Episode 905 - Roulette Review




"Roulette" 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.

"Roulette" tried to depict the resurrection of a hero who literally emerged from a coffin; he was symbolically reborn, on his actual birthday, no less, dressed in the baptismal alb of a white suite. Oliver was then subjected to a very convincing and elaborate "sting operation" that was ultimately supposed to resolve his guilt over killing Lex. The elaborate ruse was to demonstrate to Oliver that his moral center was not completely destroyed, that given a choice, he would still save his tormentor, rather than let her die. There you have it, a completely manufactured experience of being born again and saved.

Some of the most inspiring and powerful dramas about the human condition are based on the theme of redemption. Finding a remorseful and genuine road back from murder for Oliver would have been worthy of SV (especially if it were with Clark's help). I confess, I don't know what that road to redemption would look like, but Oliver's friend shouldn't engineer it with deception, sedation, playacting, props, dangerous stunts, car crashes, chase scenes, explosions, and whiz bang special effects on the set of a movie studio back lot. A fantasy series about superheroes requires the "suspension of disbelief," but this episode was so far-fetched and "over the top," that it was unbelievable! Furthermore, the writers continue to warp and distort the beloved characters of Chloe and Oliver, in the infamous tradition of the Original Lana.

The Good

Tom's Performance: Tom's performance was the only redeeming feature about this whole episode (he independently earned a full 5 out of 5 stars). He was delightful playing off of Erica in their "movie night" scene (even if his company was her second choice). Tom was always absolutely adorable as the shy, awkward teenager, but in this scene, even though he was not as shy or as awkward, he could still give the cutest, most squeal-worthy looks. The best shot was the one in which Clark got his hand tangled in Lois' bra in a pile of laundry, and held it up to the light as if in a "eureka moment" of momentary wonder. He delivered some great deadpan lines like, "Shouldn't you be riding a mechanical bull somewhere?" and "I hope I have enough detergent. How do you have enough to wear?"

In the little screen time allotted to him, it was great to see that Clark was spending a lot of his time rescuing strangers from serious danger; it was even better to see him managing to balance his "hero work" with his private life.

The Bad

The Fantasy Genre: "Roulette" was an example of the responsibility that writers have when they work on TV series for genres like fantasy and science fiction which require the viewers to "suspend disbelief", all the more so when the series is about beloved and iconic characters of popular culture. I can be expected to suspend disbelief when it comes to defying the laws of physics with superpowers and such, but Smallville's fantasy universe is still governed by certain rules of logic, reason, common sense, consistency, and even more importantly, moral principles and values. This episode required too much suspension of disbelief. Chloe's Grand Manipulation was so far-fetched, that it was unbelievable on two levels: first, in completing such a complicated "sting operation," and second, that anyone would ever consider it as way to help a guilt-ridden friend.

Oliver: In last season's episode, "Toxic," they made it clear that Oliver needed a life-altering experience so that he could stop wasting his life. Now he needs another life-altering experience? It is not a reflection on the talented actor Justin Hartley when I say that I hope this is the last of the now requisite Oliver-centric episodes. The SV writers have warped, twisted, and distorted yet another SV character, that I wish we could just put the Oliver storylines behind us. Oliver started out as a promising true friend to Clark and an uncompromised hero. At times he was clearly written that way, but at other times the writers pitted him arrogantly against Clark. I confess, I was in denial about Oliver's abysmal descent into murder; heroes simply do not murder.

Oliver was already truly sorry, contrite, and remorseful, but the episode did not show us how Oliver's friends could have realistically convinced him that there was good in him and that he was worth saving. The episode failed to address the question of what would be the right thing for him to do. Would it be to turn himself in to the police? What would be the purpose of punishment? He was already remorseful; he didn't need deterrence; he wasn't a threat to society. Would it be better to spend his life in reparation and atonement by helping and saving people? These were all questions an episode could have somehow grappled with. But in a fantasy series like SV, we shouldn't have to grapple with how a hero can be redeemed from murder. When you throw out the laws of nature, the show has to be anchored in something solid and reliable, like moral certainties and consistent character personalities.

Chloe: Throughout several seasons, Chloe was the only consistently written character. She was portrayed as strong, stable, sane, and morally grounded; she was Clark's best friend and confidant. At that time the Original Lana character was being twisted and distorted, and Lois was sometimes portrayed in an undignified manner. Now the writers are gunning for Chloe. It really started in last season's episode "Beast" (my review gave it 0 out of 5 stars explicitly for this reason). In "Roulette" Chloe was portrayed as a master manipulator. It was easier to believe in superpowers than it was to believe that Chloe could orchestrate such a huge, complicated sting operation, involving many actors, three superheroes, a truck driver, stunt coordinators, special effects, several "sets," and who knows how much money.

It was the hardest to believe that Chloe could behave in such arrogant and morally depleted way. Her "Roulette" was a gamble: at every step of the scheme, she gambled with Oliver's life. So many things could have gone wrong. Even when things were going "right" according to plan, she had Oliver drugged, abducted, deceived, locked in a coffin, physically beaten, chased by a vicious dog, repeatedly rendered unconscious, and terrified in different ways. She had no legal or moral right to subject anyone to such things for any reason. If she knew Oliver was self-destructive, how could she take a chance that he wouldn't do himself in at any point during her manipulation? Her actions were downright criminal and immoral.

Chloe's surrogate, Victoria, did "go off script" when Lois unknowingly wandered into the scheme. She physically attacked Lois, engaged her in a completely unnecessary fight, abducted her, bound and gagged her, and utterly traumatized her. Lois suffered a head injury when she knocked unconscious (SV is way too irresponsible with repeated head injuries). I would have pressed criminal charges and sued the dragon off of her.

Since when did one of the "good guys," like Chloe, start breaking the law whenever she feels like it? Chloe and Clark used to break the law in a very limited way; they violated privacy laws and committed breaking and entering only as a last resort, only when there was no alternative, and only to save human lives. Now Chloe resorts to abduction and physical violence as a first resort because it's a means to achieving her ends.

Rating: I give "Roulette" 0 stars out of 5 (for ruining two more beloved characters).

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