Episode 810 - Bride Review




"Bride" 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.

Bride was an ambitious episode for Smallville, with its limited special effects budget, but surprisingly, the special effects were done well for Doomsday. Each of the characters was used appropriately in the episode, although there should have been more focus on Clark Kent, and his reaction to the Doomsday monster. Bride did leave viewers with an intriguing cliffhanger, which will cause many to tune in after the mid-season hiatus. And, it helped to foreshadow the future Clark/Doomsday/Brainiac confrontation, which should be one of the highlights of the entire season.

The Good

Tom Welling: No one looks better in a suit in Tom Welling. In addition to being gorgeous, he has the presence and the statue of Clark Kent/Superman. Tom is really good at expressing various emotions without saying a word. And, that was evident in this episode, from his expression of surprise in the scene where Clark realizes that Lois was hoping he was saying Jimmy's vows to her, to the scene where he smiled with happiness while walking Chloe down the aisle, and finally, to his expression of concern for both Lois and Lana in the scene at the hospital.

Clark Kent: Clark had a lot thrown at him in this episode. He was dealing with his best friend's wedding; the news from Oliver that Lex could still be alive; further reinforcement that Lois is in love with him, and his realization of his own growing feelings for her; and the return of Lana, along with the need for closure in that chapter of his life. Add to this the emergence of Doomsday, and people being hurt, and it makes for an overwhelming situation for anyone. The scene with Clark surveying the injured people at the hospital was well done, and again helped to illustrate his growing awareness of the people's need for a hero. And, it was a nice touch the way that Clark took the computer info from Oliver too, to try to prevent Oliver from going after Lex without him. It was very nice that Clark was at the center of this episode, with all of the relationships revolving around him - as it should be!

Superman References: Both Oliver and Lana referred to the "red and blue blur" and to the "mysterious blur" who saved people. And, Oliver also talked about Clark being "faster than a speeding bullet". It was also a very nice touch to have both Oliver and Lana talk about trying to be more like Clark Kent, since Superman is the role model that others try to emulate in the future.

Doomsday and special effects: The "Cloverfield-type" filming technique worked well in this episode, and for a limited budget, Smallville did surprisingly well in depicting the Doomsday monster. Doomsday's intent was on kidnapping Chloe, which also explains why he didn't kill everyone at the wedding and demolish the entire barn too.

Clark and Lois: It's good that the writers are taking it slow, in regards to the Clark and Lois romantic relationship. Tom and Erica sizzled in their scenes together. It was sexy the way Clark took Lois' hand and pulled her back for the dance at Chloe's wedding reception, including the "almost first kiss" between them. It was a cute scene where Clark read Jimmy's wedding vows, and Lois was hoping they were Clark's words to her instead. Lois is clearly in love with Clark, and Clark is starting to realize he has feelings for her too. And, their ending scene was done well by both, with Clark hugging Lois tightly and promising to find Chloe, with Lois walking away from Clark with tears in her eyes. Kudos for showing a vulnerable side of Lois and her feelings for Clark!

Clark and Chloe: Clark and Chloe have such a close friendship, and it was so sweet that Clark walked Chloe down the aisle, and that he had also kept the flower that Chloe gave him for their high school Spring Formal. It was good to hear Chloe confirm that she felt as though a "great weight" was taken off her shoulders, by not knowing Clark's secret too.

Clark's Secret and His Relationships: It makes sense that Clark is still working through the issue of how his secret affects the people in his life. This issue is related to his decision to take that famous dual identity, as he ponders the best way to protect those closest to him. In this episode, Clark was still questioning whether or not he did the right thing in asking the AI Jor-El to remove Chloe's memories of his secret. So far, Clark's secret has mostly negatively affected his relationships, people have gotten hurt, and Clark understands that it puts a burden on anyone who knows the truth about him.

What's the best way for Clark to protect people closest to him in regards to his secret? Obviously, he will have to continue to lie to protect his secret from the world, but what about those who already know his secret? Is erasing their memories really the answer to protect them? Hopefully, this issue will be addressed soon, and the viewers will show how this incident plays into Clark's decision to take his future dual identity.

Clark, Lois, and Lana: Tonight marked the beginning of this classic triangle from the comics. Both Lois and Lana have always been in love with Clark in most mythos versions. Clark's relationship with both women at this point in his story was realistic and done well. Even though the writers gave Lois a reason to be gone for the next few episodes, it would be nice for her to return for Lana's final episode and for Clark to make a visible choice between the two women romantically then.

Cliffhanger: Kudos to the writers for giving the viewers an intriguing cliffhanger to discuss during the midseason hiatus! Doomsday has kidnapped Chloe and taken her to Clark's FOS. Why? Has Brainiac completely overtaken Chloe now, as evidenced by Chloe's steel-like eyes and strange smile? Is Brainiac somehow controlling Doomsday? From "Abyss", we know that Brainiac had infected the FOS. What does Brainiac want with Chloe now? Maybe Brainiac wants Chloe to be his (or Doomsday's) "Bride", which may be the real meaning of the episode title? Was that comics book Brainiac or Lex Luthor at the end? Could Lex be working with Brainiac and Doomsday?

Mixed Reactions:

Clark and Lana: It was good to have a scene where they finally talked to each other as adults. There does need to be some type of satisfactory closure in regards to their relationship. And, they should just be friends, in line with their mythos counterparts.

However, it needs to be Clark, who finally makes the decision to end their relationship, and NOT Lana. If not, it will seem as though Clark has not moved on from Lana, and Lois will be seen as "second choice" by some fans. This is unfair to Clark, Lois, and even to Lana. If the writers want to line these characters up with their iconic selves, then there needs to be a scene where Clark is the one to say goodbye to Lana, and for him to end their romantic relationship forever!

It's true that in "Superman for all Seasons", written by Jeph Loeb, that it is a mutual decision made by Clark and Lana, and perhaps this is the intent for the Smallville version too. Regardless, it needs to be clear to the viewers that Clark has moved on from his past relationship with Lana.

And, who sent the text message to Lana in Clark's loft? Maybe Lana is somehow being coerced into saying these things to Clark in an effort to try to protect him (by Lex, Brainiac, or even by Tess)? If so, then perhaps we may get a scene with Clark finally ending their relationship, while Lana wants to try again with Clark.

Green Kryptonite Again: Sure, there needed to be a reason why Clark didn't continue his fight with Doomsday, but green kryptonite has been so overused on this show already.

The Bad:

Lana Stopping Oliver: There's no way that Lana could take down Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow. This seemed totally out of character for both of them.

Oliver Queen Trying to Kill Lex: Although this was further proof that Clark was right to not tell Oliver about Lionel killing his parents, it still seemed a little strange for a member of the Justice League to try to murder someone, even a villain like Lex Luthor.

No mention of Gabe Sullivan: This was Chloe's wedding day. All that was needed was a reference to why Chloe's father, Gabe Sullivan, couldn't attend the wedding.

My rating? I give "Bride" a 4.5 out of 5 stars, primarily because of the way this episode helped to set up the classic confrontation between Clark Kent and Doomsday. And, this viewer is still hoping that Clark will fly when he fights Doomsday too.

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