Smallville 6.15: "Freak"

Written by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer
Directed by Michael Rosenbaum

It was hard not to notice that the pacing in this episode was far more frantic than usual. At first, it was a little annoying, since the writers seemed to be rushing past some of the story details. Before long, it began to make sense. The pace added to the tension within the story, which was already palpable and well-developed. I think this is the first time in months that I’ve felt so engaged by an episode of “Smallville”. I must credit Rosenbaum for a strong directorial effort, overcoming some of the limitations of the script.

The main improvement this season has been tighter continuity. Lana’s usual ignorance has disappeared, at least in terms of putting together the evidence that Clark has some kind of ability related to the meteor showers. Even faced with apparent evidence against her conclusion, Lana is sure that Clark has abilities. This is pulling her into some interesting territory.

Lana has shown a lot less tolerance towards “meteor freaks” in the past. This has led Clark to believe that telling the truth would be a very bad idea. Surprisingly, now that Lana is making the assumption that Clark has been infected by the meteors, she’s rather sympathetic. She probably believes that this has been his secret, and that it explains all his behavioral issues over the years. Based on her lingering love for him, she probably wants to rationalize his reasons for being secretive to justify her own resurging attraction. (Setting aside, of course, that she still has good reason to be angry at him.)

This gives Clark even more reason to consider making a play for Lana, and of course, it continues to put her in a precarious position between Clark and Lex. The plot arc is driving towards a complex confrontation. Clark, through his connections to Oliver Queen, could gradually develop evidence against Lex and his experimentation of “meteor freaks”. Lana has been operating on the assumption that Lex has been more honest to her than Clark. If Clark reveals some measure of the truth about his nature, in concert with evidence against Lex, Lana could attempt to leave Lex and return to Clark. As noted in many previous episodes this season, the implications are not good for Lana or her unborn child.

If that advancement in the story had been the only twist in the episode, it might have been enough. Certainly it would have been par for the course this season. But that was simply the underlying implication of the episode. The other primary plot thread held a number of surprises for Chloe. This episode introduces some shocking revelations about Chloe and her true nature.

This is a bit of a risk for the writing staff. Revealing Chloe as a “meteor freak” will drive countless fans to go back through the past five seasons worth of episodes and hunt for each and every contradictory piece of dialogue. Ultimately, that may not be very important. At any point, Chloe could have been infected, and it’s far more important to focus on the implications for Chloe now. As she points out herself, the fate of previous “meteor freaks” has rarely been positive. Those worried about Chloe and her longevity have a new reason to be nervous. Then again, her ability could be rendered positive by Clark’s influence, thus adding to his growing sense of heroism.

I’ve rarely been stunned by the plot twists on “Smallville”, but the writers are very quickly breaking out of certain conventional barriers and taking the story in unusual directions. This is the best run of episodes for “Smallville” in quite some time. Even the dynamic between Clark and Lana is interesting again. That kind of creative infusion is rare for a series this long in the tooth; see “Buffy”, “X-Files”, and “Stargate SG-1” at a similar point in their respective runs, for less successful examples. I’m quite pleased with how well the season has progressed. One can only hope that the final third of the season keeps to the same standard.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10