Freak

Overall

Before I go on to happily applaud the writers, director, actors, and editors for a job well done on "Freak," let me explain the premise of "Heroes" to the uninitiated.

In "Heroes," people with abilities are systematically kidnapped, strapped to a table, and injected with a tracking substance so they can be monitored. They are then released with no memory of the past twenty-four hours, and return to their worried friends and family having "lost a day".

This week on "Smallville," people with abilities were systematically kidnapped, strapped to a table, and injected with a tracking device so they could be monitored. They were then released with no memory of the past twenty-four hours, returning to their worried friends (and presumably family) having "lost a day".

Given the above, it can be seen why this episode comes off as slightly contrived. Not only does the main plot feel uncomfortably familiar, but smaller portions of the plot - namely the brilliant but unnecessary Clark-Chloe GPS chip scene - seem forced.

However, having noted the major drawbacks of the episode, let me applaud the writers, director, actors, and editors for a job well done. Overlooking the forced elements of the plot, this episode was beautifully executed.

First, it was clear that the director (Michael Rosenbaum) loved the first seasons of "Smallville". Much of the lighting, look of the sets, and overall texture of the scenes this week hearkened back to earlier days. From the Smallville Crows jackets in the bowling alley to the red and gold coloring and bright light in the loft and the Daily Planet, not to mention the casual introduction of meteor freaks and the almost light-hearted opening kidnapping, a number of little nods to the first two seasons made me psychologically predisposed to like the episode.

Second, although the writing faltered early on with a prolonged teaser, the pacing recovered and there were still some moments of dialogue to make us all smile. The writing this episode is probably best represented by the conversation between Chloe and Lana in the Talon, as Lana insisted that all meteor freaks were not evil and Chloe rather callously and thoughtlessly opined that they were. The writing served a good purpose - a) setting up an intriguing dialogue in which two secret-keeping characters inadvertently talked past each other, b) setting up Chloe for a traumatic revelation that she was one of the freaks she generalized about, and c) showing that Lana sees Clark as a freak and will vehemently defend him and other innocent but powerful people. However, in doing so, they sacrificed continuity and character - there have been good freaks in the past, Chloe has met them, and Chloe is usually the open-minded defender of quirky and superpowered people. Throughout the episode, this theme seemed to continue: the right things were accomplished in contrived but arguably necessary ways.

Third, the editing and special effects of the episode were brilliant. Nothing seemed rushed, and nothing - aside from the teaser - seemed drawn-out. Seamless. As for special effects, compare the bullet scene this week with the bullet scene in "Fanatic". Enjoy the comparison.

Finally, this episode contained some extremely intense moments. The actors pulled them off perfectly. To be honest, even episodes like "Hidden" have occasionally had a moment where I had to consciously suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the episode. Chloe screaming over Gabriel's shoulder, Clark reacting when he was shot - I had to consciously keep myself from evaluating the acting. This week, I was completely absorbed. As Chloe and Clark had their intense exchange in the Talon, as Clark pulled the GPS chip from Chloe's shoulder and quickly called over her screams, "I'm sorry," I sat with my mouth wide open and accepted all. Lex appeared in all his former dark and troubled glory - so cultured and suave and open, but underneath full of relentlessness. I remember the scene in "Insurgence" that opened with Lex's hands folded on his desk and a forbidding look on his face. He hadn't somehow "turned evil" but was already on his dark journey. This episode reminded me of that Lex...the acting of the complex situations was spot on. Lex doesn't even know how far he's descending into darkness.

As for Chloe being a potential meteor freak, I don't know where to begin. She's feared mental illness, she's studied freaks...this is the perfect set-up for some clear-cut character development. After she's been the rock for Clark to lean on for seasons, it will be refreshing to see Chloe in crisis leaning on Clark again. I look forward to the follow-up on this situation.

Verdict: Not a perfect episode, but beautifully executed, and it had me engrossed. 9.85.

Note: For all those who didn't like "Trespass," go back and watch it again in light of this episode. Lana's fear and wonder in "Crimson" and her steadfast protection of Clark in "Freak" absolutely had to be bridged by her recognition of his heroism and mystery in "Trespass". Not to beat a dead horse...but "Trespass" was a key episode.

Good/Bad Moments

1. The first scene, as Chloe and Lana exchanged banter and snapped photos in the bowling alley, contained a lot of filler. They did need to include the explanation as to why they were partying - and the idea of a last fling before Lana loses her freedom, so to speak, was a good one, conveying a sense of impending imprisonment - but the picture-snapping and Daniel Kim's bowling tips lasted far too long.
2. "Look, Lana, I love bowling gutter balls just as much as the next girl, but I've got to admit - I expected something a little different for the bachelorette party." Was this a complaint? This probably wasn't the best way to introduce the concept of a last fling.
3. "Yeah... eating chili fries and knocking down pins." Why is Chloe being such a wet blanket?
4. Nice moment, as a figure appears in the thick rolling mist at the end of the street.
5. "Hey! Hey!" Chloe is usually so resourceful. Even if she didn't have her taser with her, she could have pulled out her cellphone and snapped a picture of the car, instead of shouting at the kidnappers.
6. "About last night -- why did Chloe go outside in the middle of your bachelorette party?" Nice touch, as Lex tries to figure out how much Chloe knows about the freak abductions. This is before he knows that Chloe is infected, meaning that his priority is making sure that she doesn't start any uncomfortable investigations. And Lana seems to sense something: "Lex, you seem a little obsessed with the details." Interesting moment...it will be interesting to see if there's any follow-up on the suspicions being born here.
7. "That's you and Lana having the time of your lives. That's great." Clark's delivery here was perfect. Irritated, a little hurt, a little exasperated. It struck a nerve.
8. Tobias was a fascinating character. He had adjusted surprisingly quickly to the blindness, and his graciousness was perfectly-written. "Hey, I got off lucky. My parents - not so much. Can I get you guys something to drink? How about an iced tea? Don't make me drink alone." (Kudos to Slavkin and Swimmer.) Then, once he saw Chloe, he quickly regressed into the person we would all be in the same situation: "Please just go." The fact that he was so kind and yet so human should have made Chloe feel what the rest of us felt - a mixture of compassion and admiration. Seeing him in this light, despite what he'd been duped into doing for Lex, made Moment (l) from Chloe all the harder to understand.
9. "I was just wondering - did you really go outside for fresh air last night, or was there another reason?" Lana wonders about something, so she promptly puts it out in the open. I said it for "Trespass," and I'll say it for "Freak" - Lana is not "just" about snooping about and trying to unearth secrets. She's told Chloe that she's trying to find out Clark's secret on her own. Later this episode, she'll tell Clark that she thinks a bullet ricocheted off him. This moment of open questions only reinforced the fact that Lana is taking the initiative to mend the rifts that secrets have made. And I'm cheering her on.
10. "All right, I admit it. I was worried that he was another Lana Lang stalker." Chloe is getting scarily good at this.
11. "But you and I both know that just because someone has an ability doesn't make them a bad person. Some of these people might use their powers to save people." Oh, I love this moment. 1) Compare this moment to the following moment from "Static": "These people who have been infected by the meteors -- they're dangerous. They've hurt me, and they've hurt people that I care about. The more we learn about them, the better we can protect ourselves." Here Lana felt that meteor freaks were a threat to mankind. The fact that her tune has changed clearly points to her discoveries about Clark. Meaning that her perception of Clark as a good person and a savior has changed her entire viewpoint on meteor freakdom. 2) Lana automatically uses the phrase "you and I both know". She expects Chloe to be on the same page with her, knowing Clark. This made for a quirky mixture of understanding and misunderstanding.
12. "Okay, I don't know who you're talking about, but the meteor freaks that I've met aren't exactly in line to win a Nobel Peace Prize." I'm having a hard time reading this line. Chloe is taken aback when Lana delivers the above line, but it's hard to tell if she is completely missing Lana's drift (her mind is running on a completely different line of thought) or if she is just playing it safe and ignoring it. In either case, painting all meteor freaks with the same brush (pardon the cliche) is very unlike Chloe. For one thing, she's met several ultimately good-hearted meteor freaks, including Kyle, Trevor, and Cyrus (persuasion, memory erasure, and healing, respectively). For another, she's always been open-minded and careful not to pre-judge. This line was out of character, and I wasn't sure if it was because the writers just wanted her to play the devil's advocate so Lana could defend the freakdom, or if she was deliberately putting down meteor freaks because...something. I don't see any reason why she would intentionally put down meteor freaks - if she wanted to protect Clark's real secret, she would have been more likely to agree with Lana's assessment and keep going - so I'm guessing this was just an out-of-character moment for a good cause, a.k.a. the new Lana taking a stand.
13. The zoom-in, combined with the beautiful string music, as Lana said intensely, "What's his name?" was...well, awesome.
14. More great strings as the doctor stared intently at Clark, who looked secretive. I don't think they've ever used that short sequence of music before.
15. As Clark walked out, calmly flipping the cloth over and picking up the laptop on his way out, I found myself smiling. This is the Clark I want to see - someone resourceful, someone with finesse. This was subtle and classic.
16. The intent piano music in the Talon scene was perfect. The music they chose to use this week really set the tone, without jarring or stealing anything away from the scenes.
17. Clark dashes away, leaving Jimmy in mid-sentence. Jimmy looks around and realizes that Clark has - not unlike the Green Arrow in "Hydro" and like he just did in "Trespass" - disappeared in a second. "I'm just a guy with a camera and kidnapped..." Clark is gone. "Girlfriend." Then Jimmy seems to mouth the word "Whoa". Coincidence...or is Jimmy going to start putting together some conclusions? Either way, Clark can't keep running out on Jimmy like this. He's going to blow his cover.
18. Lana speaks to Lex, acting perfectly innocent. "Well, I ran into him in the bowling alley. We went to school together. He lost his vision in the meteor shower, and now he has this ability to sense meteor-infected people." It's clear that she's probing him...the question is if Lex knows it too. Either way, I enjoyed this moment, as Lana very clearly sets out on her mission to protect Clark's secret.
19. "Why would you do that for me?" "Because you may be putting someone at risk who saves people's lives on practically a daily basis. I can't let that happen." Lana's perception of Clark has changed so much since he saved her in "Trespass". I've been waiting for years for her to see that he's a hero. As I said in "Trespass" when Clark saved her for the second very revealing time - this might not be "Reckoning," but this works for me.
20. "Who told you about me? Clark Kent?" Lana was trying to keep Tobias and Clark from meeting. Now she finds out they've met. Her reaction is perfect. "Clark was here?" "You seem surprised." "Did you tell anyone about him?" "What's to tell?" Lana smiles, perhaps pleased at the loyalty of all Clark's friends, and glad that she's finally in on the secret. "Tobias, it's okay. You can trust me. I know that Clark's infected." And then the moment that completely throws her off. "You must be talking about a different Clark Kent, because the Clark I know is the most normal guy I've ever met." He's perfectly serious, and all her perceptions are suddenly changed drastically. Either Clark has the best-kept secret ever, with people covering for him on every side...or he's really not a meteor freak. Either perception has the potential to lead to some very interesting scenes.
21. The Clark-Chloe scene in the Talon was beautifully executed. Watching it again was practically bliss. The only problem, casting a shadow over the whole scene, was that it was pretty evident that the chip was a GPS chip. I had to change tracks of thought when Chloe started surmising that the chip could kill her...and then when Clark said, "It's a GPS device. That's all it is," I had to change back. Ultimately, I felt disappointed. That was anticlimactic, and a bit forced, since a GPS device was "all it was".
22. Jimmy enters, to see Clark bending closely over Chloe's shoulder, pressing a large bandage over it. I know it's cruel to enjoy this moment, but I do. "What...the...heck did you do to my girl, Kent?" Chloe brushes him off. "Jimmy, there was a tracking device in me, and Clark had a pocketknife." Clark, calmly: "We improvised." Jimmy is reeling. Freaked, he exclaims, "Improvised?!" Chloe, very reassuringly and motheringly: "Jimmy, it barely even stung." Jimmy stares at her. Hurt. Trying to reconcile himself to the idea that his girlfriend trusted Clark to basically stab her. Then the laptop beeps, and they move on. Yes, I enjoy Jimmy, but not so much that I couldn't smile at this moment. Clark and Chloe have a closeness here that Jimmy cannot fathom.
23. "Drop it! Put it down, or I swear to God I'll pull the trigger." I'm not going to delve into why I like this moment. But I like it.
24. "What happened?" "I'm not sure. But we're safe now." Lana echoes Clark's words in "Trespass" - "You're safe now." Her choice of words conveyed a sense of being rescued. I don't know if it was intentional, but I appreciated this moment.
25. Interesting flute music as Lana lifted the bullet.
26. The shot of the "Queen Enterprises" license plate made everyone laugh the first time around. This was such a perfect way to tie things together.
27. Lana shows Clark the bullet and notes that it obviously ricocheted off "something pretty powerful". She's smiling, she's hinting, and I'm grinning hugely. I'm loving this angle.
28. "Where did Tobias go?" "Star City. Oliver Queen has arranged for him to get his cornea transplant." They could have taken this dialogue out. It didn't tell us anything new, and it was more fun when we figured out for ourselves what had happened.
29. "Lana, Tobias told me what you were gonna do for me. I'm not sure where you got this idea that I was meteor-infected, [but] I appreciate you looking out for me. It means a lot." Clark follows Lana's lead and is honest in turn. I like this. Lana's brow furrows, and I fear that, as usual, the writers will end the scene at the most promising turn of the conversation. But instead it continues, actually giving the situation some closure.
30. "You know, even if it were true, even if you were meteor-infected, it wouldn't matter. You'd still be the same Clark Kent." Immediately, all diehard fans recognize this line as a paraphrase of their exchange in "Extinction": "I wasn't infected by the meteor rocks." "If you were...it would be okay." This was better, but the "if...then" structure was too close for comfort.
31. Again, I fear that the writers are going to stop the scene with so many potential outcomes of this conversation left untouched. Clark looks like he actually might say something. Not something drastic, but...something. But then the detective calls over: "Miss Lang, are you ready to finish your statement?" Lana hesitates, smiles at him before she walks away. Now that's the way to finish a Clark-Lana scene.
32. Perfect acting as Lana and Lex have their exchange. Lex is so earnest and deceitful at once, his brief moments of hesitation, his look of conviction. And Lana is so transparent and innocent. She doesn't trust Lex...the man she is about to marry. And she wants to trust him so badly. Her expressions conveyed her misery.
33. "On the soul of my unborn child, I swear. It's the truth." This was such a stunning lie that it left me shaken. Wow. Lex's journey has progressed to the point where he can say things like this. This is the way Lex-development should be. He is making some very wrong choices, some perhaps without even being morally conscious of them...but they're not outrageous hero-torturing choices or manic father-attacking choices. This is a realistic journey.
34. "All I know is that every single meteor freak I've ever run into has ended up either dead or in Belle Reve. Face it, Clark. I'm a walking time bomb." Chloe is near tears. This is her worst fear come true...or promising to come true very soon. Clark sits next to her, gently lays his hand on her arm. Sparks fly. His other arm is around her shoulder. "Then consider me your own personal bomb squad." Finally, Clark is getting the chance to be there for Chloe. This moment showed just why this situation is full of promise.
35. I don't remember their ever using that shot of the Luthor mansion with the full moon before. Nice shot.
36. "Keep a close eye on her." The shot transitions from Chloe's panicked eyes to Lex's subtle, confident, and very dark look. Credits. What a way to end the episode. Perfect.
    

Details

1. Eight frames into the game, Lana and Chloe's scores are 39 and 43.
2. The bowling employees - at least Daniel Kim - wear burgundy and yellow jackets. Either this was a nod to the Redskins, or Rosenbaum was nicely incorporating the color scheme of Smallville High.
3. In "Hydro," Lana was making headlines; in "Trespass," she was making more headlines and was being followed by paparazzi; now she calmly goes to the crowded bowling alley and nobody recognizes her.
4. "Cool." Maybe this is just coincidence, but this seemed like another nod to the first seasons. Only six times before has Lana used the word "cool". Once was when she was a vampire. The other five times were in the first three seasons.
5. Once again, as Chloe and Clark enter the bowling alley, Clark has one slightly curved strand of hair in the middle of his forehead. The fascinating thing about this curved hair is that it usually shows up in Chloe scenes, although once it showed up with Lois in "Crimson".
6. Why would they insert tubes into Chloe's mouth?
7. Why would the DNA extraction require an enormous needle? What's wrong with a cotton swab in the cheek?
8. "Then you give me no choice." "What are you implying?" "I don't tolerate loose ends, doctor. Bring me Tobias... unharmed." I'm still puzzling over this. The doctor tells Lex that his laptop, containing incriminating information, may have fallen into the wrong hands. Lex immediately wants Tobias, unharmed. I don't see the connection. Since Lex mentions loose ends, it could be that Lex wants Tobias dead, seeing him as a piece of evidence. But in that case, why on earth would he want Tobias delivered to him personally, unharmed? Maybe, on the other hand, his way of tying up loose ends is fixing Tobias's corneas and sending him on his way with some bribe money...in which case, his ominous "you give me no choice" and the doctor's frightened reaction mean nothing. Later the doctor says that if he brings Tobias to Lex, he (the doctor) is a dead man. Why? Is the doctor really the only person who can bring Tobias to Lex, so that Lex has to leave him alive until he's brought Tobias? The only reason that would be the case would be if the doctor needed to persuade Tobias that all was well and he was getting his transplant. Then the doctor could be disposed of. But if the doctor knew that he was going to get killed as soon as he persuaded Tobias to come get a transplant, why did he even bother trying to make Tobias "disappear"? All right, maybe because he thought that if Tobias disappeared, that would be one key piece of evidence gone and Lex wouldn't hunt him (the doctor) down. Whatever the reasons, that's a very long trail to follow, especially since it begins with - and never mentions again - a stolen laptop.
9. "There's only one green dot left, off highway 52." Did this mean that, in order to tie up loose ends, make sure that everyone involved didn't remember anything, they decided to eliminate everyone they had kidnapped? How else would you explain such a rash of killings? But if this was the case, then why did they let Chloe live? And why was Tobias to remain unharmed?