Smallville 8.13

[bop_radar]

It's the heatwave edition of my review. Sorry guys. I'm not expending any more thought energy on this until at least one of the following things happens:
- the temperature drops 15 degrees
- Smallville returns to the show I recognise.

Comments

[miss_tress]

I know it might sound weird to throw a hissy fit about the visual presentation of an episode

It's not weird. I believe it was Greg Beeman in one of the commentaries talked about how SV had a very distinct visual style and they try to impress on new directors that have to fit their personal style into SV's rather than the other way around.

And I am really really upset that Lana's empowerment arc is not about becoming empowered as her own character, it's about her becoming empowered in a Clark-like way, to become equal to Clark on HIS terms.

And that's why I hated this ep so much. Lana empowered herself by getting that training from the military guy and then threw it away by trying to become Clark when she should be happy being Lana.

[bop_radar]

Yes! It was Beeman. I miss him. (Even more than Al and Miles maybe.) He understood. SV is soooooooo specific visually. Start moving outside that and you really mess with the whole universe. It's very disorienting. Also, i'd argue that it loses its connection with its comic book origins too, because those too have certain set conventions and ways of framing things visually--SV had developed an equivalent, and it was really SMART.

Lana empowered herself by getting that training from the military guy and then threw it away by trying to become Clark when she should be happy being Lana.
Not to mention how ridiculous the training by the military dude actually was. I mean when did she actually learn the martial arts?! Gah. I didn't like it at all. Become LANA, Lana!

[bop_radar]

Yuh. I tried to go with it, but this arc has seriously regressed the show about 1 1/2 seasons. It's not doing any of the characters any favours.

[bop_radar]

Yeah. I sat on this comment trying to think how to reply.

I have no words for the stupid wasted direction of SV at the moment. I mean using Clark's xray vision to find a chain that could have just as easily been lying on the table? That was money right there that could have gone to Erica. :( And god, fake Lex is just farcical.

I will have to try and find a copy of Final Verdict... I'm pretty much at the point where I want her to find another show so I can jump ship and go watch her showcased appropriately!

[norwich36]

Well, the visual thing didn't make much of an impression on me positively or negatively (I wonder if that's a difference between watching on a TV that's 15 feet away v. watching on a computer monitor? Also I'm usually typing notes as I watch), but the reaction to AM's directing has been pretty split, actually.

I'm still reserving judgment on the Lana arc until it's done, but I agree that I wanted to see Lana complete the trajectory that has been set up for her in the past, not start a completely different one when she only has an episode left in the series. (I am not, however, completely convinced that AlMiles wouldn't have gone for Lana with powers--remember Lana's arc in season 4?)

[fleegull]

They even gave her a wee bit of superpowers waaay back in Season One in Obscura when she could see though the eyes of the killer who kidnapped Chloe. Not to mention her mad martial arts skillz....I think AlMiles would have signed off on Lana Gets Superpowers Again. That's not a knock on them either, hell I made this icon for a reason!

[bop_radar]

I think they might have too. I just think they would have handled it better. I really, really liked the ep in S7 where she got Clark's powers temporarily. And in theory, revisiting that could be interesting, but I felt it was very sloppily executed and they confused the empowerment issues.

[bop_radar]

I'm not actually opposed to a Lana superpowers plot per se. It's the way they've handled this one and the timing that really bugs me. There's all this lipservice paid to it being about Lana growing as her own person, but actually she's doing it both to be with Clark and to be a better Clark than Clark. I think the exploration of that could have been better--even if they went with that idea, please, PLEASE give Lana time and a chance to see how limiting that is and to find a new way of defining herself beyond that. I'd like to reserve judgment but I don't think they've left themselves enough time.

[butterfly]

I'm torn, because I feel like Lana was in character, but Clark totally regressed, which made me sad. And Tess was made of awesome, which I've decided to focus on.

I agree with you about the direction. I don't think that AM did a very good job marrying her vision into the general show vision. But after her not-very Brainiac version of that character, I almost wonder if she doesn't actually watch the show (some actors don't watch their own work, but I wouldn't expect that from someone who wants to direct).

[bop_radar]

Ha! Yeah, good call... does she watch it? The evidence is mounting up that she doesn't.

I feel Clark is regressing during this arc, yes. And it's really sad for me because he's been the strength of this season until now. I hate the way they've written him in the last few eps though and from being in his pov most of the time this season, I'm suddenly in no-one's...

[bop_radar]

I don't want to be spoiled but I also don't need to be to know that the Clois will look like a joke after this arc. I saw that coming last episode when Clark pledged himself to Lana again. Clark's made it clear that Lana's the person he would be with if he could, regardless of any feelings for Lois. I think I'm pretty much breaking up with S8-Clois, because they have stripped the relationship of meaning. :((((