Oracle

DVD, Smallville S5 (Oracle)

This all feels a bit like a wild goose chase, everyone whizzing around, revelations coming thick and fast to all kinds of people, but it also begins to make the whole season look like a meta-wild goose chase! We get something of the rematch I was expecting between Milton Fine and Clark, though once again it ends a bit weakly thanks to Lionel's mystical power which turns Fine to silver jelly. Of course there are many more Fines out there so it doesn't make much difference, but Lionel is most definitely on side at the moment. He's been a hard one to figure out this season - is he the same old Lionel, manipulating and plotting, or was he really altered right back in the first episode and has been trying to be a good guy since then? It's so difficult to keep track of all he's done in each episode that you find you just have to believe him for the moment and wait until something bad happens. There is a major get-out clause with the Kryptonian thing going on. They could use it to say he was only doing what Jor-el (or whoever might have influenced him) wanted and that he'll have all this influence purged from his system, then wake up and wonder why he can't remember all that happened in the last year. That would be one way to press the reset button on Clark's secret.

Both Lionel and his son come out smelling of roses after several times when you think they've gone the way of the super-villain this season: the allegation that Lionel was planning something that would destroy the world was false, originating from Fine, while Lex proves to be just going along with the Kryptonian program, while secretly making the insurance policy of a mass-produced vaccine in case Fine's plans turn out to be an alien plot to bring the Earth to its knees (assuming the Earth had knees). In the end it's not really clear what his plan was, except to inject Lex with the formula, perhaps turning him into a weapon as he's shown to have the same healing abilities as Fine - he cuts his finger and silver liquid miraculously seals the wound. Whether that means he can split himself into multiple versions, has super strength and speed, and is able to morph into any person he chooses, we don't know, but it suggests Clark may find a physical opponent in Lex in the last episode.

Fine's way of attempting to have Lionel killed is a bit circuitous. Okay, so he can't touch the guy without being destroyed, but why doesn't he hurl the tractor at Mr. Luthor when he has the chance? That would save the whole business of pretending to be Jonathan Kent, a whole lot of time, and, the main point, would make the episode rather superfluous, so that's the answer. I'm never going to complain when they bring back John Schneider as, when he had worthwhile storylines, he was one of the best actors on the series. I love the way they've got him into a few episodes since his death, either as a video recording or Clark's near-death experience, which set us up to accept his appearance in this. You could say he's had better scenes while being dead than he got while he was alive! I was fooled for a short while after the teaser in which Jonathan turns up graveside to give Clark the mission to kill Lionel. Wanting Clark to kill someone, even Lionel, wasn't something you'd expect from Jonathan, but after the episode in which he did speak to Clark it was plausible in the continuity that he might appear like that. I never believed Clark would do it as that would be much too major an event, but it wasn't until he appeared at the Kent house and talked to Martha that I guessed he wasn't genuine and it wasn't long before we're shown it was actually Fine. Either way such a high concept opening (Jonathan returns from the dead to commission Clark to kill Lionel) made for a strong premise.

The rest of the episode is, as I described above, a bit of a wild goose chase, waiting for Clark to go for Lionel. It happens, Lionel helps him even more, and even provides the message which sets up the last episode: 'Zod is coming'. Much of what happens seems to be people talking about stuff to people they don't trust without confirming how much they know, so making for some odd conversations. Everyone is in on some part of the unfolding events except Lois! She's the odd one out, but has some nice scenes in which she proves a good friend to both Lana and Clark. In a way the joke's on her, because she thinks the biggest problems others are facing are boy/girl issues! Kind of funny when we're supposed to be in the midst of a plot for annihilation, and she's useful to lighten the mood and brings things down to Earth a bit. It was an especially nice ending with Lois giving Clark some friendly advice and then Chloe joining them. I'd like more of this happiness on a regular basis, but the next episode is guaranteed to end on a cliffhanger.

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