Superman on Television

Smallville: Episode Reviews

Episode 20: "Obscura"

Funny, isn't it, that Lana got super powers and didn't go on a homicidal rage to destroy everyone else in her way? Heh. But "leaps tall theories in a single bound..."? Maybe the puns have gone TOO FAR!

Nah. It was all right. Though one of Metropolis', what, five cops died, and other little things I could be nitpicky about occurred, we actually have something here that has been lacking in too many episodes recently...something that will recur in future episodes, and has appeared in past episodes. The crash site, the Inquisitor reporter, the spring formal requests, and the blatant hint Whitney gives with his medals. Then, of course, there's the polygonal shape with the Kryptonian writing on it...

The villain was cheesy, though not Kryptonite inspired, which was welcome.

We've all been watching the screen, like strung along goons, waiting for Clark to tell Chloe that he likes her, that he loves her, that he at least wants to go to the dance with her. Righteo. Here it is, we finally have it, and not a moment too soon, one episode from the end of the series' run for this year. While I'm glad that it finally happened, I have a big complaint with purposefully making it happen so that we have to wait and want to come back next year. It's the same big complaint that I have with the comics right now. They are sacrificing the quality of continuity and the reality of story in favor of keeping the readers reading and the anticipation building. Still, this is TV, not a comic, so it's more forgivable, in my opinion. I expect this from television, I don't from comics. Or books. Or film.

I didn't know that Chloe was on her way out. I thought she was a Freshman as well. Perhaps I'm just blind, maybe I just don't listen enough sometimes, although I'd like to think, as a critical reviewer, that I would have caught it. I do listen for such things. Maybe I'm just dense. Write me and tell me if you all knew...

All in all this was almost a stereotypical episode, save the recurring foreshadow and themes, which made it almost great, and the fact that the villain is not a teenager gone postal. For this, I give this episode 4 of 5.

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