Voice of Reason: Season Four: Transference

Transference

Overall

Every rule has an exception. The average Smallville episode in which someone gets changed by kryptonite or possessed by someone else consists of forty minutes of chaos in which a handful of people act loony, collapse, and wake up with amnesia. I thought for a while that I would never like that sort of crazed, oppressive plot, and when I saw the preview for this episode I was stressed from the idea of having to go through it all again. But this episode was an exception to the rule.

Breaking the "Nicodemus" mould and stepping up from "Rush", this episode had it all. The situations they set up made you double up with laughter, not just groan with embarrassment; the acting was brilliant and relentlessly funny without being overdone; and when the episode ended, the situation had actually progressed and left you with some new questions to ponder.

A major plus for me was that the writers, as well as the characters, showed some restraint. It was not so much of an insane spree as it was a Comedy of Errors...the events were not so much in slapstick misdemeanors or embarrassing passion, but in humorous, clever situations and dialogue. This restraint strengthened the episode, bringing back the intelligent characters of Smallville - and making the climax all the more explosive. They let themselves have their five minutes of chaos during the adrenaline-charged prison brawl, loud music blaring as amidst the uproar Clark and Lionel have their showdown...and that scene is, in execution, one of the best in Smallville history. But, and I say it gladly, the rest of the episode is not one tumultuous riot. The rest of the episode is packed with the sheer joy of watching a great script and great acting come into play flawlessly. The humor - as when "Clark" whirls around and pats Jonathan's shoulder, or leans against the doorframe and says shortly, "Precisely" - is conveyed relentlessly while remaining subtle and tasteful; and, unlike the previous possessed/changed episodes, they didn't overdo the - er, "predatory" intincts, even though Lionel was totally slimy. A step more, and it would have been hard for me to swallow; but they kept it at the right level, resisting the temptation to push it farther. Good writing consists of knowing when to pull back and when to push harder, and this episode demonstrated that.

Verdict: 10.

Good Moments

The acting was so awesome throughout the entire episode that there was not a single moment when you saw one of them and had to remind yourself that this was, after all, Lionel/Clark, not Clark/Lionel. Lionel-Clark's wide-eyed innocence and his Clark-like mannerisms, and Clark-Lionel's shifty, evil persona and verbal dart-playing - it made the show excellent.
It was an intriguing moment when Lionel lay on the floor, stunned. And then he looked up and saw Clark through the smoke... Had Lionel retained his memory, this would have been a powerful moment, as Clark stood a step away from him; in all the chaos and smoke, after his persecution, Clark could easily have killed him. And when Clark walked away and disappeared into the smoke, the meaning would have been strong and Lionel's "changed man" dialogue at the end would have been far more interesting...and the whole situation more dangerous. He would have known Clark's secret. As it was, it was another ingredient to add to the mystery, in Lionel's perception - Clark standing over him and him having no idea why or what had happened. It was like the second season, in which Lionel's blindness made it possible for him to get only small clues as to what a great haze of mystery surrounded Clark. I think I would have preferred the first scenario, personally. It would have opened up so many possibilities. Lionel yet again not knowing will go on forever if they let it, without any possibilities being opened up or anything changing whatsoever.
Lex was great in this episode. The way he smiles when he thinks Clark is trying his Scotch...the way he is the only one to realize that Clark is not Clark...the way he immediately accepts Clark with a hug, and sees at once that Clark had inadvertently taken his place behind bars. I like episodes like this, where he's Clark's big brother. Unless he's going to become the villain fully and very soon (in which case Clark will need to become Superman very soon), it's good to have that kind of relationship. It makes it poignant.
It was a relief that the genius-who-wasn't-all-there was involved, both for the sake of Clark and the sake of the viewer. It was a relief to the viewer that here was a person who expected someone else to be in Lionel's body, and who didn't mind sharing all the information he had. He was guileless, which meant that his innocent suggestion that Lionel could solve it all by killing Clark was honestly what came to his mind and not a recommendation to murder. It also meant that he was quite as willing to help Clark as he was to help Lionel. The perfect person for the plot, who wanted everything to work out well, but was not on a particular side. Applause for the writers, yet again, for finding the perfect character to complete the episode and link it to Clark's past. I wouldn't mind if he returned.




Transference Overall Every rule has an exception. The average Smallville episode in which someone gets changed by kryptonite or possessed by someone else consists of forty minutes of chaos in which a handful of people act loony, collapse, and wake up with amnesia. I thought for a while that I would never like that sort of crazed, oppressive plot, and when I saw the preview for this episode I was stressed from the idea of having to go through it all again. But this episode was an exception to the rule. Breaking the "Nicodemus" mould and stepping up from "Rush", this episode had it all. The situations they set up made you double up with laughter, not just groan with embarrassment; the acting was brilliant and relentlessly funny without being overdone; and when the episode ended, the situation had actually progressed and left you with some new questions to ponder. A major plus for me was that the writers, as well as the characters, showed some restraint. It was not so much of an insane spree as it was a Comedy of Errors...the events were not so much in slapstick misdemeanors or embarrassing passion, but in humorous, clever situations and dialogue. This restraint strengthened the episode, bringing back the intelligent characters of Smallville - and making the climax all the more explosive. They let themselves have their five minutes of chaos during the adrenaline-charged prison brawl, loud music blaring as amidst the uproar Clark and Lionel have their showdown...and that scene is, in execution, one of the best in Smallville history. But, and I say it gladly, the rest of the episode is not one tumultuous riot. The rest of the episode is packed with the sheer joy of watching a great script and great acting come into play flawlessly. The humor - as when "Clark" whirls around and pats Jonathan's shoulder, or leans against the doorframe and says shortly, "Precisely" - is conveyed relentlessly while remaining subtle and tasteful; and, unlike the previous possessed/changed episodes, they didn't overdo the - er, "predatory" intincts, even though Lionel was totally slimy. A step more, and it would have been hard for me to swallow; but they kept it at the right level, resisting the temptation to push it farther. Good writing consists of knowing when to pull back and when to push harder, and this episode demonstrated that. Verdict: 10. Good Moments The acting was so awesome throughout the entire episode that there was not a single moment when you saw one of them and had to remind yourself that this was, after all, Lionel/Clark, not Clark/Lionel. Lionel-Clark's wide-eyed innocence and his Clark-like mannerisms, and Clark-Lionel's shifty, evil persona and verbal dart-playing - it made the show excellent. It was an intriguing moment when Lionel lay on the floor, stunned. And then he looked up and saw Clark through the smoke... Had Lionel retained his memory, this would have been a powerful moment, as Clark stood a step away from him; in all the chaos and smoke, after his persecution, Clark could easily have killed him. And when Clark walked away and disappeared into the smoke, the meaning would have been strong and Lionel's "changed man" dialogue at the end would have been far more interesting...and the whole situation more dangerous. He would have known Clark's secret. As it was, it was another ingredient to add to the mystery, in Lionel's perception - Clark standing over him and him having no idea why or what had happened. It was like the second season, in which Lionel's blindness made it possible for him to get only small clues as to what a great haze of mystery surrounded Clark. I think I would have preferred the first scenario, personally. It would have opened up so many possibilities. Lionel yet again not knowing will go on forever if they let it, without any possibilities being opened up or anything changing whatsoever. Lex was great in this episode. The way he smiles when he thinks Clark is trying his Scotch...the way he is the only one to realize that Clark is not Clark...the way he immediately accepts Clark with a hug, and sees at once that Clark had inadvertently taken his place behind bars. I like episodes like this, where he's Clark's big brother. Unless he's going to become the villain fully and very soon (in which case Clark will need to become Superman very soon), it's good to have that kind of relationship. It makes it poignant. It was a relief that the genius-who-wasn't-all-there was involved, both for the sake of Clark and the sake of the viewer. It was a relief to the viewer that here was a person who expected someone else to be in Lionel's body, and who didn't mind sharing all the information he had. He was guileless, which meant that his innocent suggestion that Lionel could solve it all by killing Clark was honestly what came to his mind and not a recommendation to murder. It also meant that he was quite as willing to help Clark as he was to help Lionel. The perfect person for the plot, who wanted everything to work out well, but was not on a particular side. Applause for the writers, yet again, for finding the perfect character to complete the episode and link it to Clark's past. I wouldn't mind if he returned. © Voice of Reason, 2007