Smallville: Bring the Angst!
Smallville really ladled on the angst this week, didn't it? There was Clark's fear of flying, Kara's guilt and sacrifice, Lana's horrible fate, and Lionel losing it entirely as he tried to get Clark, Chloe, ANYONE to listen to him. No one ended this episode happy -- and it looks like things might get worse from here!
Of course, you can't really be surprised when the episode opens with a visit from Brainiac -- he's never good news for the residents of Smallville (or Metropolis). Brainiac wants Kara to come with him for some unspecified, but probably nefarious, reason. When she refuses, Brainiac vows she and Clark will rue the day. Uh-oh.
Kara wants to prepare for the inevitable confrontation with Brainiac by teaching Clark to fly. Ohhhhhhhkay, we sort of get where she's coming from, but we're more inclined to agree with Clark -- maybe we should concentrate on finding the fiendish computer first, and THEN worry about Clark's failure to become airborne.
Unfortunately, Brainiac tracks down Lana first. He scrambles her brain somehow, so she's got cloudy eyes and is completely under his control.
Clark and Kara are devastated -- even more so when Brainiac sneers that Lana is in immense pain, but she's unable to do or say anything about it. Human science can't help her -- but he can cure her without breaking a sweat. He'll do that if kara comes with him. Kara agrees, and they fly off together into space. There's an explosion out among the stars... and then who knows what? Lana is still incapacitated, Clark is helpless to save her, and Kara is gone.
On the Luthor front, Lionel panics when Lois confronts him with pictures of Patricia Swann's corpse -- she's missing her locket, and there's evidence it was removed by force. Lionel knows there's a key in there, and he knows what it's for -- because he's got one just like it. The members of Veritas, who were trying to find the Traveler (we call him Clark), had information that told how to control this alien visitor. Because that information would allow the user to effectively rule the world, they locked it up in a vault in Zurich. You need two keys to open it, and Lex has one of them. Patricia Swann had the other. Now Lex has it.
Unfortunately, Lex's little stint running around his own brain after he got shot in Detroit has jogged loose quite a few memories -- he remembers finding out about Veritas, seeing the keys, and overhearing Lionel, Mr. Queen and Mr. Teague talking about the Traveler and ultimate power. He doesn't know who Clark is yet, but he's getting close -- and it looks like he's going very, very bad. Lionel desperately rushes around trying to warn Clark or Lana or Chloe about the danger, but they're not inclined to listen to him after he pulled that stunt with the Krypto-cage last episode. Uh oh...
What did you think? What happened to Kara and Brainiac? Can Lana be saved? Is Lionel really trying to help? What will Lex find in the vault? Talk about it in the comments!
Comments
I will still always be a fan.
Posted by: zach | April 9, 2008 5:01 PM
I have been a fan from the beggening, and I am starting to be dissapointed, they are milking the clark and lana relationship, they need to move on, seriously something needs to happen with clark and lois. sure it will kill clark, but its that or the show, I am still a major fan, but I am starting to get bored, the last few seasons have been going down hill and fast.if something short of a mericle in a short while, there wont be much of a show.
Posted by: zach | April 8, 2008 9:29 PM
I don't think it's a great idea to write lana off the show because it kills clark's character. Also it makes the show a bit depressing, although I love the action, but sad that Alfred G. and Miles M. are done with the show.
Posted by: Dilyara Castro | April 5, 2008 10:47 PM
why didn't cloe fix lana?
Posted by: Kat | April 3, 2008 8:19 PM
When Brainiac said Lana was in excruciating pain I thought, you mean like Lionel was when Lana kidnapped Lionel and held his hand in a bear trap for a couple of months? Or maybe like that lady Lana kidnapped and tortured at ISIS until she died because Lana withhelf medical care? Brainiac is only giving her a taste of her own medicine. Let's see how she likes it.
As for the rest of the ep, Clark should have tried to fly long ago and on his own since we've watched him do it and he khnows he can. The show should have explored how he got his fear of heights and why exactly he can't bring himself to try. I have my own ideas on that but it needs to be dealt with. And he should do it on his own with no help from Kara, who shouldn't have been brought in anyway and certainly not as the younger cousin who can fly when Clark cannot. Bad idea all ways around.
As for the rest, too much Not-Lois but at least we see she's true to form; Jimmy has to point her in the right direction and she once again can't effectively sneak in and get an interview. A failure as always who hasn't got a clue as to what a real reporter does. That's what happens when you learn at the tabloid then get into the DP without talent or skill or real experience.
Posted by: margroks | April 3, 2008 10:30 AM
I think what happened to lana is sad and I can only I Imagine how Clark feels.I think if Clark would of learner to fly he could have helped Kara with destroying Brainiac. I hope there is a way she can be brought back before the end of the season OR series finale.The entire cast has done an outstanding job on the show.
Posted by: Ken | March 31, 2008 10:34 PM
awww, c'mon, clarkie! fly you fool! like kara says, it's "just, up, up, and away!" wheeeee!!!
Posted by: Just Tina | March 30, 2008 4:51 PM
poor Lana.SV is so cruel.
Posted by: jojo | March 30, 2008 2:25 AM
i really dont think lane died but at the same time i think she did die
Posted by: didi | March 29, 2008 12:00 PM
I watched the episode earlier today and I have some mixed feeling about it. To begin with it felt like a "to be continued" episode. The first part of a two-parter. Everything was just left there unresolved, Lionel, Lois & Jimmy, Clark, Kara & Brainiac. The set up seems to be a good one but we never got to understand what it was all about. Everything was left half-eaten.
- Brainiac wants Kara. Why? What can she offer him and how can it affect his plans?
- Lex suddenly started to remember blocked out memories and is figuring things out. How? After having being through shock treatments, been shot countless times, tortured and God knows what else, NOW he suddenly remembers?
- Lionel is terrified of a new threat to Clark's life. What new threat? And why didn't he offer some proof to convince Chloe that his pleads were true? What has him so scared? They have been against Brainiac before and won, so why being scared now?
- He managed to get pics of Lex with the killer driver. How? And he also got to understand that Lex is after the locket. Why not take the evidence directly to Clark? Explain everything. Clark might be angry but he is not stupid.
- Lois and Jimmy are on the hunt for Patricia's killer and got Lionel's pics and locket. So what next? The episode ended abruptly and no answer was given as to what happened to the story. Does that put her in harms way?
- Brainiac hurt Lana to get his message along. Why keep her alive? Or why not use her as a bait? Why catatonia? What purpose does she serve? Apart from continuing the Clana angst, which has become more tiresome than ever. However, it does give the writers a way to write her off the show for the next 5 episodes and allow KK to shot her movie in Thailand.
I liked the set up but it would have made more sense if it ended with a mild cliffhanger and a "to be continued" than just cutting it off to black screen so abruptly and leaving the viewer with a "what just happened" face. None of the storylines used in the episode were even explained, let alone resolved.
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Tom Welling for Superman
http://www.petitiononline.com/TW4SinJL/petition.html
Posted by: Olea | March 28, 2008 6:13 PM