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Smallville 7.20: "Arctic" |
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
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By John Keegan
Visit Critical Myth for an archive of John's TV Review archives, with more than 1100 entries.
| After all the buildup to this season finale, especially all the changes to the cast that have been announced, I was definitely expecting something more substantial and stunning. After all, much of the recent action began in “Descent”, and that was one of the best episodes in quite some time. Would it be too much to ask that the resulting finale match the same heights?
Apparently so, because the inevitable clash between Clark and Lex lasted all of a few minutes. All that history, seven seasons worth of conflict development, and it comes down to less than a single act. We know that the conflict will simply escalate, that nothing is resolved, but some of the dialogue just felt dishonest. Does Clark really feel that he’s done nothing to hurt Lex over the years? Odd, because he’s admitted to feeling responsible for Lex’s descent on a number of occasions.
More than that, Lex is more than convinced that Clark was sent to take over the world. This motivation was always the best direction for Lex’s character to take, since it cast his villainy as “good intentions gone horribly awry”, but why would Clark simply let Lex make the accusation without attempting the slightest rebuttal? For that matter, if it’s not worth arguing with Lex, why not just knock the guy silly before he even sees it coming? Even if the Veritas sphere would have hurt him, his own enormous momentum could have barreled him right into Lex before the man had a second to react.
The main disappointment was the realization that the director of “Descent” could do a thousand times more to portray the complex history between Clark and Lex with the funeral scene than the writers could accomplish in this episode. Since we know Lex will not remember Clark’s true identity, they could have devoted a lot more time so the characters could finally have it out. If nothing else, it would have paid off the promises a bit more. As it stands, Brainiac’s defeat was more memorable.
Not everything in this episode was a letdown. Finally, after seasons of stretching it out, Lana will be out of the picture. It’s not about dislike of the character; it’s about acknowledging that her purpose was fulfilled. Lana said what so many others have noticed: she has been the one thing holding Clark back from becoming the hero he should be. As long as Lana was around, personal issues would always take precedence.
One can assume that Lex will get away, but with at least some of his memories lost, and he will flee to a more secure location, letting others conduct his work and schemes for him. Accordingly, once Chloe’s legal issues are resolved (perhaps thanks to certain connections to a rich super hero), she is primed to help Clark move towards his iconic future. And it’s fairly obvious that Lois will be moving into her destined position as well.
Still, I have my reservations. The natural ending of the series would have been with the final breakup between Clark and Lana and a final showdown between Clark and Lex. With slight revision, this episode would have served that function. The additional season may “bridge the gap” in many respects, but it still feels excessive in terms of the scope of the story. I can’t help but wonder if this final confrontation between Clark and Lex was undermined by the desire to continue the series. |
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