Smallville Review Blog

Written by Al Septien, Turi Meyer, Brian Peterson, and Kelly Souders
Directed by Kevin Fair and Greg Beeman

“Smallville” has always struggled to match its potential, especially as it has attempted to transform itself into a more mature show in the later seasons. Part of the problem was its eternally open-ended format. Without an end date in mind, the writers not only had to be flexible, but also felt they could meander from plot point to plot point without much consequence.

This may have worked in earlier seasons, but they knew going in that this was the final chapter. This was all about establishing the “Smallville” version of Clark Kent’s evolution into Superman, and that no other endgame was going to be acceptable. So I’m a bit flummoxed as to why they would punt the ball when it really mattered.

Never mind how badly they botched the run of episodes leading into the finale. That’s been the problem in every season since the start; the writers commit to a storyline for 13 episodes, and then wander aimlessly for the back nine, often making up the finale out of whole cloth. I wouldn’t say that this series finale has the same problem, but it’s pretty close.

As much as Tom Welling, the producers, and the writers all pointed out that this series was about Clark Kent’s evolution, and therefore had to focus on the end of his arc more than the beginning of the Superman story, I think they conveniently dismissed the crucial point: the end of Clark’s arc is entirely the beginning of the Superman story. One cannot be logically separate from the other, especially when the entirety of the foreshadowing for ten seasons has been Clark’s evolution into Superman!

Thus the fatal flaw of the series finale: Clark takes up the mantle of Superman, but we never see him fully in the costume (just some truly terrible CGI shots and extreme Welling close-ups) and he doesn’t even get the name drop. They spent more time giving Lex Luthor a better setup for his future arc as Clark’s nemesis. And that’s despite the epilogue, where it could have been done without hesitation. Unless Tom Welling simply looked horrible in the costume, I can’t fathom why they fumbled this aspect of the ending so badly.

At the same time, this finale fails due to the death by a thousand self-inflicted cuts. It’s not just the culmination of Clark’s journey (much of which directly contradicts elements from earlier in the season/series). It’s the rushed resolution to the big season plot and character threads, because they failed to handle them properly in the several episodes leading into the finale.

What’s sad is that the writers did some great things in this finale. The treatment of Jonathan Kent was brilliant. While it may have seemed odd that both Clark and Martha acted like Jonathan was physically there, I took that as a conceit to communicate that both of them felt his spiritual presence in those moments. It simply felt right, which is perhaps why so many other moments failed to ring true in comparison.

A good chunk of the first half of the finale is devoted to setting up the big battle with Darkseid and resolving the Lois/Clark wedding arc. Considering the threat posed by Apokolips, I thought this took way too much time. I also thought that, just maybe, that little problem would have been a good reason to postpone the wedding. But the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it too, so they got most of a romantic wedding story and also the necessary postponement.

Clark says what most of the audience felt at the end of the previous episode: Lois’ decision to call off the wedding doesn’t make much sense at all, and he’s not having it. But I would argue that the whole issue of selling the farm and Clark’s final moment of self-doubt was equally unnecessary. They covered all of that several times during the season. Sure, it led to some great Clark/Jonathan moments, but was it really something that needed so much time and rehashing devoted to it, when there was a whole planet worth of plot to resolve?

The same inattention to pacing and time management plagues the endless rehashing of the wedding vows. Using them to resolve Clark and Lois’ doubts worked just fine. Re-reading them in their entirely during the wedding wasted an incredible amount of screen time. I was all but looking at my watch and wondering how they were planning to handle the fireworks when so much was being delayed!

Perfect case in point: the resolution of Oliver’s allegiance to Darkseid and the gold kryptonite. I totally bought that Chloe would recognize the kryptonite after all these years, and that Clark would be too distracted to notice. But was it really that easy for Clark to wipe away the taint of the darkness from Oliver? After all that buildup towards something a lot darker, that’s what we get? (Granted, we know Chloe and Oliver live happily ever after, thanks to the prologue, but come on!)

Meanwhile there is a subplot with Tess that serves to explain the return of Lex Luthor. I was more impressed by Tess and her tenacity than the explanation for Lex’s revival. Sure, it ties into the cloning project from the season premiere, but wouldn’t it have made more sense for Darkseid to resurrect him, given the circumstances? Instead, the writers take a more complicated route to the same end, considering that Darkseid uses Lionel’s heart to restore Lex anyway.

The conversation between Lex and Clark was, in many ways, what should have happened back before Lex was shuffled out of the picture at the end of the seventh season. It also reminded me a bit of a certain conversation at the end of the film “Unbreakable”. As good as this moment was, however, it suffered from a lack of proper build-up in the episodes leading into the finale. I was happy to have Lex back for this moment, to tie off that loose end, but it could have been so much more. (Though the Tess/Lex scene did a nice job of resolving one major continuity issue.)

But other resolutions are more egregious. Take Oliver’s remarkably easy dispatch of Darkseid’s minions. That’s all it took? A few arrows to the chest, and it’s all over? I agree that Oliver was probably the right one to take them down, since he was more their victim than Clark at this point, but that was one of the most anticlimactic resolutions to a plot arc I’ve ever seen.

Sadly, it’s not the only one. After building up the fact that countless millions have been tainted with Darkseid’s mark, and with an entire planet of evil coming to destroy Earth (shades of “The Fifth Element”), it was clear that Clark was going to have to do something amazing to save the world. Doing so as Superman would be the ultimate conclusion to Clark’s entire journey.

I knew there was going to be a major problem when I noticed that there was perhaps five minutes left in the episode by the time this moment arrived. Instead of a great Clark vs. Darkseid fight, we get an excruciatingly long recap of big moments from the past ten seasons and a slugfest with Zombie Lionel. All leading up to, as already mentioned, some of the worst CGI I’ve seen on “Smallville”, and that’s saying something.

But here’s the big finish: a completely CGI Superman flies to Apokolips, simply shoves the entire dark planet back out into space. This one act immediately brings hope to the world, and all those tainted millions are instantly cleansed of the mark of Darkseid. End of plot. I don’t know if everyone involved was hoping that the audience would be too giddy over the arrival of Superman (kinda) to notice the massive amount of hand-waving used to “resolve” the season arc, but I wasn’t distracted enough to overlook this serious flaw.

The finale ends with an epilogue seven years later. Chloe is reading a Smallville comic to her son (where such a thing would come from, I don’t know, but there we are), and the writers give us something of a glimpse of the future. Lois and Clark are finally getting back to the altar, Jimmy Olsen is at the Daily Planet, there’s a nice voiceover for Perry White, and perhaps more important to the audience, there’s the familiar John Williams fanfare. It was clearly intended to take the series out on a high note, but all it did was underscore how badly the writers came up short in the end.

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

Final Rating: 6/10

(Season 10 Final Average: 6.7)

(Series Final Average: 6.8)

Written by Bryan Q. Miller and Anne Cofell Saunders
Directed by Mike Rohl

What in the world happened to this final season of “Smallville”?

Things were rolling right along for quite a while, delving into some of the darkest territory yet. It seemed as though the knowledge of the end of the series had given the writers more license to address the journey of Clark towards his more familiar persona. And up until the late-season hiatus, that’s where they seemed to be heading. So why have the past few episodes felt like a complete waste of time? With so little time remaining for the series, why aren’t they focusing on everything they set up earlier in the season? And why, oh why, are they making this same structural mistake yet again?

Instead of making the ramp-up to the series finale the point of the episode, they relegate some important plot points to the “B” story and focus way too much on a standard “Smallville” trope: giving Lois all of Clark’s abilities while rendering him powerless. It all seems designed to bring Clark to the realization that Jor-El’s little tests and trials are no longer applicable.

But haven’t we already arrived at this point, more or less? Sure, Jor-El locked up the famous suit until he felt Clark was worthy, but the writers have already all but undermined the power of that subtext by disengaging Clark’s personal growth from the struggle with Darkseid. And while Lois’ decision not to marry Clark (yet) may please the continuity hawks in the audience, it doesn’t fit the overall arc for “Smallville”. (Hopefully, this is just a silly twist for this episode, meant to add suspense and drama to the finale.)

Oliver’s story was much stronger: his attempt to overcome the mark of Darkseid and his own darkness within, only to lead the enemy to one of the few weapon capable of presenting challenge. Pairing him with Kara, to illuminate that Oliver is now firmly playing for the other team, despite his protests, worked fine. So why shove her off to deal with Jor-El’s latest schizophrenic decision, and thus leave with the Legion ring? How does this serve as a logical and fitting conclusion to her part on the show?

I’m still trying to figure out why Lois would go along with Toyman’s scheme. Was it introduced to justify her later conclusion that she is Clark’s greatest weakness? How does that remotely fit with all the episodes that previously established her as one of Clark’s greatest strengths? Knowing that the powers will be back in Clark’s hands by the end of the day, why not disable Toyman’s device and then inform Clark of Toyman’s intentions? Or, for that matter, use the abilities that she took to easily enough earlier in the episode to resolve the situation herself? The usual canny and capable Lois Lane doesn’t show the slightest ability to solve this problem, and it’s galling.

It should also be noted that this is the second episode in a row where Clark is essentially powerless for most of the main plot thread, and the third episode in a row where the writers are either tying up old threads that were already tied off just fine and focusing more on development and exploration of supporting characters. Usually, I don’t mind this as much as other members of the audience, but given the impending finale, it just seems like an utter waste.

Apparently this was also another nod to the DC Comics fans, with Toyman assembling the “Legion of Doom”. If so, was this really necessary? Did it really add any value? Wouldn’t this has been better as something more integrated into the Darkseid arc, instead of a seemingly one-off cameo appearance (to the point where the characters had to be filmed indirectly to mask the absence of the necessary actors and actresses)? It just seems like the perfect representation of everything that has been wrong with the final stretch of “Smallville”.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 0/4

Final Rating: 4/10

Written by John Chisholm
Directed by Justin Hartley

While I did have a lot of problems with the timing and overall theme of this episode, not unlike the previous two installments, I was happy to see that Oliver’s connection to Darkseid was not being ignored. In a way, this episode is meant to force Oliver to deal with the knowledge that he has been marked, while giving Clark a chance to distinguish himself from Zod once and for all (while setting up a scenario similar to “Superman II”).

The problem is that these connections were all rather fleeting. Most of the episode was devoted to setting up a situation where Clark and Oliver could execute the “Smallville” version of “Spartacus: Blood and Sand”. It was a blatant ripoff as well, right down to the slow-motion shots in the middle of the fight in the “arena” and the spraying blood (as much as CW would allow, I imagine). This is the third time that the writers have cribbed from other pop culture films or shows in the past several episodes, and it justifies bringing the series to a close.

I feel particularly bad for Justin Hartley, who finally gets a chance to step behind the camera, only to be forced into playing with another show’s visual template and production style for the key moments of the story. But that’s the problem with a derivative script: there is only so much that can be done. Perhaps there is a reason why the best scenes were the early confrontations between Clark and Zod.

Callum Blue deserves a great deal of credit for his portrayal of Zod. He managed to make the character work despite some inconsistent characterization in the ninth season, but he steps up even more in this episode, driving home the notion that he is far more dangerous now than before. I enjoyed the visual nod to the original films. At the same time, did we need to engage in that level of continuity with the films? It’s unnecessary, given how “Smallville” has long since established itself as its own take on the myth. If the finale is used as a gigantic reset button to align with the film continuity, it will be a titanic letdown.

Just as the main plot didn’t seem quite as necessary as the writers seemed to believe, the Lois/Tess tension required a lot of convenient miscommunication. Sure, it led to Lois being the one to save Clark and Oliver, but did they need to revisit the notion of Tess betraying the team yet again? As I’ve said countless times before, Tess has been given a solid character arc from villain to teammate, and they would destroy the character completely if they had her turn on them now.

I also question the logic of connecting the Darkseid arc into the Veritas concept. The writers botched what was a series-defining opportunity in the seventh season when they failed to delve into the idea of Veritas. For those who don’t remember, Veritas connected the dots to explain Lionel Luthor’s actions in relation to Clark’s foretold arrival on Earth. This seems like a clumsy way to tie together loose threads that were never probably added in the first place. If it factors into the overall series finale, it’s definitely too late in the game to be introducing such an important element.

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

Final Rating: 5/10

Written by Geoff Johns
Directed by Tom Welling

Geoff Johns has a bit of a spotty track record with me. Unlike most fans of “Smallville”, I found “Legion” to be a completely muddled mess. Those of us with little to no education in the particulars of the DC Comics canon had no chance of understanding the context of most of that episode. On the other hand, “Absolute Justice” was the opposite: an epic two-part episode that managed to introduce all elements clearly and place them in a context that mattered for Clark and his allies.

So coming into this episode, I was wondering if Booster Gold was going to be explained in the “Smallville” mythos, or something that would go right over my head. What I got was, apparently, the introduction of two well-known figures: Booster and the Blue Beetle. Even though I get the definite sense that longtime fans of DC Comics got far more out of this than I did, I must admit that it all worked well enough for “Smallville” as a whole.

Booster Gold is essentially a tool (no pun intended) for Clark to recognize the value of a “brand” without giving in to style over substance. As Lois says about a dozen times throughout the episode, Clark needs to hurry up with establishing his alter ego, so he can move on to picking up where the Blur is going to leave off. They couldn’t be more obvious in setting up the arrival of Superman in the series finale.

That said, a lot of the episode seems to be spent on the uber-fan continuity porn, and that takes away from some of the enjoyment of the episode. It still gets to the point eventually; it’s just very clear that Johns is putting a lot of time and effort into name-dropping and such. I just wanted him to get to the damn story already. In that regard, it falls right between “Legion” and “Absolute Justice”. This is far more accessible than the former, but much less integrated into “Smallville” than the latter.

The inevitable fallout, however, is that the example that Booster sets for Clark (reinforcing his heroism and his need to accelerate his image transformation) requires Clark to be out of the spotlight for most of the episode. With only a handful of episodes left, sidelining the main character is a huge error in judgment.

Similarly, Clark’s evolution into the familiar clumsy, accident-prone man we all know would have been more effective if it had started a season or two ago. Having it happen this close to his assumption of the Superman persona is just working for me. Granted, we’re not going to see the aftermath of Superman’s arrival play out, so credibility of this plot point is somewhat moot, but they still could have put more effort into it.

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

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Genevieve Sparling
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

With only a handful of episodes remaining, fans are eager to see some major resolution take place. Not just in terms of the season arc, which needs plenty of resolution on its own, but also in terms of the series as a whole. Some elements are directly addressed in this episode, but it also feels like a lot of time is spent on relatively minor points that could (and should) have been covered ages ago.

Was there a compelling reason to return to the parallel universe previously seen in “Luthor”? It felt like a way to give Clark one final moment with Jonathan, but I’m convinced there could have been a better way. Clark has been chasing after the life lessons that Jonathan tried to teach him since that pivotal fifth season moment when Jonathan died. Pairing this last bit of connection between father and son with the other big development makes sense, but it really feels like this is late in the game for this plot point. The series could have ended without revisiting this directly.

The decision to sell the farm and move on is perhaps the best element of the episode. Clark hangs a lampshade on the gaping plot hole that has been staring everyone in the face for years: if Clark (and Lois) spend most of their time in Metropolis, living at the farmhouse doesn’t make sense. It’s a symbol of Clark’s attachment to his past, and with Clark finally gaining the perspective to become Superman, leaving the farm behind is a good metaphor. It also helps to explain why the show is still “Smallville”; up to this point, some part of Clark was still remaining there, even if his life was in Metropolis. (It’s a bit of a stretch, I know, but I’m a sucker for symbolism!)

All that said, the flip side of the episode with Ultraman felt unnecessary. His torment of Tess reaffirmed her loyalties, it seems, but other than providing an excuse to let someone other than Erica Durance supply ample fan service, what was the point? At this point, if Tess were to turn on Clark and his allies, it would all but destroy much of her character development since her introduction. Surely the writers know better than to do that?

I’m also confused by the point of the episode’s resolution. Clark swoops in, saves Tess, takes Ultraman to the Fortress…and then it’s lecture time? Sure, it makes sense in the context of Clark’s side of the episode, but since when would Clark think it was a good idea to find moral guidance from Jor-El? From what we’ve seen so far, the Jor-El construct in the Fortress is flawed, to say the least, and would be all too likely to drive Clark Luthor to take control of his Earth!

In the end, this episode has something of a point: one last moment of resolution between Clark and his moral compass and setting up the symbolic end of the series. But the execution seems awkward, and I can’t help but think that this would have been better as a minor subplot of an episode devoted to more pressing plot resolutions still left on the table.

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

Final Rating: 6/10

Written by Al Septien and Turi Meyer
Directed by Al Septien

With only six more episodes to go for the long-running series, there’s still so much to be resolved that I can’t believe they are tackling something like the introduction of Superboy to the “Smallville” canon. Was this really necessary? I suppose it comes down to whether or not Conner Kent gets integrated into some of the other lingering plot threads, but it seems a bit late in the game to be exploring this concept in such depth.

Granted, this does force Clark into a more adult role, with Conner effectively taking Clark’s place as the young man searching for direction in life. In a sense, Clark gets to play a super-powered version of Jonathan, which touches on one of the thematic elements of the series. (Which may, in fact, justify this subplot on a certain level.) Watching Clark mentor Conner serves to remind us of Clark’s journey over the years, with more than a few callbacks along the way.

If the writers are going to integrate Conner into the overall Darkseid storyline, they have the groundwork established to make it viable. Conner’s darker impulses are much more violent than Clark’s ever were, thanks to that inclusion of Luthor DNA. This episode’s use of red kryptonite to shortcut the process of revealing Conner’s dark side may have been a cheat, but it served its purpose. While the series always asked the “nature vs. nurture” question, it’s been long since established that the Luthors are tainted at the core.

Of course, part of me wonders if this is some kind of semi-stealthy way to float the idea of a spinoff. I mean, this is exactly how producers and networks usually introduce a spinoff towards the end of an existing show: develop a subplot around the new character. Maybe this is another way to attempt to sell a pseudo-“Justice League” series, but after ten seasons of “Smallville”, I’m actually hoping they let well enough alone.

I’m less pleased with the use of the alternate Lionel Luthor so far. His rise back to power was far too quickly accomplished, especially when Tess was able to topple him back off the pedestal so quickly and methodically. It renders his takeover of LuthorCorp rather moot, doesn’t it? But it does give the whole Lutessa thing a bit more relevance, so I applaud it on that level. On the other hand, the constant reminders that Tess is a Luthor, along with reminders that Luthor DNA brings evil impulses with it, continues to point to a betrayal down the stretch.

With Alexander revealed as Superboy, there is now the question of how Lex will truly be returned to the story as Clark’s nemesis. The final scene between Lionel and Darkseid is a likely clue. If nothing else, it would justify Lionel’s presence, since I can’t think of anyone else who would want Lex reborn so stridently.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Anne Coffell Saunders
Directed by Christopher Petry

I suppose, after the blatant ripoff of “The Matrix” not so long ago, that I shouldn’t be surprised that the writers would also crib from “The Hangover”. Granted, this episode doesn’t go nearly so far as the film, since there are limits to what the show can do (even on the CW network), but the source inspiration is obvious. That said, I thought this worked better than the “Matrix” clone, and provided just the right level of comedic charm as a breather before the darkness to come.

There’s a reason “The Hangover” worked. It takes a rather predictable concept, the bachelor party gone wrong, and wraps it in the trappings of a mystery. It’s the equivalent of giving a writer a random assortment of keywords, a general premise, and telling them to write a story. Most of the fun is putting the pieces together and seeing how ridiculous the plot gymnastics can be, and that’s why this episode works as well.

The set piece in the casino was probably the highlight of the episode. It was fairly obvious that they would get Lois into the showgirl outfit; it’s not an episode of “Smallville” without Lois in danger of showing cleavage and skin. Getting Oliver into the same outfit was a nice unexpected twist, and merged with the homage to “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Chloe’s latest foray into gunplay, and it hit just the right wacky notes.

This would appear to be the last episode for Chloe Sullivan, which would be a shame. Her presence was definitely missing from the first half of the season, and while there’s more than enough plot material to cover before the end, I can’t see how they can shuffle her off the stage completely. If nothing else, she has to be there for the wedding and the anticipated Superman reveal!

But beyond that, she’s now married to Oliver. That’s portrayed as something of a fairy-tale ending, yet I get the feeling the writers are setting things up for a nasty twist. After all, Oliver has been tainted by the darkness, based on the previous episode, and this would seem to put Chloe in the crosshairs when Darkseid finally pulls the trigger.

The subplot with Tess and Dr. Hamilton was another great element. I’ve never had the sense of Emil as a solid secondary character, as he seems to come in and out of the story as the writers need him. But he gets his moment to shine here, even as Tess gets to break out of her serious mode and get crazy.

As others have said, this feels like the proverbial calm before the storm, and I can’t disagree. I get the feeling some of these characters won’t survive until the end, so this may be the last happy moment they all have together. But with so much left to establish and conclude for the season and the series, I can’t see them having time to take another such breather before the finale.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Directed by Tim Scanlan

Hidden within this episode is the evolution of Clark Kent from his current ridiculously recognizable incarnation to his more iconic dweeb with glasses. The writers do everything possible to sell the concept, for which they deserve some credit. Yet I still find it hard to believe that the thousands of people who have encountered Clark over the years wouldn’t recognize him when he finally becomes Superman. This is something they should have established several seasons ago to make it viable.

The more meaningful transition is his realization that the Blur (and ostensibly, his soon-to-be-revealed Superman persona) is his true identity, and Clark Kent is the disguise he wears for the world. It’s taken quite some time to get to this point, but it’s a giant leap for Clark as an individual. It’s really the end of the journey that started back when Oliver first challenged Clark to look beyond his personal attachments in Smallville to the needs of the world.

The upshot is that Clark has gained the confidence that he was missing most of the season, and that effectively resolves the question of whether or not he will be tempted and controlled by Darkseid. It renders a few elements from earlier in the season somewhat moot, however, and given how Clark’s personal hangups were a huge part of the series, it would have made sense for him to overcome Darkseid more directly as a metaphor for his final transformation.

On the other hand, Oliver’s issues have always been the one thing holding him back, and has always been a point of contention between Oliver and Clark. His anger has been his Achilles heel, and it makes sense that Desaad would be able to exploit that and brand Oliver as a result. Granted, portraying Chloe as incorruptible is a bit of a stretch, given her decision to work with the Suicide Squad as a means to an end, but the writers have also placed Lois on the same pedestal, so it’s not the first time. But wasn’t Chloe a good match for Oliver because they both were more willing to play the moral relativity game?

A lot of time is spent on Chloe looking back on her former life and realizing that she’s not the same person anymore. That much is true, and the fact that she is essentially “dead” raises an interesting possibility. Is there any reason for her to keep the identity of Chloe Sullivan? Or could she choose to forge a new identity in the wake of whatever semi-apocalyptic events are coming at the end of the series? I could easily see them resolving the continuity issues by having her take on the name of someone already in the DC canon.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Written by Don Whitehead and Holly Henderson
Directed by Mike Rohl

With less than 10 episodes left for this decade-long series about the development of Superman from reluctant high school hero to worldwide beacon of hope, the writers are certainly laying all the necessary groundwork to bring things to a rousing conclusion.

When they created the alternate universe and brought over that version of Lionel Luthor, I was a bit wary. It seemed like a way to cheat the death of the character, which was one of the few highlights of the seventh season. But this episode made it clear that it’s all designed to restore the Luthors as Clark’s true nemesis. It’s all feeding into one of the most anticipated series-ending arcs in quite some time.

If this turn of events is unfortunate for anyone, it’s Tess Mercer. Connecting her to the Luthor legacy was a nice touch, but I’ve never had the sense that the writers knew what to do with her. She was never a villain per se, so as a replacement for Lex, it didn’t work. But as someone to mind the store until the Luthors return to menace the world, I suppose she served a purpose. Sadly, I think it will mean that her ultimate fate will be playing sacrificial lamb for Clark’s benefit.

On the other hand, we really don’t know how “Alexander” is going to factor into the story. All indications were pointing to his eventual transformation into the Lex we all remember, but the revelation at the end of this episode suggests otherwise. “Alexander” displays a resilience much like Clark. Some speculate that this may be a sign that “Alexander” will become Connor Kent, an incarnation of Superboy. If so, it complicates what seemed to be a straightforward return for Lex. After all, there’s still a connection to the Darkseid season arc that needs to be made.

I’m not sure how to take this latest shift in Chloe’s character. The idea that she intentionally left to allow Clark room to grow without her constant protection doesn’t quite make sense, given that they weren’t getting along for an entire season before she disappeared. And for that matter, he was making his own mistakes for years, with or without her and Martha around. Instead, it seems like a way to gloss over Allison Mack’s decision not to be a regular for the final season. Granted, it’s not a bad sentiment; it just doesn’t add up.

Perhaps one of the most important elements of the episode, the end of the VRA threat and the revelation that Clark, as the Blur, as become a symbol for humanity’s hope, was slightly overdone, but in the best way possible. The testimonials came across as heartfelt, and it fits into Clark’s post-Smallville journey towards accepting a broader responsibility. It looks like we’ll get to see Clark’s final transformation into the iconic character(s) we know and love, which is really all we’ve ever wanted out of this series.

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

Final Rating: 8/10