01:16 STRAY
Prologue
- Warrior Angel comic. Cover resembling popular pieta covers. Although first instinct is to say it looks like Crisis 7, the held character is flipped, making me think of Batman 156 from 1963.
- Another car accident involving the Kents!! They must be un-insurable!
- Super hearing? Invulnerability? Another Super Boy?
Act One
- Philip Levens writer / Paul Shapiro director
- Another BSG alum and part of the Vancouver casting pool: Rekha Sharma, Tory Foster on BSG. Also will show up in Arrow and ST: Discovery
- Ohhh wait. The kid Ryan is probably a mind reader. LSH Saturn Queen. He can’t read Clark thought. And he’s not a true KMOTW. We aren’t told in this episode how he received his abilities.
- Ryan Kelly playing a character named Ryan
- Kents picking up random kids all the time
- Why Ryan likes Warrior Angel: “Because he protects people who can’t protect themselves”
- Ryan: “I like being around you Clark. It’s peaceful.” Yup. Mind reading.
- Pa to Ma: “You always had a soft spot for strays.” Title!
Act Two
- Lionel! Always checking up on Lex? Or Smallville in general?
- Clark: “Don’t worry, Chloe’s the queen of obscure and irrelevant references.” Seriously.
- Ryan tells Clark about Chloe’s feelings.
- Lana: “I always dreamed of having a brother or sister. You know, someone to talk to, help fill the silence.” Clark: “Someone you could totally trust and would always be there for you?” Lana: “It’s just how I see you, Clark.” Ouch. She sees him as a brother? Or does she mean more? Especially after the last few eps.
- Lex is a comic book fan
- Lex: “Strange visitor from another planet that protects the weak?” “Plus he’s bald”
- Ryan’s not a fan of Lex
- Ryan sees Clark in a Warrior Angel light
Act Three
- Lex had a brother named Julian, born when Lex was 11. First mention. Apparently he died as an infant. But there’s more to it as we’ll find out much later.
- Lex tells Clark about the job with Lionel. Lex knows he’s a different person around Lionel. Interesting. Almost like he’s aware of what Lionel is trying to turn Lex into. Or you could look at it as Lex hiding from his destiny.
- Ryan tells Lana that he thinks Clark is hiding something. Interesting how Clark doesn’t want to know this time, but with the Chloe info, Clark was less concerned.
- Okay Chloe and Clark are being slow this episode with Ryan’s ability to know things about people. Mind reading, dummies!
Act Four
- Martha can’t have kids?
- Ryan sees the spaceship
- Ryan can only pick up what’s on the surface / Lana has a secret about Clark
- Lex gives Clark a foil: “Every hero should have one”. / I think we’ve heard Lex say that he sees Clark as a younger brother, but is that as a replacement for Julian?
- Chloe: “Zorro. Millionaire playboy.” Lots of Bruce Wayne references
- Again Clark showing up randomly at the side of the road where Lex was dumped. No car. Come on Lex!
Act Five
- Using Ryan’s story – where the parents considered him a freak – against Clark and how his own parents treat Clark as special.
- Clark throwing the bowling ball. Enough speed through the wall but not the guys chest? Again – Clark is getting precise with his powers.
- Edge City – first mention.
- Ryan about Lana after she kisses his cheek: “I’m definitely in love.” “Join the club.” Whoa Clark. It’s like that?
- Lex decides not to go to Metropolis. Because he knows he’s doing okay in Smallville away from Lionel.
- Five for Fighting ‘Superman (It’s not easy)’ song. Seems like an early use of this song. A parallel to Clark and the Warrior Angel in comics.
- Loose end: Ryan.
- Ryan: “Be careful of Lex. Theres a lot of darkness he keeps from the world.” “I like to believe in people’s best” Clark responds.
- Ryan gives Clark his comics
- Kryptonite mentioned in the song before ever being mentioned in the show.
- Even with all the Warrior Angel stuff and the mention of Lex’s brother Julian – which comes back later – this was the first episode that I felt was the weakest, surprisingly. Not sure why – there are thoughts/observations to be made but by the end I’m not sure I cared all that much about the Ryan character or his situation. Even if it gives us insight into the larger Smallville universe.
Next episode: Reaper!