Smallville Lazarus Review

Our episode picks up right after the Season 9 finale. Clark Kent has fallen like a (pardon the pun) a meteorite from the sky to the ground below and is found by Lois in the rain. Screaming for him to wake up, her cries are unanswered. Clark's surroundings meanwhile begin to change.



Clark opens his eyes to find himself in the middle of a cornfield where the sky is green. Interesting concept of the afterlife, but not much different from what we saw in "Void." No angelic choirs, no land of clouds, no golden gate...heaven is just the stuff you can't wait to stop looking at on those long, boring road trips.



In front of a scarecrow Clark hears Jor-El's voice and asks if he's dead. He's actually in limbo and Jor-El tells him that because he died, he's left Earth and all the other heroes vulnerable.



Well gee, Jor-El, did you ever consider what his options were? Because they were pretty much a) get stabbed by the blue kryptonite or b) go to another plane of existence with the Kandorians. Both of those choices mean that he's not there to protect the Earth!



Jor-El also tells Clark that there's a dark threat that the heroes will face without him now and because of this, Earth is screwed six ways from Saturday. Clark demands to be sent back, but Jor-El goes silent and a silhouette appears of a bald man in the cornfield. Clark recognizes him as Lex and the afterlife disappears around him.



Lois has pulled the blue kryptonite out of him, tosses it away and makes sure Clark has regained his life. She walks away when she sees the first breath and stays in the shadows as Clark stands up, lets the yellow sun heal him and then speeds away.



At Watchtower, Chloe watches the footage of Oliver being kidnapped by someone who says "We're coming for all of you." But Clark manages to come in. Chloe is curious of how he's still here, but Clark explains he died but came back to life. After Chloe lies that the team is safe (well, one member is unaccounted for, but you get the idea) Clark says that Jor-El warned him of a dark threat and that he saw an omen of Lex. Chloe goes through several files of old Luthorcorp projects, but they're all declared as dead as old crome dome himself.



Too soon of a joke, or poetic irony? You tell me.



Chloe recommends that Clark goes to the Daily Planet to look for old research files for a company that Lex may have hidden back in his early years of business. Or how about the big freakin' techno tower that you're standing in that breaks into more firewalls than James Bond breaks out of restraints!



Well in the meantime, Tess wakes up from the dead in the middle of a laboratory. She peals back on the plastic on her face to see that it's completely healed. So the whole scarring was for nothing huh?



Tess walks through the lab to find out its Cadmus Labs, who have several deformed humans floating in liquid, all of them labeled Lx. She opens a door to a room where she sees a young boy with red hair. She asks him his name to which he responds, "I'm Alexander."



In the middle of nowhere, Oliver Queen is blinded and being interrogated. Apparently the first method of torture his captors had was healing him of his big "Z" burn scar, because our shirtless archer doesn't have it anymore. The guy wants to know what Queen was doing, to which he says about the aliens, but of course the man doesn't believe him. Instead he grabs a pair of shock probes and begins to turn up the juice.



At the Daily Planet, Lois surfs through old newspaper articles of Lana Lang, Pete Ross and Chloe to realize that all of them knew Clark's secret.



Well, a) how does a newspaper article tell you that they knew Clark's secret? And b) Lois never met Pete!



Clark speeds in to see Lois, who is happy to see him alive. She speaks about the Blur laying a kiss on her, saying that it was great. Clark smiles secretly but then says that it's pretty cocky for the Blur to do something like that. Lois says that kissing the damsel might just be one of the superhero's weird fetishes.



Hey, you should know lady! You got dressed up like Esmerelda for him back in "Escape!" Seriously, that's one fantasy I don't think we need any context for!



Lois secretly knows Clark is after something big at the Planet so with a convenient drop of a pen, she lets him speed off to grab the files on old Luthorcorp companies. She asks Clark if they can talk later and they arrange to meet at the Kent Barn that night.



At Cadmus Labs, Tess realizes that Alexander and his "brothers" are all clones of Lex. Alexander tells her that they were to be used as organ donors in case Lex needed them later on in life.



I'd say Lex needs A LOT of organ donors right about now!



Apparently Tess' healing was due to some of the Lex clones using their tissue and organs to heal her. Now that arises two interesting questions.



a) How coincidental is it that Tess has DNA that matches so conventiently well to her ex-boss?



b) What kind of super organs did Lex have that could return somebody to life? Or, was it all Granny Goodness' doing?



Tess hears a shudder from behind a door and is warned not to let "the bad ones" out. But of course, an older clone of Lex grabs Tess as Alexander runs for safety. The Lex clone remembers everything the original Lex did and says there can only be one Lex Luthor, before setting the lab on fire.


As Clark calls Chloe to ask what info she got, Chloe is busy at the JSA Brownstone to get help from another source. Clark hears mystical whispers over the phone chanting "Nabu", but Chloe has hung up. She asks to know where Oliver is before slipping on Doctor Fate's golden helmet. Clark finds her unconscious on the ground.



At Watchtower, Emil Hamilton treats Chloe who wakes up to tell Clark that she saw Cadmus burning and a vision of him in a more colourful costume. Clark speeds off and Chloe tearfully whispers to Clark "goodbye."



At the Kent Barn, Lois goes from a picture of her and Clark to the gift that Martha Kent left for him. She opens it to see a blue and red Blur costume (yes, we all know what it REALLY is, now hush) and tucks it away. But just then, the Lex clone shows up to smack her unconscious.



At Cadmus, Clark finds Tess healed of her scars and hancuffed. He lets her loose and is told about the Lex clones. He left her alive to give him a message, he'll meet him at Lawson's Field.



Lois wakes up to find herself strung up on the scarecrow post with a big "S" spray painted on her, just like Clark was by a bunch of high school jocks in the Pilot episode. Lex shows up to explain those events, how it was the first time he saved Clark, and afterward all he got was betrayal from him. Lois recognizes Lex and asks what happened to him. He replies that he's evolved and gained better insight, knowing that Lois is now Clark's greatest weakness. With that, he walks away and sets the field on fire.



Wait a minute, it's one thing for the clone to know everything Lex did. It's a totally different for him to know things that Lex couldn't know about! You know, on account of HE'S DEAD! How does Lex know that Clark is the Blur? Okay, a little obvious, but here's something more specific. How does Lex know Clark is in love with Lois? They were not dating when he was alive! The last person Clark loved was Lana, who Lex DID keep him away from!



Does Cadmus just give him all this information for fun? Does Lex Luthor have a will that says "And to my beloved clones, I want any piece of relevant information on Clark Kent to be passed onto them. So that one day, they may have the revenge I never had! Oh...and I also leave them behind my Scotch collection and the Porsche."



Clark confronts Lex under a big tree and both of them look in surprise of the other's appearance. Clark wants to know where the real Lex is.



Dude...clones! CLONES! Lex went kinda BOOM-BOOM!



The clone explains the real Lex is dead, and challenges Clark on everything he's become. He says that he's more dark than he's ever realized; proud and self righteous. He says it all started from the day he saved him on the bridge and Clark never let Lex forget it. Lex says that the only reason people call him a hero is because he's responsible for all the evil he stops. Angrily, Clark grabs Lex by the throat and begins to choke him until he sees the blood dripping from his nose.



Lex admits that he's dying because of his mutated form, wishing he could see the world turn on him when he fails them. He tells Clark that there's a bomb strapped to the Daily Planet globe and that Lois is about to burn at the same time, saying he's not fast enough to stop them both. Clark then speeds off to prove him wrong.



I understand what Lex is wanting to do, but you kind of think he'd be just a tad bit more crafty with a plan like this. It's a great plan, I admit it. But if Lex REALLY wanted to hurt Clark, he would have pulled out a chunk of Kryptonite, waited a couple minutes and said "Well, now your cake is gone and your stomach is empty! Hahahaha!"



But instead the Lex clone dies, Clark saves Lois and super leaps to catch the Daily Planet globe from landing on a bunch of people. He puts it back on top of the building and then speeds back home to see the costume his mom made. But suddenly, the Key transports it and him to the Fortress of Solitude where Jor-El is waiting.



Uh, excuse me if I seem a little harsh but...WHAT?!



Zod said in the Season 9 finale "You will never talk to Jor-El again!" when he destroyed the Fortress' console. Now not only is Jor-El talking to him, the Fortress is fine and the console has been repaired. Clark did not have the time, nor ANY REASON to fix the Fortress console. How did this happen?! And the first person who's answer is "it's just alien technology" gets one swift, metaphorical kick in the groin!



Clark says that now he knows he's become the hero he's meant to become, that he's ready to step into the light. He admits that when he caught the Daily Planet globe, it felt like he was flying. Smiling, he realizes he's ready to accept his destiny.



WHOOHOO! Cue the John Williams music! We have ourselves our Superma...!



Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Why? Because Jor-El tells Clark that now he's become egotistical, proud and arrogant with himself. To be honest, to get a small glimpse of that in Clark when he's there in the Fortress, but it's more of Jor-El taking a precaution of the first step.



Now this took some adjusting to. After all, fans don't wanna here that they're childhood hero is being told "You're full of yourself." Keep in mind, Clark is NOT Superman yet.



But here's the point of Jor-El's argument that DOESN'T make ANY SENSE AT ALL! Jor-El tells Clark that the dark threat he warned about in limbo, was him.



BULLLLLLLLLCRAPPPPPPPPPP!!!



That doesn't even BEGIN to make any logical sense! Think about it! Jor-El told Clark that the dark threat was going to be fought by the heroes WITHOUT him, because he was DEAD! How can he be the dark threat, when he's FREAKIN' DEAD?! Furthermore, Jor-El says things like "If you had ruled with strength, this would never have happened..." You are telling your son that he's turning into an arrogant brute! Ruling with strength is the one thing you DON'T want him to be doing! And thirdly, is Jor-El just looking for an excuse to complain about Clark?



Clark goes up to New Krypton with the rest of the Kandorians, he's disobeying Jor-El. Clark sacrifices his life trying to stop Zod from taking over the world, he's disobeying Jor-El. Clark returns to life, saves the woman he loves as well as dozens of innocent people, and he's still disobeying Jor-El! What does this guy want from Clark other than the impossible?!



The thing Jor-El is disappointed with is that Clark's arrogance nearly led to him killing Lex. Fair enough, THAT is a logical standpoint. But need I remind you that back in Season Five's "Vessel", Jor-El told Clark to KILL Lex Luthor in order to stop General Zod from having a body?! I understand the circumstances are different, but don't just start bickering from your crystals when you tell your son "Kill this guy" one season and "Don't kill the same man" another! No wonder Clark didn't want to listen to you, you're totally contradicting your own morality!



I swear there is a malfunction in this Fortress! What the frig's going on?!



Well Clark, naturally, is ticked off because no matter what he can't please Jor-El. With the costume frozen in the ice, he speeds off and the Fortress shuts itself off.


Back at Oliver's interrogation, his captor tells him that he's being let loose. Ollie says that he'll find the guy, but the captor reminds him that he doesn't even know who he is, but that he knows Ollie is Green Arrow now. It turns out Ollie has been put into a hostage exchange, where he's returned to safety while Chloe has in fact taken his place as a prisoner.

Tess meanwhile has brought Alexander home to the Luthor Mansion. Maybe she's not a cat or a dog person. Alexander is busy playing with some of Lex's old toy figurines while Tess gives him a glass of milk. We're then shown a closeup of the fire where Alexander has put one of the figures in there to burn.

Lois holds a picture of her and Clark while a tear falls from her eyes. With the realization that she's Clark's greatest weakness, Lois has gone to Egypt. She looks out to the horizon, wondering just what will happen now.

Clark meanwhile finds Lois' letter, telling him that she's gone. He drops it, then looks into the distance to see what appears to be Jonathan Kent fixing a fence.

Now look what you've done, Jor-El! You've cracked your own son's mind!

Alright, it's not stated whether this is Jonathan's real ghost or not, but his knowledge would seem to imply that it's the former. While Jonathan tells Clark that he's better than he could have ever hoped him to be, Clark says Jor-El is still disappointed. Jonathan remarks "Since when did you start listening to Jor-El."

Clark: "Oh not too long after you died....oh....awwwwwkward."

Clark says that Jor-El's right about the darkness in his heart, that he took his anger out on people and destroyed and entire building (Zod's solar tower) and now he knows he has the ability to kill inside of him. Jonathan says the true measure of a man is how he chooses to react in the face of trials.

Is Jonathan telling Clark to take the Kobyashi Maru?

Jonathan recognizes his own anger from where he was alive. How he wanted to kill Lionel Luthor to protect him, but instead the anger cost him his own life. Jonathan tells Clark that we can't make excuses for the dark stains on our hearts. He believes all the sacrifices Clark has made over the years have build up anger that has to come out sooner or later. Frustrated, Clark says that every time he does something right he does something wrong.

Clark wishes Jonathan there for him, to which Jonathan agrees, but says that this is a time he's gonna have to get through without him. Jonathan says Clark has the second chance to get rid of the ghosts haunting him and it will turn him into the greatest hero the world has ever known. He tells Clark to prove Jor-El wrong.

Jonathan does agree with Jor-El on one thing however, something dark is coming and he's going to be tested. Jonathan tells his son that he believes Clark is strong enough to overcome that test. Clark turns around to ask Jonathan what's coming, but his dad has vanished.

On top of the crow's nest, a dark cloud begins to swirl around until it reaches one of the gargoyles. The cloud takes a humanoid form, showing bright white eyes, a helmet around his head while it growls menacingly.

Alright, I'm all for Darkseid coming on Smallville, and if they're only going to treat him as a "force" for the beginning of the season, that's fine. But let's look at the comics here. Darkseid wouldn't walk into a bathroom without wanting to scream his own name, because his ego is THAT big. He thinks he's a God, he's more pompous than Major Zod was. The guy's a mastermind, but if he's invading Earth, he would want EVERYBODY to know who their ruler would be.

Back at the Fortress, Jor-El has frozen Clark's suit in a block of ice. We can only assume he'll give Clark the costume when he believes he's ready to wear it.

RATING:
9/10

Smallville Reckoning Review

What better way to start these posts then by reviewing Smallville's 100th episode? Reckoning was a episode that brought many changes to Smallville. Lives were torn, some were even ended and secrets were confessed.

Reckoning begins with Clark sitting up in the barn with a chunk of rock in his hand. Lana is there with winter clothes, curious about why he asked her to bring such warm attire.

Lana...it's SNOWING outside!

Clark says he has a surprise for Lana and when she gets close she claims that his heart is racing. He admits that he's nervous, because he's afraid that he's losing Lana. Therefore, Clark decides he needs to make sure he comes clean about something.

Next, Clark and Lana are at the Kawatche Cave where he takes her into the secret chamber with the portal. He puts the key into the slot and Lana takes his hand as colourful lights swirl around them.

Lana: "I trust you Ja...Clark!"

The two are transported to the Fortress, where Clark decides to step out of the Kryptonian closet. To prove it, he picks her up and super-leaps high into the crystal towers where we get a spectacular view of just how freakin' big this Fortress is.

"Four story igloo," Chloe? Try four HUNDRED stories!

Clark tells Lana that he needed to tell her the truth because he wanted to show how much he cares about her. He then takes the chunk of rock, which is apparently coal, and proceeds to crush it in his hand. Interestingly enough, the coal apparently has a lightbulb inside of it because light that is supposed to be heat bursts between his fingers.

From underneath the dust, Clark pulls out a genuine (and visibly cut) diamond that he heat-visions onto a ring and proposes marriage to Ms. Lang.

Now one could take in the romantic value of this scene, which to its credit is well written and performed by both Welling and Kreuk. However, let's also analyze this scene from a story perspective.

Where is Jor-El in all of this?! In Superman II the old man is berating Superman about marrying a human because it was cost the protection of the planet! And what does he say here?

Absolutely NOTHING! Not a peep! And you know what the really stupid part is? Terence Stamp plays Jor-El in this episode!

Clark returns home to his parents and tells them that Lana knows the truth now, and that he also proposed to her. She hasn't given him an answer yet, because it was a lot to take in all at once.

Here's a thought: Why didn't Clark just tell Lana his secret, give her some time to mull over the realization and the E.T. jokes and THEN propose to her? Yes, he would have to wait to put the ring on her finger, but he's doing that anyway! How does he not consider the possibility that confessing the whole "boyfriend from another planet" thing in ADDITION to asking her to be his wife could be what pushes her away? The very thing he's petrified is going to happen!

Apparently Jonathan and Martha don't have much of a problem with it (they of all people) and Jonathan says he's proud of his son and the man he's become. He says he never needed his approval.

At the Talon, Lana narrowly prevents Lois from falling off a stool when she goes to talk to her about the situation. Interesting that Lana isn't going to Chloe, who she's known and been friends with for a longer time, but what are you gonna do? Lois advises Lana that in her own shoes, she'd be lucky to end up with someone like Clark someday.

Clark meanwhile is at the Daily Planet, where he tells Chloe about the proposal and his Kryptonain konfession. Chloe is awe-struck while a series of random office occurrences pass by. Chloe then tells Clark that she believes that he and Lana are ready for something like this.

Back at the Kent Farm, Clark is about to leave for Jonathan's campaign party when Lana comes in to give her answer. It's a yes and Clark slips the ring on before twirling her around in happiness.

At the campaign party, Clark and Lana meet up with the Kents as they're congratulated. Congraulation also comes from Lois, who promplty announces before the news does that Jonathan Kent has been elected Senator.

Lana is called away by Lex and goes off to the mansion to find him guzzling down the bottle in defeat. Granted, he can't be taking this well. All of Kansas just said that some random farmer is more trustworthy in a Senate seat than a man who owns a multibillion dollar corporation!

Lex says that he only wanted to win the race to prove he wasn't his father's son and says Lana is lucky never to have had a father in her life.

"I'm so upset...I know, I'll call some orphan over to make fun of them! That always cheers me up!"

Lex apologizes and Lana puts her hand on his shoulder where he notices the engagement ring. Lex says Lana would never have agreed to the proposal if she didn't know Clark's secret, with all the mistrust she has for him. Lana denies that Clark is hiding anything and Lex gets angry.

You know Lana, Lex already knows that Clark has a secret. Why don't you just say something like "Do you tell Clark everything he wants to know? No. He, like everybody else, has their privacy. So back off!"

Lex quickly turns aggressive and Lana throws a drink in the drunk's face. Lana jumps into her car and calls Clark, telling him that Lex knows that she knows about his secret. Lex is chasing her in his car and distracts Lana right before she is slammed by a school bus and sent rolling over in her car.

Clark super-speeds right in front of Lex to the wreckage of the car and pulls out Lana, covered in blood. Jonathan Kent is there, oddly enough, and he holds his grieving son back.

At the Fortress, Clark begins to scream at Jor-El that Lana shouldn't have been the one to die because he was brought to life.

Oh, NOW Jor-El talks back. Yeah, Clark's got every freakin' right to be ticked off! Where was Jor-El's fatherly advice then?!

Jor-El tells Clark too bad, so sad and Clark argues that Lana would never have died if she hadn't known his secret and that there must be a way to fix it. Fortunately, there is. Jor-El offers him a time traveling crystal, which he'll use to...

Wait. Wait just a freakin' second here. A time-traveling crystal?! This ENTIRE time, Jor-El had a time-traveling crystal and just NOW we're hearing about it?!

Well Clark is all for this plot convenience, I mean crystal, but Jor-El warns him of two things. Someone else will have to die in Lana's place, and there's only one crystal available to do this.

Alright, that's it. I'm calling this one out...

BULL CRAP!!!!!

Exhibit A) This is not the superior technology of a scientifically advanced race, this is MAGIC!

Exhibit B) I understand that Clark was in love with Lana, and that the effect her death would have on him would be monumental. But Jor-El has always been one to say that Clark needs to have the bigger picture in mind. Why would he not have saved this crystal for him for something REALLY important? Like that vision of Lex Luthor declaring a nuclear war as President of the United States! Who knows when Clark would make a catastrophic error that only time travel can reverse? Is this just an excuse to reference Lois Lane's death in the Superman movie?

Exhibit C) Jor-El told Clark that there will only be one crystal if he uses this one. Well that's the funny thing about time-travel...he would be going back to where he HASN'T USED IT YET! Somebody close to Clark will die, no matter the outcome. Is Jor-El really going to let Clark turn the space time continuum into a roller coaster ride?!

Well for all the illogical evidence that Clark ignores, he uses the crystal to go back in time to the barn where Lana is there for their secret arctic getaway. He lies by telling her that he just wanted a date.

Lana says she doesn't want to be toyed with and asks Clark what could be more important than losing the person you love? With that in mind, Lana says that they need a break from each other and departs.

Clark goes to the Daily Planet to try and convince Chloe that he time-traveled. She doesn't believe him, so he predicts the office occurrences we assumed to be pointless as a way of proving he knew what would happen. When she's up to speed, Clark tells Chloe that he needs Lana to be kept from the highway that led to her death.

Chloe says that now Clark has the chance to protect Clark and still tell her his secret, but he reasons that somebody will always want to know what he's hiding and that puts Lana in danger.

At the victory party (oops, sorry for the spoiler), Clark makes sure Lana is there with Chloe just before the TV announcement is made that Jonathan has won. Since Lois didn't make the announcement, Clark runs up to the apartment to find her lying unconscious after falling from the stool Lana didn't help her fall off this time around. Right before she can be electrocuted from a toaster in a puddle of water ala Final Destination, Clark picks her up and the power goes out in the building.

Chloe loses track of Lana, who is called away by Lex just like last time. Now that's pretty rude! She could at least tell Chloe where she's going, say "see you later." Meanwhile Jonathan also receives a phone call from Lionel Luthor, who has some plans he wants to discuss with him.

Lana visits Lex, who quickly turns his depression in her direction and says that Clark and her had their last fight.

Last? Silly Lana, the word "last" implies that it's never going to happen again; that you and Clark are over forever. And as we all know, Smallville will milk your romance LOOOOOOOONG after the utter's empty.

Lex comforts Lana and actually ends up planting a kiss on her in his drunkeness. She leaves and he pursues after her, like before.

Clark gets Lois to safety and realizes that Lana is in trouble. He goes to the road where she originally died and catches the bus right before the accident can happen. Lex tries to help Lana while Jonathan Kent drives by and scowls.

At the farm, Jonathan meets with Lionel and calls him an S.O.B. Lionel, failing to recognize a ticked off farmer when he sees one, tells Jonathan that he wants to form a partnership with his new political ally. To seal the deal, he shows a picture that he intends to blackmail Jonathan with.

Furious, Jonathan says he won't let Lionel destroy his family and begins giving Mr. Luthor a good ol' fashion Kansas crap kickin'! He tells Lionel that he won't be brought down and walks away, breathing heavily. Lionel slinks off with the photo as Clark and Martha come home to find Jonathan.

Suddenly, Jonathan collapses in front of the truck and Clark and Martha rush to his side. With a look of warmth and love to both of them, his eyes close and his head falls back while Martha screams for him to wake up.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Jonathan Kent has just died of a heart attack.

The next day, Martha has trouble getting her necklace ready for the funeral and Clark comes to her out of grief. He blames himself for what happened and Martha says that his dad used his heart to his fullest and it's not his fault. Clark tells Martha that he'll be there for her and hugs her as the tears flow.

We get a powerful shot of the empty Kent farm, reminding us of all that Jonathan left behind, right before the funeral. As the many pay their respects, including Lex and Lionel, a near-perfect background music is set to the scene. Lana holds Clark's hand only to see him lost in his own tragedy, and Clark grabs a handful of earth to pour over his father's casket.

RATING: 9/10