Smallville Episode 11 Comments

This week brings the final episode before the deadly consequences that will unfold on the sure to be amazing 100th episode. Let’s see what happens this week, shall we?

Wow, haven’t seen an episode of Smallville start this way before. Okay, the sarcasm is on high right now. People dressed as cops bust into Lex’s mansion, shoot his campaign advisor (I would so never work for Lex) and gets locked in his panic room. So, Lex is going to be in peril in this one.

Oh and the episode is kicking off with Lana and Clark and their inability to be intimate. This is like Dawson’s Creek in its second season. But, then again, that’s when Dawson’s Creek was actually a good show. Well, at least Clark and Lana were happy for like, 3 episodes. Oh! And Lana is keeping secrets. She has the diagram to the space ship and Clark is pissed. To be fair to Lana, Clark isn’t handling this very well. If he hasn’t learned anything by now, he never will. His close friends don’t get weirded out after they find out. They are usually pretty understanding. They actually understand. How come Clark’s mom is the only that sees it my way?

So, the police officer that has Lex pinned down as one of the ones that took on the ship in the first episode. Everybody wants that ship all of a sudden. And how do they take care of Lex? They nab Lana Lang, who’s driving down a dark street. How they find her, in the middle of nowhere, well, only the writers know that. But of course, that gets Lex out of little panic room. Oh no! Lex is shot? Are they going to kill Lex? Is this a swerve? Of course not.

Jonathan Kent is now mad that Lionel is behind his campaign. Really, the values of Jonathan need to bend a little bit.

But Chloe getting mad at Clark for super speeding into her room and asking him to put the super brakes on before he gets to the door more than made up for it.

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think that they might be throwing a swerve at me with the whole Jonathan Kent thing. Yeah, he’s past due for dying, but there could be a small chance the hold off, just to prove me wrong. We’ll see. Chloe’s advice is always classic, though, so I hope that they aren’t just going to write her off the show. She might now be in the future Superman mythology but that doesn’t mean we need to kill her just yet.

Just thinking out loud here, but, wouldn’t it be an interesting twist if Clark’s secret was found out by the chief of police and he sort of “helped” them out. She’s sort of liking Clark more and more now and it could work. Okay, maybe not.

I still can’t figure out why the writers went down the Lana/Lex path but oh wait! The sheriff just got murdered. There goes the Clark/Sheriff relationship. I guess she was learning too much as it is. Good time to kill her. Damn, they’re killing people left and right on this damn show. Surprisingly, I sort of felt a little bad for her when she bit it. I think I liked her more than I knew. Bye Sheriff, we hardly knew ya.

Actually, now that I come to think of it… isn’t this like the 2nd time in 3 episodes that Lex has been shot.

Clark races against time and Lana questions, finally, how she survived. Could this be the time when she finds out the truth, what/who Clark really is. Damn this is a great setup episode for #100. “Lex saved my life” - Ouch, that hurts. Just tell her.

Well that’s a quick fix for the campaign money. Just sell the back 40, that nobody ever knew existed.

That’s right Clark, it’s time to bite the bullet. It’s time to tell her.

Wow. That was an intense episode. Not in an earth shattering that was incredible way, but in a wow, the next episode is set up to freakin’ awesome, considering the preview has Clark proposing to Lana and showing her the fortress. Can’t WAIT for Thursday.

By the way, Rob and I will be teaming up to check out that episode. It’s going to be a dandy. I can’t believe I’ve watched 99 episodes of Smallville in my days.

Comic Reviews for January 17, 2006 - Part 1

Two fantastic weeks of comic book glory to get through here. I want to point out, though, that I’m not reviewing the DAY OF VENGENCE one shot. Why? Because those f’ers killed Dr. Fate. Or, well, Dr. Fate killed himself. Or some bullshit like that. Yeah, there will be a new Dr. Fate but I liked the Dr. Fate we had just fine. But, if it’s an excuse for Fate to get a new book, well, I’ll buy it.

A lot of big titles to get to, so let’s get this show on the road.


G.I. JOE # 7 – A fun story in which Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow do some bonding. They haven’t been the same since Shadow joined up with G.I. Joe again. It was nice to see. The only problem I’m having with this book is that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow are starting to overshadow everybody else. The problem with a book like G.I. Joe is that there are a lot of characters floating around and if you don’t like some of them, the book becomes less engaging. I think they need to swap out some characters and bring in some fresh blood. A CUT & PRINT GOOD.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #124 – This is just pure crap. A CUT & PRINT GOD AWFUL.

CAPTAIN ATOM: ARMAGEDDON – I’m still really digging the story and the art here. Captain Atom is really causing a disturbance in the Wildstorm universe. I know nothing about the universe but it’s starting to get me interested in its heroes. A CUT & PRINT GOOD.

INFINITE CRISIS #4 – Infinite Crisis is my form of crack and Geoff Johns is the most brilliant comic writer today. If anybody was going to tell me that Day of Vengeance, The Rann-Thangor War, OMAC and Villians United would lead to this explanation, I would call you crazy. For those that want to know –

Alexander Luthor of Earth – 3 (I think), enlisted the help of Superboy-Prime and together they are busting heads. They setup all of the chaos leading to the crisis. It’s all explained, brilliantly, on the fourth page of this issue. It’s an amazing, amazing story. Utterly amazing. This makes sense. Everything makes sense now. It’s the ultimate curveball and you’ve got to get your hands on this issue if you’ve been following the Infinite Crisis at all over the last year. Bloody brilliant.

Basically, Superboy tracked down the Anti-moniters dead corpse, this is the base for Luthor’s machine that is going to right everything. Luthor gave Brother-Eye life. Superboy got the black rock for Psycho Pirate, who then controlled Eclipso, who brainwashed Spectre to destroy magic so that Luthor could get ahold of new magic to power his machine.

Still with me?

Then, Luthor posed as this Earth’s Luthor and formed the Society so he could get the people he needed to power his machine.
Meanwhile, Superboy literally moved some planets together to fuel the Rann-Thangar war.

And now we’re here.

Bloody brilliant writing.

This issue… I almost cried. The Flash – Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen, The Speedster. They all make the ultimate sacrifice. All of them. It’s an amazing nod to the original Crisis. It’s crazy how beautifully written this is.



More reviews to come…

Smallville Episode 10 comments

Tom Welling was quoted as saying that the death that happens in episode 100 is going to come as a shock to everybody. That is just sort of happens. If that doesn’t just back up my theory that it’s going to be Jonathan, nothing does. Remember how Old Jon dies in the movie? He is racing Clark, for fun, and has a heart attack. A heart attack. The man who has a bad heart, which has been established in the last two seasons, has a heart attack. If the writers don’t kill Jonathan, they’re flipping fools. He needs to die.

Also, in a production photo for Superman Returns, we see Martha Kent and Ben Hubbard together. Again, from Superman: The Movie. Ben is who Clark sets up to look after the farm. Jon, your days are numbered. It’s sad, but ultimately as to be true for their to be any sense of continuity.

Rob’s already recapped the episode, which I couldn’t do before him because I’ve been knee deep in getting the new issue of Cut & Print Magazine prepped. So, I’ll just do the usually commentary.

The “previously on Smallville” video recap was awesome because it back’s up Rob’s point completely. John Glover is the heart and soul of Smallville. You see so many sides on him in that opening minute salvo. He’s good, he’s bad, he’s possessed by Jor-El, you just never know what they’re going to pull out of Glover for any given episode. They kill Lionel and the show is over.

So your telling me for almost 100 episodes Lana has been dumb as a post but she finally gets smart when Clark doesn’t want to rip her clothes off? The writers on Smallville are awesome! Only on this show could they pull off that blatantly bad piece of writing and get away with it. I swear, the more things they pull off that just scream “you shouldn’t be doing this”, the better the show gets. Hmm… by studying these star charts I pulled of the Internet, I surmise that a rocket ship, capable to holding on extraterrestrial being must have crash landed with the meteor rocks. That’s the only hypothesis a first year astronomy student like myself could support. I’m Lana Lang, I’m suddenly the smartest character in Smallville. Damn, I love this show. Ahh, Clark thinks that he might hurt Lana if he gives her some of his super speed loving.

Chloe – Sex councilor. Awesome. Just awesome.
Chloe:“Oh… uhhh… wow… awkward factor 8?”

The Lex Luthor speeches conform with where Lex should be going but what’s with the crazy chick and the rest of the “youth vote”. Why would they want to vote for Lex? And Drake, she’s crazy because she has a fake smile. Get it. And she’s a stalker. That’s why this episode won’t be awesome. The crazy chick. Do we really need the “How’s this chick going to kill Jonathan” storyline.

I feel sorry for the crazy chick. She shaved her hair for a Smallville guest shot? I guess I shouldn’t talk. I’d do the same. I then she smashes the sacred Scotch decanter on Lex’s head? How’s he going to drink scotch?

Rob’s right, this new Lionel, who stands in the shadows, constantly waiting to talk to people, is great, quizzical and all together acceptable.


Lana: “Clark, there’s something that doesn’t crash the way other meteors do. It, well, it kind of lands. Clark, what if a ship came down in the first meteor shower as well and whoever was in it has been here with us the entire time?” Well, Lana, I'd say you were freaking brilliant.

If the secret doesn’t get revealed to Lana, it will be one of the biggest mistakes in the history of a serialized drama like Smallville.

Smallville Episode 10 comments

Tom Welling was quoted as saying that the death that happens in episode 100 is going to come as a shock to everybody. That is just sort of happens. If that doesn’t just back up my theory that it’s going to be Jonathan, nothing does. Remember how Old Jon dies in the movie? He is racing Clark, for fun, and has a heart attack. A heart attack. The man who has a bad heart, which has been established in the last two seasons, has a heart attack. If the writers don’t kill Jonathan, they’re flipping fools. He needs to die.

Also, in a production photo for Superman Returns, we see Martha Kent and Ben Hubbard together. Again, from Superman: The Movie. Ben is who Clark sets up to look after the farm. Jon, your days are numbered. It’s sad, but ultimately as to be true for their to be any sense of continuity.

Rob’s already recapped the episode, which I couldn’t do before him because I’ve been knee deep in getting the new issue of Cut & Print Magazine prepped. So, I’ll just do the usually commentary.

The “previously on Smallville” video recap was awesome because it back’s up Rob’s point completely. John Glover is the heart and soul of Smallville. You see so many sides on him in that opening minute salvo. He’s good, he’s bad, he’s possessed by Jor-El, you just never know what they’re going to pull out of Glover for any given episode. They kill Lionel and the show is over.

So your telling me for almost 100 episodes Lana has been dumb as a post but she finally gets smart when Clark doesn’t want to rip her clothes off? The writers on Smallville are awesome! Only on this show could they pull off that blatantly bad piece of writing and get away with it. I swear, the more things they pull off that just scream “you shouldn’t be doing this”, the better the show gets. Hmm… by studying these star charts I pulled of the Internet, I surmise that a rocket ship, capable to holding on extraterrestrial being must have crash landed with the meteor rocks. That’s the only hypothesis a first year astronomy student like myself could support. I’m Lana Lang, I’m suddenly the smartest character in Smallville. Damn, I love this show. Ahh, Clark thinks that he might hurt Lana if he gives her some of his super speed loving.

Chloe – Sex councilor. Awesome. Just awesome.
Chloe:“Oh… uhhh… wow… awkward factor 8?”

The Lex Luthor speeches conform with where Lex should be going but what’s with the crazy chick and the rest of the “youth vote”. Why would they want to vote for Lex? And Drake, she’s crazy because she has a fake smile. Get it. And she’s a stalker. That’s why this episode won’t be awesome. The crazy chick. Do we really need the “How’s this chick going to kill Jonathan” storyline.

I feel sorry for the crazy chick. She shaved her hair for a Smallville guest shot? I guess I shouldn’t talk. I’d do the same. I then she smashes the sacred Scotch decanter on Lex’s head? How’s he going to drink scotch?

Rob’s right, this new Lionel, who stands in the shadows, constantly waiting to talk to people, is great, quizzical and all together acceptable.


Lana: “Clark, there’s something that doesn’t crash the way other meteors do. It, well, it kind of lands. Clark, what if a ship came down in the first meteor shower as well and whoever was in it has been here with us the entire time?” Well, Lana, I'd say you were freaking brilliant.

If the secret doesn’t get revealed to Lana, it will be one of the biggest mistakes in the history of a serialized drama like Smallville.

Smallville Season 5, Episode 10 Review

I gave Jake the benefit of a few days head-start on the Smallville review - yet the Big Man didn't seem to feel inclined to post a review of the first new episode since the pre-Christmas break.

So, here we go instead:

Johnathon Kent is dusted off and dressed up from the corn fields of Kansas, pumped into a pinstriped suit, and well on his way in the race for State Senator. Somehow, the good ol' boy finds himself with a corrupt campaign manager (fired), a lack of funds (Lionel Luthor will fix that) and some major campaign security flaws (beaten in his barn and - look out - he's about to get shot).

Still, it takes a lot to keep Bo Duke down. And somehow, his campaign keeps on rolling.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch/mansion, Lex Luthor (likely well into his umpteenth glass of scotch) meets his Youth Brigade troops who are helping to pump up his campaign on university campuses. One of them is crazy, off-her-rocker, out-of-this-world, nutso.

Unfortunately, much of this episode focuses on the crazy woman. It's an alright plot. Nothing fancy, she's just nuts for Lex and ends up trying to kill Pa Kent. We've seen it before, I'm sure, we'll see it again.

Squished before and after the subpar subplot about Lex's crazy youth supporters, is some fascinating stuff involving Lana Lang. She wants to get freaky with the soon-to-be Man of Steel, but Clark's worried that he might end up hurting her (or, conceivably, being so fast that somehow he rotates the earth counterclockwise and turns back time). Their relationship is on the rocks now, partly because Lana has been examining old photos and has determined a spaceship landed in Smallville years ago, carrying some sort of lifeform. Now, why the world's greatest scientists couldn't figure this out, but Lana Lang could, well, that's left unsaid. Perhaps for the best.

The best parts of this episode, though, are reserved for Lionel Luthor (John Glover). Seems the multi-billionaire has nothing better to do than hide in alleys behind Smallville coffee shops, waiting for that 30 second brief conversation with Ma Kent before fading back into the night. Also, he's got lots of cash. And so we begin to see Martha Kent and Lionel Luthor pulled together... the outcome of which likely does not bode well for Jonathon Kent's future, no matter how the election plays out.

John Glover is so good in his role, his scenes are classic and almost always steal the show. Without him, I fear where Smallville would be. Great timed delivery, including a final sequence with Lex where he suggests Lex "dust off" the Art of War by Sun Tzu and give it another read-over because one of the dirty snitches Lex has hired to dig up dirt on Pa Kent has turned up dead. Lionel is smiling.

Overall, a fairly good episode. The weakest parts, with the crazy girl from Lex's campaign, unfortunately take up 90% of the running time. Still, we get another Smallville episode with glimpses of brilliance before and after the rather medicore main act. But what brilliance it is. And, you can just feel the series building to this massive, thunderous, climactic end where all hell is going to break loose in the senate race, Lana's spaceship quest, Clark's superpowers, Lex's evil ambition and Jonathon Kent's future health. Should make for some great TV.

Superman Returns Poster

This recently-released Superman Returns poster is hella cool.
So is this other shot of him holding what appears to be a car or some sort of metal slab.
I'm still not completely sold on the new, streamlined, Superman suit. But I am stoked to give this film a chance (although not quite as stoked as Jake, the ultimate Supes fan).

Comic Reviews - Week of January 4th

Just checking in quickly with an update on the comic review front. Not much to discuss, other than the fact that time is of the essence, which it always is, isn't it?

Let's get right down to it -

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #81 – The story focuses all its attention on Stargirl. This is one shot filling in some background on everybody’s favorite teenage ass kicker. It’s a fun little story that provides a little bit of a family connection of Stargirl past the JSA. Nice to see the relationship that she shares with her step father and the positive changes it has made in her life. A CUT & PRINT OKAY.

SUPERMAN/SHAZAM: FIRST THUNDER #3 – I’m in comic love with this little series. I love Superman and I love Shazam. Throw the two of them together with amazing art and a fun story and you’ve got yourself three awesome parts to a four part series. Can’t wait to see the next entry. As simple as a review as you’re even going to get. A CUT & PRINT AWESOME.

SUPERMAN #225 – This one is a tie in to the Infinite Crisis and boy is action heating up. The comic opens with Superman reflecting on the stinging words that Batman left him with in the first issue of the Infinite Crisis… ‘The last time you inspired somebody, you were dead.” Potent words that kick off this setup issue. The society is angry that the invisible rules have been broken (you know, with all the mind wiping and the such that has been going on). The murder of Max Lord by Wonder Woman has put some of the villains on edge and a group of 4 of them are causing quite the disturbance out in L.A. Jimmy Olsen goes to check out the story and ends up, along with two other random people, becoming heroes. Why? Because whenever these people are faced with a tough decision they ask “What would Superman do?” A needed issue to get Big Blue back on track to saving people and the art (Ed Benes & Elton Ramalho), much like in the Superman/Shazam series kicks all kind of butt (I love Superman being drawn in this way). And the cover is all kinds of cool. I’d love to have it as a poster. A CUT & PRINT YEAH!