Episode 514- Tomb Review




"Tomb" 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.

This episode reminded me of the popular movie "The Sixth Sense". However, in spite of the good acting, the episode just didn't meet the level of intensity or psychological complexity to make it a great episode. There were gaping plot holes, and overall, the episode was just average.

The Good:

Allison Mack did a really good job of portraying Chloe's various emotions. Even though Smallville is Clark's story, sometimes it's a nice change of pace to have an episode which focuses on the other characters. Since Tom Welling is preparing to direct his first episode, this was a good time for one of these storylines.

Tom and Allison played off each other well in the Clark and Chloe scenes. Chloe is clearly Clark's best friend, and it's refreshing to have some angst-free scenes between two friends where they actually communicate and support each other. The last scene with Clark and Chloe, where Clark gave her some good advice about seeing her mother, was very touching. And the scene between Chloe and her mother was done well, too.

As always, the scene with Tom and Annette O'Toole was wonderful. Clark showed maturity by offering to manage the farm, and he was a good son by supporting his Mother and encouraging her to take Jonathan's senate seat. That promises to be an interesting storyline.

It was so good to see Clark doing some investigative work on his own to solve the mystery of the serial killer. He has been depending on Chloe too much in recent episodes. In the future, Clark is a very successful reporter in his own right, and we need to see the development of his interest in journalism.

The Bad:

It was very unrealistic for Lex to make the decision about transferring Chloe to Belle Reeve. And it was insensitive of Lana to make this suggestion in the first place. In "accelerate", Lana thought she was being haunted by a ghost, and thanked Clark for believing in her sanity. Having had this experience herself, and given past experiences with meteor freaks, why didn't Lana give Chloe (and Clark) the benefit of the doubt? Of course, that would mean some continuity, and there would be no excuse for Lana to go to Lex.

The decision to commit Chloe to Belle Reeve would be up to Chloe's father (or legal guardian) and her attending physicians, along with her Psychiatrist (who was present). Neither Lana nor Lex is qualified to make a medical diagnosis. That entire scene was ridiculous, and Clark was right to keep Chloe from being transferred under those circumstances. But where was Gabe, Chloe's father, during all of this?

The last Clark and Lana scene was confusing and redundant. Didn't Lana ask to take a "break" from their relationship? Yet, Lana stated that she and Clark were not "acting like a couple", rationalizing why she went running to Lex. Clark basically refused to answer her, pulling away again. I actually laughed out loud when Lana said she couldn't talk to Clark anymore. When have Clark and Lana ever had meaningful conversations on this show?

These types of scenes have been dragging on for nearly five seasons now. Anyone familiar with the Superman story knows that Clark and Lana don't end up together romantically in any mythos version. But, show some legitimate reasons why their relationship doesn't work. The viewers have had enough of this merry-go-round, angst, and triangles crap. It's not necessary to make both characters look bad regarding their "first love" relationship. Tom and Kristin have amazing onscreen chemistry, and it's being wasted. Please transition them from a romantic couple to a friendship with some dignity for both characters.

Erica Durance does a good job as Lois, but she was irritating in her scenes with Clark. There's a difference between being witty and funny, and being just plain rude. Her comments were rude and insulting to Clark for no reason, especially when he was there to provide support and to help her cousin Chloe. Lois Lane deserves better writing than this episode.

My rating? I give "Tomb" a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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