Late Review Of Smallville, Episode 2

It’s only the second episode and I’m already behind schedule. Geez, talk about lack of discipline.

Episode 2 is finally the conclusion to last season’s storyline. Clark’s back to “normal” but Chloe’s still presumed dead, and Lionel is still in jail. After Clark’s revelation from the previous week that Chloe’s grave was empty, Lois decides to dig it up. That’s right, by herself in a single afternoon without getting a smudge of dirt on herself, Lois digs a perfect hole six feet down without being stopped. OK, that’s realistic. I know we needed to confirm it fast, but why not have Clark do it? We know he can do it quickly with a minimum of muss and fuss. Lois could have showed up at the end, made a comment about his handiwork, then we would have the same conclusion – Clark is right: Chloe is not in her grave.

Oops, almost skipped right over a couple bits of fun. Clark and Lois and being chased by a military copters, which Clark shoots down long distance with his heat vision. Cool! Then their cute, little shower scene that is meant to demonstrate how worldly gal Lois is different from farmboy Clark. Worth it just to see the reaction on Martha’s face when Lois head pops up behind half-naked Clark. Then there’s Pa Kent – more upset about blowing up a military copter than sharing a shower with their comely houseguest. I love John Schneider’s over-protective Jonathan. His worry-wart ways are obviously what will lead Clark to adopt a dual identity in the future. Though how anyone in his future life (Lois, Lana, Lex, Perry) won’t know that Clark is Superman is beyond me. Maybe he’ll give everyone one of those memory-erasing kisses like the one Supes gave Lois at the end of Superman II. That kiss looks long overdue between Clark and Lex anyway.

Lana’s back in Smallville in this episode too. She’s taken to showing more skin now, particularly her shoulders. I think that means she’s a woman now. Ah, Paris! She meets Lois, shares yet another awkward moment with Clark, makes a comment that hints at the great love affair between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, then goes back to being insignificant this episode. And she confirms that her tattoo (in the stupidest subplot so far, which I think exists only because she has been otherwise completely supplanted by Lois – just like in the comics) is identical to a symbol in the cave. And her Paris boyfriend shows up. More on that in Episode 3. That’s enough about Lana.

Lionel and Lex have a great scene at the prison. Lionel has taught Lex that he can never relax again. “Don’t wound what you can’t kill,” he says to his estranged son. What a great line, one that I suspect will serve Lex well over the course of his life. Never again, Lionel says, will he trust anything he drinks, opening a door, making a friend. He will always have to be on his guard , suspicious of everything and everyone. Evil Lex is starting to bloom. As if to prove the point, while Lionel is taking one of those infamous prison showers (more shower scenes!) he is stabbed. Who arranged this, we don’t know.

Meanwhile, Lionel has hired the T-1000 to do his dirty work. Which is to make sure that Chloe is indeed not alive to testify. That’s right, Chloe’s still alive (Surprise! Those clever producers keeping her out of the opening credits). Lex is protecting her. Her safe house had a bomb shelter which she and her father were ushered into just in time to avoid being hurt in the explosion. Just like in the movie serials of old, what we saw in the finale is not the same thing we saw when the survival is explained. In the finale, the house exploded within seconds of her entering the house, but now, it seems they had at least a minute to get to the safety of the shelter. Lex was protecting Chloe and her father, but he lied to Clark about it. They are still in the midst of their lover’s spat, not helped by the fact that Lex keeps lying to him. Kiss and make up boys!

There is absolutely no explanation as to who this T-1000 morphing metal dude is, where he came from or how he got those powers. It’s like the producers have decided, “Look, this is a show about a kid from another planet with superpowers and freaky meteorites that have strange effects on everybody. Weird stuff just happens. Accept it.” OK I accept it. Harder to accept is the total lack of remorse when Lois and Clark ice the guy. That’s more of a stretch, but hey, we gotta wrap things up here.

Speaking of wrap up – Lionel’s trial, completely offscreen, done and done, Chloe testifies, Lionel’s guilty and back in jail. We see none of this dramatic development.

Finally, can’t forget to mention that this episode features the debut of Michael Ironside as General Sam Lane, Lois’ father. Ham Tyler from V! The voice of Darkseid in the Superman and Justice League cartoons! That’s just awesome.

Pretty solid episode as we get Chloe back, set up the Clark/Lois dynamic and see Lex get yet another life lesson. Next week: “Kryp/Tuck” (how cheesy!)