Well last week we didn’t have our Kristin Kreuk/Laura Vandervoort shared scene, but Christina Milian is hardly a substitute to get upset about.
It’s strange, because part of me feels like last week was a throwaway episode (not a criticism, I think a standalone, throwaway episode is sometimes crucial in order to keep the big story arc interesting for the duration of the season), but then again, another part of me recognizes that some important things occurred as well.
The big revelation of the episode, in my opinion, was that Lionel is still alive. It wasn’t surprising, of course, but I found the circumstances of his disappearance interesting. Despite having been critical of the Lana character for a couple of years now, I was actually shocked when it turned out that she was the one behind Lionel’s imprisonment. And I mean that in a good way. It’s interesting that in the middle of last season, Lana was a pawn in Lionel’s game. From what we know, he needed Lana to remain close to Lex so that he could, in some twisted way, protect Clark’s life and secret. However, since last year’s season finale, their roles have reversed. Lana called Lionel so that he could “witness” her death, and then held him captive for a yet to be revealed reason. Incidentally, I find Lana’s newfound relationship with Lionel far more intriguing than her ones with Clark and Lex.
Then again, Lionel has great chemistry with pretty much every character, which is a huge compliment to John Glover. Think about it, he’s able to play his character consistently, but he still manages to play off of Clark, Chloe, Lex, Lana, and Martha in different ways. I don’t think any other character is as multi-dimensional as he is. Perhaps that is why he’s one of my favorite characters on television.
I really did enjoy the Lionel/Lana scene at the conclusion of the episode. The way Lionel slyly revealed that he knows she’s the one who held him prisoner, and that soon enough she won’t be able to use her love for Clark as an excuse for the bad things she’s done (which is especially ironic coming from him). I have also noticed that very few characters walk away from an interaction with Lionel with the upper hand.
By the way, I consider myself to have a pretty high tolerance of gore (I am a horror movie fanatic, after all), but I really cringed when Lionel pulled that cuff off of his wrist.
As far as the actual episode goes, I think you could tell that the writers had some fun with the self references, talking about how certain fans don’t appreciate how they sway from the actual Superman mythology.
By the way, while the whole “crazed fan is willing to commit murder to maintain the integrity of a comic” thing was a bit of a stretch, I did really, really like the ending, where he identified Lex as the villain, and therefore opted to keep Clark’s secret. And while his attempted murderous rampage was iffy, it was also refreshing to see a non-meteor freak antagonist out there.
A few random notes
As I’ve stated before, Clark really needs to start flying, and that never felt so obvious as when he jumped down and saved Lana after she was thrown from the building. It had the potential to be a really powerful scene, but instead it fell kinda flat (pun slightly intended). I mean, she’s thrown from the top of a building and Clark jumps off to save her. He finally catches her in his arms, and they stare lovingly into each other’s eyes. Then he ..lands on a car? Imagine how much more emotional and significant the scene would have been if they zoomed in on Clark and Lana staring into each other’s eyes (which they did), while in the meanwhile, ever so subtlety, in the background you see that they’re actually going up, and not down. Then as the shot pans out, the viewer (and the characters) come to the realization that he’s flying.
It’s not as if you have to blow your load there, either. For the rest of the season, Clark can sparingly fly, but not quite know or understand how he’s doing it. It’s more of an impulse, heat of the moment type thing. Therefore, he doesn’t have control over the ability just yet (so the writers don’t have to have him flying everywhere). It can also add an interesting dynamic to his relationship with Kara. Clark can attempt to train her to control her minor abilities (like heat vision, X-ray vision, etc) while she tries to help him manage the ability to fly.
Along those same lines, another thing I’ve stated before, but it seems like Lois is the only character actively turning into the person she eventually becomes. The possible exception is Lex, although he’s taken a slight step back from his villainous ways. Regarding Lois, I really do like how they’ve started portraying her as a driven and borderline cutthroat journalist. She’s savvy and she knows her own worth. The addition of the new editor is really helping flesh out her character.
By the way, Smallville column readers, you’re really getting pounced in the e-mail department. I get at least a couple of Heroes e-mails every week, but I’m yet to get one for Smallville. If you’ve got anything to share, don’t hesitate to send me a line. I’m always looking to discuss the show.
