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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Young Justice, DC Nation shorts, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, Once Upon A Time, Alcatraz, Grimm, Ringer, Community, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and The Office.
Upcoming reviews include Smallville: Season 5, Smallville: Season 6, Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season 2 - Part 2, The Muppets, Stephen King's Bag Of Bones, Wallace And Gromit's World Of Invention, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Transformers Prime: Season 1 and Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1.
Young Justice "Cold Hearted"
I liked this episode. It was a good spotlight for Kid Flash. I didn't realize he didn't know about Megan and Connor.
How can Vandal Savage have scars on his face if he heals instantly?
Liked Count Vertigo and how Wally tricked him. Nicely done.
Good episode. ****.
DC Nation "New Teen Titans #2"
Absolutely adorable. I'm really digging these Teen Titans shorts so far and it was fun to see Dr. Light again. Yay! Teen Titans are back! ****1/2.
DC Nation "Superman @ Tokyo #1"
This did nothing for me however. This concept was already done with Diaperman on Ralph Bakshi's The Mighty Heroes. **1/2.
The Simpsons "How I Wet Your Mother"
When I read the episode description I knew I was going to hate this episode. Basically this deals with Homer's bedwetting problem. It isn't quite as bad as it sounds (it's also a competent Inception parody) but I didn't appreciate them bringing Mona Simpson back into it (Voiced again by Glenn Close). She is too precious a character to me to see her in a mess of an episode like this. **.
Bob's Burgers "The Belchies"
Great season premiere although there was NO way this needed to be rated TV-14. I love Kristen Schaal as Louise and Bob and Linda's bedroom antics made me gag. Tina was funny this episode too and I love the guy made of taffy. I loved this one. ****1/2.
Family Guy "Killer Queen"
Hey! That's Barry from American Dad in the fat camp!
I loved the fat camp plot but Stewie and Brian's plot was pretty stupid. It was kind of nice they tied it into the fat camp plot and that they also tied the hot dog contest into the fat camp murder plot. Family Guy's writing usually isn't this tidy. ***1/2.
American Dad "Dr. Klaustus"
This episode tried it's darndest to be an affirmation of Klaus and his worth but I actually think that this turned out to be more of an affirmation of Roger. Roger's personas can lead to good things (like him being called to doody duty in Iraq) and his Dr. Penguin actually kept the family together. Honestly, I think his advice was pretty good and the family only needed to do Klaus' advice AFTER Klaus screwed them up. Good episode for Roger, but not for Klaus. ****.
The Cleveland Show "Das Shrimp Boot"
All right but not great. ***.
Once Upon A Time "Red-Handed"
Gotta say they got me. I totally did NOT see Red being the wolf coming. I was convinced that it was Granny. They totally fooled me. Poor Peter.
I wonder who David Anders' character is in Fairytale land.
The stuff with Katherine missing was getting good too. And the end of Mary Margaret being arrested was a whuh oh moment. I can't wait to see what happens next. ****.
Alcatraz "Clarence Montgomery"
Easily the worst episode so far. The episode just didn't play fair with the audience. It didn't answer the big mystery, give Clarence proper closure or have the team discover what actually happened. Which might be okay if they were ever going to go back to it someday. But since they killed Clarence off that seems unlikely.
Poor showing. Dirty pool, writers. *.
Grimm "Plumed Serpent"
A dragon! I loved Monroe finally meeting Juliette and that he saved her. I think she needs to break up with Nick. This stuff is going to keep happening.
Did I mention there was a dragon? ***1/2.
Ringer "You're Way Too Pretty To Go To Jail"
Good episode but Andrew is really worrying me. He seems to be getting dangerous.
I loved learning some of Machado's backstory. My heart broke when he learned his dead girlfriend was pregnant. Ouch.
Interesting. ***1/2.
Ringer "What We Have Is Worth The Pain"
Distressing episode. I have no idea who to root for now. Seriously. Besides Bridget, Malcolm and Machado, I can't think of a single character I liked. And how stupid was Machado this episode to tip off Bodaway that way? If Malcolm dies it will be his fault.
Wild episode. It was interesting but I'm not sure what to think. Mixed feelings. ***1/2.
Community "Urban Matrimony And The Sandwich Arts"
Yay! Community's back! It's too bad the first episode back wasn't as perfect as I was hoping it would be. This is the first episode where Andre was REALLY unlikable. I like Shirley teaming up with a dejected Pierce and Jeff and Britta getting SO upset at weddings they nearly got married was great. The Troy and Abed stuff wasn't all that great for once though. Apparently this episode got the highest ratings of the season so I hope it was good enough to convince casual fans to tune in next week. Keep it coming, Community! ****.
30 Rock "Standards And Practises"
Kenneth was all right, but Jenna grated. I preferred the next week's episode. ***.
30 Rock "St. Patrick's Day"
Dean Winters always kills as Dennis and I love how upset Liz got when she realized he was married. He wife seemed completely horrible.
I love Jack winning the RPG. His idea was very clever.
I'm loving Kristen Schaal's intern. If I ever stop I'll bring her to Sears to get her a new toy.
Funny episode. ****.
The Office "Last Day In Florida"
Jim really went above and beyond the call of duty to save Dwight. I would NOT have gone to the trouble especially since Dwight tried to get him fired only a few weeks ago. I guess he did it for Pam but I have unlimited respect for Jim now.
I guess that the last we'll see of Packer. Good riddance.
I cheered at the end of the reveal that Andy was gonna get Erin! Yay!
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Office "Get The Girl"
Yay! Andy and Erin are back together! I am NOT worried about Andy's job in the slightest. Why? Because it's probably for the best if he gets demoted back to sales if he's gonna date Erin. It could have gotten messy otherwise.
However I AM concerned with Nellie getting the position because she is absolutely crazy. I think she will do an even worse job than Creed and could potentially bring down the entire company. I loved Pam telling her she was a witch right before she fell under her spell. I loved Catherine Tate.
Did anyone else think Andy packing himself up in a box is the kind of thing Micheal would have done? The only difference I can see is that it actually worked. If Micheal tried that he would have completely screwed it up.
I loved this episode too. ****1/2.
Parks And Recreation "Lucky"
THAT was a close one. Seriously. Leslie was SO busted. I actually think the ending was a bit of a cop-out but I can't think of another way they could have gotten out of that.
I loved Ron getting lucky with Andy's professor. For such a woman's libber she sure likes her sexist buttholes. I love that she rejected Chris for Ron Swanson.
Another great one. ****.
Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season
This was MUCH better than I remembered it. To be honest, rewatching the first three seasons of Smallville on DVD was a bit of a chore but I really enjoyed the fourth season. It isn't perfect by any means but it definitely has it's moments. I think my favorite part of the season was the return of Clark's unstable super-powered girlfriend Alicia Baker. I was mad when they killed her off when I first saw this but now I actually like the way things played out.
MVP of the season is John Glover as Lionel Luthor who gives some of his greatest performances this year. I especially liked the one where he and Clark switched bodies and Glover and Tom Welling had to ape each other's mannerisms. And as great as Glover was as Clark I think I have to give the edge to Welling playing Lionel. SO perfect and surprisingly funny.
Erica Durance also makes a memorable debut as Lois Lane. This is my second favorite version of the character after Dana Delaney's and Durance is not only appealing and funny, but superhot.
MUCH less successful is new cast member Jensen Ackles who plays Lana's new boyfriend Jason Teague. I know it doesn't help that Lana is the worst character on the show but I think Jason is pretty horrible in his own right. He reminds me a bit of Lauren from Alias in that he's a character the writers went out of their way to get the audience to like them when they first appeared, but that once they got a ton of negative feedback they decided to make them a villain. Lame.
Best episodes of the year are the Tom Welling tour de force (Transference), the return of the daffy Alicia (Unsafe), Chloe finding out Clark's secret (Pariah), and the first season finale in Smallville history that didn't actually suck (Commencement). Worst episodes are the insane afterschool special Facade, the one where Lois's punk sister visits (Lucy), the disappointing Prom episode (Spirit) and the REALLY badly written last day of school episode (Forever). Season Overall: ****1/2.
"Crusade":
I loved Lois Lane within 30 seconds of meeting her and her bits with naked Clark were absolutely golden. The Lex stuff was all right but Lana in Paris grated. Still, the episode was pretty great and the cliffhanger was awesome. ****.
"Gone":
Fun episode and a great way to return Chloe to the series. Look for Micheal Ironside (Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League's Darkseid) as Lois' father General Sam Lane. And I laughed hard at the Kents' reaction to catching Clark nude in the bathroom with Lois. ****.
"Facade":
The concept to this episode sounds absolutely deranged and the execution bears that initial reaction out. Still, gotta admit the sexy scene between Abby and that jock in the shower was pretty hot. **1/2.
"Devoted":
Another insane episode, but this one is a lot of fun, particularly the stuff between a bewildered Clark and a sexy Chloe. ***1/2.
"Run":
Not a fan of this version of The Flash, or Impulse or whoever this will wind up being. Kyle Gallner has never struck me as a really heroic actor. Surprisingly the guy played a great villain on Veronica Mars but as River would say "Spoilers!" Still, I liked the episode for the scenes between Jonathan and Clark. ***1/2.
"Transference":
If Alicia hadn't returned this would have easily been the best episode of the year. I really don't think ex-model Tom Welling gets enough credit for his acting ability on this show. Clark is such a stoic character that it's REALLY surprising how great Welling does when he's allowed to stretch his legs. His Lionel is absolutely flawless. Best scene was easily the incestuous one of Lionel as Clark hugging Martha and smelling her hair. I laughed hard and almost threw up a little. I loved Lionel screwing with Chloe and Lana "just 'acuz". I also loved the twist of Lex being the only person at the end who figured out what happened with Clark and automatically forgave him. Stuff like that is the reason I was so saddened as the character became more and more evil as time went on. *****.
"Jinx":
Lame way to bring Mr. Mxyzptlk into the series. It could have been much worse but Mxy as a foreign exchange student is hogwash. If they weren't going to do it properly, they shouldn't have done it at all. ***.
"Spell":
As far as I'm concerned the real star of this episode was Erica Durance's breasts. Her, Allison Mack and Kristen Kreuk seemed to have a really fun time vamping it up. And this is the first time the Lana subplot this year actually got interesting. ***1/2.
"Bound":
I actually don't think Lex lied to Clark. I think Clark, with his notions of honor and fairness just misunderstood what Lex was trying to say. When Lex said "This was something that never happens" the impression I got from that statement wasn't that it didn't actually happen, but that Lex was telling Clark that these kinds of trysts aren't something the rich talk about and that they always pretend that they never actually happened. I think Lex was treating Clark like an adult rather than lying to him. And am I the only person who like Genevieve Teague more than her son? I've been saying this a lot lately but Jane Seymour is HOT! ****.
"Scare":
Best freak-outs were Chloe in the insane asylum and Lex destroying the world. 'Cause you KNOW he actually worries about that. Good episode. ****.
"Unsafe":
Another great outing for Tom Welling here having a blast on Red Kryptonite. About the only thing about the episode I didn't love was how surprisingly unfair and judgmental the Kents were being towards Alicia. I'll talk more about that next episode but that always rubbed me the wrong way. Clark heading to the wedding chapel and telling Alicia that he wasn't sure stamina was one of his superpowers was delightful. And yeah, Clark SHOULD have forgiven her and I was super happy he did. For the record, this episode proves that Alicia IS good for Clark. This is the only instance on the entire series where Clark was affected by Red Krytonite where he didn't turn overly agressive or semi-evil. I think Alicia's influence definitely had a huge hand in that. *****.
"Pariah":
Back when this first aired I was infuriated when they killed off Alicia (who was quickly becoming one of my favorite characters) but considering the message I took from this episode and the last one, it probably wouldn't have been as powerful if she had survived. This episode and Unsafe actually dealt with the notion of how unfair and cruel the stigma of mental illness is to people who suffer from it and what the consequences can be of someone jumping to the wrong conclusions. As I noted, the Kents were being mean, but by the end of the episode they got a reality check. Usually for people who suffer from mental illness who are treated badly by society it ends in suicide rather than murder but the point the episode made still stands. I was still mad that Alicia wasn't even mentioned in the next two episodes, but that's those two episodes' faults and not this one's. Oh, and I loved Chloe finding out. *****.
"Recruit":
Passable episode. Neither great, not bad. Annoyed Alicia wasn't even mentioned in passing. ***.
"Krypto":
They should have let Shelby keep the name Krypto. The episode was cute and I liked how excited Clark got with owning a dog. Tom Welling's enthusiasm was infectious. ***1/2.
"Sacred":
The second Lana episode of the year that didn't totally suck. I saw Lex setting up Jason coming a mile away but Lana being the one who palmed the stone was a pleasant surprise. Pretty cool. ****.
"Lucy":
The suck. Boneheaded move on the writer's part to give Lois such an annoying relative. I LIKE Lois, I don't need a reason to get ticked off at her family. *.
"Onyx":
I loved this episode and thought Micheal Rosenbaum seemed to be having a blast. Chilled by the reveal by bad Lex that Lex has thought about killing his friends to simplify his problems numerous times. Yikes! ****1/2.
"Spirit":
Outside of a priceless performance by Annette O'Toole as an obnoxious teenage psychopath the episode fell flat. Interesting that Chloe found out about Kryptonite being a weakness for Clark (sort of). Look for Battlestar Galactica's Kandyse McClure as one of the high school mean girls. *1/2.
"Blank":
Good Chloe / Clark spotlight. I really loved how much Chloe learned this episode and I thought the ending was sweet. Take note canon fans: this is the first episode where we demonstratably know that Lex has lied to Clark for his own ends. ****.
"Ageless":
This type of episode has been done a billion times before and in fact was a Birds of Prey episode just a couple of years earlier. Still, it was kind of moving in places. ***.
"Forever":
Yes, the episode is lame and probably one of the worst of the year. But I just have to give a shout-out to the fabulously gruesome effects shot of that kid tossing that girl's severed wax head onto the floor where it split into a million bloody pieces. That is easily the goriest thing the show has ever done and I salute them for it. **.
"Commencement":
I liked seeing this when it first aired but I will acknowledge that it's even better upon a rewatch because you know Brianiac and the Fortress of Solitude are coming. But the excitement was pretty non-stop this episode and I was getting REALLY worried by Lex. Superb visual effects too. And yes, I'm glad Jason died here. He had it coming. ****1/2.
Additional Scenes:
Gone: This would have been awesome to have had in the episode. Really funny back and forth between Lois, Clark and Chloe. *****.
Facade: Considering how lousy the episode was this was actually really good. Unfortunately it's a bit long and adds threads to an episode with enough going on to annoy the audience. I think the episode would have been better if these two scenes had been in it, but I understand why they weren't. ****1/2.
Devoted: An extra scene between Lana and her annoying boyfriend. **.
Jinx: Another Clark/Lana teenage drama queen cr*p scene. I'm SO glad this wasn't in the episode. *.
Spell: A mixed bag. The Clark/Martha scene was nice (although the episode plays better without it) and the scene at the end of Clark, Lois and Chloe was a lot of fun but the scene between Lana and Jason is a contender for worst scene of the entire season. I have a feeling they cut it not only for time but for Kristen Kreuk and Jensen Ackles' completely horrid acting. ***.
Bound: Especially juicy scene between Clark and Lex's lawyer. Excellent. This should have been in the episode. *****.
Scare: Fascinating scene with Lionel in prison enlightening the other inmates. I understand why they changed Lex's nightmare though. The original was nice and personal but if you had never seen the show before it would have been completely confusing to a new audience and that's a Smallville no-no. Plus, Lex destroying the world was just plain awesome. *****.
Pariah: Jackpot! One last scene between Alicia and Clark! It's especially cute and foreshadows the green scarf. The Jason/Lana scene was boring and the appalling scene where Jason out and out threatened Alicia made him look like a monster. Smallville ultimately portrayed Jason as a villain but it's a good thing they cut this scene or I would have hated him even more quicker since Alicia was one of my favorite characters. ****.
Krypto: Cute brief scene between Clark and Kryto and a VERY interesting scene between Lionel Luthor and Genevieve Teague. ****1/2.
Sacred: A scene of Lex studying the symbols on the Chinese garment. ****.
Onyx: Cool scene of Bad Lex sadistically killing a security guard and another one of those endless epilogue scenes. ****.
Blank: Martha and Jonathan were originally supposed to be in the episode. The other deleted scene involved showing exactly HOW Chloe conned her way into the lab. It was SO unneeded. ***1/2.
Being Lois Lane: A featurette about the actresses who played Lois Lane. I loved seeing Dana Delaney and Margot Kidder but I was bummed they were unable to snag Teri Hatcher. Oh, well. At least they got her to guest star on Smallville in season ten. ****.
Behind Closed Doors - Inside the Writer's Room: Featurette about the writing of the show. ***1/2.
Batman Begins Trailer: Awesomeness. I love it. *****.
DVD Menus: WHV never cheaps on the Smallville menus and this is a good one. *****.
Upcoming reviews include Smallville: Season 5, Smallville: Season 6, Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season 2 - Part 2, The Muppets, Stephen King's Bag Of Bones, Wallace And Gromit's World Of Invention, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change, Transformers Prime: Season 1 and Heathcliff: Season 1: Volume 1.
Young Justice "Cold Hearted"
I liked this episode. It was a good spotlight for Kid Flash. I didn't realize he didn't know about Megan and Connor.
How can Vandal Savage have scars on his face if he heals instantly?
Liked Count Vertigo and how Wally tricked him. Nicely done.
Good episode. ****.
DC Nation "New Teen Titans #2"
Absolutely adorable. I'm really digging these Teen Titans shorts so far and it was fun to see Dr. Light again. Yay! Teen Titans are back! ****1/2.
DC Nation "Superman @ Tokyo #1"
This did nothing for me however. This concept was already done with Diaperman on Ralph Bakshi's The Mighty Heroes. **1/2.
The Simpsons "How I Wet Your Mother"
When I read the episode description I knew I was going to hate this episode. Basically this deals with Homer's bedwetting problem. It isn't quite as bad as it sounds (it's also a competent Inception parody) but I didn't appreciate them bringing Mona Simpson back into it (Voiced again by Glenn Close). She is too precious a character to me to see her in a mess of an episode like this. **.
Bob's Burgers "The Belchies"
Great season premiere although there was NO way this needed to be rated TV-14. I love Kristen Schaal as Louise and Bob and Linda's bedroom antics made me gag. Tina was funny this episode too and I love the guy made of taffy. I loved this one. ****1/2.
Family Guy "Killer Queen"
Hey! That's Barry from American Dad in the fat camp!
I loved the fat camp plot but Stewie and Brian's plot was pretty stupid. It was kind of nice they tied it into the fat camp plot and that they also tied the hot dog contest into the fat camp murder plot. Family Guy's writing usually isn't this tidy. ***1/2.
American Dad "Dr. Klaustus"
This episode tried it's darndest to be an affirmation of Klaus and his worth but I actually think that this turned out to be more of an affirmation of Roger. Roger's personas can lead to good things (like him being called to doody duty in Iraq) and his Dr. Penguin actually kept the family together. Honestly, I think his advice was pretty good and the family only needed to do Klaus' advice AFTER Klaus screwed them up. Good episode for Roger, but not for Klaus. ****.
The Cleveland Show "Das Shrimp Boot"
All right but not great. ***.
Once Upon A Time "Red-Handed"
Gotta say they got me. I totally did NOT see Red being the wolf coming. I was convinced that it was Granny. They totally fooled me. Poor Peter.
I wonder who David Anders' character is in Fairytale land.
The stuff with Katherine missing was getting good too. And the end of Mary Margaret being arrested was a whuh oh moment. I can't wait to see what happens next. ****.
Alcatraz "Clarence Montgomery"
Easily the worst episode so far. The episode just didn't play fair with the audience. It didn't answer the big mystery, give Clarence proper closure or have the team discover what actually happened. Which might be okay if they were ever going to go back to it someday. But since they killed Clarence off that seems unlikely.
Poor showing. Dirty pool, writers. *.
Grimm "Plumed Serpent"
A dragon! I loved Monroe finally meeting Juliette and that he saved her. I think she needs to break up with Nick. This stuff is going to keep happening.
Did I mention there was a dragon? ***1/2.
Ringer "You're Way Too Pretty To Go To Jail"
Good episode but Andrew is really worrying me. He seems to be getting dangerous.
I loved learning some of Machado's backstory. My heart broke when he learned his dead girlfriend was pregnant. Ouch.
Interesting. ***1/2.
Ringer "What We Have Is Worth The Pain"
Distressing episode. I have no idea who to root for now. Seriously. Besides Bridget, Malcolm and Machado, I can't think of a single character I liked. And how stupid was Machado this episode to tip off Bodaway that way? If Malcolm dies it will be his fault.
Wild episode. It was interesting but I'm not sure what to think. Mixed feelings. ***1/2.
Community "Urban Matrimony And The Sandwich Arts"
Yay! Community's back! It's too bad the first episode back wasn't as perfect as I was hoping it would be. This is the first episode where Andre was REALLY unlikable. I like Shirley teaming up with a dejected Pierce and Jeff and Britta getting SO upset at weddings they nearly got married was great. The Troy and Abed stuff wasn't all that great for once though. Apparently this episode got the highest ratings of the season so I hope it was good enough to convince casual fans to tune in next week. Keep it coming, Community! ****.
30 Rock "Standards And Practises"
Kenneth was all right, but Jenna grated. I preferred the next week's episode. ***.
30 Rock "St. Patrick's Day"
Dean Winters always kills as Dennis and I love how upset Liz got when she realized he was married. He wife seemed completely horrible.
I love Jack winning the RPG. His idea was very clever.
I'm loving Kristen Schaal's intern. If I ever stop I'll bring her to Sears to get her a new toy.
Funny episode. ****.
The Office "Last Day In Florida"
Jim really went above and beyond the call of duty to save Dwight. I would NOT have gone to the trouble especially since Dwight tried to get him fired only a few weeks ago. I guess he did it for Pam but I have unlimited respect for Jim now.
I guess that the last we'll see of Packer. Good riddance.
I cheered at the end of the reveal that Andy was gonna get Erin! Yay!
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Office "Get The Girl"
Yay! Andy and Erin are back together! I am NOT worried about Andy's job in the slightest. Why? Because it's probably for the best if he gets demoted back to sales if he's gonna date Erin. It could have gotten messy otherwise.
However I AM concerned with Nellie getting the position because she is absolutely crazy. I think she will do an even worse job than Creed and could potentially bring down the entire company. I loved Pam telling her she was a witch right before she fell under her spell. I loved Catherine Tate.
Did anyone else think Andy packing himself up in a box is the kind of thing Micheal would have done? The only difference I can see is that it actually worked. If Micheal tried that he would have completely screwed it up.
I loved this episode too. ****1/2.
Parks And Recreation "Lucky"
THAT was a close one. Seriously. Leslie was SO busted. I actually think the ending was a bit of a cop-out but I can't think of another way they could have gotten out of that.
I loved Ron getting lucky with Andy's professor. For such a woman's libber she sure likes her sexist buttholes. I love that she rejected Chris for Ron Swanson.
Another great one. ****.
Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season
This was MUCH better than I remembered it. To be honest, rewatching the first three seasons of Smallville on DVD was a bit of a chore but I really enjoyed the fourth season. It isn't perfect by any means but it definitely has it's moments. I think my favorite part of the season was the return of Clark's unstable super-powered girlfriend Alicia Baker. I was mad when they killed her off when I first saw this but now I actually like the way things played out.
MVP of the season is John Glover as Lionel Luthor who gives some of his greatest performances this year. I especially liked the one where he and Clark switched bodies and Glover and Tom Welling had to ape each other's mannerisms. And as great as Glover was as Clark I think I have to give the edge to Welling playing Lionel. SO perfect and surprisingly funny.
Erica Durance also makes a memorable debut as Lois Lane. This is my second favorite version of the character after Dana Delaney's and Durance is not only appealing and funny, but superhot.
MUCH less successful is new cast member Jensen Ackles who plays Lana's new boyfriend Jason Teague. I know it doesn't help that Lana is the worst character on the show but I think Jason is pretty horrible in his own right. He reminds me a bit of Lauren from Alias in that he's a character the writers went out of their way to get the audience to like them when they first appeared, but that once they got a ton of negative feedback they decided to make them a villain. Lame.
Best episodes of the year are the Tom Welling tour de force (Transference), the return of the daffy Alicia (Unsafe), Chloe finding out Clark's secret (Pariah), and the first season finale in Smallville history that didn't actually suck (Commencement). Worst episodes are the insane afterschool special Facade, the one where Lois's punk sister visits (Lucy), the disappointing Prom episode (Spirit) and the REALLY badly written last day of school episode (Forever). Season Overall: ****1/2.
"Crusade":
I loved Lois Lane within 30 seconds of meeting her and her bits with naked Clark were absolutely golden. The Lex stuff was all right but Lana in Paris grated. Still, the episode was pretty great and the cliffhanger was awesome. ****.
"Gone":
Fun episode and a great way to return Chloe to the series. Look for Micheal Ironside (Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League's Darkseid) as Lois' father General Sam Lane. And I laughed hard at the Kents' reaction to catching Clark nude in the bathroom with Lois. ****.
"Facade":
The concept to this episode sounds absolutely deranged and the execution bears that initial reaction out. Still, gotta admit the sexy scene between Abby and that jock in the shower was pretty hot. **1/2.
"Devoted":
Another insane episode, but this one is a lot of fun, particularly the stuff between a bewildered Clark and a sexy Chloe. ***1/2.
"Run":
Not a fan of this version of The Flash, or Impulse or whoever this will wind up being. Kyle Gallner has never struck me as a really heroic actor. Surprisingly the guy played a great villain on Veronica Mars but as River would say "Spoilers!" Still, I liked the episode for the scenes between Jonathan and Clark. ***1/2.
"Transference":
If Alicia hadn't returned this would have easily been the best episode of the year. I really don't think ex-model Tom Welling gets enough credit for his acting ability on this show. Clark is such a stoic character that it's REALLY surprising how great Welling does when he's allowed to stretch his legs. His Lionel is absolutely flawless. Best scene was easily the incestuous one of Lionel as Clark hugging Martha and smelling her hair. I laughed hard and almost threw up a little. I loved Lionel screwing with Chloe and Lana "just 'acuz". I also loved the twist of Lex being the only person at the end who figured out what happened with Clark and automatically forgave him. Stuff like that is the reason I was so saddened as the character became more and more evil as time went on. *****.
"Jinx":
Lame way to bring Mr. Mxyzptlk into the series. It could have been much worse but Mxy as a foreign exchange student is hogwash. If they weren't going to do it properly, they shouldn't have done it at all. ***.
"Spell":
As far as I'm concerned the real star of this episode was Erica Durance's breasts. Her, Allison Mack and Kristen Kreuk seemed to have a really fun time vamping it up. And this is the first time the Lana subplot this year actually got interesting. ***1/2.
"Bound":
I actually don't think Lex lied to Clark. I think Clark, with his notions of honor and fairness just misunderstood what Lex was trying to say. When Lex said "This was something that never happens" the impression I got from that statement wasn't that it didn't actually happen, but that Lex was telling Clark that these kinds of trysts aren't something the rich talk about and that they always pretend that they never actually happened. I think Lex was treating Clark like an adult rather than lying to him. And am I the only person who like Genevieve Teague more than her son? I've been saying this a lot lately but Jane Seymour is HOT! ****.
"Scare":
Best freak-outs were Chloe in the insane asylum and Lex destroying the world. 'Cause you KNOW he actually worries about that. Good episode. ****.
"Unsafe":
Another great outing for Tom Welling here having a blast on Red Kryptonite. About the only thing about the episode I didn't love was how surprisingly unfair and judgmental the Kents were being towards Alicia. I'll talk more about that next episode but that always rubbed me the wrong way. Clark heading to the wedding chapel and telling Alicia that he wasn't sure stamina was one of his superpowers was delightful. And yeah, Clark SHOULD have forgiven her and I was super happy he did. For the record, this episode proves that Alicia IS good for Clark. This is the only instance on the entire series where Clark was affected by Red Krytonite where he didn't turn overly agressive or semi-evil. I think Alicia's influence definitely had a huge hand in that. *****.
"Pariah":
Back when this first aired I was infuriated when they killed off Alicia (who was quickly becoming one of my favorite characters) but considering the message I took from this episode and the last one, it probably wouldn't have been as powerful if she had survived. This episode and Unsafe actually dealt with the notion of how unfair and cruel the stigma of mental illness is to people who suffer from it and what the consequences can be of someone jumping to the wrong conclusions. As I noted, the Kents were being mean, but by the end of the episode they got a reality check. Usually for people who suffer from mental illness who are treated badly by society it ends in suicide rather than murder but the point the episode made still stands. I was still mad that Alicia wasn't even mentioned in the next two episodes, but that's those two episodes' faults and not this one's. Oh, and I loved Chloe finding out. *****.
"Recruit":
Passable episode. Neither great, not bad. Annoyed Alicia wasn't even mentioned in passing. ***.
"Krypto":
They should have let Shelby keep the name Krypto. The episode was cute and I liked how excited Clark got with owning a dog. Tom Welling's enthusiasm was infectious. ***1/2.
"Sacred":
The second Lana episode of the year that didn't totally suck. I saw Lex setting up Jason coming a mile away but Lana being the one who palmed the stone was a pleasant surprise. Pretty cool. ****.
"Lucy":
The suck. Boneheaded move on the writer's part to give Lois such an annoying relative. I LIKE Lois, I don't need a reason to get ticked off at her family. *.
"Onyx":
I loved this episode and thought Micheal Rosenbaum seemed to be having a blast. Chilled by the reveal by bad Lex that Lex has thought about killing his friends to simplify his problems numerous times. Yikes! ****1/2.
"Spirit":
Outside of a priceless performance by Annette O'Toole as an obnoxious teenage psychopath the episode fell flat. Interesting that Chloe found out about Kryptonite being a weakness for Clark (sort of). Look for Battlestar Galactica's Kandyse McClure as one of the high school mean girls. *1/2.
"Blank":
Good Chloe / Clark spotlight. I really loved how much Chloe learned this episode and I thought the ending was sweet. Take note canon fans: this is the first episode where we demonstratably know that Lex has lied to Clark for his own ends. ****.
"Ageless":
This type of episode has been done a billion times before and in fact was a Birds of Prey episode just a couple of years earlier. Still, it was kind of moving in places. ***.
"Forever":
Yes, the episode is lame and probably one of the worst of the year. But I just have to give a shout-out to the fabulously gruesome effects shot of that kid tossing that girl's severed wax head onto the floor where it split into a million bloody pieces. That is easily the goriest thing the show has ever done and I salute them for it. **.
"Commencement":
I liked seeing this when it first aired but I will acknowledge that it's even better upon a rewatch because you know Brianiac and the Fortress of Solitude are coming. But the excitement was pretty non-stop this episode and I was getting REALLY worried by Lex. Superb visual effects too. And yes, I'm glad Jason died here. He had it coming. ****1/2.
Additional Scenes:
Gone: This would have been awesome to have had in the episode. Really funny back and forth between Lois, Clark and Chloe. *****.
Facade: Considering how lousy the episode was this was actually really good. Unfortunately it's a bit long and adds threads to an episode with enough going on to annoy the audience. I think the episode would have been better if these two scenes had been in it, but I understand why they weren't. ****1/2.
Devoted: An extra scene between Lana and her annoying boyfriend. **.
Jinx: Another Clark/Lana teenage drama queen cr*p scene. I'm SO glad this wasn't in the episode. *.
Spell: A mixed bag. The Clark/Martha scene was nice (although the episode plays better without it) and the scene at the end of Clark, Lois and Chloe was a lot of fun but the scene between Lana and Jason is a contender for worst scene of the entire season. I have a feeling they cut it not only for time but for Kristen Kreuk and Jensen Ackles' completely horrid acting. ***.
Bound: Especially juicy scene between Clark and Lex's lawyer. Excellent. This should have been in the episode. *****.
Scare: Fascinating scene with Lionel in prison enlightening the other inmates. I understand why they changed Lex's nightmare though. The original was nice and personal but if you had never seen the show before it would have been completely confusing to a new audience and that's a Smallville no-no. Plus, Lex destroying the world was just plain awesome. *****.
Pariah: Jackpot! One last scene between Alicia and Clark! It's especially cute and foreshadows the green scarf. The Jason/Lana scene was boring and the appalling scene where Jason out and out threatened Alicia made him look like a monster. Smallville ultimately portrayed Jason as a villain but it's a good thing they cut this scene or I would have hated him even more quicker since Alicia was one of my favorite characters. ****.
Krypto: Cute brief scene between Clark and Kryto and a VERY interesting scene between Lionel Luthor and Genevieve Teague. ****1/2.
Sacred: A scene of Lex studying the symbols on the Chinese garment. ****.
Onyx: Cool scene of Bad Lex sadistically killing a security guard and another one of those endless epilogue scenes. ****.
Blank: Martha and Jonathan were originally supposed to be in the episode. The other deleted scene involved showing exactly HOW Chloe conned her way into the lab. It was SO unneeded. ***1/2.
Being Lois Lane: A featurette about the actresses who played Lois Lane. I loved seeing Dana Delaney and Margot Kidder but I was bummed they were unable to snag Teri Hatcher. Oh, well. At least they got her to guest star on Smallville in season ten. ****.
Behind Closed Doors - Inside the Writer's Room: Featurette about the writing of the show. ***1/2.
Batman Begins Trailer: Awesomeness. I love it. *****.
DVD Menus: WHV never cheaps on the Smallville menus and this is a good one. *****.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2012-03-24 06:08 am (UTC)On Ask Greg, Mr. Weisman revealed Savage got the facial scar from fighting a cave bear before getting his powers. Guess it was permanent.
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Date: 2012-03-24 08:58 am (UTC)Any idea if there will be a "Green Lantern Adventures" comic book?
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Date: 2012-03-25 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-26 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-25 07:22 am (UTC)DC Nation "New Teen Titans #2" - Yes! Robin has no bananas!
The Simpsons "How I Wet Your Mother" - I liked this episode a lot more than you did, almost felt it was worthy of the 500th, and I loved hearing Glenn Close as Mona again.
Once Upon A Time "Red-Handed" - I thought the Wolf was Granny too, but I suspected Red as well. As for Anders, his name is "Dr. Whale", and the only "whale" I can think of is from Pinocchio, but I'm not sure.
Community "Urban Matrimony And The Sandwich Arts" - I think they wanted this episode to be the first because it was more normal (and the ratings were probably because of basketball and BBT being repeats), but at least we get a bit of a clue why Shirley and Andre had their spat in the first place.
30 Rock "St. Patrick's Day" - This was a great episode, particularly because of Dennis and Jack.
The Office "Last Day In Florida" - Dwight deserves to be fired when it's something of his own doing, not in this case, so I'm glad Jim saved him. I want more Packer!
The Office "Get The Girl" - I'm glad Andy went back to get Erin, and I agree about the Michael Scott move, but I'm hoping Andy unseats Nellie, she is awful, and I feel like everyone is dumb for thinking they'll get raises just like that.
Parks And Recreation "Lucky" - Wasn't surprised about Andy's professor at all, but I feel really bad for Chris.
Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season - The witch plot was idiotic, and Jason was a horrible character, but the season wasn't without its charms. Also, Erica Durance is, indeed, an amazing Lois. Maybe not up to Delaney or Hatcher, but much better than Bosworth and even better than Kidder (who, to be fair, didn't have Lois' modern sensibilities).
"Run": Kyle Gallner is awful. The thing is, Impulse works because he's just a KID not a horny teenager, and Wally West as his worst even had depth. He's no Barry Allen. I'm a huge Flash fan and am disappointed with the use of this abomination in the series.
"Transference" - Rosenbaum and Mack are so much better actors, they shame Welling in comparison, but he's not without his strengths.
"Jinx" - Weird how the last three live action Superman shows have done Mr. Mxyzptlk, and none of them have gone full out wacky like he needs to be.
"Bound": - Genevieve was cool, Jason sucked.
"Unsafe" - I'm glad they finally did a "red kryptonite gets rid of inhibitions" thing and made it positive for Clark. Yeah, running off with Alicia like that wasn't a good idea, but at least it didn't make him evil.
"Pariah" - I like Chloe finding out, but still pissed Alicia died in that manner.
"Krypto" - Is it weird my biggest complaint about Shelby keeping the name Krypto is that he's the wrong breed?
"Lucy" - I feel like this was kinda true to Lucy's character, but...she needed to be seen more. I feel like Lucy is ALWAYS neglected, from Lois and Clark to STAS to Smallville.
"Spirit" - Annette O'Toole was great in this.
Being Lois Lane - Glad Teri Hatcher was there too, continuing the tradition of a Lois Lane actress playing the mother of the next Lois Lane.
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Date: 2012-03-26 02:10 am (UTC)Once Upon A Time: He CAN'T be the whale from Pinnochio. That's TOO crazy. Right? RIGHT?!
The Office (both episodes): I'm just the opposite. I want more Catherine Tate and I want Packer gone and to stay gone. He is absolutely awful and the only character on the show more annoying than Micheal Scott.
Run: Gallner is actually a decent actor, he just wasn't right for Flash. He did better in his second appearance IMHO.
Transference: I agree that Mack is better than Welling (as is Glover) but Welling is a MUCH better actor than Rosenbaum. By far. It's probably only because he's had more to do on the series but part of me thinks part of the reason Rosenbaum is so highly praised for Lex is a bit of leftover goodwill from JLU. He was amazing as Flash and Lex is such a completely different character that you can't help but be impressed. But I don't think he's as great as everyone else thinks he is and I think Welling is MUCH better than everyone else says he is.
Bound: Agreed.
Pariah: It was needed. It's the aftereffects in later episodes that angered me.
Krypto: Yes, but not to me. We are both nerds and we nerds are ALL weird.
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Date: 2012-03-28 08:33 am (UTC)The Office: Packer is annoying, but I find him funny in small doses.
Transference: Agree about Glover, but I've always been a Rosenbaum fan. Smallville and Justice League premiered within 2 months of each other, and I found his Lex Luthor to be much more engaging than his Flash. I will admit Welling is underrated and a lot of what annoyed me wasn't so much his acting it was just the schmaltzy kind of stuff Smallville does, but Rosenbaum had some great scenes as Lex from the very beginning.
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Date: 2012-03-28 01:49 pm (UTC)Smallville: Oh, definitely. Rosenbaum IS great. I just think he's a WEE bit overrated and that Tom Welling is better and REALLY underrated. I'm probably the only person who thinks that though.
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Date: 2012-03-30 08:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-30 12:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-03 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-04-12 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-12 09:27 pm (UTC)"And now on tonight's WB presentation..." Could that announcer's voice be any more annoying or condescending? I stopped watch Dawson's Creek just so I wouldn't have to hear him mangle the word "Dawson" anymore.
Well, that and the show sucked. It was for those two reasons, really.
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Date: 2012-04-18 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-25 12:13 pm (UTC)But I stand by the show eventually sucking. But you're right that it stated off good. But once Kevin Williamson left after season one it became a mess. I did love that first season though and the Pilot remains one of the best TV pilots of the 90's, period. The other two really great 90's pilots were Twin Peaks and Dharma and Greg. Dharma never deserved the crap Family Guy flung at it especially if you compare pilots. Family Guy's first episode was horrible while Dharma's was refreshing. I rooted for that show but it, like Dawson's eventually fell apart, even if it took a little longer.
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Date: 2012-04-28 09:08 am (UTC)As for 90's pilots, it's tough for me to say, it was a different time back then. I do agree that Dharma and Greg get way too much hate from Family Guy.
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Date: 2012-04-28 01:02 pm (UTC)It wouldn't have been so bad had Family Guy actually been a better show when they were taking shots at it. But the first season of Dharma and Greg was better than the first 50 episodes of Family Guy. By far.