The Daily Smallville 04:06 Transference

 

04:06 TRANSFERENCE

Prologue

  • Jason at the farm to tell Clark about a scout from Metropolis U
  • same ringing sound Kal heard when Lex found the first Crystal in this season’s opening episode
  • Lionel’s liver is going
  • Lionel to Lex: “I never said I love you” / and Lex almost buys it
  • Clark zooming into the prison and everyone just letting him?!
  • Another Crystal? And this one has the same symbol as Lana’s back tattoo 
  • Transference! Lionel is green, Clark is white. You can just make out each other’s faces on the opposite before separating / of course no one in the prison saw this.
  • Lionel intended this for Lex. How did Lionel get this crystal?
  • awesome acting from both mimicking each other from the start

Act One

  • Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer writers – they both have a good track record of solid episodes / directed by James Marshall. No wonder this is a good ep. He has a great eye for capturing scenes with weight and getting good work out of the actors and his cameras/editors
  • Lionel as Clark talking to Lex about his father. You can tell Welling is having fun
  • Helping Pa lift a tractor; while it comes together for Lionel at this moment, it’s odd that just being in Clark’s body doesn’t register anything. No super hearing, no super senses. And it also shows that maybe Lionel didn’t know about Clark prior to this which feels odd. But the pieces fall together soon enough.
  • Who is this guy? Edgar
  • Lionel’s team found the second Crystal in an underwater ruin off of Honduras. In a Mayan rain god statue / Symbols found in Egypt. Central America. Kansas. We got all those places
  • This one means Water/Transference. So why is Lana mixed in with this one
  • The Crystal Clark already obtained is air. Which leaves fire.
  • “Treasure trove of knowledge” – just like the map in last episode’s Run
  • Clark putting it together that Lionel probably had a hand in making sure Edgar wound up in the same cell
  • Clark finds out Lionel is dying
  • Lionel’s mothers maiden name is Meehan / did he just check out Clark’s junk??
  • Martha and Clark. Hilarious and creepy. Experiences super speed and heat vision. But it’s because Lionel has feelings for Martha. Call back to the Heat episode and Clark’s heat vision emerging because of his libido. So funny
  • Martha can see something is not right in Clark’s eyes
  • Clark meets Jason. Do we find out later that Lionel already knows Jason?
  • Lionel is now playing up the teenage side of Clark here. Welling is killing it in this episode.
  • Clark as Lionel getting beat up in prison; experiencing what it’s like to be in such a fragile form
  • this is all just one Act so far!

Act Two

  • Lionel at the Torch to use Chloe’s computers; and as Clark, plays with Chloe’s affections. She should’ve referenced their last conversation about Clark not having feelings in that way.
  • This is creepy until he makes it seem like it’s an act. But is it?
  • “Don’t you wish” That’s cold Lionel! And then calling her Ms. Sullivan. That should tip her off.
  • Turns out Lana’s family and the Countess go back to the same village; burned as a witch. Setting up a future ep
  • And now super hearing. Lionel learns about Lana and Jason
  • So far Welling has said Ms Sullivan and Lana exactly how Glover pronounces them
  • Lionel and Clark talk in prison. And now super vision
  • Haha. Lex depleted Lionel’s account
  • “This one”. Haha. This ep is great.
  • Clark and Lana have a confrontation
  • “He moved to Smallville to be with me Clark” Is this Lana trying to suggest that Jason is doing something more than Clark ever did for her?
  • “I’m older now, more mature” and then Lionel kisses her. He’s gross. Even if he’s doing this to disrupt Clark’s life
  • Lana slaps him! Ouch! This is a dark turn between them

Act Three

  • Clark as Lionel talking to Martha and revealing what happened / gaining her trust by talking about his super speed emerging when he was six
  • Love how Welling comes thru Lex’s doors. Just like how Glover does in previous eps
  • Lex realizes it’s his dad; almost a chance for Lex to see that Clark is powered
  • Ma steps in with kryptonite; but of course Lex doesn’t see this
  • Clark goes after Pa to find out why he got weak / again, all the pieces should fall into place here for Lionel if he wasn’t so overtaken with the powers
  • Lionel vs Pa Round 2 / interrupted by a call from Edgar

Act Four

  • Lionel back in prison. Clark getting into a fight again. And then a riot
  • The riot sequence is not terribly staged but is probably the one weak moment in the ep until Lionel is stalking Clark in his old body. Great moment and visual
  • Clark tricks Lionel; they exchange again. Lionel should’ve seen where Clark hid the rock
  • Where did the rock go? And does Lionel remember?

Act Five

  • “What else did Lionel do?” – Lionel just disrupted Clark’s life with Chloe, Lana and Jason when everything was more or less moving in a direction beyond the drama of the previous episodes. It’s not necessarily backwards but I guess they feel they can’t write these characters without drama. Let’s see if it follows in future eps.  
  • Oh good! Clark brings up the sound from episode 1 / the Kents now learn about the Crystals. Clark says he hid it from them to put Jor-El behind him. But really it’s because they have to do 20+ eps and they can’t all be mythos focused
  • Lionel is healed – his disease is gone. Clark thinks he’s dying tho.
  • Lionel doesn’t remember anything. Or is he faking it? “Something inside of me has changed profoundly. I’m not the same man.” Hmmm Clark’s essence did a whammy on Lionel? Let’s see how long this sticks.
  • Chloe bringing up how other people have gone dark in Smallville but that’s just who they are deep down. Interesting observation – I’m glad to see that side of Smallville and the KMOTWs isn’t disregarded. I’ve been talking about that since season 1
  • Clark now learns about Lana and Jason / “We’re both adults” no you’re not Lana. Aren’t you 17?
  • Haha Lex is ready for “Clark/Lionel” just in case
  • Awkward hug
  • They are taking this whole transference thing lightly. I guess that makes sense. It’s been three plus years of oddness
  • Lex asks where Lionel as Clark got that strength
  • Clark asks lex to free Edgar
  • He’s free – But it’s Bridgette! And she now has the second rock / Is she going to give it to Clark?
  • This is a fantastic episode for this season and for the series so far. Probably in my top five or ten. And a benchmark in many ways in terms of craft, expanding mythos, etc – just like Insurgence was which Marshall also directed.
  • Every Act is super compact with info and great bits. Very well written and acted. Dialogue feels natural and makes sense with what came before. You can really tell the difference between eps that are solid such as this one and eps that feel formulaic. 
  • This ep only works because of the history the actors have together and the viewers as well. So we can see mannerisms and hear inflections of voice between Welling and Glover. 
  • Episodes after this should strive to be this good. Feels like the show ramped up.
  • Rating: 5

 

Next episode: Jinx!

 

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