Wow, wow, wow. I'll give it an A+ because there's very little I found to quibble with. Not quite in the ranks of the best ever like Memoria and Transference because it lacked the emotional impact of those. But great fun and yet another important step on Clark's journey.
First off, this review is based on impressions rather than notes, because I wanted to enjoy the performances rather than focus on plot the way I've been doing in the last few weeks. Just as well, because even if I'd been trying to take notes, they probably would have consisted of comments about how gorgeous Tom looked. It was almost unreal! I'm really looking forward to picspam's at http://voldything.livejournal.com/ for example.
Besides looking so good, Tom gave yet another great performance as Clark dealt with a pivotal idea: maybe he could be more than just a secret saviour. Given his long obsession with secrecy and concern for the safety of those who do find out, I'm glad they only took baby steps. The scheme to "prove" Clark was not the blur in red and blue was cute, but Clark ditched it immediately when he found that Lois was in danger. That's a good set of priorities. Then he arrives back to find Jimmy actually did need to be saved and given the circumstances was probably more convinced than ever that Clark did it. Good thing Ollie stayed around and I loved the look on Clark's face when he heard the crowd reaction to the mysterious figure on the roof. A sort of confused hope: perhaps Chloe was right. Maybe he could stand for more. The cape did look good when Ollie swooped down but Clark rejected the idea of wearing it with amusement, "not in this lifetime." Hmmm, a fun scene but the line does have an ominous ring to it.
I loved the scenes with Ollie and Clark. Now I'll be able to back off on some of my hostility towards Toxic because the writers have resolved its final scene to my satisfaction. Perhaps Clark was wrong to not tell Ollie about Lionel's role in the death of his parents, but he had to make a judgement call: one which was eminently borne out by Ollie's eventual reaction. I loved how he re-inspired Ollie on his mission by reminding him of what really matters: saving the innocent bystanders like Jimmy. Ollie had a good arc in this episode from the dissolute playboy to somewhat off-form stand-in to the re-energized hero-in-training. Both Ollie and Clark have a lot to learn but now they can help each other with those lessons. It'll be fun!
What can I say about Jimmy, other than that I really liked him for the first time ever. Far and away AA's best performance in the role, especially in the middle scenes where he figured out that Clark was the blurry figure in question. Now he could finally understand and accept why Clark took such an important place in Chloe's heart. She spends so much time with Clark because she's helping him save the world! However, his eureka moment turns bitter in the face of Chlark's denial of what now seems so obvious. But I loved the way he directly dealt with Clark rather than trying to go behind his back, and of course his lovely comments about why Clark seemed to make such perfect sense as a hero. Yay, Jimmy. But I have a feeling he's going to facing some major heartache sometime soon.
That final scene between Chloe and the villain is going to stick in my head for a long time. The foresight she displayed at wearing gloves so he couldn't read her, and then the cold blooded way she took them off to crash his brain. Brrrr. She's not exactly Brainiac since she still seems to be working for Clark, but every week moves her further from the person she was. Its dangerous to take one of the show's most beloved figures down such a dark path but it raises the dramatic stakes for Clark considerably.
First off, this review is based on impressions rather than notes, because I wanted to enjoy the performances rather than focus on plot the way I've been doing in the last few weeks. Just as well, because even if I'd been trying to take notes, they probably would have consisted of comments about how gorgeous Tom looked. It was almost unreal! I'm really looking forward to picspam's at http://voldything.livejournal.com/ for example.
Besides looking so good, Tom gave yet another great performance as Clark dealt with a pivotal idea: maybe he could be more than just a secret saviour. Given his long obsession with secrecy and concern for the safety of those who do find out, I'm glad they only took baby steps. The scheme to "prove" Clark was not the blur in red and blue was cute, but Clark ditched it immediately when he found that Lois was in danger. That's a good set of priorities. Then he arrives back to find Jimmy actually did need to be saved and given the circumstances was probably more convinced than ever that Clark did it. Good thing Ollie stayed around and I loved the look on Clark's face when he heard the crowd reaction to the mysterious figure on the roof. A sort of confused hope: perhaps Chloe was right. Maybe he could stand for more. The cape did look good when Ollie swooped down but Clark rejected the idea of wearing it with amusement, "not in this lifetime." Hmmm, a fun scene but the line does have an ominous ring to it.
I loved the scenes with Ollie and Clark. Now I'll be able to back off on some of my hostility towards Toxic because the writers have resolved its final scene to my satisfaction. Perhaps Clark was wrong to not tell Ollie about Lionel's role in the death of his parents, but he had to make a judgement call: one which was eminently borne out by Ollie's eventual reaction. I loved how he re-inspired Ollie on his mission by reminding him of what really matters: saving the innocent bystanders like Jimmy. Ollie had a good arc in this episode from the dissolute playboy to somewhat off-form stand-in to the re-energized hero-in-training. Both Ollie and Clark have a lot to learn but now they can help each other with those lessons. It'll be fun!
What can I say about Jimmy, other than that I really liked him for the first time ever. Far and away AA's best performance in the role, especially in the middle scenes where he figured out that Clark was the blurry figure in question. Now he could finally understand and accept why Clark took such an important place in Chloe's heart. She spends so much time with Clark because she's helping him save the world! However, his eureka moment turns bitter in the face of Chlark's denial of what now seems so obvious. But I loved the way he directly dealt with Clark rather than trying to go behind his back, and of course his lovely comments about why Clark seemed to make such perfect sense as a hero. Yay, Jimmy. But I have a feeling he's going to facing some major heartache sometime soon.
That final scene between Chloe and the villain is going to stick in my head for a long time. The foresight she displayed at wearing gloves so he couldn't read her, and then the cold blooded way she took them off to crash his brain. Brrrr. She's not exactly Brainiac since she still seems to be working for Clark, but every week moves her further from the person she was. Its dangerous to take one of the show's most beloved figures down such a dark path but it raises the dramatic stakes for Clark considerably.