Every couple of years, Smallville seems to get their Saw kick, where they put a character into a dire situation that looks like it was lifted directly from one of the Saw scripts (you’ll recall this happened a couple of years ago with Lionel and Martha). That observation aside, I found it to be a really enjoyable episode.
I’ve been saying this since the season premiere a few weeks ago (and probably a little before that), but the budding romance between Clark and Lois is THE highlight of this season so far. During each episode, their interactions maintain my attention more than anything else. And when the episode ends, their scenes are the ones that remain most memorable.
The most phenomenal scene of this week’s episode, in my humble opinion, was the aforementioned Saw scene. Most specifically, when Jigsa….the jeweler asked Lois if she, deep down, loved Clark. The moment was exceptionally tense and wonderfully acted by the constantly improving Erica Durance. I really couldn’t take my eyes off of the television, and I kept waiting for something to happen to interrupt the scene (Clark escapes, the police storm into the room, Lois kicks the guy’s ass, something!) before she could answer, to really get under my skin. But no, shockingly, they allowed the scene to play out, and she emotionally admitted that yes, she does love Clark. And the lie detector didn’t spike. Naturally, the scene WAS interrupted when Clark was forced to answer, but that’s forgivable. I mean, they can’t give everything away within the first few episodes.
Yeah, I know that Lois later explained that she was able to slip the monitor off of her finger – and I WAS admittedly tempted to check my TiVo to see if she did – but I thought that was clearly a lie. Overall, it was a really great scene. And I also loved the end, with Clark longingly watching Lois walk away.
I’m almost somewhat disappointed that Lana will be returning, because in the past they’ve hinted at a Clark/Lois romance, and actually done a really nice job with it, but they ultimately halt it to do yet ANOTHER fling with Clark and Lana. I truly, truly, TRULY hope that when she does return for some guest appearances, Clark definitively decides that she’s not the one for him, and that Lois is. Otherwise, all of this fantastic building will be for nothing.
I also enjoyed the torture scene with Chloe and Jimmy. Before you accuse me of being a masochist, I was almost starting to wonder if Chloe and Jimmy even liked each other, let alone whether they were ready to get married. I mean, all of Chloe’s emotional, heartfelt scenes are either with Clark or, surprisingly, newcomer Davis. And in one of the few episodes Jimmy did appear in this season, he kissed another girl. Therefore, this episode did a nice job of establishing that, despite their rocky relationship, they truly do love each other. It was especially nice to discover that Chloe doesn’t love anybody else.
Oh, I am a bit disappointed in something, though. When Chloe and Jimmy woke up in bed, and Chloe found the handcuffs and said (paraphrasing), “is this his idea of a sick joke?” the scene would have played out much better if Jimmy went along with it instead of confessing that he was behind it.
This season I’ve been pretty rough on Tess (and AGAIN: It doesn’t strike anybody as odd that she’s shacking up in Lex’s house? This doesn’t seem abnormal to anybody?), but I actually do like her complex relationship with Oliver. Much like how it was fun watching Clark and Lex as friends, knowing that they’d be bitter enemies, I enjoy seeing Tess – this season’s villainous – having a romance with Oliver – who masquerades as the heroic Green Arrow. It’s your classic romance that is destined to fail.
Along with that, this relationship adds layers to Tess’ character, which I have otherwise referred to as a stereotypical villain.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.</strong>
