Episode 903 - Rabid Review




"Rabid" 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.

Rabid was mostly a Halloween-themed filler episode that features Metropolis citizens running amok, having been infected with a zombie virus. Only blood from a Kryptonian can save them, and Clark voluntarily donates his blood to save the day. Viewers then find out that a member of Zod's army purposely infected citizens, in order to find the Savior of Metropolis. This mysterious hero has been leaving the \S/ symbol behind, which is the House of El symbol. Zod then surmises that the Kryptonian hero must be Jor-El.

Tom's Performance: Tom did a great job at portraying a young Superman, especially at expressing compassion for the infected citizens. It's easy to believe in a hero like Superman, with Tom portraying him onscreen. And, of course, he looked absolutely gorgeous in all his scenes.

The Good:

Clark Kent: Clark has grown up on this show, and he is now a confident young Superman. He was proactive and heroic throughout the episode. He voluntarily donated his Kryptonian blood to save the citizens of Metropolis, and he used his powers appropriately.

Clark Using His Powers : It was exciting to see Clark utilize several of his powers in this episode. Clark used freeze breath, super hearing, super speed, and super strength. It was also funny the way Clark asked Emil Hamilton if he got "motion sickness" and then proceeded to super speed him across town to the Metropolis hospital.

Clark and Emil Hamilton: Clark needs a male friend on this show, and perhaps Hamilton can fill that void. There is a mutual respect and trust between them, and Hamilton seems a little in awe of Clark also. Hamilton is a nice addition to the cast, and he is almost Spock-like in his matter-of-fact technical explanations. This approach, along with some understated humor, works well to create a suspended sense of reality on a sci-fi show.

Clark and Lois: There were some nice scenes between Clark and Lois. The scene with Clark holding Lois in the rain was romantic. But, the scene that best illustrated their changing relationship was when Lois visited Clark at the Kent farm. Lois tried to punch him in the arm, as she did when they were just "pals", but Clark stopped her from doing so. He then just looked at her, and his look said their relationship was turning into something more. The best part of that scene was when Lois called Clark a hero and she told Clark to "keep his secret". Lois: "You never did tell me your secret. Relax Smallville: keep the mystery." What a refreshing change from the never ending "secrets and lies" storyline that effectively gutted the Clark and Lana relationship in past seasons.

Chloe and Emil Hamilton: Their scenes together worked well in this episode, as they both provided the technical explanations for the "zombie virus", as well as information about the needed cure.

Mixed Reactions:

Clark's Cape Blowing in the Wind: Are the writers going to address the Death of Superman story? Clark's black t-shirt was shown blowing in the wind, as part of Lois visions of future events. Even though this classic scene is related to the Superman vs. Doomsday storyline in the comics and not Zod, does this mean that Doomsday will escape his underground tomb at some point in the future? This ultimate fight should not really happen until Clark takes the Superman identity.

Clark Reaching Closure with Lana: Finally, this episode provided some closure for Clark in regards to his past relationship with Lana Lang. This sweet scene showed Clark removing an old photo of Lana from his wallet, smiling, and then placing it an old photo album, along with other memories of his childhood in Smallville. Clark thus literally closed the book on this relationship and is ready to start a new chapter in his life. While this scene was long overdue, why didn't this happen last season, instead of the absurd storyline of Lana being infected with green Kryptonite? Because of that storyline, some viewers may wonder if Clark would have made a different choice, if he could still be with Lana. This is unfair to Clark fans, and to all of Clark's future romantic relationships, since he should have been the one to make the proactive decision to end his relationship with Lana.

Clark and Chloe: The brief scenes between Clark and Chloe were good, and the concern that Chloe expressed about Clark's suffering from the Kryptonite-infused needle was touching. However, there are still issues between them that need to be addressed. Clark apologized to Chloe in "metallo", but Chloe has not done the same with Clark. And the rift in their friendship thus still seems unresolved.

Zod: The scene with Zod chopping off the head of one his followers was chilling, and was a lot more scary than the freakish zombies running around the city. However, there could have been a more effective way for Zod to find out about Clark (and possibly Jor-El) being on Earth, rather than the use of the zombie virus storyline.

Special Effects Make-Up, Writing and Direction:: The special effects and make-up were done surprisingly well. Even though the storyline flowed and the director did a good job, the overall concept for the episode reflected more of a cheesy horror movie, rather than a good sci-fi show.

The Bad:

Clark Saying He was Wrong to Believe in Davis: This made no sense, and goes against the very basis of Superman. He believes in the best of humankind, and will try to save everyone, even the villains. Clark was absolutely right to believe in Davis, and to try to save him. It was unclear whether Clark was saying that, in order to try to alleviate some of Oliver's guilt as a way of helping him. Clark: "You need to hear me say it? I should have listened to you. I should have gotten rid of Davis, instead of believing in him". This needs to be addressed in future episodes, because it just doesn't make any sense for Clark to say he was wrong.

Oliver Queen: Oliver should only be a recurring guest star on this show. Why are we supposed to care about him, when he does nothing but attack Clark? He even betrayed him, both literally and figuratively, by stabbing Clark in the back with a Kryptonite arrow in "Doomsday". And, how was this scene any different for Oliver as any type of "downward spiral"? Oliver has always been jealous of Clark, and has always had misplaced anger towards Clark for his own inadequacies as a hero. He needs to check himself into the same rehab clinic that he recommended for Jimmy last season.

Hopefully, the writers are setting up Oliver to learn a valuable lesson and realize that Clark is right in his views on humanity, via the Speedy/sidekick upcoming storyline. However, this viewer is just not interested in a separate storyline involving Oliver. Oliver should be there only to support Clark's story as needed.

Oliver Murdered Again: Oliver shot and killed a human who was infected with the virus in the Daily Planet. This was murder, and was unnecessary. Oliver has been portrayed more than once as trying to murder someone, and it's difficult to believe he could ever be a member of the Justice League in the future.

Tess Scene: Even though Cassidy did a good job, her scenes were not necessary in this episode.

My rating? I give Rabid 3 out of 5 stars.

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