Smallville 7.03 Fierce
Oct. 13th, 2007 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bop_radarWell, I thought I might be away from LJ longer than this, but dramas resolved themselves swiftly. *wipes hands*
I was in a bit of a cranky mood going into this and kind of not in the best frame of mind to enjoy the crack-ness of the whole beauty pageant plot. So I sorta hated it. Models aren't my thing at the best of times and I was kind of sad to see Supergirl, potentially such a brilliant injection of female power on the show, reducing herself to eyecandy. However, there were also a LOT of things I did like about the Kara plot, so I'll focus on them.
Clark accelerated
What I was really smitten by in this episode was the way that Kara followed all of Clark's behaviour patterns with a twist of her own. It's Smallville's parallelism taken to extreme and showing that there's a commonality of experience between these two Kryptonians' lives on Earth.
First of all, they are highly suggestible. They both take what they see of life on Earth and try to model it in the most perfect way possible. Clark grew up with the wholesomeness of Kansas farm life--and also heard his dad talk about days of football glory. Kara, in her first week on Earth, gets stuck at home watching a bunch of shows about beauty and modelling. Both of them imprint really fast on a way to be recognised as a human--to fit in, but also to excel just a little too. It's what Clark said about Alicia ('she made me feel normal and special at the same time') that is their ultimate idealised state which they strive for.
Also, they both crush really hard and really fast. At fairs. Apparently. The opening scene at the harvest festival was a total shoutout to the Clark-Lex apples-at-the-fair scene in Metamorphosis, where Clark is crushing (depending on your reading) on Lex or Lana (or both). Kara's eye also falls on someone at the fair--but with her, it's Jimmy. There's a lot of meta potential too in the fact that she falls for him while photographing. He's someone who directs his gaze on others. Clark, however, in early Smallville was the voyeur--watching Lana through his telescope. It would be easy to infer from that that female Kryptonians are usually the object of the gaze (is Kara's lack of gaze-control connected to that?). However, I don't think it's really that simple--we know Clark enjoys being objectified himself so clearly it can work both ways.
Clark's awkwardness with her arousal was absolutely adorable and the watermelon scene was hysterical. It exploded just like his popcorn! *giggles and giggles* But the scene worked at a weightier level as well. Clark modelled both his fathers in that scene. It could have been Jor-El OR Jonathan speaking when he said 'not before you learn to control your abilities'. I love that Jor-El was uptight--hee! But when Clark exploded at her emotionally after her watermelongasm, I felt that was pure Jonathan--unable to control his temper. And it just pushed Kara into stubborn resistance the same way it did Clark.
The parallels kept on coming later with her getting the chance to save the one she's enamoured with by ripping the door off a car. If you count the tornado at the end of S1, that means both Clark and Kara have saved the one they were crushing on this way (potentially exposing themselves) AND they've both saved Lex from drowning in a car. AND they then go stand by the bedside of their crush-object in Smallville's candy-coloured hospital. Oh, Smallville!
There is one part of this plot that really didn't work for me, although I see what the writers were trying for. Having Kara nuke the green k with her heat vision was a really really stupid move, imho, since now every time it appears we'll be thinking 'can't he just nuke it?' It also makes Clark look really daft for not having figured that out a long time ago. And since it seems to destroy it completely (if it was in fragments or a gas, it would still affect him, right?) then why can't Kara (or Clark) just go round the whole of Smallville, ridding them of green k forever? Gah! Ridiculous plot hole. But I do see that they were trying to find a way to have her use her powers creatively to save Clark--I personally think her busting out of prison was enough. It would have still allowed him to thank her for saving him by going against his advice/wishes.
Kara sounded exactly like Clark in the barn scene. It was incredible. But the thing that really made that scene for me is that she mentioned his longevity as an issue. She's more clear sighted about that than Clark ever was. Perhaps because she was older before she came to Earth. And I can't help feeling it's very telling that Kara said Clark couldn't just stay on a farm and grow old with Lana in the same episode as Lana told Clark that's what she wanted.
Homecoming
I had trouble suspending disbelief on a few crucial points in the Lana plot, which made it really hard for me to enjoy her return. I found her saying she couldn't tell Chloe yet just weird. I was also very confused by the way she behaved as if Lionel wasn't a threat any more--then I remembered his disappearance was widely publicised. However, I still feel that she and Clark should have had a chat about the 'weakness' that Lionel threatened Clark with--she doesn't KNOW that it's just the one he already knows about (Green K). Gah! Also, their kitchen chit-chats were a little too cosy and relaxed... wouldn't they have a MILLION things to talk about? I mean, they never got to talk openly about Clark's powers, his heritage, the Fortress for example... *shrugs* Guess these guys just never really did that kind of chat well.
I do love that Lana took 10 million with her--and that Lex was able to use that to point out the moral distance between her and Clark. And I was still happy to see Lana back--but a bit unprepared for the Clana, or at least the way it was played. I think I could have handled a passionate reunion better than this preliminary-dating scenario. I just kind of think that if you thought your childhood love was dead, you'd be a little more swept up in the moment when they returned. Is that just me?
I nearly fell off my chair from shock when Lex strolled into the Kents' kitchen so confidently. He hasn't entered without knocking since season 4! And it's amazing how powerful his presence there felt because of that. But I also thought it was interesting to see because for so long the balance has been the other way--Lana has been located at the mansion and Clark's been busting in having d&ms with her there. Now, Lex and Lana talk divorce terms in the Kents' kitchen. I was holding my breath for Clark to walk in!
Replay
Finally, I have no words for how much I adore that Lex was all clued up about Kara. That he didn't beat about the bush and that he clearly had had her tracked. I was pretty much in total adoration for Lex through the entire episode. He's just so full on! I was both laughing and reeling from his earnestness when he told the gov't agent that the 'angel' saved him from 'drowning in the evilness of his ways'. And, wow! His tactics with that agent were incredible. Lex has always excelled at mixed motives. Here he appears to be sacrificing himself to throw the scent of Kara--and he does so before learning whether she'll be any more open with him than Clark was. That's amazingly generous--it's leaving himself open for major heartbreak all over again. But at the same time, his decision to share his secrets with the government is not as selfless as it first appears: it's also possibly the cleverest, most sensible response to the government basically telling him that he's under suspicion. Align his motives with theirs and he stands the best chance of being able to continue his work unhindered. Nice move, Lex!
His alleyway scene with Kara actually made me tear up. Seeing Lex with his heart on his sleeve like that so prominently again, after so many years, was just devastating. He even showed a flash of that old delighted humour ('you ripped the roof of my car'). But at the same time, Michael's performance also made it clear how much has changed in Lex. Beneath his appeals, there was a clear vein of anger and impatience at her denials. He might swallow it quickly, but you could tell that he was unbelievably annoyed that he was retreading this path again. His line 'I've already protected you, like I would have protected others close to me if they had told me the truth' GUTTED me. He did protect Clark even when Clark lied to him, and here it's happening again. Yet Lex is such an absolutist--if you're not his lover, you're his enemy; if you don't tell him the whole truth, you're a bad omen not a saviour. It's tragic.
And wow! Clark got Kara trained about hiding her powers in the nick of time! Even if it would actually have made for sense for him to just TELL Kara that Lex has them under scrutiny and suspects them.
I was in a bit of a cranky mood going into this and kind of not in the best frame of mind to enjoy the crack-ness of the whole beauty pageant plot. So I sorta hated it. Models aren't my thing at the best of times and I was kind of sad to see Supergirl, potentially such a brilliant injection of female power on the show, reducing herself to eyecandy. However, there were also a LOT of things I did like about the Kara plot, so I'll focus on them.
Clark accelerated
What I was really smitten by in this episode was the way that Kara followed all of Clark's behaviour patterns with a twist of her own. It's Smallville's parallelism taken to extreme and showing that there's a commonality of experience between these two Kryptonians' lives on Earth.
First of all, they are highly suggestible. They both take what they see of life on Earth and try to model it in the most perfect way possible. Clark grew up with the wholesomeness of Kansas farm life--and also heard his dad talk about days of football glory. Kara, in her first week on Earth, gets stuck at home watching a bunch of shows about beauty and modelling. Both of them imprint really fast on a way to be recognised as a human--to fit in, but also to excel just a little too. It's what Clark said about Alicia ('she made me feel normal and special at the same time') that is their ultimate idealised state which they strive for.
Also, they both crush really hard and really fast. At fairs. Apparently. The opening scene at the harvest festival was a total shoutout to the Clark-Lex apples-at-the-fair scene in Metamorphosis, where Clark is crushing (depending on your reading) on Lex or Lana (or both). Kara's eye also falls on someone at the fair--but with her, it's Jimmy. There's a lot of meta potential too in the fact that she falls for him while photographing. He's someone who directs his gaze on others. Clark, however, in early Smallville was the voyeur--watching Lana through his telescope. It would be easy to infer from that that female Kryptonians are usually the object of the gaze (is Kara's lack of gaze-control connected to that?). However, I don't think it's really that simple--we know Clark enjoys being objectified himself so clearly it can work both ways.
Clark's awkwardness with her arousal was absolutely adorable and the watermelon scene was hysterical. It exploded just like his popcorn! *giggles and giggles* But the scene worked at a weightier level as well. Clark modelled both his fathers in that scene. It could have been Jor-El OR Jonathan speaking when he said 'not before you learn to control your abilities'. I love that Jor-El was uptight--hee! But when Clark exploded at her emotionally after her watermelongasm, I felt that was pure Jonathan--unable to control his temper. And it just pushed Kara into stubborn resistance the same way it did Clark.
The parallels kept on coming later with her getting the chance to save the one she's enamoured with by ripping the door off a car. If you count the tornado at the end of S1, that means both Clark and Kara have saved the one they were crushing on this way (potentially exposing themselves) AND they've both saved Lex from drowning in a car. AND they then go stand by the bedside of their crush-object in Smallville's candy-coloured hospital. Oh, Smallville!
There is one part of this plot that really didn't work for me, although I see what the writers were trying for. Having Kara nuke the green k with her heat vision was a really really stupid move, imho, since now every time it appears we'll be thinking 'can't he just nuke it?' It also makes Clark look really daft for not having figured that out a long time ago. And since it seems to destroy it completely (if it was in fragments or a gas, it would still affect him, right?) then why can't Kara (or Clark) just go round the whole of Smallville, ridding them of green k forever? Gah! Ridiculous plot hole. But I do see that they were trying to find a way to have her use her powers creatively to save Clark--I personally think her busting out of prison was enough. It would have still allowed him to thank her for saving him by going against his advice/wishes.
Kara sounded exactly like Clark in the barn scene. It was incredible. But the thing that really made that scene for me is that she mentioned his longevity as an issue. She's more clear sighted about that than Clark ever was. Perhaps because she was older before she came to Earth. And I can't help feeling it's very telling that Kara said Clark couldn't just stay on a farm and grow old with Lana in the same episode as Lana told Clark that's what she wanted.
Homecoming
I had trouble suspending disbelief on a few crucial points in the Lana plot, which made it really hard for me to enjoy her return. I found her saying she couldn't tell Chloe yet just weird. I was also very confused by the way she behaved as if Lionel wasn't a threat any more--then I remembered his disappearance was widely publicised. However, I still feel that she and Clark should have had a chat about the 'weakness' that Lionel threatened Clark with--she doesn't KNOW that it's just the one he already knows about (Green K). Gah! Also, their kitchen chit-chats were a little too cosy and relaxed... wouldn't they have a MILLION things to talk about? I mean, they never got to talk openly about Clark's powers, his heritage, the Fortress for example... *shrugs* Guess these guys just never really did that kind of chat well.
I do love that Lana took 10 million with her--and that Lex was able to use that to point out the moral distance between her and Clark. And I was still happy to see Lana back--but a bit unprepared for the Clana, or at least the way it was played. I think I could have handled a passionate reunion better than this preliminary-dating scenario. I just kind of think that if you thought your childhood love was dead, you'd be a little more swept up in the moment when they returned. Is that just me?
I nearly fell off my chair from shock when Lex strolled into the Kents' kitchen so confidently. He hasn't entered without knocking since season 4! And it's amazing how powerful his presence there felt because of that. But I also thought it was interesting to see because for so long the balance has been the other way--Lana has been located at the mansion and Clark's been busting in having d&ms with her there. Now, Lex and Lana talk divorce terms in the Kents' kitchen. I was holding my breath for Clark to walk in!
Replay
Finally, I have no words for how much I adore that Lex was all clued up about Kara. That he didn't beat about the bush and that he clearly had had her tracked. I was pretty much in total adoration for Lex through the entire episode. He's just so full on! I was both laughing and reeling from his earnestness when he told the gov't agent that the 'angel' saved him from 'drowning in the evilness of his ways'. And, wow! His tactics with that agent were incredible. Lex has always excelled at mixed motives. Here he appears to be sacrificing himself to throw the scent of Kara--and he does so before learning whether she'll be any more open with him than Clark was. That's amazingly generous--it's leaving himself open for major heartbreak all over again. But at the same time, his decision to share his secrets with the government is not as selfless as it first appears: it's also possibly the cleverest, most sensible response to the government basically telling him that he's under suspicion. Align his motives with theirs and he stands the best chance of being able to continue his work unhindered. Nice move, Lex!
His alleyway scene with Kara actually made me tear up. Seeing Lex with his heart on his sleeve like that so prominently again, after so many years, was just devastating. He even showed a flash of that old delighted humour ('you ripped the roof of my car'). But at the same time, Michael's performance also made it clear how much has changed in Lex. Beneath his appeals, there was a clear vein of anger and impatience at her denials. He might swallow it quickly, but you could tell that he was unbelievably annoyed that he was retreading this path again. His line 'I've already protected you, like I would have protected others close to me if they had told me the truth' GUTTED me. He did protect Clark even when Clark lied to him, and here it's happening again. Yet Lex is such an absolutist--if you're not his lover, you're his enemy; if you don't tell him the whole truth, you're a bad omen not a saviour. It's tragic.
And wow! Clark got Kara trained about hiding her powers in the nick of time! Even if it would actually have made for sense for him to just TELL Kara that Lex has them under scrutiny and suspects them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 02:37 pm (UTC)And I was still happy to see Lana back--but a bit unprepared for the Clana, or at least the way it was played.
Yay, she was back! It's was a bit abrupt, even for me, but sometimes it seems that Smallville glosses over resolutions and just moves on. And besides if this is the final season I think they're trying to rush to a conclusion for these two.
I think I could have handled a passionate reunion better than this preliminary-dating scenario.
I feel, and again I'm not sure, that Clark sometimes is an innocent at times (much like Kara) especially sexually. He and Lana seem the typical high school sweethearts. It would have been interesting to see them rip their clothes off and make out in that sunny kitchen but that's just the show in my head!
Watermelongasm
Hee!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:25 am (UTC)It's like this gigantic puzzle with an infinite number of pieces - but only a few that fit, in a very specific way.
Yes, definitely. It's a total replay of what we saw with Clark, but condensed. When Clark wasn't honest with him, Lex eventually flipped into total hatred and enemy mode.
Clark sometimes is an innocent at times (much like Kara) especially sexually
Hahah, yes, totally! He's only really had sex with Lana once or twice, and that was when he had lost his powers. Even when they're passionate, they're very tender and sweet. I must admit that even though I didn't ship them, I found their trysting in S5 adorably innocent and gorgeous.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 03:52 pm (UTC)I know! Also, I'm not sure if it's because it's been so long since we've seen Lex in normal surroundings, but he seemed alien and untouchable in that place, like the farmhouse with its warm, cozy colors could have no affect on Lex in his dark clothes (and wasn't he mostly in the shadows?) He now belongs in the mansion, his blue-lit office, his gleaming labs, and dark alleys.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:27 am (UTC)It's true! And they've even been darkening the Luthorcorp office recently. It's got far more black than it ever used to have in Lionel's day. It was more silvery then. I love the shift--it's totally chilling! It's amazing how powerful Smallville's imagery can be, even when we're not fully aware of it. The contrast Lex made in that kitchen really brought it home.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 07:46 pm (UTC)(I'm too lazy to cut and paste all the parallels you pointed out, but YES. They were very pointed, but I think they worked well, both to highlight the similar feelings of alienation both Clark and Kara experienced, and to show how much Clark himself has matured.
And maybe it's telling us something about Kryptonian biology, too? Didn't Jor-El also form an instacrush on Louise? Maybe they really do imprint somehow. Fun to speculate, anyway.
I loved your analysis of Lex, and I completely agreed with this:
His alleyway scene with Kara actually made me tear up. Seeing Lex with his heart on his sleeve like that so prominently again, after so many years, was just devastating. He even showed a flash of that old delighted humour ('you ripped the roof of my car'). But at the same time, Michael's performance also made it clear how much has changed in Lex. Beneath his appeals, there was a clear vein of anger and impatience at her denials. He might swallow it quickly, but you could tell that he was unbelievably annoyed that he was retreading this path again. His line 'I've already protected you, like I would have protected others close to me if they had told me the truth' GUTTED me. He did protect Clark even when Clark lied to him, and here it's happening again. Yet Lex is such an absolutist--if you're not his lover, you're his enemy; if you don't tell him the whole truth, you're a bad omen not a saviour. It's tragic.
MR was just so amazing in that scene, because he managed to convey what most of us really love(d) about prelapsarian Lex: his vulnerability, his openness, wearing his heart on his sleeve, as you said--and yet it was so layered with his anger, his betrayal, his general darkness. I said in my review that scene pretty much captured the totality that is SV Lex in a few lines of dialogue.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:32 am (UTC)*nods* Yes, the dual purpose was wonderfully handled.
And maybe it's telling us something about Kryptonian biology, too? Didn't Jor-El also form an instacrush on Louise? Maybe they really do imprint somehow. Fun to speculate, anyway.
Aha! He totally did. In fact, Jor-El in Relic follows a very similar model to Clark--he also railed against his fate and tried to get the 'best of both worlds'. I suspect it's a common Kryptonian trait in adolescence. Cat and I have speculated that they not only imprint quickly, they also develop very fixed ideals about their perfect 'destiny' and find it hard to shift them. Their longed for state seems to be not passion but a tranquil utopian bubble.
I said in my review that scene pretty much captured the totality that is SV Lex in a few lines of dialogue.
Mmm, I agree! Perhaps that's why it carried such a punch. It was the whole story in a (tragic) nutshell.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 08:52 pm (UTC)you seem to really like lex in this episode. i couldn't stand him. except in that last scene, where my heart broke for him. the poor guy just wanted to be trusted! everywhere else, he looked too "i'm worshipping lana". it made me sick. in my mind, he is just doing this to get her guard down and *bam* evil plan! ;)
>"And I was still happy to see Lana back--but a bit unprepared for the Clana, or at least the way it was played. I think I could have handled a passionate reunion better than this preliminary-dating scenario."
Honestly, that's all the Clana I could take. It's very hard for me to deal with them again. :\ I'm a little relieved that this episode didn't concentrate too much on them.
But what I liked the most was the Clark/Kara scenes. She seems like she'll be good for him. Finally, someone is kicking him the ass, telling him he can't avoid his destiny. I really hope that the writers keep her this way and don't ruin her character while focusing on the return of the Clana.
Overall, season 7 is turning out to be okay. :) I'm pleasantly surprised. Next week: Dean Cain. Should be interesting.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:36 am (UTC)Really? Well, you might be right. But I get the sense that he knows Lana is over and he's focussed on his next obsession: Kara. Sure, he made that last appeal to Lana, but I think he knew it wouldn't be effective.
She seems like she'll be good for him. Finally, someone is kicking him the ass, telling him he can't avoid his destiny.
*giggles* I totally agree!
I'm loving season 7 so far!
Next week: Dean Cain.
Really?! I don't get the trailers and avoid spoilers so I didn't know. Whee!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 09:56 pm (UTC)I was thinking Clark was too close to it to have his powers, and Kara was far enough away to still be fully functional, at least thats what I first thought.
I'm not interested Kara much anymore, and while I understand the parallel with Clark, with the spin being she's a lot more comfortable with her abilities, it just feels like old territory that I don't have the patience to go through again. And there have been enough people kicking Clark in the ass, its the same thing different character, what I'd love to hear more of, that I appreciated so much in the previous ep is the thing that makes her unique--that she actually grew up on Krypton. I'd love to hear about it and what Clark's parents really wanted from him, not more of you need to embrace your destiny0--if he doesn't know that by now he's deaf, and I think he has been just not in the way everyone wants. Of course I'll have to find the patience to go through this again because she's not going anywhere, lol. But I'll see where this goes.
I did like the alley scene, and I wish Lex would learn from his experience with Clark. Demanding the truth is not the way to get people to trust you. I'd be wary of anyone who insisted I tell them everything. But it was sad to see Lex headed down the same road that will have the same outcome except Kara isn't naive enough to offer him friendshi
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:47 am (UTC)That may be so, but even so it opens the door for clark to shoot the Green K from a distance in any situation. Also, I thought green K turned black when heated?
I'd love to hear about it and what Clark's parents really wanted from him
Me too. I'm still very frustrated by the way Clark NEVER asks questions of the people who could tell him the truth about his heritage--Jor-El, now Kara... and apparently Kara's also easily distracted from that important role that she could play.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 10:27 pm (UTC)I had to comment on this particular part because that also bothered me a bit. If I recall, the last time that Clark heated kryptonite with heat vision, it turned into the black kryptonite that we saw in Onyx. I guess that maybe this time Kara was actively trying to destroy it that made the difference? Or maybe it's another example of Kara's powers being "stronger" than Clark's. *shrug* Either way, I thought the exact same thing about just flying around and destroying the kryptonite before someone else gets ahold of it. Oh, Smallville. :)
I really enjoy reading your meta. You always manage to turn the parts of the show that just annoyed the absolute hell out of me and turn them into pivotal moments of great importance! :D
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:49 am (UTC)And thank you! Hee! It can be an infuriating show at times, but also rewarding. ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 10:29 pm (UTC)I just couldn't get over her doing it right by his head. Also, it's just ... kind of writerly luck that it worked when really, it should have just broken into a million tinier pieces of still active kryptonite. IOW, it only worked because the writer needed it to work. Even by SV science, it shouldn't have. It was just dim.
I had trouble suspending disbelief on a few crucial points in the Lana plot, which made it really hard for me to enjoy her return. I found her saying she couldn't tell Chloe yet just weird. I was also very confused by the way she behaved as if Lionel wasn't a threat any more--then I remembered his disappearance was widely publicised. However, I still feel that she and Clark should have had a chat about the 'weakness' that Lionel threatened Clark with--she doesn't KNOW that it's just the one he already knows about (Green K). Gah! Also, their kitchen chit-chats were a little too cosy and relaxed... wouldn't they have a MILLION things to talk about? I mean, they never got to talk openly about Clark's powers, his heritage, the Fortress for example
I agree with all of this, but right now, I'm chalking it up to the fact that Clark's still kind of in shock that she's not really dead plus he's got all that stuff with Kara to deal with. But like you, I call bullshit on the fact that he doesn't ask a single question about why she felt the need to go to the extremes she did or why there was DNA EVIDENCE OF HER DEMISE. It doesn't make sense that Clark wouldn't have those questions, even with it being Lana and the enormous slack he always cuts her about things.
. I just kind of think that if you thought your childhood love was dead, you'd be a little more swept up in the moment when they returned. Is that just me?
Finally, I have no words for how much I adore that Lex was all clued up about Kara. That he didn't beat about the bush and that he clearly had had her tracked. I was pretty much in total adoration for Lex through the entire episode. He's just so full on! I was both laughing and reeling from his earnestness when he told the gov't agent that the 'angel' saved him from 'drowning in the evilness of his ways'. And, wow! His tactics with that agent were incredible. Lex has always excelled at mixed motives. Here he appears to be sacrificing himself to throw the scent of Kara--and he does so before learning whether she'll be any more open with him than Clark was. That's amazingly generous--it's leaving himself open for major heartbreak all over again. But at the same time, his decision to share his secrets with the government is not as selfless as it first appears: it's also possibly the cleverest, most sensible response to the government basically telling him that he's under suspicion. Align his motives with theirs and he stands the best chance of being able to continue his work unhindered. Nice move, Lex!
*nod* Lex was pretty much made of sheer, unmitigated awesome the whole episode. Especially that last scene with Kara.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:52 am (UTC)Yes. It was one of those instances where you could see the writers' decision making processes clunking.
I call bullshit on the fact that he doesn't ask a single question about why she felt the need to go to the extremes she did or why there was DNA EVIDENCE OF HER DEMISE.
Right! It kind of broke my brain with implausibility--even for Smallville!
Lex swept me away again in this episode. Seems like MR's going to be pulling out all the emotional stops in his final season!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 11:55 am (UTC)How's that for fanwanking?? ;)
It was also a way to show Clark that she had learned to control her heat vision, like he was trying to teach her.
And its not a process that can always be used in the future, because most times that Clark stumbles upon kryptonite, it hits him before he's realised it, and he's too close and weakened to do anything about it. However, if both he and Kara are together, then sure that is a tactic that the show will have to use, since they've set that as a precedent.
And part of last week's trailer had Clark questioning Lana's resurrection. He said there was a body, and she answered its really me.
I'm guessing that was a scene that will end up on the Season 7 DVD set.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:22 am (UTC)if both he and Kara are together, then sure that is a tactic that the show will have to use, since they've set that as a precedent.
*nods* But they won't. And they won't be proactive either--having introduced this they could totally go round the town blasting the green K away. But they won't.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-13 11:33 pm (UTC)There is one part of this plot that really didn't work for me, although I see what the writers were trying for. Having Kara nuke the green k with her heat vision was a really really stupid move, imho, since now every time it appears we'll be thinking 'can't he just nuke it?'
Maybe they can't use their abilities once they are under the effects on the green K? I guess if they see it ahead of time, they should be able to now get rid of it, unless someone else is around. Of course they should also be able to blow it with super!breath away if they are far enough, right?
I found her saying she couldn't tell Chloe yet just weird.
I still don't think that those two have ever had the best of friendships, Lana might still think that Chloe would use her return as a story for the Planet.
Yet Lex is such an absolutist--if you're not his lover, you're his enemy; if you don't tell him the whole truth, you're a bad omen not a saviour. It's tragic.
It's his tragic flaw and one of the consistent arcs on SV. I loved how he just knew that if he was going to find that girl anywhere, it would be on the Kent farm.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 12:55 am (UTC)Hee! I'll take your word on that. The pageant did seem absurd.
It was worth it to see Kara in a bikini, girl looks amazing!
True! And Clark was very appreciative of her as well. ;)
Of course they should also be able to blow it with super!breath away if they are far enough, right?
Well, yes, but until now they've made Green K pretty much indestructible. When heated in the past it just turned into black K. At the very best you would expect it to just disintegrate into dust but still be damaging to them. It breaks my brain!
Lana might still think that Chloe would use her return as a story for the Planet.
Ohh, maybe! That's a plausible explanation.
I loved how he just knew that if he was going to find that girl anywhere, it would be on the Kent farm.
Absolutely! He was so unsurprised by that, so resigned to it.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 04:38 am (UTC)I'm assuming a lot of the 'missing' dialog and questions between Clark and Lana were done in off-screensville. That doesn't make it much better, but SV tends to not care about the loose ends as much as they maybe should. There was an awful lot they crammed into this episode, and I think it short-changed time that should have been devoted to filling out the Clark and Lana reunion. Interestingly enough, there are unreleased photos from this ep of Kara doing a magic act (with Clark seemingly assisting) for her Talent portion of the pageant. That entire scene was cut - probably to put more of those HORRIBLE weather girls/CW promo chicks into the episode. I don't really hate on the FOTW eps as much as some people, but those girls were so bad, it really distracted me from appreciating other aspects of this episode. It's a weird thing, and it's never happened to me before with any other SV ep.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 06:16 am (UTC)I do think there was a lot of interesting material in the episode though. I was a bit disappointed with the Clana--I've been so 'in' them, I wanted more from their reunion--hee! But it's ok: overall I still think the season's got a lot of potential--this was just perhaps not the strongest ep. ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 07:33 am (UTC)There were so many things that didn't quite make sense, but I swept them to the back of my mind for the things that I did enjoy: Clark & Kara, all of Lex's scenes, even the ominous Jimmy burbling about how all mutants are BAD as Chloe gulps.
I nearly fell off my chair from shock when Lex strolled into the Kents' kitchen so confidently.
Me too! That's *Clark's* space and somehow he's reowning it. Wow. I'd never thought they'd go there. And how he still keeps up on all the little details of Clark's life and *threatening* Lana with them. I still know Clark, he seems to say. I can influence him away from you. Just yowza.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 10:41 am (UTC)I still know Clark, he seems to say. I can influence him away from you. Just yowza.
Yeah, totally! Lex has really won me back this season--he had lost a lot of my sympathy last season. I guess part of it is that so far this season we're clear on what Lex is up to. Last season the mystery actually made me grow extra wary of him.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-14 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 12:54 am (UTC)Heat-visioning kryptonite
Date: 2007-10-27 11:43 pm (UTC)Especially because in Season 3: Episode 10 "Whisper" Clark heat visions a piece of jewelry made from Kryptonite, and the piece remains unharmed whilst the kryptonite reflects back a ray which blinds Clark.
Discontinuity?
Re: Heat-visioning kryptonite
Date: 2007-10-27 11:53 pm (UTC)