Voice of Reason: Season Six: Progeny




Progeny Overall In episodes with interesting arcs and a particular mythology to develop, there are three types of episodes. (Actually, there are way more than that, but for the purpose of this point, I'm limiting it to three.) There are the Arc Episodes, episodes that check off the little boxes next to certain questions/answers, advancing the plot, but often showing little or no concern for revealing or revelling in character. (Think Smallville's "Fallout," Heroes' "Parasite".) There are Character Episodes, episodes that are carried by the quirks and characteristics of the TV people we love...but don't have anything to do with the arc or the whole purpose of the show in the long run. (Think Smallville's "Thirst," a classic example of bad plot meets great character. Or, better, think Supernatural's "Faith," a standalone episode where great character and great plot had nothing to do with the mythology.) And then there are Great Episodes, where arc and character meet for a celebration of what the show's all about - Smallville's "Jitters," Supernatural's "Croatoan," Heroes' "Company Man". This episode was an Arc Episode, with all the problems that come hand-in-hand with Arc Episodes. Yes, we learned that Lana's pregnancy was a fake, that Chloe's mother had a power, that Lex was officially Lionel - trapped meteor freaks, threats to Chloe, and all. But somehow the treatment of the subject matter left some of us replying - "But who cares?" Despite the carefully parceled units of action, there was no life. Part of the problem may have been that it's hard to take an episode seriously when it doesn't take itself seriously. The episode made no attempt to explain why Chloe's mother was getting her hair dyed blond while she was catatonic, why at least four eerily pristine vehicles could drive over a muddy field and end up virtually spotless, why a 33.1 security guard would, hearing a newbie's vague cries for help, open the door and enter the room, leaving the door open behind him, why Clark would sit around with Moira at Oliver's apartment and leave Chloe to fetch the sandwiches, why the Justice League and Clark couldn't just make a run to LuthorCorp and bring back the medication, or who was going to care for Moira since she was catatonic again. And even though I'm optimistically certain that the writers will explain how Lex drugged Lana, why Lex was having nightmares over an apprently nonexistent baby, and when exactly the operation to remove the nonexistent baby's body took place, there's a strong temptation after an episode like this to doubt. Major gaps like these seriously damaged the episode's credibility. And meanwhile, the brainwashed uncharacteristic behavior was almost topped by the sane uncharacteristic behavior. Yes, it's shocking that brainwashed Chloe unhesitatingly fires at Lex...but is it any more shocking that sane Clark, our Clark, stands there with an ugly look on his face and debates far too long on whether to save him? (Remember "Rage"? Remember Clark injecting the healing serum into Lex? His reproach when Lex was dead? "You've killed him.") And it's shocking when brainwashed Chloe whips out the kryptonite and leaves Clark to suffer...but it's even more shocking when she and Clark contemplate when exactly Clark can take down Lex, both of them honestly believing that Lex would hurt Lana just to spite Clark. And finally, besides plot gaps and character gaps, there was the problem of lifeless moments - moments that somehow landed the wrong combination of acting, music, and cinematography and fell painfully flat. This episode suffered from more than the usual share. Overall, a wildly unbelievable episode, with very few redeeming moments. Verdict: 1.5 Good/Bad Moments Young Chloe is shown to be writing school newspaper articles at the tender age of eight, exhibiting fascination with paranormal legends, and speaking with exactly the same vocabulary as older Chloe. "Mom, Mom, I want you to be the first to read it. 'Long Live the Loch Ness Monster.' Mr. Hedges said it was my best story yet - even better than the one about the alien abductions." She pauses, takes in her mother's expression, and observes astutely, "Something tells me those aren't happy tears." Somehow, these attempts to show Chloe's childhood character came across as two-dimensional. They suffered from the same problem that Chloe has been suffering from for the last three years: she's static. She never changes. It was different in the first three seasons...In the first season, she changed as she grew from friend to girlfriend; in the second season, she changed as she balanced friendship, jealousy, loyalty, and frustration, actually concluding with betrayal; in the third season, she changed as she was forced to mature and become a safe haven and helper for Clark, Lex, and to a lesser degree, Lana. And then from S4 on, she was exactly the same - a staunch buddy with all the answers and a love for journalism. Now even in flashbacks to childhood, she's a staunch buddy with all the answers and a love for journalism. Chloe deserves more dimension than that. Besides, it's always more interesting when you see how people were years ago and think either, "Wow...I wonder what changed," or "So that's why he's like that." We felt both reactions when we first met Lex in the pilot. This brief portrait didn't evoke either response. Moira: "Chloe, I'm so...I'm so sorry." Chloe, promptly: "Wait, for what? You didn't do anything." The delivery of this line initially made it seem like young Chloe was being dense...how could she know with such certainty, right off the bat, that her mother was guiltless? Then I realized that Moira had probably delivered a lot of apologies during Chloe's childhood - after all, she wasn't mentally stable - so Chloe's certainty came from the fact that she hadn't experienced any bad experience to be apologized for. At least, that's one way to account for the line and its delivery. Lex listens to classical music. Some saw this as a symbolic choice, indicating that Lex was becoming Lionel. However, 1) Lex has been raised on classical music and has been playing classical piano for years, and 2), Lionel typically listens to opera. While this was good continuity, I don't think it was symbolic. Nice nod to the Pilot, as Lex's habit of getting distracted while driving again leads him to trouble. Clark knocks, and immediately enters without waiting for a response. "Chloe..." That could have been disastrous. It's unfortunate that Clark's entrance demonstrates one of the many problems that have plagued him recently - a lack of recognizing boundaries. Clark looks down and sees Chloe in her pajamas. He calmly keeps talking. "Hey, we were supposed to meet for coffee this morning." He then proceeds to come in uninvited, and close the door behind him. I do like the intimacy between Chloe and Clark, their knowledge of each other that causes them to sense what they need to do or say. But intimacy doesn't have to entail taking liberties, and it felt like Clark was infringing on her space here. Perhaps part of it was Chloe's dazed delivery, which made it appear like she wasn't sure what was happening in the present. Chloe approaches Clark, a stricken stare on her face. "Clark, do you think maybe something's starting to happen to me? Like in a krypto-freak kind of way?" This was a strange delivery. Her face was frozen into that one expression...it felt odd. "It's just that ever since I found out that I was a member of the krypto-infected masses, I've been seriously and secretly freaking out." "I don't blame you. You don't have to go through this alone, all right?" Clark puts his hand on Chloe's shoulder and smiles. This dialogue spelled their emotions out a little too clearly...I would have preferred seeing Chloe seriously and secretly freak out instead of talking about it. However, her admission did lend a certain poignancy to "Combat," in retrospect - this meant that while she was lightly teasing Clark, she was masking her own deep need. The writers could have delved into this more. This would have been an appropriate time for a hug...I was surprised that they both just kept going. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to work." Chloe walks past Clark, and we are left wondering what happens next as she goes to her dresser to find clothes. This was slightly awkward, as Clark stands there as if he has no intention of leaving the room, while Chloe is clearly getting ready to get dressed. Nice Moment #1, as Clark's expression changes and we realize that he is worried about Chloe, more than he's letting on. For the first time, we see Lex and Lana acting like a husband and wife. Lex enters with a cut over his eye. Lana is worried in a subdued, preoccupied way, and asks why he didn't wake her. Lex replies that he wanted to let her sleep...and notes, with concern, that it seems like she hasn't been sleeping much recently. This was a surprisingly sweet exchange. Nice Moment #2. We see that Lana wants children and somehow feels guilty about the miscarriage, as if she did something to precipitate it. This is a potentially intriguing angle. Why does she feel guilty? I hope the writers expound on this moment. "What's what? Did you find Lex's flash drive?" This was potentially a landmark moment, as Clark races to the car and back without Chloe noticing. Yes, it was a fun moment, a unique way to play with Clark's abilities (Nice Moment #3); but it also meant more than that. Clark can no longer be caught in the "Phoenix" situation, unable to race fast enough to protect two people. The Clark is now quicker than the eye. "They're suspected of being able to control...meteor freaks." Clark hesitates before he uses the phrase, and then lowers his voice when he says it. He glances hesitantly at Chloe, feeling awkward. This was another good, subtle moment, delving a little further into how Chloe's newfound Freakdom is affecting their relationship. Nice Moment #4. Clark looks at the security camera, then looks at the "Security Office" sign. While Chloe is emotional and needy, Clark is being resourceful. This was an unusual reversal. Nice Moment #5. Beautiful new shot of the Daily Planet. "Let's go talk to Lex." It's interesting to speculate how that conversation would have gone, if Lex had been there. Would this be a request for help, or an accusation-hurling contest? Clark should know by now that he can't hope to accomplish anything by the latter...I wonder how Lex would have reacted to the former. "I know what it's like to lose my mother, Mrs. Sullivan. You don't get over it." Since Lex is using this information to manipulate someone, I didn't see this as a moment revealing his neediness. If anything, it seemed to indicate that Lex has hardened in respect to his mother: he now has no problem using her name to coerce the mother of a former friend. Lana instinctively gets up and goes to the pokers - this was an interesting moment, showing that Lana does have a knack for self-preservation after years of being attacked. Nice Moment #6. "Believe me, I can pull this trigger a lot faster than you can flinch." Something about her slightly preoccupied delivery made her tough-guy line seem out of place. Clark enters the hospital room, already looking weepy. "Lana? I heard what happened. Are you okay?" She smiles, and replies without any self-aware mournfulness or even underlying bitterness, "I guess that depends on your definition." This moment said a lot about the character development this season. Lana's character has soared above the catty character of S4 and S5, and Clark's has assumed the frail, self-pitying insecurity that Lana gave up. Clark hesitates before saying, as if it's a duty, "Is the baby all right?" Lana pauses, then admits in a low voice, "I lost it a few days after the wedding." Clark looks down and blinks, but he doesn't seem too unhappy. He sighs. "You're the first person I've told." Now he begins looking unhappy. "I'm so sorry." Somehow, the roles they are supposed to play are reversed. Lana should be the one who's blinking back tears, and Clark should be the pillar of strength. This didn't work. "I feel like I've lost so much. I thought having this baby would change things, but now that it's gone...This isn't the life that I wanted." I'm unclear on why Lana would want to share her most intimate secrets with a guy who looks like he's going to buckle down and bawl any minute. "You told me you weren't going to marry Lex..." This exposition was a bit clumsy. "Something changed your mind, what was it?" Lana smiles, shaking her head. "It was just wedding day jitters, that's all." Clark draws closer to the bed, chin down, intensely gazing at her. "Lana, it was more than that. I can help you. You don't need to be afraid. Whatever you need - " "Clark, I need you to stop worrying about me. It's okay, really." The beauty of Lana's half of this conversation is in her delivery. She doesn't have any assumed bravery, any over-dismissiveness, she isn't sending any "I am very seriously burdened" signals. She's literally acting with utter selflessness. This was perfect. With Clark's half of the conversation lay the problem, also in the delivery. If Clark had sat down and said this calmly and sincerely, he would have seemed like a man instead of an emotional trainwreck. Lana, very deliberately and earnestly, without any pleading in her eyes: "I'm going to get through this, like I always do." Some objected to this line as overly self-pitying, a dramatization of her circumstances. But I didn't think this was overly dramatic. Lana has been through things that would send plenty of twenty-year-olds to the doctor for antidepressants. Look at the life she's lived. She watched her parents die when she was three, she ran away from home when she was ten because she felt unloved, Nell left her in Smallville when she moved, her friend Tina tried to kill her, Whitney left the country and died, Clark frequently let her down, Adam tried to kill her, Jason turned out to be a murderer, someone briefly tortured her by electrocution, someone pinned her to the wall with a sword through her hand, she doesn't trust her husband, and she's lost her child. Not to mention several other attempts that have been made on her life. She's been through a lot - realistically, if we'd been through all that, we'd be basketcases - and she's still not taking to drugs, drink, medication, or her ex. Lana is strong, and this line was just a gentle reminder to Clark that she's not a helpless victim. She's a survivor. This scene gets a Nice Moment #7 for Lana's half of the conversation. "You stay away from my daughter." "Oh, it's too late for that." This was an interesting moment. Lex didn't say that he was going to harm Chloe...he only said that it was too late to stay away from her. In other words, their lives are inextricably intertwined. It's difficult to tell if this was just a line thrown in to make Lex look threatening, or if there was some yet-to-be-disclosed meaning behind it. "And it's owned by - " "LuthorCorp. It's probably part of their 33.1 franchise." Again, Clark is catching on fast. Nice. Chloe and her mother have a conversation, for the first time since Chloe was eight. Almost immediately, her mother starts blaming herself, telling Chloe the truth about her injured hands. This is good to know, and I'm sure the mother has spent all her conscious hours feeling guilty, but considering that 1) this is the first time they've spoken in twelve years, and 2) they could be separated any minute, for all they know...it seemed like this was a weird place for the conversation to go. Nice shot of the Kent Farm, with the horses in the foreground. The establishing shots this episode were all beautiful. "No more experiments." What kind of 33.1 patient grumpily draws the line at any more experiments? I couldn't tell if this was a good moment, indicating some kind of Freak hierarchy that allowed trustworthy Freaks better treatment, or if it was a bad moment, a nonsensical line thrown in. "Mom!" Chloe tosses the cap to Moira. This seemed more like a children's game than a desperate escape. Clark debates on whether or not to rescue Lex, while the grenade spins toward Lex's head. Frankly, I thought this moment was ugly. Let's revisit "Rage" for a moment, as a drugged Oliver tries killing Lex. Clark knows all about 33.1 and Lex's involvement. Clark: "Oliver. You're not a killer!" Oliver: "No, but he is, Clark. Listen to me. You and I both know the world's a better place without Lex Luthor." Clark, after a brief pause: "That's not for us to decide, Oliver." In present day, Clark looks at the grenade, then looks at Lex. This hesitation makes sense, just as Clark's momentary hesitation before answering Oliver made sense. But then Clark looks back at the grenade. And keeps tracking it with his eyes, while it heads for Lex's skull. This was too long to wait. One got the feeling that he was thinking more of Lana in the hospital bed than all the 33.1 facilities, which existed just like they had in "Rage". "Clark, have you talked to Oliver? He said that he would set up a safe place for her to stay in Star City." As Chloe delivered this line, her face was perfectly blank. Her eyes didn't change expression. I wonder if Allison Mack was preoccupied with something during this episode; she has several of these frozen facial expressions throughout the episode. Another stunning establishing shot of the Daily Planet, swiveling around the building, the twirling planet lit up with lights. Lex shows up at the Daily Planet to threaten Chloe. It seems as if the writers are trying to turn Lex into Lionel - his quiet conferences with locked-up freaks, his self-righteous threatening because a family member had been hurt, a threatening visit to Chloe as she's working...But Lex used to be very insightful, calling Lionel on it when Lionel resorted to these games. Lex is an interesting mixture of beliefs he's learned from Lionel and beliefs he's acquired by rebelling against Lionel. I hope the writers don't try to make Lex a bald, younger Lionel. There's a balance between what Lex learned from his father and what he learned from despising his father. "Make that article disappear..." The fact that Lex came all the way over here means that he sees that article as a threat. Even though he says that Chloe doesn't have any evidence, clearly she must have some ammunition that frightens him. I thought Chloe should have deduced this and gone ahead with the article, trusting Clark for protection. She's usually very aware of all the motivations behind Luthor chess moves. Chloe enters, looking dazed. Intense, menacing music plays. Clark: "Hey. You okay? What's wrong?" She's fresh from her encounter with Lex, presumably - at least, three hours fresh - but instead of reacting with a desperate tirade against Lex and his coercion, she stutters a few times - we expect her to launch into her speech any minute - then she goes into a heartfelt talk about her mother. The menacing music sputters to a stop, and her dazed confusion melts away into an earnest and mournful look. What? This scene sent a lot of conflicting signals. Bizarre moment. "She's never going to get to know the person I've become." "It's a good thing I told her," says Clark, thoughtfully. That was unexpected and sweet, but since Details U still stands out as a needless obstacle to Chloe and Moira truly talking, Clark didn't really look like a hero. He was sitting there passing the time with Moira while Chloe was out getting sandwiches. Naturally they would talk about Chloe. But he should have told Chloe he'd get the sandwiches and let Chloe spend time with her mother. "Think about Lana. We can't do anything to [Lex] until we know she's safe." "You're right. He'd feed her to the lions just to spite me." Where did they get that? This was a weird moment, as we looked at them in complete confusion. Where was this coming from? Details The early Sullivan home - perhaps due to the golden lighting - seemed eerily similar to the Kent home. Moira has brown hair in 1995 and in 2007, but in "Tomb," she was blond. Why would she have her hair dyed when she was catatonic? The actress who played young Chloe came close to tripping over her lines. Her careful but slurred delivery contrasted strongly with "the real Chloe's" usual reckless clarity. "It's time, Mrs. Sullivan." "Mom, who are those people? Where are you going?" Nobody said she was going anywhere. I wonder if the original line was a kinder, less ominous, "It's time to go, Mrs. Sullivan," and they forgot to change Chloe's line with it. Here is a quote from the second season of Smallville: "She left when I was five, so... I came downstairs and... There was my dad, trying to make waffles. He never even really explained why she left. It was weird." - Chloe. This girl definitely wasn't five, she was coming home from school instead of coming downstairs in the morning, her dad wasn't even there, much less trying to make waffles, and nobody said anything about a heartfelt goodbye. At first I thought the pale round light in the distance was the moon. But as Lex drove the car, he got a lot closer to the moon. What was that pale round light? When Lex was in the hospital in "Fade," he had a gun in bed with him. Yet when someone runs him off the road and approaches his car, he doesn't even grab some pepper spray; and when that someone smashes his window, instead of reaching under the seat and pulling out a taser, he sticks his face next to the window and says, "What do you want?" His complete lack of preparation was a little too convenient. The DP and gaffer did a wonderful job with the morning light in Chloe's room and in Lana's room. The blatant product placement of the Tundra was a bit over-the-top. Over fifteen seconds were spent showing Clark drive the Tundra over the muddy field. Lex's car and the police car were sparkling clean, although they had both been driven over a field so muddy that Chloe left almost unbelievable tracks on the Talon floor. There's a mural of a DNA model on Moira's wall. Moira picks up a pen and uses it to control Lowell. We learn that she has to be touching someone's belongings in order to control them. How does her meteor power discern whether something "belongs" to someone? The necklace/bracelet seems to belong to her more than to Chloe; and a pen is a generic object that could belong to anyone and probably belonged to LuthorCorp. This was a random, awkward aspect to her power: dispensing with it might have made her mind-control power more realistic. Clark rushes off with Lana, leaving an entire security team and a krypto-freak injured and unconscious. This wasn't particularly Superman-ish. "The last thing I remember I was running on the train tracks." "And when you woke up, your memory was gone." Chloe's line was stating the obvious. If the last thing he remembered he was somewhere else doing something else, it goes without saying that he had forgotten what happened in-between. "When my wife ends up at the hospital, that means you've made a grave mistake." Lex knows that Lana is at the hospital, but instead of immediately issuing orders for one of his "special" lying doctors to take over, he leaves her there to be tested by strangers. This was very careless. Why on earth would Lex put Chloe and Moira in the same room together? Was this supposed to be a subtle hint that he's a softy deep down, letting Moira reunite with Chloe after all...or was it another very convenient and highly unlikely setup for the escape? When he's under the influence of kryptonite, Clark usually has enough control to swing his legs and arms and roll his body. Yet he doesn't try rolling away from the kryptonite. As Clark lies near death, the expression on his face is peaceful. It isn't until he wakes up with the kryptonite locked away that he looks pained. That seemed a bit odd. Although the security guards must surely have 33.1 patients shouting for help all the time, especially newbies who wake up having no idea where they are...Chloe just needs to shout "Help!" a few times, and a security guard leaves the superstrong Freak he's supposed to be guarding, opens the door, and walks past the newbie Freak leaving the door wide open. He doesn't even pause at the window and ask, "What is it?" This was another very convenient and highly unlikely setup for the escape. Oliver's apartment still has the same autumn leaves outside the windows. It's been autumn for months at his apartment. Why would Chloe be the one to go get food while Clark stayed with Moira? "If this drug is out there, I can get it. Trust me. I have some pretty amazing resources at my disposal." Clark looks sad, as if this is impossible. But why? He and the Justice League have sneaked into LuthorCorp and stolen things before. In "Mortal" he managed without his powers, and stood an arm's-length away from the serum he wanted; Bart easily stole the information he wanted from the LuthorCorp computers. Why would this drug be any different? Why, in a building for a newspaper as huge as the Daily Planet, with such a large staff, would Chloe be conveniently alone and available for threatening? © Voice of Reason, 2007