Prophecy Screentime Totals, and Deepish Thoughts
So, here we are, the 2nd to last episode of Smallville ever. Well, sort of anyway, since I'm not buying the idea that smashing 2 episodes together make it a 2 hours movie, but in the immortal works of Dr Emil, "whateves"
I know many SV watchers are very sad right now about the end being so close. I have feelings of sadness too. I'm sad I won't be guaranteed to see 22 hours with Tom Welling on my television set. I'm sad that I'll likely lose touch with a lot of people who I've really enjoyed interacting with, as is inevitable when a show comes to a close, and fandom dissipates. But truth be told, am I sorry that the Smallville story is coming to a close? Well, no, and an episode like Prophecy, and a season like this 10th season is a big reason for that.
As always, lets start with the totals
Prophecy running time : 41m, 42s (Previously on: 52s)
Clark: 18m, 29s
Lois: 21m, 11s
Tess: 3m, 12s
Oliver: 10m, 15s
Kara: 10m, 14s
Toyman: 6m, 47s
I didn't bother tallying up Courtney/Stargirl's totals because she was so irrelevant to this episode, and such a pointless character overall.
Year to Date (# of eps)
Clark: 428m, 8s (20)
Lois: 324m, 34s (20)
Tess: 144m, 29s (15)
Oliver: 166m, 36s (15)
Or, as I was saying “Give me that hour of my life back!”
I know that a lot of people feel like that since its so close to the end, they don't want to be harsh towards a mediocre SV episode. And I respect that. But, I am not one of those people, so you’ve been warned. I've always believed that the expectations for the last season of Smallville should've been grander. These people knew, from the first episode of the season, that this was the end. There are no more excuses for padding, and stalling, and pointless unnecessary plotlines. They shouldn't be happening.
The idea that Lois would gain Clark's powers for a day, and it would shake up her perceptions of everything is NOT a terrible idea. Its just too late to trot this familiar device now. In the beginning of the season, it would have worked. But, the idea that it had NEVER OCCURRED to Lois that there were people in need to help and saving every single second of every single day until she could actually hear them with Clark's power is a ludicrous notion to begin with. But to think that Lois could be with Clark all this time, living with him, engaged to him, while he's going off and doing what he does (in Offscreensville. because God Forbid we actually get to see any scenes of Clark out there as The Blur, saving John Q Public), and not consider this sort of stuff just rings false and hollow to me. And for what? To get to the “Oh, I can't marry you Clark” scene? Pointless, since we all know that she's going to marry him in the very next episode. Its lame melodrama to me
But, lets start from the beginning, because truly this is an episode that fails in every single beat in its execution. We start the episode with Clark wanting to take Lois to the FOS to get Jor-El's blessing for their marriage. The first big red flag that this episode was going to be bad. I've always hated how this show can't seem to decide is AI Jor-El is a super computer, or Clark's “father”. Can't decide if its benevolent mentor, or hateful, illogical, sadistic machine run a-muck. And I hate how there is absolutely zero consistency in how it acts, and how Clark reacts to it. You cannot start off a season with the scene we saw in the FOS, with the AI basically telling Clark he was a useless idiot, and then never have a scene ON SCREEN establishing a reconnection between Clark and the AI, then tell me in episode 20 that Clark wants to the AI Jor-El to sign off on his marriage to Lois. And nobody give me that bullshit that the home video of Jor-El and Lara shown in Abandoned made it all better, because #1, why would it have? and #2, in the episode Beacon, that came after, Clark's chilly relationship with the AI is brought up again. So, when did Clark and the AI make any sort of peace with each other? To the point where Clark would actually take Lois to the FOS? Because wouldn’t that have been a big freaking deal given how we began this season with Clark being disowned?
So, we begin this episode where Clark being pretty stupid, because the fact of the matter is that Clark has had enough experiance with ice daddy to know he can't trust him. And this episode actually makes that very point, with Clark knowing that this power switch is not a gift at all. Or, in other words, Clark should’ve known better.
And, just as an aside, the 2 episodes before the end of Smallville, and Clark is without his powers for the majority of both episodes? This is good plotting and storytelling?
So, we have a power switch, and frankly, Lois' reaction to this was just greatly disappointing to me. Having her zip around, and just acting like this was all fun and games was not the reaction I'd hoped from with her. I would've so preferred a Lois who was all “This is fucked up, but luckily won't last long”. Instead, she was all “Woo-Hoo, I'm awesome, and look at everything I can do, and I realize that you are now powerless, and feeling anxious and vulnerable and worried, but I'm going to keep zipping around because I can do it! Go Me!!” In short, I found her obnoxious.
But, I think I'd gladly take obnoxious over incredibly stupid, which is how she was written in her scene with Toyman. Of course every, single thing about Toyman, and his plot, and his gang was so incredibly stupid to begin with. In what universe does buying a building give you the rights to the water that runs underneath the building? In no universe. And what? All these bad guys were shareholders in the company with their villain names? And when did Metallo become a villain anyway? This was just pointless name dropping. I think the term “DC porn” is being used here and there, and this totally was. What was the point to any of this? We know that Superman, and the other JLA heroes, have a rogues gallery of villains out there. We don't need to see him in some lame-o throwaway episode with them involved in the worlds stupidest plotline
And Toyman is in a cell, sitting in the middle of the room, with just a bed thrown on the floor (where does he go to the bathroom?), but he's got a smart phone that apparently gets wi-fi that he can teleconference on?
Also, why act as though Toyman and Lois Lane have any sort of established relationship? They don't. They tried to play this scene off as though they were old adversaries, when the reality is that they've never had anything at all to do with each other. Ever.
Then we have Winslow bring up Lana. But why? Look, I don't mind Lana being brought up, and I truly believe the show should've sacked up, and allowed Clark and Lois to have an honest conversation about what happened when Lana came back in S8, and why she left, and how Clark felt about that. Here, Toyman brings up Lana's name and actions in an apparent attempt to mock Lois, but why? To what end? The reference is a throwaway. The comparison is a completely different context. And whatever Lois' feelings about such a comment are never addressed. So, its pointless, much like the rest of this episode. And aggravating, because it just reminds me of how the show should've brought her into the conversation for Clark and Lois, but lacked the courage to do so
But, back to some of the worst writing for Lois I've ever seen. Winslow threatens Clark unless Lois puts on the mind control device. Now, instead of zipping off and making sure Clark was OK, or using her super hearing to verify what Toyman was saying, Lois actually puts the mind control device on. Well then, I'm sure Clark is going to much safer now!! Brilliant Lois! And yes, I did notice that she checked her watch, but how much damage and death do you think a superpowered person with superspeed can do in the space of 5-10 minutes, because I'm thinking a lot? So, off zips mind-controlled Lois to attack Clark. And here's where the criminally underused Tess gets a dose of bad writing poured all over her. Instead of reaching for the stash of kryptonite that surely is stashed at Watchtower, Tess stands off to the side, encouraging Clark to stall super powered Lois by choking to death until his powers return.
Now, there is one good scene in all this, and thats the confrontation between Clark and Toyman. It contains one of the few witty lines of the night, and it allows Clark a very Superman-like as he assures Winslow that he'll be there to foil any evil plots afoot.
Then we have Clark going to the FOS, and pulling the plug. And this should delight me, because the AI is so fucked up. But mostly I'm just annoyed because if the AI could be unplugged, why didn't Clark do it years ago? And given how many times this stupid thing has been destroyed, corrupted, dead, and then sprung back to life inexplicably, why should I believe this is any different?
Which brings up to our last Clois scene, which I more or less addressed in my first paragraph. I'm sorry, but I've read many interpretations of Lois' motivations, and feelings, and justifications for why she called off the wedding. But they just don't work for me. Because I just find it too hard to believe that none of this ever occurred to her when she's been living with Clark for months. The show has even addressed variations of this theme going back to last years Charade, and brought up again in this years Shield. I also don't like the implications towards Clark. Because as much as one can claim that this was all about Lois, and her feelings, the reality is that if she's thinking it’s too selfish of her to take up any of Clark's time to carve out a life, isn't she really suggesting that Clark taking that time for himself is also selfish? When she says that she can't be the one to keep him saving people 24/7, isn't she suggesting that he should be saving people 24/7? How is there not judgment towards Clark here, no matter how subtle it might be?
Now, this episode has a B story, and its not any better then the A story. That’s tragic.
Why bring back Kara for this episode? Really, I don't get it. If they wanted to bring back Laura Vandervoort, bring her back for the bargain basement wedding (did you see the stills? Budget=$29.95). Or, ya know, don't bring her back at all. But was she needed for an episode where she spends most of her time interacting with Oliver for the first time, then zips up to see Jor-El just before achieving her goal and gets told that she needs to get out of Dodge because this world ain't big enough for both her and Clark?
Now, someone whose opinion I truly respect did try to rationalize the Kara situation to me, and provide me with a different way to look at it. But I'm afraid I keep coming to the same conclusion...if Clark is “The One”, and this is “His Time”, and he's “What The World Needs”, then shouldn't all those things be true no matter who else is in the world with him? If these things can only happen for Clark if the deck is cleared, then what does that say for Clark? And NOW the show is trying to tell us that Clark can't have any help, he has to do it alone. NOW? When they've shown, over and over and over again, how Clark can only be Superman with the help of the whole village? Mixed messages much?
See, they made this mess for themselves by wanting to do “Supergirl” in the first place. This whole resolution was their way of dealing with their own errors in having Kara so out pace Clark, and by suggesting that she was incorruptible in the first place. Because how much better would Kara's resolution have been if she, and she alone, realized that she wasn't incorruptible, and she felt that there was a decent chance she might fall to The Darkness!, and so she decides to get out of Dodge not because Clark can only step it up if he's the only game in town, but because she knows she might end up being a threat to her cousin, so she takes herself out of the equation? Well, I think that works better for me anyway.
And is Clark ever going to wonder where Kara went? Well, I guess not, since she says she hasn't checked in at Watchtower for weeks, and Clark didn't seem to notice that either.
I won't even go over all the silly cave stuff, or the silly Bow of Orion stuff, especially since the thing got destroyed anyway. “You push this, while I stand here, and we shoot arrows, and a wall opens up, and try not to get fried by the forcefields....” LOL. OK show, you are very silly.
But, the other decent scene in this episode, besides the Clark/Toyman scene, was the delicious Oliver smackdown delivered by Granny Goodness. Oh, how I love when a character shows up to stick a mirror in front of Oliver's face and remind him what a douche he is. His approach to this whole quest was selfish and self-serving, and I appreciate that this was addressed on screen.
So, there you have it folks. THIS is what they decided to go with for the 2nd to last episode of Smallville ever. And if this isn't indicative of the season as a whole, I don't know what is. So, yeah, I'm perfectly ready for Smallville to end. Because its clear to me that the writers just have nothing left. Hopefully they were able to dig a little deeper for the finale. Its illogical to me to expect showrunners/writers who have so botched a final season to suddenly produce something great for the finale. So, I won't expect it. But, I'll hope.
I know many SV watchers are very sad right now about the end being so close. I have feelings of sadness too. I'm sad I won't be guaranteed to see 22 hours with Tom Welling on my television set. I'm sad that I'll likely lose touch with a lot of people who I've really enjoyed interacting with, as is inevitable when a show comes to a close, and fandom dissipates. But truth be told, am I sorry that the Smallville story is coming to a close? Well, no, and an episode like Prophecy, and a season like this 10th season is a big reason for that.
As always, lets start with the totals
Prophecy running time : 41m, 42s (Previously on: 52s)
Clark: 18m, 29s
Lois: 21m, 11s
Tess: 3m, 12s
Oliver: 10m, 15s
Kara: 10m, 14s
Toyman: 6m, 47s
I didn't bother tallying up Courtney/Stargirl's totals because she was so irrelevant to this episode, and such a pointless character overall.
Year to Date (# of eps)
Clark: 428m, 8s (20)
Lois: 324m, 34s (20)
Tess: 144m, 29s (15)
Oliver: 166m, 36s (15)
Or, as I was saying “Give me that hour of my life back!”
I know that a lot of people feel like that since its so close to the end, they don't want to be harsh towards a mediocre SV episode. And I respect that. But, I am not one of those people, so you’ve been warned. I've always believed that the expectations for the last season of Smallville should've been grander. These people knew, from the first episode of the season, that this was the end. There are no more excuses for padding, and stalling, and pointless unnecessary plotlines. They shouldn't be happening.
The idea that Lois would gain Clark's powers for a day, and it would shake up her perceptions of everything is NOT a terrible idea. Its just too late to trot this familiar device now. In the beginning of the season, it would have worked. But, the idea that it had NEVER OCCURRED to Lois that there were people in need to help and saving every single second of every single day until she could actually hear them with Clark's power is a ludicrous notion to begin with. But to think that Lois could be with Clark all this time, living with him, engaged to him, while he's going off and doing what he does (in Offscreensville. because God Forbid we actually get to see any scenes of Clark out there as The Blur, saving John Q Public), and not consider this sort of stuff just rings false and hollow to me. And for what? To get to the “Oh, I can't marry you Clark” scene? Pointless, since we all know that she's going to marry him in the very next episode. Its lame melodrama to me
But, lets start from the beginning, because truly this is an episode that fails in every single beat in its execution. We start the episode with Clark wanting to take Lois to the FOS to get Jor-El's blessing for their marriage. The first big red flag that this episode was going to be bad. I've always hated how this show can't seem to decide is AI Jor-El is a super computer, or Clark's “father”. Can't decide if its benevolent mentor, or hateful, illogical, sadistic machine run a-muck. And I hate how there is absolutely zero consistency in how it acts, and how Clark reacts to it. You cannot start off a season with the scene we saw in the FOS, with the AI basically telling Clark he was a useless idiot, and then never have a scene ON SCREEN establishing a reconnection between Clark and the AI, then tell me in episode 20 that Clark wants to the AI Jor-El to sign off on his marriage to Lois. And nobody give me that bullshit that the home video of Jor-El and Lara shown in Abandoned made it all better, because #1, why would it have? and #2, in the episode Beacon, that came after, Clark's chilly relationship with the AI is brought up again. So, when did Clark and the AI make any sort of peace with each other? To the point where Clark would actually take Lois to the FOS? Because wouldn’t that have been a big freaking deal given how we began this season with Clark being disowned?
So, we begin this episode where Clark being pretty stupid, because the fact of the matter is that Clark has had enough experiance with ice daddy to know he can't trust him. And this episode actually makes that very point, with Clark knowing that this power switch is not a gift at all. Or, in other words, Clark should’ve known better.
And, just as an aside, the 2 episodes before the end of Smallville, and Clark is without his powers for the majority of both episodes? This is good plotting and storytelling?
So, we have a power switch, and frankly, Lois' reaction to this was just greatly disappointing to me. Having her zip around, and just acting like this was all fun and games was not the reaction I'd hoped from with her. I would've so preferred a Lois who was all “This is fucked up, but luckily won't last long”. Instead, she was all “Woo-Hoo, I'm awesome, and look at everything I can do, and I realize that you are now powerless, and feeling anxious and vulnerable and worried, but I'm going to keep zipping around because I can do it! Go Me!!” In short, I found her obnoxious.
But, I think I'd gladly take obnoxious over incredibly stupid, which is how she was written in her scene with Toyman. Of course every, single thing about Toyman, and his plot, and his gang was so incredibly stupid to begin with. In what universe does buying a building give you the rights to the water that runs underneath the building? In no universe. And what? All these bad guys were shareholders in the company with their villain names? And when did Metallo become a villain anyway? This was just pointless name dropping. I think the term “DC porn” is being used here and there, and this totally was. What was the point to any of this? We know that Superman, and the other JLA heroes, have a rogues gallery of villains out there. We don't need to see him in some lame-o throwaway episode with them involved in the worlds stupidest plotline
And Toyman is in a cell, sitting in the middle of the room, with just a bed thrown on the floor (where does he go to the bathroom?), but he's got a smart phone that apparently gets wi-fi that he can teleconference on?
Also, why act as though Toyman and Lois Lane have any sort of established relationship? They don't. They tried to play this scene off as though they were old adversaries, when the reality is that they've never had anything at all to do with each other. Ever.
Then we have Winslow bring up Lana. But why? Look, I don't mind Lana being brought up, and I truly believe the show should've sacked up, and allowed Clark and Lois to have an honest conversation about what happened when Lana came back in S8, and why she left, and how Clark felt about that. Here, Toyman brings up Lana's name and actions in an apparent attempt to mock Lois, but why? To what end? The reference is a throwaway. The comparison is a completely different context. And whatever Lois' feelings about such a comment are never addressed. So, its pointless, much like the rest of this episode. And aggravating, because it just reminds me of how the show should've brought her into the conversation for Clark and Lois, but lacked the courage to do so
But, back to some of the worst writing for Lois I've ever seen. Winslow threatens Clark unless Lois puts on the mind control device. Now, instead of zipping off and making sure Clark was OK, or using her super hearing to verify what Toyman was saying, Lois actually puts the mind control device on. Well then, I'm sure Clark is going to much safer now!! Brilliant Lois! And yes, I did notice that she checked her watch, but how much damage and death do you think a superpowered person with superspeed can do in the space of 5-10 minutes, because I'm thinking a lot? So, off zips mind-controlled Lois to attack Clark. And here's where the criminally underused Tess gets a dose of bad writing poured all over her. Instead of reaching for the stash of kryptonite that surely is stashed at Watchtower, Tess stands off to the side, encouraging Clark to stall super powered Lois by choking to death until his powers return.
Now, there is one good scene in all this, and thats the confrontation between Clark and Toyman. It contains one of the few witty lines of the night, and it allows Clark a very Superman-like as he assures Winslow that he'll be there to foil any evil plots afoot.
Then we have Clark going to the FOS, and pulling the plug. And this should delight me, because the AI is so fucked up. But mostly I'm just annoyed because if the AI could be unplugged, why didn't Clark do it years ago? And given how many times this stupid thing has been destroyed, corrupted, dead, and then sprung back to life inexplicably, why should I believe this is any different?
Which brings up to our last Clois scene, which I more or less addressed in my first paragraph. I'm sorry, but I've read many interpretations of Lois' motivations, and feelings, and justifications for why she called off the wedding. But they just don't work for me. Because I just find it too hard to believe that none of this ever occurred to her when she's been living with Clark for months. The show has even addressed variations of this theme going back to last years Charade, and brought up again in this years Shield. I also don't like the implications towards Clark. Because as much as one can claim that this was all about Lois, and her feelings, the reality is that if she's thinking it’s too selfish of her to take up any of Clark's time to carve out a life, isn't she really suggesting that Clark taking that time for himself is also selfish? When she says that she can't be the one to keep him saving people 24/7, isn't she suggesting that he should be saving people 24/7? How is there not judgment towards Clark here, no matter how subtle it might be?
Now, this episode has a B story, and its not any better then the A story. That’s tragic.
Why bring back Kara for this episode? Really, I don't get it. If they wanted to bring back Laura Vandervoort, bring her back for the bargain basement wedding (did you see the stills? Budget=$29.95). Or, ya know, don't bring her back at all. But was she needed for an episode where she spends most of her time interacting with Oliver for the first time, then zips up to see Jor-El just before achieving her goal and gets told that she needs to get out of Dodge because this world ain't big enough for both her and Clark?
Now, someone whose opinion I truly respect did try to rationalize the Kara situation to me, and provide me with a different way to look at it. But I'm afraid I keep coming to the same conclusion...if Clark is “The One”, and this is “His Time”, and he's “What The World Needs”, then shouldn't all those things be true no matter who else is in the world with him? If these things can only happen for Clark if the deck is cleared, then what does that say for Clark? And NOW the show is trying to tell us that Clark can't have any help, he has to do it alone. NOW? When they've shown, over and over and over again, how Clark can only be Superman with the help of the whole village? Mixed messages much?
See, they made this mess for themselves by wanting to do “Supergirl” in the first place. This whole resolution was their way of dealing with their own errors in having Kara so out pace Clark, and by suggesting that she was incorruptible in the first place. Because how much better would Kara's resolution have been if she, and she alone, realized that she wasn't incorruptible, and she felt that there was a decent chance she might fall to The Darkness!, and so she decides to get out of Dodge not because Clark can only step it up if he's the only game in town, but because she knows she might end up being a threat to her cousin, so she takes herself out of the equation? Well, I think that works better for me anyway.
And is Clark ever going to wonder where Kara went? Well, I guess not, since she says she hasn't checked in at Watchtower for weeks, and Clark didn't seem to notice that either.
I won't even go over all the silly cave stuff, or the silly Bow of Orion stuff, especially since the thing got destroyed anyway. “You push this, while I stand here, and we shoot arrows, and a wall opens up, and try not to get fried by the forcefields....” LOL. OK show, you are very silly.
But, the other decent scene in this episode, besides the Clark/Toyman scene, was the delicious Oliver smackdown delivered by Granny Goodness. Oh, how I love when a character shows up to stick a mirror in front of Oliver's face and remind him what a douche he is. His approach to this whole quest was selfish and self-serving, and I appreciate that this was addressed on screen.
So, there you have it folks. THIS is what they decided to go with for the 2nd to last episode of Smallville ever. And if this isn't indicative of the season as a whole, I don't know what is. So, yeah, I'm perfectly ready for Smallville to end. Because its clear to me that the writers just have nothing left. Hopefully they were able to dig a little deeper for the finale. Its illogical to me to expect showrunners/writers who have so botched a final season to suddenly produce something great for the finale. So, I won't expect it. But, I'll hope.