A Case of the…. Smallville – Episode 7-14

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I complimented last week’s Smallville for advertising without coming off as blatant (as they incorporated the product into the episode’s plot). This week, I’m going to criticize them for doing the opposite. Not only was the product placement blatant, it was awkward and distracting. Like, do we really need an out-of-nowhere shot of Chloe using her mouse so that we can see the Dell logo? Or the unusual panning of Chloe’s car so that we can see that it’s a Toyota? I recognize that the CW is not the cash cow that the big boy networks are, and that TiVo and DVRs have really roughed up the whole commercial advertising industry, but let me offer a little suggestion: If you’re going to do product placement, use your Stride gum model, not your Toyota/Dell method.

That irksome issue aside, I really did enjoy this episode of Smallville. Earlier this season, when Clark was being held captive in the Fortress, I had suggested doing a full episode (and maybe even more) without Clark, which would really change the pace of the show by forcing the viewer to follow the story through the eyes of another character (probably Chloe). While this series has grown leaps and bounds beyond its initial Freak of the Week episode formula, their current model can feel a bit mechanical. Relying on the wits and cunning of the characters that don’t have abilities would be something the show really hasn’t attacked before and while we didn’t get it then, I felt like we really did get it this episode. With Clark spending about 95% of it in a Kryptonite laced cage, it was up to Lionel (in the beginning), Chloe, Lana, and later Kara to save the day. I also think they did a fantastic job of accomplishing this, with the right characters involved in the right interactions (for example, I think it was perfect that Lana was NOT in the Fortress scene).

I found Clark’s reunion with Kara strangely sweet. The reason I refer to it as “strangely” sweet is because, if you think about it, we haven’t really had much time to enjoy the loving relationship between these cousins. They had a fairly rough “getting to know you” phase, and it seemed like any time they finally became close, something would get in their way (Martian Manhunter, Jor-El, Zor-El, Kara’s amnesia, Lex, etc.) As such, these two don’t have the long, established history that many other characters share, which may make their reconciliation lack some substance. As a result, I was a bit surprised by how touched I was when Kara rushed to his rescue (well, “rushed” may be a bit strong….she did change her clothes, after all), looking at him with compassion and concern upon discovering the conditions in which he was being held. Her scene ending line of “how could I ever forget you, Clark?” really knocked it out of the park.

Lionel’s character remains one of the most complex on television. Is he simply using Clark, in hopes of having a strangle hold on his God-like abilities? Or has he truly changed? Does he genuinely care for Clark and want the best for mankind? Clark insists he hasn’t (by the way, the musical score was awesome during that scene, with the music building up after Lionel says “I’ve changed” and then going silent a second before Clark responds with “no you haven’t), but I’m not so sure. Lionel’s emotional reaction to the way Clark was being treated by the guard seemed more like compassion for the person than concern over losing his golden goose. When Lionel pleaded with the guard, telling him that Clark is a human being, it seemed sincere and heartfelt. While he is ultimately a selfish and manipulative person, I do believe that he truly cares for Clark.

I also really, really liked the Veritas back-story, tying together the Swann, Teague, Queen, and Luthor families. It was also nice to get some resolution to the whole Virgil Swann story arc, brilliantly portrayed by Christopher Reeve (probably the best casting jobs in the history of the series).

Lex continues his descent into the point of no return. After essentially keeping Kara hostage, Lex has Patricia, Dr. Swann’s daughter, killed – all in the interest of unraveling a secret that may or may not exist. Going back to the argument that Lionel has changed, I think it’s very telling that Lex, and not Lionel, was the one who killed Patricia. Thinking about this series without Lex, especially at this phase of his development, really discourages me.

As noted at the beginning of this column, I thought the Fortress scene was absolutely brilliant. Chloe’s emotional display expressed her (likely platonic) love for Clark leaps and bounds better than Lana’s pretty lame “if [Lex] did anything to [Clark], I’ll kill him” line earlier in the episode. And for reasons I can’t quite explain, I feel like Jor-El would respond more favorably to Chloe than Lana. Nevertheless, this episode was just the latest example of the more caring, compassionate Jor-El, which I much prefer over the wicked one we saw during the first few seasons.

I also appreciated how, at the end of the day, Kara was savvy enough to trust Chloe and Lana over Lex. Or, at the very least, that she realized that she cared for Clark, and that he’s a person worth taking a risk for.

I read someplace that this is Kristin Kreuk’s last episode of the season (and that she’s only doing a select few episodes next year). If that’s the case, I’m really disappointed. While I think the character DESPERATELY needs to be written off of the show, she does deserve a proper send-off (something better than saying “Lana’s in Metropolis” or “Lana’s visiting her aunt” every episode). Ideally, Clark and Lana should have broken up following their verbal blow out a few episodes ago (I don’t quite understand why they’re still together, when that was seemingly unresolved), and remained awkward around each other for the subsequent two or so episodes. From there, have Lana decide that she wants to leave Smallville, as she no longer recognizes the person that she has become. Have a sweet little moment where Clark and Lana make peace with each other, with the two realizes that while they do love each other, they aren’t meant to be together. From there, Clark tells Lana that she’ll find her way, and Lana tells Clark that he’ll find the person he is meant to be with. Somebody who is strong and independent enough to cope with his secret and the dangers that goes along with it. The most important thing of all, though, is to not have Clark go into some massive depression. Instead, simply have him be at peace with the situation, finally ready to move on with his life. That’s how I’d write it, anyway.

Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into various popular television shows. Be sure to visit his blog at [a case of the blog] and follow him on Twitter.