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SV: Void
Is Void really the title? Are the writers just trying to make it easier for Omar to slam the episodes? I actually really liked it, but that title is just asking for trouble.
I fully expect many people on my flist to have hated this (I haven't read anybody's responses yet), but I have to say I really, really loved it. I was partly spoiled--I knew we'd be seeing Jonathan again--but I didn't know Lillian was in this too, and that enough would have made the episode for me.
But I actually *liked* the Lana plotline, to dispense with that first. Although in the beginning of the episode, there was some suggestion that her descent into junkiehood was fueled by her breakup with Clark, I think the final scene with Clark gave a reason that is very organic to Lana's character: her sense of being alone, *even when she is in a relationship.* And sure, that may display a less-than-admirable self-centeredness and inability to appreciate the relationships she *does* have (and way to GO Lex, for calling her one that!), it is also an iconic part of her character: the isolated one, the one everyone leaves.
And to tie this to the iconic episodes we got for Clark and for Lex (part one of Reckoning and Lexmas), I find it telling that even in her fantasy/dream/post-death world, Lana doesn't get what she most desires. Even compared to Lex and Clark's experiences with their parents tonight: Lex and Clark both got very clear messages from their parents about the type of men they are going to be (and I'll discuss that more below), but Lana just got pulled away from her parents, again. Loss still remains the defining feature of her character. But I think what we saw tonight was Lana really *accepting* that, on an adult level, and realizing that if she lets herself be ruled by loss, she *will* be no more than a junkie, needing a fix. Really, although on one level the junkie/flatliners plot was laughable, on another level it was just a metaphor for Lana's addiction to being in relationships and letting other people define her. And I hope what the end of the episode was symbolizing was that she is done with that. She is turning towards Lana Lang, Zen Machiavellian. (RivkaT, are they paying you for this? True, they're having her come to this realization BEFORE she sleeps with Lex, but still, the resonances seem to be there).
I also kind of loved Lana manipulating Lex, because DAMN. He made that lovely speech and she still stole his Porsche. That's cold, but in a way I really loved. I really, really do hope the Lexana turns out to be about them playing manipulative games with each other, because that will be really fun, I think. For the same reason, I'm glad Lex lied to Lana about what his mother said to him, because it means that he's lying about always being truthful to her. This says too me that even though he does seem to have some feelings for her, he's playing her, too, which is fine with me. As long as he isn't a lovestruck fool, I'm completely ok with that. Bring on the mutual manipulation!!
Ok, on to the actually important parts of the episode: the visions of Jonathan and Lillian. First of all, I think the lighting choices were really, really interesting. I wasn't entirely sure it was significant that Lillian was living in that darkened room until we saw that scene of Jonathan completely bathed in light. Now my only question is, is Lillian in hell or purgatory? (Maybe this is partly dependent on whether she was able to save Lex? That might explain part of her anger, anyway. And I can't imagine a worse hell than watching the son you tried to save become a mass murderer).
I'm a little upset that this episode clarified "Lexmas" too much. I liked it better when it was ambiguous as to whether Lex's experience was an actual vision or just a dream (especially since I leaned toward the dream theory, myself). While I suppose one could still, theoretically, argue that both Lex and Clark just hallucinated what they most needed to see, the fact that Clark's vision contained true information makes the "wish fulfillment" interpretation less likely.
Really, in a way I feel sorry for both Lex and Clark, being told by their significant parental figures that their destinies are inescapable. Of course, as outside observers we know this to be true, because the writing staff thinks it true, even if they must bash us over the head with it. Still, from a meta perspective, the fact that it is Lillian and Jonathan that deliver these crucial messages underscores the SV theme that your destiny is profoundly shaped by your parents/family history, since it is the very fact that Jonathan and Lillian deliver these messages that gives them power.
I really now want to rewatch Lexmas, Reckoning, and this episode to think through some of these things again, but alas, I am going out of town this weekend, so I probably won't be able to do it for a while.
OK, a few other comments (mostly mad, mad squeeage) on the episode:
--"There really isn't a card for "Sorry I got you killed" is probably the best line in SV history.
--Add one more to Lana's body count, and one more to the lives saved by Chloe count.
--I know, I know. Mionel is completely out of character, her husband just died, he kidnapped her baby, etc. etc.cakes. I DON'T CARE. I was squeeing like a crazy mad fangirl in every single one of those scenes, especially Martha all decked out to go to the ball.
I did like that she tried drawing a boundary with him at friendship, and I thought one might fanwank it by saying Martha's developed enough political savvy to realize that one must cultivate useful "friends," even if one has personal grievances, in order to succeed politically. But really, I was allowing myself to appreciate the Mionel, especially since it looks like this is the only episode we really get it before she goes back into protective mother mode.
--And finally, Lionel, master manipulator (I KNEW he was Chloe's secret source! I knew it! Mionel AND Chlionel, baby, I'm in heaven!) is my FAVORITE THING EVER. Ok, pardon all the caps. Hello, I just did like 140 Lionel-centered recs, you all know I'm the big Lionel fangirl. I am now in my head deciding canon ends here, before Lionel gets all murdered by Lex, and setting up the AU in which Lionel is just emperor of the city and sleeping with, you know, just about everyone. OK, Clark and Lex can join forces to fight him, that would be ok, but really. I love effective evil. And by the way, this reinforces my theory that the reason Lex isn't allowed to be competently evil is because Lionel has to reach his apogee and be taken down by Lex, and after he dies at the end of this season (I presume--I'm not spoiled) next season Lex will reach his level and then quickly surpass him.
Ok, off to read what I'm expecting to be a lot of hating of this episode, but I don't CARE, because it pushed all my big fangirly buttons, and nothing you say will make me not like it!
I fully expect many people on my flist to have hated this (I haven't read anybody's responses yet), but I have to say I really, really loved it. I was partly spoiled--I knew we'd be seeing Jonathan again--but I didn't know Lillian was in this too, and that enough would have made the episode for me.
But I actually *liked* the Lana plotline, to dispense with that first. Although in the beginning of the episode, there was some suggestion that her descent into junkiehood was fueled by her breakup with Clark, I think the final scene with Clark gave a reason that is very organic to Lana's character: her sense of being alone, *even when she is in a relationship.* And sure, that may display a less-than-admirable self-centeredness and inability to appreciate the relationships she *does* have (and way to GO Lex, for calling her one that!), it is also an iconic part of her character: the isolated one, the one everyone leaves.
And to tie this to the iconic episodes we got for Clark and for Lex (part one of Reckoning and Lexmas), I find it telling that even in her fantasy/dream/post-death world, Lana doesn't get what she most desires. Even compared to Lex and Clark's experiences with their parents tonight: Lex and Clark both got very clear messages from their parents about the type of men they are going to be (and I'll discuss that more below), but Lana just got pulled away from her parents, again. Loss still remains the defining feature of her character. But I think what we saw tonight was Lana really *accepting* that, on an adult level, and realizing that if she lets herself be ruled by loss, she *will* be no more than a junkie, needing a fix. Really, although on one level the junkie/flatliners plot was laughable, on another level it was just a metaphor for Lana's addiction to being in relationships and letting other people define her. And I hope what the end of the episode was symbolizing was that she is done with that. She is turning towards Lana Lang, Zen Machiavellian. (RivkaT, are they paying you for this? True, they're having her come to this realization BEFORE she sleeps with Lex, but still, the resonances seem to be there).
I also kind of loved Lana manipulating Lex, because DAMN. He made that lovely speech and she still stole his Porsche. That's cold, but in a way I really loved. I really, really do hope the Lexana turns out to be about them playing manipulative games with each other, because that will be really fun, I think. For the same reason, I'm glad Lex lied to Lana about what his mother said to him, because it means that he's lying about always being truthful to her. This says too me that even though he does seem to have some feelings for her, he's playing her, too, which is fine with me. As long as he isn't a lovestruck fool, I'm completely ok with that. Bring on the mutual manipulation!!
Ok, on to the actually important parts of the episode: the visions of Jonathan and Lillian. First of all, I think the lighting choices were really, really interesting. I wasn't entirely sure it was significant that Lillian was living in that darkened room until we saw that scene of Jonathan completely bathed in light. Now my only question is, is Lillian in hell or purgatory? (Maybe this is partly dependent on whether she was able to save Lex? That might explain part of her anger, anyway. And I can't imagine a worse hell than watching the son you tried to save become a mass murderer).
I'm a little upset that this episode clarified "Lexmas" too much. I liked it better when it was ambiguous as to whether Lex's experience was an actual vision or just a dream (especially since I leaned toward the dream theory, myself). While I suppose one could still, theoretically, argue that both Lex and Clark just hallucinated what they most needed to see, the fact that Clark's vision contained true information makes the "wish fulfillment" interpretation less likely.
Really, in a way I feel sorry for both Lex and Clark, being told by their significant parental figures that their destinies are inescapable. Of course, as outside observers we know this to be true, because the writing staff thinks it true, even if they must bash us over the head with it. Still, from a meta perspective, the fact that it is Lillian and Jonathan that deliver these crucial messages underscores the SV theme that your destiny is profoundly shaped by your parents/family history, since it is the very fact that Jonathan and Lillian deliver these messages that gives them power.
I really now want to rewatch Lexmas, Reckoning, and this episode to think through some of these things again, but alas, I am going out of town this weekend, so I probably won't be able to do it for a while.
OK, a few other comments (mostly mad, mad squeeage) on the episode:
--"There really isn't a card for "Sorry I got you killed" is probably the best line in SV history.
--Add one more to Lana's body count, and one more to the lives saved by Chloe count.
--I know, I know. Mionel is completely out of character, her husband just died, he kidnapped her baby, etc. etc.cakes. I DON'T CARE. I was squeeing like a crazy mad fangirl in every single one of those scenes, especially Martha all decked out to go to the ball.
I did like that she tried drawing a boundary with him at friendship, and I thought one might fanwank it by saying Martha's developed enough political savvy to realize that one must cultivate useful "friends," even if one has personal grievances, in order to succeed politically. But really, I was allowing myself to appreciate the Mionel, especially since it looks like this is the only episode we really get it before she goes back into protective mother mode.
--And finally, Lionel, master manipulator (I KNEW he was Chloe's secret source! I knew it! Mionel AND Chlionel, baby, I'm in heaven!) is my FAVORITE THING EVER. Ok, pardon all the caps. Hello, I just did like 140 Lionel-centered recs, you all know I'm the big Lionel fangirl. I am now in my head deciding canon ends here, before Lionel gets all murdered by Lex, and setting up the AU in which Lionel is just emperor of the city and sleeping with, you know, just about everyone. OK, Clark and Lex can join forces to fight him, that would be ok, but really. I love effective evil. And by the way, this reinforces my theory that the reason Lex isn't allowed to be competently evil is because Lionel has to reach his apogee and be taken down by Lex, and after he dies at the end of this season (I presume--I'm not spoiled) next season Lex will reach his level and then quickly surpass him.
Ok, off to read what I'm expecting to be a lot of hating of this episode, but I don't CARE, because it pushed all my big fangirly buttons, and nothing you say will make me not like it!
Re: part II
And if that's your reading of the visions, I now better understand why you see Lex's vision of Lillian as being about accepting that he's becoming a vision. If it's all a projection of his subconscious mind, that would have to be the explanation.
Re: part II
ITA. Basically, I'm taking the position that unless/until the show tells me that Lex and/or Clark really does have some power of precognition any visions with dead parents telling them all about their future are just figments of their un- or subconscious minds. It's just *easier* that way for me, than trying to figure out how someone who's been dead for 14 years, as Lillian has for example, could know about shit that isn't going to happen for another 10 or so.
(Though damn. If it's Clark's unconscious mind, he's a little full of himself. Symbol of peace and justice is anvilly coming from Jonathan, but really self-important if coming from Clark!)
I can fanwank this, too, though, in a manner that's consistent with the "just a dream" reading of the visions:
Jonathan *always* made noises about how Clark's destiny and his gifts were greater than mundane things. "You're destiny isn't to play football" "You could be the world's greatest hero or its most mild-mannered citizen," etc. And if this is the season where Clark finally stops resisting/denying who and what he really is, then it's also the season where he's seriously *thinking* about all these things Jon said to him over the years (Cassandra and Jordan also told him that they sensed he was meant for great things). I can easily believe Clark internalized all of that and if he needed a final push to *stop dithering*, then it might manifest itself as Jonathan's bombast during the vision.
Re: part II
Ok, that makes a certain amount of sense. I'm glad you make such a persuasive case that these visions aren't real!