Solitude

(I apologize in advance for an extremely lengthy and detailed review...
almost every single moment was charged either very positively or very negatively,
and I couldn't resist delving into it.)

Overall

This episode - as anyone knew who read so much as a sentence of the premise - was bursting with potential. The premise was intriguing. What the action did and could have done for the characters was exciting. This could have been the best episode of the season.

I'll start with what I liked. I liked the idea. I liked much of the plot. That it brought on a Season-Three-ish connection between Martha, Jonathan, and Clark again, instead of their asking questions and him answering patly. That Milton and Clark became close in the beginning and forever connected in the end (in that mortal enemy kind of way). That Lois actually went from dumbed-down stripper to almost…Lois Lane-ish. And that we finally got the Chloe pay-off we've been waiting for. The premise, what it accomplished or was meant to accomplish for the characters, the action it provided – I liked.

What I didn't like was the script, production, direction, and haphazard final product.

I'll start with the script. The entire first two acts backslid into the fourth season ditch of making things robotically happen without any particular reason. The convenient, unmotivated behavior everyone exhibited (due to no fault of the actors) was merely to lay down the foundation for what was to come, instead of telling a story they'd already begun. It was almost as if we were given the hook as an apologetic, "Wait for ten minutes while we prepare our story, and then we'll make everyone believable."

Clark carried the burden of his secret for four episodes, in three of which appearing very unburdened – then without any gutwrenching factors but a vague worry told Chloe all about it. (A revelation that does nothing to advance their relationship or the plot.) Clark kept Milton's identity a secret, for some unknown reason – then in this episode, again without any motivation, told his parents. Although I could see the logic of his telling them better in this case, it was again very anti-climactic – all predictable dialogue and no useful emotion that could lead to anything. Milton went from the subtle messages and body language of last episode, nudging the train of thought delicately in the right direction, to very overt statements about this deplorable human race that he must have known would jar Clark, particularly with his human mother so vulnerable. In the end of last episode, we were surprised that they moved Milton so quickly, and felt that they were beginning to tap something full of potential and waiting to be explored. This episode they brought the Clark-Milton relationship through so many one-scene stages that from cautious, distant people to Clark pleading for Milton's help to mortal enemies (Milton laughing demonically, of course) seemed to change in the blink of an eye. (And to think I was remarking on the similarities between Milton and Lex.)

The direction was equally abrupt. It's likely that having Lionel walk casually over to the piano and aimlessly plink three keys was not in the script, but was part of the direction. Whoever was responsible, the effect was not a good one. It's also possible that transition from Clark and Milton disappearing in a flash of light to Clark and Milton walking into the Fortress of Solitude was not the writers' call. They might have (it's a stretch, but possible) automatically written that C + M disappeared in a flash of light and appeared in the FOS, and assumed that they would appear in a suitably meaningful manner, with another flash of light and appearance, although they could at least have written that C + M find themselves in snow and dash to the FOS side by side, etc. I'm guessing it was the director's call to make the awkward transition they did, but whoever made the call…again, the effect was not a good one.

There were many similar moments, which I'm not sure to whom to attribute. Chloe and Lois leave the Daily Planet office to go to Lex's warehouse, and the camera pans to the right as if going to rest on something – then suddenly cuts off without having focused on anything. What was the point of panning to the right? At least transition to a scene panning to the right or left, to make sense of it. Another moment came when the camera soared over the Daily Planet building in the night – then, again, cut off without having focused on anything. (This was CGI, so I don't know whether to attribute this to direction, production, or both.)

The result was an aimless feel to much of the footage. And it culminated in the final scene, when the haphazard script, direction, and production came together for a moment that made us look at each other and say, "Um, what was that?"

This episode whizzed by so quickly that I got the feeling mothers must get in museums, when they want to look at something but are compelled to abandon it and run ahead to their small children before they lose them. I felt the desire to put the writers on a leash, give it a tug, and say, "Hold on – we're not going any further until we've seen this."

But the greatest harm the writers did was to Jonathan. I'll explain on my way in "Moments," but to put it succinctly, former family crises have brought out this:

This episode brought out this:

There was no reason why Jonathan should have reacted the way he did, and every reason to make him react the old way and bond the family again. I want the Jonathan who for love of his son bargained with Jor-El...or at least the Jonathan who recognized his own frailty when it came to things like this in "Rosetta". I want the writers to do what they did in "Hidden," and use trying events like this to puncture the surface of stereotypes and let the real personality come out.

I had planned and plotted out this episode ever since I heard the premise, and the scenes I came up with were more fulfilling to me than anything the writers delivered. I'm going to again separate premise from writing. This time it's the premise that gets a 9.9, and the writing that gets a 3.

The Many Stages of the Clark-Milton Relationship

It's one thing to go from trusting friend to enemy in one episode (although even that can be a bit rushed), but to go from wary, untrusting student to reluctantly trusting friend to putting his faith in Milton's word to battling to the death, all jammed into forty minutes, results in this:

1. Last episode, the relationship really began as Milton went from mentor to, apparently, friend. In Clark's perception, they had a certain comfort level with each other. They acknowledged that they had different ideas about things, but they knew more about each other than anyone else on the planet knew about them. The comfort of familiarity. By the final scene, they were beyond the reluctantly trusting stage, moving into the knowing friend stage.
   
2. The first update in this episode is that Clark has avoided Milton for a week, debating on whether or not to trust him. In the first place, this is another poorly-chosen "While we were offscreen, here's what happened" moment. Clark is still presumably working with Milton after class, so how has their interaction been conducted? Has Milton been familiar and Clark been aloof and Milton taken the hint and given him space? Then show us. Has Clark found ways to avoid meeting him but they've made eye-contact and Clark's looked away? Then show us. Personally I think a stage of aloofness and wariness is unnecessary, particularly if they were going to move the relationship this quickly; but if they insisted on having it, they should at least have made space for it. Have an episode between "Splinter" and "Solitude". There were so many stages to this relationship that this one stage had to happen offscreen. Unwise call.
3. Clark does at last go to Milton, seeking to know about his father, and Milton plays him like an amateur plays a sonata – very badly. Clark storms out. So they've now regressed to the Clark-Lex problem, when Clark pushes his lower lip out and storms out for no particular reason. From aloofness to irritation. This stage was, like the last stage, totally unnecessary.
   
4. Clark tells his parents Milton's secret. It is unclear why he is telling them, and before long he is defending Milton, making Stages 2 and 3 totally unnecessary. By now we are beginning to feel led around in circles, or at least to agree with Milton that Clark changes his mind as often as he changes his clothes (in this episode, more often). This is the "Give him a chance" stage – he has not yet advanced to personally vouching for him, but sees him as a potential friend.
5. Clark goes to Milton for help, believes the emotionally charged accusations Milton lays out for him, and goes home and vehemently tries to convince Jonathan to trust Milton "because he's kryptonian, and this could be a kryptonian disease." Even when Milton prescribes kryptonite, Clark does not hesitate to believe him.
   
6. Milton tries to convince Clark not to confront Jor-El, but Clark is obstinate. Many times has Milton tried to convince Clark that family and friends were untrustworthy, but Clark always remains steadfast, and he is firm now. Milton's way of addressing Clark is, as it has sloppily been for most of this episode, condescending, at times slightly contemptuous. Clark tells him, "I don't care," in something of the tone he used in irritated Stage 3 – slightly different in character, but still far from the submissive tool that Milton wants.
   
7. After being inexplicably turned down by Jor-El, Clark goes to Milton desperate for help, and when Milton gives him the drastic "solution" agrees to it without hesitating. When they enter the Fortress, Clark says, "I'll tear this place down piece by piece, just tell me where to start." Another drastic change.
8. And once Milton betrays him, yet another drastic change, to mortal enemies.

   I was afraid to blink during this relationship for fear I might miss a stage. Since Stage 7's trust wasn't very far from Stage 1's building comfort, it's unclear why we had to seesaw through the other stages of Clark's arbitrary moods – particularly all of them in one episode.
   

The Rule

The writers seem to have an unspoken rule this season: when Clark wants to discuss something, he has to explain himself to people who don't agree. Sometimes this is a good tool, forcing him to speak with conviction and persuasion. But it shouldn't be a hard-and-fast rule, especially with the people he is close to. Prior seasons involved a lot of very real working side-by-side. If everyone Clark talks to with conviction is opposed instead of understanding, it results in this:

• If Clark is content, his parents and Chloe and Lana are convincing him to be unhappy, and he's ignoring them.
• If Clark is worried, his parents and Chloe and Lana are convincing him to be content.

The result is episodes like this. Clark is growing from a reasonable content (remember when we loved to watch Clark succeed and gain new knowledge and relationships?) to a vague but well-founded worry (potential for a new set of problems and, eventually, new growing experiences). This should be complemented by the other characters. Maybe the contrast between Clark's former self and his growing self is shown by his relation to them - they are plumb lines to gauge his growth. In "Rosetta," his parents feared his burning desire to find out his real identity and parentage; in the third season, many feared his new unabashed violence of emotion and behavior; every step of growth was met with a believable and helpful reaction, because the people reacting remained the same. This season, many of Clark's steps have instead been hindered by their random mood swings and shifting opinions. In "Arrival," it was Clark telling his parents that they would be there for him to help him through it: the writers stuck so hard to their "opposite reactions" rule that Jonathan and Martha receded into an ungracious, un-parental role. In this episode, Jonathan's "opposite reactions" were so random that when Clark worried about Martha, he was self-assured and bland; and when Clark and Milton offered assistance, he was frantic and certain that they needed to get her to the hospital. The "opposite reactions" rule should not be applied so unthinkingly. Someone with a firm and unchanging opinion (Milton, for example) makes an "iron sharpens iron" relationship - interesting, and conducive to growth. Someone who isn't sure about anything but that he disagrees (Jonathan, that is) makes a lot of contrived scenes and chaotic, meaningless emotions.

1. "Maybe…or maybe…What does it matter? Your mom's fine, you don't have anything to worry about." Chloe is saying this? Clark, you inexplicably found your mother unconscious and with no memory of what happened, and the doctors couldn't find anything? Don't worry about it. It's not like Chloe to brush things like this off, with her game-for-anything attitude and her curiosity about strange happenings. It was a feeble set-up so that Clark would be moved to tell her the secret of Jor-El's threat.
2. And why did they have him tell her the secret of Jor-El's threat? One episode it was a terrible burden he carried alone, next three episodes he appeared to forget about it, last episode he had only just begun to resume the burden – then this episode he's spilling his guts to everyone, and chooses for his first recipient, Chloe. Chloe. The fact that we all love her isn't a solid enough reason for Clark to choose her to carry his secret with him. What motivated him? And writers, how did his telling her help the story? It didn't advance the plot. It didn't make anything happen. It didn't change their relationship by making her troubled or throwing in a new dynamic…it was irrelevant, and filling the introductory minutes with it tore down the drama of his secret.
3. Things you share easily don't mean that much to you. People don't explain with conviction about things that rack them with guilt or freeze their marrow. That's just a basic principle of life. Even people who tell you about that terrible childhood are really troubled by the part they aren't telling you, the part that hurts too much to think about, much less tell someone who might not be the right person to tell. So having Clark explaining with conviction all his theories had a somewhat deadening effect. It wasn't life-like. When it first occurred to Clark that it was "his fault" that Lana's parents died in a meteor shower he had no control over, he felt so guilty that he still hasn't told her and it's been over four years. Now he knows for certain that he bears responsibility for someone's life, and he tells everyone – Chloe, Jonathan, Martha, perhaps even Milton – without much effort, as if it's something Jor-El said out of the blue and not his personal responsibility. "I think Jor-El might have something to do with this." "Your biological father?" "When I died and he brought me back, he made a deal. He's coming back to collect." These moments rang false for me. They should have been confided in the privacy and darkness of the loft, with one candle, no music, a sparse setting in which the emotions would take focus – Clark whispering hoarsely, without any surrounding sound, just his voice – one person there, listening, absorbing the horror of it, the fear, the burden. Instead it was cheapened by insignificant repetition.
4. Milton played Clark very obviously. Previously the best quality he had was his subtlety, the psychological games he played so perfectly. This episode reduced his psychology to that of the mother of a six-year-old, trying to coax the kid into eating his oatmeal. There was a great deal of that sort of sighing - "I guess you're too little to learn how to make your bed…" so the little kid will race to make his bed. For instance:
   1. Sigh. "All in due time…" Elaborately casual.
   2. "But I suppose it's to be expected from someone raised by such a primitive race." Again, he sounds like a mother of a little kid. "I guess you're too little to learn how to make your bed…" so the little kid will race to make his bed. Except he should know Clark better than that. He should know that Clark will react by feeling repelled. It's almost as if he's trying to estrange him, to get his distrust again.
   3. "Patience." And, of course, Clark storms out.
   4. "I don't suppose I can hide the truth from you any longer." This posturing from Milton was particularly obvious. Clark has had experience with people trying to shelter him from his past (Swann did not reveal that he had been sheltering Clark until he knew he was dying and could do so no longer), and the revelation has never been like this - so easily wrested, so clearly designed, and immediately followed up by the drastic, hugely emotional e-2 below.
   5. "There is one option, but I wouldn't recommend it…no matter how malevolent he is, Jor-El still represents the only connection you have with your past." I know they told him to play the part like this, tantalizingly, with that "oh, well" ring to it, but, like the above, it tested my credulity. Milton is supposed to have his act down to a science. There's a difference between Chloe's acting to protect Clark's secret being ever-so-slightly forced and Milton's acting to persuade Clark revealing a little too much about his motive – Chloe is supposed to be like you or me, and Milton is supposed to be a smooth, precise computer.
   6. "…if you bring down the fortress, you will save your mother's life." Again, this sounds more like a bribe and incentive than like someone feeling compelled to tell him.
5. Other times, Milton doesn't bother with six-year-old psychology either, but goes into emotional spiels.
   1. "Impatience is such a pathetic human trait." Whoa there. Last episode he was nudging Clark's train of thought – this episode he's trying to push it off a cliff. Someone as intelligent as Milton would know how defensively Clark would react, and how wary he would become.
   2. "He was a violent dictator. He ruled Krypton with an iron grip of fear…" These aren't mind games – they're mind feedings, and Clark devours them blankly and without question.
6. "Clark, I want you to steer clear of this fellow." Martha and Clark look at each other. Martha, worried, a bit reproachful. "Clark." "I didn't have a choice." Compare the parents' treatment of Milton Fine with their treatment of Dr. Virgil Swann. They were moderately understanding when Clark went to see Swann for the first time. Maybe they wanted to protect him, but it was his choice to find out where he came from and they understood that. Dr. Virgil Swann knew Clark's secret, his identity, called him by his given name "Kal-El". Apparently he and Clark talked on the phone fairly frequently, aside from their visits. Jonathan and Martha had no problem with that, were sad when Dr. Swann died. Now they are paralyzed with fear when Milton Fine enters the scene – and Milton entered it by saving Clark from destroying himself. (At least, that was all the parents knew.) Not only that, but instead of reacting cautiously, by warily wanting Clark to be careful and maybe wanting to have Milton for dinner and see for themselves, Jonathan wanted them to have as little contact as possible, definitely not talk about their past, and when Clark revealed they'd already talked, he exploded. Jonathan has supposedly worked through his issues with Clark seeking answers about his heritage...in "Legacy" (possibly the deepest Jonathan-Clark-Jor-El episode ever) he even told Clark, "Listen, Clark, not everything is about your real father, okay?" "He's not my real father." "Yes he is, Clark. He is. He's going to be around this place a long time after I'm gone, anyway." The scene ended with this: "Clark, I don't know how to protect you any more." "That's not your job. Your job is to teach me how to protect myself. But that doesn't mean I don't need you. Mom needs you too. Let's go home." Now for no apparent reason Jonathan has regressed to paranoia - a frantic "anything kryptonian cannot be trusted" outlook that does damage to his character (he's not himself), his credibility (we shrug him off as irrelevant), and the story (he stands in it as an obstinate impediment).
7. "Dad, I wanted to know more about Jor-El." Jonathan doesn't even wait to hear how it went. "I'll tell you what you need to know – every time you've come in contact with a Kryptonian, they've been hellbent on death and destruction." This whole scene was based on poor motivation – you definitely couldn't sympathize with Jonathan's unproductive reaction; and because you didn't see the emotions that led Clark to confide in them, you couldn't understand what exactly Clark was feeling, either. Most of this episode, like this Moment, would have fit in well in "Exodus" when Jonathan's anger and rejection drove Clark to kryptonian drugs "because he didn't want to feel". Yet Clark doesn't react with the brokenness that Jonathan's attitude would almost certainly inspire. It's as if we are supposed to take this Jonathan for granted, the Jonathan who seems constantly occupied in telling Clark why he's wrong. But I know if this conversation happened in my family, the Jonathan-figure would either apologize or spend the night on the couch.
8. "Clark, the doctor said her vital signs are perfectly normal." Why are all the usually suspicious people trying to convince Clark that everything's normal? (Answer: See "Pointless Talk".)
9. Clark then points out that her situation is not normal (see "Pointless Talk") and Jonathan, who should be listening to Clark's argument, thinks there's something weird about the argument and asks if there's something Clark's not telling him. "I'm just worried about Mom." "Me too. But don't worry, she's going to be fine." All of which Jonathan says with a half-smile. He knows she'll be fine. What?
   
10. The scene between Lionel and Chloe was extremely disappointing. Lionel appears (and Chloe has no peripheral vision). "Miss Sullivan." She looks up and we notice that it's an unbecoming hairstyle. "Mr. Luthor. What are you doing here?" They've had similar scenes at the Torch, but the acting was very different, and they played verbal games with each other with a poise that was breathtaking. There should have been so much more tension in this scene – so many more of the combative jabs they both delight in. This is the first time they've met face-to-face since Chloe put him in jail. (They met once afterward, but technically it was Clark's face.) Such a confrontation is abounding in promise. Instead:
    1. "You have made it to the major leagues." Holds up inexpensive bouquet. "Congratulations." She smiles and takes it. "Thank you." What? I can understand the slimy gesture of bouquet-delivering, although it's more Lionel's style to buy something lavish worth two hundred dollars; but considering that a) he tried to kill her three times and b) he's known for ulterior motives, I think she would have taken it with a smile and dropped it in the trash. Lionel would have then made some semi-surprised, condescending comment about her temper, and she would respond with unfazed comments about her policy regarding gifts from convicted felons.
    2. "Very nice. You've done quite well for yourself. I am quite certain that sooner than later, you're going to be working upstairs under the tiffany lamps." At this point two seasons ago, Chloe would have responded with similar hints, seeing where his subtle line was leading and cutting him short. The conversation would have been nudged and guided with the subtleties of two people at home with words and with enough wit to make us laugh at their cleverness. However, she doesn't react – she seems to take his words at face value. Her sensitive instincts switched off, he's obliged to state it plainly:
    3. "A big story certainly would accelerate the process, not that obituaries and wedding announcements don't inspire scintillating journalism." Such an obvious line, especially for Lionel and his allusions and allegories. "If you're trying to feed me some sort of self-promoting fluff piece, I'm not interested." What happened to the subtlety of their S3 communication? This conversation was almost…boring. Chloe could have been having it with almost anyone. In S3 she took Lionel seriously. Now she seems to be smiling and sailing along. And we relax, maybe yawn a little, and sail with her, instead of sitting forward in our seats in anticipation.
    4. "How does it go, 'You can put a tuxedo on a fiddler but he's still going to play the same old tune?'" What happened to, "I hope I never used such an obvious cliché"?
    5. "You have one minute. The clock is ticking." Lionel Luthor is not accustomed to that sort of treatment. Even if Chloe felt free to speak to him so condescendingly, he would have parried rather than submit. Excuse me, Miss Sullivan. I am accustomed to determining the delivery of my information. Chloe: And I am accustomed to determining the sources I consider valid. Convicted felons have a short leash. Instead, Lionel launches into his story, even speaking a little quicker than usual, as if trying to cram it into the time constraints.
    All this was extremely uncharacteristic, and the behavior was without motive. Why is Lionel really volunteering her this story, without any blackmail or hints but as a no-strings-attached gesture? Why is Chloe, after all Lionel has done to her, to Lex, to Clark, accepting it?
11. "He's done nothing but help so far. He told me the truth about Lex, he saved Lana, he took the silver kryptonite out of me." He brushes past the details, so he must have opened the conversation by giving the details of what had happened. Even if they weren't ready to look at him as a savior, common gratitude for saving their son should have made them a little more normal and receptive. "But why, Clark? We have no idea what his motives really are." Why did Milton (to all appearances) tell his fellow Kryptonian the truth and save his life? His motive was so circuitous that it seems unlike Jonathan to go into the details instead of looking at the obvious answer. Usually he goes for the obvious answer. ("Lex is running against Jennings. Aha! It must be Lex!")
12. "Look, my wife needs medical attention, you're obviously not a doctor, so why don't you make this easier on both of us and just get out of my way?" I watched this conversation several times, and I am still unable to see the point of Jonathan's acting this way. When it comes down to it, Jonathan usually has a sort of cautious respect for the power of kryptonian things. When Clark was on red k, he went to Jor-El for help because he knew that only Jor-El had the power he needed. This episode, it was as if the writers said, "Okay, they need to be talking about something in this scene, so let's make Jonathan really upset so Clark and Milton have to talk him into trusting him," without bothering with Jonathan's real character.
13. "Clark, go and out get the truck. Martha, I'm taking you back to the hospital, sweetheart. Come on." Milton Fine is the one who "saved" Clark. The normal Jonathan would be concerned, hanging on to his every word. When Helen Bryce came to Clark, who was sick with kryptonian fever, Jonathan spoke to her confidentially, as one secret-bearer to another. He tried to stop her, but it was with, "You can't do that, because – look." He saw that he was out of options and would have to confide in her. Now, with Milton, he is determined not to believe him even though M. knows Clark's secret and has kept it. He is acting as if there are plenty of options – and he should know better.
14. Jonathan was the one who went to Jor-El for help when Clark was on red k, and it was unbelievable that he was unwilling to trust a Kryptonian when it came to Martha. So when Jonathan's first instinct was to ask Milton, "What's happening?" and when he was so quick to believe him that without hesitating he went straight for the kryptonite, it seemed to indicate that all along he did believe that Milton knew more than he did. This unflattering perspective of a Jonathan who's stubborn just for the sake of principle threw the whole scene out of perspective for me.
15. Jonathan looks in a panic back to Milton. "Hold it to her forehead." Jonathan is worried enough that he obeys blindly, though with his experience with kryptonite one would think he would be wary. For all he knew, he might have killed her by putting it on her forehead. This Moment, again, threw me off. He only trusted Milton when he was worried enough. Does this mean that before then, he wasn't worried enough? Another moment that cemented the idea that, before then, he was just "stubborn for the sake of principle".
16. Jonathan comes out. "Hey, wait a minute. You're telling me Jor-El's responsible for this?" Last time he said Jor-El's name, it was in a voice of gratitude ("Hidden"). Now, upon hearing that Clark is going to see Jor-El, the assumption would be that Clark is seeking his help. Jonathan took a huge jump in believing that Clark was going to try to stop him from keeping up something he inflicted.
17. Jonathan looks in shock and accusation between Clark and Milton. How dare they know more than he does? (Maybe they catch on faster, Jonathan.)
18. Milton turns and goes into the house, shaking his head at Clark's decision. Another contributor to the glaring "I know better than you" factor. It was way too soon for this.

Pointless Talk

1. "Clark, the doctor said her vital signs are perfectly normal." "Normal? I found her unconscious in the middle of the driveway. That's anything but normal."
2. "I happen to care a great deal about this primitive race. A lot more than I do about Krypton." Maybe it was the delivery, but this just seemed like more rehashing of facts you never doubted and Milton never doubted and Clark's already said. It also was part of a Pointless Stage in "The Many Stages of the Clark-Milton Relationship".
3. "A Kryptonian is teaching history at Central Kansas University?" "I didn't believe it either until I saw him use his powers." They're telling us what we already know. The only reason to show Clark explaining to his parents would be if there were some emotional action going on, something significant hinged on the conversation. Nothing's hinged on it. "He can do everything I can." "You've seen meteor-infected people do all kinds of things, that doesn't mean he's Kryptonian." "He calls me Kal-El, and he knows about Krypton." That's three more things we already knew that didn't lead to anything.
4. Milton holding Martha's arm, examining it. "It's been a day and a half since you fell unconscious?" "Yes, exactly." This was a filler line. First, he says it as if he has either just gathered the information from looking at her arm, or as if he is double-checking so that he can formulate a diagnosis. However, he knows because Clark told him one and a half days ago, and with his computer brain he wouldn't need to double check. It was more a statement of ignoring Jonathan than accomplishing anything.
5. "I couldn't have done it without you. You're the only one who could affect the fortress. Now that you've accomplished your task, you're nothing more than a petty annoyance." They might as well have had him finish off by announcing, "I am an evil villain." These lines were the worst "spelling-out-the-obvious" lines in the episode…these, and Clark's answers.
6. "Meteor rock…you're not even kryptonian, are you?" I rest my case. (See Details.)
7. "Everything you said was a lie." Incidentally, this is a paraphrase of #9 on Act One's "Death by Verbal Cliché" list. "Jor-El didn't affect my mother. You did."
8. "I don't know what happened to you in that meteor shower, Dad, but something tells me you're more connected to what was in that warehouse than I ever realized." This was another case where the writers should have shown, not told. We haven't seen any reason to believe Lionel is substantially changed, except that he's been unusually bland lately; it seemed like grasping at straws for Lex to be making arbitrary connections in that way. A poor way to make us suspicious, and a great way to make us raise our eyebrows.

Good/Bad Moments

1. Martha and Lois drive up. "Oh, bummer, I love being your chauffeur, we can chat, and I get to spend quality time with my new best friend." "I'm proud of you, Lois. Living in your own apartment, buying a brand new car…you've really grown up." It was an interesting idea to have Martha and Lois in a relationship, finishing off what was obviously a long talk. Lois is so seldom seen in a serious relationship where she can actually be sincere and be herself instead of posing to be cutesy that they really needed this moment. It made us all soften to her, albeit in a slightly grandmotherly way.
2. That said, Lois's peppy self-defaming final words could have been delivered better. People sound different when they're talking to different people. She sounded here as if she were talking to Clark. "Oh, let's not get carried away. The car's my safety net. When [I lose everything] I'll need somewhere to sleep." The delivery was too cutesy, instead of confessing with half-ashamed, half-"that's me, that's life" laughter, which would ease in the dumbness of the statement less jarringly.
3. Martha stands watching Lois pull out. It was unclear why she did this: it seemed that Lois had been regularly dropping Martha off for at least a few days, and it would have been more natural for Martha to go on into the house. Also, if she'd gone ahead and started walking in, it would have given more time to separate Lois from the weird happenings that followed – let her fade away and focus on Martha coming in, then let the slow weirdness of the situation build up as she sees the little windmill moving, Shelby starts barking, etc. It's a small detail, but the small details in this episode were so key, dividing exciting from rushed, that I had to mention it. This one was rushed.
4. It was a weird place to cut off the opening scene. Clark is kneeling over Martha, Martha is confused…"That sound, flash of light, what is it?" "What are you talking about?" Dazed, uncertain, blank. Then the dramatic drums and the zoom-in on Clark – and the scene cuts off instead of transitioning to another scene. Since they didn't spend any time establishing the problem, it wasn't so much like a cliffhanger as an uncompleted thought.
5. Again, a very brief upward shot of the Daily Planet. The timing was off in this episode. This moved too quickly and didn't stay on its object long enough. (Besides, I like downward shots of the Daily Planet. Just had to add that.)
6. Interesting interaction between Lois Lane and Lex. The beginning of the conversation held a little bit of promise. "Don't take this the wrong way, but after 800 pictures, you don't get any prettier." Lex tells the photographers to wrap it up. "Don't you find this just a tad sleazy, having your campaign picture taken where Martha Kent works? You might as well, I don't know, go up to their farm and milk their cows." Lex laughs. Then returns the blunt favor. "In case you don't know where your paycheck's coming from, I own the Talon." (Incidentally, see Details B.) They were so unafraid of each other, which gave the scene something of the dynamic that Chloe and Lionel used to have.
7. However, by the end it had turned stereotypical. "Let me give you a little advice. Drop out of the race before some pesky little squirrel digs up one of your rotten acorns." Bright smile. "Well thanks, Lois. You know there's nothing more valuable than the savvy political advice of a muffin-peddling college dropout." Lex smiles slightly. At that point, it was nothing more than a conversation between the two most un-subtle, obvious characters on the show. (Yes, including Jonathan.)
8. Close-up of Lex leaning forward. "Speaking of, do you have banana-blueberry today?" Yet another weird transition. Was this a challenge? Was it a joke? Was it a question? We viewers are scratching our heads, but the writers think that's a strong enough point to end the scene on. This moment exemplified the whole episode: written down to close the scene, without thinking about what it meant.
9. "True, many humans believe the earth was created in seven days. I'm surprised it took you that long to trust me." Another way Milton resembles Lex. Lex used to bring everything back to a war/myth/classical/Biblical parallel. Milton brings it all back to a world history parallel.
10. "Patience." Clark storms out. This really is Lex revisited.
11. "A Kryptonian is teaching history at Central Kansas University?" They don't even show the reason Clark's telling his parents – just leap into the middle of the conversation. Another "While we were offscreen, here's what happened" moment. Better to show than to tell, writers. What state of emotion led to Clark telling them? What was the atmosphere when he felt that the time was right? This is a big deal. It's worth making the most of. We viewers felt on the outside when we were dropped into this scene.
12. "Clark, I want you to steer clear of this fellow." Martha and Clark look at each other. Martha, worried, a bit reproachful. "Clark." "I didn't have a choice." First of all, this dialogue was a bit hazy. Clark is saying he had no choice but to do something, but what exactly he did isn't defined until later, after Jonathan flips out about it. Second, I think it far more likely that the conversation would have gone this way: "Clark, I want you to steer clear of this fellow." Clark, defensively: "Why?" (Jonathan looks at him irritatedly, as if it's obvious.) Clark, insistently: "He's done nothing but help me." This would bypass several lines of purposeless dialogue, would define Clark's feelings on the subject (which were vague for most of the conversation), would put Jonathan and Clark in very specific positions, and would just move the whole conversation along more interestingly. (The only drawback would be that the aimlessness of the whole conversation would be more apparent. Clark storms out of the auditorium, tells his parents, his parents get upset, he insists that Milton can be trusted although he just finished storming out on Milton. The conversation goes in circles, but with a few extra lines as padding it isn't so obvious…) Finally, see "Unmotivated Behavior".
13. "What do you mean, you didn't have a choice? You always have a choice, son." That's usually a line about choosing between morally right and morally wrong, not choosing between cautious and trusting, which relies on the particular case. This contributed to the Paranoid Jonathan of "Unmotivated Behavior".
14. "Dad, I wanted to know more about Jor-El." So he sought him out and asked him a question. This was established several sentences too late.
15. As Martha realizes that she's going numb and that her shoulder is burning, they play in the background some Superman french horn/flute music mixed with modern dangerous piano music. Weird, unsuitable place for the Superman flute music. The music in this episode, like the rest of the elements, seemed somewhat random and haphazard.
16. "Is there something you're not telling me, son?" Pause. It was an ineffective choice of high piano music as Clark hesitates before keeping his secret again. It didn't have a tune or an emotion in it, seeming a bit aimless and working against the moment. It should have been a serious, "will Clark continue to carry his burden" moment, building up with sadness. Instead the random filler music made the scene look more random and more filler-ish.
17. "It seems there is someone at Central Kansas University, who has the astounding ability to run at virtually the speed of light. Have you ever heard of such a thing?" "The school is located in Smallville, meteor freak capital of the world." "This person can lift an automobile with one hand. Can create fire in the blink of an eye." "It sounds like a bit of stretch, even for me. Do you have any proof?" Allison Mack's acting in this section of the conversation was well done. She had very specific reactions, looking skeptical a sentence too soon, etc. The writing was also a good choice, the way she subtlely checked to make sure Clark was safe by asking if Lionel had proof.
18. "The person's name…is Milton Fine." That was the first moment in the whole episode that took me by surprise. Incidentally, see Details H.
19. After the above revelation, they cut to Milton Fine walking on campus. The first truly good and meaningful transition in the episode, nicely done.
20. "Are you shaking me down for lecture notes, or are you ready to begin your independent study?" Interesting double-meaning: Are you coming to me for answers, or are you prepared to find them for yourself? Of course, Milton wants him to do the first and not the second, despite his temporary posturing, so this line really should have been used a few episodes back, not so close to his first attack.
21. "All so that one day you could conquer the human race." That was a good moment – the way he mingled truth with fiction. The way he phrased it was a bit accusing ("He made sure his only son ----- alive"), but if it had come in a better-written and less glaring conversation, it had the potential to be heartrending, as Clark looked away for a moment, feeling guilty once more for being alive.
    
22. "My concern is for your mother. I need to see her immediately." If Milton were going to act concerned about Martha, and behave as if immediate action was necessary to save her life, the time to do it would have been when Clark told him the problem at the beginning of this conversation. The fact that his reaction came so late, that with Martha in immediate danger he took the time to emotionally expound on Jor-El's "tyranny", made the whole thing look more planned, and therefore more obvious. I would have liked to get worried about it by Milton's reaction, the way his reaction in "Thirst" made you worried about Chloe.
23. They played a hint of Superman music after Milton spoke. The Superman music was very misplaced in this episode. They played it for Martha and Milton and during a transition to Lex's mansion…more for other people than for Superman himself, and never during important and noble Superman-forming choices.
24. "Why should I trust you?" "Because he's Kryptonian. This could be a Kryptonian disease." "Clark – " Martha's pain suddenly becomes worse. This was potentially a great moment, with the intriguing question of whether Milton deliberately made the pain worse to force Jonathan to trust him, and with the dialogue finally breaking up for action. But because of the Jonathan-inconsistency of this scene, this Moment, including Jonathan's act of trusting Milton, was not as dramatic as it might have been. It was thrown off by "Pointless Motivation".
25. "She needs a meteor rock. Do you have a meteor rock?" This was an interesting concept, the element that caused Clark pain easing Martha's pain. At first I thought that this was Milton's way of finding kryptonite to destroy Clark, although surely he could find some by himself; but then I realized that Martha is seen with the kryptonite after Clark and Milton go to the caves, so this "medical treatment" was merely for an interesting element, and not to fit into Milton's design.
26. "Dad, in the closet. Top shelf!" "I got it!" Jonathan rushes back into the room and pauses so that Milton and Clark can retreat to the kitchen. That was a nice touch of realism.
27. "I'm sorry, Kal-El. Within a matter of hours, your earth mother will be dead." This was said in a very different way from Splinter's "and I'm sorry." That was empathetic. This was a tone of, "I know that you feel for these creatures." I think it was too soon to make that transition – just like most of the transitions made in this episode were too soon. The subtle difference of delivery in the lines had the potential to be very helpful in the building of Milton's character, but not in the near-converting of it.
28. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to see Jor-El." "Don't. He'll only feed you more lies." "I don't care." I liked this moment's comfort level, the familiarity with which they spoke, but didn't like the relationship it implied. It ended up reading as a mentor-rebellious student moment, or even a father-rebellious son moment. While that kind of closeness worked (and I would have liked to see it built up in an in-between episode), the idea of placing Milton on a higher plane was contrary to the older brother-younger brother relationship that the writers (and Milton) so carefully established last episode, in Splinter.
    
29. Jonathan comes forward and glares at his son. "What's goin' on, Clark?" This scene would have been so much more moving if Jonathan, losing his wife and feeling like he is losing his son, had gone up to Clark, put his hands on his shoulders, and said quietly, burdened, "Son. Please. Tell me what's going on." Jonathan's role could have been a timeless one – the husband losing his wife – the father who feels that he doesn't know his son any more – feeling the burden and reaching out brokenly for contact.
30. "When Jor-El brought me back to life, he told me someone close to me would have to die." This is an enormous event – Clark telling Jonathan his secret. This should have been something that they worked through together, the way they worked through S3 – something so powerful and with such an impact on Clark's self-perception that we'd have "Hidden" revisited – Jonathan reading Clark, Clark almost speechless with his overload of emotion, the two of them working through it together. Instead Jonathan frowns. "So he is going after your mother."
31. "And why didn't you tell me about this before?" His son has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he's demanding to know why he wasn't in the loop. "I didn't want you and mom to worry." Jonathan is not pacified by the idea of his son carrying this burden alone. He sighs heavily (the way a fire-breathing dragon does). "Well, you're the only one who has a chance of stopping this so, go on, do something." This is like something from an episode in which Jonathan rejects Clark and Clark is emotionally damaged and runs away…but we've already done that, a lot better, and Jonathan suffered the consequences and bonded with his son again. What did this exasperatingly uncharacteristic Jonathan have to do with anything? Why couldn't he be himself, someone with faith in his son? If he had told Clark to go on with that kind of faith, we would have all gotten chills.
32. "I won't let him kill her." What son responds like that when his biological father is slandered as a murderer and dictator, his mother is dying, and his father's hurling accusations at him? If he could have just said, "Dad, stop," and the whole Jonathan attitude thing could have come to a crisis, Jonathan could see that he was being unreasonable and could regret it and could explain ruefully that he was acting this way because he was almost insane from worry, son…even that might have redeemed it. But Clark ignores the behavior, as if we are supposed to take it for granted, and the episode moves briskly on.
33. "Don't." Somebody needs counseling.
34. Clark dashes off and Jonathan stands there glaring, lips clamped together. Would the family man losing his family truly stand there with that expression? Or would he stand there worried, hoping his son could save his wife, faith and fear struggling within him?
35. Maybe there was a technical difficulty and this was just a mistake, but when we watched there was an absurdly abrupt transition, as we were slammed from a commercial break into the middle of a conversation with Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude. I'm going to address this as if this was supposed to happen, since I don't know: When the Fortress of Solitude was new, they made the most of it – the drama of being transported there, the special effects, the significance of every exchange with Jor-El. Even when the caves had been around for three years they made the most of them, every confrontation with Jor-El lit up with special effects and throbbing with life. Now, not only do they deprive us of the excitement of Clark's teleporting, but they don't even let us see Clark approach his biological father and ask for his mother's life. (For what they showed, they should not have shown, and what they should have shown, they did not show. Bad paraphrase, but it's still the truth.)
36. "It was you that chose to give up your powers and turn your back on me." Why is Jor-El guilt-tripping him? Last time they talked, Jor-El was affirming him and telling him he would always love him and bracing him for his darkest hour. See (ak) for my theory.
37. "Please let her live." "I am sorry, my son. The wheel of fate has already been set in motion. Even you cannot alter destiny." If Jor-El didn't give her the disease, and he's been watching Milton poison Clark's mind against him, and Milton's his enemy who served his enemy Zod…why does he answer, "I am sorry, my son"? It was almost as if they couldn't bring Terence Stamp in to record something new, so they pasted in something that didn't make sense.
38. The transition out was another awkward one. The camera zooms out, leaving Clark standing there, fidgeting like he wants to do something, playing Superman flute music – then goes to the Luthor mansion, before the flute music has finished wrapping up. One of many abrupt, leave-you-hanging transitions.
39. "So what am I looking at here?" "What is it, a video glitch?" "Good afternoon, Lex." "Thank you." This was a lot more like Lex. All season, whenever he's been with subordinates, he's been grandly posturing or bellowing, bug-eyed. It was good to see him a bit more…normal.
40. "Ooh. You must be referring to our deep dark family secrets. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you." This line would have been good if it was only tweaked very, very slightly. Spoken a bit more calmly and ironically, and less condescendingly.
41. I was taking notes when the scene ended, and wasn't watching the screen, so I didn't have any visual distraction from Lex's very heavy, exaggerated sigh. Rewind and listen to it. Is it in the least bit believable?
42. They've so often transitioned to Milton walking on campus that it was unexpected when Chloe hung up the telephone and followed him. Good. Took me by surprise, and made me laugh. However, because the scene didn't lead to anything – next time you see Chloe, she's sitting in the Daily Planet explaining how she lost him – it seemed slightly abrupt. I would have liked to see Chloe following him off campus, to the warehouse, thwarted by security guards, looking around and discovering him gone. Or even getting inside and following Milton through a maze of boxes and tables, with ducking and dodging and the accidentally knocked over stack of boxes that makes you wince, distracts her, and sends Milton dashing out. Anything. As it was, Chloe finding out Milton's identity was very underplayed. They could have made a whole episode with this one.
43. The familiarity of the Kent family returning to us was a joy to watch in the scene between Martha and Clark as she lay dying. Incidentally, the two most compelling family scenes were the ones without the distractiong of Jonathan flipping out. Here are the details that wrenched our emotions the way only good scenes do:
    1. It was a nice touch of realism, Martha lying on the couch with the kryptonite, Clark looking at her from the doorway, Martha locking it away so that Clark could come over and talk to her. This was the family I missed.
    2. "Where's my s – my smile, hm?" The way Annette O' Toole used her voice in this scene was very different, and very real – portrayed the way sickness strips down every part of you. Good. Also, I loved the way Martha said her good-bye to Clark. If she truly were going to die, it was an ideal farewell. Her willingness and her strength, richly expressed in the words and with the emotions of a mother, hit home for all of us with awesome mothers of our own.
    3. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?" The hushed voice in which he spoke recalled for us viewers the times our mothers have gotten sick and that source of security has been shaken, worrying us and causing us to whisper the same thing. Very real.
    4. "Your father told me about Jor-El, Clark. I want you to know, I'm more than ready to give up my life for the life of my child." "Don't talk like that, Mom." At this point, the emotion starts taking us over. This was the one scene where we all identified closely with Clark.
    5. "You've given me so much happiness. I don't know what I would've been without you." We are reminded of Martha's wish as she looked out the window of the old truck in the Pilot. And the fresh impact hits us: Wow. What a mom.
    6. "Without me none of this would have happened." "Don't ever feel guilty about this. Do you hear me? I wouldn't have it any other way." The emotion gripped me afresh with her every line. "Look at you. You're a man now, Clark. A wonderful man. My – my job's done." "No, it's not, Mom. You can't say that. You have to fight this." At that point, if Clark had cried, I think I would have cried, and I don't cry for much.
    7. "I love you, Clark." Her voice becomes faint. "And just because I'm gone, it doesn't mean my love goes with me." Clark is about to cry." "I'll always be in your heart. Always." "I'm not going to let you die." Clark struggles with tears. Martha gives a slight moan. "I won't let you." Martha mouths, "Baby." If she had died then and the music had been right, that would have killed me. Whatever death is coming up, it has a lot to live up to now.
44. Weird Daily Planet night transition. As I mentioned earlier – the camera moves over the globe, then cuts off abruptly. I wonder if they took this shot from "Delete," and so had to cut off before the camera entered the building and showed Chloe packing. Either that or "Exile".
    Update - I looked at the "Delete" and "Exile" screencaps, and it turns out that the "Exile" screencap is extremely close to the "Solitude" screencap. Might have been the same shot, just different timing:
     
       Daily Planet - "Exile"                Daily Planet - "Solitude"
45. If we needed any proof that Chloe shadowing Fine should have been a separate episode, here it is: we cut from the heartrending scene at the Kent farm to Chloe, happy and upbeat in the Daily Planet basement, Lois coming in the door bouncy with energy. Talk about a jolt.
46. "Oh, so basically, he hurt your feelings." "Well…sort of, but that's beside the point." Nice to see Lois honest, serious, intrigued, soft-voiced instead of flippant. For once she sounded like she was sheepishly confessing a weakness instead of bragging about it.
47. Although it was somewhat repetitive to have another scene with Lois distracting someone while Chloe sneaked out of the car and on to an off-limits area, at least this scene (as opposed to the one in "Commencement") wasn't so prolonged and forced (and just plain corny).
48. "I love a man in uniform." This too called to mind the very overt jokes in "Commencement" about having nightmares about a guy in a cape, but because this joke actually made sense, it compared very favorably. I actually laughed at this one.
49. The idea of Chloe watching through the turning fan was a good one. You were straining to help her see what was happening, and with each turn of the fan you were hoping that he'd still be there so she could see the whole process. It kept you locked in.
50. It was a good moment when Clark met Milton in the college, Clark almost crying, his eyes red. Until that scene with Martha, you couldn't really identify with him. This scene, you see all that you didn't see before. You felt connected to him again.
51. "All he's ever done is try to ruin my life." Didn’t he once tell his parents that all Jor-El's ever done was try to help him? I can understand Clark spouting off in a rage, not having his reason, but they should have made sure to build it up to that desperate, white-knuckled level before making Clark dodge responsibility that way. As it was, particularly since you knew that Milton had an ulterior motive, the thoughts coming to mind about Clark's intellect were none too flattering.
52. At last we saw the Jonathan we'd been waiting for, stroking Martha's hair, a broken, suffering man. The focus of this episode could have been a lot more on Jonathan if they'd used this side of him.
53. "We know all about him. He's trying to help with Martha." Now suddenly Jonathan is taking Milton for granted. This would have been far more natural if he hadn't gone through the unnecessary "stubborn" phase.
54. It was good when Clark and Milton disappeared in a flash of light. It was bad when they just walked into the Fortress, anticlimactically.
55. "There was never a chance." "There is now. You will never hurt my family again." They didn't even bother to build up the tension – instead they walked in and Clark plunged the key/spike in so quickly that we barely had time to register. This was the problem they had in "Forever".
56. And immediately, without any transition, Milton shows his true colors. I would have found it more compelling if, instead of immediately shouting out his gloating, Clark had turned to see what was being accomplished and Milton said the same line, but in a sinister voice, "I couldn't have done it without you." Then Clark could turn around, and Milton could be gone. Clark, the alarm beginning to build, could turn around, and Milton's voice could be heard again. "The last son of Krypton was the only one who could affect the fortress." It would dawn on him that Milton is not a true Kryptonian. Then Milton could appear behind him, holding up the kryptonite, reinforcing the knowledge: a climax after a build-up. Instead, they jumped straight into the fight.
57. "You are free, General Zod!" "Zod?" Milton forces him onto the ice table. "The one true Kryptonian. Finally he will rid this febrile planet of the scourge of humans and create Krypton on earth." Tom Welling did a good job of carrying on a conversation and climbing onto a table while looking as if he could barely take a step. It wasn't until the second viewing that I noticed that climbing/rolling onto that table would have been uncomfortable without having to act weak.
58. "To think that you would sacrifice your kryptonian heritage for a single mono sapien. You are a pitiful disgrace." I don't mind the malicious venting here. At first I thought it rather weak for pure hatred to call someone a "pitiful disgrace," but I thought better of it. We needed a concise statement as to why Milton is acting with such hatred toward a Kryptonian, when he is serving a Kryptonian, and we needed a better answer than that Clark was Jor-El's son. Although a machine, Milton obviously still felt loyalty to the race and honored Zod's ambition. Feeling that Clark was a dishonor to the race was a good answer to our question.
59. He places the kryptonite on Clark's chest. And we're so trained to stop breathing when the kryptonite is near that it's like watching him deal a death blow. That was good, the impact when we saw that happen.
    
60. Milton calls out, in a sing-songy voice, "Good-bye, Kal-El." This would have been a good contributor to the "I must be caught in a nightmare" feeling, if they had built up such a feeling.
61. Chloe runs through caves, sees the octagonal light on table. She reaches the table, standing before it, and hesitates for a moment. Then she reaches forward, takes key out, and puts it in again. The second time around, my brother quipped, "Oh nice, she pushed the reset button." Then we realized that we had both been expecting her to stretch out over the table into the octagonal light, or stand in the light, or at least just touch the key and disappear in a flash of light. The fact that she had to "reset" it was a bit unimpressive. We expect kryptonian elements like spaceships and keys to be more intuitive, not to mention more dramatic.
62. It was a good moment when Chloe fought her way against the numbing cold and the strong wind to Clark – we were all trying to help her along. However, it was counteracted in part by Details Y and Z.
63. They did a good job of trying to incorporate personal emotion into the Clark-Milton fight scene, by having Clark rush up to Chloe and say her name before Milton attacked him, showing Chloe watching in horror as Clark was struck, and showing Milton's glee as he believed he had Clark in a corner. Although all these elements were absolutely indispensable, I felt that they all were hastily thrown in and not intensified enough. Part of it was the lack of strong music to pitch us headfirst into the battle – the sound of the wind that they had to shout over, etc., seemed to drown out the little sounds and dramatic musical cues that we needed to get emotionally involved. Part of it was because some of the moments that were there seemed a bit pasted in – as when Clark said, "Chloe" and they looked at each other, then the battle resumed. Since a large part of Chloe's role was warehouse-snooping with Lois, and she and Clark hadn't really had personal time in this episode, so this moment wasn't following up on anything…the moment just came and went. Then when Milton hit Clark with fire vision and Chloe watched, horrified, you were thinking A) what she was doing, staying there, she couldn't do anything and what if Milton grabbed her and used her as a bargaining tool, and B) all Clark had to do was duck, he could see the heat vision coming a mile away. (Speaking of which, "A" really would have been a good idea - it would have been an unexpected twist to the fight, and it would have forced Clark to make a choice, and it would have bonded him with Chloe. Besides, it would have been more characteristic of Milton than just ignoring a tool at hand.) The only moment that remained undiluted was that of Milton trying to stab Clark, Clark wrestling with the green key/spike, Milton starting to smile as he believed he had him. Even that happened so quickly that you never had time to think about what was hinged on this, what the consequences would be one way or the other, the meaningful message of it all – you were just watching, and then it was over. Clark's old Season Two fight with Tina Greer in his shape was better.
64. Another problem that reduced the impact of the moment was the hasty choreography. Clark hits Milton, Milton flies away somewhere, we don't know where. Milton uses delayed fire vision to hit Clark, Clark flies away somewhere, we don't know where. We see some fake ice get scattered, but nothing to move us. We didn't see the crushing impact, hear the sickening thud, the violent contact; the impression left was just that they disappeared somewhere in the distance. These underplayed moments helped us to keep up a detached perspective.
65. Good moment as Milton seemed to smile as he turned toward Clark.
    
66. After everything that happened – after the console helpfully pierced Milton, and after Clark had come so close to lousing everything up – it would have been natural (if unusually considerate) for him to talk to Jor-El afterwards. In some ways I think that could have completed a lot. However, if my theory about Terence Stamp is true, I guess it's better that they didn't show any conversation.
67. I liked the moment when Martha sat up, healed, and laughed excitedly, freed – but to be honest, it didn't give me the chills that "Crusade" gave me when Jonathan was healed. Part of it's the law of diminishing returns, and part of it was that Clark hadn't done anything wonderful – nobody had done anything wonderful, unless you want to count Chloe's rescue – to bring about the healing. No noble choices made, no brave risks taken – Clark had just been deceived, and when he was betrayed he fought back. It doesn't make for the epic Superman-type healing.
68. It was another "uncompleted thought" moment when Chloe knelt and looked up at Clark as he looked around, then they went to the commercial break. You weren't sure where they were, emotionally.
69. "It's amazing how wonderful a rainstorm smells after you think you'll never smell one again." This was a nice, very believable moment, and they did a good job of portraying the beauty of everyday things. The sky was cloudy and the lighting was drab, but the sound of the rain falling gave a certain freshness to it.
70. "The hardest thing in life is losing the people you love. But you'd learn to move on, we all do." "It wouldn't be easy. Dad's given me so much I could never measure it. But you're my heart, my soul." "Well, I don't plan on going anywhere for a long, long time." "Good." They hug, and the camera shows us both of their emotions. The one thing this episode did wonderfully was portray the unique bond between a mother and son.
71. The silhouette of Martha and Clark hugging was a good choice and an aesthetically pleasing camera shot, but was cut short a few moments too soon, and the transition to the fireplace inside was somewhat abrupt. Or perhaps by now I was ready for the transition to jolt me. I'll have to watch it again and see.
72. The fireplace scene, by the way, was beautifully done. Chloe bundled up in blankets, leaning against the couch and warming herself, Clark fixing her tea in the background, the warm light…just a beautiful image. The Clark-Chloe bond became unique and precious, something entirely separate from the sidekick/teamwork angle and the Season One flirtation. The writers and the characters in the shows always make a big deal about the way Clark is protective of Lana, but nobody gawks about the way Clark is protective of Chloe, and this scene handled his caretaking in a pleasantly natural manner.
    
73. "You know, next time I head up north, I've got to remember to pack a parka." "How'd you get up there, anyway?" "You left your key in the cave. Seriously, Clark, you've got to be more careful. If I can get…anyone can." I liked the way she spoke that line. It was in the voice of someone enjoying someone else close, mistakes and carelessness and all.
    
74. Clark gives Chloe her tea and sits down next to her, sitting as close to her as he would have to Martha. "You know, Professor Fine said that human beings were insignificant and couldn't be depended on." Pause. "He obviously didn't know you very well." Clark and Chloe were closer than brother and sister in this scene. It wasn't in the dialogue, either, so much as the comfortable body language and warm glow of light and bundle of blankets around Chloe – it gave it a "homey" feel.
    
75. "Please. Robo-professor knows about as much about human nature as R2-D2." Personally I thought R2-D2 knew more about it. But what I was going to say was that this was a good response for Chloe to make, not letting the attention focus on her but on Milton. If she had taken the compliment with so much as a Why thank you, Clark, it could have gotten very shallow, very fast. Instead the conversation took a "close friendship" turn.
     
76. "You're not going to like this very much. Lionel Luthor gave me the lead." I was glad that, first of all, Chloe prefaced it with a concession that he wouldn't do it her way, but didn't actually apologize for using her way, as if she were accountable to him (a previous problem in their relationship, one thinking the other was accountable). And second, I liked it that Clark took it in the same spirit, as Chloe's method, and didn't push the issue.
77. "Master of the shell game must have moved it." "Or." "Or what?" "Or I have a bigger problem than I thought." The classic superhero ending – the suspicion that the villain is still alive.
78. Interesting way to open the scene, with Lex with his hands folded on the piano, head bowed, eyes closed. It was as if he was praying, until he turned and spoke, and we realized that he was controlling his anger. It ended up being a bit confusing, as your mind switched channels.
79. "I thought you were past your kleptomania stage, dad." For some reason that tickled me. It was like the old Lex, with his unfazed personal digs at Lionel, trying to create the perception that he calmly and thoroughly understood Lionel's weaknesses.
80. This Lex also spoke quietly and huskily, even though he remained volatile. That made his character much more believable – less temperamental and testy, and more as if there was always something violent underneath, waiting to break free.
81. "I want it back, now." In the old days of strategy and training, Lionel would have chided him for his somewhat infantile expectations, that whatever he demanded he would receive. This sounded more like the spoiled rich kid of Season One than the determined, quick Lex we saw later, the one with some experience.
82. "You're a fragile man. I don't want to see you shattered again by your delusions." Lex grabs him. If I thought there would be some follow-up on this, some character journeys set in motion, some exciting plotlines born, I would love the promise of this moment. But I don't think there will be. (However, I'd be happy to be proven wrong.)
83. An extremely weird moment when Lionel stands there a moment, then walks over and plinks three keys. What was the significance of that? It just seemed to be a little bit of filler, or perhaps a whim of the director: either way, it made us all look at each other in bewilderment.
84. "I can't believe after that whole Charlie's Angels escapade, all you found in that warehouse was a bunch of fertilizer." That made me laugh. It was another moment like Splinter's "…and that it gave you some sort of temporary powers?" A "Chloe pulls through again" moment.
85. "I'd never be able to let go." "That's usually how it starts." Lois turns and looks at the wall and smiles. If only she hadn't smiled, I wouldn't object to this moment of overt foreshadowing, even as farfetched as I think Chloe's answer was. But the smile cast a definite shade of fakeness over it. Smiles like that, that actually show teeth, are like soliloquies. They should be reserved for theater.
86. Jonathan comes to Clark in the barn, where he is brooding, and puts his hand on his shoulder. Trying to make up, Jonathan? "Hey. I know how hard all this has been on you." Maybe you know in retrospect, but all you were doing when it actually mattered was telling Clark he was wrong. "How you holding up?" For me, this gesture came way too late. We were already hardened to every word that came out of his mouth, and if Clark were supposed to represent a normal human being, he would be, too.
87. "I just don't know how I could be so gullible. I believed everything he said." "I would have done the same thing, son. You were trying to save your mother." I'm sorry, but right here everyone was groaning, fidgeting, and making "yeah right" comments. He would have done the same thing? Either he's outright lying now, or he was outright lying when Milton first came to him, and neither idea is attractive.
88. "Luckily she's safe now, and I think the best thing we can do is put all this behind us and move on with our lives, huh?" I don't know about this line. When you separate it from the rest of the dialogue, it really doesn't sound like Jonathan. Most of the episode Jonathan didn't sound like Jonathan, but this line apart from all context seemed a bit too much like someone trying to hide something, brushing away the subject for a reason. Or else, of course, his encouragement that Clark leave it all behind (instead of letting it shape who he's going to become) is supposed to be Jonathan talking.
89. "I'm not so sure. Jor-El's warning is still out there." "Clark, your mother's virus was caused by Fine, not by Jor-El. He hasn't done anything yet and for all we know he might never do anything." I find it interesting that Jonathan has such trust in Jor-El, as opposed to Fine. It's an interesting dynamic – as if "a father knows a father" and he thinks he knows that Jor-El wouldn't do anything to harm his only son. At least, it's potentially an interesting dynamic, also contributed to by his "Hidden" reaction when Clark returned from the grave – "Jor-El." And if Jonathan really is going to be the one taken, this peculiar relationship, almost a bond, that he and Jor-El have in their shared protection of Clark, is a potentially wonderful element in a potentially wonderful mix for "Reckoning".
90. "Dad, we both know that Jor-El's not the type to just let things go." That's what I was thinking. And I found it interesting that Jonathan didn't directly reply to it, but went on to the closing platitude.
91. "Clark, when it comes down to it, none of us are going to be around forever. Now we can't dwell on that. I think the trick is to just live life to its fullest, make sure you spend as much time as you possibly can…with the people you love." "You're right." "Yeah." Dark drumbeat as they fade out. If they had made this episode about Jonathan and Clark, this ending might have been poignant. If they had played noble, then torturously bittersweet music as he spoke, the ending would have been poignant. But since they did neither, this ending was almost exactly like the ending of "Ageless" – causing everyone to look at each other. "He didn't finish what he was saying." "That's the end?" A poignant ending would have worked even if someone else is the one to be taken…not sure why they bypassed the great opportunity here.
    

Details

1. Interesting CGI, the three lights spinning down, focusing on Martha, joining together, then assuming a fire-like, almost meteor-like appearance and firing down on her. The three lights were a good idea, recalling to mind the three sets of symbols on the octagonal key, which lighted up similarly. Immediately seemed Kryptonian, not like a fluke or a krypto-villain.
2. Interesting idea, as Clark and Chloe stood there with the copiers (or whatever machines they were) sending those throbbing glows of light, some lights green. Unfortunately it ended up being quite unflattering since it lit up under their chins and not their faces, but it was a nice try.
   
3. "In case you don't know where your paycheck's coming from, I own the Talon." Who has Lois been paying rent to all this time?
4. What did lead to Clark's revealing of Milton's secret? Last episode, he kept it from his parents, for an unstated reason. There were several possibilities on why, with two conspicuously in the foreground – A) because he felt guilty exposing Milton's secret when Milton was keeping his, and B) nothing serious, he just "didn't want them to worry". Since the Kents are worried about everything that occurs in Clark's life (unless the writers want Clark to sound convicted, in which case he has to sincerely talk them into worrying with him), the old "he didn't want them to worry" explanation only goes so far. It worked with the overwhelming burden of "Hidden" but not with a secret that really wasn't even his but was Milton's. That brings us back to (A) – he felt guilty exposing Milton's secret when Milton was keeping his. However, now Clark's telling his parents, and nothings changed except that Milton's told him he'll have to wait before hearing about Jor-El. Apparently Clark is mad at him now and will expose his secret as an equivalent of stomping his foot. Either that, or it's just the second of many unmotivated actions this episode.
5. "I'll tell you what you need to know – every time you've come in contact with a Kryptonian, they've been hellbent on death and destruction." Another of Jonathan's grammatical errors. "A Kryptonian" is singular – "they" is plural. "Every time you've come in contact with a Kryptonian, they've been hellbent on death and destruction." It should have been, "Every Kryptonian you've come in contact with has been hellbent on death and destruction," or similar restructuring.
6. Also, Jonathan's statement wasn't really true. Last he'd heard, Jor-El had saved Clark's life; before that, Jor-El had sent Clark to stop the planet from being destroyed.
7. The Daily Planet had somewhat primitive screensavers.
8. Chloe's hair was unflattering in this episode – too pale, and a rather poodle-like style. (Or what a poodle would look like if its hair wasn't curly…if that makes any sense.)
9. "This person can lift an automobile with one hand. Can create fire in the blink of an eye." And why would Milton lift an automobile with one hand or create fire in the blink of an eye? It's not like he's running around accomplishing tasks like Clark is, saving people or fighting krypto-villains. If there were a particular reason for him to be doing any of those things – fixing his car, etc. – they could have used that missing episode between "Splinter" and "Solitude" to get us used to him doing the things that Clark does. That would have been an interesting scene, actually – Clark leaning against the wall talking to him while he kneels down and lifts the car to look underneath. It would also, if Milton's powers were witnessed during this conversation with Clark, draw Lionel back in to the mystery of Clark. (What does Clark know about Milton? Why didn't Milton try to hide his powers from Clark? Etc.)
10. When Milton said "dissidents" I thought he said "descendents," which was confusing enough that I paid attention to the closed captions the second time around. I don't think I'd have picked up what he was saying without the closed captions.
11. "If they puncture her skin, or use any medication, it would kill her instantly." The professor makes another grammatical error. "If they do this, it would do this." It should be, "If they do this, it will do this," or "If they did this, it would do this." In other words, "If they puncture her skin, or use any medication, it will kill her instantly," or "If they punctured her skin or used any medication, it would kill her instantly."
12. "The doctors can't treat her, Mr. Kent, trust me. If they puncture her skin, or use any medication, it would kill her instantly." (See Details K.) It was unclear if this was deception or simply an oversight. The doctors, according to Jonathan, gave Martha antibiotics. Since she's already used medication, if this were true, she'd already be dead. If it were deception, I think Jonathan would have remembered that she'd taken medication and either reacted with horror or reacted with distrust, so I'm putting this down as a mistake.
13. "She needs a meteor rock. Do you have a meteor rock?" It was strange that he said "meteor rock" instead of "kryptonite". For one thing, "meteor rock" is a term that the writers coined: technically it should be "meteorite," and the professor side of Milton would have said "meteorite". For another, Milton's from Krypton and, with his familiarity in using "Kal-El" and "your father" in speaking to Clark, it seems unlikely that he would change his wording in this instance.
14. "Hold it to her forehead." Initially, Jonathan holding the kryptonite over Martha has no effect until it is touching her forehead; but later she lies on the couch with the kryptonite resting on her chest.
15. "Why not write a little exposé on the mental stability of the great bald hope of Kansas?" "I think that would make a great story, if I could find any shred of evidence or a source that would actually talk." Is Chloe saying that there's no evidence that Lex was locked away? That doesn't seem to make any sense. Or are they suggesting that Lex is none too stable right now? In that case, it sounds more like an opinion piece than an exposé, not that it wouldn't be a bit mean for Chloe to publish either. Lex protected her from Lionel when Lionel tried to kill her. This all-around rejection thing is hard for me to believe.
16. Since when does LuthorCorp hire young soft security guards? Usually it's someone in his forties, very business-like – it seemed very contrived that it just happened to be a gullible inexperienced guy on the job.
17. Not that relevant, but when the young soft security guard conceded, "Just for a minute," the closed caption read, "Just for a second". Personally I think "minute" makes more sense – glad they went with that.
18. When the security guard got out of the car and said something along the lines of, "I've got to get back to work," the closed captions gave Lois the line, "Are you sure you do?" I'm glad that wasn't in there.
19. I could half-believe that Lois knocked the guy down, because he was off his guard. But I couldn't believe that Chloe easily knocked the older security guy down or even off balance. Only consideration for the other viewers kept me from saying, "Ha!"
20. The picture of the Kent family looked a bit Photoshopped. Maybe Annette O'Toole is just pale, but it looked like the flash was different on her picture; and her line of hair against Tom Welling's face was very rigid, without any of those stray hairs you would expect, as if she had been cut and pasted.
    
21. "I want him gone." Except that Jor-El's spirit used to live in the caves, and several times communicated via spaceship and once via Lionel Luthor. Destroying the Fortress of Solitude would just send Jor-El to another form of communication. You'd think Clark would pick up on that, after all he's been through with the other forms of Jor-El.
22. There were several timing inconsistencies. First, Clark promised Martha that he wouldn't let her die. Then Chloe had enough time to have her conversation with Lois, drive to the warehouse, go through everything there, and escape, all before Clark reached the auditorium. (Which would be necessary if they wanted him to walk in on Milton and Milton had to be seen at the warehouse first, but doesn't make much sense if you follow just Clark.) Then after Clark speaks to Milton, Chloe goes to the Kent farm and Jonathan tells her, "They went to the cave." Clark apparently last left the Kent farm to go to the auditorium. So unless he and Milton dashed back to the farm to give them an update before going to the caves, how would Jonathan know that they went to the caves? Yes, Clark could have called him on his cellphone, but a) considering his emotional, Kill Jor-El state, it's not likely that he'd pause to give an update, and b) considering the way his father reacted when he destroyed the spaceship, it's definitely not likely that he'd volunteer the information before the thing was done.
23. "Meteor rock…you're not even kryptonian, are you?" Strange, the sudden "meteor rock" phraseology.
24. "I was created by Kryptonians…but I'm a whole lot smarter." Any time someone makes a statement about his own intelligence without using a statistical fact (i.e., a test score or an IQ), it tends to come out strangely. "I'm a whole lot smarter." It ends up sounding infantile.
25. Not to beat a dead horse, but the kryptonite issue fluctuated yet again. Last episode Clark was able to superspeed with someone holding kryptonite up to him. This episode he can only stagger. Also, in "Phoenix" the villains duct-taped the kryptonite to his chest, and he was able to cut it away with a shard of glass and toss it away from him. And he's almost always able to at least clumsily handle objects and roll over. Yet as he lay on the table, although he'd just managed to roll onto it, he couldn't manage to roll off it, or push the kryptonite away even without anything holding it onto him.
26. Then Chloe simply takes the kryptonite off his chest, and even though she's standing there holding it next to him, the "kryptonite sound effect" stops and Clark relaxes. Since she throws it away from him a few seconds later anyway, it was unclear why the timing was off.
    

The Future

I graded the writing of each episode, indepedent of content, and we have some bad news: if the writers keep up the pattern - the way episodes are alternating - we are in danger of having a 50/50 season. The good news is, at least things are looking up for "Lexmas".

© Voice of Reason, 2007