Smallville 11-26-02 (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

DAMN Good episode.
Story was a tad predictable, heh, but it was pulled off so well who cares . They threw me for a curve with the Whitney part, however. I figured something happened to him, just not what was mentioned.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Yeah, not only do they cast a hot looking lady for Clark, but once she knows what he is, you know her minutes of fame are closing fast! It's just trying to figure how the writers are going to get her out of the picture is the only suspense left.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

I'm a big Superman fan, and I love Smallville...
but...
I hated tonights episode. Absolutely loathed it. This was the first time that I considered turning off Smallville.
Tonights episode struck me as very heavy handed, predictable, pretentious, and lacking every trait that I find appealing in this series.
Clark didn't put up much of a fight in trying to conceal his abilities (yes, I know it would have been difficult to explain shattering a boulder off ones back, but the writers have successfully wiggled their way out of worse corners in the past), and was just too accepting of his new "girlfriend". His usual private and cautious character was thrown right out the window to accomodate the storyline. What's more, Clark's parents didn't really seem to mind at all. I expect Clark would have told them that she was now in on his secret, as it's part of the nature of his relationship to tell them such things. It's also in character for Mr & Mrs Kent to be upset with their son for letting someone else in on his secret. Remember the hoopla when Pete found out? And he's a longtime friend of Clark's. CLARK JUST MET THIS GIRL!!! Very very very out of character for the entire Kent family!
I wince whenever a series plays the "environmental/racial/socio-political" card, as it just comes off as preachy, and this episode rang true of such faults. Everyone was off balance and out of character, and barely anyone seemed to show any emotion at all. Clark didn't seem to be grieving very much about the death of what's-her-name, and neither did her grandfather. Gramps seemed to care more about his caves than anything else.
Talk about predictable! It was pretty obvious from the start that Grandpa wasn't wolfman. Who's left? Precisely Dr. Watson! The granddaughter.
And barely any interaction from the rest of the cast here (Pete, Chloe, Lana) other than to stand around any play cardboard cutouts of their usual more interesting selves.
Don't even get me stared on the whole Native American Shapeshifting wolf "skinwalker" angle. Insulting.
Feeble.
The end of the episode tried to make things more interesting with the inclusion of the "Whitney is missing in action" bit... which just seemed tacked on at the end for no reason other than to warrant some kind of soap-opera'ish show of emotion. Hello!?!? Clark's little lady bites the big one and no ones seems to bat an eyelash!!!
I hope the rest of the episodes don't continue this trend. Color me disappointed. I expect a lot more from Smallville. This must have been an episode penned by the writers of Birds of Prey.
Moe.

 

[Mike St.Louis]

I agree - pretty lacklustre and predictable. Seems like they are continuing with the monster-of-the week schtick with or without the green K.

I think it's time to start on the storyline of Clark getting some real answers to his origin. The show is meandering this season and not breaking any new ground.

 

[Ning Wong]

i did not like this episode at all.

i agree w/Moe

 

[Chris Brunner]

Worst episode ever... but, I'll definitely be back next week. Bad Smallville is still better than LOTS of other shows.

BTW, I noticed no previews for next week's show. That usually means "repeat"???

 

[Jeremiah]

The girl who played Clarke's love intrest was so good looking I didn't care what was going on. I liked how once Lex saw the writings he was all over those caves.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The hottie's name is Tamara Feldman, probably her first big break, IMDB doesn't have anything on her yet.

 

[DeathStar1]

>It's just trying to figure how the writers are going to get her out of the picture is the only suspense left.>
That, and wether Lex Senior was going to bite the bullet. I'm sure they put it in the actors contracts how many eps they are going to be in, especially if they plan to kill them off eventually. Only problem is, if they did, we don't know what that number will be . Besides, it's always easier to kill off secondary characters rather than main ones .
As far as Clark showing emotion, I thought he showed plenty of it for a guy. Most guys would probably be able to handle the death of a loved one easier than someone like Lana obviously did. I wouldn't expect clark to start crying his eyes out like that, especially since he hardly seemed to know this lady for more than a week or so.

 

[Bill Catherall]

Well, despite the overall negative reviews here, I loved the show...as usual. I guess Smallville can do no wrong in my eyes. I didn't see the plot as being PC or "environmental/racial/socio-political." Kyla and Joseph wanted to preserve the caves for posterity. Clark and family wanted to preserve them because they may hold the answer to Clark's origin. Lex wanted them because they contained information that may help him solve his own little mystery.

I kind of liked the little twist that was added to the Superman lore by this episode -- that Kryptonians had visited earth before. That isn't in the comics is it?

 

[DeathStar1]

>
I kind of liked the little twist that was added to the Superman lore by this episode -- that Kryptonians had visited earth before. That isn't in the comics is it?
>

that's what I was wondering as well. And the light that blinked out in the stars was Krypton exploding.

I've always wondered about Jorels movie line, about Earth. how would he know the effects on Clark, unless he, himself sent out to investigate the planet before he sent Clark there? Then discovering the powers himself, figured this would be an even better place to send his son.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

I wouldn't expect clark to start crying his eyes out like that, especially since he hardly seemed to know this lady for more than a week or so.

So he was close enough to her to reveal his abilities (a secret he's kept hidden from his closest friends for his entire life), yet didn't shed a tear when she died? What a convenience... what a contradiction...

Moe.

 

[Bill Catherall]

So he was close enough to her to reveal his abilities (a secret he's kept hidden from his closest friends for his entire life), but wouldn't shed a tear when she dies?

Actually, I saw quite a bit of emotion from him when he was holding her just after she died. Of course he was in silhouette, so we couldn't see his face, but from his body language you could see he was in agony.

I think by now, with all the death he has already experienced in his life, he has learned to either mourn quickly, or mourn internally.

 

[DeathStar1]

>I disagree. I know several men who have dealt with death in a much more emotional fashion than Lana, Clark, or anyone else in this episode.
>

I'm not saying guys can't show that type of emotion, but I think the above poster put it better than I did. That he's experienced so much death already, he's learned to greive internally.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

I think by now, with all the death he has already experienced in his life, he has learned to either mourn quickly, or mourn internally.

I don't believe that for a second. This was, essentially, his first serious love interest, and we hear him express how "connected" he feels to her when he's speaking with Jonathan. They made it pretty clear during the episode that Clark forgot about Lana/Chloe/every other woman when he met this girl, and we're supposed to believe that he's mourning "quickly & internally" when she's killed?
Nahhhh... I don't buy that. It's not even part of Superman mythos. Neither the older pre-crisis or the current Superman/Clark characters have this void lack of emotion.
Clark Kent is known as a character that cares very deeply about the sanctity of life, and is very disturbed whenever one is lost. In this case, she meant something to him, and an outward display of his loss would be a lot more realistic.
In the event that the writers decide to write-out or "reinvent" the caring & emotion that Clark has for humanity & life, then I'll start considering whether I want to tune in again for future episodes.
Moe.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Judging by the "interpretations" of that scene with Clark holding Kyla's dead body, it seems that the viewer sees what they want to see in the shot as the director pulls away from the 2 of them.

I think in some respects, Clark understands that Kyla is at peace in that she doesn't have to keep her secret a secret anymore, she's moved on. Sure, I would not have minded some more slumppage and sobbing by Clark over Kyla's dead body, but that's just being melodramatic when you're all alone in the woods. The way the scene unfolded, I thought it was obvious from his body language that Clark was very sad from losing a kindred spirit, a girl who embodied a host of possibilities for Clark to be himself totally in her presence.

I'm not sure if Kryptonians ever visited Earth in the comics. I quit reading the Superman comics back in the late 1980's, so if there was a story about that event, I didn't read it. In the Superman film, Jor-El's pronouncement of the effect of Earth's yellow sun on Kal-El is based on his studies, but I don't think you can make the assumption that it's from first hand experience/experiments.

So...what is Martha's secret?

 

[Chad R]

Seems like they are continuing with the monster-of-the week schtick with or without the green K.

Didn't Kyla say that the first skinwalkers were influenced by the green rocks?

Still a Krypto-baddie, just several generations removed.

The whole idea of another kryptonian is fascinating, and could fuel an ongoing storyline (something that would help this show) for a while, and could give Chloe something more to do than stand around and just add necessary plot revelations. Ger investigations into Clark's past have already been set up and work as a good wedge in their relationship.

The continuing references made to Clark about a friend turning against him are getting tiring as well.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

And the light that blinked out in the stars was Krypton exploding.

Yeah, last night when the first reference was made in the loft, I yelled out, "Ha ha, Abrams! Krypton does blow up!"

 

[Jon Torres]

Tamara Feldman huh? I swear she was one of the 2 girls who was in the tampon commercial. I thought she was good looking and that's probably why I looked past the shows flaws.

Did anyone else notice how Lex closed his laptop when his blind dad came in? Also, what's the big deal w/ the octagon?

 

[Patrick Sun]

The octogon-shaped depression is the same size/shape as the piece from Clark's spacecraft that Lex found in the fields (and has now gone missing). When the piece was placed in the spacecraft's slot for it, the spacecraft was activated, consider it the key for the spacecraft.