S03.E08: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

[scarynikki12]

Quote

After learning about Bruno and Peia, Clark works to reignite Lois’ interest in taking Bruno down; elsewhere, Natalie meets Matteo’s parents, with disastrous consequences.

 

 

[scarynikki12]

Opening montage showing Lois is getting weaker and colder with Clark and the boys supporting her. Moving her into the office for kitchen proximity makes sense.

That is one fancy fire station. Is that where all of Smallville's money goes?

Glad they clarified Jon's in the junior firefighter program because I was about to rant about a 16 year old kid becoming a full fledged firefighter.

I think Lois resisting running the story about Bruno and Peia is part not wanting to take advantage of a friend and part her losing her reporter mojo now that she's deep into her chemo treatments.

I love Clark's excitement at possibly going to see The Cure and kind of wish he'd taken the tickets. If it's an outdoor arena he and Lois could sit on a rafter or something.

LuthorAir commercial so Lex is definitely on the horizon. 

Jon you were told to wait by the truck which means wait by the truck. Let Frog Boy do his thing uninterrupted. 

Kyle I get you're upset, and rightly so, but Jon's suit is pristine which means he wasn't inside. 

"You have a date?" The way Lois asked that question was perfection. I think that reveal healed her cancer just a tad.

Hmmmm...something happened to Peia back in high school. Maybe she came into her NotCanary powers or there was an accident that gave them to her.

I like the family dynamic the Manheims have going on. 

Oh Jordan don't throw your powers in your brother's face. Now he's Sad SnuggleMuffin and that's not fun for anyone.

I guess some of Lois' mojo has returned. Thanks for the files Lane.

Did we know Lois' mom's name was Ella? I feel like that name drop was on purpose.

I've never seen The Cure in concert but I can't imagine it would be boring so I'm with Jordan and Sarah should go with Lana.

Ok is the Bruno investigation going to lead to Lex Luthor getting out of prison? Now that's a moral dilemma right there.

I wish you called the suit before you entered the restaurant but at least you called it.

Welp Irons knows about Peia and now so does Superman.  

Bruno loves Peia enough to trust Superman will get her to a hospital and save her life right after she tried to kill him. 

He's not Super Boy, Jon, he's Frog Boy. Change goggles and headgear and we can revisit the name.

Kyle looking at the picture of ice at the fire and, wow, Jordan you didn't hold back at all. Some of your training needs to include subtlety.

Bizarro's awake! Time for shenanigans!

[baldryanr]

I bet John Henry wishes he had the Tony Stark nanosuit that he could wear at all times.  Still, he looks pretty good for someone who took multiple punches to the face.  No swelling, no bruising, no nothing. 

That initial story about Bruno's "secret wife" actually did seem kind of gossipy.  Good thing they waited, because now there's some actual meat to the article.

[Maverick]

14 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

elsewhere, Natalie meets Matteo’s parents, with disastrous consequences.

 Well that was an understatement.  

[thuganomics85]

Man, Bruno has no chill whatsoever.  When Irons showed up at the restaurant, I thought for sure Bruno would at least try and pull the "I have no idea what he's talking about, kids!" and try and play things off for a little bit.  But nope: he just straight up goes into "Yeah, I'm going to murder you, buddy" mode right in front of his son and the girlfriend he literally just met and knows that Irons is her father.  This spinoff of Meet the Parents certainly took a violent turn for the franchise!

I get Lois' initial reservations about pushing too hard (and to be fair, the initial article could have easily been spun to being gossipy by hits detractors/Bruno supporters) and even Clark's mixed emotions at the end, but I definitely was glad Irons was like "Dude, she literally tried to murder me!  I don't care if she hesitated and made a few half-hearted "No, Bruno, don't!" attempts.  When the chips were down, she was fully prepared to scream me to death, so no sympathy here!" 

Wish they shot or rewrote the fire scene a little better, because I thought it was a little off how quickly Kyle jumped all over Jonathan and assumed he open the door and caused everything.  All he saw was Jonathan next to the victim's body: not sure why the possibility of the guy getting out on his own and Jonathan going over to him wasn't on his mind.  But I guess this is just a quick way to both establish that Jordan is getting sloppy with his heroics and is getting put on notice, and to pit the brothers against one another since Jordan continues to be shitty towards Jonathan.  Despite his claims, he really does act like having powers makes him better.

For a second, I got really worried and thought they were trying something with Lana and Sam, which would have put Chrissy and Kyle's age difference to shame.  Glad it seems like it was more just the two of them being supportive to one another.  Didn't seem like there was any weird flirting or longing looks at the end thankfully.

Sounds like Bruno, Peia, and company actually framed Lex Luthor for whatever crime he went in for, so it's possible that bringing down Bruno will unleash Lex back into the world.  Twist!  Even if I didn't already know about the casting for this version of Lex, I definitely recognized that voice!

Bizarro might be crashing the party very soon!

[cardigirl]

I love this show. Haven't said it enough this season. From the opening montage to Peia bringing it with her "screaming death" mode, I was entertained. (I don't know the character from the comics.) I feel very bad for Natalie and Matteo caught between their warring parents (Romeo and Juliet anyone?) and love how the show has portrayed their relationships with their parents as loving and nurturing. Characters with lots of shading of good and bad, I'm here for it.  Although Bruno and Peia went straight to murder-mode when John-Henry showed up at the restaurant. 

The opening montage with Lois descending into her illness and treatment was, again, beautifully done. They are really treating her cancer story very well. 

I guess Lana and Sarah are all good now, and Lana is all good with Chrissy?  Awkward about those Cure tickets though.  I did like seeing Jordon sharing Cure music with Sarah. And Lana and Sarah dancing at the end. (Just Like Heaven is one of my all time favorite songs, too.) 

Poor Jonathan. I hope he can resolve the misunderstanding with Kyle, who understandably did not want to see Jonathan get hurt and thought he had disobeyed orders. Ugh. Kyle needs to be in on the whole Superman identity information and soon. 

Can't wait to see where this storyline is taking us!  How many episodes are in this season? 

[blackwing]

Good episode, all of the major storylines were advanced significantly. 

Lois dealing with her cancer, doing her treatments, but not letting it affect her work.  Finding out that Lex Luthor was framed by Mannheim and Peia for murders he didn't commit.  

I hate Jordan.  He's done nothing but whine ever since the beginning of the show.  I get that he thought he was helping... I guess he has been given the all-clear by Clark to help whenever he wants?   I don't understand why Jonathan didn't simply say "I found him over here like this".  It was the truth.  And Kyle said they found ice, so he should suspect that "somebody" helped and helped that worker, which should let Jonathan off the hook.  For Jordan to throw it in Jonathan's face that he has powers and Jonathan doesn't?  Awful.  Simply awful.  If there is justice on this show, it would be some kind of ray gun that takes away Jordan's powers and gives them to Jonathan.

So to recap, the non-Kents that know that Clark is Superman:  Lana, John Henry, Natalie, Chrissy.  The non-Kents that know that Jordan is Superboy: Sarah, John Henry, Natalie.  I would assume Sarah knows that Clark is Superman, otherwise she would wonder why Jordan has the same powers.  Does Lana know that Jordan is Superboy?  Does Chrissy?  I get that nobody cares about Sophie, but why don't they tell Kyle?  If Kyle knew, then this would make things so much easier.  He's the fire chief and he's already suspicious that someone with powers similar to Superman is helping out... it's only a matter of time before he finds out.

Did Matteo know that his mom has powers?  Isn't Bruno ever concerned that Peia using her powers led to or exacerbates her cancer?  He just sat there watching his wife overexert herself, and just let her keep going.  He wanted to kill John Henry and he may have ended up killing his wife.  I don't see how she is going to survive this season.

And now Bruno's mind-controlled Bizarro is awake so maybe he doesn't need Peia to carry out his crimes.  Seems like Lex is going to be released from prison too. 

This has been a great season so far, especially if the second half is going to feature Bizarro and Lex.  Good to have variety.  Unlike last season when it was all Ally and her helmet hair, all the time.  Got old and irritating.

12 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Wish they shot or rewrote the fire scene a little better, because I thought it was a little off how quickly Kyle jumped all over Jonathan and assumed he open the door and caused everything.  All he saw was Jonathan next to the victim's body: not sure why the possibility of the guy getting out on his own and Jonathan going over to him wasn't on his mind.  But I guess this is just a quick way to both establish that Jordan is getting sloppy with his heroics and is getting put on notice, and to pit the brothers against one another since Jordan continues to be shitty towards Jonathan.  Despite his claims, he really does act like having powers makes him better.

For a second, I got really worried and thought they were trying something with Lana and Sam, which would have put Chrissy and Kyle's age difference to shame.  Glad it seems like it was more just the two of them being supportive to one another.  Didn't seem like there was any weird flirting or longing looks at the end thankfully.

Sounds like Bruno, Peia, and company actually framed Lex Luthor for whatever crime he went in for, so it's possible that bringing down Bruno will unleash Lex back into the world.  Twist!  Even if I didn't already know about the casting for this version of Lex, I definitely recognized that voice!

Bizarro might be crashing the party very soon!

I thought Lana was going to invite Sam to the Cure concert.  I don't buy that he had never heard of them.  They've been around since the late 70s, he would have been in his 20s or 30s, he would have known them.

I didn't recognise the voice of Lex and I didn't know he was actually already cast.  Good news that he is apparently appearing soon!

[ukgirl71]

Argh, a two week break, just when things are ramping up!  Glad there’s apparently hope for Matteo, given his end montage reaction to his father.  Bruno really is a wonderfully-layered villain, switching from goofy dad to cold-blooded mob boss, then back to worried husband inside a couple of minutes.  I still hate Pia’s weird Canary face, despite her suffering.  So good to see Lois getting her hunger for the job back.  Sam was on fatherly fire tonight, between encouraging his own daughter and advising Lana.  So, potentially three substantial villains for Superman to face - Bruno, Bizarro AND Luthor - delicious!  I hope the twins get back to being proper Fraternals soon - I don’t like it when they’re snarking at each other, although it will do Jordan good to have pause for thought over his actions.

[metaphor]

8 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Can't wait to see where this storyline is taking us!  How many episodes are in this season? 

13. So we have 5 left this season, and I hope more to come. 

[ruby24]

Is there any chance the show gets to continue on HBO Max? I feel little hope, given that everything on the CW is reported to be canceled. But it's SO GOOD, someone has to want it to go on.

[Artsda]

That was quite the meet the parents dinner. 

[Paloma]

20 hours ago, blackwing said:

I thought Lana was going to invite Sam to the Cure concert.  I don't buy that he had never heard of them.  They've been around since the late 70s, he would have been in his 20s or 30s, he would have known them.

Well, I was in my late 20s in the late 70s and loved pop/rock music as well as other genres, but even though the group's name sounds familiar, I don't remember knowing their music. Also, Sam was presumably a career military guy and straight-laced, so it's believable that he would not have been into music or not familiar with any artists except the most famous ones (Beatles, Stones, etc.) in that era. 

[blackwing]

14 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Is there any chance the show gets to continue on HBO Max? I feel little hope, given that everything on the CW is reported to be canceled. But it's SO GOOD, someone has to want it to go on.

HBO Max, or starting later this month, just "Max" isn't any better than CW these days.  They cancelled "Titans", "Doom Patrol" and "Pennyworth".  I'm not sure how this new "Gotham Knights" show is doing.

I would hope that S&L gets renewed, the CW has to put something on the air, and this is one of their better shows and seems to have decent buzz/ratings.

[tennisgurl]

And we all that that Matteo meeting John Henry was awkward, this meet the parents get together was officially WAY worse. That escalated so quickly, I thought that Bruno would at least try some token "I don't know what your talking about" while the kids were still there, but he really went from zero to fifty in about three seconds. Bruno is such an interesting villain, he can go so quickly from goofy dad to cold blooded killer. At least he got Natalie and Matteo out of there, poor Matteo. It seems like he had no idea what his parents are getting up to, this is going to be a huge blow on top of his dad trying to kill his girlfriends dad and his mom's cancer getting worse. 

I get that Lois had reservations about going after Peia after they became friends and knowing that she has cancer, but she and Bruno are still criminals, even if they are often sympathetic. Its actually probably for the best that she waited, Bruno having a secret wife is pretty gossipy, him having a secret wife who's also an assasin killing people for him is a way better story.

Some fun pairings this week, Chrissy and Clark doing a story (Chrissy gets to fly!) and Sam and Lana bonding over feeling lonely. I thought that they would go to the concert together, that would have been pretty fun. I also thought it was cute how excited Lois was about her dad dating again, it really helped her get her groove back. 

Oh Jordan, you know that's not alright. Not only was he a real dick to Jon, he's revealed himself because he isn't as good at using his powers as he thinks he is.

Return of Bizzaro! Does this mean we can see Planet Hot Topic again?

[Affogato]

At the beginning of the episode Clark tells Jordan that he isn't going to be able to meet him for training. Probably pretty commonj, Clark has been busy.

Here's what I think about Jordan: He isn't in contact with a lot of Metropolis friends on social media, because he didn't have any. He was an introvert, isolated, and anxious. I like his hair, but it is a statement of his being different from his peers, walking a path less taken. (I also kind of like the goggles). Sarah is leaning on him pretty heavily for support and it probably isn't healthy for him, because he doesn't have a lot of other people. She was his first girlfriend, they are no longer together, and he needs to find and develop relationships with other people. Meanwhile he has been dealing with the initially painful and confusing manifestation of his superpowers and learning how to use them, without a lot of support from Clark (frankly) but with a lot of additional frightening expectations of heroism being put on him by both his parents. The nature of what he deals with makes it difficult to get some of the outside the family support that is available to Jonathan, a normal teenager.

Jonathan probably is in contact with friends from Metropolis,and with Candice in wherever she moved to, and we know he has had two real complex relationships with girls that he has resolved, with real support from his parents. He has separate friendships with Natalie and Sarah, more of a relationship with John Henry than Jordan has, and a growing relationship with the adults in the fire station. Kyle, who has conflicted feelings about his daughters, is probably a better parent to Jonathan at this time. Jonathan also seems to have more relationships with people at Smallville High than Jordan, that we've seen.

I think the show is setting Jordan up for having some real problems, and maybe understandable ones, given that he is being asked to shoulder a lot on his own. Of course he isn't a perfect hero, but I bet Clark made some mistakes when he was starting out it. I think he hasn't been a dick to Jonathan very much, and that he probably can be forgiven a few comments, because he is under a lot of stress, including the stress of feeling he has to save the world.

I have been impressed with the actor's portrayal of Jordan this season, and have found his facial expressions and body language very expressive and realistic.

I was glad Clark to Peia to the dod instead of to a regular hospital. At the time it hadn't even occurred to me he would do this. This is probably why Clark's the hero. Bruno Mannheim has some real impulse control problems, though, which is why he's the villain, I guess.

[Affogato]

On 5/11/2023 at 9:39 AM, Paloma said:

Well, I was in my late 20s in the late 70s and loved pop/rock music as well as other genres, but even though the group's name sounds familiar, I don't remember knowing their music. Also, Sam was presumably a career military guy and straight-laced, so it's believable that he would not have been into music or not familiar with any artists except the most famous ones (Beatles, Stones, etc.) in that era. 

Sam is getting great at dispensing advice, though. I think Sam is being portrayed as socially going through adolescence himself, which is a fantastic way to get a perspective on what the teens are going through.

[DanaK]

Fantastic episode, especially the opening scene

John Henry should have had some major bruising injuries to his face after that brutal attack by Bruno

I had to watch via cwtv.com online because my cable was out Tuesday, man does that website play a lot of ads

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 5/10/2023 at 12:22 PM, blackwing said:

So to recap, the non-Kents that know that Clark is Superman:  Lana, John Henry, Natalie, Chrissy.  The non-Kents that know that Jordan is Superboy: Sarah, John Henry, Natalie.  I would assume Sarah knows that Clark is Superman, otherwise she would wonder why Jordan has the same powers.  Does Lana know that Jordan is Superboy?  Does Chrissy?  I get that nobody cares about Sophie, but why don't they tell Kyle?  If Kyle knew, then this would make things so much easier.  He's the fire chief and he's already suspicious that someone with powers similar to Superman is helping out... it's only a matter of time before he finds out.

Did Matteo know that his mom has powers?  Isn't Bruno ever concerned that Peia using her powers led to or exacerbates her cancer?  He just sat there watching his wife overexert herself, and just let her keep going.  He wanted to kill John Henry and he may have ended up killing his wife.  I don't see how she is going to survive this season.

And now Bruno's mind-controlled Bizarro is awake so maybe he doesn't need Peia to carry out his crimes.  Seems like Lex is going to be released from prison too. 

This has been a great season so far, especially if the second half is going to feature Bizarro and Lex.  Good to have variety.  Unlike last season when it was all Ally and her helmet hair, all the time.  Got old and irritating.

I thought Lana was going to invite Sam to the Cure concert.  I don't buy that he had never heard of them.  They've been around since the late 70s, he would have been in his 20s or 30s, he would have known them.

I didn't recognise the voice of Lex and I didn't know he was actually already cast.  Good news that he is apparently appearing soon!

I would assume that Chrissy has been told that Jordan has powers and that Sarah has been told Clark is Superman.

But I don't think that there has been a scene explicitly showing either.

Keep in mind that in the S&L world just in the last couple years we have been shown that a number of people have powers through X-K or being imperfect world duplicates, so the fact that Jordan has powers isn't as directly proof that he is Superman's son. 

And of course, Sam knows about both Clark and Jordan. As far as we know, Lucy Lane knows nothing about either having powers.

Keeping the circle of trust as tight as possible is the only reason I can see for not telling Kyle. If Jordan were more careful during his saves, there would be little chance of Kyle finding out about them. Leaving ice at the scene of a fire when you have heat vision is just sloppy.

Unclear if Bruno has mindcontrolled Bizarro, or simply resurrected him.

No matter how big the Cure are, it's perfectly plausible that Sam would not have heard of them as someone who (presumably) does not listen to that genre of music (or for all we know, any music). 

 

[Affogato]

On 5/12/2023 at 3:19 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Keeping the circle of trust as tight as possible is the only reason I can see for not telling Kyle. If Jordan were more careful during his saves, there would be little chance of Kyle finding out about them. Leaving ice at the scene of a fire when you have heat vision is just sloppy.

Unclear if Bruno has mindcontrolled Bizarro, or simply resurrected him.

No matter how big the Cure are, it's perfectly plausible that Sam would not have heard of them as someone who (presumably) does not listen to that genre of music (or for all we know, any music). 

 

I think the argument with Jonathan threw Jordan off, but i don't see any reason why he should be perfect at the superhero job. Clark should be teaching him to cover his tracks and he hasn't taken the time. Sam had to talk to him about his hair. Making mistakes is how you learn, and you don't make mistakes unless you take risks.

I don't see any reason why they should tell Kyle. Clark has known Lana since childhood and Lois has partnered with Chrissy in several ways. Kyle is several steps removed from that and has no pressing need to know. I'm sure the ice thing will bring it out in the open, though.

1 minute ago, Affogato said:

nevermind, I keep on expecting edit to be near reply.

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Affogato

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, Affogato said:

I think the argument with Jonathan threw Jordan off, but i don't see any reason why he should be perfect at the superhero job. Clark should be teaching him to cover his tracks and he hasn't taken the time. Sam had to talk to him about his hair. Making mistakes is how you learn, and you don't make mistakes unless you take risks.

I don't see any reason why they should tell Kyle. Clark has known Lana since childhood and Lois has partnered with Chrissy in several ways. Kyle is several steps removed from that and has no pressing need to know. I'm sure the ice thing will bring it out in the open, though.

 

I don't think anyone is expecting perfection from Jordan (or for that matter, even Clark despite his experience). But I don't think it is too much to expect for him not to leave an unexplained bunch of ice at the scene of a fire when he can melt that in 2 seconds with heat vision. That's just asking to be found out.

Lana and Sarah knowing the secret puts them and their family at risk. So IMO Kyle deserves to know. 

It is basically inevitable that Kyle will find out the secret, given that his ex, his girlfriend and his daughter all know. When he finds out that the three of them have been hiding the secret from him, it will likely lead to friction or a breakdown in those relationships. So to avoid that, he should be told.

He is in a position where assistance from Clark and Jordan would prove useful often. So having him as an ally to help protect Smallville is another reason to let him in on the secret.

 

[Affogato]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I don't think anyone is expecting perfection from Jordan (or for that matter, even Clark despite his experience). But I don't think it is too much to expect for him not to leave an unexplained bunch of ice at the scene of a fire when he can melt that in 2 seconds with heat vision. That's just asking to be found out.

Lana and Sarah knowing the secret puts them and their family at risk. So IMO Kyle deserves to know. 

It is basically inevitable that Kyle will find out the secret, given that his ex, his girlfriend and his daughter all know. When he finds out that the three of them have been hiding the secret from him, it will likely lead to friction or a breakdown in those relationships. So to avoid that, he should be told.

He is in a position where assistance from Clark and Jordan would prove useful often. So having him as an ally to help protect Smallville is another reason to let him in on the secret.

 

Yes, your comments don’t take into account that these are people making mistakes and decisions in real time. Should someone only make trivial mistakes? Should you reveal intimate secrets to someone you aren’t that close to?

[Affogato]

I bet Kyle thinks Jonathan has superpowers. 

[BeautifulFlower]

I hope Nat doesn't stay mad at John for keeping her from seeing Matteo. It sucks, but things have changed. Despite being innocent, both of his parents tried to kill your father. That fact will always exist in the relationship. Things would be very awkward. Also, the long distance couldn't last forever.

 

With that said, I do think Matteo deserves to see his mother before she dies. I get John's feelings, but that's his mother.

[Chicago Redshirt]

17 hours ago, BeautifulFlower said:

I hope Nat doesn't stay mad at John for keeping her from seeing Matteo. It sucks, but things have changed. Despite being innocent, both of his parents tried to kill your father. That fact will always exist in the relationship. Things would be very awkward. Also, the long distance couldn't last forever.

 

With that said, I do think Matteo deserves to see his mother before she dies. I get John's feelings, but that's his mother.

The long distance thing is not really an issue, since the three-ish hours between Smallville and Metropolis can relatively easily be negotiated just through conventional driving if they wanted to, let alone through Natasha using her armor and flying. (I'm not sure if either John or Natasha has a superhero codename in this universe, or if it is generally known that Natasha has armor too. I'm pretty sure that JHI has shown up publicly to help Superman at least a couple times.)

While Matteo and for that matter Bruno both deserve visitation, I'm not sure how you facilitate that when she is going to be kept in a DOD classified site. I think the best you could do is some sort of video linkup.

[blackwing]

19 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

The long distance thing is not really an issue, since the three-ish hours between Smallville and Metropolis can relatively easily be negotiated just through conventional driving if they wanted to, let alone through Natasha using her armor and flying. (I'm not sure if either John or Natasha has a superhero codename in this universe, or if it is generally known that Natasha has armor too. I'm pretty sure that JHI has shown up publicly to help Superman at least a couple times.)

While Matteo and for that matter Bruno both deserve visitation, I'm not sure how you facilitate that when she is going to be kept in a DOD classified site. I think the best you could do is some sort of video linkup.

That's a good question, what exactly is he being called by the press and the police?  I don't think I've heard anything on the show.  When he was first introduced he was called "Captain Luthor" by his suit's AI, but I think that was only so he could enable the suit.

I think this episode or maybe last episode is the first time we have heard Natalie being called "Natalie Johnson".  So at some point, she and John Henry must have decided to use the Johnson name as an alias instead of their real last name.  So I wonder if he is calling himself "Henry Johnson" or "John Johnson" in public.

[Bulldog]

Was I the only one not hating the idea of Sam & Lana. Sure seemed as if they were testing the waters. 
 

And something that has been bugging me — Is the actor playing Matteo the kid from the Crest commercial that stops to look at his smile in the car window?