Theshadow129x
01-30-2009, 10:53 AM
You know that old friend who visits you after being away for a few years? It's great for a while. Those great memories come rushing back and those good times are rekindled for a short while. Then you remember how much better things were after your friend left. Your life got a whole lot more interesting and you realize that all this person was doing was holding you back. Yeah, that old friend is Lana Lang.
Now, I'm not saying "Power" is a bad episode of Smallville. It's certainly an interesting take on the development of Lex's power suit from the comic books. That should have any Superman fan excited for a possible future Clark vs. Lex showdown. However, the story behind Lana's quest for power, told through various flashbacks, is a poorly drawn out and shoddily realized concept. It's not clear if the writers were trying to tell a tale of empowerment or if they were portraying the desperate attempt of a broken soul who was trying to find strength in an artificial suit. Both would have worked if handled well. Instead, we are presented with a story that wavers somewhere in the middle and – much like Lana – it never finds its true identity.
That's the problem with Lana Lang. We've spent seven years watching a girl grow into a woman and throughout all that time her motivations have never been clear. She's what the story needs her to be in that season and never really driven by any sort of character arc. Sometimes she's a witch, sometimes she's in love with Clark and sometimes she's in love with Lex. She's left Smallville more than once with the intention of not returning, yet she always finds her way back home.
Lana Lang is supposed to be Clark's anchor and just a couple of episodes ago we saw just that. In an insane world of super humans, Lana is a reminder of why he fights for humanity. Instead, "Power" presents a woman who is blinded by her need for artificial strength. She could never be Clark's anchor because she doesn't have any real strength of her own. What's worse is that Clark, someone who has developed so much over the course of the season, is blinded by this and succumbs to his lust/love for Lana. I'd hoped by now that Clark would see right through Lana's motivations and notice that while she wants to help others, she's really just crying for help. Sadly he doesn't, and that schoolboy crush rears its ugly head. I thought we left puppy-dog eyed Clark behind last season. That's what troubles me about Lana most; it's not as much what the writers do with her character, but how they let her affect Clark.
There are definitely a few moments that shine amongst the disappointing Lana story. Her physical and mental training early in the episode were promising. The idea of a Lana who is reborn after putting herself through several trials is what the character needs. That is the Lana we were also presented with in the first three episodes of her return. She was stronger and no longer bound to the baggage she carried from previous seasons. This was the one re-imagining of the character that showed promise. I'm hoping Carter Bowfry, the man who we see training her, returns next week. He can hopefully talk some sense into her.
Tess Mercer has become a far more interesting character now that she has discovered the truth about Lex. Her quest to destroy his empire and have him legally declared dead is a promising story arc. Regan's brutal murder by her hands was easily the best moment of the episode. She's vicious, angry and a loose cannon who has a lot of power to wield. It will be interesting to see where they take her character in the coming weeks.
Is it just me or have the writers thrown up their hands and decided to make Lex the villain of this season even though Rosenbaum is nowhere to be found? This reminds me of the Fox Mulder-less seasons of The X-Files. In that situation, the writers had to find ways to artificially make Mulder's presence on the show felt even though they didn't have David Duchovny. It was awkward and unnecessary. A Superman story doesn't need Lex Luthor to be good. The more you point out something is missing, the more people are going to notice that it's gone.
Now, I'm not saying "Power" is a bad episode of Smallville. It's certainly an interesting take on the development of Lex's power suit from the comic books. That should have any Superman fan excited for a possible future Clark vs. Lex showdown. However, the story behind Lana's quest for power, told through various flashbacks, is a poorly drawn out and shoddily realized concept. It's not clear if the writers were trying to tell a tale of empowerment or if they were portraying the desperate attempt of a broken soul who was trying to find strength in an artificial suit. Both would have worked if handled well. Instead, we are presented with a story that wavers somewhere in the middle and – much like Lana – it never finds its true identity.
That's the problem with Lana Lang. We've spent seven years watching a girl grow into a woman and throughout all that time her motivations have never been clear. She's what the story needs her to be in that season and never really driven by any sort of character arc. Sometimes she's a witch, sometimes she's in love with Clark and sometimes she's in love with Lex. She's left Smallville more than once with the intention of not returning, yet she always finds her way back home.
Lana Lang is supposed to be Clark's anchor and just a couple of episodes ago we saw just that. In an insane world of super humans, Lana is a reminder of why he fights for humanity. Instead, "Power" presents a woman who is blinded by her need for artificial strength. She could never be Clark's anchor because she doesn't have any real strength of her own. What's worse is that Clark, someone who has developed so much over the course of the season, is blinded by this and succumbs to his lust/love for Lana. I'd hoped by now that Clark would see right through Lana's motivations and notice that while she wants to help others, she's really just crying for help. Sadly he doesn't, and that schoolboy crush rears its ugly head. I thought we left puppy-dog eyed Clark behind last season. That's what troubles me about Lana most; it's not as much what the writers do with her character, but how they let her affect Clark.
There are definitely a few moments that shine amongst the disappointing Lana story. Her physical and mental training early in the episode were promising. The idea of a Lana who is reborn after putting herself through several trials is what the character needs. That is the Lana we were also presented with in the first three episodes of her return. She was stronger and no longer bound to the baggage she carried from previous seasons. This was the one re-imagining of the character that showed promise. I'm hoping Carter Bowfry, the man who we see training her, returns next week. He can hopefully talk some sense into her.
Tess Mercer has become a far more interesting character now that she has discovered the truth about Lex. Her quest to destroy his empire and have him legally declared dead is a promising story arc. Regan's brutal murder by her hands was easily the best moment of the episode. She's vicious, angry and a loose cannon who has a lot of power to wield. It will be interesting to see where they take her character in the coming weeks.
Is it just me or have the writers thrown up their hands and decided to make Lex the villain of this season even though Rosenbaum is nowhere to be found? This reminds me of the Fox Mulder-less seasons of The X-Files. In that situation, the writers had to find ways to artificially make Mulder's presence on the show felt even though they didn't have David Duchovny. It was awkward and unnecessary. A Superman story doesn't need Lex Luthor to be good. The more you point out something is missing, the more people are going to notice that it's gone.