Abandoned screentime minutes, and Deep Thoughts
Eh, so I guess it was too much to hope for 2 touchdown's in a row.
Lets start with the totals:
Abandoned, running time: 41m, 42s
Clark: 17m, 31s
Lois: 17m, 17s
Tess: 15m, 4s (Little Tess: 2m, 24s)*
Granny Goodness: 11m, 18s
I didn't do the screentime for anyone else.
*Doing Tess' screentime was something of a challenge. Since Tess was, technically, having memories of herself as a child, the time is counted for both Young Tess, and Current Tess. So, the 15m, 4s represents the accumulative time for Tess, with her also appearing as her young self for 2m, 24s).
Totals to Date (# of eps)
Clark: 175m, 30s (8)
Lois: 140m, 44s (8)
Tess: 57m, 40s (6)
Oliver: 46m, 35s (6)
Abandoned is an episode that seemed to suffer from a number of issues. While there was an attempt to link the stories together with a similar theme, the reality is that the stories just didn't seem to mesh well together at all. The Tess/Granny Goodness/Clark/Furies stuff seem to be occupying one universe, and then there was the Lois/her mothers tape/FoS/Visions of the Els/Clark stuff. And it just felt like two different shows.
I'll start with the show I preferred, which was the Tess/Granny Goodness stuff. For one thing, I was very much excited for the opportunity to see Clark and Tess working together, being friendly. And what we got didn't disappoint, but ultimately the lack of quantity did disappoint. I won't lie, I was hoping for more. Still, what was there completely worked in the way I thought it would. I happen to think Tom and Cassidy play off each other so well, so I just enjoy seeing them in scenes together. And I'm really enjoying seeing how their loyalty towards each other is increasing. I loved the way Tess growled "What did you do to him?" when Granny revealed that her girls were taking care of Tess' companion. And I loved the way Clark reassured Tess that she was part of his team, and he wouldn't be abandoning her. Something I'm sure she hasn't heard too much of in her life. This growing bond ups the stakes for Tess' storyline, I think, considering the stuff she's hdiing, like Clone Alexander, and her newly revealed Luthor-ness.
I do understand complaints about Tess' backstory being ever evolving, but I can't see where anything was directly contradicted or retconned here. And Tess as a Luthor? Well, OK. We all know Lionel was a Playa'. And having S1's Pamela be Tess' mother feels inspired (even if that does mean she was lying to poor Lex). I'm not entirely sure what Tess being a Luthor adds to the overall storyline though, but I'm willing to find out. Like so many other things Luthor-related, it would feel so much more weighty if MR's Lex was making a return.
However,what this backstory for Tess does bring to the storyline is a connection to Granny Goodness and the coming war, which in turn is going to be Clark's big challenge for the year. It brings Darkseid back into the story. So, I definitely believe this storyline did impact Clark, or will as the season evolves. As Granny said to Tess, she's going to be her best weapon, whether she wants to or not, and who do we think this weapon is going to be aimed at? I think it sets up a lot of possibilities, especially now that Clark and Tess have become friendly.
But, as much as there was stuff I really liked in this storyline, I didn't think it was executed as well as it could be. I wanted something more. As a non-comic reader, I have to be honest that this whole Darkseid/Granny Goodness/Godfrey/Desaad stuff is confusing as hell. My poor sister kept asking me what was going on, and frankly, I didn't know how to explain it to her at all. Even with my 'net access, that at least gives me some working knowledge of whats going on. I realize that the show is coming closer and closer to Superman, but it seems something of a conceit for them to think viewers are just going to be able to get a grip on these characters in 2 minute exposition scenes, and the rest they should just know from the comics. It reminds me of the recent talk about the anti-life equation that came up with Clark's "heart of darkness" arc, which means absolutely NOTHING to people who don't read the comics, so why would that resonate for me?
And I was initially excited for the Furies, and Mad Harriet, but it ended up being something of a waste. Not that I don't appreciate the gals taking off Clark's shirt ASAP (you girls can come back, anytime! I'll bring the chains!!). But I sort of hate when the show builds up this big "OMG, another DC character is coming..." and then their appearance in the episode seems unnecessary or anticlimatic. Silver Banshee anyone? With more time, and development, the Furies could've been a lot cooler, I thiink. And they should've been.
On the flipside of this episode, we had Lois going through her mothers things, and coming face-to-face with her mothers tapes. Though I thought having Teri Hatcher step in as Ella Lane was a nice touch, and her performance, and Erica's performance, were just fine, I can't really say that I was overly moved by this. And I truly expected to be, having lost a parent to cancer. But something fell flat. In the end, I think it was just the heavy-handiness in the dialogue for Ella. I mean, really, a line like "...knowing you, he'll be tall, dark and handsome"? Because 6 year old Lois already had a type? The clang of the anvil on my head with lines like that just take me right out of the game.
I also could never quite make the leap from Lois, and her feelings about the mother she lost to cancer, and how that relates to Clark and dealing with the psycho AI Jor-El. Its as if the show kept trying to tell me that they were practically the same thing, and the rational part of my brain kept screaming in protest. Because no, NO, they aren't the same thing at all. AI Jor-El is not Clark's "dad". And the weird way that the characters keep switching between referring to the AI Jor-El as a machine, or an ice fortress, then talk about it as some sort of real, living breathing version of Jor-El was just aggravating and nonsensical.
For instance, in the first kitchen scene, Clark says "...he's a machine, its different" (Which is RIGHT!), and Lois' answer is "He sent you all the way here, he created an icehouse and he trained you. He wouldn't do all those things if he didn't care about you". OK, What?!?! Clark refers to the AI as a machine, which is true. Lois then starts talking about what the real Jor'El did (sending Clark here, creating the FoS), then starts talking about what the AI has done (training Clark).
Huh??!? They are NOT one in the same. They just aren't Show! Stop trying to imply that they are.
This sort of thing continues later.
I also have a big problem with people who experiance something that helps them, or moves them, and then they decide its what EVERYONE needs, and they need to make it so. Lois may have had Clark's best interests at heart, but her epiphany that Clark needs to reconcile with the AI because of her experiances with her mothers tape just felt forced to me. And while it seems outwardly loving and thoughtful, it also strikes me as bit self-involved. Like "Well, I've decided this is what he needs, and so I'm justified in whatever I do to make it happen".
And believe me, I know I wasn't supposed to see it that way, but I did. And I HATE that they had Clark validate it. I much prefer the Clark who stands up for himself from last week to this one thats all "Oh Lois, its perfectly OK that you rummaged through my stuff, took the Fortress key without asking, or telling me, and decided what was best for me, because you were right". Just, No.
In fact, this need to parallel Lois and Clark in the episode just felt like really contrived and didactic writing to me. Lois sees her mother on a tape, and feels a sense of closure so Clark has to see his parents on a tape (of a sort), and feel a sense of closure. How...simplistic and trite.
You know what would've been more interesting to me? If Clark had instead told Lois that No, he didn't need anything from the AI because he's come to realize that its NOT his real father, and he knows that his real father and mother loved him. That he doesn't need validation from a machine when he's found a purpose in his life, and a love that makes him happy. That way, we have both Clark and Lois in a good place at the end, at peace with their lost parents, and yet having reached that last destination in different ways. This need for them to be the same seems unnecessary and obvious.
And while its nice and all that Clark saw his parents saying good-bye to him (and I wouldn't have objected at all to the scene in a different context), I still don't know what Clark was supposed to learn from it that he didn't already know. He's known that his mother loved him since S3's Memoria, and he got to spend time with her clone. So, no new revelations there. As for the real Jor-El, I think Clark already had a decent picture of who the man was, and even got to hear from him directly that he was proud of him (Kandor). So, what great epiphany came to Clark via this hologram message, and what does it have to do with the struggles Clark has had with the AI? I'll tell you what, Fuck All!
Another very odd tonal shift in this episode was the unresolved nature of the Granny/Orphanage stuff. Going by the trailer, there was a Clark/Tess scene at the orphanage that might have tied this up nicely. Instead, we are left to wonder....did they call the police? what happened to the little girls at the oprhanage? did they capture any of the furies? how did Granny get away? did Tess tell Clark about what Granny told her?
But instead, we zip off for a pointless FoS scene with the hologram message (and why did that suddenly pop up?), and then Clois happy and smiliing, going off for karoake. Well, OK, but the shift from one extreme to the other felt completely choppy.
So, overall, I felt like this episode was disappointing, even though I thought half of the storyline had/has tremendous potential.
Some quick observations
Who has the orange juice obsession on this show?
The actor who played Desaad was great with a tiny part. I hope we get more of him.
I'm a bit on the fence with the Granny Goodness character. because she was a bit hammy, but she brought the menace, so thats a good thing.
Poor Mrs Hartley was sort of wasted. But Wow, what a body!
Speaking of hot bodies, Hello there Mr Shirtless Welling. Looking good!!
Helen Slater mates with Julian Sands and produces Tom Welling? Not likely!