Smallville 5.11: "Lockdown"
Written by Steven DeKnight
Directed by Peter Ellis
In which Lex and Lana are held captive within Lex’s panic room when two cops demand to see the spacecraft, while Jonathan is less than pleased when he learns about his financing…
As the writers prepare for a number of plot twists in the milestone 100th episode, the story turns out to be a step above filler. Sure, there’s the death of a minor supporting character, which is a bit surprising, but there’s relatively little movement in the overall plot threads and just about none in the character department.
Was anyone surprised by Jonathan’s reaction to learning about Lionel’s donation? What else was that character going to do? It would have been more interesting in the long run (especially if Jonathan is the character about to die) if his implied consent remained intact and his election integrity under at least short-term question. If Clark is destined to emerge with his own set of ethics, why not have him struggle with the legacy of Jonathan’s example?
Anyway, tying the “lockdown” situation, designed specifically to throw a Lex-sized wrench in the Clark/Lana relationship, to the season premiere was a nice touch. In fact, there were quite a few nice continuity references throughout the episode, even if the characters were just doing what the plot required. Lex’s interest in Lana I can understand, looking back on the second season and onward; Lana’s friendship with Lex is a bit more forced.
Clearly the writers are implying that Clark will have to tell Lana the truth if he wants to have any chance at a future with her, and that presents an interesting dilemma. How can she know the truth and survive into the future of the mythos? Perhaps this is going in the right direction after all. Some elements of the mythology should remain intact, but why not firmly establish this as an “alternate” version of the story? All the media presentations can’t hang together, so why not vary from the conventional wisdom in a more pronounced fashion.
Of course, the writers have to continue with the hints that Clark will end up with Lois, which was cute at first, but now has become incredibly tiresome. I don’t mind her as a character in most episodes, but this is a perfect example of something that doesn’t need to adhere to the strict bounds of the mythos. Let Clark end up with Chloe, since the two have far better chemistry, and just accept that this is a story about archetypes, not comic book continuity!
OK, I know that none of that will ever happen, but as much as I like this series and its particular brand of storytelling, some of the constraints get on my nerves. The fact that the ratings are stronger than ever will just give the producers more reason to stick with a “winning” formula, no matter how the story and characters suffer as a result.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Directed by Peter Ellis
In which Lex and Lana are held captive within Lex’s panic room when two cops demand to see the spacecraft, while Jonathan is less than pleased when he learns about his financing…
As the writers prepare for a number of plot twists in the milestone 100th episode, the story turns out to be a step above filler. Sure, there’s the death of a minor supporting character, which is a bit surprising, but there’s relatively little movement in the overall plot threads and just about none in the character department.
Was anyone surprised by Jonathan’s reaction to learning about Lionel’s donation? What else was that character going to do? It would have been more interesting in the long run (especially if Jonathan is the character about to die) if his implied consent remained intact and his election integrity under at least short-term question. If Clark is destined to emerge with his own set of ethics, why not have him struggle with the legacy of Jonathan’s example?
Anyway, tying the “lockdown” situation, designed specifically to throw a Lex-sized wrench in the Clark/Lana relationship, to the season premiere was a nice touch. In fact, there were quite a few nice continuity references throughout the episode, even if the characters were just doing what the plot required. Lex’s interest in Lana I can understand, looking back on the second season and onward; Lana’s friendship with Lex is a bit more forced.
Clearly the writers are implying that Clark will have to tell Lana the truth if he wants to have any chance at a future with her, and that presents an interesting dilemma. How can she know the truth and survive into the future of the mythos? Perhaps this is going in the right direction after all. Some elements of the mythology should remain intact, but why not firmly establish this as an “alternate” version of the story? All the media presentations can’t hang together, so why not vary from the conventional wisdom in a more pronounced fashion.
Of course, the writers have to continue with the hints that Clark will end up with Lois, which was cute at first, but now has become incredibly tiresome. I don’t mind her as a character in most episodes, but this is a perfect example of something that doesn’t need to adhere to the strict bounds of the mythos. Let Clark end up with Chloe, since the two have far better chemistry, and just accept that this is a story about archetypes, not comic book continuity!
OK, I know that none of that will ever happen, but as much as I like this series and its particular brand of storytelling, some of the constraints get on my nerves. The fact that the ratings are stronger than ever will just give the producers more reason to stick with a “winning” formula, no matter how the story and characters suffer as a result.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
posted by John Keegan | 15:53
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