User Reviews

Warning do not read unless seen episode.

This is another of my favorite episodes of the show as well as one of my favorite season finales. This is also one of the saddest episodes I've ever seen.

It's a common thing in Greek Mythology, mortals can dare to challenge Gods and Fate but that doesn't always mean they'll come up on top. Most of the time why mortals lose this conflict is because not just are the reasons petty and desperate but mainly mortals forgot the most important rule, that even Gods and Fate have their places in the universe alongside mortals. This truly is a sad episode because for once Clark/Superman loses and he truly has only himself to blame.

The episode really has a bit of a calm but tense atmosphere, it's the kind of feeling where you feel a bomb is about to go off but you're not entirely sure when. Really like some of the calm moments seeing Clark with Lana and their chemistry is good as usual as both are making each other happy. Then there is also the time with his parents which is also nice, I really like that little scene where Clark along with Johnathan is looking at the sunset fearing it's the last one because of the order supposedly Jor El gave but it goes down and nothing happens.

This signifies why Clark's fears are not fully proven nor justified. Granted there was that one message about ruling the Earth which slightly contradicts the earlier message. But that message was just one translation that wasn't even perfect to begin with and should obviously have been crosschecked by Swan or anyone else familiar with Kyptonian dialect.

And of course, there was the voice of Jor Rel from his ship but that was an A.I. program with his voice, so it's not Clark/Kal El's true father. Clark really should have consulted and told his parents the truth and I'm sure with Johnathan with the true Kryptonian key they would of somehow come to the cave and talked with Jor-Rel whom I'm sure is capable of reason.

I like that throughout the episode there are two themes. One of them is about honesty, the biggest problem with Clark right now is his trouble to be honest. It's understandable why he needs to keep certain secrets, but some secrets aren't meant to be secrets and as we see those kinds of secrets are becoming poison making him fear losing everything but also that no one will understand him and his dilemma. This is not just starting to damage his relationships he holds but worst of all himself as its damaging his faith in both himself and everything and everyone that's good.

The other is on fear, as a saying goes, "Fear is a treasonous commander you must never obey." To me fear is never your ally, it pretends to be and seems like what it's saying is right but isn't. But also, if you know and feel something is wrong than it usually is.

It's really sad despite knowing and even feeling what he's doing is wrong, he is ignoring his better judgement and constantly letting himself be compelled by fear and desperation to use it. It's really suspenseful seeing Clark use that Kryptonite key and I'm constantly thinking, "Clark, please don't do it, this is wrong!"

The aftermath is just completely devastating once Clark sees the aftermath of his terrible decision. We see Jonathan not wanting to look at Clark, just the look on his face and when he get the worst news ever on what happened with Martha and their child, there is just absolute silence from Johnathan as he comes in to visit his wife. That part just made my heart absolute sink and what I felt for Clark at that time, I'll just say was just utter disappointment as his action just shows Clark truly doesn't have what it takes to be a hero.

It's truly tragic what Clark did was you can say is a self-fulfilled prophecy, where he feared losing everything, but he caused it to happen, he did that himself. When I saw Martha crying and Johnathan is holding her, that moment just put tears in my eyes; but we even see a look on Clark and that look was a person that has truly lost everything.

Clark at this point is in absolute anguish, despair and all the above of the negative feelings just overwhelm him so much that Clark once again is listening to fear taking the easy way out as he uses the Red Kryptonite ring to not just take his pain away but also a form of self-destruction, as he's became almost suicidal when he doesn't want to be himself right now.

And the final moments we see him on the bike riding away. I'll admit I was almost heartbroken as once again he lets me and all of us down but worst of all himself. And now he's riding away from everyone and everything that matters in his life but most of all his destiny.

As an old saying goes, "The road to hell, is paved with good intentions." Clark is now riding on that road.

Rating: 4 stars

The first season of Smallville worked because of its unique concept: Clark Kent in high school. Sure, it got a little bogged down in meteor freak-of-the-week episodes, but that was the nature of the beast in early-2000s network TV shows. This second season, however, couldn't just get by with the "high school Superman" novelty. To their credit, show-runners Al Gough & Miles Millar certainly grow the plots into the larger Superman mythology. But there are as many "misses" as "hits" along the way.

In terms of the season hallmarks, you have things like...

-Pete (Sam Jones III) finding out Clark's (Tom Welling) secret and the burden that places on him.

-Clark developing his heat vision (a great episode/concept) and later being introduced to red kryptonite (actually better in its second appearance of the season), which makes him wildy aggressive and allows Welling to play against type.

-The spectacular casting "get" of Christopher Reeve--a truly jaw-dropping moment/homage.

-More information on Clark's Kryptonian heritage, including the late-season introduction of biological father Jor-El (voice of Terrance Stamp).

-Lionel Luthor (John Glover) taking on a more prominent--and of course villainous--role.

Yet, there are just as many plot/character threads that fall flat...

-The drama between Lana (Kristin Kreuk) and Chloe (Allison Mack) goes from sappy to downright pathetic. It is tough to invest in either character when they are written as so unlikeable in their quest for Clark's affection.

-Lex's (Michael Rosenbaum) new relationship with Dr. Helen Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier). A wonderful arc for Lex--but both rushed and underserved.

-Lex and Clark continuing to simply circle around each other in the pattern of "Clark questions his integrity--Lex shows some humanity--but ultimately Lex is still hiding something". The two actors have wonderful chemistry, but at a certain point this needs to end, or otherwise why would these two even still be friends?

-Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) is given more material than ever in S2--but none of it leads anywhere. Her working for Lionel is intriguing--until it is dropped unceremoniously. Her pregnancy arc? Only used to set up the finale's endgame.

-There are also 5-6 "standard" (more subject-of-the-week, less mythos) episodes I ranked 4/10 stars or lower. Also, the Kawatchi Caves episodes are better in theory than in practice. A lot of "destiny" talk but little sense made of how/why it is there in the first place (perhaps more comes of this in later campaigns).

Basically, my overall assessment of Smallville Season Two is this: it takes some big swings in trying to ascend from a simple "Superman's Creek" trope. Some of those hacks pay off in a big way--others whiff badly. As such, I ultimately give S2 the same 7/10 rating I did S1.

With last minutes twists and turns. Last season, the tornado was quite spectacular, and was one of my favorite season finale of the whole series. But this one, though really slow at times, becomes everything you were hoping for at the last minute. Clark makes hard choices, that has devastating consequences on his folks and friends. And decides to leave Smallville for Metropolis, with his red kryptonite ring on. After Lana finally confessed her love for him. Meanwhile, Lex wakes up a newlywed in a crashing plane, with his wife missing. And heartbroken Chloe (now I kind of understand her disappointment) agrees to work for the Luthor patriarch. Pete, as much as I like him, really has nothing relevant to do there too. Except trying to prevent Clark from « turning off his humanity ». Season 2 is a step down from season one I thought. It didn't have its charm, and those great « freaks of the week ». And everything really good about it, were mostly callbacks and things that reminded us of that. New characters came and went, and not one left a lasting impression. Except Helen Bryce, but we'll have to wait next season to learn valuable informations about her. As good as some episodes and this season finale was, second year clearly isn't the best for me. And seems to follow a pattern of each WB supernatural dramas. When the hero/heroine decides to leave town, after losing more than they could think of in the battle.

I enjoyed the show a lot up to this point. Smallville has had its ups and downs, some episodes that weren't as great as others, but this one takes the cake.

The episode overall is fine until the very end, when Clark voluntarily puts on the red Kryptonite ring for absolutely no damn reason. Not just that, it makes zero sense given how he is feeling at the time. He was feeling extremely guilty about what happened to his mom and blamed himself for hurting the people around him, yet somehow he decides to put on the ring that has caused him to hurt his loved ones in the past? (including punching his own dad and cheating on Lana in front of her??!!) It just doesn't make any logical, emotional, or storytelling sense. I really don't know what the writers were thinking, but this is where I draw the line.

I think I'll start using the expression "putting on the red ring" instead of "jumping the shark" from now on when it comes to TV shows taking a sudden dive in quality.