Episode 615 - Freak Review




"Freak" 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.

"Freak" was an episode faithful to the central premise of Smallville: Clark Kent's journey to becoming Superman. More specifically, the "journey" refers to his moral, spiritual, emotional, and relational development, as well as the development and refinement of those exciting superpowers of his. Freak was SV at its best: it focused on Clark, his personal relationships, his efforts to help, protect, and save people from evil and injustice; it allowed him to be the hero again and to utilize the diversity of his superpowers masterfully. Indisputably, week after week Tom delivers an outstandingly brilliant and superb performance of this superhero-in-the-making. The episode contained its fair share of action, excitement, suspense, emotional drama, touching moments, plot twists, intrigue, and fascinating yet-to-be answered questions. SV writers, you do have the formula for a highly successful series, now follow it. And include a few "Red kisses" while you're at it.

The Good

The Surgery Scene: The scene in which Chloe wanted Clark to x-ray her was riveting. The suspense slowly built up as Chloe discovered that former abductees were being tracked on a laptop computer and killed, one by one. As a former abductee, she demanded that Clark x-ray her for a surgically implanted tracking device that could potentially kill her. Allison delivered an intense performance, desperately convincing Clark to focus his heat vision with pinpoint accuracy on her, so that he could excise the tracking device. Tom matched Allison's desperation with level-headed aplomb. Directorial credit must also be accorded to Michael for shooting such an exciting scene in his directorial debut.

The Shoot-out Scene: Another exciting scene was the one in which Clark used his super-speed to block both a speeding bullet and a "heart-stopping gun," all without ever being seen by anyone in the room! The action sequence was marvelous as the audience saw the now familiar image of a bullet in slow motion, but this time, there was something new. It was a screen-filling close-up of the shiny bullet, and the ingenious visual effect of seeing a reflection of Tobias on one side of the bullet, and then the camera seemed to follow the length of the bullet to see Clark's red and blue clad reflection on the other side, right before he knocked it out of its trajectory.

ALL Clark and Chloe Scenes: It has been said countless times before, even by me, but I can't let it go unsaid here: Clark and Chloe have a truly remarkable chemistry. They have a unique interpersonal dynamic, and a profoundly loyal friendship. Whether it's their sleuthing at the bowling alley, their brainstorming at the Daily Planet, or their intimate conversations, I just can't get enough of these two! Their final scene together was particularly poignant: Visibly distraught, Chloe confided in Clark her fear of being a latent meteor-altered person: "I'm a walking time bomb." Clark responded by putting his strong arms around her and saying, "Consider me your personal bomb squad."

One Shining Moment of Honesty Scene: Even after Tobias denied it, Lana still suspected Clark of being meteor-altered and of saving and helping people on a daily basis. And she did everything in her power to protect him! Aware of her protective efforts, Clark denied it too, of course, but told her, "Looking out for me means a lot." She replied that even if he was meteor infected, "it wouldn't matter; you'd still be the same Clark." Truer words have not been spoken to each other in a very long time! What a refreshingly kind and friendly scene! Are we witnessing the beginnings of Lana's rehabilitation?

The Final Clark & Chloe Scene: A number of fascinating questions were raised in the final and touching scene between Clark and Chloe: Why did Tobias see Chloe as one of the meteor infected people? Is Chloe really meteor-infected? If so, is she doomed to the tragic end that she fears? Or are the writers setting up a storyline in which Chloe develops a latent power, and joins Clark in helping and saving people?

The Bad

Bad Advice: Chloe encouraged Clark to attend Lex and Lana's wedding, so that he could demonstrate to Lex, Lana, and himself that "he has moved on." This is the most ridiculous advice anyone could give Clark. In SV's genre of action/adventure/fantasy, the viewers are supposed to "suspend disbelief," not their sense of decorum. With few exceptions, attending the wedding of a former love is not proper etiquette, and it does not demonstrate anything except bad form. Nor should Clark feel compelled to use a wedding to prove anything to anyone. Besides, Lex would not view it as such a demonstration, because he told Clark exactly why he wants him at the wedding when he hand delivered the invitation: For Lex, marrying Lana is the prize in a twisted and fierce competition. Having Chloe encourage Clark to go to the wedding is a necessary plot device only to advance The Lexana Show.

I give Freak 5 out of 5 stars.

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