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Smallville: Odyssey
It will never be the same show without Lex, but I think I'm really going to enjoy this season!
Of the shallow
1. Ok, someone is writing Tessa/Lois slash as we speak right? Because holy hell that scene was hot! And not just because of Lois' French maid uniform, which strained my credulity for a second, but I suppose maybe Lex might hire maids in precisely that costume? Okay, maybe not, but I guess I don't really care if they're going to be so blatantly femslashy. Plus she was kind of smokin' in it.
2. JUSTIN HARTLEY! Justin Hartley Justin Hartley Justin Hartley. God, I had forgotten how completely gorgeous he is. And I had no idea he had a long enough part to be in the credits--I was only spoiled to the extent that he was in the opening episode. Hurray!
3. Humina, Mountain Man Clark slinging those crates in Russia. DAMN. Just DAMN.
4. And that whole scene in Russia convinced me I know where Lex is. See, those Russian mafia could see Mountain Man Clark was built for manual labor, but Lex's more delicate form clearly means he gets sent to the brothels. The very exclusive ones, of course (and he will be escaping soon but shut up. I am enjoying this mental image. If they can blatantly indulge some Clark!girls' TC fantasies, they can give me prostitute!Lex in a high-class bordello).
5. Lois again, in the tag scene at the DP: HOT DAMN. HOLY HOTNESS BATMAN. They finally got her hair perfect, perfect, perfect, and she looked amazing and iconic and I am SO looking forward to Clois banter across those desks this season, I cannot even tell you.
Of the slightly more substantive
1. New villains
I was spoiled for the existence of Tess, though not much about her storyline, and I think I like her. I certainly loved her interactions with Lois and with male Lexminion, anyway. The actress seems pretty solid to me. My only quibble was that though I recognized the symbolism of her taking over the Luthor mansion, it really MAKES NO FRIGGIN SENSE for her to be there. At this point, they might as well all move lock-and-stock to Metropolis. I know they don't have an unlimited budget, but for Pete's sake they already have a Luthorcorp set. Also, as long as I'm griping, since the whole purpose of dust covers is to prevent dust from settling on furniture, you don't generally find big clouds of dust UNDER THEM, oh Smallville set dressers. (I get it, symbolism again, but again it's DUMB symbolism.)
2. Old heroes
I have to admit, I am a little sad at the disbanding of Ollie's League--though it's very good that it means Clark will go his own way and not rely on them in his path to superherodom this year--but what really broke my heart was Martian Manhunter's sacrifice. Oh, J'onn. For a minute I thought how easily he saved Clark and restored his powers was lame deus ex machina, but the fact that he gave up his own powers for Clark really redeemed that for me.
3. New powers
I have to confess, given how ridiculously divided the fandom is lately over Chloe, I'm more than a little afraid to see people's responses to the fact that she has even more new powers. *Sigh* I don't really mind this particular plot development, because super computer skills is a much more logical meteor mutation for her than healing powers, so maybe they're going to give up the one for the other? (I wasn't sure whether to read her inability to heal Clark as a loss of that particular power or as a product of Clark's Kryptonian-ness. I guess the latter, but I think it would actually work better for her storyline if it was the former).
By the way, excellent bit of CREEPTASTICNESS, not to mention continuity, to coerce Chloe into finding Ollie by using her mom's spinal fluid. Ew ew ew ew ew, but bravo, show, for going there. Clearly Lex's remaining minions are even more ethically challenged than he was, toward the end. I also really liked the fact that Chloe was tricked into believing she was in a "low-rent Gitmo" when really it was Luthorcorp holding her.
4. Reflections of the past
Part of me was yelling at Clark, while he was charging off to rescue Chloe on his own, "you idiot, didn't you learn anything from the last time you were mortal and trying to rescue Chloe? You know, when you ended up dead?"--so if anything, I was amused that he ended up dead again.
And yet, I do love the heroic part of him that really will risk his life to save people. Because we all know it's not his powers that make him a hero, it's his heart. Even if it does mean he gets shot in it again.
I did love the flashes he got of his parents and Lana when he was dying, not just because it underscore that many of the people he's loved have left him, but because it was a really nice way to remind the audience that even though those actors/characters have (mostly) left the show, they still helped shape Clark (and the show) to be what it is today.
5. Moving into the future
I'm pretty sure I could hear certain fans (you know who you are) cheering at that conversation Clark had with J'onn at the end of the episode, about his need to stop holding onto the past and to move forward to his future, unguided by anyone else. YES! It's finally the season for Clark to embrace his destiny. YAY!!! Oh, and he's going to be working at the DP! Yay times a billion!
I also loved the way Lois is pretty much already there. We got to see her in stealthy investigative reporter mode (and you go, Lois, for getting that flash drive out right under Tessa's nose--I just think you should have taken all of them!), in righteous defending-her-cousin mode, in undercover mode again (and how much do I *love* *love* *love* that she might very well have managed to get Chloe out on her own, without any superheroic help?), and then in sophisticated (and gorgeous) reporter mode at the Daily Planet. Oh, man, just for Lois alone this season is going to TOTALLY ROCK THE HOUSE.
The only plotline I was completely uninterested in this episode was the Chimmy wedding (Really? Really? Do they have to go there? BORING), but even that, at least, was in keeping with this theme of moving into the future, so I have to grant them props for that.
Really, if season 8 continues in this vein, I am totally onboard.
Of the shallow
1. Ok, someone is writing Tessa/Lois slash as we speak right? Because holy hell that scene was hot! And not just because of Lois' French maid uniform, which strained my credulity for a second, but I suppose maybe Lex might hire maids in precisely that costume? Okay, maybe not, but I guess I don't really care if they're going to be so blatantly femslashy. Plus she was kind of smokin' in it.
2. JUSTIN HARTLEY! Justin Hartley Justin Hartley Justin Hartley. God, I had forgotten how completely gorgeous he is. And I had no idea he had a long enough part to be in the credits--I was only spoiled to the extent that he was in the opening episode. Hurray!
3. Humina, Mountain Man Clark slinging those crates in Russia. DAMN. Just DAMN.
4. And that whole scene in Russia convinced me I know where Lex is. See, those Russian mafia could see Mountain Man Clark was built for manual labor, but Lex's more delicate form clearly means he gets sent to the brothels. The very exclusive ones, of course (and he will be escaping soon but shut up. I am enjoying this mental image. If they can blatantly indulge some Clark!girls' TC fantasies, they can give me prostitute!Lex in a high-class bordello).
5. Lois again, in the tag scene at the DP: HOT DAMN. HOLY HOTNESS BATMAN. They finally got her hair perfect, perfect, perfect, and she looked amazing and iconic and I am SO looking forward to Clois banter across those desks this season, I cannot even tell you.
Of the slightly more substantive
1. New villains
I was spoiled for the existence of Tess, though not much about her storyline, and I think I like her. I certainly loved her interactions with Lois and with male Lexminion, anyway. The actress seems pretty solid to me. My only quibble was that though I recognized the symbolism of her taking over the Luthor mansion, it really MAKES NO FRIGGIN SENSE for her to be there. At this point, they might as well all move lock-and-stock to Metropolis. I know they don't have an unlimited budget, but for Pete's sake they already have a Luthorcorp set. Also, as long as I'm griping, since the whole purpose of dust covers is to prevent dust from settling on furniture, you don't generally find big clouds of dust UNDER THEM, oh Smallville set dressers. (I get it, symbolism again, but again it's DUMB symbolism.)
2. Old heroes
I have to admit, I am a little sad at the disbanding of Ollie's League--though it's very good that it means Clark will go his own way and not rely on them in his path to superherodom this year--but what really broke my heart was Martian Manhunter's sacrifice. Oh, J'onn. For a minute I thought how easily he saved Clark and restored his powers was lame deus ex machina, but the fact that he gave up his own powers for Clark really redeemed that for me.
3. New powers
I have to confess, given how ridiculously divided the fandom is lately over Chloe, I'm more than a little afraid to see people's responses to the fact that she has even more new powers. *Sigh* I don't really mind this particular plot development, because super computer skills is a much more logical meteor mutation for her than healing powers, so maybe they're going to give up the one for the other? (I wasn't sure whether to read her inability to heal Clark as a loss of that particular power or as a product of Clark's Kryptonian-ness. I guess the latter, but I think it would actually work better for her storyline if it was the former).
By the way, excellent bit of CREEPTASTICNESS, not to mention continuity, to coerce Chloe into finding Ollie by using her mom's spinal fluid. Ew ew ew ew ew, but bravo, show, for going there. Clearly Lex's remaining minions are even more ethically challenged than he was, toward the end. I also really liked the fact that Chloe was tricked into believing she was in a "low-rent Gitmo" when really it was Luthorcorp holding her.
4. Reflections of the past
Part of me was yelling at Clark, while he was charging off to rescue Chloe on his own, "you idiot, didn't you learn anything from the last time you were mortal and trying to rescue Chloe? You know, when you ended up dead?"--so if anything, I was amused that he ended up dead again.
And yet, I do love the heroic part of him that really will risk his life to save people. Because we all know it's not his powers that make him a hero, it's his heart. Even if it does mean he gets shot in it again.
I did love the flashes he got of his parents and Lana when he was dying, not just because it underscore that many of the people he's loved have left him, but because it was a really nice way to remind the audience that even though those actors/characters have (mostly) left the show, they still helped shape Clark (and the show) to be what it is today.
5. Moving into the future
I'm pretty sure I could hear certain fans (you know who you are) cheering at that conversation Clark had with J'onn at the end of the episode, about his need to stop holding onto the past and to move forward to his future, unguided by anyone else. YES! It's finally the season for Clark to embrace his destiny. YAY!!! Oh, and he's going to be working at the DP! Yay times a billion!
I also loved the way Lois is pretty much already there. We got to see her in stealthy investigative reporter mode (and you go, Lois, for getting that flash drive out right under Tessa's nose--I just think you should have taken all of them!), in righteous defending-her-cousin mode, in undercover mode again (and how much do I *love* *love* *love* that she might very well have managed to get Chloe out on her own, without any superheroic help?), and then in sophisticated (and gorgeous) reporter mode at the Daily Planet. Oh, man, just for Lois alone this season is going to TOTALLY ROCK THE HOUSE.
The only plotline I was completely uninterested in this episode was the Chimmy wedding (Really? Really? Do they have to go there? BORING), but even that, at least, was in keeping with this theme of moving into the future, so I have to grant them props for that.
Really, if season 8 continues in this vein, I am totally onboard.
no subject
4. And that whole scene in Russia convinced me I know where Lex is. See, those Russian mafia could see Mountain Man Clark was built for manual labor, but Lex's more delicate form clearly means he gets sent to the brothels. The very exclusive ones, of course (and he will be escaping soon but shut up. I am enjoying this mental image. If they can blatantly indulge some Clark!girls' TC fantasies, they can give me prostitute!Lex in a high-class bordello).
All I have to say is that I totally agree!!!!
no subject