Both “Smallville” and “Buffy” will be actively discussed, so I’m splitting the topics right now. It’ll be interesting to see which generates more traffic.
(Spoilers)
The difference between “Buffy” and “Smallville” all season has been, in the former, you say, “Where did THAT come from?” and in the latter you say, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.” Never more true than tonight’s season ender.
“Smallville” is mining the same sense of “teen alienation” that BtVS once did, but from a different angle. Buffy was saddled with the knowledge that she had to save the world, and cope with that, not always well. Clark’s the exact opposite: He believes he’s saddled with the knowledge that he will conquer the world, and he’s not coping with it particularly well at all.
Did he make the right move? Probably. If he’d told his parents what he was going to do, the likelihood is that one or both of them would have insisted on being with him “in case something goes wrong.” And the result? They likely wouldn’t have survived.
Am I the only person thinking that voice ain’t Jor-El at all? What if someone’s trying to hose Clark? What if he’s got an enemy he doesn’t even know about? What if it’s Zod or someone like that? Then I saw the opening credits and saw Terrance Stamp–Zod himself–was the voice of Jor-El. And now I’m going, Ahhhhh…
Not sure I understand why having the ring in his hand doesn’t turn him evil, but putting it on does. But, hey, as long as they’re consistent with it, okay.
The entire time Clark was tearing apart the office looking for the ring, I’m going, “Hello? X-Ray vision?”
I’m wondering if Pete’s going to ream out the Kents, or at least Jonathan, for making Clark feel like dirt.
And hey…I did NOT see coming the complete betrayal of Lex. Oh my God, what a sting operation. If I’m understanding this right, Lex’s wife is in cahoots with Lionel, drugged him, and then Lionel had the pilots bail, leaving his son to plunge into the drink. And Clark nowhere around to rescue him. Unless Aquaman is about to put in a guest appearance, Lex is in serious trouble. Here we’ve been wondering what sends Lex on the road to villainy. If my brand new wife was in cahoots with my father to kill me, I’d become a super villain, too. Let’s just hope he doesn’t wind up having to wear prison grays all the time like he did in the 60s.
Man, edge of the old seat until next season’s “Smallville.” Hey…maybe Clark’ll swing by “Angel.” Why not?
PAD
• 
I can’t remember how to do the spoiler thing but I figure since you meantioned something about this above its okay to talk about it.
I’m not so sure Lex’s new wife is in league with Lionel at all. We’ve seen scenes with the two of them before that they acted hostile towards each other while alone, each trying in some ways to out wit the other. Leads me to believe that she’s working for herself or for someone other than Lionel.
Or…the woman Lex married wasn’t the woman whom he proposed to at all…hehe…put into that what you will, its just a theory…
My bad, if I looked right above the the post button I would have seen how to do invisible text…serves me right for posting at midnight
If Lex’s lady eats a frog, I’m LEAVING!
(bonus points if you get the reference)
I hope the woman isn’t a frog eating clone Dave.
lol
Two frog eating clones post at the same time wh’d a thunk it.
i loved both “smallville” and “buffy” tonight; it was good night for tv here, at stately moudry manor. but for the purposes of this thread, i’ll stay focused on “the adventures of superman when he was a boy.”
lovin’ “smallville” this season! i figured something major would happen with helen, lex’s fiance, by the season’s end, but honestly, i figured that there would be a major blow-up during the wedding. i didn’t see helen completely betraying lex (under lionel’s guidance, apparently) coming at all. nice twist.
like p.a.d, i wondered why the ring only affected clark when it was on his finger, but so what? i also wondered where the motorcycle came from, because i thought clark had to return all that stuff — which is not to say he didn’t use dad’s credit card again.
i, too, am wondering if that’s jor-el’s voice. terence stamp tends to play dark characters (to say the least), so he could be voicing zod. but i wonder if the purpose here could be a nurture/nature argument. perhaps in the “smallville” universe, clark comes from bad biological parents, and the kents are their opposite numbers.
ah, well, looks like clark’s heading to metropolis. maybe “leather clark” will meet lois lane there.
Let’s see:
Girl Reporter: Evil
Jor-El: Evil
Clark Kent: Evil
Lex Luthor: Still Not Evil
This is strangest Superman incarnation.
now this was a season finale! Yeah the fact they chose general Zod as the voice of Jor-El says something.
The entire time Clark was tearing apart the office looking for the ring, I’m going, “Hello? X-Ray vision?”
Yeah but he wasn’t thinking straight it doesn’t bither me at all.
I guess the radiation emitted by the Red K is a lot weak so it needs to be in almost skin contact. They have been consistent with it that’s pretty good.
Cannot wait for next season!
and now that it’s moving can I recommend 24 for the fall Peter? it’s a great show
\\Girl Reporter: Evil
Jor-El: Evil
Clark Kent: Evil
Lex Luthor: Still Not Evil
This is strangest Superman incarnation.\\
BWAH
but a great one
I saw Helen’s betrayal coming- if anyone cared to dig in the archived posts for a Smallville discussion a couple weeks ago (the one where Helen broke it off with Lex then came back but as long as “no secrets”). There, I said, “Wow, she pushed all his buttons… definitely looks like she’s manipulating him”
I read from Gough & Millar that the 3rd season opener would take place a couple months after the previous finale. Good way to set up things… not so much of a cliff hanger that you just gotta know what happens next, but enough to make you wonder, “well how is that all gonna turn out?”
Any bets that the plane crash is how Lex loses his hand, instead of kryptonite ring poisoning? (comic book reference).
I definitely agree with PAD- no wonder Lex goes into supervillain mode. (I did mention this also on my previous Helen post… toot toot.)
And isn’t Metropolis where Chloe will be in the summer too? (that looked like the city that Clark was riding off to). Hm, I wonder if the online Chloe Chronicles will provide any hints as to the exploits of Leather Clark: the misadventures of Superman when he was a Biker Punk?
PS Hadda to say it- I’m glad Clark didn’t kneel before Jor-El. Ok ok, i’m going! I’m going! You don’t have to throw stuff!
eddie
do you think chloe’s evil? i think she’ll soon realize she’s in league with the devil — but not before she screws up clark’s life big-time.
like p.a.d, i wondered why the ring only affected clark when it was on his finger, but so what
Admittedly, that did cross my mind as well, but I chalk it up to radiation. You know that Green K affects Clark from a distance by make him weak. It doesn’t actually KILL him until he comes into contact with it or there’s prolonged exposure.
Since Red K affects him differently, maybe the radiation it gives off is weaker somehow and requires that it come into closer contact with him. Or maybe it’s like holding the handle of a coffee cup. If you hold the cup you’ll get burned, but if you hold the handle you don’t feel anything even though it’s the same material.
There’s one word that I’m really surprised no one has mentioned yet:
Eradicator
Think about it. It’s an artifical intelligence that’s goal is obviously something akin to “the preservation of the Kryptonian way of life”. And when the ship was changing shape, it even LOOKED like the Eradicator briefly.
Just a thought.
About Jor-El Spoiler
The producers of Smallville have been told they can’t use any Kryptonians apart from Clark because of the movie. So while it is a nice idea, I don’t think Zod is going to be appearing any time soon.
I just hope that when the time comes, we don’t get the cliche cold, sterile Krypton from the first movie/post-Crisis comic book, but I know we will.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and Clark will find himself on a magical mystery tour of the DCU… Keystone\Central, Coast, Star, Opal… then…
Gotham. Heh heh heh.
-Dire
Didn’t the writers say they were going to have Perry and Lois show up this season (in Wizard, I believe?)
…although It would be better if Chloe used Lois Lane as a pen name, making the love triangle we all know.
I don’t think Lex nessesarily has to be EVIL evil to oppose Superman – who would probably be a different type of Superman anyway – this is its own world. It has its own rules.
Points…w/SPOILERS
-X-Ray vision: Clark’s X-ray vision has just been the goofy, frustrating “seeing only skeletons and not much detail” vision, not the normal, cool, “see through clothes and desks perfectly” vision. I’m hoping we get a change in that next season (with perhaps some of the heightened senses powers, too)
-Interesting how red K Clark asks Lana to come with him. I thought that was a nice touch.
-The loosing the baby thing was so dámņ harsh. I knew that it was going that way as soon as the truck flipped, but Jonathan’s reaction, no matter how human and understandable…man, that stings. It’ll be interesting to see, not just how they come back from this as a family, but how Clark comes back from it as a man, because that is an amazingly serious load of guilt for any man to take, especially when he’s not a Man of Steel yet…
-The setup of Lex (especially now that Helen is his wife, I’m sure she’ll be getting all of his stuff, and the stocks and control that Lionel lost) is just legendary. The envelope thing was a nice touch, and as soon as Lex (and us) saw them, I was like “Oh, dámņ…it’s a setup. She’s giving him codes or something.” But, Dave Gahan does have a point. They’ve argued in private, so she either changed her mind at some point earlier, or after she realized he stole the blood. Either way, it’s a grift for the ages. And hey, if it’s not a grift, then Lex better bust out the copper… 😉
-Y’know, I thought for sure we were going to end this season with a peek at a Bizarro Clark, what with all the data Lionel has been accumulating (DNA, the caves, superfast little girl clones). Maybe next season.
Glad this is going to Wednesdays, so Angel isn’t so lonely, and I can watch 24 on its regular night. That’s a dámņ good show too…
Excellent season finale. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling Clark’s not going to Metropolis but to the Antarctic to create the Fortress of Solitude. I’m probably wrong but that’s what came to mind right away when he left. I can’t wait for the third season to start.:)
The one problem I had with this episode was the bit where Lionel suddenly went all Bwahaha and told Clark about the Kryptonite key. Um, just why is he telling this boy who he knows is *not* on his side this critical bit of information when there’s no reason for him to do so?
Btw, keep in mind the other bit of tragedy of the loss of the fetus; given that it almost certainly required the intervention of the no longer there ship, as well as Martha’s age (and I think Annette O’Toole was looking significantly older than in past episodes), there’s no way there’s going to be another one.
In regards to all of the above:
1. The prison grays aren’t as bad as the super powered purple jump suit of the pre-Crisis 1970s/80s.
2. Hate to say I told you so about the baby, but alas you can’t totally go against established continuity, can you?
3. It has been mentioned before by the producers that they were at least thinking about Clark meeting a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne (originally for the first season finale). Whenever that does happen, will be neat if handled correctly.
4. Everything else: wowzers!
Now then, a couple of questions for those who might be able to answer them:
a.) Since this is the first Smallville topic in a couple of weeks, isn’t Paul Hayden (the disgruntled ex-boyfriend of the good doctor) the civilian identity of the Psycho Pirate in the DCU?
b.) Does anyone remember Chloe’s web journal address?
Anybody else get the feeling that Clark is still being manipulated by the Ship via the scar (or whatever it is) on his chest? I get the feeling that that last supposedly-Jor-el piece of dialogue was from inside Clark’s head.
No one has wondered if the Smallville version of Red Kryptonite works the same way as the classic comic book version. Anyone remember? Each hunk of the red stuff affects Superman in a unique, troublesome and usually embarassing way – but only for 24 hours. Then, that particular hunk stops having an effect.
It’s concievable that the ring is from the same hunk of Red Kryptonite that brought us “evil Clark.” That means that the red ring – is just a red ring.
The ship doesn’t have to be a Kryptonian like General Zod. It could be a machine…a machine…hmmm…BRANIAC!
As for the future, who knows? But Clark’s ties with his family are pretty well shattered – they were really looking forward to that child, and they might see Clark’s incident as a strong case of sibling rivalry, Columbine style. You don’t get over that in a summer, not to mention the destruction of their entire home (which they just paid off). I think Clark is gone from home for good. (That stargazing from the no-longer-existant barn was becoming a cliche anyway.)
WOW! Now that’s a season finale. Like has been mentioned, I saw the loss of the baby coming, but it was handled extremely well. You can’t help but feel their loss. Plus, Schneider and O’Toole play their roles very well.
The Eradicator had not occured to me, although that does make sense. My first thought was the Braniac computer, like it was in the cartoon series.
When Helen gave Lex the champagne on the plane, my initial reaction was that it was drugged. I don’t know why I thought it, just a gut reaction.
I’ve been waiting for Chloe to learn Clark’s secret since season 1. It just seems a natural fit. Maybe learning his secret will bring them closer together. Plus, she’d love to know something about Clark that Lana doesn’t.
And what was in that dámņëd envelope?
And it was great that everyone had something to do in this episode, even though Pete always seems be underused.
Looking forward to Season 3.
Bobby
Bobby Nash
Writer @ Large
Anyone else saddened when Jor-El revealed that Clark had to leave Smallville and the people he loves behind. It was sad, because we know that eventually he will leave Jonathan, Martha, and Lana behind.
Holy šhìŧ.
Is there anyone here not blown away by that teaser? Or the Pete/Lionel confrontation? Or Chloe’s decision? Or the ending?
Martha’s loss was about as unforeseen as night and day, but everything that led up to it, and everything that happened as a result of it, and which resulted from the same root causes was so perfectly logical and seamless (with the debatable exception of Clark putting on the red kryptonite ring). The writing was a thing of beauty. The parallels between Clark and Lex trying to escape their preordained futures, the reaction of Chloe to Clark and Lana’s relationship, and the path on which she now seems destined, Clark’s attempts to escape the destiny of the ship, was so understandable, and yet had such horrifying results. You just know that Martha’s baby and Lana’s relationship with Clark couldn’t go on, but the way they got rid of them was such a sensible outcome of the events in the story. Somewhat predictable, and yet tragically inevitable.
Incredible Scene:
Pete confronts Lionel Luthor at the cave. Although it’s a pretext on Pete’s part, the words exchanged had a real underlying earnestness to them:
Pete: “Nobody in this town likes you! Don’t touch me! You know you hate him.”
Lionel: “I know that. But I value their hatred, I find it useful. You see, people are always at their weakest when they’re angry. Just ask your father.”
Lionel sees the key is gone from the platform.
Lionel: “No. No! N-O-O-O!! You! Search him. Search him.”
Pete: “Search me, what’re you doing?”
Lionel: “Where is it?”
Pete: “Where’s what?”
Lionel lunges at Pete.
Pete: “Careful, Mr. Luthor. You wouldn’t want to look weak.”
I’ve wondered about Clark’s motion blur: First, even if the motion blur caused when he runs can’t be seen, and is only seen by the home audience, the disturbance it would cause in the air would be seen and heard. Second, the fact that Pete can see the motion blur as his cue that Clark has taken the key and that he should leave would indicate that it can be seen.
Why didn’t Clark just have Pete put the key into the ship instead of risking his own sking doing it?
Why were Lex and Helen getting on a Luthercorp plane, a plane owned by Lionel’s company, rather than a plane from Lex’s company, Lexcorp? A Luthercorp plane just screams, “Trap!” to me. Duh. I guess the new groom was just too happy with his new bride to notice it?
What makes you think Helen has betrayed Lex? They both drank from the drugged champagne. It would be just like Lionel to cause a split between them. Pilot grabs her, jumps, leaving Lex to think she’s betrayed him. What was in the gift envelope? A warning, perhaps?
Things that bugged me:
1) Forget x-ray vision, what about super-speed? Seems Clark took a lot of time, shirking his responsabilities as best man, to do what he could have done in two seconds (but then, where’s the show?)
2) Why the motorcycle (which, IIRC, is Jonathan’s, not a Red K purchase)? Wouldn’t a super-sonic jog be a lot quicker?
3) The co-opting of Chloe happened too much off screen. Let’s see a little more rage at Lana, too, she’s the one who outright lied to her. Clark has just been unavailable.
Still, a lot of fun and some of the angst is more believable (!) than in other teen shows.
Take a human, fill him full of Kryptonian knowledge, and put him into a coma. Let sit for months, and viola!–Brainiac.
In regards to Helen, I can see where everyone assumes that Helen is a part of a “sting” operation. But let me throw something else in: The vehicle was a “Luthorcorp,” not “Lexcorp,” jet. The bodyguards and pilot might not exactly be Lex’s employees. Who’s to say that Lionel Luthor(if it was indeed Lionel who masterminded this) didn’t put his bodyguards up to drugging Lex, kidnapping Helen and sabotaging the plane? And why would Lionel want to kill Lex, anyway? And did the theft of Clark’s blood really constitute murder on Helen’s part (she never seemed the type to go that far. She’s shown a selfish streak, but not to that extent) And if not Lionel…how about LUCAS? A stretch? Not in episodic television. It ain’t a stretch until you see Patrick Ewing in a shower or the Zoroastrian demon “Ahriman” make an appearance.
Regarding Clark’s non-use of X-ray vision searching for the Red K ring, let’s not forget that he’s always believed himself, until last year in “Smallville” continuity, to be human (albeit a gifted one). Just like a multi-lingual person will revert to their native tongue (and expletives) in times of extreme stress, Clark “reverted” to conduct the search in a completely frustrative human fashion. I thought that was an insightful character nuiance…especially given the fact that he’s doing his dámņdëšŧ to run away from his “alien destiny.”
And as to Jonathan’s reaction to Clark…it was completely and perfectly human. Remember, he said Clark’s actions always had consequences, but never once did he say to Clark “it’s all your fault! (if I remember correctly…I only saw the episode once).” Jonathan loves Clark, but this baby was the culmination of his and Martha’s desires. To have it soooo close then have it slip away…the conflict was evident on Johnathan’s face; his love for Clark weighed against the tragedy of losing the (possibly last) chance of ever having a child of his very own. And again, John Schneider shows why he’s one of television’s best and underrated actors, in my opinion.
This was one hëll of a satisfying season ender.
Am I the only one who, despite knowing exactly what’s going to happen in continuity, is going to regret, even hate, Lex’s turn to the dark given the wonderful chemistry and friendship between he and Clark?
As played by the delightful John Glover, Lionel Luthor is an interesting character — in many ways, SMALLVILLE’s version of John Byrne’s Lex Luthor — no tragic fall a la the Silver Age Lex, just a slimy rat bášŧárd.
However, that said, I don’t think Lionel would kill his son. In fact, have we even seen Lionel kill anyone? Again, he’s scum, but more in the corporate fashion, which is why I always imagined his being horrified by what Lex would become and even perhaps working with Clark/Superman to stop him.
Also, pragmatically, we’ve never seen that Lionel wanted Lex dead. He’s always wanted him to “come around” to his way of thinking, as he said in an earlier episode, “Lex is blood.” And really, I believe Lionel would consider it “beneath him” to have to go to such lengths (especially murderous ones) to defeat Lex. He already took the caves from him. There’s no question that Lionel considers himself the better businessman.
What’s fascinating to me, though, is what Lionel said to Pete and later Chloe about hate and love. Maybe Lex’s not inviting Lionel to his wedding made Lionel stop loving Lex (even in his own twisted way). And did anyone else get a chill during Lionel’s scene with Chloe. Next season is going to be about saving Chloe’s soul — and perhaps there’s no saving it. Perhaps she’s made that choice that will ultimately destroy her (there’s so much that can be done with this character as she’s an original creation).
While she should be granted a certain latitude for being young and hurt, she has demonstrated that she’s not the journalist she thought she was. She should have turned down Lionel’s offer because it was unethical and sinister, but she did it because of her love for Clark and once that love faded, she jumped right into something her journalistic training should have forbidden her to do. This isn’t about Clark. It’s about Chloe knowing the difference between right and wrong. Without that moral compass (nice allusion to Jonathan’s wedding gift), men like Lionel Luthor will always take advantage of her hate, of her weakest moments.
I believe that the voice Clark is hearing is Jor-El. If it were someone else, then he would just use his own name and claim to be Clark’s father (Clark wouldn’t know one way or another and it would provide nice dramatic irony and tension for the audience that would know Clark is being steered wrong).
I like the notion of Clark’s being from a truly alien culture. Jonathan and Martha have to be more than just parental seat warmers. However, I do like the nice balance. I think Clark will have to accept his alien nature in order to become Superman, to make the sacrifice to “live among humans but not be one of them.” Otherwise, he’ll just stay in Smallville, marry Lana, and have kids. He’ll live a nice normal life, helping people when they need it of course, but he’s fated for more. The Kents are like Joyce Summers in that way. No parent would want their child to be Superman or the Slayer — not when that means a life of solitude and perhaps a premature death.
The Kents will provide Clark with the humanity that will allow him to care about those around him and do what is right, but Clark’s biological father will allow him to become something greater.
Maybe that symbol is actually Zod’s (or another evil Kryptonian) and that eventually Clark will find his real fathers “S” symbol that we all know and love.
I keep thinking there must be (at least) two separate Last son(s) of Krypton. There were the conflicting messages from the ship and the one Swan intercepted. There is the non-S symbol on things (like Clark’s chest!) and a few other inconsistancies that nag at the back of my mind.
I guess we will find out…just not soon enough!
Wow. I need a chiropractor after that bit of whiplash.
I was pretty sure the baby wouldn’t make it, it was just to far off from established Supes continuity. He’s an only child, both for the -Els and the Kents.
But Clark’s new guilt trip is WILDLY beyond anything I expected for this show. He takes off, with Mom sobbing hysterically the last time he sees her, and with Pa Kent hardly barely able to look at him because of his anger… Wow.
And I have to admit the Mrs. Luthor betrayal completely sideswiped me too. Glad I wasn’t born into THAT family. %-/
Really obscure silver-age Supes question here… Does anyone remember some 60s or 70s variation on the origin/history of Clark/Superman where Ma & Pa Kent died of some Krypton-related illness around the time Clark left Smallville for college? I seem to recall something like that, but can’t remember where I read it. If so, the little EMP blast from Clark’s destruction of the ship would be a good explanation. More “hurt everyone I love” guilt for him down the road, too.
mf
Lee,
The Psycho-Pirate (II) was Roger Hayden. Very close. Good call. It could always be a middle name.
Lee Houston, Junior:
a)The Psycho Pirate’s civilian identity was Roger Hayden (He was the second Psycho Pirate while Halstead was the first one.).
b)Here’s the web address to the Chloe Chronicles:
http://www.thewb.com/Shows/WithFeedback/0,9310,111513,00.html
Enjoy!:)
Well, I *knew* that somehow the second Kent baby had to be stopped, and this way adds a bit of tragedy to Clark’s origins–I still await the day Jonathan utters “With great power…”
I can handle Clark tearing apart the office instead of using the X-Ray vision–he’s distraught, he’s not thinking clearly. But I’m really hoping Chloe is trying to run her own sting operation on Lionel, rather than turning on Clark all the way.
Definitely can’t wait for Season 3… but it would be nice to have a Season 1 DVD set pop up in the near future…
The frog/clone message just gave me a thought. What if Lex never becomes evil? What if we all just saw Lex die and the Lex we will all come to know and hate is really a clone created by his father?
Nope, the second Psycho-Pirate was Roger Hayden.
Pa Kent’s truck must have been running on empty, or else it would have exploded in a fireball like all the cars in Smallville do when they get bumped. I think it’s that meteor-rock energized gasoline they sell there.
–your pal, Hoy
What are the chances that next season we find out Clark has spent his summer as a diner waitress named “Anne”?
Wow. I need a chiropractor after that bit of whiplash.
I was pretty sure the baby wouldn’t make it, it was just to far off from established Supes continuity. He’s an only child, both for the -Els and the Kents.
But Clark’s new guilt trip is WILDLY beyond anything I expected for this show. He takes off, with Mom sobbing hysterically the last time he sees her, and with Pa Kent hardly barely able to look at him because of his anger… Wow.
And I have to admit the Mrs. Luthor betrayal completely sideswiped me too. Glad I wasn’t born into THAT family. %-/
Really obscure silver-age Supes question here… Does anyone remember some 60s or 70s variation on the origin/history of Clark/Superman where Ma & Pa Kent died of some Krypton-related illness around the time Clark left Smallville for college? I seem to recall something like that, but can’t remember where I read it. If so, the little EMP blast from Clark’s destruction of the ship would be a good explanation. More “hurt everyone I love” guilt for him down the road, too.
mf
What are the chances that next season we find out Clark has spent his summer as a diner waitress named “Anne”?
Wow, good episode. I’m still wondering about Jor-El. It could be him, it could not be. Clark is off to God knows where. Jonathan and Martha have a new tragedy to deal with. Chloe has made a deal with the devil. And biggest of all, Lex is last seen crashing into the ocean. I know it’s cliche, but I have to say it: I wonder what’s going to happen next.
Actually, IIRC, the Psycho Pirate’s alter ego was Roger Hayden, not Paul Hayden.
I too thought the season finale was pretty cool. I kind of regret not having seen it since the Christopher Reeve episode.
One thing I loved about this and the previous episode I saw was how they’ve worked the movie music into it. It’s amazing what they’re doing with the music too. I think it was during Clark’s ride off at the end, they played a few measures of the Superman “Breakfast of Champions” march but they played it really slow and somberly so it really added an emotional edge to the scene. Whoever does the music on the show should be commended.
In regards to Helen, I can see where everyone assumes that Helen is a part of a “sting” operation. But let me throw something else in: The vehicle was a “Luthorcorp,” not “Lexcorp,” jet. The bodyguards and pilot might not exactly be Lex’s employees. Who’s to say that Lionel Luthor(if it was indeed Lionel who masterminded this) didn’t put his bodyguards up to drugging Lex, kidnapping Helen and sabotaging the plane? And why would Lionel want to kill Lex, anyway? And did the theft of Clark’s blood really constitute murder on Helen’s part (she never seemed the type to go that far. She’s shown a selfish streak, but not to that extent) And if not Lionel…how about LUCAS? A stretch? Not in episodic television. It ain’t a stretch until you see Patrick Ewing in a shower or the Zoroastrian demon “Ahriman” make an appearance.
Regarding Clark’s non-use of X-ray vision searching for the Red K ring, let’s not forget that he’s always believed himself, until last year in “Smallville” continuity, to be human (albeit a gifted one). Just like a multi-lingual person will revert to their native tongue (and expletives) in times of extreme stress, Clark “reverted” to conduct the search in a completely frustrative human fashion. I thought that was an insightful character nuiance…especially given the fact that he’s doing his dámņdëšŧ to run away from his “alien destiny.”
And as to Jonathan’s reaction to Clark…it was completely and perfectly human. Remember, he said Clark’s actions always had consequences, but never once did he say to Clark “it’s all your fault! (if I remember correctly…I only saw the episode once).” Jonathan loves Clark, but this baby was the culmination of his and Martha’s desires. To have it soooo close then have it slip away…the conflict was evident on Johnathan’s face; his love for Clark weighed against the tragedy of losing the (possibly last) chance of ever having a child of his very own. And again, John Schneider shows why he’s one of television’s best and underrated actors, in my opinion.
This was one hëll of a satisfying season ender.
Am I the only one who, despite knowing exactly what’s going to happen in continuity, is going to regret, even hate, Lex’s turn to the dark given the wonderful chemistry and friendship between he and Clark
Actually, IIRC, the Psycho Pirate’s alter ego was Roger Hayden, not Paul Hayden.
I too thought the season finale was pretty cool. I kind of regret not having seen it since the Christopher Reeve episode.
One thing I loved about this and the previous episode I saw was how they’ve worked the movie music into it. It’s amazing what they’re doing with the music too. I think it was during Clark’s ride off at the end, they played a few measures of the Superman “Breakfast of Champions” march but they played it really slow and somberly so it really added an emotional edge to the scene. Whoever does the music on the show should be commended.
I didn’t notice the scar was still there after the root cellar exploded… although the ripped shirt did remind me of a Doc Savage paperback book cover!
It sure looked to me as though Clark was headed to Metropolis… it’s going to be a long wait until next season!
But at least I’ll be able to catch up on the eps I missed with the “Smallville Beginnings” starting this fall, too… I just started watching this season, about halfway through.
Unless I missed it I did not hear Jor-El say anything about Clark ruling. He said he should accept his destiny.
My guess is (again, this is all under the pretense that Jor-El said nothing about ruling them) Clark and the language guy misread the markings. I don’t think it said anything about ruling the Earth. In the episode with Chris Reeve all of the markings Clark read seemed to come straight from Jor-El’s dialogue in the first movie. So, if he read it wrong than maybe instead of “rule them” Jor-El actually said “guide them”.
Only time will tell.
Finally, I was kind of pulling for Gene Hackman to be the voice of Jor-El, but Terence Stamp works just fine.
Wow. I need a chiropractor after that bit of whiplash.
I was pretty sure the baby wouldn’t make it, it was just to far off from established Supes continuity. He’s an only child, both for the -Els and the Kents.
But Clark’s new guilt trip is WILDLY beyond anything I expected for this show. He takes off, with Mom sobbing hysterically the last time he sees her, and with Pa Kent hardly barely able to look at him because of his anger… Wow.
So Red Krytponite is Clark’s drug of choice when it comes time to run away from reality. I guess there had to be something similar available to him to be anything like a real teen.
And I have to admit the Mrs. Luthor betrayal completely sideswiped me too. Glad I wasn’t born into THAT family. %-/
Really obscure silver-age Supes question here… Does anyone remember some 60s or 70s variation on the origin/history of Clark/Superman where Ma & Pa Kent died of some Krypton-related illness around the time Clark left Smallville for college? I seem to recall something like that, but can’t remember where I read it. If so, the little EMP blast from Clark’s destruction of the ship would be a good explanation. More “hurt everyone I love” guilt for him down the road, too.
mf
Wow… this one sounds like it was quite the episode. I am really ticked off that I missed it now… Guess I’ll have to wait till the EasyView on Sunday. I have to admit I did not have high hopes for this show when it first premiered. Now I am blown away… Congrats to the creative team.
Just my two cents.
–Michael
Wow… this one sounds like it was quite the episode. I am really ticked off that I missed it now… Guess I’ll have to wait till the EasyView on Sunday. I have to admit I did not have high hopes for this show when it first premiered. Now I am blown away… Congrats to the creative team.
Just my two cents.
–Michael
Okay, I just got done watching th season finale and I even went back and watched the opening sequence again and I didn’t hear Jor-El say anything about ruling the Earth. He talked a lot about destiny and that how Clark carried the hopes and dreams of his people, but I didn’t get an evil vibe off the whole thing.
So my take is that when Clark and the linguist read the message they misheard it. I mean it is an alien language and even though Clark is Kryptonian his primary language (the one he was raised with)is English. So if they are translating Kryptonian through a human “filter” then it makes sense that something that means one thing to us means something else to Kryptonians.
What if they mistook “rule” for “guide.”
Think about it. It seemed that most of the translations they did in the episode with Chris Reeve came right from Brando’s dialogue from the first movie. “They are a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be, all they need is a light to show them the way.” (Or something like that.)
Jor-El meant for his son to guide the human race. Now it may turn out that Jor-El wanted his son to guide the people of Earth like the English (or us Americans) have “guided” less sophisticated civilzations, in which case there is a bit of a problem, but nothing Clark can’t overcome once the dust settle from the s**t storm that just went down.
All in all I am looking forward to next season, especially when it turns out the Chloe hasn’t turned to the dark side and she is just trying to get the goods on Lionel. (Her question of what his interest is led me down this path).
I also thinking that since the ship is apparently destroyed that Clark wil get more info from Swan. It’s a good way to bring Chris Reeve back.
One last thing, was anyone else freaked out about the fact that Lionel may have gotten some of the markings from the hand of the dead linguist?