Thursday night, which means superheroes and spooks!
I find that I'm not quite sure how to feel about SV these days. Every episode's sort of up and down, a scene or two I like, and then the next scene or line I want to strangle the writers.
A lot of it has to do with the Lex and Lana thing, which has been sort of a tangled mess if you ask me; when they first started it, they surprised me by not making The Rift about Lana, and actually writing Lex and Lana together fairly well, but now it seems like we've gone backwards and all Clark and Lex get pissy at each other about is her, not to mention Lana's been slipping from determined and kind of bitchy back to whispery indecision and Clark fixation. Agh!
I do love superhero teams, and Justice League has always been a powerhouse, so having a prototype of it here was pretty fun (though really, it just isn't the same with no Batman or Wonder Woman). But I have a bit of an issue is with Ollie founding the League. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Green Arrow, both the comic book version and SV's rendition, but for me the League is something that's always been tied much more closely to Superman. Heck, Ollie wasn't even a founding member, unless I missed one of the origin retcons somewhere (though I'm pretty sure the most recent official origin is also Supes/Bats/WW + others). I don't necessarily hold SV to stick with comics continuity, since 1) it's a different entity, and 2) who can figure out comic continuity anyway, but I feel like not having Superman-actual full Superman, not teenage doofus Clark-Batman and Wonder Woman there just robs it of a certain something. Well, okay, I suppose I'm not completely sure about the spirit of brotherhood between heroes being completely kosher for this Ollie. >_>
Also, SV Aquaman still sucks ass. We did get Arthur being a manwhore, which is good I guess, but still. I don't think SV is capable of having him on without being really lame and somewhat annoying. Maybe it's the actor? His face does bother me for some reason. Does anybody else have that reaction?
Lois and Ollie finally calling it off sucked, since I actually thought they were pretty cute together. But alas, provided they're anywhere near right on his characterization he's a largely absent manwhore anyway (something I'm not sure Lois would put up with), and she needs to be unattached for the eventual Lois/Clark deal to work out.
I'm interested in Clark's decision at the end to let them blow the facility. He did make sure all the heat signatures were out of the building, but I wonder if it'll be quite so simple. If anybody was in there and got missed somehow, the fallout should be pretty brutal. But overall I rather like it as a demonstration that Clark is finally realizing that he's got to step up, and doing this savior thing is going to change things. He's facing more and more serious decisions with each episode and season. But damn SV, how long can you manage to keep him from donning the spandex? Surely by now Clark should be realizing that he's not exactly gangbusters at the "secrecy" thing, especially with the way he constantly (and really fucking stupidly IMO) speeds out of the middle of the Daily Planet offices. I know SV doesn't want tights, since that'll move the character out of the early stage and into Superman, but I'm hoping that the new Justice League here will at least result in an early disguise, even if it's just the kind of generic hood and sunglasses motif the Teen Justice League is sporting.
Between the remains of the Phantom Zone escapees and the Justice League vs. Lex and 33.1, I'm excited for some pretty good showdowns. Especially if the writers can step even farther up the criminal mastermind ladder with Lex.
Oh, and Lionel needs to go. Martha, seriously, what the fuck are you thinking woman? I like you. But there's no way I believe anything good from Lionel for a second, and since you have half a brain neither should you.
You know, I have to give the show some credit. Even though I'm not one of the people saying this is the best episode ever, it's gotten more attention from me than most of the other episodes lately, which I've sort of been half watching while doing other things and not having much to talk about afterwards. Oh SV, maybe we don't have to break up after all.
The return of people thinking Sam and Dean are gay! Yes! Maybe Dean does seem like he's overcompensating, Sam, but I suspect your fluffy emo hair might have something to do with it as well.
I love the guys heckling one another; the whole "Sam loves dolls" conversation was great.
Then they turn right around and break my heart. Oh Sammy, worrying about whether or not he's going to turn into a monster. And Dean being put in the position, first by Dad and now by Sam, of wondering whether he's going to have to kill his brother. I'm not really sure what Dean would do if the situation came about. On one hand, Dean is definitely a dedicated hunter, but he's got a gigantic soft spot when it comes to Sam and even if the worst happened I'm not sure he could bring himself to do it. When the Croatoan virus hit and there was worry of Sam being infected, Dean didn't at all want to consider taking the "safe" route, plus he's been so freaked about the whole thing. If it does come down to the do or die, Dean backed into a corner about it, I'm not sure which will win out-his training and instincts as a hunter or his brotherly protectiveness.
One thing I am sure of, though, is that if Dean *does* have to let go of Sam, it's going to crack him open. Sam's usually the one that's more open about his feelings, but I think Dean is actually the needier one, he just buries it all under being in control and being there for everybody else.
Man. I ♥ these boys.