137th blog post spectacular!

If you don't get the Simpsons reference, c'mon!

So, after having a crumby week, I didn't turn anything to Best Shots, but I did end up getting something for Smallville, thanks to my Obi-Joe Kenobi

Re-Cap for Metallo: here.

Smallville 8.20 "Beast" review

If this was an episode of Friends, it would've been entitled "The One Where Chloe Makes Every Bad Decision Possible." Of course I adore Alison Mack. From Day One she has made Smallville the watchable show that it is, even in the low points of seasons which, to be fair can haggle the best of network programming that endure for years. But "Beast" was almost like the drinking game that would have you forgetting how you got home in that Chloe, for all her infinite wisdom over the years, was almost like a whole new character that infiltrated this particular episode. It was stupefying at times, and fortunately I have my Best Shots colleague Lan Pitts to help shoulder this week's noticeable burden. Don't be surprised if we're loaded by the time it's all done.

THE Rev. O.J. Flow: "Beast" opens with Chloe preparing to turn in for the night. Washing a lot of human blood off one's hands can make them tired, I can see that. But she is interrupted by a call, and it's Davis Bloome, holed up in her Talon basement so as to behave himself and not mangle and dismember the guilty (in his favor, Davis HAS been selective with his Doomsday person in killing people; save for ruining a wedding, he picks his battles well). She goes downstairs only to find the steps covered with rose petals. Davis is channeling his inner John Cusack and seemingly romances Chloe, getting exceptional results. Signs of another Doomsday day bloodbath (and the most ghoulish imagery from the show's first-ever episode) snap Chloe out of a dream and cut to the "Save Me" credits...

Lan Pitts: Okay, for some reason, this scene reminded me a lot of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Maybe it was the rose petals, or Chloe's gold dress, or the passionate kiss they both share and the obvious allegory of monster and maiden. Well, that was until Chloe followed a trail of blood and discovered probably the most gory thing they've ever shown on the show. Thank God it was a dream sequence. Nobody is that dumb to follow a trail of blood. That game never ends well.

OJ: Clark, prompted by some headlines spurred by Daily Planet head honcho Tess Mercer's crusade, approaches Chloe about the front page news that there is still a serial killer out there despite their recent efforts. He knows how things worked out recently, but his suspicions of Davis' likely revival are shot down by a seemingly (uncharacteristically) skeptical Chloe. With a ceiling of 10, the BS detector necessary for this episode with Chloe's actions for the first time hits 9. Not quite how you want to start a fresh episode.

Lan: Clark is not dumb, maybe a bit naive at times, but not dumb. Since this whole Davis thing, Chloe has just become obsessed and has become a whole new girl. Why does she honestly protect Davis like she is? I am not amused.

OJ: At Luthorcorp offices, Oliver Queen (now running that company) is hosting a meeting and going green is on the agenda. He gets some almost uncharacteristic positive feedback from his corporate suits on the move. If they only knew how "green" he is. His meeting is interrupted by a strung out and unemployed Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy's looking for an infusion of cash claiming that it's to fix his car, but all signs point to him looking for a whole other kind of fix. Oliver sees through Jimmy's convoluted story and turns him down. He wants to help the lad while not playing enabler.

Lan: It's weird to see Jimmy like this. Sort of zombie-fied and actually grew a pair. Asking Ollie for $600 is a pretty big deal, but he's Ollie Queen. Doesn't he blow his nose with $100 bills? Too bad Ollie doesn't give Jimmy the benefit of a doubt, but we can see why he would be so hesitant.

OJ: Elsewhere Chloe's arranged a clandestine meeting in the city with one of Queen's scientists. She's trying to figure out a way to undo Davis' condition, and even though the doc he could get more conclusive results with the subject in person, he's hardly interested in getting anywhere near Davis. Afterward Chloe is approached by Davis who's snuck out of the Talon basement. Again he insists that he can tame his inner beast in her presence. His proposal for the two of them to run away from it all is met with little resistance. Take another shot for the latest bad decision by Chloe.

Lan: Chloe trying to find a cure is pretty interesting since, again, it adds to the new characterization of Doomsday. At this point though, the scenes are changing pretty fast. Maybe 2-3 minutes if that. It just seems like some hasty editing with some of these subplots. So, Davis finds Chloe and they travel back to the basement...then Chloe is willing to leave it all for him? Her level of devotion to him is almost sad at this point. One would think Chloe of all the people would have more common sense.

OJ: Clark visits Ollie at this office to tell him that if he buried the presumed-dead Davis where he said he did, it ain't there now. Clark's hunch is on the money, and Ollie does all he can to convince him that the "ultimate destroyer" is probably worthy of the ultimate end resolution. To no one's surprise, Clark can't be talked into killing his most resilient foe.

Lan: So Oliver and Clark discussing the Davis creature, and Ollie finally says Clark just needs to kill the thing. Yet Clark refuses. It's weird for him not to see the big picture.

OJ: At the Watchtower, Chloe's communicating with the doctor again who confirms that the extreme feeling Davis has for Chloe are the only thing suppressing his Doomsday persona. Not exactly the feedback she was hoping for, but the conversation's cut short by another visit by Clark. When he shares with her his master plan to use his Fortress crystals to banish Davis to the Phantom Zone, she sends him on a wild goose chase to Alaska to get him out of the way long enough to make a break for it with Chloe. Geez, Chloe, who is the good guy and the bad guy in all of this??

Lan: So what Dr. Emile is saying is that Davis' obsession with Chloe is what's keeping him under control. Ugh. Really? So Clark swooshes in and almost catches Chloe chatting with Emile, but apparently Chloe has become a better liar. This is where Clark's naivety shows. He could have used his super-hearing to detect her heartbeat to see if she was lying, but no. He just accepts her words as the truth and THEN she sets him a wild goose chase. That's what friends are for.

OJ: Back at the Talon, Ollie's on the case and walks in on Jimmy rummaging through Chloe's things looking for that elusive cash. Ollie calls Jimmy out on the depths that he's plunged due to his drug addiction. Their confrontation is rudely interrupted by Davis who knocks out Ollie before making a move toward Jimmy that leads to a commercial break.

Lan: This scene is a perfect example of the not-so-perfect editing. It couldn't have been longer than 24 seconds. It did show that Jimmy was THAT desperate to steal from his ex-wife, but got busted by Ollie then they BOTH got jumped by Davis. Such a good little guard dog.

OJ: We find that Davis has taken them down to his makeshift lair, the Talon basement. It's almost surprising that Davis didn't just take them out out right there and then, but he knows better that he'd lose Chloe as a result. It's a compelling battle of wills and wits between the three. Davis does have a jonseing to inflict some sort of damage on one of them before getting a call from Chloe who is on her way. Jimmy taunts Davis to kill him since he took everything else dear in his life. Davis almost takes him up on his offer before he realizes that Chloe would never forgive him. He knocks out Jimmy instead and sets his sights on Ollie, but Clark shows up in time get steals away Davis to go to the Fortress.

Lan: So, Jimmy and Ollie are tied up and are about to get beat down. Both realize that he is the beast. Why he couldn't fathom that before, we'll never know. Chloe is on the phone with Davis and realizes he is about to mess them up, so she tries to hurry to stop him from changing. The thing is, Ollie calms Davis down and Davis just knocks out Jimmy since he is important to Chloe. So...that means it's not JUST Chloe keeping him under control. Sounds like something that will be useful later.

OJ: As Clark is en route to the Fortress with Davis, Chloe gets to the Talon just in time to miss them while Ollie's team cleans up the scene and gives Jimmy some necessary medical attention. Jimmy's definitely not happy with Chloe, and Ollie represents every frustrated viewer who wonders when she's going to come to her senses. In his epic browbeating, it is revealed that Clark is likely doing what she should have done ages ago, fixing the Davis Bloome crisis.

Lan: I don't really think Chloe is sorry. She doesn't seem to be in the right frame of mind. Ollie's taking control of the situation finally.

OJ: I am beside myself over how wrong Chloe is. Like almost an entire series worth of sanity just disappeared. Clark gets Davis to the Fortress and before they can tussle, he explains to his "brother" that where they're at is the last remnants of Krypton thanks to Jor-El. Clark offers to send Davis to a place where he can Hulk out to his heart's content, the Phantom Zone. Other than an unceremonious (and likely ineffective) execution, it strikes me as a solid option for Davis. He, not surprisingly, declines when he realizes that it means a life without Chloe. They fight over this and Clark's so close to success, but Chloe inconveniently shows up with a Kryptonian keystone that weakens Davis. The guilt trip she sends Clark on is dizzying, if not appalling. She makes Clark think that he'd never forgive himself if he "gave up of Davis." After sufficiently stupefying Clark (you're not alone, Kal, but she's allegedly doing it all for you), she uses the Kryptonian piece to somehow disappear with Davis.

Lan: Clark explains the Phantom Zone and, meh, another confrontation at the Fortress of "solitude." Seems like everybody gets to go there nowadays. Even...Chloe...? How the hell did she get there? This just beyond annoying now.

OJ: Later, at Oliver's office, Jimmy is given that $600 he wanted before, and he initially refuses on the assumption that it's a handout. Queen says it's actually an advance for the job he's offering to him. Ollie appreciated how Jimmy handled the Doomsday situation, finding out well before anyone that there was more to Davis than met the eye. Speaking of eyes, Oliver's recognition of a kid with a drug problem reminded me of the classic storyline from the 1970s where Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy wrestled with heroin addiction. I was half surprised that they didn't insert a sly reference to that.

Lan: Ollie wanting Jimmy to go to rehab shows he really does care for the kid. He even gives him the money he wanted earlier and gives him a job. Jimmy was reluctant at first, and a nice plug for careerbuilders.com was thrown in there, but it's nice to see Ollie give Jimmy props.

OJ: "Beast" concludes with Clark at the Watchtower looking for any sort of clue as to what could've happened to Chloe and Davis. Ollie pops in and gives a "hard decisions" talk to Clark about how the situation should be handled going forward. A lot of people, Clark included, think that Chloe must be under some sort of adverse influence to make all of these inane choices, but Oliver astutely points out that she's likely just changed. Not for the better, clearly, and her phone call to Clark from the road right after does little to change my thinking. Clark's frustration is palpable, as evidenced by the file drawer he smashes, and I'm dying to see how this reconciles itself with two episodes remaining.

Lan: The confrontation between Clark and Ollie is a bit tense. Clark notices the things about Chloe, namely her irrationality concerning Davis. Ollie agrees that Clark could have killed Davis and rightfully should have. Chloe tries to put things in perspective, but I'm slowly losing respect for the character as Davis and her just move on like that.

Where to begin, viewers? Did the proverbial drinking game get you wasted off all the bad decisions Chloe made? Will she OR Davis be around for Season 9 next fall? Has Oliver made a solid move bringing Jimmy into the fold? Is Clark ready to make the move needed to eliminate the ultimate destroyer. Can Chloe possibly be redeemed after this?

Magic comes to Smallville. Recap of 8.17 - "Hex

Smallville 8.17 - "Hex"

"You need to work on your slight of hand." -- Zatanna (Serinda Swan)

The episode "Hex" starts in the midst of Chloe's birthday party. What should be a joyous event is the first thing that starts a chain of most unusual events. Oliver Queen is there (absent from the past few episodes) and he gives her two presents: one from himself; and the other from Clark, since he is not there, which of course disappoints her. Chloe talks to Oliver about some of the things she regrets in life and how she wish she could be back in the bullpen like Clark and Lois, and wishes she could just be that happy again (having just been dumped by Jimmy Olsen in Turbulence"). Lois comes by to wish her cousin a happy birthday, but has to leave because she has an important assignment in Mexico. Soon enough, Oliver has to leave because "duty calls." As he tries to exit he meets a leggy magician working the party, Zatanna, but passes her on to Chloe since it's her birthday. Zatanna can tell Chloe is having a rough time, so she tells her to make a wish.

There are some chimes heard and a magical bright light, and we cut to Chloe's room and somebody sliding on a pair of bunny slippers. However, we soon realize it is not Chloe exactly, but Chloe in Lois' body. She has to get dressed to show up for work at the Daily Planet. Chloe soon realizes that Lois is treated with much admiration and respect, being praised on her articles and even has an intern getting her dry-cleaning. Chloe sits down and looks up Zatanna on the internet because she has a hunch that the sorceress may be involved. Suddenly Clark stops by and wonders why she isn't in Mexico, Chloe changes the subject and grills Clark on why he didn't call Chloe on her birthday, yet had enough time to call Lois five times. Busted. Clark says Chloe understands that he just gets backed up with work and such, then they talk about the Jimmy situation and Chloe not taking Jimmy's side. I can only imagine that must have been hard for Chloe to hear.

We cut to Oliver walking in his office only to find Zatanna looking for him. She is trying to find a book of her father's, the "Maestro of Magic," John Zatara, that Lex Luthor bought at an auction. However, because Queen Industries bought up most of Luthor's holdings, he really can't do anything. Zatanna then sweetens the deal. She strikes a bargain with Oliver that if he can deliver the book by midnight to her, she'll grant him one wish. And with that, she vanishes.


Back to Chloe (still in Lois' body), and Clark following a report about a guy screaming in Latin with a microphone and he notices something. He can't quite put his finger on it, but he knows something's amiss. When Chloe stops to talk to a cop, he begins talking about a poker game and hands "Lois" a wad of cash. Apparently, Lois has some late-night extracurricular activities. The crazy fellow is on a balcony and screaming, throwing things, and creating quite a scene, only in Latin. Chloe translates the message and it leads back to Zatanna. Clark is really curious now, and Chloe comes clean about her transmutation as they both go and try to find Zatanna.

The duo break into Zatanna's dressing room to confront her about her hexing and "cursing" Chloe. Though, that's not how Zatanna sees it at all. She granted Chloe a wish, and in that moment there was nothing she wanted more than to be Lois. Zatanna also tells Chloe she will revert back to her true form once she truly doesn't want to be Lois anymore, but cannot simply tell herself that. Zatanna then moves on to Clark and tells him that she can grant his wish as well, then vanishes, yet there's something not right with Clark. Shortly after, Chloe and Clark witness a mugging outside and when she tells Clark to do something he does: he calls 911! He has no recollection of his powers or the fact that Chloe is inside of Lois' body. Chloe tries in vain to explain to Clark why and how he's more than important. She gets him to test his strength and super hearing, but he still doesn't believe her.

The next morning, Chloe wakes up as herself and is surprised as Clark comes over to make peace for not coming to. Later at a LuthorCorp warehouse, Oliver, now in his Green Arrow garb, is sneaking around and trying to find Zatanna's book. After taking out two security guards, he finds it and goes looking for Zatanna, but she finds him first. Zatanna tells Oliver to can drop the misdirection and he unmasks himself. Oliver explains that he noticed some dark material in the book and he tries to burn it, but Zatanna magically wisps the book to her. She summons chains with an incantation ("Leets yb dnuob!") and binds Oliver in chains. She explains to Green Arrow that the book is the key to her bringing back her father, Zatara, with the hope of becoming more powerful. With that, she leaves with the book and Oliver hopelessly shackled.


Elsewhere, we cut to Chloe and Clark at the hospital as they visit the man who was spouting Latin. Turns out he runs an antique shop and Zatanna came by his store looking for her book. He didn't have it and she made sure he had a "good understanding of dead languages." The man says she is too blinded by grief to understand completely what she's doing by having that book in her possession. Chloe and Clark leave the hospital and see that there is something eerie going on top of the Daily Planet. It's Zatanna summoning some pretty heavy power. Chloe tells Clark that he is so important, not just to her, but to the world and he should use the power he feels to stop Zatanna. Sure enough, Clark is back to his old self, as does Chloe who is back in her own body. Clark leaps the tall building in a single bound and tries to stop Zatanna from completing the spell. Clark tells her it could kill her, but she doesn't care. Just then, Chloe is struck by the magic meant for Zatanna, and now her life is in danger. It's down to Chloe's life or Zatara's, and Zatanna must choose. Clark tries reasoning with her, sharing with her the loss of their respective fathers, and Zatanna frees Chloe, but Zatara's shadow is lost.

The next morning, Chloe wakes up as herself and is surprised by Clark coming over with bagels to make peace for not showing up to her birthday. Clark and Chloe accept who they are, but then the conversation evolves to Lois. Chloe thinks that he should open up to her and not think of his past with Lana and try to disassociate the two. Clark turns that on her and asks the same thing about being scorned, wondering aloud if Chloe is talking about him. . . or Jimmy?

Meanwhile, Oliver finds Zatanna in his office and is not happy, obviously. He understands the sacrifice she has made and can respect that. Zatanna informs him that she will be taking some time off of her tour to go home to Shadowcrest and to do some "light reading." She hands him a card, and Oliver thinks it's some sort of enchanted tarot that can magically summon her. She replies, "No, it's my phone number," and with a wink and a smile she vanishes again.

Later that night, Clark and the real Lois are at their Daily Planet desks working late, and I'm assuming she was filled in on what transpired since she jokes about how there is only one real Lois Lane. She also ribs Clark about how he framed a list Lois had made, "The Lois Lane Rules of Journalism." There's a bit of awkwardness to the point of sexual tension.

Finally, we go back to Chloe and Oliver at the Isis Foundation, and she talks about her ultimate purpose and what she was meant to do. She hands him an earpiece and walks into a secret room with numerous screens. On the screens are members of the Justice League: Impulse, Cyborg, Aquaman, Black Canary. The Watchtower is officially online.

I loved this episode on so many levels. I like how Erica Durance (all of the sudden this season, proving to be invaluable) played someone else's character. As a Zatanna fan, I have been waiting for this episode for quite sometime. Serinda Swan did an excellent portrayal of the Justice League's go-to mage, and looked amazing in the process. I appreciated the mention of Shadowcrest and how it touched on Zatanna's origin. Even her little violin theme when she was around was a nice touch. And let's not even mention the show's ending; I doubt many of us saw that one coming!


So where will this episode lead us? Will Zatanna be a recurring character? What will come of Chloe's new purpose? Is Clark ever going to get around to sealing the deal with Lois? Who knows-- I just know you'll be able to find me tuned in each Thursday.

Smallville 8.16, Turbulence

"With me, what you see is what you get." -- Clark Kent (Tom Welling)

It begins in a confession booth with Davis Bloom confessing his sins to a priest. Talk about how something takes over without warning. The priest tells him to control his inner demons. Davis tells the priest how he stops the wickedness that he sees and it makes him feel more human. Doomsday has never been portrayed like this and it's still interesting to have such a creature with a human side. Ever since his debut, I remember former Justice League member Bloodwynd trying to get a psychic breach into Doomsday's mind and all he could see was destruction and rage. Though I should know by now, Smallville is not the comics.

Cut to Clark and Chloe talking about how Clark maybe pushing himself too far as the badly-named "Red-Blue Blur". Clark insists he can manage it and in fact has practiced his quick changing. Clark also insists that Chloe go visit Jimmy at the hospital (who's been there for about 5 weeks now). I find it strange that Clark has visited Jimmy more times than Chloe, or at least that's how it appeared to me.

Meanwhile Jimmy is having a horrid nightmare about the wedding and the Doomsday creature and he's in a lot of pain. He stumbles onto finding Davis beating the holy hell out of people. It's a brief scene, but is one of the main themes of the episode: DECEPTION.

The next morning, at the Daily Planet, Clark is sort of spying on crimes using police technology, but his savior spree is cut short as Tess confronts and tells him they are leaving for Los Angles, supposedly to give him his big break with a breaking story.

Cut back to Jimmy who tells Chloe that Davis was the killer in the hospital, until Davis shows up and clarifies the situation. He explains that Jimmy's morphine pump must be malfunctioned and is giving him extra doses. Jimmy becomes enraged and doesn't believe hime and Davis leaves the room. Chloe follows Davis out and she apologizes for Jimmy's anger and possible neurosis. Davis assumes it was because Jimmy knew that he kissed Chloe, but she told him that was a secret. Chloe blames herself for what happened in a way by saying that this wouldn't have happened if she never met Jimmy. Problem is that Jimmy actually sees Davis and Chloe share an embrace that doesn't help him calm down.

Back to Tess's corporate jet, though it turns out it actually belongs to Oliver Queen. She's informed with Clark by the pilot that a storm's coming and may lead to a landing elsewhere. Tess explains to Clark about Lex Luthor lo-jacking her and they discuss their respective experience with Lex. Tess says Lex wanted to be like Clarkand that he was his obsession.

Shortly after, they show Jimmy at the hospital, and he's escaped and car-jacks into Davis' paramedic unit parked outside. He snoops around to find a body bag, and -- SURPRISE, SURPRISE -- there's a body in it. Jimmy is startled and breaks some glass and cuts himself just as Davis bursts in. Then, Davis comes clean about the killing a drunk driver, but when Jimmy tries to leave, Davis puts the breaks on him and puts him back in his room. Now this is where I'm confused, Jimmy sees Doomsday taking Chloe, but in reality he's not sure what he sees since he gets held down by hospital officials and Davis... and it's all witnessed by Chloe herself. Go figure.

35 minutes into this episode, Clark gotten little screentime, and Lois is gone again.

Back to Clark and Tess on the airplane and they're trying to enjoy their flight, though Clark is apparently trying to get Tess inebriated to confess about Lex's journal that he was told about about earlier. Tess confesses about her childhood and how it wasn't all Norman Rockwell. As a child she used to pretend she was the Little Mermaid, hiding underwater and being a princess, but then her father would find her and deliver severe beatings. She wants Clark to confess his deep, dark secrets but Clark continues to be coy... then there's some, umm, turbulence.

Clark can't find the pilot and finds there's a hole in the cockpit. Tess says there are no parachutes, but in fact there are two that Clark is aware of. So, clever little Clark makes Tess breathe into an oxygen mask, only to cut off her supply so she'll pass out. A risky move, to be sure, but he jumps them out to safety, since he can leap over a tall building in a single bound, you know.

Elsewhere, Davis is prowling the streets for injustice only to end up getting jumped by Jimmy. Jimmy tries to piss off Davis enough to transform into the creature Jimmy believes him to be. Out of nowhere, Chloe knocks out Jimmy and as Davis is about to transform, Chloe calms him down to hold back the demonic urge. "You've saved me," Davis says to Chloe.

Cut back to Luthor Mansion and Clark visits Tess to check up on her and she informs him that the pilot has yet to be found and that the crash is being investigated. Too bad she is sooooo on to Clark's ruse. She asks how he landed and he said there was one parachute, but Tess knows differently. She tells Clark she feels safe around him and that he can trust her. At thee very least, Clark has a notion Tess knows something.

Later on, Chloe goes to the hospital to pick up Jimmy, but he doesn't want her help. Chloe blames the drugs, but Jimmy states how Chloe doesn't trust him and he leaves on his own stating "Marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life."

Ouch. It ends with a montage of Jimmy selling out Davis to Tess, Tess paying off the pilot to "stay dead", Clark going on patrol, Jimmy taking a plethora of pills of his new pain-relieving prescription, and Chloe crying as the rain pours. Kind of a downer I must say, but I know the show needs some sort of love triangle. But this episode really didn't advance the connection between Davis and Chloe. It feels still feels wooden and forced, though I will have to state again, I'm liking Doomsday as this savage beast trapped into a man's soul.

Smallville 8.10: "Bride"

By O.J. Flow and myself

"Chloe's glad you came. I could've used some warning." -- Clark Kent (Tom Welling), "Bride"

So there's Wedding Crashers, and then there are wedding crashers. In a season for the books so far, Smallville capped off the first half of their eighth season in epic fashion. That's what the feedback section is for, but I challenge anyone to offer a compelling argument that this series is lagging from the lack of their original showrunners, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Rarely have the Season 8 episodes lacked in action, they continue to effectively mine from the DC Comics universe (Plastique, Maxima, and even tonight we got a killer peek at the first live-action Legion of Super-Heroes), and the overall narrative has seen Clark Kent inch toward his steely manhood compellingly. Until last night, I wasn't aware that "Bride" was the last new Smallville episode of 2008, yet there's no question that fans have got to be begging for more with everything laid out here, plus we have plenty to chew on until January. With so much that was involved in "Bride," I brought my date to the wedding, Lan Pitts, for a little extra analysis.

The wedding we mention is the union of James Bartholomew Olsen, Jimmy to you and me, and Chloe Sullivan. Anyone who's ever read a Superman book can tell you that they've never known a married Jimmy Olsen, so anything this show covers is unfamiliar territory to all. And I haven't even seen the hit motion picture, but I knew enough to recognize what was being invoked in key moments of "Bride." I wasn't sold on the Cloverfield vibe, but I was impressed enough just as something different for the show on an aesthetic level, using camcorder footage to detail certain events on this special day for Chloe & Jimmy. Did we mention that the Kent family barn was the venue for their wedding? Me: "They got married in the barn? I don't remember it being that big. I mean, that cake looked pretty killer, though. It seemed very homey, though here's the deal with Smallville, you never see Chloe and them socialize with anybody else." At this wedding, that was one thing that struck me funny as well: in attendance were seemingly dozens of people that we've never seen before, nor will we again. I can easily envision a more intimate wedding between these two kids, especially when it was recently revealed that Jimmy comes from a somewhat broken home and likely filled out a short guest list for his side. I have to imagine that a well-attended ceremony was more for the benefit of creating tension for the unexpected guest who later arrives during the reception. In short, this wedding was lousy with props.

Though "Bride" kicks things off in full pandemonium mode with Chloe, Jimmy and the entire wedding party in deep distress, the better part of the episode is played out "Eight Hours Earlier" with Lois, Chloe's cousin, organizing the ceremony detail with military precision. Her attention is diverted at one point when Jimmy plays a junior high game and spills it that Clark's sweet on her. Lan: "I wonder if Lois and Clark will get together on the show, however I am against that idea. They keep poking and prodding at it, and this episode basically just served it to us." Later, Chloe's wedding day bliss is sidetracked when she gets a message on her voice mail from "the other guy," Davis Bloome. Sidetracked as well is Clark, the man giving the bride away and host to the big day, when Oliver Queen shows up with news that he's got a big lead on the missing Lex Luthor. Clark stands firm that he will not join in Oliver's search on the most important day in Chloe's life, and the two guilt each other pretty good on their agendas, but Oliver eventually gets data he needs from Clark by way of some stolen internet his assistant grabs.

Later, Oliver finds his target (Green Arrow, get it?) in Cuba, only it's nothing more than a decoy. What it does draw out is a female adversary who proves to be more than a match for GA. In her first appearance of the season, Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) is back! Actually, she's not so much back to her hometown as she is drawn out by Queen here (Lan appreciated the Star City references, by the way). Not sure what her mannequin version of Lex was for, but it turns out that she's after Lex as well, more to protect Clark than anything. It's borderline convenient that no sooner does Clark orchestrate Chloe's amnesia regarding his super-talents (which explains why she at one point busts out Kryptonite in front of Clark unaware of the ramifications) do they bring back the other girl in Clark's life who has his backstory down pat. Not surprising that later she opts to attend the wedding, and in doing so interrupts what could've been Lois and Clark's first kiss during a slow dance at the reception. Even when she's not the girl in Clark's life, she does a good job keeping anyone else out of contention.

Keeping Jimmy out of contention for Chloe is Davis, increasingly unable to suppress the destroyer in him that we found out recently was by Kryptonian design. Lan: "Was this the bloodiest episode ever or WHAT? When Davis had the bags of God knows what... Jesus..." Indeed, Davis finally reaches boiling point in Metropolis when he attempts to dispose of the remains of his last couple of victims, and an attentive police officer quickly adds himself to the list. We get a glimpse of Davis's transformation from humanoid to bony behemoth, the likes of which we haven't seen since The Incredible Hulk decades ago. At risk of dating myself, the havoc that Davis, now Doomsday, wreaked reminded me of one of the more absurd season finales of Dynasty, when an entire wedding party was mowed over in a royal assassination attempt. Right as the wedding cake is getting cut, Doomsday steamrolls into the Kent barn and nothing between him and Chloe is able to stop them. Clark throws a punch that gets caught in midair, and he's flung to the other end of the barn and inconveniently subdued by a chunk of green K floating around. Seeing how Clark fares against Doomie, it's no surprise that Jimmy's attempt to protect his new bride has catastrophic results. A major gash across the chest puts him in the local ICU along with a lot of other guests. Doomsday makes off with Chloe and takes her back to the Fortress of Solitude that now appears to be darkened under the control of Brainiac.

At the conclusion of "Bride," an unconscious Chloe awakens to the visage of Doomsday, and she's disturbingly comfortable with what she sees looking at her. The fact that her eyes are glazed over black suggests that she's fully overcome by Brainiac. In the even more surprising scene as credits roll, a figure bound to machines is subjected to the recorded footage of the aborted wedding in a solitary room, and the back view of the person without even seeing a face makes it obvious that it's none other than Lex Luthor!

So how is Clark going to find Chloe now that the Fortress is clearly under new ownership? Does the future of Lois and Clark stand a chance? Has Davis fully given into Doomsday, never to return? Have we seen the last of Lana, not to mention Jimmy? And who could possibly be responsible for Lex right now? Did anyone see Tess Mercer? I'll let Lan here have the last word on the show's returning cast member: "I perhaps took Kreuk for granted, because I have missed her presence on the show, and she was looking gorgeous as ever."

Smallville, "Abyss" review

"The truth is my brain's a little fried. Literally." -- Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), "Abyss"

With the departure of Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum, followed by show creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, my faith in the show's direction waned. I had figured that WB would drop the ball and hand us a subpar show, leaving us Smallville fans with a bad taste in our mouths. I assumed incorrectly. This season has been surprisingly strong and this episode has equally strong performances. Fans of Smallville may remember that at the end of the last season Chloe was confronted by Brainiac and somehow absorbing, if not "downloading," some of his computing abilities. This in turn transformed her into a sort of super-genius. Unfortunately, that's not the only thing she may have gotten from him...

"Abyss" starts out with Chloe being woken up by Jimmy with breakfast in bed for his blushing bride to be. He informs her that Lana has not responded to their wedding, though Chloe doesn't seem to remember who Lana is. Jimmy is confused about this and tells Chloe is worried about her, and her recent memory loss. Chloe brushes it off as being distracted and being stressed. All of a sudden, the screen goes wonky, like an analog TV trying to find a signal. We're now at a dance. Very weird. Chloe and Jimmy are dancing at their engagement party; everything seems all right...until people and furniture start getting deleted one by one. By the end of the scene, everything is gone (even Jimmy, who for a second looked like the Question with a blank face), and she's alone in a dark abyss flooded with Kryptonian symbols. When Jimmy stirs her awake, she does not remember him or their love.

Jimmy, of course then, goes to Clark to inform him of her situation. He tells Clark that he had to show her a photo album of them together for her to believe him. I don't know what Jimmy said to her right before he left to see Clark, but I would not leave her alone. However, since he did, Chloe finds the local hospital and bluffs her way to getting some info on memory loss. She bumps into Davis along the way. Interesting thing is that she remembers him and Clark without hesitation. Clark confronts Chloe on her brain drain and is surprised to find a secret room covered wall to wall with images and photographs of her life. She's basically made a cheat sheet. Clark deduces it is Brainiac slowly taking over her mind, and now they have to find a way to slow the process and remove him.

Meanwhile, Davis finds Jimmy and explains why he can't come to their wedding and it's an awkward moment for both of them. It's obvious that Davis cares for Chloe, we're not sure in what way, but it is certain that Jimmy loves her. Davis leaves Jimmy with the words "take care of her". It's really kind of sad to see Jimmy go through this, but Ashmore handled it pretty well. Cut back to Clark and Chloe, who have figured out that Brainiac is for some reason downloading Kryptonian symbols and data into her brain especially one in particular: the word "doom". Clark suggests that he will try and bargain with Jor-El to see if there is a way they can purge Brainiac from her. Chloe's memories are fading faster by the second...then it happens: Chloe forgets about Clark's powers, biological father, all Kryptonian terms, Kal-El, Brainiac, etc. Clark hands her a photo album with pictures of them just in case she forgets who he is by the time he returns. Shortly after, Jimmy discovers Chloe in the barn and she fakes her emotions toward him and it's easily discovered. He brings the photo album from before, though I thought this is where they could play up his insecurities by noticing the photo album Clark gave her -- they didn't.

Clark has returns to the Fortress of Solitude and talks to Jor-El to get him up to speed on the situation. Jor-El tells his son that he can, in fact, translate the symbols into Earth memories, but since Brainiac is unpredictable it would be up to Clark to make that decision. However, Jimmy has already made one. He took Chloe to see a doctor and she was going to get an MRI. While she went into the machine, we're shown a flashback between young Clark and Chloe where she kissed him the very first time. Like before, Brainiac continues to delete her memories. In Chloe's head, we see her run from memory to memory, trying to escape being erased...then suddenly Davis appears, they touch hands, and when she wakes up he is all she can remember. So of course she goes to find him, and he simply brings her back to Jimmy and Clark.

Alison Mack captures the fear and confusion one could face if they came to lose all their thoughts and memories. When Chloe panics and makes a break for it, Davis knocks her out with a sedative and Clark takes her to the Fortress. Clark chooses to have her memories restored, but before Jor-El does that, his son asks for her not to remember anything associated with his powers or true origins. "You're the best friend and ally I could've had, Chloe. The truth is, you've saved me more than I ever could've saved you." With that, Brainiac oozes out of Chloe, while unbeknownst to Clark or Jor-El he absorbs himself into the Fortress.

Later, when the smoke has cleared, Jimmy and Chloe are back at her place, working on the seating charts for their upcoming wedding until Clark drops by, mainly to confirm that she doesn't remember anything about his past. Chloe then starts to leave on her scooter, but is confronted by Davis who finally admits his feelings towards her. Chloe shuts him down at first, but they steal a quick kiss before she retreats. It's obvious that Davis won't let her go so easy. Later, Clark returns to the Fortress (again) and updates Jor-El on Chloe and informs him of the "doom" symbol. Jor-El tells Clark of a creature of pure hatred, created for the sole purpose of war and mass destruction, and it would not stop until the world is dead. "I'll take it on like I have everything else," Clark replies before zooming out of the Fortress. However, things do not bode well for Jor-El. Brainiac infects the Fortress and declares to Jor-El that nothing will stop him. "Doomsday is coming."

Now here is where I'm divided. The fanboy in me wants to jump up and down, though the journalist in me as a few questions for the writers. Does Chloe know about the Green Arrow? If she knows about the Justice League, then she knows Clark is a part of that group, right? Where was Lois during all this? While I have to admit most of "Abyss" is filler, it accomplished several things. The father/son relationship between Clark and Jor-El is repaired, and they undid the mess of the last four years when Chloe knew Clark's secret and he became too dependent on her. When Chloe told Clark that her learning his secret allowed her to make an impact on the world, that's true, but it's also true that Clark was stationary and only concerned about saving his friends and family, nothing more. They've corrected these things for the 8th season and in this episode in particular. Now it's time for both Clark and Chloe to go their separate ways.

I do have one major complaint: Clark just stole four years of Chloe's life since her life has been pretty much wrapped up in Clark's secret for that long. He might have been trying to be noble, but this is Clark going backwards. He needs to create a new identity to hide behind, not steal someone else's knowledge. Give the baddies a public target and his private life stays private. I expect the memory wipe to be temporary.

Don't get me wrong, "Abyss" was a fun episode to watch. A core idea of any good thriller is not knowing what is going to happen next. Poor Chloe, with her accelerated amnesia, was a fantastic way to add that element of uncertainty into Smallville. Better yet, Doomsday is looming on the horizon.

Smallville, 8.5 "Committed"

"Guess the Olsen's not so wholesome." -- Lois Lane (Erica Durance), "Committed"

This is the second week in a row that Smallville touches on the subject of love and romance. After they leave their engagement party, Chloe and Jimmy get kidnapped by an emotionally-scarred jeweler who has become twisted by his wife's infidelity. Now, he gets his kicks by abducting couples and subjecting them to a kryptonite-enhanced lie detector that shocks them if they lie. It seems to me, that as the series progressed, meteor rock or as it's finally been called it's true name, "kryptonite" is more commonplace than the phrase "my friends" at a McCain rally. Can you just buy this stuff at any old gas station or Big Lots? Also, things at the Luthor manor, Tess investigates where that mysterious e-mail came from...could Lex be alive?

I digress however. On the hunt for their friends, Lois and Clark disguise themselves as a recently engaged couple to try to ensnare the kidnapper, whose playset looks like something out of the "Saw" franchise, though confusing Oliver as they stumble into him walking into the same jewelry store that has a possible connection with the disappearance of Jimmy and Chloe. It was fun to watch the interaction between Lois and Clark. This is Durance's fifth season playing Lois, and I think this time around she's really grown as this character and made it her own.

Like I mentioned earlier, the masked kidnapper plays little games with his prey. Enforcing his code that lies only hurt the one you love, so he asks questions retaining to the loyalty and love that the abducted couples has to answer. If they fail the test, the other gets heavily shocked. Jimmy and Chloe get asked these questions, one actually stems from last week's Maxima episode. In the line of questioning, Chloe gets asked if she loves anybody else but Jimmy. To my surprise, the lie detector does not go off. Now we all know that Jimmy and Chloe do not end up together, so I'm wondering how this will play out in the end. Though, Chloe's answer to Jimmy as she passed the test seriously tugged at my heartstrings. After that, they are deemed truly in love and the kidnapper returns them home.

Back at Luthor Manor, Oliver visits Tess and offers to make peace over dinner. Though, in classic Smallville style, the two soon start combating with pool sticks. This scene to me was kind of...not put together well. As a theater major, you eventually learn the basic moves for stage combat, and what they did was pretty basic and simple. I would have thought of all people Oliver Queen would have been a better fighter. Especially up against the person who was supposed to be Lex's replacement on the show, to make her seem more intimidating. I personally would have gone with a different fight choreographer. After the skirmish, Tess is the victor and accepts Oliver's invitation to dinner and we delve more into the history of the two. Apparently, Oliver cheated on Tess years ago and she still holds it against him. Hell hath no fury...

So, Lois and Clark finally get kidnapped and are subjected to the same line of questions we witnessed Jimmy and Chloe go through. Clark tries to escape, but the twisted kidnapper just happens to wear a kryptonite bracelet and is rendered powerless. The questioning takes an interesting turn when Lois confesses to the man that herself and Clark are not really a couple, though he continues playing his sick little game. When the kidnapper asks if Lois sincerely loves Clark, she answers "yes". To Clark's bafflement, the machine does not go off. Getting into close range, the kidnapper gets headbutted by Clark and he then removes the kryptonite bracelet and throwing it down a drain. And like clockwork, Clark gets his powers back and saves the day. Back over with Jimmy and Chloe, Jimmy confesses that his parents aren't coming to the wedding. After the ordeal that they just endured, he has decided to be honest with Chloe. His father is not the rich man he made him out to be, but a drunk mechanic, and as for his mother? He's never even met her. Chloe doesn't care because she comforts him in knowing she is all the family he will need.

Later at the Daily Planet, Clark confronts Lois since he's been worried she might be avoiding him. Lois explains that she took off the sensor for the machine, so the kidnapper really did not get a straight result and would spare him the electrocution. I'm tempted to use my TiVo and watch it again, just to see if Lois is lying. We all know how this ends though. I almost wish they had added Lois around season six instead of four. Clark really hasn't had need of a "love interest" since either Lana, Chloe or Alicia were around to take that role. Also, I kept on hearing on how Tess will overshadow Lex's villainy. I, for one, would like to see more of her so that she becomes a more prominent fixture instead of just being Lex's replacement.

In conclusion, "Committed" was a so-so episode. We've seen these sort of things before, though it had a nice view of things to come. I'd like to ask the readers what they found appealing or annoying about this episode, and wonder when was the last time you were hurt by a loved one through deceit.