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Smallville: Homecoming

Lois: "You put the Smallville in Smallville, Smallville."

This was the best Smallville episode in years. Or maybe I liked it so much because they finally gave me what I wanted.

They used the basic structure of A Christmas Carol, and did it without annoying me. Brainiac 5 was the ghost of superhero future, showing Clark how holding on to the past was having a negative effect on his present and future. How lovely that the biggest part of his future in 2017 was his professional and romantic partnership with Lois, who had no sharp edges at all for a change. This may be our only chance to see this particular Lois and Clark as they were destined to be. It was one of the most satisfying sequences I've ever seen on this show.

And they recreated the helicopter scene from the Superman movie! Lois got to knock out the pilot instead of getting knocked out, as she has repeatedly been knocked out since she joined the series (so that she would conveniently never see Clark exhibiting his powers). If there was anything that disappointed me, it was that the episode didn't end with Clark telling Lois what she already knows. But he did finally tell her he loved her, and the two of them in a clinch floating in the air was special, so I'm fine with it. (Funny how I can handle huge romantic scenes in the barn when it's Lois instead of Lana.)

I also liked that Clark finally understood that his friendship was important to Oliver. For an extremely good-looking alien with astounding superpowers, Clark doesn't have a very high opinion of himself.

The high school full circle wrap-up was satisfying, too. No more bumbling nerd. Not only was Clark homecoming king, but he got some major validation from Greg, his very first meteor freak nemesis from the second episode of the series, "Metamorphosis". Apparently, Clark saved Greg from a life of villainous madness.

I did miss Chloe. She belonged in this episode, and all we got was an empty Wall of Weird and a text message. But there were a few pertinent flashbacks, and I thought that made up for the lack of guest stars. (The most moving was Clark watching Jonathan and Lionel.) And if there had been tons of guest stars from the past, the focus wouldn't have been on Clark's relationship with Lois. And I wouldn't have been nearly as happy with it.

Bits and pieces:

— This was the 200th episode of Smallville. What show runs that long? Seriously?

— I'm always happy to see James Marsters in anything. He was a much subdued Brainiac this time, which is understandable.

— Everyone at the reunion treated Lois like she was an idiot. That felt manufactured, because what straight male would treat Erica Durance like that?

— The current reporters of the Torch reminded me of Willow and Xander. And the floating kiss reminded me of Willow and Tara. Yes, everything reminds me of Buffy.

— The young man in the office who talked to Clark... would that be the Jimmy Olsen to be who isn't dead?

— I liked what Oliver said about bloggers and immigrants, but it made it sound as if superheroes were a persecuted minority group.

— The continuing joke about the glasses was fun. As if a pair of glasses would actually keep people from recognizing him, as it did here.

Quotes:

Lois: "Sounds like somebody took a bite out of Chloe's conspiracy cookie."

Punch bowl Marcie: "Funny, I always thought that he and Chloe were meant for each other. They had that whole best friend with hope of more thing?"
That felt like an acknowledgment to the Clark/Chloe fans, didn't it?

Future Lois: "So what is it? Wait a minute. Oh, no. Kryptonite again. Blue? Red? Not green. Please tell me it's not the black, because that was a disaster."

I actually watched this episode twice. I haven't watched a Smallville episode twice for a long time. Four out of four Legion rings,

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.

11 comments:

  1. "And the floating kiss reminded me of Willow and Tara. Yes, everything reminds me of Buffy."

    It reminded me of Buffy as well, Billie. Maybe they got the idea for the scene from Buffy?

    I liked this episode and I've never been a fan of Smallville, with the exception of loving Chloe. And I missed her too.

    Also, if there's something that must be said: Erica Durance is a really beautiful woman.

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  2. This was absolutely the best Smallville episode in a long time. After it was over I said to myself, Billie will love this one. I'm glad you reviewed it. I thought Lois continuing to tell Clark to put the glasses on was hilarious.

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  3. "This was the 200th episode of Smallville. What show runs that long? Seriously?"

    Stargate SG-1

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  4. This was the 200th episode of Smallville. What show runs that long? Seriously?"

    Doctor Who as well.

    Looking forward to this one.

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  5. Glad I wasn't the only one who thought this was a brilliant episode. Easily, easily the best in a long while, it actually felt weird because somehow something was different. Maybe its the many things they put in there for the fans. Maybe it was future 'uptight' Clark. Maybe it was Clark floating with Lois a little. Maybe it was James Marsters too.

    This just makes me very, very hopeful. If they can put this much into the 4th episode of the season, I expect the finale to be nothing short of spectacular.

    (By the way, I do think that was Jimmy Olsen there - I think it was explained before that the real Jimmy Olsen, the comics one, was the younger brother of Smallville's 'first' Jimmy who died two seasons back. It also fits the timeline, because Jimmy is supposed to be quite a bit younger than Lois and Clark)

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  6. Tremendous episode. Now the writers have an end date in sight, I hope they pull out all the stops and give the show one last hurrah. (I also hope they don't use as many cliches as I just did in that last sentence).

    I'll be honest, I'm quite happy to see Chloe sidelined if it means more Clark and Lois-centric episodes of similar quality.

    I'm excited about watching Smallville again. The keys are dangling. I'm clapping. I may even have a saliva bubble forming at the corner of my mouth... such is my excitement.

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  7. As mentioned before, Doctor Who & Stargate (SG1, not the whole franchise) are still ahead of Smallville.

    Smallville WILL beat Stargate SG1, and become the longest running U.S.-genre series (of course "The Simpsons" & "Gunsmoke" are still there).
    Internationally there still is the Doctor, but that is debateable.

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  8. Superman Saves the Day!

    If this isn't my favourite episode of Smallville, it is in the top three. This is the one I watch over and over again.

    For a 200th episode, they did something clever. They went back to the first (the high school flashbacks, where goodness me, the three kids looked young!) and they went back to the 100th (Jonathan's death). Great way to recap the whole series.

    It would be too long for me to list everything I love, but the highlights are James Marsters' return, the future Lois and Clark (which I count as one of the great scenes ever in all ten years), Chloe's text and the floaty dance. Sigh...

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  9. Even the music in the episode was a flashback!nI'm sure I'm not the first to notice but thought i'd point it out - the song that's playing as Brainiac and Clark are watching Lois at the punch bowl, and ends right as Clois walks onto the dance floor is the same song that's used TWICE in the first season! In episode 1 when Clark daydreams his dance with Lana in the barn and then watches her get dropped off from the homecoming dance, and then again in 'Tempest' when Lana and Whitney have their final dance in the decorated gym. "Everything"-Lifehouse, very early 2000s.

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  10. BEST 60 minutes on Tv ... ever! If you like the superman lore, this episode brings it to a new level. I normally don't 'save' any eps, but this one is a keeper. This was my 6th time seeing this (now on Hulu), and I never get tired of it. This is the best rendition of Clark & Lois, including movies.

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  11. Oliver sitting around quietly waiting for Clark to call him was almost hilariously sad. But yeah great episode with all the Clois moments hitting me in the feels. It's so good to see a hint of their Happily Ever After

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