Superman on Television

Smallville: Episode Reviews

Season 2 - Episode 2: "Heat"

Heat, Hothead, nearly the same title, but definitely not the same show.

I have to say that this is the funniest Smallville episode I've seen. Just imagining Superman getting attracted, this corn-fed white boy with a idealism-on, getting turned-on. Couple that with Discovery channel a la Bloodhound Gang, and here we have comedy. Throw in the fact that we have gratuitous cleavage, lots of tense kissing, and man, it was a good day to be me and watching television. I felt like one of the mindless automatons...bring it on, baby. Life is good. Superman, sex, and fire, all in the same show.

Can it get any better?

Yes. Throw in Lex being eeeevil. That's always nice. Especially given that he was able to pull it back with an excuse.

There's the usual fare with regards to error. Clark uses his powers in front of countless people, and no one makes the connection, save Lana. I'm postulating she's the one that gets in on the secret. But for me, it's like, big fat deal. Half the world knows Clark has powers with the way he's careless about keeping his secret.

Heat vision... I'm upset that there was no red in the deal, and I'm further perturbed that the heat vision comes from out of his iris rather than his whole eyes, but it's a vivid reexamination, and it's extremely cool looking. Welling doesn't have the squint down. The squint, you say? Oh, you know what I mean. When you stood in front of the mirror as a kid and tried to make the face heat vision requires. A little squint, a little leaning forward with your head. It's a good thing it never worked for me, because heck, I was in front of a mirror. I would have lit my hair on the fire at the very least, and at worst, blown my head apart. Bottom line, the effect was good, but it didn't look like Tom Welling was that into it.

I like the father/son connection thing about sex. I wondered what Pa would do with regard to the taboo subject, Superman and sex, but hey, now I wonder if I'd rather not have seen it. It made me giggle, but man, it's kind of creepy. Ah, who am I kidding. It was great. I nearly wet myself laughing.

It was a villain of the week episode, but please note, we did not see Kryptonite, it was merely implied, and the villain's power was pink, not green. And while this makes absolutely no sense given the standard set by previous episodes, it was still a welcome change.

So Lex's wife number 1 is explained. Six to go before Lois.

He melted a bullet. That was so sweet.

Lex Luthor on fire. Wow.

Seeing the golddigger get her hand burned. Priceless.

What is the deal with Clark being around something sexual for each new power? First flight? Dreaming. Probably of Lana. First X-Ray vision? The girl's locker room. First heat vision? Well, I won't recount it here.

I'll go watch it again.

Okay, I'm back. Heh heh heh.

Anyway, what will he do when he gets his Super-breath? Blow a girl's skirt up? Or perhaps for his thermoscopic vision, he'll be following a girl's leg and start seeing heat trails.

I'm having too much fun with this.

All in all, a great season so far. I'm impressed. Loeb again as a creative producer... perhaps this is a factor? I wish I knew what he's doing behind the scenes.

Well, for this and a great entertainment, for which I thank the usually thankless television, I give this show 5 of 5.

Back to the main TELEVISION page.