Smallville – Episode 8-7 Review

So this episode of Smallville, appropriately titled “Identity,” contained lots of Clark and Lois interaction and Clark in a suit. At the end of this episode, I daresay that one could argue that “Superman” is alive and well. This was certainly the greatest leap they took for making that a reality. Sure, he may not exist yet in name, but Metropolis is now aware that there is some sort of red caped superhero coming to people’s rescue.

Indeed, the relationships are really starting to grow into what we grew up watching/reading. Jimmy idolizes Superman, and Lois is in love with him (of course, in the context of this show, Superman and Clark are interchangeable). I really enjoyed the flashback, where we saw the big grin on Lois’ face when Clark zipped her up.

I also got a real kick out of the scene where Clark came to realize how much red and blue clothing he owns. I also loved the simplicity of Jimmy discovering Clark’s secret: Good old detective work. That being said, when Jimmy figured it out, I got a sick feeling in my stomach. The episode was about some guy who “stole” memories, after all. I was SO worried that they’d erase Jimmy’s memory after he found out Clark’s secret, like they’ve done with Lois. And Lana. And Chloe. And Lex. And Lionel. But, alas, they decided to go with the decoy route by having somebody else rescue Jimmy when Clark was in the area. Most definitely the lesser of two evils.

The tension between Clark and Oliver this episode was a highlight as well. It’s one of those realistic quarrels where there really isn’t a good guy or bad guy. You can certainly relate to each side. I also appreciate the way Clark helped Oliver return to his superhero ways, when it was Oliver who convinced Clark to have a grander view of saving the world. Who would have ever guessed the Green Arrow, of all people, would play such a crucial role on Smallville?

I’m not quite sure what to think of the ending, with Chloe putting this episode’s freak of the week into a coma. To be honest, it was very season 7 Lana-esque. It also reminded me of the season 5 finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where Giles killed the villain because Buffy is a hero, and as such has a code where she can’t take somebody’s life. Sure, Chloe didn’t actually kill the guy, but she may as well have. That being said, it was somewhat sweet seeing what lengths she’d go to in order to keep Clark’s secret safe.

I also have to compliment Chloe on bringing up the argument made in many of the Batman movies: that Clark can serve as a beacon of hope for the citizens of Metropolis, and as a figure of fear for the villainous evil doers.

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.

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.