Smallville 6.1: "Zod"
Written by Steven DeKnight
Directed by James Marshall
The fifth season of “Smallville” was challenging on a number of levels. In terms of a season arc, it managed to be one of the more cohesive seasons, even if the writers completely changed certain elements at the last minute. Professor Fine was one of the more memorable recurring villains, and of course, there’s the death of Jonathan Kent. The end of the season left Clark in the Phantom Zone and Lex possessed by General Zod. So where does the series go from here?
As I’ve said before, I’m not at all knowledgeable of the “Superman” comics, and quite often, that has been a good thing. I don’t have any concerns about continuity with decades of source material or any of that; I’m concerned with the relative integrity of the series itself. That was one area where the fifth season fell apart at times: the overall arc was maintained, but from episode to episode, the quality was highly variable.
On the whole, I think this season premiere gets the ball rolling in the right direction. Clark is going to have to take responsibility for his own choices, and if the writers follow through on that premise, it could mean some actual character development. They’ve certainly set the stage for a defining season for Clark. Jonathan is gone, Jor-El is silent, Lex is no longer a friend to offer advice, and Lana is lost to him. Martha is there, but while she’s been given the baton in terms of playing the primary role in Clark’s moral development, Clark must start looking at his own choices more closely.
And if the writers are still paying attention after considering all of that, then they must inevitably see this season’s arc as a chance for Clark to clean up his unintentional messes. I’m not just talking about those Phantom Zone buddies that are running around causing trouble. I’m talking about his personal relationships, and that doesn’t mean making things peaceful. It means taking a stand and sticking with it. I’m not sure where the writers intend to take this season, but there’s potential to take Clark’s development towards Superman a little further. Especially if the series is drawing towards a close over the next season or so, since the logical ending would be the choice to become Superman.
For all that, however, I’ve always maintained that the series is only as interesting as the complex relationship between Clark and Lex. If it’s just about Clark, it’s too simple. Clark is not, in fact, a very interesting character, because he can never really step outside of his iconic moral stance for long. Lex, on the other hand, must develop as a strong and meaningful foil to Clark, and the series has been a steady (if inconsistent) build towards that goal.
Having Zod possess Lex was a nice way of tying into the lifelong animosity that will exist between the characters, and Michael Rosenbaum is clearly having a blast in the process. As always, the interesting aspect of Lex is the possibility of his redemption, and how often such opportunities are ripped out of his grasp. In this case, Lex will want to make up for what he did under Zod’s control, but the combination of his reputation and his ambition should make that impossible, thus feeding into his eventual decision to embrace his darker impulses. Only time will tell if the writers will be willing to make Lex and his character development sensible.
On the whole, I liked this episode, but I do think some plot conveniences were involved. It was far too easy for Clark to get out of the Phantom Zone, and I had the distinct feeling that we were supposed to recognize the young woman Clark encountered there. It seems odd that the Fortress would suddenly stop working, and that Chloe, Lionel, and Martha managed to survive with hardly a scratch (Lois was hurt, but of course, she had to survive). Still, that’s normal for the resolution of a cliffhanger, so I wasn’t particularly annoyed by it. And if the writers manage to explore the consequences in the future, then it will be worth it!
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Smallville”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Directed by James Marshall
The fifth season of “Smallville” was challenging on a number of levels. In terms of a season arc, it managed to be one of the more cohesive seasons, even if the writers completely changed certain elements at the last minute. Professor Fine was one of the more memorable recurring villains, and of course, there’s the death of Jonathan Kent. The end of the season left Clark in the Phantom Zone and Lex possessed by General Zod. So where does the series go from here?
As I’ve said before, I’m not at all knowledgeable of the “Superman” comics, and quite often, that has been a good thing. I don’t have any concerns about continuity with decades of source material or any of that; I’m concerned with the relative integrity of the series itself. That was one area where the fifth season fell apart at times: the overall arc was maintained, but from episode to episode, the quality was highly variable.
On the whole, I think this season premiere gets the ball rolling in the right direction. Clark is going to have to take responsibility for his own choices, and if the writers follow through on that premise, it could mean some actual character development. They’ve certainly set the stage for a defining season for Clark. Jonathan is gone, Jor-El is silent, Lex is no longer a friend to offer advice, and Lana is lost to him. Martha is there, but while she’s been given the baton in terms of playing the primary role in Clark’s moral development, Clark must start looking at his own choices more closely.
And if the writers are still paying attention after considering all of that, then they must inevitably see this season’s arc as a chance for Clark to clean up his unintentional messes. I’m not just talking about those Phantom Zone buddies that are running around causing trouble. I’m talking about his personal relationships, and that doesn’t mean making things peaceful. It means taking a stand and sticking with it. I’m not sure where the writers intend to take this season, but there’s potential to take Clark’s development towards Superman a little further. Especially if the series is drawing towards a close over the next season or so, since the logical ending would be the choice to become Superman.
For all that, however, I’ve always maintained that the series is only as interesting as the complex relationship between Clark and Lex. If it’s just about Clark, it’s too simple. Clark is not, in fact, a very interesting character, because he can never really step outside of his iconic moral stance for long. Lex, on the other hand, must develop as a strong and meaningful foil to Clark, and the series has been a steady (if inconsistent) build towards that goal.
Having Zod possess Lex was a nice way of tying into the lifelong animosity that will exist between the characters, and Michael Rosenbaum is clearly having a blast in the process. As always, the interesting aspect of Lex is the possibility of his redemption, and how often such opportunities are ripped out of his grasp. In this case, Lex will want to make up for what he did under Zod’s control, but the combination of his reputation and his ambition should make that impossible, thus feeding into his eventual decision to embrace his darker impulses. Only time will tell if the writers will be willing to make Lex and his character development sensible.
On the whole, I liked this episode, but I do think some plot conveniences were involved. It was far too easy for Clark to get out of the Phantom Zone, and I had the distinct feeling that we were supposed to recognize the young woman Clark encountered there. It seems odd that the Fortress would suddenly stop working, and that Chloe, Lionel, and Martha managed to survive with hardly a scratch (Lois was hurt, but of course, she had to survive). Still, that’s normal for the resolution of a cliffhanger, so I wasn’t particularly annoyed by it. And if the writers manage to explore the consequences in the future, then it will be worth it!
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Smallville”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
posted by John Keegan | 15:03
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