Smallville thoughts [7x02 - 7x07]
Nov. 17th, 2007 02:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grimorieShort thoughts on Smallville episodes before I finally turn in to sleep.
I think, by far, this season is the most coherent one since season four. I think by Wrath I can safely say that Al and Miles have thought up how this season would go. I also have a confession to make, I like Lana. I really do. She's not all bad as some fans would like us to think and as the seasons progressed and as she went steadily dark I began liking her more and more.
Kara
I love the opening scene. I think Lois and Clark scenes work better if the writers forget about who they'd end up with and let Lois and Clark be just Lois and Clark. I loved Lois realization, that hey, she'll miss Clark after all. There's something about Lois's fascinated expression that fascinates me. It's like for her, it's really something new to discover and explore.
Clark's concern for Lois was very touching. I like how the writers let Lois and Clark's relationship grow organically, they're friends who care for each other and share the same world view and principles.
Kara's introduction was very well handled.
I also love how Lois got roped into the Planet, last season she finally fell headlong for Journalism. In the fourth season you can see her secretly proud to have her work published, in the fifth season Lois is searching for something she can do to find the injustices of the world and some failed attempts at baiting Lex and even hears a faint siren call to the Planet (at Chloe's prompting) and dabbled in politics. A job she was good at and liked but didn't love and when the sixth season finally rolled in, Lois finally gave in.
And she fell in love in a heady, gloves off, no turning back kind of way. She finally admitted to herself that, yes, she loved writing and poking her nose in where it wasn't her business and finding out the truth so she could expose it. And for me, journalism is Lois Lane's great love. Maybe, even more than she (will) love Clark.
By the end of the sixth season she was ready to move on to a paper that'll give her credibility. Just writing stories isn't enough for her now, now she had an agenda and purpose for writing and this combination made Lois ripe for Grant's headhunting.
I did feel sorry for Chloe but I wasn't as sorry as I should have been because some of her attitudes towards Lois in season six rubbed me the wrong way, I didn't like her dismissive contempt for Lois when Lois was first starting out. I couldn't understand her behaviour considering it was Chloe who prompted Lois in every which way she turned to become a reporter and when Lois finally did step into thos shoes she acted like... the way she acted.
But, in a way, it's also a wake-up call for Chloe. The thing of it is, she's become too complacent about just being in the Daily Planet she seemed content just being in the basement. She needed to be shaken from that rut and take a good look at where she is and how she got there. In contrast, since Lois found her passion, she's always on the move and not satisfied with staying still. Even if her Editor sent her on some wild goose chase to some far flung part of the US she still went.
I think that's the differenc in styles between Chloe and Lois, in that Lois is willing to go the extra mile, climb that extra mountain so she could get a story.
The scene Lana had with Lex was electric. I loved how calm she was and yet, Lex still managed to disarm her. I think Lana still feels something for Lex and Lex knew it.
Fierce
The return of Jimmy Olsen, or the Panda Boy returneth!
I love Kara's interactions with Clark and being a big brother really suits him. There were a lot of things I liked about this episode (exploding watermelons, adorkable watermelons!) but one of the things I didn't like were the models. Eh.
So, I guess, Chloe refering to meteor infected people as freaks really did mean something! And she sows what she reaps. I really love how this season it's all about reversals. Jimmy takes on Chloe's attitudes towards the infected and Chloe becomes ambivalent towards them. Clark becomes more open to Lana and now both Lana and Chloe become close mouthed and secretive. Lana becomes Lex and Chloe becomes Clark. I love it.
But best of all? "Are you a savior or a warning?"
I loved that ending, I love Lex confronting Kara. I loved her evasion and Lex saying (almost) point blank that he knew her secret. And they have chemistry.
I wonder if they're going to follow comics canon on this one? I remember that there was one version of Kara who was involved with Lex and if so, things are going to be mighty interesting in the House of El.
Cure
Oh, this I loved without reservation. Dean Cain as Vandal Savage? I am on that train! Plus, J'onn was in this episode!
I loved the moment when Vandal realized that the woman he loved was dead and he turned to look at Clark and Clark looked on and he has such empathy that even if this was the guy who almost killed his bestfriend he still felt something for him!
Chloe is going on an interesting place and I honestly have no idea where they're taking her.
And, oh, Lana with your Lex room... honey, this can't end well but while you're at it, you are ever so interesting to watch. I love your contrasts between black and white.
Action
I loved this episode and at the same time I was very iffy with it. I loved all the little in jokes the writers had but I loved, loved, loved Lana's shovel moment. That was just-- oh, Lana! I managed to accidentally spoil myself on Lana's activities during this episode but its still worth watching because of the twists the writers put in. I am wondering though, why was Grant so hard on Lois if Chloe was already there?
Why didn't she report on it? Or how about the part where the star had a stalker?
Anyway, to my girl Lois. I have only one word for you: Glasses. Lois looked gorgeous on them. I confess that when I saw Lois breaking and entering into the Lex's office I squee'd because it was all so iconic and even though she did get caught Lois managed to get something out of that situation. Anyway, it's her first time and it was a learning experience. Plus, it let Lois and Lex finally interact! They should do it more often! I'm only sad that the editors apparently cut the scene where Lois tailed Lex to Lana's Misery cabin.
But, oh, the end! The End! With Lionel and Lana! Lana, my dear girl, you are so very messed up now and dangerous and so very a Luthor and awesome!
Lara
I actually liked Helen Slater's portrayal of Lara, until I started reading reviews and I realized, that Lara should have been far more steely than what we saw. She's a Kryptonian, a brilliant scientist in her own right and, according to some canon a great pilot.
Kara flying is so fun to watch, but I suggest she tries flying higher so she can avoid those pesky planes. Still, I don't know how hitting Kara on the chest really hard could've helped her when the kryptonite was in her blood!
Chloe finally finds out about ISIS and knows Lana is doing something shifty but once again Lana does the, 'smile and talk reasonable and try to convince the other person you're not hiding a surveillance room in your office' reasoning. KK is really hitting it out there.
But can someone tell me how Clark got the crystal? Really? How?
Wrath
And finally, this episode. Gold.
Oh, and the Earth shook. Heh.
In the short span of time Lana has lost a lot of things and not least of it is her innocence but it's been building up for years now. This was the episode where Clark's vision of Lana and who Lana has become collides spectacularly. And Lana reiterates that the things that happened were her choices, something Clark never wanted her to own because he wanted to keep her 'pure'.
Lana also gets to see how much Clark had put her in a pedestal. She did a lot of things and hurt a lot of people in the process, so focused on doing something to hurt Lex, to get Lex to admit to a crime that it crossed the borders between right and wrong a hundred times over.
Despite her actions, Lana is right about one thing, she does have a story to tell. She knows something about Lex and Lex's projects and Chloe shouldn't have shut her down like that.
And Lex? You're older than Clark, stop blaming him. He was what, 15 when you met? And you made him into your moral compass? What the bloody hell's wrong with you??? Seriously. Get over it.
As for Lois.
Oh, Lois. When they said that you'd have a bigger arc I expected that you'd have a greater screen time too. I was so very wrong. As much as I love seeing Lois I wish the writers would use her well or not at all. The small scenes they keep giving us is more torture than with the happy.
That being said, I do have a few thoughts on Lois and Grant (bearing in mind that I haven't seen Blue yet) I'm actually two of minds about this. But one thing is, I can't get over what Grant looks like, beside the rest of the cast Grant looks young, as in teenage young. One thing that sold me about Lois's relationship with Oliver was that they both looked like adults. But then again, maybe they're showing that the reason why she was attracted to Grant because she really does like the geeky guy with the glasses (with Grant foregoing the glasses).
But then as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
huzzlewhat said, Lois needs this relationship with Grant because by the time Clark finally joins the Daily Planet Lois has become this tough as nails reporters who's very cynical about love and jaded about the world. Grant can be Lois's trial by fire both personally and professionally, because currently, to people she likes Lois has been very forgiving and accomodating even though she does occasionally call them on their bull she backs down as soon as she senses that she's upset them.
This would be Lois learning more that just because she likes them doesn't mean they won't betray her.
Or, another pet theory of mine would be that Lois is playing Grant because they've shown Lois as a very astute person but then we can just chalk this up as Lois being deliberately blind -- another relation to the Lois philosophy of trusting people she likes.
I have more thoughts but I'm so sleepy I'll have to complete this next time.
Vid rec: Samson bybop_radar
Whatever your thoughts on Clark/Lana are, you can't deny that their relationship is doomed and the vid shows it so beautifully. Run, don't walk and
go download Samson!
I think, by far, this season is the most coherent one since season four. I think by Wrath I can safely say that Al and Miles have thought up how this season would go. I also have a confession to make, I like Lana. I really do. She's not all bad as some fans would like us to think and as the seasons progressed and as she went steadily dark I began liking her more and more.
Kara
I love the opening scene. I think Lois and Clark scenes work better if the writers forget about who they'd end up with and let Lois and Clark be just Lois and Clark. I loved Lois realization, that hey, she'll miss Clark after all. There's something about Lois's fascinated expression that fascinates me. It's like for her, it's really something new to discover and explore.
Clark's concern for Lois was very touching. I like how the writers let Lois and Clark's relationship grow organically, they're friends who care for each other and share the same world view and principles.
Kara's introduction was very well handled.
I also love how Lois got roped into the Planet, last season she finally fell headlong for Journalism. In the fourth season you can see her secretly proud to have her work published, in the fifth season Lois is searching for something she can do to find the injustices of the world and some failed attempts at baiting Lex and even hears a faint siren call to the Planet (at Chloe's prompting) and dabbled in politics. A job she was good at and liked but didn't love and when the sixth season finally rolled in, Lois finally gave in.
And she fell in love in a heady, gloves off, no turning back kind of way. She finally admitted to herself that, yes, she loved writing and poking her nose in where it wasn't her business and finding out the truth so she could expose it. And for me, journalism is Lois Lane's great love. Maybe, even more than she (will) love Clark.
By the end of the sixth season she was ready to move on to a paper that'll give her credibility. Just writing stories isn't enough for her now, now she had an agenda and purpose for writing and this combination made Lois ripe for Grant's headhunting.
I did feel sorry for Chloe but I wasn't as sorry as I should have been because some of her attitudes towards Lois in season six rubbed me the wrong way, I didn't like her dismissive contempt for Lois when Lois was first starting out. I couldn't understand her behaviour considering it was Chloe who prompted Lois in every which way she turned to become a reporter and when Lois finally did step into thos shoes she acted like... the way she acted.
But, in a way, it's also a wake-up call for Chloe. The thing of it is, she's become too complacent about just being in the Daily Planet she seemed content just being in the basement. She needed to be shaken from that rut and take a good look at where she is and how she got there. In contrast, since Lois found her passion, she's always on the move and not satisfied with staying still. Even if her Editor sent her on some wild goose chase to some far flung part of the US she still went.
I think that's the differenc in styles between Chloe and Lois, in that Lois is willing to go the extra mile, climb that extra mountain so she could get a story.
The scene Lana had with Lex was electric. I loved how calm she was and yet, Lex still managed to disarm her. I think Lana still feels something for Lex and Lex knew it.
Fierce
The return of Jimmy Olsen, or the Panda Boy returneth!
I love Kara's interactions with Clark and being a big brother really suits him. There were a lot of things I liked about this episode (exploding watermelons, adorkable watermelons!) but one of the things I didn't like were the models. Eh.
So, I guess, Chloe refering to meteor infected people as freaks really did mean something! And she sows what she reaps. I really love how this season it's all about reversals. Jimmy takes on Chloe's attitudes towards the infected and Chloe becomes ambivalent towards them. Clark becomes more open to Lana and now both Lana and Chloe become close mouthed and secretive. Lana becomes Lex and Chloe becomes Clark. I love it.
But best of all? "Are you a savior or a warning?"
I loved that ending, I love Lex confronting Kara. I loved her evasion and Lex saying (almost) point blank that he knew her secret. And they have chemistry.
I wonder if they're going to follow comics canon on this one? I remember that there was one version of Kara who was involved with Lex and if so, things are going to be mighty interesting in the House of El.
Cure
Oh, this I loved without reservation. Dean Cain as Vandal Savage? I am on that train! Plus, J'onn was in this episode!
I loved the moment when Vandal realized that the woman he loved was dead and he turned to look at Clark and Clark looked on and he has such empathy that even if this was the guy who almost killed his bestfriend he still felt something for him!
Chloe is going on an interesting place and I honestly have no idea where they're taking her.
And, oh, Lana with your Lex room... honey, this can't end well but while you're at it, you are ever so interesting to watch. I love your contrasts between black and white.
Action
I loved this episode and at the same time I was very iffy with it. I loved all the little in jokes the writers had but I loved, loved, loved Lana's shovel moment. That was just-- oh, Lana! I managed to accidentally spoil myself on Lana's activities during this episode but its still worth watching because of the twists the writers put in. I am wondering though, why was Grant so hard on Lois if Chloe was already there?
Why didn't she report on it? Or how about the part where the star had a stalker?
Anyway, to my girl Lois. I have only one word for you: Glasses. Lois looked gorgeous on them. I confess that when I saw Lois breaking and entering into the Lex's office I squee'd because it was all so iconic and even though she did get caught Lois managed to get something out of that situation. Anyway, it's her first time and it was a learning experience. Plus, it let Lois and Lex finally interact! They should do it more often! I'm only sad that the editors apparently cut the scene where Lois tailed Lex to Lana's Misery cabin.
But, oh, the end! The End! With Lionel and Lana! Lana, my dear girl, you are so very messed up now and dangerous and so very a Luthor and awesome!
Lara
I actually liked Helen Slater's portrayal of Lara, until I started reading reviews and I realized, that Lara should have been far more steely than what we saw. She's a Kryptonian, a brilliant scientist in her own right and, according to some canon a great pilot.
Kara flying is so fun to watch, but I suggest she tries flying higher so she can avoid those pesky planes. Still, I don't know how hitting Kara on the chest really hard could've helped her when the kryptonite was in her blood!
Chloe finally finds out about ISIS and knows Lana is doing something shifty but once again Lana does the, 'smile and talk reasonable and try to convince the other person you're not hiding a surveillance room in your office' reasoning. KK is really hitting it out there.
But can someone tell me how Clark got the crystal? Really? How?
Wrath
And finally, this episode. Gold.
Oh, and the Earth shook. Heh.
In the short span of time Lana has lost a lot of things and not least of it is her innocence but it's been building up for years now. This was the episode where Clark's vision of Lana and who Lana has become collides spectacularly. And Lana reiterates that the things that happened were her choices, something Clark never wanted her to own because he wanted to keep her 'pure'.
Lana also gets to see how much Clark had put her in a pedestal. She did a lot of things and hurt a lot of people in the process, so focused on doing something to hurt Lex, to get Lex to admit to a crime that it crossed the borders between right and wrong a hundred times over.
Despite her actions, Lana is right about one thing, she does have a story to tell. She knows something about Lex and Lex's projects and Chloe shouldn't have shut her down like that.
And Lex? You're older than Clark, stop blaming him. He was what, 15 when you met? And you made him into your moral compass? What the bloody hell's wrong with you??? Seriously. Get over it.
As for Lois.
Oh, Lois. When they said that you'd have a bigger arc I expected that you'd have a greater screen time too. I was so very wrong. As much as I love seeing Lois I wish the writers would use her well or not at all. The small scenes they keep giving us is more torture than with the happy.
That being said, I do have a few thoughts on Lois and Grant (bearing in mind that I haven't seen Blue yet) I'm actually two of minds about this. But one thing is, I can't get over what Grant looks like, beside the rest of the cast Grant looks young, as in teenage young. One thing that sold me about Lois's relationship with Oliver was that they both looked like adults. But then again, maybe they're showing that the reason why she was attracted to Grant because she really does like the geeky guy with the glasses (with Grant foregoing the glasses).
But then as
huzzlewhat said, Lois needs this relationship with Grant because by the time Clark finally joins the Daily Planet Lois has become this tough as nails reporters who's very cynical about love and jaded about the world. Grant can be Lois's trial by fire both personally and professionally, because currently, to people she likes Lois has been very forgiving and accomodating even though she does occasionally call them on their bull she backs down as soon as she senses that she's upset them. This would be Lois learning more that just because she likes them doesn't mean they won't betray her.
Or, another pet theory of mine would be that Lois is playing Grant because they've shown Lois as a very astute person but then we can just chalk this up as Lois being deliberately blind -- another relation to the Lois philosophy of trusting people she likes.
I have more thoughts but I'm so sleepy I'll have to complete this next time.
Vid rec: Samson by
bop_radarWhatever your thoughts on Clark/Lana are, you can't deny that their relationship is doomed and the vid shows it so beautifully. Run, don't walk and
go download Samson!
