Universal Soldier - or - Thoughts on "Prototype"...Spoilers..
I started writing this two days ago, but I have been at the mercy of stress, visiting relatives and now, on Mother's Day, hormones (I have a headache like nobody's business right now, but I have some quiet time..) and the emotional angst of NOT buying the cute red gingham high heeled sandals I saw yesterday while out shopping with the visiting relatives. So please forgive my tardiness with this episode review. Okay, whining over, let's get to "Prototype", shall we?
It bears repeating that Season Six has been, since Justice, the season of suck. The good news is that since the disaster that was "Promise", the episodes have been much better. "Prototype" was very suspenseful. Thank you, Steven DeKnight. I've cursed you, cried at your scripts, hated you for your misleading spoilers, but you really managed to leave the Smallville world with a halfway decent episode. So, thank you, goodbye and good luck. *waves*
I say halfway decent because once again, we are given a nice dose of UST between Clark and Lana, complete with a reversal of their dialogue from the past seasons before. I could get totally behind a Clana friendship that is a complicated one, though. It would be nice to see Lana really embracing the role of 'double agent', continuing the tradition of Lex's betrayal at the hands of the women he gets close to, BUT for completely non selfish reasons (ie - not after his money).
The theme of halfway decent continues with a Chloe I'm not sure I recognize. Moping over Jimmy? When the assurances in "Noir" were that they were still together, but just doing things from a distance because of work, to see Chloe moping enough to need consolation bugged me. It's cute she missed him, but Lois had an emo!fest break up with Oliver in "Justice", and she got drugged for her trouble in "Crimson' where we got to watch her eat chocolate mousse cake over Clark instead (again thanks to the red!K lipstick..stupid TPTB) Anyway....I didn't recognize this Chloe. She's nice, and it's great that she's helpful, but we really needed to see the Chloe we know. What a team she and Lois could be - since we are going away from show canon so much. Additionally, I have to say that while I didn't like Clark being so snippy with Chloe, either, he did speak some truth. Chloe has been working on the 33.1 story for, like, oh, EVER, and she's had evidence, pictures, first hand accounts and enough info to hang the Luthors. She has a connection to the group that is now responsible for taking out 33.1 facilities all over the world. She's been kidnapped, identified as a meteor freak and found out her own mother was being held by Lex. WHY isn't she writing the article? Why hadn't she written it before Lex threatened her? I find Chloe's non-writing of the expose as big a light switch to her character as others find Lois' barn door. It's cheap and wrong that Chloe has been put in that position. With all that in her hands, it's horrible that she hasn't written that article. And while I appreciate Lois now being on the trail of the 33.1 project as well as her determination to avenge her lost friend, I really am upset that Chloe never went forward with it.
Chloe's inaction is highlighted by Lois's action here. Lois is on the trail of a corruption story - not project Ares - and she's pulled in to the mess because she recognizes the prototype as a former friend. Finding out he was presumed dead only encouraged her more, and soon she's up to her butt in the story. Lois goes not to Clark for help - because why would she? I loved that little moment in the barn when Clark steps up to help Lois and she's really there asking Martha Kent for help. I liked seeing Lois thinking of her political contacts as resources, and as much as I was kind of dissatisfied with the non-development of her following the corruption story, I like that it was a POLITICAL story first. That was a good thing and it would have been great to see that played out a little more before this episode. Lois childhood friendship with Wes - aka the prototype - was a wonderful way to emotionally short circuit the programming he's been through, too. And how great to see HELO from Battlestar Galactica as Wes? *sighs...* and then to see Wes and Clark battling it out? *swoons*. And seeing Lois at the end, crying over her lost friend (the recipient of her first kiss, too), with Clark standing there in the shadows was heart breaking. I did tear up at that..the expression of total understanding on Clark's face before he turns away, with the sounds of Lois' grief? Really moment worth remembering. (And one I hope does not play out again at the season finale) Giving Lois her personality really seems to be paying off for Erica Durance, too. I loved seeing her dance out of the Talon to ambush the Senator with a blithe "See you on the front page" was great.
The real highlight of this episode though was Lex as a fully evil guy. Gone is the woobie!Lex, hopefully forever, too. Sacrificing all those guards to test the prototype and being willing to lose more for a second test? Sick and wrong! Knowing Lana was listening outside the door when the Senator was there and waiting for her to show her hand...brilliant. And the most chilling moment? That room o' clones at the end. It was awesomely great, but I had to ask myself how it was that the scientist involved in the project didn't notice the room full of sleeping clones RIGHT NEXT DOOR to his lab? That was a WTF moment for sure once I got past the impact of that army he's got. Oliver was right, huh? (YAY for the Oliver and his team, Alicia, Graham Garrett, and the Lex exes mentions. Continuity is just a beautiful thing and it's wonderful when the show writers illustrate that the concept doesn't completely escape them.)
Also, speaking of highly convenient happenings - Martha Kent as the new U.S. Senator from Kansas??? Come on...she was running the Talon before she took over Jonathan's state Senate seat..now Martha is a U.S. Senator? With no election? I cry bullshit. I'm sorry. It's clear this step up is courtesy of Lionel, who tells us that he and the governor were discussing replacements....grrrrrrr. It's Clark that reminds Martha, Lionel and the viewers of Jonathan, and I think it's a necessary moment. I didn't feel comfortable with Clark discussing his powers so openly in front of Lionel, even if Lionel knows everything.
Overall, "Prototype" was a good episode. It was't phenomenally great, and it wasn't bad, either. Given the elements, it could have been a really fantastic episode
And, without any further ado - The Good, The Bad and The Squeeworthy...
The Good:
Lois knowing the prototype and their shared childhood being what it took to snap him out of his programming.
Lana repeating Clark's line about secrets and protecting those we love and meaning it.
Clark and Chloe figuring out what happened to Lois and Clark going out to save the day.
Clark confronting Lionel about Lana's decision to marry Lex.
The Bad:
Martha becoming a U.S. Senator LITERALLY overnight.
Chloe not going forward with the 33.1 story after "Justice"
Clark being snippy and cranky with Chloe over her inaction. He really has no business being that way.
Not seeing Lois working on this story a bit longer.
The Squeeworthy:
Tahmoh Penikett(aka Helo from BSG) as Wes/Prototype.
Lex really standing ankle deep in evolness.
Lois grabbing on to the story and running with it.
Clark watching Lois weep over Wes' body.
Lex and his room of clones for an expanded Project Ares.
Continuity nods to Oliver and the team, Alicia, Graham Garrett and Titan.
The awesome Clark firing up the heat vision shot during the fight scene with Wes.
It bears repeating that Season Six has been, since Justice, the season of suck. The good news is that since the disaster that was "Promise", the episodes have been much better. "Prototype" was very suspenseful. Thank you, Steven DeKnight. I've cursed you, cried at your scripts, hated you for your misleading spoilers, but you really managed to leave the Smallville world with a halfway decent episode. So, thank you, goodbye and good luck. *waves*
I say halfway decent because once again, we are given a nice dose of UST between Clark and Lana, complete with a reversal of their dialogue from the past seasons before. I could get totally behind a Clana friendship that is a complicated one, though. It would be nice to see Lana really embracing the role of 'double agent', continuing the tradition of Lex's betrayal at the hands of the women he gets close to, BUT for completely non selfish reasons (ie - not after his money).
The theme of halfway decent continues with a Chloe I'm not sure I recognize. Moping over Jimmy? When the assurances in "Noir" were that they were still together, but just doing things from a distance because of work, to see Chloe moping enough to need consolation bugged me. It's cute she missed him, but Lois had an emo!fest break up with Oliver in "Justice", and she got drugged for her trouble in "Crimson' where we got to watch her eat chocolate mousse cake over Clark instead (again thanks to the red!K lipstick..stupid TPTB) Anyway....I didn't recognize this Chloe. She's nice, and it's great that she's helpful, but we really needed to see the Chloe we know. What a team she and Lois could be - since we are going away from show canon so much. Additionally, I have to say that while I didn't like Clark being so snippy with Chloe, either, he did speak some truth. Chloe has been working on the 33.1 story for, like, oh, EVER, and she's had evidence, pictures, first hand accounts and enough info to hang the Luthors. She has a connection to the group that is now responsible for taking out 33.1 facilities all over the world. She's been kidnapped, identified as a meteor freak and found out her own mother was being held by Lex. WHY isn't she writing the article? Why hadn't she written it before Lex threatened her? I find Chloe's non-writing of the expose as big a light switch to her character as others find Lois' barn door. It's cheap and wrong that Chloe has been put in that position. With all that in her hands, it's horrible that she hasn't written that article. And while I appreciate Lois now being on the trail of the 33.1 project as well as her determination to avenge her lost friend, I really am upset that Chloe never went forward with it.
Chloe's inaction is highlighted by Lois's action here. Lois is on the trail of a corruption story - not project Ares - and she's pulled in to the mess because she recognizes the prototype as a former friend. Finding out he was presumed dead only encouraged her more, and soon she's up to her butt in the story. Lois goes not to Clark for help - because why would she? I loved that little moment in the barn when Clark steps up to help Lois and she's really there asking Martha Kent for help. I liked seeing Lois thinking of her political contacts as resources, and as much as I was kind of dissatisfied with the non-development of her following the corruption story, I like that it was a POLITICAL story first. That was a good thing and it would have been great to see that played out a little more before this episode. Lois childhood friendship with Wes - aka the prototype - was a wonderful way to emotionally short circuit the programming he's been through, too. And how great to see HELO from Battlestar Galactica as Wes? *sighs...* and then to see Wes and Clark battling it out? *swoons*. And seeing Lois at the end, crying over her lost friend (the recipient of her first kiss, too), with Clark standing there in the shadows was heart breaking. I did tear up at that..the expression of total understanding on Clark's face before he turns away, with the sounds of Lois' grief? Really moment worth remembering. (And one I hope does not play out again at the season finale) Giving Lois her personality really seems to be paying off for Erica Durance, too. I loved seeing her dance out of the Talon to ambush the Senator with a blithe "See you on the front page" was great.
The real highlight of this episode though was Lex as a fully evil guy. Gone is the woobie!Lex, hopefully forever, too. Sacrificing all those guards to test the prototype and being willing to lose more for a second test? Sick and wrong! Knowing Lana was listening outside the door when the Senator was there and waiting for her to show her hand...brilliant. And the most chilling moment? That room o' clones at the end. It was awesomely great, but I had to ask myself how it was that the scientist involved in the project didn't notice the room full of sleeping clones RIGHT NEXT DOOR to his lab? That was a WTF moment for sure once I got past the impact of that army he's got. Oliver was right, huh? (YAY for the Oliver and his team, Alicia, Graham Garrett, and the Lex exes mentions. Continuity is just a beautiful thing and it's wonderful when the show writers illustrate that the concept doesn't completely escape them.)
Also, speaking of highly convenient happenings - Martha Kent as the new U.S. Senator from Kansas??? Come on...she was running the Talon before she took over Jonathan's state Senate seat..now Martha is a U.S. Senator? With no election? I cry bullshit. I'm sorry. It's clear this step up is courtesy of Lionel, who tells us that he and the governor were discussing replacements....grrrrrrr. It's Clark that reminds Martha, Lionel and the viewers of Jonathan, and I think it's a necessary moment. I didn't feel comfortable with Clark discussing his powers so openly in front of Lionel, even if Lionel knows everything.
Overall, "Prototype" was a good episode. It was't phenomenally great, and it wasn't bad, either. Given the elements, it could have been a really fantastic episode
And, without any further ado - The Good, The Bad and The Squeeworthy...
The Good:
Lois knowing the prototype and their shared childhood being what it took to snap him out of his programming.
Lana repeating Clark's line about secrets and protecting those we love and meaning it.
Clark and Chloe figuring out what happened to Lois and Clark going out to save the day.
Clark confronting Lionel about Lana's decision to marry Lex.
The Bad:
Martha becoming a U.S. Senator LITERALLY overnight.
Chloe not going forward with the 33.1 story after "Justice"
Clark being snippy and cranky with Chloe over her inaction. He really has no business being that way.
Not seeing Lois working on this story a bit longer.
The Squeeworthy:
Tahmoh Penikett(aka Helo from BSG) as Wes/Prototype.
Lex really standing ankle deep in evolness.
Lois grabbing on to the story and running with it.
Clark watching Lois weep over Wes' body.
Lex and his room of clones for an expanded Project Ares.
Continuity nods to Oliver and the team, Alicia, Graham Garrett and Titan.
The awesome Clark firing up the heat vision shot during the fight scene with Wes.