Smallville 8.05 Committed
The lateness of this review is due to an unprecedented burst of enthusiasm for cleaning which I thought it best not to interrupt in case it never recurs.
I really don't care for the premise of this episode, but that did not stop me thoroughly enjoying it. The entire polygraph test plot is farcical--under those sort of stressed conditions the thing would be going off all over the place, not just when they lied. So, I am ignoring everything that anyone when hooked up to Mr I Am The Most Improbably Obtuse Villain of the Week ever's contraption. I guess I buy that Chloe loves Jimmy if the show tells me she does. Loving someone doesn't mean you can't also suck as a partner, and I still think she's doing some sucky things (no mutual confession when Jimmy told his own secret, for instance), but ah well.
I found the badly photoshopped couple photos, the gooey cake and the ridiculous romantic suite thingy kind of nauseating, but hey, that's me.
Was Lois a bitch? Yes, yes, she was. That speech was irredeemably dreadful. And yet, I found her drunkenness completely adorable. Sorry everyone! She was just so gorgeous in that dress, with Clark's big arms around her, lifting her down, and she giggled! *helpless* Also, Erica acts drunk really well (that phone message?! *rotfl*). I hate weddings, I find them confusing and painful in a social-embarrassment sense (for those getting married), and I would be seriously challenged if my best-friend/cousin was marrying someone I wasn't convinced she loved. So I had full sympathy for Lois's emotions about the scenario. But I cannot condone that speech. I was screaming at her to STFU. You keep that stuff to yourself.
Clark was wonderful--I thoroughly enjoyed him taking charge of the situation so beautifully. Especially when it transpired that he'd hauled Lois home and tucked her up on the sofa. What a sweetheart. And I loved the two of them working together. There was great banter in there, and while Lois's plan made NO sense (um, you act as bait and then get tied up and electrocuted too?) I enjoyed them posing (snarkily) as a couple too much to care about the implausibility. Plus, it set up one of my favourite scenes in the ep--Oliver walking in on them buying a ring together. Poor Ollie! He really has had a rough couple of reveals recently.
Oliver and Mercy = wow! I thought their relationship in the past was just to set up some tension--I didn't think it would be carried into the present story. But I am not complaining! I love them sparring, both verbally and with staffs. Mercy beat Ollie! That's GREAT! I'm loving her. And also I think she's good for Oliver. She calls him on his drinking, his irresponsibility, his womanising... I do find it a bit hilarious that she's obviously very hung up about him dumping her, but she fully owned him in this ep, so that's cool. It also brought out more of Mercy's character because we got to hear her true thoughts/feelings about Lex and Luthorcorp. I'm really believing how much they mean to her now, which is great.
Oliver's torso showed up for the ep too: woot!
Oliver amuses me so much--he spends so much time being a romantic and so much time being a hero, but--as Mercy points out--not much time being a business leader. And it's great that she's buying his assets out from under him. Mercy and Oliver seem like polar opposites as CEOs: Mercy micro-manages, Oliver floobs off and leaves it to his underlings (we must presume).
Lois being in love with Clark (which the show wants us to buy even I do not trust that polygraph!) is not my thing, but I've found my zen with it. In all other ways, I found Lois in character in this episode, and Erica's performance was wonderful. I did wince for Lois when she had to admit she loved Clark (I think I would actually KILL MYSELF if that happened to me) but Erica's performance was so great, and thankfully the writers reigned things back in a bit with the final lift scene (which I loved). Of course Clark is a bit interested now that he thinks Lois likes him. He's so easy that way! He was totally being his most charming in that final scene, and I'm delighted that Lois tripped him up. I think planting that seed will mean Clark can't help thinking about her now, and that will be lots of fun. (Also, how great that he was taking that lift for no other purpose than to flirt with Lois?)
Also, to everyone who said that Lois wouldn't mope around about loving Clark: you were right. I am gradually starting to trust the producers this season a bit more, and I think having made the decision to move the Clois along in this particular way, they're doing it well (even if it's not my personal pref). New writer this week, yes? There were some really odd lines, but I liked a lot of the Clois banter, so he gets a pass from me.
Finally, I am glad they had that follow-up scene between Chloe and Lois, and that Lois was appropriately appalled at seeing what she had done. I really liked Chloe's gracious response too. I'm glad that despite other radical moves with Chloe's character this season, they're keeping the cousin bond strong.
I really don't care for the premise of this episode, but that did not stop me thoroughly enjoying it. The entire polygraph test plot is farcical--under those sort of stressed conditions the thing would be going off all over the place, not just when they lied. So, I am ignoring everything that anyone when hooked up to Mr I Am The Most Improbably Obtuse Villain of the Week ever's contraption. I guess I buy that Chloe loves Jimmy if the show tells me she does. Loving someone doesn't mean you can't also suck as a partner, and I still think she's doing some sucky things (no mutual confession when Jimmy told his own secret, for instance), but ah well.
I found the badly photoshopped couple photos, the gooey cake and the ridiculous romantic suite thingy kind of nauseating, but hey, that's me.
Was Lois a bitch? Yes, yes, she was. That speech was irredeemably dreadful. And yet, I found her drunkenness completely adorable. Sorry everyone! She was just so gorgeous in that dress, with Clark's big arms around her, lifting her down, and she giggled! *helpless* Also, Erica acts drunk really well (that phone message?! *rotfl*). I hate weddings, I find them confusing and painful in a social-embarrassment sense (for those getting married), and I would be seriously challenged if my best-friend/cousin was marrying someone I wasn't convinced she loved. So I had full sympathy for Lois's emotions about the scenario. But I cannot condone that speech. I was screaming at her to STFU. You keep that stuff to yourself.
Clark was wonderful--I thoroughly enjoyed him taking charge of the situation so beautifully. Especially when it transpired that he'd hauled Lois home and tucked her up on the sofa. What a sweetheart. And I loved the two of them working together. There was great banter in there, and while Lois's plan made NO sense (um, you act as bait and then get tied up and electrocuted too?) I enjoyed them posing (snarkily) as a couple too much to care about the implausibility. Plus, it set up one of my favourite scenes in the ep--Oliver walking in on them buying a ring together. Poor Ollie! He really has had a rough couple of reveals recently.
Oliver and Mercy = wow! I thought their relationship in the past was just to set up some tension--I didn't think it would be carried into the present story. But I am not complaining! I love them sparring, both verbally and with staffs. Mercy beat Ollie! That's GREAT! I'm loving her. And also I think she's good for Oliver. She calls him on his drinking, his irresponsibility, his womanising... I do find it a bit hilarious that she's obviously very hung up about him dumping her, but she fully owned him in this ep, so that's cool. It also brought out more of Mercy's character because we got to hear her true thoughts/feelings about Lex and Luthorcorp. I'm really believing how much they mean to her now, which is great.
Oliver's torso showed up for the ep too: woot!
Oliver amuses me so much--he spends so much time being a romantic and so much time being a hero, but--as Mercy points out--not much time being a business leader. And it's great that she's buying his assets out from under him. Mercy and Oliver seem like polar opposites as CEOs: Mercy micro-manages, Oliver floobs off and leaves it to his underlings (we must presume).
Lois being in love with Clark (which the show wants us to buy even I do not trust that polygraph!) is not my thing, but I've found my zen with it. In all other ways, I found Lois in character in this episode, and Erica's performance was wonderful. I did wince for Lois when she had to admit she loved Clark (I think I would actually KILL MYSELF if that happened to me) but Erica's performance was so great, and thankfully the writers reigned things back in a bit with the final lift scene (which I loved). Of course Clark is a bit interested now that he thinks Lois likes him. He's so easy that way! He was totally being his most charming in that final scene, and I'm delighted that Lois tripped him up. I think planting that seed will mean Clark can't help thinking about her now, and that will be lots of fun. (Also, how great that he was taking that lift for no other purpose than to flirt with Lois?)
Also, to everyone who said that Lois wouldn't mope around about loving Clark: you were right. I am gradually starting to trust the producers this season a bit more, and I think having made the decision to move the Clois along in this particular way, they're doing it well (even if it's not my personal pref). New writer this week, yes? There were some really odd lines, but I liked a lot of the Clois banter, so he gets a pass from me.
Finally, I am glad they had that follow-up scene between Chloe and Lois, and that Lois was appropriately appalled at seeing what she had done. I really liked Chloe's gracious response too. I'm glad that despite other radical moves with Chloe's character this season, they're keeping the cousin bond strong.