Voice of Reason: Smallville: Season Seven: Wrath




Wrath Overall Description of “Rage”: A friend of Clark’s is high on power when he receives powers that enhance his aggression and give him the ability to bring old enemies to justice. His target: Lex. Clark has to rescue Lex from his friend. Description of “Wrath”: A lover of Clark’s is high on power when she receives powers that enhance her aggression and give her the ability to bring old enemies to justice. Her target: Lex. Clark has to rescue Lex from his lover. So it feels like Smallville has reached the stage where they must reinvent their best moments and reexplore their best concepts as well as introduce new material. We can accept that. Their revival of Summerholt technology was welcome last week, if the memories weren’t; and even the concept of a main character with enhanced aggressions, which we thought had been worked to death, worked brilliantly six seasons in, with “Rage”. But 1) the reinvention of old material and the return of old concepts is different from the attempted duplication of past successes, and 2) recycled material in particular cannot be flat. This material was flat. “Rage” focused on making a three-dimensional character more three-dimensional. The episode opened with Oliver rescuing a frightened couple. Oliver still had a conscience, he was still living by the Robin Hood rules he always lived by, he still thought of others, and in his own twisted way, he was trying to achieve justice and to help the oppressed. He hadn’t fundamentally changed. It was just that his negative traits were magnified. The writing was so careful and sensitive that not only did he remain a sympathetic character throughout the episode, but his sympathetic nature rubbed off on Clark, who showed a tactful, moral, and above all caring side. “Wrath” focused on showing just how unfamiliar and distorted Lana’s character had become, making an unsympathetic character more unsympathetic. While this could have worked if her changed nature was the point, they unfortunately overshot the mark. Rather than having her traits magnified, Lana seemed to have only one emotion – anger. Her conscience was gone. She kicked Lois and stepped over her unconscious body without blinking. She fought Clark. Perhaps the writers are trying to say that this is an honest magnification of Lana’s traits…that the new magically transformed Lana (or clone Lana, heaven forbid) really doesn’t have a conscience, doesn’t much care for Lois, and is willing to fight Clark in order to have the chance to murder her enemy. If that’s what the writers were trying to say, then I just lost all interest in Smallville. But maybe that wasn’t what they were trying to say. Maybe they just spread the anger thicker than they intended. But in any event, “Wrath” didn’t come close to having the humanity and reality and emotional impact of “Rage”. To be fair, perhaps the psychological story of “Wrath” shouldn’t be compared to the psychological story of “Rage”. It should be compared to that of “Leech,” in which Eric Summers leeched Clark’s powers, leaving Clark feeling responsible for every act committed with his strength. But this comparison isn’t flattering either. While Eric Summers’ latent emotions rose to the surface and caused him to exhibit more aggression, he still cared. He was crushed when his mother acted frightened of him. He even wanted to make amends with his parents: their horrified reactions simply pushed him over the edge. Yes, he abused his enemies and hurt harmless Clark. But everything he did was essentially a temper tantrum from a child who had never been allowed to live an unhampered childhood. If having kryptonian powers really brings up a person’s deepest issues, then Lana, who has always been laden with abandonment issues, should have been terrified of being abandoned or betrayed. She should have wanted to make everyone love her. She should have been motivated by intense neediness. Instead she descended to a hideous level where she didn’t care what anyone thought of her as long as she could murder Lex. That’s overly simplistic, inconsistent, and just plain hard to believe. Meanwhile, while Clark felt a sense of responsibility for the actions committed with his powers (similar to “Leech”), he didn’t talk frankly with Lana about his concerns. There was a reason he couldn’t talk to Eric; there was nothing stopping him from telling Lana about what happened to Eric and to Jonathan. The entire plot was needlessly complicated by his unaccountable reticence. Even when the episode is taken purely on its own merit, without comparison to any other episode, it is incoherent and rings false. Chloe, formerly one of Lana's closest friends, is quick to view Lana as the enemy instead of trying to help her change. The "partial transfer" of Clark's powers feels contrived, as does the abrupt appearance of metallic shavings from Milton Fine's spaceship. Strangest of all, as lies are unveiled and accusations fly, the basic message, boiled down, is: Lex can’t change. Because. But Lana can change! With everyone operating on a faulty moral code and twisted ideas of justice, Smallville’s solid core of values is crumbling. We needed an episode that would make us feel something for someone. We needed a reason to like the characters again. To trust them. But with Clark creepily confiding in Lionel, Lana on a mission to murder, and Chloe's lip curling at Lana, it’s only Lois and Lex who come across as moderately likable…and they only serve the story as satellites to Lana’s witchy plot. Verdict: No one wanted Clark and Lana having sex, evil and superpowered Lana, Clark pettily squabbling with Lex, or…anything about this episode. A couple of worthy moments lift the episode up one point, to a 2 out of 10. Good/Bad Moments It was a wise choice to bring back an element from the old days, Lana’s horseback riding and the implication that Clark also rode. That, combined with the “leech,” made us think fondly that perhaps Smallville hadn’t changed so much after all. Unfortunately, this was overturned by the rest of the episode. “But normally that kind of romance comes with a tag that says, ‘Sorry I wrecked your car.’” Lana speaks very slowly, wagging her head. It was unclear if this awkward moment was supposed to indicate that she’s not fully herself with Clark, or if it was unintentionally weird. “ Clark, this is so cool! How come you didn’t tell me it was like this?” This moment didn’t ring true. Although Lana’s voice was compelling, her tense face and odd head movements felt staged. She kept sticking her neck out. “Relax, Clark. You’ve lived with these abilities – every – day. I think I can handle it.” Again, this was an odd delivery. Lana looks at Clark seductively. Clark stammers. “Lana – I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” She grabs his jacket and slams him against the post. I realize that Lana has a tendency to pursue Clark, and we know from Season Five that sex is extremely important to her. But this level of aggression was overkill. It made the whole situation seem juvenile and comical, which wasn’t the tone they should have been shooting for. “I’ve always tried to guess what your life was like, but there was always a part of you I could never get close to.” This line revealed how deep they could have gone with this episode. Lana and Clark could have reclaimed the spiritual intimacy they had in earlier seasons. It was unfortunate that there wasn’t any real follow-up to this moment. Lana x-rays Clark. This was a fun moment, as previously Clark – under the influence, of course – had taken advantage of the ladies. It was fun to see his reaction as he got a taste of his own medicine…although, again, since Lana was not under the influence, this was perhaps a stretch. Chloe walks in on Clark and Lana kissing – Lana wearing nothing but Clark’s shirt – and, irritated, asks them what on earth they’ve been doing. This wasn’t a good moment for Chloe – it made her look dense, inconsiderate, and clueless. When, in fact, Chloe is supposed to be sharp, compassionate, and savvy. “Okay, I need a little explaino.” This isn’t Chloe talking. Clark is a little giggly about it all. Lana is suddenly superpowered. Cool! Chloe brings him back to earth: “ Clark, been here, done this, and it doesn’t end well. Hey, the last human you souped up became a PSYC 101 case study.” “Yeah, but Lana’s different. We know her. It’s not gonna happen.” “Okay, Eric Summers was just a geek who collected rocks, and then ended up in an asylum. And I hate to bring this up, but when your dad took your powers…” “His heart failed.” Thank you, Chloe. I can understand that the writers didn’t want Clark to become a wet blanket, first freaking out about Kara’s use of her powers, then freaking out about Lana’s use of her powers. He needed to have a different reaction here. But it wouldn’t have hurt to have him concerned for her physical safety instead of her secrecy, especially since he felt responsible for Jonathan’s death. It would have been more in character for Clark to worry about her wellbeing than for him to be in denial about the consequences. Chloe and Clark recall the psychological and physical toll that Kryptonian powers take on humans. Instead of cautioning Lana, they decide to watch her closely. This was nonsensical reaction. Lana, in a contrived moment, overhears Chloe and Clark arranging to watch Lana. First, it is unclear why she strains to listen to them. Second, her reaction is to grab a picture of her former innocent self and throw it at the mirror. This reaction was so bizarre that, on first viewing, I thought that she was having trouble controlling her powers and that she was simply trying to pick up the picture in the heat of emotion. However, on second viewing, that clearly isn’t the case. She throws the picture. This was so completely unjustifiable that one wonders, with dread, if this was a Lana clone. The next few images, as Lana eyes herself warily in the mirror, then looks at the picture of her happy former self, seem to point in the same direction. Lana calmly calls Chloe on her promise to babysit. She seems very unresentful for someone whose first reaction was to throw things. This was an odd moment. “What’s churning in that head of yours, Lana?” Cut to the Luthor mansion, revealing what was churning in that head of hers. This was a nice transition, but we never found out whether Lana answered Chloe, how she slipped away from Chloe when they were having coffee, or how far the conversation proceeded regarding superpowers, caution, and goals. “What am I looking at?” “We don’t really know.” I think this was a problem. We didn’t know either. This moment didn’t have much impact because there wasn’t adequate context. “That dust was the last remnant of alien technology I have. What’s left of Milton Fine’s ship.” This felt too contrived to be believable. Granted, it’s been some time since we’ve seen Lex’s secret labs; but this reveal needed a clue planted earlier for us to buy it. “Dust doesn’t just turn to liquid.” This was as dense as Clark’s “Knox wasn’t alive during WWII, Lex. He’s too young.” Lionel swivels in his chair, grinning and giggly from talking to Martha. Then he sees Clark and looks noticeably guilty. The awkwardness of this moment enhanced the awkwardness of the ensuing conversation. “What is it, son?” Every time Lionel calls Clark “son,” several viewers feel nauseated. “She is not – may not be the person you think she is.” “Well, it’ll take her some time to get over what Lex did to her.” “No, no, that’s not it.” This seems to imply that Lana’s behavior is not due to Lex’s mind games with her – that Lana is fundamentally different. I could understand Lana’s darkness stemming from psychological damage thanks to her escapades with the Luthors – her learning to fend for herself in their world – but somehow Lionel seemed to be suggesting something different. And that starts to look soapy. “Lana’s incapable of doing something like that.” “Are you sure? Have you ever allowed yourself to take a really honest look at Lana?” It was unclear whether Lionel was referring to their recent history or their history as a whole. The term “ever” seems to reach farther back into their past than this season or even last season. And, although I can understand questioning Lana’s integrity from Season Four on, the first three seasons certainly don’t deserve the second-guessing that Lionel’s suggesting. “If you’re saying this because you think I’m wasting my time with Lana instead of pursuing some master plan that Jor-El set out for me, that’s my decision to make.” This was actually well-worded. Last season, as we speculated on the reasons why Lionel could have forced Lana to marry Lex, this was one of the ideas that came up. Clark obviously had the same idea. This was a good moment, as he articulated all the viewers’ objections to the idea. “Let me guess. You’re the last one to know about her Isis foundation. Stings, doesn’t it?” This was completely uncharacteristic. The Lex-Clark dynamic has since S4 been unstable at best, but this season hopskotches to completely different Lexes, Clarks, and types of interaction each conversation. “You can say what you want, Clark, but I can see it in your eyes. You don’t trust her either.” This was the one good moment in the Clark-Lex conversation. It didn’t feel like the conversation was being forced to a strange place; this was very natural, as they both realized that Lana’s unpredictability and strange behavior had left them both wary. “We have to find her.” Chloe looks like she’s going to say something. Except she doesn’t say something. Weird moment. “I’m telling you, don’t clash horns with the Luthors. I don’t want to lose my ace reporter!” He has a far-too-huge smile on his face. Lois: “Oh, I know what’s going on here.” Grant looks surprised. “You do?” He clearly has a reason for wanting to keep the Luthor story out of the papers, and it seems odd that Lois doesn’t catch on here. “But honestly, what office romance ever works out?” Now that is a future reference. This was subtle, it had context, and it was funny. “Or, what if for once Lex doesn’t have anything to hide?” “Yeah. Maybe when I hit 5’ 10” and Prince Harry sweeps me off my feet. Clark, Lex hasn’t changed.” In other words, if Lex seems different, you know for sure that he isn’t really different. But if Lana seems different, you should consider the fact that you may have been mistaken about her all along. This was an irksome moment. “What if having these powers is amplifying Lana’s true feelings? Maybe this is all in her head.” At first I didn’t understand what Clark was suggesting. On second viewing, I understood that he meant that Lana might be having paranoid delusions. But Chloe asks skeptically if he’s just trying to exonerate Lana. In other words, it looks better if she’s delusional than if she uncovers something real. What? Obviously whether or not she’s delusional or she’s uncovered something real, her true feelings are at the root of the matter. What difference does it make in terms of morality? “Chloe, do you know what it feels like to wonder if someone close to you isn’t who you think?” “Did you really just ask me that question?” Good moment. “Look, I haven’t really wanted to admit it. But ever since Lana came back, she’s been different.” She’s been speaking slowly and sticking her neck out. “There’s something darker about her.” The way he phrased this again pointed to the possibility of a clone, unfortunately. If they had intended for this to be Lana’s honest metamorphosis, then he would have said something like, “It feels like something’s bothering her,” or “She hasn’t wanted to talk about what happened…” Pointing out her difference and her new darkness points to something more. “Maybe she wants to help people on her own terms.” Clark x-rays, then flings the secret doors open. “Or she’s secretly spying on Lex and she doesn’t want us to know how totally depraved she is.” This was an uncharacteristic remark for a friend to make. Chloe and Lana are friends – close friends. They make videos of themselves giggling. Lana tells Chloe about her sex life. If Chloe honestly thought that the secret room revealed Lana’s depravity, she should have been limited to a single word: “Whoa.” She should have been almost speechless. She should have felt betrayed and horrified. Since she didn’t respond that way, it’s as if Lana was her enemy before they discovered the secret room. Chloe seemed far too ready to suggest that her friend was psycho. Lex and Lana are able to communicate on a level that Clark can’t reach. They are both startlingly forthright. “There’s a reason you came to me and not Clark. You trusted me.” “That’s all over.” “Is it? Then why have you been trailing me, spying on me, stalking every move that I make?” Things come to the light when they converse. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else.” “I haven’t, have I?” Ha. Good point. “It wasn’t until St. Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus that he saw his higher calling.” Nice moment, tying Lex to Lionel and also providing some validation for his change of heart. (Which, incidentally, was a wise move on the part of the writers.) “He’s not like us, Lana. You might not want to admit it, but we understand each other. We understand doing what it takes to survive.” They kiss. This was a stunning moment. Lex and Lana’s relationship, like all other relationships on Smallville, has always depended on the writers of a given episode – thrilling us in the hands of one writer, repulsing us in the hands of another. This was a success, on the level of their confrontation in “Kara”. The writers captured Lex and Lana’s spiritual intimacy here. Their minds and spirits meet in a way that can’t be broken by animosity. They are still kindred souls – which is, at the same time, very strange and very compelling. Nice image as the light of the Kryptonian symbols plays across Clark and Lana’s faces. “I think we should talk about what happened in the elevator.” Grant kisses her. “I’m glad I got that off my chest.” That was actually a sweet moment. Nice piano transition from the Daily Planet to Lex sipping his drink at the mansion. “Well, that’s a new twist. Lana sending you to do her apologies for her?” That was so spot on that it was funny. “I wasn’t the first person to teach her about betrayal, now was I?” I was unsure what Lex was referring to here. Is he implying that Clark betrayed him, or that Clark betrayed Lana? And in what way did either occur? “I want Clark to have that kind of loyalty in his life. But I’m just not sure it’s from you.” This was actually an ugly little moment. Chloe and Lana, as I have mentioned before, are friends. This should have been the moment when Chloe sits Lana down for a heart-to-heart and asks her what was really going on with those powers, with the Isis foundation, and what Lana really wanted. Instead she delivered an ultimatum. This wasn’t a friend’s response. “I just need to know that you love me. No matter what.” Clark doesn’t answer. Interesting, odd ending. Details The conspicuous absence of any closeup shots on Clark tells us very clearly that Tom Welling isn’t riding the horse. Why would Lana stand underneath the windmill and grab it just before it smashed her? Instinct would have told her to dive away. In “Leech,” Eric Summers was shocked when he was able to quickly and successfully block his father’s blow. Shouldn’t Lana have been shocked that when she dove out of the way, she leapt thirty feet? Since Clark and Kara are reconciled, one would expect that by this episode she would have returned to the farm. However, she obviously wasn’t disturbed by Clark and Lana’s tryst, so where is she living? Clark explains that the reason that he and Lana both have his abilities is because “The transfer wasn’t complete.” Obviously we can’t apply human logic to the situation, but it would have been interesting if the incomplete transfer had involved Clark keeping some abilities and losing some abilities. For example, he could lose his strength but keep his heat vision. This would have felt like less of a stretch and would have made his brief battle with Lana more interesting. “Okay, Eric Summers was just a geek who collected rocks, and then ended up in an asylum.” Actually, Eric wasn’t just a normal geek. He had lived a suppressed life and, it was implied, had been physically abused. His new powers just gave him a way to vent what he had been feeling all along. A better way to phrase this would have been, “We thought we knew Eric Summers.” This would also have summed up the episode, which is basically saying, “We thought we knew Lana.” “You’re not a reporter.” “I may not be, but I do have a story to tell.” Here, Lana’s motive is not hatred, but justice. Does this indicate that Lana has deeper issues of hatred that she isn’t acknowledging at this point, but that will surface once she has lived longer with the ability to sweep obstacles aside? Or does it simply mean that the powers’ psychological effects grew stronger the longer she possessed them? Lana shows no discretion as she flings the painting and the safe door onto the floor with crashes and clangs. Lex hadn’t even completely left the room when she dashed in; this noise should have sent him racing back in. “Samson trusted Delilah with the secret of his strength, but his trust didn’t prevent Delilah from betraying him.” This was a fascinating biblical analogy. And a rather discouraging one; Samson only told Delilah because he grew sick of her nagging. Lana kicks Lois through the door, then stalks through and looks at her coldly. “Then I’ll take care of Lex myself.” I guess this is about as violent as Eric Summers grabbing his father and pinning him up against the wall, then throwing cars at the house. But in that case, something latent was intensified and brought to the surface. Lana doesn’t have anything against Lois, does she? Metropolis’s moon was huge. “Plant No. 4.” Chloe rewinds and raises the volume. “Plant No. 4.” But we all caught the plant number the first time. Shocking detail – the Kryptonian message scrolling in Lex’s warehouse is from “Rosetta”. It reads: “This is Kal-el of Krypton. Our infant son. Our last hope.” Has Lex decoded the message? It seemed odd that, with the Kryptonian symbols scrolling, Lana didn’t even give them a glance. Clark sends electricity flowing through himself and Lana to leech back his powers. But technically, he hasn’t lost any powers. The transfer wasn’t complete. Shouldn’t he be afraid that this will complete the transfer and leech his powers? Grant erases the hard drive. Since all digital information can technically be recovered, is it possible that Chloe will be able to retrieve this information? © Voice of Reason, 2007