Covenant

DVD, Smallville S3 (Covenant)

Where to start? The hugely negative aspects, I think. Season Three was like an extension of the previous two seasons, that was almost not needed. It was a continuation of events that were set up in the first two seasons, with mostly an attempt to tidy up the events they'd painted themselves into the corner with at the end of Season Two. It was an insubstantial season, that had cracks running through the original premise of the series concept, the characters and story. With this episode those cracks break apart the structure of the series. Perhaps it was all necessary - a series needs to grow and change or it becomes stale. Perhaps Season Four will be a glorious revolution that will take it back to the edge of your seat action drama that was successfully achieved before.

But certain things have been hovering over characters since the series' beginning, the most obvious being Lex' locked room full of evidence about Clark. Well, thanks to Lionel's meddling, Clark gets to see this museum of Lex' findings, yet the intensity of the moment is not to be found. The episode itself is not terribly intense though it begins with a fine, strange opening, and that aspect, 'Kara', had a good twist to it. But that story was kind of a blind, a focus away from Lionel and his fate. The montage of events, supposedly set in motion by the old Luthor, is artistically done, and is effective in leaving us with confusion over the way things could turn. It's good to see Gabe Sullivan, if only for a few seconds. But does he die?

The characters have been scattered in strange and unforseen ways, perhaps to leave viewers wondering if they will all return. As it's now 2009 and this came out in 2004, however, I already know who will be back so some impact is lost, but it still begs the question of how they will patch the series and its regulars back together. To me this cliffhanger episode is more like 'Exodus' than 'Tempest'. It tries for some build up, but doesn't quite succeed, needing that montage to provide something more, because the story wasn't quite doing it. But Clark rejects Lex, Lex rejects Lionel, Jonathan gets caught up in Clark's attempt to reject Jor-El (or did he reject him? He may not have fought hard enough to stay out of his Father's grasp to protect Mr. Kent). There's no fairytale goodbye for Lana, except from Lex, and Chloe is too involved with the trial to appear.

And Pete. I really thought his angry, horrible departure in the previous episode, would have a calmer, more suitable send off in this one, so that things could be patched up between the friends. But so many are moving, and the broken ties are the hardest thing to accept about this episode. It has become much more of a phsychological drama series than action-based. Yet has not ticked all the boxes along the way. By now, so many recurring characters have been knocked off, so many teen friendships and enmities have spat back and forth, it seems a mixed up, confused series. But it still makes you want to know what happens next, so it hasn't failed completely. This episode was good, even if so many unsaid things are said, as in other episodes this season, losing the subtlety and some of the mystery. Can Season Four save 'Smallville' from being simply another supernatural teen soap?

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