Lex: "My father's disappointment is perennial. Only the circumstances change.""The reaper" was a guy named Tyler Randall, who returned from the dead thanks to (what else) meteor rocks. So he decided to spend his time dusting the housebound elderly like vampires in order to end their suffering. Wrong. Fortunately, Tyler wasn't the focus of the episode. Instead, it was fathers and sons again, with Clark and his terrific father, Whitney and his dying father, and Lex and his... Lionel.
Clark was unexcited about his annual fishing trip with Jonathan to the point of actually complaining about it. Whitney, who came off here as something of a selfish twit, complained that he didn't want to visit his dying father because they couldn't spend quality time together. Now, see, with plots like this, you can see the end coming. You know Whitney will end up realizing he should spend time with his father after all, and that Clark will go off and spend time with Jonathan.
As usual, Lex got the more interesting end of the plot because his relationship with Lionel is at the far end of the dysfunctional range. Lex actually told Jonathan the truth about envying Clark his family. Lex wants to be Clark in the worst, worst way.
So the moral of this episode was, spend time with your father while he's still around. Unless he's Lionel Luthor.
Bits and quotes:
— The Kents visit the elderly and housebound. Of course they do.
— Tyler Randall went through a window in the teaser. Then Clark threw him across a room three times. That's four points.
— Lex told Jonathan that he was no longer investigating the accident on the bridge. Yes, indeed, Lex. And pork is aerodynamic.
— Lionel closing the trunk on Dominic made me laugh out loud. I enjoy Lionel. There should be more Lionel.
Lex: "All my father ever told me was, don't get caught. Don't cause a scandal. That's not love. That's public relations."
Forgettable, and not at all poignant. And it should have been poignant, considering the subject matter. Two 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.
And pork is aerodynamic.
ReplyDeleteLOL Someday, I'm going to steal that line from you. Hilarious.
Agree with your review. Could have been much better than it was, but certainly not the worst. I still think that Jonathan and Clark could have found something other than fishing to bond over as Clark is right back to doing something he hates for someone else.
Oh well, guess that's why he's the hero.
i liked the whitney stuff, myself. he seemed remorseful about the fact that he only showed interest in visiting lana's parents grave once he felt the immediacy of losing a 'rent himself. and i get wanting to preserve the image you had of a parent, even at the cost of the parent themself in the present. why do you owe them anything anymore, now that it's their time to leave? a very selfish sentiment, but one i understand. i feel like parents should understand and forgive this lack of presence at the end. though i guess it's different with parents in a coma and ready to die, but who are holding on because they need their children to visit
ReplyDeletei think it would've been kind of funny if the reaper guy's last words before he killed himself (and, i really like the image of him clasping his hands together like in prayer to activate his ability on himself) was "what have I done... the poor dog!"