Star Trek 2017 TV Series - Set After 'Star Trek VI'
The latest educated rumours claim the series will not be set in the Abramsverse. Thumbs up from me. What is nowhere close to being confirmed is whether this will be in the Prime Universe of all previous Treks, or a third timeline, which would be a thumbs down from me! The chosen period appears to have been confirmed as The Lost Era (as the novel series coined it), three quarters of a century between the final 'TOS' film, 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,' and the first TV spinoff, 'The Next Generation.' I can't deny that this no man's land of largely unexplored and unexplained chunk of time is one area of the timeline that has always intrigued me, though I'm much more interested in the latter years (when the Enterprise-C roamed the stars), than the former (the Enterprise-B's stomping ground), although at the same time I'd be wary of leading in to 'TNG' as I don't want to see young versions of famous 24th Century characters, just as I was far from keen to see new actors play the roles in the current film series: give us new characters or bring back the occasional old face in their role (I read a suggestion of Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf again, the Grandfather of his more famous Klingon of the same name, first seen in 'Star Trek VI'). I wouldn't be that interested in a USS Excelsior series, either, although it might be fun to have George Takei do a James Kirk in 'Generations,' boarding her for a cameo to send her off under a new Captain. While none of this is officially confirmed we may as well be talking about a completely unknown starship and crew, which I think is more likely, given the greater creative freedoms.
At the same time, the last Trek series, 'Enterprise,' was a prequel, and that was the first series that failed to run for its full expected length. And as much as I enjoy it, it remains the weakest entry in the canon, and I'm not even coming from the point of view that concerned many: complaints that they changed the timeline by introducing familiar concepts, characters or races before they were supposed to be known, because in every case there were extenuating circumstances that may have bent canon, but never broke it (the fantastic Borg episode might be the best example). But putting it after the original film series, yet before the TV spinoffs could be a mire of complex canon conundrums the like of which could make 'Enterprise' seem like a walk in the park. Would they keep to the technology of the time or do what the Abramsverse films did to 'modernise' and update the look for people that didn't know or care what the old look looked like? 'Enterprise,' 'DS9' and 'TNG' all showed that the original sets of the first 'Star Trek' could still look good and were a real historical era. The film series, with its bigger budget made them more detailed, but if they were to make it appeal to today's audiences could they use the same level of tech that that time period is supposed to have?
It's a big question, and is tied substantially to what universe we're in - if they were to continue the timeline and fill in the gaps as it sounds like they are, then they would be hard pressed to change things too much, which might prompt them to be 'freed' from canon by creating a third universe, but would push us down the road of comic book continuity, full of meaningless, empty 'history' that can be changed any time and has no solid base of reality, and what's more, getting too complicated for the average viewer that might be able to accept two timelines (if they were drawn in by the films they could go back and watch the originals), but three? And what would be the point of setting it in a recognisable era if not to deal with history and fill in a hazy time ripe for examination and exposure? I'm in two minds on the setting: I'd have preferred to go further into the future, post-'Voyager' and the 'TNG' films, where there was much more freedom in which to create, yet easily tie into any past character or race they wanted to (which is what each spinoff did to varying degrees, even 'Enterprise' - with time travel anything's possible, of course). And yet I always come back to the idea of constraint breeding creativity, and it's not like there are that many data points we know about the era, and what little there is could be fascinating, especially if they went back to doing Vulcans right!
Another issue that I haven't even mentioned yet is the suggestion that this may not be the typical Trek series: that we may not follow one cast of characters over multiple seasons across an overarching setup on one ship. Instead, it could be an anthology, which is both mindbogglingly exciting, and a little worrying. Because it's wonderful to dive into Trek's universe and wallow in familiarity, whether that be characters we like or a ship we want to examine in minute detail, that's one of the main draws to watch week after week, to have time to get to know the characters and how they react to each new problem or situation, where a serialised format tends to be less rewatchable and satisfying. At the same time, the potential rewards are almost too exciting to contemplate: a chance to revisit any favourite era of Trek! Imagine returning to Deep Space Nine for a Season, or following the USS Defiant during the Dominion War (or even the Enterprise-E!). It means we could have a season set in the post-'TNG' galaxy, we could have the chance to see what ramifications Romulus' destruction in the 24th Century had on the Federation and other major powers, or we could dip back to the just-missed-out-on Earth/Romulan War. The possibilities are tremendous, not to mention the ability to bring back old actors as their characters. But it would also mean that if you loved one setting and group of characters you'd be disappointed you weren't getting more of them, warping off to some other time and crew.
However, these are all mere speculations, and they don't really change my anticipation either positively or negatively because nothing is tied down (that's why this period of waiting is probably the most enjoyable time for a new Trek production, anticipation and imagination allowed to run riot, despite it probably having very little chance of living up to that), but it's hard not to comment on even the suggestion of such things. The best news I take from it is the avoidance of the Abramsverse, but I still wait for confirmation that Trek's chronology will be treated with respect. They've won me over by the list of those involved (even the Roddenberry name lives on with his son Rod's involvement, even if the name is likely all he'll be supplying), but I still await full disclosure on the big questions. But so far, things continue to look bright! One last thing to say: while it's such fun to speculate about old characters and settings, we should remember that one of the earliest press releases stated this would be about new characters exploring strange new worlds, so we're unlikely to see the familiar cultures or planets we care about so much. My excitement is tempered by this back to basics approach, but not extinguished.
Anticipation Rating: ****
Friday, 22 April 2016
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
cinema, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) film
It's tempting to call it Boredom V Stupidity, but it wasn't too boring, there was just very little reason to care - even less for me as I hadn't seen this world before, having missed 'Man of Steel.' But something happened very early in the film that informed me as to the way I was likely to watch this film and made me think I wasn't going to be drawn in enough to avoid nitpicking, and that was Bruce Wayne ringing the boss of his building and telling him to get his people out of there. He receives this call as he and his employees are standing, staring out of the window at the ensuing destruction caused by the fight between Zod and Superman, as buildings crumble and explode in front of them. If they had any sense they'd have been out of the building long before that point! And then, like a Captain that can't leave his sinking ship, the boss hangs around to witness more destruction and the building comes down around him. Wouldn't it have been prudent to escape with everyone else? But prudence isn't the domain of superhero films (these days? Or ever?), and as fine and dramatic as it is to see Wayne running towards a collapsing building's cloud of debris (probably the best shot of the film), I was already finding fault, which told me I wasn't being pulled in. It is weird to me that we live in a world where the same stuff is churned out like a factory - the same, regurgitated car with new, shiny coating. But the engine's broken down and it's leaking oil all over the museum pedestal it's been placed upon. And like unthinking drones we keep turning up for it, myself included.
Or perhaps that's a mean reading and we're actually hopeful and optimistic that the Next Big Thing, which is the same as the Last Old Thing, will be as good as the Once Great Thing. Certainly in terms of Batman films we've been well served over the last eleven years, but like the Bourne franchise, and most others, perhaps, we get something good and we want more, even though it turns out not to be such a good thing. The cinematic reboots keep coming thick and fast, Spider-Man only lasted two films before he's returning again (again), so in the space of fourteen years we'll have had three different Spider-Men. Batman did okay with just one in the last eighteen years until now. But this isn't a Batman film, and it isn't a Superman film. It isn't even a Wonder Woman film (thankfully). It's an amalgam, going for the same box office pull of the colourful 'Avengers,' and seemingly the same empty-headed action fare. Maybe superhero films have always been empty action fare, but that isn't the reason why I still like to rewatch the first two Spider-Man films, the Nolan Batman trilogy, and even a couple of the old Christopher Reeve Supermans. After the disillusionment inflicted by 'Age of Ultron,' I didn't think I'd get caught out again (even though I had no expectations, the Marvel filmography being take-it-or-leave-it for me), but I reasoned that this was a Batman-starring vehicle for the formation of the Justice League, emphasis on the starring part, and I ignored the bad reviews, hoping it would be enough to see my favourite masked hero again, as so many must have done, judging by the cash it's made. But it wasn't.
If you like comics, the film will likely appeal, and maybe even cheesy moments where the three heroes take a few seconds out to pose photogenically together in the face of the monster villain, will please you rather than make you wonder if this is actually some kind of spoof parody (yes, those words mean the same thing, but this film doesn't mind underlining itself so why shouldn't I?), but if you don't warm to the multiple continuities and difficult suspension of disbelief that comics demand you accept then it's not for you. And it wasn't for me. It's hard to go from something relatively intelligent, as seen in the Nolan Batverse, to something like a grim mirror image of the lightweight Marvel team-ups - even if the Nolan films weren't trying to be Shakespeare they did at least have something of a coherent plot, and a warmth and draw to the characters, where this film is hard to accept simply because it's those same characters that have become cold again, and there isn't a lot to connect with. I can't deny I'd much rather have had another instalment in the Nolan world, perhaps with Joseph Gordon-Levitt taking up the mantle, or even Christian Bale's Bruce returning from the 'dead'? But I wasn't too bothered that they were rebooting again as I become less interested in superheroes the older I get and the more I see of them! My experience wasn't coloured by sour feelings to the new cast, in fact I thought it would be interesting to see an older Batman, grizzled and tired (though they'd somewhat done that in 'The Dark Knight Rises'), and what he'd be like with the experience of age, and his supporters either gone or getting very old.
Except I couldn't see much difference between Affleck's Batman, and Bale's, except that we hardly get to see him do much as Batman, aside from post-fight with Superman where he goes off to rescue Martha Kent (was Batman's Mum really called Martha? I didn't have the required knowledge, but if so, as nice a moment as it was for him to realise it was wrong to take down Superman because their Mum's share the same name, it does make you think they weren't very original in naming characters back then, nor was it the most realistic reason to stop him from killing Superman). It was good seeing him take out multiple villains alone, but this Batman's a bit nastier, despite his Alfred being a lot younger than Michael Caine's, clearly less age difference, otherwise he'd be a decrepit old man, and barely still around to help (though there's no sign of Commissioner Gordon). Batman's taken to branding villains and no longer believes he's doing a worthwhile job because when one criminal's taken care of, another springs up in place. I suppose that's what they meant by a different Batman… Oh, and he has a little grey in his hair. Very daring. So no, there wasn't much point in going for an older Batman if he acted exactly the same, had all the same physical ability rather than having to use his brain and experience to counter his aged and strained body. As I said, there was a greater impression of a weakened Batman in 'TDKR.'
If the bangs and flashery make you think the film's all showboating, they do throw in the occasional attempt at theme, such as Superman's godlikeness being questioned and it becoming a Man V God struggle. In name only, of course, nothing's really explored, it just gives Superman something more to scowl about. The only thematic thread that worked was Batman ultimately not crossing the line: instead of branding the babbling Lex Luthor in his cell, he slams the brand into the wall as if realising his own failure to control himself previously, but none of the character was organic - Alfred showed disapproval, but I didn't get any sense of a man driven to desperation or being slightly unhinged to bring out such callous cruelty. And even Batman showing he won't cross a line had been better shown before. Lex was the Joker in all but white face paint, even setting up the same trick as the two boats thing from 'The Dark Knight,' or in fact the first 'Spider-Man': you have to choose between one innocent or the other, whether that's two boatloads of people, Mary-Jane or a cable car of children, or in this case, Superman forced to kill Batman to save Martha. I didn't like the Joker, but at least he was interesting.
Lex was merely annoying and never a serious contender for global villain, there because we expect him rather than having strong motivation or history with any of the characters. His whole purpose and role within this world isn't explained - is he a metaphor for big business, as his money seems to be his only asset and he uses it to influence politicians? He's allowed access to the alien ship and Zod's corpse, and by scraping the skin off the dead Kryptonian's fingers he's able to fool an alien computer into giving him full access?! This is supposed to be advanced technology and it can't even tell the difference between living tissue and dead? And how does he know the identities of Batman and Superman, or does he in fact know? Nothing is very clear, it's all muddily squashed together, and it's not like the film's running time couldn't have justified the time for coherence. There are nightmares, dreams and visions, though we're not sure which of those they are, and hearing those who know there comics talk, it's apparent that if you have that preexisting knowledge it's all part of other stuff, but to someone that only knows the basics it's completely inaccessible. I didn't even know how who knows Superman's identity and who doesn't - Wayne shows up for Clark Kent's funeral in Smallville and no one asks how he knew this journalist guy. 'Yeah I met him at a function a few days ago and spoke to him for all of five seconds so I felt I had to come.' And is it these same visions that prompt him of the coming of some evil being? I had no idea what his forebodings portended to.
Also, this world is far from the familiar, not even the Nolan series was so depressed and ugly. If I was struggling to see the differences between this Batman and the last one, then the biggest change seems to be that he isn't shy of using guns, even if they are still attached to the villain he's fighting, and doesn't mind if people die. Surprisingly we get a lot of that, although much of it happens in a nightmare - in that sequence the gun-toting riot police/soldiers, or whatever they were, never once fire, preferring to stand there waiting for him to knock them down or rush at him using the rifle as a melee weapon, all overly choreographed and extremely unreal. But it's okay, because it was all a dream. But then neither is Superman averse to a spot of killing, apparently, having already offed Zod in the previous film, and is a much moodier and grumpy son of Krypton than I've ever been used to. Less boy scout and more traffic warden with issues. And let's have Batman swear, because that's 'funny.' Maybe this Batman isn't as undignified as Adam West's cartoonish version, but while I wasn't enamoured of his standard look, in his armoured suit he comes close - in the first place, wearing a tank shouldn't make any difference against Superman, and in the second he ends up looking like a turtle who's been flipped onto its back. It's supposed to be about brains versus brawn, yet I never had that feeling: Batman shouldn't even be engaging in hand to hand fighting with this super-powered alien, he should have kept his distance and taken him out ingeniously, the way we know he could.
As has become the norm with these films (maybe all blockbuster franchises?), a lot of it is about setting up the emerging continuity rather than taking the opportunity to tell a story, something that reflects the world or makes you think about something, the film taking an intermission to show Lex' data on the other emerging 'meta-humans' who will be starring in their own films soon (the only good thing being that I thought the guy working on Cyborg was played by Joe Morton who was Dr. Hamilton in 'Smallville'). Nothing to do with this film, purely to get us excited about other films to come. Yet not realising that they need to make us care about characters in their own right, not from their famous names or legends. Maybe doing what it says on the tin is all we should expect - Batman did fight Superman, I can confirm, so I did get what I was expecting, but somehow I still went in hoping for more than that. More than the age-old and very tired device of replicating a child with an action figure in each hand repeatedly slamming them together. It may have been 'The Matrix Revolutions' that first began this trend that so many superhero films have followed - that's when I first became aware of it, anyway. There's nothing to grip onto, nothing to root for, not even the basic concept of good versus evil: it was a case of two people not trying hard enough to communicate, followed by pride and misplaced vengeance. If the whole film had carried it through, examining what misrepresentation and the refusal to see reality led to, but they were ultimately vindicated in their actions, we might have had a satisfying finale, built from the ground up, instead of a mishmash designed to get them artificially to fight.
That's cool, though, isn't it. It's the box office draw to see these two iconic figures fighting, but, like the misguided original idea for 'Star Trek: Generations' (which was that somehow we'd see Kirk's original Enterprise up against Picard's), there was really no realistic way to get the pair angry enough at each other for it to make sense. They just end up fighting anyway, because that was what was expected rather than it happening organically. And this is written by David S. Goyer who cowrote the other recent Batman films, with Nolan credited as an Exec Producer. Is that a case of putting the brand name on it in exchange for a ton of money, or did he genuinely have a big say in the direction and plan of the film? Something tells me the former, because his brand is usually pretty reliable. This being a superhero film it has to end with a bang, so when Lex has been dealt with, we then get Doomsday emerging like an Uruk-Hai from the Kryptonian ship. A pertinent analogy since it looks like Weta just reused the old Troll model they had kicking around on their hard drives. At one point in the climactic battle, Doomsday starts to morph into the bony, spiky version I recognise, but they didn't go all the way and it still looked like a Troll. It turns into the usual maelstrom of lighting effects, Wonder Woman shows up, having been a mysterious femme fatale who looks like she just stepped off the latest Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible,' and she's brought her whacking great sword with her - it looks a little ridiculous when this tiny, slender girl starts heaving around a gigantic blade, not only wielding the sword, but striking ten bells out of the massive alien monster! But that's comics for you, I suppose? They really weren't going for the reality level the Nolan films brought to the table.
One of the few characters that had any meaning was the Senator who opposes Lex' plans to weaponise Kryptonite and calls Superman to court. You can understand her motive, see she's a good woman, and then she's murdered in an explosion, along with a full courtroom, about the only time I cared about a character, because characterisation wasn't at the top of the To Do list for this film. As much as I like Laurence Fishburne (and it was fun to see him share another film with the guy who played Lok in 'The Matrix' sequels), it's jarring to see a well known character (Perry White), altered - again, not having seen 'Man of Steel' I didn't realise they'd changed a character's race. What next, swapping genders? In fact, I've since heard that Jimmy Olsen became Jenny for that film, although he was brought into the beginning of this one to be killed off, leaving me thoroughly confused! That's one thing I don't like about comics: nothing has a sense of reality because anything goes, and I don't understand the need to alter an established character's race to fit in with our modern understanding of diversity. I get that Hollywood films aren't diverse enough (although does Bollywood recast famous characters as, say, Asian?), but they should be creating new characters to add to the mix, not altering existing ones. It's only a small point, but it's something I've noticed in recent years, and the loss of internal consistency concerns me. That's one reason I like 'Star Trek' so much, because (for the most part), the actor is the character and we see them age across the years, like real history unfolding - pandering to please any section of the audience or grab headlines is a cynical way to go, good intentions couched in notoriety.
Too much of the film was built from the same Lego blocks that were used to construct all the other recent superhero films, and we see again the origin of Batman to jog our memories in case we'd forgotten, but because it's not a Batman film it's not that in-depth. A long film, it might have worked better as a miniseries on a TV budget. If Batman and Superman's rivalry had been more than mere bare bones physicality, which, by the way, never made sense (was Batman's armour sculpted from Kryptonite, or sprayed with the stuff? It still wouldn't make sense that he could stop a blow from Superman), so even the in-universe logic carried no weight (all Superman needed to do if he really did want to finish off the Bat was punch him in the mouth!). So I'm afraid they'll have to count me out for the next Superman film, and the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash films. At this point I'm not even sure I'd go and see another Batman, which is how low I esteemed this experience. Given the choice, I'd still rather see this again than sit through 'Age of Ultron' a second time, because I do at least have a kinship with these characters, while, though Marvel has been much more adept at blasting out its cinematic universe on a regular basis, they mostly have characters I care little about. If enough time passes I can imagine giving Batman another chance, but I didn't expect to be feeling that way, even while I had very low expectations of this film. There were many more holes I could pick, but I didn't have the energy to keep track, or the interest to think about them.
*
It's tempting to call it Boredom V Stupidity, but it wasn't too boring, there was just very little reason to care - even less for me as I hadn't seen this world before, having missed 'Man of Steel.' But something happened very early in the film that informed me as to the way I was likely to watch this film and made me think I wasn't going to be drawn in enough to avoid nitpicking, and that was Bruce Wayne ringing the boss of his building and telling him to get his people out of there. He receives this call as he and his employees are standing, staring out of the window at the ensuing destruction caused by the fight between Zod and Superman, as buildings crumble and explode in front of them. If they had any sense they'd have been out of the building long before that point! And then, like a Captain that can't leave his sinking ship, the boss hangs around to witness more destruction and the building comes down around him. Wouldn't it have been prudent to escape with everyone else? But prudence isn't the domain of superhero films (these days? Or ever?), and as fine and dramatic as it is to see Wayne running towards a collapsing building's cloud of debris (probably the best shot of the film), I was already finding fault, which told me I wasn't being pulled in. It is weird to me that we live in a world where the same stuff is churned out like a factory - the same, regurgitated car with new, shiny coating. But the engine's broken down and it's leaking oil all over the museum pedestal it's been placed upon. And like unthinking drones we keep turning up for it, myself included.
Or perhaps that's a mean reading and we're actually hopeful and optimistic that the Next Big Thing, which is the same as the Last Old Thing, will be as good as the Once Great Thing. Certainly in terms of Batman films we've been well served over the last eleven years, but like the Bourne franchise, and most others, perhaps, we get something good and we want more, even though it turns out not to be such a good thing. The cinematic reboots keep coming thick and fast, Spider-Man only lasted two films before he's returning again (again), so in the space of fourteen years we'll have had three different Spider-Men. Batman did okay with just one in the last eighteen years until now. But this isn't a Batman film, and it isn't a Superman film. It isn't even a Wonder Woman film (thankfully). It's an amalgam, going for the same box office pull of the colourful 'Avengers,' and seemingly the same empty-headed action fare. Maybe superhero films have always been empty action fare, but that isn't the reason why I still like to rewatch the first two Spider-Man films, the Nolan Batman trilogy, and even a couple of the old Christopher Reeve Supermans. After the disillusionment inflicted by 'Age of Ultron,' I didn't think I'd get caught out again (even though I had no expectations, the Marvel filmography being take-it-or-leave-it for me), but I reasoned that this was a Batman-starring vehicle for the formation of the Justice League, emphasis on the starring part, and I ignored the bad reviews, hoping it would be enough to see my favourite masked hero again, as so many must have done, judging by the cash it's made. But it wasn't.
If you like comics, the film will likely appeal, and maybe even cheesy moments where the three heroes take a few seconds out to pose photogenically together in the face of the monster villain, will please you rather than make you wonder if this is actually some kind of spoof parody (yes, those words mean the same thing, but this film doesn't mind underlining itself so why shouldn't I?), but if you don't warm to the multiple continuities and difficult suspension of disbelief that comics demand you accept then it's not for you. And it wasn't for me. It's hard to go from something relatively intelligent, as seen in the Nolan Batverse, to something like a grim mirror image of the lightweight Marvel team-ups - even if the Nolan films weren't trying to be Shakespeare they did at least have something of a coherent plot, and a warmth and draw to the characters, where this film is hard to accept simply because it's those same characters that have become cold again, and there isn't a lot to connect with. I can't deny I'd much rather have had another instalment in the Nolan world, perhaps with Joseph Gordon-Levitt taking up the mantle, or even Christian Bale's Bruce returning from the 'dead'? But I wasn't too bothered that they were rebooting again as I become less interested in superheroes the older I get and the more I see of them! My experience wasn't coloured by sour feelings to the new cast, in fact I thought it would be interesting to see an older Batman, grizzled and tired (though they'd somewhat done that in 'The Dark Knight Rises'), and what he'd be like with the experience of age, and his supporters either gone or getting very old.
Except I couldn't see much difference between Affleck's Batman, and Bale's, except that we hardly get to see him do much as Batman, aside from post-fight with Superman where he goes off to rescue Martha Kent (was Batman's Mum really called Martha? I didn't have the required knowledge, but if so, as nice a moment as it was for him to realise it was wrong to take down Superman because their Mum's share the same name, it does make you think they weren't very original in naming characters back then, nor was it the most realistic reason to stop him from killing Superman). It was good seeing him take out multiple villains alone, but this Batman's a bit nastier, despite his Alfred being a lot younger than Michael Caine's, clearly less age difference, otherwise he'd be a decrepit old man, and barely still around to help (though there's no sign of Commissioner Gordon). Batman's taken to branding villains and no longer believes he's doing a worthwhile job because when one criminal's taken care of, another springs up in place. I suppose that's what they meant by a different Batman… Oh, and he has a little grey in his hair. Very daring. So no, there wasn't much point in going for an older Batman if he acted exactly the same, had all the same physical ability rather than having to use his brain and experience to counter his aged and strained body. As I said, there was a greater impression of a weakened Batman in 'TDKR.'
If the bangs and flashery make you think the film's all showboating, they do throw in the occasional attempt at theme, such as Superman's godlikeness being questioned and it becoming a Man V God struggle. In name only, of course, nothing's really explored, it just gives Superman something more to scowl about. The only thematic thread that worked was Batman ultimately not crossing the line: instead of branding the babbling Lex Luthor in his cell, he slams the brand into the wall as if realising his own failure to control himself previously, but none of the character was organic - Alfred showed disapproval, but I didn't get any sense of a man driven to desperation or being slightly unhinged to bring out such callous cruelty. And even Batman showing he won't cross a line had been better shown before. Lex was the Joker in all but white face paint, even setting up the same trick as the two boats thing from 'The Dark Knight,' or in fact the first 'Spider-Man': you have to choose between one innocent or the other, whether that's two boatloads of people, Mary-Jane or a cable car of children, or in this case, Superman forced to kill Batman to save Martha. I didn't like the Joker, but at least he was interesting.
Lex was merely annoying and never a serious contender for global villain, there because we expect him rather than having strong motivation or history with any of the characters. His whole purpose and role within this world isn't explained - is he a metaphor for big business, as his money seems to be his only asset and he uses it to influence politicians? He's allowed access to the alien ship and Zod's corpse, and by scraping the skin off the dead Kryptonian's fingers he's able to fool an alien computer into giving him full access?! This is supposed to be advanced technology and it can't even tell the difference between living tissue and dead? And how does he know the identities of Batman and Superman, or does he in fact know? Nothing is very clear, it's all muddily squashed together, and it's not like the film's running time couldn't have justified the time for coherence. There are nightmares, dreams and visions, though we're not sure which of those they are, and hearing those who know there comics talk, it's apparent that if you have that preexisting knowledge it's all part of other stuff, but to someone that only knows the basics it's completely inaccessible. I didn't even know how who knows Superman's identity and who doesn't - Wayne shows up for Clark Kent's funeral in Smallville and no one asks how he knew this journalist guy. 'Yeah I met him at a function a few days ago and spoke to him for all of five seconds so I felt I had to come.' And is it these same visions that prompt him of the coming of some evil being? I had no idea what his forebodings portended to.
Also, this world is far from the familiar, not even the Nolan series was so depressed and ugly. If I was struggling to see the differences between this Batman and the last one, then the biggest change seems to be that he isn't shy of using guns, even if they are still attached to the villain he's fighting, and doesn't mind if people die. Surprisingly we get a lot of that, although much of it happens in a nightmare - in that sequence the gun-toting riot police/soldiers, or whatever they were, never once fire, preferring to stand there waiting for him to knock them down or rush at him using the rifle as a melee weapon, all overly choreographed and extremely unreal. But it's okay, because it was all a dream. But then neither is Superman averse to a spot of killing, apparently, having already offed Zod in the previous film, and is a much moodier and grumpy son of Krypton than I've ever been used to. Less boy scout and more traffic warden with issues. And let's have Batman swear, because that's 'funny.' Maybe this Batman isn't as undignified as Adam West's cartoonish version, but while I wasn't enamoured of his standard look, in his armoured suit he comes close - in the first place, wearing a tank shouldn't make any difference against Superman, and in the second he ends up looking like a turtle who's been flipped onto its back. It's supposed to be about brains versus brawn, yet I never had that feeling: Batman shouldn't even be engaging in hand to hand fighting with this super-powered alien, he should have kept his distance and taken him out ingeniously, the way we know he could.
As has become the norm with these films (maybe all blockbuster franchises?), a lot of it is about setting up the emerging continuity rather than taking the opportunity to tell a story, something that reflects the world or makes you think about something, the film taking an intermission to show Lex' data on the other emerging 'meta-humans' who will be starring in their own films soon (the only good thing being that I thought the guy working on Cyborg was played by Joe Morton who was Dr. Hamilton in 'Smallville'). Nothing to do with this film, purely to get us excited about other films to come. Yet not realising that they need to make us care about characters in their own right, not from their famous names or legends. Maybe doing what it says on the tin is all we should expect - Batman did fight Superman, I can confirm, so I did get what I was expecting, but somehow I still went in hoping for more than that. More than the age-old and very tired device of replicating a child with an action figure in each hand repeatedly slamming them together. It may have been 'The Matrix Revolutions' that first began this trend that so many superhero films have followed - that's when I first became aware of it, anyway. There's nothing to grip onto, nothing to root for, not even the basic concept of good versus evil: it was a case of two people not trying hard enough to communicate, followed by pride and misplaced vengeance. If the whole film had carried it through, examining what misrepresentation and the refusal to see reality led to, but they were ultimately vindicated in their actions, we might have had a satisfying finale, built from the ground up, instead of a mishmash designed to get them artificially to fight.
That's cool, though, isn't it. It's the box office draw to see these two iconic figures fighting, but, like the misguided original idea for 'Star Trek: Generations' (which was that somehow we'd see Kirk's original Enterprise up against Picard's), there was really no realistic way to get the pair angry enough at each other for it to make sense. They just end up fighting anyway, because that was what was expected rather than it happening organically. And this is written by David S. Goyer who cowrote the other recent Batman films, with Nolan credited as an Exec Producer. Is that a case of putting the brand name on it in exchange for a ton of money, or did he genuinely have a big say in the direction and plan of the film? Something tells me the former, because his brand is usually pretty reliable. This being a superhero film it has to end with a bang, so when Lex has been dealt with, we then get Doomsday emerging like an Uruk-Hai from the Kryptonian ship. A pertinent analogy since it looks like Weta just reused the old Troll model they had kicking around on their hard drives. At one point in the climactic battle, Doomsday starts to morph into the bony, spiky version I recognise, but they didn't go all the way and it still looked like a Troll. It turns into the usual maelstrom of lighting effects, Wonder Woman shows up, having been a mysterious femme fatale who looks like she just stepped off the latest Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible,' and she's brought her whacking great sword with her - it looks a little ridiculous when this tiny, slender girl starts heaving around a gigantic blade, not only wielding the sword, but striking ten bells out of the massive alien monster! But that's comics for you, I suppose? They really weren't going for the reality level the Nolan films brought to the table.
One of the few characters that had any meaning was the Senator who opposes Lex' plans to weaponise Kryptonite and calls Superman to court. You can understand her motive, see she's a good woman, and then she's murdered in an explosion, along with a full courtroom, about the only time I cared about a character, because characterisation wasn't at the top of the To Do list for this film. As much as I like Laurence Fishburne (and it was fun to see him share another film with the guy who played Lok in 'The Matrix' sequels), it's jarring to see a well known character (Perry White), altered - again, not having seen 'Man of Steel' I didn't realise they'd changed a character's race. What next, swapping genders? In fact, I've since heard that Jimmy Olsen became Jenny for that film, although he was brought into the beginning of this one to be killed off, leaving me thoroughly confused! That's one thing I don't like about comics: nothing has a sense of reality because anything goes, and I don't understand the need to alter an established character's race to fit in with our modern understanding of diversity. I get that Hollywood films aren't diverse enough (although does Bollywood recast famous characters as, say, Asian?), but they should be creating new characters to add to the mix, not altering existing ones. It's only a small point, but it's something I've noticed in recent years, and the loss of internal consistency concerns me. That's one reason I like 'Star Trek' so much, because (for the most part), the actor is the character and we see them age across the years, like real history unfolding - pandering to please any section of the audience or grab headlines is a cynical way to go, good intentions couched in notoriety.
Too much of the film was built from the same Lego blocks that were used to construct all the other recent superhero films, and we see again the origin of Batman to jog our memories in case we'd forgotten, but because it's not a Batman film it's not that in-depth. A long film, it might have worked better as a miniseries on a TV budget. If Batman and Superman's rivalry had been more than mere bare bones physicality, which, by the way, never made sense (was Batman's armour sculpted from Kryptonite, or sprayed with the stuff? It still wouldn't make sense that he could stop a blow from Superman), so even the in-universe logic carried no weight (all Superman needed to do if he really did want to finish off the Bat was punch him in the mouth!). So I'm afraid they'll have to count me out for the next Superman film, and the Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash films. At this point I'm not even sure I'd go and see another Batman, which is how low I esteemed this experience. Given the choice, I'd still rather see this again than sit through 'Age of Ultron' a second time, because I do at least have a kinship with these characters, while, though Marvel has been much more adept at blasting out its cinematic universe on a regular basis, they mostly have characters I care little about. If enough time passes I can imagine giving Batman another chance, but I didn't expect to be feeling that way, even while I had very low expectations of this film. There were many more holes I could pick, but I didn't have the energy to keep track, or the interest to think about them.
*
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
New Order
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S8 (New Order)
It's always very pleasant to return to the comfortable and familiar world of 'SG-1,' and the beginning of Season 8 is no exception, although it does suffer from the usual explosion of exposition and the usual TV season position of having the burden of the previous season's cliffhanger or hanging plot threads to deal with, while also setting up the new season and attempting to create a worthwhile story in itself. I originally saw this broadcast as two individual parts back in 2005 and it was edited by two different people for each part, so I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind making it a feature-length instalment on the DVD. Mind you, it may have worked slightly better as one story since Part I is a lot of discussion and Part II feels better balanced and has the advantage of a satisfying ending, though I didn't notice the delineation between episodes while watching. I felt Dr. Elizabeth Weir (was that a slight Irish lilt in her voice?), made a good impression, appearing both human and personable, yet also steadfast and strong in sticking to her decision not to allow them to rescue Colonel Jack O'Neill - until Carter was able to change her mind, her and Teal'c borrowing the Goa'uld ship with modded engine to search for, and petition the Asgard to assist him, since he was left encased in ice after using The Ancients' weapon to defend Earth at the end of Season 7. I didn't realise, and didn't recall, that Weir didn't remain boss of the SGC, though it dawned on me her face was one of the 'Stargate Atlantis' cast, a shrewd move in the setup for that series.
I'd have been happy for her to remain the top brass paper pusher at SGC, but equally, it was a good move to promote O'Neill (to Brigadier General), at least in part for saving Earth (again), but also in recognition of his many years of sterling service, and the fact that people do get promoted in the military and nothing stays the same forever, as much as I'd love it to. And in his first act as Base Commander, he in turn promotes Carter to Lieutenant Colonel, which is a touch nepotistic, but understandable, and hardly one of the most difficult developments to accept on the series considering its sci-fi nature! I don't remember how his tenure plays out, or whether he still goes along on missions, but he only took the post because Daniel points out that he'd be able to do whatever he wanted, at which point his eyes take on a faraway look and you can already see him planning things! That last scene where the four main characters are sitting round discussing the pros and cons is the best of the episode, and it's a great joy to see these four people that have gone through thick and thin, survived death and real world cast changes, once again relaxing with each other, having provided another valuable service. I don't care that it's not realistic that a military team would remain the same for so many years, it's a TV show, and those four are what matters.
Getting there was a circuitous journey in which, for much of the running time, they were split up, Carter and Teal'c taking the Goa'uld ship off, then Teal'c and Thor trying to save Carter, who in turn is counterpoint to the human-like Fifth of the Replicators, the mechanical race that somehow track down the Asgard's new home planet, Orilla, and taint it with their presence until O'Neill, still with the knowledge of The Ancients in his brain, is able to instruct the Daniel Jackson (Thor's ship, and an amusing aside for Daniel!), to construct a weapon capable of dismantling the critters. Meanwhile, Daniel's back at base assisting Weir in negotiations with representatives of the System Lords (including old and senile favourite, Lord Yu The Great), who want a treaty with Earth having seen Anubis taken out by their weapon, Baal the new big bully opposing them. Some good negotiating takes place with Weir showing her mettle, despite the Goa'uld holding the trump cards (they either don't believe Earth can use the weapon again and so they'd come and take it, or they 'leak' info to Baal that they 'can't' use it and he'll come and be destroyed), with the big bluff (they really don't know how to use The Ancients' weapon again!), working out - Weir demanding all Baal's territory if Earth defeats him! Camulus, one of the delegation, requests asylum, though it's probably a trick in the long run, as all dealings with System Lords invariably are, so in the end much of the episode was treading water to move other things into place while giving us a chance to see what Weir can do, though she could have been put under a lot more pressure if they wanted it dramatic.
Except this series isn't the most dramatic - it's very much like a less intelligent version of 'TNG,' concentrating on recurring characters and likeable main cast to keep us coming back, along with an almost impenetrable lore for those that haven't kept up to speed. I often feel like I'm having to do mental somersaults to keep up, not because things are so complex, but simply that the series expects you to remember all the characters and events that have taken place. To people that love it, no doubt that's an easy task, but for me, who merely enjoys it, but then wants to write about it, it requires concentration (not to mention a glossary!). In fairness, they do give us flashbacks or refreshers, such as the pre-credits montage reminding us of Fifth, the humanoid Replicator SG-1 were forced to leave behind back in Season 6's 'Unnatural Selection,' cruelly using his own humanity against him so he'd trust them. Understandably, he's peeved, especially at Carter who he believes he loves, though he doesn't understand her concept of free will, thinking that if he keeps her captive she'll reciprocate, even torturing her in anger, then placing her into a fantasy where she's living her ideal life, a year after having left the Stargate Programme, on a farm in Montana with Pete, her boyfriend. It's a tired trope if done without any twist, and it's not done with any twist - she knows right away that it's false, wanders around in wonder for a bit, then aggressively points out she's not going to go along with it. Again, it was like treading water, having the extra time, but not doing anything substantial with it.
Carter's mainly captive (and in the final scene we see Fifth has created a Replicator version of her to be with him, another well worn concept), though she and Teal'c do a bit of running and gunning, T giving his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, though he doesn't have a lot else to do - he now has a head of hair, which I don't recall him having last season, and O'Neill asks him twice why, not receiving an answer, but if I recall correctly, I don't think he has a symbiote any more, so it may be something to do with that. I assume: though it could just as easily be that Chris Judge requested the change. It would be nice if deeper change was to affect the characters than a new hairstyle, and it is to be hoped that will be the case this season: I suppose promotions are a good start, and yet there's that ever-present desire to keep things as they are so that the series can keep to formula, as almost all series' do. That's one of the reasons why this and 'TNG' are so relaxing to watch, because you know what you're going to get, whereas something like 'DS9' or 'Battlestar Galactica' is full of wrenching changes, thrives on them in fact (again, the series wishes it were 'Star Trek,' having the Prometheus (I think), hovering above Earth with lots of Trek dialogue, although it doesn't make sense the Captain requesting a translation of his message into Goa'uld as that's what Daniel does, isn't it? Surely if a computer program could do that he'd be redundant?).
The usual wry, offbeat humour is in place, sometimes in the very production itself, such as Dr. Jackson conversing with Thor, effectively talking to himself since he played both roles - I'm sure we've seen it before, but it's always amusing from a real world perspective, though wisely they don't play on it within that universe. Most often it's O'Neill's relaxed and disrespectful attitude that gets the humour going (such as when Weir informs of an invitation to dinner at the White House and he asks what they're having!), and as I believe this is his final season on the series, it's good to see him doing his stuff. But it's always nicer to see them all doing their stuff together, which brings me full circle to the problems season openers have, and why they can sometimes be less satisfying than a 'normal' episode: we have to juggle the pieces around to get things where they need to be on an ongoing basis, and naturally a season ender likes to mess things up big time so people come back to find out what happens next. But the political situation with the System Lords and Camulus should make things interesting; Fifth and fake Sam will be sure to return to cause more havoc; and whatever happens, I'm back in that familiar universe again, so even though this wasn't the epic kickstart to the season I thought it would be, to compete with the approaching 'Atlantis' (which I'm informed can be comfortably begun after this season, rather than jumping between series'), that's not the point, it served its function and now the season proper starts.
**
It's always very pleasant to return to the comfortable and familiar world of 'SG-1,' and the beginning of Season 8 is no exception, although it does suffer from the usual explosion of exposition and the usual TV season position of having the burden of the previous season's cliffhanger or hanging plot threads to deal with, while also setting up the new season and attempting to create a worthwhile story in itself. I originally saw this broadcast as two individual parts back in 2005 and it was edited by two different people for each part, so I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind making it a feature-length instalment on the DVD. Mind you, it may have worked slightly better as one story since Part I is a lot of discussion and Part II feels better balanced and has the advantage of a satisfying ending, though I didn't notice the delineation between episodes while watching. I felt Dr. Elizabeth Weir (was that a slight Irish lilt in her voice?), made a good impression, appearing both human and personable, yet also steadfast and strong in sticking to her decision not to allow them to rescue Colonel Jack O'Neill - until Carter was able to change her mind, her and Teal'c borrowing the Goa'uld ship with modded engine to search for, and petition the Asgard to assist him, since he was left encased in ice after using The Ancients' weapon to defend Earth at the end of Season 7. I didn't realise, and didn't recall, that Weir didn't remain boss of the SGC, though it dawned on me her face was one of the 'Stargate Atlantis' cast, a shrewd move in the setup for that series.
I'd have been happy for her to remain the top brass paper pusher at SGC, but equally, it was a good move to promote O'Neill (to Brigadier General), at least in part for saving Earth (again), but also in recognition of his many years of sterling service, and the fact that people do get promoted in the military and nothing stays the same forever, as much as I'd love it to. And in his first act as Base Commander, he in turn promotes Carter to Lieutenant Colonel, which is a touch nepotistic, but understandable, and hardly one of the most difficult developments to accept on the series considering its sci-fi nature! I don't remember how his tenure plays out, or whether he still goes along on missions, but he only took the post because Daniel points out that he'd be able to do whatever he wanted, at which point his eyes take on a faraway look and you can already see him planning things! That last scene where the four main characters are sitting round discussing the pros and cons is the best of the episode, and it's a great joy to see these four people that have gone through thick and thin, survived death and real world cast changes, once again relaxing with each other, having provided another valuable service. I don't care that it's not realistic that a military team would remain the same for so many years, it's a TV show, and those four are what matters.
Getting there was a circuitous journey in which, for much of the running time, they were split up, Carter and Teal'c taking the Goa'uld ship off, then Teal'c and Thor trying to save Carter, who in turn is counterpoint to the human-like Fifth of the Replicators, the mechanical race that somehow track down the Asgard's new home planet, Orilla, and taint it with their presence until O'Neill, still with the knowledge of The Ancients in his brain, is able to instruct the Daniel Jackson (Thor's ship, and an amusing aside for Daniel!), to construct a weapon capable of dismantling the critters. Meanwhile, Daniel's back at base assisting Weir in negotiations with representatives of the System Lords (including old and senile favourite, Lord Yu The Great), who want a treaty with Earth having seen Anubis taken out by their weapon, Baal the new big bully opposing them. Some good negotiating takes place with Weir showing her mettle, despite the Goa'uld holding the trump cards (they either don't believe Earth can use the weapon again and so they'd come and take it, or they 'leak' info to Baal that they 'can't' use it and he'll come and be destroyed), with the big bluff (they really don't know how to use The Ancients' weapon again!), working out - Weir demanding all Baal's territory if Earth defeats him! Camulus, one of the delegation, requests asylum, though it's probably a trick in the long run, as all dealings with System Lords invariably are, so in the end much of the episode was treading water to move other things into place while giving us a chance to see what Weir can do, though she could have been put under a lot more pressure if they wanted it dramatic.
Except this series isn't the most dramatic - it's very much like a less intelligent version of 'TNG,' concentrating on recurring characters and likeable main cast to keep us coming back, along with an almost impenetrable lore for those that haven't kept up to speed. I often feel like I'm having to do mental somersaults to keep up, not because things are so complex, but simply that the series expects you to remember all the characters and events that have taken place. To people that love it, no doubt that's an easy task, but for me, who merely enjoys it, but then wants to write about it, it requires concentration (not to mention a glossary!). In fairness, they do give us flashbacks or refreshers, such as the pre-credits montage reminding us of Fifth, the humanoid Replicator SG-1 were forced to leave behind back in Season 6's 'Unnatural Selection,' cruelly using his own humanity against him so he'd trust them. Understandably, he's peeved, especially at Carter who he believes he loves, though he doesn't understand her concept of free will, thinking that if he keeps her captive she'll reciprocate, even torturing her in anger, then placing her into a fantasy where she's living her ideal life, a year after having left the Stargate Programme, on a farm in Montana with Pete, her boyfriend. It's a tired trope if done without any twist, and it's not done with any twist - she knows right away that it's false, wanders around in wonder for a bit, then aggressively points out she's not going to go along with it. Again, it was like treading water, having the extra time, but not doing anything substantial with it.
Carter's mainly captive (and in the final scene we see Fifth has created a Replicator version of her to be with him, another well worn concept), though she and Teal'c do a bit of running and gunning, T giving his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, though he doesn't have a lot else to do - he now has a head of hair, which I don't recall him having last season, and O'Neill asks him twice why, not receiving an answer, but if I recall correctly, I don't think he has a symbiote any more, so it may be something to do with that. I assume: though it could just as easily be that Chris Judge requested the change. It would be nice if deeper change was to affect the characters than a new hairstyle, and it is to be hoped that will be the case this season: I suppose promotions are a good start, and yet there's that ever-present desire to keep things as they are so that the series can keep to formula, as almost all series' do. That's one of the reasons why this and 'TNG' are so relaxing to watch, because you know what you're going to get, whereas something like 'DS9' or 'Battlestar Galactica' is full of wrenching changes, thrives on them in fact (again, the series wishes it were 'Star Trek,' having the Prometheus (I think), hovering above Earth with lots of Trek dialogue, although it doesn't make sense the Captain requesting a translation of his message into Goa'uld as that's what Daniel does, isn't it? Surely if a computer program could do that he'd be redundant?).
The usual wry, offbeat humour is in place, sometimes in the very production itself, such as Dr. Jackson conversing with Thor, effectively talking to himself since he played both roles - I'm sure we've seen it before, but it's always amusing from a real world perspective, though wisely they don't play on it within that universe. Most often it's O'Neill's relaxed and disrespectful attitude that gets the humour going (such as when Weir informs of an invitation to dinner at the White House and he asks what they're having!), and as I believe this is his final season on the series, it's good to see him doing his stuff. But it's always nicer to see them all doing their stuff together, which brings me full circle to the problems season openers have, and why they can sometimes be less satisfying than a 'normal' episode: we have to juggle the pieces around to get things where they need to be on an ongoing basis, and naturally a season ender likes to mess things up big time so people come back to find out what happens next. But the political situation with the System Lords and Camulus should make things interesting; Fifth and fake Sam will be sure to return to cause more havoc; and whatever happens, I'm back in that familiar universe again, so even though this wasn't the epic kickstart to the season I thought it would be, to compete with the approaching 'Atlantis' (which I'm informed can be comfortably begun after this season, rather than jumping between series'), that's not the point, it served its function and now the season proper starts.
**
The Gift
DVD, Voyager S4 (The Gift)
We continue where we left off, with a sleeping Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of, etc… Except this time she's vertical rather than horizontal (which is an improvement of sorts, though it hasn't sweetened her bad temper at being caught in the grip of lowly humans), in the midst of the Borg alcoves and paraphernalia left behind by the pale and pasty-faced ones, and a creepy place it has remained, perhaps even more so because only one Borg remains, and a Borg alone is somehow more disturbing than a whole herd of the mindless creatures, though it was probably a reassuring architectural environment for Seven (as she's not yet called). And so begins the battle for one woman's soul, a girl that had been abducted at a young age, it's speculated that she and her parents may have been the first humans to have been encountered by the Borg (having last made contact with Deep Space 4, a location previously mentioned in 'The Chase' on 'TNG'), unless we're counting the 21st Century humans, although of course the Borg never made it down to Earth in 'First Contact' so they didn't actually meet any - until 'Enterprise,' where 22nd Century scientists did find some leftovers, but that was created years after this episode so they had no idea, and it was covered anyway because no one ever knew they were Borg so Janeway wouldn't even have found reference in the Starfleet Borg files!
I wonder if it was too early to be giving even this many details away about the new cast member, except that I realise too many modern series' and films are intent on withholding information in the hopes mystery will keep people watching. And it seems to work, but can be infuriating as it becomes more important than character development and story, the idolised special ingredient which should be just one of many in the cooking. When I think of it that way I'm glad they went the route of not hiding too much, but giving us a taste of who this person is and why we should care. Because it isn't a serial, despite a serialised nature in terms of characters developing and growing, and the constant search for and drive to get home as the series' core concept. The humanisation of Seven's aesthetics was too quick, as we might have had several episodes where she gradually became more human-looking instead of the metamorphosis taking place largely across one episode. I can see why they wanted to get to her standard look on the series in case people were scared off that this ugly, scary-looking horror film monster was going to be what confronted them each week, but going from that to supermodel was too much. From the makers' perspective they'd had two episodes with the Borgified Seven, and having already released cast photos revealing her human visage, they probably felt it was necessary to get to that point as quickly as possible, thereby missing an opportunity for physical rehabilitation across the season, belying the psychological difficulties, and perhaps making it appear too easy to be liberated from the Collective?
It could be said that it was also a cynical move to attract their chosen demographic by pouring the poor Jeri Ryan into the extremely tight-fitting silver catsuit that became infamous for almost making her faint. It certainly was striking, and showed the intent to shake things up on the series which they'd already done each season by adding to the drama and action, leaving behind old enemies, and going beyond even their Delta Quadrant allies' knowledge. I suppose we should have expected nothing less from the Doctor, who takes credit for the design of her outfit, both for rehabilitation purposes and aesthetics. It's believable that they could stimulate her hair follicles to grow a fine head of golden hair, and it's probably more dramatic than having her remain bald, as it's such a strong contrast between her Borg look and human. But if we thought her problems were over by the regrowing of her hair and the wearing of a somewhat old-fashioned outfit (old sci-fi often seemed to think the future was about the wearing of tin foil, as well as women in tighter clothing, whether that were futuristic space dramas or the contemporary-set 'The Avengers' with Emma Peel's catsuit), her malice and cunning were just beneath the surface and would continue to be a threat.
Harry Kim, acting a little green even after three years in space, with various female difficulties (though it hadn't quite become a running joke yet in the same mould as the annual torture of Chief O'Brien on 'DS9'), gets a taste for the drone's deceit when she seizes upon a chance to contact the Borg and sends the Ensign flying into a security guard, a scene apparently setting him up to be her admirer before she'd even adorned herself with silver threads. She later admits to Janeway she'd intended to assist the crew in removing the Borg modifications to the hull, but had seen an opportunity for escape and taken it, so there's a strange mix of compliance and rebellion that demonstrates the confusion of the kind a teenager may experience. But she's not just any 'teenager,' in the case of her position she's also a drug addict that's being forced to go cold turkey against her will. These themes of Mother/daughter angst and the horror at having to accept a new way of life are what makes this a compelling episode. It doesn't have the same kind of urgency and danger (though there's a tinge of that when Seven turns on them, or Kes' powers increase to dangerous levels), and it's not completely fulfilling given this is Kes' last regular episode, but it was better than I thought it was. It is a direct continuation of the situation Seven has been put in and we see it from both our crew's perspective and her own (literally in the case of her first person enhanced visual acuity and disorientation sequences).
If the catsuit was a statement of intent to drive up male viewership in the easiest and laziest way possible, we're reassured that this is an actress who wasn't cast purely for her looks, but can act, and act well. Her range of reactions and mood swings, our sympathy for the psychological and physical pain she goes through bonds us to this intruder in the happy Voyager family, with Janeway as dedicated to saving her as she was in her decision to strand the crew in the Delta Quadrant in the first place. She's both stern and sympathetic, giving tough love, and both performances are powerful in their intensity and reality. Seven was designed to introduce greater conflict into a series that was trying to be like 'TNG,' which itself had hard rules about no conflict between the Starfleet characters, under Gene Roddenberry's express desire to show unity. So instead of branching out and incorporating the Trek ideals, while also experimenting with the formula (as 'DS9' did so effectively), they brought conflicts to a speedy resolution, which is a laudable goal in itself, but denied more satisfying resolutions over time. Adding Seven into the mix brought back that potential in a way that was both rewarding and hopeful, in line with the ethos the series aimed to emulate. In short, bringing aboard a human-turned-Borg and try to return her humanity to her, was a masterstroke of genius, at the same time continuing the tradition of the outsider commenting on human society and experience, just like Spock, Data, Odo and the Doctor.
Hold up there, we already had a character to do that on the series: The Doctor. You might even say Tuvok shared that role, though he was much more buttoned down, being a full Vulcan, and even Neelix had that element to his wanderer fallen in with this group. To go further, B'Elanna Torres with her hated Klingon heritage and Maquis past, and Paris, a former offender, had that potential also. So a good half of the main cast were already in prime position to provide the outsider viewpoint, and perhaps they had over the years, to varying degrees, but as noted before, much of the differences had been ironed out early and things were generally pretty smooth on the good ship Voyager at this point, notwithstanding Chakotay's reservations with some of Janeway's decisions (it might have been useful for his character to have a strong anti-Seven stance, continuing his attitude against allying with the Borg - just when he's got over that, she brings a Borg aboard permanently, and then Seven could have won him over, perhaps initiating a more organic friendship between them, instead of the way things actually went…), so the time was ripe for a source of internal dissension not really seen since the elements of the Maquis and Seska's clique were causing trouble in Season 2.
The big question of the episode is whether it's right for someone to be forcibly saved from their life when they don't wish to be. Is it better for a drug addict to have their freedom on the streets, and the choice to destroy their own life, rather than a forced rehabilitation against their will? I think the answer is pretty clear that Seven isn't thinking as clearly as she would be if she didn't have the Borg programming that had provided a haven most of her life. She's fearful of an unknown world outside her considerable comfort zone of mindless service to the Borg, terrified of being alone after having the countless billions of voices in her head, a clear purpose and function, designation and routine. To have the possibility of freedom thrust upon her is too much to take. She even says that she's small and your heart goes out to her as she struggles with the alien concepts that were once her birthright, but were taken, surgically removed from her, to become Borg and know nothing else. Her world is shaken to bits and she'd rather die than accept that. Early on I was wondering how far they had gone to accede to her wishes: did they do everything in their power to keep her Borg implants working or did they use the rejection of her human biology reasserting itself over the cybernetic as excuse to make her like them? That's really at the heart of the story: is it right to change someone from being different to being like us, even if we know it's better for them?
In the case of the Borg they had already done that to her, taking what she had, so it's really a case of restoring her to her original condition, or the potential that condition held for the best life possible. In that way it's almost a commentary on sin, and whether people should be allowed to live in the darkness which they're comfortable with, or introduced to the light, as painful as it could be, but ultimately saving their soul. Janeway isn't God, for sure, but wants the best for this human who has marched unceremoniously into their lives. She's the sort that will interfere in the cause of right, but even if she wasn't, it wouldn't be safe to do what Seven wants, and leave her on a planet with a transponder to alert the Borg, because that would also alert them to Voyager's general location. And her implants are being rejected, her true nature, despite it being against her mind, is taking over, survival is kicking out the Borg from her system. If the question of the right to destroy your own life wasn't enough, she also has to deal with the similarly difficult issue of identity. Being part of the Collective had been enough, and the identity she lost to them, Annika Hansen, was a child, while she is no longer a child. Yet she hasn't been allowed to develop mentally, and can't see beyond her 'programming.' When it comes down to a decision being made, Janeway takes the initiative.
Isn't it a bit fast for the Borg technology to be rejected? She'd been assimilated for years, and we've seen others isolated from the Collective before (Hugh, the best example, though Captain Picard was another, and even the ex-Borg of 'Unity'), and they didn't immediately begin rejection proceedings! It all makes sense when you consider the influence of the Borg Queen and how her wishes play into the scenario, making sense of such rapid advances towards regaining humanity. Yet the adaptation does stop suddenly at a point - Seven never really regains her full emotions (though advances are forthcoming eventually), and remains reliant on the remnants of her Borgification for survival, so her biology can only go so far in saving her. This makes sense from both a story perspective and for drama, because if she continued to develop at that rapid a rate as in this episode, she'd have become fully human in a couple of episodes, no problem. But it's her struggle that provides appeal, that's what we want to see each week. And it does make logical sense, too, as her initial rejection of the implants was from isolation, no longer having the dependence on the Collective and its technology. So everyone's happy… except Seven.
Rapid development is the name of this episode's game, and while Seven had to metamorphose for the sake of getting us to the baseline of what we could expect from the series from this point, Kes, too, had to make her change and departure because they didn't want to keep her on. In truth she could easily have remained part of the cast - this episode doesn't feel overburdened with characters, and while some got short shrift (Paris and Torres, for example), the mix was a good one. As this was Kes' final regular appearance on the series it was fitting that she spent most of her time with the three she was closest with: The Doctor, Tuvok and Neelix. I'd forgotten that they had dealt so well with her, remembering mainly the changes she was going through and the ultimate destination, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that even Neelix wasn't overlooked as he had been after their break-up in Season 3, with a scene of reminiscences where they reconnect, something badly needed considering how their friendship was treated latterly. I'm with Kes, Neelix never held her back, and in fact provided a safe haven and devoted companion for her, entertaining and caring for her in equal measure, and I always felt it was out of character of her to summarily abandon him in the way she did. It wasn't as if they really did anything with her to warrant such a change, either, and it harmed more than helped both characters. But I suppose that was the reasoning behind letting the Ocampan go: she just wasn't fertile ground enough for story potential.
Or so the writers seemed to think. But when I've watched those first three seasons again, I've come to appreciate Jennifer Lien's skill and talents far more than when I first saw the series, she added greatly to the chemistry between the characters, and it wasn't her fault that the writers failed to see the huge potential in a character that may only live for nine years. Of course, if she'd been hugely popular and the breakout character they'd have found ways around her short lifespan, even if there had been 'Voyager' films (which there really, really needed to be!), but it was an amazing chance to explore mortality and a life sped up compared to our own. They should have developed her more rapidly, they should have shown her ageing, dealing with her body losing what it had before, but gaining mentally in terms of wisdom and powers, and finally a natural death that would have been heartbreaking in its truth to life. Seeing someone like Jake Sisko grow up from boy to young man is the closest I can imagine to how it might have been, and would have required serious effort and the acceptance that the series would need to change as it went along, and embrace that rather than try to keep completely to formula, but the trouble is, that potential wasn't realised, in Kes, and sadly in the fullness of the series itself, as great as it was.
No blame can fall on Lien. She remains a bit of a mystery, rarely having spoken about her experiences or thoughts, and sadly from reports, it sounds like life didn't treat her too well after her Trek experience. But if she was angry at being released from her contract, or resentful, I have no idea because she was an absolute professional in terms of completing these two Season 4 episodes while not being officially part of the cast any more. Kes is a figure of calm and warmth (she's almost turning into a warm version of Season 1 Jadzia Dax, who was wise, but quite cool as opposed to vibrant as she became later), accepting of what's happening to her, and quietly, soberly ready to embrace the next stage of being, or whatever it is, we don't really know. Perhaps it was Lien's professionalism and grace that led to the character's return in Season 6's 'Fury,' because I can't imagine she'd have been asked back, an episode written for her especially, if she'd left under a cloud of anger. That later episode is a tribute to someone that was a large part of the series. It's not like cast members leaving, or being asked to leave, was a new concept for Trek (see Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Diana Muldaur and Wil Wheaton for details), and she wouldn't be the last, either. At the same time, back then I wasn't concerned with her absence as I was young enough to accept whatever was offered up, as What Must Be, not old enough to really question choices and decisions and to envisage my own impression of what might have worked better, or less, well.
Leave she did, however, and her legacy was a knock-on effect for others of my favourite characters: Neelix had been stripped of much of his character's import already, and this was another nail in his screen-time coffin, and Tuvok, the mentor to her mental abilities, had another string to his lute pulled away (though I like the friendly familiarity between him and the Captain, a callback to Season 1 in particular when he tended to be the person she turned to for help in judgement, whereas she became more singleminded as the series progressed). Tom Paris is the only one of Kes' main friends not allowed a moment with her, hearing about her impending emergency exit over the comm from Janeway, with everyone else on the bridge. But I did like that they cut to his surprised expression as it came through, a small concession to someone that had been close. Tuvok gets to be her mentor one last time, although I did question when he started encouraging her manipulation of the lamp whether it was a good idea - back in Season 2 when her powers first began to manifest, she burned the Vulcan horribly when losing control over mind-brewing a cup of tea! Still she'd come a long way since then (now she can see beyond the subatomic and manipulate the matter between!), and it was a lovely reminder of his days tutoring her. It was also typically noble of Tuvok to arrive en route to Kes' departure to give her one last mind meld with which she could hold herself together until she was safely away from the ship, no matter the cost to him (reminiscent of his dance steps for Neelix).
I didn't quite understand the story of Tuvok's lamp, which Janeway claims they bought from a Vulcan master who doubled the price upon seeing their Starfleet insignia. First, they don't have money in the 24th Century, second, Vulcans are part of the Federation so presumably they don't either, and third, was he supposed to be anti-Starfleet if he made a fellow Vulcan pay double, or was Janeway just embellishing? If so, it was a good story, but it doesn't stand up to logic, essential if you're going to discuss Vulcans! The Master sounded more like a Ferengi trader, but I can't imagine Tuvok and Janeway being taken in by a Ferengi disguised as a Vulcan - it's all in the ears… Vulcanness has always been very important to me, and getting my favourite race right has been a contentious issue in almost all 21st Century-produced Trek ('Enterprise' taking the lion's share of the blame for setting the precedent that Vulcans of the 22nd Century were actually far from noble, rational and logical, and were in fact extremely cunning and emotional, which spilled over into 23rd Century Vulcans in the Abramsverse films!), Tuvok being the last true Vulcan, in my mind. So I liked all the Vulcan stuff such as Tuvok's greater strength being required to keep Seven in place when she starts to behave erratically in the Cargo Bay (even if the EMH's strength parameters technically should have allowed him a vice-like grip that would have rivalled Tuvok's organic ability in the same manner Data was stronger than Worf).
The Doctor does at least get to show his eye for detail, not just in crafting the structure of Seven's 'regeneration' suit (which could have been emphasised more in the dialogue to legitimise its style), for want of a better word, but in producing a nice eye to replace the Borg implant that was a rather stark reminder of her previous nature and would have been out of place - the far more aesthetically pleasing eyebrow piece (over her left eye in the same position and almost in the same style as Chakotay's tattoo - were they trying to hint at the future?), adding to the look much better. The Doctor's artistic abilities had yet to be fully realised as this was long before his love of opera and painting nudes! As usual, he gets some nice moments, such as when he interjects in that sunny, but thoughtless way that had become his norm, and gets closed down by a hard look from Janeway. But it's the moment Kes requests to keep helping him in Sickbay, despite her affliction that is the most touching as we linger on his face showing a kind of sadness, but pride for the medical assistant that had caused him to think of himself as 'a real boy,' to borrow from Data's association with Pinocchio. I'd have liked to have seen more discussion along the lines she and Neelix have, with him having the chance to thank her for the changes she inspired in him and his acceptance among the crew, who found it difficult to adjust, not just because he was new technology, but because he was seen as another tool, like the Holodeck or Replicator, where Kes saw a skilled physician.
If the episode isn't satisfying enough in its short running time as to give us powerful farewells between Kes and each of her friends, it does succeed in a most emotional scene between her and Janeway in her quarters, where, despite the Captain's other concerns (getting the Borg tech off the hull, dealing with an angry prisoner), she finds time to discuss the situation with Kes. Of course she rather had to, with Tuvok advising her that Kes could become a danger to herself and the ship, so it should have been very high on her priority list indeed, but in contrast to the forceful sanctions and strict rules she lays down the law upon Seven, she sees what's happening to Kes and though she questions it, she doesn't set herself against the young woman who is going through an almost religious experience, entering a new realm of existence that may have been the Ocampan destiny in the first place if they'd been allowed to explore their abilities. They even have a rationale for the increased changes: activated by Species 8472's telepathic contact.
For me, they didn't even need to have that, as it could have been coming anyway when you look at Kes' development over the three seasons aboard Voyager where she was allowed to shine and grow, and always had far more ambition and delight in learning than Neelix, her constant companion, ever did. Likewise, she brought delight into his life and made him think differently, and there was a certain freedom from knowing she had such a short lifespan that anything she felt she wanted or needed to do, she did, Voyager proving a ship of opportunity. One of her most telling lines is one about if she were Captain she'd peer into every crack in the Galaxy, and it is that wonder and childlike curiosity that never leaves her, along with her ability to accept change. There's also something fun about seeing the smallest, weakest character on the ship (Naomi hadn't yet become a recurring character), suddenly with the powers of Darth Vader, whipping a medical tool across Sickbay by thought alone, and even becoming a modern Gary Mitchell, though thankfully she remained benign to the end, curing Seven by disintegrating the implant in her brain, and of course giving the ship a boost away from the Borg. In light of Bryan Fuller's appointment as head of the fifth TV series, it's interesting to note that it was he who was given the task of removing Kes from the cast, coming up with her exponential growth and transformation as a believable, fitting end for the character. Let's hope he hasn't lost his 'Star Trek' brain in the years since!
Above all else, Kes was a character of great compassion and wanted to help as many people as possible, whether that was through medical support or taking a stance, and so she does, one last time, by giving her friends a gift of a push ten years closer to home and out of the dangers of Borg space. I don't know how they knew where or how big Borg space was, or how the Borg would be kept to one area of space, but I just have to remember the vastness of the distances we're talking about in space and be content with that. But it was a lovely last act from a good friend as her beatific smile is turned into radiance and she transforms into a creature of light. The final shot of Tuvok standing looking out of his window with the lamp burning for his former friend is both a gentle ending to speed us on our way, and a show of technical ability (the camera pulls away until we see the whole ship), something that wasn't really possible until then. The ship was beginning to be used more organically instead of a stiff, unchangeable physical model. It had begun with the Borg modifications which added a green glow to the hull - maybe they should have kept those additions as enhancements, although I can understand them wanting the purity of a Starfleet ship to be unaltered by alien parts, something that would have been a logical step in their survival. But Janeway had shown from day one that she was going to do things the Starfleet way, and being a fully Starfleet ship was an important statement of the series. So although, technically, the series could show alteration and damage, they seemed to prefer the symbol of a whole, Starfleet ship as important to the integrity of its mission and Captain.
It would seem uncharitable to question whether a more exciting ending, with the Borg closing in and Kes their only chance to get away, might have worked better, because it's such a gentle goodnight, with both the requisite Trek air of hope for the future and personal potential being given the time to shine, which it might not have had in a headlong dash to escape pursuit, no matter the increase in drama. We get to see humanised Seven who enters into hopeful dialogue, reassuring she won't try to get them assimilated again, though I felt the glint of duplicity in her eye, and even Janeway must suspect her change of heart too easy. Ease is the last thing Seven would bring to the series, but already her bond with Janeway is forged - when she starts throwing herself against the forcefield in the Brig and Ayala asks the Captain down (as usual, she doesn't get an account of what's happening, and even on arrival he barely raises his head, continuing to tap away at a screen when he should have quietly filled her in - maybe he spoke to her again when she was on the way and we just never saw that moment, nothing to do with them not wanting an extra to have more lines so he'd have to be paid more, I'm sure…), she goes into the cell even though Seven snarls out a threat to kill her. Though Seven goes to half-strike her in her anguish at the past she's being confronted with, it ends in a stumble with Janeway hugging and supporting her in her pain and it's such a good encapsulation of the dedication Janeway has to her crew and the direction they would go in as she became a surrogate Mother to this lost girl.
The role Seven gained on the series is so strongly marked out even in her first proper episode (in 'Scorpion, Part II' she was merely a Borg drone), going full-on outsider right from the off, criticising Janeway's ways and hypocrisy - she asks if, when Janeway's satisfied that she's no longer influenced by the Borg she would still let her go if it was her own free will at that point and Janeway responds that she won't want to then, and having someone be so accusatory and judgemental on the society and rules that we take for granted in Trek could only be a good thing: checks and balances, even though ultimately it would be shown that there was a person still inside that hard Borg outer shell, and one that could recuperate and become a valuable member of society, whether that is a mirror for an addict of any kind, or someone with a mental condition such as autism, or even just someone afraid to confront the realities of life, it was to spread inspiration, something important to the success of Trek's continuation and which in recent years it has lost in large measure: character was at the forefront, not effects, and that's what 'Star Trek' is really about, and should be. This was the episode that marked the change from the series that was, to that which it was to be, and successfully so as it was also a moving episode, an achievement amidst so much transition. But Season 4 would have even more greatness to offer, the real gift for us.
***
We continue where we left off, with a sleeping Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of, etc… Except this time she's vertical rather than horizontal (which is an improvement of sorts, though it hasn't sweetened her bad temper at being caught in the grip of lowly humans), in the midst of the Borg alcoves and paraphernalia left behind by the pale and pasty-faced ones, and a creepy place it has remained, perhaps even more so because only one Borg remains, and a Borg alone is somehow more disturbing than a whole herd of the mindless creatures, though it was probably a reassuring architectural environment for Seven (as she's not yet called). And so begins the battle for one woman's soul, a girl that had been abducted at a young age, it's speculated that she and her parents may have been the first humans to have been encountered by the Borg (having last made contact with Deep Space 4, a location previously mentioned in 'The Chase' on 'TNG'), unless we're counting the 21st Century humans, although of course the Borg never made it down to Earth in 'First Contact' so they didn't actually meet any - until 'Enterprise,' where 22nd Century scientists did find some leftovers, but that was created years after this episode so they had no idea, and it was covered anyway because no one ever knew they were Borg so Janeway wouldn't even have found reference in the Starfleet Borg files!
I wonder if it was too early to be giving even this many details away about the new cast member, except that I realise too many modern series' and films are intent on withholding information in the hopes mystery will keep people watching. And it seems to work, but can be infuriating as it becomes more important than character development and story, the idolised special ingredient which should be just one of many in the cooking. When I think of it that way I'm glad they went the route of not hiding too much, but giving us a taste of who this person is and why we should care. Because it isn't a serial, despite a serialised nature in terms of characters developing and growing, and the constant search for and drive to get home as the series' core concept. The humanisation of Seven's aesthetics was too quick, as we might have had several episodes where she gradually became more human-looking instead of the metamorphosis taking place largely across one episode. I can see why they wanted to get to her standard look on the series in case people were scared off that this ugly, scary-looking horror film monster was going to be what confronted them each week, but going from that to supermodel was too much. From the makers' perspective they'd had two episodes with the Borgified Seven, and having already released cast photos revealing her human visage, they probably felt it was necessary to get to that point as quickly as possible, thereby missing an opportunity for physical rehabilitation across the season, belying the psychological difficulties, and perhaps making it appear too easy to be liberated from the Collective?
It could be said that it was also a cynical move to attract their chosen demographic by pouring the poor Jeri Ryan into the extremely tight-fitting silver catsuit that became infamous for almost making her faint. It certainly was striking, and showed the intent to shake things up on the series which they'd already done each season by adding to the drama and action, leaving behind old enemies, and going beyond even their Delta Quadrant allies' knowledge. I suppose we should have expected nothing less from the Doctor, who takes credit for the design of her outfit, both for rehabilitation purposes and aesthetics. It's believable that they could stimulate her hair follicles to grow a fine head of golden hair, and it's probably more dramatic than having her remain bald, as it's such a strong contrast between her Borg look and human. But if we thought her problems were over by the regrowing of her hair and the wearing of a somewhat old-fashioned outfit (old sci-fi often seemed to think the future was about the wearing of tin foil, as well as women in tighter clothing, whether that were futuristic space dramas or the contemporary-set 'The Avengers' with Emma Peel's catsuit), her malice and cunning were just beneath the surface and would continue to be a threat.
Harry Kim, acting a little green even after three years in space, with various female difficulties (though it hadn't quite become a running joke yet in the same mould as the annual torture of Chief O'Brien on 'DS9'), gets a taste for the drone's deceit when she seizes upon a chance to contact the Borg and sends the Ensign flying into a security guard, a scene apparently setting him up to be her admirer before she'd even adorned herself with silver threads. She later admits to Janeway she'd intended to assist the crew in removing the Borg modifications to the hull, but had seen an opportunity for escape and taken it, so there's a strange mix of compliance and rebellion that demonstrates the confusion of the kind a teenager may experience. But she's not just any 'teenager,' in the case of her position she's also a drug addict that's being forced to go cold turkey against her will. These themes of Mother/daughter angst and the horror at having to accept a new way of life are what makes this a compelling episode. It doesn't have the same kind of urgency and danger (though there's a tinge of that when Seven turns on them, or Kes' powers increase to dangerous levels), and it's not completely fulfilling given this is Kes' last regular episode, but it was better than I thought it was. It is a direct continuation of the situation Seven has been put in and we see it from both our crew's perspective and her own (literally in the case of her first person enhanced visual acuity and disorientation sequences).
If the catsuit was a statement of intent to drive up male viewership in the easiest and laziest way possible, we're reassured that this is an actress who wasn't cast purely for her looks, but can act, and act well. Her range of reactions and mood swings, our sympathy for the psychological and physical pain she goes through bonds us to this intruder in the happy Voyager family, with Janeway as dedicated to saving her as she was in her decision to strand the crew in the Delta Quadrant in the first place. She's both stern and sympathetic, giving tough love, and both performances are powerful in their intensity and reality. Seven was designed to introduce greater conflict into a series that was trying to be like 'TNG,' which itself had hard rules about no conflict between the Starfleet characters, under Gene Roddenberry's express desire to show unity. So instead of branching out and incorporating the Trek ideals, while also experimenting with the formula (as 'DS9' did so effectively), they brought conflicts to a speedy resolution, which is a laudable goal in itself, but denied more satisfying resolutions over time. Adding Seven into the mix brought back that potential in a way that was both rewarding and hopeful, in line with the ethos the series aimed to emulate. In short, bringing aboard a human-turned-Borg and try to return her humanity to her, was a masterstroke of genius, at the same time continuing the tradition of the outsider commenting on human society and experience, just like Spock, Data, Odo and the Doctor.
Hold up there, we already had a character to do that on the series: The Doctor. You might even say Tuvok shared that role, though he was much more buttoned down, being a full Vulcan, and even Neelix had that element to his wanderer fallen in with this group. To go further, B'Elanna Torres with her hated Klingon heritage and Maquis past, and Paris, a former offender, had that potential also. So a good half of the main cast were already in prime position to provide the outsider viewpoint, and perhaps they had over the years, to varying degrees, but as noted before, much of the differences had been ironed out early and things were generally pretty smooth on the good ship Voyager at this point, notwithstanding Chakotay's reservations with some of Janeway's decisions (it might have been useful for his character to have a strong anti-Seven stance, continuing his attitude against allying with the Borg - just when he's got over that, she brings a Borg aboard permanently, and then Seven could have won him over, perhaps initiating a more organic friendship between them, instead of the way things actually went…), so the time was ripe for a source of internal dissension not really seen since the elements of the Maquis and Seska's clique were causing trouble in Season 2.
The big question of the episode is whether it's right for someone to be forcibly saved from their life when they don't wish to be. Is it better for a drug addict to have their freedom on the streets, and the choice to destroy their own life, rather than a forced rehabilitation against their will? I think the answer is pretty clear that Seven isn't thinking as clearly as she would be if she didn't have the Borg programming that had provided a haven most of her life. She's fearful of an unknown world outside her considerable comfort zone of mindless service to the Borg, terrified of being alone after having the countless billions of voices in her head, a clear purpose and function, designation and routine. To have the possibility of freedom thrust upon her is too much to take. She even says that she's small and your heart goes out to her as she struggles with the alien concepts that were once her birthright, but were taken, surgically removed from her, to become Borg and know nothing else. Her world is shaken to bits and she'd rather die than accept that. Early on I was wondering how far they had gone to accede to her wishes: did they do everything in their power to keep her Borg implants working or did they use the rejection of her human biology reasserting itself over the cybernetic as excuse to make her like them? That's really at the heart of the story: is it right to change someone from being different to being like us, even if we know it's better for them?
In the case of the Borg they had already done that to her, taking what she had, so it's really a case of restoring her to her original condition, or the potential that condition held for the best life possible. In that way it's almost a commentary on sin, and whether people should be allowed to live in the darkness which they're comfortable with, or introduced to the light, as painful as it could be, but ultimately saving their soul. Janeway isn't God, for sure, but wants the best for this human who has marched unceremoniously into their lives. She's the sort that will interfere in the cause of right, but even if she wasn't, it wouldn't be safe to do what Seven wants, and leave her on a planet with a transponder to alert the Borg, because that would also alert them to Voyager's general location. And her implants are being rejected, her true nature, despite it being against her mind, is taking over, survival is kicking out the Borg from her system. If the question of the right to destroy your own life wasn't enough, she also has to deal with the similarly difficult issue of identity. Being part of the Collective had been enough, and the identity she lost to them, Annika Hansen, was a child, while she is no longer a child. Yet she hasn't been allowed to develop mentally, and can't see beyond her 'programming.' When it comes down to a decision being made, Janeway takes the initiative.
Isn't it a bit fast for the Borg technology to be rejected? She'd been assimilated for years, and we've seen others isolated from the Collective before (Hugh, the best example, though Captain Picard was another, and even the ex-Borg of 'Unity'), and they didn't immediately begin rejection proceedings! It all makes sense when you consider the influence of the Borg Queen and how her wishes play into the scenario, making sense of such rapid advances towards regaining humanity. Yet the adaptation does stop suddenly at a point - Seven never really regains her full emotions (though advances are forthcoming eventually), and remains reliant on the remnants of her Borgification for survival, so her biology can only go so far in saving her. This makes sense from both a story perspective and for drama, because if she continued to develop at that rapid a rate as in this episode, she'd have become fully human in a couple of episodes, no problem. But it's her struggle that provides appeal, that's what we want to see each week. And it does make logical sense, too, as her initial rejection of the implants was from isolation, no longer having the dependence on the Collective and its technology. So everyone's happy… except Seven.
Rapid development is the name of this episode's game, and while Seven had to metamorphose for the sake of getting us to the baseline of what we could expect from the series from this point, Kes, too, had to make her change and departure because they didn't want to keep her on. In truth she could easily have remained part of the cast - this episode doesn't feel overburdened with characters, and while some got short shrift (Paris and Torres, for example), the mix was a good one. As this was Kes' final regular appearance on the series it was fitting that she spent most of her time with the three she was closest with: The Doctor, Tuvok and Neelix. I'd forgotten that they had dealt so well with her, remembering mainly the changes she was going through and the ultimate destination, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that even Neelix wasn't overlooked as he had been after their break-up in Season 3, with a scene of reminiscences where they reconnect, something badly needed considering how their friendship was treated latterly. I'm with Kes, Neelix never held her back, and in fact provided a safe haven and devoted companion for her, entertaining and caring for her in equal measure, and I always felt it was out of character of her to summarily abandon him in the way she did. It wasn't as if they really did anything with her to warrant such a change, either, and it harmed more than helped both characters. But I suppose that was the reasoning behind letting the Ocampan go: she just wasn't fertile ground enough for story potential.
Or so the writers seemed to think. But when I've watched those first three seasons again, I've come to appreciate Jennifer Lien's skill and talents far more than when I first saw the series, she added greatly to the chemistry between the characters, and it wasn't her fault that the writers failed to see the huge potential in a character that may only live for nine years. Of course, if she'd been hugely popular and the breakout character they'd have found ways around her short lifespan, even if there had been 'Voyager' films (which there really, really needed to be!), but it was an amazing chance to explore mortality and a life sped up compared to our own. They should have developed her more rapidly, they should have shown her ageing, dealing with her body losing what it had before, but gaining mentally in terms of wisdom and powers, and finally a natural death that would have been heartbreaking in its truth to life. Seeing someone like Jake Sisko grow up from boy to young man is the closest I can imagine to how it might have been, and would have required serious effort and the acceptance that the series would need to change as it went along, and embrace that rather than try to keep completely to formula, but the trouble is, that potential wasn't realised, in Kes, and sadly in the fullness of the series itself, as great as it was.
No blame can fall on Lien. She remains a bit of a mystery, rarely having spoken about her experiences or thoughts, and sadly from reports, it sounds like life didn't treat her too well after her Trek experience. But if she was angry at being released from her contract, or resentful, I have no idea because she was an absolute professional in terms of completing these two Season 4 episodes while not being officially part of the cast any more. Kes is a figure of calm and warmth (she's almost turning into a warm version of Season 1 Jadzia Dax, who was wise, but quite cool as opposed to vibrant as she became later), accepting of what's happening to her, and quietly, soberly ready to embrace the next stage of being, or whatever it is, we don't really know. Perhaps it was Lien's professionalism and grace that led to the character's return in Season 6's 'Fury,' because I can't imagine she'd have been asked back, an episode written for her especially, if she'd left under a cloud of anger. That later episode is a tribute to someone that was a large part of the series. It's not like cast members leaving, or being asked to leave, was a new concept for Trek (see Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Diana Muldaur and Wil Wheaton for details), and she wouldn't be the last, either. At the same time, back then I wasn't concerned with her absence as I was young enough to accept whatever was offered up, as What Must Be, not old enough to really question choices and decisions and to envisage my own impression of what might have worked better, or less, well.
Leave she did, however, and her legacy was a knock-on effect for others of my favourite characters: Neelix had been stripped of much of his character's import already, and this was another nail in his screen-time coffin, and Tuvok, the mentor to her mental abilities, had another string to his lute pulled away (though I like the friendly familiarity between him and the Captain, a callback to Season 1 in particular when he tended to be the person she turned to for help in judgement, whereas she became more singleminded as the series progressed). Tom Paris is the only one of Kes' main friends not allowed a moment with her, hearing about her impending emergency exit over the comm from Janeway, with everyone else on the bridge. But I did like that they cut to his surprised expression as it came through, a small concession to someone that had been close. Tuvok gets to be her mentor one last time, although I did question when he started encouraging her manipulation of the lamp whether it was a good idea - back in Season 2 when her powers first began to manifest, she burned the Vulcan horribly when losing control over mind-brewing a cup of tea! Still she'd come a long way since then (now she can see beyond the subatomic and manipulate the matter between!), and it was a lovely reminder of his days tutoring her. It was also typically noble of Tuvok to arrive en route to Kes' departure to give her one last mind meld with which she could hold herself together until she was safely away from the ship, no matter the cost to him (reminiscent of his dance steps for Neelix).
I didn't quite understand the story of Tuvok's lamp, which Janeway claims they bought from a Vulcan master who doubled the price upon seeing their Starfleet insignia. First, they don't have money in the 24th Century, second, Vulcans are part of the Federation so presumably they don't either, and third, was he supposed to be anti-Starfleet if he made a fellow Vulcan pay double, or was Janeway just embellishing? If so, it was a good story, but it doesn't stand up to logic, essential if you're going to discuss Vulcans! The Master sounded more like a Ferengi trader, but I can't imagine Tuvok and Janeway being taken in by a Ferengi disguised as a Vulcan - it's all in the ears… Vulcanness has always been very important to me, and getting my favourite race right has been a contentious issue in almost all 21st Century-produced Trek ('Enterprise' taking the lion's share of the blame for setting the precedent that Vulcans of the 22nd Century were actually far from noble, rational and logical, and were in fact extremely cunning and emotional, which spilled over into 23rd Century Vulcans in the Abramsverse films!), Tuvok being the last true Vulcan, in my mind. So I liked all the Vulcan stuff such as Tuvok's greater strength being required to keep Seven in place when she starts to behave erratically in the Cargo Bay (even if the EMH's strength parameters technically should have allowed him a vice-like grip that would have rivalled Tuvok's organic ability in the same manner Data was stronger than Worf).
The Doctor does at least get to show his eye for detail, not just in crafting the structure of Seven's 'regeneration' suit (which could have been emphasised more in the dialogue to legitimise its style), for want of a better word, but in producing a nice eye to replace the Borg implant that was a rather stark reminder of her previous nature and would have been out of place - the far more aesthetically pleasing eyebrow piece (over her left eye in the same position and almost in the same style as Chakotay's tattoo - were they trying to hint at the future?), adding to the look much better. The Doctor's artistic abilities had yet to be fully realised as this was long before his love of opera and painting nudes! As usual, he gets some nice moments, such as when he interjects in that sunny, but thoughtless way that had become his norm, and gets closed down by a hard look from Janeway. But it's the moment Kes requests to keep helping him in Sickbay, despite her affliction that is the most touching as we linger on his face showing a kind of sadness, but pride for the medical assistant that had caused him to think of himself as 'a real boy,' to borrow from Data's association with Pinocchio. I'd have liked to have seen more discussion along the lines she and Neelix have, with him having the chance to thank her for the changes she inspired in him and his acceptance among the crew, who found it difficult to adjust, not just because he was new technology, but because he was seen as another tool, like the Holodeck or Replicator, where Kes saw a skilled physician.
If the episode isn't satisfying enough in its short running time as to give us powerful farewells between Kes and each of her friends, it does succeed in a most emotional scene between her and Janeway in her quarters, where, despite the Captain's other concerns (getting the Borg tech off the hull, dealing with an angry prisoner), she finds time to discuss the situation with Kes. Of course she rather had to, with Tuvok advising her that Kes could become a danger to herself and the ship, so it should have been very high on her priority list indeed, but in contrast to the forceful sanctions and strict rules she lays down the law upon Seven, she sees what's happening to Kes and though she questions it, she doesn't set herself against the young woman who is going through an almost religious experience, entering a new realm of existence that may have been the Ocampan destiny in the first place if they'd been allowed to explore their abilities. They even have a rationale for the increased changes: activated by Species 8472's telepathic contact.
For me, they didn't even need to have that, as it could have been coming anyway when you look at Kes' development over the three seasons aboard Voyager where she was allowed to shine and grow, and always had far more ambition and delight in learning than Neelix, her constant companion, ever did. Likewise, she brought delight into his life and made him think differently, and there was a certain freedom from knowing she had such a short lifespan that anything she felt she wanted or needed to do, she did, Voyager proving a ship of opportunity. One of her most telling lines is one about if she were Captain she'd peer into every crack in the Galaxy, and it is that wonder and childlike curiosity that never leaves her, along with her ability to accept change. There's also something fun about seeing the smallest, weakest character on the ship (Naomi hadn't yet become a recurring character), suddenly with the powers of Darth Vader, whipping a medical tool across Sickbay by thought alone, and even becoming a modern Gary Mitchell, though thankfully she remained benign to the end, curing Seven by disintegrating the implant in her brain, and of course giving the ship a boost away from the Borg. In light of Bryan Fuller's appointment as head of the fifth TV series, it's interesting to note that it was he who was given the task of removing Kes from the cast, coming up with her exponential growth and transformation as a believable, fitting end for the character. Let's hope he hasn't lost his 'Star Trek' brain in the years since!
Above all else, Kes was a character of great compassion and wanted to help as many people as possible, whether that was through medical support or taking a stance, and so she does, one last time, by giving her friends a gift of a push ten years closer to home and out of the dangers of Borg space. I don't know how they knew where or how big Borg space was, or how the Borg would be kept to one area of space, but I just have to remember the vastness of the distances we're talking about in space and be content with that. But it was a lovely last act from a good friend as her beatific smile is turned into radiance and she transforms into a creature of light. The final shot of Tuvok standing looking out of his window with the lamp burning for his former friend is both a gentle ending to speed us on our way, and a show of technical ability (the camera pulls away until we see the whole ship), something that wasn't really possible until then. The ship was beginning to be used more organically instead of a stiff, unchangeable physical model. It had begun with the Borg modifications which added a green glow to the hull - maybe they should have kept those additions as enhancements, although I can understand them wanting the purity of a Starfleet ship to be unaltered by alien parts, something that would have been a logical step in their survival. But Janeway had shown from day one that she was going to do things the Starfleet way, and being a fully Starfleet ship was an important statement of the series. So although, technically, the series could show alteration and damage, they seemed to prefer the symbol of a whole, Starfleet ship as important to the integrity of its mission and Captain.
It would seem uncharitable to question whether a more exciting ending, with the Borg closing in and Kes their only chance to get away, might have worked better, because it's such a gentle goodnight, with both the requisite Trek air of hope for the future and personal potential being given the time to shine, which it might not have had in a headlong dash to escape pursuit, no matter the increase in drama. We get to see humanised Seven who enters into hopeful dialogue, reassuring she won't try to get them assimilated again, though I felt the glint of duplicity in her eye, and even Janeway must suspect her change of heart too easy. Ease is the last thing Seven would bring to the series, but already her bond with Janeway is forged - when she starts throwing herself against the forcefield in the Brig and Ayala asks the Captain down (as usual, she doesn't get an account of what's happening, and even on arrival he barely raises his head, continuing to tap away at a screen when he should have quietly filled her in - maybe he spoke to her again when she was on the way and we just never saw that moment, nothing to do with them not wanting an extra to have more lines so he'd have to be paid more, I'm sure…), she goes into the cell even though Seven snarls out a threat to kill her. Though Seven goes to half-strike her in her anguish at the past she's being confronted with, it ends in a stumble with Janeway hugging and supporting her in her pain and it's such a good encapsulation of the dedication Janeway has to her crew and the direction they would go in as she became a surrogate Mother to this lost girl.
The role Seven gained on the series is so strongly marked out even in her first proper episode (in 'Scorpion, Part II' she was merely a Borg drone), going full-on outsider right from the off, criticising Janeway's ways and hypocrisy - she asks if, when Janeway's satisfied that she's no longer influenced by the Borg she would still let her go if it was her own free will at that point and Janeway responds that she won't want to then, and having someone be so accusatory and judgemental on the society and rules that we take for granted in Trek could only be a good thing: checks and balances, even though ultimately it would be shown that there was a person still inside that hard Borg outer shell, and one that could recuperate and become a valuable member of society, whether that is a mirror for an addict of any kind, or someone with a mental condition such as autism, or even just someone afraid to confront the realities of life, it was to spread inspiration, something important to the success of Trek's continuation and which in recent years it has lost in large measure: character was at the forefront, not effects, and that's what 'Star Trek' is really about, and should be. This was the episode that marked the change from the series that was, to that which it was to be, and successfully so as it was also a moving episode, an achievement amidst so much transition. But Season 4 would have even more greatness to offer, the real gift for us.
***
Salvation
DVD, Smallville S9 (Salvation)
I can't help feeling they played their last card. The final piece of business the series offered was the secret still kept from Lois. Once she knows that, there's nothing left to play, no mystery to hide: everyone that matters, knows. And yes, it has been a bit of a joke on her, it does make her look exceedingly dense for not seeing what everyone else does, and for not joining all the dots of myriad plots she's experienced, even from the time she first appeared back in Season 4. But that was the fun of the character, and the tension of how she could be involved in doing important stuff, yet not know the secret identity of The Blur she served. Did Clark really think he'd get away with giving her a big, sloppy kiss in the shadows instead of saying anything and she wouldn't recognise him from that? Superman? Super-daft, more like. Unfortunately, that describes the majority of this season finale, but what can you expect? It's a season finale of 'Smallville,' it's not designed to make sense. Even more than ever it feels like it was written by The Blur, story points whizzing across the screen like ants on the attack, a swarm of events, people and places, and it's almost a chore to have to think back over all that happened and point out the glaring flaws and lazy plotting. I think it's because some of this season (genuine shock and horror), was well written. It's true, in defiance of the series' golden rules of storytelling (don't stand still for long enough to let the audience realise there's really no story, it's all just arbitrary decisions to get the most bang in the quickest time), Lois and Clark worked.
When it was about them it could even be like real drama. That is, not comic book, ridiculous lack of logic 'drama,' but real stakes. It does help that Erica Durance is the best actor in the series and her oddball characterisation of bimbo-ish heroism has grown where the series has generally shrunk into its recesses. Whenever it tries to be BIG, it makes it about a threat to the whole world, but it actually becomes harder to believe in and accept, you're as detached from real life and care as Hawkman, Stargirl, Black Canary and Cyborg were on their monitors (where's Aquaman, doesn't he know how to use a computer, or couldn't he be bothered - maybe they couldn't get the actor back?). A case in point: Zod's minions show how bad they are, and what a threat to Earth they pose, by… well, setting fire to important monuments. Burning Zod's symbol into the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China and other famous landmarks might have made for a striking series of images (if the effects weren't so ropey, even for the series' standards), if it was so unimportant to the plot. It's purely there to provide bombast and spectacle, to try and make you gasp in disbelief: how could they pull such an audacious stunt off? I can see where they're coming from, they're giving the impression of the world affected: by presenting well-known landmarks its audience would easily identify, but it was a failure in creating any tension or sense of threat. So the Kandorians can go and burn up Earth's ancient wonders. So what?
Under the subject of 'burning, so what?' we have Tess Mercer, apparently burned to death by Zod for her traitorous acts. Except this maniac holds back his anger (unlike him), to just burn, with precision, half her face. Now I understand they weren't going to show a burned up Tess in a series like this, but her clothes were unaffected, it was purely surface burns to one side of the face. All so she can live long enough to plead for redemption, or explain she did it for Clark as she lies in a hospital bed. But apart from being a bit sick (we get ample closeups of her burnt face prosthetic - raw, pointless violence was used several times, such as when she punches Zod's face into a bloody mess with a Kryptonite knuckleduster!), there's no reason why Zod wouldn't have just burned her to a cinder. Except we have to have the possibility of a return next season - I was hoping this would be the last of her as she's no substitute for Lex Luthor, and she doesn't even serve in the position of his heir: she knows Clark's secret and, though she sometimes dips into being the bad guy, she hasn't seemed that much of an enemy this season, in general. Her teeth had been taken away, and yet she was an ineffectual ally to Clark's cause, so why keep her around? Technically, she does die before the end, so maybe she won't be back, but then we had that weird, hooded old woman knitting in the corridor who goes in to her after the doctors loudly note her death. Obviously some new terror for Clark to deal with (I assume), probably connected to the red dots surrounding Oliver Queen when he goes out of radio silence during his crawl around ventilation ducts to do… something.
Was he rejigging the satellite that he pulled out of his back pocket, which was somehow going to track the Kandorians, so that… the hero gang that Clark, Chloe and Queen had a video conference call with, could fight? Am I the only one that didn't follow all that was happening? It's often this way with the season finale, that they throw as many balls into the air that you're so befuddled watching the pretty colours to see where they drop or wonder why they're in the air in the first place. Chloe's reaction to his reveal that 'oh, by the way, I have this satellite set up' is to ask why he didn't tell her that before? 'It was a surprise,' is his rough and ready answer, but we know the real one is because the writers didn't think of it till now and suddenly needed it, and lo! it did appear. That's the level of plotting and planning shown in the quality of the writing, not just for this episode, but in an average episode. And yet, as ever, I can't really deny that it was relatively rip-roaring, it wasn't boring, but it just doesn't make a lot of sense, either logically or narratively. It's like modern 'Dr. Who,' it simply makes up whatever rules it needs as it goes along, and then it's never an issue again. Phew, got out of another tight story spot by… making stuff up on the spur of the moment. It's not satisfying or rewarding structuring, but if you keep things moving fast enough and throw in a few emotional bones, the audience is fooled into thinking 'this is fun and meaningful.' In reality it's pretty much meaningless.
What happened with Chloe? I was half expecting her to die, or at least move far away with Oliver, since I'm pretty sure she doesn't come back for Season 10. I could be wrong, but there's no dramatic sendoff or a sense of closure. The closest thing we got was the hint of goodbyes when Clark and she debate using The Book of Rao, knowing that will send all Kryptonians to a new planet, including Kal-El. Her last appearance is being worried when all the red dots swarm over Oliver's position on her map, he says they're not Kandorians, and she loses contact with him. She must at least return for an episode or two, I should imagine (a bit like Kes at the start of Season 4 of 'Voyager'), just to hand the story on. Let's back up a bit, however: The Book of Rao is the key to wiping the slate clean for next season and getting rid of those pesky Kandorians in one fell swoop. At least there was some justice in the scene where that actually happens. In fact, back up further, because there were a couple of moments that I did rather like: Lois realising the cold, clammy hand on her shoulder does not in fact belong to The Blur (though her investigative journalism skills lead her to finding Dr. Virgil Swann's diagram-heavy Kryptonian notebook, and that's what convinces her Clark's actually the bad guy, just because the Rao thing is pictured in there? Slender evidence…), and neither does he know the special place they shared. So he smacks her across the street in time for Clark to come along and give him a whopping great socking (I was thinking at the time it might be better for Clark to catch Lois rather than punch Zod, but of course he does both), then saves Lois (though the ropey effects come into play again with the awful glass shattering in the phone box that looked worse than the sort of CG you'd have seen in Season 1!).
It was great that Lois isn't bamboozled for long into picturing Clark as the enemy, that would have gotten old very quickly and strays dangerously into Lana Lang's cycle of belief/betrayal territory. Likewise, it was satisfying to have the Kandorians realise the true nature of their evil leader. But Zod, really? Are you so arrogantly stupid that you forget your entire army of soldiers have super hearing and can hear you whisper about killing Faora right in front of them?! That was almost the worst failing of the episode, only topped by the simple fact that holding Blue Kryptonite is enough to save you from being beamed up by The Book of Rao? How ridiculous can you get? So all that stuff about Clark saying his goodbyes and preparing to lead his people on this new planet because the effect will sweep every Kryptonian off to it, was absolute bunk! All he had to do was hold a bit of Blue Kryptonite, or, as it seemed, just stand near someone who was! Because the event only has a selective effect on the aliens: Clark isn't holding the Kryptonite, yet is mysteriously kept from being beamed away for no other reason than that he had to have a fight with Zod. That's what we all knew the end of the season would be, whatever else happened, and to be fair, aside from horrendous and selective logic, it wasn't a bad looking rumble (Zod's opening gambit of 'you love humans so much, let's see if you fight like one' reminded me of the advertising slogan used for 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time': 'Wilt thou get the girl, or play like one?'). But even that was nicked lock, stock and barrel from 'The Matrix Revolutions' - battering each other in the rain and I couldn't believe they even ripped off the exact same slow-motion punch to the face Neo lands on Agent Smith (but not as good)!
As always, it was a triumph of style over substance, because as soon as Clark has the knife stabbed into him, Zod's beamed, up, too. So why wasn't Clark, before that? And so it ends with Clark falling off a building, having been sliced, diced and stabbed. At least Zod was taken, I just hope he doesn't return, because although Callum Blue wasn't the worst one-season wonder, he wasn't that good, either. It wasn't much of a cliffhanger, just people in various places in jeopardy, but that's the norm for these things. I had to laugh at the opening recap, because if the episode itself was like one written by The Blur, this was a glance into the future taken to extremes: by current trends you can imagine that one day people will have such short attention spans they'll consume episodes in bite-sized chunks where every scene is a second or so, flashing constantly onto the next piece of dialogue or action, and this was the future now! It usually does its recaps in that manner, but this seemed even faster and choppier than ever before. It was interesting when Clark had his dream, or vision of destiny, with Lois at the planet working for Perry White (the cheapskates didn't bother getting one little scene with Michael McKean, even though he was in the previous episode!), and he sees himself as a red blur flying through the sky. It was also nice that Martha sent him what we can only assume is his Superman costume in the present day (we only see the red and yellow 'S' reflected in his pupils), which was a lovely reference to the hero he'll become, as was the John Williams-like moments of music.
Somehow Lex Luthor's said to be alive and kicking, so perhaps this was merely dream rather than vision, but still a fascinating preview of the eventual future (shown to be 2013, though that would have meant the series went on for at least twelve seasons, and it didn't). Rather than looking at the future, or potential future, it's worth taking a moment to look back. I've said it several times, but I do think Season 9 has been the best for a while. Not as good as Seasons 1 and 2, the golden years, but possibly on a par with Season 6, the previous year I felt had some proper good stuff (though Seasons 5 and 4 had their moments). Lois and Clark worked well, the other characters weren't too annoying, and while it could have been much more consistent there was a semi-regular delivery of good episodes here and there. I think it's going to be the first season I'll keep to watch again, whereas all previous seasons (post-Season 2), have been relegated to eBay sales. I don't think Tom Welling's been that great, but he's sort of settled into his niche. The other characters have been passable, though their arcs never really went anywhere (Chloe with her Big Brother, control freak attitude just dissipated; Oliver bounced from Tess to Chloe and we never got to see him as leader of the Justice League, despite the faces popping up - Hawkman actor Michael Shanks never even got a credit for this episode!; Tess was mercurial villainess one minute, crawling penitent the next), but Lois almost singlehandedly made it worth watching. As long as she isn't immediately taken into Clark's confidence next season the dynamic could continue, but we shall see.
**
I can't help feeling they played their last card. The final piece of business the series offered was the secret still kept from Lois. Once she knows that, there's nothing left to play, no mystery to hide: everyone that matters, knows. And yes, it has been a bit of a joke on her, it does make her look exceedingly dense for not seeing what everyone else does, and for not joining all the dots of myriad plots she's experienced, even from the time she first appeared back in Season 4. But that was the fun of the character, and the tension of how she could be involved in doing important stuff, yet not know the secret identity of The Blur she served. Did Clark really think he'd get away with giving her a big, sloppy kiss in the shadows instead of saying anything and she wouldn't recognise him from that? Superman? Super-daft, more like. Unfortunately, that describes the majority of this season finale, but what can you expect? It's a season finale of 'Smallville,' it's not designed to make sense. Even more than ever it feels like it was written by The Blur, story points whizzing across the screen like ants on the attack, a swarm of events, people and places, and it's almost a chore to have to think back over all that happened and point out the glaring flaws and lazy plotting. I think it's because some of this season (genuine shock and horror), was well written. It's true, in defiance of the series' golden rules of storytelling (don't stand still for long enough to let the audience realise there's really no story, it's all just arbitrary decisions to get the most bang in the quickest time), Lois and Clark worked.
When it was about them it could even be like real drama. That is, not comic book, ridiculous lack of logic 'drama,' but real stakes. It does help that Erica Durance is the best actor in the series and her oddball characterisation of bimbo-ish heroism has grown where the series has generally shrunk into its recesses. Whenever it tries to be BIG, it makes it about a threat to the whole world, but it actually becomes harder to believe in and accept, you're as detached from real life and care as Hawkman, Stargirl, Black Canary and Cyborg were on their monitors (where's Aquaman, doesn't he know how to use a computer, or couldn't he be bothered - maybe they couldn't get the actor back?). A case in point: Zod's minions show how bad they are, and what a threat to Earth they pose, by… well, setting fire to important monuments. Burning Zod's symbol into the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China and other famous landmarks might have made for a striking series of images (if the effects weren't so ropey, even for the series' standards), if it was so unimportant to the plot. It's purely there to provide bombast and spectacle, to try and make you gasp in disbelief: how could they pull such an audacious stunt off? I can see where they're coming from, they're giving the impression of the world affected: by presenting well-known landmarks its audience would easily identify, but it was a failure in creating any tension or sense of threat. So the Kandorians can go and burn up Earth's ancient wonders. So what?
Under the subject of 'burning, so what?' we have Tess Mercer, apparently burned to death by Zod for her traitorous acts. Except this maniac holds back his anger (unlike him), to just burn, with precision, half her face. Now I understand they weren't going to show a burned up Tess in a series like this, but her clothes were unaffected, it was purely surface burns to one side of the face. All so she can live long enough to plead for redemption, or explain she did it for Clark as she lies in a hospital bed. But apart from being a bit sick (we get ample closeups of her burnt face prosthetic - raw, pointless violence was used several times, such as when she punches Zod's face into a bloody mess with a Kryptonite knuckleduster!), there's no reason why Zod wouldn't have just burned her to a cinder. Except we have to have the possibility of a return next season - I was hoping this would be the last of her as she's no substitute for Lex Luthor, and she doesn't even serve in the position of his heir: she knows Clark's secret and, though she sometimes dips into being the bad guy, she hasn't seemed that much of an enemy this season, in general. Her teeth had been taken away, and yet she was an ineffectual ally to Clark's cause, so why keep her around? Technically, she does die before the end, so maybe she won't be back, but then we had that weird, hooded old woman knitting in the corridor who goes in to her after the doctors loudly note her death. Obviously some new terror for Clark to deal with (I assume), probably connected to the red dots surrounding Oliver Queen when he goes out of radio silence during his crawl around ventilation ducts to do… something.
Was he rejigging the satellite that he pulled out of his back pocket, which was somehow going to track the Kandorians, so that… the hero gang that Clark, Chloe and Queen had a video conference call with, could fight? Am I the only one that didn't follow all that was happening? It's often this way with the season finale, that they throw as many balls into the air that you're so befuddled watching the pretty colours to see where they drop or wonder why they're in the air in the first place. Chloe's reaction to his reveal that 'oh, by the way, I have this satellite set up' is to ask why he didn't tell her that before? 'It was a surprise,' is his rough and ready answer, but we know the real one is because the writers didn't think of it till now and suddenly needed it, and lo! it did appear. That's the level of plotting and planning shown in the quality of the writing, not just for this episode, but in an average episode. And yet, as ever, I can't really deny that it was relatively rip-roaring, it wasn't boring, but it just doesn't make a lot of sense, either logically or narratively. It's like modern 'Dr. Who,' it simply makes up whatever rules it needs as it goes along, and then it's never an issue again. Phew, got out of another tight story spot by… making stuff up on the spur of the moment. It's not satisfying or rewarding structuring, but if you keep things moving fast enough and throw in a few emotional bones, the audience is fooled into thinking 'this is fun and meaningful.' In reality it's pretty much meaningless.
What happened with Chloe? I was half expecting her to die, or at least move far away with Oliver, since I'm pretty sure she doesn't come back for Season 10. I could be wrong, but there's no dramatic sendoff or a sense of closure. The closest thing we got was the hint of goodbyes when Clark and she debate using The Book of Rao, knowing that will send all Kryptonians to a new planet, including Kal-El. Her last appearance is being worried when all the red dots swarm over Oliver's position on her map, he says they're not Kandorians, and she loses contact with him. She must at least return for an episode or two, I should imagine (a bit like Kes at the start of Season 4 of 'Voyager'), just to hand the story on. Let's back up a bit, however: The Book of Rao is the key to wiping the slate clean for next season and getting rid of those pesky Kandorians in one fell swoop. At least there was some justice in the scene where that actually happens. In fact, back up further, because there were a couple of moments that I did rather like: Lois realising the cold, clammy hand on her shoulder does not in fact belong to The Blur (though her investigative journalism skills lead her to finding Dr. Virgil Swann's diagram-heavy Kryptonian notebook, and that's what convinces her Clark's actually the bad guy, just because the Rao thing is pictured in there? Slender evidence…), and neither does he know the special place they shared. So he smacks her across the street in time for Clark to come along and give him a whopping great socking (I was thinking at the time it might be better for Clark to catch Lois rather than punch Zod, but of course he does both), then saves Lois (though the ropey effects come into play again with the awful glass shattering in the phone box that looked worse than the sort of CG you'd have seen in Season 1!).
It was great that Lois isn't bamboozled for long into picturing Clark as the enemy, that would have gotten old very quickly and strays dangerously into Lana Lang's cycle of belief/betrayal territory. Likewise, it was satisfying to have the Kandorians realise the true nature of their evil leader. But Zod, really? Are you so arrogantly stupid that you forget your entire army of soldiers have super hearing and can hear you whisper about killing Faora right in front of them?! That was almost the worst failing of the episode, only topped by the simple fact that holding Blue Kryptonite is enough to save you from being beamed up by The Book of Rao? How ridiculous can you get? So all that stuff about Clark saying his goodbyes and preparing to lead his people on this new planet because the effect will sweep every Kryptonian off to it, was absolute bunk! All he had to do was hold a bit of Blue Kryptonite, or, as it seemed, just stand near someone who was! Because the event only has a selective effect on the aliens: Clark isn't holding the Kryptonite, yet is mysteriously kept from being beamed away for no other reason than that he had to have a fight with Zod. That's what we all knew the end of the season would be, whatever else happened, and to be fair, aside from horrendous and selective logic, it wasn't a bad looking rumble (Zod's opening gambit of 'you love humans so much, let's see if you fight like one' reminded me of the advertising slogan used for 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time': 'Wilt thou get the girl, or play like one?'). But even that was nicked lock, stock and barrel from 'The Matrix Revolutions' - battering each other in the rain and I couldn't believe they even ripped off the exact same slow-motion punch to the face Neo lands on Agent Smith (but not as good)!
As always, it was a triumph of style over substance, because as soon as Clark has the knife stabbed into him, Zod's beamed, up, too. So why wasn't Clark, before that? And so it ends with Clark falling off a building, having been sliced, diced and stabbed. At least Zod was taken, I just hope he doesn't return, because although Callum Blue wasn't the worst one-season wonder, he wasn't that good, either. It wasn't much of a cliffhanger, just people in various places in jeopardy, but that's the norm for these things. I had to laugh at the opening recap, because if the episode itself was like one written by The Blur, this was a glance into the future taken to extremes: by current trends you can imagine that one day people will have such short attention spans they'll consume episodes in bite-sized chunks where every scene is a second or so, flashing constantly onto the next piece of dialogue or action, and this was the future now! It usually does its recaps in that manner, but this seemed even faster and choppier than ever before. It was interesting when Clark had his dream, or vision of destiny, with Lois at the planet working for Perry White (the cheapskates didn't bother getting one little scene with Michael McKean, even though he was in the previous episode!), and he sees himself as a red blur flying through the sky. It was also nice that Martha sent him what we can only assume is his Superman costume in the present day (we only see the red and yellow 'S' reflected in his pupils), which was a lovely reference to the hero he'll become, as was the John Williams-like moments of music.
Somehow Lex Luthor's said to be alive and kicking, so perhaps this was merely dream rather than vision, but still a fascinating preview of the eventual future (shown to be 2013, though that would have meant the series went on for at least twelve seasons, and it didn't). Rather than looking at the future, or potential future, it's worth taking a moment to look back. I've said it several times, but I do think Season 9 has been the best for a while. Not as good as Seasons 1 and 2, the golden years, but possibly on a par with Season 6, the previous year I felt had some proper good stuff (though Seasons 5 and 4 had their moments). Lois and Clark worked well, the other characters weren't too annoying, and while it could have been much more consistent there was a semi-regular delivery of good episodes here and there. I think it's going to be the first season I'll keep to watch again, whereas all previous seasons (post-Season 2), have been relegated to eBay sales. I don't think Tom Welling's been that great, but he's sort of settled into his niche. The other characters have been passable, though their arcs never really went anywhere (Chloe with her Big Brother, control freak attitude just dissipated; Oliver bounced from Tess to Chloe and we never got to see him as leader of the Justice League, despite the faces popping up - Hawkman actor Michael Shanks never even got a credit for this episode!; Tess was mercurial villainess one minute, crawling penitent the next), but Lois almost singlehandedly made it worth watching. As long as she isn't immediately taken into Clark's confidence next season the dynamic could continue, but we shall see.
**
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