Rants, Raves, and Reviews--Ambush
Nov. 7th, 2010 08:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluesuedeshoesRants, Raves, and Reviews--Smallville "Ambush"
A review of Smallville Season 10 Episode 7--which, let's don't lie, was COMPLETELY EPIC!
General Sam Lane, I salute you. Literally.
Ahaha! The return of General Lane!!! I love it!
This was one of the best episodes I've seen in a long time. It might even rank in my top ten of all ten seasons so far, although it would make top five for sure if Chloe had been around.
I have my bones to pick, however, so I'm going to get those out of the way first, and then we can end on a good note.
First and foremost: Lucy. I can't believe I'm actually going to quote Rick Flagg here--because we all know how much I can't stand him--but I, too, was surprised that the General's daughter would "Leave herself open to attack." Let's explain a little of my background here: Both my grandfathers, my father, and my uncle all served in the armed forces. My best friend is currently in Afghanistan, and my older brother is filling out the paperwork to join special forces as we speak. I may not be what people like to refer to as a military brat because I didn't move around all my life (My dad isn't active.) but I definitely learned a couple of things growing up. Believe me when I say that I know to always "watch your six." So for me, personally, seeing Lucy so readily and easily hoodwinked by Flagg...well, I didn't buy into it. I was so mad at Lucy for being so stupid. If I know better than that--and my dad isn't even active--then you sure as heck better believe the General's daughter oughta know better. If she honestly didn't know better than to take information from a soldier she didn't know, plant a tracking device on her father, the General, and then not tell her father, the General, about it, she is the biggest idiot on the planet and a disgrace to all children raised in military life. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure most civilians wouldn't get sucked into that. Admittedly, I wasn't Lucy's biggest fan from the getgo, back when she first appeared in season 4, but that was kind of the same as my not liking Tess. Got no problem with the actress, and the character was fairly well written, I just didn't like her. Certainly didn't mean I wasn't happy to see her again. I love getting to see all these characters brought on for the final season. Even the ones I don't *like.* I just felt that the writing for Lucy this time around was very, very poorly done, and it didn't just stop with her getting duped by Flagg.
My second issue with the writing for Lucy was her apparent desire to sabotage Lois and Clark's relationship. Which went COMPLETELY unexplained. Now, let's start with the fact that sister's have been sabotaging each other since the beginning of time, and little sisters are known for being jealous of their older sister's relationships with friends or boyfriends. That's not every younger sister, but it's a fair number of them. So the plotline had potential. Sure. Why not? Lucy sees that Lois is having a really serious relationship with Clark, gets jealous that once again someone is more important to Lois than her, and furthermore, she doesn't believe Clark is good enough for her big sis. So she sabotages him, tests him, etc. etc. etc. Okay. Except that Smallville just had her sabotaging them for the sake of it. There was no explanation, no method to the madness. She just kept showing up in scenes to make things worse for her sister and her sister's boyfriend. I anticipated some sort of heart to heart between her and Lo, explaining how she was jealous of Clark or whatever, and apologizing, and Lois explaining that "No matter what, you'll always be my little sis, Sis." But it didn't happen. Instead it was spent with Lois explaining how she, too, would have been conned by Rick Flagg!!!!! WHAT? The writers might have painted Lucy as a total dolt, but I refuse to believe that Lois, who actually grew up in her father's presence, would have fallen for the same BS that Lucy proved herself susceptible to in this episode.
I'm sorry, writers, I just didn't buy it. Lois is so much more intelligent than that. Especially after everything that happened with Zod last season, no way would she fall for that $@&#.
Now, in my attempt to make excuses for the characters (I'm nothing if not fair.), I could stretch my imagination a bit and say that because Lucy grew up away from the general at boarding schools and such, she would not no better, like most military kids. I could also say that when Lois was talking about the fact that she would have wanted to save her dad, too, she didn't actually say she would have fallen for it, and she also might have been referring to the fact that she'd done something similarly stupid in the past (referring to Zod).
But I won't. Because really. I just don't buy it.
Moving on, I know; I know. Everyone hates Tess, and everyone's in an uproar over her taking over Watchtower. I secretly am, too, but I'm cutting everyone--characters, actors, writers--some slack. Here's how I see it. The writers are doing a beautiful job--through Oliver only--of making sure that we know that Chloe is not forgotten but is sorely missed. In spite of my eye twitching over Tess being the new Watchtower, we MUST (yes, must) accept that Allison Mack simply IS NOT HERE this season, so holes had to be filled somehow. Even the writers know that Chloe is irreplaceable, though, which is why I was glad to see that Oliver's character is making sure no one has any doubts about that. No, Chloe cannot be replaced, but the team does need someone behind those computer screens, and although Tess isn't my favorite person by any means, she's a good woman for the job, and I think she needed this. Tess needed to be given a chance to do something good for the world. It blew up in her face with mini-Lex (who is mysteriously not present in this episode...hmmmmm), so this is her chance to be part of something real. In spite of the fact that she was completely misguided in the past, Tess technically did want to do good for the world. She just screwed up really badly. It makes for an interesting villain, and I do admit, I love to see a villain reformed. (Anyone who is a fan of Chlex--which I, most vehemently, am not--is not allowed to argue with that statement at all.)
So yeah, I am sucking it up and dealing with the fact that Tess is in Watchtower, and doing a little of her own redecorating to make the system suit her. Fair enough. I fully support Oliver in his adamant claims that she can't replace Chloe, but I also support Tess when she points out that at some point, Oliver has to start treating her like she's on his side because for once, she really is. So I liked the scene where Oliver brought food and they had their little "we're family" moment. They are, really. Completely dysfunctional family. Aren't we all? Summing it all up: Chloe can't be replaced, and the writers know that, but someone needs to watch out for our boys while she's away, and Tess is far from being the worst woman for the job.
Other matters: OMG GENERAL LANE!!!! Michael Ironside, take me away. --sighs dreamily-- I love that man. Love him. Love his character. He's amazing. I wish he were a regular on this show. He's an amazing actor, and I thought the writing for him total made up for the ickiness that was Lucy. His relationship with Lois was beautiful, his interactions with Clark were fantastic. Everything about it was epic. The vigilante regestration act? Once again, growing up around military men, I could totally see this. Very believable, but still better when he realized that even though his heart was in the right place, there are enough corrupted people out there that the law would inevitably be exploited. Good man, Sam Lane. Good man.
The fact that having his baby girl rescued by the Blur was what changed his mind about heroes was heart-warming, and still better was the fact that he clearly realized Clark is the Blur by the end of the episode. I love that man. I really do. Seriously, writers, can we make him a regular? Pleeeaaaaaase?
I totally felt for Lois in this episode, too. I know I dread the day when I actually have to bring a boy home to Daddy because my Dad would be just as bad, I'm sure. Erica Durance put on a wonderful performance. She sold every one of her lines in this episode, and I hurt for her when she was pulling that turkey out of the oven. I could feel her weariness and disappointment when she was pulling that turkey out of the oven. The writing for her was perfectly on key. Her disappointment in Clark for not "trying harder" essentially was totally understandable when taken from her point of view, and the moment where she stood up to her dad because she was in love with Clark? Absolutely, by far the best moment in the whole episode, possibly the whole season (at least for Lois). I was just about giving her a standing ovation when I watched that scene. Ma'am, yes, ma'am.
And let's don't forget my little fangirl squee when Clark said he had a question for the General. I *wonder* whatever that could be...... --shameless squeal--
Now if we could just bring Chloe home, I'd be doing cartwheels for how great this episode was. Definitely made up for the last couple, which were, honestly, mediocre. I await "Abandoned" with baited breath, and I only hope it's as good as this episode was.
Boy, it was nice to get to rave for once....
_______________
Okay, review out of the way, time to go catch up on the episode of Supernatural I missed. I wonder if there's a group of people out there who agree with me when I say we should just shoot Sam in the face and make the show entirely about Dean....
A review of Smallville Season 10 Episode 7--which, let's don't lie, was COMPLETELY EPIC!
General Sam Lane, I salute you. Literally.
Ahaha! The return of General Lane!!! I love it!
This was one of the best episodes I've seen in a long time. It might even rank in my top ten of all ten seasons so far, although it would make top five for sure if Chloe had been around.
I have my bones to pick, however, so I'm going to get those out of the way first, and then we can end on a good note.
First and foremost: Lucy. I can't believe I'm actually going to quote Rick Flagg here--because we all know how much I can't stand him--but I, too, was surprised that the General's daughter would "Leave herself open to attack." Let's explain a little of my background here: Both my grandfathers, my father, and my uncle all served in the armed forces. My best friend is currently in Afghanistan, and my older brother is filling out the paperwork to join special forces as we speak. I may not be what people like to refer to as a military brat because I didn't move around all my life (My dad isn't active.) but I definitely learned a couple of things growing up. Believe me when I say that I know to always "watch your six." So for me, personally, seeing Lucy so readily and easily hoodwinked by Flagg...well, I didn't buy into it. I was so mad at Lucy for being so stupid. If I know better than that--and my dad isn't even active--then you sure as heck better believe the General's daughter oughta know better. If she honestly didn't know better than to take information from a soldier she didn't know, plant a tracking device on her father, the General, and then not tell her father, the General, about it, she is the biggest idiot on the planet and a disgrace to all children raised in military life. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure most civilians wouldn't get sucked into that. Admittedly, I wasn't Lucy's biggest fan from the getgo, back when she first appeared in season 4, but that was kind of the same as my not liking Tess. Got no problem with the actress, and the character was fairly well written, I just didn't like her. Certainly didn't mean I wasn't happy to see her again. I love getting to see all these characters brought on for the final season. Even the ones I don't *like.* I just felt that the writing for Lucy this time around was very, very poorly done, and it didn't just stop with her getting duped by Flagg.
My second issue with the writing for Lucy was her apparent desire to sabotage Lois and Clark's relationship. Which went COMPLETELY unexplained. Now, let's start with the fact that sister's have been sabotaging each other since the beginning of time, and little sisters are known for being jealous of their older sister's relationships with friends or boyfriends. That's not every younger sister, but it's a fair number of them. So the plotline had potential. Sure. Why not? Lucy sees that Lois is having a really serious relationship with Clark, gets jealous that once again someone is more important to Lois than her, and furthermore, she doesn't believe Clark is good enough for her big sis. So she sabotages him, tests him, etc. etc. etc. Okay. Except that Smallville just had her sabotaging them for the sake of it. There was no explanation, no method to the madness. She just kept showing up in scenes to make things worse for her sister and her sister's boyfriend. I anticipated some sort of heart to heart between her and Lo, explaining how she was jealous of Clark or whatever, and apologizing, and Lois explaining that "No matter what, you'll always be my little sis, Sis." But it didn't happen. Instead it was spent with Lois explaining how she, too, would have been conned by Rick Flagg!!!!! WHAT? The writers might have painted Lucy as a total dolt, but I refuse to believe that Lois, who actually grew up in her father's presence, would have fallen for the same BS that Lucy proved herself susceptible to in this episode.
I'm sorry, writers, I just didn't buy it. Lois is so much more intelligent than that. Especially after everything that happened with Zod last season, no way would she fall for that $@&#.
Now, in my attempt to make excuses for the characters (I'm nothing if not fair.), I could stretch my imagination a bit and say that because Lucy grew up away from the general at boarding schools and such, she would not no better, like most military kids. I could also say that when Lois was talking about the fact that she would have wanted to save her dad, too, she didn't actually say she would have fallen for it, and she also might have been referring to the fact that she'd done something similarly stupid in the past (referring to Zod).
But I won't. Because really. I just don't buy it.
Moving on, I know; I know. Everyone hates Tess, and everyone's in an uproar over her taking over Watchtower. I secretly am, too, but I'm cutting everyone--characters, actors, writers--some slack. Here's how I see it. The writers are doing a beautiful job--through Oliver only--of making sure that we know that Chloe is not forgotten but is sorely missed. In spite of my eye twitching over Tess being the new Watchtower, we MUST (yes, must) accept that Allison Mack simply IS NOT HERE this season, so holes had to be filled somehow. Even the writers know that Chloe is irreplaceable, though, which is why I was glad to see that Oliver's character is making sure no one has any doubts about that. No, Chloe cannot be replaced, but the team does need someone behind those computer screens, and although Tess isn't my favorite person by any means, she's a good woman for the job, and I think she needed this. Tess needed to be given a chance to do something good for the world. It blew up in her face with mini-Lex (who is mysteriously not present in this episode...hmmmmm), so this is her chance to be part of something real. In spite of the fact that she was completely misguided in the past, Tess technically did want to do good for the world. She just screwed up really badly. It makes for an interesting villain, and I do admit, I love to see a villain reformed. (Anyone who is a fan of Chlex--which I, most vehemently, am not--is not allowed to argue with that statement at all.)
So yeah, I am sucking it up and dealing with the fact that Tess is in Watchtower, and doing a little of her own redecorating to make the system suit her. Fair enough. I fully support Oliver in his adamant claims that she can't replace Chloe, but I also support Tess when she points out that at some point, Oliver has to start treating her like she's on his side because for once, she really is. So I liked the scene where Oliver brought food and they had their little "we're family" moment. They are, really. Completely dysfunctional family. Aren't we all? Summing it all up: Chloe can't be replaced, and the writers know that, but someone needs to watch out for our boys while she's away, and Tess is far from being the worst woman for the job.
Other matters: OMG GENERAL LANE!!!! Michael Ironside, take me away. --sighs dreamily-- I love that man. Love him. Love his character. He's amazing. I wish he were a regular on this show. He's an amazing actor, and I thought the writing for him total made up for the ickiness that was Lucy. His relationship with Lois was beautiful, his interactions with Clark were fantastic. Everything about it was epic. The vigilante regestration act? Once again, growing up around military men, I could totally see this. Very believable, but still better when he realized that even though his heart was in the right place, there are enough corrupted people out there that the law would inevitably be exploited. Good man, Sam Lane. Good man.
The fact that having his baby girl rescued by the Blur was what changed his mind about heroes was heart-warming, and still better was the fact that he clearly realized Clark is the Blur by the end of the episode. I love that man. I really do. Seriously, writers, can we make him a regular? Pleeeaaaaaase?
I totally felt for Lois in this episode, too. I know I dread the day when I actually have to bring a boy home to Daddy because my Dad would be just as bad, I'm sure. Erica Durance put on a wonderful performance. She sold every one of her lines in this episode, and I hurt for her when she was pulling that turkey out of the oven. I could feel her weariness and disappointment when she was pulling that turkey out of the oven. The writing for her was perfectly on key. Her disappointment in Clark for not "trying harder" essentially was totally understandable when taken from her point of view, and the moment where she stood up to her dad because she was in love with Clark? Absolutely, by far the best moment in the whole episode, possibly the whole season (at least for Lois). I was just about giving her a standing ovation when I watched that scene. Ma'am, yes, ma'am.
And let's don't forget my little fangirl squee when Clark said he had a question for the General. I *wonder* whatever that could be...... --shameless squeal--
Now if we could just bring Chloe home, I'd be doing cartwheels for how great this episode was. Definitely made up for the last couple, which were, honestly, mediocre. I await "Abandoned" with baited breath, and I only hope it's as good as this episode was.
Boy, it was nice to get to rave for once....
_______________
Okay, review out of the way, time to go catch up on the episode of Supernatural I missed. I wonder if there's a group of people out there who agree with me when I say we should just shoot Sam in the face and make the show entirely about Dean....
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-08 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-08 03:28 am (UTC)I fully agree with your rant and review. I liked the episode (probably all the more since I didn't like Harvest that much). I kept wondering what was the deal with Lucy. And I totally agree about Tess. On one hand, I resent her for being there in Chloe's place. On the other, I know that space must be filled and she's the one who can do it. I think Ollie embodies pretty well that resentment, in the sense that he has an attitude about her presence because it makes Chloe's absence more evident (and painful). But I also think that is part of Tess's redemption and atonement to go through it while trying to do her best. So I also like her that way. And I like that we are being reassured, through Ollie, that Chloe is sorely missed. I'm just very nervous, you know? His letting go of Watchtower in order to protect the other heroes? That makes me anxious. Does it mean he's slowly moving on from her too? I really have no clue as to what are they planning to do with Allison's five episodes, and her own statements about going back to "wrap up Chloe's legacy" make me dread her return a bit. Because I want a happy ending for Chloe WITH Ollie, and I really fear any other option. I guess I'll have to wait and see. And/or comfort myself with fanfic.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-09 12:21 am (UTC)I just love Clark/General's convo and how they both saw the others point. There are dangers out there. There are good and bad "vigilantes" just like they are good and bad politicans. I felt like though either was going to completly abandon their point of view but they understand each other. It was really, really lovely to see and a breath of fresh air.
I agree with most of what you said too, although I love Tess. It stings seeing her "filling in" for Chloe but Oliver made it clear no one can really replace Chloe.
Oliver's dislike of it really made it great for me. No one can replace Chloe. Not to Oliver.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-09 04:40 am (UTC)But, I have to say that I find it strange that no one is asking for Chloe. The general didn't, nor Lucy. Isn't this supposed to be the only family Chloe has left?
Haha, no they can't kill Sam. If they do we wont be able to see how they get rid of Crowley and find a soultion for Samuel. But I do agree,Dean is a lot more interesting right now, Sam is just, well distant.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-09 03:46 pm (UTC)Anyway, your review was spot-on. When Lucy took what a strange soldier she never met before told her at face value, it got me thinking that the General should send her back to boot camp. Seriously. My little cousin wouldn't fall for that. He even told her that the pen was a tracking device and with that knowledge, she still planted it on her father. Say what?
But Lois was awesome, exactly like she should be around her scary dad that she doesn't want to disappoint. I could totally see that. My favorite Lois will always be Teri Hatcher because, well, I grew up watching her and Dean Cain and I always wanted to have Teri's hair of the first season. Having said that, I do think that Erica does the character justice and was a good casting choice (even if I didn't think so when she first appeared on the show).
Oliver has been perfect this season. It's nice to see that even if her BEST AND OLDEST FRIEND doesn't miss her, that someone does miss Chloe. And Tess is really a badass woman that we all secretly admire, even though we kind of hate her. It's a "love to hate" character. So we have to see how she plays it, how she tries to make Oliver, the league and the fans accept her not as a replacement but as someone to tide us over until Chloe is back in full Watchtower glory. (I'm forever hopeful)
General Lane, by the way, is wonderfully played and written. Bad pun warning: he is really a five-star general.
;)
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 02:15 am (UTC)