S01.13: Fail Safe

[scarynikki12]

Quote

Superman pays a visit to Morgan Edge.

 

 

[bettername2come]

I did assume "Our guest is probably hungry" meant they had Tal-Rho locked in the barn. It being JHI as their actual guest was better. It was nice to see Clark talking to him as just Clark. Clark and him fistbumping at catching Larr was adorable and made me laugh. I'm not gonna lie, leaving the capabilities to kill Superman in the hands of one man sounds problematic. I think you need a backup plan for your fail safe, it's too easy if evil Superman knows only one guy has the ability to kill him. Like, uh, maybe give some weapons to STAR Labs? Put one on the Waverider where time travel will make it harder for him to access? 

I fall more in love with Tyler Hoechlin's Superman/Clark every time. There's a lot of layers to the character and he reminds me of my childhood fave Dean Cain in his moments of doubt at the kitchen table with Lois. 

I'm continually impressed with Erik Valdez's portrayal of Kyle. He could be such an unlikable character in the wrong actor's hands, but he maintains that undercurrent of sympathy for the character and his struggles. 

Lois in Mom-Mode yelling "Jonathan, get upstairs!" without turning around was great, as was her feeling bad for yelling at Clark but needing to keep it up to scare the hell out of Jordan. 

I thought junior girl was going to turn out to be a possessed Kryptonian sent to kidnap Jonathan. Same for the cops stopping Jordan and Sarah. Or that something would go horribly wrong at the assembly and it would be a miracle they weren't there. 

Lois casually sitting in Clark's lap kissing gives me life. 

[cambridgeguy]

Looks like John Irons is taking the usual Batman role of being the guy Superman trusts to take him down if he turns. 

It's also impressive that no one in Smallville uses social media.  Otherwise this really big story involving Superman would have reporters from all over the country descending on the place to figure out what happens rather then leaving the local Smallville paper as the one and only place for the truth to come out.

[miasth]

Pretty much called Clark choosing to keep the all of the weapons when Edge kept taunting him. Not sure about JHI being the keeper. I am really liking Clark and JHI's interactions. That fist bump gave me bro vibes.

As I suspected Jon is very interested in the Steel suit.

Lois in exasperated annoyed Mom mode had me chuckling.

Edge actor expressions once again inspire some sympathetic feeling. When Clark said he would never see him again he looked crushed. Edge though is so self centered and lacking in empathy that the feelings of sympathy his expressions elicit are so fleeting. 

It seems he turned himself into the Eradictor. It sounded like the Pa-Rho voice said become the Eradicator when Eradiedge was soaking up the sun. 

Another break...sigh it is going to be a long three weeks.

[Jediknight]

46 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

Like, uh, maybe give some weapons to STAR Labs? Put one on the Waverider where time travel will make it harder for him to access?

Lois: "We're entrusting these weapons to you, Barry.  Only use them in an emergency."
10 minutes later
Barry: "I don't know how to tell you this, but we lost the weapons."
Lois: "You lost the weapons?!"
Clark: "They lost the weapons already?  At least the Legends haven't lost the weapons."
on the Waverider
Nate: "Yeah!  Behrad it's your turn.  You want to aim for the middle target."
Behrad: "Gideon, have the targets move and make them bigger, I want to see how big of an explosion it can cause."
Sara: "Gideon, don't do that.  And Behrad, you ain't beating my record."

[legaleagle53]

47 minutes ago, Jediknight said:

Lois: "We're entrusting these weapons to you, Barry.  Only use them in an emergency."
10 minutes later
Barry: "I don't know how to tell you this, but we lost the weapons."
Lois: "You lost the weapons?!"
Clark: "They lost the weapons already?  At least the Legends haven't lost the weapons."
on the Waverider
Nate: "Yeah!  Behrad it's your turn.  You want to aim for the middle target."
Behrad: "Gideon, have the targets move and make them bigger, I want to see how big of an explosion it can cause."
Sara: "Gideon, don't do that.  And Behrad, you ain't beating my record."

Yeah, that's exactly how it would play out. About the only people they'd be able to trust not to screw things up would be Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers, and J'onn J'onnz -- if they'd ever remember that Kara, Alex, and J'Onn even exist!

And speaking of non-existent relatives, it dawned on me recently that there's a close relative on Lois's side of the family who's never been mentioned yet -- her younger sister Lucy. Evidently, the boys have never met their Aunt Lucy, either!

Edited July 21, 2021 by legaleagle53

[thuganomics85]

Lois snapping at Jonathan to go to his room without even turning around might honestly might have been the highlight tonight.  Moms really do seem to have that power, it seems!  And her reaction to Jordan getting arrested was equally great.  Elizabeth Tulloch is just on fire with this role.  A perfect Lois Lane.

Nice seeing another mature argument that felt more realistic and less overdramatic than normal, and I came out seeing both sides of it.  I do think Clark has legit concerns that something could possibly happen that might make "Superman" a threat again, and maybe the day will come where there will truly be no way to stop it.  But I think Lois was right that letting the military possess those weapons was dangerous and the threat that one of Superman's many enemies could somehow get their hands on it, is a valid concern (especially since; lets be honest; law enforcement in the Arrowverse aren't known for having their shit together nine times out of ten.)  Overall, I think having John Henry Irons be the only to have access to them is a fair compromise, although I did think they probably should have scaled them back a bit.  Maybe not have an entire arsenal of weapons that can take out Superman, but a select few that John can handle.

Chrissy really is a good journalist as well, and Lois certainly seemed to underestimate her this time.  Curious to see how this relationship will continue.

I wouldn't mind seeing more Jonathan/John scenes.  I can see those two forming a unique bond that will benefit both characters.

Don't see the Cushings leaving for good, but I almost don't blame Kyle for wanting to find a new town at this rate.  The Smallville citizens are really coming off like dicks right now.

So, Morgan Edge/Tal-Rho is officially dead and possessed by this Eradicator thing?  Not sure what is going on, but him/it escaping his pen and now off absorbing the sun is... troubling.

[Lantern7]

Good aftermath episode, though I'm still thinking the people of Smallville are being jerks to Kyle. If anything, he was a patsy . . . probably worse than being an actual accomplice, but he didn't sell out the town.

Watching the students turn on Sarah also sucked. I couldn't blame her for ditching. They'd have the assembly, then they'd burn her dad in effigy . . . then they'd burn her for real. Seriously, what can she say?

"You got me  . . . Mom and Dad were in cahoots with Morgan Edge. They kissed his feet and his ring, and I followed suit because I am loyal to my father, my mother and evil. Then we shed our clothes and danced and chanted around a bonfire, as the wicked do here in Kansas. [long pause] Get the fuck out of here with that shit!"

And yeah, Tyler and Bitsie (for real?) are great as Clark and Lois. Clark had to cope with the guilty pleasure of cutting loose, Lois had to deal with things falling apart around her. Also, their dumbass kids ditching school. And least Jordan got a few seconds of pleasure with Sarah. Jonathan got pumped for information. I feel bad for those two in terms of intimacy. Their dad can hear them. ANYWHERE. I mean, he'd probably have to be "tuning in" first, but he'd recognize any sounds they make. Jonathan is doubly screwed because his dad and his brother cam hear him. He'd have to go to a bunker hundreds of feet underground with lead lining for any sort of privacy. Hey, maybe John Henry can build that for him!

Did Pa-Rho absorb all of the Kryptonians that possessed the humans? That would explain the voices, but I'm usually off about that stuff. Gotta love the eyes going blue and the casual floating above the floor. I hope we don't have to see the whack-ass Palpatine cosplayer that's been posing as his dad.

39 minutes ago, Jediknight said:

Lois: "We're entrusting these weapons to you, Barry.  Only use them in an emergency."
10 minutes later
Barry: "I don't know how to tell you this, but we lost the weapons."
Lois: "You lost the weapons?!"
Clark: "They lost the weapons already?  At least the Legends haven't lost the weapons."
on the Waverider
Nate: "Yeah!  Behrad it's your turn.  You want to aim for the middle target."
Behrad: "Gideon, have the targets move and make them bigger, I want to see how big of an explosion it can cause."
Sara: "Gideon, don't do that.  And Behrad, you ain't beating my record."

Awesome! What else? Okay . . . Luke Fox would accidentally give access to villains that weren't even looking for the weapons. Over in Freeland, the feds constantly embedded there would intercept those, then make things even more unbearable for Jefferson and his family. But yeah, the Legends would probably do the most damage, albeit in the most hilarious way possible. Gotta agree with @legaleagle53 . . . if you have weapons that can destroy you and need to be entrusted to the right people, J'onn and Alex would be the logical choices.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Lantern7

[legaleagle53]

15 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Gotta agree with @legaleagle53 . . . if you have weapons that can destroy you and need to be entrusted to the right people, J'onn and Alex would be the logical choices.

That's as long as you can get Kara on board -- but she should definitely be made aware that those weapons exist in any event, since they could destroy HER as well. So how about giving your cousin a heads-up at least, Clark?

Edited July 21, 2021 by legaleagle53

[BeautifulFlower]

2 hours ago, bettername2come said:

. I think you need a backup plan for your fail safe, it's too easy if evil Superman knows only one guy has the ability to kill him. Like, uh, maybe give some weapons to STAR Labs?

Considering just about anybody can walk in there, and they keep accepting people they JUST met onto to the team, that would be a big fat NO

[tvwatchergordis]

Sorta of a downtime episode but at the same time no? I'm not really sure the S&L writers know how to write filler episodes and I can say I'm kinda glad for that, not gonna complain too much LOL. 

I love character pieces when each one of them deals with the consequences of actions and decisions made and boy were the Kent & Cushing families dealing with the ramifications of what happened with Edge ten fold. 

It's not fair that the whole of Smallville is blaming Kyle for all that happened with Morgan Edge. Sure Kyle may have been the biggest Morgan champion BUT he didn't put a gun to the heads of the citizens to join Edge's crusade. Nope, most of them decided to join him themselves. So it's not fair that they are only hating Kyle but I guess it's like Lana and Lois said: they are looking for someone to blame instead of looking at themselves and taking responsibility for their actions. Also it was nice hearing Sarah say that her family is Mexican(half thru Kyle). It's nice having a Latino family on this show.

Poor Jon. His life is so messed up that he doesn't need a girl using him for info. Let my boy be happy for once, eesh he deserves the world just like his brother. I do see a bond forming between him and John Henry though: especially if Jon never develops powers I can see him being mentored by Irons and becoming a high tech Superhero. TBH, I'm torn on if he'll ever get powers or not. He's half Kryptonian so he should but at the same time I feel like the show is setting him up as the first non powered Kryptonian guess we will see. As for Jordan he has it good until he gets arrested LOL. Seriously though him and Sarah are cute. I love them so far. 

Man did Lois have a bad day! My chiquita :(. First by being told not to tell the true story of TalRho becuase it would both compromise her family and put it in danger by Sam to finding out that her husband basically allowed the DEO to kill him if necessary(Oh Clark, I get it babe but still) and finnally that her sons skipped school and one got arrested for it. I'm glad at least Sam agreed to a compromise and let the story be published thru Chrissy.

The Argument: 

I thought it was very well written. I could see both Clark and Lois' points perfectly. Neither was wrong here. I understand Clark's fear of one day snapping and burning the world down with a flick of the hand so he needs a way for the world to protect itself from him. Just like I get Lois adamant believe that he won't destroy the world because he is stronger than that. She's seen him survive the worst and come out on top. Therefore she doesn't believe that there needs to be a fail safe to protect the world from her husband. Both had very valid points I liked that. 

Lois compromise: perfect! She still doesn't think it's necessary but she agrees to let Clark have some sort of defense against himself bbecuase she sees he needs it(Couple goals). I think him going to JHI was the best choice esp since he seems to be S&L's Batman. Maybe making John and Clark friends is kinda fast but it makes sense: Clark is pretty forgiving and sees the best in people esp since he understands why Irons hated him so much. For John I think he finally realizes Clark is different than his evil Superman and wants to move on from the hatred and anger. Plus he seems to like Clark now that he knows him xD.  And in the end he agrees because it's the best for everyone to be Superman's guardian so to speak. 

The last Kent family scene was cuteness. Love Clois parenting their boys and Clark's nerdiness came out haha hwen he told his boys that small towns are fun. I've missed it, we haven't seen it in a long time because of all the angst he's been going thru lately. I love love Tyler and Bitsie's chemistry: they really sell the love aspect. 

and the end? boy did this episode hit the 100mph speedometer in the last 3 mins xD. TalRho escapes the prison and becomes the Eradicator. First time he's really been portrayed as a villain but it's cool because it's different. But why the heck did Sam wait so long to hit the EMT? oy. 

BTW loved that scene between Superman and TalRho at his cell reminded me of both the Arrow scene with Oliver ad Prometheus when he gets Oliver to admit he liked killing people and The Dark Knight movie the interrogation scene between Batman and Joker. 

August 10 seems so long away sigh.

Edited July 21, 2021 by tvwatchergordis

[Chicago Redshirt]

The thing about the "should the weapons capable of killing Superman be kept?" argument was missing a crucial component. They kept acting as though the sole reason to keep them was that Clark is capable of being manipulated or turned. But the fact is that he is not the only possible Kryptonian threat. 

There is Kara, who also is capable of being manipulated or turned. In the original version of Supergirl's history, there was an invasion of Kryptonians from Fort Rozz in her first season, the creation of Reign as a Kryptonian later on, a clone of Supergirl, and Red Daughter. Superrman was also mind-controlled one season and hallucinated that Kara was Zod, so on some level actual Zod existed/exists. There is the Phantom Zone, where some number of Kryptonians have been banished, but presumably could potentially return. There also is Argo City, which presumably has a population at least in the thousands of Kryptonians, any of whom might go evil with designs on Earth or elsewhere.

It's possible that Crisis somehow wiped out all that, and of course the show continues to act as though Supergirl herself doesn't exist. And let's put to the side the notion of time/space hijinks like you might see on Legends of Tomorrow creating evil Kryptonians. 

Even within just the continuity of this show, though, I believe Lois remarked that it wouldn't be the first time that Clark has fought an evil version of himself. So I would have to think that somewhere in his 20 years of being Superman he has encountered magic, clones, parallel universes, etc etc that are capable of creating evil Kryptonians. The specific reference could be just to the Elseworlds crossover but still...

One would think that it is an obvious possibility that since JHI made it here from his Earth, then so could that Evil Superman or some of his Kryptonian henchmen.

The notion that Morgan Edge was hanging around for decades in plain sight -- actually as a prominent billionaire -- without anyone knowing he is Kryptonian suggests that there could be other Kryptonians on Earth or elsewhere that they have no idea about and thus could be threats one day.

One would also think that the notion of people being powered up by X-Kryptonite should be worrisome. We know that OG Kryptonite can weaken or kill XK-powered people because JHI was able to do so when it turned out that one of Sam's people was an XKryptonian. And although there's a lot of XK in Smallville's mines, we can't be sure that is all the XK out there. Someone could find XK elsewhere and power people up, or someone could steal the XK that has been mined from Smallville (including whatever the DOD has seized). 

One would think that it should be an obvious issue that Edge or Larr might conceivably be able to break out of prison, or that they had unknown collaborators out there. 

So in sum, it felt wrong and artificial for the characters to not have factored this in. The Sam Lane who was willing to kill his own son-in-law if need be wasn't going to ignore the threats he knew about or the possibility that other Kryptonian threats might arise. It made for a good showcase of how Clark and Lois can have passionate arguments and to emphasize that Clark is about the greater good, so cool for that. But the notion that there are practical reasons to maintain that anti-Kryptonian arsenal undercuts the nobility of Clark's position. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[Lady Calypso]

So, I did like that this episode was more filler/build-up for the final two episodes, regardless of the fact that we now have to wait another three weeks after just coming back from a three week break. 

I think Clark and Lois both made some excellent points on the Kryptonite weapons, and I like the compromise that was given. I think Clark finally opening up to Lois about his feelings when he was turned and how he wants to ensure it's not a bigger problem down the road is smart. I think Lois is right in that leaving those weapons in the hands of the military can go down a slippery slope. What if they make a bad call and use the weapons, or if they get stolen? As we saw in this episode, Leslie almost broke into the base to free Morgan Edge. They've also already had security issues in the building. It could definitely happen. 

Now, I will say that Clark knowing who is the keeper of the weapons will cause issues, since him turning evil won't mean he will forget who has those weapons that can kill him. I think a better compromise would have been Lois being the one who knows where the weapons are kept. However, I guess it would still be fairly obvious that John Henry would be the one who would have to make the decision to kill Superman down the road, so probably not much of a secret there. But also, there is the fact that Clark and Lois are forgetting that...hey, there ARE other Kryptonians that could appear at any moment. The weapons aren't just good for stopping Superman; they're good for stopping any Kryptonian. 

Clark and Lois' argument was so well handled. Her telling Clark that she was upset that she had to yell at him but she also had to stay upset to scare Jordan was perfect. Both of them getting angry at their boys skipping school, one being arrested in the process, was great. I love that the two will hold their sons accountable for their actions. 

Poor Jonathan. He just has no luck with anyone, does he? I figured Tegan was only talking to him to pry information out of him. I do wonder if she'll end up liking him back, but I think I'd also be fine if this was the end to that failed romance. I want Jonathan to be happy, but I don't see him and Tegan compatible. Still, Jonathan at least got to bond with John Henry. Not only does he need that, but so does John Henry. 

Jordan gets the better deal with his romance with Sarah blossoming. We got to hear about Sarah's feelings on her family being harassed and shunned by the locals, and Jordan got to be there for her while also not needing to focus on his own issues, which has caused him a lot of trouble. They're a sweet couple together. 

I do feel bad for Kyle, who keeps getting pushed as the scapegoat, now even with the mayor! And Lana is also caught up in that, which is unfortunate. I really feel so much sympathy for both of them. I hope they can pull through this entire mess.

So, Morgan's new plan is really his father's plan, which is to become the Eradicator himself? Well, that's not good news at all.

 

[AimingforYoko]

I love when married couples on TV have real arguments. Marriage is not a hive mind, there are going to be serious disagreements. The best couples get through them and move on.

It it so weird how the show has done a complete 180 on Kyle. In the first part of the season, he was a complete tool and now he's a sympathetic character.

[Bulldog]

So, do cops actually arrest kids for skipping school.  I grew up in a fairly small town and most cops wouldn't even blink if they saw you out and about during school hours.  If they did, you might get taken back to school, or to your parents, but never actually jail.  I guess crime is so low in Smallville they don't have much else to do (except for the whole aliens are invading and brainwashing our citizens and trying to take over the world stuff, but hey kids are playing hooky!). 

As much as I love Clark & Lois, I find Lana and Kyle equally fascinating.  They honestly thought they were doing the right thing, and you can feel their hurt that their friends have turned on them like they have.  I really hope their roles get expanded next season.  I predict there is some big redemption arc and one or the other runs for mayor.

Did we know JHI has a sister before? (I don't actually follow the comics, so if that is common knowledge, it escapes me.)

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Bulldog

[cambridgeguy]

4 minutes ago, Bulldog said:

So, do cops actually arrest kids for skipping school.  I grew up in a fairly small town and most cops wouldn't even blink if they saw you out and about during school hours.  If they did, you might get taken back to school, or to your parents, but never actually jail.  I guess crime is so low in Smallville they don't have much else to do (except for the whole aliens are invading and brainwashing our citizens and trying to take over the world stuff, but hey kids are playing hooky!). 

Technically they were arrested for trespassing on private property, although it was framed as yet another passive aggressive dig at the Cushing family.  I think if it had been anyone other than Sarah the cops wouldn't have bothered to drag them down to the station.

[Bulldog]

6 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

Technically they were arrested for trespassing on private property, although it was framed as yet another passive aggressive dig at the Cushing family.  I think if it had been anyone other than Sarah the cops wouldn't have bothered to drag them down to the station.

I hadn't thought of it that way.  That makes sense. 

[Lantern7]

19 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

Technically they were arrested for trespassing on private property, although it was framed as yet another passive aggressive dig at the Cushing family.  I think if it had been anyone other than Sarah the cops wouldn't have bothered to drag them down to the station.

I interpreted it as the two of them skipping school. Didn’t think it’d be personal against Sarah. In my defense, how many cops in Smallville wouldn’t want to bust up a kiss session? “We got a 10-96. The pariah’s daughter is starting to swap spit with the Kent boy.” “The handsome one?” “Nah, it’s the mopey one what look like got goth posters on his bedroom walls.” “Can’t take chances. Run ‘em both in. If we’re lucky, it’ll be the Kent dad to bail his son out.”

[cambridgeguy]

16 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I interpreted it as the two of them skipping school.

At the station the cop (who knows Lana but doesn't seem to recognize Lois) doesn't say a thing about them bring truants, she says they were trespassing.  When Lana protests that she had no idea the location was private (and therefore the kids wouldn't either) the cop basically says tough luck.  Lois is the one who brings up skipping school and promises to bring down the hammer on Jordan for that.

[norcalgal]

19 hours ago, miasth said:

Edge actor expressions once again inspire some sympathetic feeling. When Clark said he would never see him again he looked crushed. Edge though is so self centered and lacking in empathy that the feelings of sympathy his expressions elicit are so fleeting. 

Not that I'm necessarily in favor of bringing in Arrowverse characters (inc. Kara) into this show, but since S&L so far act as though they don't exist, it should be a BIG, HUGE, GINORMOUS deal to *Kal-El* that not only is there a Kryptonian on Earth, but it's his brother. 

Yes, Clark has a wonderful family with Lois & their kids, and has been treated well by other humans, but the Kal-El in him should have expressed more emotion in finding out he's NOT the last living Kryptonian. No matter how well loved you are by the humans around you (Martha/Jonathan/Lois/etc.), it still must be lonely and sad knowing that you are the only one of your kind, and then voila - you're not! 

Of course, this only works so long as show continues to ignore Kara...

18 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Don't see the Cushings leaving for good, but I almost don't blame Kyle for wanting to find a new town at this rate.  The Smallville citizens are really coming off like dicks right now.

 

18 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Good aftermath episode, though I'm still thinking the people of Smallville are being jerks to Kyle. If anything, he was a patsy . . . probably worse than being an actual accomplice, but he didn't sell out the town.

 

14 hours ago, tvwatchergordis said:

It's not fair that the whole of Smallville is blaming Kyle for all that happened with Morgan Edge. Sure Kyle may have been the biggest Morgan champion BUT he didn't put a gun to the heads of the citizens to join Edge's crusade. Nope, most of them decided to join him themselves. So it's not fair that they are only hating Kyle but I guess it's like Lana and Lois said: they are looking for someone to blame instead of looking at themselves and taking responsibility for their actions. Also it was nice hearing Sarah say that her family is Mexican(half thru Kyle). It's nice having a Latino family on this show.

The Argument: 

I thought it was very well written. I could see both Clark and Lois' points perfectly. Neither was wrong here. I understand Clark's fear of one day snapping and burning the world down with a flick of the hand so he needs a way for the world to protect itself from him. Just like I get Lois adamant believe that he won't destroy the world because he is stronger than that. She's seen him survive the worst and come out on top. Therefore she doesn't believe that there needs to be a fail safe to protect the world from her husband. Both had very valid points I liked that. 

Lois compromise: perfect! She still doesn't think it's necessary but she agrees to let Clark have some sort of defense against himself bbecuase she sees he needs it(Couple goals). I think him going to JHI was the best choice esp since he seems to be S&L's Batman. Maybe making John and Clark friends is kinda fast but it makes sense: Clark is pretty forgiving and sees the best in people esp since he understands why Irons hated him so much. For John I think he finally realizes Clark is different than his evil Superman and wants to move on from the hatred and anger. Plus he seems to like Clark now that he knows him xD.  And in the end he agrees because it's the best for everyone to be Superman's guardian so to speak. 

So much for small towns rallying around one of their own. It doesn't matter (as stated by @tvwatchergordis) that they wanted to blame someone else instead of themselves. One of THE selling points about small towns (esp. when compared to the big, eeevil city) is that small towns are more welcoming and have a sense of community. Sorry if this sounds like I'm dumping on small towns. I'm just tired of the media portraying small towns and the people therein as "true" Americans/patriots who best embody good ol' fashioned American values (truth, loyalty, hard work, self-sacrifice) vis-a-vis anywhere else in America. 

As for The Arguments, you've all posted my thoughts and did a fantastic job of it, so I'll just say ITA!

[scarynikki12]

21 hours ago, bettername2come said:

Lois in Mom-Mode yelling "Jonathan, get upstairs!" without turning around was great, as was her feeling bad for yelling at Clark but needing to keep it up to scare the hell out of Jordan. 

Easily the best part of the episode and I thought it was a great episode! Lois and Clark in Mom and Dad Mode is my favorite thing about the show and she gets to do it more so she ends up being top of my list. I like how the show enjoys it too so we get it see it a lot.

Maybe Irons will take the initiative himself but I agree with those who think the weapons should be spread around beyond one person. I’d split between Irons, Diggle (not Argus), Kate Kane (traveling around keeps the location moving), J’onn, and Sara (yes there’s a risk of shenanigans but a time ship is still a safe option). Maybe we’ll learn that he does choose to split them up as another fail safe but I don’t expect that to come out for a while.

[rmontro]

22 hours ago, bettername2come said:

I fall more in love with Tyler Hoechlin's Superman/Clark every time.

I don't know how many times I've been watching this show and I've thought "Wow, this guy makes a really good Superman".  The actor's name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue though.  Great show so far, I hope they don't ruin it.

[akg]

1 hour ago, scarynikki12 said:

Sara (yes there’s a risk of shenanigans but a time ship is still a safe option)

But the Legends always screw things up for the better! I'd definitely trust them over Star Labs.

4 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Did we know JHI has a sister before? (I don't actually follow the comics, so if that is common knowledge, it escapes me.)

I'm not sure about the comics but he was watching this universe's version of her at the beginning of the last episode. Lois called him before he could decide whether or not to talk to her though. Considering he's dead here, however, he needs to find a better way to introduce himself than walking up to her in the dark. Maybe have Lois call and explain first?

 

[legaleagle53]

6 hours ago, Bulldog said:

So, do cops actually arrest kids for skipping school.  I grew up in a fairly small town and most cops wouldn't even blink if they saw you out and about during school hours.  If they did, you might get taken back to school, or to your parents, but never actually jail.  I guess crime is so low in Smallville they don't have much else to do (except for the whole aliens are invading and brainwashing our citizens and trying to take over the world stuff, but hey kids are playing hooky!). 

That's not why they were arrested. They were arrested for trespassing on private property.

[BeautifulFlower]

I'm glad Kyle was defending himself in this episode. He's right that he wasn't the only one to buy in Morgan Edge's promise to make Smallville better. He's right that he knew as much as everybody else. You would think the people of Smallville would grow a brain and think about this. Sure, Kyle was somewhat his hype man. However, Morgan was the one who was promising these people new jobs. Jobs that some of them needed as this show has made it clear that majority of the people in Smallville are struggling financially. 

Are the people in Smallville not capable of thinking for themselves? Because they make it seem like Kyle is what got them on board. They could've chosen to listen to Lois, but they didn't. Kyle didn't tell these people to accept Morgan's vague offer to make their life better. Seriously, did they think about that for a sec? Especially Emily. Girl, you were already given a job. Why would you and the others agree to get put in a weird machine? This is the part that gets me. This is why I question do these people not have brains? They just walked into a room, saw a machine, and still went through it?

Kyle, Lana, and Sarah don't deserve this.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Re: Kyle and Lana, I think this episode helps explain why some Smallville residents are having concerns with them. The mayor was scapegoating Kyle in a very two-faced way. Now it's unclear if he launched much of the anti-Kyle/Lana sentiment or if he's simply reacting to what's out there. But it is obviously in his interest to distract from his own role in embracing Edge (which he surely must have done, although I think this is the first time we have seen the character.) 

I think it's unfortunately all too realistic and common that people do not do the necessary introspection when terrible things happen, that they often look not to the actual causes of things, or their own roles in contributing to the thing, but find a scapegoat.

In terms of getting into a machine that you don't know anything about, well, Edge is charismatic and rich, and we were led to believe that a lot of Smallville residents are desperate. It's easy enough to see that as stupid when we know what the machine does. But if you have no idea that it will literally implant another being's consciousness in your body and turn you evil, then it might seem tempting. After all, Edge is a billionaire, and he's telling me that this machine will help unlock my potential and make me like him. Speaking of denial, I could envision a pro-Morgan Edge faction that was and is OK with the trade-off to get superpowers and profit, and still supports him rationalizing what he has done and what he is really about. Edge promised life-transforming power, and he delivered in a big way.

I could agree that the show dove a little too much into the irrational when it had the firefighter whose life Kyle save nevertheless give Kyle the stinkeye. It would have been more believable if one of the firefighters stood up for him, and a guy who owed a life debt would have been a good choice.

I wish the show had spent more time/thought on the journalism angle. Instead of Chrissie complaining to Lois about the military no-commenting, just go out there and be journalists and cover what there is to cover. Dozens of Smallville residents volunteered for a program that was set up by billionaire Morgan Edge and somehow got powers like Superman, and then somehow got them stripped away. Edge himself is missing. The company that people were heralding as possibly turning around Smallville is raising all sorts of questions. Even if the paper can't write the full truth of what happened, there is a ton of newsworthy material that they can source. 

Edited July 22, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[legaleagle53]

7 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I wish the show had spent more time/thought on the journalism angle. Instead of Chrissie complaining to Lois about the military no-commenting, just go out there and be journalists and cover what there is to cover. Dozens of Smallville residents volunteered for a program that was set up by billionaire Morgan Edge and somehow got powers like Superman, and then somehow got them stripped away. Edge himself is missing. The company that people were heralding as possibly turning around Smallville is raising all sorts of questions. Even if the paper can't write the full truth of what happened, there is a ton of newsworthy material that they can source. 

Which is exactly what Lois told Chrissy. Chrissy forgets that Lois has the reputation that she does as a journalist because she's had over 20 years of experience in earning that reputation one news story at a time. And she does that by exhausting every possible source she can until she can tell the  story that needs to be told. Instead of questioning her, second-guessing her, and nagging her, Chrissy should have trusted Lois to know what she was doing and that she'd get the story told one way or another whether she had cooperation from the Department of Defense or not.

[akg]

12 hours ago, BeautifulFlower said:

Are the people in Smallville not capable of thinking for themselves? Because they make it seem like Kyle is what got them on board. They could've chosen to listen to Lois, but they didn't. Kyle didn't tell these people to accept Morgan's vague offer to make their life better. Seriously, did they think about that for a sec? Especially Emily. Girl, you were already given a job. Why would you and the others agree to get put in a weird machine? This is the part that gets me. This is why I question do these people not have brains? They just walked into a room, saw a machine, and still went through it?

There are 2 groups of people in Smallville right now: people who volunteered for Edge's offer and the rest of the town (a much bigger group). I could easily believe the first group encouraging the Cushing blame just to get attention off of them. The average citizen has no idea what happened so would be pretty open to the Kyle and Lana did this narrative since they were the face of the project in town.

9 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

(which he surely must have done, although I think this is the first time we have seen the character.) 

He was at the front table with Kyle and Edge at the town council meeting and with Kyle and Edge on the sidelines of one of the football games (Kyle was reminiscing about Smallville High's glory days and planning to replace the old stands with something more impressive).

9 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I wish the show had spent more time/thought on the journalism angle. Instead of Chrissie complaining to Lois about the military no-commenting, just go out there and be journalists and cover what there is to cover

 

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

Instead of questioning her, second-guessing her, and nagging her, Chrissy should have trusted Lois to know what she was doing and that she'd get the story told one way or another whether she had cooperation from the Department of Defense or not.

The show should at least have filmed one of these scenes somewhere other than the paper's offices. Having everything there with Chrissy so focused on Lois was not a good look. Even if she was going to use the DoD's statement in her articles, she should have been conducting interviews and investigating while waiting. Does she always just print what the government sends her? 

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

Which is exactly what Lois told Chrissy. Chrissy forgets that Lois has the reputation that she does as a journalist because she's had over 20 years of experience in earning that reputation one news story at a time. And she does that by exhausting every possible source she can until she can tell the  story that needs to be told. Instead of questioning her, second-guessing her, and nagging her, Chrissy should have trusted Lois to know what she was doing and that she'd get the story told one way or another whether she had cooperation from the Department of Defense or not.

I don't remember Lois making the point that there are other aspects of the story to cover as much as "No I won't force my dad to make an official statement." But I'll take your word for it.

It would have been interesting to have Lois actually report the above stories as opposed to have a passing reference to journalism for a plot point. 

The thing is that Chrissy is right. We don't see Lois actually working on the biggest story (as far as the general public knows) to happen in Smallville history and one of the largest on the planet. She does an interview with Kyle, but as far as we know, this was simply to get "proof" that someone can shake off the mind control that Edge was using. (Never mind that in fact Kyle was not able to shake off the mind control in his case, that Kyle was not necessarily subjected to the same process as Clark, etc. etc.).

It is precisely because Lois has two decades of not taking no for an answer that Chrissy is right to say, "WTF, why are you accepting the lack of a statement from the military?" If it was not for the personal interest/involvement in the story, Lois would have worked her sources at the military beyond Dear Old Dad to get to the truth. Indeed, she would have likely interviewed Superman and he would have explained more of what was going on than what they had.

One thing I did like was that they touched on how ethically compromised Clark and Lois are as journalists. 

[PAForrest]

18 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It is precisely because Lois has two decades of not taking no for an answer that Chrissy is right to say, "WTF, why are you accepting the lack of a statement from the military?" If it was not for the personal interest/involvement in the story, Lois would have worked her sources at the military beyond Dear Old Dad to get to the truth. Indeed, she would have likely interviewed Superman and he would have explained more of what was going on than what they had.

One thing I did like was that they touched on how ethically compromised Clark and Lois are as journalists. 

ITA, and I like how Chrissy isn't being written as some small town rube with no journalistic skills. She actually knows what she's doing and knows when something doesn't smell right. She's really too good a reporter/editor to be stuck in Smallville. And Lois is a terrible liar - at least, she was when she was talking to Chrissy. I also agree about liking how Clark pointed out that they played fast and loose with ethics when they both worked at the Planet.

Obviously what Lois got from Sam on the record is what she's hoping will set the record straight enough to help the Cushings, because everyone in that stupid town has gone insane. And I knew the mayor was doing nothing but coughing up sleaze when he was talking to the Cushings at their house. Of course he was going to throw them under the bus. Hopefully he goes down hard after the story comes out. But I certainly don't blame the Cushings for wanting to bolt.

While Sarah and Jordan may have been "trespassing", it's pretty clear from what Lana said that literally everyone in the town has "trespassed" at that particular watering hole, so the arrest was just more townie harassment. Yeah, all the kids should have gotten busted for skipping school, and they were. Though honestly I continue to feel they don't miss much skipping classes at Smallville High.

As for the skank - what's her name, Tegan? - I'm just glad Jon twigged quickly enough to her little games. No, that boy can't catch a break. Personally I don't think anyone at that school is good enough for him anyway. I hope he and JHI forge a relationship that grows. Jon is being very honest, he doesn't know what he is right now because literally everything was stripped away from him as soon as they moved to Smallville. Hopefully this is the start of his trajectory. We know Jordan is Superboy, his path is clear. Maybe Jon can follow in JHI's footsteps and become a tech wiz.

It was no surprise that the DOD cage couldn't contain Edge/The Eradicator for long. I just don't know how they're going to defeat what he is now given all the energy he's sucking up from the sun.

Clark is right, there needs to be a fail safe where he's concerned. I like that he trusts JHI enough to be in charge of those weapons.

I really like this iteration of Clark and Lois. Tyler and Elizabeth have easy natural chemistry together. I think they may be my favorite versions of the couple so far, tv and film.

Edited July 23, 2021 by PAForrest

[tennisgurl]

This was definitely a cool down/transitional episode, where we allow the characters to react to everything that has happened while setting up the next part of Edge's plan, which I thought was very much needed. It has such good writing and likable characters that its fun just watching them go about their day, dealing with everything that has happened. I like that they talked about keeping the Kryptonite weapons and I could see both sides of the issue. Its probably a good thing to keep them around, as Clark pointed out its possible that he could be possessed again or manipulated, and while I do not think there is a remote chance that Clark could turn evil, he's such an honorable guy he wants to really make sure he never messes up. I also see why Sam feels really bad about stocking up a massive pile of weapons that exist partially to kill his son in law and why Lois is not thrilled at the idea of the military having this arsenal around to kill her husband, be it some sketchy parts of the DOE or a supervillain who could get ahold of them and hurt him, but these are not things to be taken lightly. Giving them to John Henry is a pretty good move, although I think a better idea would be giving some of them to lots of people so that no one could have everything if they managed to find and steal the weapons. Also, they really need to mention Kara at some point, especially with this debate surrounding Kryptonian weapons. We know how much Kara lost her shit finding out that anyone had a Kryptonian weapons locked up and also hates lethal  weapons in general, so I am sure she would have a lot to say, let alone about a bunch of Kryptonian souls showing up to possess people, including her aunt. 

Poor Jonathan, a cute girl finally pays attention to him and its just because she wants to know the hot gossip about the Kryptonians and what his grandpa knows. At least he got to bond a bit with John Henry, who is hilariously crashing with the Kents in their barn, who both seem to need someone to talk to. I think they might be building to Jonathan making his own power armor, he seems to be pretty interested in it and this would give him a way to fight alongside his brother when they start being official superheroes. Their scenes together were really nice, especially with Johns robot trying to encourage him to bond more with Jonathan. "Now might be a good time to share a story of your upbringing with Jonathan." Also great is the bonding between Clark and John Henry, complete with fist bump! And to think, he came to this planet set out to murder him because he thought he was a mass murder time bomb, oh how things change. 

My favorite part of the episode though was Lois not even needing to turn her head to see Jonathan lurking around in the hallway to hear what his parents are talking about and yelling at him to go upstairs in her best Mom Voice. And then her saying that she feels bad for yelling at Clark but has to keep her anger up to give Jordan a piece of her mind after he got arrested. She was just on a roll with mom speeches left and right, but she always manages to also add so much support and understanding even when she's upset. Then Lois got all snuggly with Clark after giving the boys a talking to and my heart about exploded at the cuteness. 

Its sucks that the town has turned so much on the Cushings, its not their fault that Edge lied to them. Everyone just wants someone to blame and without Edge around I guess they are the easiest targets, which sucks a lot, no wonder Kyle is thinking of leaving town. At least the paper giving some sort of explanation might be able to help, I am glad that Chrissy called Lois out on keeping things from people, despite being a journalist. I really like that Chrissy really is a very competent journalist despite "only" running a small town paper, and that while she is a real Lois fangirl, she isn't afraid to be real with her. I also like that Clark mentioned that both of them have fudged journalistic ethics when it comes to his secret identity, even if its for the greater good. 

Not that it excuses Edge's actions, but his dad really is a piece of work, and its sad that he did seem to have some interest in actually getting to know his mother and brother as a family before he gave in fully to his dads evil plan. Clark would have loved to get to know him before he went full supervillain. 

[akg]

On 7/21/2021 at 7:23 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

The thing about the "should the weapons capable of killing Superman be kept?" argument was missing a crucial component. They kept acting as though the sole reason to keep them was that Clark is capable of being manipulated or turned. But the fact is that he is not the only possible Kryptonian threat. 

There should also have been a mention of Jordan. I agree with Clark's reasoning, especially with additional points raised here, but Lois could have added some extra weight to her side if she'd brought up their son.

[bethy]

Angry-mom Lois has become one of my favorite Loises.

I also thought that the fight was well done and I really like how consistently they play those fights - Lois’s tendency toward passion/anger contrasted with Clark’s more controlled emotions. Which, now that I think about it, makes a LOT of sense given what we learned this week about he has to keep his power under control all the time. I’m sure he’s terrified of what might happen if he did lash out in one of their arguments. 

One thing that occurred to me, especially during Clark and Lois’s initial confrontation, was that I would have liked to see Lois acknowledge that Clark had actually been through a traumatic experience, too, not just her and the boys. He had been kidnapped and tortured and mind-controlled. Eventually, of course, she conceded to his concerns, but a more explicit recognition that there was more to Clark’s reaction than simply the practical needs of “just in case” would have been nice, in my opinion.

I also love how level-headed Jon continues to be. I was afraid he was going to let his hormones rule with what’s her name, but he was all, “Nope, I’m out.” I’m really interested in what they might do with Jon and John Henry. 

[Affogato]

This episode was fine, but Edge becoming the Eradicator was not unexpected. I mean, when Clark was talking to him I raised my hand and said "I know where the Eradicator is, pick me" and Clark ignored me completely. Also Jonathan/JHI's mentor relationship, while potentially the best thing to come out of JHI's appearance, was not unexpected either.  I think this means that Jonathan may not be getting those superpowers. The really unexpected thing was t Lois having  issues with Journalistic integrity and courage, and that is the rabbit hole that I find the most intriguing. I hope they continue with that part of the story.

Really liked Jonathan's sullen "its a warsuit".

Edited August 1, 2021 by Affogato

[John Potts]

When Pa-Rho was going “You have to do this to save Krypton!” was anyone else wondering if Edge was going to say, “Maybe your way isn’t the best way, or it wouldn’t have been destroyed in the first place!” OK, Bad Guy’s gotta Bad Guy, but your record of keeping planets once you have them isn't good.

Did not believe Gen Lane would want to destroy his arsenal (Lois I could understand). It would be like a General wanting unilateral nuclear disarmament. Sure, it's possible, but pretty unlikely.

Miss Teen “Tell me about your Family” clearly has little understanding of how to manipulate teenage boys. It's TV so it couldn't go too far, but a little flirtation goes a long way. And Jordan actually got further than Jonathan did!

Surprised Kyle didn’t start drinking (again). The Mayor in “Cover Your Ass” mode was rather more believable. Maybe one of the Cushings will run against him at the next election (particularly as they're both now unemployed)?

On 7/21/2021 at 3:26 AM, cambridgeguy said:

It's also impressive that no one in Smallville uses social media.  Otherwise this really big story involving Superman would have reporters from all over the country descending on the place to figure out what happens rather then leaving the local Smallville paper as the one and only place for the truth to come out

It does seem that the writers of Superman (in all media) have real trouble taking the plots out of the 1950s!

On 7/21/2021 at 4:13 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Chrissy really is a good journalist as well, and Lois certainly seemed to underestimate her this time.  Curious to see how this relationship will continue.

It was the first time she really felt like Lois’ boss rather than her friend. Though I hate it when you hear “It’s your sacred duty!” As far as I’m aware, journalists don’t take an oath to dig out The Truth. Feel let down by all means, but you're not Woodward & Bernstein.