Episode 501 - Arrival Review




"Arrival" Review

Written by Scarlett

DISCLAIMER - Please remember that this review does not represent the opinions/viewpoints of everyone; it is the personal opinions of the reviewer only. Thank you.

Arrival brought closure to last season's finale, as well as set up a major storyline for the fifth season. The creation of the Fortress of Solitude, Clark sharing his secret with Chloe, and the creation of Brainiac were the highlights of the episode. Overall, the actors did a good job, and Arrival was a good season premiere.

Tom's Performance: Tom Welling did an amazing job in this episode. He effectively expressed a variety of emotions, including concern, happiness, frustration, and anger. Tom can easily go from portraying a shy, awkward young man to a powerful superhero within the same scene. So, he makes it easy to believe that Clark will be Superman one day.

The Good

Clark Kent: Clark was heroic and proactive in this episode. He saved Chloe from freezing in the FOS, and voluntarily went to find and do battle with the two Kryptonian villains, Nam-Ek and Aethyr. As Clark rushed into the Luthor mansion, he said: "I heard you were looking for me, I'm Kal-el". Clark also illustrated how much he cared about his family and friends. The best episodes are the ones that have Clark at their center, and that's one of the main reasons why this episode worked so well.

Superman References: There were some cute Superman references. Chloe to Clark in the FOS: "I think it's time you switch into Super-Clark mode right now." Clark looks surprised and says, "Super-Clark?" and Chloe answers, "I know you run faster than a speeding bullet, Clark. Take me along for the ride."

And, it was so nice to finally hear someone acknowledge that Clark is a selfless hero too. Chloe to Clark in the hospital: "Clark, I think you're so amazing. You save people's lives and you take zero credit for it. To me, you're more than a hero. You're a superhero."

Special Effects: The special effects were done well in this episode, especially the creation of the Fortress of Solitude (FOS). This is one of the best moments in the show so far for Superman fans. The FOS resembled the one used in the Superman movies, which was also appropriate. The Superman music and the AI Jor-El saying: "Welcome home my son" was a great beginning to this episode. The depiction of the FOS in Chloe's eyes was also a nice touch.

In addition, both Clark and the two Kryptonian villains used various super-powers, including: heat vision, x-ray vision, and super speeding. The opening of the portal to the Phantom Zone (PZ) and the battle was good. Finally, the last shot of the two Kryptonians trapped within the PZ's square prison was a good special effect and also a nice nod to the Superman movies.

Clark and Chloe: The scenes between Clark and Chloe were some of the best scenes. Clark was determined to save Chloe from freezing to death in the FOS. The most poignant scene was when Clark shared his secret with her in the hospital. Both Tom and Allison did a great job. They were able to portray the close bond between Clark and Chloe, without making it melodramatic. Tom and Allison had great chemistry in that scene together, and it was a satisfactory way for Clark to reveal his secret to her.

Clark and Lois: There's an easy rapport between Clark and Lois, and usually some humor between them in their scenes together. This was illustrated again in their short scene at the hospital. They hugged, relieved that each other was okay, and then proceeded to tease each other.

Lois helping find Martha: Lois helping Jonathan find Martha among the rubble of the Kent farm was a good scene. It was also nice that Clark acknowledged Lois' help in their later hospital scene together.

Milton Fine/Brainiac: The formation of Brainiac from the black goo on the spaceship was very cool. What a nice way to end this season premiere, and also a good way to set up the villain for the upcoming season.

Clark and Lex: It's about time that the friendship between Clark and Lex deteriorated further. These two should be on their way to their famous hero/villain relationship now.

Mixed Reactions:

Possessed Lionel: This was a little strange, with Lionel being "possessed" and making the Zod symbol on the floor in the Luthor mansion. It seemed a little forced, and wasn't really needed in this episode.

Clark and Lana: Clark again showed how much he cared for humans when he took Lana to the hospital, even though it meant he wouldn't make the sunset deadline that the AI Jor-El demanded. However, he could have just called 911, since Lana's life wasn't in danger at that point (as was Chloe's earlier). And, the scene with the hospital also elicited mixed results. Even though Tom and Kristin had wonderful chemistry in that scene, the whole storyline of "secrets" and "lies" prevents viewers from fully enjoying any interaction between them. This time, Lana was hiding a secret about the message in her newspaper.

Fight between Clark, Nam-Ek, and Aethyr: This fight was well done, but was short. If some other scenes had been cut, then there would have been more time for the main battle for this storyline.

The Bad:

AI Jor-El taking Clark's Powers: Clark gets his powers from the Earth's sun, and it doesn't make any sense for an AI program in the FOS to be able to take them from him. Also, the AI Jor-El doesn't understand his own son at all. It is exactly Clark's empathy and his caring for the Human race that makes him Superman. So, why does the AI Jor-El keep punishing Clark for his feelings for humans, and trying to force Clark to obey him? This is NOT the Jor-El from the comics at all, and it's unclear why the writers persist in portraying Jor-El as cruel and punishing towards Clark.

Nam-Ek and Aethyr opening the PZ: If they had the ability to open the Phantom Zone, why didn't they just free Zod and the rest of his "disciples"?

My rating? I give Arrival 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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