Episode 513- Vengeance Review




"Vengeance" 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.

Sometimes Smallville gets it right, and this is one of those times. "Vengeance" is one of the best episodes this season. It is a satisfying companion episode to "Reckoning". Plus, it provided some continuity regarding Clark and Martha's emotions and reactions to the death of Jonathan Kent.

The Good:

The episode was well-written, and well-acted. As with "Reckoning", all the actors delivered really good performances. Again, Tom Welling and Annette O'Toole really shone in their scenes together. There is no doubt that Tom is developing into a fine actor, and AOT always does a great job. But the centerpiece of this episode was again Clark. Tom expressed anger, grief, compassion, remorse, and sadness, all in a very believable way. Tom has come a long way since Smallville began, and these last two episodes have showcased some of his best performances to date.

The ending scene with Clark and Martha watching the home video with Jonathan is one of the most powerful scenes on the show so far. It was a touching way to pay tribute to both Jonathans, and was emotionally beautiful. The flashback of Jonathan and a young Clark on a tractor, with Jonathan saying goodbye provided some closure for the audience. And it also reinforced the positive, strong influence that Jonathan has had on Clark's life.

When Clark finally broke down and cried, it's safe to say that a substantial part of the viewing audience cried along with him. The viewers have come to care about the Kents, and Jonathan's loss was felt throughout this episode. Together, Tom and Annette have a talent in conveying powerful, genuine emotions that the audience can relate to, and they make the viewers care about their characters. This scene was reminiscent of the final scene of "Memoria", and was a perfect ending to the episode.

Conversely, the scene with Clark and Chloe and the fake "mugging" provided some comic relief. Allison Mack was good in that scene, as she was screaming in vain, trying to get the female vigilante's attention. Tom is always gorgeous, but when he snatched that hood off in this scene, with that look in his eyes and his messed up hair, he was dangerously sexy.

In addition, the scenes with Martha and Chloe, and Clark and Lana were done well also. It's time that Martha acknowledged Clark and Chloe's friendship, and Chloe's role in keeping Clark's secret. The initial scene with Clark and Lana illustrated Clark's anger in losing his Father, and it was a nice surprise that Lana later found the watch for Clark.

In contrast to the Kents, both John Glover and Michael Rosenbaum did a good job in portraying the Luthor family as devious and creepy. Their dysfunctional relationship spills over into their relationships with other people. There were parallels drawn between Lionel and Martha, and Lex and Lana. The Luthors sense vulnerability in both women, and both are good at manipulating people in times of weakness. It will be interesting to watch both Luthors try to get to the women in Clark's life.

The Metropolis scenes with Clark and the female vigilante, Andrea, reflected the stark, fantasy world of the comics. Andrea was a shout-out to Batman, and as such, there was a contrast between her darker style, and Clark's personality. Kudos to the writers for not killing her, and hopefully, she will return sometime in a future episode. She and Clark had an intriguing onscreen chemistry. There were also several Superman foreshadowing references, which added to the comics "feel" of the episode.

The Bad:

Two details keep this episode from getting a perfect rating. How did Lex know about the Jonathan/Lionel meeting, since Lex was in a drunken stupor at the Luthor mansion at the time? And, secondly, the obvious "product placement" of the contact lenses was distracting. These types of blatant ads take the viewer out of the story, and interfere with the viewer's ability to become immersed in the episode.

Regardless, "Vengeance" goes on my list of top ten favorite Smallville episodes.

My rating? I give "Vengeance" a 4.8 out of 5 stars.

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