Allison's Directing Debut-opinions

[RedKRules]

Talk about how good AM did on directing this episode ... :)

[LoveHurts38]

I am just going to watch because AM directed and how she did.

[Mickey_Bickey]

Well, I'm a big fan of hers! One of the main reasons I'm going to watch tonight is to see how her directing skills are. I wish her all the best, and I'm looking forward to watching to see how she did!:) She looked adorable in her hoodie and ear set!

[Wicked Lois]

Good luuuuuuuuuucky Ally

[Dustmite]

I'm so excited for her! John, Tom and Michael have all done brilliant jobs in the past so I'm looking forward to this episode and what Allison does. She wrote in her blog that one of her reason for doing it was that she had the chance to work with a team who wanted her to succeed, wanted the best for her and would do everything they could to support her. They sound like an amazing crew.

[Mickey_Bickey]

Did someone just say that Alison Mack is directing tonight's episode of Smallville? I'm sorry, folks, but these matters are going to have to wait until 9 PM!

http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/obamaxa0.jpg

[lana 9]

i am happy for alison

[9-SOSIHTWB]

I think Allison Mack will do a really good job because she is a great actress, probably the best one on Smallville, and she has ben waiting so long to get a chance to direct!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jedimaster_TTBaby]

Can't Wait...I hope it's good! Hope you do well Allison!

[marcella]

Good luck,Allison:)

[theotherJane]

The only reason I'm watching this episode is for her debut.

[Dustmite]

Director AM

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9753/sm8130008rq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ClarkyBoy14]

I was disappointed last season when she didn't get the chance to direct because of the writers' strike, so I'm really glad she got the chance to do so this year.

I think she'll do a great job. I wish her all the best! :D

----- Added 34 Seconds later -----


Director AM

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9753/sm8130008rq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

She looks really cute in her "director outfit." :)

[RedKRules]

Good Luck Allison .... I wish you the best :)

[FlashInSV]

Good luck Allison! (Even though they gave her a Lana-centric episode to direct ;-|)

I strongly hope she's as good behind the cameras as she is in front of them. Prove us right!

[roccanater]

I'm sure it will be good.

[Superman's Princess]

I don't know what this episode is about and I don't care. I'm just really excited to see Allison's directing skills.

[skylar]

Good Luck Ms.Mack!!

[Alexander III]

So far Tom, MR and Allison directed some of SV's episodes, how come KK never directed one? WHY? WHY? WHYYYYYY?

[Dustmite]

So far Tom, MR and Allison directed some of SV's episodes, how come KK never directed one? WHY? WHY? WHYYYYYY?

John Schneider also directed one in season 2, I believe. He was the first member of the cast to direct.

Maybe KK is not interested. I'm sure if she was they would have granted her the same oppurtunity.

[lana 9]

i am happy that ailson is directed one of kristin episodes

[zorasuperman]

im so excited for her she def looked all focusd and stuff on the set pictures

[Diego*Chloe]

Yeaaaaah AM the director!!!! is really sad though that people are not watching the episode just for Lana really lame D:

[AgentChaos]

I am almost 100% sure that Allison will do a great job with this ep.

[morena]

So far Tom, MR and Allison directed some of SV's episodes, how come KK never directed one? WHY? WHY? WHYYYYYY?

perhaps because she has not had an interest,

----- Added 1 Minutes later -----


i am happy that ailson is directed one of kristin episodes

and KK said in an interview to be happy too, it is nice to see they are good friends

[zHeN_zHeN]

Can't wait to see AM's directorial debut! Go Allison! :D


Director AM

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9753/sm8130008rq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I love this pic of AM! :)

[Tatiana]

Did someone just say that Alison Mack is directing tonight's episode of Smallville? I'm sorry, folks, but these matters are going to have to wait until 9 PM!

http://viralpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/obamaxa0.jpg


Lol that's funny, he looks good in that pic

[Mickey_Bickey]

Lol that's funny, he looks good in that pic

He's excited about tonight!:D;)

[lillie_poo_pod]

I'm happy for Allison. I'm sure she'll do a fantastic job.

[nic25]

Im happy for AM.I think she is one of the most underrated actresses out there.Im glad she gets to showcase more of her many talents.

I think it will be good!

[Marissa]

Can't wait! Good luck, Allison!

[chloekawaii]

"Hey, I am new here. I've been reading this thread forever, but only today I got the guts to sign me up.
Gambatte Ally chan! Good luck in your work!

[amandatay]

gOOD LUCK ALLISON AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER IN ACTION.

[redkryptoniteisthebest]

So far, so awesome. :lol:

[davidbrenton]

I liked it up until lana got out of the car and walked to the das station bathroom. The camera held too long on the door.

(The general writing of the 15 minute cliffhanger was lame: Lana cut her hair. But, I get it. It was symbolic that lex freed her and gave her the strength to do something she could not have done herself, leave clark).

So far, I give a B-.

[Estro-gen X]

Talk about how good AM did on directing this episode ... :)

how do you know its going to be good in a post dated yesterday:\

[superhippie2000]

i think she did a pretty good job.

[davidbrenton]

WOW. 45 minute mark. AWESOME. Great job with Tess scene. I am floored.

[Wicked Lois]

She is doing a good job saving this titanic

[theotherJane]

She did a pretty good job when you consider what she was working with.

[J_woman_power]

She did a superb job. I loved the long shot at the end of Clark and Lana with the sunset

[RedKRules]

how do you know its going to be good in a post dated yesterday:\

Ohh because I am very very good with predicting the future, my crystal ball never fails on me I tell you .... ;):)

btw AM you did a great job!! Congrats!!! :D

[ClarkyBoy14]

She did a good job. :)

[Cellist]

The final shot was beautiful. She's such an artist.

[Mrs.Bizzaro]

This was a really great episode! AM did a fantastic job!!!!!

[luvinChlark]

I really think she did a great job. But what an awful written episode.

[kg1507]

AM was AMazing lol

[AndiGirl]

Thats what's so sad.
I didnt like the episode....but I think Allison did an amazing job!!! :\

Its so funny how there's a differen vibe when the cast directs. This episode had a more intament feeling. Which, I'm not just saying because she directed it. I actually forgot at first...and kept thinking "there's something different about this." :lol:

Amazing job Allison!!!! :D

[AgentChaos]

Considering what she had to work with at times, Allison did a superb job. A couple of not so great camera shots, but overall well done. All the actors brought their A-Game.

[Aloof]

She did an amazing job! One of the best episodes of Season 8.

[rysamad]

AM did a wonderful job!!!!
THis episode was like a movie!!!

[myankskent]

Excellent job by AM. This episode killed any future relationships that Clark is going to have, but that's not AM's fault.

[dru-zod2501]

very impressive. A+ work from AM!!!

[Dustmite]

I like hearing good things about AM's directing. I want to watch this episode to see her debut but I don't know if I'll make it all the way through.

[lillie_poo_pod]

I thought she did a good job. The last shot was beautiful, even if it was Clana.

[nede]

AM did an amazing job...:D ..i could tell there was just more emotion in the acting ... more convincing....nd the shots taken were great...like the one where clark and lana see each other super speeding..tat was cool...nd the end shot was really nice

[Flying Skyward]

I think Allison did an amazing job with tonight's episode! And her outfit was extremely adorable. :D


Director AM

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9753/sm8130008rq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

to our fearless director. so gorgeous.

[thaynararib]

Allison was amazing
She did a great job !!!

[tyson08]

Great job, too bad she couldn't have gotten a better episode. All in all, she's got a great talent.

[Kid Collins]

Allison did great!

And she did a great job with directing her actors on this ep!!

[greatodinsbeard]

I hope theres a season 9 so she can direct again. I really liked the over the shoulder transition into the flashback about Lana at the Isis foundation, and the final shot was awesome.

[MetropolisGirl4SV]

AM AMazing as usual! For a first time director it was great!, but the episode was just bad. AM gets a A even with a epi like this!

[miks]

Awesome job AM. That last scene was magnificent!

[galatians221]

I know she didn't write it but she has input and early in the show she is encouraging Clark to pursue Lana just a week after threatening Clark not to hurt her cousin. That's a horrible inconsisency and totally absurd. Add to it all the graphic murder of Regan with his blood splattered all over Tess' face and I'm hoping that Allison never directs again. How can you have Chloe helping Clark while her husband is in a hospital room being comforted by Lois? This is just so silly and so poorly done.

[ledzepfan23]

I don't see how bad writing makes Allison a bad director.

[eas]

Actually, I thought she did well.

She had the suckiest script in the world to deal with.

[Kid Collins]

I don't see how bad writing makes Allison a bad director.

Exactly!:rolleyes:

Allison didn't write the script she only as a director interpreted what's written on the page.

She did a stellar job.

[Khyla]

So what did you think of Allison's directing skills?

Do you think she did a good job?

IMO, when it comes to directing, she's no Tom Welling, but she did OK. :)

.

[BadToad]

I don't think you can blame AM for the awfulness of this episode. I'm not even going to judge her directing skills, because they gave her such a terrible script. I wish her great luck on her 2nd try, whatever it is.

[warriorrenegade]

It looked like any other episode of SV. So if that was the goal then.She did an excellent job.

[thehenry89]

I think AM did a great job. It was the script that sucked not the director.

[paolinki25]

She did ok, I guess. Too bad they gave her the worst episode of the season so far. :(

[galatians221]

Exactly!:rolleyes:

Allison didn't write the script she only as a director interpreted what's written on the page.

She did a stellar job.

Surely the director has input on the dialogue, especially since she's one of the main characters. How can she go along with CK resuming his interest in Lana a week after she laid down the law about he and Lois? How can she put up with Chloe being in Metropolis and she's not there? Surely a director has more input than that. I'll diss her for the bloody violence that was totally unneccessary.

[Wicked Lois]

she did not. The epi sucked by itself

[myankskent]

No, she did a good job. Don't fault her for this episode.

[cksidekick]

thanks for the unbiased thread, seriously.

story aside, as that argument should stay in the shipper threads, i thought she did a fine job...it was quite different from what we have been getting lately, and it really did "feel" like Allison was the conduit for this episode...


8 out of 10 for me!

[KryptonStones]

Ya, she did alright. I personally think Tom Welling is much better at the job than she is, but not bad, not bad at all.

[moviefan2k4]

Actually, I thought she did well.

She had the suckiest script in the world to deal with.I always find it rather ironic that the two people most blamed by the fans on any TV series are the director and the writer. Allison did an excellent job with this episode, and I don't think the writing was bad at all...in fact, quite the opposite. There was a lot of drama and maturity in this story, but so many diehards reject it because of two words: Lana Lang. Not every episode that focuses on the "Clana" ship is automatically terrible because of it, so relax.

[Deana]

She had to make a pile of crap into fools gold. I think she did a good job, bar the Tess kicking blood in her own face scene. How do you kick blood back into your face?

Allison may have a future in directing horror movies and I am not saying that as a joke. She went dark there.

[miks]

I agree so hard with you moviefan! I've noticed a lot of people, not all, hated this episode because of the Clana, which wasn't that bad, and the fact that Clois was crapped on and Lois wasn't in it. I thought it was a fairly decent episode, clearly others should disagree and not just because of the reasons mentioned above, but from a lot of posts in this episode it's because of the aforementioned reasons.

[redkryptoniteisthebest]

No she didn't. She was superb. I hope she comes back to direct for Season 9!

[Jack-El49]

I voted Good. I was pleasantly surprised as how well she did. She handled the photography and lighting very well. Tess was very menacing kicking the brains out of Regan - almost a Hitchcockian shot (only it was in color).

I prefer TW's direction but AM did herself proud for her first directing effort.

[Firebunny]

I thought she did okay, but went a tad overboard on the artsy stuff. At first I liked the artsy stuff. It made the episode more visually interesting, but it started to become distracting. The episode was in danger of becoming more about filmmaking than about a story and, IMO, the story (no matter how crappily contrived it is) should come first.

[bennyjr123]

I know she didn't write it but she has input and early in the show she is encouraging Clark to pursue Lana just a week after threatening Clark not to hurt her cousin. That's a horrible inconsisency and totally absurd. Add to it all the graphic murder of Regan with his blood splattered all over Tess' face and I'm hoping that Allison never directs again. How can you have Chloe helping Clark while her husband is in a hospital room being comforted by Lois? This is just so silly and so poorly done.


I think you're confused.......the director has no control over what's said in the episode....just how it is said. You can't blame Allison Mack for that at all! Wow! And i dunno, but I LOVED the Tess thing.

[lillie_poo_pod]

Surely a director has more input than that. I'll diss her for the bloody violence that was totally unneccessary.

I think Lionel beating the weed growing to death with a shovel back in season 7 was way more graphic than this.

I think all did a great job for her first time directing something as big as Smallville.

[Kalista]

I thought she did well.

[xrayvision]

I like Allison, but she shouldn't quit her day job. Either that, or the subject material she was given just sucked. I'm leaning more towards the latter.

[double L]

Fair, the slo-mo, was bad.

[Alicia Chipy]

Allison did fine with the material she had.Don't shoot the messenger.

[Kid Collins]

I always find it rather ironic that the two people most blamed by the fans on any TV series are the director and the writer. Allison did an excellent job with this episode, and I don't think the writing was bad at all...in fact, quite the opposite. There was a lot of drama and maturity in this story, but so many diehards reject it because of two words: Lana Lang. Not every episode that focuses on the "Clana" ship is automatically terrible because of it, so relax.

Can't say it better.

[Khyla]

She did ok, I guess. Too bad they gave her the worst episode of the season so far. :(

I agree that the script she had to work with wasn't the greatest, so that part shouldn't reflect on her skills as a director.

But there was a little bit of an awkward flow' to it, like having the camera take more time than needed when focusing in on a particular scene, not that other directors have been guilty of doing the same thing :\.

[Deana]

She did good with what she was giving.

I would have liked to see what she would have done with the episode where Chloe gets taken over by that ghost in a past season. I think she would have made it awesome. I see directed horror films in her future.

[Khyla]

thanks for the unbiased thread, seriously.
...

Your Welcome! :)

[xrayvision]

Don't forget, Tom's 1st directing episode was Fragile, which also sucked. But we saw how good he did with Labyrinth.

[moviefan2k4]

Tom's 1st directing episode was Fragile, which also sucked.I liked "Fragile". That and "Apocalypse" are two of my favorite episodes of the last few seasons.

[biggkoz]

How can you tell how someone directed an episode? I mean I know she did but I cants ee any differance in any epsiode really.

[galatians221]

How can you tell how someone directed an episode? I mean I know she did but I cants ee any differance in any epsiode really.

I can just see Allison behind the camera shouting "more blood" "kick him again, again, again, I SAID MORE BLOOD!!!!!!!!!

[WalterK]

I don't critique directors, because I really don't notice what they do. It's the story that I found very disappointing, and that has nothing to do with AM. What's amazing is that these stories are usually collaborative efforts of the writing staff. It's not just one person who comes up with particular of idea. The writing staff decided that Lana having super powers was the right story.

[6-Super-Man -5]

How dare anyone say she failed! :\:mad:

[Ginx]

I don't think she failed. I thought there were nice scenes visually and Tess beating that guy down was nicely done. The angles and lighting were well done I just didn't care for the story. It's not the director's fault if the story isn't good - she just told the story she was given, which I think she did very well.

[nic25]

Exactly!:rolleyes:

Allison didn't write the script she only as a director interpreted what's written on the page.

She did a stellar job.

I agree...she did a great job!

I hope she gets the chance to do another.

[theotherJane]

I thought she did great, given the crappy material that was handed to her.

Keep in mind that she only directed and not wrote the episode.

[kaam]

I don't think you can blame AM for the awfulness of this episode. I'm not even going to judge her directing skills, because they gave her such a terrible script. I wish her great luck on her 2nd try, whatever it is.

Actually I think that is exactly why they gave her this episode to direct. The script wasn't the best. I loved the twists and turns but the writing wasn't the greatest, especially seeing it was two of the best behind it: Todd Slavakin and Darren Swimmer.

[Khyla]

I would like if y'all would take a sec to rate Allison's directing skills in the poll here :);

http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119209

Thanks! :)

[unfocused]

Directors have some wiggle room when it comes to dialog. Like actors, but actors have to keep the dialog similar to what's written. Directors change stories slightly all the time and Allison had every opportunity to influence the script to make the episode even just a little better.

She did a fantastic job with lighting and mood. The scenery was great but I can't credit her for that. She will become a really good director, if she learns how to influence a story to make it better than what is written in front of her.

[Theshadow129x]

its teh way the episode was written that looked bad it wasnt allison's fault she did what she could with what she was given.

[yomama]

AM did a good job with what she had, although I had some problems with the pacing, but that might have been a result of the script and how much they were trying to fit in. Cut her some slack, it was her first time directing. If there is a season 9, I hope she gets another chance at the director's chair.

[moviefan2k4]

How can you tell how someone directed an episode? I mean I know she did but I cants ee any differance in any epsiode really.The director of a film or TV episode is the one who bring everything else together. Actors, FX guys, sound operators, costumers, makeup artists...they all answer to the director, whose main responsibility is to craft and shape the story in a dramatic and entertaining manner. It's like an artist painting a picture; everything has to be done just right for things to work, and the director is responsible for the bulk of that.

----- Added 3 Minutes later -----


I can just see Allison behind the camera shouting "more blood" "kick him again, again, again, I SAID MORE BLOOD!!!!!!!!!I imagined that myself after reading this, and the notion of it made me laugh. :lol:

[Legendary Lois & Clark]

I think Allison's gonna be in for one heck of a long wait till her next directing gig.

Allison: "That was great! Can I direct another episode?"

PS3: " . . . . . . . . . Oh yeah. Yeah, sure. We'll be in touch." pats her on the head :rotfl:

[moviefan2k4]

That's just cruel; Allison did a wonderful job. PS3 would be insane not to let her direct again.

[unfocused]

Why do people keep saying "cut Allison some slack, she did good with what she had?" Swimmer and Slavkin are way better writers/producers than Allison is a director. They played a major part in the reasons you think Allison did a good directing job.

In fact, the writing in Power was really good. It's the content that most of us have a problem with. Had it been Chloe or Lois in Clark's arms at the end, most people would be screaming how this is the best episode they've ever seen in any tv show.

[kentfamily]

She did a very good job directing. He directorial debut. Outstanding! Good Job!

[yomama]

In fact, the writing in Power was really good. It's the content that most of us have a problem with. Had it been Chloe or Lois in Clark's arms at the end, most people would be screaming how this is the best episode they've ever seen in any tv show.

Fair enough point about the content, Unfocused, but who then was responsible for all the unnecessary exposition? There were a number of scene where the audience sees what happens, and it wasn't too hard to figure out what had just happened, and then Clark or Tess or Chloe basically said something to explain that. Seriously, I don't know enough about how tv scripts are written, but isn't that something the writers would have done? And then there was something about the pacing of the episode that was really uneven--I thought it might have something to do with dealing with so much back material in one episode.

[Khyla]

AM did a good job with what she had, although I had some problems with the pacing...

I thought the pacing was a bit off too, as I previously mentioned, but some of the other directors have been guilty of that as well.

[Supes4Ever]

It wasn't just the unnecessary dialogue either. There was a lot of scenes were the focus of the camera stayed too long on a character after the action occurred, or the cuts to new scenes were done rather poorly. If anything Allison went TOO artsy that it felt like a REALLY bad film school movie. The script may have stunk, but this episode did just not flow very well visually. The only bright spots were Lana emerging in the dark basement when it was wet (nice lighting touch there), and Tess murdering Regan (very, very dark and well done). I really don't like saying it, but I hope she never directs a Smallville episode again, it was that poorly done for me.

[ginnyfan]

Allison did an excellent job.

I need to watch it again, but I loved the transitions into flashback. And I remember the scene between Tess and the guy she kills, in the car. On his side there was this fog and on her side there was fire and it was just really cool.

I also liked Chloe's cute hat.

[NaYa]

I think she did an excellent job. I am positive people have voted poor because of the whole Clana thing which in my opinion is very unfair. It's not her fault that the writers are deciding to go the Clana route again. Be fair people (cloiser's)

[Newguy43]

not bad, alot of ground shots :\:\

[claudiss]

AM rocked! She was amazing!!!

I wonder...what would have happened if ED directed this episode? will the hate be the same? :S

[pizzahead2490]

she did well considering the material that was given to her.

[Storm45]

AM rocked! She was amazing!!!

I wonder...what would have happened if ED directed this episode? will the hate be the same? :S

I think its about Clana.

[superspider02]

Yea story wise the episode wasnt that great but hey tom's first time directing an episode he got a pretty lousy story too. As for directing i though allison did pretty well for a first time tv episode direction. I liked the set up of shots, the way the scenes went into the flashback mode. Then also like the creative camera angles in certain shots. Overall i thought she did well with what she was given and if their is a 9th season i would like to see her return, if so i hope she get a better story to work with like a story like hydro was for tom.

[claudiss]

I think its about Clana.

yeah...I see.
I was just wondering:p

[bigvillir001]

this eps moved well and showed lana' darkside and Allison Mack directing she did very well

[ginnyfan]

Allison did a great job. :)

[jaksfreak91]

I liked the way she directed this episode, it was so different than other episodes of the series.
Maybe it was a sadism and dark-like episode, but for Allison's first time directing I give her a 8.5 of a possible 10.
I personally liked the Kill Bill cameo in the Regan's murder scene.

[claudiss]

AM you rocked!

[ForzaItalia]

Her directing looked decent. Too bad it had to go with such bad writing.

[devilneedsaride]

I liked it overall. Like some others have said, I don't often notice the specifics of what different directors do, but I really did like the blood-on-the-face kicking scene. The slow-mo was not great though. Like my writing teacher always says, dramatic events are inherently dramatic, no need to heap more on.

[individuall]

Allison did a fantastic job IMO! The episode was shot beautifully! And even though I didn't like the story concept at all. You can't blame the director for the crappy writing..

Props to AM she did an AMAZING job! :D

[borednow]

I can't tell... this episode was such a piece of garbage.... I'm sorry poor AM got stuck with this stink pile because I was trying to keep myself awake during the begining and away from the toliet at the end that I didn't actually notice much of the direction decisions...

[kentfamily]

I also thought the last scene with Clana was very.very symbolic.
You know how everyone is always complaining about how Clark sees Lana as perfect and puts her on a pedestal?
Well, you see Clark standing below her as she stands above him on a few steps and then as he comes towards her, he steps up to her as they talk?
I thought that was a very symbolic moment.
He is finally realizing that Lana is only and human and is bringing her down from the pedestal.
Thats my interpretation of what AM was showing. Oh! and I loved the kissing scene.
smooooch! smmooch! smoooch!:p
Its not as stiff as the last few. KK seemed more at ease and happy.
The women took the show in this episode!! Huurahh!! GIRL POWER!!! You go girls!!:D:D:D

[Spirit Detective]

Did she have input in editing the episode as well? I love the fade in to the "Lana Begins" flashbacks.

[AgentChaos]

Did she have input in editing the episode as well? I love the fade in to the "Lana Begins" flashbacks.

It might depend on the show, but I believe directors are involved with almost every aspect of their episode.

[unfocused]

Yeah, directors like to be there during editing, I believe. So they can direct that as well. But the idea of using that fade method comes from the writers. Allison's job is just to make sure it's done right.

[Atomic girl]

I'll have to watch it again to see what I think of the directing. Not my fav episode, so hard to tell.

[AndyBear1980]

I think she did an excellent job with what she was given to work with.

Her directing abilities have nothing to do with whether you liked the turn of the storyline or not - that's to take up with the writers.

[akaLane]

I fall somewhere between good and fair. There were some nifty effects, but some shots felt over-the-top and called more attention to the directing than the story. I do understand that part of that comes from her being a new director eager to try out cool things. I'm sure she'll do better on her next go-around.

I must say, though: That pan out to the wide shot that showed the DP globe over Clark and Lana's kiss was a very poor directorial decision. I'm sure the location was in the script, and she couldn't have done a thing about it, but based on the scripts I have read, I'd guess that the zoom out was her idea. And that decision to use incredibly iconic Clois imagery in the Superman mythos for a Clana scene was truly ill-advised. I understand that it may have *looked* cool, but it was all wrong for the story. The DP and DP symbolism has never been part of the Clana relationship. It should never been used here.

[coco#1]

Exactly!:rolleyes:

Allison didn't write the script she only as a director interpreted what's written on the page.

She did a stellar job.

because of the bad writing the acting was effected with hammy performances. a more seasoned director could have workd around a bad script and pulled better performances out of the actors

----- Added 57 Seconds later -----


I don't see how bad writing makes Allison a bad director.

because of the bad writing the acting was effected with hammy performances. a more seasoned director could have workd around a bad script and pulled better performances out of the actors

[badraven]

Worst episode of the season, but I blame the writing not Allison Mack. I liked her direction of the episode. As others have said- hopefully they give her a better script next time.

[Becc]

I fall somewhere between good and fair. There were some nifty effects, but some shots felt over-the-top and called more attention to the directing than the story. I do understand that part of that comes from her being a new director eager to try out cool things. I'm sure she'll do better on her next go-around.

I must say, though: That pan out to the wide shot that showed the DP globe over Clark and Lana's kiss was a very poor directorial decision. I'm sure the location was in the script, and she couldn't have done a thing about it, but based on the scripts I have read, I'd guess that the zoom out was her idea. And that decision to use incredibly iconic Clois imagery in the Superman mythos for a Clana scene was truly ill-advised. I understand that it may have *looked* cool, but it was all wrong for the story. The DP and DP symbolism has never been part of the Clana relationship. It should never been used here.
However this is smallville and pretty much anything goes. I'm sorry but the clois is not iconic in Smallville, in fact if it ever happens it will only be because Clark and Lana can't be together.

[Aldo]

AM rocked! She was amazing!!!

I wonder...what would have happened if ED directed this episode? will the hate be the same? :S

Yeah, this is getting ridiculous...

[unfocused]

However this is smallville and pretty much anything goes. I'm sorry but the clois is not iconic in Smallville, in fact if it ever happens it will only be because Clark and Lana can't be together.

Anything goes? Don't tell me [Mod Edit] Clark ends up with Lois.

[Sunny8]

Allison did a great job considering the lousy script she had to work with.

[Becc]

Anything goes? Don't tell me [Mod Edit] Clark ends up with Lois.
No actually I don't personally think it will happen doesn't mean it can't. I more believe that clana would end up together. And I don't appreciate you laughing at me for an idea. If you ask me chlois is less ridiculous than your statement in the other thread that it was the director's fault (AM) that there was no mention of what's going on with Jimmy.

[unfocused]

Oh so I can't laugh at something funny? It's awesome that you think Lana will end up with Clark, especially since she's leaving soon :)

[Becc]

[Mod Edit]
No I don't think Lana will end up with Clark. It's a possibility that she could return for the last few eps (KK stated that herself) and they could have a clana ending (I don't particularly want that but hey it could happen). I do think that if KK had never left the clanarama would have continued to go on. My point is it's Smallville. most likely an AU, and anything can happen, I'm just going along for the ride.

Besides you weren't laughing at something you found funny, you were being [Mod Edit], like you contine to do so in the majority of your posts.

[MeKa]

I enjoyed AM's debut. She took what she had and did what she could. I'm sure mistakes were made but on the whole, it worked out well. Also I'm not a huge Clana fan but the ending shot with the setting sun (?) under the DP was pretty and I thought the feelings which that scene evoked came across nicely. Keep at it AM!

[unfocused]

I'm sure all Chloe fans find it offending when someone calls their favorite character out on her mistakes. What exactly in my demeanor is offending you? Because all I see is myself stating my own opinions, and you angry over it. For one, I'm not angry that you are insulting my favorite character, or the writers, or even me. I'm just expressing my opinions and you don't like it.

Allison Mack just didn't do a good job at directing. My favorite part about all this is that the episode is going down in the history books as one of the worst, for the Clana bits. But AM is going to suffer because she is the director of one of the worst episodes. So, the same people that are angry about the Clana yet still cheer for AM, are the same people that are putting this episode in the record books. Sleeper? I bet you wish Allison had directed that one now huh? :)

[FlashInSV]

I believe it was good. She was given a lousy episode to begin with, but it was obviously directed with care and attention. She had to work with a range of scenes, from a brutal murder to dark labs and a stroke of romance towards the end, which - Clana aside - was magnificently done.

If S9 finally happens, I'd love to see her direct again, a decent episode this time!

[SGuthrie27]

I think the directing definitely wasn't perfect (some of the scenes seemed a bit too over the top and melodramatic in the characters' emotional responses), but it was, overall, pretty good. I didn't think the directing detracted from this episode at all -- and how could it, really, when it was already such a lame script and plot?

Don't let unfocused get to you or bait you, Becc. He's as entitled to his opinions and you are yours, and we can all just agree to disagree. Though I'm on your side in this debate.

--SGuthrie ><>' :)--

[Krypto_marcus]

Oh man, I completely forgot that it was AM directing it!!!
Excellent Job Allison!:D
A really good directorial debut!

[Sports72Xtrm]

AM was fair at best as a director. She focused a lot on facial expressions and profile shots. When Clark was using his X-ray to see through the Isis foundation and locate the secret safe, the shot was a zoom in of Tom Welling's face? And certain scenes definitely could use more lighting or coloring but for AM who is just beginner it was a good start. These aren't words of discouragement these are words of encouragement...to do better...

[unfocused]

I think the directing definitely wasn't perfect (some of the scenes seemed a bit too over the top and melodramatic in the characters' emotional responses), but it was, overall, pretty good. I didn't think the directing detracted from this episode at all -- and how could it, really, when it was already such a lame script and plot?

Don't let unfocused get to you or bait you, Becc. He's as entitled to his opinions and you are yours, and we can all just agree to disagree. Though I'm on your side in this debate.

--SGuthrie ><>' :)--

I'm not baiting anyone. It's my opinion that Allison didn't do a good job as a director. It's not my fault that people get angry with that.

You want to see baiting at it's best?
Once again you don't know what's going on. Would you like it if I started ranting that Clark didn't even care about his own flesh and blood whether they were dead or alive, or how about how he never even bothers to visit his own mother. I mean how ungrateful they took him in when they could've left him alone in a field, and he doesn't even visit her. What a horrible son :rotfl:

In fact maybe I should start a thread on Clark and how he neglects everyone once they're out of sight, so then we can all bash Clark because of the poor writing.

[Becc]

I'm sure all Chloe fans find it offending when someone calls their favorite character out on her mistakes. What exactly in my demeanor is offending you? Because all I see is myself stating my own opinions, and you angry over it. For one, I'm not angry that you are insulting my favorite character, or the writers, or even me. I'm just expressing my opinions and you don't like it.

Allison Mack just didn't do a good job at directing. My favorite part about all this is that the episode is going down in the history books as one of the worst, for the Clana bits. But AM is going to suffer because she is the director of one of the worst episodes. So, the same people that are angry about the Clana yet still cheer for AM, are the same people that are putting this episode in the record books. Sleeper? I bet you wish Allison had directed that one now huh? :)
I was offended that you were making judgments about me and then laughing, not only were they wrong but it's an insult to those who are chloisers, chlarkers or clanaers. I actually enjoyed the episode, I've [personally found that I like Lana a lot more ever since she's come back, for me last week's epi was far worse. And even in the post above that I quoted you are making more assumptions, I'm sick of it.:mad:

And your opinion of my so-called baiting was me addressing the character flaws in Clark that you just love to point out about Chloe. If you're going to go on about things that aren't mentioned onscreen, be consistent and follow through with all the characters, not just one.

[unfocused]

Lol calm down. I'm sorry?

You were angry waaay before that, btw.

[Dustmite]

Becc, You've stated your opinion and it's logical and fair. There's no point in carrying on when we know that Allison couln't have done anything about the writing. We know that so there's no point in continuing your 'debate' :)

[RedKRules]

Allison did a great job with lame script she had to work on ..... congrats AM :)

[redeem147]

The visual of the blood spattered Tess was beautifully shot.

I think she did wonderfully well, especially considering the mess of a script she had to work with.

[superpal1]

I like scenes in the show, they were beautifully directed. I do agree that the writing in this episode was sub par.

[Krypton935]

Excellent! I loved the way everything was played out! I think she did a great job

[LoveHurts38]

AM great job I just hope if she directs again but, a better episode.

[smallville_sista]

She did well, it's a shame she had to work with a crappy script though...
Let's hope for next season! The best actor/director in my opinion was Michael Rosenbaum for "Freak" in Season 6.

[marikology]

I thought it was great. She got some really good emotion out of Clark and it was great to look at. It's really cool that she directed this at 26-- there are only three women ever nominated for Best Director Oscars.

[costas22]

I also liked her style.I think she handled the flashbacks really well as well as the facial expressions.I think she did wonders with Tess in the scenes with Clark at the Talon and with Reagan at the planet.

[quietone]

I thought AM did a good job despite the horrible script she had to work with.

[FaaipDeOiad31]

Fantastic camera work. I was impressed on what she did with, quite possibly, the worst script/idea in Smallville history.

[Fallen One]

Subpar, and I'm glad they didn't give her an important episode.

She had everyone yelling at each other, especially Clark. The Tess slow-motion kicking of Regan with kool-aid spashing up into her face was re-got-damn-diculous.

There was nothing good about this episode. Writing sucked, the directing sucked, and each and every character sucked.

[Jedimaster_TTBaby]

Wonderful direction, her style of filming is really good! Too bad she did not get a very good script to top it off.

----- Added 41 Seconds later -----


Awesome job AM. That last scene was magnificent!

Yeah that last scene was amazing.

[melissan02]

Subpar, and I'm glad they didn't give her an important episode.

She had everyone yelling at each other, especially Clark. The Tess slow-motion kicking of Regan with kool-aid spashing up into her face was re-got-damn-diculous.

There was nothing good about this episode. Writing sucked, the directing sucked, and each and every character sucked.
Cedric, I wish I had one of those oozies like is in your avatar right about now!!! :mad: It would sure work out some anger and frustration I'm feeling after last night's episode debacle!!!

I agree w/ every word you just said!!....Although, I thought Tess rocked that scene! At least she has a set!!!:p:mad:---Unlike the main character of the show!!

[Jedimaster_TTBaby]

Her directing was very good, the visuals were great, she had some really nice continuous shots...overall good directing.

[Minamostaza]

Fantastic job!!! Allison did an incredible job at directing. Even if it was Clana, that end was magic, and the song playing background was just perfects. Allison is a great-amazing director. :)

[red_sun1938]

Given the steaming pile of an episode she was given to direct, I think she did a good job.

[RedKalEL]

i think allison did a good job the episode sucked but she directed well especially the tess scene

[DreadShamus]

I don't see how bad writing makes Allison a bad director.

The directing was excellent. The story ok, until they gave Lana powers.

A++++

[Billy Jor-El]

She gets more awesome every day :D I ain't no film student, but I thought the show rocked! The photographic angles, what was brought out of the characters (Tess actually looked vulnerable; I, uh, loved Lana with the short bob of hair :) ), and in general a very enjoyable visual experience. Allison, you did a SUPER job, I look forward to seeing more of your new found powers :)

And it seems some are putting down the storyline to the ep; I'm not commenting on that here, just Allison's ride in the Big Chair.

[suzieQ]

SO .....I just rewatched the episode in its entirety......and I must say .....for AM's FIRST directorial endeavor......she did a fantastic job.

A couple excellent scenes.....Lana in the dirty gas station bathroom cutting her hair......ultra close-up shots mixed with slo-motion.....Lana's eyes.....the hair in her hand....long strands of hair falling.......the erratic cuts with a straightblade............It was all "deliberate" and "cathartic" for Lana. Then when Lana turns around, with her shorn hair and her determined expression...........PERFECT! The symbolism was powerful and not overdone. The lighting and smooth motion of the camera.

The second scene I liked was the training scene with Carter.........he kicked her butt, physically and emotionally. His words and the intense look he gave her were purposeful and cut through to Lana. He was forceful without looking brutal.........he had the right amount of command that made Lana pull something out of herself that she thought she didn't have. It drove and inspired her to prove herself.........to him and to herself. Again the lighting, the sweat on her face and chest and harshness of the equipment in the room......took away any softness Lana had. It was another transformation.

A third scene I liked was the scene where Tess and Regan were fighting. Tess was ruthless with a bit of mental instability. The shots around the room were subtle and interesting. Regan loading his gun, and standing next to a shelf with a bright shiny model of a shell......very artistic in its framing. Then the blood splattering.......violent, but without showing a body.....it just made you cringe! AND.....Tess....with the blood all over her face and her eyes with pools of tears ...and one tear streaming down her cheek....stained in blood as it travels.......wow, that was a remarkable scene! The camera flow....the fast/slow pace,......the close-up......amazing. Tess's eyes are a bit mesmerizing at times......she doesn't blink, which lends itself to looking so sinister....she is like KK, speaks with her eyes in scenes. Again, nicely done by AM!

Finally, the final Clana scene. The whole scene kept you on edge, not knowing, how the two really felt......thinking they were going to part with some realization that it is not meant to be.......THEN.......BAM.........Clark saying that he wants to be with her....Lana reassures Clark that they were and never will be "normal" that TOGETHER they will make their OWN WAY!

THEN...........the Kiss.............I just saw it in HD and let me tell you they opened their mouths as WIDE as they did under the Oak Tree! It was a remarkable kiss....Lana caressing Clark's hair, neck..........Clark envelopes Lana with his right arm and reaches to cradle the back of her head. It reminded me of the Calling Loft kiss when his whole arm was wrapped around Lana's waist. TW and KK were in an embrace like I have never seen them.....even in Hidden.

It was LOVE personified. Again, the backdrop @ the DP,...the sunrise,........ Lana standing above Clark and Clark stepping up to her ......you felt like they were on equal footing, secrets fallen away and all the love still standing strong. The camera panning away and all the spectacle laid out in front of you.......Powerful, and illuminating. This looked like the beginning of something wonderful.........................

Allison Mack.......you did a wonderful job and left this Clana fan, on the verge of farewell, with a beautiful remembrance of a Love that is inspiring and deep and true. Thank you. Well done!

[Billy Jor-El]

I think AM rocked. If I had to pick one scene that made me think she had input where no director had gone before is the blood splattered on Tess' face...violent and visual without needing to see the body, a good director knows what to show and what to infer. I look forward to seeing her career go at light speed when SV ends, and she does other roles and directorial assignments. I want to have her kittens!!!!! :D

[Ayanne]

Allison did very, very well! Especially for her first time. The lighting & some of shot angles were awesome.

Miss Mack's artistic talent shows in everything she does, not just her fabulous acting! :D

[Kton4]

Ok, I am not a big fan of the Lana getting powers thing. But I do think next week will be a good send off for the character. BUT WOW!!! Allison Mack did AMAZING directing work. Anybody else think so?

[Basta]

Hello all. I'm new here, so forgive any forum "faux pas".
I applaud Allison on a fine directing job, despite a flawed script. I hope she'll get to direct again.
Directing episodic television shows are monumental tasks at best. Speaking from experience, yes, the director has input on the script, but so do the producers, network execs, broadcast censors, etc.. Allison's camera placement, staging, choreography(actors & camera) were smooth and fluid as was her editing choices. Everything flowed smoothly. She also got good performances from the cast too. Bravo Allison!

[disciples of zod]

awesome director...horrible episode!

~H

[Channelsurfer531]

SO .....I just rewatched the episode in its entirety......and I must say .....for AM's FIRST directorial endeavor......she did a fantastic job.

A couple excellent scenes.....Lana in the dirty gas station bathroom cutting her hair......ultra close-up shots mixed with slo-motion.....Lana's eyes.....the hair in her hand....long strands of hair falling.......the erratic cuts with a straightblade............It was all "deliberate" and "cathartic" for Lana. Then when Lana turns around, with her shorn hair and her determined expression...........PERFECT! The symbolism was powerful and not overdone. The lighting and smooth motion of the camera.

The second scene I liked was the training scene with Carter.........he kicked her butt, physically and emotionally. His words and the intense look he gave her were purposeful and cut through to Lana. He was forceful without looking brutal.........he had the right amount of command that made Lana pull something out of herself that she thought she didn't have. It drove and inspired her to prove herself.........to him and to herself. Again the lighting, the sweat on her face and chest and harshness of the equipment in the room......took away any softness Lana had. It was another transformation.

A third scene I liked was the scene where Tess and Regan were fighting. Tess was ruthless with a bit of mental instability. The shots around the room were subtle and interesting. Regan loading his gun, and standing next to a shelf with a bright shiny model of a shell......very artistic in its framing. Then the blood splattering.......violent, but without showing a body.....it just made you cringe! AND.....Tess....with the blood all over her face and her eyes with pools of tears ...and one tear streaming down her cheek....stained in blood as it travels.......wow, that was a remarkable scene! The camera flow....the fast/slow pace,......the close-up......amazing. Tess's eyes are a bit mesmerizing at times......she doesn't blink, which lends itself to looking so sinister....she is like KK, speaks with her eyes in scenes. Again, nicely done by AM!

Finally, the final Clana scene. The whole scene kept you on edge, not knowing, how the two really felt......thinking they were going to part with some realization that it is not meant to be.......THEN.......BAM.........Clark saying that he wants to be with her....Lana reassures Clark that they were and never will be "normal" that TOGETHER they will make their OWN WAY!

THEN...........the Kiss.............I just saw it in HD and let me tell you they opened their mouths as WIDE as they did under the Oak Tree! It was a remarkable kiss....Lana caressing Clark's hair, neck..........Clark envelopes Lana with his right arm and reaches to cradle the back of her head. It reminded me of the Calling Loft kiss when his whole arm was wrapped around Lana's waist. TW and KK were in an embrace like I have never seen them.....even in Hidden.

It was LOVE personified. Again, the backdrop @ the DP,...the sunrise,........ Lana standing above Clark and Clark stepping up to her ......you felt like they were on equal footing, secrets fallen away and all the love still standing strong. The camera panning away and all the spectacle laid out in front of you.......Powerful, and illuminating. This looked like the beginning of something wonderful.........................

Allison Mack.......you did a wonderful job and left this Clana fan, on the verge of farewell, with a beautiful remembrance of a Love that is inspiring and deep and true. Thank you. Well done!

Thanks SuzieQ for the awesome recap... I rewatched the epi too, and I agree that when you watch it a second time and look past the writing and at the actual direction, I thought Allison put her unique stamp on the direction of this episode that I hadn't seen in other episodes. There were definitely a lot of scenes with such a different range of emotions that needed to be displayed and I think Allison did a great job with all of them!

[Sunny8]

Well you are right about that. With the crappy script she was given she did a good job.

[AndiGirl]

I agree! :)
I dont know if it was the best ever....but she gave Smallville an intament feeling that we've never really seen before. The angles...lighting....how she focused on people's faces. It was all brilliant!

[HowardFilms]

Man, I forgot this was her ep. Damn shame.

[Ayanne]

Hello all. I'm new here, so forgive any forum "faux pas".
I applaud Allison on a fine directing job, despite a flawed script. I hope she'll get to direct again.
Directing episodic television shows are monumental tasks at best. Speaking from experience, yes, the director has input on the script, but so do the producers, network execs, broadcast censors, etc.. Allison's camera placement, staging, choreography(actors & camera) were smooth and fluid as was her editing choices. Everything flowed smoothly. She also got good performances from the cast too. Bravo Allison!

Hey Welcome!!

Maybe an established director might have input on the actual script, but I don't believe for a minute they gave Allison any kind of control over it, other than how to interpret *their* script/scenes. Nor do I think she would make any kind of demands for major changes to the script, & it her first time directing. JMO.

But Yeah!! Allison totally did a wonderful job as a director - & she was fantastic with pulling out good performances from all the other actors. :D

[yosemiteangel]

She did a good job with what she was given. I think it would have been better w/ a better story line.

[HeartChakraBabe]

Allison did a really great job with what she had to work with. And the bad script wasn't her fault. I hope she directs another, more satisfying episode.

[suzieQ]

I don't know if this has anything to do with AM's directing but I found Tess so fascinating and multifaceted. SO much like MR. One minute, she is empathetic and wants to help Clark and Lana.....the next she is cold and calculating with Regan......the next she is is ruthless and murders in a brutal way, no trace of femininity..........the next she is frightened and intimidated with Super-powered Lana.......and finally, looking sinister and contemplative in the last scene. Wonderful job......just have NO CLUE what is going on in her mind or what direction she will take next in her character role. If this was directing, wonderful job AM because Tess is just like MR's Lex......and wonderful job CF/Tess in displaying each personality realistically!

[ClLaLeChFAN01]

She did a great job!!!!

[AgentChaos]

When Clark was using his X-ray to see through the Isis foundation and locate the secret safe, the shot was a zoom in of Tom Welling's face?

With all the other effects we got, that might be a case of not having enough money in the budget to do another X-ray effect.

[Clana Kent]

She did ok, I guess. Too bad they gave her the worst episode of the season so far. :(
Really? Imo Plastique was the suckiest episode so far! Followed by Prey...

I voted Excellent, because I really loved how all the scenes were shot.
Especially the last roof-scene! That was the MOST beautiful scene I've seen in a long time!

I hope that beautiful scene makes it into the opening credits next season :D (I'm talking about the part where the camera zooms out and the golden globe becomes visible)

[Basta]

Hey Welcome!!

Maybe an established director might have input on the actual script, but I don't believe for a minute they gave Allison any kind of control over it, other than how to interpret *their* script/scenes. Nor do I think she would make any kind of demands for major changes to the script, & it her first time directing. JMO.

But Yeah!! Allison totally did a wonderful job as a director - & she was fantastic with pulling out good performances from all the other actors. :D


Ayanne,

Actually, if they gave Allison the job to direct an episode, trust me, she did have input in the script - as much as any (more experienced) director would have. She may have had to fight a bit more to get her changes approved, as a newbie, but she is still the director. Major changes/re-writes would probably have occurred before her involvement as director. Plus on a series production, things tend to get "nailed down" extremely quickly due to the "light-speed" production schedule and budget limitations.

[pjack]

Man, I forgot this was her ep. Damn shame.
LOL yeah...

[stenochick]

You know, at the end of the day, I am just not smart enough to know good directing from bad directing. I gave Allison props because I thought there were some interesting camera angles and close-ups. But, I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

[LanaSux]

I would not say "best ever" but it's a good starting point for AM. She showed some talent behind the camera for sure...
The script was, like everyone is saying, definitely not one of the best this season so she did what she could with it.
The scene, in terms of directing, that stuck out in my mind was when Tess kicked the guy and the blood kept splatting - maybe a little over dramatic but we got to feel her emotions for sure.

[Estro-gen X]

Ok, I am not a big fan of the Lana getting powers thing. But I do think next week will be a good send off for the character. BUT WOW!!! Allison Mack did AMAZING directing work. Anybody else think so?

She did no better than any regular director on the show and definitely not as well as Tom who has quite a gift for it. This all said we don't usually care about directors and I'm not about to stroke Allison's ego any more than I would Jeonnot Szwarc, which is never. ;)

[Guidron]

I think the directing in the episode was actually pretty good. It just can't be helped that Allison unfortunately had a steaming pile of bad plot to work with.

[costas22]

Tom's first directing job was also an average episode:Fragile.It wasn't his best effort but Hydro and especially Apocalypse were much better.If there is a season 9 i expect her next gig to be much better too.But she wasn't bad last night either.She did a really good job with Tess and her close ups bringing all of her emotions to the surface.

[miks]

I thought she did amazing as well. It was very artsy. And I loved that. Especially the end scene!

[KaraClarkfan]

i just hope tom score another one with hex. allison did a wonderful job on the episode. the episode suck but she did a great job



Tom's first directing job was also an average episode:Fragile.It wasn't his best effort but Hydro and especially Apocalypse were much better.If there is a season 9 i expect her next gig to be much better too.But she wasn't bad last night either.She did a really good job with Tess and her close ups bringing all of her emotions to the surface.

[kryptotrite]

Allison was brilliant. I was seriously impressed.

[Vindellavon]

She did well.

[Shadowlord367]

I had a feeling Allison would bring an artistic, innovative style to this episode, and she certainly did! What a talented girl.

As others have said, I wish she could have had an episode to direct that was a little bit more securely written. I think the way the flashbacks were written brought the episode a little lack of flowing progression, but all things considered Allison did great. I liked alot of her shots and use of color.

I hope she gets the chance to do another episode, I would love to see what she could bring to an episode like "Requim."

[Shadowlord367]

I also thought it was a nice touch that when Lana flew through the glass to stop Tess' bullet, the she left a force-field in her wake that resembled a pheonix. That was a nice callback to the necklace her trainer gave her, and it kind of symbolized her character well.

[cksidekick]

i agree, except that i realy liked the flashback stuff...it's been a long time since anyone had the guts to give us a non-linear episode...it tied into her style through the rest of the episode quite well...

i think the closeups of Chloe and Tess, just before each of the flasbacks were a bit off, but all in all she did a fine job...and merging Lana's conversation "on Chloe's screen" into the "actual" conversation with Dr. Grohl was fantastic...i don't think i have EVER seen that trick on Smallville..

[umm]

Actually, I thought she did well.

She had the suckiest script in the world to deal with.

I agree! Considering the fact that this episode was the worst filler in the history of Smallville, a blatant excercise to give an already pointless character of Lana some added and so oppenly forced importance so that we once again can see her and Clark together and therefore have to gag,...I would say Allison did great with what she had and that wasn't much! This episode made me sick to my stomach, on several accounts! Clana, Lana's sudden alien abilities, she doesn't deserve and still isn't capable to handle cos that doesn't come in a span of seven months time, the lack of Chimmy interaction, I mean I am not a fan of that marriage, but a marriage it is and shouldn't she be with him playing a nurse! I mean I am glad she is Clark's sidekick once again, but come on, this is so not the time! It's not like he couldn't have asked Oliver for hel or simply confided with Chloe over the phone whilst she is in Star City! Not to mention the fact that Tess and Lana are suddenly the best friends! Oh let's not forget that Lana actually took two lives at the beginning of the episode, but I guess that doesn't matter! Like I said, the episode makes me sick to my stomach!

[6-Super-Man -5]

Excellent!
She did an AMAZING job!

[geminis]

I am super impressed with Allison's direction. Didn't look like a rookie effort at all. The writing, on the other hand...

[ilovethursdays]

I think her hair looked really nice in Power.

[Jaderoyale]

The best thing about the episode was AM's directing.

[lana 9]

allison did a awsome job

[abbaspice1]

The directing was fine.

The story however SUCKED BIG TIME!!!!!

Whoever wrote this crap needs to be flogged. In public.

[Marissa]

I think she did a great job.

[boingo]

Allison did a FANTASTIC job! I really liked the transitional montages from "real moment in time" to the "flashback" sequences. It was really well done! I also really liked Lana's training sequence...the moment when Lana cuts off her hair the lighting and the camera effects were really effective in demonstrating the turmoil raging within Lana. I also liked all of the different camera angles, different looking shots, and perspectives such as during one of the flashbacks when Lana gets out of the van and she begins running into a gas station...we get the "action" through a low angle just highlighting her feet as she heads into the building...I really loved that! It really added to the sense of urgency and unknown of what Lana was going to do next. BRAVO Allison great job! I think back at what KK said in the TV Guide interview and her praise towards AM and her accomplishment...I agree!!

[marcella]

The episode sucked,but AM did an amazing direction:)

[kkjdt]

Allison did a FANTASTIC job! I really liked the transitional montages from "real moment in time" to the "flashback" sequences. It was really well done! I also really liked Lana's training sequence...the moment when Lana cuts off her hair the lighting and the camera effects were really effective in demonstrating the turmoil raging within Lana. I also liked all of the different camera angles, different looking shots, and perspectives such as during one of the flashbacks when Lana gets out of the van and she begins running into a gas station...we get the "action" through a low angle just highlighting her feet as she heads into the building...I really loved that! It really added to the sense of urgency and unknown of what Lana was going to do next. BRAVO Allison great job! I think back at what KK said in the TV Guide interview and her praise towards AM and her accomplishment...I agree!!

I totally Agree!! I was going to write some of the same exact things you did. My favorite was the way she had the camera moving around the people and how it transitioned from real time to flash back..
Very well done!:)

[AngylWylde]

Allison had a good vision, she did fantastic. I especially liked the direction of the Tess scenes.

[zHeN_zHeN]

Allison did an excellent job! I hope she continues to direct. Maybe she could direct something she wrote or get into movies... Indie, perhaps. That would be awesome! :)

[Justin Murad]

EXCELLENT!! I love you Allison!

[Mickey_Bickey]

The writing was horrendous to say the least, but everything that involved Tess, especially the murder scene was riveting. I have to say it was graphic, and both Cassidy and AM brought it.

I honestly can't say much good about the rest. Unfortunately, it wasn't AM's fault to get such a poorly written episode, and I'm sure she did her best with what she had to work with. I'd like to see her direct another episode in the future where we aren't distracted by the poor writing and content.

[Liquid-Prince]

Was great.

[geminis]

The writing was horrendous to say the least, but everything that involved Tess, especially the murder scene was riveting. I have to say it was graphic, and both Cassidy and AM brought it.

I honestly can't say much good about the rest. Unfortunately, it wasn't AM's fault to get such a poorly written episode, and I'm sure she did her best with what she had to work with. I'd like to see her direct another episode in the future where we aren't distracted by the poor writing and content.

ITA

This episode sold me completely on Tess as an interesting addition to Smallville since we can't have Lex. And with her, she, like Chloe, is an unknown factor, something that has me questioning and continuing to watch.

For a neophyte director with probably not a tremendous amount of pull regarding scripts Allison did a bang-up job. It would be great to have her direct another episode.

[actaeon]

Her directing debut was disappointing. This episode was a mess; a lot of that can be blamed on the script and the plot, but she bears some responsibility for this failure. She was the one in charge.

The director's primary job is to translate the script into the medium of film. She made a hash of the simple goal of story-telling-- the episode was confused, disjointed, utterly lacking in suspense. There were flashbacks that were not clearly identifiable as such, and so the time line was messed up. The overall effect was a choppy sequence of scenes, with no sense of flow. That kills suspense. If AM had any overall vision for this episode, she lacked the ability to express it in film. That, to me, is a total failure of directing.

Tom Welling's performance was off, even Cassidy Freeman's performance was off-- and I have never seen her deliver an off performance before. I can't help but think the director had something to do with it.

The sprayed blood droplets on Tess's face was in extremely poor taste. There was blood sprayed on the window of her office, duplicating the spraying of blood on the window of the van. Enough, already!

The overall look of the episode was dark, dark. This is Smallville, not Batman! It seemed like over-reaching for a dramatic "look", regardless of whether that look was appropriate for the story being told here.

The director is captain of the ship. The captain doesn't own the vessel; it belongs to the shipowners. The captain doesn't decide which ports to go to; that's decided by the shipping company. But if the ship goes onto the rocks, the captain is the one to blame. Well, this episode piled into the rocks and foundered, a total loss. Attempting to direct an episode, AM took on more than she could handle, and she botched the job. She's a fine actress, but not all actors can direct. C'est la vie.

[susangail]

Wow... bizarre. But I thought she did a pretty good job with it.

[Storm45]

The overall look of the episode was dark, dark. This is Smallville, not Batman! It seemed like over-reaching for a dramatic "look", regardless of whether that look was appropriate for the story being told here.



AM said that the producers told her to watch movies like ''The Dark Knight'' before directing this episode. I guess she succeeded in that area if its what the producers wanted.

[Rhaspodel]

I loved this episode, and I really loved Allison because her directing is quite unique. I hope if there's a season 9, she will direct another one.

[actaeon]

AM said that the producers told her to watch movies like ''The Dark Knight'' before directing this episode. I guess she succeeded in that area if its what the producers wanted.She watched lots of stuff as part of her preparation. She practiced storyboarding old episodes of Smallville. She did lots of homework, I admire the hard work and dedication that she put into this effort. Unfortunately, she failed the final exam. These things sometimes happen.

The idea of studying other films and TV shows is not to copy will-nilly. Anyone can copy someone else's ideas, and it isn't exactly difficult to tell the cinematographer to under-light almost every scene. The idea is to learn technique, and to adapt it to the current project. It was this second half where she stumbled.

Lana's hair-cutting scene best illustrates how inept the directing was. Scene opens with the van stopping, a low angle shot. A boot emerges, a blue jean-ed leg. The legs walk into what might be a gas station. Who is this? Well it has to be Lana-- but why the mystery? This is a fairly common video device-- I've even seen it used in an old commercial for pickup trucks, where the "surprise" is that the rugged workboot and the jeans belong to-- a cute girl! It's a visual technique that makes no sense in the context of this particular episode.

Lana in the bathroom, doing something to her hair. The scene is so under-lit, it's hard to tell exactly what. At first I thought she was combing it, but clumps are coming out. What?? Seems she's cutting her hair. With what? A straight razor? A knife? What?? Why?? And why is she throwing her hair in a crusty, disgusting toilet? Visually, it's just confusing. And pointless. The choice of props, the lighting, served only to obfuscate the story.

The primary job of a director is to tell the story. Clarity is a virtue. Look at Hitchcock-- his mysteries are never confusing. He could tell a complex, convoluted story simply. Dramatic tension depends on it.

"Power" is a story that depended on building dramatic tension. Filmed as it was, any potential dramatic tension was lost-- because it was messed up, needlessly confused. It's like a joke badly told.

AM got the stuff on the page onto the screen, all the elements are there, but she did it ineptly. That's all it takes to ruin whatever potential this (admittedly mediocre) script may have had. So yes, she did what the producers asked her to do. But she did it without any particular skill or sensitivity for film as a storytelling medium. The result was an unholy mess.

Sometimes hard work and dedication are not enough. A person can be a gifted artist in front of the camera, and inept behind the camera. Chalk this one up to experience. I hope she enjoyed the challenge, and that it was a learning experience. The producers ran a considerable risk in letting an inexperienced, untrained 20-something direct this episode. They got burned.

[Diego*Chloe]

Hey everyone has their own opinions ;) this was a good episode congrats AM :D

[Clarkgirl8]

I think she did a great job, you could tell right away her directing was a little different than what we are used to. Change is nice from time to time.

The flashbacks were really nice. I enjoyed a lot the scene with Clark and Lana's training dude (al'right I can't remember his name but I wasn't paying too much atenttion to the story :lol: *ashamed*)

I think we got too much zoom in to the faces but everything else was fine.

[Iluvgreen]

They actors did a great job in this ep... the directing was awsome. The storyline..... eh. I didn't really like the story of this episode. But that's not AM's fault.

[Spirit Detective]

Don't forget, Tom's 1st directing episode was Fragile, which also sucked. But we saw how good he did with Labyrinth.

Don't you mean Hydro and Apocalypse?

[umm]

My main problem was the lana story line and the fact that they were giving to many characters to much to do in this episode, trying to cram it all in, it didn't work! But that is something you blame the writers for not the director!

[Hopefulsuicide]

i feel sorry for alison who is now the director of the worst episode of smallville ever... it's not her fault that it sucked so bad, but she is connected to it forever now

[galatians221]

i feel sorry for alison who is now the director of the worst episode of smallville ever... it's not her fault that it sucked so bad, but she is connected to it forever now

It was her call to have Tess kill like an animal. Her character will never have a place in Smallville again other than to be totally evil. If Oliver starts chasing after her again it just continues the downward drift of thise show.

[MeKa]

Sometimes hard work and dedication are not enough. A person can be a gifted artist in front of the camera, and inept behind the camera. Chalk this one up to experience. I hope she enjoyed the challenge, and that it was a learning experience. The producers ran a considerable risk in letting an inexperienced, untrained 20-something direct this episode. They got burned.

I don't think they got burned. I'm still shocked to learn it attracted substantial viewership. Lana's return might have something to do with it but it cannot be said that AM's directorial debut didn't go unnoticed. I learned at TWoP (thank you Positronic) that the CW gave a press release (http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/30/the-cw-scores-strong-thursday-as-smallville-and-supernatural-hit-season-highs/11808) in honor of this eppy. Surprise indeed.

I enjoyed the darkness and the transitions to flashbacks and such. KK's performance was controlled and the blood in Tess's scene was gory, yes but visceral and acceptable. Knowing fully well her inexperience I'm sure it's characteristic for first time directors to have experienced personnel on set to guide the actress through the sequences. Who knows, maybe she used up an inordinately large amount of film. I'm sure the producers have a vision for their story (as wonky as that may be) which is why they'd never let her get away with telling a story contrary to that vision.

The writing on the other hand left much to be desired. YMMV.

[petitemimi]

I don't think they got burned. I'm still shocked to learn it attracted substantial viewership. Lana's return might have something to do with it but it cannot be said that AM's directorial debut didn't go unnoticed. I learned at TWoP (thank you Positronic) that the CW gave a press release (http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/30/the-cw-scores-strong-thursday-as-smallville-and-supernatural-hit-season-highs/11808) in honor of this eppy. Surprise indeed.

It's also posted in here. All other shows were re-runs except for American Idol. The episode got more viewers than Bulletproof but less than Legion, but the CW didn't issue a press release for Legion. It doesn't mean much.

I think that the episode was too ambitious for a first time director. It's really too bad that she got that lame script.

[Kid Collins]

It's also posted in here. All other shows were re-runs except for American Idol. The episode got more viewers than Bulletproof but less than Legion, but the CW didn't issue a press release for Legion. It doesn't mean much.



CW didn't have a press release for Legion because it didn't attract the demos that CW covets but Power did. It does mean something.

[dcmarriott]

Much as I hated this episode, I have to say that AM did a great job with the material, terrible as it was. I do hope she gets a chance to direct something better. I would love to see how she handles an episode of "Reaper."

[9-SOSIHTWB]

John Schneider also directed one in season 2, I believe. He was the first member of the cast to direct.

He Directed SEASON 3 EPISODE 20 Talisman

[Welling_is_pretty]

I voted Fair. It wasn't bad but there were moments when I thought "what was Allison thinking?" (I'm sorry but that scene where we basically follow Lana's shoes/feet for a few minutes? WTF?)

Of all the cast directors I have to say my favorite is Welling. Rosenbaum was ok Schneider was pretty good but Welling really does a good job (not much of a surprise there, actually).

Can't wait for his next directed episode!

[umm]

I think, she wasn't the best but she wasn't the worst either! I think she tried something new and it didn't pay up! That, combined with her lack of experience and a awful storyline designed soly to make Lana Lang good, cos we are after all in 'Lanaville' made for an unhappy combination, which resulted in Allison not showing her best colours as a director! Given the chance to do it again, I am sure she would do better, having hopefully learned something from this experience, unless she has no talent for directing, and that is something we can't judge soly based on one try!

[Saber]

I thought she was brilliant; she made the episode easier to swallow. It flowed within the scenes; it was interesting to see the scenes go from third party to first party. It was very artistic and it kept me from changing the channel because of the plot. I think she should do another one, hopefully one with a better story arc.
KUDOS

[bizzaro93]

If anyone says that Allison did a bad job directing, they need to go to therapy. Allison is not the problem, it's the writers of this episode.

[unfocused]

It was her call to have Tess kill like an animal. Her character will never have a place in Smallville again other than to be totally evil. If Oliver starts chasing after her again it just continues the downward drift of thise show.

Agreed.

[RedKalEL]

i feel bad for allison because this is the first time that a cast member directed a episode that wasn't good. it was not her fault but the cast as director episodes usually have a good reputation till power

[MeKa]

CW didn't have a press release for Legion because it didn't attract the demos that CW covets but Power did. It does mean something.

This too.

[ClLaLeChFAN01]

It flowed a lot better than the episode that Micheal Rosenbaum directed. But his episode was good but there something missing. Allison did a really good job, I would never have guess this is her first time directing!

[justme_007]

i love the episode and also love the direction of allison mack. congrats to her!!!!! amazing!!!!!! specially thanks for that last scene