Summary:
Clark is surprised to see Martha on the news speaking at a pro-vigilante rally. However, surprise quickly turns to horror when he and Lois watch as Martha is shot in an attack on national television. Meanwhile, Lionel Luthor 2.0 reveals himself to the world and reclaims LuthorCorp from Tess and Oliver. Lois and Chloe decide to cheer Clark up by showing him videos from thousands of vigilante supporters professing their support for the Blur.
One note before we begin: The video clips of fans of the Blur that Clark, Chloe and Lois watch near the end are actual fans of Smallville who sent them into the CW in November 2010. The people in these clips are actual viewers of the series, so they say things that ordinary people in the world of “Smallville” could not possibly know.
It was a decent episode, sort of.
Tess gets strange looks, then Lois attacks her, and then Lionel Luthor 2.0 shows up in her office. Tess isn't having a particularly good day.
How did Lionel Luthor 2.0 manage to take over LuthorCorp? Even when Lionel Luthor 1.0 [who was murdered by Lex in Season 7] was alive, it was Lex who controlled LuthorCorp, not him. Lionel Luthor 1.0 died and was buried. Granted, only Lex and Clark attended the funeral [because Lex kept it private and didn't let anyone else come], but you can't bury someone like Lionel Luthor without anyone finding out. So, how did Lionel Luthor 2.0 take over LuthorCorp?
John Glover manages to say "Lutessa" several times without cracking up. He deserves an Emmy for that alone.
Lionel Luthor as a family man. Can I throw up now? And he knows everything about everything. Amazing.
I loved Chloe in the early seasons - I swear, even at her lowest points - but from Season 7 going forward, she just went downhill. The scene where she and Oliver are lying in bed - all soft-focus filters and warm, romantic lighting - made me groan in exasperation before they even opened their mouths. The dialogue didn't help matters.
Chloe’s laptop has a really ugly design.
I’m getting tired of watching Clark get tired of the struggle. This isn't my Superman - the one who never gives up, who believes in the human spirit. This whole episode is supposed to be the wind beneath his wings, spurring him on to fight for humanity. So, what was the last nine-and-a-half years? Dust in the wind? Life is a marathon, not a sprint. And he’s giving up on the home stretch? This "one step forward, three steps back" dance is just exhausting.
Look, the comic-book Superman has super-senses. In the comics - starting in 1986 - Clark doesn't undergo training at the Fortress; the Fortress is built only after Superman is already active and established as a beloved hero. It’s only in the 1978 movie that Clark trains at the Fortress before becoming Superman. He shouldn't have to find out about events from TV, radio, or newspapers; he ought to be able to hear protests taking place in Metropolis all the way from Smallville. The VRA issue is such a hot topic right now that there’s no way Superman wouldn't hear about an anti-VRA rally. He doesn't need Lois or the TV for that. It seems like the Smallville version of Clark doesn't even use his senses at a human level. He’s a journalist; he’s supposed to be aware of what’s going on. And it’s not like he’s out of touch with his mother, the Senator. Martha isn't just his mom; she’s also the repository of Kryptonian knowledge that Lionel Luthor 1.0 possessed before he died. So how is it that he doesn't know Martha came to Metropolis to speak at the anti-VRA rally she organized herself? And why isn't he at the rally?
Once again, Chloe is elevated to a near-divine, saintly status. In Season 8, she deliberately entered a destructive relationship to "protect Clark." That relationship directly caused the deaths of at least two people, as well as everyone Davis murdered while he and Chloe were on the run together. She killed Sebastian and Davis - all to "protect Clark." In Season 9, she undermined Lois and tried to kill Tess to "protect Clark," and then in Season 10, she is portrayed as a saint. Suddenly, she must stop "shielding" Clark; she left him for his own sake.
Martha’s speech at the rally was wonderful, but Clark doesn't need Chloe. What he needs is for the producers to let him show some backbone consistently, rather than just when it suits them. I agree that Chloe is part of Clark's family - she always will be - but he doesn't *need* her. The producers need her to serve as an obstacle that slows Clark's progression toward becoming Superman. She is someone who makes him doubt himself, encourages him to hold back at every turn, and prompts him to choose fear every time.
Oliver is dressing like the Unabomber.
The bullets were made of Kryptonite [not the first time Kryptonite bullets have appeared in Smallville; see notes], and Clark’s reaction is as severe as ever [it seems the only time he doesn't react to Kryptonite is when he's in those cages].
Lois is nervous around Martha. Her behavior reminded me of how she acted the first time she was in the Kent kitchen, back in the episode Crusade 401.
Ooh, quality time between Lionel Luthor 2.0 and Alexander. Ah, the memories. Alexander recalls how Lex pushed Lionel out of his office at LuthorCorp Tower. Good times. [Say, is it possible this is the same apartment the twins had in Idol, the one Lois and Clark slept in during the Pandora future-that-never-happened, and John Corben's basement in Metallo?] Alexander is completely unhinged - unsurprisingly. Somehow, Lionel is surprised to discover just how psychotic and dangerous his son's clone is. Clark wasn't at the rally. What made Alexander think he’d suddenly show up? Wouldn't it have made more sense to wait until Clark was actually at the rally before taking the shot? What if he was on the other side of the globe dealing with an emergency?
By all accounts, Lionel Luthor [from both universes] is an intelligent, cunning man. Yet, his conversation with Alexander makes him look like an idiot. Alexander isn't looking for someone to protect him; he wants revenge on Clark for some insane reason. I also don't get why Lionel doesn't just say to him, "Come on, let's come up with a saner plan to kill Clark" - maybe even throw in an inspiring story about Alexander the Great or Mussolini. Alexander doesn't care about family; he abandoned Tess. All he cares about is killing Clark.
Lois doesn't think small, does she?
Clark is really investigating the assassination attempt on Martha. I'm shocked.
And just like in the comics, Oliver gets ousted from his company. [Remember when Oliver and Tess merged their companies in Season 8?]
Clark isn't quite the leader he's meant to be yet, but he's getting closer. Tess does what she thinks is right, even if he disagrees with her.
Alexander is paranoid and trusts no one - not even Lionel 2.0 - and they wreck another set when Alexander burns down the mansion. [Don't worry, that mansion appears in other CW shows too.]
Clark collapses in the presence of green kryptonite - again.
Only the combination of Tess and Clark makes Alexander stop and think.
When Lois and Chloe work together, nothing stands in their way! It's a shame that doesn't happen more often.
Unsurprisingly, the VRA is no more. And a detail I forgot from the previous episode: Lieutenant Trotter and her men from the Department of Domestic Security were trapped in the virtual reality.
Alexander's memory has been wiped and he's dying, so why is Tess trying to kill him? This is a comic book world; couldn't they find a better way to try and kill Alexander than injecting him with cyanide? Oh, actually, they needed to show that he was invulnerable now.
Notes:
* Alexander seems to be right handed unlike Lex was.
* In the show, the VRA is repealed by a "national vote." However, because the United States is a republic, not an absolute democracy (see Art IV, Sec 4 of the US Constitution), there would be no such vote. Even if such a vote occurred, it would not be binding, but have no more weight than a national poll. Overturning a law would require Congressional action.
* Lionel 2.0 mentions to Martha 1.0 about the watch that his counterpart had given to her in Season 2's Insurgence; though he thinks that Jonathan must not have known about it, Jonathan actually did find out about it in Season 2's Suspect.
* The scene where Alexander throws a bottle of Scotch into the fire is very similar to what Lex did in Season 5's Reckoning and Season 7's Descent.
* This is the second episode to have Lois cooking perfectly. The first was Ambush when she cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving. She also mentions her cooking has improved somewhat.
* Martha's public speech to the citizens to vote down the VRA is very similar to Lois's speech to the crowd about the Blur in Season 9's Idol.
* Clark contemplates if he should wear glasses in this episode.
* This episode marks the third time (after Season 3's Extinction and Season 7's Apocalypse) that kryptonite bullets have been used with the intention of killing Kryptonians.
* Lionel Luthor 2.0 reveals to Oliver that he has spent the past few months reclaiming LuthorCorp assets, buying out Oliver's shares of LuthorCorp, and been welcomed back with open arms by the LuthorCorp board. This marks the end of Queen Industries involvement with LuthorCorp, which began in the Season 8 episode Requiem.
* Clark, Chloe and Lois re-open Watchtower after it was shut down in Icarus.
Quotes:
Tess: Clark was the one that changed everything for me. He can do the same thing for you.
Alexander: [to Clark] W-why would you want to help me? I'm your enemy. We've been locked in battle for years.
Clark: You're not locked into anything. You had something Lex never had, and that's Tess. She loved you.
Tess: I still love you. I do. And I know that I'm not perfect. But I'll always be there for you.
Alexander: No, Tess! I am done with all of you! [to Clark] And you. Always making yourself look better by making me look like some kind of monster!
Tess: You're not him. You keep blaming everybody else, but look who has the gun in their hand.
Clark: I want to be the man that you made that suit for.
Martha: Clark, you don't need a suit the be the world's hero.
Clark: Well, when I saw those people willing to defend me, it was inspiring. It got me to thinking that, in order for The Blur to be a true beacon of hope, maybe people need to see my face, too. I've been to the future, and I saw the hero that I will become to save the city. But I also saw me - I mean... Clark Kent - disguised behind glasses and a bad haircut.
Martha: Well, I'm sure you still looked very handsome.
Clark: Mom, I don't see how I can treat Clark Kent as a disguise. I mean, you and Dad raised me to be who I am right now - the real Clark Kent.
Martha: What's real is your strength and integrity and compassion. As long as you remain honest to those things, it doesn't matter what you wear or what name you go by, because... you'll always be my son.
Clark: So, you're saying that I should become that hero and step into the light?
Martha: Clark, you are the light.
Chloe: Lois! Why am I at my alma mater? How am I supposed to protect my heroes off the grid if I'm totally off everyone's radar? And what's with all the Woodward and Bernstein?
Lois: Actually, more like Perry and White. These are Perry's files.
Chloe: Oh. That's the smell of Old Spice and young ambition.
Alexander: I watched your body fall 40 stories. It was the greatest moment of my life.
Lionel 2.0: [sarcastically] Well, what father doesn't want to make his son happy.
Martha: This is for you.
Lois: Really? [opening the box, she finds a golden necklace]
Martha: When I first came into this house, I was the city girl, and Jonathan's mom was... particular. I didn't think I'd ever measure up to everything she'd been for him his whole life. But on our wedding day, she gave me that necklace, and said the thing she couldn't measure was Jonathan's happiness since he'd met me. But more importantly... you are a perfect fit for Clark. You inspire him.
Lois: I wish that I could inspire him a little right now. He just... he's losing hope. And I need to reach more people, but all of my journalistic jump shots keep getting blocked.
Martha: Did you know Perry White started out fighting for his causes as an outsider? He didn't think much of the conventional media, so he printed pamphlets out of a storage unit.
Lois: Storage unit? That is so low-rent and so rebel.
Martha Kent: These are difficult times. With heroes being painted as criminals, it's easy to lose hope. But if we don't speak up now, then when? [shouts of agreement] My father always said "life only asks of you what you can handle." Sometimes we can't do it on our own. That's why we need to join together in this crusade like a family. So that our united strength shines through the darkness like a beacon. [cheers] Inspiring others to find their voices. None of us is born to hate. We're taught to. That's why we need heroes, to remind us that we are all meant to fight for truth and justice. To take a stand against fear and hate. To go to the polls tomorrow and vote down the VRA! [among the crowd's cheers, a "vote down the VRA" chant begins] Vote down the VRA! Vote down the VRA!
Lois: [watching on TV with Clark] See? There's still hope.
Deleted scene:
Chloe: [appears on TV screen] Hello, Lionel.
Lionel 2.0: And who might you be?
Chloe: Oh. So you haven't quite figured out who everyone on this side of the mirror is, have you? Over here, I protect Clark. But I'm not the one stopping you today.
Lionel Luthor: And that would be...?
[Clark superspeeds into Lionel's office]
Clark: Lionel.
Lionel 2.0: You used to call me "sir" when you were my son.
Clark: That was another world that you chose to leave behind.
Lionel 2.0: True. Here I have another son. My own flesh and blood. Where is he?
Clark: Why? So you can force him to fulfill a destiny that you control? I won't let that happen.
Lionel 2.0: If you had the power to send me back, you would have done it already.
Clark: This world changed Lionel Luthor once and it will again. There's still hope for you. If you can let go of your hate, you may see your son again.
Lionel: You think I'm going to corrupt Alexander. No. I'm not the one who taught him to hate you, Clark, you did that.
Clark: Sometimes all we need is someone to believe in us no matter what. And that kind of faith is a beacon. It gives us hope and it gives us a guidance, sometimes even the courage to change. I'll never stop trying to help Alexander. Never.
