Labyrinth

Overall

As a rule, I am skeptical of dream-episodes.  Too often they tend to be geared toward stretching the viewer's credulity and sending "This is weird!" signals instead of affecting an arc or offering insight (see "Slumber").  This episode, however, did all that it was supposed to do and more.

It offered psychological insight into Clark's perception of Lana, Chloe, Lex, and even Martha (although Lionel was conspicuously absent, making his dubious role again fade into the shadows).  It introduced elements that will, one hopes, change the direction of the show – the midseason twist that finally gives Clark some motivation and opens up new realms of possibility.  And it intriguingly presented the Martian Manhunter as a friend and ally who not only knows Clark's true identity, but understands his agenda to trap the Zoners and is willing to join in the fight.  This episode was character-and-plot-development heaven.

Not only did characters thrive, but the scenes themselves lit up the episode.  It was heaven to see Clark and Lex in the same room, actually communicating, both keeping their dignity, in an odd way resenting each other and yet empathizing with each other…without a single mention of Lana.  This scene was more tragic and poignant than anything they've had together since Season Three.  Lex was his old, tortured, open-hearted self, bitter and resentful and hurt and needy without being a completely cold-hearted maniac.  They were friends and they were enemies; they were real people who remembered the past and not mocking children.  Amazingly, the personalities and chemistry from three years ago were recaptured.

The same went for Clark and Lana.  They were no longer fighting or flirting or lusting…they were just Them again, the two people who loved each other and supported each other and trusted each other, and who felt destined to be together.  They connected on a deeper level.  And one felt, despite Lana's words at the end, that they were called by a common destiny.  Lana Lang will always be a part of Clark Kent's life, and seeing them together only emphasizes their Superman roots.  I was amazed that the writers were able to recapture this relationship.

Yes, speaking of the past, this episode was strongly reminiscent of "Shattered," and it undoubtedly paled in comparison.  The innocent guy locked in a mental institution, standing in line for pills, getting circles under his eyes, fleeing to the barn for help from a friend, discovering drugs at the Luthor mansion, everyone treating him like he's insane when he's not…except in "Shattered" it was all real.  "Labyrinth" was imaginary. 

Still, this imaginary plot tied directly to Clark's real-world problem, making it a step above Clark's weak role last week, and placing it as Clark's best episode this season.  Meanwhile, seeing them capture the magic of previous seasons gives me hope for the future of Smallville.

Verdict: 9.95

Good/Bad Moments

1. This episode had some nice Biblical symbolism, again with Clark as the Christ-figure. The phantom tempting him with temporal pleasures in a world to which he did not belong…the devil tempting Christ with temporal pleasures in a world to which he did not belong.
2. Great camerawork from Clark's point of view as he stares at the other inmates and the doctor. It set a very eerie tone for the new world. A feeling of being cornered.
3. "After the death of your birth parents in the Smallville meteor shower." This was a nice way to unearth a buried issue. Clark has always been haunted by the part he played in Lana's mom's death. This uncovering of repressed feelings made it apparent that some of the events in the fantasy world really were born of Clark's mind.
4. The throbbing hum in the alternate world gave an oppressive feel to the place. Nicely done.
5. Some looked at fantasy Lana as purely creepy in this episode, a symbol of her ultimate "wrongness" for Clark. I saw fantasy Lana as a projection of Clark's perception of Lana, manipulated like a chess piece by the phantom. In the last scene, it was incontestable that she was a mere pawn – she even faded away when the phantom decided she had done enough. But her intentions were all right, even then; and throughout the episode, she was a better friend to him than Martha was. She took the time to explain things to him, she and Nell rescued a distraught Martha by buying the farm, Clark was her only love, she showed up to support him during the treatment. Granted, she brought security guards to the ex-Talon, intending to persuade Clark to come with them, and she encouraged Clark to take the treatment; but considering Clark's behavior, which did appear deranged, these steps were justified. Meanwhile, Martha was petrified in his presence, hysterically sicced security on him, and failed to show up for the treatment. I think the Martha that Clark's mind projected was far more ominous than Lana.
6. Clark's acting in the loft, bordering on insanity, yet in touch with the "real reality", was right on point. He wasn't out of control and out of touch, as he was in "Splinter," but he was alarmed and felt cornered. He was sane, but panicking just enough that he really could pass for insane. Perfect.
7. "I'm glad to see you, Chloe." Chloe's role as Clark's ministering angel was a nice, if brief, complement to the Biblical theme of demonic temptation.
8. "I just never thought you'd have the nerve to show your face." "…I won't let you ruin my life." "Your…life." Lex laughs bitterly. "I think you have that a little backwards." The chemistry in this scene is overwhelming. Lex resents Clark. Honestly resents him. Not because Clark loves Lana, and not because Clark is a jerk to him and not because he's pouting over being kept out of the secret (the only justifications he has in the real world), but because Clark has ruined his life. He makes sense. He's not a cold block of wood, throwing out lines the way he does in real life ("Y'see I highly doubt she'll say no, Clark…since she's carrying my child."). He's vulnerable, bitter, hurting, needy, yearning for friendship from someone – for the first time in years, he's completely, compellingly believable. This scene was so poignant.
9. "Does this look like a trick to you?" Lex is almost crying. "If there's one thing I regret in my life, it's that I didn't just run you over." This emotion was so perfect. He's rejected, he's resentful. I wouldn't want the reason for their ultimate "enemyship" to be because Clark ruined his life, but it's a lot better than the reason being because Clark keeps accusing Lex until Lex gets sick of being verbally abused. Comparatively, this was writer's bliss. I almost wish this had happened in the real world.
10. The scene as Lana stood in the broken-down movie theater and gave Clark her ring reminded me of the scene in "Leech" as she stood in the broken-down movie theater and gave Clark her necklace to fight Eric Summers.
11. "I tried to tell you." "What's she doing here?" This scene, Clark standing between the demon's tool and the ministering angel, was perfect. "You know that she has a family history of mental illness." "Don't listen to her, Clark, she's just trying to confuse you!" I found it interesting that Clark never really made a choice. He followed Chloe, but he was trying to persuade her to stay and talk to him, help him to make a decision. His choice wasn't made until the last minute.
12. "This can't be real. Chloe didn't die, no. She couldn't have." He's sent into a state of denial of the fantasy world. This was an interesting strategy on the part of the phantom. The fact that Clark was denying the events of one world, simply from emotional overload, made Clark suspect that the world he was denying was real.
13. "But there's only one way to purge this parasite and regain your consciousness. You have to kill Hudson." That shocked me. I didn't think Clark could kill anyone, though in Season Three he could have. This was a nice twist, suddenly making it much harder for Clark to gain his freedom. "I can't kill a man." We wonder how on earth Clark will pull this off.
14. "Look within. Believe in yourself. The future of mankind depends on it." This was the only bad moment of the episode. For one thing, it was hard to believe that, having managed to get in the cell next to Clark's, he would also manage to whisper a message to him while being beaten up. For another…"believe in yourself"?
15. It was interesting that the bad guys inadvertently worked against themselves. They kept on trying to shut up the Martian Manhunter, wrestle him out of Clark's consciousness, but they tried too hard. As they abused him in the hallway, it became clear that he was what he said he was.
16. "I want you to be real." "I am real." At this point, Clark appeared sorrowfully certain that fantasy world was fantasy. Interesting that Lana melted him even after he witnessed the Martian Manhunter scuffle.
17. "Of course I want to be with you. More than you could ever imagine." If he had said this when they were dating, I would have scoffed: this episode, with the old familiar "we can never be together but we're meant to be together" vibe, I bought into it completely.
18. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Clark. The procedure is quite painless." The twirling screw heads for Clark's head. In a twisted way, this was funny. My brother and I started laughing.
19. Great CG effects as Dr. Hudson's eyes dilated and the phantom seemed to be sucked out of him – then sucked out of Clark – then definitely was being sucked out of Clark by the Martian Manhunter's apparently kryptonian device. A nice way to close the demonic temptation – with an exorcism-like moment.
20. "It's you." "Welcome home, Kal-El." The Martian Manhunter's role was fascinating. How did he know more than the Justice League about Clark and his mission? However he came about his knowledge, it seems like he could be a valuable ally in rounding up the Zoners…as long as he doesn't take the focus off Clark or make things too easy for him.
21. This Martian Manhunter flight was a lot more realistic than the one in "Static". It seemed smoky instead of pencillish, if that make sense.
22. I like fireplace Clark-Chloe scenes like the one in "Solitude". Interesting that in this case, the situation was reversed: now it was Clark shaken and Chloe bringing the tray over.  I must say that I liked the first setup better, but this was still a nice complement to last season.
23. "Wait a second. Based on the pending nuptials, I thought Lana was past tense." At this point, my brother said, "Why? When did that happen?" And…yeah. Last episode with Lana was "Hydro," in which Clark immediately went to see Lana, Lana tried to make Clark confess his secret ("Even the fact that you told me that you look back at the past and regret it every day? Has that changed too?"),etc., etc. There wasn't any indication that they had stopped feeling for each other. (The only time I thought they were over was when they were dating in S5.)
24. "So did I. The truth is, I still love her." Chloe reacts. "I guess kryptonite's not your only weakness." This reaction from Chloe seemed a little wry for someone who insists that she and Clark are just friends.
25. "You were the one person who believed in me. I don't know what I'd do without you, Chloe." "No, seriously. You mean a lot more to me than you know." Chloe gets awkward, rolls her eyes, and smiles. Clark was very loving and supportive here, Chloe was comfortable but blushing…I think they've developed to the point where the writers could give this relationship another shot if they wanted to. Clark and Chloe are so much more compatible than Clark and Lois, at this stage.
26. The real scene in the Talon filled me with hope. Lana greeted him like an old friend, a little awkward but still relaxed. "You look like you've got something on your mind." "It's that obvious, huh?" "You don't hide your feelings as well as you think." She knows him. This little moment of insight was invaluable. It reminded me of Season Two Talon scenes, as they carried on perfectly friendly conversations, while underneath the surface ran a poignant longing.
27. "So, are you going to tell me? What was that look in your eye?" "Oh, I…I had a dream about you last night." "I hope that it wasn't a nightmare." Lana laughs, a bit shyly and self-effacingly. This seemed like a quiet acknowledgment that she hadn't always been courteous to Clark after their breakups.
28. "No. We were ten years old and I gave you a plastic ring from the gumball machine at Quinn's market." Lana smiles. "Sweet. What was the occasion?" Clark hesitates for a moment. "It was an engagement ring." Lana stops for a moment. Then smiles and keeps going. "What happened next?" Bittersweet moment. "I woke up." As if to emphasize the very different nature of the new reality, Lex comes in and greets his future wife. This was a beautifully-shaped scene.
29. Lex comes in. "Lana. I should have guessed your delay wasn't the herbal tea." Smiles at Clark, kisses Lana. " Clark." "It's good to see you out and about, Lex." They're actually being courteous and relaxed, all three of them. Lex ruins the moment a little when he goes junior high: "You know, you actually sounded convincing when you said that. I appreciate the civility. You ready to go? Don't want to keep the wedding planner waiting." That was a tad too much. But the scene is rescued by Lana's intriguing final line: "Yeah, we were just saying goodbye." They stroll to the door together, and the glowing and beautiful Lana looks over her shoulder at Clark, smiling. Credits. This scene required a lot of interpretation, like much of the episode, which I appreciated. To me, this seemed at first like a poignant breakup scene. They're accepting the fact that they can't be together and moving on with a new relationship. This seemed verified by the fact that Clark says, quietly, "I woke up," and then Lana tells Lex they were saying goodbye. But then my brother pointed out that, in the first three seasons, that was always their relationship. It was always a bittersweet "meant to be but can never be" relationship, whether it was Whitney, Adam, Chloe, Clark's dark side, or destiny standing in their way. And still…their relationship went on. Taking that into account, this could very well have been a return to their trusting, longing relationship of earlier days. It will be interesting to let the actors carry the subtext of wanting each other as they used to, instead of all the angst and frustration and jealousy living on the surface. (Of course, I'm saying this when the next episode is "Crimson".)

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