The Daily Smallville 03:20 Talisman

03:20: TALISMAN

Prologue

• Dialogue reminds me of the super obvious speech tone they give to Chakotay in ST Voyager when they deal with his origins.
• Jeremiah Holdsclaw. Future leader of the Kawatche Tribe and Professor Willowbrook from 02:10 Skinwalker
• Lionel still showing his scars from his fight with Pa
• Palak – still finding stuff in the caves, as if we don’t already have enough that’s unexplained.
• Turns out to be a Kryptonian blade and fills Jeremiah with power

Act One

• Clark to Willowbrook: “Haven’t seen you lately” – seems to suggest there’s history between the two between this ep and Skinwalkers
• Kenneth Biller writer / director John Schneider – his first episode as director. Maybe I was just very aware of it but some scenes felt super staged. Or the actors weren’t as natural in scenes as in other eps. Hard to explain.
• Star Blade. From that miscellaneous Kryptonian that came to Smallville 500 years ago. Gives the bearer power to protect the blade until they give it to Naman. 
• Pa references when he had Clark’s power – and how intoxicating it can be. 
• Uh oh. Something’s going on with Pete
• Lionel to Lex: “Who are you son?” Good question. Bit of a followup to last episode in this scene. 
• Lana accepted to art school in Paris. Chloe tells her to talk to Lex for help. Another step closer to Lex/Lana? 
• When did Lana show any interest in art now that I’m thinking about it?

Act Two

• Clark and Lex. More and more confrontational with each other lately. 
• “Special human beings” Lionel still seeking solutions to his disease
• Sageeth: “he’s the bearer of darkness”. Whenever I hear that word I think of Darkseid and later episodes. Headcanon. 

Act Three

• Oh wow. A Kyla mention from Skinwalker. For Clark to have such a strong bond with her he doesn’t even talk about her. 
• Sageeth also started out as good
• Lex Luthor selling the Talon since Lana is leaving – that’s a bomb drop for her
• Lex kept the Talon going for her. “Best partner I’ve ever had” – this scene is just going to the edge of romance but can’t because she’s still underaged at this point. Weird. 
• Lex to Lana: “Who are you?” This question is in this episode a lot. “Are you the girl that goes to Paris.”
• In the background, Lex’s people are setting up for some kind of party. Apparently it’s a deleted scene for Clark’s 17th surprise birthday party. 
• Small Lionel and Clark scene. Always worth it.
• I think the reason I dislike the caves is because sometimes it’s about the connection to the Tribe and sometimes it’s about Krypton (such as when it involves Swann or the Key). It’s in the combination of the two where it falls apart for me.
• Star Blade same metal as the key – Lionel wants to use it to make a new key (that Swann has somehow)
• Lionel to Clark: “You’re a very special young man” Wow. He delivers that line with so much subtext. 
• Willowbrook to Clark: “You are desperate not to be someone you are” Another continuation of the “Who are you?” theme
• Kryptonite doesn’t work on Jeremiah. I almost wanted him to eat it like Superman did in Kryptonite No More
• Whoa. Clark stabbed in speed time. That’s gotta be a new feeling for him. 
• Although, how is a guy who just got these powers more agile than Clark’s experience for three seasons?

Act Four

• Pete vs Chloe – the same thing Clark worries about with her. Too much “snooping” masquerading as reporter’s curiosity. Pete is coming across a little harsh but at this point, between Clark, Lana and now Pete – all telling her the same thing at various points – it really is her choice to stop or not. To change or not. There is no excuse for this to happen again. 
• Pa saves Clark with some kind of inner light. What the heck? Some last vestige of power from what Jor-El gave him? The deal they made transferred to Clark to save him so now time is running out on Pa? 
• Pa: “I was just the vessel”. Jor-El stepped in? This isn’t ever confirmed – just speculated – which is frustrating. 
• Clark vs Jeremiah. Baseball tree trunk bat. 
• immovable object vs unstoppable force
• Of course the knife lands near the Luthors. They both grab it and it disintegrates. Which one is Sageeth?! (We know the answer to this)
• Interesting that we got a scene where Pa saves and the Luthors destroy

Act Five

• Jeremiah in a coma of course / Belle “Reeve”
• “Either Lionel or Lex is my greatest enemy”. Martha saying be prepared for the answer to be Lex. Which Clark isn’t ready to do. This is like the first acknowledgment for Clark of their eventual destiny together. Not as friends, but as something else.
• Pa to Clark: “You could be the world’s greatest hero or its most mild mannered citizen.”
• “I’m the girl that goes to Paris.” Yup. Lana leaving.
• And Pete? His parents are divorcing. Big change for him too.
• How do people just sneak up on Clark. Super senses much??
• Lex: “maybe the hero of the story is Sageeth because he’s keeping Naman from becoming an allpowerful tyrant”. Oh Lex. You try and try. But that’s a fairly accurate account of what Lex thinks about Superman – having all that power and not using it for selfish pursuits. Because that’s what the Luthors would do.  
• Outside of the acting and my lack of interest in this part of the caves story, the side scenes were fairly decent. And it feels like things are ramping up to the season finale. 

Next episode: Forsaken!