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SMALLVILLE
Episode Twenty-Two, Season Five
WB Production
"That's the breaks, the way the
cookie crumbles"
I’m of two minds about this season final
as while I rather enjoy the fact that the writing has once again set up roughly a half
dozen cliff-hanger moments that leave one asking the question how pretty much every major
cast member will survive the respective dire predicaments that they find themselves at the
end of this season, I can’t help but be a little put off by the underlying sense that
everything feels a little too orchestrated. Now I realize everything that happens has been
orchestrated by the writing, but this episode it felt a bit lazy, as Lana just happens to
be lurking outside the door when Clark delivers his speech about having to kill Lex. I
also find it a little difficult to buy into the idea that a city wide blackout would
result in such wide spread rioting, and given the utter chaos that erupted one does have
to question why in the world would Chloe decide running down the middle of the street
would be the sensible thing to do. I mean I know she’s an intrepid reporter, but the
only reason why her character needs to be out in the midst of this mob is so that she can
be endangered by it. Lana’s unwavering devotion to Lex because he tells her the truth
also became increasingly difficult to accept, as with the city in flames and Lex standing
on a rooftop basking in the chaos, Lana’s sole concern is her relationship with Lex.
Still there are some enjoyable moments in this episode, as the idea of a super-powered Lex
is used to good effect, and the writing smartly realizes that slugfest happy fans like
myself would enjoy see him and Clark trade blows. I also can’t deny there is a real
impact to that shot of Clark floating off into space, trapped in the Phantom Zone, and
while we know he’ll escape it does set the stage for a dramatic return. The Superman
II fan in me also can’t help but enjoy the simple fact that the big baddie of this is
General Zod, and Michael Rosenbaum does an effective job of channelling the overwhelming
sense of superiority that was key to Terence Stamp’s performance in the original
film. Plus, I suspect I’m not the only fan who will be anticipating the "knell
before Zod" moment in the season opener. In the end there’s enough excitement to
overshadow the contrivance of some of the writing.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Twenty-One, Season Five
WB Production
"It's not easy to be me"
The episodes this season that involve
Professor Milton Fine are far and away the most enjoyable so I’m rather pleased to
see the episodes that will close out this season will revolve around his increasingly
sinister plans to subject the human race to Kryptonian rule. This episode also managed to
earn itself a check mark on the good column with it revelation about the end game of
Professor Fine’s actions as I’m sure I’m not the only "Superman
II" fan who is giddy about the prospect of General Zod’s impending arrival. I
mean while Lex makes for a lovely reoccurring baddie, and Michael Rosenbaum has done an
effective job of selling the character’s growing evil, the one thing that this series
has lacked is a villain who truly leaves you convinced that Clark Kent is in serious
danger when ever he faces him. I mean for all the villains of the week that have
endangered Clark over the past five seasons you always knew that by episode’s end
Clark find some way to pull off a victory. However, the mere mention of Zod’s name is
enough to convince me that this is an enemy that could turn Clark’s happy little
world on it’s head. Now I’m not quite sold on Lionel Luthor being one of the
good guys as John Glover is so much more engaging as villain, but I can’t deny that
having him and Clark working together does have the benefit of being something we
haven’t seen before. The episode also benefits from several very effective character
moments from the highly charged emotions on display when Clark accuses Lex of stealing
Lana, to a riveting scene where and enraged Clark confronts Lionel about the role that he
played in the death of his father. However this impact latter scene is undone when
Jonathan Kent’s ghost arrives and starts urging Clark to kill Lionel, as it made
Fine’s elegant set-up look downright amateurish. Still, there was enough strong
individual performances that I really enjoyed this episode as Annette O’Toole (Martha
Kent) turns in some of her best work yet when she deals with the truth about
Jonathan’s death, and the same hold true for Erica Durance when Lois steps up to the
plate and give both Lana and Clark some much needed advice.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Twenty, Season Five
WB Production
"Mister Cellophane, shoulda been
my name"
This episode does earn points in that it
doesn’t look to have stolen it’s plot, and while Clark doing battle with an
invisible assassin didn’t really require much effort from the writing, as the plot
pretty much jumps through all the hoops one would expect it to, at least I could watch
this episode without becoming actively annoyed that the writer had simply lifted the plot
of another writer and pasted in the Smallville characters. Now this is a pretty
run-of-the-mill villain of the week episode, and it’s big climax didn’t quite
pack the punch that it really should’ve, as for an invisible assassin who has pulled
off several high profile jobs his pair of attempts on Lex’s life felt like amateur
hour. Having the big baddie tagged by one of the bullets that Lex shot randomly around his
hospital room also felt a bit anticlimactic, as it seriously downplays the threat level of
an invisible opponent when a hero is able to take them out with a shot that they fired
blind. Still, the episode did manage to offer up a couple nice moments as we see that our
hidden villain is standing right beside Chloe and Clark as they discuss his weakness, and
the opening scene where we discover what the man that Clark just saved does for a living
made for a nice look at his power in action. The writing also earns points for having
Clark bothered by the idea that he saved the life of a man who went on to kill another
person, and while the conversation that he has with Chloe makes all the obvious arguments
I did enjoyed the idea that Clark was asking the question. This episode also has Clark
discover that Lana and Lex are a couple, and it’s good to see this dramatic moment
has been dealt with, as the scenes where Chloe rapidly backpedaled after she inadvertently
dropped a hint about it was getting rather old. The closing scene where Lana comes to
Clark and tells him that she’s become involved with Lex was also a welcome scene as
it pretty much closes the book on this soap opera style plot thread, with the only scene
left being the chest beating confrontation between Lex and Clark which looks to be coming
in the next episode.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Nineteen, Season Five
WB Production
"Let's not play the game"
One has to openly wonder if a story-writing
meetings on Smallville simply consists of them bringing in a big box of movies and than
they play a game of pick-em as the writers get to decide what movie plot they want to rip
off. This week’s writer clearly wound up with the horror film "Saw", as the
plot involves Lionel Luthor being kidnapped by a masked lunatic, and being forced to
participate in a number of games that endanger his life. Than later in the episode we see
Martha Kent is also pulled in which naturally gives Clark the motive to rush to the
rescue. I mean this has to be one of the sweetest gigs in the industry as you don’t
even have to bother to come up with your own plot but rather you can simply cut and paste
the cast of Smallville into a ready made plot. It also doesn’t help that Saw had
itself an R-rating and as such it had the freedom to crank the level of suspense with an
ample helping of gore and grisly dismemberments. However, Smallville is forced to offer up
a PG-rated affair and the games that Lionel is forced to play are downright silly. In fact
the only sequence that really captured the spirit of the film that it was ripping off was
the one where Lionel was forced to balance the flammable liquids, and if the other games
had matched this scene than I would’ve been more willing to look the other way when
it came to the plagiarized plot. However, the game of hangman the opened the episode, and
the word scramble game pretty much undermined the level of suspense that this fire scene
managed to generate. The final game with the gun never managed to convey any sense of
danger as simple logic states that the gun wasn’t loaded, as Smallville writers have
a long history of chickening out when it comes to their dramatic deaths. I also had a bit
of trouble with the manner in which Clark rescued Lionel and his mother, as wouldn’t
hitting Clark be just as damaging to the elevator car as if it had slammed into the
ground, given Clark did nothing to cushion the impact. Now there is some enjoyment to be
had with the scenes involving Clark and Lionel as the two discuss the idea that Lionel is
well aware of Clark’s secret, but in the end this episode is yet another nail in the
coffin of what used to be a very engaging series.
1.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Eighteen, Season Five
WB Production
"That it feels just like I’m
walking on broken glass"
Okay you’re in a house where every
window has exploded into a thousand deadly shards and having survived this experience your
first reaction when the mirror on the wall begins to show signs of exploding is to walk up
to it? I mean I understand it’s far more dramatic to have your hero investigate that
strange noise in the dark, but there’s a fine line between building suspense and
having your character behave like a complete moron, and the opening scene of this episode
offers up a shining example of the latter. Still putting aside this silly opening scene,
the rest of the episode is a rather bland adventure that failed to offer up a single
moment that I didn’t see coming. I mean I guess we’re supposed to be caught up
in the illusion that this sweet-faced little girl might be a killer, but the minute she
explained why she couldn’t have done it I knew that there was another person running
around with a similar ability, and it didn’t take much to make the leap that this
person would be the girl’s father. The episode also seems to be of the mind that the
big climax should be this little girl being forced to decide whether she’ll use her
abilities to kill her father but the suspense of this moment is virtually non-existent.
The episode is also rather dismissive of the idea that this villain could ever be a
threat, as after the little girl decides not to kill him, they turn their back on him to
share their bonding moment. I mean given this man has to know that he’ll be locked
up, the big question becomes why the heck is he sticking around to be taken into custody?
Now it’s nice to see Lois return to this series, and it’s also good to see the
character doesn’t become warm and fuzzy when it comes to dealing with the little
girl. There’s also a couple touching moments between Clark and the young girl, and
for a child actor the actress does a pretty effective job of holding up her end during
these scenes. Still, this episode featured a cookie cutter plot, and the big dramatic
finish was so dependant on viewers believing that this child might murder her father that
it lacked any dramatic impact. As for the Lex/Lana budding romance it would be nice to see
the writing make an effort to develop some chemistry between these characters before they
jumped to the lip locking stage of the relationship, as right now it feels like little
more than a silly plot contrivance.
2 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Seventeen, Season Five
WB Production
"I'm looking for answers from the
great beyond"
Writing for Smallville must be a great gig
for lazy writers as not only can they get away with treading the same tired ground over an
over again, but they can also apparently engage in the outright theft of ideas as I’m
sure this episode’s plot would seem quite novel to any viewer who hadn’t seen
the 1990’s film "Flatliners". I mean the only real change that the
writer(s) of this episode made is the tired old trick of making the plot device that
induces the temporary death a kryptonite based solution, but the minute this idea is
introduced the writing might as well start waving a big banner that stated Clark is going
to be injected with this solution during the big climax. However the main recipient of
this death inducing serum is Lana who becomes so addicted to the fleeting visits with her
late parents that Kristin Kreuk decided to play it like a junkie desperate to score her
next fix. However, the episode’s happy little finish makes it fairly clear that the
serum never had any addictive properties, which means the director really should’ve
stepped in and instructed Kristin Kreuk to tone down her performance as it was way over
the top, or they could’ve simply instructed her to watch Julia Roberts character in
Flatliners as Lana’s plight is lifted directly from that film. Now there are some
effective little moments in this episode, as the awkward tension that now exists between
Lana and Clark is perfectly captured during a brief meeting in Lana’s dorm room. The
meeting between Clark and Jonathan was also an effective scene as Tom Welling sells
Clark’s guilt. I also have to give the show credit for how it’s handling
Lex’s transformation into Superman’s greatest enemy, as this episode offers up a
lovely moment where Lana question Lex’s about the meeting he had with his mother.
However, I found it difficult to ignore the stolen plot that the episode centred around
and once again in it’s bid to offer up a speedy resolution the writing ignores a
potential trouble spot as wouldn’t Lana have to explain what happened to the police
when they start investigating the deaths of a pair of medical students.
2 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Sixteen, Season Five
WB Production
"So hypnotic got every girl up in
this club trying to top it"
Clark falling under the spell of an evil
seductress is a plot thread that been offered up at least a couple times in the past, but
I have to say this episode managed to grab my full attention in spite of the best efforts
of the creative team which decided to play to the lowest common denominator by offering up
not one but two scenes where one could practically see the episode screaming look what
were getting away with. In fact given the media buzz that is generated down in the States
ever a television series is accused of trying to corrupt the poor viewers with their
sinful soft-porn images I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a calculated move in
order to direct some much needed attention toward this series. Still, instead of focusing
on the more deliberate manoeuvres that the show offered up I’d much rather offer up
reason why I found this episode to be one of this season’s strongest efforts, as the
writing was given the opportunity to actually mess about with the status quo. I mean one
of the biggest complaints that I would make with this series is that it was a little too
fond of offering up moments that felt big and momentous, but than it became a mad dash
back to the status quo in the closing moments, so that the next episode wouldn’t have
to deal with the mess that the previous writer left behind. However, much like the death
of Jonathan Kent earlier in the season this episode offers up a development that the
writers that follow are going to have to acknowledge. What more given I felt the writing
had milked about as much emotional angst that they could out of this plot thread, I have
to say I’m rather pleased to see it brought to a close. The episode also managed to
develop a real sense of urgency in this episode, as it gets out of the gates very quickly
with a lovely cut to the opening credits moment, and Clark’s new relationship with
this woman is also brought forward very quickly. Now the main plot does suffer from the
typical rushed climax that Smallville is a little too fond of, and someone should really
tell the special effects team that the slow motion destruction of an object has become a
rather tiresome visual element. However, the secondary plot involving Milton Fine looks to
be shaping up very nicely, as does Lex’s steady transformation into Clark’s
primary adversary.
4 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Fifteen, Season Five
WB Production
"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We
have the technology."
I do believe Cyborg is the third DC hero to
make the jump over to the Smallville series, and I have to confess I was a little
disappointed with this debut as the writers didn’t really give the character all that
much to do. I mean the episode opens with a rather ho-hum escape sequence where his one
major super-stunt takes place entirely off-screen. We that have the character conveniently
cross paths with Lana, who smashes into our cybernetic guest-star, and this produces the
only real power stunt of the episode. I mean he also throws Clark into the side of a
building, and his second escape includes his jumping off a roof, but in the end
Cyborg’s adventure is a rather flat narrative that doesn’t give the character
all that much to do beyond play with the character’s survivor guilt, and his dismay
at being brought back from the dead. Now there are some nice little moments in this
episode that are sure to be enjoyed by comic book fans like myself, as how can one not
smile when Clark’s x-ray vision scan reveals the more familiar Cyborg profile, and
how can one not enjoy the cut to commercial reveal as we see Lex Luthor is nowhere near as
innocent as he claims to be when it comes to what was done to Vic Stone. Still, I wish
Cyborg had been given a little more to do than play the damsel in distress role that is
usually reserved for Lana. I mean what’s the point of bringing in another
super-powered character from the DC Universe if the character isn’t allowed to
perform the song and dance show that would have viewers unfamiliar with the character
curious about the comic book counterpart of this guest-star. The episode does offers up a
pretty engaging secondary plot though which has Martha Kent dealing with a blackmailer who
has managed to capture Clark performing a super-powered rescue on film, and this plot
gives the episode a very impressive closing moment as we discover Lionel Luthor knows far
more about Clark’s secret that one would imagine.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Fourteen, Season Five
WB Production
"I'm a goddamn marvel of modern
science."
It’s clear that the people involved in
the production of this episode have watched a number of horror movies as there’s
visual moments in this episode that are pretty much reproduced, from the
"Rosemary’s Baby" figure that that passes quickly in front of the camera,
to the ever classic jump scare moment where a figure appears in the mirror in the length
of time it takes our hero to retrieve something from the medicine cabinet. We also get the
dropped frame movement figure that the Ring films made ever so popular, and I’m sure
horror film veterans will recognize the jump scare potential of the scene where the camera
pulls in real tight on the heroine after she inexplicably decides to investigate that
strange noise. Still while this episode is a collection of proven scary shots that were
pilfered from various horror films, I do have to give it credit for a cool visual moment
that I don’t believe I’ve seen before, as the visual trick that is used to cue
us viewers that Chloe is possessed made for a cool cut to commercial visual. Now the
episode does take a bit of a strange turn as after the midpoint the episode largely
abandons it’s creepy ghost story and it’s replaced by a cookie cutter thriller
involving a serial killer, though in keeping with the theme of borrowing from successful
horror movies this serial killer has clearly been inspired by the killer from
"Saw", as we get a scene where he attempts to force Lois to slit her own wrist,
or he’ll shoot Chloe, and I have to say the third opinion she brings to the table is
a great Lois Lane moment. I do have to say though this series is getting a little lazy
when it comes to the introduction of kryptonite as it seems like every person Clark
encounters lately is sporting kryptonite jewellery, though it does give Tom Welling
practice with his pained expression which has become quite effective at selling the effect
of kryptonite.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Thirteen, Season Five
WB Production
"Well, then the law is
crazy."
I have to say I’m not completely sold on
this episode as while there was some strong character moments like Lex Luthor’s
battle for control of Lexcorp against his father, these moments were overshadowed by a
rather silly main plot. Still I have to say it’s great to see the Luthor conflict
getting so much screen time as both actors are more than equal to the task. The episode
also offers some of the more honest feeling Lana/Clark moments and they were almost enough
to have me forgiving the writers for the bait and switch play that they pulled on viewers
in the previous episode. The closing scene with Clark and his mother was also surprisingly
effective even if it was painfully obvious that the writing was trying to tug at the
heartstrings with it’s home video. However, while I rather enjoyed these moments the
main plot involving Clark’s encounter with a super-powered vigilante who brings
Clark’s inner rage to the surface was rather goofy. I mean there’s some nice
stunt work on display when this woman sends her opponents flying, with Clark’s voyage
across the Daily Planet office being particularly effective. However, the pacing of this
plot had a rushed quality about it that really didn’t work for me, as Clark’s
transformation into a brutish thug who narrowly avoids killing the mugger who stole his
father’s watch was wholly unconvincing. I also have to openly wonder was Lionel
isn’t a little more curious about how Clark made it across the room to keep him from
tumbling out of the window, as while it’s been established that Lionel knows
something about Clark big secret, his non-reaction to such an obvious display of power
should make Clark a little nervous. I also have to say I was a little disappointed that
this mystery vigilante wasn’t linked to a DCU counterpart from the comics, as making
her a generic creation felt like DC Comics was being a little too possessive of it’s
comic creations.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Twelve, Season Five
WB Production
"A little advice about feelings
kiddo; don't expect it always to tickle."
One part of me is a little annoyed at this
episode for the bait and switch that it pulls off at the halfway point of the episode as I
was fully prepared to congratulate this series for doing something so truly unexpected
that it had pretty much restored my faith in the idea that this series was still capable
of doing something that most viewers wouldn’t see coming. However much like the
irksome finish to the original Superman movie, this episode give Clark the chance to go
back and fix a mistake, and in the process he erases the one big idea that the writers had
brought to this series this season. However while I’m not overly fond of the trick
that the writing plays on the audience I have to concede this episode does feature a great
deal of enjoyable moments, as it brings the Clark and Lana relationship to a fairly
interesting place as we see Clark is given a very clear demonstration of what would happen
if he came right out and told Lana his secret, and as such during his second kick at the
can he decides that it’s for the best that he simply end his relationship with Lana,
which in turn drives Lana in an unexpected direction. Now one could argue that he could
simply have let everything play out exactly like it did the first time out but simply keep
Lana from going to meet Lex, but the episode does offer up a moment where it’s pretty
clear that Clark has decided that it’s far better that he simply burn this bridge
than endanger Lana by letting her know his big secret. As for the big death that plays out
in this episode it’s one that is sure to make a lasting impact on the series, but
I’m not sure how surprised regular viewers of the series will be as this character
was a leading contender to feel the touch of the Grim Reaper. Still, if I had to pick
between this character and the other leading contender I have to say I’m happy they
went with this one. I also have to say I rather enjoyed the delightfully perverse bit of
misdirection involving Lois.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Eleven, Season Five
WB Production
"How do we get in there?"
In my review of last week’s episode I
made it pretty clear that I felt the writers of this series had gotten extremely lazy, as
they were simply stealing their plots from other shows and films, and the only original
element they were making was to cut and paste their characters into the middle of these
stories. Now the same argument could be made for this episode as it’s pretty clear
that the writer of this episode had seen and enjoyed the movie "Panic Room", and
they decided that this would be make for the ideal Smallville episode. Now truth be told
there’s something downright depressing about a writer who is completely unable to
come up with their own ideas as you know they are getting paid good money to do so, but
what makes it even more depressing is that the producers are willing to simply look the
other way, which in turn creates an environment where the writers feel it perfectly
acceptable to borrow their plots. Now I will give the episode credit for coming up with a
pretty solid motivation for why this man would be gunning for Lex Luthor, as it’s
always a welcome move when a writer takes a closer look at a story element that had been
glossed over in a previous episode. In fact if nothing else the scene where the villain
explains why he’s come after Lex was almost enough to win me over, as it made for a
powerful reveal. The episode also offers up a genuinely unexpected development as we see a
reoccurring character is killed off, and I have to say I really didn’t see that
moment coming. The final special-effect driven scene was also pretty darn cool as we see
Clark races through an expanding fireball to rescue an unconscious Lana, and the big
explosion that follows has to be one of the biggest this series has ever offered up.
However, the simple fact is this is yet another episode where it’s far too obvious
the writers have been borrowing their plots, and until they stop this practice I’m
going to be giving this series a big thumbs down.
2 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Ten, Season Five
WB Production
"You know, identical twins are
never really identical."
This episode was written by a person simply
borrowed the plots of other more engaged stories and regurgitated them into a story that
is so devoid of any original ideas that it can’t help but leave one a little
depressed. Now I realize that you can’t ask every writer to reinvent the wheel, and
that most stories on the market have a previous story that one could point to as a source
of inspiration. In fact it’s gotten to a point in Hollywood where writers sell their
scripts based on the "film A meets film B" marketing pitch. However, this
episode can’t even be bothered to come up with it’s own spin on the ideas that
it’s borrowed, as this is clearly a cut and paste effort. In fact it’s so
desperate in it’s bid to offer up a cut to commercial teaser moment that will hold
viewers for the episode, that it resorts to an outright silly plot contrivance, where the
assassin decides the best method of assassinating Jonathan Kent is to use a third party
for little better reason than it made for an intriguing cut to commercial moment in the
pre-title sequence. However, other than this painful obvious plot manipulation, this
episode offers up no surprises, as it’s a plot-by-numbers affair as we see a devoted
supporter of Lex Luthor goes completely off the deep end in her efforts to help him win
the election, and if the viewer didn’t figure out that she was crazy after she gunned
down two men, than don’t worry as the writing has you covered by ripping off the one
unsettling moment from "Single White Female". I also have to say the cool factor
of seeing Clark catching a bullet in flight has pretty much worn out it’s welcome,
and I wish Smallville writers would come up with a new power stunt. Than again based on
this episode perhaps original ideas are too much to ask from Smallville writers.
1.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Nine, Season Five
WB Production
"You better not cry, you better
not pout."
"It's a Wonderful Life" is my all
time favourite film I have to say I'm always a sucker for a story that plays with the idea
of a world that might've been, and as such this episode already had me in it's pocket.
Making Lex Luthor the focus of this episode's glimpse at a possible future was a welcome
development as Michael Rosenbaum is far and away the most talented member of the cast. I
mean I think Tom Welling perfectly captures the character of Clark Kent, but as is the
case in most stories the villains is always the more complex character, and Michael
Rosenbaum has more of a balancing act to perform as while Lex Luthor is fated to be
Superman's greatest adversary, in this series he's supposed to be Clark's friend, and one
has to be able to buy into the idea that the character would be conflicted about taking
actions that would have a negative impact on Clark's life. Now the possible future that
Lex is given a look at was little too happy, and while there were some cute little bits
like Lex's little seat adjusting moment when he gets behind the wheel of his caravan, the
story doesn't really get interesting until some conflict is introduced into this fantasy.
In fact the best sections of the episode play out after Lana complications arrive, as the
meeting between Lex and his father was extremely well done, as was the final scene of the
episode where we see Lex decides which path he wants to take. In fact this final scene is
a character defining moment, and while one had to know what choice he was going to make,
it's still a lovely scene. As for the secondary plot involving Clark's rooftop encounter
with a suicidal Santa Claus, it's pretty easy to see where this story is going long before
it gets there, and the final reveal about this Santa was bit much.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Eight, Season Five
WB Production
"The devil comes to us in our hour
of darkness..."
Before I start on the actual episode review,
I have to say I was a little disappointed with the preview for "Superman
Returns", as while the final shot of Superman hovering over the planet did have my
inner fanboy doing a happy dance, truth be told there wasn’t much else beyond a
couple fleeting images that looked to be focused on Superman’s youth. Still,
it’s something to look forward to, and I have to say my fondness for the first two
Superman films certainly played a key role in my enjoyment of this episode. I image most
fans of the original films are going to get a kick out of this episode’s big action
climax, as we find Clark lying helpless as the Fortress of Solitude collapses around him,
while Professor Fine is standing in front of a portal that General Zod is emerging from.
Yes, you read that right, this episode offers up a number of references to General
"knell before" Zod, as we see Martha Kent is struck down by a mysterious
illness, and Professor Fine attempts to convince Clark that the only cure is to destroy
the Fortress of Solitude. Now in addition to the fanboy pleasing references to General
Zod, the episode also offers up one of the cooler climaxes that we’ve seen this
season, as we have Clark and Professor Fine smashing each other around the Fortress of
Solitude, and this was one of the rare moments where I walked away from the episode
completely satisfied with the big brawl that Smallville had offered up. The episode also
managed to do a surprisingly effective job of selling the illusion that Martha could very
well die from her illness, and there was a lovely mother-son scene at the midway point
that was actually quite touching. I also have to say that based of their encounter in this
episode I have to put in a request for more interaction between Lois and Lex, as the two
actors play exceptionally well off each other, with Lex’s final line being a
highlight moment for the character.
4 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Seven, Season Five
WB Production
"In a completely sane world,
madness is the only freedom!"
Before I get started on an actual review of
the episode I have to say I wish one of the writers on this series would poke fun at the
idea that pretty much every episode features Clark visiting someone in the hospital.
However this episode does manage to break the established pattern of having Jonathan Kent
be the character who is sent bouncing off the walls, as while Jonathan joins Lana in the
one-handed choke-hold club, it’s Martha Kent and Lex Luthor who get to play the role
of human bowling ball which is normally Jonathan’s big stunt. Now the previous
sentence should give you a pretty good idea that this episode is pretty rough on the
supporting cast, as we see Clark is exposed to silver Kryptonite, which turns him into a
paranoid lunatic suffering from delusions that convince him of a sinister conspiracy
against him. Now truth be told I wasn’t all that impressed by Tom Welling’s
portrayal of Clark growing madness, and this is a little surprising considering he
normally does a very effective job of presenting the various mood swings that Clark has
encountered. However, this time out his portrayal of a delusional Clark felt a bit flat,
and the big climax arrived and he was hunting Lana in the basement he wasn’t nearly
as terrifying as he needed to be. However, there’s a great deal to enjoy in this
episode, as there’s a spectacular car wreck stunt when Clark’s truck is sent off
the road, and there’s a pretty darn cool final battle between Clark and Professor
Fine, where we discover a rather cool surprise about the good professor. The episode also
manages to offer up several harrowing moments where one can’t help but enjoy how
close to the line that the episode comes to revealing Clark’s secret to the world, as
there’s a lovely scene where an enraged Clark confront Lex in a darken hallway.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Six, Season Five
WB Production
"When you get the personality, you
don't need the nudity."
Last week was a vampire sorority, and this
week has our cast involved in a murder investigation that takes them to a men's club,
where we see Lois is pressed into performing an amusingly awkward strip tease. Now based
on these plots I'd guess the show's producers were trying to build up their audience base
among ever lucrative teenage male market, but I have to say it's never a good sign when
it's so obvious that the money men looking to be steering the ship. What makes it worse
though is that the writing is so ham-fisted in it's presentation of the story that I found
myself actively despising this episode. I mean could the police detective investigating
the murder be any more of a cliché, as I actually found myself looking to the wink, wink,
nudge, nudge tribute to Boss Hogg who exercised a strikingly similar inept investigation
style. I mean I realize that it's probably an attitude that does exist, but I found it
exceptionally difficult to believe a police officer would openly admit to a reporter that
a victim wasn't really worth a proper investigation because they lived a dangerous
lifestyle. We also get the goofy scene where we see the writing plays the diplomatic
immunity card, as we see the big, bad villain is allowed to walk away smiling like the
Cheshire cat, even though they have ample evidence that he was responsible for the
kidnapping and murder of at least a half dozen women. However the episode also offers up
the equally tired scene where Lois displays she's not one to let him walk away before she
can express her displeasure. This episode is also filled with references to the Dukes of
Hazard, as we see John Schneider (Bo Duke) is reunited with Tom Wopat (Luke Duck), and as
such we're treated to endless footage of these two racing around the countryside in a
supercharged car. This might appeal to fans of that series, but frankly I wish this show
had displayed a little more imagination with their homage material.
1.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Five, Season Five
WB Production
"And beauty immortal awakes from
the tomb."
Vampire sorority girls sounds like a plot
that the Smallville writers discovered in the bargain bin of the local video store, and
I'm pretty sure if I paid a visit to the IMBD.com I'd find half-a-dozen straight to video
flicks from the 1980s that offered up this exact plot. Now truth be told I've never been a
huge fan of vampires, as frankly they sport a few too many weaknesses, but it's rather
annoying when a writer decides to pick and choose what elements they want to play with, as
we see the Smallville decide the whole sunlight deal is little better than a minor
discomfort, and of course this being Smallville the explanation is directly tied to meteor
rocks, and a colony of vampire bats living in Kansas. Yes, we also have the ever
convenient cure which allows the episode to wrap it all up with the patented Smallville
rushed climax, with the ever favourite memory loss plot device to keep Clark's big secret
from being exposed also being brought to the table. I mean there are some entertaining
moments in this episode as the attack scene in the hot tub got the episode off to a solid
start, and the scene where Lana looks to have been thrown to her death was an impressive
bit of stunt work. I also have to say the final scene with Chloe at the Daily Bugle
couldn't help but win me over, and Carrie Fisher does some nice work as the hard-nosed
head editor of the Daily Planet, though I do have to say there are times when I almost
expected her to pull out a cigar, and start demanding a "Spider-Man is a Menace"
front-page. In the end the vampire sorority plot was a rather forgettable exercise with a
couple moments where it rose above it's cheesy premise, and the episode gets a mild
passing grade thanks to the riveting Professor Milton Fine/Lex Luthor exchanges.
2.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Four, Season Five
WB Production
"You can't trust water: Even a
straight stick turns crooked in it"
It's all too clear that this series is in the
hands of comic book fans, as this episode is slavishly devoted to the plot structure that
has been pretty much etched in stone when it comes to super-hero team-ups. Yes it's the
old chestnut opening distrust/conflict, before our two heroes come to an understanding and
join forces to combat the true evil. Now truth be told there is something inherently cool
about other DC characters showing up on this series, and I'm a lifelong fan of Aquaman, so
I couldn't be more pleased to see him making the jump from the comic page, and become the
first member of the JLA to make contact with Clark Kent. Now truth be told the comic book
fan in me was a little annoyed by the Mortal Kombat style power that was tacked on to the
character, but I can't deny that the little fanboy in me was seriously reconsidering this
position when Clark was sent rocketing out of the lake. Plus, I have to concede that it a
more visually impressive gimmick than seeing Clark attacked by a school of lake trout, so
perhaps this was the right move on their part. In any event the episode does manage to
offer up a pretty entertaining, if somewhat conventional adventure, as we see Arthur Curry
(call me AC) arrives in Smallville to deal with a Lexcorp developed weapon that could
endanger sea life. Now while I was initially concerned that Alan Ritchson brought little
more to the table than a buff body to serve as eye candy for the female viewers, I have to
say as the episode went along I warmed to his somewhat stilled interpretation of the
character, and by the final scene where he discusses the formation of the JLA I was
convinced that Alan Ritchson was Aquaman. Not the most innovative episode, but comic
readers (especially Aquaman fans) should walk away from this episode quite pleased.
3.5 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Three, Season Five
WB Production
"A young branch takes on all the
bends that one gives it."
The problem with having Clark get all sullen
and depressed about his inability to live as a normal human is that it feels a bit like a
billionaire whining that he can't be sure that people surrounding him are only his friends
because of his money. I mean it's difficult to work up much sympathy for a character when
his burden is so darn cool. Now I realize the writers are making every effort to sell the
idea that Clark's powers are a cross that the character must bear, but the scenes where
Tom Welling offers up his sad puppy dog eyes and declares himself the most unhappy person
on the planet it can't help but feel like artificially generated angst. Truth be told I've
never quite understood why Clark felt he couldn't tell Lana about his powers, as in a town
full of meteor freaks, it's not like have superpowers is a huge anomaly (Lana herself has
even sported her own powers). In fact the only hurdle that looks to be blocking his
telling her is the belief of the writers that they can generate more emotional angst by
having Clark believe that she'll run screaming in the other direction is she was to learn
he was anything other than Joe Ordinary. As for the actual plot of this episode we see the
writers have clearly seen "Dr. Strangelove" as the plot involves a paranoid
teenager grabbing control of a missile, and he targets Smallville as he believes it's a
breeding ground for the continued production of meteor freaks. Now the episode attempts to
generate some tension by having Clark gunned down and dying on the operating table, but if
you didn't see this development as the means that the writing was going to used to restore
Clark's powers than I envy your ability to be surprised by such an obvious plot path.
However, Jor-El speech about the price that Clark must pay to be brought back to life does
bring a nice ominous cloud that'll hang over this series' supporting cast. The big climax
also is also a classic comic book scenario, and I was impressed how well they pulled it
off.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode Two, Season Five
WB Production
"We would often be sorry if our
wishes were gratified."
I realize the romance between Clark and Lana
has been a key plot element of this series for the past four seasons, and that it's likely
that this happy romance isn't going to last, but I have to say the rocky patch can't come
quickly enough for me as frankly the writers of this series clearly have no idea of what
to do with a happy, trouble free relationship beyond offer up opportunities for Tom
Welling to take his shirt off. Now, I realize that all television shows have trouble with
making a happy couple into an interesting couple, and everyone points to Moonlighting as a
shining example of a relationship that was only engaging when the two character's weren't
a couple. However, the happy Clark and Lana scenes seem to have the idea that the only
element of their relationship that is worth any attention is their mutual desire to have
sex, and this is downright lazy writing. As for the rest of the episode, I will give the
episode credit for bringing in a trio of villains who made for an interesting threat, and
the writing earns points for offering up a pretty exciting climax as we see a powerless
Clark has to come up with a way of defeating this trio. There's also some fun moments of
interaction between Clark and Chloe with my personal favourite section being the dialogue
exchange where Clark is busy whining about how uncomfortable it is to be clambering
through ventilation ducts. The episode also offered up a pretty intense confrontation
between Clark and Lex even if the scene where they start trading punches made it all feel
a bit silly. I did have to smile at the wimpy sound-effect that followed Lex's big punch
though, and someone should tell the makeup artist that if the dialogue has Lana pointing
out that Clark looks beaten up, a little nick on the face simply doesn't cut it.
3 out of 5 Stars
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SMALLVILLE
Episode One, Season Five
WB Production
"O! It is excellent To have a
giant's strength, but it is tyrannous To use it like a giant."
A new season is supposed to be the time of
year where I find myself impressed by the bold new direction that has been brought into
play, and as such I’m a little disappointed to find myself making the exact same
complaint that I was making for most of the previous season. Yes this episode builds
toward a big, impressive looking confrontation as a pair of Kryptonain criminals emerge
from the alien ship, and after spending most of the episode showing why they are going to
make great adversaries, the final confrontation is over so quickly that one can’t
help but be disappointed. Now I’ll give the episode credit for getting out of the
gates with one of the more impressive pyrotechnic displays that this series has ever
offered up as they offer up an impressive show as the two criminals blast the heck out of
the arriving police. Fans of Superman II are also going to get a kick out of this episode,
as in addition to borrowing a couple plot elements from that film, how can one not love
the return of a couple familiar visual effects. This episode also offers up our first
visit to the Fortress of Solitude, and it’s such an impressive set piece that
I’m sure we’ll be making several return visits over this season. The episode
also offers up a interesting, if somewhat familiar plot twist as we see Clark pays a steep
price for failing to jump when his birth father told him to. In the end though I was a
quite disappointed that we never got the big payoff to the impressive build-up. I will say
the last scene of the episode looks quite promising, but if they really wanted to mess
with viewers they should have Agent Fox Mulder turn up to investigate this mysterious
black oil from outer space. Still, this episode felt a little too familiar, as this must
be Clark’s hundredth visit to Lana hospital room, and how can one not feel sorry for
Jonathan Kent’s stunt double.
3 out of 5 Stars
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