Episode 718 - Apocalypse Review




"Apocalypse" 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.

Apocalypse was a reminder that Smallville is a version of the Superman story, as it presented an Alternate Universe (AU) version of Earth that shows what it would be like if baby Kal-El had never been sent to the planet. Often, Clark's journey gets lost in the midst of angst triangles, guest stars, and the focus on numerous supporting characters. In many ways, this episode is the best of the season, because it focused on Clark and contains many iconic references. Apocalypse should have been a two-part episode, instead of placing a filler episode like Sleeper so close to the end of the season.

It's appropriate that the 150th episode should reaffirm the positive influence that Clark will have on Earth, and reinforce the belief that humanity needs a hero. This is the underlying premise of the Superman story. This episode sent the message that the world needs Superman. For that reason, this was an important episode. As a bonus, the star of the show, Tom Welling, directed the episode, and he did a fantastic job.

The Good:

Tom's Performance: Tom Welling gave an amazing performance. In spite of the sometimes mediocre writing for this show, he still manages to embody the essence of Superman. This is testament to Tom's talent and his charisma, and it also gives us a glimpse as to how awesome Tom would be as Superman with more talented writers.

Director Tom Welling: Director Tom Welling provided his unique perspective, and enabled us to see things from Clark's point of view, which is always a plus! A few scenes really highlighted Tom's Directing expertise. In the scene where Clark rescues Lois, the camera angles showing the villain crashing into the windshield and the camera shot capturing the reaction from Lois was effective. It was interesting how Tom showed Clark and Lois' reflection in the puddle, and then panned up to show Clark standing there, holding Lois. In this manner, Clark appeared even bigger and more powerful. Another interesting scene direction was the one in the barn, when Clark realized he had been transported to the AU. Tom chose to illuminate different parts of the Kent barn, while Clark slowly turned and observed his surroundings. It was a good way to illustrate that Clark was indeed in the AU. The shot of Lex shooting Clark was well done too. The close-up of the bullet let the audience know that a GreenK bullet was used. And, the scene where adult Clark held baby Kal-El was the most adorable scene of the entire season. Tom captured the perfect expression on the baby Kal-El's face, as he gazed up at adult Clark.

In addition, the pacing of the episode was consistent, and well done. There was a lot of action, and in less talented hands, this episode would have seemed rushed. However, Tom did a good job of managing the different aspects, while focusing on the main storyline. These personal touches, the selective close-ups, the interesting ways Tom highlighted the character interactions and the attention to detail are the things that connect to the audience, and reflect Tom's natural talent at directing. Tom has the talent to be a great Director, should he choose to take that path in his career. Of course, many of his fans hope he will continue to do both: act and direct. As talented as he is at Directing, it would be a shame for such a gorgeous man to not be featured in front of the camera also.

Proactive Clark: It was great to see Clark so proactive in the AU. He never gave up, in his quest to save Lois, and to save Earth. At this point in the story, Clark should be more proactive in the "real world" Earth too. There's no reason to portray him as the reluctant hero anymore. And, besides, that's not really the Superman story anyway. A scene that showed Clark doing computer research in the real world was also included. It's great that Clark has friends, and sometimes teams up with Chloe, Jimmy, and even Lois. But, Superman doesn't need a sidekick, and he should really be more self-reliant now.

Supes References: There were several Superman references. Tom looked very much like iconic Clark Kent in his suit, glasses and DP press pass. He even pushed his glasses up with his third finger ala Chris Reeve. Clark and Lois teamed up to defeat Lex's latest scheme. Lois refers to Clark as a "mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper". Jimmy Olsen wears a bowtie. Lois is a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter at the DP. Kara's name in the AU was Linda Danvers, which was once Supergirl's secret identity in the comics. And, Lex Luthor was President, wearing a black glove. In the comics, Lex wore a GreenK ring to protect himself from Superman, and his hand was damaged as a result.

Answered Questions: Some questions were finally answered, that some fans have debated for years. Yes, there would have been a meteor shower and meteor-infected people, even if baby Kal-El had not been sent to Earth. Yes, Lex Luthor would still be evil whether Clark was on Earth or not; it has nothing to do with Lex not knowing Clark's secret. And, most importantly, yes, Earth is better off with Clark Kent in it. Even though some people in Clark's life were happy in this AU, did it really matter in regards to the bigger picture? Their happiness was only temporary. Lex and Fine/Brainiac were getting ready to destroy the world, thus the Apocalypse.

Iconic Clark and Lois: The scenes with Clark and Lois reflected their mythos counterparts in several ways. The initial meeting of Clark and Lois in the AU in the DP, and the scene with Clark rescuing Lois was nicely done. It was also a nice shout-out to have Lois be the one to suggest that Clark wear the suit and glasses. And, I laughed when Lois tried to sneak a peek at Clark while he was changing his clothes. Who could blame her?

Perhaps the best scene between them was their last scene together at the DP, back in the "real world". Kudos to Lois for trying to be there for Clark, because after all, he was there for her, in regards to her relationships with both Aquaman and the Green Arrow. Clark and Lois leaving the DP together with Lois' arm around Clark was a classic shot. They will leave the DP together many, many times in the future. Even though alcohol doesn't have an effect on Clark (Recruit), it was still a thoughtful gesture from Lois, to try to cheer Clark up. Clark and Lois' developing friendship should start to be explored more now, as Smallville moves into its final season. Tom and Erica Durance did a good job in their scenes together, and their facial expressions were priceless, especially in the scene where Clark rescues Lois.

Clark's reaction to Lana and Chloe in AU: It was great to see Clark happy for both Chloe and Lana in the AU. This should address any concerns that some fans have that Clark won't successfully move on from Lana. Clark was clearly happy that both Chloe and Lana were with someone else, and that they were happy too. Hopefully, the writers will provide an angst-free closure to the Clark/Lana merry-go-round very soon now. And, fans also deserve some type of storyline regarding Chloe's future too.

Evil Lex Luthor and Brainiac: Lex willing to nuke the entire planet, and start over with his selected few survivors, should leave no doubt that he is the villain of the story. Lex is not trying to "save" Earth. Lex is about power and control. Lex is trying to rule Earth, and will do whatever is necessary to accomplish his goal. Brainiac was the right partner for Lex, since he also had his own agenda: to release Zod, and to use Lex as the vessel for Zod, so he and Zod could rule Earth together.

Continuity and Special Effects: Sheriff Adams returned, Gabe Sullivan is mentioned by Lois, and there's a reference to "Hourglass" with Lex in the white suit. The special effects were also very well done throughout this episode.

Mixed Reactions:

AU Message For Clark: This wasn't exactly a version of "It's A Wonderful Life" for Clark. Yes, this episode definitely sent the message that the world needs a hero like Superman, to save it from villains like Lex Luthor and Brainiac. But what about the human side of the hero, Clark Kent? Why show that Jonathan is still alive, rather than him dying from heart problems at an early age anyway? Why show that some of his friends are happier without ever knowing him, specifically Chloe and Lana?

Smallville has focused on the human side of this hero from the beginning, and it seems like the AU glossed over the Clark persona and his influence on the many, many people whose lives he has saved so far. Clark does say that he "thought everyone would be better off without him, but it's worse than he ever imagined". But, he is referring to the danger for Earth, rather than in regards to his relationships with the people in his personal life. Clark does find a balance between his human side, Clark Kent, and his Kryptonian side, Superman, in the future. This episode could have illustrated that fact better.

Clark and Chloe: Their scenes are usually one of the highlights of the episodes, and their close friendship is an asset to the show. Clark needs a "keeper" of the secret, and that is Chloe. But, writers, stop destroying the dynamic between them, by trying to make Chloe the surrogate Martha Kent. Clark is 21 now, and he doesn't need someone to tell him what to do all the time. It's fine to have a friend to talk to and to team up with sometimes, but these scenes with Chloe trying to make decisions for Clark have gotten old.

The Bad:

Too Many Lana References: It's obvious that the writers are trying to keep an absent Lana in these episodes in some manner. And, it's in character for Clark to be concerned about her too, as he would be with anyone close to him in constant pain. It's also good for Clark to be proactive to try to help Lana. But, was it necessary for Clark to mention her in multiple scenes, especially when he encounters Brainiac on Krypton? It was annoying, and interfered with the main plotline of the episode.

Clark and Lex Loft Scene: With Michael's time winding down on the show, why not explore the current status of Clark and Lex's relationship, and their very different viewpoints? With all the important issues these two men have to address, especially after the events of Descent, why was this scene wasted talking about only Lana? It was obvious that Lex was trying to manipulate Clark into telling him info about the aliens, under the guise of helping Lana. But, Lex should suspect by now that Clark is somehow related to Veritas, and there were just so many things that Clark and Lex could have discussed instead.

AI Jor-El and Time Travel: It was a good idea for Clark to be able to witness an AU in order to realize what a powerful, positive influence he will have on Earth. But, isn't this also a retcon of what happened in Reckoning? Didn't the AI Jor-El tell Clark at that time, that there was only one crystal that could be used for time travel? Does this mean that technically the AI Jor-El computer program can send Clark back in time whenever he wants? If this is true, then why didn't he let Clark go back to save Jonathan? And, does this also mean that Clark doesn't remember Lara's words to him, as she placed him in the spaceship, in Memoria? It's probably better not to analyze this topic too much, and just enjoy the episode.

Kara Cliffhanger: It's still unclear why Kara is on the show now, since she's not really needed for Clark's journey. The last scene is a cliffhanger, and uses her to tie into the following episodes. It's possible that Brainiac does something to Kara while she's in the kitchen. Does Brainiac possess Kara, since he can take different forms?

My rating? I give Apocalypse 4.5 out of 5 stars, primarily for Tom's excellent Directing for this episode.

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