Smallville 5/12/04 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

"Forsaken"

While I disliked the "freak of the week" portion, all the rest was pretty decent.

You have to feel for Clark having to give up his closest friends due to the danger his presence in their lives attracts.

Lex gets Lionel up on murder charges (whether the evidence will stick is another matter).

 

[KyleC]

Yet another GREAT performance by Glover and Rosenbaum. I really hope Lionel is not gone, I'd like him to stick around just one more season before departing for good. He's the best villian on TV besides Al Swearengen.

 

[Thomas H G]

Pretty good episode. I for some reason thought this week was the season finale.

Anyways, next week looks good.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The acting between Clana has got to be some of the worst ever. What the hell was up with after Clark telling her to have a good trip, she's all troubled and he still has this huge dopey grin? Atleast they bothered with some setup to throw a wrench in things this week. After seeing what happened to Pete, I don't blame him for not telling.

Sorry to see Pete go. I liked the moment between him and Lex and Lex tells him "maybe someday you can return the favor." A nod to Pete getting the V.P. slot, perhaps?

I agree that we could have done without krypto-Flash, but overall rather enjoyable due to Lionel going down if nothing else.

 

[James Gumbart]

Clark and Lana should have left a long time ago and the show retitled "The Luthor Family" (okay, come up with a better name).

Only reason I still watch.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

 

[Ken Chan]

(a) Where do you get plastic-walled rooms like that? Is it a kit that you have to assemble yourself?

(b) There's no bathroom in there

(c) I gather that chlorine gas is dangerous

 

[NeilO]

I really didn't think Emily was intelligent enough to put that together in secrecy, but maybe she was.

Neil

 

[Patrick Sun]

Can't believe they got rid of the Jan Itor.

I think the plastic room appeared in a later episode last season when it featured Emily (as the "ghost" of Lana's childhood friend who drowned and her father cloned her). Emily's powers came from the kryptonite that her father was using to speed up the growth process...looked it up, that episode was called "Accelerate" from season 2.


I was more reminded of Magneto's holding cell when looking at Lana's new crib.

 

[Bill Williams]

It's interesting that in this episode the FBI finally has evidence on Lionel Luthor to make it stick. Of course, with all of his nefarious deeds he's done over the years, he's managed to cover his tracks pretty well.

Kryptonsite.com is reporting that in the season finale, "Covenant", a surprise witness testifies against Lionel Luthor. Methinks it could be Chloe, which could explain her changing her hair color to brown and going into witness protection, or it could be Lex.
We'll all find out next Wednesday!

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

What episode exactly had the same character, all grown up now, that was after Lana? I dont remember it.

 

[Chad R]

I thought it was a sloppy episode, wedging in the Pete leaving storyline with the Lionel storyline with an unwanted return of the little girl clone.

The episode should have focused solely on Lionel being arrested, coming up with a better way than resurrecting the phone call.

I was disappointed.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Emily and Pete Dinsmore appeared in "Accelerate" late last season, episode 42.

 

[Bill Williams]

Apparently, the Smallville Yearbook tie-in magazine has already been released, and it's got some extremely interesting tidbits about what happens next week in "Covenant". According to Kryptonsite.com


-Lionel lashes out at those people who put him into prison... including Clark, who gives "damning testimony" that puts him away. (Yup, he's the surprise person giving testimony, apparently!)
- Clark decides he finally has to face Jor-El and ends up disappearing into a mysterious void in the cave wall. The last thing we see may very well be Clark, naked and curled in a fetal position, submitting trance-like to the booming voice of Jor-El.
- The magazine also tells us whether or not Grace/Kara is real or not. We'll tell you this: She's NOT a creation of Lionel.

Looks like it's gonna be something exciting!

 

[Michael Menduina]

I think this season is gonna be it for me. These stories are getting dumber and dumber by the week. My biggest shock this week was actually seeing Lana in school!!! When was the last time she was in school? I was starting to think she was a dropout.

The few, thin, threads of plot that hold this series together from episode to episode, just end up going around in circles without ever reaching anywhere. People acquire super powers at the drop of a hat! Anyone that acquires powers is either dead or in a coma by the end of the episode. Anyone in the vicinity is guaranteed to be unconscious whenever Clark uses his abilities (Lana must have some serious brain damage from all the concussions!). Kryptonite can be used for ANYTHING (NOS, Dynamite, Hypnosis, etc...). The list goes on...

Like many of the posters in this forum, I'm inclined to believe that the Luthors are the ONLY interesting thing on this show. The premise of this show had so much potential but they've pissed it away.

 

[Holadem]

No it ain't...

Having just discovered Buffy, I was shocked to realize what a poor show Smallville actually is in comparison.

On Buffy, even the stand alone, Monster of the Week episodes are fun because the characters are much better written and it is just a hoot to see them interact. These people actually grow, change in front of you. No such thing in Smallville, where life altering events do not become part of the characters and do not chage them, but are only brougth up conveniently if needed in the current episode. Basically, unless it has a purpose, let's pretend it never happened.

And let's not talk about the plot-that-goes-nowhere(tm). It seems the writers are terrified to step outside of their mold. We've been seeing the same shit for 3 seasons now, with little consequence on all involved. At this point, my dislike for Lana is extending to Clark.

Ugh, I am giving up. Well, after the season finale

--
H

 

[JustinCleveland]

Good ridance. Man, I'm sick of Buffy apologists that think that show was the greatest thing ever and slam Smallville. Buffy just kept going without a purpose or point, and they thought it would be cool to keep stringing their audience along with useless deaths, and little-to-no character development. At least Smallville has characters who are growing and adapting gradually, learning about what life is like through trial and error. Lex changing from a relatively naieve rich kid to a manipulative force on par with his father. Clark growing into the man who would be Superman, while learning the consequences of his actions. All Buffy had was some rediculous dialogue, pointless stories that were entirely circular, and a tone that didn't know whether to be serious or comedic.

Even some of the greatest shows, Seinfeld, The X-Files, etc had rediculous episodes and often relied on crutches. How many times was Scully knocked out so she'd miss "the truth?" The second season of Smallville was littered with disposable FotW episodes, but this third season has hit stride with a purpose, major changes in characters, and it seems to finally have a purpose. Clark is learning about what he is gradually, he has no mentor to answer all his questions, and I prefer it that way.

Ahem... Sorry, I'm a little defensive about the Buffy slams.

 

[Jonathan Carter]

Look, Buffy and Smallville are both good. While I think Buffy is better because of the writing and effects, Smallville is right up there also. It's the only thing keeping me from boycotting the WB after this season since their jackass execs decided they should cancel Angel so they can show more reality tv crap, Charmed, Gilmore Girls, and the rest of the garbage they try to push off as good tv.

 

[Chad R]

Well, Buffy had its share of unbeleivable threads, such as the infamous Spike, whom Buffy had multiple reasons to stake, for many years, but was only kept around because Joss liked him. I like Spike too, but the fact he remained unstaked for so long was a large leap in storytelling logic.

Buffy's character also remained stagnant for the last two seasons, growing nowhere and being mopey.

Also, the main diference is that Buffy's end, the ultimate resolution to her story, was open-ended, whereas Smallville has to work into a well known, well established, history. Most of the grousing about leaps in logic usually concerns how that future is not going to match up well with the show's present. The juggling act is much harder for them.

 

[Jonathan Carter]

That's true, but they have at least 10 years to work with right now. I figure you don't need to lock into Metropolis stage of Clarks life until he's about 28 or so. They've got some wiggle room as far as time goes.