Lucy

DVD, Smallville S4 (Lucy)

Apart from being on mascara and blusher overdrive this is quite a solid episode, probably due to its keeping of the ongoing stones 'plot' (and I use the word loosely) in the background, merely as something for Jason, Lana and Lionel to talk about. It's got to the point where I wonder how they ever found anything for Lana to do each week, but then I remember: she was part of the group and they'd all combat the latest threat together. Now she just looks worried all the time or stares up into Jason's eyes. Still, at least the guy got to throw Lionel around a bit, which hasn't happened for a long time, and it's something viewers would wish to see. As usual he retains control even under physical attack, but I've got to admit, the genial, pleasant character Luthor Sr. has turned into has remained evident and I miss the barbed wit and subtle insults he used to trade. Now he seems to say things with complete conviction without ulterior motives, but we'll see.

Being suspicious I suspected either Jason or Lana might have taken the stone (why is it called that, it's made out of metal?!), so no surprises there. The teaser gets special mention as featuring the best, most adrenaline-pumping opening since I can't remember when, with a superb Bond-style ski chase. The episode could never live up to that level of excitement and it doesn't try. So rather than an action-packed chase story with Lucy Lane avoiding her evil pursuer it turns into a bit of a teen-angst thing with similarities to Season Two's 'Prodigal', except that tale of Lex discovering a brother he never knew he had was the superior. Still, it provides reasons to be sympathetic to Lois, which is useful, and Clark gets to do some superheroics without anyone seeing, leaping onto the back of a moving lorry. I recognised some of the lorry scenes so this must have been one of the last episodes I caught a bit of before I resolved never to watch it again, but here I am anyway.

Jonathan and Martha have really changed: not only are they willing to have Lois as house guest, snooping around, they allow Lucy, her sister, to stay too! Maybe Clark uses it as an excuse to get out of doing his chores - "Sorry Dad, I can't use super speed and super strength or the house guests will see it." To which Mr. Kent would reply "Well you'll just have to do it at normal speed like everyone else, son." The Lane family grows ever larger - first we had Chloe, though we didn't know she was of the Lane clan at first. Then Lois, then her Dad, the General (I wonder why he hasn't been in it more?) and now sister Lucy. She's a sure bet to return if ever there was one.

It's a shame that Chloe hasn't featured as strongly since she found out Clark's secret, I hope this isn't the format from now on - she may as well come right out and say that she knows his secret, with all the double-talk she's giving him! And it seems the English quiz programme 'The Weakest Link' has seeped into popular culture as Lois says the famous catchphrase. Over all not a bad story, but did they have to end with a rubbish CGI shot of space?

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