Rabid

DVD, Smallville S9 (Rabid)

'Smallville' was never one to avoid the zeitgeist, so I have to imagine that 2008 was when zombies were rising in popularity in the mainstream, hence a zombie episode (I'm not going to get into the accuracy of whether someone's a zombie if they just act like one and it was caused by a virus - not interested). It seems like a standalone story, but in the last scenes we find out that it was a Kryptonian ploy to smoke out what they think is Jor-El, although it was unauthorised by Zod and it all goes a bit 'Highlander' at the end when he executes his errant man by beheading. Shame the story wasn't as compelling as the concepts in that series. When you strip away the mindless violence (which doesn't affect anyone, anyway - apparently everyone, especially the virus-inflicted, are made of rubber, and happily bounce, especially if they're Lois, who gets thrown three metres against a wall at Metropolis General by the infected Tess, and a few seconds later shows no ill effects. Maybe her mass of hair cushioned the impact?), you're left with a standard story of Clark and the Scooby gang (these days it's Chloe and Dr. Hamilton), trying to find a cure. It doesn't take long, and the main story is fairly quickly resolved (just use a handy Kryptonite-tipped needle that LuthorCorp happen to have, and which they, what, stole? Were willing to give? How does Hamilton even know about it?), by using Clark's blood to develop an antidote, then seed it across the clouds over the city using the Queen jet.

The point is to have some action horror, and it's fine, even if, as I said, no violence has any consequences. Did Lois kill any of the infected that were after her? It can't have done their brains any good to be clonked with a fire extinguisher! I was really hoping everyone wouldn't wake up looking fully normal, especially Lois, who sags in Clark's arms and looks like she's lost her fire, but retained the bad teeth and black face gunge, but then, miraculously, seconds later she's back to full make-up face! What a virus. That's the trouble with the series: there's rarely any sign of damage for all the physical trauma ordinary mortals go through, or even scars. Unless you count mental ones, as modelled by Oliver Queen, who rips up the city on his bike, in bad boy persona, bitter about Clark saving everyone, and equating him in religious connotations that do no favour to his sense of humanity - even mockingly calling him a god is distasteful, not the least for Clark, who doesn't aspire to such heights, but Oliver also leads an officer of the law into conduct highly unbecoming, and fails in the simple charge of keeping Lois awake in the lift Clark leaves them in for safety. Couldn't he have given her one of his pills? He even burns the green costume at the end, rather than what I thought he'd do, and don it once again.

I didn't really understand the deal with the Justice League, and the mention of how Chloe's keeping them safe by spying on them and keeping them away from each other. Was that the gist? I'm starting to wonder if Hamilton is safe, as he's too good to be true and I'm expecting a double-cross somewhere along the line. It just sounded so odd, but it seems clear Oliver still isn't in the mood to lead the merry band. It's difficult having a group of superheroes in a series dedicated to one, as they can only steal the limelight, or they look weak in comparison, which may be reasons why the League are so rarely seen or mentioned, and are usually busy off in the world, thataway. Another group that's busy is Zod's Kryptonian fan club, who are integrating into society in secret (maybe blasting massive symbols representing each house wasn't such a good idea after all…), Tess worried her men will lose track of them if they don't locate them soon. Her concern doesn't stretch to her henchmen's wellbeing, whom she's quite happy to abandon to protect herself when the zombies attack at the mansion (and Lex' glass table, or another one like it, gets smashed again, Tess chucked through it). How did the virus get that far out into the country? As usual, it was pretty daft, but the action wasn't bad, Tess using a samurai sword to finish off her attackers, although the best was Clark trying not to do anything too super when he's protecting Lois, but not looking like he's protecting Lois during the rampage in the Planet.

That was one of the successes of the episode: Clark's abilities being used to good effect. The best example we don't even see, but that's the point, as Lois is telling him about this fire that's started, he offers to get some coffee, and then when he zips back in seconds his hand is slightly singed and he knows exactly how long The Blur took to put out the fire… That's impressive, but it was also nice when he uses his breath to lower the temperature of Lois' coffee so she'll go and get more, leaving him free for his next task. It was also a good use when he plays taxi service ("Do you get motion sickness?"), to carry Dr. Hamilton across town in seconds so he can find out about the virus at the hospital (why hasn't he done this more often?), and he carefully chucks some people up the stairs in the escape when Lois isn't looking. She's really liking him more and more, as expected, offloading stuff about The Blur and wanting to say something as she enjoys his nursemaiding of her injury, but changing the subject. He just seems more of a hero in her eyes, something you could never imagine her calling him a couple of seasons ago. She'll have to know his secret eventually, though, and it's a toss-up whether she'll ever forgive him for all the lies, half-truths and deceptions… I'm sure she will.

Clark symbolically puts Lana's photo away in an album, and then Lois visits him to say thanks, so we know where it's all going. What isn't so clear is where the Kryptonians' story is going, since it's still a mystery why they don't have the abilities that their people should have under the yellow sun. Maybe they need to spend more time outside rather than hanging around in dingy warehouses… Just a suggestion. It wasn't a particularly good episode, but by the low standards of the season, it was certainly the best so far, and I hope this trend continues, as by the end of the season we might actually get some properly entertaining stories, more character moments and meaningful events. One can hope… Although I wouldn't recommend it in this case if Lois' nightmarish vision (which she had in broad waking daylight this time, standing in the sunshine outside the Kent Farm), is a sign of things to come, with what appears to be Chloe's death foreseen. Knowing she didn't stay for Season 10, that seems a strong likelihood.

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