We're mere hours away from the Smallville Season Two premiere, and after spending the summer happily away from episodic television, I'm ready to take on the next season. But first, a little retrospection, to remind us all what we're living up to … or living down.
Pilot
Preview by Derek McCaw
I really, really liked the pilot. I liked Chloe, I liked the Kents, I didn't mind the obvious allusions to the Superman we all know and love. The art direction, the lighting and the set decoration were gorgeous and lush, something the WB seems to be more dedicated to than any other network on television. It wasn't challenging television by any means, but it was entertaining, and had enough gravity to lend promise without bogging the whole thing down. It's no wonder to me that this show got picked up immediately, but in the superhero-crazed media frenzy of today, it must be remembered that it was a pretty big risk, even for the WB.
Metamorphosis
I'm told by several true fanboys that I dropped a big ball on this one, specifically, that Lana Lang will eventually be the Insect Queen. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know what that means, but mea culpa anyway. The first major villain did get away, so I'd imagine we'll be seeing his Bugginess again.
Hothead
Not much to say about this, but the coach was named Walt Arnold - ha ha funny Wonder Years reference, which I neglected to mention. Mostly because it didn't occur to me at all. Evil football coaches are de rigeur but this episode managed to transcend it by putting real focus on Clark's agonizing decision to break away from his parents, and then his contrite realization that maybe they still know more than he does.
X-Ray
First reference to Club Zero. Clark's first kiss with "Lana." First inference that glowy-green meteor interference could be positive. And of course, the X-ray vision. Clark has learned to control it since then, but still probably wouldn't use it to look under girls' clothes.
Cool
Clark Rescues Chloe #1. It began promisingly, with a locational oddity rather than a human one, but veered quickly back into predictable territory. I guess it wouldn't have been very exciting to watch Clark battle a lake in the final ten minutes.
Hourglass
A vision of the future Superman. An exciting, but not surprising glimpse of President Lex. (Especially after the widely reported appearance of Michael Rosenbaum on the set of NBC's West Wing.) A cheap tactic by the WB promo department about a death. Some other stuff happened too, but I liked it better in Witness.
Craving
The producers say this is where they started to hit their stride, and I can agree with that. Aside from the worst fat suit ever seen on television, that is. The whole episode is centered around the conceit of Lana's birthday, and yes, I will be looking for another birthday party around November of this season, as well, lest they fall into the trap that befell the Buffyverse and shuffle dates around to suit their purposes. Also, the first appearance of Dr. Hamilton.
Jitters
Still the only episode in which LuthorCorp plays the villain. And an excellent villain at that, though still a kryptonite related one. The power plays between Lex and Lionel are incredibly acted and plotted, and were the highlights of the first season. Though it didn't distinctly have a seasonal theme, it was very much a Christmas episode, with lots of happy family hugging and good will.
Rogue
Not a krypto-freak in sight, finally. One of only three or four total, a statistic that does NOT bode well for this series' long life. Victoria makes her first appearance, and we learn that Lex is way less suspicious when he's got a girlfriend. Clark starts to feel the first serious urges to fight crime, though the amount of red tape, paperwork and the inherent grey areas would preclude him from being a cop. And Phelan, the titular cop, seems pretty out of his element when dealing with even an embryonic superhero like Clark; it seems that despite the DC universe, there may not be any other "capes" in the public eye.
Shimmer
Yeeeeawn. Filler. A few good lines, including Lex's "that kind of love could get me arrested" in reference to sad, pouty servant Amy. Clark almost kisses Lana, then sends her back to Whitney. The slow downward spiral of Whitney's father begins.
Hug
Fellow krypto-freak Kyle Tippet becomes the first non-evil, reasonably sane person to learn Clark's secret, and goes off into the world to do good with his power for "krypnosis." Chloe kisses Clark. Not much else.
Leech
Probably my favorite episode of the first season. I really liked how the Summers family contrasted with the Kents, and how fortunate it was that Jonathan and Martha found Clark's ship, instead of someone else. The town's initial acceptance of "Superboy" and the subsequent rejection gave Tom Welling the chance to do some real acting, and his happy-jealous-wary-regretful-determined cycle was great. I like happy Clark. I'd like to see him again some time. But I'm not holding my breath. It still is the WB. This episode also saw Victoria's farewell, although the stunning final swerve that she'd been sleeping with Lionel went nowhere, and I'm not sure why or what was originally intended.
Kinetic
Clark fails to rescue Chloe, the first failure in what needs to be a lifetime lesson. The freakiness of the episode's villains was self-inflicted, which is an interesting angle that needs to be developed further; the meteor rocks are definitely noticeably weird, and there have to be more people who've noticed that. There's probably some kind of underground Smallville drug cult of krypto-smoking whores … well, in my dreams.
Zero
Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed by this episode, having foreseen the significance in the first "Club Zero" reference, or at least noted the emphasis. This is not to say that killing someone isn't "bad" but it's much more mundane than I was expecting. Even as it was presented, if Lex had done the deed it was a clear case of self-defense gone awry. Maybe I'm just jaded; of course Lex Luthor would be capable of killing people! As a flashback, non-Smallville centered episode, there was nothing glowy-green beyond the apple martini. (For comic book fans, however, this episode did also feature references to Bludhaven, Nightwing's stomping grounds, and Keystone City, home of The Flash - Derek)
Nicodemus
No one ever tried to tell me this was more than an excuse to get Kristen Kreuk stripped down to her skivvies, so I'm off the hook as far as public nudity. Another faux-first kiss for Clark and Lana. A nice homage to the Duke boys and the establishment of Cadmus Labs elevates this just one mere step above totally forgettable filler. And ooh, those wet, lacy underthings.
Stray
A strange mind-reading kid in Smallville and he's NOT a krypto-freak? Hm. An okay episode with some glaringly contrived elements. Warrior Angel, for one. (Not the existence of other comic book manufacturers and heroes, just that name. Boo.) The late Julian Luthor, for another. Both perfectly acceptable deviations from the established mythos, except that they were abruptly introduced, have not been mentioned since and probably never will be again.
Reaper
Fathers and Sons. The whole episode should have been moving, and even reading the notes I took at the time I don't understand why it didn't get me all choked up. But it didn't. The ambiguous krypto-freak plotline didn't help. I think without it, having the extra minutes to devote to character development instead of incomprehensible zombie-krypto-whatnow action, the show could really have tugged at some heartstrings.
Drone
An attempt at making a traditional high school drama into a Smallville freak show goes pretty far awry with the worst computer animation this side of The Mummy Returns. The kids all learn an important lesson about sacrificing what is right for success; Clark won't, Lana might, and Lex not only will, he'll tempt others with it. I pray I will never have to see Marguerite Moreau ever again.
Crush
Clark rescues Chloe. Principal Kwan is killed, wrongly, and his son is really at fault for creating the telekinetic freak of the week. (Not necessarily krypto-freak, but not definitively not one, either.) Whitney's father dies. Lex prepares to sell Cadmus Labs. Things kick into high gear preparing for the finale.
Obscura
Clark rescues Chloe again, this time from kidnapping. Poor girl. Lana gets some mysterious krypto-link with the perpetrator. The missing piece of Clark's spaceship is found in a field, undisturbed after a dozen years. Sarah chants for the house of El.
Tempest
And here's where we'll pick up again in Season Two: Whitney's
gone off to join the military, taking Lana's necklace with
him. Clark has ditched Chloe at the Spring Formal to rescue
Lana from a funnel cloud. Lionel has closed the Smallville
plant and Lex has to decide if he will save his father from
certain death. Jonathan has chased evil reporter Nixon into
the storm, just as the spaceship began to glow in front of
an astonished Martha. What ever will happen?
Despite my less-than-enthusiastic response last May, I'm kind of excited to see the resolutions. But the answers I'm interested in aren't as plot-specific: Will Chloe be able to forgive Clark for leaving her at the dance? Will Clark finally exhibit some interest in his interstellar heritage? Without the LuthorCorp plant, will there be more John Glover for me to "whoo!" for? What manner of arrangement will keep Lex in Smallville and in the show? Will we ever see Whitney again? What will be the ratio of krypto-freaks to, uh, other kinds of conflict? Which of Clark's powers will develop next? Will Pete develop a personality? Will any of the promised DC-Universe superhero crossovers happen? Will Rory break up with Dean? (Oops, sorry, wrong show. That's Gilmore Girls. Also premiering on the same night.)
See you soon!
