03:02 PHOENIX
Prologue
- Pa and Clark aren’t fighting. They are wrestling. With Pa looking like he has the upper hand. Oddly.
- Tom Welling really is Superboy Prime here
- Pa: “if I could raise a son that could kill, then kill” probably the most forward dialogue on that subject to date.
- Clark’s punch smashes the Red K. And then the scar disappears after flashing a yellow outline of his traditional S shield.
- So maybe it was the Kryptonian branding mixed with the Red K that made him ultra bad boy rather than just released inhibitions. Otherwise why would it go away? Really – it’s almost like Clark Hulk raged it away.
Act One
- oh no. Souders and Peterson are the writers / directed by James Marshall – he has a great track record in Season Two with Heat, Insurgence and Rosetta
- Clark apologies for the loss of Martha’s baby. They finally acknowledge it. Briefly.
- Clark thinking whatever Jor-El did to Pa might have been too much for his body to handle. There’s a seed there. Not to mention it’s another reason to not trust Jor-El at all.
- Even if Clark was under the sway of the Red K (and the Kryptonian branding) he still made the choice to leave. And when he took off the ring, chose to stay away. Does he get off scott free after a three month crime spree?
- Lex is back. Father and son stand-off at the top of LuthorCorp. Won’t be the last time.
- Lionel again trying to drive between Lex and Helen; and the vial of blood is brought up. Did he know about it from last season?
- Clark learns that Pa made a deal with Jor-El. Let’s see if that weighs on Clark this season
- Clark stole his blood for Morgan from Lionel; is that what Lionel did last season? Paid Helen for the vial? Now what did he do with it all this time?
- Pa destroys the vial. Lionel upping the ante on his quest for knowledge about Clark.
- Now Helen is wrapped up with Edge as well. Yikes.
Act Two
- Oh yea. Didn’t Clark just leave Lana in Metropolis last ep?
- Lana: “The only thing that keeps hurting me is you.” Really? All of those times you got attacked and kidnapped?
- Clark still thinking he’s not going to stay. Being Kal gave him a false sense of freedom
- Helen tells her side of the accident. She also says Lionel would leave them alone if she sold him the blood. I dunno. She has too many shady deals. They basically are writing her to be untrustworthy even by the viewers.
- What the heck happened in three months that the farm went from being okay to being foreclosed? I guess not having super-child labor cuts into profits.
- Clark going all Kal to get Edge off his back.
Act Three
- Now Chloe and Clark. / she calls Clark’s feelings for Lana “Lana Lusting”. Really? It’s more than that on some level. Chloe is gross here.
- Lex and Clark. Damn. This is the most emotional reunion of all this entire episode. You can see they have camaraderie as characters and as actors.
- Both Lex and Clark dipped into their dark side. Now which one will grow from it? Or swim in it. Lots of themes of destinies and dual natures. And what it means to cross over.
- Noooo. Don’t let Chloe off the hook just because Clark was different. You’re right Lana. She should’ve told people where he was for two months.
- “Clark has more issues than Rolling Stone.” That’s a TERRIBLE line.
- See? Chloe hid the secret because she felt good that Clark was confiding in her and her alone. The worst.
- The Kents held hostage again by Edge and his goons. They don’t get assaulted the same level as Lana and Chloe but it’s kinda heartbreaking when it does happen.
- What the heck Clark. Last season you ran faster than rain drops. Just rush them!
- ANOTHER vial of blood. Straight from the source.
Act Four
- Lionel and Edge have history. 30 years worth.
- Oohhh. Yea. Lionel HAS researched the blood from the original vial. He just doesn’t know the source of the blood. Edge does.
- This is new, I’m not a victim anymore, Lana.
- Oh damn! Lana just killed someone!!
- Another plane ride Lex??? You crazy.
- So Helen did do it. Just because he took the vial? Revenge? To get his money? Because she was working with Lionel? Here comes the soap opera angle with this writing paid again. High emotion but no motivation.
- Lex: “I’ll rise from the ashes again.”
- Now Helen really does parachute away. And Lex is going to land the plane. She knows about Clark. This is like the 12th loose end by now – I’ve lost count.
- This whole return trip on a plane is odd. Did they think they needed an extra action scene? It’s not terrible – I just want a plain explanation as to why Helen did all this.
- Not to mention there hasn’t been a mention of her meeting with Edge
Act Five
- this is what I mean about inconsistent Kryptonite poisoning – Clark rode with it strapped to his chest and yet was able to figure out how to cut his binds and have enough energy to rip off the rock and throw it away. Although in last season he couldn’t even snap off a necklace. Bleh.
- Clark blows up the truck and any evidence of its contents. Couldn’t Lionel just see it’s a moving truck from Smallville and call around for info?
- Lex wants to work with his father. Is he playing him? Lex giving over to his father while Clark is keeping his distance from Jor-El.
- Ha. Awkward Luthor hug.
- Lex buys the farm in thanks for the compass gift that helped him during his ordeal. He says their names are on the deed. Let’s hope there’s nothing more to this.
- Lex wants to be part of the family. A new starting point. Odd though considering Clark and Pa know Lionel is up to something. Even Martha knows if you go back to Insurgence.
- Lana and Clark. Back to square one. Or will Lana be the one to chase Clark this season, switching their roles.
- Okay. Despite my cautiousness about the writers this wasn’t a bad ep. In many ways I liked it better than this season’s opener. A very full episode with lots of new status quo beginnings. But again. I hope they don’t ignore what’s been built.
- in a way, Clark and Lex have also switched roles in their dealings with their family. Now Clark is pushing away from the destiny of his Kryptonian side/father and Lex is giving in to his destiny and father. Interesting.
- Not satisfied with the Helen storyline wrap up but it is what it is.
- Phoenix title – Lex was obvious with his dialogue but Clark as well with shrugging off the Kryptonian brand, rising from the seclusion he had put himself into.
Next episode: Extinction!