Episode Title: Cyborg
Episode Airdate: February 16th, 2006
Episode Review:
Wow. Just based on the ending alone, that was an awesome episode. Yes, I do have some qualms with it, but that was an absolutely incredible ending.
Let’s start with the qualms, shall we? First off, I have a really, really hard time believing that Martha would allow Lionel to get so involved with protecting Clark’s secret, no matter how much he insists that he has no interest in knowing what she’s trying to hide. Overall I think the writers are doing a great job portraying Martha as a woman who is very vulnerable and is not quite sure how to handle difficult situations without Jonathan, but I just find it a bit too much of a stretch that she’d allow Lionel to get so close.
Also, everything regarding Clark and Lana almost seems like it was written for the beginning of the season, but was put off until now. Why were Lana and Cyborg just chilling out in the Talon apartment? Lois lives there now, not Lana. It just seemed really strange that they’d be camped out there without Lois. With that in mind, why weren’t they just hanging out at Lana’s Metropolis dorm room? Most of the work was being done in Metropolis, and Chloe was actively involved in everything, so it’s not as if they had to hide him from her. I guess the only logical possibility is that they thought they’d be found if they were in her apartment, but still, it was just grating that they were just staying in Lois’ apartment without her being there.
And what was up with Lana and Clark referring to each other as “boyfriend” and “girlfriend”? Was it just for simplicity’s sake? I mean, it is easier to refer to somebody as your girlfriend instead of saying “she’s this girl I used to date but then we broke up because she was killed and I went back in time but now my dad is dead.” And I realize that they may not have explicitly broken up, but they really didn’t seem like they’re in a position to be referring to themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend. They just don’t seem “there” yet.
Now, the stuff I enjoyed. I absolutely loved the Clark/Lex interactions this week. It seems completely appropriate that Lex would no longer be cool with Clark just barging in and starting with his accusations. Their relationship has evolved so much, and I am really enjoying it. I also like how they immediately call each other out on their stances. Clark calls Lex a liar, and Lex calls Clark righteous.
On top of that, I thought Lex was great throughout the entire episode. I thought it was a really cool moment when it turned out that Lex WAS behind the entire thing, especially since he played such a hands on role. THIS is the Lex I want to see, not the one who’s ga-ga over Lana.
I also liked the Cyborg story more than I did a lot of the other future-Superhero crossover episodes. Perhaps what I liked most of all was the lack of conflict between Clark and the other hero. In the Flash and Aquaman episodes, it seemed like they went a tad overboard with the allusions, and in some ways they made Clark seem overly righteous. Here, Clark and Cyborg got along just fine, Clark seemed like he genuinely wanted to help him, and it was overall a pretty happy story. Granted, I don’t know much (or really anything) about Cyborg’s origins or back story, so that may be why I enjoyed it so much.
I thought the scene of a frantic and emotional Martha holding Jonathan’s picture right before throwing the CD in the fire was beautiful and touching. It was an excellent way of accentuating that she’s not quite sure what to do in these situations without him. After all, in the past, it was really always Jonathan who handled situations like these, or at least took the lead. She also doesn’t want to worry Clark, so the weight of all of this has been on her shoulders. They’re doing a nice job of expanding Martha’s character in the wake of Jonathan’s death.
Last season I was disappointed they had abandoned the righteous Lionel so quickly, but I really liked him this episode. He’s just so devious, and while I do have trouble believing that Martha would allow him to take such an active role in helping her, he’s doing a fantastic job of playing her. I think it would be extremely unforgivable to them to engage in a romantic relationship, but right now I’m having a fun time watching them.
Oh, and that final scene! Smallville always does an awesome job of doing those montages set to classical music, and this was no exception. They’ve also been hinting at the possibility of Lionel knowing Clark’s secret since the episode Jonathan died (maybe even earlier), and it was a neat moment finally finding out for sure that he does. The scene was made astronomically cooler when Lionel said “your secret is safe with me…..Kal-El.” So, not only does Lionel know about Clark’s abilities, but he also knows about Clark’s origins. How? Does this have anything to do with his “connection” to Jor-El? I’m definitely interested in seeing where this goes, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lionel bite the dust by season’s end.
To those who sent me e-mails the past couple of weeks, I apologize for my lack of response. I’ll try to get back to everybody this week, and anybody who has any thoughts feel free to send them to me, and I promise I’ll be better about sending out my response.
