Devoted

DVD, Smallville S4 (Devoted)

Better in almost every way, they finally got the mix right for this season. Yes, they've done the story before where people react crazy and they have to find out what's making people release their feelings and such, but that wasn't the point of the episode, which usually I'd be complaining about, but it was well woven in among several plots and most of the characters were featured logically and believably. And there was a good dollop of humour (Clark pretending to be mad about the chief cheerleader, in a monosyllabic lack of acting skill), a bit more action (the great teaser with Jason being attacked by shotgun, although I was disappointed we didn't get to see Clark face off against the football guys that come to attack), and a bright, upbeat colourfulness. Not only that, but things end positively for a change.

They can't seem to help replaying scenes we've seen before, right back to Season Two, where Lex is trying to make up with Clark (incidentally you'd think the football team would know Lex had been good friends with Clark and given them another reason to take it out on their new quarterback...), Chloe is gooey over him, etc, but they just accepted they wanted things to get back to normal, instead of being all dark and grumpy about things. Okay, so it only leaves it open for Lex and Clark to blow up at each other again, but that's their perogative (and I'm not sure we can trust the guy now - previously he'd have done all this honestly, but he's a bit odd now, maybe still a little barmy inside, and I half expected to see another scene where he's on his own in another room and the car's still there).

I felt there was an opportunity for a good story about Clark gaining the respect of his teammates and not by using his powers, so the final throw that wins the game was one of the only letdowns, and you could see it reflected in Jonathan Kent's face. Admittedly the story goes a bit over-soapy as is the norm now, but the meteorite juice plot (really? Does no one in the town think twice about anything green - after all the bright green nastiness they've endured the last thing you'd expect them to drink would be a bright green drink!), is well-handled, the tension over whether Jason will be uncovered as a teacher with an inappropriate connection to a student is well-handled (and he did make a suitably bad baddie), and the minor scenes at the Kent house or with various characters shows a better understanding than we've seen lately.

It may have something to do with great 'Star Trek' director David Carson being in control - an assured hand at the tiller, but whatever green juice the makers have been drinking I hope they keep downing it! In the ongoing plot, it seems Lois Lane is coming to the end of her run, which is strange as there doesn't seem a particular reason for losing her, though I'm sure she'll be back, and maybe it will be a chance for the other characters such as the 'adults' (Martha, Jonathan and Lionel) to have a bit more worthwhile screen time. The ending was also finely judged, with Christopher Reeve's dedication a sad, but fitting touch: "He made us believe a man can fly." A worthy tribute for a great figure of the mythos, who for many will always be the only true Superman.

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