Episode 822 - Doomsday Review




"Doomsday" 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.

Smallville has a bad habit of trying to cram too much into season finales, and Doomsday was no exception. The storyline seemed rushed and was full of many potholes. The fight between Clark and Doomsday was anti-climatic. Clark was right all along, in sending Doomsday to the Phantom Zone, but somehow the writers tried to twist this message to support Oliver's approach to murdering villains instead. It's obvious that Clark is the only one who can truly lead Oliver's Gang of Vigilantes and help them become the Justice League again.

Tom's Performance: Tom did a good job in all of his scenes in this episode. His expressions, his stance, and even the way he talks now just scream Superman! Tom projected an aura of confidence and determination in his scenes, and seems to know his character so well.

The Good:

Clark Kent: Sending Doomsday to the Phantom Zone was the right thing to do. And, even trying to split Davis from Doomsday using the Black Kryptonite was a good approach. Clark tried every way possible to save the good in Davis, but Davis was essentially a serial killer, with or without his Doomsday guise. This is pure Superman. Superman always tries to find the good in people, even in people who don't deserve it. Clark's lesson from this latest experience should be to listen to his own instincts. Both Oliver and Chloe were wrong, and neither of them can truly understand Clark's position. So many characters want to be like Clark on this show, but none of them come close. That was illustrated again in this episode.

My main concern is that the Smallville writers will now try to make Superman the real person and Clark the disguise. Hopefully, that won't be the outcome of Clark's declaration that: "Clark Kent is dead". That is an outdated pre-crisis version of the Superman story, and will not line Smallville up with the mythos. For the Smallville version, Clark Kent is definitely the real person. His alter identity as the Red-Blue-Blur, and eventually Superman, will be the disguise.

Otherwise, the writers will have retconned the first eight years of their own show. Jonathan and Martha's loving influence will have been rendered pointless. Instead, use this as an opportunity for Clark to travel the world (as in some versions) and regain his faith in humanity. Have him return to Smallville more determined than ever to do the right thing and focused on finding a way to integrate his Kryptonian and his Human side. If the metaphorical death was supposed to be the human side of Clark, then it shouldn't last long, or it will be in opposition to the very essence of Superman. Even Clark's letter as the RBB to Metropolis reinforced his belief in humanity. Will season nine start a few years into the future, for all of the characters? Will Clark return to the DP, wearing glasses and no one will recognize him?

Superman References: cute shout-out to Superman fans when Jimmy learned Clark's secret and said, "You're a super guy". Lois to the RBB on the phone: "I thought you were invulnerable".

Special Effects: The Clark vs. Doomsday fight was well done, especially the part with Clark super-jumping and taking Doomsday to the underground geothermal plant. But, why waste special effects money on Rokk flying? This viewer doesn't want to see any character fly on this show from now on, except for Clark.

Clark and Jimmy: This was one of the best scenes of the episode. Clark decided to tell Jimmy the truth and gave him credit for figuring out that Davis was the serial killer.

Aaron Ashmore: Aaron did a good job in this episode, and he fits the role of Jimmy Olsen very well. It's a shame that the writers chose to misuse this character in silly angst triangles, instead of developing his relationships with both Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet. He will be missed next season.

RBB and Lois: The phone conversation between the RBB and Lois was sweet and emotional. Clark took the time to leave his letter with her, and to tell Lois goodbye.

Serial Killer Davis: The writers finally let a villain be a villain on this show. No excuses for Davis; his true colors were shown when he tried to kill Chloe and then did kill Jimmy. He was a serial killer, with or without his Doomsday persona. Faora and Zod created him for one reason: to be a killing machine.

Mixed Reactions:

Clark vs. Doomsday: This fight scene was anticlimactic, after being hyped for the entire season. However, separating Davis from Doomsday helps to set up Clark's more epic future fight with the monster. Doomsday is buried underground, with the possibility of escaping, to battle Clark once again.

Lois to the Future: It's unclear why Lois was in this episode, since she disappeared into the future so quickly. Will she find out Clark's secret? Or, will she return to Smallville, with her memory wiped from Rokk, to not recognize Clark at the Daily Planet when Clark does return?

Witwer as Zod: Recycling actors to play different roles is not a good idea, even though Faora said that Davis looked just like his father, Zod in Bloodline.

The Bad:

Oliver's Betrayal: Oliver was wrong the entire time. He has murdered once already, and demanded that Clark murder Davis. Oliver betrayed Clark, and he's not fit to lead anyone. His little group has become a Vigilante Gang. Only Clark has the morals and the values to lead this group and help develop it into the Justice League again.

Oliver's Plan: What exactly were Oliver and his gang's plan to stop Doomsday, since he couldn't be killed? And, if they believed that only Clark was powerful enough to defeat Doomsday, then why did they shoot a kryptonite arrow into Clark's back that would weaken him and give Doomsday an advantage?

Bart Supporting Oliver's Betrayal: Clark and Bart have been portrayed as close friends on this show. It didn't make any sense for him to support Oliver's betrayal of Clark, even if he thought that Oliver was trying to "protect" Clark.

Why Didn't Doomsday Kill Oliver's Gang: When Chloe separated Davis from Doomsday with the BlackK, why didn't Doomsday kill Chloe, Oliver, Black Canary, and Bart? Oliver had only a little scratch on his face at Jimmy's funeral.

Lois and Tess fight: What was the purpose of this fight? How can Lois continue to work at the DP if Tess is still the editor? Lois could have found the ring, without resorting to a useless fight.

Rokk: This scene was pointless, and was used as a plot device just to give Clark another Legion ring.

Killing Jimmy Olsen: This was a bad decision, and was probably done for budget reasons. Why wasn't it ever mentioned that Jimmy had a younger brother? Was the discrepancy in Jimmy's age really that important? It would have made more sense to get rid of Oliver or Tess.

Chloe Sullivan: First, she was with Davis to protect Clark, and then it was shown she cared about Davis, and then she realized that she has always loved Jimmy. Chloe prevented Clark from sending Doomsday to the PZ, ran away with Davis, and she also used the Black K on Davis. What a mess. And, why would she declare she did it for Clark, especially where Davis could hear her?

Hero Remarks about Chloe: These remarks were ridiculous. Chloe was not a hero. Why do the writers keep saying that every character on this show is a hero like Clark, when it's so obvious that no one comes close? There is only one Clark Kent.

Jimmy's Wedding Gift: Why was Jimmy asking Oliver for money for drugs, when he owned an apartment? Jimmy even stole money from Chloe's apartment in a previous episode.

Tess' Computer: Both Lois and Jimmy used Tess computer to track Davis and Chloe. Why didn't Tess use it herself?

The Missing Orb: The orb just disappears from Tess' safe and magically appears in her backyard, without any explanation. And, how is Zod reappearing related to the Doomsday storyline?

Too Many Guest Stars: Even though it was nice to see Bart, Black Canary, and Rokk again, none of them were needed for this episode. Why wasn't the money spent on special effects for the Clark vs. Doomsday fight instead?

My rating? I give "Doomsday" 2 out of 5 stars.

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