Valerie

I'm not sure I'll continue to cross post all my SV stuff, but I wanted to try this out. Please be aware that there are SPOILERS in the review below, because I haven't quite figured out how to do a cut yet.

Much more punctual this week. I think I just wanted to get this one out of the way.






And this week, on Chloeville...

Episode Running Time: 41m, 38s (previously on: 1m, 6s)

Clark: 12m, 51s
Chloe: 20m, 36s
Jimmy: 10m, 38s
Davis: 15m, 43s
Oliver: 16m, 59s

Season to Date (# of eps):

Clark: 402m, 6s (20)
Chloe: 274m, 12s (20)
Lois: 146m, 35s (11)
Jimmy: 103m, 24s (10)
Tess: 98m, 29s (11)
Davis: 109m, 52s (11)
Oliver: 112m, 39s (10)

Just an interesting little fact, Allison Mack has surpassed the season screentime total for any character NOT named Clark. By a lot. Meaning Lex or Lana were never featured as much in 1 season. Just something of note.

Now, onto the melodrama


Type your cut contents here.

Ah, another episode focusing on my favorite thing, Chlavis. And when I say "favorite", I mean not at all.

Yet another SV installment that is relentlessly dark, where all the characters seem to bother me on some level, and where I think the messages the show is sending are extremely twisted. I don't mind ambigious or enigmatic characters. But when ALL the characters are that, it gets a bit tiring. And I also just don't think this should be THAT show.

Obviously, what do I know?

For me, Chloe contines to be "The Lana" of this season. And I do want to clarify something here. When I refer to Chloe as "The Lana", I'm not trying to insult KK, or even Lana. I'm just saying that this is a storyline thats cobbled together from Lana storylines, and I have no doubt at all that this was written for their "leading lady", and thats been Lana for them for so long, I think it shows in the set-up and writing. They just plugged Chloe into it, and made some small adjustments. But I still don't think its a good fit for Chloe, because although I've had problems with Chloe's characters from time to time, I've never see her written as a dumbass wrapping herself up in martyrdom. Until now, that is.

Lana to Clark in Power: "You would have never let me go through with it..."

Chloe to Clark in Beast: "I knew if I told you any sooner, you'd have found a way to stop me..."

Ah, those similarities keep on coming.

I was just wondering, does that mean Chloe is SWFing Lana? LOL, I keed, I keed. I hate that whole nonsense. Bottom line is that these writers aren't that creative, so they tend to march over the same ground. Its really as simple as that.

The first time I watched this episode, I thought the end scene made it clear that Chloe's prime motivater was Clark. But having watched this episode again to get the totals, I think I'm changing my position. And the most damning piece of evidence (well, aside from the sex dream) is Chloe's comment to Oliver when he asks her when the killer became more important than innocent people. Her answer "He needed me". Not Clark needed her. Not that she was protecting those innocent people, or Clark. Nope, it was "he needed me". I don't see how else once can interpret that line except for it as a revelation of a large part of Chloe's motivation.

Then you had the scene in the FOS. While I actually liked the way Clark and Davis were shoving each other around, and I liked how Clark was calmly trying to reason with Davis to do the right thing, I just thought the scene completely fell apart when Chloe showed up. Her bullshit about Clark not wanting to get blood on his hands is either once again an illustration of just how far her and Clark's ideals have drifted apart....or, it was all a load of crap to berate Clark, and manipulate his emotions, so that she could spirit Davis away. Would Clark feel bad about putting Davis in the Phantom Zone? Yes, I think so. But I also think he would deal with that, and move on. Chloe's whole line of reasoning that this decision would tear Clark apart falls apart when what she does guts him far more.

And this comes to my biggest peeve with this episode, and with Chloe's actions. The phone call at the end, which some seem to find so swoony, and which I see as one of the most fucked up things Chloe has ever done to Clark.

Chloe to Clark: "Everything I've ever done, right or wrong, I did for you."

Now, think about that line, and let it sink in a little.

How can someone say that to Clark, and really care about his feelings? Anyone that knows Clark knows how much guilt and responsibility he takes on for the actions of those around him, and then you say THIS to him? How is this even remotely cool?

"I harbored a serial killer...but it was for you"
"I murdered a guy in a hospital bed....but it was for you"
"I tried to convince you that you were paranoid and full of fear....but it was for you"

OMFG!

Also, lets entertain for a minute that Chloe was sincere in believing that Clark would let the decision to send Davis to the Phantom Zone eat him up. How the heck is calling him to tell him that you are going to babysit a kryptonian monster for the rest of your life all for him, and no need for him to worry and look for you, not going to eat him up? In the grand scheme of things, and as viewers of the show who have watched Clark for 8 years, what do you think would be harder for him to recover from and reconcile? What do you think would more dominate his thoughts and actions and life? What do you think would take him away more from his heroic alter-ego, and more towards obsessing on one particular person?

I don't know how anyone can look at the situation, and not see that Chloe's phone call and reasoning would not cause Clark far more guilt, pain and feelings of responsibility then sending Davis to the Phantom Zone.

And because of that, I don't understand the phone call at all. Or, she was full of shit in the FOS. It can't be both.

For the record, I have no doubts at all that Chloe is going to completely skate on her actions. I'd place a bet on it. Clark is the one thats going to get stuck with the check for this one.

BTW, I actually hated that Clark just stood there in the FOS, and let Chloe scold him like he was an idiot child, and then he just let them waltz out of there. And then worse, the show never lets Clark verbalize why he did that. Because again, and for reasons unbeknownst to me, the writers seems to think Clark's POV is the least deserving of being expressed on screen.

But, I did like a lot of what Clark was doing in this episode. He was proactive, and resolute, and Tom gave a magnificent performace. But I don't understand Clark's decision to let Chloe and Davis waltz away. And I do believe that decision is going to come back and bite Clark in the ass, and I believe thats why it happened. A contrivance to reach a desired endpoint.

I actually understand Oliver's point about wanting Doomsday killed. What I don't understand is why Oliver isn't questioning if thats even possible given the fact that Davis has been resurrected twice now. Ollie makes it all sound so simple, and it shouldn't be. And I just can't quite get comfortable with a "super hero" who is all gung-ho on the killing.

Sam Witwer was sure chewing the scenery. Can you imagine a Davis/Lionel scene? My god! Add the actor that played Zor-El, and the screen might explode from the scenery chewing and the hamminess.


AA was very good in this episode, though Jimmy the junkie storyline does nothing for me. But it appears to be over as quickly as his marriage. As good as Jimmy and Ollie were together, I do sort of resent that they seem to have made more progress with selling Oliver and Jimmy as friends then they ever did with Jimmy and Clark.

I had to laugh though when Oliver offered Jimmy a job because of how good he was in action. From what I saw, Jimmy tried to bum money for drugs, then got defensive, then tried to steal money, then tried to anatagonize a killer to end his life. Oh yeah, put that boy on my payroll!!

I have to throw in the towel on the Clark and Oliver "friendshp". I'm just done with lecturing and the nastiness.

Did Chloe threaten that doctor with Doomsday if he dared go against her? Hmmm, I seem to recall Lana threatening a doctor if he dared go against her and Lex. Chalk up another one!

So, who unchained Oliver and Jimmy from the basement, and how did they know they were down there? Clark ran out with Davis, Chloe hadn't arrived yet. Ah, one of those SV mysteries.

Nice effect with Clark grabbing Davis and running though.

Honestly, even though it makes no sense to me given what we've seen this season, I do think the script was written with Clark coming off looking jealous that Chloe would choose someone over him, and I think Tom played it that way. I don't think it fits the season at all, but there it is.

To my Lois/Clois friends, I have a feeling that if Clark does get a beatdown from Davis, and someone does cradle him in her arms, its going to be Chloe. Because she's "The Lana" this year. I do think they would do that, just as they had Clana kissing on the roof of the DP. Its just a hunch, but I'd brace myself.

And I guess thats it. 2 more to go, and I expect them to be aggravating, bleak and totally not told from Clark's POV. I. Can't. Wait.