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Sorry I've been so out of touch. The back end of the move is proving much more time consuming than I anticipated - it's hard finding places for all my stuff! It often means first getting rid of my sister's furniture / computer / utensils / whatever which have gotten a little worn down over the year. And I just can't throw out her stuff if I don't like it the way I did with all kinds of my crap. So many things have sentimental meaning for her! Argh. Well, at least I've finally got the cappuccino maker set up. And we did a great job together repainting and reflooring my bedroom so I shouldn't complain. Next up is the roof, then the bathroom. Will renovations never cease?
Anyways, I wanted to post my thoughts on Lazarus even though I don't have all that much original to say. I'm finding it hard to grade the episode because although a few scenes ranked with my all-time favourites, there was also a whole boatload of WTF going on. So despite all the lovely Clark screentime, I'd have to give it a somewhat average B+.
What failed - utterly
It should come as no surprise to long-time readers that I've detested the Jor-El AI since season 3 for its continual abuse of Clark. (I actually enjoyed it in S2 when it was quite clearly in the wrong - it's the flip flopping that gets me.) It constantly withholds vital information from Clark, then blames him for not being psychic. And its criticism of Clark in this episode was particularly bizarre. In the limbo scene, it was being snooty about Clark choosing a different path from 'rule with strength', and yet in the second scene, it's criticizing him for pride and for almost killing a man. Is the FOS schizophrenic? Possible, and intriguing if the writers pursue this further and finally get the darned thing healed. Or did the FOS get infected by Darkseid - after all, Zod did say he'd destroyed it in Salvation. What a telling indictment of the show that you can never tell if something is a plot point to be developed in future episodes or just one more plot hole.
What worked - totally
By contrast, the scene between Jonathan and Clark worked for me at every possible level. Maybe its because my mother died several years ago and I still find myself missing her almost every day. That shot where Clark ducks his head in to Jonathan's shoulder for comfort makes me tear up on demand - so touching. I don't know HOW Clark came to be blessed with this vision, but I trust utterly that it wasn't a trick to play with his mind. Jonathan was so very Jonathan - homespun wisdom and unconditional love, combined with a welcome self-awareness. How interesting that he wound up blaming himself for letting his hatred of Lionel consume him. I think Clark really needs to hear more people take responsibility like this!
I also loved the Lois and Clark scenes, especially at the Daily Planet. This must go down as one of the funniest scenes since season 4, with Clark trying to figure out just how much Lois knows while Lois teases him mercilessly in return for not knowing that she knows. And I love how Lois establishes straight away that she'll do everything she can to help Clark maintain his secret by providing him with convenient opportunities to do his thing. No more moping at the coffee shop when Clark doesn't show up! Sure I'm not thrilled that she leaves soon thereafter but I think she needs some time to come to grips with what Lex said. She COULD be Clark's greatest weakness, much as Lana was, simply because he can't help but want to protect her 24/7. She needs to figure out that what she brings to the table is more important than what she takes away.
What falls in between
Chloe, Oliver - meh. I feel like I've said it all before and I hate being negative. Still, the reveal that it was the Suicide Squad that kidnapped Ollie last season is a distinct letdown for me, and I'm mystified why they would trade him for Chloe after saying they were coming after them all. Why not just snatch her off the street and have them both?
Evil!clone didn't make for a terribly compelling villain to me. Sure he kills his defective fellow clones but misses little Alex and Tess, then completely underestimates what Clark is capable of when setting up his 'impossible choice' scenario. Although the two saves were well done individually, there was absolutely no tension created about whether Clark would succeed. Perhaps what they needed was to go into freeze frame as with Checkmate last year and show the fire reaching towards Lois then the explosion at the Planet back to Lois coughing back to people looking up in terror back to Clark starting to whoosh around the field back to... Not to mention that even if Clark hadn't been in time to stop the Globe from falling, its hard to see how it would have caused more than a dozen deaths - and why would that have caused everyone to lose faith in the Blur? It all felt like much ado about nothing. Or was it just possibly some massive misdirection to deflect attention away from the real Lex?
What has me intrigued
By contrast, young!Clone looks like he could be the start of something really interesting. Tess is still desperately seeking redemption, and what better way than to raise a Lex free of the destructive influences of Lionel and Lillian. Yet I fear it may already be too late for the little one - as adorable as I found him. It seems likely that he too would have received a fair portion of Lex's memories - and may have been specially grown as Lex's second chance in a more perfect body. The sight of one of his toy soldiers burning in the fireplace seems ominous - has he already rejected the idea of Warrior Angel as a hero? This plotline looks to have great potential for Tess and that makes me a hopeful camper.
Anyways, I wanted to post my thoughts on Lazarus even though I don't have all that much original to say. I'm finding it hard to grade the episode because although a few scenes ranked with my all-time favourites, there was also a whole boatload of WTF going on. So despite all the lovely Clark screentime, I'd have to give it a somewhat average B+.
What failed - utterly
It should come as no surprise to long-time readers that I've detested the Jor-El AI since season 3 for its continual abuse of Clark. (I actually enjoyed it in S2 when it was quite clearly in the wrong - it's the flip flopping that gets me.) It constantly withholds vital information from Clark, then blames him for not being psychic. And its criticism of Clark in this episode was particularly bizarre. In the limbo scene, it was being snooty about Clark choosing a different path from 'rule with strength', and yet in the second scene, it's criticizing him for pride and for almost killing a man. Is the FOS schizophrenic? Possible, and intriguing if the writers pursue this further and finally get the darned thing healed. Or did the FOS get infected by Darkseid - after all, Zod did say he'd destroyed it in Salvation. What a telling indictment of the show that you can never tell if something is a plot point to be developed in future episodes or just one more plot hole.
What worked - totally
By contrast, the scene between Jonathan and Clark worked for me at every possible level. Maybe its because my mother died several years ago and I still find myself missing her almost every day. That shot where Clark ducks his head in to Jonathan's shoulder for comfort makes me tear up on demand - so touching. I don't know HOW Clark came to be blessed with this vision, but I trust utterly that it wasn't a trick to play with his mind. Jonathan was so very Jonathan - homespun wisdom and unconditional love, combined with a welcome self-awareness. How interesting that he wound up blaming himself for letting his hatred of Lionel consume him. I think Clark really needs to hear more people take responsibility like this!
I also loved the Lois and Clark scenes, especially at the Daily Planet. This must go down as one of the funniest scenes since season 4, with Clark trying to figure out just how much Lois knows while Lois teases him mercilessly in return for not knowing that she knows. And I love how Lois establishes straight away that she'll do everything she can to help Clark maintain his secret by providing him with convenient opportunities to do his thing. No more moping at the coffee shop when Clark doesn't show up! Sure I'm not thrilled that she leaves soon thereafter but I think she needs some time to come to grips with what Lex said. She COULD be Clark's greatest weakness, much as Lana was, simply because he can't help but want to protect her 24/7. She needs to figure out that what she brings to the table is more important than what she takes away.
What falls in between
Chloe, Oliver - meh. I feel like I've said it all before and I hate being negative. Still, the reveal that it was the Suicide Squad that kidnapped Ollie last season is a distinct letdown for me, and I'm mystified why they would trade him for Chloe after saying they were coming after them all. Why not just snatch her off the street and have them both?
Evil!clone didn't make for a terribly compelling villain to me. Sure he kills his defective fellow clones but misses little Alex and Tess, then completely underestimates what Clark is capable of when setting up his 'impossible choice' scenario. Although the two saves were well done individually, there was absolutely no tension created about whether Clark would succeed. Perhaps what they needed was to go into freeze frame as with Checkmate last year and show the fire reaching towards Lois then the explosion at the Planet back to Lois coughing back to people looking up in terror back to Clark starting to whoosh around the field back to... Not to mention that even if Clark hadn't been in time to stop the Globe from falling, its hard to see how it would have caused more than a dozen deaths - and why would that have caused everyone to lose faith in the Blur? It all felt like much ado about nothing. Or was it just possibly some massive misdirection to deflect attention away from the real Lex?
What has me intrigued
By contrast, young!Clone looks like he could be the start of something really interesting. Tess is still desperately seeking redemption, and what better way than to raise a Lex free of the destructive influences of Lionel and Lillian. Yet I fear it may already be too late for the little one - as adorable as I found him. It seems likely that he too would have received a fair portion of Lex's memories - and may have been specially grown as Lex's second chance in a more perfect body. The sight of one of his toy soldiers burning in the fireplace seems ominous - has he already rejected the idea of Warrior Angel as a hero? This plotline looks to have great potential for Tess and that makes me a hopeful camper.
