Episode 806 - Prey Review




"Prey" 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.

"Prey" was an episode in the very best tradition of Smallville. Written with intelligence and warmth, it depicted Clark Kent dealing with important human issues such as friendship, trust, guilt, obsession, reconciliation, privacy rights, and just doing the right thing. "Prey" was faithful to the premise of the series, portraying how Clark's relationships and his dealing with complex ethical decisions advance his personal growth and development, and further his journey toward becoming Superman. This episode was an example of what makes Smallville an exceptional series-when it sticks to what it does best: relationships, humanistic/moral issues, and heroics. (SV is also second to none when it comes to adrenaline-pumping action, suspense, and amazing special effects.)

The Good

Tom Welling: Tom Welling gave a compelling performance as a man with profound moral conviction, a man who believes that "the day that he stops thinking that he can save everyone is the day he stops trying." Tom's talent was evident in the subtleties necessary to portray a man who unquestionably has a grip on his emotions and behavior, but is nevertheless close to a potential obsession with saving everyone, everywhere, at any cost, during all the waking hours he can squeeze out of himself. Tom's portrayal of Clark was mature and refined, adding real substance and depth to his character. He made Clark come alive as a three dimensional figure who is dealing with complex questions that resist pat answers in real life. And so, appropriately, these questions were not resolved in the course of the episode. There is time for more character development.

Clark's Character Development: This episode was exceedingly well written and very effective in setting up Clark's personal issues that need to be resolved before he can choose his destiny of helping and saving people. Clark must come to terms with the inescapable fact that he cannot save everyone. An inability to accept this simple fact can prevent him from enjoying a dinner and a movie with a dear friend, until "all the criminals are behind bars and there are no more accidents." A genuine obsession with "saving the world" will prevent him from maintaining and enjoying the very relationships that make him who is. Chloe sees this. A genuine obsession would also end up being counterproductive; the insanity and warped thinking that it breeds would ultimately allow Clark to harm the very people he intends to help. Martian Manhunter foresees this potential. Clark ought to listen to the people who care about him, Chloe and MM.

The episode hinted at Clark's need for a secret identity. It gave us a better understanding how taking on a superhero's identity would be a sane option and would counteract an obsession to save everyone every minute of the day. A secret identity would allow him to be out in the open and be more effective at saving people without worrying about being exposed as the "Sneaky Good Samaritan."

Another personal issue that Clark must grapple with is his baseless guilt. Chloe evoked many memories of Clark unjustly blaming himself over the years when she said, "I've learned to navigate your field of guilty land mines better than anyone." Guilt can either be constructive or destructive. It is either evidence of a conscience that builds you up by telling you you're good and can do better than your failures, or it can tear you down by telling you you're no good because of your failures. Even though Clark tried his best, he blamed himself for failing to stop the serial murderer. It was heartbreaking to hear him say that the next attack would be "on his hands" because he let the murderer "slip through his fingers." This is baseless guilt. Clark must stop blaming himself for other people's choices and for events over which he has no control! If he is unable to do that, he will also be unable forgive himself for his own failures. And even when he strives to do the right, he might err; he must accept that he is not infallible. Perhaps Clark's baseless guilt fuels his obsession to save everyone. Do we want a superhero who is really the product of a neurosis?

Privacy Rights: Clark and Chloe have been violating privacy rights in any number of ways for the last seven years in order to achieve the greater good of saving human lives. They've never misused, divulged, or personally gained from any of the information they acquired. Just like SV viewers are used to suspending disbelief when it comes to superpowers and defying the laws of nature, we're practiced at suspending censure when it comes to the violation of privacy rights in favor of a much greater good. But what about the case in which Clark violated the confidentiality rights of the people Chloe was trying to help in the ISIS support group? Chloe had a reasonable expectation of confidentiality; handing over the members' names would have undermined the trust and effectiveness of the support group. Clark had a reasonable lead to solving a series of murders (a lead that would not have been off limits had it not been Chloe's group, and a lead that turned out to be right). Besides giving the list of names to law enforcement, Clark acquired Davis Bloom's confidential medical results, broke into Bloom's locker, and stole crime scene evidence (which broke the evidence's chain of custody and would have rendered it inadmissible in court). Do Clark's superpowers, or his being a reporter, or his good intention of saving lives give him the right to transgress all privacy rights and steal evidence? Is the "city's own Peeping Tom" going to develop guidelines for when he must violate people's privacy without due process, warrants, subpoenas, or accountability?

Clark and Chloe: It is terribly refreshing for television to show that a man and a woman can have a close, deep, and enduring friendship without having to inject sexual tension and potential romance into it. Clark and Chloe's friendship is a wonder to behold and I never tire of visiting it. It was realistically presented in all its complexity in "Prey." Clark's taking Chloe's list of support group members and giving it MM could have caused a rift in their relationship. It was a serious disagreement between two people of good will and good judgment. In a way, it was a situation in which both were right and both were wrong. They handled it so maturely and lovingly: they mutually admitted their errors and shortcomings, and Clark expressed his regret for taking the list, no "ands, ifs, or buts." Just a straightforward, "I'm really sorry." Clark also expressed his awareness that his "obsession pushed him past a line with Chloe." We can see him learning, growing, and gaining the experience he needs to deal with his potential obsession.

The Bad

Davis Bloom, EMT: No Emergency Medical Technician works alone. A minimum of two people are needed just to carry an injured patient on a gurney, and then one is need to drive the ambulance while the other tends to the patient.

My rating? I give "Prey" a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

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