Voice of Reason: Season Six: Justice

Justice

Overall

This was an amazing and rather uneven episode. We enjoyed beautiful dialogue between Oliver and Lois in their final scene, Chloe's greatest hour, a few epic camera shots, and some incredible music. We also suffered through stilted hero banter, Clark stumbling over himself every step, and a few over-the-top moments. The directing was beautiful; the writing was uneven; several characters were unmotivated; and ultimately it was difficult to find an appropriate conclusion as to whether the overall episode was good or just too much. So I guess I have to say...both. For once I'll let the "Moments" section explain.

My first question after watching: Apparently Clark has his future plotted out. He will round up all the Zoners, then he will help the Justice League fight Lex and receive his training from Jor-El, in any order. With such a clearly laid out plan, how are the writers going to surprise us? Where's the mid-season twist that suddenly makes Clark re-evaluate everything?

My second question: Lex "raising an army"? Why can I not believe this?

My third question: What happened to Lionel the symbol-scribbing, cave-studying person with a vaguely sinister agenda?

Verdict: So hard to judge. But definitely a step above many other episodes. 8.

Good/Bad Moments

The opening shot, crawling over the Daily Planet building where Clark made his first leap, before plunging through blinding lights of traffic to the now-familiar basement, was so epic. So promising. This was one of two camera shots that really stood out in my mind for positive reasons.
It was also a promising development that Clark was combing South America for more Zoners. 1) Clark so rarely takes the initiative, and 2) he so rarely leaves Smallville or Metropolis, despite his powers. This episode overcame the second obstacle to belief by sending him to Mexico for a good time and to South America on save-the-world business. (I wish we could have actually seen some of his travel, like we did in "Ryan".) The first obstacle, however, remained an obstacle.
"No, he'll be here in fifteen minutes." This was a nice touch. Clark was taking the time to protect Chloe when she had a meeting…and Chloe wasn't doing Lana's strong-woman I-don't-need-protection thing. They helped each other out. Usually 1) it's only Chloe helping Clark out, and 2) the girls (or Lana and Lois) are trying to fumble along on their own for the sake of independence. I can understand why the writers started making the girls learn the knack of fending for themselves…but I liked Clark so much better when he had the protective role and rescued the girls than when he brooded and the girls rescued themselves.
"Where are they transferred to? Is LuthorCorp involved? Does this have anything to do with [carefully enunciating] 33.1?" I liked this moment. We've seen Chloe the research expert, but Chloe the hard-hitting reporter hasn't made an appearance in some time. I would like it if the writers took another look at the Chloe of Season Three, who got herself into complex situations and had to draw on all her creative resources to get out. Her reckless love of the reporting game is what makes her interesting apart from Clark.
Chloe's gasp and jump, raising both her hands, was a bit forced.
Okay. I'll take that as a no-comment." Good answer. It was good to have Chloe quick with an answer when she pushed too far.
I liked the Metropolis shot of Clark pursuing the Flash, both of them dodging in and out of traffic without anyone noticing.
Nice transition to the basketball narrowly missing the camera. Very effective directing. The impact was stolen, however, by Details B.
"I'm the only one who can round up prisoners from the Phantom Zone and stop Lex from experimenting with people with abilities." At first I thought this was just some rather awkward recap dialogue aimed at new viewers, but on a second viewing I reconsidered. Clark discovers in this episode that he is not the only one who can stop Lex. Could it be that the Justice League could also help him round up prisoners from the Phantom Zone? (Not saying that I like or dislike this idea…though I think Green Arrow is the only other superhero Clark needs for hero-chemistry and friendship…just noting the potential meaning in that dialogue.)
"I'll get in touch with Lionel, maybe he can tell us something." Chloe nods casually and they both keep going. This is still so strange…so hard for me to accept. The writers haven't given us any reason to believe that Lionel has changed – no sudden revelation, no Kryptonian possession, and no observations or signs that Martha is slowly changing him – yet it seems like they expect us to understand that Lionel is now, for no apparent reason, trusted and good. This is rather like their fifth-season treatment of Lex, when Lex went from offering Clark a helicopter lift in "Commencement" to torturing A.C. in "Aqua". Who flipped the villain lightswitch? Since when do the viewers not get an explanation?
"Hey, gorgeous, what's up? You miss me?" It was telling for me – and should have been for Clark – that Bart, despite his apparent live-for-the-moment creed, remembered Chloe for two years, looked up her workplace, stopped by to see her, etc., etc. He's not as flaky as he seemed at first glance. I like moments that show unexpected maturity, in both heroes and villains. (In other words – bring back Lex-wisdom.)
"Knock it off. What's with the Spanish?" Clark's first words to Bart. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be written as an older-brother moment, and Tom Welling just played it too curtly, or if this was really meant to make Clark look like such a jerk. These two parted on good terms with a friendly race, after Clark urged Bart to live in Smallville. Why the sudden roughness?
"Last time you blew through town, you stole my dad's wallet, then swiped a priceless artifact from Lex." Oh, dear. I was hoping there weren't going to be any obvious "last time we mets" for new viewers. They should have just opened with a "Previously on Smallville" segment, then loaded dialogue with subtext, with hints of a history, instead of spelling it out and forcing the dialogue in an awkward direction. Viewers like "Previously on Smallville" segments anyway.
Speaking of forcing dialogue in an awkward direction, it seemed odd that Clark would bring up past long-forgiven misdemeanors, yet they would never end up talking about Jonathan. It seemed like Bart, good-natured kid that he is, would ask about Jonathan, either with Clark or while stuffing himself and talking with Martha. That would have been an opportunity for showing his more mature, hero side with just three lines of dialogue. They should have inserted that moment and cut Clark's suspicious conversation here, which merely makes us annoyed with Clark.
"Am I really supposed to just buy that?" "Well, I could squirt out some tears, if that'll help." Cute, smart-alecky moment. Clark had it coming.
"I can still blink pretty fast." Lines put in for the sake of referring to past episodes are never very natural. The only such Smallville line I can remember that actually worked was Lex's pointing out to Clark in "Memoria" that when he found Clark lying in the highway in "Rosetta" he didn't accuse him of dementia. (On second thought, the third season was so much more of an epic arc, it probably got away with a few more references to past episodes than other seasons.)
"It was a four-martini lunch, if you include the one you spilled on my shirt." Oliver is laughing, a bit giddily. It was good to begin the episode showing that they still were in the blissful stage of their relationship, showing how much they were about to lose. Still, I prefer Oliver-Lois scenes that show how well they know and appreciate each other, like their scenes together in "Rage" or their subtle testing of each other in "Wither".
Oliver answers: "Go ahead." His business mentality is shown even in his phone greetings. Nice touch.
"I think we should take a break." That was an odd way of suggesting vacation together. Was he trying to mislead her? This was like the Lana acceptance speech last episode…it's strange and hard to accept when the dialogue is used to mislead the viewers.
"Lana's in Paris with Nell, shopping for a wedding dress." When did Nell re-emerge? Has it ever occurred to her to call Lana when she saw her on the cover of magazines and have a protective talk with her? Then again, Nell's always been an odd woman. It would be like her not to care if little Lana was a billionaire's mistress until she was able to get her hands in the wedding arrangements.
Interesting USB card. I've never seen one like that before…especially one that continues to glow green after it has been unplugged.
"Just being careful. After all, I'm not as fast as you." This was the second line I couldn't find any excuse for. I still don't know why it was written or how it was could have been delivered to improve it. It was just a bad line.
"You've got a funny way of showing it. I've left you half a dozen messages!" Clark is such a child. It's strange enough to me that he's pestering the millionaire with the power to reveal his secret to the world and have him locked in a lab and experimented on…the man who had him experimented on before…and stranger still that he'll storm in and poutily complain that he keeps calling and Lionel's not answering, as if Lionel is at his beck and call. It's ironic, in the same way as when, in "Legacy," he stormed in and shouted at Virgil Swann, "You betrayed me!" He's dealing with powerful people. He's not the beginning and end of the world. Yet he makes demands of them that he would never allow others to make of him.
"Who is it, then?" Transition to Bart, finishing up the spread laid across the counter. Nice moment, although the camera stayed on Clark for too long, making me think, "What will he say?" and then cutting away from the answer.
"God, Mrs. K, thank you so much. This was so good!" Bart is gleeful. This delivery, speaking with his mouth full, holding his fingers as if they're covered with crumbs, was perfect.
"Where do you put it all? You eat more than Clark, and he's twice your size." "Yeah, well, you know, I burn a lot of calories." This made sense. Like hummingbirds, eating twice their weight. Nice touch.
"Yeah, anything for you, Mrs. K." Bart is sweet here. I like the way that Martha was accepted into the Justice League family, even though we didn't see her with the others. This was all the mothering we needed to see – we saw that she understood what it was like to have a superhero agenda and appetite – and later references to "Mama Kent" filled us in on the rest. I think they showed just the right amount of interaction with Martha and the League.
"It's – it's – ugh! It's complicated!" Nice delivery, showing his genuine frustration and his insurmountable honor. Setting the stage for his subsequent denial with Lex.
"I'm a smart guy, explain it to me." Somehow hearing Clark say that he was a smart guy, when throughout the whole episode he kept getting it wrong, made me want to smack the side of his head.
"Look, I'm sorry I can't tell you all my secrets, Clark. Okay? I thought a guy like you would understand it." Didn't Clark just learn this lesson in "Hydro"? He doesn't have the right to demand to know others' secrets, just as others don't have the right to demand to know his. He seemed very demanding this episode.
In the episode that doesn't show Lois in a bikini or a sports bra, she discusses wearing slinky Victoria's Secret lingerie and expresses in two out of three scenes her desire for sex with Oliver. I just can't watch that and think, "It's so comforting to think that she and Clark will end up together." The writers need to realize that Lois's depth, when they find it, will not come from running a campaign in total ignorance or in wearing bikinis and lusting. I can't believe I'm thinking in Season Four mode, but give me the Lois of "Crusade" who struggled with smoking, hated living in a small town, and had all the makings of a complex and human character.
"God, Smallville, learn how to knock! What if I'd been naked? Ew!" Lois treats Clark like a brother, and it's a relief. If she started acting with Clark the way she acts with Oliver, I'd want to slap her. Lois isn't a seductress any more than she's a two-dimensional klutz.
"A couple more bikinis. Good idea, Smallville." Strange how Lois went from giggling over Green Arrow and telling Clark about the kiss…to being forcefully crude in order to shock Clark. Admittedly, I can believe the second easier than I can believe the first, but there's nothing wrong with a happy medium.
After sensing that Lois is headed for trouble with Oliver, Clark feels compelled to open up to Chloe and tell her about Bart. It wasn't necessarily honorable of him, but the circumstances did build up well to channel into this moment of complete honesty.
"It's a subsidiary of JL International…" Nice, subtle reference to the Justice League.
"Oliver!" "Look, Clark, whatever's got your tighty-whities in a bunch, now is not the time." Hilarious. Clark definitely had that coming, with his numerous exasperated and offended entries; it was a relief to see someone who didn't feel an obligation to tolerate him. Oliver's serious, business-like delivery was what made the line so outrageously satisfying.
Oliver, shortly: "Yeah. You don't know what you're talking about." I loved this. Oliver is so good for Clark.
"No, to stop 33.1." Oliver leans forward. Clark is taken aback. (Ha.) "You know about 33.1?" Oliver nods, almost imperceptibly. So he knew that Clark knew. He's way ahead of Clark, and Clark is shocked. (After all, he's a smart guy. Okay, I'm stopping now.) Clark tries to collect himself and summon up some more righteous indignation, but it has occurred to him what Oliver is thinking: "You knew, and you did nothing to stop it?" Still, he tries to act as if he's in charge. "Why didn't you tell me what you were up to?" Again, didn't he just learn this lesson in "Hydro"? Since when is everyone obligated to update him? "Clark, do you check in with me every time you run off to save the world?" Go Oliver.
"What could be more urgent than Lex Luthor developing an army of superfreaks, Clark? That's what he's doing. He's starting a war." What? 1) Isn't "superfreaks" a slightly derogatory term, when there have been some good guys with powers? 2) A war against who, for what? Without any kind of known threat, the idea of an X-Men-type army following Lex is a bit ludicrous.
Clark states the obvious: "Lex has Bart. We have to find him." Clark is a step behind everyone else, all the way: having him declare what everyone else has already figured out just makes him look deluded.
"I want a lawyer." "And I want a ponytail. Disappointment abounds." I intensely disliked this line. It made Lex the goofy, not-too-bright villain of the movies. All that was missing was a wig or an innocent girly sidekick trailing after him. The Smallville Lex is different…he's deeper, he's funnier, he's more twisted and complex, he's needier, and he's wiser. He's intelligent. He's chess to the movie Lex's checkers. That's the Lex we've been coming to know, and that's the Lex that should be evolving now – not a schizophrenic loving husband-to-be with a sicko side and a hatred for his former best friend. (Can somebody tell me again why he hates Clark?) I want the Lex that we saw in "Mercy".
"When Ollie found me, I was living on the streets. He gave me a warm meal, roof over my head, and a reason to go on living." Oh my gosh. I can't write objectively about this line because I laugh every time I get to it. It's a cliché scenario, it's a trite dialogue describing it, and seeing Cyborg say it seriously, as if he's offering profound insight, is hysterical. This line really, really, really needed to go.
"Did he just say something nice about me?" "Maybe he's starting to rust." What did I miss? I didn't follow this dialogue at all.
"Well, at least he would have been dolphin-safe." Was that supposed to be a joke? I didn't see the humor, but A.C. (whose voice seemed to have undergone a major change and become a lot less expressive) said, "Fish jokes. That's all I ever get, are fish jokes." Aside from the grammatical problems of his complaint, it was a bit corny (for lack of a euphemism) that Cyborg gets a serious joke about rust and A.C. gets some equally humorless jokes about fish. Both seemed contrived.
"How long have you guys been working together?" "A.C., how did you get into all of this?" "And how exactly did you get [Bart] involved in this?" As my brother pointed out, it made the scene a bit tedious for Clark to go to each one and get them to spout the details of their lives for the viewer. It seemed contrived.
"I could tell he was a good kid, you know, he just needed a little direction…" This wasn't as bad as the warm meal and roof over Victor's head, but it was still strange to have the Green Arrow come across as an almost other-worldly benefactor to heroes who should have been able to help themselves.
"I think I know someone who could help us narrow it down." I thought he was going to volunteer dashing around and checking them out, but this definitely worked.
Nice Green Arrow music, much richer than usual, as the camera swirled around the Daily Planet building and then sank slowly down into the basement. Very nice directing.
"Take everything and bring it to Oliver." Chloe, startled and a bit frightened: "Me? Clark – " "I can get to the Ridge faster myself. I can't let anything happen to Bart." Clark actually started thinking through his moves this time, which was a nice development…even if he was thwarted. I liked it that he trusted Chloe so implicitly that he was willing to urge her into the big leagues, so to speak. She's barely spoken with Oliver before, and someone else might have been in over their head (pardon the grammar), but Clark trusted her.
Nice, the shot of Clark entering and the camera panning to show the searchlight.
"Mr. Queen. It's Chloe Sullivan. Clark sent me." The beginning of an extremely fulfilling scene. Chloe basically introduces herself as someone sent with a superhero mission. "Where's Clark?" "He went to rescue Bart." Oliver blinks. Stares at her in disbelief. "He told you about Bart?" "We trust each other, Clark tells me everything." Oliver is confused. "Well, almost everything. I did have to figure out about your green leather fetish on my lonesome." Oliver, utterly amazed, raises his finger and starts to speak, but she calmly goes on. "Don't worry. I didn't say anything to Lois, although you might want to consider…"
By now, Oliver has composed himself. He walks over to her, speaking with the easy familiarity, the comfortable feeling like he's known her forever, that characterized their encounter in "Rage". Somehow these two characters work so well together. "Hey, let's just stick to the main plot there, sidekick." He smiles. "What have you got?" "Hopefully a solid lead on Bart. Where are Victor and A.C.?" Oliver stares for a moment, then looks down. No secrets left. Finally, Chloe gets to reveal her store of secrets to – not one – but three people. The delightful thing about the scene was that she wasn't intentionally unveiling secrets but was completely calm and business-like about it, while Oliver the business-man stuttered and stammered over it. Chloe's moment of glory.
"Guess we're not so good at the whole 'secret' part of this yet." "Yeah, but you're great at getting caught by the villain." When did Chloe find out that they had both been kidnapped by Lex? Incidentally, this was an awkward line for her. It didn't have any relevance: it just seemed like it was there to put her one up on them.
"All right, boys, you know the drill. Let's gear up and get out." The first sentence sounded too employer-employee-ish. It would have been more Justice League-ish if he'd just said, "All right. Let's gear up and get out."
"Oh, no." "What now?" "Lead shielding. This isn't just for Bart. I think the Ridge facility is being used to refine meteor rock." I love it that Chloe was able to offer this insight on something none of them picked up on. She really came into her own this episode.
"Clark's in trouble." As far as I know, none of those three knew that Clark was affected by kryptonite. I know she had to say something, but it felt a little odd that Chloe was giving away that secret about him.
The shot of Clark walking down the long hallway through the pipes, then stopping at the "Restricted" door, reminded me of "Jitters," in a good way. I liked "Jitters" better altogether, but this camera shot connecting the two helped this episode.
It was such a shock when Chloe was revealed to be "Watchtower". As she carefully gave them instructions, I found myself smiling. It was such a relief to see Chloe as part of a team instead of a research slave. She was clearly enjoying herself.
"Accessing perimeter security…" He blinks, and the camera zooms into his eye. We see the calculations and alterations taking place, old Star Wars-style. He blinks. "Perimeter neutralized." Wonderful directing.
"You'd make one h*** of a can opener." "You'd look good on a can of green beans." I know this was supposed to be funny, or meant to convey their wonderful working relationship, but it didn't really do either. It reduced the moment – made it slightly more trite.
Chloe directs them to the refinement vault, and they promise to rescue Clark if he's there. This makes it undeniable – she's told them Clark's weakness.
"What mission? What are you doing?" Music is amped up. Nice sequence. "Watchtower to Green Arrow, what's your status?" Chloe's growing alarm, their smooth execution of a plan she knows nothing about, the building tension – beautifully directed. Perhaps a bit over the top at times, but still much more intuitive than some previous episodes – "Zod," for instance.
The camera glides up the metallic wall to show Aquaman crouching behind the grating, reading to spring upon the silent guards – perfect string music here – then the camera flies backward to show the array of guards he is about to take on. Cut to Cyborg, running down the long hallways, knocking out two guards, deeper music building up beneath the strings. This was so aesthetically pleasing. At this point, his directing was going so perfectly, I started to forgive Steven S. DeKnight for the warm meal and roof over Victor's head.
"Hey! You're not supposed to be here." And here I started to take it back. Kidding, but this moment was a little over the top. LutherCorp guards should be more sinister than that. Instead he was taking the time to state the obvious. He should have said something like, "Who's there?" and then come running a lot more aggressively, as if he were really going to shoot. Then the guy's bared-teeth reaction when he was shot, followed by his peculiar 180 turn…this put everything into "TV show" perspective again. I landed back on earth.
"Neither am I." If they had given the security guard a different line, the Green Arrow's comeback could have been more witty.
"All right – come on – " As Oliver helped Clark out of the lead-lined room, the moment seemed to complement "Rage" when Clark helped Oliver.
As the lead door swung closed behind them and Clark assured Oliver that he was fine, the music started some Superman-ish horns…that only hit two notes. Why were they unfinished? (I wish they'd bring back the horns that played off the Superman movies in the end of "Rosetta" and the Season Two finale…but they'd have to wait until Clark did something Superman-ish.)
"You don't want to play for the team, that's fine. But be smart about it." "Point taken." Once again, Clark is in a rather foolish position. This wasn't Clark's best episode.
"Dude – put, put a shirt on." Granted, this was funny. But the following jokes about being lucky he still had pants on needed to go. The banter was overdone between all of them: except for one or two lines, it wasn't funny.
When one of the guards went flying to the side, Clark hadn't even walked up yet. That made the moment comedic. I'm still smiling about it.
"You." "You remember. I'm touched." "Well, it's a little hard to forget. Last time we met, you put an arrow in my chest." Another very contrived "last time we met" for new viewers. All they needed here was "You." That would have been so much more effective.
"Wait a minute, what are you doing?" "What do you think I'm doing? You want more of your friends to end up in here?" "Yeah, I'm voting No on that one…" Interesting that the Flash was the only superhero who was actually funny. He was winsome.
"Watchtower, are you sure that everyone's out of the building?" This was Clark's second good moment (after searching South America). This was the question that Superman would ask.
"Let's do it." I'm interested in knowing how Clark proposed stopping them if he decided Let's not do it. His dramatic declaration had little or no effect on the outcome, so this moment was a little corny.
As soon as Clark made his declaration, the best music of the episode started. It continued, as the five heroes walked out of the building, as the building exploded into flames, as Chloe stared at the monitor and murmured, "Whoa," as the monitor showed explosions sweeping the factory away…and as the camera went to the most embarrassing shot of the episode:
The five heroes walk out, all perfectly synchronized, Clark in the middle leading them. 1) Since Clark had nothing to do with what had been accomplished, having him in the middle of the league made me feel skeptical. 2) They're all striding forward in perfect time. But they're all different heights and thus different leg-lengths. Who does that? 3) They're bouncing their heads and glaring coolly like they're walking through a crowd of adoring fans. 4) This shot reminded me of the parody camera shot in "Monsters, Inc." as the monsters strode down the hallway. 5) Wouldn't it just have been a lot more natural for all five of them to walk out normally, turning around and looking back at the flames to make sure they weren't going to get roasted, perhaps admiring their work and checking out the blaze, thinking about what they had just done…anything? The music and the explosion and the "Whoa" made it epic enough that lining them up in slow motion wasn't necessary.
"This is it…this is the moment, isn't it? The moment I'm going to regret for the rest of my life." His dialogue during this scene was good, gently showing that Oliver saw what he was losing…yet answered to a higher calling. Rarely do they achieve this balance with Clark. It was, in an ironic way, fulfilling to see a breakup the way it was supposed to be, without the superhero deliberately saying things that make him look fickle or heartless.
The music they played during the Oliver-Lois breakup didn't really fit the moment. I would have rather heard more instrumental music.
"If terrorists like the Green Arrow are recruiting people with abilities, the only way to protect freedom and democracy is to fight fire with fire." So Lex's original intention to raise up an army relates to this new goal…how? His original goal wasn't defensive but offensive, supposedly. This is just Lex justifying himself to Lionel.
"Clark. Impossible." "A word that always seems to pop up when talking about him, doesn't it?" Lionel is constantly defending Clark, then. And I continue to wonder…why? And whatever happened to Lionel scribbling kryptonian symbols about "power" in "Zod"? The sheet of kryptonian symbols that Chloe found stained with blood? His perusal of the cave symbols in his office? Everything adds up to make Lionel a sinister character except his constant defense of Clark.
"Lex, it was not Clark." "How can you be so sure?" "Because I was having dinner with him last night when all this happened." Lex's expression changes. This resembled a "Mercy" moment, though not nearly as good. "Martha made a pot roast with new potatoes and tiny little baby carrots, it was delicious. Clark – Clark had three helpings." Lex has looked away, his jaw tight. Now he looks back, his face a mask. "Don't worry, son. You have plenty of other enemies out there, plotting your downfall." Lionel walks away, and Lex swallows, his expression changing again. He's hurt. Again, not as good as "Mercy," but worth writing.
"Come on, boys. Let's go save the world." This line was very contrived.
The four of them walk out, again synchronized, again in slow-motion, again with that music…this was overkill. That music should apply only to large explosions and great Superman deeds.
"You have some pretty amazing friends, Clark Kent." "Yeah, I do." I thought Clark was going to put his arm around her as he watched them walk away. I still think he should have. She was one of the amazing friends who helped out.

Details

The opening shot, crawling over the Daily Planet building where Clark made his first leap, before plunging through blinding lights of traffic to the now-familiar basement, was so epic. So promising. This was one of two camera shots that really stood out in my mind for positive reasons.
Clark stops directly in front of a bench of onlookers, wanders straight through a heated game of basketball, and then, when everyone should be staring at him wondering who on earth he thinks he is, takes of superspeeding. This was particularly careless.
Bart always wears way too much makeup.
"If you're going to continue playing games like this…" Lionel pauses, and we think he's going to utter a threat or some sort of subtle warning. The sort of thing he tossed at Chloe when he caught he looking at 33.1 files. Instead, he finishes, "…you should be more careful." Does Lionel have a vested interest in 33.1 or not?
Clark gives Chloe Bart's cellphone number. This setup is full of promise. If she needs help and can't get hold of Clark, she can call Bart. If they actually use this opportunity, they just opened up dozens of possibilities. If they don't…then it'll be another yawning gap, like the missing Shelby, the fact that Clark doesn't bring a can of lead spray-paint with him everywhere he goes, Lex's forgotten meteor powers, and Chloe's apparent ability to teleport from Metropolis to Smallville and back.
"Legally? Absolutely not." Was it legal for her to trace his cellphone but illegal to look at his records? That's a odd place to draw the legal line, or else a poorly-timed Chloe reply.
Bart dashes in, and the papers barely flutter. Meanwhile Clark's speed can cause an avalanche of paper (or zero effect, depending on how noticeable the writers want his entrance to be). They need to settle how much superspeeding affects surroundings.
This is off-topic, but when on earth will Clark use his superbreath again?
Clark looks intently at the door, then bursts through it. It was unclear if he x-rayed it. Reason says that he did, and that he couldn't see through the lead: still, it was singularly careless of him to barge into the room with no idea what lay behind the door.
It seemed very convenient that Aquaman could climb up the ladder and enter the building. Why did LuthorCorp have a ladder to the river?
When Clark stared at the Flash circling the cage, due to some bad lighting, he looked completely cross-eyed.
They used the same slow-motion shot of the Flash running around the cage as before.
"100% positive." How could Chloe know that from looking at the map? It doesn't trace people, does it?




Justice Overall This was an amazing and rather uneven episode. We enjoyed beautiful dialogue between Oliver and Lois in their final scene, Chloe's greatest hour, a few epic camera shots, and some incredible music. We also suffered through stilted hero banter, Clark stumbling over himself every step, and a few over-the-top moments. The directing was beautiful; the writing was uneven; several characters were unmotivated; and ultimately it was difficult to find an appropriate conclusion as to whether the overall episode was good or just too much. So I guess I have to say...both. For once I'll let the "Moments" section explain. My first question after watching: Apparently Clark has his future plotted out. He will round up all the Zoners, then he will help the Justice League fight Lex and receive his training from Jor-El, in any order. With such a clearly laid out plan, how are the writers going to surprise us? Where's the mid-season twist that suddenly makes Clark re-evaluate everything? My second question: Lex "raising an army"? Why can I not believe this? My third question: What happened to Lionel the symbol-scribbing, cave-studying person with a vaguely sinister agenda? Verdict: So hard to judge. But definitely a step above many other episodes. 8. Good/Bad Moments The opening shot, crawling over the Daily Planet building where Clark made his first leap, before plunging through blinding lights of traffic to the now-familiar basement, was so epic. So promising. This was one of two camera shots that really stood out in my mind for positive reasons. It was also a promising development that Clark was combing South America for more Zoners. 1) Clark so rarely takes the initiative, and 2) he so rarely leaves Smallville or Metropolis, despite his powers. This episode overcame the second obstacle to belief by sending him to Mexico for a good time and to South America on save-the-world business. (I wish we could have actually seen some of his travel, like we did in "Ryan".) The first obstacle, however, remained an obstacle. "No, he'll be here in fifteen minutes." This was a nice touch. Clark was taking the time to protect Chloe when she had a meeting…and Chloe wasn't doing Lana's strong-woman I-don't-need-protection thing. They helped each other out. Usually 1) it's only Chloe helping Clark out, and 2) the girls (or Lana and Lois) are trying to fumble along on their own for the sake of independence. I can understand why the writers started making the girls learn the knack of fending for themselves…but I liked Clark so much better when he had the protective role and rescued the girls than when he brooded and the girls rescued themselves. "Where are they transferred to? Is LuthorCorp involved? Does this have anything to do with [carefully enunciating] 33.1?" I liked this moment. We've seen Chloe the research expert, but Chloe the hard-hitting reporter hasn't made an appearance in some time. I would like it if the writers took another look at the Chloe of Season Three, who got herself into complex situations and had to draw on all her creative resources to get out. Her reckless love of the reporting game is what makes her interesting apart from Clark. Chloe's gasp and jump, raising both her hands, was a bit forced. Okay. I'll take that as a no-comment." Good answer. It was good to have Chloe quick with an answer when she pushed too far. I liked the Metropolis shot of Clark pursuing the Flash, both of them dodging in and out of traffic without anyone noticing. Nice transition to the basketball narrowly missing the camera. Very effective directing. The impact was stolen, however, by Details B. "I'm the only one who can round up prisoners from the Phantom Zone and stop Lex from experimenting with people with abilities." At first I thought this was just some rather awkward recap dialogue aimed at new viewers, but on a second viewing I reconsidered. Clark discovers in this episode that he is not the only one who can stop Lex. Could it be that the Justice League could also help him round up prisoners from the Phantom Zone? (Not saying that I like or dislike this idea…though I think Green Arrow is the only other superhero Clark needs for hero-chemistry and friendship…just noting the potential meaning in that dialogue.) "I'll get in touch with Lionel, maybe he can tell us something." Chloe nods casually and they both keep going. This is still so strange…so hard for me to accept. The writers haven't given us any reason to believe that Lionel has changed – no sudden revelation, no Kryptonian possession, and no observations or signs that Martha is slowly changing him – yet it seems like they expect us to understand that Lionel is now, for no apparent reason, trusted and good. This is rather like their fifth-season treatment of Lex, when Lex went from offering Clark a helicopter lift in "Commencement" to torturing A.C. in "Aqua". Who flipped the villain lightswitch? Since when do the viewers not get an explanation? "Hey, gorgeous, what's up? You miss me?" It was telling for me – and should have been for Clark – that Bart, despite his apparent live-for-the-moment creed, remembered Chloe for two years, looked up her workplace, stopped by to see her, etc., etc. He's not as flaky as he seemed at first glance. I like moments that show unexpected maturity, in both heroes and villains. (In other words – bring back Lex-wisdom.) "Knock it off. What's with the Spanish?" Clark's first words to Bart. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be written as an older-brother moment, and Tom Welling just played it too curtly, or if this was really meant to make Clark look like such a jerk. These two parted on good terms with a friendly race, after Clark urged Bart to live in Smallville. Why the sudden roughness? "Last time you blew through town, you stole my dad's wallet, then swiped a priceless artifact from Lex." Oh, dear. I was hoping there weren't going to be any obvious "last time we mets" for new viewers. They should have just opened with a "Previously on Smallville" segment, then loaded dialogue with subtext, with hints of a history, instead of spelling it out and forcing the dialogue in an awkward direction. Viewers like "Previously on Smallville" segments anyway. Speaking of forcing dialogue in an awkward direction, it seemed odd that Clark would bring up past long-forgiven misdemeanors, yet they would never end up talking about Jonathan. It seemed like Bart, good-natured kid that he is, would ask about Jonathan, either with Clark or while stuffing himself and talking with Martha. That would have been an opportunity for showing his more mature, hero side with just three lines of dialogue. They should have inserted that moment and cut Clark's suspicious conversation here, which merely makes us annoyed with Clark. "Am I really supposed to just buy that?" "Well, I could squirt out some tears, if that'll help." Cute, smart-alecky moment. Clark had it coming. "I can still blink pretty fast." Lines put in for the sake of referring to past episodes are never very natural. The only such Smallville line I can remember that actually worked was Lex's pointing out to Clark in "Memoria" that when he found Clark lying in the highway in "Rosetta" he didn't accuse him of dementia. (On second thought, the third season was so much more of an epic arc, it probably got away with a few more references to past episodes than other seasons.) "It was a four-martini lunch, if you include the one you spilled on my shirt." Oliver is laughing, a bit giddily. It was good to begin the episode showing that they still were in the blissful stage of their relationship, showing how much they were about to lose. Still, I prefer Oliver-Lois scenes that show how well they know and appreciate each other, like their scenes together in "Rage" or their subtle testing of each other in "Wither". Oliver answers: "Go ahead." His business mentality is shown even in his phone greetings. Nice touch. "I think we should take a break." That was an odd way of suggesting vacation together. Was he trying to mislead her? This was like the Lana acceptance speech last episode…it's strange and hard to accept when the dialogue is used to mislead the viewers. "Lana's in Paris with Nell, shopping for a wedding dress." When did Nell re-emerge? Has it ever occurred to her to call Lana when she saw her on the cover of magazines and have a protective talk with her? Then again, Nell's always been an odd woman. It would be like her not to care if little Lana was a billionaire's mistress until she was able to get her hands in the wedding arrangements. Interesting USB card. I've never seen one like that before…especially one that continues to glow green after it has been unplugged. "Just being careful. After all, I'm not as fast as you." This was the second line I couldn't find any excuse for. I still don't know why it was written or how it was could have been delivered to improve it. It was just a bad line. "You've got a funny way of showing it. I've left you half a dozen messages!" Clark is such a child. It's strange enough to me that he's pestering the millionaire with the power to reveal his secret to the world and have him locked in a lab and experimented on…the man who had him experimented on before…and stranger still that he'll storm in and poutily complain that he keeps calling and Lionel's not answering, as if Lionel is at his beck and call. It's ironic, in the same way as when, in "Legacy," he stormed in and shouted at Virgil Swann, "You betrayed me!" He's dealing with powerful people. He's not the beginning and end of the world. Yet he makes demands of them that he would never allow others to make of him. "Who is it, then?" Transition to Bart, finishing up the spread laid across the counter. Nice moment, although the camera stayed on Clark for too long, making me think, "What will he say?" and then cutting away from the answer. "God, Mrs. K, thank you so much. This was so good!" Bart is gleeful. This delivery, speaking with his mouth full, holding his fingers as if they're covered with crumbs, was perfect. "Where do you put it all? You eat more than Clark, and he's twice your size." "Yeah, well, you know, I burn a lot of calories." This made sense. Like hummingbirds, eating twice their weight. Nice touch. "Yeah, anything for you, Mrs. K." Bart is sweet here. I like the way that Martha was accepted into the Justice League family, even though we didn't see her with the others. This was all the mothering we needed to see – we saw that she understood what it was like to have a superhero agenda and appetite – and later references to "Mama Kent" filled us in on the rest. I think they showed just the right amount of interaction with Martha and the League. "It's – it's – ugh! It's complicated!" Nice delivery, showing his genuine frustration and his insurmountable honor. Setting the stage for his subsequent denial with Lex. "I'm a smart guy, explain it to me." Somehow hearing Clark say that he was a smart guy, when throughout the whole episode he kept getting it wrong, made me want to smack the side of his head. "Look, I'm sorry I can't tell you all my secrets, Clark. Okay? I thought a guy like you would understand it." Didn't Clark just learn this lesson in "Hydro"? He doesn't have the right to demand to know others' secrets, just as others don't have the right to demand to know his. He seemed very demanding this episode. In the episode that doesn't show Lois in a bikini or a sports bra, she discusses wearing slinky Victoria's Secret lingerie and expresses in two out of three scenes her desire for sex with Oliver. I just can't watch that and think, "It's so comforting to think that she and Clark will end up together." The writers need to realize that Lois's depth, when they find it, will not come from running a campaign in total ignorance or in wearing bikinis and lusting. I can't believe I'm thinking in Season Four mode, but give me the Lois of "Crusade" who struggled with smoking, hated living in a small town, and had all the makings of a complex and human character. "God, Smallville, learn how to knock! What if I'd been naked? Ew!" Lois treats Clark like a brother, and it's a relief. If she started acting with Clark the way she acts with Oliver, I'd want to slap her. Lois isn't a seductress any more than she's a two-dimensional klutz. "A couple more bikinis. Good idea, Smallville." Strange how Lois went from giggling over Green Arrow and telling Clark about the kiss…to being forcefully crude in order to shock Clark. Admittedly, I can believe the second easier than I can believe the first, but there's nothing wrong with a happy medium. After sensing that Lois is headed for trouble with Oliver, Clark feels compelled to open up to Chloe and tell her about Bart. It wasn't necessarily honorable of him, but the circumstances did build up well to channel into this moment of complete honesty. "It's a subsidiary of JL International…" Nice, subtle reference to the Justice League. "Oliver!" "Look, Clark, whatever's got your tighty-whities in a bunch, now is not the time." Hilarious. Clark definitely had that coming, with his numerous exasperated and offended entries; it was a relief to see someone who didn't feel an obligation to tolerate him. Oliver's serious, business-like delivery was what made the line so outrageously satisfying. Oliver, shortly: "Yeah. You don't know what you're talking about." I loved this. Oliver is so good for Clark. "No, to stop 33.1." Oliver leans forward. Clark is taken aback. (Ha.) "You know about 33.1?" Oliver nods, almost imperceptibly. So he knew that Clark knew. He's way ahead of Clark, and Clark is shocked. (After all, he's a smart guy. Okay, I'm stopping now.) Clark tries to collect himself and summon up some more righteous indignation, but it has occurred to him what Oliver is thinking: "You knew, and you did nothing to stop it?" Still, he tries to act as if he's in charge. "Why didn't you tell me what you were up to?" Again, didn't he just learn this lesson in "Hydro"? Since when is everyone obligated to update him? "Clark, do you check in with me every time you run off to save the world?" Go Oliver. "What could be more urgent than Lex Luthor developing an army of superfreaks, Clark? That's what he's doing. He's starting a war." What? 1) Isn't "superfreaks" a slightly derogatory term, when there have been some good guys with powers? 2) A war against who, for what? Without any kind of known threat, the idea of an X-Men-type army following Lex is a bit ludicrous. Clark states the obvious: "Lex has Bart. We have to find him." Clark is a step behind everyone else, all the way: having him declare what everyone else has already figured out just makes him look deluded. "I want a lawyer." "And I want a ponytail. Disappointment abounds." I intensely disliked this line. It made Lex the goofy, not-too-bright villain of the movies. All that was missing was a wig or an innocent girly sidekick trailing after him. The Smallville Lex is different…he's deeper, he's funnier, he's more twisted and complex, he's needier, and he's wiser. He's intelligent. He's chess to the movie Lex's checkers. That's the Lex we've been coming to know, and that's the Lex that should be evolving now – not a schizophrenic loving husband-to-be with a sicko side and a hatred for his former best friend. (Can somebody tell me again why he hates Clark?) I want the Lex that we saw in "Mercy". "When Ollie found me, I was living on the streets. He gave me a warm meal, roof over my head, and a reason to go on living." Oh my gosh. I can't write objectively about this line because I laugh every time I get to it. It's a cliché scenario, it's a trite dialogue describing it, and seeing Cyborg say it seriously, as if he's offering profound insight, is hysterical. This line really, really, really needed to go. "Did he just say something nice about me?" "Maybe he's starting to rust." What did I miss? I didn't follow this dialogue at all. "Well, at least he would have been dolphin-safe." Was that supposed to be a joke? I didn't see the humor, but A.C. (whose voice seemed to have undergone a major change and become a lot less expressive) said, "Fish jokes. That's all I ever get, are fish jokes." Aside from the grammatical problems of his complaint, it was a bit corny (for lack of a euphemism) that Cyborg gets a serious joke about rust and A.C. gets some equally humorless jokes about fish. Both seemed contrived. "How long have you guys been working together?" "A.C., how did you get into all of this?" "And how exactly did you get [Bart] involved in this?" As my brother pointed out, it made the scene a bit tedious for Clark to go to each one and get them to spout the details of their lives for the viewer. It seemed contrived. "I could tell he was a good kid, you know, he just needed a little direction…" This wasn't as bad as the warm meal and roof over Victor's head, but it was still strange to have the Green Arrow come across as an almost other-worldly benefactor to heroes who should have been able to help themselves. "I think I know someone who could help us narrow it down." I thought he was going to volunteer dashing around and checking them out, but this definitely worked. Nice Green Arrow music, much richer than usual, as the camera swirled around the Daily Planet building and then sank slowly down into the basement. Very nice directing. "Take everything and bring it to Oliver." Chloe, startled and a bit frightened: "Me? Clark – " "I can get to the Ridge faster myself. I can't let anything happen to Bart." Clark actually started thinking through his moves this time, which was a nice development…even if he was thwarted. I liked it that he trusted Chloe so implicitly that he was willing to urge her into the big leagues, so to speak. She's barely spoken with Oliver before, and someone else might have been in over their head (pardon the grammar), but Clark trusted her. Nice, the shot of Clark entering and the camera panning to show the searchlight. "Mr. Queen. It's Chloe Sullivan. Clark sent me." The beginning of an extremely fulfilling scene. Chloe basically introduces herself as someone sent with a superhero mission. "Where's Clark?" "He went to rescue Bart." Oliver blinks. Stares at her in disbelief. "He told you about Bart?" "We trust each other, Clark tells me everything." Oliver is confused. "Well, almost everything. I did have to figure out about your green leather fetish on my lonesome." Oliver, utterly amazed, raises his finger and starts to speak, but she calmly goes on. "Don't worry. I didn't say anything to Lois, although you might want to consider…" By now, Oliver has composed himself. He walks over to her, speaking with the easy familiarity, the comfortable feeling like he's known her forever, that characterized their encounter in "Rage". Somehow these two characters work so well together. "Hey, let's just stick to the main plot there, sidekick." He smiles. "What have you got?" "Hopefully a solid lead on Bart. Where are Victor and A.C.?" Oliver stares for a moment, then looks down. No secrets left. Finally, Chloe gets to reveal her store of secrets to – not one – but three people. The delightful thing about the scene was that she wasn't intentionally unveiling secrets but was completely calm and business-like about it, while Oliver the business-man stuttered and stammered over it. Chloe's moment of glory. "Guess we're not so good at the whole 'secret' part of this yet." "Yeah, but you're great at getting caught by the villain." When did Chloe find out that they had both been kidnapped by Lex? Incidentally, this was an awkward line for her. It didn't have any relevance: it just seemed like it was there to put her one up on them. "All right, boys, you know the drill. Let's gear up and get out." The first sentence sounded too employer-employee-ish. It would have been more Justice League-ish if he'd just said, "All right. Let's gear up and get out." "Oh, no." "What now?" "Lead shielding. This isn't just for Bart. I think the Ridge facility is being used to refine meteor rock." I love it that Chloe was able to offer this insight on something none of them picked up on. She really came into her own this episode. "Clark's in trouble." As far as I know, none of those three knew that Clark was affected by kryptonite. I know she had to say something, but it felt a little odd that Chloe was giving away that secret about him. The shot of Clark walking down the long hallway through the pipes, then stopping at the "Restricted" door, reminded me of "Jitters," in a good way. I liked "Jitters" better altogether, but this camera shot connecting the two helped this episode. It was such a shock when Chloe was revealed to be "Watchtower". As she carefully gave them instructions, I found myself smiling. It was such a relief to see Chloe as part of a team instead of a research slave. She was clearly enjoying herself. "Accessing perimeter security…" He blinks, and the camera zooms into his eye. We see the calculations and alterations taking place, old Star Wars-style. He blinks. "Perimeter neutralized." Wonderful directing. "You'd make one h*** of a can opener." "You'd look good on a can of green beans." I know this was supposed to be funny, or meant to convey their wonderful working relationship, but it didn't really do either. It reduced the moment – made it slightly more trite. Chloe directs them to the refinement vault, and they promise to rescue Clark if he's there. This makes it undeniable – she's told them Clark's weakness. "What mission? What are you doing?" Music is amped up. Nice sequence. "Watchtower to Green Arrow, what's your status?" Chloe's growing alarm, their smooth execution of a plan she knows nothing about, the building tension – beautifully directed. Perhaps a bit over the top at times, but still much more intuitive than some previous episodes – "Zod," for instance. The camera glides up the metallic wall to show Aquaman crouching behind the grating, reading to spring upon the silent guards – perfect string music here – then the camera flies backward to show the array of guards he is about to take on. Cut to Cyborg, running down the long hallways, knocking out two guards, deeper music building up beneath the strings. This was so aesthetically pleasing. At this point, his directing was going so perfectly, I started to forgive Steven S. DeKnight for the warm meal and roof over Victor's head. "Hey! You're not supposed to be here." And here I started to take it back. Kidding, but this moment was a little over the top. LutherCorp guards should be more sinister than that. Instead he was taking the time to state the obvious. He should have said something like, "Who's there?" and then come running a lot more aggressively, as if he were really going to shoot. Then the guy's bared-teeth reaction when he was shot, followed by his peculiar 180 turn…this put everything into "TV show" perspective again. I landed back on earth. "Neither am I." If they had given the security guard a different line, the Green Arrow's comeback could have been more witty. "All right – come on – " As Oliver helped Clark out of the lead-lined room, the moment seemed to complement "Rage" when Clark helped Oliver. As the lead door swung closed behind them and Clark assured Oliver that he was fine, the music started some Superman-ish horns…that only hit two notes. Why were they unfinished? (I wish they'd bring back the horns that played off the Superman movies in the end of "Rosetta" and the Season Two finale…but they'd have to wait until Clark did something Superman-ish.) "You don't want to play for the team, that's fine. But be smart about it." "Point taken." Once again, Clark is in a rather foolish position. This wasn't Clark's best episode. "Dude – put, put a shirt on." Granted, this was funny. But the following jokes about being lucky he still had pants on needed to go. The banter was overdone between all of them: except for one or two lines, it wasn't funny. When one of the guards went flying to the side, Clark hadn't even walked up yet. That made the moment comedic. I'm still smiling about it. "You." "You remember. I'm touched." "Well, it's a little hard to forget. Last time we met, you put an arrow in my chest." Another very contrived "last time we met" for new viewers. All they needed here was "You." That would have been so much more effective. "Wait a minute, what are you doing?" "What do you think I'm doing? You want more of your friends to end up in here?" "Yeah, I'm voting No on that one…" Interesting that the Flash was the only superhero who was actually funny. He was winsome. "Watchtower, are you sure that everyone's out of the building?" This was Clark's second good moment (after searching South America). This was the question that Superman would ask. "Let's do it." I'm interested in knowing how Clark proposed stopping them if he decided Let's not do it. His dramatic declaration had little or no effect on the outcome, so this moment was a little corny. As soon as Clark made his declaration, the best music of the episode started. It continued, as the five heroes walked out of the building, as the building exploded into flames, as Chloe stared at the monitor and murmured, "Whoa," as the monitor showed explosions sweeping the factory away…and as the camera went to the most embarrassing shot of the episode: The five heroes walk out, all perfectly synchronized, Clark in the middle leading them. 1) Since Clark had nothing to do with what had been accomplished, having him in the middle of the league made me feel skeptical. 2) They're all striding forward in perfect time. But they're all different heights and thus different leg-lengths. Who does that? 3) They're bouncing their heads and glaring coolly like they're walking through a crowd of adoring fans. 4) This shot reminded me of the parody camera shot in "Monsters, Inc." as the monsters strode down the hallway. 5) Wouldn't it just have been a lot more natural for all five of them to walk out normally, turning around and looking back at the flames to make sure they weren't going to get roasted, perhaps admiring their work and checking out the blaze, thinking about what they had just done…anything? The music and the explosion and the "Whoa" made it epic enough that lining them up in slow motion wasn't necessary. "This is it…this is the moment, isn't it? The moment I'm going to regret for the rest of my life." His dialogue during this scene was good, gently showing that Oliver saw what he was losing…yet answered to a higher calling. Rarely do they achieve this balance with Clark. It was, in an ironic way, fulfilling to see a breakup the way it was supposed to be, without the superhero deliberately saying things that make him look fickle or heartless. The music they played during the Oliver-Lois breakup didn't really fit the moment. I would have rather heard more instrumental music. "If terrorists like the Green Arrow are recruiting people with abilities, the only way to protect freedom and democracy is to fight fire with fire." So Lex's original intention to raise up an army relates to this new goal…how? His original goal wasn't defensive but offensive, supposedly. This is just Lex justifying himself to Lionel. "Clark. Impossible." "A word that always seems to pop up when talking about him, doesn't it?" Lionel is constantly defending Clark, then. And I continue to wonder…why? And whatever happened to Lionel scribbling kryptonian symbols about "power" in "Zod"? The sheet of kryptonian symbols that Chloe found stained with blood? His perusal of the cave symbols in his office? Everything adds up to make Lionel a sinister character except his constant defense of Clark. "Lex, it was not Clark." "How can you be so sure?" "Because I was having dinner with him last night when all this happened." Lex's expression changes. This resembled a "Mercy" moment, though not nearly as good. "Martha made a pot roast with new potatoes and tiny little baby carrots, it was delicious. Clark – Clark had three helpings." Lex has looked away, his jaw tight. Now he looks back, his face a mask. "Don't worry, son. You have plenty of other enemies out there, plotting your downfall." Lionel walks away, and Lex swallows, his expression changing again. He's hurt. Again, not as good as "Mercy," but worth writing. "Come on, boys. Let's go save the world." This line was very contrived. The four of them walk out, again synchronized, again in slow-motion, again with that music…this was overkill. That music should apply only to large explosions and great Superman deeds. "You have some pretty amazing friends, Clark Kent." "Yeah, I do." I thought Clark was going to put his arm around her as he watched them walk away. I still think he should have. She was one of the amazing friends who helped out. Details The opening shot, crawling over the Daily Planet building where Clark made his first leap, before plunging through blinding lights of traffic to the now-familiar basement, was so epic. So promising. This was one of two camera shots that really stood out in my mind for positive reasons. Clark stops directly in front of a bench of onlookers, wanders straight through a heated game of basketball, and then, when everyone should be staring at him wondering who on earth he thinks he is, takes of superspeeding. This was particularly careless. Bart always wears way too much makeup. "If you're going to continue playing games like this…" Lionel pauses, and we think he's going to utter a threat or some sort of subtle warning. The sort of thing he tossed at Chloe when he caught he looking at 33.1 files. Instead, he finishes, "…you should be more careful." Does Lionel have a vested interest in 33.1 or not? Clark gives Chloe Bart's cellphone number. This setup is full of promise. If she needs help and can't get hold of Clark, she can call Bart. If they actually use this opportunity, they just opened up dozens of possibilities. If they don't…then it'll be another yawning gap, like the missing Shelby, the fact that Clark doesn't bring a can of lead spray-paint with him everywhere he goes, Lex's forgotten meteor powers, and Chloe's apparent ability to teleport from Metropolis to Smallville and back. "Legally? Absolutely not." Was it legal for her to trace his cellphone but illegal to look at his records? That's a odd place to draw the legal line, or else a poorly-timed Chloe reply. Bart dashes in, and the papers barely flutter. Meanwhile Clark's speed can cause an avalanche of paper (or zero effect, depending on how noticeable the writers want his entrance to be). They need to settle how much superspeeding affects surroundings. This is off-topic, but when on earth will Clark use his superbreath again? Clark looks intently at the door, then bursts through it. It was unclear if he x-rayed it. Reason says that he did, and that he couldn't see through the lead: still, it was singularly careless of him to barge into the room with no idea what lay behind the door. It seemed very convenient that Aquaman could climb up the ladder and enter the building. Why did LuthorCorp have a ladder to the river? When Clark stared at the Flash circling the cage, due to some bad lighting, he looked completely cross-eyed. They used the same slow-motion shot of the Flash running around the cage as before. "100% positive." How could Chloe know that from looking at the map? It doesn't trace people, does it? © Voice of Reason, 2007