Episode 920 - Sacrifice Review




"Sacrifice" 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.

Sacrifice set things up for the last two episodes of the season. As Justin Hartley's writing debut, it was refreshingly surprising there was less action and more conversation giving us more insight into the thoughts of the characters. It seemed Zod was the only character doing the sacrificing. He sacrificed his own child in the name of power.

Tom's Performance: Tom Welling's performance was as always, perfect. His expressions tell you exactly what he is feeling. I just adore that face! Just wish there had been more showing of that face during this episode.

The Good

Clark and Oliver: This is the first time I was actually pleased with the interaction between Clark and Oliver. It wasn't sappy, but it was done with genuine respect. Finally, Oliver is respecting the fact that Clark is Kryptonian and should make the decision in what to do with the Kandorians. That he just might know best in this situation. It was a very nice touch for Oliver to let Clark know that he feels Clark is family. A very masculine yet awww worthy scene.

Clark and Faora: The budding relationship between these two should have been explored a little more. I believe they missed some great opportunities here. When Faora realizes what kind of monster Zod really is, she is heartbroken. Clark's kindness is beautiful, especially when he realizes she is pregnant with Zod's child.

Chloe and Tess: Seems as if Tess finally made Chloe see just how she has been acting of late. The conversation between these two was very well done and pretty much stayed in character with the two. There was almost a grudging respect between them. It was interesting that Chloe's watchtower isn't as invulnerable as she thought. Chloe doesn't have all her bases covered. Now that the mainframe has been destroyed, how will that effect Chloe going forward. It will be interesting to see how Smallville deals with this.

Oliver and Zod: Oliver's ingenuity in his scene with Zod was great. Loved the kryptonite dart. Better to see that used on Zod instead of Clark for a change. I was glad to see Oliver immediately check in with Clark once he had taken Zod down. He stuck with what Clark wanted him to do.

Stuart: Wow, Stuart is back and he's not a kid! He's a manly kid! I had to laugh at the stubble that tried to make him look older. 'The little white knight's' immaturity showed big time though when he insisted on going after Tess even after Waller ordered him to change course.

Chloe and Coffee Vendor: This was a nice little scene. Very relaxed and natural. I really like this guy. If I remember correctly, we first saw him in Infamous when he handed Clark a free paper. I hope we see more of him.

Zod and Faora: Zod's craving for power ends up being his undoing. He is so angry with Faora for siding with Clark he proceeds to kill her only to discover after he does that he has also sacrificed his future in the name of power. Very poignant when he bends down and listens as his child's heartbeat slows and then stops. But does this make him stop in his quest? Absolutely not! He is determined to take over earth and he doesn't care what lies he tells to accomplish that.

The Bad

Not enough Clark: Since this episode was Chloe centric, we did see more of her. However, I thought there should have been more Clark in this.

Kandorian's flying: How many times are they going to rub Clark's nose in the fact he can't fly?

Watchtower Mainframe: I don't understand why Chloe didn't pull the tanks prior to the time she did when it would have stopped Checkmate from gaining any info at all. Chloe is portrayed so much smarter than she was in this episode. It was a little strange to me. Also, her language was rougher than any character on the show - suddenly! I think Justin's script was good except for these points.

Zod: Callum Blue plays this character just a little too much over the top. Especially in this episode. His monologues are becoming legendary. Smallville is not a BBC show and even though he does play Zod rather psychotically well, I sometimes feel like I am watching Macbeth or another Shakespearian tragedy when he takes the stage. With only two episodes left, I'm not impressed with the Zod/Kandorian storyline. I thought things would have been served better to have gone with Checkmate instead. They could have done a lot more with it. A slow build up of Checkmate would have been reminiscent of Lex and Lionel in the early days. It would have made for a fantastic season finale if handled correctly.

I give 'Sacrifice 3.75 out of 5 stars.

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