Episode 622 - Phantom Review




"Phantom" 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.

Phantom was a typical Smallville season finale: involve all the cast, cram lots into one episode, and put at least two characters in harm's way. Then, to ensure viewers will return next season, give fans a glimpse of a mythos-related storyline, with a few special effects. This year, the highlight was Smallville's version of Clark vs. Bizarro!Clark. It's a shame that this episode wasn't focused entirely on the escaped Phantom, the confrontation between Clark and Bizarro!Clark, and Lex's 33.1 plans. That could have been a great season finale. Instead the last fifteen minutes basically saved this episode from being more soap opera drivel between Clark, Lex, and Lana.

The Good:

Clark Kent: Tom Welling is always good, but he was fantastic as Bizarro!Clark. Tom looked like he was enjoying this latest role. He delivered his lines with just the right amount of sarcasm and humor. Examples: "Thanks for sharing", and "I'm you, just a little more bizzare." The battle between Clark and Bizarro!Clark was done well, including the special effects at the dam. And, the final shot of Bizarro!Clark's face was a classic moment. Since Kryptonite is Bizarro's strength, maybe the sun is his weakness, and that's why his face started to crack and become chalky, when he was exposed to direct sunlight. Of course, it's also a shout-out to mythos Bizarro's appearance.

Tom also did well in other scenes too, displaying a range of emotion, including happiness, sadness, and anger. His scene with Lionel, upon hearing about Lana's "death", was especially done well. And, Clark was proactive in this episode, from investigating on the computer in the DP alongside Chloe, to risking his life fighting the Phantom. However, the writers went too far with Clark's anger directed at BOTH Luthors. It was over the top, in relation to Lex and Lana's marriage. Clark has shown more restraint regarding his feelings in the past, and this was an unneeded cheap soap opera plot device, which failed miserably at creating any type of "drama".

Clark and Martha: The goodbye scene was emotional, but seemed lacking, in regards to Annette's final episode as a full-time cast member. Martha is a main iconic figure, and plays an important role throughout Clark's life. For the show, it signals the end of an era in Clark's life, as both his parents are no longer on the farm anymore. Martha looking at a picture of Jonathan and a young Clark was a nice touch. It brought back fond memories of earlier seasons with the Kents. And, Martha was right to tell Clark that he is not responsible for the farm, especially now that she's leaving. Hopefully, Annette will return as a guest star next season. She is a terrific actor, and she will be missed!

Clark, Lionel, and Martian Manhunter (MM): This interaction provides an interesting dynamic for next season. With MM as Clark's ally, Clark will finally have an opportunity to learn more about Jor-El, as he did with Raya. Are the writers trying to explain Jor-El's tests for Clark all along using MM as a guide? Is this plot twist going to be an intermediary type of training for Clark, before he ends up at the FOS? And, Lionel becoming an emissary for Jor-El puts him at total odds with Lex, and basically seals his fate before the show ends. There's no doubt that Lionel's new role will cause Lex to have further jealousy and even hatred for Clark: he loses both his father and Lana to Clark Kent. A final showdown between Lionel and Lex is just a matter of time.

Lex Luthor: Every story with a hero needs a formidable villain, and Michael did a good job at showing an evil Lex. Lex using the young boy, sacrificing his own employees to the Phantom, and his relentless pursuit of his level 33.1 army are all signs of a more mythos Lex. It's about time!

Mixed Reactions:

Slavkin and Swimmer/Director Marshall: On the plus side, the writers did a good job with the script, and as usual, Marshall did a good job directing too. The problem is that viewers were not really that invested in the phantom storyline, because it had been glossed over for most of the season. So much time was wasted on ridiculous soap opera plotlines, with way too much emphasis on the Lex and Lana relationship. So, this season finale just didn't have the impact it could have had, because of the mediocrity of many of the episodes this season.

Clark and Lex: Even though Tom and Michael did a good job in their scenes together, Clark and Lex should be confronting each other over more important issues now, than just Lex's marriage to Lana. It's understandable that Clark would be upset, because he thought Lex killed Lana, but what about the Phantom? Lex's level 33.1 project? Lana's death was just not that important in the overall scheme of things at that point, since the Phantom was killing an innocent human every 24 hours, and Earth was in danger. Clark and Lex's enmity is over much, much more than just Clark's old high school girlfriend!

Clark and Lana: My reaction to their loft scene was mixed. On the plus side, thank goodness Clark told Lana his secret (again). It's nearly impossible to sit through anymore "secrets" and "lies" speeches from Lana. On the negative side, this whole scene was so anti-climatic, and simply fell flat. Both Tom and Kristin looked bored, having to do yet another worn-out loft scene with the same old angst-filled dialogue. After six years of this dead-end merry-go-round, both actors deserve some progression for their characters. Again, many Clark/Superman fans fervently hope it finally signals the end of their dead-end romance. The writers need to show Clark realizing that Lana is simply not the right girl for him, so they can finally just be friends. And, it was very typical that Clark never even asked Lana how she found out about his powers, because Lana is rarely held accountable for her actions.

Lois and Chloe: Again, I had mixed reactions to these scenes. It was good to see Lois pursuing a journalism story, but it's doubtful she could have easily just walked into that facility. It was good to see Chloe researching a story, but why would she tell Lois to back off from the Luthors? Chloe has never backed down before. Chloe's meteor ability looks interesting, but why wasn't that saved for the season premiere? It really felt rushed.

Lana's "death": The white truck passing in front of Lana's parked car, right before it exploded, provided a convenient way for the death to be faked. There was even a pause on the truck, so viewers would notice it. How long will Lana be gone next season? At this point in the story, Lana's role should be decreasing. However, there are two problems with Lana faking her own death: it's a cruel thing to do to people who care about you, in spite of the reasons. And, having anyone framed for a murder he didn't commit, even Lex Luthor, is a very unethical, illegal thing to do. That is a very Luthor-like move, and again highlights that Lana is like Lex in some ways. It's obvious that Clark doesn't know about the faked death, because he would never agree to it for those reasons.

Lex and Lana: Their confrontation seemed ho-hum, since Lex and Lana have both done several "180's" a few times this season, in regards to their relationship. So, the scene lacked any real emotional impact, in spite of Lex slapping Lana. It seemed like a quick, cheap way to bring closure to their relationship, which has lasted almost an entire season.

Conflicting dialogue: In the scene with Clark and Martha, Clark acknowledges that Lana and Lex's wedding was "meant to be", and then in the scene with Lana, he talks about them getting together again. Unfortunately, these kinds of flip-flops in both dialogue and behavior have happened for most of the main characters this season.

My rating? I give Phantom 4 out of 5 stars, primarily for Tom's performance and Bizarro!Clark.

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