I enjoyed the heck out of the first half of the episode, as Clark relived his favorite memories. It was charming and exciting and almost like a highlight reel from the 1978 Superman movie. Creating the Fortress and meeting the Jor-El hologram. Ma Kent giving him his first costume. Arriving in Metropolis and finding work at the Daily Planet. Gold acting stars for Tyler Hoechlin; he looked and felt younger and more exhuberant, and not just because he lacked the soccer dad stubble.
And then Clark's love for Lois Lane dominated the story. Clark passed up a beat of his own to keep working for her. He overheard her confiding in her friend Janet that she was in love with him, a heartwarming way to discover that Lois loved him as Clark and not as Big Blue. Taking her home to meet Mom and showing her the truth. Flying together, smooching in elevators, the wedding at the farm, Lois' fast and unexpected pregnancy. The birth of the twins.
That was where Clark finally realized that something was wrong with the flood of memories he was experiencing, and where we found out why the previous episode felt anticlimactic. The blast from the past was Morgan Edge eavesdropping on Clark's most important memories in order to use them against him. "Uncle Morgan" came this close to taking Lois out forever, and let's give young Jordan points for the courage it took to step in front of his mother and brother to fight Morgan off with his new heat vision.
So what exactly is this "submission" thing? What did the red torture beam or whatever do to Clark? Morgan's twisted hologram dad, whose resemblance to Emperor Palpatine was probably intentional, subjected young Morgan to the red beam right after the creation of the desert Fortress. Mother Lara wouldn't have mentioned the possibility that Edge has good in him if it weren't going to be a plot point, so how much of Morgan's evil comes from that red beam? Is this why the superminions were all psychopaths?
Should we have gotten all this good stuff in the pilot episode, instead of in a one minute montage? Maybe. But getting all that lovely Clark backstory and then losing him had a significant emotional impact. It worked.
There was only a brief visit with the Cushings, during which Kyle apologized to Lana for not listening to her, and Lois for how he'd treated her. This was the first time I didn't actively dislike Kyle Cushing. And Sarah kissed Jordan; now they're a couple. I'm not emotionally invested in them at all, but at least that plotline moved forward.
Bits:
— Apparently, Kryptonian orphans sent to Earth are outfitted with their own magic crystal. Or are they? How come Kara Danvers didn't get one?
— Jor-El tried to warn Clark about what was happening to him, and Morgan destroyed Clark's crystal. Is this the end of Jor-El?
— There was a mention, but no sighting, of a photographer named Jimmy.
— We found out what happened with Clark and Lana Lang. After growing up at the Fortress and coming home, Clark went out looking for Lana and found her already engaged to Kyle Cushing.
— We're getting a three week break. The next episode airs on Tuesday, July 13.
Quotes:
Rescued boy: "Cool costume!"
Clark: "Thanks! My mom made it for me."
I remember that also happened in Lois & Clark. Why didn't it burn off? Wasn't Superman's original costume made from Kryptonian blankets from his ship?
Woman: "Some guy just saved a kid from getting killed by a car and then he flew up into the sky!"
Clark: "He flew?"
Woman: "Flew! You know, like a bird or a plane or whatever. It was crazy."
Clark: "Did you see what he looked like?"
Woman: "He looked like a guy in a cape that was flying."
Perry White: "This isn't a resume. It's a cry for help."
Lois: "Never met a Clark before."
Clark: "I've never met a Lois before. Actually, there was my first grade teacher Lois Hannigan, so I guess technically..."
Clark: "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Lane."
Lois: "And you are who, exactly? Mister Metropolis? Red and Blue Man?"
Clark: "I'm sure you'll come up with something." (takes off)
Man: "Who was that?"
Lois: "Superman."
Clark: "I wanted to know more about different people, different regions, so I studied their languages."
Lois: "How many languages?"
Clark: "All of them."
Loved that. Photographic memory?
Best episode so far, even though the ending was sad. Or maybe because the ending was sad. Four out of four Fortress-creating crystals,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Agreed! A truly fantastic episode! My only quibble was that Lois didn't immediately recognize Clark the first time she saw him as Superman up close. I can understand most of the world at large, and suspend belief for the rest. But Lois should recognize him. It's a common trope of the Superman tale I hoped this show would break, but alas, it was not to be. By no means ruined the episode though. Everything else was near perfect. Hope the rest of the season continues at this quality. And the rest of the show after that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that glasses thing that keeps everyone from recognizing Clark is silly, but it's Superman canon. Oh, well. :)
ReplyDelete