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Tonight's Smallville
Wow, that episode completely rocked! I didn't have high expectations from the previews, and after the last two episodes I was prepared for disappointment, but I really loved this episode!
First of all, how great was it that Lex got to *tell off Jonathan*? FINALLY! And not only that, but tell him off and be in the right! Just for that I think this has become my favorite episode ever! I mean, not ONLY did Jonathan and CLark both falsely accuse Lex and be proven wrong, BUT Jonathan actually took something Lex said to heart (repeating the pulpit comment to the Senator). I never thought we'd get to see Lex stand up to Jonathan's platitudes until he was totally evil, so this moment was SO emotionally satisfying. You go LEX!!!! (Though I really wish he had rubbed in Jonathan's face that, hello, I PAID FOR YOUR HOUSE, so accusing me of only doing things for my own self interest is a little hypocritical.) BUT that's ok, because by not saying that Lex kept the moral high ground, and I love that he actually got to HAVE moral high ground.
And not only that, but apparently he isn't completely, cartoonishly evil yet--there's still some subtlety going on in his characterization, so yay for that.I also loved that Clark's suspicions were proven wrong--for me, that also textually casts doubt on some of his other suspicions towards Lex (like his assumption that Lex had deliberately freed the mutants from Belle Reve to test Clark's powers). If the writers can acknowledge that Clark is sometimes just plain wrong in his suspicions--like here--then I am happy, because it means that Lex is still actually progressing toward evil, not just light-switched, and being driven there *by* Clark and Jonathan's suspicions. Which I can definitely live with.
And how great was that conversation between Lex and Clark about King David and heroes with feet of clay? That was wonderful on so many levels: first of all, nice to see Lex and Clark having a civil conversation, and Lex actually helping Clark see black and white thinking is not necessarily the best way to judge leaders. Here Lex actually has something to teach Clark, and a nice contrast to what he's getting from Professor Fine. Heroes have faults, but that's ok--you don't have to lose faith in your childhood hero the Senator.
But of course Lex is also King David, I'm sure: the hero (after all, he basically saved Clark, Chloe, and even Lois in this episode, since if he hadn't gotten Clark and Chloe released Lois would have been on her way to sexual slavery; the conquerer (once he wins that state senate seat--is Jonathan really running against him? How silly!) and also, I suspect, the adulterer: lusting over Lana, and possibly willing to eliminate his best friend to get her. Is Lex telling Clark this story as a deliberate warning? A veiled threat Clark can't see yet? Or are the parallels unconscious? Who knows for sure right now, but the ambiguity makes it fun.
I also like that Lex is starting to tell Clark what these favors actually cost him: an underage kid in a strip club right before the election. This makes me hopeful that Clark's asshattery, constantly dropping by to demand favors he has no right to, or accusations Lex shouldn't have to listen to, IS actually a deliberate strategy by the writers to SHOW the rift happening. And yet at the same time they're also showing how much Clark, Chloe, and Lois are going to need Lex's influence, in this new city where they have none of their own.
And speaking of the new investigative triumverate: hot damn! If we're going to start getting "mystery of the week" instead of mutant of the week, I'm totally on-board with that formula, especially since it's looking like the show will be renewed for another year. They only have so much mytharc left before they run out, but I'm happy to see the three of them solving mysteries. I'm not really interested enough in Lois to like storylines that focus mainly on her (e.g. her romance with Aquaman), but I think she and Chloe work together beautifully. I love the way she got stuck with the striptease--it completely cracked me up. ED is a pretty good comic actress, too. And the vibe between her and Clark is starting to grow on me, though I read it as much more sibling-like than conflict caused by UST.
Maggie Sawyer was great, too--I wonder if she's going to become a recurring character? I love her edge of cynicism/corruption, though I was annoyed on Chloe's behalf that on the one hand she accused her of not being a good journalist but then when Chloe tried to be a journalist, she got the "not in my city" speech.
Ok, off to read other people's comments on this episode. P.S. Everything I predicted about the future is speculation--I'm unspoiled, so please don't spoil me in the comments.
First of all, how great was it that Lex got to *tell off Jonathan*? FINALLY! And not only that, but tell him off and be in the right! Just for that I think this has become my favorite episode ever! I mean, not ONLY did Jonathan and CLark both falsely accuse Lex and be proven wrong, BUT Jonathan actually took something Lex said to heart (repeating the pulpit comment to the Senator). I never thought we'd get to see Lex stand up to Jonathan's platitudes until he was totally evil, so this moment was SO emotionally satisfying. You go LEX!!!! (Though I really wish he had rubbed in Jonathan's face that, hello, I PAID FOR YOUR HOUSE, so accusing me of only doing things for my own self interest is a little hypocritical.) BUT that's ok, because by not saying that Lex kept the moral high ground, and I love that he actually got to HAVE moral high ground.
And not only that, but apparently he isn't completely, cartoonishly evil yet--there's still some subtlety going on in his characterization, so yay for that.I also loved that Clark's suspicions were proven wrong--for me, that also textually casts doubt on some of his other suspicions towards Lex (like his assumption that Lex had deliberately freed the mutants from Belle Reve to test Clark's powers). If the writers can acknowledge that Clark is sometimes just plain wrong in his suspicions--like here--then I am happy, because it means that Lex is still actually progressing toward evil, not just light-switched, and being driven there *by* Clark and Jonathan's suspicions. Which I can definitely live with.
And how great was that conversation between Lex and Clark about King David and heroes with feet of clay? That was wonderful on so many levels: first of all, nice to see Lex and Clark having a civil conversation, and Lex actually helping Clark see black and white thinking is not necessarily the best way to judge leaders. Here Lex actually has something to teach Clark, and a nice contrast to what he's getting from Professor Fine. Heroes have faults, but that's ok--you don't have to lose faith in your childhood hero the Senator.
But of course Lex is also King David, I'm sure: the hero (after all, he basically saved Clark, Chloe, and even Lois in this episode, since if he hadn't gotten Clark and Chloe released Lois would have been on her way to sexual slavery; the conquerer (once he wins that state senate seat--is Jonathan really running against him? How silly!) and also, I suspect, the adulterer: lusting over Lana, and possibly willing to eliminate his best friend to get her. Is Lex telling Clark this story as a deliberate warning? A veiled threat Clark can't see yet? Or are the parallels unconscious? Who knows for sure right now, but the ambiguity makes it fun.
I also like that Lex is starting to tell Clark what these favors actually cost him: an underage kid in a strip club right before the election. This makes me hopeful that Clark's asshattery, constantly dropping by to demand favors he has no right to, or accusations Lex shouldn't have to listen to, IS actually a deliberate strategy by the writers to SHOW the rift happening. And yet at the same time they're also showing how much Clark, Chloe, and Lois are going to need Lex's influence, in this new city where they have none of their own.
And speaking of the new investigative triumverate: hot damn! If we're going to start getting "mystery of the week" instead of mutant of the week, I'm totally on-board with that formula, especially since it's looking like the show will be renewed for another year. They only have so much mytharc left before they run out, but I'm happy to see the three of them solving mysteries. I'm not really interested enough in Lois to like storylines that focus mainly on her (e.g. her romance with Aquaman), but I think she and Chloe work together beautifully. I love the way she got stuck with the striptease--it completely cracked me up. ED is a pretty good comic actress, too. And the vibe between her and Clark is starting to grow on me, though I read it as much more sibling-like than conflict caused by UST.
Maggie Sawyer was great, too--I wonder if she's going to become a recurring character? I love her edge of cynicism/corruption, though I was annoyed on Chloe's behalf that on the one hand she accused her of not being a good journalist but then when Chloe tried to be a journalist, she got the "not in my city" speech.
Ok, off to read other people's comments on this episode. P.S. Everything I predicted about the future is speculation--I'm unspoiled, so please don't spoil me in the comments.