"Idol" (Smallville 9.08) (November 13, 2009)

[bradygirl_12]

"Idol" (Season 9) (Episode 8) (November 13, 2009)

Once I get the tape of “Kandor” (thanks, clarkscherry!), I’ll put up that review. For now, "Idol"!



Channeling The Dark Knight much?

So I thought I was back in the movie theater watching Christian Bale as The Dark Knight. ;) The storyline was certainly similar: politicians calling for their resident hero to show himself and stop being a vigilante. Of course, while some are genuinely concerned, others just want the photo ops or control of the hero, and Metropolis’ D.A. certainly fit that mold.

The homages to classic Superman were fun: Lois being thrown off the roof of The Daily Planet, the glasses! and Lois certain that Clark is Superman (or the Blur) and being tricked into not believing it…at least, not quite.

Lois in therapy seems to fit. ;)

I squeed when I saw the glasses. Pity they haven’t had the glasses on the entire series. Clark has shown himself to everyone and his brother by now, including the Wonder Twins, who, BTW, were refreshing as kids who weren’t villains or crazed fans, genuinely wanting to help. Just run-of-the-mill meteor freaks. ;)

Chloe’s eavesdropping and surveillance would have bothered me once upon a time, but I’ve learned to consider SV a dark Elseworld, and considering all the craziness that’s gone on up to now, with meteor freaks, a high-handed Jor-El AI, rogue Kandorians, and Lex Luthor living in Smallville, what’s a rogue Chloe? She was affected by Brainiac possessing her, completely lost it during the whole Davis arc, was grieved by Jimmy’s death and her role in it, and now is just throwing ethics out the window. She has no patience for Clark’s moralizing and will do what she thinks is necessary. What’s a little eavesdropping if it saves the world?

It’s the kind of argument we get when people say that Batman should kill the Joker, or Superman just take over the world and impose order, and so on. Chloe believes that she is helping Clark, saving him from himself, and she and Ollie are willing to do the dirty work in this ‘verse. Hell, Bruce probably carries a gun in this ‘verse!

I’ll have to admit it’s weird that Clark is keeping Lois in the dark. He’s told just about everybody, including the Wonder Twins, who he is! What, he doesn’t think they’ll see his picture by his byline in The Daily Planet and not recognize the Blur?

The whole Blur thing: lame-o (It's like us slash fans saying "Just kiss him, already!" Just come out of the closet and don the tights and cape already)! SV painted themselves into a corner by not having Clark wear the glasses and act more meekly growing up and having a secret identity so that he can be Superman without a mask. Though it was cool to see the curl when he was emerging from the shadows and talking to the Wonder Twins.

Next week looks interesting as Zod and the Kandorians take center stage again.

Is this Zod from the past? Because the Zod who possessed Lex in "Vessel" seemed far more mature and certainly more menacing! With all my hopping around this season, did I miss something?

Comments

[miss-tress.livejournal.com]

Is this Zod from the past?
Did you not watch Kandor last week? Because that whole ep explained why this Zod and the Zod!Lex are so different. But I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it yet.

[bradygirl_12]

No, I haven't seen it yet. Hoping to get a tape soon in the mail. ;)

[jlvsclrk.livejournal.com]

ITA about the Batman stuff. I'm hoping they'll have Clark gradually realise this MO just won't work for him. The DA was right that when you hide in the shadows, you let other people control the message.

As for the problems with his secret identity. I haven't read the latest origin story for Superman yet, but I know post Crisis that he was no meek and mild child growing up. From the Conduit arc in the 90s, he won every award in sight during high school, permanently alienating his best friend Kenny Braverman. And he didn't wear glassses as a child either - they were an adaption AFTER he made the decision to go public as Superman. It will always be problematic that the people who knew him when he was younger will be more likely to see through the disguise, unless they do something like Zatanna bespelling the glasses or the super hynotism from the 70s.

And yes, this season's Zod is a clone based on a Zod who's about 20 years younger than Lex!Zod.

[bradygirl_12]

Interesting how the origin changes over the years, huh? :)

Ah, then that makes sense about Zod.

[miss-tress.livejournal.com]

Interesting how the origin changes over the years, huh?
And it's changing again right now. Geoff Johns is writing 'Superman Secret Origins' and it tells his origin again. Hitting on all the major plans. Clark now started wearing his glasses in high school as a way to control his heat vision when it developed suddenly and in the same way it did on SV.

[jeannev.livejournal.com]

Very much Batman. To include Chloe monitoring cellphones. Where's Lucius when we need him? He would've given her a proper smackdown. ;)

I'm also starting to think the The Blur thing is a bit lame, but I think its just stalling at this point. But when the stalling becomes obvious as stalling, there's a problem.

[bradygirl_12]

I thought of that scene with Lucious, too!

They could easily explain all of Chloe's oddness by indicating she's still got remnants of Brainiac in her brain. Wouldn't that make sense? Her synapses aren't firing quite right, or at least the way she used to be in earlier seasons of Smallville.

[greyandgold.livejournal.com]

I was watching the opening sequence with my stepdaughter and we had the same response "Oh Gawd Mine Eyes!" I know its cannon but the SV Lois/Clark ship doesn't ring true.

[bradygirl_12]

It's probably because they started out as more brother and sister than potential lovers in SV. I'm not a Clois shipper even though they've been canon for over 70 years. :) I see them more as extremely good friends, Lois as someone Clark really needs in his life, especially in his job at The Daily Planet, who may verbally cut him up but is a fierce protector. He can keep her from getting too crazy. That's my view of them, even though I know there's a lot of Clois shippers out there, and that's cool. I LIKE different pairings in a fandom. Keeps things interesting. :)

And there have been scenes worthy of Clois this year. :)

[bat-angelwings.livejournal.com]

Very much Batman that was my impression too. On the other hand those comic books and TV shows do reflect what the audience wants: Doom, gloom and lots of bloodshed these days. Heaven forbid there are too much heroics shown, that's doesn't make it "real" enough.
*rolls eyes*

I'm surprised they haven't made Smallville much darker then they already have, but it's still early in season 9.

*sigh*

[bradygirl_12]

Doom 'n' gloom is what sells, baby! Unfortunately. :(

You get the feeling sometimes that people working in comcis or on a superhero movie or TV show are embarrassed, like it's still just throwaway stuff for kids. Heroes have always been with human societies, whether as tales of gods or knights of guys in tights. ;)

It's only halfway through Season 9! *apprehensive*

[bat-angelwings.livejournal.com]

Yeah that doom and gloom sells quite well and I'd rather not analyze those preferences. When I sometimes read the comments on the DC boards or newsarama some people want it even darker.

BTW not so long ago I had a lively discussion about Batman and his opinion on killing an opponent.
And what did those "fans" say: Yeah Batman approves of killing.

After the first shock I simply asked if they could name a comic beginning with Batman 200 to the current issue where Batman actively kills an opponent, and how they would explain that Bruce first lectured Jason an the we-don't-kill-part and then Damian. Guess what? The guys retreated and had no answers.
*snorts* Batman kills, yeah sure.

As for the guys at DC being embarrassed that they are "forced" to handle characters that are basically traditional heroes and villains, that shows how the handle the characters, or better the lack of handling.

But then working on a comic book is only another stepping stone for most of the creative people at DC, they all seem to think Hollywood is just waiting for them. LOL. Sure, most of them can't keep up with the monthly deadline for a 22 page comic book, but when working on a Hollywood production they'll miraculously will keep the deadline....sure. LOL LOL

I'm glad that neither Bill Finger nor Siegel & Shuster lived to see what Didio and his bunch of idiots and yes-sayers continue to inflict on all those classic characters. And with Paul Levitz stepping down as publisher, it will get even worse in the future.

This oh so very "great concept" of short lived shock value together with idiotic deaths and even dumber resurrections has been done to death.

And it goes on and on. *sigh*

But maybe Smallville will be mercifully canceled before it gets as worse as Batman RIP. Maybe.

I truly wonder if anyone at DC has ever read Campell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" or have even heard about "The Power of Myth".

[bradygirl_12]

Very good post, Bat-Angel!

Batman killing Darkseid was disturbing enough, though I can see why he did it. Still, it rubbed me wrong.

LOL at your observations about the guys at DC unable to meet a deadline in comics, let alone the movies! :)

The message boards are depressing places, but go you for making those blowhards retreat! :)

Funny thing is, even with all the death and gore, comics sales have been steadily slipping for years.

Reading books on myths? What, are you crazy? Nobody reads anymore ! Just us fannish nuts. ;)