Fallout

DVD, Smallville S6 (Fallout)

It took a while, but the storyline that was begun in the opener has begun to heat up. Not something I'm thrilled about as it's another one of those 'collect them all' arcs where Clark or someone has to perform certain tasks, or find all the stones, or in this case, catch or destroy all the 'Zoners.' Even the name sounds rubbish. As usual they crammed in so much that it almost makes you forget that this isn't a story, but an anthology of plots that vaguely connect. It's probably no coincidence that there was no Green Arrow or Lois to brighten up the story, but we did have another failed reporter failing to report on a juicy story - Jimmy Olsen gets the idea that he can just waltz in and, using verbal ballet, get Lex to confess to some heinous crime he has no idea even exists. He's definitely fulfilling the role that Lois has recently taken on, making him something of a redundant part. But he's Chloe's redundant part, so maybe that makes a difference? Either way, he and Lois are likely to be stepping on the toes of each other's arcs if things carry on like this.

The opening was suitably 'yoofy' with a couple of cool, black teens slammin' some b-ball, if you know what I mean. The question is, why should we care? For a while I was thinking it might be the Cyborg guy from last season as I'm expecting him to appear again, but it was just someone who looked similar. I assume this guy (known as 'Baern' when he's taken over?), was the Bow Wow of the opening credits, and I also assume he's some kind of rapper or something as they usually have funny names like that. It seemed to be stunt casting of some kind, but it was lost on me. The actor was fine as this ordinary guy taken over by a crash-landed Zoner, but it was all a bit 'so what?' The same was true of Raya's reappearance. I was waiting for her to reveal herself as Clark's cousin, who would become Supergirl, but instead she whined on constantly about Clark's destiny and how great Earth is and how humans will annihilate themselves as the Kryptonians did. The only moment that had something was when Clark confides he feels alone as the only member of his race.

Another person convinced Earth will destroy itself appeared to be Lex, in conversation with Lana. Wonder of wonders, she's found some reasons why she shouldn't trust him - first Doctor Groll (as I at last realised - there was a lot of mumbling in this episode), warning her to get away from the Luthors, then promptly vanishing, and the incident with the Kryptonian thing Groll gave her in the box. It was only a few episodes ago but already I've forgotten what the point of that object was, some kind of weapon Zod was going to use - it really doesn't matter when we've had so many Kryptonian symbols and technology clogging up the stories, right back to the little ship's key. At least that was interesting. This was definitively an exposition episode, clogged up with backstory and references to the Brain interactive Construct, Brainiac; Clark having to face his destiny and train up like Jor-El wanted; and the Zoners. Somehow the Fortress gets rebooted, at least I think it does, it's all rather vague.

At least there was a scene in which Lana and Clark talk without baring their teeth, Lana learning to distrust Lex perhaps sees that for all Clark's faults he is good at heart? By the title of the episode you might wonder if it was referring to another argument between the two, but Clark actually shows her the info that was found by Jimmy (an illustration of the 'Zod box' as I'm going to call it from now on, which just happened to be on Lex' desk for all to see). The friendship of Chloe and Lana is mentioned by Lex, but I can't remember the last time we actually saw them together. Lana's scenes tend to take place either in the gloomy recesses of the Luthor mansion or in the Smallville Medical Centre. It's amazing she stays so tanned since she never sees real sunlight! It's all fake, I bet.

There is the odd moment that looks quite good, such as when the Zoner blasts Clark out of the barn, or when he throws Lex through a glass table. If he's so violent and unconcerned about walls and such-like, it seems very considerate of him to leave the Kent house by the door when he hears Clark's signal (apparently each one is unique to a Kryptonian family - the signal, not the door). I expected him to blast through a wall, but he even goes slow enough to close the door gently behind him, so Martha must have been pleased.

Lex' desire to take control is obviously spreading into world domination territory now as it's not enough to keep hold of his loved ones (if he's really got any), he thinks the whole planet is in danger and that only his intervention can do anything about it. Typically megalomaniacal, but it's not something the character arrived at logically, he's just been messed around with so much by the writers that he's been forced to be bad, when the semi-good Lex that wanted to walk the right path was so much more compelling. Corners were cut with the Zoner too. They saved money by having it take over a human rather than whizz around as a flappy thing. Not that it matters as the Zoner arc doesn't interest me. Let's get back to the Green Arrow and the formation of the Justice League, that's a far bigger draw!

The episode leaves Jimmy demoted to Chloe's basement after Lex almost gets him fired, she now has to keep the guy on a leash to stop him poking into the alien symbols (which he believes are Egyptian, the only funny moment in the episode), that could risk Clark's identity becoming known; Lana and Lex don't trust each other; and Clark must tick off a list of all the Phantom Zone escapees before they tick him off, and then maybe he can start preparing to rule the world? Not the most coherent episode, and I didn't have the slightest hint of sadness that Raya was killed off - she was slightly annoying, always going on about how great Jor-El was like she was his biggest fan. I didn't even get why she died. She took a blast from Baern, then that was all it took. Okay.

**