Metropolis showered him with love? Fleeting though it may have been, he’ll always have that memory, and I suspect it will sustain him for a long time to come. And as things started to unravel in the face of Linda Lake’s lies, I was so proud of Clark for trying to calmly reason with the authorities, instead of running away. When they attacked him, he stood tall and strong, deflecting their bullets but never giving in to anger or frustration. Even when it became clear that everything was spinning out of control, Clark still wouldn’t consider Chloe’s suggestion of a time reset at first, not for the sake of his friends or himself. Only when he realized he would no longer be able to help the world did he choose that drastic solution. And after it was done, he destroyed the ring, unwilling ever again to risk the dangers of controlling time.

Infamous also marked the return of Lois Lane to Smallville, and boy, was I happy to see her! I love the dynamic Lois brings to this show. She blew into town hurt and angry, and rightly so. First Clark walked away from her on the dance floor at Chloe’s wedding, then he basically had no contact with her the whole month she was gone, and finally he forgot to pick her up at the airport. I was glad to see Lois give him a hard time. It was clear to me that Clark truly regretted hurting her, and that having her back made him start to fall for her all over again. Did you see his happy smile the second time around, as Lois dished out the snark instead of her fury? And he made sure to pick her up on time, too, because while he may not be able to tell her his secret, there are other ways he can show her she’s special. Clark’s regard for Lois was evident in every scene they shared.

The big reveal was delightful. I loved every moment of how Lois reacted. Her initial disbelief, with that wonderful laugh, was perfect, and it made her speechless shock when Clark demonstrated his powers that much sweeter. I liked that her reaction to the truth of his secret was the same in Infamous as it was in Blank, showing us that Lois has always been ready to accept Clark just the way he is. And I loved how her emphasis was totally on what Clark brings to the party (”what guns you got in your arsenal?”), rather than how different he is. What I liked best of all, though, was her belief that the public would embrace Clark’s news with the same joy she did. Clark was right; there was no better reporter to tell his story. And speaking of Clark, he was adorable. He was gentle with Lois as he dropped his bombshell, and a little bit vulnerable, but also a little bit proud. His obvious affection for her made the moment intimate, especially when he stepped close and looked deep in her eyes as he asked her to do him the honor of introducing him to the world, evoking a proposal of a different kind altogether.

The second big scene between Lois and Clark came when he rescued her from the DP and whooshed her off to his barn. I loved Lois’s passion as she implored Clark to stay and fight, believing that, given the chance, the whole world couldn’t help but see him the way she did. And when he said it was too late, and she realized what she was about to lose, she broke my heart. She all but declared her love for Clark, telling him her feelings for him were different from those she once had for Oliver, which I took to mean that with Clark she wouldn’t feel left behind or second best; with him anything would be possible. Clark couldn’t face the enormity of what she was saying, not then, but he respected her enough to admit he wouldn’t tell her his secret after he reset time. It was because he cared too much, but Lois thought it was because he didn’t care enough, and I had tears in my eyes as Clark said he had to go.

So let’s take a moment to consider what Clark is going through. Chloe found out his secret years ago, and since that moment has stood by his side, fighting the good fight. Her life has been in danger countless times, up to and including this very episode. Clark told Lana his secret the first time and she died. He told her the second time, and between Bizarro, Brainiac, and Lex, her life was torn asunder, and then she was ripped from Clark’s arms forever. Clearly, from Clark’s POV, revealing his secret to women he cares about is BAD.

Clark told Lois his secret, and within a day she was being hunted down by trigger-happy government goons. In addition, she fell even deeper in love with him. The danger to her is twofold. And Clark himself is at risk, too. I think he’s beginning to realize she might be the love of his life, and he’s just not ready to face that yet. He was nothing short of destroyed by what happened with Lana in Requiem, and he can’t possibly be over her yet. He knows that Lois loves him, by her own admission, by her actions, and from Chloe. He knows he has the power to hurt her, from what she said when he didn’t pick her up. He knows he has feelings for her as well, but he’s not sure what those feelings are. He can’t commit to Lois right now, but he doesn’t want to close the door either. So all he can do is put on the brakes, and get some distance while he lets his heart heal, and works things out in his head. Which brings us to Lois and Clark after the reset. I admire Lois for being so straightforward about what almost happened at the wedding, and suggesting they get together to talk about it.

Although she was gone for a month, I’m assuming she heard about Clark and Lana getting back together and breaking up again. Lois is no stranger to heartache, and has been among the walking wounded often enough herself to know how hard it is to move on, so she gave Clark an easy out, all the while hoping he wouldn’t take it. And he almost didn’t. He showed up, all dressed up just for her, but bailed at the last second, looking totally anguished about it, when he saw her from across the street. He just couldn’t be the man she needed right then, and having The Talk at that moment might have meant ruining their chances forever, and hurting her to boot. So he retreated, better safe than sorry. Smart move, show. I’ll be perfectly happy if you do no more than hint at a romance between these two for the rest of the season. And if you do intend to get them together eventually, I’m going to need to hear Clark articulate all the reasons he and Lana never would have worked out, kryptonite or no kryptonite.

Actually, most of my impressions about where Clark and Lois stood with one another came from the actors rather than the script, which was rather vague on the subject. Tom Welling turned in another wonderfully nuanced performance in Infamous. His Clark was in complete command of himself, facing each new challenge with self-assurance, never backing down or losing control. More and more I see Superman in him. But where he truly touched me this week was in showing us Clark’s emotions, from the hope in his eyes as he told Chloe that maybe the public was ready to accept him, to his shy but radiant happiness when people cheered him on the street, to his wistfulness when things didn’t work out. In the scenes between Clark and Lois, Tom portrayed tenderness, affection, respect, and concern, and left me convinced that this relationship grows ever more important to our hero. Erica Durance was equally memorable.

Lois went through a lot in this episode, and we felt every moment of it with her, because of Erica’s performance. She added so much to the scene where Clark told Lois his secret, showing us a reporter who was desperately trying to maintain her professionalism, but who couldn’t help but react with wide-eyed wonder at each new revelation. I especially liked the bit with the x-ray vision, that gave us a little of that Lois and Clark humor I’ve missed so much. In the barn scene, with dialogue that was confusing at best, the one thing we knew with absolute certainty was how much Lois loved Clark, and how vulnerable that made her. And in the final scene, as the perfect song played, we saw Lois’s heart break, and her protective walls go up, right before our eyes. *sniffles* Welcome back, Erica!

Chloe was awesome in Infamous, and Allison Mack’s acting was fantastic, as always. It just amazes me how she makes it look so effortless. I liked that Chloe genuinely cared for Davis, and yet never wavered in her loyalty to either Jimmy or Clark. When Davis said friendship would never be enough for him from her, she simply walked away. When she found out the government was after her to find out all of Clark’s secrets, did she run? Only as far as Isis, where she spent her time shredding anything to do with Clark. When Davis found her there, and she realized he was in fact Doomsday, she recoiled in horror and ran, as much to warn Clark as to save herself. But not before delivering her impassioned imperative: “You stay away from him!” Clark really couldn’t wish for a better friend. Do you think Doomsday killed her after he tore the door off her car, or is she the Beauty who can tame the Beast? I do have to say that I think having Chloe pimp the whole secret identity thing to Clark again was unnecessary. First of all, Clark has known all about secret identities ever since he met Oliver two years ago. He even knows what it’s like to don the costume, since he pretended to be Green Arrow to fool Lois.

Second of all, they already had that conversation, in Identity. And finally, Clark’s not that dumb. He gets it. He wanted to be able to be himself, completely, but he realizes that’s not possible now. The secret identity and a costume to go with it are the logical next step. Let him get there on his own for once. Davis was finally interesting in this episode. Less woobie and more monster worked great for me, and the intensity of Sam Witwer’s acting was riveting to watch. The scene with Chloe at Isis was chilling, and his confrontation with Linda Lake was even better. So Davis killed without fully transforming, and without any memory loss. Is that a first for him? Was it in fact the murder itself that kept the monster at bay? Fascinating stuff. And best of all was watching Davis toss the pills in the garbage at the end. Clark embraced his inner hero this week, and it looks like Davis just embraced his inner beast. Game on!

I welcomed the return of Tori Spelling as Linda Lake. Yes, the character was completely over-the-top, with ridiculous dialogue and mustache-twirling villainy, but she was also a hoot, and Tori played her brilliantly, giving her the same unbridled arrogance we saw in Hydro. Who else would have the audacity to taunt Doomsday while handcuffed helplessly to a hospital bed? I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Besides, anyone who can deliver their lines coherently while standing opposite the perfect beauty that is Tom Welling in the rain is an accomplished actor in my book. There was a lot going on in this episode, and I appreciated that the show concentrated on just four regular characters this week, rather than trying to find a way to fit everyone in. Even so, some things seemed rushed and rather abrupt, like the way the public turned on Clark instantly and unanimously after hearing Linda Lake’s accusations. But given that an episode is just 42 minutes long these days, I’m willing to let it go, the same way I’m willing to accept that everything in Metropolis happens on that one little city block. I’m still impressed with what Smallville manages to give us, week after week, given the constraints of their budget.

Random thoughts: Someone seriously needs to reorganize that supply room at the DP. Who keeps their copy paper on the highest shelf they can find? Chloe goes through cars the way the Kents used to go through pickup trucks. Those baying bloodhounds in the woods with Clark and Chloe made me laugh. Did anyone else notice that Linda Lake was wearing her trademark black and white houndstooth from Hydro, albeit in a much smaller check this time? Couldn’t Clark stick around for one more second to hear that Davis is Doomsday? And Clark talked to Martha!! Yay!! I never thought it would be possible after the travesty that was the Lana arc, but Smallville is totally back on track as far as I’m concerned. Clark’s my hero, Lois is back, Chloe is herself again, and I’m actually interested in what happens next with Doomsday. I don’t know what’s up with Oliver, but I can’t wait to find out, and I even miss Jimmy. And next week we have a showdown between Clark and Tess! I am so in! Welcome back, show. It’s so very nice to see you again.

tariel22 is back with her review of the “Requiem”. Click the jump to see her final thoughts on our personally dubbed “Clana Trilogy” as it comes to a close.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

I haven’t read a lot of Superman comics, but I’ve heard there have been all kinds of different universes in them over the years, with a variety of stories, characters, and timelines. For instance, I know that in some comic books Jonathan Kent dies before Clark ever becomes Superman, and in others he’s still alive long after Clark dons the cape and takes to the skies. In some versions Lois knows Clark’s secret, and in others she doesn’t. So there isn’t much that is written in stone when it comes to Supes. And what little there is that other writers hold sacred, the people who make Smallville find easy to ignore. Because in the AU that is this show, Clark’s one true love isn’t destined to be Lois Lane. No, our Clark’s heart will always belong to Lana Lang. I just can’t believe it took me this long to understand that.

I have outlined my problems with the Clana relationship before, and I won’t bore you with that litany again here. Seeing Clark continue to choose Lana makes me sad and angry, but that’s just my own personal opinion. What I really don’t understand is the need to give our hero a life steeped in sorrow and setbacks. If the showrunners truly believe that Clark and Lana’s love is timeless, then find a way for them to be together! [Not really, I'm just making a point here.] I’m so tired of seeing my Clark burdened by angst. Superman is a creature of sunlight, not shadow; Batman is the dark figure. Superman is supposed to give us hope and inspire us. How can Clark ever become that man if his heart is destined to be forever broken? Can’t the boy ever have more than a fleeting moment of joy?

Once again this week Clark looked more like Lana’s sidekick than the star of the show. When he wanted to chase sunsets, she reminded him that there was work to be done. He stood by helplessly as she uncovered the remnants of the LuthorCorp bomb, and as she dispatched the kryptonite bomb on the roof of the Daily Planet. Fake!Lex gave them two choices of how to deal with the bomb; I would much rather Clark had done what Superman undoubtedly would: found a third solution, that required neither the loss of human life nor Lana’s martyrdom. And then Clark was ready to murder Lex, until Lana talked him out of it. I think their roles should have been reversed in that conversation, especially in light of what Clark said earlier in the episode. Just who is the hero of this story again?

I thought the Super!Sex was icky (and yes, I got the symbolism of the broken oak bed, I’m not impressed), and my cold stone of a heart was completely unmoved by all the schmoopy declarations of love throughout the episode, as well as the heartbroken, tearful goodbyes in the loft, so I’ll leave it to someone else to wax poetic over the acting in those scenes. But even I have to accept that these two will love each other for all eternity. I’m not sure where Clark is supposed to go from here, but if he shows even a hint of romantic feelings for Lois on the heels of what went down this week, he’s going to look like a colossal jerk.

Clark did have his moments in Requiem. I loved his scene with Chloe on Oliver’s plane, where he was adamant about not killing anyone, refused to get dragged into a vendetta against Lex, and vowed to move forward and not live in the past. My heart soared as I watched, and I was so proud of Clark in that moment! Too bad he negated the whole thing by charging off to kill Lex for his part in the Clana breakup, and showing us he will always live in the past when it comes to Lana. It was cool to watch him use his super hearing to locate the bomb, and I was glad he didn’t hesitate to choose the safety of others over his own happiness when he told Lana she had to defuse it. And I loved that he grieved for Lex, and gave him the same moment of respect he showed for Jonathan and Lionel when he scattered a handful of dust over his figurative grave. I applaud Tom Welling’s acting throughout the episode, even in the scenes that made me want to spork out my eyes. Given the opportunity, he always embodies the hero for me. *still loves Tom*

Fake!Lex was an abomination. I get that they wanted to involve the three characters who were the core of this show at the beginning in Lana’s tragic exit, but it was so not worth disrespecting Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex to do so. And I don’t believe for a moment that Lex is really dead; I’m sure that like Lana before him, he planted a clone to fool everyone, which means we could be subjected to this horror again in the future. Show, please, just don’t, okay?

I do find some small sliver of solace in the fact that Lana was the author of her own destruction. She voluntarily chose to steal Lex’s power suit and change her life irrevocably by putting it on. Heedless of any risk or consequence, and without consulting the man with whom she intended to share the rest of her life, she decided to alter the very fiber of her being and remake herself into a superhero. I still have a problem with Clark being okay with that, but whatever. Certainly Lex played his part in what happened to Lana, but the bigger burden of responsibility rests squarely on Lana herself. To me that says she placed personal power and glory above everything else, and for that hubris she received her just reward. I just feel bad that Clark got caught in the crossfire.

I’m not sure how I feel about Chloe in this episode. I loved seeing her scoobying again, with both Clark and Oliver, and Allison Mack was awesome in every scene, but are we headed for Dark!Chloe, even without Brainiac’s influence? I like Chloe best when she’s working side by side with Clark. The last thing I want to see is more walls coming up between them. I’m glad they’re revisiting what happened with Sebastian Kane, because I’m sure that traumatized Chloe, but I’m nervous, too. And what about Jimmy? Are we supposed to believe that Lois still sits by his bedside, or has he been abandoned to the loving care of the hospital staff? Either way, it makes Chloe look bad. Couldn’t they have spared one line of dialogue to explain?

And then there’s Oliver. What the hell is up with him? I thought he was supposed to be one of the good guys! I’ve been fanwanking his questionable actions all season long, but I guess he truly is taking a darker path this time around. Doesn’t this show have enough villains already? Tess, Doomsday, Brainiac, and Fake!Lex, plus various guest baddies, aren’t enough? And what about the Oliver who had such a problem with the vigilante activities of the rogue cops in Bulletproof? Hypocritical much, Ollie? Although I have to give Justin Hartley props for selling it. Whether Oliver was commandeering the LuthorCorp Board of Directors’ meeting, flirting with his nurse, outwitting Winslow Schott, ruthlessly manipulating Chloe, or chillingly contemplating Lex’s kryptonite ring, I found him to be both believable and captivating. I’m actually intrigued to see where they’re going with this.

I have to make special mention of Justin Hartley’s magnificent bare chest. I don’t know which hospital administrator instituted the “no gowns for hotties” rule at Metropolis General, but give that person a bonus, stat! I swear I didn’t hear a word of the dialogue in those hospital scenes the first time through, because I was mesmerized by the sight of Justin’s perfectly chiseled pecs. Add in the handcuffs, and I wasn’t even thinking about Requiem anymore! I know I’ve poked fun at the abundance of Oliver’s shirtless scenes on this show before, but I’ve never been happier to see the warm expanse of his glowing skin than I was this week. The man is gorgeous, and he provided me with a welcome distraction from the tortures to be found elsewhere in the episode. He also looked positively dreamy dressed, in the suit and tie at the beginning.

I liked Chris Gauthier as Winslow Schott, Smallville’s version of the Toyman. He hit just the right note of creepiness combined with banked rage in his performance, and portrayed Schott’s obvious delight in his toys perfectly as well. Oliver said he fired Schott six years ago, and five years ago Gauthier played a nameless LuthorCorp tech guy in Delete. Did we witness the Toyman in the making all those seasons ago? The continuity totally works. Well done, show. Gauthier is one of those actors you’ve enjoyed in small parts on many different shows. I’ll always love him best as Ronald Reznick on Supernatural.

Random thoughts: Why does the Super!Sex always have to be so violent? Did Lana find her necklace by snooping through Clark’s drawers? Some things never change. Chloe said that Lex declared war on Clark years ago, and that he’s a monster now. Huh? What show is she watching? And a shameless plug: watching Smallville in HD on iTunes, with no CW logo marring Tom’s pretty face, is GLORIOUS.

I always say I’m not a shipper, but perhaps I’ve been deluding myself. Because while I don’t root for a romance for my beloved Clark on Smallville (and I truly don’t, although I’ve enjoyed the flirtation between Clark and Lois this season), I loved Lois Lane long before this show ever hit the airwaves, and I do ship Superman and iconic Lois Lane in the future. I don’t see that as a possibility for Smallville’s Clark now, and that makes me heartsick. I even shed a few tears for their lost love as I watched Requiem. But the show doesn’t belong to me, and it’s not my story to tell. I don’t find the Clana love believable or compelling, but love by definition often defies logic or explanation. It is what it is. I guess it’s my turn to accept and move on, just as Chloe fans had to accept that she would leave journalism and the Daily Planet behind without a fight, Lois fans had to accept that she would sleep with her boss, and Lex fans had to accept that he would be completely emasculated by his love for Lana. I’m not bitter that the show didn’t go the way I had hoped it would, but I won’t say it doesn’t hurt. I’m not sorry we have another hiatus right now; I think Smallville and I need to take a little break.

tariel22 is back with her review of the thirteenth episode of the season,”Power”. Click the jump to see her continuing thoughts on the SHoE dubbed “Clana Trilogy”.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

I’m going to give Power a rational review if it kills me. I may be sick to death of the Clana, and fed up to the eyeballs with the awesomeness that is Lana Lang, but you cannot write off my utter dismay with this episode to a personal bias. The story presented to us this week was fundamentally flawed, and it was served up with a generous side order of WTF. Our star and hero was relegated to sidekick status, and he reverted to behavior I thought he had finally left behind. I did find moments to love in Power, but overall I was left disappointed and a little depressed.

So let me get this straight. Lana wakes up from three months in a coma, during which she has spent every moment in indescribable, unbearable pain, only to be forced at gunpoint to make a goodbye video for Clark, and then be thrown into a van to be taken to God knows where. In that moment she’s had enough, and decides she’s done being the eternal victim. She overpowers her kidnappers, dumps them in the street, takes their van, and races off into the night. Okay, I can actually buy that concept. But how it played out was kind of ridonkulous.

When John Jones is shot by one his fellow cops, Clark must go undercover to find out who’s killing off Metropolis’ finest.

tariel22 is back with her review of the twelfth episode of the season,”Bulletproof”. Click the jump to see what she thought of Joe Fordman, Danny Turpin, and *gasp* Clana!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Smallville, my love, we need to talk. You know how much I love S8. It’s been my favorite season ever so far. And you know I love my boy Clark. Week after week, I’m in your corner. Usually I’m your biggest cheerleader. Other people marvel at the way I adore you. But after watching Bulletproof, I have to ask: what in the world are you thinking?

Fair warning, guys: full blown rant ahead. I hate the Clana. HATE it. I loved it once, rooted for it, even swooned over it. But it’s a relationship Clark should have left behind in high school, and every time it rears its ugly head, my hero makes me cringe. First of all, Clark is destined to be Superman, and Superman is destined to love Lois Lane. She is the love of his life, not Lana Lang. Smallville has already raised Lana’s importance in Clark’s life far beyond where it should be, and to resurrect their romance now, AGAIN, just makes me want to scream. Or cry. I don’t care if Clark and Lois get together on Smallville, but someday, somewhere, they are going to share a love for the ages, the kind of love that makes them both better, the kind of love Superman needs to fully become the hero for whom the world so desperately waits. But how am I supposed to believe in that when Clark is still nurturing an obsession which, to hear him tell it, he’s had since kindergarten? Show, if you make the legendary Lois Lane look like Clark Kent’s second choice, I will never forgive you.

Second of all, I have a problem with Clark still loving Lana anyway. She has done things that should be a deal breaker for the future Man of Steel. Even if you believe (I don’t) she was driven to her actions by Clark’s secrets and lies, or if you believe (I don’t) that the fault lies with Lex and his machinations, she’s still responsible for the choices she made. And I’m giving her a full pass for any occasion where she “wasn’t herself,” like when she stabbed Genevieve in the heart in Commencement, or when she tried to kill Lex in Wrath. I’m talking about how she has had her own share of secrets and lies, how she was going to leave Lex trapped underground to die in Nemesis, how she stole $10 million from Lex and created the Isis Foundation as a front to spy on him, and how she kidnapped and abused Lionel Luthor. And that’s just for starters. Of course I expect Clark to have compassion for Lana, but I don’t expect him to think someone who has shown such ethical ambiguity is the person with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life, not when he is supposed to be the moral compass for the rest of us. No, show. Just no.

Third of all, I don’t like what the Clana does to Clark. I never thought I’d see the day when my superhero would beg another man’s pregnant (or so he and she both thought at the time) wife to run off with him. Yeah, it was two years ago. I’m still not over it. The last scene in Bulletproof made my head hurt. Watching Clark try to convince Lana to give it one more try, while she selflessly reminded him the world needs him more, was depressing. And if Clark is going to realize there’s a woman out there with whom he can share his unique life, why have the subject of that epiphany be a woman we already know is leaving the show forever after two more episodes? At best, it makes Clark look confused, and like he doesn’t know his own heart. At worst, especially after Bride, it makes him look fickle and pathetic. And that was the unsexiest kiss I’ve ever seen.

Okay, I feel better now. That’s pretty much covers the big problem I had with Bulletproof. Now we can move on to my normal gushing review, where I either fanwank or forgive everything that bothers everyone else.

Click the jump to see what she thought of Smallville’s big return, and quite possibly, the biggest episode ever!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

Never before have I seen an episode of Smallville hyped as much as Legion was. From the moment the announcement was made at Comic-Con last summer that DC golden boy Geoff Johns would write an episode this season, fandom has been bouncing in anticipation. Along the way we’ve seen spoilers, interviews, episode stills, teasers, and clips, and everything reached a fever pitch over the hiatus, when it seemed that January 15th would never arrive. So, did Legion live up to the hype? Oh, baby, I believe that it did!

I read Superman comics as a kid, but I haven’t kept up, and at first I had no idea who Geoff Johns was, or why all the fanboys were flailing over the prospect of him bringing the Legion of Super-Heroes to Smallville. The Supes love that I have, and that brought me to this show, was born out of TV and film. But after listening to everyone wax rhapsodic over the man, I made it my mission to hunt down and read what the mighty Geoff Johns had written. And I fell in love. Because he is a great storyteller, but also because this guy’s Superman is the hero of my dreams. And along with the Legion, that’s what he brought to Smallville.

The story in Legion was deceptively simple: Clark has to stop Brainiac, hopefully without killing Chloe, and the Legionnaires stick around to help because of the Persuader’s damaging interference. But the episode itself was rich and complex, full of conflict and heroism, exploring concepts that lie at the heart of the Superman mythos, advancing Clark’s storyline within the series, and bringing in enough elements from the DCU to satisfy even the biggest comics geek. Plus it was just a rollicking good time, with action, special effects, and humor. I loved it!

The Legion members were wonderfully written and perfectly cast. Cosmic Boy was every inch the leader, strong and resolute. I’m already half in love with him. Saturn Girl displayed the understanding that comes with knowing everyone’s thoughts and feelings. She radiated empathy. And Lightning Lad was the ultimate fanboy, expressing the adoration the Supes fans among us all feel. He made me laugh. They were true to their comic book counterparts, right down to their costumes, executed with that special Smallville twist. From our first glimpse of them with that glorious shot of Rokk’s flight ring, to that last, loaded warning before they left, every moment was a thrill. You didn’t have to be a comics fan to fully appreciate the Legion, but if you were, there were lots of extra little details that made the episode even more fun.

With the Legion we were able to explore what destiny means: is it a path or a prison? And what is the difference between a legend and the man who inspires it? Garth was rocked to his core to discover a Clark who didn’t embody his idol Kal-El in every way. I think Clark, in turn, was both touched and intimidated by what his future evidently holds. This season we’ve seen him expand his heroics from mostly friends and family to anyone who needs his help, and from the confines of Smallville to the crowded streets of Metropolis. Now he’s told that’s just the beginning, that his influence will be felt across the universe. That’s heady stuff.

The Legion also brought up the question of history, and how it both illuminates and obscures. Can Clark trust their version of his story? I especially liked how the Legion members gave voice to some of the questions that have been plaguing fans for years. Why, exactly, hasn’t Clark learned how to fly? Why has Chloe’s name, and her importance in Clark’s life, been lost to the past, and what does that portend for her future? Does she die, and in so doing finally inspire Clark to take to the skies? Or does she take another name, one that perhaps they already know all too well? It was a relief just to hear the show acknowledge these questions, even if they did leave them all unanswered.

I can’t say I appreciated another hint at the Chlois theory, though, right on the heels of the Clois almost-kiss in Bride. In a fandom that sometimes seems to be dominated by its shipper wars, we don’t need any more fuel for that fire. Pick a ship and run with it, show, and stop trying to pander to all fan groups at once. Actually, as much as I’ve enjoyed the flirty, funny moments Clark and Lois have shared this season, one of the things I liked best about Legion was its complete lack of romantic entanglements. Give me a smart, heroic Clark, a compelling big bad, some superpowers, and a good story, and I’m a happy fangirl. Even the comic book stuff was just icing on the cake for me.

I loved the Clark that Geoff Johns gave us in Legion. He was my hero, showing great leadership and strength of character, absolute conviction in his beliefs, and the determination to think and act independently that has become his trademark in S8. He was, in a word, my Superman. I have enjoyed every step of Clark’s journey on Smallville, truly, but after seven seasons of watching, this Clark is exactly the man for whom I’ve been waiting, and I can’t even express how happy I am to see him emerge. And Tom Welling plays him perfectly, as if he’s been waiting his whole life to show us the man Clark is destined to become. My secret wish is to see Tom in a romantic comedy, not a Superman film, but I’ve never been more convinced he could pull off the suit and the cape on the big screen than I was when Legion ended.

I also loved Clark’s interaction with the Legionnaires. It was gratifying to see their open admiration of Clark, and how deeply that affected him. And I liked how the relationship between them developed, how it was broken and then forged anew as they learned to see Clark as a man instead of a legend, but to trust him all the same. The cute moments, like when Garth asked Clark where his cape was, or when Clark signed the baseball with his heat vision, were a delight to watch. But most of all I celebrated how Clark rose to this occasion, and passionately made it clear that he doesn’t kill, inspiring the Legion to make his personal code their own. He made me proud.

Allison Mack was amazing this week, as usual. Her Brainiac was chilling. Ruthless, relentless, and completely devoid of emotion, her total disregard for human life was unmistakable. The return of the real Chloe at the end of the episode was nothing short of a transformation. And I’m glad to have Clark’s unadulterated BFF back. Analyzing her every word and action, trying to discern what was Chloe and what was Brainiac, was beginning to make my head hurt. Her conversation with Clark before leaving for Star City cleared up a few things in that regard, thankfully. We now know that while Brainiac definitely influenced her during his possession, Chloe evidently decided to marry Jimmy of her own free will, and is anxious to be reunited with her new husband. In fact, the ambivalence her attraction to Davis seemed to indicate was all Brainiac’s doing. And Chloe has ALL her memories back. Good move, I approve, but it all seemed kind of anti-climatic to me. I guess I’m not sure why the show bothered to take her memories of Clark’s secret away in the first place, if they were going to give them back so easily. What purpose did it all serve? And is Clark ever going to tell Chloe what he did?

If I have fewer questions about Chloe, I’m left with even more about Davis. Brainiac said Davis isn’t human, and has no free will. Is that true? And if so, with Brainiac gone, who controls the beast? With his incubation interrupted, what state is Davis in, exactly? And if he’s nothing but a monster on the inside, am I supposed to be unmoved by his obvious anguish over what he’s become? Are we looking at a showdown between Clark and Doomsday to bring this season to a close? If so, how in the world are the writers supposed to craft a final story arc that can serve equally well to end the season or the series? I have a bad feeling about this.

Finally, I really struggled with my reaction to Lana this week. First off, I absolutely hated that she had to tell Clark that killing Chloe was not an option. I wanted to see him come to that conclusion on his own, not be scolded into it by Lana. Why does her presence always have to diminish Clark? I wasn’t thrilled about the extreme hero worship Imra had for her, either, but I can at least rationalize that as idealized fangirling of her legendary status in future history. I like Lana’s new maturity in S8, and the fact that they’re giving her an identity outside of being someone’s love interest. I applaud her faith in Clark, and her loyalty to Chloe. And I appreciate that her fans want to see a fitting farewell to a character they adore. But do they have to lay it on so thick? For all that’s different in S8, some things are very much the same.

Random thoughts: Lana’s hairstyle continues to be a disturbing distraction. Kristin Kreuk’s new ‘do looks fabulous, why not let Lana have it, too? At the end of Bride, Lana was in a hospital gown, in a bed at Metropolis General. And then she put her bloody dress back on and drove back to the farm? Clark is hot when he’s angry. And Tom was gorgeous in that white shirt. I’m sorry, but I had to laugh when Clark just ran away from the Legionnaires. It looked kind of silly. And it took me right back to him running away so hilariously from Lois in Crimson. Did you see the Torch article about Alicia in Chloe’s binder? Continuity FTW! What’s the status of the Fortress now? And I think Ryan Kennedy is almost as tall as Tom!

We were given a rare treat this week, a true crossover between Smallville and the DCU. The result was a blast, and it seems everyone involved enjoyed the collaboration. Way to think outside the box, show! I’d love to see you do it again sometime. Legion was a fun ride, and it was also a great way to wrap up the first half of the season. Brainiac is gone, Chloe’s back, Doomsday has been unleashed, and Clark is more aware than ever of the destiny that awaits him, and of his importance to the entire world. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Click the jump to see what she thought of the return of Kara Zor-El and a super-powered Lois Lane in Smallville.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give tariel22 feedback directly here!

In Bloodline we saw just how far Smallville has come in S8. This was a solid episode, where not a single moment drove me crazy, every scene had a purpose, and every actor had a chance to shine. The episode as a whole tied up one storyline, advanced others, gave us another big reveal, and was a joy to watch. PS3, I love you! And I’m not the only one enjoying the new and improved Smallville, because the ratings are up. The week this episode aired, Smallville was the number one show on the CW, with no need for that “scripted” qualifier. And in its eighth season, no less. I’m so proud of our show, guys! This week Kara finally came back to Smallville, Clark and Lois were trapped in the Phantom Zone, Chloe and Oliver teamed up to bring them back, Davis found out the shocking truth behind his mysterious blackouts, and Tess was everywhere. When Bloodline was over, we had new information to process and new questions to ponder. Who stole the crystal and then sent it to Clark? What did they hope to accomplish by sending him back to the PZ? What in the hell has Brainiac done to Chloe, who’s displaying way more than a little extra brain power now? What was Ollie up to in Venezuela? What does Tess know? Davis is the son of Zod?! What else about him changed when Faora killed him and made him indestructible? And what’s going to happen in the inevitable showdown between Davis and Clark? I’m on the edge of my seat, and I’m up for anything! I loved Clark in this episode. He was a man of action in the Phantom Zone, determined first to save Lois from a fate she was never meant to suffer, and then to bring Kara home. Stripped of his powers, Clark showed us once again that what truly makes him a hero is who he is inside, not what he can do. He used his strength and compassion to bring Lois back from the brink of hysteria, and to break through Kara’s hard shell of cynicism and despair. Refusing to give up on the only blood relative he has left, Clark’s love for his cousin finally brought her hope back to life, and in the end it was Clark’s heart, not his superpowers, that saved the day. Tom Welling was wonderful in the emotional scenes in the PZ, both with Lois and Kara, but most notably in the moment when Clark told Kara what she means to him. His performance made me realize what Clark keeps hidden from us all. Back on Earth, Clark was his usual awesome self, dealing with Faora, standing up to Tess with aplomb, talking hero-to-hero with Oliver, and bidding a wistful farewell to Kara. We even got a little bit of the Clark and Lois funny at the Daily Planet, where Tom gave us a couple of his priceless reaction shots, like when Lois told him Tess had given her a raise. This whole episode reminded me anew of how far Clark has come since we first met him all those seasons ago, and how very close he is to becoming our Superman. And Tom looked gorgeous, as always. We were treated to another lovely DP ensemble, and, surprisingly, I liked him even better in the traditional garb he wore in the PZ. The blinding glare of that desolate place somehow suited Tom, who looked prettier than ever, especially when he was showing off his incredible body by running and jumping and climbing all over the place, in jeans that actually kind of fit for once! I was happy to see Kara, and Laura Vandervoort, return to Smallville. I’ve missed her. LV and TW have always had incredible chemistry together, and this episode was no exception. There was a warmth between Kara and Clark that was truly special. LV perfectly portrayed a Kara made hard by the harshness of her prison, which made her return to her normal self once she escaped the PZ that much sweeter. I also liked Kara’s Mad Max look in the PZ. What a shocking transformation! I get why Kara’s not a regular anymore, and her leaving to search for Kandor is a good way to explain her departure on the show, but I wish they could bring her back again sometime. She and Clark make a good team. Lois went through a lot in Bloodline, and the episode was a showcase for how accomplished Erica Durance has become as an actress. Lois started out her normal, animated self, blowing into Clark’s kitchen like a mini hurricane, promising to turn his life upside down. Clark looked stunned, but I think he would have welcomed the change. I think that’s why he invited her in the first place, because his life is never boring when Lois is around, and I think he loves that about her. But then they were both transported to the Phantom Zone, and Lois understandably freaked. I loved how Clark’s top priority was finding a way to send Lois home, and then she refused to leave without him. The bond between these two grows stronger all the time. Kara finally had to shove her through the portal. Lois landed back on Earth and stood, dazed, for no more than a moment before her body was taken over by the phantom who had followed her, Faora. And this is where ED blew me away. She became a completely different person. Faora was quintessentially Kryptonian, and very cool. She was regal, ruthless, driven, and just a little bit creepy with Davis (oedipal much, show?). How funny was it that she took the time to clean up, put on makeup, and do her hair before she set out to find her son? And I wonder how Zod really felt about her, because back in S6 he was ready to repopulate the Earth with Lana, and he didn’t say anything about needing her to be a vessel for the old ball and chain back in the PZ. Lois’s final scene was with Clark at the DP, where she appeared completely back to normal. Lois is resilient, and it’s a strength that will serve her well as her life becomes further entwined with the future Man of Steel. It’s just one of the traits about her that charms me. She’s self-confident without being arrogant (I think it’s mostly bravado anyway), clueless without being dumb, and she makes me laugh. Like when she explained why she got her raise: “Because I’m me. Hell-o!” LOL! Something about ED’s line delivery there just cracks me up. But mostly I like Lois because I think she’s good for Clark. She challenges him, and shakes up his life, and keeps him from being too serious all the time. And I think she makes him feel human. Chloe entered brand new territory in this episode, tapping into a whole new level of power to command Clark’s crystal and bring him back from the PZ. She continues to change in subtle ways as her power grows, showing more dominance and less patience, but she’s still Chloe to the core, with all her love and compassion and loyalty. I have to wonder what’s going on in her head, especially after what happened last week. I think maybe she understands Davis’s torment all too well now. Allison Mack nails every scene she’s in, and I can’t wait to see what she does with Chloe as this infection continues! Oliver was great this week, too. He’s like the voice of reason when all these crazy things start happening; he says the things we’re all thinking. Clark and Chloe get so caught up in the current crisis, and sometimes they need someone who can take a step back and give them a different perspective. I had to laugh at his line about the Phantom Zone: “Seriously, who names these things?” All the same, he jumps in when he’s needed, and it was fun to see Green Arrow again, especially in a face-off with Tess. I also liked that Oliver stopped by the farm to express his concern for Chloe. Clark didn’t see what Oliver saw, and he needed to hear about it. Besides, I always love a scene between the boys. And what is on Oliver’s own agenda these days? Why is he looking at LuthorCorp’s files on the halfway house from Rage? Davis didn’t have a huge part this week, but Sam Witwer made the most of his moments, playing each emotion with great skill. I’m not sure why Davis chose such a dramatic test of his vulnerability following his return from the dead, or why he had to take his shirt off to do it, but it sure made for an exciting ending! And finally we have Tess, who keeps getting closer to Clark’s secret. I can’t quite figure her out, but I love to watch and ponder! Clearly she’s a cold-blooded killer, perhaps many times over, but what is her motivation? Misguided devotion to Lex? Mindless ambition? Or sociopathy? She’s manipulative and, no pun intended, merciless, like a cat with a mouse, and yet she continues to show flashes of vulnerability, and she truly seems to want to win Clark over to her side. She is an enigma, and one who fascinates me, thanks in large part to Cassidy Freeman. She’s still no Lex Luthor, but she’ll do in his unavoidable absence. Random thoughts: Clark buys a cereal called CocoMoco Crispies? Coconut, coffee, and chocolate? Yuck. Did you see the big bunch of drumsticks in the box Chloe brought in? Are those Lois’s concert souvenirs? It is absolutely ridiculous to expect us to believe that Tess didn’t recognize Oliver instantly in his Green Arrow costume, but then this is a Superman story, and all Clark’s going to have is a pair of glasses. :) I didn’t get why Faora taunted Clark about his parents never coming for him. Didn’t they die mere moments after they sent Baby Kal-El hurtling toward Earth? And I like Tess’s new assistant. He’s got attitude! I enjoyed this episode and everyone in it, and I think Smallville just keeps getting better. If we were on a stronger network, I’d be rooting for S9 by now, and that’s saying a lot, considering how badly I want to see Tom Welling on the big screen. I’m excited for what’s ahead, I’m dreading the hiatus that’s looming large, and I’m trying to savor each and every episode, because I’m pretty sure they’re the last we’ll ever see of our beloved show. Most series sink into mediocrity as the years go by, and very few even make it to an eighth season. How cool is it that Smallville is spending their S8 giving us some of the best episodes we’ve ever seen?

Click the jump to see what she thought of a very Superman foreshadowing episode of Clark embracing his destiny!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Angell feedback directly here!

Wheeee! I loved this episode! If Prey was about Clark discovering the struggles he will face as Superman, Identity was about him discovering the joys. And although he spent most of the episode worried about his secret being revealed, by the end he realized that perhaps he didn’t have as much to fear from that as he thought. It was another big step on the path to becoming Superman, the one where Clark first entertains the notion of trading his secret for a secret identity, and I thought our show handled it beautifully. My favorite moment of the whole episode was when Clark stood on the street next to Jimmy, and watched all the people around him look up at Oliver, who was pretending to be Clark. He saw the excitement on their faces, and finally understood how badly they need a hero to give them hope. And in that instant, maybe for the first time since he learned the truth of his origins, I think he no longer felt like a stranger in a strange land. He could see his place in this world, and a look of absolute peace came over his face, with just the hint of a smile. *sniffles* Do you know how long I’ve waited for my boy Clark to see even a glimmer of what I see every time I look at him? I can only hope he now realizes that his gifts are something to be celebrated, and that his presence on this Earth is the greatest gift of all. For most of the episode Clark was a bundle of nerves, scared to death his secret was about to be exposed, and desperate to prevent it. Since the time he was a little boy, his parents had always taught him that nothing was more important than keeping his abilities hidden from the world. Secrecy is practically his religion, the way it forms the core and framework of his life, and colors every decision he makes. And he has seen firsthand the terrible price those who know his secret can pay. As Jimmy relentlessly pursued the truth behind the red and blue blur, the situation rapidly spun out of control. Clark began to panic, and his barely controlled agitation was evident in his every word and action. His attempts to kill the story led to some pretty outlandish behavior, like confronting Tess in her own office and practically berating her for deciding to run it. Oh, Clark, honey, take a deep breath! Tom Welling was incredible again this week. He unerringly showed us exactly what Clark was feeling, even when it was completely at odds with the words coming out of his mouth. As always, he was the master of nuance. He put so many little touches into his performance! Did you see how Clark bit his lip when Jimmy was about to show him the photo for the first time? How about the way he swallowed convulsively, or set his jaw, or the way his brow would furrow, his eyebrows forming an adorable little upside-down v? My heart went out to him as he struggled to look cluelessly innocent in the face of each new revelation from Jimmy, and I loved the Clark classic: the startled, frozen gaze of a deer in the headlights. Not to mention an absolutely hilarious bitchface! I was especially impressed with how Tom portrayed the escalation of Clark’s anxiety as Jimmy’s investigation progressed, spilling over into desperation as he told Chloe that Jimmy had figured it all out, and culminating in his passionate plea to Oliver to set aside his wastrel ways and help him. His performance was carefully crafted, showing us the true depths of Clark’s feelings, but without ever being over the top or showing even a hint of hysteria. And he honestly made me believe that Clark’s first concern was for Jimmy. If Tom Welling has learned anything over the course of this show, it’s how to play the hero. After his epiphany on that dark Metropolis street, and secure in the knowledge that Jimmy has been thrown off his trail, Clark came into the Daily Planet the next morning transformed. Relaxed and at ease, his confidence was back, and with it came his focus, his sense of humor, and a healthy helping of snark. I don’t think I fully realized how his worry had burdened him until I saw him without it again. Which only made me appreciate Tom’s acting more. All the series regulars were great in this episode. Let’s talk about Allison Mack first, because she rocked my world! She was so vibrant this week she practically leaped off my TV screen! How wonderful was it to see the Chlark friendship in full force again? I loved how Clark went straight to Chloe for help, first when he saw Jimmy’s photo, and again when Jimmy figured out the blur was Clark. And I don’t think that was because of her potential influence over Jimmy; it was because she’s his best friend and always has his back. Her response to him was perfect both times. I was completely swept up in her enthusiasm for Clark as a symbol of hope, but I enjoyed even more the way she shifted into sidekick mode when Clark needed her most. Her shocked “What?!” when Clark told her Jimmy knew his secret made me laugh. Chloe was completely loyal to Clark in this crisis. Did you notice how she moved to stand by his side when Jimmy implored her to tell him the truth? Once again, best friend trumps boyfriend. AM’s true moment of triumph, however, was the very last scene of the episode. OMG!! Chloe, what has Brainiac done to you?! I was shocked, dismayed, and thrilled, all at the same time! It was beyond awesome, especially the slo-mo exit, where Chloe walks out, cool as a cucumber, and her face looks almost as stunned as we feel. Oh, bring it on, Smallville, this is gonna be good! And Allison is going to have a field day with it. You go, girl! Aaron Ashmore made me like Jimmy more than ever this week. We had barely a hint of the Chimmy in Identity, but plenty of Jimmy with Clark and Lois. See how well that worked, show? More, please! Poor Jimmy, he figured out the secret of the century, and he doesn’t even know it. But we did see a dawning of deep admiration for Clark, and outright hero worship for his alter ego. I liked Clark and Jimmy together. I hope their friendship grows as they continue to work together, and I hope it survives the heartbreak I can’t help but think lies ahead for Jimmy with Chloe. Jimmy was smart in this episode (and awww, hurt when Clark didn’t give him credit for it), and I liked how they used his investigation to pull in the earlier seasons again. My favorite scene between Jimmy and Clark was the one at the farm. I was grinning from ear to ear as the truth dawned on Jimmy, as his speech slowed and his mouth hung open. And I was bouncing in my chair as he grabbed that photo of Clark in his red jacket and compared it to the blur. See, Clark? I told you not to wear that stupid thing every damn day! LOL! Jimmy’s stunned speechlessness was priceless, and all of Clark’s diversionary babbling did no good whatsoever. Then, when Jimmy rushed to Chloe’s and found Clark already there, Clark was totally busted! How much did you love Jimmy’s response to Clark’s lame shortcut excuse? “You know what, Clark? Why don’t you show me on a map?” hee! I’ve been waiting years for someone to say that! I was glad to have Lois back, and her scenes with Clark were the usual delight. How cute was it when she asked Clark to zip her up for her date, and our already stressed hero totally gave in to petulant jealousy? Clark was adorable, and Lois ate it up with a spoon. And then proceeded to torment him, by flirting outrageously and fawning all over her fake date. *giggles* Erica Durance was too funny in that scene. Their snarky exchange at the Daily Planet, after Clark got his mojo back, was completely different in tone, but equally fun. I continue to love these two together. I enjoyed Clark’s scenes with Oliver, and the role reversal between them from what we saw in S6. Justin Hartley is a welcome addition to the show, and his character was used to great effect this week. Because of the special bond Clark and Oliver share as fellow superheroes, exploring their friendship on the show gives us a unique opportunity to hear Clark articulate how he feels about that part of his life. Besides, it’s just cool to see these two gorgeous guys together, talking man to man and hero to hero. They also make me laugh a lot (”Clark, you made out with my girlfriend, man. Whadja have to complain about?”). Clark needs a friend like Oliver. By the end of the episode they were on equal footing, each off to save the world on his own terms. Tess wasn’t in this episode much, but she still managed to make the most of her time. Every moment reminded me that she is intelligent, mysterious, and ruthless to the core! *shivers* I loved how she was openly incredulous that Clark would turn down a plum assignment, and intrigued by it. I also liked how she made it clear that Clark enjoys the luxury of repeatedly bending the boss’s ear only because it amuses her, at least for the moment. And the news that Wilson was off to murder Lois didn’t even make her blink. I do wonder why she was crying at the mansion. Was it a small moment of weakness in this cold life she’s made for herself? A glimmer of regret for what she and Ollie might once have had? Or despair that her search for Lex remains fruitless? The whole FotW storyline was boring to me. Of course Wilson served his purpose in that final scene, but I couldn’t care less about the rest of his time onscreen. I was also confused about what his power was. At first I thought he had the ability to selectively steal memories away, like the Haitian on Heroes, but when he opted for murder rather than mind wipe with Lois, that didn’t make sense. I guess he stole memories in the sense that he read them uninvited. Oh, wait, I almost forgot to talk about the pretty! Except for that first, brief scene in his trademark red and blue, Clark wore nothing but grey, black, and white in Identity. Okay, it’s official, this show is trying to kill me. Every week they come up with new, more stunning ways to dress a man who is already so beautiful his face renders me incoherent on a regular basis. And Tom doesn’t help by rolling up his shirtsleeves and jamming his hands into his pockets every chance he gets! Guh. I have to give a special mention to that deceptively simple grey tee, that hugged Tom’s chest so gloriously, and those lovely black slacks, that highlighted so nicely that which we love but rarely see, Tom’s delicious booty. Yeah, I went there. :) Random thoughts: Who else put their DVR on pause to check out the contents of Lois’s purse as they went flying? :) Since Ollie’s apartment set is now the Ace of Clubs, will he be relegated to that tiny private jet set for the entire season? That cape was total CGI, right? I loved the “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet” headline. *is a dork* Shouldn’t Wilson have been handcuffed to the bed, or had a police guard outside? Presumably Lois had him arrested for attempted murder. And how funny was it to watch Clark desperately weeding all the red and blue clothing out of his wardrobe? Talk about having nothing to wear! Identity was written by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer, and everything about this episode perfectly illustrates the reasons why, as a Clark fan, they are one of my favorite writing teams. This week we were given an amazing episode. It was all about Clark, and focused on his journey to becoming the hero he is destined to be. We saw him attack his problem and solve it, with the help of those closest to him, his secret keeper and his brother in arms. The episode had action, drama, mystery, humor, heroics, special effects, and the tiniest hint of romance. And it ended with a staggering reveal. It was just about perfect, and I loved it. Keep ‘em coming, Smallville!

In this episode Clark struggled with some of the fundamental challenges he will face as Superman, and I was so excited to see it!  This is exactly why I was drawn to this show in the first place, to see the boy become the man, and the man become the superhero.  This is what fascinates me, exploring the moral choices made by a being who is powerful enough to answer to no one.  And maybe even more so, asking if saving the world means sacrificing yourself to it, or can Supes have a life, too?  These are complex issues, with no simple answers, but I’m happy to say that in this regard, my show did not disappoint.

How much did you love Heroic!Clark?!  I absolutely thrilled at the sight of him saving the day, nothing but a blur as he sped from crime scene to crime scene at the behest of the police scanner, leaving dazed criminals and thugs scattered in his wake.  I especially liked seeing him fight regular crime, the underbelly of the human existence, rather than an exotic array of meteor freaks and aliens.  But the true evil of the evening, the one Clark could neither prevent nor readily solve, was something else entirely.

Clark answered a call for help at the Ace of Clubs, and upon his arrival made a super jump to reach the penthouse nightclub in an instant.  He was literally leaping tall buildings in a single bound, people!  And it was a heartbeat away from flight itself!  Awesome.  What greeted him inside was a harrowing scene of death and destruction, and Clark was shocked to discover a blood-covered Davis in the midst of the wreckage.  But in spite of the confusion and trauma at the scene, Clark remained calm and focused, determined to find and stop the killer, obviously far from normal, who wreaked this havoc.  He made me proud.

Watching Clark in this episode really brought home to me how seamlessly he has integrated his superpowers into his life lately.  It used to be a big deal to see Clark use one of his abilities, and it was often in some isolated incident that came out of a moment of crisis.  But when he made the decision to come to Metropolis and work at the Daily Planet, he truly accepted who he is, and all he has to offer the world, and we saw him use his powers in a variety of ways, both big and small, throughout this episode.  It’s yet another reason to celebrate S8 Clark, if you ask me.

Also at the crime scene was a new Metropolis homicide detective, John Jones (J’onn J’onzz).  Yes, Martian Manhunter was back!  Yay!  I love him!  And with all the “adult” characters gone from the show now, it was nice to see someone who could be a voice of wisdom and experience for Clark, and who could offer him guidance and perspective as he navigates the uncharted waters of his new life.  Right off the bat MM warned Clark that he can’t save everyone, but Clark passionately refused to consider his limitations, focusing only on what he had failed to do.  I think Clark should listen to MM.  He knows a bit about being the hero.

Phil Morris was fabulous as MM.  Woefully underused during the past two seasons, it was a joy to see him finally have a meatier role in Prey.  I loved everything about how he played this character, and he was obviously enjoying both the part and the show.  He was an absolute delight to watch, and I sincerely hope they bring him back for more in future episodes.

In Prey, Clark was doing his best to fully embrace his destiny.  Helping people had become a full time job, and he was pulling out all the stops to do as much good as he possibly could.  Based on the mountain of empty coffee cups and crumpled food wrappers that littered his desk, that meant never going home, never going to sleep, and stopping only to eat enough to stay strong, and drink enough caffeine to stay awake.  It was a valiant effort, but Clark had no balance, and even his best was not good enough to satisfy the impossible standards he had set for himself.  He was stressed, irritable, and distracted.  I love him to pieces for wanting to save everyone, but clearly, this couldn’t go on.

Desperate for a starting point, Clark went to Chloe for a list of the meteor infected kids who attended her meetings.  She refused, outraged, but not until after Clark had already seen and memorized the names, which he gave to MM to investigate.  Was Clark wrong?  Yeah, I think so.  He’s never believed that the end justifies the means;  that’s Ollie’s mantra.  I fault Clark more for undermining the trust those kids had for Chloe than for investigating them in the first place, though, because that in turn undermines everything she’s trying to accomplish at Isis.  But I think Chloe was wrong, too, for not trusting Clark with the names in the first place.

I think the show did a good job of introducing a conflict that was symbolic of the most important choice Clark will ever make on his path to becoming Superman:  the choice to believe in the moral tenets his parents taught him, and the choice to be a hero within the framework of our society, rather than ruling over us with an iron fist.  Because that’s how Supes will inspire us to be better than we are, by never wavering from choosing right over wrong, and by showing us that even the most powerful being on Earth can be held accountable by our code of morals and ethics.

Of course I think Clark can and should use his powers to their full extent to fight crime and protect the world, but there have to be limits.  Using Chloe’s list without her permission and ransacking Davis’s locker with questionable probable cause were both borderline actions that tested those limits.  I loved seeing Clark pushed into making those choices, and then realizing the cost of them.  And watching him struggle with it resonated even more strongly with me now, in these times of personal privacy compromised in the name of national security, as the American government tests some limits of their own.

Tom certainly made all the right choices in his performance.  He perfectly portrayed Clark on edge, all but ignoring Chloe, snapping at MM, and lashing out at Davis, focused solely on the task at hand.  We could feel the pressure he was under.  But he never lost control.  His quiet strength at the Ace of Clubs was wonderful to watch, as was his competence and determination during the course of his investigation.  Where Tom truly shined, though, was in showing Clark’s moment of devastation as he realized he had (for the moment, anyway) been all wrong about Davis, and in the contrite apology the resultant soul searching inspired him to make to Chloe (I’m assuming Davis received an apology of his own, offscreen).  That apology was wonderful, and so different from what we’ve seen from Clark in the past.  It was absolutely sincere and heartfelt, but without a trace of guilt or despair.  Does Tom own this character or what?  *loves him*  And I liked Clark’s gentle reminder that he wasn’t exactly wrong about Chloe’s kids.

What I didn’t like was Chloe’s response.  Instead of accepting Clark’s apology graciously, she sniped at him, and even worse, she offered no apology of her own.  And she absolutely owed him one, for what she said to him in anger when she found out he had used her list.  Did she honestly think Clark should come forward about his abilities?  And how could she possibly insinuate that Clark is lacking in courage?  Calling him the ringleader of a witch hunt for his efforts to solve a terrible crime was just icing on the cake.  I get that she was hurt, and angry, but that was way out of line.

But wait, the best was yet to come.  When Clark questioned why Chloe was so willing to trust the meteor infected kids at Isis, she pulled out a binder documenting the 327 people she has been unable to save since the ninth grade.  And Clark then proceeded to say he’s been so busy rescuing people from the meteor infected, he never looked at them from that angle (the compassionate one, I presume).  WTF?!  Excuse me, but up until the moment Chloe found out she was infected herself, she was hardly the champion of the meteor freaks, as she used to call them.  And Clark has always been ready to believe the best of people, and reach out to the victims of the meteor showers for which he continues to feel responsible.  Does anyone remember Extinction, when Clark argued with Lana and Chloe, saying it was unfair to condemn anyone with a meteor power out of hand?  Or if you want something more recent, does anyone remember Plastique?  Sheesh.  Sometimes this show is just plain dumb.

And another thing, what was that crack Chloe made about Clark joining the Isis group and telling his story?  Again, WTF?  And is she even qualified to be running these meetings?  If her objective is to intervene and prevent these kids from going down Bette’s path, shouldn’t she bring in a mental health professional to lead her group therapy sessions?  I love Chloe, and she holds a special place in my heart because she is unique to the Smallville universe, but in this episode I found her pretty annoying.  Let’s just hope it was the Brainiac part of her brain that was making her act that way.

Any discussion of Chloe has to include Davis.  Why are these two so devoted to one another all of a sudden?  We know a month passed between Toxic and Committed, so maybe they’ve been inseparable in Offscreenville?  It just felt like it came out of nowhere to me.  I think Chloe needs to stop and remember her history of poor judgment when it comes to guys, and also what she said to Lois just last week, about how Clark is usually right.  That said, however, I have a lot of sympathy for Davis, and that’s entirely due to Sam Witwer.  He is an amazing actor, delivering a level of intensity and emotion rarely seen on Smallville.  He also has an incredible body, but I hesitate to sully my praise for his acting by mentioning it here.  :)

And what about the Chimmy?  I swear, I can’t keep up with what I’m supposed to think about this relationship.  Show, in Committed you tell me Chloe loves no one but Jimmy, forever, and then this week she’s flirting in the morgue, and saying she feels an ease with Davis she’s never felt with Jimmy?  Does this mean I can go back to hating the Chimmy, and stop trying to be a good little fangirl and accept it?  Because this is making my head hurt.

I may hate the Chimmy, but I love Jimmy, and I adore Aaron Ashmore.  He’s a talented actor, natural and relaxed, and a lot of fun to watch.  Jimmy was great in this episode.  Well, except when he pulled the Chloe card to pressure Davis into letting him ride along in his ambulance, that was lame.  His scenes with Clark were awesome, and I can’t wait to see more of this storyline where he hunts down Metropolis’s mysterious new hero.  And his scene with MM made me laugh.  Honestly, I fangirl Jimmy like nobody’s business, except for anything to do with his love life.

I can’t finish without mentioning the pretty.  Tom was more handsome than ever in Prey, and that burnt sienna shirt/black slacks combo was simply stunning on him.  We also saw close-up after close-up that took my breath away.  I didn’t even mind that stupid red jacket, because he looked so amazing in it.  And it’s so much more than just Tom Welling’s God-given good looks;  it’s also his demeanor, his stature, and his many nuances of expression.  Have I mentioned that S8 is fast becoming my favorite season ever?

Random thoughts:  How come Clark was a red and blue blur when he was wearing brown and black?  I loved how Clark promised to find a way to get MM’s powers back.  Krypto perps?  hee!  Do paramedics really drive around solo?  Does anyone else think Davis is kind of girly with all the instant tears?  And I can’t believe I just said that.  PM was totally channeling Jackie Chiles from Seinfeld in that last scene with Jimmy.  And am I the only one who thought it was funny when Davis called Clark a Peeping Tom?  :)

Prey was a tiny glimpse of Clark’s future as the Man of Steel, and I think he’s going to rock at it!  There were a few things in this episode that drove me nuts, but they were far outweighed by the good, and I’m intrigued to see how the two storylines set up in this episode play out:  Jimmy’s pursuit of the city’s unsung savior, and the mystery that is Davis Bloome.  Once again, I can’t wait until next week!

Click the jump to see what she thought of Lois having to make their feelings known, Tess vs. Oliver, and the Chimmy shipper!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Kim feedback directly here!

Hey there, SHoEligans! The episode up for review tonight is “Committed” (why in the world did I almost type “Crimson” there?). I’m a couple episodes behind on reviews but bear with me. I’ll get caught up sometime in between mid-terms and the Holiday Season. Overall I thought “Committed” was a wonderful episode. It was much better than I expected, and the amount of Clois in this was just amazing. Stay tuned until the end for my rating. I am interested in seeing how much further the show is going to develop the Lois and Clark relationship. If the series is supposed to leave off where Superman begins then I hope they don’t develop things too much too soon. You don’t want them practically together before Lois even sees the tight-wearing, cape-donning Superman, but that would be the only worry that this episode left me with. Although, there was something in this episode that I’m not too keen on at the moment, and I’ll share that toward the end. As for my favorite moments in the episode I would count Lois’s speech at the engagement party among my top five. I loved when Clark pulls her off the stool and sets her down on the ground. The look on Lois’s face when he sets her down and she does that little spin was classic. I also loved the scene with Lois waking up at the Kent Farm. There was a small amount of dialogue and that means that the facial expressions from both Tom and Erica made that scene so wonderful. Lois and Clark’s run in with Oliver at the Jewelry store was inspired, and who ever came up with the concept for that scene deserves LOTS of love from the fans. You just can’t help but laugh out loud at the situation. 

Yet another episode that’s underscoring played up the right moments in the perfect places. In an episode as suspenseful as this one underscoring is very important and in that moment where the jeweler was questioning Lois about her feelings for Clark the underscoring was PHENOMINAL! 

While all the actors on Smallville are amazing and did a great job in this episode Erica Durance stood out from the others in this episode in every way. Erica did an outstanding job whether she was handling humor or drama. I found myself not wanting to see the other characters as much as I wanted to see her. She seemed very real and very Lois in this episode. What I like about Erica’s portrayal is that she seems to take all of the previous incarnations of Lois and wrap them up into one package, and then adds her own Lois into the mix. She pays tribute to other actresses while establishing her own style, and that is a mark of an excellent actress. I want to give Aaron Ashmore praise for this episode too. Jimmy is becoming more and more likeable as this season goes on. Jimmy is clearly on his way to becoming the faithful pal of Superman that we all know and love, and Aaron is doing an amazing job with that transition. 

There was a storyline in this episode that I wasn’t completely fond of, and that is the Tess and Oliver relationship. I like Tess a lot. The character is becoming an awesome Smallville villain while still staying a likeable character. I like Oliver a lot as well. I have since he was introduced in season six, and I like the idea of the two having a past relationship. But I think it should have STAYED a past relationship. Oliver putting on the mask of a truce in order to ask Tess out to dinner, and then buying her a DIAMOND bracelet made my stomach churn. I wish they had left out the jewelry and just had the dinner. Buying Tess jewelry after getting her to agree to one dinner date seems hasty even for Oliver and even for the history that the two characters seem to have. I realize that him buying the bracelet is what lead us to that awesome scene with Clark and Lois bumping into him at the jewelry store, but Oliver buying Tess a bracelet reminded me too much of Lex and Lionel giving their one night stands diamond earrings. The offering of the bracelet on Oliver’s part annoyed me and I actually found myself happy that Tess refused not only to take the bracelet but to take Oliver as well. 

The only other thing that bothered me about this episode was the fact that the engagement party was at the Talon where Chloe and Jimmy live and yet their cars were parked somewhere where they could be impounded. If they had the party at the Talon then they should both have a permanent place to park their cars. 

Overall I felt this was a great episode. It was much better than I thought it would turn out to be, and for that I’m going to give it 3 and a half pairs of fuzzy handcuffs out of 4.

Click the jump to see what she thought of the introduction of DC Comics character Maxima and her confrontation of Lois’ feelings towards Clark!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Kim feedback directly here!

Alright, SHoEligans, here we go with my much delayed review of “Instinct”. “Instinct” featured Maxima’s introduction into the Smallville universe and the developing romantic tension between Lois and Clark. This episode also, surprisingly enough, featured the return of Dr. Groll (the scientist Lana threatened in season six). 

This was a decent Smallville episode although I will say it did not leave me in awe as other episodes this season have done. It started off with an interesting appearance by Dr. Groll who apparently went into hiding until the events of “Instinct”. Smallville’s technical aspect is always top notch, but tonight I felt that the writers did an amazing job. Granted I wasn’t too crazy about Maxima herself, but the scenes with all of our regular characters were well written and far above Smallville’s usual excellence.

Some of my favorite scenes included the scene on the farm with Clark and Shelby, the scene with Chloe and Jimmy at the Talon apartment, the scene with Lois and Clark in the alley, the scene between Chloe and Clark in the Talon apartment, both scenes between Tess and Chloe, the scene between Lois and Clark when she catches him with Maxima, the scene where Chloe finally shows Clark that famous letter, and the last scene with Lois and Clark as well.

The scene at the farm was just so refreshing. It was nice to see the farm again after three episodes without it, and it was nice to see someone actually taking care of that dog. That scene did force me to question why Clark kept Lana’s necklace in the same drawer as the can opener though. Does he often keep jewelry in his kitchen? The scene with Chloe and Jimmy was charming and touching. I loved that Chloe warned Jimmy to hide his ABBA collection from Lois. Jimmy does seem like the type to be an ABBA fan, and did anyone notice the Warrior Angel comics Jimmy had? 

The scene between Lois and Clark in the alley showcased great banter. I particular loved the line, “What kind of a friend would I be if I threw you into the deep end without a floaty?” The scene with Clark and Chloe in the apartment featured a TON of exposition that Allison Mack always handles expertly. What was different about this exposition scene to others is Clark’s reaction. Chloe even paused while informing Clark after seeing his concerned expression. I tended to agree with Chloe on the issue though. There’s not much they can do about it at the moment. So they might as well embrace it and move on. 

Both scenes between Tess and Chloe were full of resentful tension that resulted in wonderful dialogue. My favorite line of dialogue from their first scene together was, “You learned well from Lex. When you don’t get your way you just…threaten. This isn’t my first tour of duty on the Luthor battlefield so you’re going to have to come at me with a lot more fire power.” The second scene between the two of them was just as amazing. I loved Chloe threatening to press charges and I really loved that Tess took that threat seriously.

The scene where Lois walks in on Clark and Maxima was truly amazing. It was easy to see how flustered and bothered Lois was by what she had scene, and Clark’s expression as she walked away from him was priceless. His face gave away exactly what he was thinking, and it was rather hilarious. I loved the scene where Clark finally learns just how deeply Chloe felt for him, and I loved Chloe’s attitude about it. It was in the past and she knew it, but she wanted to make sure that part of her life was completely dealt with. That scene gave me yet another reason to keep Chloe on my “Top Five Television Characters” list. Although I wonder how Gabe feels about Clark giving Chloe away instead of him? The last scene in the loft with Lois and Clark was my favorite of the entire episode. The conversation about “the one” was particularly awesome. I love the look Lois gives Clark just before he turns around to talk with her. Lois is obviously feeling something a little more than platonic for Clark Kent. I felt Erica Durance was the top performer in “Instinct”. Her interactions with Clark were near perfect, and I would love to see a performance like this one more often.

Overall I’ll give this episode 3 and a half sparkly green dresses out of five.

Click the jump to see what she thought of the origins of the Green Arrow, and Oliver Queen’s ties to the mysterious Tess Mercer.

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Angell feedback directly here! 

First I wanted to start out with an apology, and say that I didn’t intend for it to take this long to get this review out to all of you. So here we go with my review of “Toxic”. 

Overall I very much loved this episode. Once again I felt Smallville was very technically strong this week, and it is something I am constantly impressed with. I feel that the underscoring impresses me the most. I’m really enamored with the effects of a score instead of popular music. 

As for my favorite scenes from this episode I really loved the scene between Tess and Lois. Lois’s defense of Oliver Queen shows a maturity on her part that I really like. At times Lois can grate on my nerves but in this episode I enjoyed this side of her. I also enjoyed Oliver’s scene with the centipede or whatever type of creepy-crawly that was. The idea of eating that thing even grossed me out, and of course I loved that montage of clips showing Oliver learning how to use his bow and arrows. Lois barging into Isis rattling off a hang-over cure quickly became one of my favorite moments from this episode. 

Most of the scenes between Oliver and Tess ranked among my favorite moments of the episode, but more on performances later. 

I, for one, am a big fan of Chloe’s Brainiac-downloaded abilities. Allison’s gift for exposition makes Chloe’s power work really well. When she revealed to Clark exactly what she could do I was very very impressed. The Tess and Clark scene toward the end resulted in one of my favorite lines Tess has said so far on the show (another favorite line of hers will be brought up later). The discussion of how Lex never abandons a project somehow made me like Tess a lot more than I know I should. 

The scene between Davis and Chloe toward the end just brought up more chemistry and more reasons why I want Chloe to think seriously about a potential relationship with Davis. Not to mention there was some major foreshadowing in the dialogue. The final scene of the episode with Tess and Marcos was an exceptional way to end it. The scene really showcased Tess’s potential as a villain. 

Top performance of the episode goes to Justin Hartley with Cassidy Freeman not too far behind. Justin’s portrayal of Oliver Queen’s journey to becoming Green Arrow covered so many experiences and emotions, and Justin handled it extremely well. Not only that but Justin had to portray Oliver in the here and now AND in the past. He had to show a distinct difference between the Oliver of once upon a time and the Oliver of today. Cassidy Freeman did much of the same thing, but on a different level.

Cassidy had some of my favorite lines in the episode. My absolute favorite line from the episode is her line “You were one of the men in my life who taught me how to fight back.” This was the line that endeared Tess to me. As much of a villain as she could become I can’t help but see the strong woman that the character is, and how far she has come and how much she intends to fight back. Tess is an amazing character that has a sense of danger and still remains likable which truly speaks to Cassidy Freeman’s talent.

Justin Hartley’s performance portrayed so many things about Oliver Queen. They were all things that were revealing about the character, and allowed Justin to showcase his talents. I loved the scenes that left certain things unspoken like the scene with Tess and Oliver at the mansion. There was a history there that wasn’t specifically discussed but was most definitely felt by viewers everywhere. I also loved Justin’s speech to Clark at the end of the episode. There’s something about Oliver when he’s fired up that makes viewers see and understand his point. 

I would like to mention Erica’s performance. Erica did a fantastic job portraying Lois’s insecurity in her decision to let Oliver go. Her speech about her and Oliver’s “deal” was a truly touching moment that I will not soon forget. All in all, I give this episode four poisonous flowers out of five.  

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.

A new season of Smallville means all new site reviews by our very own Angellwings!

Click the jump to see what she thought of the eighth season premiere of the show and whether or not she still finds Smallville super!

You can also weigh in on the episode at our new SHoE forums or give Angell feedback directly here! 

Well, SHoEligans, with the airing of “Odyssey” it’s that time again. Time for the fall television season to start, and what a way to kick it off! That also means I’m back to reviewing. So here we go.

Season 8 has certainly started with a bang, and while “Odyssey” was not my favorite premiere it certainly was a great one. I’m sure we were all a little nervous about Smallville’s first episode without Michael Rosenbaum, and I must say that even though he was missed and will continue to be missed the episode did not feel like it was really lacking the ever imposing presence of Lex Luthor. 

Let’s start off with my favorite scenes before we get too specific. The fight scene during the teaser was something that made the comic book fan in me extremely happy. I was thrilled to see Aquaman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow all fighting together. I felt that Aquaman popping out of the ice was extremely impressive, and I loved the slightly touched up effect of the Canary Cry. I also loved the scene between Tess and Regan before that. It immediately eased any worries I had about Cassidy Freeman joining the show. The scene between her and Erica after the credits was one of my favorite scenes of the night. I’m excited to see what happens with the tension that has been developed between Lois and Tess. Tess seems to be very loyal to Lex Luthor and, even though Lex is the villain, I can respect that about her.  Once again it seems Smallville is using dark colors in the wardrobe of the darker characters. Most of Tess’s outfits were composed of darker colors. She wore black for a lot of this episode and a little bit of dark red. The only color that she wore that strays from the villain color key was a blue blouse. I’m waiting for purple to show up in her wardrobe sometime soon. 

Another one of my favorite scenes was Oliver’s rescue of Clark. I think Oliver was having a little too much fun pounding on Clark, but that’s what made the scene so much fun. I loved that Oliver gave the alias of “Roy Connor”. It’s one of those references that provides truly geek out moments for comic book fans. I also loved the banter between Lois and Clark while they were inside the Black Creek facility. The dialogue in this episode was truly entertaining whether it was exposition, humorous, or suspenseful it never disappointed. Now my last absolute favorite scene from this episode was the final scene between Lois and Clark at the Daily Planet. It was one of those scenes that had Superman fans everywhere rejoicing. You had Clark finally embracing his heroic destiny and admitting he wanted to be “in the middle of the action” as well as the teaser of a Lane and Kent team up. Tom Welling certainly stepped up his game in that scene and began to act like the iconic Clark Kent we all know and love. 

Now let’s start discussing the specifics. Smallville has a top notch technical and creative team, and that has not changed with Season 8. The script, the direction, the effects, the wardrobe, the sets, the cinematography, and the underscoring were all as close to perfect as they could get. In particular I loved the underscoring for this premiere. The score and what you were watching on the screen complimented each other extremely well, and intensified the emotions in all the appropriate places. The script which was penned by all four executive producer was masterful. The way last season ended was one of the most unique endings for a Smallville season we’ve ever seen, and then to come back and wrap that up very nicely without three of your main cast from the previous season is just astonishing. Kelly, Brian, Todd, and Darren were able to keep the episode feeling as full and jam packed as it could. This episode could have left viewers feeling empty and awkward, but it definitely did not. This premiere was not lacking in any way, and easily could have been. 

How about performances? Well, the top performance of the night for me came from Tom Welling, but I feel that I should mention that Justin Hartley’s performance was outstanding as well. What puts Tom Welling at the top of my favorite performances list is the way he finally took on and portrayed the start of Clark Kent’s journey toward a dual identity. He didn’t make you feel like the revelation came out of nowhere, and you could clearly see Clark’s logic behind his decision to essentially leave life on the farm and in Smallville behind. I also loved Clark’s willingness to help and to fight even without his abilities. He’s stepping closer and closer toward becoming the Superman we’re all familiar with. 

Justin’s performance really impressed me though. I’ve always like Oliver Queen, and felt he was a great addition to Season 6. But even I have to admit that he was immensely more likable in “Odyssey” than he was in “Siren” or any of his Season 6 appearances. If anyone was worried about Justin being back as a part of the cast then Justin’s portrayal of Oliver in the premiere should have offered some major comfort. I’m extremely pumped to see what direction Oliver’s story takes this season. 

I would also like to say that I’m very glad Allison Mack AND Chloe are getting the treatment they deserve. Chloe has long been one of my favorite aspects of Smallville, and to see her becoming so deeply involved in this season’s plot is extremely enjoyable. Big things are on the horizon for Chloe Sullivan and I’m excited to see what happens. I’m also glad to see Erica step up and really try and become “Lois Lane, intrepid reporter”. Erica was much more in character in this episode than she’s ever been, and now with Clark setting up shop at the desk in front of her I know we’re going to see more of the Lois and Erica we saw last night. 

All in all I would say season 8 is looking extremely promising. I look forward to seeing where things go from here on out. I have a feeling this season will progress our characters toward their destinies more than any other past season. I give this premiere four cases of Russian Caviar out of five!

Robert Picardo was a wonderful addition as Edward Teague, and I have to say that he achieved the appropriate amount of creepy. The whole very literal portrayal of “hero worship” was very disturbing, and I have to say the make-up department out did themselves with both Lex and Clark’s bloody carved chests. My favorite scene throughout the entire episode would have to be the scene where Lex sticks the cipher onto the grandfather clock. The look on his face as he listens to the song that it plays is just full of so many emotions that it makes the scene extremely memorable.

Now shall we discuss quite possibly the best Smallville finale ever? Yes? Good.

“Arctic” was handled beautifully by the cast and crew. The episode was written by Holly Henderson (another double H) and Don Whitehead and was directed by Todd Slavkin. I’ve already stated that in my opinion this was one of Smallville’s best finales to date, and Holly Henderson, Don Whitehead, and Todd Slavkin are all to thank for that. In this episode we got our now seemingly standard Jimmy Olsen B-plot, “Kara” causing Edward Teague’s death,”Kara” and Lex scenes, Chloe being attacked by Brainiac, Clark taking out Brainiac (for the time being), the long awaited Clana breakup, a very beautiful Clois scene, a Chlimmy proposal (where the heck did that come from?), Chloe being arrested, and a Clark and Lex show down. That’s a lot to take in forty-three minutes, and that doesn’t even touch some of Smallville’s previous finales.

But unlike some previous finales the pacing in this one was very near perfect.

It didn’t feel rushed or feel like I was watching it in slow motion. It was the perfect Goldilocks speed. My favorite scene from the entire finale would have to be the scene of Clark when he comes to visit Chloe in the hospital. The minute her eyes pop open with that glazed over catalytic look and he angrily sneered Brainiac’s name chills ran up and down my spine. I could tell that Clark Kent was gone and Superman had suddenly arrived.

Allison Mack was her usual brilliant self. I am very happy that Ms. Mack will be returning next season especially given the limbo Chloe was left in. Aaron Ashmore was even more likeable as Jimmy in the past two episodes, and I can’t help but wonder how Jimmy’s proposal will be handled next season. Erica Durance was one half of the absolute best on screen hug ever during the finale, and I cannot wait to see how they define the Clark and Lois relationship in season eight. The chemistry between Erica and Tom has been show cased a lot this season, and used expertly to expand Lois and Clark’s friendship.

I want to take a moment to praise Laura Vandervoort for being able to channel James Marsters so well. She really delivered the lines in Marsters’ style. James himself was wonderful in the episode as well. Brainiac is quite possibly the first computer that I have ever literally wanted to destroy. His portrayal makes the fact that it can’t be done even more frustrating. He is perfect in a role of pure villainy. Tom Welling impressed me very much. His range of emotions was extremely varied, and expertly demonstrated.

After the finale I realized just how greatly Michael Rosenbaum will be missed. The idea of a premiere without Lex Luthor is going to be a strange and new experience for Smallville viewers as well as cast and crew. Michael portrayed Lex Luthor more brilliantly than any actor before or even after him (yes I know that’s a big statement). I know that I wish his run on Smallville wasn’t over, but I totally support Mr. Rosenbaum in whatever he does in the future whether he resurfaces on Smallville or not. He is a wonderful talent in several areas of the entertainment business. I will say that whether Lex Luthor physically appears on Smallville or not his presence will always hover over the atmosphere of the show. The threat and large persona of Lex Luthor will haunt our main cast all the way through season eight, and that’s an accomplishment that should put a permanent smile on Mr. Rosenbaum’s face.

I give both of these episodes five Jimmy Olsen gumball engagement rings out of five.

Also, feel free to send Angell feedback here.

Here we are again with another review. I apologize if this one is slightly abbreviated. This week has been insane, but what this one lacks I will make up for with “Quest” and “Arctic”. First of all, SHoEligans I need to tell you that I am going out of town today (Thursday), and have decided (upon the suggestion of Derek) to make “Quest” and “Arctic” one giant monster review.

But back to this week…I cannot wait to talk about this episode. Let’s get right into it:What else is there to say about “Apocalypse”? It was outstanding. Tom Welling did a remarkable job of handling double duty. Neither of his performances suffered. The script for this week’s episode was excellent, and brilliantly brought to the small screen by Mr. Welling.

This is the closest to Superman Clark has been so far. Everything about it was aimed more toward classic Superman. Even Jimmy.

Every performance seemed to amaze me. Laura did a wonderful job. Her performance improves with every episode. Aaron Ashmore was quite amazing this week as well. This alternate Jimmy more closely resembled the Jimmy we’re all used to. Allison was outstanding even though her screen time was significantly less than what we’re used to.

The performances I want to talk the most about though are those of Erica, Tom, and Michael.

I was very impressed with Erica. I enjoyed seeing her play the Ace Reporter Lois. I was thrilled by every single one of the Clark and Lois scenes. The rate in which that relationship is growing only makes me more excited for season eight.

Michael Rosenbaum will be sorely missed next season. His portrayal of Lex Luthor is one of the deepest darkest portrayals to ever hit any screen (big or small). He’s allowed Lex slowly develop into the role of the villain, and yet still managed to keep him human. It takes an amazing actor and an awesome person to successfully pull of the bald head, white suit, and black glove. Michael managed to do that. And, by the way, how wickedly cool was that gun with the Kryptonite bullets?

I sincerely hope that James Marsters is brought back in a larger capacity next season. He adds so much to the show and the tone it takes. Brainiac has always been one of my favorite Superman villains. He’s just impossible to destroy, and he’s very manipulative. Not only did he deceive Lex in the normal Smallville continuity, but he deceived him in the alternate reality as well. It’s very important to see that Clark is the only one who can truly fight Brainiac. If Clark is not around Brainiac pretty much has the run of things. He would achieve whatever goal he deemed necessary with no trouble what so ever and in this case his goal is the revival of Zod. Marsters is a masterful actor who portrays Brainiac beautifully. He never fails to impress me whenever he is on screen.

Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about Krypton. I was personally surprised to see it so soon. I felt for sure they were going to explore that in “Quest”, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw on the screen. The visual effects and general look of Krypton was amazing! The fight between Kara, Clark, and Brainiac was phenomenal. I loved seeing Clarks’ ship again, and seeing it heading away from the exploding Krypton.

All in all, “Apocalypse” was a wonderful side step from the show’s building tension. It didn’t step too far though, and in the end was able to slightly resolve one conflict (although it more than likely caused another one for Clark and Kara). It was entertaining, and a wonderful breath of fresh air. Tom Welling should be extremely proud of himself. I give this episode five Kryptonian crystal daggers out of five.

Also, feel free to send Angell feedback here.

Here we are again, SHoEligans. I once again get the privilege of sharing my thoughts with all of you. So let’s talk about “Sleeper”.

I really feel like jumping right in with this one. I loved this episode. I thought it was adorable, and one of the best post-epic episodes the Smallville crew has ever come up with. Jimmy Olsen really came off as lovable in this episode, and credit for that goes to not only Aaron Ashmore, but Caroline Dries as well. The minute I saw Jimmy fumbling around to cook Chloe a “Wholesome Olsen” breakfast I knew he was going to be extremely likeable in this episode.

Aaron Ashmore’s comedic timing was phenomenal as usual, but this time he really had a chance to show it off. Allison Mack had a chance to showcase her comedic skills as well. I was thrilled with seeing Allison and Aaron play off of each other and seeing their characters interact. Their chemistry is wonderful and refreshing when compared with the other super tense relationships on the show. The Chlimmy Dance (as I like to call it) was wonderfully hysterical and even a little bit romantic. Chloe’s reaction to Jimmy’s sudden Tango skills was priceless. She saw a whole new Jimmy, and you could tell she really enjoyed it.

One of the things that was masterful about the script for this episode is how they still managed to move this seasons continual plot. I felt like this episode was wonderfully paced and kept my interest. The scenes that dealt with the ongoing “Veritas” plot were well written and skillfully acted. Lex’s scene in Zurich felt very “Bourne Identity” to me, and Michael’s performance was outstanding as usual. Like I said last week Tom Welling knows his character so well that an excellent performance is almost a given when it comes to Clark’s scenes, and this week was no exception. His scene in the Fortress was not only acted wonderfully but written ingeniously as well. The visual effects in the Fortress impressed me as well especially with how much they intensified Kara’s transmission.

Let’s talk about Vanessa. Our lady spy definitely resembled a Charlie’s Angel gone mental. Anne Openshaw’s portrayal of the character was superb, and I loved the gadget briefcase she gave Jimmy. The prop department out did themselves with this episode. I also loved how amazed Jimmy was by all of those weapons, and how it still showed AS he was using them. I also loved that it was Jimmy who got to save Chloe, and that Clark didn’t come rushing in at the last minute. Jimmy got to save his girl, and that made the scene much more entertaining.

All in all, the episode was handled very well. I thought it would either go one way or the other especially when it concerned Jimmy. Jimmy was either going to come off as a jerk or as a truly and genuinely nice guy. In my opinion he successfully came off as a boy next door type, and credit for that achievement goes to Aaron Ashmore, Caroline Dries, and the director for this episode Whitney Ransick. The direction was beautiful and artful which seems to me would be difficult to do while making such a humorous episode. I think “Sleeper” was a nice break from the heavy storyline surrounding it.

I’m going to give it four covert cufflink darts out of a possible five.

I am not going to summarize the episode. If you’re reading this then I am going to assume you’ve seen the episode. The gist of the plot is explained by the title. This episode follows the “descent” of Lex Luthor, and allows us to witness Lex finally become the Luthor of the future. I knew the minute I saw the trailer that this was going to be a huge episode, and I wasn’t disappointed. This was one of those episodes that immediately took off (we’re talking zero to sixty in two seconds). I immediately knew I was in for a treat. This season has been a very solid season, and this episode was no exception.

First off I’m going to talk about the lighting and colors in the very first scene. Why this specific scene you ask? Well, because it just looked so perfect and fit so well with the context of the scene itself. The shadow and light in each shot seemed to contradict and struggle against each other. It illustrated the battle between good and evil that had gone on between and within both Lionel and Lex. There was one particular shot of Lionel that made the most significant impression on me. After Lex asks about the “Traveler” the elder Luthor’s face was shown half consumed by the darkness and the other half illuminated. I thought it was an excellent reflection of Lionel’s journey on Smallville. His path on the show was full of half-truths, betrayal and ultimately redemption. The contrast between the light and the dark just seemed to represent the change in Lionel Luthor.

I believe you should all know that I am a huge fan of dialogue. For me the dialogue is what I anticipate the most and we wouldn’t have story or dialogue without the writers. They were at the pinnacle of their game this week. It would have been very easy to let the teaser be the climax of the episode, but lucky for us the writing staff on Smallville is phenomenal. Everything in this episode was handled brilliantly. The struggle between Lex and Alexander, the confrontation between Lex and Chloe, The argument Clark and Lex have, and every scene in between was written brilliantly. Every scene seemed different than anything else we have ever seen on the show. I think Don Whitehead, Holly Henderson, and the rest of the writing staff deserve several standing ovations for the quality of this episode’s script.

The direction by Ken Horton was outstanding. What sticks out to me the most is the shot of Lionel’s eye while Lex was indentifying the body and the shot outside of Luthorcorp where we see Alexander speaking to Lex for the first time in this episode. Both of those particular shots stuck with me. The idea of looking any corpse in the eye disturbs me, but it effects me even more so when the person viewing the eye is the murderer. The shot with Alexander really felt like you were inside Lex’s head. It felt like time was standing still for him, and the reality of his crime finally came crashing down. There were several other brilliant points of direction in this, and Lionel’s funeral scene was one another one of those brilliant moments. There was no dialogue, but there also wasn’t a need for any. Everything could be said with glances and expressions. The initial visual of the scene automatically sold it for me. The layout of it with Clark and Lex standing on either end of Lionel’s grave was a moment that will not be forgotten any time soon nor will the look the two of them exchanged as Lex walked away. I half expected a shoulder bump to happen between the two characters. The entire scene had a “Lex Luthor versus Superman” vibe that could not be ignored.

Let’s talk about the performances in the episode.

I’ll begin with Aaron Ashmore and Erica Durance. I thought the two gave very good performances as Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. I enjoyed the team up, and was thrilled to see Jimmy get a moment in the spotlight (however brief it was). In this episode Lois was her usual sarcastic self, and had several of my favorite lines. I have to say my favorite line of hers from the episode had to be her line to Jimmy about readjusting his focus (“The school boy crush is sweet, Jimmy, but you need to readjust your focus in more ways than one.”). Both Erica and Aaron have great comic timing, and that seemed to be showcased in their scene with Gina (Mercy Prototype 1.0).

John Glover’s one scene was more than I could have ever hoped for. His expressions were believable and effective. Mr. Glover really pulled off the after effects of Lionel’s desperate attempts to talk to Clark. I will miss John Glover on the show as his performances always kept you guessing about a character. It really says something that there were still fans of the show who were unsure about where Lionel Luthor stood. There were people who still believed Lionel to be evil and selfish, and that were never sure of his loyalty to Clark. The fact that John Glover achieved that amount of mystery for his character says a lot about his talent.

Allison Mack did her thing as usual, and she was outstanding. I have decided that not only is she talented with carrying the technical babble, but she’s also the best at giving pep talks. So many great lines came from her pep talk to Clark toward the end of the episode. Her confrontation with Lex was also one of the highlights of the episode. Allison Mack is one of the best actresses (if not one of the best then she is the absolute best) on the show. While it was sad to see Chloe fired from the Daily Planet it now opens up a lot of different possibilities for the character, and I am excited to see how that is handled (by Allison and the writers).

At this point in his career Tom Welling knows his character inside and out, and it definitely shows in his performance. It is clear that Lex and Clark are far from the friends they used to be, and Tom did an excellent job of portraying that. Tom made it clear in this episode that Clark is very suspicious of Lex and will be from this point on. This episode brought Clark as close to being Superman as he’s ever been. Tom Welling has been doing an excellent job of showing Clark Kent’s transformation from small town farm boy to international hero. The highlight of his performance for me was his scene with Michael outside of Luthorcorp. The way Clark followed Lex across the police barricades just looked so perceptive and powerful at the same time.

Finally let’s talk about Michael Rosenbaum. We’ve always known he was a wonderful actor, and if you didn’t then I hope you do know. I’m going to miss Michael when he leaves the show because of his amazing portrayal of Lex Luthor. He’s made the character extremely accessible and easy to relate to. We’ve seen Lex fall from who he used to be. Michael has managed to make an evil mastermind seem human, and to make his transformation gradual. Michael’s performances as Lex have been and continue to be masterful. My favorite scenes of his in this episode were all of the scenes with Alexander. Michael did a wonderful job of interacting with the embodiment of his good side. It was a very complex scene and Michael pulled it off with flying colors.

All in all, this episode was Smallville at its best. The entire cast and crew was on top of their game, and garnered this episode a five out of five rating. Even Roger Ebert would have to agree with that.

Was it all he could’ve hoped it to be? Did the strike help or hinder the episode for him?

Wow, what an episode this was. I know that I say that every week after an episode, but every episode this season has really been solid. I think it was really good. It had really great pacing, and left all the characters in very interesting places for when the show comes back in a couple of weeks.

Now it is a well-known fact among the general fandom that this episode was meant to serve as the season finale for the series had the writer’s strike still been in place. I, for one, glad it wasn’t. Like any fan, I am glad that we are getting a nice batch of episodes to stretch the story of Smallville a little bit more. Having said that, I would’ve liked to see what this episode would’ve been like, had it not been changed up as it was.

But I still enjoyed the episode for what it was. I kind of envision this episode as part of a 3-parter, though. With Traveler being the part that sets everything up, but Veritas was that second chapter, and Descent I feel is going to be that third chapter that has us all screaming.

One thing this episode seemed to be about was teamups. The first teamup that I was really glad to see was the teamup with Clark and Kara as they took on Brainiac together. I hope we can see more of this kind of teamup in future episodes. Their teamup has a certain family element to it, which in my opinion is what Smallville has always been about.

Another teamup that we saw in this episode was the classic teamup of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. In the comics and TV series, you see Lois and Jimmy teaming up a lot to take on the big story. Now, this is not the first time that Lois and Jimmy have teamed up. If you recall, in the episode, “Hydro,” they teamed up to try and reveal Oliver Queen as the green Arrow in season 6, but of course, Clark and Ollie put their own leather stamp on that teamup. This episode was different, as it was Lois and Jimmy teaming up in the Daily Planet, whereas before it was Lois in the Inquisitor and Jimmy in the Planet. So it felt more iconic and classic to me. Although, Jimmy and Lois didn’t uncover anything that we, as an audience, didn’t already know, it was still fun to see them together. I also think that the respective actors really pulled this off, as well.

Another thing that Superman has kind of carried with him in all his interpretations from the strip to the screen is his Christian parallels. This episode was no exception to that. Now, I may be alone in this, but I thought this episode had quite a few.

One that stands out in my mind is Veritas itself. Veritas, at its core, are men who anticipated the arrival of a Traveler, who would come to Earth and thus bring great change to it. In the Bible, there are many prophets who prophesied the coming of a Savior namely Jesus Christ. Throughout Superman’s long history, he has been called a “savior.” So there is that parallel . . .

Another parallel that I saw was in actually my favorite scene of the episode – the Chloe and Lionel scene. Lionel says that they can trust him because Jor-El chose him to be his vessel and emissary, and that has been the way that he finds forgiveness and atonement for all of his past sins. That is a way many Christians like myself find ways to repent, through serving God. This is a bit far-fetched, but there have been comparisons of Jor-El to God before (see Superman: The Movie and you’ll see what I’m talking about)

I think one thing that this episode promised but did not deliver on was the fact that Kara was supposed to teach Clark to fly in this episode. I know that we have this rule that says we may never see Clark Kent fly in Smallville. But I, for one, actually believed that he was going to fly in the episode at some point. I was waiting for it, and it never happened. I was a little disappointed in that. I do think that sometime soon Clark Kent has to fly. I mean, we as fans know from avid watchings of this show that Clark Kent knows how to fly, as he’s done it before. Whether he’s afraid of heights or afraid of too much power or whatever, something is holding him back and sometime in the near future I would love to see him fully conquer that fear.

One thing that this episode had to offer was the return of Brainiac after him being off the show for 5 episodes. It was really nice to see him again and back to his old tricks. I simply love James Marsters’ portrayal of Brainiac in the series. He is the first live-action actor to tackle the role, so to see him portray this character as an evil master-manipulator is pretty refreshing.

Now, we see from this episode that Brainiac, after being sickly in Persona, has repaired himself. Obviously, the information from Dax-Ur helped him to do that, but how? I would like to know how he was able to do that. I hope in future episodes we will see this happen. I have so many questions regarding Brainiac’s actions in this episode, though.

I think the question regarding Brainiac that we all have is: What the frak is Brainiac’s plan? Why did he need Kara for it? It seems that Brainiac can never do anything by himself. He always needs some member of the House of El to accomplish his means. But I think he knows how to make those certain Kryptonians tick. It shall be interesting what Brainiac’s overarching master plan is this time if it is not to release Zod like last time.

Throughout this episode, as Brainiac was doing his thing with Lana, and all of the other stuff he was doing, this got me thinking. I would love to see Brainiac continue as a recurring villain in season 8. I think he really interacts with all the cast of characters really well, and could bring much more to the show than he brings now and he brings a lot.

Now, the vehicle of this episode was the Veritas flashbacks. I, for one, enjoyed these, and thought they were very well-executed. They not only revealed a lot about Veritas itself, but also brought many aspects of the series full-circle to me as a longtime viewer and fan. I also love the way these flashbacks were brought about. Lex, in the episode, mentions that ever since he got shot in Fracture that he was remembering more and more. I loved that. I do not think that it was just the blow to the head that caused Lex to recover these lost memories. I think that Chloe’s healing power also had something to do with that. I think that Chloe’s healing power mended those parts of his brain that had blocked out those childhood memories that he had blocked out. And, who knows? It could have been a combination of both the healing power and the memory-extractment” treatments he took years ago.

But the first flashback is worth noting. The first flashback was one of many meetings of the Veritas secret society. It revealed quite a bit about Veritas. In fact, we know from this flashback that there was kind of disputation of power and knowledge in the Veritas group, and that seed was planted into some by Lionel Luthor. There also was a division of ideas between groups within Veritas. Swann and Queen believed in protecting and nurturing the traveler when he arrived, while Luthor and Teague (mostly Genevieve probably) believed in controlling him.

Also, you can believe this kind of attitude from Swann because this is the attitude that Swann carries in his two appearances in the series. In fact, if you watch Rosetta and Legacy closely enough, the whole Veritas thing makes a whole lot of sense. That was what I loved about the flashback was that it seemed to bring that whole storyline with Swann to a nice conclusive end. The Swann storyline was one storyline that I would’ve loved to see wrapped up and it was wrapped up nicely. Although, it makes you wonder where would that storyline have gone in the series, had Christopher Reeve (who played Virgil Swann) lived on even unto this point?

One thing that I felt was lacking from that flashback was the appearance of Genevieve Teague. Now I understand that Jane Seymour could not be on the set to film this episode, but I still would’ve loved to see her character return. I actually enjoyed Genevieve during her small run on Smallville. I really thought that she could’ve added much more to that scene than was already there. But I did like the fact that we got Edward to stand in her place. I still think it would’ve been cool if Genevieve and Edward were there together.

I also found it interesting that this meeting seemed to give the idea that this secret society was just a kind of passing down the legacy of something called Veritas and not just something they came up with. Sure, Veritas was formed and founded by Virgil Swann, but I think that Earth had been preparing for the arrival of the Son of Krypton for a long time before that, as we know from the caves and the stones. I liked that the stones were talked about in concordance with Veritas. It definitely brought season 4 back into my mind, as that was probably where Veritas had its early beginnings.

One thing that I did not like in this whole flashback sequence was the addition of an unnecessary wheelchair in the whole sequence. It didn’t seem campy or unneeded to me at all. It just kind of took away from my mental image of Virgil Swann. I always saw Swann as a man very much like Christopher Reeve. I imagined that he was paralyzed in an accident very much like Mr. Reeve was. The wheelchair definitely added a feeling of wonder in terms to Virgil Swann that is very fitting to Mr. Reeve and it is a feeling that Swann had in his short time on the series.

We also learned from this flashback that there is an envelope that was in the possession of Swann and Queen that was locked in a vault in Zurich. This also leads to the question, what is in this envelope? I hope that we can get the answer to this soon.

The second flashback that is worth noting is the second flashback. This second flashback was just as intriguing. While the first flashback revealed a lot of information about Veritas, this second one seemed to bring everything full circle with the series. After all, the flashback revolved around the famous newspaper headline from the Pilot. It also confirmed that Lionel had a hand in murdering many of the charter members of the Veritas society. It also brought things full circle with Lionel’s lines at the end: “Are you ready for an adventure, son? We are going to fly in a helicopter to a friendly little town . . . called Smallville.” When Lionel said Smallville, I had chills. It really brought the whole series to a nice little round; as we know those two characters would never be the same after entering this small town ever again.

We also learned from this flashback that Lionel did indeed have one of the keys to the vault in Zurich, that Virgil Swann also had which he passed to his daughter Patricia. But obviously Lionel did not have the fortitude to trust his son the way Swann trusted Patricia.

But those were the flashbacks. I thought they really added a lot to the series and to the season in general. It’ll be interesting to see how these particular flashbacks that Lex had play out throughout the Final Five episodes.

One thing I liked about this episode was that it continued where Traveler left off. All of the characters were still reeling from the events of Traveler, including Clark Kent. Clark, at the end of Traveler, had concluded his “alliance” (if that’s what you’d call whatever Clark and Lionel have) with Lionel Luthor. This episode saw the continuation of that. I really enjoyed the scene that Clark and Lionel had, as it reminded me a lot of Clark’s attitude towards Lionel in season 3. Clark’s attitude to Lionel in that season was that Lionel was the bad guy, and now having trusted Lionel, and left him in the dirt, so to speak, he is back to that attitude that he had towards Lionel in those early seasons. It was really nice to see a return to that kind of rival relationship. But Lionel is desperately trying to make Clark see that he was indeed telling the truth.

This episode also saw the desperate Lionel Luthor that we saw a bit of near the end of last week’s episode. But this seemed to be to the point of madness. Some people wonder why Lionel is so desperate that Clark listens to him now, more than ever. It’s not like Clark has him in a choker hold or anything like in times past. If you look back to the episode, the desperate Lionel returned when Lois and Jimmy revealed to Lionel that Patricia Swann had been killed and her necklace removed. I think Lionel thinks that Lex will kill hi, as he has the other key. That is why he tried to hand the key to Clark and possibly to Chloe.

Another thing I liked about this desperate Lionel was that we kind of gotten a few viewpoints that only Lionel as Jor-El’s emissary would know. This is why I believed Lionel when he said that being Jor-El’s vessel changed him. In Lionel’s final scenes, he tells Chloe that Clark has turned away from Jor-El and that he is vulnerable and in terrible danger. This was very interesting to me, as it definitely provided some great hints toward the future that will lead Clark back to the Fortress again to seek counsel and training from Jor-El.

Another interesting bit of information that Lionel gives out in his final moments with Chloe is that “what’s coming is so terrible.” What is coming to Clark that is so terrible that he would need protecting from? We have had the second meteor shower, Brainiac, Zod, the Phantom Zoners, and Bizarro. What could possibly be worse than that? It should prove to be intriguing whatever the path the series goes.

One noteworthy part of this episode that sticks out in my mind is Lana. I think all of Lana’s scenes in this episode really speaks about Kristin’s acting ability. Lana hardly says more than a paragraph of dialogue throughout this whole episode, but her blank looks and dead stares throughout the episode. Whoever says Kristin Kreuk cannot act is severely mistaken. I also believe Lana’s final line of the episode was delivered chillingly by Ms. Kreuk. It really made me sad.

Some may complain the fact that everything in Smallville seemed to revolve around Ms. Lang, but to that, I say that she is the damsel of the show. Brainiac is smart, too. If you want to affect the main heroes, you attack the people that they care about. It is just the first rule in the book of supervillainy.

Another thing that this episode really had was the return of Kara. Although Kara did technically return in the previous episode, I really felt that Kara Zor-El, as we have known and loved her on this series, returned in this episode. This episode, with the return of Brainiac as well, really displayed her inner conflicts that she has had ever since awakening at the end of last season. It was really great to see her act alongside the other actors in Smallville once again. Also, I think Laura Vandervoort adds a lot to that role than I think any other actor has in times past.

The episode also had some really massive effects. Specifically when it comes to flight. I don’t know what it is, whenever somebody flies in Smallville, it always contains this really big bang that leaves you drooling while you’re watching. I really enjoyed the closing flight scene with Kara and Brainiac. It definitely got me pumped for the moment when Clark will finally take to the skies in the show’s final season.

This episode was also written very well. This is no surprise, as it was written by Smallville alums Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, who have written many a Smallville finale. So it seems right that they were going to get to write the pre-strike finale. I hope they are able to write the actual finale, as well, because they did a stellar job with those episode.

It was directed by one of my favorite Smallville directors, James Marshall. He directed one of my favorite Smallville episodes, Rosetta, and has been my favorite ever since. He also directed some great premieres, finales, and “special event” episodes, so he is a trusted ally over at Smallville productions.

All in all, I enjoyed this episode a great deal. I will confess on my first watching that I was a tad disappointed but only because I expected too much, I think. But, as I watched it in subsequent watchings, I enjoyed it a lot! it was very remiiscent of the viewing experience I had while watching the season five finale, Vessel. I understand that this episode went through a brutal edit as it was to contain a lot of information and action about Smallville’s current state being shaken up. But I think the cliffhangers and reveals in this episode will still have fans talking until the newest episode, Descent airs in a couple of weeks.

RATING: 9/10

Wow. What en episode this was. It really had everything. This episode could’ve been so much more. It could’ve just been all exposition but it was part exposition, emotion and action. It was truly amazing to watch! I enjoyed it on a lot of levels.

At its core, this episode was a Lionel-centric episode, as it was all about Lionel. We don’t get many Lionel-centric episodes, as the last one we got was in season 5. I like Lionel-centric episodes when we do get them, because we really get to see how things affect Lionel and what drive him. I could really feel the conflict of natures within Lionel as the episode progressed. It almost felt as if he truly was wrestling with his newly discovered good nature and his longstanding evil nature. John Glover really pulled it off.

As we know, one of the beauties of Lionel Luthor is that you never quite know what he is up to. This trend has been in effect since season four when Lionel emerged as a “changed” man, and then he went back to the dark side. This plot thread continued in season 5, and continued into season 6 & this season, as well. Like in this episode, Glover plays this dark, manipulative character very well.

Another thing that was interesting to see regarding the character of Lionel Luthor was his evil nature. There were some scenes that Lionel spoke where I was directly reminded of specific moments in season 3 when Lionel threatened Chloe on many instances. These are some of the moments that Glover really excels at.

On a Lionel note, I think the pinnacle of the episode was the Lionel and Clark confrontation at the end of the episode, where Clark ended another friendship (or alliance, or whatever you want to call it) with a Luthor. The scene had obviously been building from the previous episode. The scene really reminded me of two scenes that involved Clark and the Luthors, namely from Covenant and Mercy. It almost seemed like a combination of the two scenes where Clark and Lex ended their friendship, and when Clark confronted Lionel about his secret.

In this scene, we got to see an aspect of Lionel we so rarely see: fear and desperation. This begs the question, why does he care so much about what Clark thinks of him? I think Lionel definitely sees Clark as his “son.” That much has been established since season 5. The ambiguity is who he cares for more: Lex or Clark. I think as the next couple of episodes continue, we are going to see a lot of Lionel trying to convince Clark that he is on his side. I will enjoy seeing whether Clark will accept him as an ally or whether he will just be what Lex is to him now, as Clark now sees the Luthors as a “lost cause.”

I do want to say something about that. I like the fact that Clark really came to that conclusion that the Luthors are a lost cause on his own. Since the pilot, Jonathan has been saying that the Luthors are bad news, and to see Clark actually come to that realization on his own was amazing. Turns out ol’ Pa Kent was right after all.

Not only was this episode very Lionel-centric but it was also very Clark-centric, as almost every character’s actions in this episode were driven because of Clark. Although Clark was locked in a Kryptonite cage throughout the better part of the episode, he was the center of everything in this episode. He is after all, the “Traveler.”

One highlight was the introduction of the character of Patricia Swann. Now, I did not see this character’s death coming when the episode happened. I really would’ve liked to see her character develop somewhat as someone who could’ve helped Clark along on his journey to becoming Earth’s greatest hero. I thought Gina Holden really lit up the screen every time she was on it. I actually believed that this girl was the daughter of Virgil Swann. Like I said, I would’ve liked to seen her continue as the series develops. I didn’t think we knew that much about her, and we could’ve learned so much more about her.

Now, this storyline seems like it was pulled out of the hat right now, but I think that this particular storyline has been in the works for some time. At least since season four. But I recently watched Rosetta before watching Traveler, and Swann’s first meeting with Clark had a very much “Veritas” feel to it. In the episode, Patricia reveals that Veritas’ goal was to welcome the Traveler. Throughout Swann’s constant contact with Clark, he seems to maintain that goal.

But this storyline has been running through Smallville media since at least last season. Justice and Doom hinted at it with a few things, but it was also briefly touched upon in The Oliver Queen Chronicles. In that, Robert Queen spoke with Bridgette Crosby regarding Swann. But my first brush with this storyline was actually in a Smallville magazine, with a small short story that talked about Virgil Swann and Genevieve Teague. It actually intrigued me quite a bit, so I was excited about it.

One little thing that I did not like about this episode was the fact that Lionel had a hand in the death of Virgil Swann. It just didn’t sit right with me when it was first mentioned. But I also rewatched the news bulletin scene in Sacred where his death was talked about, and it actually makes sense that Swann died at the hands of a Luthor. I don’t like it, but it makes sense. If you watch that scene, it makes sense in the context of the series.

Another highlight of the episode was the Chloe and Lana teamup. It was very interesting to watch. You could definitely tell that Kristin Kreuk and Allison Mack really enjoyed filming that scene. It reminded me a lot of early seasons with Chloe and Lana working together. For much of the series, as of late, their storylines have been so polar opposites. So it was nice to see them working together with a common goal: save Clark.

Allison Mack really shined in this episode. Her monologue talking to an unresponsive Jor-El was really moving. You really got a sense from that speech that Chloe really cared about Clark. Of course, that is no surprise to longtime viewers of the series. But that seemed to be what was driving Chloe throughout the course of the episode.

Another pinnacle of this episode was the scene where Jor-El bestowed upon Kara her memory. When Jor-El was about to do so, I thought that a crystal chamber was going to emerge from the crystals in the Fortress and that was gonna be how Kara was going to receive her memories and powers back, ala Superman II. But the way that it happened was still amazing nonetheless.

This episode saw the return of Kara to her normal Smallville self. I, for one, was ecstatic by this. Like Derek and Steve, I never thought I would be entranced by this character. When Supergirl’s character was initially announced to be coming to Smallville, I was interested, but didn’t think too much on it, as I was not a huge Supergirl fan, but throughout her stint in Smallville, I have entranced and intrigued by the way writers have “reinvented” her for this current continuity. So, I was glad to see her return to the way we remembered her in this show.

One character that remained interesting to me was Lex. In the past couple of episodes, it seems like Lex is returning to that old inquisitive side of Lex that I remember from seasons 1 & 2. This kind of diminished once he tried to put his father behind bars, got Luthorcorp, ran for Senate, married Lana, headed Project: Ares and tried to reform. One line that really catches my attention is when he’s talking to his female assistant about Kara: “Her mind may contain questions I’ve had for a very long time. I’m tired of waiting.” I think Lex knows more about the remaining Kent family members than he’s letting on. It’s almost as if he knows the truth but wants confirmation of it. If Kara had went through the brain procedure that Lex had wanted, I almost wonder if when he found out the truth about Clark, he would’ve said, “I knew it.” I think Lex knows more about Clark’s connections then he lets on to people, including Clark.

This episode also saw Lex kind of on the “truth-path” to finding out more clues behind Veritas. I think we will see as the next two episodes go on, what he will find out about Veritas, and how much Lex actually knows about Veritas itself.

One of the many things that Smallville specializes in is its coloring, in terms of clothing, sets, etc. I find it very interesting that while Kara had amnesia, she was clothed in white, grayish clothing to almost symbolize the fact that her slate was clean, and that she was herself a blank. But as soon as Kara got her memory back, she clothed herself in blue and red clothing, to symbolize the family colors of the House of El. I thought this was very nicely done. Albeit at the time, it sounds cheesy, but I particularly enjoyed it.

Throughout episodes, Smallville is known for its music. Last week, we had lots of OneRepublic music filtered throughput the episode. This episode, we did not. I have noticed that in particularly mythos-centered episodes, the pop music is not featured as much as in other episodes. Another example of this is in Oracle. That episode didn’t have any, as it was a mythos-centered episode.

But the music really soared in this episode. Some key moments for me regarding the music was when Lionel and Clark are having their great confrontation. The music was subtly thrown in there, and then after Lionel admits he’s a changed man, it suddenly stops and you suddenly lose a breath. Then, when Clark says he’s not, the music returns in a somber note. Another key music moment was when Kara was “restored”, and it reminded me very much of Superman II, when Superman was “restored” in that film. It really brought it back for me. Then, the music swells up again when Kara saves Clark, and Clark discovers that Lionel is behind everything that had been going down in the episode.

In most Smallville episodes, there is a protagonist that threatens Clark’s secret. A noteworthy one is Det. Phelan from Rogue. I loved the character of Pierce in this kind of role. He had a great backstory and a tough-as-nails attitude that you rarely see in Smallville. He almost represents those in fear of Superman in the future. If Pierce were still alive, Lex Luthor would definitely hire him again and use that fear to drive him against Superman. I really loved how Aaron Douglas portrayed him in this. Now call it bias, as Battlestar Galactica is one of my favorite shows right now, but I totally dug Pierce. It’s a shame Lionel killed him, but it had to be done, I guess.

Traveler was a very mythos-focused episode, at best. I, for one, love those kind of episodes in any show. I watch shows for characters, and I love seeing character dramas unfold, but it is the mythos episodes that catch my attention, and glue me to the screen. Smallville has such a rich mythology, combining the traditional “alien from another planet” idea with the already rich Superman mythos.

Some mythos ideas that I particularly found interesting was Veritas itself. Now, with this episode, we’ve only scratched the surface with Veritas. We’ll probably see more of it when the episode of the same name rolls around. But I find it very interesting to see that Genevieve, Lionel, Swann, and the Queens were once connected.

Although this episode was a strong mythos episode, it was clearly a builder to what was originally conceived as a finale for season 7. It definitely had that buildup feel to it in many aspects of the episode, and I can’t wait to see what it will build up to.

The existence of Veritas raises one question in my book. What was the genesis and catalyst of Veritas? What caused these specific billionaires to come together to form Veritas? Where had it gone wrong? So many questions that I hope get answered soon . . .

This episode was written by the writing team of Don Whitehead and Holly Henderson. I must say that these two writers have really come into their own this season. It is interesting to note that all of their episodes have been entirely mythos-centered (Lara, Persona, and Traveler). They have definitely stepped up as writers and were able to turn a really good episode. Although these writers have only debuted this season

All in all, this was a really strong episode. I have to say that it is my favorite of the season. This episode was gripping from the getgo. It really had you and didn’t even let you go until the end. I absolutely loved it. But as much as this episode rocked all levels, I have a feeling that the following episode, Veritas, is going to pulsate them with a level five shockwave.

RATING: 5/5

I thought this episode was pretty good. It was very nice to see Sam Jones III as Pete Ross once again. It really brought a breath of fresh air to the series. The episode really gave the season a nice moment of levity, which I think was needed at this point, especially with the huge mythology episodes of Traveler and Veritas just around the corner. I also honestly think that Pete was the only character who could provide that kind of levity, as he provided much levity for the series in its early seasons.

That being said, I think that the manner of Pete’s return was handled poorly. I would’ve loved to see him return in any other fashion. I just hated the fact that he was reduced to “freak-of-the-week” status. It was a real shame.

From seeing this episode and watching previous Pete-centric episodes (such as Duplicity, Velocity, Forsaken), I have come to this conclusion; Pete Ross is the weakest character in Smallville. I think he has grown the least, and I think he was way under-developed in the seasons he was in. That being said, he is very loyal to Clark, as afar as his secret has concerned. In those Pete-centric episodes I mentioned, Pete is usually pretty banged up pretty badly when asked about Clark’s secret. So you gotta give him that.

But one thing I think Pete has been weak as a character was in the respect of how he handled Clark’s secret. Even before he was beaten to a bloody pulp by the FBI Agent in Forsaken, he was always complaining about how he always had to cover for Clark. That always bothered me that it was such a burden for him, but it didn’t seem to be a burden for him and Chloe. It’s just something that always bothered me about Pete’s character.

Some thing I did not like about Pete’s return to Smallville was the fact that he was extremely underused. It seems like Pete wasn’t really Pete until the last few moments of the episode when he was about to leave. That kind of bothered me a little bit.

But one thing about Pete’s return I did like was the way he interacted with some of the new additions, that being Jimmy and Kara. Albeit his interaction with them was very brief, but it was still a very nice treat to see. It was also nice to see some more of Pete’s interactions with some of the characters he has interacted before he had left. I really dug his Lex scene that he did.

Another nice thing was when before Pete left, we got a little nod that he was going to try other ways to save the world. I immediately thought that Pete was gonna go the University of Kansas and pursue a career in politics, which is where he

But, luckily, there were other aspects to the episode that made it enjoyable. For example, Lex and Kara. I think Lex and Kara’s relationship is progressing along very nicely. As I said in my Fracture review, this is something that the writers have brought right out of the comics and it was nice to see it continue. Like in the comics, Kara, to Lex, is just a means to an end. He is just using Kara to find out Clark’s secret.

Kara and Lex’s relationship, especially where it stood at the end of the episode, has got some people talking that it’s Lana and Lex all over again. I really don’t think that’s where the writers are going with this relationship. Like I said earlier, I honestly believe that Kara, in Lex’s eyes, is just a means to an end. Lex has reached the point where he really doesn’t care about anyone, as long as he gets what he wants. In earlier episodes of the season, Lex promised to Clark that he would never become his father, and his interaction with Kara clearly shows that he has. His interaction with Kara is not unlike Lionel’s interaction with Chloe in seasons 2 & 3.

I think Lex has also definitely evolved as a character, to the point where he protected Pete in season 3 and then he was torturing Pete for information. We also got to see more of this evolution, as far as Chloe and Lex goes. I thought the scene between Chloe and Lex was just magnificent. I have usually loved Chloe and Lex scenes, because as of late, Lex has kind of evolved a lot since season 3 when Chloe and Lex were working together to bring down Lionel. It also went to the point where Lex tried to save Chloe. Now, he probably wishes he hadn’t. But, anyway, I digress. The Chloe/Lex scenes this season have been great, even tough we may have only gotten two or three. I also so not think that Chloe knows that Lex knows that she’s a meteor freak, which should provide some verry interesting drama for the series.

Also, we got to see more Luthor drama, too. And not just on the Lex front. We got to see much more with Lionel than we have previous episodes this season. It seems that Lionel somehow got a hold of Kara’s Kryptonian bracelet. How did he get the bracelet? Why did Lionel want it? So many questions . . .

This kind of Luthor drama as far as Lionel is concerned is what makes me love Lionel, above all other characters in Smallville: you never know exactly what Lionel is up to. I have to give the writers credit for that. They always are able to come up with the juiciest stuff for Lionel. I love it . . .

This also shook up the Clark and Lionel dynamic. In this season, the Clark and Lionel relationship has been something of a father and son relationship. When Clark discovered Kara’s bracelet in Lionel’s safe, he initially denied it. He acted like a son, who realized a father had betrayed him. He assumed that there was an explanation, probably going off the things that Lionel had done in previous seasons in the guise of protection (which entailed Lionel being Jor-El’s emissary and vessel). But when Lionel showed up, I loved the scene where Clark just glares at Lionel and says, “We have to talk.” I was on the edge of my seat for that one. I think after all is said and done over the next few episodes, we will see a Clark and Lionel confrontation, not unlike the ones seen in Oracle and Phantom.

Another interesting relationship shakeup was the Lana and Kara scene. I think this scene was vital to the episode, as by the end of the episode, we had to see and I think it worked as far as the characters went. I think Lana was the only one who could’ve talked to Kara about the dangers of trusting Lex. But, I thought Kara’s reaction to Lana’s warning of danger was actually quite funny. The reason I think this is quite telling was that it was the exact same reaction that Lana gave when Clark tried to warn Lana about the dangers of trusting Lex. It definitely was an interesting scene.

One thing that also made this episode was the various callbacks to previous episodes. One of the more interesting callbacks to previous episodes was that the date of the first Meteor Shower, which contradicts I’ve always heard from various sources such as the Chloe Chronicles and the Smallville Visual Guide. In those sources, the first meteor shower dates were October 16, 1989, whereas the episode stated that the first meteor shower was October 7, 1989. Since the latter date was stated on the “actual” show, I think we can be safe with this date.

This episode was written by first-time writers Todd and Aaron Helbing. I thought for the most part they did a real great job, with writing this episode and writing in Pete’s return as well as writing the setup that was needed for the next few weeks of really heavy episodes. I think they did write a good episode for their first time.

The episode was directed by Michael Rohl, who has really established himself as a solid director this season, with him directing the season premiere. He even directed the season finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles this year. I really thought everything turned out well with the effects, and with how the direction was handled.

As I’ve said in previous reviews, the title ususally gives hints to what the episode might contain. I really didn’t feel that. The only way that could’ve been was the fact that Pete was a “hero” to Kara when he saved her life, but that was probably about it.

One thing I did like about the episode that is not related to the episode was the appearance of OneRepublic. I have listened to OneRepublic, and I have enjoyed their music. I love how OneRepublic’s music was integrated perfectly into the episode. It reminded me a lot of Spirit in that regard.

So, all in all, a great episode. I really enjoyed it on many levels. Although not my favorite of the season, it was still a good one and provided much needed levity and fuel for the next few weeks.

RATING: 3.5/5

Read on!

This episode was quite good. There have been many people who have not liked this episode for whatever reason. But I do think it was still pretty good. I do think it was the weakest of the episodes we’ve had thus far. But the weakest episode of this strong season is better than a weak episode in an overall weak season like season 1.

I think why this episode seemed weak for a lot of people, was because it was a very much a transitory episode. There was a lot of set up for future episodes within this one episode. It was also filled with callbacks to earlier episodes of the series and to the Superman mythos in general, which made the episode that much more enjoyable.

The title of a Smallville episode always interests me. With only one word, they can sum up the episode, along with key moments in this episode that happen. This episode is titled, “Fracture.” A fracture means a break, breach or split. How does this affect the title? Well, in the episode, Lex’s personality is broken into two people, Lex (dark side) and Alexander (good side). We also see events within Lex’s mind that helped shape him to the darker individual that he is.

I also thought it was interesting inside Lex’s mind, Lex (as in dark side Lex) is wearing a suit of white, which is an obvious callback to an early season 1 episode, Hourglass. I thought this was a very nice touch.

This episode featured the return of Laura Vandervoort as Kara. This was a really a breath of fresh air, as the last three episodes have not featured her at all, other than the opening credits. This episode definitely had a different feel to it than the three that preceded it, as Vandervoort’s Kara definitely brings something new to the Smallville table.

Another thing that was interesting about this episode, for me at least, was that it took place in Detroit. This was a big deal for me, as I used to live in Detroit. Now, obviously they didn’t film on location but I honestly think the crew on Smallville working on this episode did a really good job trying to make the area of Vancouver look like Detroit. I think, for the most part, it looked pretty good. I definitely looked less than Vancouver than it did when Kara arrived in Detroit in Blue.

I honestly think that the execution by getting Clark into Lex’s mind was kind of weak, with the whole Project: intercept thing and everything. It did give us a springboard into the story but it didn’t seem to work for me.

But the scene where Clark decides to go into Lex’s mind brought some issues that I don’t think has been touched on in the comics. Is Clark’s mind as strong as his body? I would like to say, yes, as we saw a phantom trying to break through the strength-barriers in his mind, so it could control him. But it’s an issue that has been covered on the show before but hasn’t really been talked about in the comics, I don’t think.

Once we got into Lex’s mind, however, I thought it was actually kind of dark and creepy. It makes sense that Lex’s mind would be that way, but I just found it interesting that Lex’s mind was indeed a dark place. As Clark makes his way through Lex’s mind, he sees a shimmering light that was the image of Kara from Bizarro, when she first saved him. Why is this important? I think that this is important as ever since Kara saved Lex from the river, Lex has viewed Kara as someone who saved him from the evil of his ways. It is interesting to note that that is how Lex viewed Clark at one point. So, it makes me wonder, was Clark actually the light in his life at one point and then when their friendship split, he had nothing?

While Clark is in Lex’s mind, we are introduced to an interesting character, Alexander. In this episode, Alexander, in the form of a young, pre-bald Lex, represents Lex’s good side, that the darkness in Lex has been trying to kill for who knows how long. I find this interesting that the good side of Lex is named Alexander, as in the exciting fourth season episode, “Onyx,” Lex’s evil side when it had escaped, was credited as Alexander.

Throughout this episode, there were many references to previous Supergilr comic instances. The first one that is of note is the fact that Kara, with amnesia, goes by the name of Linda. This is obviously a reference to Supergirl’s alter-ego, Linda Lee Danvers, in the early Supergirl comics. It is also a reference to the Supergirl movie, where Kara took on the name “Linda Lee” as her secret identity.

They also alluded to the connection between Lex and Kara, which is another reference to the comics. Shortly before the Death of Superman, Lex died, and was able to clone himself into a new younger body, and adopted the persona “Lex Luthor Jr.,” who was reformed and Australian. This new Lex also had a very intimate relationship with Supergirl. The Lex and Kara character connection is obviously a callback to that.

We then had a very interesting scene inside Lex’s mind. This was a scene in between Lex and Lionel. We saw Lionel in a very abusive light. He was very dark and was very upset that Alexander could’ve touched his briefcase, which had information about the mysterious VERITAS. What is this “Veritas”, which Lionel and Lillian kept referring to? I do think that we will find out in future episodes.

I also thought Lionel’s treatment of Lillian, as well as Lex, was actually a callback to earlier episodes. In the episode Lara, Lex noted that he treated Lex by acting what Lionel did with Lillian and you definitely saw how Lex and his mother were treated by the abusive Lionel. I wonder how this scene will affect Clark’s relationship with Lionel as a surrogate father in the future.

This scene was also very telling in how Lex’s family life will change. In future episodes, we will see Lex develop an enmity for his father, and also he will protect his mother from his father when she tries to kill Julian. It really marked a turning point in the character of the young Lex Luthor.

I have to say that to see Alisen Down as Lillian Luthor was another breath of fresh air for this episode. I love that she brings that sympathy and creepiness that is right for Lex’s mom. I have loved all the episodes that she’s been featured in (Memoria, Lexmas, and Void). It was nice to see her again. It definitely was not the fashion I thought she was going to return in. I thought she was going to take on more of a “angel of warning”-like persona like she did in Lexmas and Void. But I thought the fact that she appeared in a flashback-sense, which brought it full circle, as that’s how she first appeared.

And speaking of Julian, I would have loved to see how maybe the dirty business with recreating Julian as Grant Gabriel would have had a fracture in Lex’s mind. We know that it did, of course. But I would loved to see Michael Cassidy one last time as a phantom (to coin a better phrase) in the chasms of his mind. Would’ve been cool.

Lionel Luthor’s involvement in this episode was more that of a concerned father. Though, you always have to ask the question, which of Clark and Lex is he more concerned about? That is a question that we have been asking since Lionel was revealed as Jor-El’s oracle in season 5. This episode finally brought an answer to that question: Lionel is concerned about both of them. Lionel views both Clark AND Lex as his sons, and was worried equally about their welfare.

We also got to see another scene that I think is an interpretation of Lex’s memories is when Lex forces Clark to see a scene of Lex making love with Lana. I almost want to wonder when this scene took place. When I first saw the scene, I thought it took place in Wither, but when I saw the wedding ring on Lana’s finger made me question that assumption. I honestly that maybe this wasn’t a real scene, but a fabrication by Lex to torture Clark in his own mind. It wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case as throughout most of his relationship with Lana, Lex would often rub it in Clark’s face that he was with Lana.

I also liked how this episode was kind of like Labyrinth in the way that exterior circumstances kind of affected the interior circumstances of the “mindscapes”. When, they decide to defib Lex, you see lights flashing inside the mindscape.

The climax of this episode revolved around a really cool and climactic fight scene between Clark and Lex. I really thought it was an intense fight scene. We have seen very few fight scene between these two before, but this one was just plain awesome! We really got to see Clark cut loose on Lex, and unleash some of the anger that he has felt towards Lex for the past few years for everything he’s done. I also thought it was interesting that no matter how hard Clark punched Lex, he couldn’t seem to do any damage to him. I think this was very symbolic in nature. In the comics sometimes, Superman tries to expose Lex for the criminal mastermind he really is, but due to his standing with the press, and his unlimited resources, Lex is able to sweep it under the rug. I think the punchdown was very symbolic of no matter what Superman did, he could not stop Lex, and Lex would always be shoving it in Superman’s face. I thought it was a very kool scene.

Then, in another cool scene, Clark gives some parting words to the young Alexander, who represents the good side of Lex Luthor, that the dark side has been trying to kill off for several years. I thought this scene really showed the acting skill of Tom Welling. Those of you, who think that Tom welling is only a superior actor when he’s acting outside of Clark Kent, might want to look at this awesome scene. It’s clearly a callback to the comics, where thee are times when Superman tries to appeal to the good side of Lex. This will have more weight to it than it normally would have, as Clark and Lex are friends turned enemies in this interpretation. It was a really sweet scene to watch.

An issue that is never really laid to rest in this episode, in my opinion, is the issue of whether Kara had powers or not. I think at the beginning of the episode, her powers might have been gone. But I think throughout the course of the episode, her healing powers were starting to take affect. But what is causing her powers not to work? Could it be Blue-K? It’s not a stretch tot hink so, as moments before Kara disappeared, Clark smashed a crystal that could have been made from Blue Kryptonite, and shards disappeared everywhere. She could have a splinter of it in her blood like Clark had a splinter of Silver-K in his blood in the episode, Splinter.

We also got to see in this episode the third use of Chloe’s meteor-power of the series. I think this episode was the first of many that we will see Chloe develop her meteor-power further. We learn that Chloe was dead for 18 hours, 15 hours longer than when she used them in the season six finale. Chloe, in this scene, really gets to the core of being a superpowered individual. Why, of all the meteor powers, did she get healing? What is the risk of these powers? If she uses these powers, will she die? I would certainly hope not as I am a huge fan of the Chloe character and have enjoyed seeing her evolution on Smallville. I just hope she is not to rash with these powers, as they could take a while getting used to. With messing with death and all. To quote Chloe, “It is death, after all.”

This whole thing makes you wonder why Chloe decided to use her power to save Lex. Lex hasn’t really been nice to Chloe since season 3, and even then it was because he needed an ally to bring down Lionel. I honestly think that in the course of the episode, when it was learned that Clark could die, when being trapped inside Lex’s mind for too long, it wasn’t even an option anymore. Chloe’s overwhelming love and devotion to Clark has evolved so much that it knows no bounds. It is like a sister risking her love to save her brother.

After this scene with Chloe, we are treated to a plethora of great scenes with Lex, as this episode seemed to focus on him a great deal. The first scene is with Lionel and Lex. Ever since the end of season six, we have been treated to nothing but great scenes between Lionel and Lex. These scenes really showed the evolution of these two characters. In the early scenes with Lionel and Lex, Lionel was the bad one and Lex was the “good” one. But it seemed that there was a real reversal here. When Lionel reveals that he used the healing drug from Rage, Lex doesn’t even respond to it. This shows just how far gone Lex is. Especially in the moment where Lionel says the words that Lex has probably waited his whole life to hear – - “I love you, Lex, my son.” Lex barely responds with a smirk before he leaves the room in that scene. We really see that Lex has truly crossed over into the dark side now. I don’t think Lionel will give up on Lex and will still, like Clark, try to reach Lex’s good side somehow. That is, Lex gives him that chance. But I can honestly say that I think that there are no good feelings left between these two characters.

After that, we are treated to a wonderful scene with Clark and Lex. I have always enjoyed Clark and Lex scenes as I’ve said before. There is always a sense of foreboding that these two will become hated enemies. But now that their friendship is pretty much shot, are there any good scenes left between them? I think this one of them. This episode had a totally different dynamic. It was very much Clark trying to convince Lex to appeal to his good side, and Lex trying to shrug him off. The clincher of the scene, though, was when Clark used his own words against him – - “There’s nothing that’s lost that can’t be found again”, which Lex has said on more than one occasion in earlier this episode to Kara and in the fourth season episode, Jinx to Mxyzptlk.

Than, the final scene with Lex and Kara was also very interesting. Like I said, there is just something very interesting about Lex and Kara’s relationship. I think Lex knew about his amnesia after probably watching her for some time with that tracking system he had used to track Lana and Kara earlier in the season. But I think Lex knows that Kara is connected to Clark somehow and can lead him to the secrets that Clark has been keeping from her. The amnesia helps him in that overall goal. He also plays on Kara’s amnesia by telling her that Clark is not a great guy, and that he is the great guy. So when Lex gets closer in Kara’s memory healing process, will he finally learn the secret of Clark Kent? I also think that Kara is making leaps and bounds already in that process as she gets the sense more and more that she’s different, and belongs somewhere else.

Overall, a great episode. Like I said, very transitory. There was a lot of set up for future events in the season in this episode. That may have caused the episode to suffer a bit as a whole, but I think for the most part, it seemed to work. One thing that I think this episode could’ve used was a Clark and Kara reunion scene. I’m almost pretty sure that one was written and filmed, but due to time constraints and pacing had to be cut.

Another thing that I think dragged the episode down a bit was the character of Finley, who was played by Corey Sevier. Now, I think that this character was all due to the writing, as I have seen the actor who played Finley, in other things that are filmed arounf where Smallville is filmed, and he is a very talented actor. For example, he played a similar character in a show filmed in Canada called Instant Star, (which also stars Laura Vandervoort, coincidentally enough) and he really brought a lot to that role.

But like I said, this episode really was very transitory and was necessary for the overall story of the season. But I thought it was done very well. I thought the many different character connections that we saw in this episode were very well done. One that is to be noted is the connection between Kara and Lois. We may not see more of this connection in Smallville, but we will definitely see it in the future with these two characters in the Superman mythos. I thought it was extremely well done. It is just a shame that we will not see another Smallville episode for some time.

RATING: 4/5

Was it a super-letdown or was it a wonderful addition to the companion books that are already available?

This was a great companion book. I particularly enjoyed Craig Byrne’s first Smallville companion book, the one on season 4 that came out a few months ago. I enjoyed this one a tad bit more, because I love season 5 for so many more reasons. There is a quote in season 5 that actually sums up for me how the series from season 5 goes: “One journey has ended, a new journey is about to begin.” I love season 5 because it seemed to be very Superman-ish in many ways. With Jonathan’s death, the arrivial of Brainiac, Zod, and many comic characters. SO it definitely made the book that much more enjoyable, by allowing me to relive those moments through that fifth season.

But the book itself was a very fun read. There were many highlights to this book that echoed my statements on the last companion book.

The first highlight was of course the foreword by John Glover (better known as Lionel Luthor). That really kicked off the book to a fantastic start. I enjoyed Mr. Glover’s great comments about the stress and hardships during those first several episodes when Lionel was being possessed by Jor-El. Another high point of that foreword, which kind of struck me, was his thoughts on the character of Lionel and the changes that he went through in that season. For many Smallville fans know, this is the season where Clark and Lionel began somewhat of a father-son relationship.

In fact, this companion book really brought to life many things about season 5 for me. This season really gave the show a second wind that has carried it from the WB to the CW all the way from then to now. Many of the things that happened in that season have been repeated in later seasons and have had an effect in later seasons. Now, I loved season 5 because (of many reasons) that was the season where I came into Smallville for the very first time. So this book has been a long time coming for me.

One thing I liked about the last companion book that this carried the trend of was the character descriptions, accompanied by actor interviews of those who played those characters. In the first three companion books, the regular cast was interviewed. In the season 4 book, the regular cast was interviewed as well. It also was intensifed by the addition of interviews and character profiles on recurring characters that really drove the season home (characters such as Bart Allen, Alicia Baker, and then recurring character Lois Lane). This continued in the fifth season companion with character profiles of Milton Fine/Brainiac, Aquaman, and Cyborg. I had really enjoyed their respective characters on the show, so I loved reading their character profiles in the book, especially Brainiac.

I really looked forward to reading the Brainiac interview, because he was played, in this fifth season, by the wonderful James Marsters (of Whedon-fame). I really looked forward to reading what James Marsters would have to say about his character and his story in the season. It was very cool for me.

Something that I noticed in the character profiles that featured our regular cast (Clark, Lex, Lana, Chloe etc.) was that the season was almost a reboot for the series, as I’ve stated before. The characters, who may have stagnated in season 4, have been revitalized for this new season. I almost envision this half of the series as part 2 of the Smallville saga that will hopefully end in a stellar eighth season.

Another thing I liked about this companion book was the in-depth look at episodes. This season contained many of my favorite episodes (Hidden, Oracle, Mercy, and Solitude to name a few), and I really enjoyed reading the cast and crew interviews regarding behind-the-scenes in the making of these different episodes. I particularly enjoyed the commentary on Tomb, where Al Gough said that Tomb “was one of [his] least favorites from season five.” It made me smile to read that, as I not only agreed with him on it being the worst episode of season five, but probably one of the worst of the whole series.

Every companion book focuses on a special episode that everybody remembers being the highlight of that particular season. In the last season companion book, the in-depth episode look was given for Crusade. This time around, the in-depth look was given to the milestone 100th episode, Reckoning. I actually think was the perfect choice for this season, as it is the episode that many fans remember for a volley of reasons. First of which is the fact that it was the 100th episode. In any 100th episode of a series, you always feel the need to kind of restate the mission statement of that series. I think Reckoning did that in spades. What that missions atatement was that the show was about these extremely well-defined iconic characters that we have come to love the past five years. Another reason why Reckoning was so memorable was that it featured the death of one of the show’s most beloved characters, Jonathan Kent. I think the show has drastically changed for this, and the main character of Clark had as well. I really enjoyed the in-depth interviews that were given for this episode, and everything leading up to it, especially that with John Schneider. I really enjoyed his viewpoints on his death on the show, and his viewpoints on being on the show.

Another thing that this book benefits greatly from is the fact that its author, Craig Byrne, is clearly a fan of not only the Smallville mythos, but also the comic book mythology of which many of us are so familiar. This book contained several anecdotes regarding things that have happened in this show that mirror very closely to the way they’ve happened in the comic books. One example is in the section about the episode, Hidden. In that episode, Clark Kent is shot. There is an anecdote that gives great detail regarding Superman being dead in the comics, also a brief stint of him being dead in the 2006 blockbuster, Superman Returns. Another example is in the section about Reckoning, where it gives the instances in the comics and in the Superman media (movies and TV Shows) the ways Jonathan Kent has died. I think those comic book anecdotes really add to the book and give you a back history on how Smallville fits into the timeline of Superman history.

Some more anecdotes that are worth noting are the newspaper bulletins that document certain key events in the season. In past companion books, we have been treated to clippings from the Smallville Ledger, The Daily Planet, and the Metropolis Inquisitor. In this book,. however, we get treated to a newspaper we have not seen and are unlikely to see again: the Tomahawk, the newspaper for Central Kansas University. I thought this was a nice twist to the book, as we were unaware that CKU even had a newspaper, let alone that it was called the Tomahawk. Some other clippings we were treated to and this will no surprise to longtime fans of the show were the blogposts of the Project: Mercury Blog. For those who are unfamilar, Project Mercury began in the last five episodes of season five. It was the project that brainiac and Lex used to develop the supervaccine that ended up being used to prepare Lex to be a vessel for Zod. I had not read these online when they were up so to read them in the book after having watched season 5 in its entirety was a real treat.

Another thing that this book had going for it was the additional webisodes that came with the season, The Vengeance Chronicles. This webisodes were masterfully covered in this book. If I were going to cover these as I did in my review of the Oliver Queen Chronicles, which can be found elsewhere on this site. I was pleased to see these webisodes covered so greatly, as they hold a special place in my heart. This is not only because they feature Chloe pretty prominently, but that they continue the storyline that was in season 4, and concluded (to a degree) in season 6: 33.1. I make it no secret that my favorite storyline in Smallville is 33.1. I thought that this storyline was touched upon greatly in the past 4 seasons of this show, and was greatly brought up in these webisodes, and wonderfully well done in season 6.

In conclusion, I would like to say that i thought this companion book, as with the previous one, was very well-done. You can tell from the end-product the hard work that went in to making this book (interviews, information etc.). I thought Mr. Byrne compiled all the information for each episode, each character and each section beautifully. This book really helped remind me why I liked season 5 so much. It really was a joy to read this book and revisit this wonderful season of a truly super show. I cannot wait to read the books on the other 2 seasons of the show.

RATING: 5/5

This episode was really good. I thought it was real refreshing seeing Justin Hartley as the Green Arrow. I think he really brings something really new and fresh to the role, and also to the show, as well. it’s amazing that with all of this, the CW hasn’t picked up a Green Arrow spinoff series (there is potential there, y’know.)

This episode mostly focused on the Green Arrow’s return to Smallville. Like with some of the Green Arrow-centric episodes of last season, this kind of put Clark’s story somewhat to the sidelines. However, it doesn’t mean that Clark is not involved with the main storyline. His own story just kind of takes a backseat. But that’s okay. We had a Clark-centric episode last week so I think we can take a break. :)

Having said that, I think Justin Hartley did an awesome job with the Green Arrow this episode. I had read reviews saying that Mr. Hartley stole every scene he was in

We also saw the Smallville debut of fan-favorite heroine, Black Canary. I thought she looked great. What I love about Smallville heroes (or heroines in this case), is that they’re given fresh new origins and still tying them to the Smallville universe. Having her work as a vigilante for Lex against the Green Arrow was a great twist on her character, as she would be well-known for being the Green Arrow’s greatest ally in the future. The episode really allowed her journey to be seen through her eyes and it made for a much more interesting episode.

Another reason she was probably introduced was, like I said, because she is known to one of the Green Arrow’s greatest allies. This episode really got to see the beginnings of that relationship betwen Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen. Now, I am NOT a Black Canry fan. So I went into this episode, with very little knowledge of her character. So, I was pleasantly surprised with this fresh new origin. I was able to catch all the subtle references to Black Canary and Green Arrow. I think Alaina Huffman did a great job, portraying Ms. Lance onscreen. She really seemed to capture what Black Canry is, but then again, I’m not a fan, I don’t know.

We also saw a glimpse of a possible future for Chloe. In this episode, we got to see her pulling off several odd jobs for Oliver (hacking into computers, extracting files etc.) and was obviously still under Oliver’s payroll. I think that this is where Chloe’s future lies. I have saud before, in previous reviews, that I believe that Chloe’s future lies not in the upper levels of the Daily Planet but in the halls of the Justice League as “Oracle.” She already acts as an “oracle” for Clark in many ways. I think Chloe weill eventually pass that torch of reporter to Lois. She will however being helping Clark and his “amazing friends” by navigating their missions behind the scenes, like she did in Justice.

This episode also focused on some of the relationships that have been in the air for a while. Those relationships being Clark and Lana, Lois and Oliver, and Lois and Clark.

I would first like to talk about Clark and Lana. This relationship has always been pretty rocky, as far things have been the last few episodes. But I think that Lana and Bizarro’s relationship may have put a nail in that. But I think it runs deeper than that. Lana said it best when she said that he believed that Lana was not who he was going to end up with. This is not the first time somebody had said that. Martha had said as much two seasons ago. That is the reason that Clark took so long to tell Lana his secret. Because maybe he didn’t want to let her in. Their relationship has always been an interesting one to watch onscreen, because you know that Clark and Lana are not going to end up together at the end of the series. It’s going to end very tragically for them. But I think it is Tom and Kristin’s onscreen chemistry that meks the relationship work onscreen. I do think that this was a step into what their relationship in the comics and in Superman’s future is: that of close friendship. I think that is what we will see in future episodes.

The next one relationship that was obviously focused on in this episode was the relationship of Lois and Oliver. I have been a fan of Lois and Oliver, ever since they first got together in season six. When I first heard of it, I wasn’t excited about it, but when I saw it onscreen it worked for me. Aside from the chemistry that Justin Hartley and Erica Durance have, their relationship is in a lot of ways foreshadowing the relationship Lois will have in her future with Clark and Superman. I think it worked on that level for me in season six. Now, when I first heard about this episode, I thought Grant would still be around and there’d be some romantic tension-triangles going on there. But, alas, Grant is dead. I thought, tho, too that Oliver would maintain some sort of long distance relationship with Lois, that would allow him to return for a couple of episodes, too, but alas, that is not to be either. So their relationship is now dead, and can’t explored further, which is a shame.

I think Lois finding out Oliver’s secret of Green Arrow was a great skill of writing, in regards to this. It could’ve been handled another way, but it was handled in the way that was good for the overall Smallville story and for the character of Lois Lane. She really felt that with Oliver’s big secret and superhero lifestyle, that he wouldn’t give as much attention to her as she would’ve liked. She also felt that she couldn’t handle Oliver’s “big” secret. I thought this was great fror the character, as she has a lot of growing to do before she can accept that great secret of her future spouse. I wish that Smallville were on the air long enough for us to actually watch that growth in her character. But, sadly, we can’t.

That brings me to the next relationship: the relationship of Clark and Lois. All of these other two relationship seemed to strengthen this relationship. This relationship has been interesting to me from day one when Lois first got to Smallville. When Lois was lamenting about her lost relationship to Oliver, who was there but Clark? I think that these two actually really like each other, and have a deep connection that many in Smallville (not even Clark and Lois) see. I would love to see this relationship blossom and continue. In fact, it was the Clark and Lois scene at the end that made me want to see it. I think we are seeing the beginnings of that right here in this episode.

Another thing this episode did was further the growth of the character of Lex Luthor. It seemed after murdering his supposed brother in cold-blood last week, Lex has since washed his hands of the dirty deed by covering up the evidence and moved on back to his old habits: secret projects under the guise of Luthorcorp’s best interests. In my view, Lex has regressed in this way. In TV Shows, Movies, or Books, when a character regresses, we tend to frown because they ignored all the changes that happened to them previously. But I think this kind of regression makes us smile because it leads Lex closer and closer to accepting his great destiny as one of the great villains in DC Comics history.

This actually makes me wonder, what secret project was Lex trying to cover up now? He obviously hired Black Canary to retrieve the information so it could lead back to his hands. I once believed that the secret project was Operation: Retrieve Kara. But if that was the case, he wouldn’t have gone to great lengths to make sure t stayed hidden. Because it was about finding Kara, he could always makes that under the guise of concern for a shining jewel in an otherwise dark society or something like that. I think, though, it may be a more darker, more sinister project than even Project: Ares was. But who knows?

We also got to see a bit darker side when Lex learned from Black Canary that Green Arrow had returned. He was able to manipulate her to believe she was fighting for the right side: his. I think he was able to do that in a way only Lionel could do before. We also saw a bit of his darker side when he fought toe-to-toe with Green Arrow. This fight scene is probably one of the coolest non-superfight scenes in Smallville. I think the Green Arrow-Lex dynamic proves great foreshadowing to what Superman and Lex will be. In fact, if we ever get to see another Superman movie, I would love to see Superman and Lex go toe-to-toe like this, But due to Superman’s powers, he’d probably get his butt kicked. But still, it would be awesome.

This episode also saw the beginning of a new arc for Lionel. In the aftermath of Grant/Julian’s death, Lionel is looking for ways to being Lex down. At first, he tried manipulating Lana to do it. At first, he seemed very nonchalant about it, as if was just normal business. But near the end of the episode, he seemed desperate to have Lana help him bring down Lex, as she had no problem doing it before. This was a big turning for Lionel, as Lionel is in the same position Lex was in season 3. In season 3, Lex was working to bring Lionel down, and Lionel was the one who needed to be behind bars. I think it is very interesting how the tables have turned. Lana’s warning to Lionel, however, was very cryptic, though. What will happen to Lionel if he pursues this path of destroying Lex?

Also, we were treated to a view of things to come. When Lana entered Lionel’s office, she saw a letter with the seal “V” on it. What could this possibly mean? Well, we know from spoilers, that this is “V” is Veritas. But that brings up the question what IS Veritas? And how is our elder Luthor connected to it. Only time will tell . . .

One thing gripe I did have with the episode was how come Green Arrow didn’t have his voice modulation when he returned? I hope I’m not the only one who noticed that. In earlier episodes with the Green Arrow, he seemed to have voice modulation to make his voice differ from that when he was Oliver Queen. Without these, it would make Lex more viable to discover Green Arrow’s identity. It wasn’t a big thing, just a little thing that caught my attention

This episode was written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. They wrote the episode where Green Arrow in all his glory debuted on the small screen. I think it only fitting that they write Green Arrow’s return to the small screen. They really wrote a great episode, and I hope they write more Green Arrow-centric episode, should we have any of them.

All-in-all, I thought it was a great episode. I thought the Green Arrow’s return was a welcome one, and look forward to more returns if the story (and Justin Hartley’s commitments) allow him to. The episode really moved the characters in new direction and the story of Smallville in new directions. While i thought this, I did not think it was great an episode as Persona was. I thought the Clark and Lana stuff seemed to drag. It was good, just not as awesome as last week’s.

RATING: 4/5

Click on the jump to find out.

Wow. I think that’s all I can say to sum up my feelings about this episode at this time. It was an amazing hour of television that I had the privilege to watch. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, just waiting to see what was going to happen next.

I think one thing I liked about this episode was, of course, Brainiac. I have not, as of yet, expressed my feelings about Brainiac in review form. I thought Brainiac was a welcome addition to season five, and contributed highly to my liking of that season. I do believe however that Brainiac’s return was a long-time coming, but I digress. I think James Marsters plays this role beautifully and elegantly. He plays the role with such robotic precision that you believe that this man was once the most powerful, intelligent, and deadly computer on Krypton. It was a pleasure to have him back, and he was at the centerfold once again. For most of season 5, he was the ultimate puppet-master, pulling all the strings so that his master, Zod, could be released. He was doing this again this season so that either Clark or his doppelganger could lead him to his maker.

Now, as much as I love Brainiac on this show, the one issue I always had when contemplating his return to the series, was what story he would fit himself in. Obviously, his arc throughout the whole of the episode was to find Dax-Ur so that he can regenerate. He found Dax-Ur, so what now? Is he completely generated through the use of Dax-Ur’s brain, or what? Once he is regenerated, what will Brainiac’s new mission be? Only time will tell . . . (Something we don’t have too much of this season . . .)

A lot of this episode is just dealing with the repercussions of the last 2 episodes. One of those is Bizarro’s return, Grant being a clone of Julian, Lex buying the Daily Planet etc. So this episode really felt like a conclusion to the arcs that almost began in Blue. Maybe that’s why I like it so much.

Another thing I liked about this episode was Bizarro’s return to form. Now, technically, Bizarro returned in Gemini, but we really didn’t know it was Bizarro at the time. But one thing I can say about Bizarro is that he is really awesome to watch onscreen, especially when he’s interacting with Clark. You can really tell that there is a difference between these two characters, and that’s all due to the wonderful acting of the man himself, Tom Welling. He does a wonderful Clark Kent, that is for sure, and we all know that, having seen it for the past six and a half years.But it is when Mr. Welling plays a character outside of that normal, stalwart Clark Kent we are used to is when he shines (ie.e. Red-K Clark, Kal-El, Lionel, Bizarro), and you really see a depth to his acting. I have to give props to Mr. Welling for that. The way he plays Bizarro is one of kind of arrogance and darkness, while at the same time possessing some semblance of sympathy to the character. It’s really fun to watch onscreen.

Bizarro, in all incarnations whether it be comics, animated series, or straight shows like Smallville, has been made to be a sympathetic character. There are times in those various incarnations that you felt sorry for Bizarro. In the first half of this episode, there was none of that. For pretty much the whole episode, you hated Bizarro (well, loved and hated for me), and saw him as the antagonist of it all by sleeping with Lana, and trying to do whatever it takes to assimilate himself into Clark’s life. Then, in the final moments of the episode, you really got a sense that Bizarro had learned emotion and love in his time with Lana. You would think that because Bizarro was feeling this for Lana, that he might have changed from his survivor attitude. No, because the second Clark showed up onto the scene again, Bizarro was back to his “kill-or-be-killed” attitude that prevailed him for much of season six, when we saw him. So, obviously, Lana’s love hadn’t changed him that much.

Something that always struck me about Bizarro, particularly in Smallville’s version of him, is that he is literally Clark Kent’s opposite. In the season premiere, we kind of got a glimpse of that when the Martian Manhunter revealed Bizarro’s origins. But I think seeing Bizarro posing as Clark really gave us more of a glimpse. Whereas Clark is nervous to open himself up, and give Lana his whole heart, Bizarro was willing to do it, as he does not have to worry about the same things Clark worries about on a daily basis: doing the right thing. I guess that’s kind of funny if you think about it.

Another reason Bizarro’s return was so awesome was to see him interact with the characters that we have known and loved for so long. The first character that comes to mind is Chloe. I think it’s very interesting that the first person who seems to suspect that Clark is not himself. You would think that Lana would suspect that Clark was not himself, considering the fact that Lana has been sleeping with him for over a month. But it was Chloe. Chloe knows Clark better than anybody. She is always having to defend herself to other people for this (Jimmy, Lana, Lois), but it’s true. Chloe is like the sister Clark never had, and, if Chloe ever makes it to the comics, I would like to see this connection explored more. Because when Clark returns, you definitely see that connection that those two have. It’s awesome.

The thing that was at the heart of this episode was it really drove home the fact that Clark and Lana can never truly be happy together. Now I am not a fan of the Clana relationship, because I do not believe it can work. In the comics, Clark and Lana’s relationship is kind of glossed over and not focused too much, because in the overall scheme of things, it’s very minute. One thing that I think Smallville is good for is seeing why that relationship doesn’t, can’t, and won’t work. I think it’s been quite interesting to see this growth in these two characters’ relationship. It’s one thing in Smallville that really works is seeing that love story being blown to pieces. But I seriously do not see this relationship lasting too long. It just seems that when we’ve been treated to episodes that are very “Clana”-centric (i.e. Action, Wrath, and Persona), they seem to be building up for a big fall and an understanding breakup. I do not think it’s going to be a breakup of like Lex and Lana, where it’s “I love you, I don’t love you,” but a breakup of “I love you, but I can’t stay.”

Neither is ready for the kind of relationship they want. Clark hasn’t really balanced the two conflicting sides of his personality: the hero and the man, and Lana wants a man who is understandably completely devoted to her. So, neither is ready. Sad, isn’t it?

I do want to say one thing about Ms. Lang, though before I continue. In this episode, Bizarro said that when he arrived in Smallville, he was only concerned with his own survival, but fell in love with Lana when he saw her. What is the deal?! Why does everyone love Lana so much? (Lex, Jason, Whitney, Clark, Bizarro, Tina Greer) It has been suspected by some that Lana might have a meteor power due to her constant wearing of the Krypto-necklace in much of the first season. My theory is she has the meteor-ability to make anybody fall in love with her (kind of in the same vein of the chick from Heat).

Another thing that seemed to work in this episode was the appearance of Marc McClure on Smallville. One thing I’ve always liked about Smallville is that its guest stars are given really great characters to work with, and Mr. McClure’s was no exception. I almost saw Dax-Ur as another cautionary tale for Clark. Clark could have what Dax-Ur does, if he truly forsook his alien lineage and abandoned his do-good nature. Dax-Ur knew in the span of a heartbeat that he wanted to forsake his powers for family, but Clark has been struggling with that choice almost the whole series. I think Marc McClure did an excellent job with this character, and it made me sad when Brainiac “killed” him.

But before he went, Dax-Ur was able to give great insights into his character, and into Krypton itself. I thought McClure really acted well with Welling’s Clark, as much as he did with Reeve’s Clark. My favorite line of the episode from him was “The House of El. You always were survivors.”

I, with Steve and Derek, was definitely campaigning for Dax-Ur to be a good guy. A joke has been made on Smallville that seemingly all Kryptonians are bad guys, except Clark. Now, when Dax-Ur was being mentioned, I was hoping he would be a good guy, and I’m glad he was. The twist with his character that I wasn’t expecting was that Dax-Ur was the creator of the BrainInterActive Construct. That gives some interesting insights into Brainiac’s origins. Was Brainiac supposed to be a vessel for good? And what had happened to it that it had become the unyielding servant for Zod? Very interesting questions.

I think a great scene that Welling as Bizarro had was with Jor-El in the Fortress. I loved that Bizarro had an essence about him that wasn’t “right.” The way Welling played that was perfect. You could sense in every scene Bizarro was in, that he was not Clark, and Jor-El sensed it too. The scene in the Fortress played out, with Bizarro being in it, like a fish being in dry land, and Jor-El basically banished him from the Fortress because of this. It was awesome.

You also got a sense of this when Bizarro interacted with Brainiac. I think Welling and Marsters played off of each other perfectly, but I digress. When Bizarro first shows up, Brainiac immediately recognizes that this is not Kal-El that he is speaking to, but a cheap copy (and he doesn’t neglect telling Bizarro this either). So, Chloe knew it, Brainiac knew it, Jor-El knew it, why is it that Lana didn’t know it?

We were also able to get some semblance of answers as to how Bizarro was able to return in this week’s episode, and what had exactly had happened. When Brainiac asks where Clark was, Bizarro simply replied that he didn’t know, and that Martian Manhunter held him prisoner, and he escaped, and when he returned, Clark was gone. I would’ve liked to know when he escaped. Was it tied in with the eclipse in Blue? Did he escape sometime in between Bizarro and Blue?

I think another one of the pinnacles of this episode is when Clark returned to Smallville. It wasn’t just returning to his home in Smallville, but his returning to being a presence on the actual series. When Clark was released from his punishment in the Fortress, it was like seeing an old friend that we hadn’t seen in a long time. This is also attributed to Tom Welling’s superb acting skills, as he was still able to make the difference between Bizarro and Clark. I know viewers everywhere welcomed Clark’s return with open arms.

Howver, I was expecting the return to be a little later in the episode, but I do understand that it was a packed episode as it was, so yeah so his return had to be like 15 minutes in. But his return still ROCKED!

This episode also saw the return of Blue Kryptonite. I like Smallville’s interpretation of Blue Kryptonite, too. I like the fact that it came from Krypton, and not with it, if you know what I mean. At first, I thought it was a lame copout how they made Blue Kryptonite drain his powers entirely, as that Krypto-property is reserved for the Gold variety. I thought this because, in the comics Blue Kryptonite helps Superman, rather than hurt him, and it hurts Bizarro, so I wondered how this would play out. I was, however, overall pleased with how it affected Bizarro. It didn’t have the effect that Green Kryptonite had on Clark, but it in necessity killed him, which was cool.

I also thought it was very interesting to see that Lana was the one to do Bizarro in, as opposed to Clark, who subdued him the last time. Would I have liked to see Clark and Bizarro fight in a classic super-fight that comic fans are so familiar? Absolutely. But I think the way Bizarro died in Smallville had a little bit more emotional impact on the part of Lana, which was good. Lana, I think, has really started to accept that she can never really be truly happy the way she wants to with Clark.

This brings me to my only dislike for the episode itself: Bizarro’s death/destruction. I have made it no secret that I love Bizarro. He was my favorite character in the comics, and in the animated series. When I heard he was coming to Smallville, I was excited, and even more excited when it was announced he would be a recurring villain on the show. However, I was disappointed that he died. Part of me wonders if this was due to the writer’s strike or if this was originally in the cards for Bizarro on Smallville. If it was due to the writer’s strike, then that’s understandable. But if this was the writers’ plan, then that is cool, too. At least, Clark will have used the knowledge to defeat this Bizarro to defeat other Bizarros in his future.

Now, I don’t think we can discuss this episode without talking about the Luthor subplot of the episode. It was an amazing subplot, too. It’s been about a month since Gemini, when Grant Gabriel learned he was a clone of Julian Luthor, which we got an answer to. I think for the past month and a half, all of us were wondering how the heck Lex cloned Julian, if Julian is dead. I was satisfied to get an answer to this question: that Project Gemini was simply using the umbilical cord blood from Lillian Luthor. I do not think that is a stretch at all, as I think those kind of things would be on file at Medical facilities. Lex, being a man of unlimited resources, would be able to access these things to further his project.

This episode saw Grant making the strides to make something anew with his life. I can only assume that his job at the newspaper is making him unsettled, as he knows all his knowledge in that arrow isn’t real, but forged by Lex. How does Grant make his life anew? Seeing his father.

I thought all the Lionel/Grant scenes were great. I really felt John Glover and Michael Cassidy played off of each other really well. I said in a prior review that I thought Michael Cassidy looked a little like Michael Rosenbaum. I could almost being John Glover’s son, too. Their scenes were wonderful.

This episode was also a great one for Lex. This episode saw Lex making leaps and bounds towards becoming the evil mastermind villain that we all know him to be. In this episode, we saw Lex orchestrate the killing of the man he created, and who he termed to be his brother: Grant Gabriel.

For much of this season, Lex was under this redemption phase, which I never r