(S07E02) It's kissin' cousins (okay, not literally) on Smallville, and I think I can safely speak for most males in the audience when I say, "I wish I had a cousin that looked like that." So between Chloe, Lois, Lana, and now Kara, Clark has four women pulling him in different directions and two of them are also cousins. Plus they're all a bit too nosy for their own good. Especially that pesky Lois.
So we finally get our first real gander at Supergirl in action, plus her spaceship which has a nuclear-powered alarm system that could in handy in places like Detroit and Los Angeles. I couldn't help belly laughing listening to all of the explanations Clark kept offering to Lois as to what the ship could be. "It's probably some kind of experimental spaceship. It was probably just a styrofoam prop from a school play." What, no weather balloon?
Okay to be honest, I'm not sure what that whole "Kara flies up into outer space and checks out a picture of Baby Kal-El on an s-shield crystal, and then flies back down at superspeed" scene was all about. Except maybe to beef up the special effects budget by a few thousand bucks. "Take that, Superman Returns!" Plus the superfight between Kara and Clark was pretty cool, if all too brief. It's too bad we couldn't have effects like these on a more regular basis.
Anyhow, I found this episode to be pretty paper thin on plot and heavy on the exposition. Everything from Lois walking in and popping painkillers to an awkward introduction of Grant Gabriel (Michael Cassidy, probably happy to have work since Hidden Palms got canceled), "I'm your new editor!" and so on. By the time Kara starts quizzing kids on the playground, you know she's looking for Kal-El. I guess I was expecting a bit more meat after the season opener, but that left some big shoes to fill. Beggars can't be choosers, right?
So Kara finally finds Clark, he finds out they're cousins, and ... there's not really anything else? You think he'd at least be choked up by finding out he has an actual blood relative, but no. In fact, she's the only one who shows emotion when she finds out Krypton doesn't exist anymore. Where's the emotion, Clark?
Surprisingly, we finally have some movement on the whole getting Lois Lane on the staff of the Daily Planet front. Awkward introductions aside, if Grant exists only to get Lois behind the desk then I can take him. His motivational speech to get Lois to write that story for him was pretty damn well delivered. Hey, it inspired me ... to write this blog post. Although without all the investigative reporting. So, it was a bit easier than what Lois had to deal with.
Now, if you checked in with the backup story at all, you know that Lex has tracked Lana down in Asia. He's prepping jets and muscling Chloe and trying to figure out what's going on, but it was all slightly schlocky and boring. Personally, I wouldn't mind if Lana was written off the show because she's been such a drag for the past dozen episodes or so. So this whole fake her own death / clone saga / model 503 just makes me mad that they're taking away from the Kara / Kal-El storyline. It's like a separate show that just sort of ... sucks.
Okay, I have to rant here for just a second. Is anyone else sick of people being conveniently knocked out on Smallville? I swear these people would all have serious brain injuries and broken necks at this point, especially Lana. Now, when Lois encounters Kara's ship in the woods, what happens? Whammo -- knocked out. Later she sees the ship again, touches it, and whammo -- knocked out. It's way too convenient of a plot device to just have people fall unconscious so super-stuff can happen. Let's open an ethics committee in Smallville already for people to get some justice for their brainpans.
In the end, the Kara stuff wasn't that satisfying, although it has a lot of potential. Now if they could just jettison the tired Lana / Lex storyline and keep us on right track, we've got something. Plus, where's the Justice League been during all this? Let's start at least hearing what's going on with them. And please, stop having people tossed into walls and knocked out. Plus, tell us why Lex is a pretty good sketch artist. I mean, come on already. Somebody save me.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-05-2007 @ 8:39AM
Gerald Jervis said...
Well I think it is high time Clark/Kal-el learned to fly after all his body was able to do it when Jor-el possessed it during season 2, lets get some imagination into this, after all we all know it is a natural function for kryptonians, also time to start thinking about tights and cape. One thing that has bothered me from the begining of the show, where is clarks glasses. how in hell is he gonna hide that face when he goes public as superboy/man.
I am looking forward to when Kara finds the crystal so they can refurbish the fortress of solitude after Clark trashed the place to a non functioning chunk of ice.
Ok thats my rant. on Clark/Kal-el
As for the Justice league, give me a break, it should be called vigilantie league, no justice in it. my biggest gripe about them is Flash - everyone knows that Barry Allen got his powers from a freak lighting bolt into a batch of chemicals, who got off the story line on that one.
Ok i am finished now on bitching
Dont get me wrong i love the series and never miss it.
but shouldnt the writers at least read the comic books to stay within some simbalance of the original ideas.
Gerald
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10-05-2007 @ 10:05AM
dale said...
Loved the blog-- hysterical! I agree we need to get on with the whole superman thing. I've wondered about those goofy glasses since the beginning! I know Lois is observation challenged but that is gonna be very difficult to pull off unless they make her blind as well! Clark needs to grow up, come on, he's what in his twenties now and still stuck on LANA-- for god's sake give it up.There are much more interesting clark/any female but Lana scenarios developing. Sorry Kara had to be his cousin-Bummer!
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10-05-2007 @ 10:37AM
John Heltsley said...
Is it just me, or did anyone else think that Michael Cassidy watched "His Girl Friday" just a BIT too much to prepare for his new role as the Planet's editor?
I mean, Grant was awesome in the movie, and his role was hilarious, but Cassidy didn't quite pull it off and that same role today would seem ... out of place.
Aside from that, not a bad episode.
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10-05-2007 @ 6:43PM
Tana said...
I've been saying since before last season that Lana needs to go. She's just dragging Clark down and is seriously starting to get annoying. Especially the whole "Lex can't do anything bad" bs last season. Then she suddenly realizes the man he really is. Just get her off already.
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10-05-2007 @ 12:33PM
Cole said...
I know it's 7 seasons late, but the Kara actress is what Lana should have looked at. Kristen Kreuk is cute and all, but she's definitely not "hot enough" to get so many people pining away at her so badly that they ruin their lives. On the other hand, Laura Vandervoort definitely has the type of look that can make a guy forget his billion-dollar corporation or his farm duties.
Overall it was an okay episode. But I say that only because I quit watching regularly for a while since the Lana character has pretty much made the show a snoozefest. 7 years of teary eyed close-ups is enough so just write her out already.
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10-05-2007 @ 12:35PM
Adam said...
Not a fan so far of Supergirl. Not sure if it's the hooker outfit or the way she says stuff like "humans would call it ... um, nuclear" - as if she's been studying humans for years. Or maybe it's because she doesn't seem to do anything towards the greater goal of getting Clark to become Superman.
And while I'm bitching, PLEASE do not tell me Lex is back on the good side again. We were finally getting somewhere with the whole evil Lex. He's better when he's bad, let's keep him that way.
Personally, I want the show to do Clark and Lex kicking the crap out of each other for a good season or so.
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10-05-2007 @ 1:03PM
Danielle said...
I found the episode pretty boring. I mean, there was some good stuff-I liked the scenes between Clark and Kara. Grant got on my nerves. Lana-who cares. Lex-snore. Chloe...well, Chloe had nothing to do but be crapped on in this episode. But hey, at least Lois finally made it to the Daily Planet, even if she really only got the job because the boss thinks she's hot. I'll take it, though because it's progress. Oh yeah, and next week we're back to the Clark & Lana drama. Whatever, Smallville. I guess it's one step forward, two steps back.
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10-05-2007 @ 1:50PM
Charlie said...
I used to be a faithful Smallville watcher since the series premiered. But as the seasons progressed I fell more and more out of love with the show. The knocked out plot device is a perfect example. Way too convenient!! Also, how the characters forget things too easily. The show has essentially become: “Knock’em out with a stellar Season Ender and Opener and the rest will be filler” Heroes is a far superior show.
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10-05-2007 @ 1:57PM
CT A said...
I think this episode was more of a "set the place where the pieces will fall" kind of episode. Lois is finally a reporter, Lex had a huge change (I don't know if its good or bad), Lana can be anon, Clark is finally going to start his training to be superman, and Chloe will leave the Daily Planet because of the editor (I love you Chloe!).
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10-05-2007 @ 3:35PM
Bob said...
Heroes isn't even close to being superior. I like Heroes too but come on, be realistic. Smallville continues to put out quality week and week, for the most part (Ageless). Appreciate it for the Superman story and you'll never be disappointed.
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10-05-2007 @ 2:38PM
AkaiWRX said...
I find myself watching Smallville only when the plot does not center on the whole Clark-Lana romantic thing...I mean we ALL know who he ends up with so I don't even know why the writers keep letting us think they will even end up together happily ever after?
The episode tonight was great because it lacked that.
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10-05-2007 @ 3:01PM
nidx said...
this page has a count of all the knockouts in the series, pretty funny to count them all, and other stats http://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=reviews/smallville-knockout
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10-05-2007 @ 3:21PM
mini.boss said...
About Lana faking a death. There's so many things wrong with it:
1) It's a tired TV cliche and Smallville already used it
2) Why create (and fail) in suspense by killing someone, only to reveal them immediately?
3) Why oh why fake-kill a character that 99% of the audience would probably prefer to be ejected into space? It only makes you more upset when you see precious screen time get taken away from a touching Clark/Kara moment to have it directed to yet another close-up of Lana's visine drowned eyes.
Personally, I really see the Kara thing giving the show another GreenArrow-esque boost. It's something exciting that finally moves Clark closer to his future. Because without things like Kara or Green Arrow then all you have is some dopey unemployed 23yr old farm boy who pines over his married high-school crush. And that aint superman.
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10-05-2007 @ 7:51PM
Dan said...
@#1
They never really mentioned which Flash he was supposed to be in Smallville. He had Fake ID's which listed the name of every person who has been the Flash so far in the comics. Jay Garrick,Barry Allen,Wally West and of course Bart Allen. He is mostly referred to as Bart in the show so I presume this is who he is supposed to "be".
If so then it's quite a different origin than the whole Jay/Wally/Barry hit by chemicals/lightning one. They even kinda hinted at it with Barts cheesy "I'm from the future" line to Chloe.
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10-05-2007 @ 10:35PM
Peckapalooza said...
Anyone else think they should've just worked Perry White back into the series and reintroduced him as the Daily Planet editor? Just saying, you've already got an established character, why not use him. I mean, if you've already got Lois and Jimmy interacting with Clark, why not have Perry on a full/part-time basis?
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10-05-2007 @ 11:05PM
ac said...
#15: Perry White was played by Annete OTool's real life husband. Now that she's off the show I dont think he'll do it again.
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10-07-2007 @ 7:13PM
Jazzie said...
I would like to see more of Clark, Lana, and Chole. I do not care for this new character nor her acting. The show is getting really silly.
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10-09-2007 @ 12:55AM
Will said...
Once again Chloe had the best line of the episode: "Yeah, what's up with you people?"
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10-12-2007 @ 10:31PM
Alvin said...
I thought I was the only one that was bothered by the whole getting knocked out thing!!
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10-16-2007 @ 9:38AM
Keith said...
The new addition of the knockout beauty, Kara (Supergirl) definitely energizes the series.
Here are a few suggestions to help the series along:
1- At some time in the near future, Superboy is going to have to begin flying like his cousin.
2-Stop having people conviently knocked out when Clark uses his powers.
3-Bring back the Justic Leaque
4-Clark needs to relocate out of Smallville and begin working with Chloe and Lois at the Daily Planet.
5-Clark needs to begin taking on more elements of his comic book character, glasses, some type of cape, etc.
I absolutely love the show.
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