7.12, fracture
I really, really liked this episode despite the two incongruent storylines though. :) You can tell this last handful are so much better when they don't have to worry about spanning the whole season arc though. Let's see if I can break this one down like the last one.
Big Man, with a Big Gun
This is back-tracking a bit, but Lex and his guns, and Action, and they all tie around together. First off, let's get a nice little Lex-gun count for the season:
- 7.01, Bizarro
Stand off: Lex vs. Bizarro. Lex has the gun. Bizarro beats him up (knocks him out, disarms).
Lex's role: Shooting for the "right" reasons; Lex can't/doesn't shoot Bizarro.
- 7.02, Kara
Stand off: Lex vs. Lana. Lana has the gun. Lex asks her to shoot and he takes the gun *away* from her
Lex's role: Victim? He one-ups Lana though by disarming her. (The fact that in Wrath there is no gun ends this one). Lana can't shoot Lex, and he's not putting the gun on her either.
- 7.04, Cure
Stand off: Lex vs. Knox. Lex has the gun. Lex finally gets to shoot the gun. But Knox is immortal so...
Lex's role: Like with Bizarro, he's the semi-heroic side on this one I think; and like Bizarro he's created his own problem to a degree at this point by bringing him to Smallville.
- 7.05, Action
Stand off: Two, due to symbolism.
(1) Devilicus vs. Penelope. We know Devilicus is a Lex stand in (and WA is a Clark stand in). Comic!Version gets shot while working the expose, Movie!Version stays alive.
(2) Additionally he's got a gun when he goes to find Lionel vs. Marilyn [which ties in nicely to the comic, as does the EDlo scene in this ep.]Lex's role: Well he's there to show us how the story did go down, and we know he's got Devilicus/Warrior Angel issues too. When he's with Lionel, he's cast as the more semi-hero light again by saving his father from Lana's evil minion; though he does watch Lionel beat Marilyn to death. Additionally it's after this episode that I think we start seeing a major change in how Lex uses guns too. But I really do think this ep was to set up incase you missed it guns are for Lex.
- 7.06, Lara
Stand off: Lex vs. Carter with Kara as collateral damage. I think this is the first time Lex + guns has a witness. Lex has no gun, the pretty girl gets captured, and Lex trying to do the right thing gets shot - with a tranq.
Lex's role: To me this is the beginning from the Action set up of exploring Lex's role in the comic (hence why Wrath has no guns with Lexana; she's not a part of it.) Kara is powerless (which is an interesting tie in to Fracture which I'll get into later) and is the one needing rescuing. But, Lex gets shot and has no super powers, et cetera. So Lex as the hero (which he had identified himself as WA in prior seasons) isn't happening.
- 7.09, Gemini
Stand off: We've got two, just like action.
(1) EDlo pulling a gun on Lex, and then Grant; getting knocked out before she can fire on either
(2) Lex pulling a gun on Adrian and shooting him in front of Grant
Lex's role: So this is Lex shooting someone, point blank unapologetically. Also Lex knocks Edlo out like Lionel did to Marilyn. Grant and Adrian are the same person so it's a nice foreshadow for the next episode. This looks at that Action triangle a new way; the reporter could shoot the villain instead when she can't expose him [dialogue from the movie in Action]. And we've got Lex's first kill of the season, yay! And as since Action, witnesses to both. So we start off Lex's shooting spree - first off the "mistake" that could of been a DP editor/reporter/EDlo's boyfriend.
- 7.10, Persona
Stand off: Mugger working for Lex vs. Grant. Mugger uses gun, Grant gets shot. This time Lionel is the witness pulling the WA covering the body thing.
Lex's role: So this another twist; after failing to be the hero and having the reporter pull the gun on him, now Lex has a thug kill a reporter for him. And the thug is very Devilicusy dressed up. So another way that it's been played through, Lex using a middle man. It's not Lex directly, so I think that explains why it's still showing up in the next couple of episodes. So yeah it's got that whole level of Lex killing his brother (again if you count Adrian) too going on as well as the Action theming and it's the next step from killing the mistake editor/boyfriend/brother, to killing the "good" one.
- 7.11, Siren
Stand off: Lex vs. Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Clark. Lex has a gun, shoots his in-over-her-head employee. Green Arrow shows up too late to stop that shot. Lex and GA fight, during which Lex gets another gun. Lex goes to shoot again what would be a fatal shot to Black Canary (as well as GA and Lex shooting and going to hit each other). Clark comes in, stop Lex's shot to GA, stops GA's Arrow to Lex, stops Lex's NEXT shot to BC, but can't stop BC's knift to Lex. *phew*
Lex's role: So this another twist too I think, is taking on heroes/former allies/a set of heroes (rather than A Hero and A Reporter like Action). Dinah is a reporter (sort of, in her other life) and Ollie is a Hero who shows up to stop Lex - after she's been shot. Hello, comic. So while Lex shoots yet another reporter, she doesn't die like the comic version even though Dinah is shown to be in over her head when dealing with Lex [which makes the Dinah to EDlo competition all the more interesting IMO considering they are paralleled and contrasted hard core]. Like the movie version, WA (Clark) saves her in the end from the would be fatal bullet. Also interesting is as I mentioned in my last review the combo shot of the arrow/gun and Lex has two guns - he's going directly after two heroes rather than targeting the civilian (or in Dinah's case, the civilian alter ego). What is interesting is the two guns, two bullets for the reporter (with two hair colors and two names). One bullet hits, the other gets thwarted. Makes me wonder if Lex is going to off two people, or try. Still mulling around tis one.
- 7.12, Fracture (yay, finally!)
Stand off: Lex vs. Finley with EDlo as hostage (and Kara kinda) Lex once again has the gun. Finely also has a gun. Finely asks if it's worth shooting EDlo to shoot him. Both get shots off - Finely gets it in the arm. Lex gets it in the head. Kara and EDlo watch.
Lex's role: So this yet ANOTHER twist. Like Lara, Kara has no powers. She can't swoop in and save the day (which is interesting as she later tries to put herself in between Finely's gun and EDlo -- at which point Clark secretly comes in to save the day). She's just a bystander. Now Edlo the reporter is actively in the villian's way - and again like earlier in the year Lex is semi-heroic for standing up to Finely. It's a flip from Gemini; they aren't directly threatening each other yet - that gun hasn't gone off yet as again at the end Finely hasn't shot (and Finely like the guy in Persona I'm pretty sure is a stand in for where Lex will be.) Though it is interesting to some degree Finely is "right" too - about Lex.
So... Lex is going to shoot someone. Given Lex's body count, I don't think Kara will be able to stop him, and I doubt that Clark will be able to. Given the ties/analogues I really do think it's EDlo. Chloe's not involved at all, and they specifically dropped the gun bit from Lana. It could be Lionel, but again I think we'd see more of him (granted Lionel shot Carter this year but that's about it.) I just think from the bit with Alexander later in the episode and the memory of Lionel that Lex vs. Lionel is going to be a lot more "hands on." And given that he's got a string of four episodes in a row with guns, I almost expect to see them in every episode now.
Some other Action analogues in Fracture which is why I do think it's also EDlo - I think it's noteworthy to mention that like Action, we have EDlo tailing Lex (assuming Lex would be at a charity even in Action, following him to Detroit in Fracture). Also like Action she does manage to find some evidence (the land of Lana that she assumes is Lex's in Action, the photo taken on her phone) which she shows/gives to Lex which he then keeps! Also interesting that both in Kara and Fracture after taking a photo of Kara or something of Kara's - she looses her cell phone. Also, not in Action, but worth noting is Chloe's line about how Lex is going to shoot Edlo's story down. Also worth noting is the "Sundance" comment; Butch Cassady and Sundance die in their movie, and Sundance was the "villians" (depending on POV) sidekick. We just saw Lex shoot his last two sidekicks and his attempted clone sidekick! You do not wanna be Lex's sidekick.
Linda Lee or Kara Kent?
So the big deal going on here is a nice comic throw back to the 90's Matrix Supergirl, IMO. She has some memory issues, she thinks Lex is a good guy whom she trusts and is friends with. I do like the whole Detroit thing as another shout out. What is also fun is Smallville starts layering up the symbolism. Even though she is lost, Kara still ends up in yellow and red and wearing her bracelet, and even then she flirts with Lex a little and has good pie. She doesn't remember working at the Talon, or her old color scheme, or Krypton, but we get glimpses that Kara is under there.
We also see Lex running is game on her to get her trust by not being fully open with her [I do personally believe Lana WOULD screen his calls, but it makes sense to me given what Clark saw why he wouldn't buy that Lex called. Either way, grr Luthors]. Anyway Lex gives her a gift - which cracks me up as this episode bring up Metamorphosis and it's Battle of Troy figurines and beware of Greeks Baring Gifts and all of that. He gives her specifically a necklace, which we know typically necklaces hurt Clark, especially those on women. Lex's necklace has a hidden GPS in it - and if you look at the episode, Kara keeps Lex's necklace. His influence is now on her.
What is fun in contrast is that not long after she gets it - the bracelet that she was given by Lara, the bracelet with the house of El insignia on it, the one that is a special Kryptonian bracelet which is hers and denotes all that influence of who she really is... not only does she loose it, but, Lex now has it. I think it's quite clear that Kara is the new Lana who was the new Clark. He's still after all Clark's secrets, and - seriously I love this whole plot thread and have since Fierce. And I do love that Kara is in his memories too.
Also familiar color schemes with the Lex in purple/black to her white. They pulled similar color couplings with Lexana early on.
Being Lex Luthor.
Ikkle Alexander & the Luthors
I'm not big on the Lex is a woobie camp so he's excused. I'm just not. I've never really bought into the fact that Lillian adored him - I think he adored her. But going from the SV comics, I've always thought she was nice enough but just as fickle and warped as Lionel (there is a reason why Lexana is paralleled to Lionel/Lillian and Helex after all). And while Lionel seemed warped but caring in his own way in earlier seasons, Lex in the early seasons did show enough moral awareness that blaming how he is now soley on Lionel never worked for me. He was an adult willing to escalate, which I think is the sad but understandable part of Lex's life. He's trying to do the right thing (from time to time anyway) but he's now so dirty in trying to do it... it is sad.
The shot of 9 year old Alexander (remember, he got that set when he was nine say Metamorphosis so Veritas was going on before the Meteor shower as the tie-ins suggested anyway) playing with his set despite it being a business tool... man. This scene was just ...so hard to watch. Also Lex was still at Excellisor where Ollie and crew were (tie-ins) and he had a principle that hated him... and life was going to get worse.
Lex never comes here, I wonder if that is meant to be a sign that this is the first time he feels truly abandoned by both of his parents? I love the look of hate and helplessness here - this kid is so darn good. What is interesting is piecing together what we know from Pilot, Lineage, Memoria, Crush, the tie-ins, Reunion, Zero, that life couldn't of al been terrible but it wasn't great either. His dad did give him gifts he thought he'd like, and we're told in Memoria that Julian's death is what really soured Lionel on Lex -- I'm wondering if this is supposed to be the point where Lex is openly hating Lionel (which grows in the Pilot some, we know Lex notices a change after he looses his hair, which gets worse after Julian and Lillian die, and such). Don't know.
I love how Alexander and Clark have the same horrified expression. Lexana really is LuthorsII - the pearls, the hair part, the digging around, even the eventual slap. In a way, Lex has become his father. In another way, however, Lex was willing to let Lana inside and work as a team with her (Lex does want a partner I do think). But the cap I really loved, and I real felt spoke for itself was this one:
Lexana, Remembered
After Wrath I had a gut feeling that Lexana wasn't done and now I'm sure of it. Part of this is to keep up the momentum from Persona (was that really just two episodes ago?!) in terms of Lana Lang and her LI's. What I found interesting was that in bed Lana did her hair-swish that she did for Zod. And she's got all her rings on; I don't know what this is supposed to imply but I'm taking it like Siren's retcon of Lollie, that Lexana were happier/closer than people had assumed at the time. I also liked Lex's "Hear that, she will always LOVE ME." Lex forcing him to watch I think was a great touch too, not only does white suited Lex look particularly evil, but it's a bit like Persona in the fact that the show is literally forcing Clark to open his eyes.
Also fun (but not captured here) is the fact that they have Lexana in a purple (royal) bed, which fits with all their king and queen symbolism.
Alexander vs. Lex
I did love also that the 'good' Lex was in a way before the Meteor Shower of 1989. The one that changed his life, cured his asthma, made him fly (vs. the him who was scared in the helicopter), made him an outcast everywhere. A new beginning (not ness. a better one) is right. It's the sweet part of him - the part that liked models and probably the part that liked comic books; probably the part too that wants to be a hero. Interesting to me is the name flip from Onyx (where Lex was the good yet 'week' part of him stuck in the basement, and Alexander on the sides was the evil one running around).
I think one could also look at Lillian always calling him Alexander and Lionel always calling him Lex and say each side is representative of one parent. If you do that then Alexander loosing the fight now, after Lex has lost his mother's watch permanently in Lexmas - complete with her fading away, and her reprimand in Void - after giving up on her.
So you've got pre-meteor Alexander who hasn't been tainted by the kryptonite, or the loss of his mom, or his brother, or seemingly Duncan and Ollie, or Jude, or Helen, or Lana vs. visually Presidential Lex who has done all that and lived past all of them to be leader of the free world who is all power hungry.
Of course the side of Lex that Clark liked, that Clark had still seen in him in Nemesis was the little kid. This is the side that Clark has faith in, and it's just. Man the promises at the end. Man, I'm just all sad over this, especially as this is the Lex who was before Clark ever touched his life in a way. I LOVE how much this episode is about them creating, needing, and surviving because of one another.
Also fun was Lex is Superman in his own mind. No really:
Also what I though was quite interesting was a throw back of all things, IMO, to Slumber. Lex with his sword, taking care of personal business... personally. And I think it said a lot about the fight of the future; Pres Lex vs. Superman, but there is that side of Lex that can't be counted out, that Clark is still and probably will always try to save. And that's quite interesting, after all if there is some good left in Lex Luthor [whom I think it's obvious Clark *hates* Pres Lex here] then he's going to fight for everyone. Anyone.
Destiny?
As I mentioned earlier, this whole episode seemed to be about how linked the main characters were. They linked Lana up through the memories and by her finding the machine (which I think it was done that way so Lionel can get his story wrapped up, so Lana doesn't know about Chloe's power yet). But Lana is up in the Sexana bit for the most part.
They are connected. Literally.
In case one missed the memo at the very first episode... this story is about Clark and Lex. Additionally, it is apparently about Lana and Chloe (to different and lesser extents), but primarily? Clark. Lex.
This comes up when Chloe comes in and decides to save Clark, and the only way to do that is to save Lex:
Clark can't beat Lex, because Chloe's healing Lex, to save Clark, who is beating Lex, to save Lex's soul, but he can't...
And as long as Clark's alive, he's going to take care of / watch over Chloe as well as for Alexander as we have seen.
Once again, Divine Intervention is all we have about why Chloe comes back alive. There is certainly a narrative here where Lex, Clark, and Chloe all died - and miracles happen that they are all still alive. And like Chloe in Bizarro and Clark in Hidden, Lex has his hospital death scene. Lionel pulls a Shattered on him:
And who shows up?
Triaaaangles. Three sides, really? Really?!
So there were a lot of them. I think I'm just going to a mini-gallery thing here because I think a lot of the triangulation of the shots speak for themselves. Bring on the shot composition, woohoo. Some of them technically have four because Lex is comatose in the room which makes all the triangulation really fun, cause it's on multiple levels. Before Lionel comes in the room with Lex, where they are all walking around each other has so many and it's so interesting. And fun, cause all four are in the same room. Even though Lex is out of it.
The Trojan War
In addition to the whole "Who is my partner" schema going on with Chlarkan (which I think given that now Clark and Chloe go to Lana says a lot, as does Lana finding the machine but Chloe finding the dangers of it; Chloe in typical green, Lana in grey again), Clexana was pretty heavy here symbolically I think. As the caps abov show you've got Lana's labyrinth kiss goodbye to Clark while Lex is in the same frame; as the Lexana bit above shows you've got Clark forced to watch Sexana-post-wedding, after she said she loved Clark, after he was lead to believe she was unhappy. In a way I wish we could of seen Clark verbalizing how bad it made him feel to love/lust/kiss a married woman simply because I think it would of made that scene stronger.
And of course we have the model from Metamorphosis that I think always kicked off the whole Clexana anyway; Whitney was the proxy. Two men, fighting over the same woman. Lex has the Trojan horse, and gets that the necklace is power but doesn't get what it is. The lead box of St. George the Patron Saint of Boy Scouts [similarly Lex gives Kara the necklace with the Patron Saint of Lost Souls, St. Anthony.]
We know now the box has meaning, we know about the necklaces now, and we know that Clark vs. Lex is the Trojan war. So it is interesting to me, symbolically, that on Lex's desk is a symbol of that whole scene/series in a prop.
The Worst Power of Them All
Clark was willing to self-sacrifice for Lex in the machine (before his hook up). It's funny to me that Chloe was willing to do the same but in the aftermath of Persona/Siren/Cure, Clark isn't. She can let him runn of and be the hero but Clark's got major issues with her doing the same. Now most likely this stems from being hurt. What is interesting is the exponential time it takes for her to apparently heal each time (is the kryptonite in her heart burning out?) and how this power keeps on changing. What it was with Jimmy seems different than this, and how she used it on Lex and Jimmy is different than EDlo. The more it happens as a plot-fixing device with all these variations the more I think long run it's going away. It doesn't feel nearly as mapped out as it should. I do agree it's being set up for Chloe to really save/jump start Clark, but at the same time I think it's being set up that he's going to save her. It's their "job to stay alive." [And intersting that it can only happen if Lex is alive too.]
Also I do have to say that 18 hours is a lot of denail, Clark. Or hope. Or both.
Also fun was the whole heartbeat conversation, given all the superhearing over the years. I additionally liked the idea that Clark cooks for her. :)
I get the feeling that Lionel Luthor is gonna die.
Not only does he know too much (Chloe's power, Lana's Isis, Clark's secret), but we have him actively lying to Lex about Ollie's serum, and Lex finally getting that "I love you" he's always wanted (Truth) to him. Which I'm sure Lex will eventually take as a lie, or uncover about the Ollie thing, or something. But this cap:
Just with Lex and his black jacket of doom walking past and beyond Lionel (when typically in the series Lionel brushes in and out - the makes two episodes in a row where younger "Luthors" have breezed on by him). The Veritas stuff seems like what has been explored in the tie-ins is going to come out to a head, and it's very exciting, but I do wonder what if anything is left for Lionel after that. Lion-El, Eradicator, is about the only thing I can come up with
....I think that's everything. MAN, I've missed episodes like this!