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Smallville: Apocalypse
Spoilers ahoy.
I liked this episode, don't get me wrong, but I think I had higher expectations of it going in, which might have been a mistake. I was really eager to see what everyone's life was like without Clark, but I was actually hoping for more...justification? Logic? Something. I mean, it makes sense that Jonathan would still be alive, and I suppose it makes sense that Lana would have met someone decent in Paris (and I suppose 2 kids at the age of 22 is not out of the question, especially if her parents still died in the meteor shower and she was trying to recreate the family she never had), but I wanted a little more detail on Chloe. And while I loved seeing Lois completely as her iconic self, it didn't quite make sense to me. In the real timeline, part of what sent her into reporting in the first place was Clark and that door landing by her; I'm really curious what pushed her into journalism earlier in the other timeline, early enough that she's already earned a Pulitzer.
And Lex must have been quite politically influential to get the Constitution changed so someone under 35 could be elected president. (Oh, sorry, here I go again applying real world facts to Smallville plotlines. Silly of me).
I mean, I get why they did this--moving everyone to their canonical destinies. I totally loved seeing hard-hitting reporter Lois bossing Jimmy around, and President Lex was simultaneously chilling and kick-ass, and all the Clark-Lois stuff was really, really fun. Clark was so Supermanly! I completely loved him saving Lois, and obviously showing him in the suit and glasses was total fanservice. I guess one can hand-wave the details being Jor-El just trying to convince Clark to go to Krypton to save himself.
What I actually thought was most interesting in the episode was Lex's relationship with Kara. Considering how much energy fans have put into speculating whether having Clark stand loyally by his side would have changed Lex's fate, it's very interesting to see that even with Kara's obvious loyalty, he still ends up destroying the world to save it. True, Kara was sheltered by Lionel rather than Jonathan and Martha (though she was an adolescent, so I don't know how profound his influence on her would have been); she might not have been the shining beacon of hope and morality that Clark was for him.But still, it was chilling to see how easily he jumped to the conclusion that she had betrayed him and shot her.
The other scene I thought was very interesting was Clark and Lex's scene in the barn, because I honestly couldn't decide if that scene was Lex being totally manipulative and trying to find out if Clark was the Traveller, using the most potent weapon (CLark's fears for Lana) he had available, or if he still authentically cares for Lana. That was a fantastic scene.
So: Kara's collapse: Brainiac (having somehow infiltrated Kara's brain?) or Lex (trying to find out if Kara is the Traveller)? Or does someone have an alternate theory?
I liked this episode, don't get me wrong, but I think I had higher expectations of it going in, which might have been a mistake. I was really eager to see what everyone's life was like without Clark, but I was actually hoping for more...justification? Logic? Something. I mean, it makes sense that Jonathan would still be alive, and I suppose it makes sense that Lana would have met someone decent in Paris (and I suppose 2 kids at the age of 22 is not out of the question, especially if her parents still died in the meteor shower and she was trying to recreate the family she never had), but I wanted a little more detail on Chloe. And while I loved seeing Lois completely as her iconic self, it didn't quite make sense to me. In the real timeline, part of what sent her into reporting in the first place was Clark and that door landing by her; I'm really curious what pushed her into journalism earlier in the other timeline, early enough that she's already earned a Pulitzer.
And Lex must have been quite politically influential to get the Constitution changed so someone under 35 could be elected president. (Oh, sorry, here I go again applying real world facts to Smallville plotlines. Silly of me).
I mean, I get why they did this--moving everyone to their canonical destinies. I totally loved seeing hard-hitting reporter Lois bossing Jimmy around, and President Lex was simultaneously chilling and kick-ass, and all the Clark-Lois stuff was really, really fun. Clark was so Supermanly! I completely loved him saving Lois, and obviously showing him in the suit and glasses was total fanservice. I guess one can hand-wave the details being Jor-El just trying to convince Clark to go to Krypton to save himself.
What I actually thought was most interesting in the episode was Lex's relationship with Kara. Considering how much energy fans have put into speculating whether having Clark stand loyally by his side would have changed Lex's fate, it's very interesting to see that even with Kara's obvious loyalty, he still ends up destroying the world to save it. True, Kara was sheltered by Lionel rather than Jonathan and Martha (though she was an adolescent, so I don't know how profound his influence on her would have been); she might not have been the shining beacon of hope and morality that Clark was for him.But still, it was chilling to see how easily he jumped to the conclusion that she had betrayed him and shot her.
The other scene I thought was very interesting was Clark and Lex's scene in the barn, because I honestly couldn't decide if that scene was Lex being totally manipulative and trying to find out if Clark was the Traveller, using the most potent weapon (CLark's fears for Lana) he had available, or if he still authentically cares for Lana. That was a fantastic scene.
So: Kara's collapse: Brainiac (having somehow infiltrated Kara's brain?) or Lex (trying to find out if Kara is the Traveller)? Or does someone have an alternate theory?
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- I laughed a lot.
And I'm calling Brainiac having infiltrated Kara's brain. He's a wily one.
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I guess it's possible that, um, Jor-El was projecting Clark into the future, as someone who commented below suggested? Though if so, they could have made an issue of the date, or something.
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I thought that was really interesting -- making a point that even without Clark and the barn door, Lois would still eventually go down the ace reporter road, just like Lex being a power hungry evil SOB.
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(Anonymous) 2008-05-02 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
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Lex and Kara was fascinating though ('like a brother' yeah, right, the most incestuous 'like a brother' ever). Heh. I suppose, in some universes Kara still ends up falling with Lex.
And, yes, Clark was so Supermanly. I squeed loudly when I saw Clark with dorky glasses and a suit. I want Clark to be his iconic self so bad I never wanted him to leave Apocalypse!Verse!
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At this point, with the departure of so many people from the main cast, I'm starting to think the only reason I would keep watching next season is if they really had more iconic Clark and iconic Lois moments like this ep. Because I did really enjoy them.
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I think if they had gone in to detail about Chloe and Lois, then it would have taken too much of the story away from Clark, and this episode was definitely a Clark story.
I loved this episode, and watched it again straight away.
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I agree, it deserved an entire episode on its own instead of just a few lines of exposition. So much they could have done there!
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I think the AU was meant to be more in the future than was immediately obvious--like ten years in the future or so. In which case, I don't think it's unlikely that Lois would have a Pulitzer by then. ;) As for what pushed her into journalism, I think there are many things that could have driven Lois there. In our reality she was introduced investigating Chloe's 'death' and if Chloe had turned out to be really dead I can see that leading her into wanting to write and expose the truth. I assume somewhere along the line she saw an injustice and went after it with usual Lois vigour. I think the barndoor was just chance and I'm really glad that wasn't her one and only trigger into journalism.
she might not have been the shining beacon of hope and morality that Clark was for him
I don't know if I'm just down on Kara this week because of Laura's acting, but I really came out of 'Apocalypse' feeling that the writers wanted us to see that Kara was qualitatively different from Clark. She alone doesn't inspire Lex to seek redemption, and she is weaker than Clark, whether you put that down to her upbringing or something intrinsic about her. It intrigues me.
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I think the AU was meant to be more in the future than was immediately obvious--like ten years in the future or so. In which case, I don't think it's unlikely that Lois would have a Pulitzer by then. ;) As for what pushed her into journalism, I think there are many things that could have driven Lois there.
If this really is a future AU, it pretty much solves all the problems I had with the episode--I just wish they had MADE THAT CLEAR. One quick reference to a date is all they really needed. I have no doubt whatever that Lois would have eventually gone into journalism and gotten a Pulitzer; it's only when I was assuming the original timeline that I found it confusing.
I really came out of 'Apocalypse' feeling that the writers wanted us to see that Kara was qualitatively different from Clark. She alone doesn't inspire Lex to seek redemption, and she is weaker than Clark, whether you put that down to her upbringing or something intrinsic about her
Well, I think part of the issue was that she would have encountered the Luthors as an adolescent, and her major life influence, prior to that, was pretty much a bad guy, so given the way Smallville destiny is tied to parental influence, I think it makes sense that Kara was weaker, morally speaking, than Clark--she didn't have Martha and Jonathan guiding her.
I was pretty saddened by that storyline, though, because I know in some versions of comics canon Kara and Lex hook up, and if canonically Lex can't have Clark I'd always hoped he could end up with another Kryptonian who would save him. I honestly wish they'd been able to do more with the Kara/Lex relationship this season, which had so many intriguing possibilities, but I guess it interfered too much with the Descent of Lex they had to finish this season.
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One quick reference to a date is all they really needed.
I know! It's completely stupid that they left that out.
I honestly wish they'd been able to do more with the Kara/Lex relationship this season, which had so many intriguing possibilities, but I guess it interfered too much with the Descent of Lex they had to finish this season.
It IS a pity. I thought they were going to do a lot more with it, but I think maybe the writers' strike made them speed past some of that? Even so, I think the main issue is exactly what you've articulated here. Perhaps if they'd had her earlier they could have explored it more. It does feel like a wasted opportunity though.