Metallo

DVD, Smallville S9 (Metallo)

A variation on the old freak-of-the-week theme, but Metropolis-ised to suit the way the series is now, though it still all boils down to a fight in a disused building, the only witness (Lois), conveniently being knocked unconscious (with the usual absence of any sign or effect of her being slapped across a room into some metal pipes - she has a tiny dribble of blood at one corner of her mouth, and no bruising to the face, has no need to take it easy for a few days, or shows any sign of back pain!), Clark having to fight the guy, and, this time at least, coming up with an ingenious way to win. That was one of the minor details that made me slightly more amenable to this episode than to the first of this season: Clark, up against (presumably 'Metallo,' since that's the name of the episode, and presumably this is a 'famous' villain from the comics whom I know nothing of), a Brian Austin Green with a Kryptonite heart, is affected as usual, and uses a sheet of lead plating, which he then heats up and welds to the guy's chest. Only that isn't what defeats him - he defeats himself by pulling the lead off and taking the heart mechanism with it. I'd already been spoiled that something was going to happen to Green's character, John Corben, as the DVD episodes menu had a picture of him as RoboGreenHeartMan. It's a shame that a good actor like him was used in such a manner, and so quickly. I thought he was going to be a recurring face for a while that would be in opposition to The Blur, thus cementing Lois' already strong devotion by his negativity. He could have carried proper drama, but instead they turn him into the standard enhanced villain.

He was fine as an ordinary human being, he didn't need to have some weird aspect added to him, even if it was a bit of an in-joke to have him turn into "a real-life Terminator," as Lois puts, he having been a cast member on 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,' and a proven actor because of it. I'm sure we'll be seeing Metallo again, since Tess and her minor minion mention that he's like a machine that has gone offline. At least there was more of a solid story instead of trying to introduce too much and race around without any thought, as happened in 'Savior,' with an actual theme appearing: Clark can never full turn away from his humanity. I was lamenting (maybe too strong a word, perhaps slightly missing), the fact that 'Smallville' isn't the same without Smallville in it any more (something vocalised by Lois, who says something similar, though she's referring to Clark, whom she always nicknamed 'Smallville'), so it was quite nice to return to the house where so many happy times (and many more unhappy ones), took place. Clark really ought to spare a few seconds for dusting, though, it can't be good for a dog to live in a place that choked with dust! Shelby's long-awaited return (not really), at least highlighted Clark's mundane attachment to ordinary life, even if he has neglected the chores - and neglect is the right word when you consider he could clean the whole house top to bottom in seconds. I always remember that episode from, I think, Season 1, where he has a massive party, cleans up, then we hear his parents clapping mockingly as they stand to one side, having seen what he's done!

Chloe too, recognises that Clark's not done being Clark, and is still looking backwards (the same as me as I watch the series, really), and that he isn't telling Jor-El about his attachment to Lois. That wasn't badly played this time, with Lois a willing sidekick, rushing to 'their' phone booth to report, and Clark tempted to reveal his face when she wakes at the end. I wonder whether she'll be disappointed or surprised when it eventually happens, but at least she's best buddies with Clark nowadays, over the moon at his return from 'visiting' 'his' 'cousins' (as told to her by Mrs. Kent, who gets two references this episode - Lois also mutters to herself about Clark's Mum not liking the state of her old place if she saw it, when she visits the farmhouse). Talking of which, the Kandorians, as Tess and minion refer to them, don't appear (except for the intriguing concept that when Zod arrived there were burn marks of other houses from Krypton, for each of them that came, including one of the House of El…), which may have been why this was a slightly more appealing episode, though it's suggested they were the ones that cyborg-ised Corben. They must be really good surgeons, as well as soldiers, right? And how did they know he was going to get run over, do they stand above the city watching, listening and waiting as Clark does? Doesn't sound like Zod's style. The lorry driver was heartless not to stop, and the aftermath of Corben's collision was rather gory, blood all over him, lying in a pool of it… I can't say I really felt sorry for him either, as he just walks out into the road without looking both ways, from between parked cars - very stupid, or careless.

The motivation of his sister, Rebecca, getting killed by a murderer that escaped a van Clark saved, wasn't the greatest, and very cliched, but I sort of got his point about Clark coming in and altering people's destinies. But what else can you do? You're either going to use your abilities, or not, and if you don't use them they'd be wasted, and if you do use them, not everything's going to pan out wonderful for everyone, but you can't hold him responsible for the actions of a murderer - otherwise you'd be saying he should spy on every citizen and stop them from even attempting crime of any kind, and then it becomes a Big Brother state of existence, with everyone under a watchful eye. He'd be a dictator, not a hero. So there were at least little things to make you think, which is commendable. I forgot that Dr. Hamilton was in on Clark's secret, or so completely on the inside that Clark goes to him for help, which makes the series feel rather different. He could do with someone to advise him, as Jonathan and Martha used to do, to help with the big questions (and the small).

In other news, Lois gets her job back at the Planet (did she ever really lose it?), by threatening Tess by saying she'll go to the Inquisitor and spill the beans about her alien takeover thing. Why doesn't she just go to work for that paper anyway, what's so great about the Daily Planet since Tess holds sway over it? Why would Tess even take a threat from her, she might as well just kidnap her or batter her about again? Maybe she secretly admires Lois' gall, or finds her more useful as someone to spy on, or is so desperate to find out what happened when she vanished, since she doesn't know about the trip to the future… It's all up in the air at the moment, but at least Chloe and Clark don't hate each other any more, even if she's a little lost when it comes to Lois and The Blur/Clark and Lois, while she plays piggy in the middle, unwilling to tell Lois the truth about his identity, and somewhat infuriated by Clark's attitude to heroism. She's softened on him a little, but thinks that, basically, he should stop messing about with little things like feeding the dog and get on with world-saving training. That's my take, anyway. It was nice to revisit the farmhouse, even for a short while, and even though it didn't add much to the story, because one of the series' great concepts was the weird and the strange and the dangerous, amidst the safe and the homely, something which was lost long, long ago. Even a reminder of homely, was something positive - we even see Chloe's at the Talon again, which I'd forgotten. So not as bad, but still a lot of improvement required.

**