Smallville: Fracture

[norwich36]

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! And talitha78, thank you so much for the virtual candy hearts! That was very sweet of you!

Speaking of Valentine's Day, tonight's SV was really a Valentine for ...well, I guess I'd better say that inside a cut so as not to be spoilery.



That was pretty much the Clexiest episode in a long time, wasn't it? I have to say, I had a really sharp moment of fear that Clark might feel his need to save Kara and Lois trumped his need to save Alexander--but I was obviously very wrong to doubt him that way. And I might have sniffled a little bit at "there's nothing that's lost that can't be found again." And the idea that Clark will always be looking for Alexander when he looks at Lex--damn. That's right out of fanfiction, or something.

I don't have anything coherent yet to say about this episode other than a few character things I liked.

Lex

Maybe it was a little cliched, but I really enjoyed seeing the internal conflict in Lex personified by scary Lex in the white suit v. Alexander. I loved the kid they cast as Alexander, and how smart Alexander was to know that Lex would never go looking in that particular childhood scene. Speaking of which...that scene was very revealing, wasn't it? It's good to know that the writers haven't completely forgotten that Lionel was an abusive father and husband before this whole saint routine got started, and it was interesting to get another look at his relationship with Lillian. I was happy to see she was trying to find out about his secret projects, though rather horrified that Lex was a victim of her quest for knowledge, and she blamed him for it. Yikes! Poor Alexander didn't have much of a chance, did he?

I also thought it was interesting that Lex's happiest memories--isn't that what the doctor said Clark would encounter first?--were his initial encounter with Kara, and then finding her in the diner. She really has supplanted Lana in his consciousness, hasn't she? (And it was really interesting that the sexual encounter with Lana Lex showed Clark to hurt him was with one from the night of the costume party. Is that really the only time they had sex?)

Lois

I have to admit, I squeed a little bit at the beginning of the episode when it looked like Lois and Lex were working together. What can I say, I have a weakness for enemies forced to act as allies, and those two should get more scenes together--they're really fun to watch. But it was also great just to see Lois working her investigative mojo tracking Lex down, and then her lockpicking mojo to help Kara escape.

Lana

I know, she had virtually no screen time, but I just had to comment on how hot she looked in that one scene at the Isis foundation, in the suit and bun. Damn, how does that woman just keep getting more beautiful?

Chloe

I like the fact that she was willing to risk her life for Lex even before Clark's life was endangered (although of course she was primarily concerned with saving Kara and Lois). I'm worried about what it means that Lionel knows she has that power, now, though--especially since they've established that she "dies" longer every time she resurrects somebody. I also thought it interesting precisely how Lionel covered up for her--twisting the knife for Lex by making it seem like Oliver and Lionel were both responsible for saving Lex. (And then Lex twisted the story for his own ends to Kara. Very, very interesting.)

Comments

[herohunter.livejournal.com]

I loved it! I want that writer and that director for always!

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Oh, your icon is lovely! (I adored that scene from last week).

Yeah, this episode definitely kicked ass. It practically *was* fanfic--I mean, we even got a little nod to Lex liking Martha's pie best.

[mailerose.livejournal.com]

That's right out of fanfiction, or something.

Well, here's hoping this episode inspires fic writers!

And it was really interesting that the sexual encounter with Lana Lex showed Clark to hurt him was with one from the night of the costume party. Is that really the only time they had sex?

Actually, Lana's wearing an engagement ring (and possibly wedding band) in that scene. So that encounter came either soon after Hydro or after... Promise?

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw that in serenography's review--it's just odd that it looked like she was in her Halloween costume to start out with.

I am sure this episode is going to give a lot of writers inspiration!

[seacrystal.livejournal.com]

I also thought it was interesting that Lex's happiest memories--isn't that what the doctor said Clark would encounter first?--were his initial encounter with Kara,

I certainly didn't catch that, thanks for pointing that out. :)

What can I say, I have a weakness for enemies forced to act as allies, and those two should get more scenes together--they're really fun to watch. But it was also great just to see Lois working her investigative mojo tracking Lex down, and then her lockpicking mojo to help Kara escape.

I love all the Kara/Lois stuff, they just clicked together. That whole things about Kara's borrowing Lois' jeans made chuckle, and Lois mentioning one of her exes being in a band lol.

like the fact that she was willing to risk her life for Lex even before Clark's life was endangered (although of course she was primarily concerned with saving Kara and Lois). I'm worried about what it means that Lionel knows she has that power, now, though--especially since they've established that she "dies" longer every time she resurrects somebody. I also thought it interesting precisely how Lionel covered up for her--twisting the knife for Lex by making it seem like Oliver and Lionel were both responsible for saving Lex. (And then Lex twisted the story for his own ends to Kara. Very, very interesting.)

Yeah, Chloe is really cool in this episode.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I love all the Kara/Lois stuff, they just clicked together. That whole things about Kara's borrowing Lois' jeans made chuckle, and Lois mentioning one of her exes being in a band lol.

Oh, yeah, there should definitely be more Lois-Kara bonding. I was trying to remember (and couldn't) whether they'd actually had a scene together before this ep; I was wondering if the "you borrowed my jeans" bit was necessary exposition because we hadn't actually seen them interact, and perhaps didn't even know for sure that Lois knew Kara.

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

And I might have sniffled a little bit at "there's nothing that's lost that can't be found again." And the idea that Clark will always be looking for Alexander when he looks at Lex--damn.

I can't even front: I totally had trouble with my contacts during that entire last scene between Clark and Alexander, but especially when Clark said "because you're my friend." I think I needed Clark's inability to completely give up on Lex to be rather extraordinary, to be beyond what an ordinary person could do and feel given the history between them, because it's that capacity for faith, for true belief in others' capacity for good that makes Superman so remarkable. And the show gave it to me. In big, sparkly, shining letters, the show gave it to me. That was easily one of my top SV scenes of all time. And like you, I loved the kid they cast as Alexander. For me, he made Lex's overall story just that little bit more tragic because he shows that at one time, there was a sweet kid in there, who could help others because it was the right thing to do, etc.

that scene was very revealing, wasn't it? It's good to know that the writers haven't completely forgotten that Lionel was an abusive father and husband before this whole saint routine got started, and it was interesting to get another look at his relationship with Lillian. I was happy to see she was trying to find out about his secret projects, though rather horrified that Lex was a victim of her quest for knowledge, and she blamed him for it.

I really wonder how/why Lex ended up with such an idealized version of Lillian in his head because this episode suggests that the edge people sensed from her in the Lexmas/Void visions really was a part of her. I don't think she's anywhere near as bad a parent as Lionel (I still put the Julian thing down to post-partum psychosis), but she's clearly not the totally loving, saintly woman Lex talked about in S1.

Lex and Lois really are fun to watch. There's a part of me that will forever wish she hadn't cottoned on so fast to how shady he really is, because it would have been fun to see him try to woo her or something.

her lockpicking mojo to help Kara escape.

Can I also say that I love it that of *course* Lois has a past that includes a boyfriend-in-a-band.

I also thought it interesting precisely how Lionel covered up for her--twisting the knife for Lex by making it seem like Oliver and Lionel were both responsible for saving Lex.

And yet, Lionel still wonders how Lex doubts his sincerity about things ...

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I think I needed Clark's inability to completely give up on Lex to be rather extraordinary, to be beyond what an ordinary person could do and feel given the history between them, because it's that capacity for faith, for true belief in others' capacity for good that makes Superman so remarkable. And the show gave it to me. In big, sparkly, shining letters, the show gave it to me. That was easily one of my top SV scenes of all time.

Just a big fat WORD to all of that, because, YES. It was exactly what I've always wanted to see.

And like you, I loved the kid they cast as Alexander. For me, he made Lex's overall story just that little bit more tragic because he shows that at one time, there was a sweet kid in there, who could help others because it was the right thing to do, etc.

Oh, totally. God, it just made me want to travel back in time and rescue that poor kid. So adorable and so brave, and so very very doomed. Which is not to downplay the fact that Lex has made a lot of bad choices, but *sobs* Alexander reminded me of how much I used to completely love Lex.

I really wonder how/why Lex ended up with such an idealized version of Lillian in his head because this episode suggests that the edge people sensed from her in the Lexmas/Void visions really was a part of her. I don't think she's anywhere near as bad a parent as Lionel (I still put the Julian thing down to post-partum psychosis), but she's clearly not the totally loving, saintly woman Lex talked about in S1.

It's really tragic that saintly Lillian is clearly just a construct of Lex's own desires and hopes, not reality. (Though, hmmm. Why exactly is it that white-suited Lex won't go near those particular memories, and so Clark is safe there? Maybe only Alexander can face the reality of what his mother did; perhaps Lex needs to lay it all to Lionel's door? I wonder...)