Insurgence

DVD, Smallville S2 (Insurgence)

Now this was one episode I remembered favourably, but didn't realise how much I'd enjoy it - it was almost like a 'Smallville' film, with generous production value, great use of the characters and locations, and filled with a pounding, dramatic pace right from the opening scene where Lex sinisterly bawls out an employee (played by Paul McGillion, later Dr. Beckett of 'Stargate Atlantis,' and not the only 'Stargate' name in the episode!), then proceeds to tear apart the Luthor Mansion for the bugs he's realised his Father has installed to spy on him. There was an energy and a verve to the direction of the piece from beginning to end, and one that kept the attention rapt on what was happening with no scenes of dead space, no time wasted. Unfortunately, this means Chloe and Pete are entirely excluded, and this could be seen as a prototype for the typical episode later on when it was all about Clark and all about Metropolis to the detriment of the other characters and the small town setting. But right here it was a breath of fresh air, especially after some considerably basic stories that were very much in the Season 1 vein of meteor freaks and small town or 'High School' troubles. This one, in contrast, was like some of the more adventurous stories from that year, the ones where they did try something different, where they upped the ante, and made it much closer to Clark's Super destiny than it had been.

I love the folksy episodes, that's where the series was generally at its best, but when they were able to break out of the mould and yet also keep the character work and the intelligent writing, that was where the series could fly - we saw that in episodes like 'Zero,' which were among the best of the best, and this one follows that style with developments galore and the strong culmination of various character arcs or setups for the future. I have to say, before I forget, though, why did Martha keep the octagonal ship key hidden from her husband and son? More to the point, I hope she washed it before putting it in the flour tin! Who knows what alien microbes could be on it, not to mention the grubby hands of Pyne (if that was his real name), the insurgent of the title, or at least the main one! Was it because she was afraid Clark would fly off and fulfil his destiny elsewhere, was she trying to protect him until she'd had time to think about what it all meant? I can't remember, but I look forward to seeing what happens now the season has truly got going! Martha has a sizeable presence in this story and it's all about her simple little PA job with Lionel becoming something more as the man oozes with foul charisma and his diabolical methods of ensnaring what he wants.

It was a low thing to do, to take Martha away from her husband on their very anniversary (a Sunday, too!), whisking her away to Metropolis to present her with a promotion and a jewel-encrusted watch to seal the deal in her new city office. You'd think he'd have realised he was pushing her into an impossible position, but he's never been averse to taking risks and it shows how little he truly understands this good, country woman. Her family comes first, even above the opportunity to realise her full potential in business, with all the money, prestige and satisfaction that would bring. It's been a fascinating journey to see Martha given this chance to shine, able to bring in her qualifications and catch sight of a life that she thought she'd sacrificed for ever for the simpler existence as a farmer's wife and all the community involvement we know she's had in the town. Lionel is devilish as he hovers over her shoulder whispering these promises of a golden future for her and at a time when she's already conflicted about what this is doing to her marriage. The fact that Lionel brought her to the offices on a Sunday makes me wonder, and this was a theory I developed as I watched: did Lionel actually own Pyne, was he secretly pulling the strings? Because what better way to bring Martha onto his side than with sympathy and sharing the bond of going through a life or death situation together.

Lex hired the spy guys (including Colin Cunningham, Major Davis in 'Stargate SG-1' - shame there were no scenes for him with Chloe's Dad as he was also in that series!), led by 'Kern,' but it's Pyne who has made a previous arrangement with the others in the group that they've gone along with despite working together before. I love how Kern is the consummate professional surveillance guy who knows all the tech, even when he's being held captive he keeps pointing out things that only an expert would know, until Pyne executes him. It was a thrilling twist that the plan changes, and Lex' plot to do exactly as had been done to him becomes a desperate bid for the survival of his Father and Martha. This also plays in beautifully to events earlier in the episode where once again Clark and Lex fail to read the situation and realise that the best way to make amends to Jonathan for missing his anniversary picnic (great reference back to last year when Clark had his house party while they were gone!), is not to get another Luthor involved! We'd seen it before, in Season 1, Lex wanting so much to be accepted by the Kents and yet Jonathan always finding fault, only this time he isn't so needy, he's angry, with his Father, perhaps with all Fathers, and when another good deed is slapped away he stands up to Jonathan and is showing the subtle steps down the dark path of destruction, much more believably and intelligently written than later seasons would be in forming his nature.

At this stage he's still good Lex at heart, he does bad things, like bugging LuthorCorp, but only because he's learning these ways of industrial espionage from his main teacher, his Father. But he says to the guy at the beginning he's not going to ruin him as his Father would have, and he's eager to help Jonathan, but the biggest and best moment that shows his goodness remains intact despite how fragile it's becoming: when Jonathan sheepishly eats humble pie and shows up at the Mansion to request a helicopter ride to Metropolis after seeing what's happening on the news (I was wrong, the Kents do have a TV in the living room, we just never see them use it, usually!). He lets Jonathan stew for a few seconds, then cuts him off before he can make the full request. He does wait a moment, but then he wholeheartedly jumps in and saves him from the awkwardness, and I loved it! Jonathan gets to show his angry side again and you can see how they were building towards him one day having his heart attack (as we've seen the impetuous rage within him on occasion), he's not happy about Martha being swept off on their anniversary, such an important day, and it is unreasonable for Lionel to make her work unless it was for just that reason of getting between husband and wife, and she does behave rather selfishly saying her work is just as much about the future of the family as the sacrifices he's made for the farm, but is it really? It's her way of expressing herself and fulfilling potential, but she accepted the farming life that Jonathan offered so it's like she's going back on that so it's right that her husband should feel aggrieved.

When he first sees the news and is almost whipped into a panic and rushes for the door you wonder what he's going to do and it's like seeing Clark's own impetuous response calms him down a bit and gets him to talk some sense into his son that is also giving voice to what he needs to hear himself: don't go rushing in and mess things up even more. Clark being there was like a safety valve for him to check himself and remember his role, not to charge off and bawl out the police or whatever he was heading toward. I don't know what Lex thought about Clark not coming and how that was explained away, because obviously he can get there quicker on foot, and you have to presume Lex and Jonathan came together, but in all the confusion it's probably not something that was thought of unless they talked about it on the way and Jonathan would have had to make up an excuse, like he'd already sent Clark to the city for something before they'd heard the news. For that matter why was Lex sitting in his Mansion, but then I suppose he didn't want to incriminate himself (as he almost did later when Jonathan caught him on the phone to the kidnappers), and kept his distance until he saw he'd have to go. Then of course you have that same scene we've witnessed before of Lex feeling that rejection from his cold Father and seeing the care and warmth in the Kents as the family embraces at the end.

Clark gets to almost be Superman since he not only goes to the roof of the Daily Planet (I think that's the first use of that set which would get much play over the years - the same goes for the LuthorCorp office, though I can't recall if we'd already seen it yet or not), but also takes a run-up and launches himself across the gap to smash into a window in the LuthorCorp building in heroic style. I don't know why he had to show himself to the goons instead of just knocking them out without showing his face, but he is still amateurish at this hero stuff. My big question is whether Lionel had regained his sight by this time, because he never seems too concerned, another reason why I wondered if he'd instigated the whole thing. If he could bug Lex into undercutting LexCorp's deal or whatever he did, might he not also be aware Lex had found the bugs and know that he'd try and hire a team to do the same to him, and so plan this insurgency from within that group? He claims not to see the octagonal disk and doesn't seem to notice Martha's concern over the file on Clark, but did he? It's difficult to know.

It's also difficult to know what was going on with Lana's little subplot, the C-story I suppose it could be called, after the A-story of the hostage situation and B-story of the failed anniversary. Clark gives her all the encouragement she needs before she goes to meet with Henry Small's wife, and it was lovely to see them so warm and positive around each other with so much negativity to come in season after season, but it wasn't enough to counter Mrs. Small and her viperous attack on Lana. The poisonous thing is it's done in such a clever way without any sense of malice or deviousness, but Lana just isn't old enough to appreciate what's going on or react quickly enough to stamp down her own authority and confidence that she could get to know her biological Father. Mrs. Small claims she doesn't want Lana hurt because her husband is so flighty and doesn't stick to things, which shows what a low opinion she has of his work and family life, she uses Lana's own good nature and desire to please and win over, to make her doubt it could ever work. Lana thought she was going in to try and win this woman over, but there was never any prospect of that: she had her entrenched position and doesn't want Lana involved. It was a hard truth to learn, but you can't win with some people, especially if you go in hoping goodness and kindness will make them look favourably on your wishes.

I was undeniably impressed with this one, liking it more than I had before, enjoying the definition in the characters, the interplay between them and the intelligence and creativity in the script that squeezed in so much and yet left so much to develop, the kind of things that worked so well in the series, as opposed to the romantic gnashing of teeth and accusing misery of so much of the middle seasons of the series. It was robust, it was adult-oriented, eschewing the students and petty little worries like villains who are going to kill off other students - the scariest moments are when one of the main characters, especially Martha, is put in danger, and this got her there, and in a logical and grounded way that was as much about the difficult moral situation she's put in as it was the physical danger. The scope of the filming was terrific with all those police, cars and citizens that made it feel huge and film-like. They introduce the police woman that would return later, building the pieces of Metropolis slowly but surely. It's not the fault of these episodes that what came later derailed so much of the series and lost this verve and dynamism that twanged through the episode like an electric guitar. In short, it was one of the best episodes so far this season, level-pegging with 'Lineage' as most impressive, and a reminder that Season 2 still had something to offer - not as consistently as the first, but well worth going through when you get drama like this!

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