"Persona" Review With Screencaps
I.LOVE.VILLAINS.
Sometimes, I feel evil for it, but I think it's because I know that villains make stories better. Because without them? Things would get boring and have no conflict.
So, I'm going to start this review talking about the villains and there is lots to talk about because there are a lot of them in "Persona", namely, Bizarro, Brainiac, and Lex Luthor with DisHonorable Villain Mentions going to Grant Gabriel and Lana Lang.
Bizarro
Having Bizarro be freaked out of the sun at the beginning really set up the rest of the episode for reveals of who the Real Clark Kent was (with Chloe and Lana) and I thought that was well done. It made sure that we, as the audience, just in case we didn't already know, KNEW who was with Lana.
Is it just me or does Bizarro fly like a phantom, with all that smokey-looking stuff trailing him in flight? I thought it made him look more like a fake, more like a phantom-being because most of the time, flight is very pleasing to the eye on Smallville. Bizarro's flight to the Fortress looked like he was on fire and needed to be put out :)
What cracked me up about the villains in "Persona" is that they always smiled when they thought they were in control. I love the arrogance of that because you know they're going to lose eventually.
Bizarro smiled in "I Win!" mode twice and I noticed Brainiac did it as well (but, I'll get to that later).
Bizarro's death was really cool-looking.
I can appreciate that Smallville has a really great sound design team and it really showed in the scene when Bizarro is taken out by the Blue K and you can hear bolts crackeling out of his face.
It was kind of gross, though, because one of his eyes pops out :)
I actually really like the way Bizarro was used this season if it's for the reason I think he was used.
Bizarro LOVED Lana and made fun of Chloe behind her back. There is a reason they emphasized that even though they LOOKED exactly the same, that personality-wise Clark and Bizarro were very different and actually opposites of one another.
Even though, I know that the opposite of love is hate and that Clark doesn't HATE Lana, I'd still like to think that Bizarro being head-over-heels in love with Lana means that Clark really isn't. And, that Bizarro's forcefulness and annoyance with Chloe is the opposite of Clark's gentle nature with Chloe, who he respects, admires, and loves.
Bizarro allowed for Clark to look at himself in a more honest way (reflections are something I'll get into later).
Brainiac
Here's Brainiac and his "I Win!" smiles:
Even though he looks like a homeless man, he is still evil and a worthy opponent, playing both Clark Kent AND Bizarro, just so he can recharge himself.
Brainiac: The prodigal son of Krypton has returned.
Who says they don't make Biblical references on this show? :)
Loved the reveal of Brainiac pretending to be Lionel Luthor. That was so fantastically acted by John Glover because when Lionel starts talking about Kryptonian stuff, I was thinking, "How does he KNOW all of that?". Well, in the end, Lionel DIDN'T know anything, but Brainiac DID :) Made sense once the reveal took place in the elevator. And, I liked that changing his appearance actually wore Brainiac out, reminding us that he needed to get fixed. He wasn't 100%.
Brainiac is so my favorite villain that has ever appeared on Smallville because he IS such a threat. He can change his appearance. He's intelligent. And, he's selfish with no thought to right and wrong.
Brainiac killed a rat, tricked two super-powered beings, pretended to be someone else, and got information from a man by sucking it out of him, terminating him in the process.
Love me some Brainiac. Glad to see him return to 100% Evil Villain. :)
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is eventually going to be superior over his father and this shot really emphasized that.
Smallville does these kinds of shots a lot (like with Zod standing above Clark in "Vessel" and Zor-El standing above Clark in "Blue") and I love that lately, it's been mostly for villains to show their superiority.
Lionel: Do you believe you have the right to recycle your dead brother as if he were a part of some sick vanity project?
Lex: Well, I only did what you never had the guts to do.
Lionel: What you've done is depraved. You disgust me.
I love that there are two people who have been referred to as "depraved" this season: Lex and Lana.
And, just like in the visual of Lex standing ABOVE his father, in his actions, Lex is trying to one UP his father, by doing something he's never done.
Did the assassin give off a Devilicus vibe (with the hood and the gun) to anyone else?
I know the ending shot of Lex in the rain is a nod to "Memoria", but I think it could have been better somehow.
It just made me laugh and I know that was not really the intention.
I think, for me, it was in the emotion of the scene that just failed.
In "Memoria", Lex mourns Julian and has nightmares about him. It's sad and tragic because Lex couldn't get him back. He grew up without his baby brother because his mother took him away by killing him.
But, in "Persona", Lex CHOSE to have Julian taken out. He ordered the murder. He could have prevented Clonian's death.
The moment from "Persona" just didn't have the same kind of effect for me that "Memoria" did.
I guess, in some ways, Lex became Lillian in "Persona".
And, I guess, Lex killing Julian the second time around is even MORE tragic because he doesn't seem meant to survive. No matter how many times he's "living", he ends up being killed by a family member.
The one thing I do like about the shot of Lex in the rain is that his voice is distorted. Almost sounds monster-like. It's very scary at the end of his scream.
Grant Gabriel a.k.a. Julian Luthor (The Clone)
I recently watched some featurettes for the movie "Unbreakable" and the Director of Photography on that film talked about how they used a lot of reflection shots. I think, in a way, it's too show that when a character looks in the mirror, they are either kidding themselves in thinking that they AREN'T a certain way or that when they look into the mirror, they see something new for the first time. A self-realization.
I thought about the use of reflections/mirrors in "Persona" because we have three of them where a character looks at himself.
One of Grant/Julian looking at himself before walking into Lionel's Luthorcorp office, once of Lionel/Brainiac looking into the mirror, sizing himself up, and another of Bizarro seeing himself change in the sunlight.
In those moments, there is a duality with those characters: Grant/Julian, Lionel/Brainiac, and Phantom/Bizarro.
What you see is not actually what you get.
Grant Gabriel is not really a Luthor, by blood, but he is through science.
Lionel Luthor isn't really Brainiac, but Brainiac pretended to be him.
The phantom isn't really Clark, but is trying to take over his life, taking advantage of how much he looks like him.
I thought it was interesting that Gabriel is in his DP office, reading up on his "dad".
Maybe trying to learn more about Lionel or learning about what he could gain from being a Luthor?
Lana Lang
Is it just me or does the Isis Foundation building look an awful lot like Dr. Knox's building from "Cure"?
Not exactly the same, I know, but to me, they both give off vibes of "evil things go on in here".
If anyone wanted to see the death certificates that Lana gets from the Metropolis Police, here they are (of a John and Jane Doe):
EvilLana isn't going anywhere, y'all.
- Wearing Black and Purple.
- Hair: Up and Tight; Long and Straight
- Paris Mentions: Isobel, Jason, and Luthor Wedding Dress Shopping; Evil/Villain Reminders Relating to Lana
The table Lana prepares for her romantic, Parisian dinner with Clark (a.k.a. Bizarro) reminded me of the Lexana dinner table from "Rage". It just looked very Luthorian with the candles, long table, and wine glasses.
I loved how Lana, even after hearing that she had been with a phantom for weeks, STILL couldn't tell the difference between Real Clark and Bizarro.
I guess I should give her some slack because she probably thought since Clark took her to Ollie's that it was really him when he came to see her (because, I'm guessing nobody else knew she was there except for Lionel), but come on...
She didn't know it was Bizarro until she saw his face change...in guess what? A REFLECTION.
Guess people haven't learned to scream out for Superman yet, huh?
First Chloe with the cell phone calling for Clark's help and now, Lana's doing it :)
Bizana
I love how there's a constrast that is being set up in Clark's relationships with both Chloe and Lana.
It's very much Lana being set up as the partner to the villain and the copycat or "carbon copy" (hee!) and Chloe as partner to the hero and the real guy.
Lana still has her secret lair at Isis and it's where she and Bizarro do their expositioning and figuring things out, which is very much a contrast to Chlark scoobying at The Planet.
Now, for the Heroes...
Clark Kent
Poor, Clark.
A Phantom Zone maniac is running around, taking over his life and he can't do anything about it.
Why is that?
Why can't Clark break out of the ice? Shouldn't he be powerful or strong enough to do so? I didn't understand that.
But, I DID like the way they showed up Clark's incarceration. Very nice CGI in the Fortress (I really got a feel for how BIG and DEEP that place is) and very reminiscent to me of Superman putting himself in the chamber to remove his powers in Superman II.
Seems to me that they were trying to help us tell the Real Clark from the Phantom Clark even by his hair. There seemed to be a little difference in the way it was brushed, particularly, around the bangs.
FYI:
In the images below, Real Clark is on the left and Bizarro is on the right.
They're really amping up the Superman look for Clark, I think.
He's been holding Superman shield objects a lot more in the last two seasons and they've even had his face, his hair, and his stance resemble those of Supes.
I found the two shots below to be VERY Supermanly.
Bizarro: I know what's in his [Clark's] mind, Lana. He doesn't love you like I do.
Clark: That's a lie!
Bizarro: You're lying, Clark...to yourself! You're so worried about doin' the right thing, you don't even see it.
[Bizarro turns to Lana]
Bizarro: You know he won't commit his life to you like I will. You know that.
Lana: He's right, Clark.
Clark's reaction:
That face cracks me up. "Rrruuuhhh?"
Ever wonder what it would look like when Clark would grow out of Lana?
Well, this is it:
Dax-Ur
I thought Marc McClure did a great job at Dax-Ur and am glad to see a member of the Superman film franchise used so well.
I loved the reveal of him with him sliding out from underneathe the car.
Yea for Superman film stars holding Superman shields!
I find it interesting that Kryptonians are so into blonde women or ARE blonde women. :)
I don't want to put too much into that because Dax-Ur gave up his ability to save the human race to be with Grace and the ability to have a son. So, a large part of me says Grace does NOT = Chloe/Chlois.
But, it did catch my attention.
They REALLY need to address Kryptonian bracelets on this show because they keep popping up.
Chloe Sullivan
Chloe and some DP folders:
I love that the show is maintaining the walls that have been put between Chloe and Lana.
They'll still talk to each other, but they aren't BFF anymore and for good reason.
Chloe went to the Kents' house (How did she get in? Does she have a key?) because she was concerned about Clark, not to chat it up with Lana, but while she was there, she decided to ask her questions about Clark's behavior because she knew Lana would have interacted with him as well.
Chloe was all business with Lana and I like that.
Right around the time that this dialogue happened during the broadcast...
Lana: Chloe, maybe it's time to let go of him [Clark] a little.
...I got this text message from my friend, Krysti:
"Lana Lang needs to die."
I think that pretty much sums it up :)
The audience should be HATING Lana's attitude towards Chloe and cheering for Chloe to somehow win out over Lana.
I loved Chloe's skepticism when the Real Clark came to see her at The DP.
She had every right to be suspicious after Bizarro forcefully grabbed her and displayed Non-Clark kind of behavior.
The differences in reactions over Real Clark trying to reveal himself to Chloe and Lana is interesting to me.
When he tells Lana, Lana shakes her head and tries to convince him (and herself) that they were going to leave Smallville.
When he tells Chloe, she asks for PROOF like a good DP reporter. It made sense to her that the weird-acting Clark was not really him, but she needed to know for sure.
I always love it when Clark leaves Chloe in a scene and they have her hair blowing because of his superspeed.
Her "Good Luck" was very Lois Lane-ish to me.
Chlark
I loved Clark having to prove to Chloe that he was the real deal.
It was cute in the way he had to show her with the sun, but it was heartbreaking at the same time because she was scared of him.
Chloe: How do I know you're the real Clark?
Clark: Chloe, it's me.
I loved that interaction because it reminded me of "Cure" when Clark freaked out that Chloe wouldn't know him after hearing that her surgery had a side-effect of potentional memory loss.
Clark's "It's me" from "Persona" really echoed his "You're gonna forget me" from "Cure".
Clark does NOT want Chloe NOT to know who he is and he has to prove himself to her through evidence with the sunlight.
Clark: It's me.
Chloe: Oh my God. Thank God, it's you.
Gots to love them Chlark hugs and MAN, look at that big 'ole bracelet!
Every Triangle Has 3 Sides
Triangles were everywhere concerning Bizarro.
He was in the middle of Lana and Chloe.
And, he was in one, fighting over Lana Lang.
The End of Clana?
I know a lot of people couldn't stomach Clark getting back into bed with Lana (I was one, when I first heard about it Wednesday night from our great Canadian friends to the North), but after having seen the episode, I kind of like it.
It really shows that there is some BIG mess going on with Clana now, that has been building up all season and it could potentionally (and hopefully) blow up in their faces. Clark, obviously, did NOT want to go to bed with her. It was only her prodding him that got him away from looking out of the window.
Clark is NOT happy with Lana and it's REALLY showing. I guess that happens when your girlfriend sleeps with your evil twin...
The ending was obviously supposed to be a contrast to the beginning.
At the beginning, Bizana are both naked, in as much sunlight as possible (without giving away his real identity), and are kissing and happy.
At the end, Clana are both clothed, in darkness (with a STORM going on outside), and are not touching, seemingly wanting to avoid each other.
I love ending the episode on the lyrics, "here comes the FALL", signifying a possible end to Clana because it was just so eerie and negative that I just have to assume that it's going to be the real deal this time.
I also thought these lyrics to be very interesting:
"Girl, I know you try to FLY straight into my heart".
My first thought when I heard that lyric was that Lana TRIES to be the right girl for Clark, but she seems to think that involves cooking, pouring lemonade, and being a computer whiz.
Clark needs so much more than that. He needs complete understanding, loyalty, trust, encouragement, unconditional love, and the freedom to follow his destiny.
Lana can try to fly into Clark's heart all she wants, but, ultimately, she's not going to be that woman for him.
That particular line of the song also hit back on the "Fever" letter to me, in the fact, that Chloe hopes that one day Clark will "FLY back to her".
Random Thoughts
Why are Superman-shielded things always kept in these handkerchief thingies? :)
I wonder what the 7 on the gas truck stands for? 7th Season, maybe? :)
Clark is going to have a really great Kryptonite collection if he plays his cards right because doesn't he keep Green K in a box similar to this one?
Oh, and Smallville...stop using the Danny Elman Batman theme. Just stop. This show is about Superman.
Overall Thoughts
For the most part, I really enjoyed "Persona".
Great villains.
Great Chlark.
Smart Chloe.
Idiotic Lana.
Unhappy Clana/Clark.
I'm hoping "Persona" was used to set up a lot of changes for the characters, particularly for Clark. I hope he learns a lesson from all this, especially, in regards to the women in his life. He should start to see Chloe and Lana in a new light. If Clark learns nothing from the experience with Bizarro and Bizana, I will be very disappointed.
I'd also love to see him question Jor-El because the whole randomly locking him up in ice should bother him.
And, I hope that Brainiac proves to be as great of a villain as he was in S5 and really makes Clark work to save the day.