SMALLVILLE “Kent” Season 10 Episode 17 – Smallville is back after a hiatus which was way too long and it returned last night with quite the bang. A major theme in Smallville is the sense of belonging. This is a theme every major character struggles with and its one the show has explored time and time again. Clark’s powers and destiny have alway prevented him from being a normal guy; even among heroes like the Green Arrow Clark was super. The Kent farm is the one place he can truly call home. Lois’ life with her general father has meant that she’s never settled down in one place for a very long time, and she’s strangely attached to the Kent farm. Tess, who was left in an orphanage by her father, has alway struggled with where (and on what side) she belongs.
In this episode Clark, Lois and Tess are all uprooting and, in the case of Tess, selling their family houses. It takes Clark and Lois until the end of the episode until they finally reach the decision that a house is just a building, but a home is where your family is. Yes, it’s that sappy, but it was more of an “aw” sappy rather than the standard “blurgh” sappy that can scar a show.
Anyhow, Clark Luthor resurfaces and sends Clark Kent into another dimension, one where Lois mourns over her husband Oliver Queen’s funeral, which was interrupted by an intoxicated Jonathan Kent. One where Clark Luthor has villainized the people to the extent that they all know how to destroy him. One where the color palate is deliciously bleak, gray, and dull.
Meanwhile, Clark Luthor is here in the real world where it takes Lois no time at all to suss out that the Clark in front of her is not Clark Kent. She calls Tess to warn her, but Tess realizes who her sinister brother is almost immediately. I really liked how the writers decided to get right to the point. Instead of beating around the bush, the writers allow Lois and Tess to recognise Clark Luthor quickly, without the usual, boring pseudo-tense delay.
Clark Luthor holds the upper hand not because he tricked them, but simply because he’s stronger than them. In a way, it makes him scarier. And of course the whole incestuous Tess and Clark dinner was super creepy, not to mention Tess’ final plea for her life. I’m going to assume she was just spewing out anything she thought would save her, and not actually admitting a secret desire to be with her brother from another dimension-come to think of it, is that still incest?
Tom Welling did a nice job playing evil. After almost ten seasons (sniff) of being a virtuous, good-to-the-bone gentleman, it must be fun for him to play an evil son of a bitch.
Smallville‘s greatest weakness can often be the weekly plotlines. They usually feature bad guy of the week which can often feel tiresome and clichéd. However, Smallville‘s greatest episodes are, for the most part, the serialized ones. I enjoyed this episode a lot. I wished the fight scene at the end had lived up to the rest of the episode: Clark versus Clark is just not technologically feasable on a television budget, so it was reduced to a few tumbling shots.
Random thoughts:
Tess’ boobalicious dress looked great, but it was a little impractical, no?
Has anyone seen the promo for the series finale? I wonder if they’ll get the Superman theme music for the finale? I am so psyched!
What did you think of the return of Smallville? Sound off in the comments below!
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