Smallville 10x10 Luthor
Wow, this is a concept and premise that I remember so many of us who have been around in fandom for a while have discussed wanting to see over the years. It was probably the most disturbing AU ep this show has done. Even moreso than 'Labyrinth' IMO, because here was a Clark unlike any other we've seen before. This actually ties in to some of my criticisms of the ep too actually, but I'll just get to that in a bit. Because if we're speaking of positives here then I have to commend the look of the AU scenes. As dark and grim as I'd expect a world to be where Clark had gone rogue.
As far as fucked up Luthor family dynamics go, this was an extreme of a whole other level. A quasi-incestuous relationship between siblings, a rampantly abusive father and Ultraman thrown in for good measure too. And this is a family dynamic that is always interesting to watch, however disturbing. The tone is pretty much set indicating their inner workings right from the first moment our!Clark finds himself there and encounters AU!Lionel and only ratcheted up a notch or two in squick factor in the ensuing AU!Tess and our!Clark scene. What makes this scene truly compelling to watch, despite the creepy siblings-banging vibe, is the way TW and CF sells their characters reactions. You can tell the intense closeness of the relationship not just by Tess' words, which also include confirmation of them working together on the box, thereby indicating them both working against their father, but even more by her expressions, even moreso than her actions, in fact. There's closeness sure, but there's also a helluva lot of distrust, judging by the way Tess' "bastard" and her immediately recoiling on the thought of betrayal. Then we have TW, who so brilliantly conveys our!Clark' overwhelmed and bewildered reactions. This theme of family betrayal within betrayal is further continued with the scene between our!Tess and AU!Clark. This is a new playground for the latter, clearly and you can see the thrill in his eyes at discovering the lack of Lionel. Moreover, there's this ever so air of distrust in his voice with Tess too, as inquires after the box. Again, the expressions are so effortlessly conveyed by the two actors. Not to mention the scene absolutely oozes hotness, thanks primarily to the chemistry between TW and CF here, and also the off the charts hotness of TW himself. The kiss is clearly wrong considering its basically forced on to begin with, and AU!Clark is nothing short of a predator, but Dayum. Talk about explosive. Tess' reaction was spot on too - going straight for the drink, heh. The AU!Tess and AU!Lionel scene next, meanwhile, sort of epitomizes the dysfunction of the AU!Luthor family - talks of love, abandonment, and betrayal all in one breath, with an added glomp of violence. Creepy. And so magnificently played by JG and CF. And of course, then it all comes to a head in the final two scenes with AU!Lionel and our!Clark. Both are brutal, in that they effectively highlight just how crazy this Lionel is and to what extent his abuse goes. This Lionel running around in our verse? Not good at all.
I appreciated that this ep furthered the plot along as far the Tess and the clones storyline goes. And with Lionel popping up now, I see things getting far worse, before they get better. I have no idea what's going to happen, but it's intriguing nonetheless, which is good.
Plot wasn't the only thing the ep furthered along - as far as relationships go, I think Cless got a huge boost in this one, showing the extent to which their friendship has come along, actually. I'm glad the secret is out, and that Clark knows. Their scene at the end was incredibly heartwarming, and I especially liked how both characters came to certain realizations. Tess' "I'm upset that he threw me away" spoke volumes. This is a woman who wants to be believed in, desperately so. And that Clark can not only actually provide her with that self belief, but just be there - period, is indicative not just of a working relationship anymore, but that its evolved into a genuine friendship now.
I also liked that there was no heavy handed, forced Clois 'moment' in this one, just for the sake of it. The hospital scene was more natural IMO, because there was context and circumstance and so it just flowed easier rather than the mandatory barn and loft scenes we've been getting. The little moment where Clark asks Lois to reveal it was really him, was nice too, and Clark' "you mispell words, simple words at an alarmingly frequent rate" was very cute too.
There's also certain elements - the little things, if you will, that I think this ep got right. One of these I thought were the bit players, who all managed to shine in a single scene alone, by adding that extra bit of something to their little cameo appearance. The Luthor minion at the beginning for one, and the newspaper guy at the end (who I believe we've seen several times before now?) but my favorites were the coffee stall guy and phone dude. In fact that was such a great little scene - we have Tess and Lois banter, Lois quirk, and then the hilarious expressions / reactions from the two other actors. I especially liked coffee stall guy' deadpan "and leave all this---" and phone dude' final 'WTF just happened' look.
I also have to mention the scene where our!Clark returns to his world - greeted by Tess, Lois and Ollie all standing over him, crossbows in hand, with the havoc created by AU!Clark all around then. In an instance like this, I'm almost glad they didn't show the actual fight and just the aftermath, included the devastated building and the very harrowed Team Watchtower.
I think the most favorable aspect of this ep though, despite some its pretty glaring IMO, flaws, is the fact that is straight out, an exciting hour of television. It never gets boring, and considering how zoned out I've been on certain eps this season, I'll take whatever I can, whenever.
Having said all of this, for all its positives, the ep loses some major points with me on certain issues. And first and foremost is the notion assumed by TPTB that Clark Kent, exempt from the Kents influence, will turn out to be a ruthless killer. And no, I'm not ignoring the Lionel factor here - the way a person is raised is huge determinant on how they end up, I agree, but there's also something known as personal responsibility and decision making. The intent and thought of evil may certainly be imbedded in one by another, but I believe the decision to actually act on it will always be the persons own. Not everyone born to a home of abuse turns into a monster and the show had a perfect opportunity here to illustrate Clark' inherent goodness by depicting a Clark, who whilst treading in murky waters morally, still managed to have the good sense somewhere within him to eke out something redeemable. I cannot imagine him as this murderer, sans conscience, and it's a sad testament to how TPTB see him, no matter how or what the incarnation. This will never stop being an irritant to me, I can't help it.
There were some misteps with our!Clark' characterization too - I hated his "Luthor blood is poison" line, and couldn't believe that it took Tess to remind him, "whatever happened to everyone getting a second chance." I suppose I should just be grateful alls well that ends well, and we did get that wonderful line of self realization at the end with "Luthor blood doesn't corrupt, it's the man himself." But still, Clark shouldn't have had to come to that conclusion, he should have already been there.
I also found Clark' "I can't live in a world where you don't love me" line to Lois, rather abrupt, to be honest. I so wish it'd either been preceded by or followed by with a "or/where I'm a ruthless murderer." I don't know, it just felt off to me. Incomplete, and unnecessarily so.
These might seem minor details, in comparison to the all the positive elements, and in many ways I do believe the good outshone the bad. But they're still ::glaring:: flaws, in my eyes, that really diminish an otherwise interesting premise.
I have to say though that the performances in this one were incredible. JG was always the magnificent bastard as Lionel, but he still managed to create another character entirely here. Amazing. CF had so many great scenes, I don't know where to start but I found her most compelling in her scene with Lionel (that slap!) and in her moment at the end with Clark. Surprisingly the only off moment of hers I felt (her first in ages) was her opening scene - the wideeyed thing was a little too overplayed, but other than that, stellar. And I don't know where to begin with TW. He was switching it up with such different personas here, and he did each such justice. In particular the cold, completely ruthless Clark Luthor. This was no redk!Clark, or Lionel-as-Clark, no, this was an entirely different being. Kudos.
ED and JH had little to play with in comparison but I thought they did a good job in their engagement scene. There was a quiet, almost sad resigned tone to that scene and I think the actors sold that well. But that awful wig on ED was just hideous. Not a good look for her.
Bits and bobs:
- Why was Clark' name still Clark in the AU?
- How was Clark able to bleed in Lionel' presence in their first scene?
- Oh, and TW? The most sinfully gorgeous man in the world.
As far as fucked up Luthor family dynamics go, this was an extreme of a whole other level. A quasi-incestuous relationship between siblings, a rampantly abusive father and Ultraman thrown in for good measure too. And this is a family dynamic that is always interesting to watch, however disturbing. The tone is pretty much set indicating their inner workings right from the first moment our!Clark finds himself there and encounters AU!Lionel and only ratcheted up a notch or two in squick factor in the ensuing AU!Tess and our!Clark scene. What makes this scene truly compelling to watch, despite the creepy siblings-banging vibe, is the way TW and CF sells their characters reactions. You can tell the intense closeness of the relationship not just by Tess' words, which also include confirmation of them working together on the box, thereby indicating them both working against their father, but even more by her expressions, even moreso than her actions, in fact. There's closeness sure, but there's also a helluva lot of distrust, judging by the way Tess' "bastard" and her immediately recoiling on the thought of betrayal. Then we have TW, who so brilliantly conveys our!Clark' overwhelmed and bewildered reactions. This theme of family betrayal within betrayal is further continued with the scene between our!Tess and AU!Clark. This is a new playground for the latter, clearly and you can see the thrill in his eyes at discovering the lack of Lionel. Moreover, there's this ever so air of distrust in his voice with Tess too, as inquires after the box. Again, the expressions are so effortlessly conveyed by the two actors. Not to mention the scene absolutely oozes hotness, thanks primarily to the chemistry between TW and CF here, and also the off the charts hotness of TW himself. The kiss is clearly wrong considering its basically forced on to begin with, and AU!Clark is nothing short of a predator, but Dayum. Talk about explosive. Tess' reaction was spot on too - going straight for the drink, heh. The AU!Tess and AU!Lionel scene next, meanwhile, sort of epitomizes the dysfunction of the AU!Luthor family - talks of love, abandonment, and betrayal all in one breath, with an added glomp of violence. Creepy. And so magnificently played by JG and CF. And of course, then it all comes to a head in the final two scenes with AU!Lionel and our!Clark. Both are brutal, in that they effectively highlight just how crazy this Lionel is and to what extent his abuse goes. This Lionel running around in our verse? Not good at all.
I appreciated that this ep furthered the plot along as far the Tess and the clones storyline goes. And with Lionel popping up now, I see things getting far worse, before they get better. I have no idea what's going to happen, but it's intriguing nonetheless, which is good.
Plot wasn't the only thing the ep furthered along - as far as relationships go, I think Cless got a huge boost in this one, showing the extent to which their friendship has come along, actually. I'm glad the secret is out, and that Clark knows. Their scene at the end was incredibly heartwarming, and I especially liked how both characters came to certain realizations. Tess' "I'm upset that he threw me away" spoke volumes. This is a woman who wants to be believed in, desperately so. And that Clark can not only actually provide her with that self belief, but just be there - period, is indicative not just of a working relationship anymore, but that its evolved into a genuine friendship now.
I also liked that there was no heavy handed, forced Clois 'moment' in this one, just for the sake of it. The hospital scene was more natural IMO, because there was context and circumstance and so it just flowed easier rather than the mandatory barn and loft scenes we've been getting. The little moment where Clark asks Lois to reveal it was really him, was nice too, and Clark' "you mispell words, simple words at an alarmingly frequent rate" was very cute too.
There's also certain elements - the little things, if you will, that I think this ep got right. One of these I thought were the bit players, who all managed to shine in a single scene alone, by adding that extra bit of something to their little cameo appearance. The Luthor minion at the beginning for one, and the newspaper guy at the end (who I believe we've seen several times before now?) but my favorites were the coffee stall guy and phone dude. In fact that was such a great little scene - we have Tess and Lois banter, Lois quirk, and then the hilarious expressions / reactions from the two other actors. I especially liked coffee stall guy' deadpan "and leave all this---" and phone dude' final 'WTF just happened' look.
I also have to mention the scene where our!Clark returns to his world - greeted by Tess, Lois and Ollie all standing over him, crossbows in hand, with the havoc created by AU!Clark all around then. In an instance like this, I'm almost glad they didn't show the actual fight and just the aftermath, included the devastated building and the very harrowed Team Watchtower.
I think the most favorable aspect of this ep though, despite some its pretty glaring IMO, flaws, is the fact that is straight out, an exciting hour of television. It never gets boring, and considering how zoned out I've been on certain eps this season, I'll take whatever I can, whenever.
Having said all of this, for all its positives, the ep loses some major points with me on certain issues. And first and foremost is the notion assumed by TPTB that Clark Kent, exempt from the Kents influence, will turn out to be a ruthless killer. And no, I'm not ignoring the Lionel factor here - the way a person is raised is huge determinant on how they end up, I agree, but there's also something known as personal responsibility and decision making. The intent and thought of evil may certainly be imbedded in one by another, but I believe the decision to actually act on it will always be the persons own. Not everyone born to a home of abuse turns into a monster and the show had a perfect opportunity here to illustrate Clark' inherent goodness by depicting a Clark, who whilst treading in murky waters morally, still managed to have the good sense somewhere within him to eke out something redeemable. I cannot imagine him as this murderer, sans conscience, and it's a sad testament to how TPTB see him, no matter how or what the incarnation. This will never stop being an irritant to me, I can't help it.
There were some misteps with our!Clark' characterization too - I hated his "Luthor blood is poison" line, and couldn't believe that it took Tess to remind him, "whatever happened to everyone getting a second chance." I suppose I should just be grateful alls well that ends well, and we did get that wonderful line of self realization at the end with "Luthor blood doesn't corrupt, it's the man himself." But still, Clark shouldn't have had to come to that conclusion, he should have already been there.
I also found Clark' "I can't live in a world where you don't love me" line to Lois, rather abrupt, to be honest. I so wish it'd either been preceded by or followed by with a "or/where I'm a ruthless murderer." I don't know, it just felt off to me. Incomplete, and unnecessarily so.
These might seem minor details, in comparison to the all the positive elements, and in many ways I do believe the good outshone the bad. But they're still ::glaring:: flaws, in my eyes, that really diminish an otherwise interesting premise.
I have to say though that the performances in this one were incredible. JG was always the magnificent bastard as Lionel, but he still managed to create another character entirely here. Amazing. CF had so many great scenes, I don't know where to start but I found her most compelling in her scene with Lionel (that slap!) and in her moment at the end with Clark. Surprisingly the only off moment of hers I felt (her first in ages) was her opening scene - the wideeyed thing was a little too overplayed, but other than that, stellar. And I don't know where to begin with TW. He was switching it up with such different personas here, and he did each such justice. In particular the cold, completely ruthless Clark Luthor. This was no redk!Clark, or Lionel-as-Clark, no, this was an entirely different being. Kudos.
ED and JH had little to play with in comparison but I thought they did a good job in their engagement scene. There was a quiet, almost sad resigned tone to that scene and I think the actors sold that well. But that awful wig on ED was just hideous. Not a good look for her.
Bits and bobs:
- Why was Clark' name still Clark in the AU?
- How was Clark able to bleed in Lionel' presence in their first scene?
- Oh, and TW? The most sinfully gorgeous man in the world.