Smallville 9x09 Pandora
I think the last two scenes sapped a great deal of my potential enthusiam for the second half of the season. IMO, Clark was regressed here, from what I thought was a valuable lesson he learned in 'Kandor.' That not everyone can be saved. I was so pleased to hear him take that assertive stance and now we're back to a situation that seems practically identical to the one Clark was faced with last season too. And we all know how that turned out. To this day, Clark is blamed almost completely for the entire mess that was the Davis fiasco. And now, with him suggesting how he ought to give Zod another chance, Clark seems poised for another disaster from the writers, because of course Zod is not likely to change, no matter what good influence Clark thinks he might be able to have. And I hate this. I hate that at the end of this all, Clark is yet again in all probability going to be blamed for allowing the ensuing Zod chaos, and because he didn't listen to Chloe and Oliver. And you know what? And I can't believe I'm saying this, but this time? He should've.
And I realize that this isn't what Supes stands for. He never gives up on people - I get that. Hell, that's one of the things that make him my favorite superhero. But as close as he is to the Superman persona, Clark still isn't all there yet. And this close on the heels of the Davis mess, I wish the writers had allowed Clark to stick to his stance that maybe some people aren't meant to be saved or put on a better path. He's seen twice now, versions of Zod that are the epitome of big bad. And yes, Clark reasons here that his good influence and showing Zod how great it can be here etc are there for me to buy, but I aint buying. Because, frankly, it comes off as stupid to me. It makes no sense.
So yeah, I don't think this ep did the best job of doing right by Clark. In fact, I think this was the weakest written Clark yet, this year. And it's a shame because he has been written very well this season. 'Pandora' was just all over the place with him though. And a huge part of this, for me, was how the blame-fest was out in full swing in this one. You know, the lovely characterization the writers think is so neat for Clark - the one where he basically blames himself for all the worlds evil. That one. In the flashbacks, or future visions (future!backs?) we have a Clark Kent who has cut himself off from everybody including Chloe and Oliver - and guess what. It's because he's such an asshole. Yup, he doesn't want to not see them because they were lying cheating sorry excuses for 'friends' last year, nope. He cut himself off because of Lois. "It's not their fault." Clark "turned his back" on them. Hate! Because here we actually have a valid reason for Clark, as a person in who he is, going emptionally MIA, but none of those reasons were allowed to be considered legitimate. The reasons that are ultimately given for his actions are flimsy and nonsensical. Atleast to me.
I hate writing this. Because I adore Clark. He remains the sole reason of my utter devotedness to this show. And he's been written very well this season, so this is why even moreso I'm disappointed in 'Pandora.'
As an ep, it had few other merits for me. I thought structurally, it fell apart a little because the cutaways and editing from the present day to the future!backs wasn't done very smoothly.
CB, who I have been so very impressed with all season, seemed a bit off to me this ep. A little too mustache-twirly. I love how he's embraced the OTT, and because he's a good actor he pulls it all off with aplomb. But here it was just a bit too much. Though I continue to like how Zod' a man with a plan.
CF, too, who is normally so wonderfully amazing, was off to me in this one. Maybe it was the death scene, which I happened to think wasn't the best acted. Though JH, OTOH, did a great job in the scene. Tess was crazy cakes in this ep, and for once, unfortunately, not in the most entertaining of ways. I'm just finding it difficult to wrap my head around right now how or why she possibly makes sense of the things she apparently does.
I know I said last week that I was attempting to develop a zen like state wrt Chloe' character, but man, if it isn't sometimes difficult. There's this constant air of condescension in the manner in which she addresses Clark. And when she said to him, "work on your apology later" - all I could think of 'where's yours?! Still working on it?!' Future!back!Chloe was as cold amd hardened as can be though I think I probably enjoyed those scenes of hers a bit more. Her leading the anti-Zod resistance made sense and there's a moment in the ep where her and Oliver return to the Watchtower that I thought was done well. Kudo's to AM - she was terrific in the future!back scenes.
Oliver happened to be a bright spot for me in this ep. Shocker I know. But I appreciated him working with Clark in the very beginning of the ep and then I liked his reactions at his old GA gear in the future!backs and in the end he actually finally seemed OK with Clark / Lois. Nicely done.
The Clois was a mixed bag for me in this one. Their hug in the future!backs was nicely done, very emotional, as it should've been. I liked how Clark was so ready and willing to sacrifice himself for Lois - again something I expected. And how Lois was ever ready to defend Clark - again, something I expected. I also really liked their final DP scene, which was adorable and exactly the kind of thing I expect from these two, even as they embark on a relationship. I want more than anything though for Clark to come clean with Lois. He knows the long term ramifications of not doing so. Having said that, I can understand why Clark wants to be with Lois. He finds himself freeer when he's around her and she brings out a lot of the kind of man in him that I suspect he likes seeing more of too. That, coupled with her love for him which he's well aware of and I can see why he's fallen for the idea of them as a couple. Now, coming to the stuff I had real problems with. The hot'n'heavy future!back scene, while hot, yes, left me confused and wondering if there were some additional eps from S8 featuring a furthering of the Clois realationship that I had maybe missed. Because Clark telling Lois that he died when she left? Made no sense to me. As of 'Doomsday' while Clois had grown extremely close, certainly, that intense romantic bond that formed this year especially from Clark' side, wasn't there. So while I can understand Lois' emotional state since we know she's been in love with him since early S8, I didn't underatand Clark'. This was a huge issue for, and really took me out of the ep.
Speaking of WTF, the Alia from the future!backs still does not mesh up with the Alia from the scene in 'Savior' where she apologizes to Clark. Is that ever going to be explained, I wonder?
Was this the same device from 'Fracture?'
Also, I found the absence of mentions of certain characters very jarring. Martha, for one. Secondly, where's the rest of the JL? What happened to Bart, Dinah, AC, Vctor? And since we're on the superpowered persuasion, there also happens to be another certain someone zipping around somewhere with powers - Lana.
If Chloe had those kind of resources in the future!backs - why hadn't she already utlilized them? Because of her differences with Clark?
Liked seeing Emil back, as well as Stuart. The latter seems to have some semblance of conscience. Of course he proceeded to get shot for it, but still.
Lois' prom story is as consistent as Chloe' about her mother leaving. So not.
All in all, probably my least favorite ep pf the season. Or maybe that's still 'Roulette.' Not sure. Definitely ranks amongst the bottom though.
And I realize that this isn't what Supes stands for. He never gives up on people - I get that. Hell, that's one of the things that make him my favorite superhero. But as close as he is to the Superman persona, Clark still isn't all there yet. And this close on the heels of the Davis mess, I wish the writers had allowed Clark to stick to his stance that maybe some people aren't meant to be saved or put on a better path. He's seen twice now, versions of Zod that are the epitome of big bad. And yes, Clark reasons here that his good influence and showing Zod how great it can be here etc are there for me to buy, but I aint buying. Because, frankly, it comes off as stupid to me. It makes no sense.
So yeah, I don't think this ep did the best job of doing right by Clark. In fact, I think this was the weakest written Clark yet, this year. And it's a shame because he has been written very well this season. 'Pandora' was just all over the place with him though. And a huge part of this, for me, was how the blame-fest was out in full swing in this one. You know, the lovely characterization the writers think is so neat for Clark - the one where he basically blames himself for all the worlds evil. That one. In the flashbacks, or future visions (future!backs?) we have a Clark Kent who has cut himself off from everybody including Chloe and Oliver - and guess what. It's because he's such an asshole. Yup, he doesn't want to not see them because they were lying cheating sorry excuses for 'friends' last year, nope. He cut himself off because of Lois. "It's not their fault." Clark "turned his back" on them. Hate! Because here we actually have a valid reason for Clark, as a person in who he is, going emptionally MIA, but none of those reasons were allowed to be considered legitimate. The reasons that are ultimately given for his actions are flimsy and nonsensical. Atleast to me.
I hate writing this. Because I adore Clark. He remains the sole reason of my utter devotedness to this show. And he's been written very well this season, so this is why even moreso I'm disappointed in 'Pandora.'
As an ep, it had few other merits for me. I thought structurally, it fell apart a little because the cutaways and editing from the present day to the future!backs wasn't done very smoothly.
CB, who I have been so very impressed with all season, seemed a bit off to me this ep. A little too mustache-twirly. I love how he's embraced the OTT, and because he's a good actor he pulls it all off with aplomb. But here it was just a bit too much. Though I continue to like how Zod' a man with a plan.
CF, too, who is normally so wonderfully amazing, was off to me in this one. Maybe it was the death scene, which I happened to think wasn't the best acted. Though JH, OTOH, did a great job in the scene. Tess was crazy cakes in this ep, and for once, unfortunately, not in the most entertaining of ways. I'm just finding it difficult to wrap my head around right now how or why she possibly makes sense of the things she apparently does.
I know I said last week that I was attempting to develop a zen like state wrt Chloe' character, but man, if it isn't sometimes difficult. There's this constant air of condescension in the manner in which she addresses Clark. And when she said to him, "work on your apology later" - all I could think of 'where's yours?! Still working on it?!' Future!back!Chloe was as cold amd hardened as can be though I think I probably enjoyed those scenes of hers a bit more. Her leading the anti-Zod resistance made sense and there's a moment in the ep where her and Oliver return to the Watchtower that I thought was done well. Kudo's to AM - she was terrific in the future!back scenes.
Oliver happened to be a bright spot for me in this ep. Shocker I know. But I appreciated him working with Clark in the very beginning of the ep and then I liked his reactions at his old GA gear in the future!backs and in the end he actually finally seemed OK with Clark / Lois. Nicely done.
The Clois was a mixed bag for me in this one. Their hug in the future!backs was nicely done, very emotional, as it should've been. I liked how Clark was so ready and willing to sacrifice himself for Lois - again something I expected. And how Lois was ever ready to defend Clark - again, something I expected. I also really liked their final DP scene, which was adorable and exactly the kind of thing I expect from these two, even as they embark on a relationship. I want more than anything though for Clark to come clean with Lois. He knows the long term ramifications of not doing so. Having said that, I can understand why Clark wants to be with Lois. He finds himself freeer when he's around her and she brings out a lot of the kind of man in him that I suspect he likes seeing more of too. That, coupled with her love for him which he's well aware of and I can see why he's fallen for the idea of them as a couple. Now, coming to the stuff I had real problems with. The hot'n'heavy future!back scene, while hot, yes, left me confused and wondering if there were some additional eps from S8 featuring a furthering of the Clois realationship that I had maybe missed. Because Clark telling Lois that he died when she left? Made no sense to me. As of 'Doomsday' while Clois had grown extremely close, certainly, that intense romantic bond that formed this year especially from Clark' side, wasn't there. So while I can understand Lois' emotional state since we know she's been in love with him since early S8, I didn't underatand Clark'. This was a huge issue for, and really took me out of the ep.
Speaking of WTF, the Alia from the future!backs still does not mesh up with the Alia from the scene in 'Savior' where she apologizes to Clark. Is that ever going to be explained, I wonder?
Was this the same device from 'Fracture?'
Also, I found the absence of mentions of certain characters very jarring. Martha, for one. Secondly, where's the rest of the JL? What happened to Bart, Dinah, AC, Vctor? And since we're on the superpowered persuasion, there also happens to be another certain someone zipping around somewhere with powers - Lana.
If Chloe had those kind of resources in the future!backs - why hadn't she already utlilized them? Because of her differences with Clark?
Liked seeing Emil back, as well as Stuart. The latter seems to have some semblance of conscience. Of course he proceeded to get shot for it, but still.
Lois' prom story is as consistent as Chloe' about her mother leaving. So not.
All in all, probably my least favorite ep pf the season. Or maybe that's still 'Roulette.' Not sure. Definitely ranks amongst the bottom though.