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Smallville: Requiem
Warning: I liked it. So if you're looking for episode-bashing, look elsewhere.
I feel like I need a lot more time to process everything that happened in this episode in order to say something coherent--but given how hectic my RL is these days, I know if I don't write this review right now it will never get written.
End of an Era
This episode was, of course, about giving closure to the Clana storyline. What surprised and pleased me was the way it also served as a resolution to the Clexana triangle. To be sure, the execution was a little clunky (I will confess I laughed for a few minutes after "Lex" told Clark and Lana his evil plot--a little because his voice distorter made the lines sound even more melodramatic than they were, and a little because the particular dilemma the writers designed to ensure the Clana can never come back seemed pretty soap operatic), but nevertheless I liked the fact that Lex was there for the resolution of this, because it always has been a triangle between the three of them.
And I don't for a minute believe Lex is really dead (and not just for DC canon reasons). Before the Oliver reveal, I was certain that Lex was allowing himself to be tracked and had planted a cloned body in the truck and blown it up himself; the fact that Ollie was the one who blew it up doesn't change my opinion that it was part of Lex's scheme. He must have known Clark (or Lana) would come after him, and this was his plan to get them to leave them alone.
But it seemed somehow appropriate to me that the episode with the departure of Lana would be accompanied by the final departure of Lex. I really wish they could have at least got MR to do the voice, but I did love the shot of the portrait of Lex covered with shattered glass. "Killing" Lex--and doing it in a way that means Ollie has taken a step over to the dark side, and brought Chloe along with him--is a really interesting reboot of the show, especially if they do get a ninth season. (Was that actually a Kryptonite ring Ollie was clutching at the end there? So: Batman Lite or the new Lex? Because Batman, of course, doesn't kill, and Ollie *did* just take over Luthorcorp. I am *very* intrigued by the potential of this plotline, I have to say, especially because Chloe and Ollie both have good intentions--but so did Lex, at the beginning of his descent.)
Clark and Lana
So Lana is now Kryptonite for Clark. At first, like I mentioned above, it made me laugh--but in other ways it's appropriate, as they reminded us very clearly by bringing back Lana's formerly-kryptonite necklace.
And I'm not gonna lie, I bawled like a baby in their final scene. It reminded me quite a bit of "Hidden," an episode that also began with really playful Clana sex and ended with the heartbreaking destruction of their relationship. Still I was *so* happy that Clark and Lana got to be together again, especially with the deatroying-the-bed jokes, even though I knew how it had to end. And I enjoyed the fact that, brief as their partnership was, Clark *did* accept Lana as an equal working partner. (A good lesson to learn for the future!) And I'm also glad they got to have their last kiss in the loft, even if it did make Clark's mouth turn green.
Lana
I was really, really, really surprised that they let her keep the powers. I'm still a little O.O about that.
But I do love Lana's newfound joy in saving people--that scene right after she got out of bed where she asks Clark to let her patrol with him was so great, and she seemed so self-confident and energized, that I guess I'm willing to just go for it. I also love her speech to Clark at the end, about how they both would make the same decision if they were faced with it again, and how they both want to save people.
And then she told him that she wasn't as strong as him, she couldn't see him everyday and not touch him, and OH LANA. OH CLARK. Your epic doomed love has never been so epic or doomed. (I'm actually tearing up again just remembering that scene). So all in all, great send-off for Lana, show!
And then my overpowering emotion over the end of Clark and Lana (and wow, for the first 4 years of this show I never thought I'd say that) sort of shorts out my ability to say anything else coherent about the episode
I feel like there are other things to be said, about Clark sometimes being a moral compass for his wavering friends (e.g. Chloe) and yet at other times inspiring a dangerous protectiveness in them (Chloe, Ollie) just like Lana has often inspired a dangerous protectiveness in him--but he had Lana to stop him before he fell, where Chloe wasn't able to do that for Ollie; or more shallow comments, like how we saw the return of special guest-star Oliver's chest, or how cool I thought Ollie's escape from the Toyman was; or several other observations that escape me now, but I think the tragedy of Clark/Lana has made me too verklempt for any deep thoughts.
I feel like I need a lot more time to process everything that happened in this episode in order to say something coherent--but given how hectic my RL is these days, I know if I don't write this review right now it will never get written.
End of an Era
This episode was, of course, about giving closure to the Clana storyline. What surprised and pleased me was the way it also served as a resolution to the Clexana triangle. To be sure, the execution was a little clunky (I will confess I laughed for a few minutes after "Lex" told Clark and Lana his evil plot--a little because his voice distorter made the lines sound even more melodramatic than they were, and a little because the particular dilemma the writers designed to ensure the Clana can never come back seemed pretty soap operatic), but nevertheless I liked the fact that Lex was there for the resolution of this, because it always has been a triangle between the three of them.
And I don't for a minute believe Lex is really dead (and not just for DC canon reasons). Before the Oliver reveal, I was certain that Lex was allowing himself to be tracked and had planted a cloned body in the truck and blown it up himself; the fact that Ollie was the one who blew it up doesn't change my opinion that it was part of Lex's scheme. He must have known Clark (or Lana) would come after him, and this was his plan to get them to leave them alone.
But it seemed somehow appropriate to me that the episode with the departure of Lana would be accompanied by the final departure of Lex. I really wish they could have at least got MR to do the voice, but I did love the shot of the portrait of Lex covered with shattered glass. "Killing" Lex--and doing it in a way that means Ollie has taken a step over to the dark side, and brought Chloe along with him--is a really interesting reboot of the show, especially if they do get a ninth season. (Was that actually a Kryptonite ring Ollie was clutching at the end there? So: Batman Lite or the new Lex? Because Batman, of course, doesn't kill, and Ollie *did* just take over Luthorcorp. I am *very* intrigued by the potential of this plotline, I have to say, especially because Chloe and Ollie both have good intentions--but so did Lex, at the beginning of his descent.)
Clark and Lana
So Lana is now Kryptonite for Clark. At first, like I mentioned above, it made me laugh--but in other ways it's appropriate, as they reminded us very clearly by bringing back Lana's formerly-kryptonite necklace.
And I'm not gonna lie, I bawled like a baby in their final scene. It reminded me quite a bit of "Hidden," an episode that also began with really playful Clana sex and ended with the heartbreaking destruction of their relationship. Still I was *so* happy that Clark and Lana got to be together again, especially with the deatroying-the-bed jokes, even though I knew how it had to end. And I enjoyed the fact that, brief as their partnership was, Clark *did* accept Lana as an equal working partner. (A good lesson to learn for the future!) And I'm also glad they got to have their last kiss in the loft, even if it did make Clark's mouth turn green.
Lana
I was really, really, really surprised that they let her keep the powers. I'm still a little O.O about that.
But I do love Lana's newfound joy in saving people--that scene right after she got out of bed where she asks Clark to let her patrol with him was so great, and she seemed so self-confident and energized, that I guess I'm willing to just go for it. I also love her speech to Clark at the end, about how they both would make the same decision if they were faced with it again, and how they both want to save people.
And then she told him that she wasn't as strong as him, she couldn't see him everyday and not touch him, and OH LANA. OH CLARK. Your epic doomed love has never been so epic or doomed. (I'm actually tearing up again just remembering that scene). So all in all, great send-off for Lana, show!
And then my overpowering emotion over the end of Clark and Lana (and wow, for the first 4 years of this show I never thought I'd say that) sort of shorts out my ability to say anything else coherent about the episode
I feel like there are other things to be said, about Clark sometimes being a moral compass for his wavering friends (e.g. Chloe) and yet at other times inspiring a dangerous protectiveness in them (Chloe, Ollie) just like Lana has often inspired a dangerous protectiveness in him--but he had Lana to stop him before he fell, where Chloe wasn't able to do that for Ollie; or more shallow comments, like how we saw the return of special guest-star Oliver's chest, or how cool I thought Ollie's escape from the Toyman was; or several other observations that escape me now, but I think the tragedy of Clark/Lana has made me too verklempt for any deep thoughts.
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As much as I was involved with the Clark and Lana story, I also found the Ollie/Chloe stuff really interesting. I love how they are opening up these characters a bit, and not in necessarily happy fuzzy ways.
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Yeah. I'm pretty intrigued, actually, and I think it would bring an interesting complexity to their characters and their relationship with Clark.
(Do you think you and I are the only people in fandom who actually liked this episode?)
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I think Oliver's chest has to at least be on the same level as Jimmy and Lois. I mean, it is in the opening credits. ;)
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I loved all the mentions of the Pilot episode including the crash on the bridge (and I loved that Clark mimicked his "scattering the dust" actions from Reckoning and Descent that he did for "Lex" in the burned truck, and his expression in the very short scene as well). Kristen was working it in the final scene, though. She sold me and I think I'm finally convinced on the Clana. Don't want it to happen, obviously, but I'm finally at the point where I don't want to vomit when it's mentioned.
And my poor Clark. I don't care what anyone says anymore, I. Love. You. I will defend any criticisms to my last breath.
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I've never really enjoyed the Clana, but this seemed the most logical way it could all end. I'm interested in seeing how they rebuild the Clark/Lois relationship.
Kristen was working it in the final scene, though.
I can't be eloquent in describing that scene. She acted the hell out of it and Clark's expression was so broken. The writers did good with this one.
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And yeah, I loved all the references to the older episodes--it definitely made this all more resonant.
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I thought the acting was stellar.
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And then she told him that she wasn't as strong as him, she couldn't see him everyday and not touch him, and OH LANA. OH CLARK. Your epic doomed love has never been so epic or doomed.
Yeah, I loved this part of that goodbye scene, although I was a little grossed out by the kiss itself since it was literally killing Clark. I give the producers points for their ambitions here if not exactly on their execution. And kudos to TW and KK for delivering the scene so movingly.
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I can actually see where the Ollie and Chloe protests are coming from, but I've been a little bored with most of their storylines lately, and this looks like an interesting development to me, so I am cautiously intrigued. And I can see why the Clois people are upset--but honestly, I don't think this ending is any worse than Lana's videotaped Dear John last year. In both cases, Clark wouldn't have chosen to end the relationship; it's something he has to give up for the good of the world/because external circumstances forced him too. That epic doomed love has *always* been something the Clark-Lois ship in Smallville has to overcome.
But I actually feel like the final version of Clana will actually teach Clark about what he needs in long-term love: true partnership. And he never really could have that with Lana--not because she ended up with a Kryptonite body, but because she thought that she needed to be superpowered in the first place to be his true partner. And she's wrong about that, because Lois will *be* his true partner without ever gaining superpowers--just by being the smart, talented kickass human woman that she is.
Ok, that was more me thinking out loud than actually responding to your comment. But to respond to your last point: I actually thought they held back on the special effects for the kiss deliberately--Clark didn't turn nearly as green and veiny as early or as thoroughly as he normally does when exposed to Kryptonite. But yeah, TW and KK knocked it out of the park.
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