Smallville Review Blog

Written by Al Septien and Turi Meyer
Directed by Turi Meyer

This is another one of those episodes that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but manages to sneak in a major plot development in the final moments. In this case, it was a bit predictable. Who didn’t realize that Clark’s blood was going to transfer power to Zod? I have no idea if that was something established in the DC canon as a possibility, but it just seemed like the obvious consequence.

In fact, it could be said that this was a largely transitional episode designed to remind the audience of all the plot threads that are currently up in the air. The situation with the Kandorians is particularly complicated. Some of the Kandorians are eager to follow Clark’s lead, while others are devoted to Zod. Some of the Kandorians are acting without Zod’s permission, experimenting on humans, but somehow this is not to be taken as a lack of confidence in Zod’s leadership. There are enough factions and subsets within the Kandorian camp to allow the writers to do pretty much anything without contradicting themselves.

Unfortunately, it’s a tangle that the writers are going to have to unravel if they want the season to succeed. There are already plenty of fans complaining about the Kandorians, so making them obtuse and fractious is one hell of a risk. It’s already clear that Zod is manipulating Clark with half-truths and lies, so why not simply leave it to that?

Zod’s characterization is another issue. I still think it would have been more interesting to portray Zod in a more positive light, even if he was maintaining a certain degree of Kryptonian brutality. After all, the writers keep reminding the audience that Zod and Jor-El were friends and allies, even with the apparent betrayals that came towards the end. If the message is that Zod has a good and noble side, why do we only see the duplicitous part? It fits audience expectation, but it’s also predictable as a result.

The same complaint can be lodged against the current portrayal of Tess Mercer. In the eighth season, I thought the writers did a capable job of taking her from her Lex-clone origins to something a bit more substantial. Despite her actions and choices, she seemed to have a genuine desire to help Clark. The issue was less her design and more her method. Now, it’s hard to fathom what her goals are.

One bright spot was the revelation of Chloe’s secret plan to defend against powered Kandorians. While the visions of the future may no longer apply, the end of this episode strongly suggests that at least some of the Kandorians will be regaining their powers and making trouble for Clark. Chloe and Oliver now have the weapons to help in that fight. (Of course, as the future vision aptly demonstrated, this could be just as easily used against Clark.)

As far as the rest of the episode is concerned, it was nice to see Lois show off her fighting skills again. Her romance with Clark is coming along very well, even if it sometimes strays into overly sweet territory. The central villain wasn’t particularly interesting, and his methods seemed a bit more gruesome than has been the standard for “Smallville”. It felt like the writers were going for edgy, but settled on “shocking”.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Anne Cofell Saunders
Directed by Christopher Petry

This is one of those sneaky little episodes that seems to be a stand-alone holiday-themed romp, and quickly becomes something a bit more substantial. It’s something that the best genre shows have mastered in the past, and it’s good to see “Smallville” take a page from that book. Too often, it’s easy to see where the writers are planning to go by episode’s end.

Frankly, that’s a good thing. If there’s any doubt that Erica Durance’s version of Lois Lane has evolved into something solid, her shift into a more “traditional” mold should silence the critics. Lois may be occasionally softer than one would expect, but she’s a far cry from the passive homemaker in this episode. Some of Lois’ usual drive and spark shined through, but it was still damned disturbing.

I was also wary of how the writers would treat this latest spin on kryptonite when Chloe decided to protect Clark “by any means necessary”. Her confrontation with Lois just didn’t seem to go far enough. Given Chloe’s darker turn of late, I would have expected something more violent and shocking. Perhaps this was just a matter of working within network constraints, and the pragmatic need to keep Lois and Chloe on relatively good terms.

That said, the fight between Tess and Chloe was surprisingly good, and Clark’s brutal treatment of Tess went about as far as the writers could have taken it, while still keeping Clark’s hands relatively clean. Taken in conjunction with the behavior of the Kandorians this season, I am reminded of how many people were stunned by Jor-El’s original harsh directives to Clark in earlier seasons.

Jor-El’s demand that Clark take his place as something of a ruler over humanity was a surprising direction to take, but the Kandorians are actually acting in a similar mold. While Kara and Jor-El were a bit more measured in their arrogance and violent temperance, it seems that Kryptonians as a people were fairly bloodthirsty and violent. They may have been enlightened in some academic areas, but they certainly had a draconian society.

Of course, that may have simply been the military’s code of justice, or something specific to Zod. But since Zod was, at this time in his career, considered to be a hero of Kandor, his methods and traditions could be seen as representative of Kryptonian ways. What Clark (and the audience) is led to assume as particular to Zod may not be so specific. After all, Alia killed Jor-El, and it doesn’t seem that it was under Zod’s orders, either. Zod keeps having to execute people for taking extreme action and violating moral codes.

This is an intriguing point, because it could so easily be lost in translation. Zod may be absolutely right when he says that Clark is rejecting his Kryptonian legacy, and thus rejecting his people on Earth. Zod’s ambition for power may be incurable, but it might be cultural in origin. This isn’t an excuse for Zod’s behavior; it simply changes the nature of the problem. Clark isn’t fighting someone evil to the core, and corrupting others in his image. He’s fighting a symbol of everything that was wrong with Krypton as a whole.

And that could be seen as an outward expression of an internal battle that was supposed to be at the heart of the season, and hasn’t really been that obvious. In the wake of Doomsday, Clark was intent on embracing his Kryptonian legacy. Major Zod and the Kandorians are that legacy, and Clark is discovering just what that is. While using Zod as an antagonist has worked well to flesh out the character’s back story, making it more viable within the “Smallville” mythos, it may have also distracted from the big picture by providing a character that is too inherently easy to label as “evil”. It’s hard to think of Zod as simply another Kryptonian, even if that’s what he essentially is at this point.

Clark’s decision to destroy the tower is all but a declaration of war against Zod and the Kandorians, and it should be interesting to see how long it takes Zod to realize that fact. It certainly sends the season arc into a different direction. Hopefully this isn’t another example of the writers changing the game in the back nine of a season. Too often, the writers stick with the original premise of a season, only to falter in the resolution. So far, this season has been fairly cohesive, so if the writers can stay on course, this could end well.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Bryan Miller
Directed by Allison Mack

You have to feel sorry for Allison Mack. Tom Welling gets to co-direct one of the best episodes of “Smallville” in years, if not one of the best in the series. Allison was given this. I have to give her credit for trying, since the direction was one of the few highlights, but I can just imagine what her original reaction was to the script.

This episode was originally meant to air before “Absolute Justice”, and I think that might have served it better. It’s hard to go from something as dark, stylish, and well-scripted as that event to something as mediocre and poorly-executed as this story. It also would have added a layer to the idea that the proto-Justice League needs to be more connected to one another.

Considering that this is essentially the “Smallville” treatment of “Big”, which has been done to death over the years, there’s the feeling that we’ve seen it all before, only better. Watching Chloe come on to a 12-year-old in a superhero’s body is less amusing than downright creepy. Remembering that the actress was also in charge of figuring out how to make the scene work as a director adds a completely different layer of disturbing to the entire deal.

I was also a bit disappointed with the treatment of Zatanna. I thought her first appearance was fine, and from what I’ve read of the original DC character, I think this version is just fine. Serinda Swan is gorgeous, and while there is still some serious fan service going on with the costume, it’s to the credit of the producers that she is showing less skin than one would otherwise expect.

I also liked the consistent suggestion that Zatanna’s ethics are a work in progress. She seems to have the big picture well in place, but her methods are less straight and narrow. Her attempted seduction of Clark, while visually enticing, also seemed to suggest a practiced technique. Some are likely to bring up the issue of consent. All of that adds up to a character that is “grey” enough to justify giving her more screen-time. (Certainly fans of fishnets wouldn’t mind.)

But her role in the plot seemed forced at best, and the whole “cursed comic book that was never read by anyone” seemed far-fetched. As a once-ravenous comic book geek, I was skeptical of any classic-era origin issue remaining sealed and unread for decades. Also, the overall solution to the Devilicus problem was another quick and easy climax. So while the character has potential, Zatanna has yet to be in an episode that fully exploits that potential.

I was also a bit wary of how easily Clark resisted Zatanna’s spell. Obviously, they didn’t want to derail the Clark/Lois relationship too much, but isn’t Clark supposed to be particularly vulnerable to magic? If Zatanna is really that powerful, Clark shouldn’t have stood a chance. Of course, the implication is that Clark’s love for Lois is strong enough to break the spell.

Also, the writers are trying for a message, and Clark’s resistance is evidence of his inability to fall into fantasy. The writers are ridiculously heavy-handed with their message: what sounds great to the comics-reading public, especially young minds wishing for power in situations where they have none, that world is rather mundane for superheroes and their friends. It’s a fair point, but there had to be a better way to explore it.

I also find it hard to believe that Clark would be that ignorant of the benefits of a healthy fantasy world. Perhaps this is meant to be a recent shift in his psychological state, but hasn’t Clark entertained plenty of fantasies over the years? In fact, some episodes were built around his fantasies, as I recall. Maybe it’s the fact that all of those fantasies have never come to pass. Still, with someone like Lois around, who clearly has a very healthy fantasy life (and a wardrobe to match), I doubt it will take long for Clark to see the light!

If there was one good aspect to this episode, it was Allison Mack. Terrible episode or not, Chloe had plenty of screen-time, and Chloe was gorgeous through most of it. And it’s about time that Oliver and Chloe figured out that they had some good chemistry. That bit with the bow and arrow was a lot more sexually charged than the Clark/Zatanna scene.

But those thoughts do point to the fact that this episode was largely devoted to fan service. Lois and Zatanna were there for the male drooling benefit, and those gratuitous shots of Warrior Angel’s physique were a bone to the female fans. There was even a groan-inducing shout-out to the X-Box 360 fans with the prototype to the Project Natal. (Frankly, it looks even more ridiculous than most Wii games to me, but I don’t kiss the boots of Microsoft.) No matter how hard the writers might have tried to make a story out of all of this, it was more about the parts than the whole.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 5/10

Written by Geoff Johns
Directed by Glen Winter and Tom Welling

When this double-length episode was first announced, I was a bit concerned. The last time the producers brought in Geoff Johns to introduce a classic DC team to the “Smallville” universe, it was the utter mess that was “Legion”. That episode was the most potent example of the “DC Syndrome”: the tendency to introduce the classic DC characters with the assumption that proper backstory is unnecessary because the audience already knows the history and continuity. A great deal in “Legion” was glossed over, right down to the character names and abilities.

The writers have been doing a much better job of introducing classic DC characters this season, perhaps based on an honest assessment of the shortcomings of previous attempts. And perhaps Johns learned from his own mistakes as well. Whatever the reason, this episode was a far cry above past efforts.

I’ve said in other venues that I’ve always loved stories that call back to the secrets and parallels with previous generations. For example, one of the things I love about the Harry Potter story is how the truth about the previous generation and the First War against Voldemort is necessary to put Harry’s story in context. When it was far more consistent, the story of the Company and the Twelve on “Heroes” provided a similar narrative thrill.

“Smallville” introduced something similar with Veritas, but it was never quite as integrated as it could (or should) have been. The history of the Luthors and Kents earlier in the series did, of course, serve a similar purpose, when the parallels between Lionel, Jonathan, and Martha spoke to the relationship between Lex, Clark, and Lana. But the past couple seasons have been much more about Clark’s evolution as a hero, and along with Oliver Queen, his role in a much wider superheroic context.

Right from the beginning, the style and tone of the episode brought to mind some of the aspects of “Watchmen”, though clearly a more cohesive and network-friendly version. I was struck by the sense of depth given to the history of the Justice Society, and how well Johns managed to explain how something with such a rich history could have been unknown for so long. There were aspects of “legacy” that came across in elements of the score as well, all contributing to the sense of a long prelude to Clark’s world.

For example, Hawkman made a solid point about how Clark and Oliver have very little understanding of what has come before; they are focused on their own aims and personal histories, not that of the world around them. In fact, considering how many of the metahumans have been directly tied to the various meteor showers, starting with the one that brought Clark to Earth, there was very little reason for Clark or Oliver to even suspect that there had been societies of heroes in decades past.

As such, it was a nice touch that the writers incorporated elements of the DC character backstories, however truncated, to explain how some of the members of the JSA acquired their abilities. It doesn’t quite explain everything, but then, a lot of the dialogue suggested that many of the members were simply well-trained humans. In that respect, there was the other parallel to the Minutemen of “Watchmen”.

One of the recurring themes for the ninth season has been the tension between Clark, Oliver, and Chloe. For the purposes of the story, this was extended to include all the members of the nascent Justice League, many of which haven’t been seen in quite some time. Establishing that the team has been having issues with common purpose is a smart way to address the very practical limitations of the series; they simply can’t afford to have all those actors and actresses waiting in the wings.

Unfortunately, it also hinges on the notion that the audience simply assumes that Oliver’s team has been operating in the background through Chloe, even if it has hardly ever come up in conversation. Granted, it makes complete sense, because that’s the function of Watchtower in the first place. But it’s a stretch to say that the team is something that is particularly important in Clark’s life lately. It exists, but Clark is dissociated from it. That makes all the talk about how the team members, including John, are all Clark’s closest friends a bit disingenuous and forced.

It also means that the larger point about this story, that Clark and his friends need to start acting more like a family than a loose band of vigilantes, may never quite get the treatment it needs. There’s the final scene between Oliver, Chloe, and John, but that’s all we’re likely to see. Instead, it might mark a change in how Clark, Oliver, and Chloe interact going forward. It’s unfortunate, especially given the aims of Checkmate.

If there’s another aspect of this story that touches on the whole “Watchmen” vibe, it’s the role of Checkmate. I love this idea that Tess has been working behind the scenes to counter Zod (and perhaps others) by manipulating heroes past, present, and future to band together against a common foe. I especially like how they used Lois to get the story out there, garnering public trust in heroes again, all in preparation for a time when the masses will need a symbol of hope. That connects very well to Clark’s slow but steady development of the Blur as a public icon.

It also helps to demonstrate how well-rounded Tess has become as a character. Tess has ably replaced Lex as the character that does questionable things in the name of what she believes to be right for the world. The writers were never quite able to portray Lex as someone dedicated to saving humanity from alien threats, despite their best efforts, because they kept overshadowing his noble aims with his misdeeds. Tess, on the other hand, has been more consistently depicted as someone who believes that the ends justify the means, and as someone willing to bear the cost of her choices.

Hopefully, that is how the writers will portray Checkmate and its agents: not as a villain per se, but as an organization that operates in that grey area between outright moral heroism and clinical pragmatism. It would tie in well with Oliver and Chloe’s mindset, which in turn would challenge the audience to consider where the line between heroic vigilantism and villainy should be drawn. If the writers play their cards right, it would take “Smallville” to the next level.

So it’s possible that the writers could overcome the limitations of the series’ budget to incorporate some of the large-scale implications of this story. Unfortunately, long-term viability will do nothing to address the effect it had on this story. When push comes to shove, the writers were only able to gather a handful of the heroes from the JSA and proto-JLA, and that weakened the impact. Also, while Welling did about as good a job as one could hope with the final showdown, it just seemed too short a battle to pay off the excellent build-up. Then again, that’s been a major problem for “Smallville” for a while now, so it may be that the scale of the story only amplified the negative effects.

But did that ruin the story in any major capacity? Not at all. I can say, as a “Smallville” fan with very limited knowledge of the DC canon, that this was one of the best episodes of the series to date. I never felt like I was missing some crucial piece of information or continuity, and it really felt like everyone involved was putting forth their absolute best efforts. This is the sort of thing fans have been begging for, and for once, “Smallville” was able to deliver.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 4/4

Final Rating: 10/10

Written by Jordan Hawley
Directed by Mairzee Almas

If there is one thing that “Smallville” has always struggled with, it’s continuity. Not just in terms of overall series continuity, which is generally acceptable, but rather, the continuity within a season arc. For one reason or another, it always feels like the writers fail to communicate once they break out the stories for the season. Add to that a historical tendency to lose focus about halfway through every season, and it’s no shock that “Smallville” has often been dismissed by fans of genre television, despite its longevity.

In this case, it is the treatment of the Clark/Zod relationship. While Clark has never been particularly talented at diplomacy, his interactions with Zod seem overly contentious, given his stated goals. Clark may be right not to trust Zod, but Clark had come to the conclusion that the best way to prevent the future seen in “Pandora” was to befriend Zod and show him a better path. Constantly making threats and dismissing Zod’s attempts at a dialogue don’t make sense within the context of that strategy.

Part of the problem is that Zod has been inconsistently depicted. Major Zod was ruthless from the start, and while the information provided in “Kandor” made some sense out of that, it also presented a case for Zod’s potential for redemption. Yet in the end, Zod always defaults to a scheme that he knows is diabolical. So which is it? Is Zod capable of change, or is Zod evil at the core? The writers could have gotten much more mileage out of a Zod that could go either way, giving Clark’s choices far more importance.

As it is, Clark’s choices really don’t matter. Zod will be evil, because Zod is always evil. In that respect, Clark’s decision to help Zod find another path is merely a delaying tactic. And perhaps that explains why the writers are inconsistent with Clark’s treatment of Zod. They know Clark’s strategy is doomed to fail, they know the audience must know it’s going to fail, so why bother making it convincing?

On the other side of the spectrum, we get another close look at Oliver’s climb back towards heroism, even as Clark becomes more and more uncomfortable with how Oliver and Chloe define the term. I know there are plenty of “Smallville” fans who consider episodes like this to be a waste of time, but I disagree. Oliver was introduced for two reasons: to jumpstart Clark’s development as a hero with a worldwide perspective (what a hero should be), and to provide Clark with a negative example (what a hero shouldn’t be).

So exploring Oliver’s side of the story is not a distraction from Clark’s journey; it is necessary to place Clark’s own development into context. Let’s face it: Superman/Clark Kent is a fairly boring character in and of itself. He only gets interesting when his strict moral code or inherent sense of moral superiority is challenged. Yet, he is also the hero of the story. The time-honored approach, then, is to ensure that his contemporaries are morally inferior yet still influential in his life.

The catch, however, is that Oliver’s story must eventually coincide with some important stage in Clark’s life. If Oliver is meant to stand as a key influence for Superman on “Smallville”, then for all his psychological damage, he has to be shown as a semi-capable mentor. Hence the introduction of Mia, who thankfully was not a one-episode addition to the mythos. If Oliver manages to make her even slightly viable as a hero, before her inevitable demise, then it justifies his role in Clark’s life just a little bit more.

Oliver’s journey is relevant in another sense. Chloe has been one of Clark’s primary allies for years. In fact, in many respects, Chloe has been Clark’s anchor in many a storm. Without a doubt, Chloe has changed in recent seasons, and from Clark’s perspective, not for the better. That has coincided with Chloe getting more involved in Oliver’s world. The more Clark and Oliver diverge in their view of the world, the greater the rift between Clark and Chloe. The more we understand Oliver’s side of the equation, the better we understand what it is that Clark rejects.

The problem with this entire approach is that it requires the characters to debate things a bit more directly than they are to be effective. The subtext is all there, but the characters stop just short of making a definitive point. It’s exactly the same problem that plagues the Clark/Zod scenes. It’s as if dancing around conflict is somehow the only way these people can communicate. I realize that the writers want to keep things stewing because they have no idea how long they need to keep the series going, but a little bit of frank confrontation can go a long way.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Andrew Landis and Julia Swift
Directed by Morgan Beggs

I’ve always been a sucker for apocalyptic futures and visions. There’s just something about knowing that things are on the verge of falling apart completely, knowing that familiar faces are somehow responsible, and seeing them try to make adjustments to prevent that future from occurring. It’s a well-worn plot device, but one that usually works for a reason.

It’s a convenient way to approach one of the key philosophical debates within human existence: predestination vs. free will. Are we bound by some complex law of cause and effect or the whims of a higher power with complete control, or do we have the ability to change probabilities and shape our own destiny? It is a question at the heart of humanity’s spiritual struggles, and as such, it rightfully serves as the center of much of our popular culture myths.

In a sense, “Smallville” has always been a story about destiny vs. free will on several levels. There are the obvious expectations laid at Clark’s feet by his father, and the question of whether or not he can find his own path within the confines of those expectations. But there is also the approach taken with the series: how closely must the story of “Smallville” conform to the expectations of the Superman myth, as known within modern culture? How far can the story deviate before it becomes too different for its own good? (Many might say that ship has long since sailed.)

The writers did themselves a favor by setting Lois’ experience of the future only one year ahead of the end of the eighth season, confining the struggle to prevent the fall of humanity to this season. It’s a fair bet that Clark will manage to prevent Zod and his minions from completing their bizarre plan to harness the power of an altered sun, but he cannot know which path will take him to what end.

What is interesting is that Tess and Clark both have partial knowledge of this future disaster now. Tess had her misgivings about Zod in previous episodes, but now she knows that standing with Zod will not end well for her. Just like Clark, Tess may try to shift her strategy in the hope of preventing Zod from executing his plan. The question is: will the attempt to prevent the future bring about the circumstances of its arrival?

It’s already clear that Lois’ memories depict a timeline of events that differ from the continuity of the episodes since the season premiere. The fact that Lois came back from the future altered the sequence of events. So it’s possible that everyone will be reacting to prevent a future that is already obsolete to some degree. Because they have very limited information, they could change things and actually make the future worse in comparison.

For that matter, I’m intrigued by this idea that Zod thought he was saving the world. It seems clear that the alterations to the sun brought about massive negative climate change (as one would expect), so how exactly was Zod creating this new Golden Age? He might have been talking about saving the world for his own people, except that Tess was almost fanatically convinced that following Zod to the bitter end was the right thing to do. So there is a huge piece of information missing from the equation.

I’m also not sure about how Zod’s scheme is supposed to work. The tower somehow alters the sun to shift from yellow (and its subsequent radiation) to red. Generally speaking, red stars are huge. The sun looked much bigger in the episode, but most estimates suggest that when the sun goes to red giant, it will have a diameter encompassing Earth’s orbit. So the writers were taking some creative license, without a doubt. (And this is “Smallville”, so of course they are!)

But more to the point of the mythos, it is the yellow sun’s characteristics that give Clark his abilities. The Kryptonians, living under a red star, did not have abilities. That is their default, normal state. So how would changing the sun to a red star give Zod and his minions their abilities, while taking Clark’s abilities away? It’s obviously just a plot device, similar to what occurred at the end of “Superman II”, but it would have been nice if it had made a little more sense within the context of the established series mythology.

The details of Zod’s plot, however, are a minor annoyance, and pale in comparison to the strength of the rest of the narrative. One can see the seeds of that terrible future in the current status quo, and it should be very interesting to see how the characters try to change things to thwart Zod. It will be a long wait for the new episodes to resume in January 2010.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Anne Cofell Saunders
Directed by Glen Winter

While I felt that the season got off to a slow and confusing start, the writers have settled in nicely and the show is finding its way back into my good graces. It still has its definite flaws, but it’s easy to forgive when I come away from an episode satisfied. Granted, it’s still early in the season, and the writers tend to lose their way in the second half time and again, but for now, I’m good with “Smallville”.

I will be the first to admit that enjoyment of recent seasons might be predicated on one’s enjoyment of the Clark/Lois dynamic. That element has certainly been ramping up this season, and by making it a critical part of the season arc, the writers resolve one of the issues with its treatment last season.

Unfortunately, there is a drawback. The writers are trying to play on the nostalgic factor of the Lois and Clark relationship. There is a certain degree of expectation and anticipation (and I say that personally). It’s not all that different from the anticipation of Clark donning the familiar red and blue, taking flight, or managing to craft a believable secret identity when everyone and their brother has seen his face without glasses for all this time.

It’s a game of inches, and the writers want to touch on the Lois’ constant suspicions about Clark and his true nature without pulling the trigger. But just as it became ridiculous after years of teasing during the Clark/Lana era, it’s getting old now. In fact, having seen it all before, patience is becoming elusive.

Maybe this is one of those few remaining constraints on the producers, something they’re not allowed to have happen on the show. That would be unfortunate. The writers have already strayed so far from the traditional canon that they really could ignore the “rules” and have things happen much earlier in the timeline. In my opinion, the show would be much stronger as a result.

Because it was clear that Lois wouldn’t get to the end of the episode with her realization intact, my pleasure over some of the more iconic moments was mitigated. The saving grace was how Lois was convinced that Clark was not the Blur. Having Chloe abuse her power as Watchtower once again was a smart move. I like the darker direction that Chloe has been taking since her experiences last season, and how it threatens her relationship with Clark. If Chloe’s death (once again used as a tease) doesn’t come to pass, I begin to wonder if she’ll go darkside in the future.

The introduction of the Wonder Twins didn’t bother me, even if there were indications that the writers once again assumed a certain amount of backstory knowledge on the part of the audience. I recalled just enough from childhood cartoons, I think! They served a purpose within the context of the story, helped indirectly elevate the legend of the Blur and the status of the familiar sigil as a symbol of hope, and gave Clark a chance to show some rare wisdom.

Perhaps the best part of the episode was the final scene, and how it dovetailed with the vision in the teaser. A lot of the small details from earlier episodes are coming together to form a bleak picture, and I like where it’s all going. As long as the writers keep their eyes on a solid plan for the whole season, this could turn out to be another winner.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

This is one of those wonderful mythology-laden episodes that serves the interests of both longtime fans and those only familiar with “Smallville”. It’s entirely possible to watch this episode without any prior knowledge of the franchise and understand the context of it all. That it touched on parallels to earlier seasons of the show, and managed to tie together some of the loose ends over the years, also made this a winner.

The episode is really meant to show how choices define consequences. Jor-El and Zod were friends, and Zod was quite possible a good man as well as a capable leader. Jor-El made an ethical decision not to restore Zod’s son to life, and that seems to have been the trigger that sent Zod into his descent. That personal conflict carried over onto Earth, thanks to the cloning experiment, and now Zod and Clark are set on a collision course.

What’s interesting is that this did not have to happen. Much is based on misunderstanding and anger. Zod’s behavior since his arrival on Earth is a direct consequence of his last memories: betrayal by his dearest friend. Clark makes the logical assumption that Jor-El was killed by Zod, and he refuses to take steps to restore Zod to the man he used to be. The real question is this: who killed Jor-El, and why?

It’s quite possible that Zod was not the one who killed Jor-El. It would explain why Zod knew how to find Clark; following Jor-El right to Clark would have been simplicity itself. But that seems a bit too easy. I think it would be a lot more interesting if someone like Tess had Jor-El killed, all in the hopes of becoming his ally against Zod in the coming months. Provided he never found out, it would allow Tess to get closer to the Traveler, while also correcting the mistake she made by unleashing the Kryptonians from within the Orb.

Julian Sands does a capable enough job as Jor-El, but it does create something of a discontinuity. Jor-El references his earlier time on Earth among the Kents (seen in “Relic”), but this Jor-El is clearly much older than the Jor-El (played by Tom Welling) seen in “Relic”. Also, the destruction of Kandor, while a fitting impetus to Zod’s plan to destroy Kal-El with a genetically engineered son in the eighth season, contradicts much of what had been previously revealed.

For example, in the supplementary animated material “Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton”, meant to flesh out the story of the House of El, it is General Zod that is attacking an intact Kandor that leads to the destruction of the planet, all as part of a plan concocted by Zor-El to fulfill an ancient prophecy. That prophecy has, in fact, been mentioned in passing throughout the past couple seasons, notably in ”Injustice”.

While one would assume that “Kandor” would be considered canon over the animated material, “Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton” was designed to fit the mythology as laid out in the seventh season. Also, other ancillary material has eventually been proven as canon, such as the Veritas organization. It would be reasonable to assume that Kandor was rebuilt on the ruins of the original city, but it seems like an unnecessary complication to the timeline.

Even so, I liked the other connections made regarding the Stones of Power, the use of blue kryptonite, and cloning. This seems to connect very well with “Blue” and the cloning that Zor-El conducted with Clark’s mother. (Granted, both the Stones and the Orb were supposedly much older than this episode would indicate, but this could easily be explained through oddities in the transit between Krypton and Earth.)

I’m sure the writers could figure out a way to make it all fit together, but I’m not sure it would matter. The purpose of the back story for this episode is clear enough, and while I’m sure there are a ton of insider references I missed along the way (for example, the reference to Black Zero), I still thought this was an excellent way to push the season arc into the complication phase.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Holly Henderson and Don Whitehead
Directed by Michael Rohl

After a couple of episodes devoted to Oliver, positioning him as a hero again in time for the real fireworks to start, this seems like a bit of a transitional installment. It’s focused mostly on the relationships and setting up subplots, and for that reason alone, it feels a little bit like filler. If progress hadn’t been made on the Clark/Lois relationship, it might have been completely unnecessary.

As it is, there’s not much to the episode. The playful banter between Clark and Lois does speak to their chemistry. After so many years together on the show, they’ve fallen into a good rhythm and the verbal sparring comes naturally. Erica Durance has really settled into the role, even to the point where she seems to be enjoying the chance to be more than the eye candy.

I suppose the writers had to address Lois’ previous relationship with Oliver, especially now that he is back on the mend. It makes sense that Oliver would turn to Lois as “the one that got away”, and it’s a good mechanism for forcing Lois to admit openly that she’s in love with Clark. Thankfully, the writers didn’t try to leave the situation as a love triangle, because that would have gotten annoying very, very quickly.

I noted in the review for the previous episode that the writers were on the verge of repeating the mistakes of the past with Clark and Lois. It’s too easy to have the two of them run hot and cold like a yo-yo to maintain the tension. For that reason alone, avoiding the love triangle was a good move.

But it’s even better when taken in context. For quite some time, it’s been clear that “Smallville” is not bothering to align with the other versions of the Superman mythos. While some plot points still pretend to adhere to expectation, others are a clear departure. I like the fact that they’ve stopped stalling with Clark and Lois for that reason alone. I still think the writers undermined the credibility of this obvious plot progression with the Lana arc in the eighth season, but at least they’re trying.

The rest of the episode fell flat, particularly Oliver’s subplot with Mia. A little research has revealed that this is yet another example of the writers porting a comics character into “Smallville”, and I assume that this was supposed to be noteworthy, as it sounds like a fairly faithful representation. Unfortunately, to the uninitiated, it felt forced.

If Mia doesn’t appear in later episodes to give this subplot a point, then it will feel like an even greater waste of time. The sad thing is, I think this has potential, if handled correctly. My concern is that the writers tend to assume that the audience knows the character history, leading to poor characterization for the “Smallville” version. (Catherine Grant was also apparently a well-known secondary character from the comics, but her appearance here seems incidental.)

The business between Zod and Tess is clearly setup for the long-term story arc. I was a bit worried that the writers would forget that Tess is supposed to be deadly in her own right, especially after they kept having Mia, the underground fighter, forget her skills whenever it was convenient for the plot. I thought the reference to Krypton’s star was clever, and I look forward to whatever it is Zod is preparing to do.

Transitional episodes tend to be all about the setup for future payoff, and I can see how some of these elements could play into that kind of design. But the episode itself just didn’t seem to shine on its own. Fans of the Clark/Lois relationship will be pleased, but now that the November sweeps period is finally here, it will be good to see the writers turn their attention to something a little more substantial.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Genevieve Sparling
Directed by Kevin Fair

I suspect this is another instance where a well-known DC comics character has been adapted into the “Smallville” universe. I’m simply not versed enough in the comics canon to know or even care. Within the context of the episode Roulette serves a specific and time-honored purpose, and while her own characterization was a bit sparse, I enjoyed the overall effect.

The writers have mined this particular plot device before: “Mercy” and “Committed” spring to mind. It’s a variation on the good old “sink or swim” method: place a person in crisis to push them into revealing their true strengths or weaknesses. It’s a method to be used when internal sources of conflict aren’t getting the job done, and external pressures are the only remaining recourse. Of course, there is the drawback that any such method is as much about the motives of the individual behind the “game” as it is the needs of the individual being forced to play.

Just from the way it was initially framed in the teaser, I was certain that this was all an elaborate setup to push Oliver in the right direction. And it was equally obvious that Clark had absolutely nothing to do with it, because he’s not this clever or willing to use psychological stress to force someone to see the light. (At least, not intentionally.) It didn’t take long for me to suspect that Chloe was behind it all.

If I wasn’t already sold on the idea of Oliver pulling himself up from the floor and getting back in the hero saddle, Chloe’s involvement would have been more than enough. To me, this is precisely the right direction for her character to take. Her own experiences have pushed her at moral odds with Clark more than once, and it makes sense that she was apply those life lessons in her role as Watchtower. The Chloe seen at the end of this episode is confident, strong, and delightfully pragmatic.

Considering the focus of the plot, most of the episode centers on Oliver and his experiences. Clark is barely present, which could be an issue for fans that expect him to be the subject each and every episode. This is beginning to feel, however, like preparations for something that will be vital to Clark’s overall season arc as the story progresses. This process puts Oliver and Clark on roughly the same footing as heroes in their own right, which is an important step. With his issues more or less resolved, Oliver can stand with Clark during the battles ahead.

This also seems to be designed to allow the Kryptonian subplot to percolate a bit in the background, and throw some complications into the Clark/Lois relationship in the process. The writers need to be careful with how many twists and turns they throw into the mix, however. Right now, it’s starting to feel like the most frustrating days of the Clark/Lana relationship, when Lana was trusting or distrusting Clark for whatever reason on an episode-to-episode basis. The writers are trying to keep things from progressing too quickly, obviously, but too much zigzagging can be counter-productive.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10