Episode 607 - Rage Review




"Rage" Review

Written by Babaluwee

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.

In the best tradition of SV, Rage was an episode about friendship, caring about others, and enduring moral questions set within the context of Clark Kent's unfolding journey.

The Good

Jonathan: While Jonathan's death (as a commemorative gift for the 100th episode) was a heinous, unforgivable, and insurmountable error, his benevolent and insuppressible presence was felt throughout this episode, starting with Clark's remembrance of his father in anticipation of the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Clark expressed how much his father would be sorely missed at this year's dinner. Echoes of Jonathan's voice could be heard in the moral issues featured in the episode, most notably in Clark's stand against letting Lex die. And at the end of the episode, Clark assumed his father's role at the head of the Thanksgiving table as the carver of the turkey and in expressing what he had to be grateful for this past year, namely his parents and their faith in him.

Clark & The Moral Questions: "Clark Kent would never take another man's life," said Oliver, and that is the non-negotiable rule of the "morality play" which is the Superman mythos: the inviolability of human life, even if the world would be arguably better off without the life of one such as Lex Luther. "That's not for us to decide," was Clark's unwavering response. This is Smallville at its very best, dealing with intractable moral questions without hitting you over the head with them. The sermonettes, and make no mistake—they are sermonettes, take the form of one-shot lines in the context of an extraordinary young man's moral development and life experiences. Other ethical issues at play in this episode were about caring about your friends, even when they initially rebuff you (Clark with Oliver, Lois, even Lana), about "not deserting people when they need help" (Lois & putative junkie Oliver), and about the obligation to use our abilities to protect people (Oliver and Clark). Oliver also hinted at the question about (unwisely) using himself as a guinea pig in order to develop a tissue regenerating drug that would ultimately save lives.

Clark & Oliver: It is extremely good & long overdue for Clark to have a male friend like Oliver: they know each other's secrets, they trust each other, and they share core values like protecting people. Their friendship is truly on its way to becoming the stuff of legends. These two definitely have chemistry; it would be wonderful to see how their friendship grows as they meet future and unusual challenges together (that means a lot of onscreen time together).

Martha: The stomach-churning scene where Lionel seemed as though he was about to kiss Martha was redeemed by another scene in which a strong & wise Martha told Lionel in no uncertain terms that whatever it is between them, it's not something she wants to explore. We can understand Martha's grief, vulnerability, & loneliness, but we could no more accept her getting romantically involved with Lionel as a way to deal with her pain, than we could accept her finding solace at the bottom of a bottle, prescription drugs, or by starting barroom brawls; hooking up with Lionel would be the height of destructive behavior.

Tom's Performance: TW delivered brilliant and thoroughly engaging performances as the concerned friend with Lois, especially with Oliver, and even a touching scene with a distraught Lana at the mansion. Tom's most poignant and moving scenes were those in which he spoke of Jonathan with a full yet heavy heart.

The Bad

Lois & Oliver: The opening scene where Lois descended Oliver's stairs wearing only his shirt seemed... rushed, premature, out of place; it just didn't feel right. Granted, they're consenting adults, which is all-important, but they're dealing with life-altering behavior that has natural, predictable, and foreseeable consequences (cf. Lana and her pregnancy).

Clark: Clark's moral development will be stunted if he does not strike a healthy balance between taking responsibility for his own actions & foregoing destructive guilt trips about things over which he had no control. Statements like "If I was normal, he'd [Jonathan] still be here" demonstrate that Clark needs to resolve the unfounded guilt over his father's death, in particular, and to learn not to blame himself for a whole list of past evils, in general.

Lois: Lois did not have the right to assault the GA with a barbell just because he was in Oliver's house. Blunt force trauma can cause death. Although it seems that SV characters often bounce back like cartoons, such violence should not have been her first choice of action.

Miscellaneous: Is there a wormhole between Metropolis and Smallville? Characters beside Clark zip back and forth to deliver a few lines of dialogue as if they were in the neighborhood rather than 3 hrs away.

Rating: I give "Rage" 4 and ½ stars out of 5

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