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