Voice of Reason: Season Six: Arrow

Arrow

Overall

To break this episode down like the last one…

Half the cast was good, half was bad.

Clark? Lois? Oliver? Chloe? Good.

Lana? Lex? Lionel? Bad.

As for the relationships, they were more complex.

Clark and Oliver – good.

Lois and Oliver – good.

Clark and Lionel – bewildering and bad.

Clark and Chloe – good.

Lana and Lex – bad.

Lex and Lionel – bad.

Lana and Lionel – rather intriguing, but also bewildering.

The episode established an intriguing relationship between Clark and Oliver. That was good. While Oliver has been superb, Clark has become far less interesting in comparison. Throwing the two together allowed Oliver to illuminate Clark, so to speak; Clark stepped out from behind his shadow and proved himself. It's interesting to note that Oliver's opinion matters to us, just as it matters to Clark. We wanted Oliver to be amazed by Clark, and we wanted Clark to shine when they were together. We even tried to be proud of Clark when he walked away after telling Oliver, "We'll be even when you return Lionel's necklace," though presently we came to our senses. But the interaction between the two was important to us, and the writers handled it with balance and sensitivity. Clark and Oliver understood each other, in a quiet and different way. They shared a quality of heroism that bridged the ethical and social divide. That made for a promising relationship.

While Clark and Oliver were notably good, Lex and Lana and all their relationships were notably bad. On the "Devoted to Smallville" board, user "Scarlett" suggested that the writers deliberately made Lana's role ambiguous "so they could flipflop her role in future episodes as needed." Considering Lana's very peculiar behavior, this is very likely. She was agitated when she saw the box, and said it should be turned in to the government; she was cool with Lionel; she was cool when she turned against Lionel in the elevator; and she was glib when she spoke with Lex, even though he witnessed her initial reaction. She was full of so many contradictions that sorting them out and determining the true motive was impossible.

That was complicated by Lex's uncharacteristic behavior. Lex's relationship with Lionel has been strange and random in the past few episodes, and this episode topped off the strangeness, when Lex asked Lionel to help him test Lana's affections. For one thing, even if Lex were to test Lana's affections with a complicated plan, which I can believe, I think asking his much-hated father to pretend to turn Lana against him would be the last thing in his mind. He would be more likely to have a stranger test her than Lionel, whom he doesn't trust and whom he hates passionately. Facilitating contact and scheming between Lionel and Lana would be the last thing in his mind, particularly as, once the charade was over, Lana would continue to believe that Lionel was working against Lex, and might even try to manipulate Lionel…resulting in more contact and scheming. Then Lex went on to explain to Lionel that he was just following what Lionel taught him. While I could see this in Season Three, when Lex relied on Lionel, Lex has already broken free from that hold and belittles Lionel whenever possible. That condescending attitude made both his request and his explanation unlikely.

The Lex-Lana plot was contrived, and the dialogue in both plots was, at times, poorly written.

Furthermore, Lionel's role was surrounded by a cloud. He and Martha are friends, and he is doing Martha a favor (as if an ex-murderer who went to jail would have that much societal pull). Clark greets him with a handshake and they work together to find the thief. He works with Lex, though for all we know, he might have been privately working against Lex, for Lana. Lex accuses him of trying to make the Kents believe in his goodness despite his badness, which means nothing because Lex is the one saying it, and Lex is no longer insightful. All in all, Lionel and Lana are in the same predicament – they flirt with the good and the bad, and the writers are unwilling to commit them to either. Although ambiguity can be a good thing, in this case it simply gives a confused message.

Nevertheless, the good quality of the Oliver-Lois-Clark plot was strong enough to make this an episode worth watching. Oliver and Lois experienced a changed dynamic in their relationship when Lois devoted herself to unmasking his secret identity, resulting in some great moments. (A relationship that changes and grows…imagine that.) Oliver and Clark didn't fall into the pat Aquaman pattern, but retained their individual likeability during a perfect plot, complete with dramatic reveal, confrontation, teamwork, and a thought-provoking final conversation. The trio that I rolled my eyes about before the season started has become, humblingly, my favorite set of characters.

Despite Lex and Lana, the writers still pleasantly surprise me.

Verdict: 8.8

Good/Bad Moments

"Here you are, my lady." The beginning of Lionel's ambiguous role…a flirty exchange in which Lionel calls Martha a beautiful woman. This started the episode off on the wrong foot.
"But now it's time to meet the moneybags of Metropolis. You'll need them to fund your bid for the United States Senate." Very obvious setup dialogue. My brother said ironically, "Nice way to set up the plot!"
As Lionel addressed the party as "good friends," my brother noted that this scene would have been much more interesting if, just before the speech, Lionel had been telling Martha in an aside how much the partygoers all hated each other.
"Give me the necklace." "First you'll have to say Please." Oliver leans toward her, pursing his lips slightly…it's like he enjoys the lingering flirty moment. This intense, intimate moment brought back the challenging passion of the last episode. It's interesting how the writers kept this dynamic and still kept Oliver as the dream boy. It would have been unrealistic if he and Lois had continued in their strain of mockery and playfulness without going deeper, but this moment captured that essence and continued it.
"'Kay. I think Miss Lane's made her point, wouldn't you say? She'll call you if she remembers anything." SafeTex representative leaves. "So what aren't you telling him?" That was perfect. It told us that Oliver knew Lois well. It told us that Oliver's first loyalty is not to the law. And it gave him a protector's role, even though ultimately he was protecting himself.
It seemed odd to me that Clark would calmly visit a stranger's home, just so that he could talk to Lois right away. How many guys would visit their friend's unknown boyfriend's house to talk to the friend? Convenient, but this felt very contrived.
"Smallville…you're Clark Kent?" "Mr. Oliver Queen." "Yeah." They shake hands, and Oliver looks intrigued. We don't know why, all we know is that Lois talks about him, but we're hooked. Nice moment…
Oliver laughs. "This is funny. It's just that, you know, the way Lois talked about you, I thought you were going to be a little bit more of a – " Lois, quickly: "At least more…" "More what?" "Well." "Of a geek?" Interesting to see Lois's interpretation of Clark. She sees him the way that he'll want her to see him in the future.
Oliver looks awkward, but enjoys it. Clark is calm. "It's really nice to see that Lois has found someone who can overlook her personality." Oliver, without missing a beat, and still wearing a smile, essentially accuses Clark of jealousy. "Ah, don't worry about it Clark, you know, I mean, if I lived under the same roof with such a beautiful woman, I probably would 'a' masked my feelings with sarcasm too." The subtle indication was that Oliver was jealous of Clark in return. We gather that he had known Lois shared a house with a peer, but expected this peer to be a social outcast, and was a bit miffed at meeting Clark.
"Feelings." "Feelings?" Actually I didn't get this moment. What did I miss?
"The only reason I'm here is to get that necklace back. The last thing I want is for my mom to be indebted to Lionel Luthor." "Yeah, well, you should have thought of that before she accepted his help at the fundraising." That was such an awesome comeback. We were all wondering at the strangeness of the Lionel relationships, and this pinpointed it bluntly. Clark's excuses about not wanting to be indebted to Lionel don't cover everything. Clark is being challenged to evaluate his beliefs, and I love it. This moment is still making me smile.
"Goodnight, boys. Now play nice." This was an abrupt way to end the scene, with Clark and Oliver looking at each other challengingly. We're waiting for the action…then the scene changes. What were we supposed to assume? That Clark and Oliver talked more about Lionel's uncooperative attitude about the necklace? That Clark said, "Thanks for your help," and left? Either way, I would have liked to see it.
"You can say anything in front of Miss Lang." I wonder if Lex would have really said that if he weren't testing Lana.
"Some kind of power source." Interesting. Although we knew it could generate an electromagnetic pulse, it could also practically inhale the computer virus. Have the writers really figured out what the box does, or are they playing around with different ideas?
"For someone on the verge of saving the world, your enthusiasm seems temperate." This ironic line was hilarious, considering the man's blandness.
"Where'd you get that?" Lana appears to be agitated. "It could be used as a weapon. So if it's so dangerous, shouldn't you hand it in to the government?" This was an interesting moment, particularly when compared to later moments.
"Does Mrs. Kent know that you're still moonlighting on her?" "Are you kidding me? I've got this double identity thing down!" Delightful moment. This season's double-meanings are much more believable and subtle than last season's.
"I can't believe you don't trust me!" "It's not all of you I don't trust, it's just one little part of you." That was actually very nicely put. It showed that Chloe still was Chloe, and hadn't lost her nose for a story or her habit of digging. Since Chloe only appears now in relation to Clark, it was good to be reminded of that.
Great Green Arrow music as Oliver stood staring at the picture, lip quivering.
Wonderful shot of the Luthorcorp building. They gave up shots like this in S4 and S5. It was good to see it as a real place again. Somehow the more real it seems, the more cold and intimidating it seems. I started to replay S3 scenes in my head of a new, violent Lex pointing a gun at Lionel.
"Mr. Luthor, if you called me here to discuss my relationship with Lex…" "Oh, that would be wildly inappropriate, wouldn't it? Unless, of course, you consider that the last time you and I spoke, we were considering which one of us was going to kill Lex." Lionel's humor here was enjoyable. I've missed his dry understatements, and his scoffing attitude regarding morals and propriety. Perhaps it was the Luthorcorp camera shot that made this a welcome moment.
"He wasn't himself." "But you were. Completely yourself." Good comeback. There were a lot of good comebacks in this episode, none of them delivered like punch lines, thank Heaven.
"Well, it's obvious that any trust you have for me only works in times of crisis – but we both know, Miss Lang, that the crisis is far from over." Lionel makes a good point. The question of who trusts whom when is a puzzling one, and the answer often appears to be random. I wonder why the writers had Lionel bring this point up…was it as a concession or was it for a purpose?
"Lex salvaged that piece of technology." "Why do you think I moved into the mansion?" "Please tell me." "Mr. Luthor, I care about Lex. But part of being with him is protecting Lex from himself. I'm not naïve, I know that comes with the territory." Lana is so startlingly cool and matter-of-fact about it. Her savviness took me off guard. What she said was true, but we had all assumed her to be too blind to see it. What was the meaning behind this moment, since later she appears to have been playing Lionel? She knows she's protecting Lex from himself – so is she truly encouraging Lex to experiment with the box, or was this a cover? (See Questions.)
"What do you think we should do?" Lana's apparently subconscious use of the word "we" was fascinating.
"I'm going to have his face plastered all over the front page soon enough." Oliver looks at her, troubled, as she airily walks past him. "Well, unless I'm missing something, without that ring you're not nearly as close to ID-ing this guy as you claim to be." Probing her, worried and trying to hide it. Nice, subtle moment.
"I might have stretched the truth just a little." Oliver laughs a little, relieved. "OK, well, you know, it's a good thing the Inquisitor doesn't pride itself on integrity." Lois turns and looks at him, and he realizes that he's revealed too much. She has recognized his interest. He tries to cover his tracks, and express a real concern. "Listen, I don't like the idea of you dangling yourself as bait in front of this guy, you know? I mean, anyone coming after the Green Arrow is going to come after you." The dialogue in this scene was like an intricate plot all on its own. It's amazing how Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson went from terrible opening lines to fabulous dialogue in this episode.
"…and I will be sitting front and center with him when they lock this guy up." "Wouldn't want you on my jury." "Meaning?" I liked this moment. It showed that Lois and Oliver were comfortable around each other now, that Oliver was very subtlely and pleasantly trying to clear the Green Arrow's name, and that Lois wasn't buying it. The new dimension to their relationship was perfectly mapped out in this scene. You saw the problem, the potentially even greater problem, and Oliver's unsuccessful attempts to thwart it, all in a minute or two. The emotional flow here was perfect.
"Well, I mean, I thought we did away with the shoot-first, ask-questions-later mentality with the covered wagon." He smiles, trying to lighten the moment, and Lois smiles involuntarily. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you're some kind of bleeding-heart pacifist." "And that's worse than a knee-jerk fascist?" Oliver is smiling for real now, enjoying the banter. You saw the basis for their relationship...the intelligence, the challenges, but also the affection.
Oliver comes over to Lois possessively, kneels down in front of her. She feels like a queen. "All right. Forget about this guy for the weekend. I can have you in Cancun in time for the sunset tonight, sipping margaritas. What do you say?" Lois likes the temptation, and likes refusing it. This was actually the one moment when we saw what their relationship was like aside from complex motives, and I liked it that way. The writers steered away from relational overload, avoiding the pitfall they fell into in S5 with Clark and Lana ever in their stationary roles. We caught a glimpse of the charm, and then it was back to business. Charming business, but business nevertheless.
"The only person I'm going to be spending the weekend with is in leather and has a perverted fetish for archery." Lois swings away from Oliver, and his face grows thoughtful, then serious.
Good acting as Oliver looks from Lois to the drawing, a moment that epitomizes the new problem in their relationship. Somewhere between Aquaman and Smallville, Justin Hartley's acting grew tremendously better.
Great camera shot of Lionel talking to the workmen. This season, the directors have branched out from the usual establishing shots, and the result is a more movie-quality episode, despite the lower budget.
They shake hands? Lionel and Clark? This moment, to be honest, shocked me. "Clark. What a good surprise." Lionel walks toward Clark holding his hand out, then takes Clark's hand in both of his and holds it for a few moments. Then he puts his hand on Clark's shoulder and says, "Walk me to the car, will you?" The fact that Clark accepted these advances startled me. But perhaps this moment was here for a reason. Lionel's eagerness to be on good terms with Clark could have numerous reasons behind it, including manipulation…and including fear and healthy respect. He knows Clark could destroy him if he cared to, physically or financially.
"It's not wise to advertise our vulnerabilities, is it, Clark?" The way he looked into Clark's face as he said this…interesting. Clark was walking a little ahead of him the whole time, leaving Lionel trying to keep pace with him. I wondered if that was part of the direction…and what it meant. Was it supposed to indicate that Clark was calling the shots, and Lionel was trying to read him? Was it supposed to indicate that Clark wasn't noticing what was right in front of him – a potentially significant line of dialogue and a villain walking behind him? Either way, Clark didn't seem to notice the significance of Lionel's line, merely replying, "You're talking about some very expensive vulnerabilities."
"Here's something that might interest you, unless you've noticed this already. There's only one name on the SafeTex client list that hasn't been hit already." Lionel is usually so cagey with his information…it seemed strange for him to give this to Clark so freely, instead of working on the problem on his own. Of course, since he knows Clark's secret, he knows that Clark can handle it for him. Is Clark becoming another one of Lionel's resources?
"I don't want to be late. You find it, huh?" Lionel pats Clark on the arm as he walks past him. Clark turns to watch him go, and seems to smile slightly. Interesting and rather disturbing moment.
Great shot of the Green Arrow sliding from building to building.
Slightly corny music as the Green Arrow looked around to see if anyone had noticed him.
He shoots the green crystal into the laser-projector, and the lasers are redirected…making a nice background for him. Nice touch.
"I hope you enjoyed your cult status while it lasted." Clark is so cocky here…it's funny in a sly way. "I think you're taking the neighborhood watch thing a bit too seriously." The Green Arrow is amused and annoyed, believing there is no danger. Skeptical. He is so confident as to start walking past Clark. Then the confrontation, somehow played out very well. Clark grabs the Green Arrow, making conflict unavoidable. The Green Arrow tries to punch him, but Clark calmly blocks the punch with his palm. They look at each other. Clark shoves the Green Arrow, sending him flying into the laser sensors. The interesting thing in this moment is that the Green Arrow is unfazed. Though he realizes that he had underestimated Clark, there's something almost gratified in his tone - almost the way Lex said, "I always knew there was soemthing different about you, Clark," in S3. A sort of celebration, even though the Green Arrow was being thwarted. "Funny. Looks like I'm not the only one with a secret. Hate to break it to you, tough guy, but you're on the wrong side." He's smiling as he says it, recognizing Clark's potential. This moment was so complex. The writers didn't fall into "Aqua" simplicity.
"But trust me, when he approaches you – and he will – Lionel is going to make you an offer that is hard to resist. No matter what the bribe, you will come to us before you breathe a word to Lionel Luthor." Usually Lana would deliver this line with her head lowered and her eyes raised, very tensely. This time she raises her head and speaks in a sing-song voice. This was a weird moment.
"With all due respect, I work for Lex, not his girlfriend." "I'm not interested in your respect, Dr. Grohl. I'm much more interested in your 14 years of employment here. Your two girls that are now in prestigious prep schools. That new home you just built on Sparling Lane. You have a pretty wonderful life." "Are you threatening me?" "Well, it just came to my attention that if the government or your colleagues were to find out that you were secretly testing alien weapons, this life that you have worked so hard for may take an unfortunate turn." This whole conversation was so unlike Lana. Who was she playing – the guy or Lex or both? Either way, the innocent girl is not-so-innocent, and it's coming across as very contrived. In some ways, Lana is this season's Lex. In S5, Lex was suddenly and uncharacteristically evil for a few episodes. Now Lana is the warped one. I wonder if she'll stay that way, particularly since she's sure to find out Clark's secret and be faced with a choice later on.
"If you ask me, I'd lose the Bandit, but…not my story." "You know, with your competitive streak, I'm surprised you forfeited this one to Lois." I liked it that Chloe's personality shone through this episode, even when she let others take over. Her role in the plot didn't really change from the norm, but the new handling of her character transformed her.
"However, I may have forgotten to mention to Lois that my computer is compiling them to render a new one." Chloe smiles mischievously. Another good reminder that she has a lovably devious side. Clark smiles. He knows her. This moment made the viewers smile knowingly, feel like they knew her too.
"Took her, what are you talking about? Who would do that?" "Isn't it obvious? The Green Arrow." Clark's absolute certainty made this moment a bit amusing. And it shouldn't have been. I think he should have said something less absolute, like, "My guess is the Green Arrow," so our worry wouldn't be distracted by wincing and laughing at the painful moment. It was already distracted by the fact that the two of them were in one room alone.
"Guess he doesn't live by code of honor." Oliver's jaw tightens. The Green Arrow music plays. He turns around. "Because it's not the same as yours? Maybe if you were as interested in finding out about this guy as you were catching him, you would realize that everything he's stolen so far has been bought off the black market." Great exposition. Oliver says something in a tense, oppressed moment that he would never have said any other time.
Clark and Oliver's cellphones ring at the same time, and they look cagily at each other as they check the screen. This was a wonderful and subtle moment.
Great music as Clark enters Oliver's lair and looks around, beautiful hero music as he discovers the room behind the clock-face doors, followed by solemn beautiful music as he stands inside, looks at the newspaper articles. This episode was wonderfully produced.
It was a somewhat anticlimactic set, though. You'd think there would be more arrows and technology than that – you expected a set that would have blown your mind, instead of five arrows here, five there, a few articles. The crew didn't go all out. I know it was supposed to be pristine, but it could have been a little larger.
"Then why am I the one with bruises on my knees right now?" Great comeback.
Beautiful music for the Green Arrow as he picked up Lois and ascended through the ceiling.
"I didn't know blackmail was one of your talents." There was a humorous tone to this moment, I'm not sure why. He seemed so un-offended, even cheerful and upbeat.
"Actually I'm impressed," very gently. "I never had anyone try to protect me like that." Um, Clark? Even though Lex's memory was wiped, there are still some events he can remember – like Clark rescuing him from his car underwater. To be honest, it's moments like this, when Lex forgets what a great friend Clark was, when Clark forgets what a great friend Lex was, that make their new relationship harder to take. It feels almost like the characters are having blindness forced upon them.
"'Cause he's afraid of what I'll do. What about you?" wistfully. "Is there a part of you that wonders the same thing?" Lex was good here, his yearning for love, his fear. This came across as very real.
"I knew the box was a weapon." "And if the box is that dangerous, you want me to shut the project down, don't you?" "No. Lex, it might be the only thing that will save us from them next time." Lex slowly starts to smile…finally, someone who understands him. Or so it appears. This moment seemed, for a brief time, to explain why Lex and Lana were together. Lana is everything Lex needs, or so one thinks. Then, of course, you look back at her first reaction and experience doubt…
The Green Arrow stands over Lois, then kneels. "Are you okay?" Lois kicks him and pins him to the floor. Somehow this seemed ludicrous. I can understand why it happened – it's like Clark's "Thank you" in Zod – but these moments always distract me and make me take the whole routine less seriously for a few moments.
"Did the Tomb Raider routine come from wanting Dad's attention?" Lois lets an arrow fly, and the Green Arrow flinches. He looks at her with a new sense of danger. "Oops. Guess my aim's a little rusty." Even with his glasses on, we can see that his face is serious. We know this is a serious situation. Good moment.
"Now, let's take off those glasses…" Great foreshadowing of Lois's future behavior with Clark.
Interesting to note that Oliver lifts his head, making it convenient to remove the glasses. And turning his face toward the light. This slight gesture made the imminent danger to his secret all the more powerful. We realize that he believes this is it.
Clark saves Oliver. I loved this moment. His rescue started a sort of "stick-togetherness" between heroes that both would honor. Moreover, Clark did the right thing first. He didn't wait for Oliver to make the first gesture, but helped out and did the right thing on his own. Perfect.
"Oliver Queen. You owe me one." I liked it that Clark didn't start his ambiguous or symbolic talk here, but spoke levelly and plainly. He knew the Green Arrow's identity, and he wanted Oliver to know he knew. This was the perfect way to make his gesture clear, his meaning clear, and his knowledge clear – all while cutting a serious and tough figure. Nicely done.
"That was you on the roof? Why'd you let me get away?" "I'm not sure Lois would understand why her new boyfriend leads a double life." Nice double-meaning. I liked this line so much better in this context. The trailer made it seem like he was threatening Oliver, or at least expressing disapproval. Instead, he was answering a question – explaining why he had done Oliver a favor. It was an expression of understanding. He had shared Oliver's plight.
"Or why one of her best friends does the same thing?" Oliver's wariness here was very believable. It's unclear if anyone had known his secret before, aside from subordinates – and even then, it's unclear how much they knew. Clark was a powerful stranger who knew everyone and now knew everything about him. It was natural for him to establish his defense, in light of his new vulnerability.
Oliver, defensively: "I think we're even." "We'll be even when you return what you stole from Lionel." Walks off into the fog, beautiful music. The production was so good here that I almost fooled myself into thinking that Clark was being mature here. But during the Daily Planet scene, my mind wandered back and I couldn't think of any good reason why Lionel deserved to get the necklace back. I can understand why, in Clark's mind, Martha's debt to Lionel should be more important than Lionel's debt to society. But that's not nobility: that's selfishness. The noble music almost did the trick, though. I guess you can resolve yourself to this moment by saying it wasn't self-sacrifice, but it was still a forceful hero-dom, helping his mother out.
We wonder if Clark will tell Chloe the truth. "I kinda ran into a dead end." Chloe starts looking at her files, and Clark looks uncomfortable and moves away. "All of my files on the ring are gone, including backup files. Clark?" Interesting that she immediately looks at Clark, and that Clark doesn't try to hide anything…except that which is most important.
"Just don't look into 'em, Chloe." Suddenly Clark is innovative, surrounded by mystery, has secret connections…this is the ideal Clark. He's not a complete fortress wall to some people and a conveniently open book to others. In the Pilot, he identified himself as "the Fort Knox of secrets". It's good for Clark to have something to hide from everyone except Martha, and even then a secret isn't necessarily a bad thing. His complete openness with Chloe sometimes tended to make his role look rather normal, while his complete set of lies for Lana looked arbitrary in contrast. A blend of honesty and honorable silence makes for a good hero. Not to mention that erasing Chloe's files took some ingenuity. Mysteriously disappearing information was a great tool in S3. The question is whether this time she can recover it…and if she's willing to cross Clark.
Chloe immediately sees what Clark doesn't tell her. "You know who he is, don't you?" This insight and her delight made for a great moment. We enjoyed the secret because she enjoyed it, and because we were in on it. A "Rookie" moment.
"As a favor to me, please don't." A serious concession that this was his personal wish, he wasn't going to hide it. This added a new dimension to his relationship with Chloe. Essentially, he was saying, "I know you can if you want to. Please don't." This was an act of trust. You can hurt me. Are you going to?
"And he knows who you are. Well I guess there's some secret code of honor among superheroes." Chloe's insight here was great. It was characteristic (she catches on to things quicker than is convenient), it was good for their relationship (she honors Clark's wishes and doesn't press the issue), and it was good for our perception and her perception of Clark. She finds a new fascinating feature in Clark, that of a separate code of ethics for those who share his mission on earth. Chloe made us feel that fascination, that wonder, and that respect.
"He's got a real following." "Yeah, well, so did Charles Manson." That was such a good comeback. My brother and I burst out laughing.
"I know this is a rare moment for you, but, uh, do you think you could be overreacting?" His sensitivity here was well done. He wanted to turn her off the trail, but he didn't want to put her down.
"Not that I'd ever question your theatrical skills, but you really had Lana convinced. Thank you, Dad." "Just following the script, the script that you gave me, son." Ugh. Need I elaborate?
"Well, I had to be sure. Another important lesson you taught me – the greater the trust, the greater the betrayal." Ugh again. Now Lex is telling Lionel that he appreciates the lessons. And presently he'll be belittling, manipulating, or otherwise disturbing Lionel's peace of mind, because at this point he hates Lionel. Not that I think he should hate Lionel completely yet – the compulsive neediness conflicting with resentment and desire to break free is what makes Lex complex – and also, it was only six years ago when his father was just trusting him with tiny pieces of the Luthorcorp puzzle, and three years ago when he was sitting at a desk sharpening pencils, so sudden control over his father is unrealistic – but if the writers are going to be consistent, they need to either let Lex be on this moment's pleasant terms with his father, or go back to that complexity. Not mix the two. (And yes, I know that was a really long sentence.) Decide whether Lex hates his father as he seems to do this season, or whether he is still bound by a sort of sick need for him (as in the incomparable "Mercy").
"I would never have told you about the box if you hadn't already known. But that's as close as you're ever going to get to it." Lex's delivery here was so malicious and didactic. I couldn't see this happening, especially not in his relationship with his own father.
Lionel waving his finger at Lex, threatening to tell Lana. "All right, all right, so what makes you think I won't tell Lana Lang about the obstacle course you set up for her, since I'm so untrustworthy?" Somehow his finger-waving and threats made him look like a doddering old man. He seemed petty and helpless.
"Because you've put so much effort into fooling the Kents that you're a good man, you're starting to believe it yourself." Was that supposed to be insightful? Generally, if you pretend to be something – happy, for example – you'll gradually believe it yourself, and the reason is because you actually do change and become happy. This line seemed to indicate that Lionel could behave like a good man and think like a good man but really be villainous. If Lionel isn't committing any villainous actions or thinking any villainous thoughts, why must he be a villain? Sometimes I think the writers' thoughts on "destiny" get confused with "predestination". This moment made no sense to me.
"I hadn't realized I was such a fascinating subject." Oliver greets him casually. Did he feel that his parting words with Clark were too defensive? Or was this a sort of self-defense in itself – a shrugging, I-don't-care attitude?
"I see you've been reading up on me. You and Lois ought to start a fan club." That made me laugh. Oliver's like a good Lex – clever, ironic, intelligent. Somehow, though, Lex's role has become so warped and oppressive and…somehow wrong…that it was a relief to have this line from Oliver instead.
"You going to tell her?" "I don't know, Clark. You seem to be doing a pretty good job skating by with this farm boy charade." "You can't be with someone unless they know who you really are. Trust me, I've tried." "You lost her to Lex." Several things interesting about this exchange: one, that Oliver is familiar with Clark's romantic history; two, that Clark seems to want Oliver to reveal his secret and enjoy a healthy relationship with Lois; and three, that Oliver is dismissive of the idea. There's so much to think about in those three points that I won't even begin to work through all the possibilities on paper…or on screen.
"Is that why you hate me, Clark? Because I'm just another silver-spoon-fed rich boy, is that it? Or is it because I'm not willing to play the martyr like you?" I hadn't gotten the "vibe" of hatred or resentment between them, although they rubbed each other the wrong way in the first scene. That first sentence is a bit inexplicable, but the last one, about playing the martyr, is a good one. In the past, Clark has tended to get a brooding, self-sacrificial look when he's done nothing unusual – though I must say that this season's theme of self-sacrifice and suffering for mankind is still definitely working for me.
"You play this game as long as you want. But sooner or later, you're going to hurt her. You know that." Was this supposed to be a foreshadowing? Interesting moment, and it obviously made Oliver uncomfortable, rubbed him the wrong way. He quickly and rather coolly changed the subject.
"Well, you seem to have all the answers. I guess it's a good thing I decided to put this in safer hands." The gentle reproach and irony in this line was brilliant. Clark doesn't have all the answers, and we've known it for some time. This line was loaded with meaning, and it was framed with such good nature that Clark could accept its meaning without resentment. This was a great line.
Oliver drops the necklace into Clark's hand, then looks at him. Interesting moment, that look. It's as if he concedes defeat, but also knows that Clark doesn't know what he's asking for. Half conceding, half challenging. Then he walks away and remarks, "For the record, Lionel bought that off a notorious Bosnian war lord. Used it to launder Luthorcorp money." He gives it up, but his sense of justice still protests…and he wants to see what Clark is made of.
"Then why give it to me?" That was a strange line. Clark basically blackmailed him, then asked why the concession.
"Well, you seem to have a crystal clear idea of what's right and what's wrong. You decide who it belongs to." Clark isn't a moral guide, and putting this decision in his hands seemed like either a conscious gesture of ironic "See? You don't know what to do either," or a doubtful but trusting, "I don't know, but you must have your reasons." I wasn't sure which, and it was probably a mixture of both – a reproach and a concession.
"It's not as clear as it used to be." This reminded me of when Clark remarked to Martha, "I miss the days when your answers were 'Yes' and 'No'."
"That the end justifies the means? Absolutely, yes." "I'll never feel that way." I'm with Clark. But I don't mind this being the Green Arrow's philosophy. The intriguing thing about this relationship, as I mentioned earlier, is that it bridges an ethical and social divide. Different methods, same goal – justice.
"You said you didn't owe me one. So why are you here?" "Look, you have abilities I couldn't even dream of. And I admire that you use them to save the people you're close to." "But?" "But there's a whole world of people out there, Clark. They need us. With your potential, you can't wait for them to come to you. When you're ready to do something about that, you let me know." Great music as Oliver finishes. Inspiring ending.

Details

"Ah, don't worry about it Clark, you know, I mean, if I lived under the same roof with such a beautiful woman, I probably would 'a' masked my feelings with sarcasm too." Since when is Lois living with the Kents? I thought last season she moved out and almost immediately purchased a new car.
Are we to assume that the e-mail Lois sent about the job opportunity was to the Inquisitor?
Pretty unrealistic, when the arrow spewed green mist and Chloe and Lois passed out. I think Allison Mack's acting lapsed here. Plus the mist disappeared so quickly – it would have been better if we could see it spread a little farther than a few inches.
Why on earth did Lois dive onto her stomach when she had both guys down?
"I knew the box was a weapon." Since when? The box was capable of sending an electromagnetic pulse, but a computer is capable of sending viruses…does that make it a weapon for sabotage? It seemed strange to assume that the box (why do they call it a box, anyway?) was to be used to destroy…particularly since it sucked the virus out of the computer systems.

Questions

Where does Lana stand? Based on her initial reaction to the box (agitation, suggesting that they turn it in to the government) and the fact that she knows full well that the elevators are monitored, I'm guessing that she was playing Lex. This seems a pity, considering the fact that he is finally putting his trust in someone. Whoever she was playing, whether it was Lionel or Lex, she ends up looking coldhearted – either in her disregard for Lex or her disregard for the man in the elevator.