Smallville - Episode 100 & 101

Smallville’s 100th episode is in the bag and I felt that it was important to review 100 & 101 together because it shows, far more clearly the direction that Smallville is headed in.

Okay, that was a blatant lie. I was just far to busy playing videogames last week and didn’t feel like writing much more than I had too.

A quick word on 100 before moving on to 101.

Episode 100 would have been the best episode of the entire run if it happened in the 2nd or 3rd season. At that point, I wasn’t completely sick of the Smallville writers constantly writing themselves out of a corner by calling something a dream or having everybody but Clark forget what happened. 100 episodes in, this is just downright lazy.

As most of you probably know, the first half of the episode deals with Clark telling Lana his secret, proposing and Lana dying. Of course, the Smallville writers couldn’t actually let that happened so Clark goes back in time and lives the day again. This time, though, Jonathan Kent dies from a heart attack (I so called this one, folks) and there’s no going back in time again (although Chloe does have the line of the entire series when she explains “what could you do, make the earth rotate backwards on its axis?” Not the exact line, but close enough).

Jonathan dies, which is completely heartbreaking in that, you know it was going to happen but you didn’t want to because he was one of the best characters sort of ways.

I guess episode 100 is the landmark episode it was hyped up to be but not the pivotal series moment it could have been. You could have easily killed Lana and fix the continuity for the movies. I mean, Lana is in Superman 3 but Superman Returns happens after Superman 2, meaning that Superman 3 never happened and you never had to actually have Lana alive.

Onto episode 101 - What’s sad about this issue is that it’s almost better that the 100th but nobody dies, there isn’t any epic plot revelation, it’s just that the show seems to be going in a better direction. Clark hurting like he is, is actually a good storyline and surprisingly, Lana trying to be there for him while being pulled by Lex is also intriguing.

Another surprise is how well the vigilante storyline works for this episode. When Clark’s mom ventures into Suicide Slum’s alone and at night (she must not be thinking straight), she’s saved by a woman who seems to have all the same powers as Clark. Now, I’ll forgive the worst filmed scene in Smallville history (the camera panning back as the vigilante chick super jumps off a platform) as it looks completely sound stage with no hint of reality, including a poor spotlight that is obviously hanging from a catwalk pretending to double as a helicopter. But it’s an interesting way for their to be an outlet for Clark’s powers, what he can do and what he almost does in anger.

But what the biggest question that this episode raises for me, is, - WHERE THE HELL IS METROPOLIS IN RELATION TO SMALLVILLE. Seriously. Where? It is a small
jaunt to the big city because it seems that Martha can drive from Smallville to Metropolis whenever she wants. It’s only a hop skip and a jump it seems. Now Clark going back and forth I can understand. But what about everybody else. It is a small commute or something?

I digress, as usual.

Episode 101 also has the second best line in the series. Clark, having just saved Lionel’s life from the hands of the Vigilante, is thanked by Lionel with the words, “Whatever the reason, thank you son.” Lionel replacing Jonathan? Oh man, that would be awesome.

Thank god they didn’t kill Lionel. He’s the best part of this and almost every episode. One of the final scenes of the episode, with Lionel coming to Martha and expressing his interest in knowing whether she’s going to take the senate seat that has been offered to her (he reveals it, we don’t know yet) and the pains of his and Jonathan’s relationship is riveting, intense stuff, made perfect by John Glover’s take on Lionel.

The episode ends on a fittingly emotional one. Lana finds the watch for Clark and Clark ends up watching a home movie with mom. A great shot of Jonathan on a tractor with a young Clark, exclaiming “he’ll be fine, he’s a man of steel” and end it with waving into the camera and saying goodbye. Cheesy, sapping and powerful – all at the same time.

Sadly, Episode 101 is superior to the much vaulted 100th episode because it delves into the heart of the show, the characters. Not the plot around them.