Smallville: Arrival

Chloe: "I know you run faster than a speeding bullet, Clark. Take me along for the ride."

Everything I've wanted to see will happen? I don't think so. I did not want to see Clark kissing Lana.

But there was still plenty of cool stuff here. They're channeling the Christopher Reeve movies, what with the design of the Fortress of Solitude and the Phantom Zone, General Zod's minions, and Clark losing his powers. (That's not a complaint, by the way.) The fight at the end was a bit brief, though, with no aerodynamic buses being tossed around in the Metropolis streets.

It was also very satisfying to see Clark and Chloe talking about the fact that she knows The Secret. I loved her face when he dashed out of the room. This particular plot point could be a lot of fun when Clark gets his powers back.

Please tell me that, despite the kissy faces, they are finally transitioning from Lana to Lois! It can't happen soon enough for me. At least Erica Durance is now in the cast, which is a good sign. I of course prefer Lana as a fixation of Lex's than a love interest for Clark; Lex's understated lust for her works for me. Speaking of Lex, his relationship with Clark was disintegrating last season, and they were outright hostile with each other here because Lex knew Clark was lying to him. Would telling Lex the truth serve any purpose? Would it keep him from descending into his inevitable villainy?

Finally, the reason I started writing Smallville reviews showed up in the last few seconds, formed from an oil slick under the Kryptonian ship. Dan tells me that Brainiac was the Kryptonian central computer, an evil intelligence. Can't wait to see what James Marsters does with that; he does evil pretty darned good.

Bits and pieces:

— There was a new credit sequence.

— Lots of hospital time. I was mildly worried that Jonathan, Martha, or God forbid, Lionel, wouldn't survive the meteor shower. Glad they all made it.

— I'm mildly confused about what happened with Lionel. Was he channeling the stone, or Jor-El?

— Lois got to save the day this time.

— Jonathan actually looked a little disappointed that he'd have to rebuild his house the old-fashioned way.

— Lana did not limp convincingly. I kept thinking of Igor in Young Frankenstein.

— The male Zod minion was played by Leonard Roberts, who was Forrest in season four of Buffy. The female Zod minion looked like Lana Lang on speed.

— 23 people died in the meteor shower. That's one of Hurley's numbers on Lost.

— Let's see. Zod's minions destroyed a helicopter and five cop cars, tossing at least one cop through the air. Then they threw Lex across the cave, broke glass in the Smallville Medical Center, and tossed Jonathan. In the mansion, they tossed Lana across Lex's study before Clark threw them both across the room into the Phantom Zone and broke one of Lex's stained glass windows. Fourteen points, and I may have missed one or two. A new Smallville hits record.

Very good, and I'm excited about the possibility that they really will pull out the stops this season. Three 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.

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