Smallville: Static

[norwich36]

Spoilers behind the cut. [Edited to add: after a quick skim of the f-list, I feel it necessary to warn you that I liked the episode a lot, so if you're feeling the hate, you might want to skip this.]



I only have one complaint about this episode. It seemed like cheating to have Clark get to avoid the decision about whether or not to kill Mr. Bone Eater (in self-defense or to save all the innocent people he would munch on) in the same episode that Lex deliberately kills a guy to save himself and Lana. (Was Clark saved by that DC guy from Mars whose name I can't remember, btw?)

Otherwise, I completely loved this episode. I thought the Lexana was beautifully done--even though I found it hard to believe, in the very beginning, that Lex and Lana aren't sharing a bed. (Who knocks on their own bedroom door? But if they're living together and sleeping together, why aren't they sleeping together?)

I especially appreciated the metaphorical aspect of them being in different dimensions when they first confessed their love for each other: nice symbolism! And I actually find it persuasive that the threat of losing Lex entirely would make Lana reconsider their doubts. And really, I found both of their confessions very moving--I totally enjoy the Lexana when there's some actual passion going on between them; it's just when they're being all cold and distant (like last week) that it really annoyed me. And I'll confess that Lex' reaction to finding out Lana was pregnant made me a little weak in the knees. I have a *major* weakness for daddy Lex, so I am unlikely to be completely rational about this storyline, even though I know it is doomed (the baby and the relationship, I mean). I guess I'm just happy we're getting some passion again; it was way to early for the relationship to be going south. And I loved the proposal, though when they first walked into the room I was half expecting the Chamber of Clark Kent, or maybe the Chamber of Lana Lang.

I'm trying to decide what to make of Lana's declaration to Lex that she understands about level 33.1. It reminds me of what she said about aliens in "Arrow," where she turned out to be dissembling--but I actually *believed* her this time, and what's more, I felt like she really was completely throwing her lot in with Lex in a way she did not with "Arrow," possibly because of the baby. The scene with Chloe--especially if she was consciously lying since she really believed level 33.1 existed--somehow convinced me. Though I suppose she could be trying to deceive Lex AGAIN, but I tend to believe her this time.

And speaking of deceiving Lex: what game IS Lionel playing? Why even tell Lex where level 33.1 is? Clearly evil!Lionel is back (let the cheering begin!), and I totally loved that scene where he was basically just gloating at Chloe for giving her a computer virus, but what game is he playing with Lex? Regain control of 33.1 while attempting to completely blame it on Lex? Something else? I'm not sure, but I'm very happy he's revealed his true colors at last.

I also loved the Jimmy subplot in this episode. Clearly he is feeling undervalued by Chloe in comparison to Clark, and I really love how he's stepped up to prove himself. It was actually very nice of him to save Lex, considering his feelings about Lex; Chloe was clearly doing it for Lana, but Jimmy was doing it for Chloe. It seems fitting, somehow, that he should have arcane, old-tech knowledge, and I love that he got to save the day.

And that fit very well with Clark being gone. I know that the fact that Clark was willing to abandon Lex is going to make some people upset, I think with a certain amount of cause, but on the other hand it's a step toward the kind of decisions Superman is going to have to make all the time: save the one person he is personally connected to, or hundreds of innocent people. And it's nice to see Clark working on his own, faking his way through the crime scene to investigate rather than letting Chloe do it all for him. It's true that he was overconfident in his ability to save himself with the crystal, but I'm not sure he actually needed to be rescued by the mystery man. And to end where I began, I thought that was cheating. If you're going to show Lex's descent in an episode by having him kill, even in self-defense, you should contrast that by showing Clark choose NOT to kill in self-defense, not have someone else do his killing for him.

Comments

[roxymissrose.livejournal.com]

And I loved the proposal, though when they first walked into the room I was half expecting the Chamber of Clark Kent,

I was so sure it was a CoCK that I told the TV so at the top of my lungs. They actually managed to surprise me with the room stuffed with roses, and *that* was more in character for Lex.

[mailerose.livejournal.com]

Was Clark saved by that DC guy from Mars whose name I can't remember, btw?

Er, I think so.

I have a *major* weakness for daddy Lex, so I am unlikely to be completely rational about this storyline

Oh dear, I fear that'll be me as well.

Lana's confession was a wonderful surprise. KK really wowed me tonight.

And that's really all I can contribute now. I want to say more. But I don't think it'd be possible to do so without squeeing and being all kinds of incoherent and long-winded. But sleep is calling me :)

[sadface.livejournal.com]

Laughing at it is no fun if everyone is going to like it :|

[theclexfactor.livejournal.com]

The "Mars" guy was J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter (whom I love in JLU). And maybe I have my Clark tinted glasses on, but his decision to go to Seattle over helping Lex didn't(IMO) have anything to do with his feelings towards Lex. There were people being literally ripped apart and Clark had to do something. Lex goes missing every other episode, and Clark has been the one to save him everytime. In the case of a missing person: something that the police can presumably deal with; and people being eviscerated by an alien: something that the police have no clue about nor the means to stop (especially if the eviscerated cop is anything to go by), then yes, Clark made the right decision.

[huzzlewhat.livejournal.com]

when they first walked into the room I was half expecting the Chamber of Clark Kent,

I have to think that that room still exists. It has to. (I demand that it does, and that Lana find it...)

what game is he playing with Lex? Regain control of 33.1 while attempting to completely blame it on Lex? Something else?

I think Lex was on-target in a lot of his early rants against Lionel — that he can't bear for Lex to be outside of his control. I suspect that this is Lionel's way of pulling Lex back into the fold — and on his own terms. I'm still fixated on Lana possessing Grohl's research, so it's fascinating to me that Lionel now possesses 33.1. So Lex is stranded between them, not in control of the information source of either of his major interests.

And that fit very well with Clark being gone.

I missed the first 15 minutes — business dinner, yuck! — so I have it on tape. So when I started watching, I couldn't figure out where Clark was. Wait... wasn't there a tall, dark-haired guy on this show? I could've sworn...

it's a step toward the kind of decisions Superman is going to have to make all the time: save the one person he is personally connected to, or hundreds of innocent people.

And very much what Ollie (and the audience) have been telling him — that there's a world beyond his immediate circle. Love that he's stepping out into it.

I'm not sure he actually needed to be rescued by the mystery man. And to end where I began, I thought that was cheating. If you're going to show Lex's descent in an episode by having him kill, even in self-defense, you should contrast that by showing Clark choose NOT to kill in self-defense, not have someone else do his killing for him.

I felt cheated by the fact that we never got a head-on fight between Clark and the Bone Eater... it wasn't really a test of Clark's strength, so there's no way to know if he would have come out on top. (Although c'mon, he's Superman...)

What was significant about the Lex scene to me was that I don't think he had to kll him. Disabling him was an option, once Lex had gained the upper hand, and an option that Lex didn't take — didn't even attempt. It seemed to me to be less of a contrast between someone who killed and someone who didn't (because yeah, someone else did the dirty work), but between the villains... the opponent that Lex faced wasn't the same physical threat, didn't have to be killed, and was in fact the victim.

I'm really curious to know what was going through Clark's head at the end, and it annoyed me that it was left so unclear. When Clark didn't talk to Chloe, it effectively shut the audience out of his head, too. Was it the ugliness and death he'd seen? Was he protecting the apparently new hero on the scene from discovery (obviously MM is very shy, in the way he ran away from Clark)? Was he thinking about the fact that it was necessary to kill the Bone Eater to stop him, and contemplating having to take that action himself? Talk about black boxes — they shut us out of Clark's thought process, and it really annoyed me.

[bagheera-san.livejournal.com]

And I loved the proposal, though when they first walked into the room I was half expecting the Chamber of Clark Kent, or maybe the Chamber of Lana Lang.

Me too!

And to end where I began, I thought that was cheating. If you're going to show Lex's descent in an episode by having him kill, even in self-defense, you should contrast that by showing Clark choose NOT to kill in self-defense, not have someone else do his killing for him.
I must confess that the mystery stranger's appearance made me so happy (because of who it is) that I ignored that, but yes, dramatically it would have been a lot more effective to either have kim kill the guy or have mercy. I also wondered who has by now killed more people on the show - Clark or Lex? (counting aliens, I guess it's Clark).

part I

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

I liked the episode a lot, too.

I thought the Lexana was beautifully done--even though I found it hard to believe, in the very beginning, that Lex and Lana aren't sharing a bed. (Who knocks on their own bedroom door? But if they're living together and sleeping together, why aren't they sleeping together?)

This doesn't mean they're not sleeping together necessarily. If she laid down to take a nap, he could have knocked to see if she was still sleeping or to wake her up so they could talk. The very fact that the door was closed also meant she may have wanted some privacy. Whether it's his room or not, in those circumstances it's still polite to knock.

I especially appreciated the metaphorical aspect of them being in different dimensions when they first confessed their love for each other: nice symbolism! And I actually find it persuasive that the threat of losing Lex entirely would make Lana reconsider their doubts. And really, I found both of their confessions very moving--I totally enjoy the Lexana when there's some actual passion going on between them; it's just when they're being all cold and distant (like last week) that it really annoyed me.

Honestly, this was the main reason I enjoyed the episode. The Lexana last week annoyed me *so much* because like we discussed, I really couldn't understand why they were together at all. This week, though, I *felt* their connection to each other and that made it much, much easier to be engaged by their storyline. Also, I *loved* learning how wrong I was about Lana's reaction to being pregnant. She was worried about how *he'd* react, not worried because it was his or because it would tie her to him. The wrinkle-nosed smile when she said "*Really*?" when he told her it was the best news he'd heard in a long time was adorable and made it clear that *that* was the source of her trepidation -- that Lex would be *unhappy* about the news. I also *really* loved their kiss right before Jimmy brought them back from the static dimension and how they were still kissing when they were rescued.

I'm trying to decide what to make of Lana's declaration to Lex that she understands about level 33.1. It reminds me of what she said about aliens in "Arrow," where she turned out to be dissembling--but I actually *believed* her this time, and what's more, I felt like she really was completely throwing her lot in with Lex in a way she did not with "Arrow," possibly because of the baby.

Lana's comments about 33.1 are a bit of -- gasp -- continuity that *goes back three seasons*. They're entirely consistent with her opinions as expressed during Extinction (3x03), so I found them entirely in-character and believable coming from her. She's always had an (understandable) issue with meteor mutants; she's got viable reason to consider them extremely dangerous. Yeah, it was hard-core as she expressed it in Static, but it's hard-core in one of the few ways the character's ever been *allowed* to be hard-core. Lana was being completely truthful with Lex at the end there, IMO.

The scene with Chloe--especially if she was consciously lying since she really believed level 33.1 existed--somehow convinced me.

I *loved* it when she used Chloe's own logic against her. That was purely Luthorian.

And speaking of deceiving Lex: what game IS Lionel playing? Why even tell Lex where level 33.1 is? Clearly evil!Lionel is back (let the cheering begin!), and I totally loved that scene where he was basically just gloating at Chloe for giving her a computer virus, but what game is he playing with Lex?

I don't know, but if it is a game, I hope this is the foundation-laying for Lex to kill Lionel outright. I don't see how Lionel can spin this as anything other than him being diabolical again; if he were really good, he wouldn't be all about the, you know, *human experimentation*. So that alone was enough for me to be okay with Lionel trumping Lex in this instance: it proves that Lionel's not a good guy.

part II

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

it's nice to see Clark working on his own, faking his way through the crime scene to investigate rather than letting Chloe do it all for him.

I loved Crime Scene Unit Faker!Clark. That was really awesome. It was a clever means of getting access and he asked smart questions. And yeah, it was nice to see him doing all the leg-work by himself and being sharp about it.

And to end where I began, I thought that was cheating. If you're going to show Lex's descent in an episode by having him kill, even in self-defense, you should contrast that by showing Clark choose NOT to kill in self-defense, not have someone else do his killing for him.

See, I disagree that the parallel needed to be made here precisely because, to me, killing someone in self-defense really isn't on the same moral scale as killing someone with malice aforethought. Emotionally and psychologically, killing someone in self-defense might not be all that appreciably different from killing someone pre-meditatedly, i.e., killing period carries with it some kind of psyche damage. But *morally*, they're so different from each other that I wouldn't consider what Lex did with Static!Man to be a step in his moral devolution. Even Static!Guy's knowledge of 33.1 doesn't factor into it for me because he was *actively* trying to kill Lex and someone else (Lana). Lex merely subduing him wasn't going to stop him, particularly given that for the majority of the fight, they weren't on a plane of existence where Lex *could* get help from someone else to stop the guy from coming after him.

So. I don't think Lex killing Static!Guy is *meant* to say anything about Lex from a moral perspective because it was so clearly portrayed as happening within the context of self-defense/defense of others. Since it wasn't presented as being about morality with Lex (IMO), there's no concomitant need to make a moral point via a parallel with Clark.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Oh cool! You liked the ep! I didn't. But that's good--you can tell me what I missed! \o/

It seemed like cheating to have Clark get to avoid the decision about whether or not to kill Mr. Bone Eater (in self-defense or to save all the innocent people he would munch on) in the same episode that Lex deliberately kills a guy to save himself and Lana.
*nods* You make an excellent point here and one that I missed in my 'meh'ness about this episode. I agree--they should be contrasting the two of them by having Clark choose not to kill. They've been pushing both of them towards their future selves so well this season, this would be very fitting.

guess I'm just happy we're getting some passion again; it was way to early for the relationship to be going south.
That's true--I was happy to see the passion again too.

And I loved the proposal, though when they first walked into the room I was half expecting the Chamber of Clark Kent, or maybe the Chamber of Lana Lang.
I think it was deliberately set up that way. I actually liked that scene a lot--one of the more interesting moments in the ep for me.

it's a step toward the kind of decisions Superman is going to have to make all the time: save the one person he is personally connected to, or hundreds of innocent people
*nods* Definitely. I didn't have a problem with it at all. And I also didn't think he needed to be saved by mystery man... I also think it was stupid that Chloe was all concerned before Clark left. Why would she think Clark couldn't tackle these guys? It would have been more powerful to have Clark return and tell Chloe that he's encountered someone even he can't beat and have Chloe provide emotional support about that. Also Clark needs to be challenged if he's to improve in the use of his powers. Or, you know, he could (radical idea!) GO AND GET SOME TRAINING! I'm just sayin'. *slinks off*