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Smallville: Requiem

Oliver: "Well, if it isn't Metropolis' newest power couple."

Truck go boom. Is Lex dead? Come on. Do they really think we'll believe that Lex is dead? How stupid do the writers think we are?

Stupid enough to endure yet another episode centered around Lana. When it started with Clark and Lana in bed having super sex again, I swear I almost turned it off. I was that close. But then we learned that her supersuit thingy whatever absorbs K, and I immediately thought, please let Lana fall into a vat of liquid Kryptonite so Clark will have to stay away from her forever.

And then it actually happened. I couldn't believe it. It was like wish fulfillment. That final scene (yes, another scene of romantic angst in the barn with a pop ballad in the background, you knew it had to happen) was probably supposed to upset the audience. I was thrilled.

And at least this episode didn't turn me off as much as the last few. It was darker and a bit deeper, although on Smallville, that's a relative term. Toy guy was moderately scary, Oliver took over LuthorCorp, and Tess didn't show up at all. And if we finally got rid of Lana Lang, it was the bestest episode ever. Lana is the ultimate meteor freak now. I wonder if it will turn her evil?

One last thing. Why didn't Lana turn green? I would have loved it if Lana had turned green before leaving Clark forever. Nice symbolism, too.

Bits and pieces:

— Glimpses of Lex. We even heard his "voice." According to the credits, neither one was Michael Rosenbaum.

— Why didn't the hospital give Oliver a shirt? He's a billionaire; I think he can afford one. (Yes, I know why they didn't give him a shirt. I'm being sarcastic.)

— This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was Lana's K necklace from season one, an obvious symbol of K keeping Clark and Lana apart.

— Chloe had to choose between Oliver and Clark, and she chose Clark. Of course she did.

— Tess wasn't in this episode. I didn't miss her. I did miss Lois, though, who has been absent forever. And what about Jimmy? Wasn't he at the point of death or something?

What's your rating? What did you think?

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.

21 comments:

  1. "The skin Lana's wearing was designed to absorb enough meteor rock that you'll never be able to go near her again."

    Was it insensitive of me to go "Yay!" at that moment? :-)

    So, she's finally gone (fingers crossed!). Pity that we had to waste three episodes on that. Hopefully now the show will get better again. I've really been enjoying season 8 before Lana's comeback. It seemed lighter on drama and angst and more entertaining than previous seasons. I liked that a lot.

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  2. I hated this episode. I mean, yeah, finally after f**king eight seasons, Lana and Clark are done.

    But still, I hoped it would be with them both understanding their relationship could never work, rather than this "we will always love each other, but we can't be physically close now" plot.

    It gives the feel that Clark will only end up with Lois because he literally can't be around his beloved Lana. And that's shit! He should have moved on from Lana seasons ago.

    I think Omar G, from Television Without Pity, says it all:
    "So if you've ever loved the show and thought it was building to a fitting end for some of its major characters, congratulations. You got played. Go watch Friday Night Lights instead."

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  3. It gives the feel that Clark will only end up with Lois because he literally can't be around his beloved Lana.

    You put your finger on exactly what I was feeling but not articulating. You nailed it. Thanks.

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  4. Ah finally. I was also excited, rather than said, during the climax of the episode.

    We've gone through 3 or 4 episodes now with Lana replacing 3 major characters (Jimmy, Lois, Doomsday) and it is time to get back to the meat of the show. Like someone else said, I've been enjoying the show more this season than I have for maybe 2 years, until they brought Lana back.

    The things that kept me interested (in not particular order) were:
    1. The Lois/Clark building romantic tension.
    2. Jimmy investigating the red flash and Clark trying to keep his identity secret.
    3. The anticipation over the soon to come Doomsday/Clark fight, and the hope that they'll be daring enough to actually kill off Clark.

    Whiny, annoying Lana killed the narrative flow for like 3 months (if you include the break.)

    Also, I laughed pretty hard when Lex's truck exploded. Didn't the EXACT thing happen to Lana's SUV a couple seasons ago?

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  5. unfortunately... I still do not see Clark with Lois .

    because when lana came back it gave me the feeling like u said it that she never left

    i do not see him loving lois as deeply as i see him with lana

    argh.. but i secretly deep inside i wanted him with chloe....

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  6. What a horrible episode, it was like listening to emo-type music whilst simultaneously weeping in the corner about how terrible EVERYTHING IS. Shockingly bad dialogue (Smallville rarely does good dialogue, but still), the end of a character I can't imagine anyone still likes at this point and worse than all that it was only an exit and not a death, leaving the lingering horror that she may some day return.

    For the love of Zod, what were the producers thinking? They were knocking it out of the park like they haven't since the first season up until part-way through Chloe's wedding and then its like it became last season again, except more confusing, a million times more melodramatic and a zillion times less interesting. I'm hoping now that she is away again, hopefully permanently, we can get back to remembering some of the really important things that were happening before, like Doomsday, and some of the other characters, like Lois or even Jimmy, as little as I like him.

    Christ, I don't know why I still watch this show, I think the "I'm hoping it will get better" excuse is starting to wear thin.

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  7. I don't have the 'I'm hoping it will get better excuse.'

    I have the 'I've watched this for 8 years and I'm sticking it out, regardless of the quality.'

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  8. I'm more along the lines of "I'm watching until Clark puts on the cape and starts making moves on Lois". The past few episodes have been so discouraging. I've never disliked a romantic pairing as much as Clark and Lana. Ever.

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  9. i'm not sure if what i read is correct but i read another person's reviews on smallville and according to her: "The features division apparently has given Smallville all kinds of limitations on what they can and cannot do with certain portions of comic canon. For example, they can't call Bart 'The Flash' (they had to use Impulse instead), they can't show us the Superman shield on Clark's chest, they can't have Lois full time, they can't even have her and Clark in a relationship or even kiss as themselves... With all that, who knows what else they've limited we don't even know about?"

    so it looks like this show will never quite progress into "lois & clark" territory. again i don't know if what i copied was true or not but after reading that, will you still continue with the show? i read your entire smallville review in one sitting and its obvious that you are really really impatient for lois & clark to get together.

    i thought this season should have been the last but it was renewed for another season.

    oh and i was kind of disappointed with how they had the lana sendoff. i'm actually a lana fan, even a clark/lana fan (you once asked if there are any of those... quite a lot actually) but i didnt' like having her as a superhero. i wish they just had her character decide to leave smallville becaus she was tired of all the drama and wanted to lead a normal life. i wanted clark to realize that it wasn't going to work out with them rather than him being forced to give up on their relationship because of some silly plot device. it kind of makes him going to lois seem like a cop out or an almost "settling for the next best thing" scenario. they were doing such a great job of bringing clark closer to lois and then having him going back to lana was a big mistake (even this lana/clark fan knew that). there should be no doubt in clark's mind that lana was just a childhood fantasy and that lois is really the person for him... but unfortunately it didn't happen that way. ah well...

    i will also continue to watch the show until the bitter end.

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  10. Joits,

    I'll continue watching until the end, but I honestly don't know if I can keep reviewing to the end as well. I'm too frustrated with the show and if the things that frustrate me most will never be addressed... it's just a frustrate-a-thon.

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  11. well i hope you do continue to review it as i enjoy your reviews, not only for smallville but for buffy (which i'm rewatching), supernatural, dexter and lost. of course if you stop, i'll understand.

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  12. I loved Lana Lang from the first episode through her final exit. This episode was heartbreakingly beautiful.

    It also made me wonder how Clark will ever fall deeply in love with Lois Lane... so different from Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder!

    I have watched right through season 10, and Clark's declarations of love for Lois always seem so awkward. Like he is thinking, "This is best I can get under the circumstances, so I had better not blow it. I had best make a good show of it, so that Lois will never suspect that I still prefer Lana..."

    But there was one of the movies that had Superman almost reconnect with Lana Lang. The movie also gave the impression that Clark would have prefered that Lana too in another life.

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  13. Yuck! And, again I say, yuck!

    What an absurd send-off, but let us hope and pray that we have seen the last of this ludicrous pairing. Like Billie, I have never disliked a pairing more. They have been ridiculous since the first episode when he fell at her feet.

    I'm not sure I completely agree about Clark only being with Lois because he literally can't be with Lana. There are a lot of first loves (I hesitate to mention Buffy and Angel) where, for whatever reason, the two people can't be together. They each go on, fall in love and have happy lives with other people, yet still hold a warm spot in their hearts for their first. I'd like to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume that's where they were heading with this...

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  14. Ya know they probably could be together if they tracked down some blue kryptonite. After all, Green kryptonite has on effect on him when he's under the influence of the blue. They could make it into a ring that Lana could carry around and Clark would only need to wear if they wanted to get close.

    Silly writers.

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  15. there are clana fans out there. everyone knows that lana and clark don't end up together. i think this scene was for those fans. people prefer a tragic end
    to a romance than a failed one. just look at romeo and Juliet! i used to be a clana fan before lois came along, i changed my opinion on them in a second, i was so thrilled at that ending "tragic" scene

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  16. In my opinion, Clark should have realized it never would've worked with Lana after the Season 7 Bizaaro incident when she literally told him that he, in comparison to his clone, would not satisfy him.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, that was a killer. I wondered if Bizaa\rro would go to bed with her while Clark wouldn't.

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  17. I swear, there have been several times when I’ve been reading your reviews and I almost feel a telepathic connection with you. You so eloquently summarize what I feel during a particular episode lol.

    Speaking of which, this is the episode that very nearly made me give up on Smallville. I will never understand the hero worship/obsession they had with Lana, no matter how twisted her character got. Maybe the writers’ room all had a crush on the actress?

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    Replies
    1. "Maybe the writers’ room all had a crush on the actress?"

      It certainly seemed that way...

      I was completely annoyed by this entire arc, too. It ruined the season, and what a season it had been! I'm one of the few who doesn't really see Lois as the second choice, but it's irritating that this episode legitimises that feeling.

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    2. Snarky, I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a Clois shipper and a Lois Lane fan in all Superman incarnations and I hate how the SV writers made it look like she was his second choice.

      When I first heard Lana was coming back for a few episodes, I was actually pleased because I thought we’d get some closure finally and they could agree to go their separate ways like mature adults.

      Silly me. I should have known better. I did see the first seven seasons, after all.

      Delete

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