S03.E05: Head On

[scarynikki12]

Quote

Clark and General Lane are both having a hard time giving Lois room to make her own decisions. Meanwhile, Lana and Sarah have a run-in with an old friend at the diner.

 

 

[scarynikki12]

Lois as a chaperone has comedic potential so I hope to see some fun.

You know, Jordan, if you'd gotten a haircut Candace taking extra time to primp wouldn't be a big deal.

Lane you know Lois. Reporting is in her blood and could cause health problems if she doesn't do it.

The wall of hope was really sweet and the hospital better still be standing when Bruno is taken down.

Huh, DeStefano DiMera has Barry's phasing powers. 

I'm glad Lane is suspicious of Mateo finding Nat. Even if Sarah gave her blessing just showing up is sketchy.

Now Kyle and Jon bonding is a story that intrigues me rather than him hooking up with Chrissy.

Speaking of, Lana, NEVER go on a rant to a reporter without first making it clear you're off the record. I don't care how honest Chrissy is you shouldn't take that chance.

I'm glad Clark's chatting with these patients and hearing their stories. Effective scenes.

Bruno can be doing a wonderful thing with the cancer research and treatments and also be primarily motivated to look good to the public.

I like Candace's dress. I also have an Aunt Peggy and mine loved gossip, reality tv, tea time, and going for walks so if her's is anything like mine she'll enjoy herself.

"I will do everything in my power to save your life." Yep, Bruno is going to do the Frankenstein procedure on Lois at some point. 

Why doesn't Jon learn fireman stuff on Sunday or something and see Candace on Saturday? Or maybe do an every other week thing? 

I like Lana's jumpsuit but I do not like Chrissy's dress. Kyle referring to himself as The Cush and being silly on the dance floor was funny though.

DeStefano DiMera can phase and has kryptonite. Focus on stopping the file transfer Supes. And now Bruno has the files.

Junior does look like the actor who played George so well done casting director.

Glad Lana listened to Sarah's explanation. 

Tell Lois about your new friends at the hospital Clark. I hope we see those ladies again they were great.

I kind of want Lane to swipe and it to be Lois' mom. Not for them to get back together but I'm curious about why she left and what she's been doing.

Ha Lois is so proud of Jordan washing his hair.

Looks like Bizarro is going to come back to play.

 

[Terrafamilia]

Stoopid Superman hanging onto the idiot ball. The first order of business after seeing the general got to safety was stopping the data transfer.

Speaking of data transfers, that doctor needs a refresher course on proper computer security and get in the habit of locking his computer if he is going to be away from it.

[cambridgeguy]

Say, wasn't Kyle supposed to go back to using Cortez as his last name?  Maybe he decided it would mean he'd lose his nickname and that was too high of a price to pay.

I wonder if Clark actually knew about the DoD keeping Bizarro's body.  He seems like the type of guy who'd insist on burying him in a quiet place.  I bet he wishes there was a Batman on this earth to keep an eye on stuff like this for him.

[DanaK]

Clark talking to the 2 cancer patients. Wow. Agree that they were very effective scenes

[cardigirl]

57 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Clark talking to the 2 cancer patients. Wow. Agree that they were very effective scenes

Very well done. And then the show sets up a Valentine's Day dance where most of the adults of smallville attend, and it's super hokey again.

Lois's cancer storyline has been so well done, there must be separate writers for it. 

Edited April 12, 2023 by cardigirl

[Frozendiva]

@scarynikki12, I am really enjoying DeStefano DiMera.

[DanaK]

30 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

Very well done. And then the show sets up a Valentine's Day dance wher most of the adults of smallville attend, and it's super hokey again.

Lois's cancer storyline has been so well done, there must be separate writers for it. 

This season so far has been way better than last season, and the cancer storyline is part of the reason why. It should be a real downer and it is, but it’s giving us some pretty emotional scenes for a superhero show

[RachelKM]

4 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I'm glad Clark's chatting with these patients and hearing their stories. Effective scenes.

 

I really enjoyed those scenes. 

 

4 hours ago, Terrafamilia said:

Stoopid Superman hanging onto the idiot ball. The first order of business after seeing the general got to safety was stopping the data transfer.

OMG, THIS! I initially came to this thread expressly to say this very thing.  My dude, grad the transfer/transmission prod, crush it and then deal with the ShadowPrat. 

[paulvdb]

I know that teenagers are usually played by older actors, but was Junior (the dead mayor's son) also supposed to be a teenager? I thought he looked so much older than the main teen characters that it was very distracting.

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, paulvdb said:

I know that teenagers are usually played by older actors, but was Junior (the dead mayor's son) also supposed to be a teenager? I thought he looked so much older than the main teen characters that it was very distracting.

I was wondering exactly the same thing

[cambridgeguy]

7 hours ago, RachelKM said:

OMG, THIS! I initially came to this thread expressly to say this very thing.  My dude, grad the transfer/transmission prod, crush it and then deal with the ShadowPrat. 

If Clark was a tactical genius he would have just created a giant hole in the ground.  Deadline can't fly, so wrecking the floor would have neutralized him for a while.  But yeah, he fell into the same trap that Barry Allen does all the time.  You have ludicrous speed, so use it!

[Lady Calypso]

4 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I know that teenagers are usually played by older actors, but was Junior (the dead mayor's son) also supposed to be a teenager? I thought he looked so much older than the main teen characters that it was very distracting.

I am almost certain Junior was supposed to be a teenager but, for some odd reason, they cast someone in their late 20s who LOOKS their age. I have no idea why, either, as it was so awkward and funny whenever Junior or Sarah would be interacting. Friends? More like a kid and their babysitter. 

It was a great episode but some suspension of disbelief happened, such as Lois not considering the fact that Bruno Manheim likely has cameras everywhere and it wouldn't be THAT easy to sneak around. I did appreciate Bruno's backstory. He's still a villain, but a more complex one by giving him a somewhat understandable reason to do the things he does. It makes it harder to root fully against him when we can understand his actions.

Also, Clark not immediately stopping the data transfer and letting it continue. I'm pretty sure allowing the data transfer to complete and be given to the villain is worse than destroying the machine and corrupting files, but someone elsewhere did point out that maybe this was intentional, to show how Lois' diagnosis has affected Clark's focus. But still, not the BEST thing to happen.

I knew that Candice would have to leave town with a previously unnamed family member and it would be far enough away where it would eventually break her and Jon up. I didn't expect it to happen this soon; I thought the show would want to play around with a plot where the Kents have to hide their secret from Candice. Unlike when Clark hid it from the boys for years, Smallville has had an increase of situations that need Superman so it would have been interesting to see that transpire for an episode.

Alas, it looks like it's the beginning of the end for Candice/Jon. Ah, both in the mindset that a 4 hour drive is no big deal and that their relationship will totally survive. It will suck for both once they realize their long distance won't work, but I am curious to see how that works with Jon now working with Kyle. 

Kyle has been great this season. I do love him offering Jon a weekend job at the firehouse. It seems perfect for him. And I'm totally into Kyle/Chrissy. They work surprisingly well together.

Overall, another very strong episode. My favourite scene was Clark talking to the two ladies at the treatment center.

[blackwing]

I don't understand why Clark didn't immediately heat vision the transfer disk as soon as he busted into the facility.  Or why the general didn't say anything ("he's initiated a transfer of top secret files").

Surprisingly, Candice didn't annoy me.  We find out that Topeka is "like four hours away", thus muddling up our understanding of the geography of this show.  Topeka is about an hour west of Kansas City.  So where exactly is Smallville supposed to be?  I had been thinking it was somewhere on the eastern side of Kansas, now about two hours away from Metropolis, which can't be Chicago area anymore.  But Topeka cannot be west of Smallville because then Smallville would no longer be in Kansas.  So Smallville is supposed to be somewhere in Western Kansas now?  Where then does that allegedly place Metropolis?

I am a bit surprised that Lois didn't offer to take Candice in until the end of high school (at this point, it's the end of sophomore year, so it's only two more years).  Or why couldn't she try harder to find another friend to live with?  I could easily have seen her moving in with Sarah and Lana.  It would be nice seeing Sarah have another friend.  Also, why so sudden?  It's only about a month or two until the end of the school year, let her finish out the year.  Why did it have to be her "last night in Smallville"?  

And yet another also... I have a new 16 year old driver in my house.  There's absolutely ZERO chance I would let him drive 8 hours round trip on the highway by himself.

So apparently, Kyle and Chrissy appear to have gone public with their relationship or whatever it is?  They danced like two people who are a couple, not just friends.  I was expecting Lana to say something to Chrissy about it, but her meeting with her was just about Dean and not Kyle.  Why not just mention it on the phone?  Why did she have to drag her out in person to say that?

15 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Say, wasn't Kyle supposed to go back to using Cortez as his last name?  Maybe he decided it would mean he'd lose his nickname and that was too high of a price to pay.

I wonder if Clark actually knew about the DoD keeping Bizarro's body.  He seems like the type of guy who'd insist on burying him in a quiet place.  I bet he wishes there was a Batman on this earth to keep an eye on stuff like this for him.

I wondered about this in the last episode thread... Sarah has clearly embraced her Mexican roots and is calling herself Cortez, and I thought Kyle was going to do the same.  But apparently he's still "Mr. Cushing" to Jon and still calls himself "the Cush".

I've been wondering what happened to Bizarro's body too.  So Mannheim used the info from the file transfer to locate Bizarro's body.  And now Bizarro will come back as truly evil.  Why didn't Lane tell Clark about the kinds of info and stuff stored in those "secret locations".  He didn't bother to tell Clark about his blood, now we find he didn't tell Clark about Bizarro either, who will no doubt be revived by Clark's blood.

7 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I know that teenagers are usually played by older actors, but was Junior (the dead mayor's son) also supposed to be a teenager? I thought he looked so much older than the main teen characters that it was very distracting.

That was ridiculous, I think he's supposed to be the same age as Sarah and Jordan/Jon.  Or at most, two years older, since he was presumably at the dance as a student.  He looked easily 28.

Edited April 12, 2023 by blackwing

[RachelKM]

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

That was ridiculous, I think he's supposed to be the same age as Sarah and Jordan/Jon.  Or at most, two years older, since he was presumably at the dance as a student.  He looked easily 28.

I forgot about this. When he first walked up, I assumed it was the former mayor's adult son who must be in his 20's+.  When he turned on Sarah and said they hadn't been friends in years, I was so confused. How did this adult man, clearly born before the iPod, manage to be in school with Sarah? Did he flunk kindergarten 10 times?

[tennisgurl]

This was overall a really good episode, but come on Clark! You could stop that data transfer easily! I know that the villains cant be stopped so quickly, but I wish they had found a better way to keep things moving without making it seem like Clark screwed up in such a needless way. 

I suppose this is the end for Jon and Candice, and while that's unfortunate for them its probably for the best. She could use the fresh start and it feels like their relationship has led to so many problems for the both of them. Jon going to work at the firehouse is a great idea, that could be a really good career path for him. 

Glad that Lana didn't end up publishing how corrupt the mayor was, he wasn't a good guy or mayor but there doesn't seem to be much of a point in airing all of that dirty laundry after he's already dead unless there's a real reason. No reason to make his thirty year old teenage son even more sad.

The scene between Lois and Mannheim was great, Chad Coleman is just so good. He's obviously still a bad guy who's up to bad things, but his backstory does give him some sympathy, time will tell how much he really does care about treating illnesses and how much of that is just his cover. I hope that he's being somewhat earnest, he was both so sincere and so creepy when he told Lois that he would make sure she has the best care possible, but she better watch herself beyond that. 

Clark chatting with the cancer patients was probably the best scene in the episode, really great acting from everyone involved. 

Jordan getting Sam on a dating up was hilarious. 

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

Clark chatting with the cancer patients was probably the best scene in the episode, really great acting from everyone involved. 

Agreed, that deserves special mention.

[bettername2come]

I feel like odds are 50/50 on Mannheim either giving Lois the absolute best possible cancer treatments because he's sincere in his philanthropic efforts and dedicated to that work despite villainy in other areas or she's gonna die and be brought back as part of some horrible, horrible experiment. 

Clark listening to the cancer patients was a nice moment. It was important for him to hear all that, and I appreciated seeing Clark be the empathetic listener that he is. I bet he wrote great human interest stories. I want to see him doing more journalism now.

"You washed your hair!" Those little moments of Lois just being an absolutely normal mother are wonderful. 

I still don't trust Candice. But if she's just gone and not evil, I am completely fine with that. For a bad-influencing drug dealer from a dysfunctional household she is weirdly boring. 

[norcalgal]

8 hours ago, blackwing said:

I don't understand why Clark didn't immediately heat vision the transfer disk as soon as he busted into the facility.  Or why the general didn't say anything ("he's initiated a transfer of top secret files").

I am a bit surprised that Lois didn't offer to take Candice in until the end of high school (at this point, it's the end of sophomore year, so it's only two more years).  Or why couldn't she try harder to find another friend to live with?  I could easily have seen her moving in with Sarah and Lana.  It would be nice seeing Sarah have another friend.  Also, why so sudden?  It's only about a month or two until the end of the school year, let her finish out the year.  Why did it have to be her "last night in Smallville"?  

As with others, I too was disappointed they “dumbed down” Superman not having him destroy the file transfer first before dealing with the villain. For a show that normally doesn’t descend often into cliches, it’s too bad Superman’s superhero intelligence had to be sacrificed to draw out the villain “wins”. 
As for the bolded, it would be very hard to keep hidden Clark *and* Jordan’s secret identities the longer Candice stayed with them, so I’m glad they wrapped up this story quickly (and she and Jonathan are boring anyway). 

1 hour ago, bettername2come said:

I still don't trust Candice. But if she's just gone and not evil, I am completely fine with that. For a bad-influencing drug dealer from a dysfunctional household she is weirdly boring. 

 Yeah, to me, she never “popped” as a character, so I’m hoping that was the last we saw of her.

[MissLucas]

Junior was clearly cast by the same casting director as Jack Picard. 

[Affogato]

This is a good easter episode. Sweet zombie Bizarro. 

[Affogato]

14 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Junior was clearly cast by the same casting director as Jack Picard. 

I haven't watched a lot of ensemble teen shows but when I have watched the ones I have watched (Veronica Mars, Vampire Diaries) I keep on seeing what the actors would have looked like when they were actually 14 or 16. The ones that look youngest now often would have looked really different when they were the age they play in the show. 

Yes, I think the actor playing junior looked old, but I also thought that Sarah looked a match for him at the dance, when she was made up. I don't know how old the actress is in real life. i think they are being set up as love interests, so we may see m ore of him.

[Affogato]

20 hours ago, rmontro said:

Agreed, that deserves special mention.

It wasn't just the talk with the patients, his attitude towards Lois and his treatment of her changed afterwards.

[thuganomics85]

Yeah, Clark/Superman got handed the idiot ball there for a few seconds by not automatically stopping the transfer first when he took on Deadline.  At the very least, it would have made sense if it was shot/directed in a way where it really looked like he didn't have a moment to breathe, but there was definitely a few moments where he could have busted out the thermal eyes or frost breath to stop that shit from going down.  I'm choosing to believe everyone going on with him personal wise is effecting his job performance!

I have to imagine Jonathan and Candice are done, despite their love declarations and promises to see one another again.  I just think their relationship isn't one that will survive that long of a distance.  Not saying it's a bad thing, but it really is more of atypical high school relationship that is probably not meant to be there for the long term.  Curious to see Jonathan working with Kyle and the rest of the firefighters.

Clark's scene with the patients was really well done.  Well acted by Tyler Hoechlin and both of the guest actresses.

Continues to be frustrating watching Lois push herself beyond her limits and push back against Clark and the rest, but it makes sense that she would cling to her job and need to take down Bruno, so that she can avoid really address how dangerous her cancer is and how it is effecting her both physically and mentally.  Elizabeth Tulloch continues to crush it.

Bruno really is becoming of my favorite villains in the Arrowverse.  Chad Coleman continues to be magnetic in the role and I honestly do believe that he really does think that his actions will benefit his community and that the ends justify the means.  I even wouldn't be surprised if he is sincere about still making sure Lois gets the best treatment (granted, if nothing else, it might be so that he can boast about it later.)

Matteo seems nice, which makes me worry a bit.  Continue to enjoy Natalie and Sam's relationship.  And Sam might be getting back into the dating game?!

Always cool seeing David Ramsey's name listed in the director's credit.

Bizarro might be returning!!

[cambridgeguy]

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Matteo seems nice, which makes me worry a bit.

He's Bruno's son, isn't he?  That's not a spoiler, just speculation.  But the only two Metropolis-based black characters we know are Dr. Irons and Bruno.  While Dr. Irons isn't actually her aunt, it would still be really weird for them to be in a romantic relationship if he ends up being her son.  It would certainly introduce some teen angst.

[moonshine71]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:25 PM, cardigirl said:

Very well done. And then the show sets up a Valentine's Day dance where most of the adults of smallville attend, and it's super hokey again.

Lois's cancer storyline has been so well done, there must be separate writers for it. 

Came here for this.

 

Why in the everlasting fuck is Chrissy at a high school dance?

 

Grandpa Lane? Jfc...

 

And enough with the "chaperone" trope. My son graduated from high school a couple of years ago. I never chaperoned a dance. I don't know a single parent who ever did. They had school staff to take care of that, no need to horrify your poor child by hanging around their dance watching them, taking pictures, not giving them any freedom. 

 

I especially loved Lois harping to Clark to "get ready", because he certainly couldn't go to a high school Valentine's dance held at the local Moose club lodge just wearing a sweater and a pair of slacks, that's clearly a formal wear event... Jfc 🙄

[moonshine71]

Anyone else find Kyle's pullback on Jon's offer weird?

He seems so encouraging to Jon, then later when Jon asks about revisiting their completely informal and hastily suggested schedule that they discussed on the side of the road for 10 seconds, he quickly becomes pretty dismissive. 

[blackwing]

4 hours ago, moonshine71 said:

Why in the everlasting fuck is Chrissy at a high school dance?

And enough with the "chaperone" trope. My son graduated from high school a couple of years ago. I never chaperoned a dance. I don't know a single parent who ever did. They had school staff to take care of that, no need to horrify your poor child by hanging around their dance watching them, taking pictures, not giving them any freedom. 

Why was the dance held in a place that looked like the same barn that they had Sarah's quincenera in?  This was supposed to be a formal event, are there no nicer places in town?  I think the school gym would have looked nicer than that big barn.

I agree about the parent chaperones.  There would have been teachers and administrators from the school there.  Don't know why Lana and Kyle appeared to be the only parent chaperones.  Why was Chrissy there, except as Kyle's plus one?  Why would a parent chaperone need a plus one?

1 hour ago, moonshine71 said:

Anyone else find Kyle's pullback on Jon's offer weird?

He seems so encouraging to Jon, then later when Jon asks about revisiting their completely informal and hastily suggested schedule that they discussed on the side of the road for 10 seconds, he quickly becomes pretty dismissive. 

I agree, I thought this was odd.  He seemed like such a nice guy when he offered a position to Jon.  Then because Jon wants to see his girlfriend on the weekends and wants to work at the station during the week instead, all of a sudden Kyle's all "you gotta do what you gotta do and decide what is more important".  Why did he suddenly transform into being all pissy about it?  Not sure if Jon was going to get paid or not, but either way, Kyle said he needed the help, so why not try and work with the kid's schedule and commitments?

[Affogato]

3 hours ago, blackwing said:

Why was the dance held in a place that looked like the same barn that they had Sarah's quincenera in?  This was supposed to be a formal event, are there no nicer places in town?  I think the school gym would have looked nicer than that big barn.

I agree about the parent chaperones.  There would have been teachers and administrators from the school there.  Don't know why Lana and Kyle appeared to be the only parent chaperones.  Why was Chrissy there, except as Kyle's plus one?  Why would a parent chaperone need a plus one?

I agree, I thought this was odd.  He seemed like such a nice guy when he offered a position to Jon.  Then because Jon wants to see his girlfriend on the weekends and wants to work at the station during the week instead, all of a sudden Kyle's all "you gotta do what you gotta do and decide what is more important".  Why did he suddenly transform into being all pissy about it?  Not sure if Jon was going to get paid or not, but either way, Kyle said he needed the help, so why not try and work with the kid's schedule and commitments?

It was at the hall of the order of Bison and it didn't look like a barn, although I thought the lighting was weird. It was there because the high school was still being treated for mold, and it was announced the high school would soon reopen. lana arranged for the alternate location and had to make her presence known, as mayor, and tell them the high school was almost done.

Chrissy runs the local paper and doesn't have a lot of staff, in this case everyone would want their pictures in the paper, it would make sense for her to cover the event.

That said it was a pretty weird and intrusive set up for the kids, although they have plenty of free time to drink and party at the quarry and go into Metropolis for fancy mansion parties. So maybe this is something that is mostly for the parents. I think Lois was being hyperactive and in denial because of her fear of the cancer and chemo.

 

8 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

He's Bruno's son, isn't he?  That's not a spoiler, just speculation.  But the only two Metropolis-based black characters we know are Dr. Irons and Bruno.  While Dr. Irons isn't actually her aunt, it would still be really weird for them to be in a romantic relationship if he ends up being her son.  It would certainly introduce some teen angst.

Oh, wouldn't that be a storyline? I am assuming that there are more than two black people in metropolis, though.

[moonshine71]

16 hours ago, Affogato said:

 

Chrissy runs the local paper and doesn't have a lot of staff, in this case everyone would want their pictures in the paper, it would make sense for her to cover the event.

No, I just can't buy that. I've literally never seen or heard of journalist showing up at a high school dance to cover it. That includes growing up on the 80's in a rural/suburban area, when papers really mattered to people, had decent size staffs, and everyone didn't already have a camera on them 24/7. Prom might get a small blurb in the local paper compiled of attendees accounts and submitted photos, but no one sent a reporter to cover if. 

 

Almost none if these kids or their families would care about getting their pictures in a paper that has a tiny circulation when they can reach an exponentially larger audience and choose the photos to want to display on Instagram or whatever. I don't think my son or any if his classmates could even name local, community newspaper. Honestly, I don't think most adults in this area could right now, unless they grew up in this community.

[Affogato]

4 hours ago, moonshine71 said:

No, I just can't buy that. I've literally never seen or heard of journalist showing up at a high school dance to cover it. That includes growing up on the 80's in a rural/suburban area, when papers really mattered to people, had decent size staffs, and everyone didn't already have a camera on them 24/7. Prom might get a small blurb in the local paper compiled of attendees accounts and submitted photos, but no one sent a reporter to cover if. 

 

Almost none if these kids or their families would care about getting their pictures in a paper that has a tiny circulation when they can reach an exponentially larger audience and choose the photos to want to display on Instagram or whatever. I don't think my son or any if his classmates could even name local, community newspaper. Honestly, I don't think most adults in this area could right now, unless they grew up in this community.

Yeah, the show is in this odd timeperiod where it is both old fashioned and modern. I think it was there for the cute, whether it makes sense or not doesn't matter. doesn't matter to me, anyway.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Affogato

[MJ Frog]

Natalie hugging General Lane and calling him grandpa hit me right in the feeling place. Things really seem to be all about family this season.

[Lantern7]

Regarding Supes dropping the ball while fighting Deadline* . . .  guy has had a lot on his mind, what with Lois having cancer and the two ladies talking to him about their experience. Emotional devastating stuff. I know that Clark told Sam that the Fortress's simulacrum of Lara told him there wasn't a Kryptonian solution to Lois's condition . . . .I bet he tries to hit "her" up about that every few weeks.

(*I think that was the bad guy's name . . . and there is a canon Deadline in the comics. BTW, great work getting Superman to try stuff on the fly (no pun intended) in dealing with an intangible foe with a Kryptonite blade.)

Thinking about it . . . please don't tell me Lois gets cured via Undead Bizarro. That would be a bigger cop-out than something conjured up by the Fortress.

On 4/14/2023 at 7:16 AM, moonshine71 said:

Why in the everlasting fuck is Chrissy at a high school dance?

She's a main character. Also, I'm finding that parties in Smallville are more and more common, and the whole town gets in on the fun. Or maybe her being down there was seen as justified by her seeing Kyle dance. So much for not having sex . . . though as big a screw-up as Kyle can be, I bet he's got moves.

You think Lois would play it cooler if she wasn't going after Bruno? Subtlety just went out the window. Imagine if he wasn't the super villain that our heroes thought him to be. Things would be crazy messed-up. But he is, complete with a dead Superman from another universe. Lex Luthor can choke on that.

I'm digging this season. I'm also thinking if Superman's name wasn't up there, the series would be as doomed as the other comic-based series on CW. It's a pity . . . as The Flash stumbles to the finish line for the Arrowverse S&L manages to stay relevant every week.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 4/14/2023 at 5:39 AM, cambridgeguy said:

He's Bruno's son, isn't he?  That's not a spoiler, just speculation.  But the only two Metropolis-based black characters we know are Dr. Irons and Bruno.  While Dr. Irons isn't actually her aunt, it would still be really weird for them to be in a romantic relationship if he ends up being her son.  It would certainly introduce some teen angst.

On the one hand, there are presumably more than two black families in Metropolis...on the other, it's likely that they do tie Nat more directly into the main plot by having some sort of Romeo/Juliet thing going where her first love is with the son of the person who is EVIL and killed this world's version of her father, threatened to kill this world's version of her aunt. The possibility that he was sent to spy on the Irons family and caught feelings is probably too CW for them to ignore. 

[Affogato]

https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-a-city-and-a-town-4069700

 

The Difference Between a City and a Town

In the United States, an incorporated city is a legally defined government entity. It has powers delegated by the state and county, and the local laws, regulations, and policies are created and approved by the voters of the city and their representatives. A city can provide local government services to its citizens.

In many places in the U.S., a town, village, community, or neighborhood is simply an unincorporated community with no governmental powers.

County governments typically provide services to these unincorporated communities.

Some states do have official designations of "towns" that include limited powers.

Generally, in the urban hierarchy, villages are smaller than towns and towns are smaller than cities, though this is not always the case.

-------------------------------------------------------

Depending on Lana's job and what she ends up doing Smallville is beginning to look like an actual city. It has police, fire, a fairly well populated high school, and is building a town hall.

I think the show is doing a good job of being really handwavy about where things are, how big they are, and how they operate.

So, Metropolis is two hours away. Topeka is four hours away.

[wmdekooning]

On 4/12/2023 at 3:11 PM, tennisgurl said:

Clark chatting with the cancer patients was probably the best scene in the episode, really great acting from everyone involved. 

That scene really brought out in my mind how Clark Kent is what makes Superman work. Tyler Hoechlin’s expressiveness showed how a man who is faster than a speeding bullet and all of that could be touched by ordinary people and their perseverance. Maybe he even gained a bit of their strength and courage.

Scenes like that really elevate the series. The everyday and mundane of a man trying to raise a family in a small ville. Some episodes I don’t even want there to be a job for Superman…

[Paloma]

On 4/12/2023 at 12:25 PM, blackwing said:

I am a bit surprised that Lois didn't offer to take Candice in until the end of high school (at this point, it's the end of sophomore year, so it's only two more years).  Or why couldn't she try harder to find another friend to live with?  I could easily have seen her moving in with Sarah and Lana.  It would be nice seeing Sarah have another friend.  Also, why so sudden?  It's only about a month or two until the end of the school year, let her finish out the year.  Why did it have to be her "last night in Smallville"?  

Two years could be an eternity for teenagers. Aside from the risk of Candice learning that Clark is Superman and Jordan has powers while living with them that long, I'm sure Lois and Clark would be (rightly) worried about Candice and Jonathan having sex in the home when no one else is there. Not that they couldn't find another place to have sex if they really wanted to, but living together makes it a lot easier. And perhaps more important, what if Candice and Jonathan fall out of "love" (I don't see it as a really mature lifetime love) at some point in those two years? That would create a really awkward situation, especially if they get interested in other people.

It's not clear to me if Candice has a lot of friends in Smallville, but even if she did that's asking a lot for anyone else's parents to take in someone they don't know well for two years, to support her financially and in other ways. And with all the drama in the Cushing/Cortez household, it probably wouldn't be a good idea for Candice to be added to the mix (and you can't force friendship, so there's no guarantee that things would go well between Sarah and Candice--though I'm not sure if they are already friends). 

I agree that the suddenness is odd and she should be able to finish out the year before moving. But since she's still a minor, social services (if there is such a thing in the show world) would probably want her to live with a family member ASAP rather than living as an indefinite "guest" with another family that has two teenage boys.

[millennium]

On 4/11/2023 at 10:16 PM, DanaK said:

Clark talking to the 2 cancer patients. Wow. Agree that they were very effective scenes

The scene was okay, as a juxtaposition between two women vulnerable in the rawest sense sharing their stories with someone who doesn't suffer from disease and will never have to worry about something like cancer. 

At the same time, the show is starting to feel like a Public Service Announcement for Breast Cancer awareness.   IMO, the attention to cancer seems more performative than organic to the story.

[John Potts]

Did anyone else wonder if Lois' cancer treatment might incorporate Kryptonite? Since Kryptonite can essentially do anything, having it cure Lois' cancer would be far from the strangest thing it has ever done. If so, it seems unlikely it could be a deliberate ploy on Mannheim's part (they're unlikely to have a villain uncover that Clark = Superman, unless he's killed straight afterward) but it would provide some dramatic tension as Clark endangers his own health to protect his wife.

Lana's in the wrong line of work if she wants everyone to like her!

I guess Chrissie and Kyle aren't keeping their relationship secret any more?

On 4/14/2023 at 7:02 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Clark/Superman got handed the idiot ball there for a few seconds by not automatically stopping the transfer first when he took on Deadline.

Annoyingly, it wasn't even (plot) necessary. Have Supes Eye-jaculate on the computer when it's at 20% and have Mannheim's tech guy say they didn't get everything but they got the data they needed. Of course, that still requires Intergang to be way more competent than the US Army, but that's par for the course. As for Supes, I guess we have to go with "he was distracted by his wife's condition".

On 4/12/2023 at 2:13 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I am almost certain Junior was supposed to be a teenager but, for some odd reason, they cast someone in their late 20s who LOOKS their age

It didn't help that I think he said, "We haven't been friends for decades". Sure, teens exaggerate (like all the time!) but it really made him seem his actual rather than character age.