![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Smallville: Instinct
Things I liked
OH CLARK. Why have you not been wearing gorgeous dark dress shirts in every episode? HUMINA.
Maxima. She's a great antagonist, and I really kind of loved her throwdown with Lois. Of course, the only reason I've even heard of Maxima was that story by
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
astolat, so I have no idea how well she meshes with DC canon, but I certainly enjoyed watching her tear Clark's shirt off.About half of the Lois-Clark banter. Some of it seemed a little too forced, but most of the time I am really enjoying it.
About half of the Chloe plot: specifically, the fact that she has a good reason not to be talking to Clark about her new powers: she's used her superbrain to analyze the situation and actually thinks he can't help her find a solution. (I also liked that she was wrong, and that Clark kept trying--but her explanation to him really made sense to me). I also REALLY liked all her encounters with Tess, especially the first one, where she made it clear that she'd faced down Luthors before, and Tess was no Lex Luthor. DAMN. More of this, please please please Smallville writers, and less of the manufactured romantic angst.
Things that drove me crazy
Oh, please I can't seriously believe she kept that letter in the first place after the response she got, and why oh why are they bringing the Chlark back up? Ok, the resolution at the end made up for it a little, but I don't really see why they had to go there in the first place.
The whole Chimmy plot. I really don't hate Jimmy (though I think they should mostly keep him for comic relief), but I hate the Chimmy so much right now I was really hoping Maxima would kill him, and I *don't* think that's what the writers were aiming for with that plotline.
Things that made me go hmmm
Is X LEX???????? (Hey, I can have pipedreams, can't I?) Alternately, perhaps Maxima already has Lex in Almerac and just wanted a threesome with Clark?
Didn't Dr. Grohl get killed off sometime last year?
bop_radar, pay no attention to that stray thought, what I really meant to say was, hmm, the stolen crystal can rebuild Jor-El and the fortress, hmm? I suspect this foreshadows Chloe actually needing to be saved from complete Brainiac takeover--shall we take bets as to whether this will be November or February sweeps?
no subject
no subject
I've actually read some commentary on the Chlark stuff that calmed me down a lot, but I have to say, I really wish they would dial down the romantic subplots for Chloe and bring back investigative plots, or Chloe v. Tess, or something.
no subject
no subject
P.S. Still liking Tess.
no subject
I'm pretty sure they'll have to dial the Clois back when Lana comes back--are her 4 eps going to be all in a row or spread out, I wonder?
no subject
Oh Lord, I forgot about her...crap.
Your icon cracks me up. I can totally see Lois bringing out the strap on. And Clark freaking out. Until he lets Lois talk him into it (was there a doubt? *G*).
no subject
He really is looking incredibly hot this year. ♥
I believe they are shutting down all ships one by one. Last week they showed that Lois/Ollie won't be getting back together. This week they brought back the letter, so there can't be any "what ifs" about Chlark, because now Clark knows the truth, and both Clark and Chloe are moving on. Thus Chlark is also dead and buried. Now all that's left to deal with is Clana when Lana comes back. And then all is clear for Clois to start properly, without any potential unresolved past ship issues.
I'm right there with you, I squeed when "X" showed up. It has to be him!
no subject
I WANT X TO BE LEX SO VERY BADLY. COME ON, MR. YOU KNOW YOU WANT A LITTLE GUEST ARC. AREN'T YOU MISSING YOUR TOMMY????
no subject
That Chloe asked Clark to give her away. Did Gabe die in Offscreenville and they never mentioned it to us? Is he still in witness protection? Is he waaaaaay to busy to come to the wedding of his only daughter?
no subject
no subject
But either way I want someone to mention Gabe in some way soon or I think I'll go crazy.
no subject
It really was insane, how beautiful he was in this episode. I can't even really say "pretty" anymore, because he's so adult and manly. :-)
Maxima. She's a great antagonist, and I really kind of loved her throwdown with Lois.
I was sort of afraid of Maxima, because the potential for being really reductive and sexist was monumental. But they made her surprisingly sympathetic and more three-dimensional than I thought possible.
About half of the Lois-Clark banter. Some of it seemed a little too forced, but most of the time I am really enjoying it.
I enjoy it when the actors look like they're enjoying it. The whole running joke with the coffee cup, which started in "Toxic" and continued here, ED's cute little smile as she was teasing Clark about the "repetitive motions, building to a climax..." That's when I get all squee-ful.
Alternately, perhaps Maxima already has Lex in Almerac and just wanted a threesome with Clark?
::goes off to dreamy place::
no subject
Clearly the reason they've been keeping him in flannel all these seasons is so he wouldn't burn out the eyes of fangirls with his hotness.
was sort of afraid of Maxima, because the potential for being really reductive and sexist was monumental. But they made her surprisingly sympathetic and more three-dimensional than I thought possible.
Like I said above, the only exposure I've had to Maxima was
Oh, the coffee running joke--I loved your discussion of that in your review last week. It's such a subtle running joke, but I love it.
no subject
I know, right? And it seemed so inconsistent with what she said in her last scene with Clark, about how Jimmy's really the one. I just can't see keeping something like that if you've really moved on/don't feel that way any more.
and why oh why are they bringing the Chlark back up? Ok, the resolution at the end made up for it a little, but I don't really see why they had to go there in the first place.
I think it was precisely for the resolution at the end. They're clearing Clark's romantic decks so that when Lois steps up to the plate, she hits it out of the park. (Um, I may have watched some baseball last night, whyever do you ask?)
The whole Chimmy plot. I really don't hate Jimmy (though I think they should mostly keep him for comic relief), but I hate the Chimmy so much right now I was really hoping Maxima would kill him, and I *don't* think that's what the writers were aiming for with that plotline.
It just... Okay, I liked the argument they had because it's the first time in a long time that they felt like a real couple to me. No sweeping shit under the rug or ignoring the giant elephant in the room. But I wasn't actually invested in it. I didn't actually care whether they worked it out in the end. And I think you're right that the problem is that Jimmy Olsen doesn't work as a love interest. As a character, that's simply not his niche and they need to stop placing him there.
Loved Maxima, still loving Tess and I'm really enjoying Clark and Lois this season.
no subject
Yeah. I can see if I were actually interested in Chimmy, this would have worked for me--but I'm not, so it didn't. And it's funny, because thinking about it I actually liked Jimmy's scene with Clark in the hospital, even though it was DEEPLY weird for him to be going for romantic advice to the person he thinks of as his rival, so I think for me it's not even Jimmy romantic plots that are problematic, it's the complete anti-chemistry he and Chloe have.
I'm sort of happy they're making it clear that Chlark is completely over forever--but since I think they ought to have done that at least two seasons ago, I was kind of meh about the whole thing.
no subject
OMG, that would be COOL!
Alternately, perhaps Maxima already has Lex in Almerac and just wanted a threesome with Clark?
Hahaha, yes, actually I did think about that... I was really taken with Maxima and would be very happy if in fact Lex was off in Almerac having orgies. :)
shall we take bets as to whether this will be November or February sweeps?
Your cynicism astounds me! ;p Heee.
You know one day I will inflict my 'Jor-El is a misunderstood hero' vid on SV fandom and you will be OBLIGED TO WATCH. :p It will involve lots of slow-mo emo shots of the Fortress. Exciting, yes?! :D
no subject
And I know if anyone could convince me that Jor-El is a misunderstood hero, you could. Make the vid and I will watch it! :D I am especially looking forward to those slo-mo emo shots of the Fortress of Misunderstooditude.