Episode 909 - Pandora Review




"Pandora" Review

Written by Cherry

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.

Pandora shows what happened in the future when Lois traveled there at the end of Season 8. A lot of questions were answered, but many more were created. We also discovered that Clark did NOT destroy THE world, he destroyed THEIR world. Which was a good thing!

Tom's Performance: Tom Welling's performance gets better and better. In this episode, he plays two versions of Clark Kent and does it with such finesse that you can't help but fall in love with both! His scruffy appearance along with the GQ one made this gal's heart flutter into overtime! Not to mention the shirtless time we got with him!

The Good

Clark in the Present: Present day Clark's confidence cloaked him continually throughout the episode. He is also very decisive and a leader to the core when dealing with Chloe and Oliver. He has had a glimpse into the future of what happened before Lois came back. He does have the added bonus of already changing time with the return of Lois and knowing what Zod's end game is. Will Clark infiltrate Zod's inner sanctum and go undercover? I would love to see him in fatigues. January can't get here soon enough. Let's all "Kneel before Kal-El!"

Clark in the Future: The Future Clark is a tortured being who blames himself for his choices and doesn't know how to change what has happened. This Clark gave us a glimpse into what would have happened if Clark had continued to train with Jor-El without balancing his life with his human emotions. It seems Clark's instincts suffered and he didn't take into account how tyrannical Zod could be. When he teams up with Lois, Chloe and Oliver, a new zeal and fight rises up inside him. It isn't evident in the scenes prior whether or not he had given up, but it did seem that the Kandorians had an upper hand. We do have to keep in mind we don't know what actually transpired to get to this point and what mistakes Clark did make. This could still be a mine field to get through for Clark in the present.

Clark and Lois in the Present: These two are growing close fast, but it is wonderful to see Clark in the lead of their relationship since Lois is a 'run-over-them' type of gal. Clark is aggressive, indulgent and sweet, but still able to handle Lois and Lois loves it. Clark Kent has truly grown up. Nice touch on the five dozen roses! His contented smile when Lois was fine was a sight to behold! Finally, an adult relationship for Clark that makes him wear a silly grin on his face!

Clark and Lois in the Future: Due to the peril they are in, this relationship is desperate and urgent. They haven't seen each other in a year…well, Clark hasn't seen Lois. Lois just saw Clark recently. They were running out of time and they know it. The love scene was so well put together with all the glimpses we have had previously that it was deliciously hot, sweet, and romantic. Lois was on Clark's side all the way even though Chloe didn't touch him. What a future glimpse into Lois and Clark/Superman!

Clark and Chloe in the Present: Chloe doesn't trust Clark and it is very evident in this episode. Clark has been gentle with her so far, but gives her a dressing down when she continues to keep secrets from him, especially about Lois. With the way she has been acting and the things she has done that he has stumbled upon, I don't blame him for coming to the conclusion Chloe is up to something yet again. I noticed that Chloe is wearing bright green (the color of Kryptonite) in her last scene with Clark and Oliver. I wonder if this is indicative of her thinking in the scene or what she represents to Clark at this point in time. She doesn't trust Clark to make the right decisions concerning Zod. She thinks Clark needs to think like Zod to be able to conquer him. She thinks Clark is out of his league. Too pure. Little does she know, but Clark's goodness is going to be the catalyst to conquer the evil Zod wishes to unleash on the earth. She wants to be in control to make sure things go as she thinks they should go. She wants to be in control since she wasn't in control when Jimmy died. She has forgotten her role in Jimmy's death. It appears she blames Clark on some level.

Clark and Chloe in the Future: Chloe's coldness and distrust are heartbreaking to see. She has totally embraced her grief and sorrow since losing Jimmy and Clark. Without Clark's influence on her, she has totally gone to the dark side emotionally. "I had the shot, I had to take it," was delivered with cold calculation. Clark saves the day after all by sending Lois back to the present, even though Chloe doesn't trust him.

Alia: Is Alia a clone like the rest of the Kandorians or not? She continued to have powers after the yellow sun burst forth. Did she use blue Kryptonite to bring Clark to her level or both of them in Savior? Her eyes are also different than the rest of the Kardorians. Could she be a machine instead of clone? We do find out how she got Jonathan's watch and learn that she is a villain, not an ally. As evil as Zod. The murder of Chloe was startlingly brutal. Could she be another version of Brainiac? It will be interesting to see what happens now in the present with Alia.

Tess: Psychotic is too tame a word for Tess! She really is going off the deep end. In the future, she is totally upstaged as a villain by Zod. In the present, she doesn't care what she does to Lois as long as Lois doesn't remember anything. And then she shoots Stuart! A little hormonal, don't you think?

Zod: Wow, what a wonderfully nasty villain! He is everything Zod should encompass. Ruthless, intelligent, and downright mean! I am looking forward to more interaction between him and Clark going forward.

Continuity: I loved the use of the updated version of the technology from Summerholt from season three's Memoria. Nice touch.

Mixed Reactions:

Oliver: In the beginning of Pandora, Oliver is very much the in control CEO of Luthercorp. He even snaps at Clark. Then, later both in the present and past he is very subdued. Very out of character for him. Not sure what to think of that.

Kryptonite weapons: Since these didn't affect Clark, I wonder why he didn't use them to incapacitate the Kandorians. Unless he didn't have access to it and the towers had just gone on line recently.

The Bad

Clark and Tess: I'm was bothered by the excessive roughness Clark used to incapacitate Tess. Just a little much unless they did it because he was being exposed to kryptonite at the time and didn't have complete control of his strength. Nope, that was too excessive.

I give Pandora 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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