Smallville: Kandor
There were a couple of good moments in this episode, but I have to say that overall I was extremely disappointed. It seemed like a big bait-and-switch to make it look like Clark was going to have an actual chance to get to interact with Jor-El, and then only give him a few dying seconds. Especially since the timing seems extremely contrived. The Kandorians arrived months ago, but it was only when Clark happens to be on another continent searching for Jor-El that he shows up at the farmhouse? RLY??????????? Oh stupid plot contrivance, I did not miss you.
Things I did like:
1. I am not, to be honest, very invested in the Kandor plot--these days I'm mostly tuning in to watch the Clark/Lois show, and the shirtless Ollie show, and the Chloe-turning-morally-grey show; so far my main interest in the Kandorians has been because it gives Tess a chance to be a badass. But having said that, it was nice to get a little backstory on the Jor-El/Zod friendship. I still can't help thinking Clark and Lex did this plotline a lot better
2. I loved the visual look of Jor-El's trial: very Superman II, and that was always my favorite Krypton scene. There's something very eerie about that spinning prison thing with the giant faces.
3. Chloe has been taping everything at the farmhouse? How very Lexian of her. I do love the fact that every single episode we're getting these hints that she's going to a darker place; I'm very curious as to how far they're going to take her down that road.
4. It was nice to see Oliver getting a chance to be supportive to Clark, for a change.
5. It seems pretty momentous that Tess now has confirmation from his own mouth that Clark is Kryptonian. I wonder where that's going to go. I'm also glad that it's clear her partnership with Zod is all about her own agenda, not his, and that she's resisting his seduction techniques. (Bleh. I don't find Zod attractive AT ALL).
On the other hand, her hero worship of the Kandorians seems so damn out of character for her. Well, not really out of character--she has always had an idolization of the Blur, and a fascination with Krypton, but she's normally so pragmatic it really surprises me that she authentically believed that the Kandorians could save earth. I hope Jor-El's talk set her straight.
6. Clark talking to Ollie on the Kent porch about his two dad's deaths made me choke up a little. Oh, CLARK. *Hugs him* Dammit, I am so mad at the writers for not letting you get to have a real conversation with your dad.
Things that really annoyed me (besides the major plot contrivance I already complained about):
1. I don't think the actor playing Jor-El looked at ALL like Clark, which, considering young Jor-El looked exactly like him, bugged me.
2. I didn't like the fact that Clark told the so inconspicuously marked grave of his dad (headdesk! Clark, you are trying to avoid the Kandorians finding you, so marking graves with Kryptonian symbols seems just DUMB)
that he couldn't save Zod "because I know what he becomes." (A) Just because Zod made certain choices in his other life doesn't mean he's necessarily doomed to make the same ones here. (B) That seems VERY unsupermanly to me; Superman doesn't give up faith in people like that.
This is not to say that I like Zod or even want him to be saved, but it's the principle of the thing.