Lionel: "Mrs. Luthor. Welcome to the family."What a topsy turvy comic book world. Lana just married a handsome young billionaire who adores her, and it's a bad thing.
This was a particularly well-constructed episode, jumping back and forth in time and bouncing from one character's point of view to another, while still presenting us with a cohesive whole. I particularly loved that fabulous wine cellar reveal scene where Lana, after six years, finally learned the truth about Clark.
Scads of symbolism. Lex ineptly murdered Dr. Langston and left his body in a crypt... right below the altar. Lex attended his own wedding with blood concealed on his sleeve. The wedding party accent colors were pink and purple – close to red, in keeping with the sacrificial theme. The wedding dinner was four hundred dead birds. And when Clark superthrew that photo of himself and Lana, it revolved in the air looking like the Phantom Zone: fairly obvious symbolism of the two of them being trapped.
And there were dreams.
(1) Clark dreamed that he stabbed Lex at the altar, and Lana used the same knife to stab herself. Note that Lex was wearing the future vision white suit that we see him in after he has destroyed the world. That wasn't what he wore at the actual wedding later in the episode.
(2) Lex dreamed that the sonogram baby opened its eyes and looked right at him. Guilt? Lex obviously loves Lana. What on earth did he do to their baby?
(3) Lana dreamed about Clark rescuing her during the tornado. She wanted him to rescue her from Lex. So Clark kept his mouth shut to protect Lana, and Lana rescued Clark by marrying Lex. It's a vicious circle.
The Luthors were in a tug of war for control again, and Lionel won this time. He actually forced Lana to marry Lex. Lionel could indeed kill Clark, as he threatened. But the question is, would he? Lionel has been protecting Clark and his secret for a long time, even from Lex, and he's in love with Clark's mother. Empty threat? Hard to tell with Lionel.
Bits and pieces:
— Did you notice that they did the "I do"s and the rings, but there was no "husband and wife, you may kiss the bride"?
— Interesting music. Much of the score sounded like the theme from Deadwood. During the scene where Lex murdered Dr. Langston, we heard a classic, creepy organ piece: Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
— In the last scene, Lex glanced back at Clark, and then Lana did the same thing. Clark was why Lana married Lex. Clark was probably why Lex fell in love with Lana in the first place, too.
— Lex's new vanity license plate was "LL."
— Lex had dreams of being all powerful when he was a child, and treating everything like toys.
— Lois wasn't in this one. There really wasn't room.
— Gold acting stars for Michael Rosenbaum, who is still the number one reason why I love this show. Kristin Kreuk also did a fabulous job.
Quotes:
Clark: "I'm protecting her."
Chloe: "Good job. She's marrying a monster and trapping herself into a loveless life."
Lex: "I don't know if I can wait. How about if we just run off and elope?"
Lana: "That would be a big waste of four hundred game hens."
Chloe: "Holy Dom Perignon."
Lex: "It was an accident."
Lionel: "Of course it was. You don't have the guts to plan a successful murder."
Ouch.
This was a humdinger. Four out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux had a love-hate relationship with Smallville, which is why some of her reviews are briefer than they should be.
Never really thought that the writers would go through with the wedding. When I'm wrong...
ReplyDeleteThis is all going to end so, so badly. There is obviously something very wrong with the pregnancy and being forced down the aisle by one's father-in-law is never a good start.
The one good thing that may come out of this is that Clark may now finally get this girl out of his system. Fingers crossed...
Anyone ever noticed that Lionel is literally lion-el. Is hair looks like a main of a lion. And the last part of its " el ". Isn't that the last name of Jor-El & Kal-El . Is that because of his connection with Jor-El . Does he have control over them like he controls everyone else with blackmail or a lion has control over his pride. Wasn't one of Jonathan Kent's worst qualities his pride. Oh don't know but I know being called Lionel isn't a coincidence.
ReplyDeleteMy mind fused this episode's events with Reckoning somehow so I was unfairly disappointed with that episode on my rewatch.
ReplyDeleteI loved that they kept the Lana POV for the superspeeding, making it look like he just disappears. To me, somehow, that's iconic. It also explains why the characters are utterly confused instead of reacting to that superspeed sound when Clark runs out on them. I remember people complaining about that shoddy superspeed animation and I hope they were only joking lol