"Pandora" (Smallville 9.09) (November 20, 2009)
“Pandora” (Season 9) (Episode 9) (November 20, 2009)
I’ll be reviewing “Kandor” soon, too! :)
Kneel before Zod!
You know, all these so-called superior aliens can cut the crap. The Kryptonians are superior physically when they’re under a yellow sun. They’re superior intellectually with their advanced science. But emotionally? They’re as bad as any human dictator or tyrant, enslaving people they consider inferior if they don’t off them altogether. With all their scientific advances, they still destroyed their own people (the end of Kandor). They have NO superiority when it comes to the moral high ground.
Of course the future under Zod was depressing. No surprise there! What I found interesting was the way people had changed during that tumultuous year.
First thing: Chloe and Ollie blaming Clark for abandoning them. Before everyone jumps on them, think of this: yes, they have no reason to talk because of their recent betrayals, but isn’t that the point? They have such guilt over their backstabbing of Clark that they turned their anger on him. Which I find understandable when you understand human psychology, and Clark didn’t leave at a good time. I understand his grief over Lois, but a hero has to set that aside and do what’s best for everyone involved. Bad mistake to leave, but Chloe and Ollie really had no moral high ground to berate him for it, either.
Chloe’s bitterness was interesting. She was all business, none of her old joking self. She has changed since Brainiac possessed her. The whole Davis mess is indicative of that. Of all the people who know Clark’s Secret, she’s suffered the most for it. She’s been changed in ways that can’t be fixed, that young, chipper reporter wannabe now a world-class hacker spying on her friends and foes alike, and no ethics or morality entering the picture for her anymore. She seems more impatient and scornful of Clark’s moral objections now. And she won't even be remembered by history, according to the Legion!
It was good to see Ollie in his Green Arrow costume at the end. I shudder to think how he died: fried to a crisp from heat vision, or were the Kryptonians merciful and just chopped his head off instead? We don’t know how he met his end, but it’s certain that it was painful.
There was something very heroic about Ollie standing there as the lone hero with his bow drawn while the hundreds of Kryptonians appeared in the sky from the clouds.
There could be interesting psychological ramifications if the show wanted to delve into something deep (ha, ha). Ollie, Chloe, Clark, and Tess all know how they’re going to die in a year, and it ain’t pretty, folks. How do you live with that? Even if you find out you’ll die peacefully in your sleep at age 90, won’t you still be counting off the days? Won’t knowing how you die in the future affect how you live in the present? Could recklessness enter the picture, or depression?
Did anyone else feel that it was more than a little jarring that Clark was so upbeat at the end? I know, he believes he can change the future, but is that a form of denial? Did it seem as if he was terribly naïve, believing that if he befriended Zod, that Zod’s icy heart would melt because Clark gave him a toy (Sorry, can’t help the Santa Claus Is Coming To Town references, LOL)? Once upon a time, he might have been able to pull that off, but Zod is too bitter and too convinced that he is the world’s true ruler.
Apparently Clark’s reaction to the knowledge of his impending death is to become more positive. Ollie? Maybe he’ll be more depressed or more determined to change it. Chloe will become more secretive, more bitter. And Tess? You’d think she’d want to have nothing to do with Zod after seeing how she’d end up, but she’s obsessed and believes she has the intelligence to change things, so she’ll still probably try and help Zod take power. But how does allying herself with Zod save the Earth? Sort of an ecologist gone waaay bad.
Nuts! Now we have to wait until January 22nd to find out anything else.
I’ll be reviewing “Kandor” soon, too! :)
Kneel before Zod!
You know, all these so-called superior aliens can cut the crap. The Kryptonians are superior physically when they’re under a yellow sun. They’re superior intellectually with their advanced science. But emotionally? They’re as bad as any human dictator or tyrant, enslaving people they consider inferior if they don’t off them altogether. With all their scientific advances, they still destroyed their own people (the end of Kandor). They have NO superiority when it comes to the moral high ground.
Of course the future under Zod was depressing. No surprise there! What I found interesting was the way people had changed during that tumultuous year.
First thing: Chloe and Ollie blaming Clark for abandoning them. Before everyone jumps on them, think of this: yes, they have no reason to talk because of their recent betrayals, but isn’t that the point? They have such guilt over their backstabbing of Clark that they turned their anger on him. Which I find understandable when you understand human psychology, and Clark didn’t leave at a good time. I understand his grief over Lois, but a hero has to set that aside and do what’s best for everyone involved. Bad mistake to leave, but Chloe and Ollie really had no moral high ground to berate him for it, either.
Chloe’s bitterness was interesting. She was all business, none of her old joking self. She has changed since Brainiac possessed her. The whole Davis mess is indicative of that. Of all the people who know Clark’s Secret, she’s suffered the most for it. She’s been changed in ways that can’t be fixed, that young, chipper reporter wannabe now a world-class hacker spying on her friends and foes alike, and no ethics or morality entering the picture for her anymore. She seems more impatient and scornful of Clark’s moral objections now. And she won't even be remembered by history, according to the Legion!
It was good to see Ollie in his Green Arrow costume at the end. I shudder to think how he died: fried to a crisp from heat vision, or were the Kryptonians merciful and just chopped his head off instead? We don’t know how he met his end, but it’s certain that it was painful.
There was something very heroic about Ollie standing there as the lone hero with his bow drawn while the hundreds of Kryptonians appeared in the sky from the clouds.
There could be interesting psychological ramifications if the show wanted to delve into something deep (ha, ha). Ollie, Chloe, Clark, and Tess all know how they’re going to die in a year, and it ain’t pretty, folks. How do you live with that? Even if you find out you’ll die peacefully in your sleep at age 90, won’t you still be counting off the days? Won’t knowing how you die in the future affect how you live in the present? Could recklessness enter the picture, or depression?
Did anyone else feel that it was more than a little jarring that Clark was so upbeat at the end? I know, he believes he can change the future, but is that a form of denial? Did it seem as if he was terribly naïve, believing that if he befriended Zod, that Zod’s icy heart would melt because Clark gave him a toy (Sorry, can’t help the Santa Claus Is Coming To Town references, LOL)? Once upon a time, he might have been able to pull that off, but Zod is too bitter and too convinced that he is the world’s true ruler.
Apparently Clark’s reaction to the knowledge of his impending death is to become more positive. Ollie? Maybe he’ll be more depressed or more determined to change it. Chloe will become more secretive, more bitter. And Tess? You’d think she’d want to have nothing to do with Zod after seeing how she’d end up, but she’s obsessed and believes she has the intelligence to change things, so she’ll still probably try and help Zod take power. But how does allying herself with Zod save the Earth? Sort of an ecologist gone waaay bad.
Nuts! Now we have to wait until January 22nd to find out anything else.