Loved it? Hated it? What did you think of "Hex?"

[KSiteTV]

(Sorry to Routh, whose thread was locked before the poll could be posted... oops.)

What did you think of this week's episode?

Please do not vote or post until after the episode has aired.

[Ginx]

great episode. Loved the introduction of Zatanna and leaving it open ended that she can return. Loved Clark this episode too :)

[xHerox]

When I first heard that the character of Zatanna was being introduced in the show, I was really excited because the version of the character from the comics has always fascinated me even though I know relatively little about her. That being said, I had a lot of reservations about how the character would be portrayed on the show, and even though this episode is not at all what I thought it would be I still think it is deserving of the ‘8’ that I gave it.

The first thing I have to point out is just how much fun this episode was; sure, some of the characterizations seemed slightly off at times (which was obviously due to the nature of the plot) and some of the dialogue wasn’t the best (although there were some great quotes sprinkled in throughout), but I think that you could tell the people involved with the show really had fun making this episode -- and it really came through on-screen. At times I got a very “comic book” vibe from this episode in general, which could obviously be a bad thing but in the case of “Hex” definitely added something to the episode.

In addition, it was great to see Erica Durance featured as much as she was, and I definitely believed her as Chloe. Clark’s altered state was a lot of fun to watch, and Tom Welling did a pretty good job directing this episode overall as well.

The plot may not have been particularly innovative and some elements may have felt a little off, but regardless I still think that “Hex” had some truly magical moments and I will definitely be re-watching it again soon -- at which point I'm sure my score for the episode will go up to a '9' or even a '10'!

[ClarkNLanaTogether4Eva]

Lovely episode! :) 10!

[jjsmallvillelvr]

Loved it! even tho the weather kept cutting into it! ugh. idc if theres a tornado. i want smallville! so i have to rewatch it on another sattellite channel lol.

watchtower online...so dramatic! :P

great acoustics! haha

ollie tied up! *drool*

lois at the party - smakin hott!

clark telling chlois her shirt was too tight! mwahahaha

clark framing lois rules...awe and her making him show it to her! :)

[Nerwen Aldarion]

Great episode, very funny and light, a nice change from the serious ones we've been having lately

[redkryptoniteisthebest]

10! Everything about it was amazing (and funny)! (Debby Downer! :p)

[Darth Pipes]

Loved the ending with Chloe and Zatanna made this a fun episode.

I found the Lois lovefest to be nauseating. Since when did she become this respected reporter? All off-camera I guess. She went from joke who only got the job because she was sleeping with a boss to famous reporter because the writers decided she was going to become instantly big and famous. What a joke. There was no development on this storyline whatsoever.

Then we have Clark. Chloe has done everything for him and he can't even be bothered with her.

[-Nora-]

He framed her rules! He FRAMED them! And he has them in his desk drawer!

Bryan Q. Miller, will you marry me?

*dies from happiness*

[akaLane]

That was incredible. The humor, the flow, the set-ups and the resolutions... all completely spot-on. Definitely a 10. Bryan Q. Miller is a terrific writer.

[Kal El 12]

zatanna was good.... ..... the rest of the show was average i thought..... the ending was awesome tho!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mickey_Bickey]

10!! Loved it!! Clark was awesome in it as was Lois, Chloe, Oliver and ZATANNA! We need her back next season for more spells!!

I'll post more about this later, but right now I absolutely loved this episode!!

[skylar]

One of the most funniest episode SV has done. Erica and Tom were awesome
tonight. Give it a 10!!

[Supsfan]

Good fun episode with no unneeded drama and Serinda Swan looked how in that miniskirt

A solid 9


Bryan Q. Miller is a terrific writer.

I have to agree he is 3 for 3 this year in writing good entertaining episodes that don't make Clark look like an idiot. He should write all 22 next season

[LexGossip]

I love Zatanna and I loved this episode. I like how they stayed true to the character of Zatanna and they added the whole spell backwards thing which was amazing. I was hoping that Zatanna would join the JLA but I now pray that she will be in the final or the second last episode.

That last scene was epic ... I CAN'T WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK. The last scene made me speachless

[Mickey_Bickey]

He framed her rules! He FRAMED them! And he has them in his desk drawer!

Bryan Q. Miller, will you marry me?

*dies from happiness*

You and me both!!:D

[Night_Hawk90]

meh, zatanna was awesome the rest of the episode was okay not anything special ill give it a 5

[-Nora-]

Best lines?

"You're absolutely right, Lois. *pulls out phone* 911?"

LOL!!!

And Lois: "Gimmie Gimmie." LMFAO.

Tom and Erica OWNED this!

[ledzepfan23]

Amazing episode an easy 10. In my opinion the second best of the season. Loved the watchtower at the end.

[Dresden]

It was excellent!

[Glove]

I was going to give it an average rating of 5 until the ending
at ISIS...then it became a 7. That alone was worth sitting
through the episode.

[bizzaroboy9]

Ahhh
i give this a 10!
one of the most enjoyable episode in a while!
kudos to bryan millar! :D

[kryptotrite]

Kinda funny. Zatanna was fine, not amazing.
Loved that the Clois was really Chlark. She believes in him instead of making fun of him and rubbing a "date" in his face.

[eas]

I LOVED IT!!! :D

I give this episode a 10. I think there was nothing - not even one thing - that I would change about this episode. All the characters rocked. The acting was spot on (Zatanna was cast perfectly).

Bryan Q. Miller ROCKS.

[nic25]

I gave the episode a 9.I thought it was great.It was a nice refreashing epsiode compared to what we've been seeing lately.

And there was lots of Lois and Clark,so you cant go wrong there!

[skylar]

Ahhh
i give this a 10!
one of the most enjoyable episode in a while!
kudos to bryan millar! :D

No Doubt

[lm1212]

I give it an 8. THis Episode was definitely funny, funniest ever actually. I didn't know Tom could pull off being even MORE of a BDA!!!!

LOVE the Clois scenes. But of course I'm just a HUGE Clois fan, so why wouldn't I? You could even say my rating is subjective, yeah yeah, whatever I know :)

But HONESTLY, This episode was totally not even worth a serious rating summary, because to me, it wasn't even a serious episode.....

On with the DOOM.

[Aalliya]

I absolutely LOVED this episode! :) Have it on repeat playing on my DVR as I write this!

[Saturn Girl]

An easy 10!

Loved it for the same reasons mentioned. At this point the show succeeds best when Clark and Lois are at the center of things. I thought the actress playing Zatanna was wonderful.

I got all teary eyed watching the interplay with Clark/Chloe-as Lois and Lois herself.

The show really needs to focus in on Clois! Hopefully, the writers have seen the transition from Smallville to Metropolis.

The light hearted comedic flair of this episode was a welcome respite from all the heaviness of recent developments.

Besides, things look pretty dark ahead with what looks to be the beginnings of a full on Clark-Davis matchup.

Loved the final scene with Chloe taking her place as Watchtower! Almost makes me think the writers are listening to us :)

[superdoomsday]

It was your typical filler episode with nothing special. At least Turbulence was part of the story arc. So I must re-rate them all.

Infamous - 4/10
Turbulence - 4.6/10
Hex - 4.4/10

[tyson08]

I gave it an '8'.

This was one of the best episodes of the season. I loved the Clois teasing. Zatanna was an excellent addition to the episode. Ollie seemed back to being normal. My favorite part was Chloe putting her past in the past and becoming Watchtower. I love Olive/G.A. and Chloe scenes, they work extremely well together. :)

[ClubXerxes]

Great episode! It had a little bit of everything. Welling did a great job as a stuffed shirt...I laughed out loud a few times. Chloe finally moved beyond her Clarklove...it was a breath of fresh air. Loved the "embracing the Watchtower" moment...Lois was great (as Chloe and as herself)...loved the last scene between Lois and Clark.

Still...one thing gnaws at me...poor Jimmy...how fast did Chloe move along with her life? Regret about Jimmy still seems lacking on her part...even when he does the dumping he gets dumped on...poor sap

To add: Zatanna was surprisingly good! I thought this would be another swimsuit model trying to act (i.e. horrid), but she was excellent! Bring her back!

[Karafan1]

10!!!! I loved it!!!!!

[Kel-El09]

Good episode. I hate that it seems like at the end of every episode, Clark and Lois are finally going to move forward, and then Clark ends up being reserved, and Lois giving up. Oh well, it'll happen eventually. Loved the roof scene...so funny!! "Have you completely lost your mind Lois..that could have really hurt!"

[reobeem]

For an episode more based around comedy it was really good. Whenever they bring magic into Smallville it's fun to see how they used it. Zatanna really kicked some but in an interesting way. I love the whole I'm going to burn the book and like that she takes it and chains Oliver up. I'm kinda wondering what his deepest wish was since it seems to change every other time we see him. Chloe as Lois was a fun plot. After 3 years of being a small time reporter Lois came into the picture and her dreams got pushed back but it was nice for her to get a change up. Clark's little spell journey was ok but not a whole lot was done with it. After so many episodes of him without powers it didn't seem at all shocking. After this whole ordeal it seems like Oliver has another member to his team. That last scene with him and Chloe was epic, the two of them pulling the Justice League together. The preview for the next episode looked great. In spite of what the spoilers said you do see Johnathan's and Martha Kent's backs. I can't wait and here's to hopeing the season ends in the best way.

[Quartz]

First I have to say: Zatanna (Serinda Swan) was HOT! She was just smoking in that outfit she had on in the scene with her and Oliver in Queen Tower (the early scene). Their choice of actress was superb!

I would have liked to see more interaction between Clark and Zatanna; I wasn't really satisfied in that aspect.

I don't really care much for the rest of the stuff. The whole episode seemed like a bit of a filler to me.

I give it a solid 7. The episode pretty much gave me a "meh" feeling. I'm waiting for a Doomsday/Clark smackdown that is similar to to the Clark/Titan fight. I think it's about time we see Clark really physically POUND on someone for a change.

[kelly1142]

Definitely a 10.

I loved loved the little hints to how close Clark and Lois have gotten. Phone calls - both ways apparently, the rules (Clark quoting them and framing them LOL!), Clark knowing her snack/coffee breaks, and they've obviously discussed the Chimmy situation.

And NICE move with the callback to Odyssey, only this time Lois in the squeaky chair. That time, Clark walked off with Lois watching him with a bit of a lovestruck look, now the tables have turned!

Zatanna was fantastic!

[josue_can]

10. amazing x10

[bookfanatic]

Had to give it a 10.

Laughed so hard and loud my kids kept coming downstairs to see what I was watching.

Had to call my Smallville buddy at "911".

He framed the rules....ahhh

One of the best epis all season, will be watching again and again and ag.....

[Sports72Xtrm]

I liked it. I gave it an 8:)

[antx]

I absolutely loved this episode.A perfect 10.I knew from all the spoilers this was gonna be great,I'm so glad they didn't disapoint.Every single scene in this episode was enjoyable.All of the actors did an amazing job,Tom,Erica,and of course Serinda sparkled,and the few scenes Allison had were great as well.The last scene was so awesome,we got watchtower back.Bryan Q Miller outdid himself with this script,I think I liked it better than Committed.Also I've got to mention Marizee Almas,the episode was very well directed,the colors in it were just stunning and the angles as well.This one was so fun to watch,I kinda miss having these lighthearted episodes of Smallville.Next week's Eternal seems to be much more serious,but very good too.

[AgentChaos]

The final scene was the best part of the episode. It stung a lot that Chloe is officially turning her back on reporting, after wanting it for almost 15 years, but being Watchtower isn't a bad consolation prize. She'll still be helping people, just in a different way.

Hated ED's performance as Chloe. She missed the mark several times. It felt like Lois trying to be Chloe, and that's not a good thing.

The over-the-top adoration of Lois was sickening. It was classic tell, don't show.

Way to misrepresent the Chlois theory, PTB. IF you're going to explore something, get it right.

Great casting of Zatanna. Serinda Swan not only looked the part, she was believable.

I'll give it a 7. The bad of ED's poor performance and the awful Clois pimping were overshadowed by all the good AMChloe scenes and Serinda Swan's good performance.

[colibri]

I absolutely loved this episode. It was fun and light while revealing important aspects of each character.

Zatanna was great! Loved her!

Erica as Chloe was amazing. She really did a great job. More importantly, I loved Clark through the whole episode.

I loved Chloe as Watchtower. I wish this is where they were going permanently with Chloe.

I loved the scene with Lois and Clark. It was wonderful and the chemistry was fantastic. I also love how Lois is still his friend and isn't all angsty after what happened last week. I'd had it with all the angst of the Lana relationship so I'm glad this was handled so well and with humor.

I laughed out loud in quite a few places. So much fun and such a tight and well written episode where all the threads of the story meshed. I loved the talk about Jonathan and how Clark was able to help Zatanna. Just fantastic.

[MetroGirl06]

Fishnets? Can't beat those, they complete any episode! 9/10.

Hex me, Zatanna! :D

[KryptoKnight]

perfect for Smallville in every aspect

[ClarkyBoy14]

I loved this episode. :) It wasn't really dark, it was just sort of a light-hearted story (probably before we get into some darker stuff soon). I enjoyed Zatanna and the actress who played her. I hope Ollie calls that number sometime so we can see her again. ;) Both the Clois and the Chlark scenes were nice. I love all the humour sprinkled throughout the episode. I think possibly my favorite scene is the last one with Clark and Chloe. It was just an honest conversation, and I enjoyed watching it. I also liked it because of Clark's reaction to his spell. He really is starting to grow up. :) The Clois scene was also great, as was Chloe officially becoming 'Watchtower.'

[stenochick]

My first impression after watching it is a 10+ excelllent filler episode.

I will write in more detail tomorrow.

I loved the chance just to laugh and see the actors flex their muscles by getting to act out of character. Plus, I really like this new writer. His stuff is so clear, clean, and easy. I loved Clark as Clark and Lois as Chloe. And I totally loved Chloe and Ollie at the end: "Watchtower officially online!"

[Dresden]

I was thoroughly impressed with this episode and that's saying a lot since I expected it to be a disaster. Erica Durance did a great job, and again I was apprehensive about that just because she would be portraying a character that we have seen for 8 years! But she did it. It wasn't perfect by any means, but how could it be? She probably had less than a couple of weeks to prepare. And yet, all in all I could really see Chloe Sullivan through her eyes which was strange and exciting at the same time. I think Erica Durance can pretty much take on any role now. Great job, Erica!

[cloisthelegendbegins]

Will be back with my usual long post later but just had to say LOVED this episode!!!! Bryan Q Millar ROCKS!

[jsith99]

Gave it a 9 would have liked to know how chloe/lois and clark finaly got down from the planets roof

[lostmyway]

I loved it. It gets a 10 from me. One of my favorite episodes this season. I liked the comedy factor it had to it. It was a lot lighter, a nice break from all the recent episodes. Plus, the ending scene with Chloe and Oliver was amazing.

[origin]

Loved it!
10/10

The scene of the roof(Chloe/Lois and Clark) will go down as one of my favorite Smallville moments, It was hysterical!

[Hakoon]

I gave it a 9.5 - I loved ED's performance as Chloe, it wasn't perfect but I thought she did very well. I was happy to see a more lighthearted episode for a change and Zatanna...well she looked very nice:cool:

For the first time in a while Chloe didn't annoy me. I have always enjoyed her character on this show (Before she became the worlds worst wife) and she was enjoyable to watch tonight. It was nice to see her as Watchtower for the JL again.

[Plastic Man]

I loved it all the way up until the very end. They crossed the line with the "watchtower online" stuff. Not really the moment but in the way it was acted just didn't do it for me.

I can't wait for the DVD to see this one in widescreen.

[superdoomsday]

Okay, the episode has sunk in a little so I'll say maybe I was a little too harsh.
A 5 is probably the maximum I'll give it. Still, it felt too much like treading water.

[cma_454]

I loved this episode!

Right now, I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about it.

It's so nice to finish watching a Smallville episode, and actually feel totally good about the show, and all those involved in it.

Thanks!

[double L]

Very good episode. Erica, should have her own show.

[Jedimaster_TTBaby]

10, 10, 10!!!

It was amazing, I loved everything about this episode! It was funny, loving and exciting. The Clois was amazing, I finally believe again, and that end with Chloe was just plain awesome!

----- Added 47 Seconds later -----


Loved it!
10/10

The scene of the roof(Chloe/Lois and Clark) will go down as one of my favorite Smallville moments, It was hysterical!

Yeah I laugh my a$$ off!

[Lilah]

I haven't laughed this hard at Smallville in a really really long time. They poked fun at all the characters... it was great.

[jpfort1957]

Great eppisode!!!!!!!!! And no Jimmy!!!!!!!!

[bobby1984]

love it, it was a very very fun episode, it was nice to not be paying attention to a big story and sit back and enjoy and laugh. lois and clark was great, and love the majority of it featured lois, dont see that much but would like to. it was nice having some moments with some sparks flying between the two. and like chloe too. reminded me of the old one and it was nice to see a caring realtionship between them, it seems like now see just watches out for him and they r just contcts for each other, nice to have some heart and old friendship betwwen them . overall it flowed good and was fun and had some laughable and cool moments between betwwen chloe,clark,and lois, and the zatanna charcter was great really like her, a srtong 9

[Bizarro345]

Loved the Watchtower ending! Also loved the super jump(rare to say that these days considering the mass desire for flight) and Clark was hilarious when he didn't remember anything.

Lois-Aren't you going to do someting?
Clark-You're right, Lois
(dramatic heroic look. Whips out cell phone)
Clark-911

[thehenry89]

Clark dialing 911 I seriously couldn't stop laughing when he did that :rotfl: he such a goof.

[redeem147]

I really, truly loved this episode. Zatanna looked great with her fishnets, there were times Chlois looked just like Chloe - way to go, Erica! and the way Clark looked at what he thought was Lois - hurray! Even Oliver didn't annoy me this week.

[Isact]

Wow you guys thought this was good eh? Not me.

[kszonew]

Like most of season 8 this one was just there to me. Some good moments. But overall nothing standout and memorable in whole.

I did like -

1) Clark coming full circle, remembering Jonathan Kent and helping Zatanna let go of her father.

2) Chloe as Watchtower full-time. This is the perfect way to keep her character in Smallville's "Superman" future. I hope TPTB are doing just that and not tricking us with something more dastardly in mind.

3) It looks like we could be getting a deleted scene on the dvd set between Jimmy and Chloe/Lois. Unless that one promo pic was from a different episode.

4) Erica did Chloe well.

In all DC guest of the week doesn't do much for me unless I find the character interesting. And to be honest it's be quite awhile since I have. Toyman might have been really good if he was the main bad in "Requiem", and not just a plot device in a lackluster episode. But that's a debate for another place.

I give this one 5 or 6.

[yomama]

After all the angst of last week and the episodes that shall not be named, this was a fun romp. Clark whipping out the cell phone, Chloe trying to brain Clark with the pipe, Lois squeaking her chair, Chloe with renewed purpose, gorgeous Zatanna, Oliver's seeming to silently question his actions re: Lex, Watchtower. It felt like SV was finally getting back on track.

[thaynararib]

I loved.
Was very funny.:lol:

[bennyjr123]

Great eppisode!!!!!!!!! And no Jimmy!!!!!!!!

took the words right out of my mouth! but in the screencaps, theres definitely a scene with lois(chloe) hugging jimmy. DVD maybe?

[Amelie]

You know what? This was pretty good! It was tightly written and that makes all the difference in the world. Great job overall performance wise for everyone.

[SnowBird]

Thoroughly Entertaining!...A light and fun episode that is now in the top ten of my favorites list. All the actors did great. Tom knows comedy and was fantastic as a Clark without the burden of his powers. It was fun watching Lois play Chloe. I'm glad Chloe is moving forward to being Watchtower. Ollie met his match with Zantana, and I would like to have Zantana back for an encore.

I think Lois put Clark on the back burner. Clark decides to go forward with Lois on his mind. They are now separated by the great divide. It won't stay that way as they both have magnetic personalities and it's hard to keep two magnets from being drawn towards each other. Lives are definitely going to change from their experiences and it's gonna be magic. In my spell book, Hex gets a TEN!

[DavidM2]

From the beginning, I felt like it was Smallville from the good ol' days. Though I didn't find the overall Zatanna plot very interesting, (i know it stays true to comics, but still not way exciting) I really like Chloe in this episode. I also they think they are playing out Clois perfectly.
8

[a4g90]

I was happy that SV finally had a fun episode! It's about time. 10

[Seeya'round Smallville]

Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders? I hope you were watching your team's work tonight and taking notes. Because this is EXACTLY how this show should always be!! A show that is actually FUN to watch!! Bryan Q. Miller may be a rookie, but he is writing circles around everyone. You need to hang onto him and pay close attention to the man's work, because he is doing it right. Continuity, details, giving our regulars and guests writing that helps endear them to the audience. This is what Smallville should be.

Erica? There are no words, she is just flat out amazing! And last but certainly not least, Tom. We love this Clark Kent! Justin, Allison, Serinda; everyone was on their game tonight. Tremendous job with Zatanna too. And Mairzee did a great job directing. This is the type of show that we want to see!!

10!!

[monel49]

Absolutely excellent and deserving of a 10. Why? Tightly written, funny, character revealing. Lois and Clark make a great couple--very good chemistry. This could be construed as a filler episode and, for my money, the best one ever. Very good, very cool. Great job!

[kal-el_Girl]

Best lines?

"You're absolutely right, Lois. *pulls out phone* 911?"

LOL!!!

And Lois: "Gimmie Gimmie." LMFAO.

Tom and Erica OWNED this!

It was so AWESOME when clark pulled out the cell phone and dialed 911 it was ABSOLUTE CLASSIC :p I almost died of happiness that moment ;)

[clois-destiny-forever]

Loved it!

[superspider02]

Yes another good installment from smallville. I enjoyed the episode alot. Dont have anything real big to say against it. The plot was interesting and held up well through the whole episode. The action was good, and the acting by all was very well.

Zatanna's actress was well picked and i thought she did very well with the role. Only other zatanna i know is from BTAS/JLU episodes she appeared in. I did like that they included her outfit in the episode a few times. Really how hard was it not to mess up her costume lol. I thought her magic powers were displayed well and i loved the glowing blue eye thing she did when her spells happened. Also it was great they left in the whole backward spell thing.

As for erica i thought she did a wonderful judge acting like allison's chloe, and i thought it was a cool idea to have the body change. This episode was probably a fun episode for all those fans in the past/present whole always thought that chloe is the real lois and erica's lois wasnt real. Also the producers were probably having a little fun with that age old debate. Erica i thought played chloe as lois well and i enjoyed her scenes with clark. Also it was pretty funny when she was trying to convince clark he was an alien with powers.

Tom was again very superman like throughout the episode. His reaction to chloe saying she was lois was great. Also i love the whole style with his daily planet hair. Also when he was hexed he played the simple man reporter well. To bad the whole rumor of glasses didnt happen, oh well we have had glasses a few times already so i wasnt shocked not to see it happen.

Also Ollie was pretty good in the episode. Loved to see inside luthorcorp again this season, only the second time this season. I missed the luthorcorp offices/building. His office there was pretty sweet looking. Also his interactions with chloe at the start and end of the episode were played well, and his scenes with zatanna was also good. Nice that zatanna wasnt stupid and figured out green arrow was ollie. Also liked that he got to be apart of a magic episode. Its always fun to have characters who dont believe in the stuff to face it. Also cool she mentioned that there is worst magical beings out there. Hopefully we could see some more pop up in the future.

Also it was great to have a mention of the jl again. I loved that clark is doing missions for them again(offscreen urrrgghh!!!!) and it was sweet that bart was mentioned. Crossing fingers we get bart and victor for the finale. Then the end scene was really cool. Loved that chloe sees that her reporter days are over. Cool she is probably now going to be full time Watchtower now. Loved the scene with the jl going online. Would have been sweet if they had a vo from everyone saying online or something. Though i feel bad for jl if chloe is the one of the two deaths in the finale they will be loosing their watchtower. Cant wait to see how the upcoming doomsday/davis episodes play out.

[beresford_st]

I thought it was great! Some of the best acting i've seen from Tom... He nailed it in the roof scene! Just one question; how'd they get off the roof???
Erica, on the other hand, wasn't as convincing playing Chloe. It was ok... but not near as good as Welling and Glover in Transference. Which is another one of Toms best performances (imho).
I also loved seeing Chloe take back her position as Watchtower. And I gotta say, she was smokin hot on the balcony! Allison Mack is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. She has a very unique beauty. There are countless beautiful women out there. But most of them are beautiful in a generic sort of way. Allison is in a whole different category.
Like DavidM2 said, it felt like Smallville from "the good ol' days". It was fun to watch!
Giving it an 8.

[Clois86]

I gave it a 9.5 - I loved ED's performance as Chloe, it wasn't perfect but I thought she did very well. I was happy to see a more lighthearted episode for a change and Zatanna...well she looked very nice:cool:

For the first time in a while Chloe didn't annoy me. I have always enjoyed her character on this show (Before she became the worlds worst wife) and she was enjoyable to watch tonight. It was nice to see her as Watchtower for the JL again.
Exactly what I was thinking. The last couple episodes Chloe seemed to be getting distant from everyone but this episode was great because her scenes with Clark def reminded me of the earlier years of Smallville. It was also an episode of closure for Chloe since she got all her feelings out that have been eating at her for quite some time. I'm still confused as to how the Chimmy situation wasn't really addressed in this episode but I'm sure we will find out soon enough. The way they are making it where Clark has to pursue Lois is great!

[ClarksGal]

Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders? I hope you were watching your team's work tonight and taking notes. Because this is EXACTLY how this show should always be!! A show that is actually FUN to watch!! Bryan Q. Miller may be a rookie, but he is writing circles around everyone. You need to hang onto him and pay close attention to the man's work, because he is doing it right. Continuity, details, giving our regulars and guests writing that helps endear them to the audience. This is what Smallville should be.

Erica? There are no words, she is just flat out amazing! And last but certainly not least, Tom. We love this Clark Kent! Justin, Allison, Serinda; everyone was on their game tonight. Tremendous job with Zatanna too. And Mairzee did a great job directing. This is the type of show that we want to see!!

10!!

I couldn't agree with this post more. This was one of the best-written episodes of the season.

[unfocused]

Tom is great at comedy. He had me rolling this episode, so funny. I really like this Clark Kent, and I think he should be the disguise/attitude for the character. Because he isn't a bumbling fool like other Clark Kents, he's confident yet still not heroic. Which is how Clark Kent, the disguise, should be. Even though Clark Kent isn't the disguise on this show.

10.

[globalbudd3]

It was good but not the best. Not the best in terms of epic proportion...

[freddielm]

I thought the episode was going to suck 'cuz the intro was kinda slow, but then it picked up and the ending was just awesome! I give it a ten!

[superjude]

I absolutely give this episode a 10!!!!! It was awesome from beginning to end!! Not a thing that I really didn't like. It was an awesome superjump!! Zatanna was just the coolest! The look that Clark gave Lois made me extremely happy. Chloe, I just loved her in this and was glad to see a little of her old self. The last scene with Lois. Wonderful! I loved the framed list part.

This episode was like a filler, but it was pretty awesome. I am quite pleased.

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


Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders? I hope you were watching your team's work tonight and taking notes. Because this is EXACTLY how this show should always be!! A show that is actually FUN to watch!! Bryan Q. Miller may be a rookie, but he is writing circles around everyone. You need to hang onto him and pay close attention to the man's work, because he is doing it right. Continuity, details, giving our regulars and guests writing that helps endear them to the audience. This is what Smallville should be.

Erica? There are no words, she is just flat out amazing! And last but certainly not least, Tom. We love this Clark Kent! Justin, Allison, Serinda; everyone was on their game tonight. Tremendous job with Zatanna too. And Mairzee did a great job directing. This is the type of show that we want to see!!

10!!

I so totally agree with this post!!!

[ywm]

This episode is so lame, but it's so funny and i loved it. 10

[fly'n special]

Loved this episode! The writing was great. Everyone on the show did such a great job. Tom is really good at comedy. ED is so much fun to watch! Loved the actress who played Zantanna! It was a Smallville epi that was fun to watch!!!

[Steve-El]

This has to be the funniest episode ever on the show.

[Jack-El49]

My first 10 of the season goes to Hex!

[number8]

What a fun episode! I loved it. :) 10

[THEcrownsMINE]

What a great episode!!! 10/10! It was funny, light-hearted, and there was actually some character development! ;) Zatanna was pretty cool and Lois + Clark were so cute together. One of the best episodes this season!!!!

[bennettbc2331]

great episode gave it a 10!!!

[wingster55]

Decent fun filled filler episode. It's no Prey, Odyssey or Legion though.

[Mackdaddy]

This episode is so lame, but it's so funny and i loved it. 10

........





9 for me

[BlueKryptoKalEl]

Ok, I don't post much since I am an avid reader of Superman. This episode was great, I felt they did a great job with Zatanna and the end... I have no words.... "Watchtower Online!" Fantastic! I love these small JLA builds. I love them using Impulse! Everything about this episode was Great! Her FX were brilliant not to mention how she looked. I can't wait untill next week!! 10 + in my book!

[MystkLp]

This episode was AWESOME!

[susangail]

I gave it a 7. A little too fluffy in some respects, but I liked seeing Clark and Chloe chat (I didn't realize how much I missed it until tonight) and the whole Chloe-as-Lois thing.

[LOvInLoiSLaNe]

Ahh..it was so incredibly funny. I loved it!!

[KSiteTV]

I loved it.

There was a great amount of humor, and I really like the idea of Chloe-as-Watchtower. When I saw the League on the screens, even though it was in the preview, I smiled with glee.

Serinda Swan was really good too, and I hope she'll be back.

Although I'm loving the Doomsday storyline, I thought this was just as good and even better than last week's, even though Sam Witwer wasn't in it.

Hopefully the Jimmy scene will make it onto the DVD.

[superjude]

I am just so happy that so many people loved this episode. It puts a big grin on my face. This episode has made me even more anxious for more Smallville.

[amberdawn]

I was pleased. It was a funny episode.

[unfocused]

Wait, there was some Doomsday stuff in it? I don't remember any Doomsday references :( What did I miss?

[Mindylynne]

It was a fun episode. I know some people are calling it filler, but I actually am not that interested in the whole Doomsday drama. Too me those kind of mythos heavy episodes aren't my favorites. This isn't filler for me. It was entertainment.

[Mad Madam Mimm]

it wouldn't let me vote 9.75, or I would have. I am missing one key element before the 10 gets handed out, but this one was darned close. A highlight episode IMO!

[JennyMoon]

It was 100 times better than I expected. I'm thoroughly satisfied.

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


Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders? I hope you were watching your team's work tonight and taking notes. Because this is EXACTLY how this show should always be!! A show that is actually FUN to watch!! Bryan Q. Miller may be a rookie, but he is writing circles around everyone. You need to hang onto him and pay close attention to the man's work, because he is doing it right. Continuity, details, giving our regulars and guests writing that helps endear them to the audience. This is what Smallville should be.

Erica? There are no words, she is just flat out amazing! And last but certainly not least, Tom. We love this Clark Kent! Justin, Allison, Serinda; everyone was on their game tonight. Tremendous job with Zatanna too. And Mairzee did a great job directing. This is the type of show that we want to see!!

10!!

Excellent post and I concur!

[bychance]

A solid 9. Some moments went kind of slow, but besides that it was really good.


!skcus ti

LOL! Clever.

[Blue screen of death]

/sarcasm on "yay another body swapping episode" /sarcasm off if they could have worked the story with out the always lame body swap it would have been cooler. Other then that lil complaint it was good.

[prodigykane]

This was pretty good. I liked the humor.

[zHeN_zHeN]

I gave it 10 birthday candles out of 10! :D

[TayLaneBloom]

I LOVED IT!
first. makes me laugh like a crazy person on crack! Clark and EDchloe at the rooftop almost make my laughs jump off of my body. xD

The most amazing, of course, CLOIS scenes! the one with the real Lois Lane at the end makes my heart beat soooo fast a thought i would die from a heart attack. So beautiful! the framed rules, when Lois sees it. and the way he said there's only one Lois Lane. god! I died and went to paradise, where i walked over clouds, seeing Clois everywhere and eating cotton candy like a goof. xD

and when he catches EDChloe and looks at her with those beautiful blue eyes... *.*
Seeing Chloe realizes how much he likes Lois was great! Chloe really deserves to know. She was always there for Clark, and there was a time she loved him, so.......

about Zatanna.... Serinda Swan is amazingly beautiful! OMG! of course Erica Durance will always be the most gorgeous girl in Smallville, but Zatanna was really beautiful. Like something most guys would only see in dreams. She's not the best actress, but it was OK. I loved how they show her emotions, and how much it felt like a sacrifice to her, not being able to make her own wishes come true. I feel really sorry for her...
And her and Ollie... wow. talk about chemestry. xD They would make a really nice couple, that's for sure. :P

now, about Chloe... the real one, in her own body. I really get sad for her in the beginning of the episode. She was really sad, and lonely. I don't think she deserves being alone in her own birthday, even if i've been getting really angry at Chloe in the last episodes. (especially Turbulence). And the ending scene, of her saying her destiny it's not in journalism was great. And a literary got the chills with the Watch Tower scene! amazing ending!

and something veeeery interesting. This is the 3th episode in a roll that Chloe sort of die! haahaahaahahahaha! it's getting really funny! at least it wasn't Doomsday this time. xD

about the "flying" scene. Obviously, he didn't fly, he just super jumped. But it was a great progress, since it was pretty much the same movements of Kal-el in Crusade, but without actually flying in the end. Hey! it's something already! :D

What a love most about this episode was, obviously, CLOIS scenes, the real one in the end, and the ones with EDchloe. My CLOIS heart died end went to heaven, and i wont dare taking it back. :P
Hex is placed side by side with Committed, in my store of ideal Clois episodes. :D
Like fanfics that became alive right in front of my eyes. \o/

I knew Erica Durance would be amazing playing Chloe, and i was right. Sometimes it almost freaked me out, seeing how she could copy the movements, they eye expression, everything!
but the big claps go to Tom Welling, specially in the scene with EDChloe at the rooftop. that was really well played, and soooo funny!
Tom and Erica look amazing together on screen. Like they complemented each other.
Just like Lois and Clark. ^^

love the episode, despite the fact it doesn't make any progress in the Clark/Doomsday history. But hey! we got a lot of episode ahead for that! let me enjoy my Clois paradise. :P

i gave it a 9. =D

[Kal-Vin]

10 :) I really enjoyed this episode! Light, fun and humorous. The special effects are better specially when Clark "leaps". Loved the Clark-Lois interactions on this one. I'm pleasantly surprised at the "Watchtower" ending. :)

[The Dark Knight74]

9. This ep was actually better than I thought. The scene on the roof w/ Clark and EDChloe was hilarious.

[NoSupeForYou]

I won’t be as biting and sarcastic as last week since I enjoyed this episode, but I’m doing this again as it seemed well received last week (I'm just a warm up act today for the real masters). This episode was silly fun and full of cheesy charm.
Chloe’s Birthday Party: Chloe really should not be so down. This many people showing up at her party is impressive considering that about half her nameless friends were killed at her wedding by a giant, rampaging, alien monster. She should have had the party in OffScreenville as so much more seems to go on over there. So, Clark is out doing Justice League stuff with Bart, but he’s still not flying because? Chloe’s all bitter, but you don’t see Ollie complaining about the fact that Clark and Tess blew up his home. Actually, I can understand as it’s her party and no one is paying any attention to her at all. I didn’t even see any awkward pity looks from the people as she walked by. My first reaction if I woke up in the morning and saw someone else in the mirror would be to wonder what I had last night before I would even accept it.
Chlois at the DP: I think this was a response to the fans who thought that it was bad to have Chloe hanging out in Smallville while Lois was with Jimmy. Instead, Lois has apparently been busy in OffScreenville; no wonder Jimmy is so angry. Hey, Clark, I noticed too, but saying such a thing qualifies as sexual harassment in most workplaces. I really want to know what real Lois’ reaction to that comment would have been. Can’t blame Chloe for not telling Clark who she is, I would want to know what people think of me when I’m not there as well.
Ollie and Zatanna: When not moonlighting as the Green Arrow Ollie travels the world as Sarcasm-Man. When she told him the wish thing he looked for a moment like he had three words running through his mind: me, you, desk.
Clark and Chlois on duty: Who keeps a megaphone handy just in case they want to go on a tirade on their fire escape? It’s good to see that Clark is such a bad liar.
Clark, Chlois and Zatanna: Clark, don’t anger the girls with magic skills. Remember what happened the last time? Too late. ED studied AM before this episode and I think TW studied Christopher Reeves. Kind of silly that Clark forgets his powers and 10 seconds later crime skyrockets to the point where people are getting mugged in broad daylight. That was a great line, but really Clark, can’t you dial three numbers?
Clark and Chlois at the DP: Framing the rules is so Clark considering the guy treasures everything. Chlois trying to convince him he has powers was hilarious, but that line about him flying is infuriating. :mad:
Green Arrow Steals Luthor Stuff Again: Those two look like a couple of grads from the Luthor Academy of Goonage (LAG). Who walks over and stares at an arrow spraying gas? Of course, they’re still alive afterwards so that makes them above average at LAG. Sarcasm-man strikes again.
Ollie and Zatanna: This would have been more realistic if he was sharing the fire with a couple of bums. I think Jimmy would love this girl though, what with the magic chains and all. ;)
Visit Yuri and the DP Roof: The dude talks really fast. Oh good, more teasing about Clark flying. They even recreate the Kal-el flight scene. Martha reference two weeks ago, Jonathan reference this week; thank you. Is it just me or did Chloe almost beat Clark to the roof of the DP? I bet Chloe feels like she just got super tasered. Somewhere, Jimmy is laughing.
Clark and Chloe at the Talon: Every episode beyond the Lana arc makes me wonder whether that was Bizzaro world. I like this Clark much better as he is much more fun.
Ollie and Zatanna: Actually, it’s Sarcasm-man. I’m thinking of a Zatanna vs. Black Canary cat fight, though in a good way. :D However, Sarcasm-man will first have to guess the area code for the phone number she left him. There can’t be that many in Metropolis.
End Scenes: Loved the fact that Lois is back on top, in more ways than one. Once again, I know Lois disappeared for the Lana arc, but apparently, so did Clark. The show is just more fun with the two of them together in scenes. I also like the subtle Lois likes the guy who she ran into while flying reference. As for Chloe, this is where she belongs and I hope this Chloe sticks around for the rest of the season. The only thing disappointing was that they didn’t have the Boy Scout online. If Clark and Bart are hanging out and doing missions together then he should be there.

All in all it was a really good episode that flowed well and didn’t feel like it had stuff thrown in to fill up the time between commercials. I can’t give it a perfect ten because of the teasing about Clark flying, yet again, but I give it a 9. Stop the teasing; it’s not cool or funny. :mad:

[Bre723]

I thought it was a light and clever episode.
When Clark didn't know he had powers on the roof with Lois was so funny.
I especially loved it when Chloe(Lois) came at him w/ that big iron rod,lol.
It also had a bunch of cute Clois moments, even though some of them were when Chloe was Lois.

[Lis]

I loved this episode.
Great writing - kudos to Bryan Q. Miller.
Erica did Chloe good.
Tom was terrific as Clark! He totally nailed the scene with Chloe/Lois as a "normal reporter" at the rooftop.
And the last Clois scene in the Daily Planet was amazing as well.
And even directing of this episode was well done - Mairzee did a great job.
I loved Turbulence, but I enjoyed Hex better.

10!

[kiariclois]

Way to misrepresent the Chlois theory, PTB. IF you're going to explore something, get it right.


lol. I think they just wanna "acknowledge" the theory, but not "feeding" to it. Meaning, the theory is an absolute NO. lol

[lana 9]

i love it i give a 10 love erica in it the scene on the fooftop of dp was so funny and tom did a good job it i love the end of hex chloe the watchtower go chloe

[svtwamedfan05]

I loved it. Gave it a 10

[SuperJedi]

10

[dimeo782002]

i cannot rate this episode cause different parts would get different ratings from me. the beginning BLEH 1 hate seeing depressed chloe ! yuck its getting so old this season they always have her down or sad. just tired of it ! she was all alone and had no one BOO !

then it got interesting waking up as someone else the next day her feet barelt fitting in the slippers CUTE ! the boob stuff was funny at the dp with clark about her tight shirt i laughed and the rooftop scene was cute give that stuff a 8.

now the best after chloe gets normal again i guess she realizes her new passion is for super heroes and to be there side kick i do like this cause at the end of the day chloe wanting to be a reporter was about truth and justice , well there is other ways to express support for truth and justice other than reporting. being watchtower she actually can be part of the super heroes and in a way be a superheroe herself . she still gets to fight the good fight and be supportive to her favoritre heroes. so from the part where chloe is chloe again to the ending GO WATCHTOWER ! i give that all a big ass 10. but since i can't rate the scenes separately i have not officially voted i have to find a way to like add it all together for a fair number BUT the watch tower scene made me smile for chloe the first smile in a while. im happy for her as watch tower it gave me chills.

[sunset]

10. For me it was a happy and funny episode1

[unfocused]

Way to misrepresent the Chlois theory, PTB. IF you're going to explore something, get it right.
I don't think they misrepresented the Chlois theory at all. They got it spot on, in that it's a silly theory that just can't work. I love how the new producers have been showing us just how Chlark can never work as a romance and will never be anything more than friendship. When Clark looked at EDChloe, and she said "you've never looked at me that way," I laughed so HARD. Because it's true, lol. We can see that Chloe might still have lame lingering feelings for Clark, but it's so very obvious that he STILL doesn't feel the same way for her.

But anyway. The Clois was great in this ep, even the Chlark was good. I especially liked when Clark turned around and there was Chloe. Her attitude and demeanor in that scene was GREAT. This was the first time I actually liked Chloe in a long time, and I am happy about it. She did well, finally. I'd say this was her highlight of the season thus far. Good job, Chloe. Keep up the good work, even if you did get points for being in Lois' body :lol:

[amalie]

Spellbinding from me...10!

I completely loved this episode. Erica gave a great performance and I actually thought Tom was particularly expressive as well. The scenes where Clark believes he's a normal reporter were absoutely hilarious. There were some touching little scenes between Chloe-Oliver and Chloe-Clark as well as some lovely Clois.


All round a great episode, we're back on track :D

[actaeon]

Perfect 10, the best episode of Smallville ever! Hilarious, from the bunny slippers onward!

[Frantiqe]

10/10

That episode rocked. In my top 5 all time.

Erica Durance did an amazing job. Tom as well. Serinda Swan (Zatanna) was really hot haha. And it was a really funny episode as well.

[BackToTheLies]

It gets a lot of marks from me because it had a lot of elements that everyone can relate to in everyday life.

The only jarring thing for me was seeing, in the final Clois scenes, that this Clois love story is gonna be a lot of tedious back and forthing, possibly even all the way throughout next season. Not sure if i'm ready for all that and it'll be a massive challenge for them to write well-worn territory into something that stays interesting without dragging on.

[Smallville Vamp]

Great epi, I gave it a 10. Dorky Clark was so funny, I don't think I've ever enjoyed TW as much OR laughed so hard as I did last night. He was superb as was ED(as always) also JH & SS. LOVED both sides of Zatanna, they need to sign SS up for season 9 ASAP! Oliver going from PISSED to sort of flirty even a little coy with Zatanna HOT STUFF, I'm wanting MORE. Still something a bit off with Chloe maybe AM was supposed to be playing the character that way(maybe not) I can't tell just have to wait & see I guess.

10/10 all around for sure.

[bandito]

Thank you Smallville for finally redeeming yourself.
I was on the brink of abondoning what I saw as becoming Days of our Dullsville. Then Hex came along with humour, fun lines and the action I wanted to see, as well as a little comic book "realism". Well written and directed guys.
You can keep your play by play analysis of each scene, who said what and assasination of characters, that's all booooooring and this was entertaining at last.
What action am I talking about? Call it a super leap if you like, but by DC definition he flew, just like he did under the influence of red kryptonite.
Somewhere buried in my comic collection there are some "FAQ" type pages where they explain Superman's powers. It says that under the yellow sun his kryptonian body msss enables him to leap incredible distances which seem like him flying. Even controlling his direction and "floating" when required. So yes he flew!
All he needs now is to move away from the pathetic and insulting "red-blue blurr" story and put on a cape. Then we'll be making progress at last.
Thanks for bringing us back an entertaining show and in the words of another of my favourite comic book worlds, once again I'm a "true believer"! :rotfl:

[Yasise]

I gave it a 10.

Like I said last week, finally Smallville's back again, IMO! Like bandito said before me, I so was loosing my interest in this show, but they're back on the right track again and I'm really grateful for that.

Hilarious episode, awsome acting of everyone!

[loistickyfingerz]

I rather enjoyed this episode. I thought it was very decent. I'm glad not to see fillers. This episode actually moved Clark's character development along.

Of course, all the extra "Lois" and Clark interaction didn't hurt my analysis. I really enjoyed seeing the twosome team in action. I also liked where Chloe went in this episode. Good dialogue too. Pretty decent writing on this episode overall.

[rajman]

that was definetly better than i expected, the scene with chloe at the end was awesome and clark finally accepting who he is was just cool.

[rebecavaldez]

Erica Durance did a wonderful "Chloe"

[quietone]

I had no idea what to expect from this episode. That said I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out much better than what I was expecting. There were a few great LOL moments. I love it when TW has a chance to show off his comedic talents.

Zatanna was great; I thought Serinda Swan interacted well with the cast and I hope we see her again.

I'm fine with Chloe being the Watchtower. If this is the role tptb see her moving into then I can accept that.

[Rosa76]

10 :)I loved it !!Clark ,Chloe ,and Lois was so cute together .Clark was soo funny too.:D

[llk6165]

I loved it and I haven't even seen it yet

**eeek***

[SupermanRox]

I absolutely adored it. I was clapping at the end when the Watchtower went online! I was jumping up and down in my seat.

[72001]

Some parts I enjoyed, some I did not. I give it a 6 simply because I do not think 'magic' themes work with Smallville. Stick with aliens, meteor freaks and et al 'science fiction'.

[ClubXerxes]

Some parts I enjoyed, some I did not. I give it a 6 simply because I do not think 'magic' themes work with Smallville. Stick with aliens, meteor freaks and et al 'science fiction'.

One thing in particular annoys me...why the h-e-double hockey sticks do they always insist on calling it "magiks"?:lol:

[Krypton935]

10!!!! That was such a great episode I loved it!! Great story and acting and everything! And i loved the lines!!! oh they were FUHHHNNEEE yep great episode !doog yrev

[geminis]

Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders? I hope you were watching your team's work tonight and taking notes. Because this is EXACTLY how this show should always be!! A show that is actually FUN to watch!! Bryan Q. Miller may be a rookie, but he is writing circles around everyone. You need to hang onto him and pay close attention to the man's work, because he is doing it right. Continuity, details, giving our regulars and guests writing that helps endear them to the audience. This is what Smallville should be.

Erica? There are no words, she is just flat out amazing! And last but certainly not least, Tom. We love this Clark Kent! Justin, Allison, Serinda; everyone was on their game tonight. Tremendous job with Zatanna too. And Mairzee did a great job directing. This is the type of show that we want to see!!

10!!

Quoting again for emphasis. We are the chorus and we agree.

Twice in this episode Clark's hair approached the classic Superman s-curl. When EDChloe tripped and he caught her, and in that wonderful moment on the DP rooftop talking about his father with Zatanna and how he's finally the person his father wanted him to be, there was a lock of hair in his forehead. That had me wiping away a few tears it was so awesome.

It was fun and lighthearted but also had some depth, a la Clark, his father, and wanting to be the reporter/superhero. Chloe has taken a step towards happiness too, in becoming the WatchTower.

This was also the first time since Committed that my sister stayed for a whole episode.
Hooray for Bryan Q. Miller and Erica Durance.

No need to see it again to vote, although I've already watched it *cough cough* times,
I call this a 20. Gemini twins and all that.

[superpal1]

When Smallville clicks it clicks. I enjoyed this episode. I especially liked the Super jump and Watchtower at the end.

[costas22]

Funniest episode ever!The 911 line was gold!

[marverde508]

i just have to say AMAZING i love this episode.
tom and erica: you guys rock you ere so perfect together... it's ridicuolous how much.
i love all the clois scenes, speciallly the last one "gimme gimme" was awesome. without any doubt you 2 are the best lois and clark EVER.
I also like Chloe and specially the fact that after this episode the hole chlois/ chlark theories can be buried.
It was a good episode for chloe and it's good they show us what her continuity it's going to be, she's not dying in the season finale she's staying and i'm ok with that.
This was a" calm before the storm" for Chloe, so let's see what happens with doomy.....
Finally, this was a lois and clark centric episode and it worked so perfectly that the producers should have in mind that for next season they can and should put lois in all the episodes because, and let's face the best ones are those in wich she's in.
TOM: one of your best episodes as clark kent, i love you more than ever.

[Hopefulsuicide]

WOW!

Okay, I just gave my first 10 in ages. I am officially a proud fan of Smallville again. Last weeks episode really bumped up the game, but i was afraid the sudden surge in talent would be a one off. But this episode proved how good Smallville can be. How clever the writing can be. How many good ideas they can come up with. And how amazing all the actors are when they are enjoying their role!

Tom did such a fantastic job, he just keeps getting better and better. That rooftop scene had me in stitches... and i feel like i haven't laughed out loud at Smallville since 'Spirit' :D (Unless you count the nervous laughter at the Chimmy dance).

I was glad Jimmy wasn't in this episode. As much of a great performance as aaron pulled off last week, it was refreshing to break away from that and explore what's going in inside all the characters.

Chloe is finally officially watchtower! I've been waiting for that for a looooong time. And the possibilities of Chlollie romance are becoming more and more (god i hope she doesn't die before we get a glimpse). Clark is finally realising that being a hero is what he wants. The line 'i wake up every morning with a purpose' nearly made me cry :) that's my boy!

I don't think Eternal or Stiletto are going to top this for me. Injustice and Doomsday might though :D

Basically, this episode just shoots right to the top of my favourite episode list of the season. It had everything.

It was funny.
It was intriguing.
It had action.
It had a comic character.
It had mentions of the Justice League.
It had the last line 'Let's get to work', while playing a great track that made me wanna head bang :lol: It almost felt like the end of a movie, leading into a sequel!

Seriously, just love it!

[Night_Hawk90]

wow i guess im in the minority that thought this episode was pretty crap

[LoveHurts38]

I give a 10 loved the episode !!! and enjoyed the cast peformance.

[Sarevokcz]

I loved the DP rooftop scene :D altho in one moment, right after his comment about rusty door and she said "How about this?" i thought EDChloe will try to "trigger" his heat vision with taking her jacket off :) i was actually disappointed she was trying to trigger "only" super hearing ;)

[geminis]

One more thing I loved: Clark saying his framed picture of Lois' rules of journalism was a reminder not only of his first day at work but also that there is only ONE Lois Lane.

Heck, yeah!!

[Hopefulsuicide]

wow i guess im in the minority that thought this episode was pretty crap

Sorry if you've already posted your full opinion and I missed it, but can you tell us what you didn't like about it?

[Joelito]

Was good, at least better than the last episodes..8 magic spells for it :)

[geminis]

I loved the DP rooftop scene :D altho in one moment, right after his comment about rusty door and she said "How about this?" i thought EDChloe will try to "trigger" his heat vision with taking her jacket off :) i was actually disappointed she was trying to trigger "only" super hearing ;)

:rotfl: Or perhaps his x-ray vision? :lol: But I don't think Chloe's mind works that way. Plus, she knows Clark is a gentleman. ;)

Only one thing, I'd love to know how they got down...

[FlashInSV]

This was actually a fun episode, even though it had little to do with the season’s main plot. It was nice to sit back and relax a bit, and watch an amusing performance by the cast.<O:p</O:p
<O:p
FINALLY Lois is back in the episode!! That was a relief. It was like looking for Waldo all these days. Is she gonna be in it, isn’t she...?<O:p</O:p
<O:p
Let me just state that ED really knocked it out of the park. She was fantastic. Starting from the “Oh my god, I’m Lois” line - which made me snort and the indescribable look on her face, like a child who just broke the entire cookie jar while trying to grab a couple of cookies - to the final scene she had with TW, which if I haven’t said so already was positively brilliant, ED demonstrated yet again the comic vein we always knew was there and have always enjoyed watching.<O:p</O:p
<O:p
This episode had a wonderful Chloe, too. Enough with the disoriented friend, who gave stupid and worthless advice, enough with the incredibly horrid spouse, enough already with the damage they’ve caused to a beautiful character. No, this Chloe was good-old Chloe, with her sweet insecurities, her loyalty and determination. This was the Chloe we grew attached to back in season 1. Or maybe...slightly different. But nonetheless, the same core material.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

TW was superb. Very Supermanly. I loved him.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

TW and ED had excellent quotes in Hex and several stand out, such as Clark'</ST1:ps “Isn’t there a limit to how tight a shirt can be to meet dress code?!” - Yeah, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/ /><st1:country-region w:st=<ST1:pKent</ST1:p</st1:country-region>, like that’s the only reason why you noticed. <O:p</O:p
Lois’ “Krypton, Jor-El, Fortress, Brainiac Chloe!” made me ROFL. <O:p</O:p
“A constant reminder there’s only <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">one Lois Lane</st1:address></st1:Street>” – Am I the only who melted when I heard those words? Thank you, writers, thank you!<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

And in that final, mind-blowing scene at the DP, is it just me, or did Lois look tanned?!! If they did it on purpose for her alleged return from <ST1:p<st1:City w:st="on">Mexico City</st1:City></ST1:p, that’s a nice touch, SV!<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

Hex had a DC comics character (Zatanna) and the writers thankfully stayed true to her history. Hex had a JL reference. Hex officially introduced Chloe as the JL Watchtower. The last one, btw, took place in a very movie like ending scene, with a powerful soundtrack and everything, the whole royal package, with Chloe’s softly spoken line “Let’s get to work” – left me hanging for a sequel, actually. Hey, I’m all for girl-power.<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p

This was a FUN episode, it reinstated Smallville’s laid-back tone and I do not hesitate to award it a 10. <O:p</O:p

[chewieskywalker]

What a fun episode! I've been pretty frustrated with the dragging out of things now that they know they are getting another season.

Tom really played Clark with full-on dorkiness. So funny about the "heat vision" trigger-not very Chloe like though.

Isn't it weird though every time Chloe and Clark have this discussion like they are telling the other one "how it is" and then they turn it back on the other one. Kind of annoying. "Are we really talking about me here?"

Tom, very fine as always. Erica-really good Chloe impression (the too big feet in the bunny slippers was good)

[shadow4486]

I really liked this episode, as I do all when they introduce a character from my beloved DCU.

I was worried when Zantanna came out at first and she was only about the "I can grant one wish but not much more than that". I was like "Hey, where's the backwards spell casting" When she chained up Oliver, I was jumping out of my seat! It was awesome!

Over all the episode was very well done and the acting was great! I still worry about Oliver's pining over Lex and what will come of this.

I do hope we can see Zantanna again before the end of the season. I think CK will need all the help he can get (Legion, JL, Hell bring in Myxlptlk to do something) against Doomsday. We remember how the comic ended up.

[Supermeng!]

Overall i was pretty impressed with Zatanna... even though there wasnt much detail on her, i liked how they left her open ended.. the chain scene was pretty cool too. Lol ok umm it looked like Clark finally flew but then again it could have just been him jumping.. again.. lol As for Chole, im glad she is finally letting somethings go. Its about time she decides to do her own thing! I really didnt like how Lois kinda threw things aside with Clark but its all good. Just another way of post ponning the inevitable..

[NIGHTRAVENXLR1]

i loved it just perfect IMO. gave it a 10.
i think after seeing this that where back on track all they way:D:D

[marverde508]

i give it a 10, because of all the clois scenes, they were awesome, "gimme,gimme"... OMG LOL!!!
erica and tom are the best lois and clark everrrrrrr!!!!.
i also like chloe and were her character is heading... it was " calm before the storm" for her because of all the upcoming doomy stuff.
and i also like it because now the hole chlois/chlcark theories can be buried, because as clark himself put it " there's only one Lois Lane".
Erica: you rock, you make every episode you're in the best ones.
Tom: you were so awesome in this episode i can't even describe it... i love more than ever.

[Tompouce]

I gave it a 9. Though I find it really really funny, the plot to me was weak. But that is not what matters, I laugh A LOT and it was the purpose so...

[Crouching Lurker]

I gave this episode a 10. Over all no major complaints.

Loved Erica and Tom, they gave terrific performances. Loved the wink/nod at the Chlois theory; it was lovingly and neatly folded up and tucked away where it belongs. I was hoping for Chloe to come to terms with her life taking a different path from what she always thought; becoming Watchtower was the perfect solution to that.

Better still, Lane and Kent are dancing around each other. Their future is together and it was nice to see Mr. X-ray Vision open his eyes to the fact that he has more than friendly feelings for Lois. I hated that once again it took Chloe to point out things he should be figuring out for himself; but hopefully now her Watchtower duties will keep her too busy to think for Clark.

I love the DP roof scene, all the funny scenes, really. So many laugh out loud moments. Just a fun episode, I hope they have more of these. I don't feel this was a filler episode, at all. The season theme, dual identities and coming to terms with who you are, was very much a part of this episode. The characters and story moved forward as a result.

[newbaggy]

Whenever I've decide to post on a "Loved It/Hated It" thread, I've always ruled out a score of 10/10. Even the best Smallville episodes - the ones I've really enjoyed - have never quite deserved a maximum score, and I never though I would see one that did...until now.

"Hex" was one of those rare blessed moments where absolutely everybody was on form. It helps that Bryan Q. Miller is clearly the best writer on Smallville at the moment, so the script was superb: the "Freaky Friday" premise might have been cheesy, but the end result was well-paced, funny, with a suitably dramatic climax. And how the cast rose to the occasion! Normally, when it comes to performances, I can find one or two lousy ones to single out - but not this time. Serinda Swan managed to make Zatanna suitably enigmatic, but with enough warmth and charm that I'd love to see her back. Justin Hartley might not have been hugely stretched this time, but did his usual stylish job, whilst Tom Welling showed yet again how he blossoms when allowed to play a more humorous Clark. He's an able light comedian, and a few comic touches - even in serious episodes - improve his performances greatly.

Last but not least, Chloe - or rather, Chloes. At last, Allison Mack got to play the Chloe we all love. O.K., those who regard being a journalist as a central part of Chloe's personality won't be happy about her finally turning her back on that role. But for those of us sick of over-anxious-flip-flopping-Clark's-sidekick-Chloe and agonising-over-Davis-Bloome-Chloe, it was a relief to see the return of the smart, funny, light-up-the-screen Chloe that makes her such a treasurable character. Plus, we got Erica Durance absolutely nailing Chloe when she's anxious and confused. She might not have tried to mimic Allison's voice (though, to be fair, the script was based on the idea that people though that Chloe was Lois, so it made sense for Erica to keep her normal "Lois" voice), but she did an excellent job of suggesting that Chloe was in Lois' body. The one serious slip was in the climax, when she played "Chloe's" plea to Clark to superjump in a more "Lois" manner. However, I think that she was right to go for a more heartfelt delivery, rather than concentrating on impersonating Allison's performance. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, I'm not going to get into a "who's better at playing Chloe" argument: Allison was as good as I've ever seen her, whilst Erica did a superb impersonation, especially considering how different she and Allison are physically and vocally.

It may not have had epic moments or great action scenes, but "Hex" was another of those rare occasions where the "Smallville" team got to show just how good they could be. After what has been described as the "Arc of Suck" and a couple of mediocre episodes that followed it, this was the entertaining, watchable story that the series desperately needed.

[stenochick]

Whenever I've decide to post on a "Loved It/Hated It" thread, I've always ruled out a score of 10/10. Even the best Smallville episodes - the ones I've really enjoyed - have never quite deserved a maximum score, and I never though I would see one that did...until now.

"Hex" was one of those rare blessed moments where absolutely everybody was on form. It helps that Bryan Q. Miller is clearly the best writer on Smallville at the moment, so the script was superb: the "Freaky Friday" premise might have been cheesy, but the end result was well-paced, funny, with a suitably dramatic climax. And how the cast rose to the occasion! Normally, when it comes to performances, I can find one or two lousy ones to single out - but not this time. Serinda Swan managed to make Zatanna suitably enigmatic, but with enough warmth and charm that I'd love to see her back. Justin Hartley might not have been hugely stretched this time, but did his usual stylish job, whilst Tom Welling showed yet again how he blossoms when allowed to play a more humorous Clark. He's an able light comedian, and a few comic touches - even in serious episodes - improve his performances greatly.

Last but not least, Chloe - or rather, Chloes. At last, Allison Mack got to play the Chloe we all love. O.K., those who regard being a journalist as a central part of Chloe's personality won't be happy about her finally turning her back on that role. But for those of us sick of over-anxious-flip-flopping-Clark's-sidekick-Chloe and agonising-over-Davis-Bloome-Chloe, it was a relief to see the return of the smart, funny, light-up-the-screen Chloe that makes her such a treasurable character. Plus, we got Erica Durance absolutely nailing Chloe when she's anxious and confused. She might not have tried to mimic Allison's voice (though, to be fair, the script was based on the idea that people though that Chloe was Lois, so it made sense for Erica to keep her normal "Lois" voice), but she did an excellent job of suggesting that Chloe was in Lois' body. The one serious slip was in the climax, when she played "Chloe's" plea to Clark to superjump in a more "Lois" manner. However, I think that she was right to go for a more heartfelt delivery, rather than concentrating on impersonating Allison's performance. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, I'm not going to get into a "who's better at playing Chloe" argument: Allison was as good as I've ever seen her, whilst Erica did a superb impersonation, especially considering how different she and Allison are physically and vocally.

It may not have had epic moments or great action scenes, but "Hex" was another of those rare occasions where the "Smallville" team got to show just how good they could be. After what has been described as the "Arc of Suck" and a couple of mediocre episodes that followed it, this was the entertaining, watchable story that the series desperately needed.

Very well-stated, newbaggy. ITA!

[Joekur]

LOVED it! Solid 9 - only more direct CLois would have pushed it to a 10 - more like 9.44... That's not to say the CLois stuff wasn't GREAT! It WAS!

I think ED channeled AM Wonderfully... I could really see Chloe in EDLois.

And the whole 911 thing - PRICELESS!

I loved Zatana - HOT! I liked her character... and "It's my phone number..." braaawwwhahahahaha!!!

[1stbluss]

I cannot believe what I am reading. I sought out this site just to see how many people thought that the episode HEX was absolute garbage. I couldn't believe what I was watching last night. I mean the writers are so desperate for a story line that they go to the oldest trick in the book, a magic wish that makes you live someone else's life. GARBAGE. On top of that they followed it up with " what happens if Clark loses his powers or forgets he has them". What is this the millionth time that clark has, lost his powers, transferred his powers, forgotten his powers, denied his powers. Please for the love of god get back on track and stop re hashing the same plot over and over again. People actually wrote that this episode was excellent. On which planet was it excellent?

First off Chloe being whom she is would never of stayed in Lois's frame for that long. She is entirely too sensible to be that envious and jealous of her cousin. Over night her character just changes to this person who cannot get over the envy of her own cousin?

Secondly Lois seemingly has become the worlds greatest reporter in the last 2 wks. When did this happen?

There were so many holes in this episode I literally turned to my GF at one point and said "I wonder if the writers allowed their children to write this episode".

Where the hell was doomsday? The writing this season is all over the place. This guy was sent to Kill Clark. He cannot control the overwhelming desire to hunt him and take him out, yet he was nowhere to be seen in this entire episode nor was he ever mentioned?

Please WRITERS/PRODUCERS get your act together. Stop letting the cast produce and write episodes it is clear when they do......

Worst EPISODE of SMALLVILLE EVER :(

[LuckyLois]

I really enjoyed this episode. I have to say that TOM WELLING was wonderful. He did not direct though as some of you have posted. He will direct the 21st episode. He did such a great job reacting to the different Lois/Chloe interpertations and when he was just a regular Clark.

So many funny lines, Wow the acoustics up here, or his reaction to Lois trying to hit him with the pipe. My favorite was how he reacted to the real Lois at the end when he shows her the framed rules. He even bangs his desk and looks around to make sure no one eles is looking.

Erica did a great job too, but I love her as Lois so much. Her looks and smirks at Clark making him squirm make me giddie.

Chloe as Watchtower, now that's what I'm talking about! I want this for her, not to be taking down the dark side by Davis/Doomsday!!!

Oliver and Zatana were good too.

Overall, I gave it an 8. Tom's performance a 10!!!

[BadToad]

Well, I was totally wrong about this episode. I was convinced it would be awful, and I hated the concept. But I'll be darned, not only was this episode fun, well acted, and well executed (with bang-on casting for Zatanna), but it was a great episode for character development.

I think Chloe becoming Watchtower makes perfect sense for her character, and I think its more then a fitting role for Chloe to play. I think it makes the best use of her skills, and honors her place in Clark's life. It also insures her importance to the story overall. For the last 2 seasons, IMO, Chloe has seemed most passionate and engaged when she gets the chance to participate in the hero games, and now she has a permenant seat at that table, with her own undercover moniker.

I enjoyed ED's performance. To be honest, I can't say I saw a ton of "Chloe" in her performance, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. And TW was amazing! He's so freaking funny, and I wish the show made better use out of his natural comedic skills. The DP rooftop scene between Chlois and Clark was hiliarious, and so deftly performed.

I also thought this episode did quite a bit to illuminate Clark's feeling on the Clois issue. And IMO, it set the right tone, and pace. Clearly, he has feelings, and he also seems to realize the potential depth and importance of them. But he's also not ready, and thats OK. In fact, its even as it should be.

For Lois, I think its good that they are reenforcing her success as a journalist, though I still resent that so much of this has occured in Offscreensville (where most of Clark's heroics as the RBB have been as well). And I also absolutely loved how Lois has chosen to handle her disappointment at Clark's non-interest (or so she thinks). She's accepted it, and she's not brooding or dwelling. She's dusting herself off, and moving on. Non-angsty Lois is my preferred version. And I also like that her friendship with Clark remains in tact.

I thought the Chlark friendship continues to be shown as solid, and close.

I did have some minor quibbles. I found Oliver sort of snippy in this episode, and he felt a bit thrown into this plot without any significant character development. I was sorry Jimmy got written out. I thought the dialogue on the DP roof when Zatanna was trying to bring back her father was difficult to hear given the loud sounds effects. But thats all pretty minor stuff.

Its nice to get back to a place where I can feel good about back-to-back episodes.

I gave this one a 9.

[JaM1977]

Guys, i cant believe somebody critize that Lois became world's best reporter... She is only in few episodes this year, most of her arc is not shown - this show is about Clakr, not Lois - just assume that everytime Lois is not there, she is doing something important for her career... I just wonder if we wil get a chance to see how she will get her Pulitzer...

[Fallen One]

We got outselves a '10' folks, we got outselves a 10.

[stenochick]

Guys, i cant believe somebody critize that Lois became world's best reporter... She is only in few episodes this year, most of her arc is not shown - this show is about Clakr, not Lois - just assume that everytime Lois is not there, she is doing something important for her career... I just wonder if we wil get a chance to see how she will get her Pulitzer...

Good point, but I hope they don't show her winning a Pulitzer and just leave that for the future age 30-ish Lois Lane, not this one at the beginning of her career in her early twenties.

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----


We got outselves a '10' folks, we got outselves a 10.

Cedric, out of curiosity, do you find it harder to write a review for an episode you thought was great as opposed to one where you have constructive criticism to dole out?

I am unable so far to come up with an in-depth review other than, "That was great!!"

[Fallen One]

Its much easier to write a review for an episode I love. But Stenochick I too am struggling to put my thoughts into words. There is so much right with this episode that I don't know where to start.

[candor]

i gave it a 7 just because im kinda done with any episodes where clark forgets everything, its just been done to many times.

[Loisdragon]

one of my fav episode this season

[geminis]

Its much easier to write a review for an episode I love. But Stenochick I too am struggling to put my thoughts into words. There is so much right with this episode that I don't know where to start.

I'm sure you'll figure it out. :D And I can't wait! :p

I gather you (and myself) highly approved of Zatanna, given Homer's drool. :lol: Here's hoping Oliver recruits her for the future.

[doubtless]

One of the funniest episodes EVER
Love the " your right, Lois...911"
the scene at DP rooftop
The framed rules
At the end I got really excited

"Watchtower online"
Go Chloe 10!!!

[supercatmom]

10 - A fun and funny episode.
Who knew that TW had such a flair for comedy. Pulls out cell phone and calls 911. ROFL


And the look he gave Chlois after he caught her - any girl would melt please.
ED proformance as Chlois was great. She had many of Chloe's mannerisms down pat.

It was fun watching Lois trying to squeeze into Chloe's clothes.

The serious conversation about moving on with their lives between Clark and Chloe at the end was also great.

But I do think that Chloe moving on to Watchtower was a little fast considering how recent the marriage breakup was. But maybe this was what Chloe wanted to do with her life all along and the marriage to Jimmy was just a last wish for a normal life.
Not unlike Clark's wish once in a while for a normal life.

And they both had an epiphany last nite, Clark as the red/blue blur and Chloe at the watchtower is what they want to do with their lives.

[geminis]

Guys, i cant believe somebody critize that Lois became world's best reporter... She is only in few episodes this year, most of her arc is not shown - this show is about Clakr, not Lois - just assume that everytime Lois is not there, she is doing something important for her career... I just wonder if we wil get a chance to see how she will get her Pulitzer...

I have to say she hasn't necessarily become the world's best reporter, either; she's still down in the basement across from Clark. She's getting more exciting assignments and has a fanboy lackey bringing her coffee and clean clothes but she hasn't earned the Pulitzer yet. That was just Chloe's rose colored view of Lois in her old childhood dream; her own life is imploding at the moment so she's biased.

[origin]

Well, I was totally wrong about this episode. I was convinced it would be awful, and I hated the concept. But I'll be darned, not only was this episode fun, well acted, and well executed (with bang-on casting for Zatanna), but it was a great episode for character development.

I think Chloe becoming Watchtower makes perfect sense for her character, and I think its more then a fitting role for Chloe to play. I think it makes the best use of her skills, and honors her place in Clark's life. It also insures her importance to the story overall. For the last 2 seasons, IMO, Chloe has seemed most passionate and engaged when she gets the chance to participate in the hero games, and now she has a permenant seat at that table, with her own undercover moniker.

I enjoyed ED's performance. To be honest, I can't say I saw a ton of "Chloe" in her performance, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. And TW was amazing! He's so freaking funny, and I wish the show made better use out of his natural comedic skills. The DP rooftop scene between Chlois and Clark was hiliarious, and so deftly performed.

I also thought this episode did quite a bit to illuminate Clark's feeling on the Clois issue. And IMO, it set the right tone, and pace. Clearly, he has feelings, and he also seems to realize the potential depth and importance of them. But he's also not ready, and thats OK. In fact, its even as it should be.

For Lois, I think its good that they are reenforcing her success as a journalist, though I still resent that so much of this has occured in Offscreensville (where most of Clark's heroics as the RBB have been as well). And I also absolutely loved how Lois has chosen to handle her disappointment at Clark's non-interest (or so she thinks). She's accepted it, and she's not brooding or dwelling. She's dusting herself off, and moving on. Non-angsty Lois is my preferred version. And I also like that her friendship with Clark remains in tact.

I thought the Chlark friendship continues to be shown as solid, and close.

I did have some minor quibbles. I found Oliver sort of snippy in this episode, and he felt a bit thrown into this plot without any significant character development. I was sorry Jimmy got written out. I thought the dialogue on the DP roof when Zatanna was trying to bring back her father was difficult to hear given the loud sounds effects. But thats all pretty minor stuff.

Its nice to get back to a place where I can feel good about back-to-back episodes.

I gave this one a 9.



It's funny, last night after the episode aired I kept searching this thread to see what you had to say about it, I knew you were not looking forward to it. I had a feeling you were going to enjoy the episode, especially when Clark played much greater into the storyline than the spoilers and description had everyone believing

[Saber]

I give it a 4, I thought this episode was boring & dull.

[GaidinDre]

I gave it a 9, needed some action to make it a 10. Very enjoyable.

[Steve-El]

It'd be much funnier if Chloe/Lois had hit Clark with the metal pipe. It would have vibrated.

[eas]

Whenever I've decide to post on a "Loved It/Hated It" thread, I've always ruled out a score of 10/10. Even the best Smallville episodes - the ones I've really enjoyed - have never quite deserved a maximum score, and I never though I would see one that did...until now.

"Hex" was one of those rare blessed moments where absolutely everybody was on form. It helps that Bryan Q. Miller is clearly the best writer on Smallville at the moment, so the script was superb: the "Freaky Friday" premise might have been cheesy, but the end result was well-paced, funny, with a suitably dramatic climax. And how the cast rose to the occasion! Normally, when it comes to performances, I can find one or two lousy ones to single out - but not this time. Serinda Swan managed to make Zatanna suitably enigmatic, but with enough warmth and charm that I'd love to see her back. Justin Hartley might not have been hugely stretched this time, but did his usual stylish job, whilst Tom Welling showed yet again how he blossoms when allowed to play a more humorous Clark. He's an able light comedian, and a few comic touches - even in serious episodes - improve his performances greatly.

Last but not least, Chloe - or rather, Chloes. At last, Allison Mack got to play the Chloe we all love. O.K., those who regard being a journalist as a central part of Chloe's personality won't be happy about her finally turning her back on that role. But for those of us sick of over-anxious-flip-flopping-Clark's-sidekick-Chloe and agonising-over-Davis-Bloome-Chloe, it was a relief to see the return of the smart, funny, light-up-the-screen Chloe that makes her such a treasurable character. Plus, we got Erica Durance absolutely nailing Chloe when she's anxious and confused. She might not have tried to mimic Allison's voice (though, to be fair, the script was based on the idea that people though that Chloe was Lois, so it made sense for Erica to keep her normal "Lois" voice), but she did an excellent job of suggesting that Chloe was in Lois' body. The one serious slip was in the climax, when she played "Chloe's" plea to Clark to superjump in a more "Lois" manner. However, I think that she was right to go for a more heartfelt delivery, rather than concentrating on impersonating Allison's performance. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, I'm not going to get into a "who's better at playing Chloe" argument: Allison was as good as I've ever seen her, whilst Erica did a superb impersonation, especially considering how different she and Allison are physically and vocally.

It may not have had epic moments or great action scenes, but "Hex" was another of those rare occasions where the "Smallville" team got to show just how good they could be. After what has been described as the "Arc of Suck" and a couple of mediocre episodes that followed it, this was the entertaining, watchable story that the series desperately needed.


Well said, well said. And I agree with you on all counts.

[LuckyKrypto]

Excellent episode! I loved Zatanna, and hope they can bring her back, definitely a character that I would love to see more of!
I wasn't excited about this episode, but I thought Erica did a great job playing Chloe, and probably my favorite scene was when Alison came back as Chloe to utter 'up, up and away'!
This was really a fun episode to watch. The writing balanced humor with a good story and I really enjoyed this.

[Night_Hawk90]

Sorry if you've already posted your full opinion and I missed it, but can you tell us what you didn't like about it?

no need for apologies these are the things that annoyed me in the episode
- clark again wishing to be normal( how many times do i have to see him wanting this?)
- if they wanted to address this chlois nonsense they should have done it in the begnning of the season or a few seasons back, there was no need to put this episode so high near the season finale. So many other storyline's could have been explored.
- this episode is basically like blank(hated that episode) clark forgets who he is and chloe needs to show/tell him who he is. Complete b.s
- i dont want to even mention the watchtower scene cause i hated that as well.

If this episode was done a few yrs ago or put in the beginning of the season 8 i would have given it an 8 but as usual this show lacks continuity.

[Celestx88]

I watched this episode over and over again and didn't get bored. Clark was so adorable and hilarious as an uptight reporter and Lois was excellent in her portrayal of Chloe. You can really see the difference in her overall look and attitude. I can't wait to see Clois in "Stiletto" and hopefully more in Season 9 =)

[blackcelebration]

Episode 15

Introduction

Well, I gotta admit, I wasn’t expecting much from this one. As soon as I took a look at the description of the episode… “Chloe wishes to become Lois and Zatana, a Witch, makes it so.” My first thoughts were… here we go Committed Part 2, an episode devoid of logic and just there to serve up as Shipper Porn. Here, like Committed, the writers had the chance to ditch plot and character but instead splash Chlois in our face just like they did with Clois and Chimmy in that God awful episode!

But low and behold, I was left at the end being surprised… actually, really surprised. Not only did the episode have character, something I probably haven’t been able to honestly say since… well, Legion, but it had an intelligent use of using although a Plot device that this show had already done “Leech, Transference, Vessel, Zod and of course this seasons Bloodline…” and actually make something fresh out of it.

I’ve also gotta give a special quodos to the woman who played Zatana, whose name for a change I actually looked up because well… she was damn hot. But what helped in Serinda Swan’s performance was not only that she was of course damn hot but she had a hotly written character (Pun intended). For example, remember Maxima from Instinct? Yeah, she was hot but she had basically zero character… there we had a woman who just brainlessly went around kissing and killing people without a care in the world until she found her Kryptonian Soul Mate… But other than that… err… well, she was hot!

But here we have Zatana, a woman who is a witch, who can grant everyone a wish, except herself and the only way to do so is to find her now deceased father’s spell book, in which later on she finds out that she has to sacrifice a life to resurrect her father. But instead of just mindlessly finding someone and killing them, she decides to sacrifice her own life (Or at least tries too until Clark intervenes)… Oh, and she’s hot!

Therefore, it was easier to have sympathy for Zatana’s situation than it ever was for Maxima’s because Zatana was at least good willed at what she did “Bar making a guy drivel in Latin” but even that can be argued as having no control over how others use her powers. And most importantly, she didn’t just mindlessly go around killing people before dumbly declaring… oh well, it’s all for a good cause!

Not only that but she brought out the best (Bar Lois, who was hardly in the episode) out of the characters in this episode (We can’t count the MIA boys “Druggie Jimmy or Bloomsday as they weren’t in the episode) this being Clark and Chloe. And of course most importantly she was used to finally move these characters forward to a cool direction (Well, for at least one episode anyway because Smallville has a way of just screwing these things up).

The Teaser

I will admit, as far as the teaser goes it was as I was expecting… Committed II. You know we have a party seemingly for an unemployed Chloe, which is so huge I could only assume a Million… sorry Billionaire funded it for her.

So, Chloe just idly looks outside a balcony by herself, probably wondering “How did my marriage go wrong… I mean I never visited him in hospital, I just idly broke up with him without a care in a world… err someone help me here!”

Anyhow, Chloe soon sees a gift from Clark that happens to be a book called “Tales of the Unexplained,” which I’ll admit was kinda cute. But Clark can’t make it cos he’s doing hero things, so it’s left up to Ollie to bare Clark’s gift.

Chloe, looking jealously at Lois, who is talking to a bunch of people about… well, something, then blabbers on about how her life suddenly went screwy…



That was supposed to be my life!
Only, when did this happen?
One day I’m on the fast track to my dream career as an Intrepid Reporter and then I blink and all of a sudden I’m this under qualified shrink for Meteor Infected Freaks kids who will probably end up being psycho killers, whilst Lois and Clark are wondering on the beach with matching press passes together

Yes, Chloe… it’s true, it’s damn true… the Chimmy relationship really screwed you up. Not only in life but as a character too. Worst Smallville relationship EVER! YES WORSER THAN CLANA… but probably to be re-instated… by my guess... the next episode (But I pray I’m wrong).

Ollie (Who has either suddenly comeback from being Lexified in Requiem or he’s recovered from "Lana was in an episode or five syndrome"), rightfully says that Chloe is just jealous before walking off and meeting a lady dressed as a Magician???

Now granted, I wouldn’t be confused if this was a guys birthday but why have a Female Magician for Chloe’s birthday? But hey, maybe I’m just a bit peculiar.

Zatana’s first line also comes of more like something a Prostitute or a Stripper would say to a possible client…



Now there’s a man who looks like he needs a little bit of magic in his life

But Ollie to his credit doesn’t say… “You’re right and I have a special little room where we can both create some magic!” But instead directs Zatana to Chloe’s direction because she’s the birthday girl and she’s in need of some magic? Again, why not hire a MALE WIZARD if it’s for a WOMAN’S BIRTHDAY?

Anyway, Zatana meets Chloe (Who is carrying a cut, yet small birthday cake with one candle) and asks her to make a wish! Chloe blows her candle and we see Zatana’s eyes glow. Oh Chloe, be careful what you wish for!

So next scene we see Chloe wake up in her room, the day after, before realising… “Oh my God I’m Lois!” and thus for this episode becoming CHLOIS!

Somebody Saaaaaavvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeee Me!

The Rest

I was kind off curious why Chloe didn’t think she was in a dream and try and bang her head on a table a few times before assuming she’d wake up but hey maybe that’s something in the DVD deleted scenes section.

My optimism for this episode really rose though when they revealed that Lois was still Lois, whilst being on assignment in Mexico?? But still at least it left some comfort knowing that Smallville weren’t suddenly gonna go all 'Freaky Friday' on us. Unlike that other episode which went all 'Saw' on us…

So, Chlois charges into The Planet (With a Dry-cleaned suit in hand for some reason?) before looking around Lois’s desk and seeing a FRAMED PHOTO OF LOIS AND THE DELI LAMA???

Chlois Googles Zatana and finds out she’s a magician before Clark suddenly sees her and comments that she isn’t exactly in business attire today (Insert Lois is a tramp joke here) before apparently being the only person in the Office to ask why Chlois isn’t in Mexico.

Chlois tries to explain but Clark isn’t interested because he thinks Lois is yappy??

He also notes that last night before she left for Mexico, Lois called him like six times???

Chlois then notes that he answered Lois’s calls but couldn’t call Chloe on her birthday??? Err maybe some of the calls were missed calls Chlois???

Clark soon remarks (With a seconds pause for thought) that he was… busy in the farm- HA!

I was curious though, why not just surge into the Planet and tell Clark straight away what happened?

Ok, I know she half tried but it would have been in character for Chloe to have been more forceful with convincing Clark of her Chlois situation. Plus, as Chloe basically worships the ground that Clark walks in and uses him as a kind off rolemodel... wouldn’t Clark himself have done the same thing? Especially if the roles had been reversed? Remember Reckoning...? After Clark had just reversed time?? Oh, that's right, that was during the Al Miles Season Four to Seven days... how stupid of me!

So, Chlois soon turns the discussion over to her Chimmy situation but Clark soon shuns that conversation by telling Chlois that he is not taking sides in the Chimmy dispute…



He may have gone over board on the whole Davis Bloom serial killer thing… but it’s gotta be tough when the person you’re building your life with doesn’t believe in you

Woah, have truer words ever been spoken…? I would have also added…



And it doesn’t help when you’re in hospital and fighting for your life your wife can’t even be bothered visiting you!

But hey, everyone’s opinion varies I suppose.

Clark then notes that there is a Police Standoff before almost charging out of the Office but Lois isn’t coming, so Clark soon reminds her that it’s usually Lois who charges out of the office first… ha wow, is it me or did we just have character progression… well, for one episode!

We soon cutaway to LuthorCorp where Ollie is reading last weeks paper (Pun intended) about Lex’s death. So Zatana soon enters and wants a “Proper introduction.”

She soon claims to need Ollie’s help and that money won’t be a problem because her Daddy was very, very rich… well, before he died. Anyway, she wants some help in requiring a book that Lex bought in an auction but Lex’s lawyer won’t allow Ollie anyway near Lex’s collection… “So who did he write for it all to go too in his will…??? Family??? Friends??? Lawyers??? Badgers???”

Zatana asks Ollie to find the book, before offering him any wish he desires… Ollie says PUPPIES… nah just kidding. Although, if he wants his deepest desire, Ollie’s gotta find the book by Midnight… duhh humm duhhh! But hey, it’s 11:58 at night??? CLUNK ON THE HEAD MR QUEEN!

There’s an unnecessary Chlois/Clois moment where Clark catches a tripping Lois and looks at her adoringly (Although Lana was the love of his life like… three episodes ago) and Chlois soon states that “Clark has never looked at her like that before??” CONTRIVED, ROMANTIC, SOAP OPERA RUBBISH! Worst moment of the episode! But thank God it was like 20 seconds!

Anyway, we soon find out that the Police are patrolling a Latin Speaking Mad Man, who is warning about Zatana and her evil spell book… Well, that’s what Chlois says he’s speaking cos she can speak Latin??? Err ok???

Clark questions this too but Chlois finally says that she’s Chloe… and yes she does say she left a message about that but she still could have told him at The Planet and not have left it strung out for so long!

MAD DOG CHLOIS!!

(Come on, you gotta let me have that one!)

So, they visit Zatana and Chlois says that she don't wanna be Lois but Zatana says "she can change anytime she wants," so Chlois says... "I don't want to be Lois!" Yeah, that always works in the movies... NOT!

Zatana soon explains that she wants a little airloon of her father's... "Is it a magic book?" asks Clark, yeah she's just gonna say... "Yes, it is and by the way it could cause everyone's, including your own, impending doom!!!"

Dear God Clark can be a BDA sometimes!

She soon casts a spell on Clark, which although he never tells Zatana, who I think can mind read, his wish... as he stated to Chlois earlier, is “To have a simple normal life…” Damn, now Clark’s gonna learn you gotta be careful what you wish for… well, kinda!

When they leave, Chlois soon realises that Clark ain’t invulnerable to Magic (Very True) and asks if he’s ok… he says he is but then he calls her "Lois"… cos he’s err Clark! DOH!

Then they both see a guy mug a woman and Chlois says “Aren’t you gonna do anything?” before Clark says… “You’re right!” before getting his mobile out and saying “Hello 911??”

Err, wouldn’t you dial 911??

Who’s ever called 911 and said “911 please??”

Still, I’ll admit, it was a funny, if not stupid joke… just don’t think too much about it! Maybe, “Police please??” would have made more sense??

Back at The Planet, Clark now a reformed 'non-believer', says that Chlois is having a laugh if she thinks he’ll believe that Chlois is Chloe, before ranting on about Lois’s written laws of journalism, which he still has written on paper in his desk... and FRAMED??? SECOND WORST MOMENT OF THIS EPISODE! Still, again it was 20 seconds!

They soon end up on the Roof of The Daily Planet?? And in a kinda homage to 'LNC,' where in that episode Ma and Pa Kent tried to make Clark remember that he was Superman. Chlois does the same here... bar pushing him off the top of a building.

Ollie has gone all Green Arrow and gets the book from Lex’s goons… Well, all TWO OF THEM… Also, how did the Green Arrow know what book to look for?? Was there a sign that said…Zatana’s Dad’s Spell Book this way!!??

He decides to burn it because it’s evil and all. In a true, yet typical TV climax, before he can burn the book, he soon spins around and sees Zatana, who in turn takes the book magically from him before literally whipping his candy ass by 'spell chaining' The GA, who she now somehow knows is Ollie… cos in no way can anybody be fooled by Sunshades… you need GLASSES... I tell you… GLASSES!

Also, if Zatana had these powers all along... WHY DIDN'T SHE EVER USE THEM TO FIND THE BOOK TO BEGIN WITH??? I don't think many people would fail to be interrogated by a hot chick who can probably kill you with a mere thought! That was definitely a major CHARACTER PLOTHOLE in this episode.

Clark and Chlois visit ‘Latin Guy’ in hospital and he tells them that in order to resurrect her father that Zatana needs to sacrifice someone’s life… duhh dummm deeerr!!!

Zatana, now has the Magic Book and instead of chosing INSIDE an abandoned Warehouse like any other sane person would do, she decides to use her Hocus Pocus and resurrect her father OUTSIDE ON THE ROOF OF THE DAILY PLANET??? I mean, she creates a huge MAGICAL BROWN CLOUD where any fool can see it. But because this is Smallville, only Clark and Chlois are the only people who seemingly notice a 'Big Brown Magic Cloud' lurking randomly on top of supposedly one of Metropolis's most famous landscapes!??

So, Clark not long before Chlois turns back to Chloe, who has somehow re-discovered her Karma, as we soon revert back to Season 4's Blank episode, well, kinda... as Chloe helps Clark to remember who he really is and therefore ridding him of Zatana’s 'Normal Spell'.

So, Clark SuperJumps up to stop Zatana sacrificing herself… woah... and gives one of the better redemption speeches of the show… From my memory… the best since Plastique.

Before Zatana can make her mind up though, Chloe just charges in without thinking and gets caught up in the Vortex of DOOM. So, Zatana not wanting to kill her decides to let her father rest in peace… Ahh BLESS. Overall a very satisfactory ending… yes, I had no quarrels.

We do get one more stupid thing though. Lois, who has returned from Mexico, with a fake tan, teases Clark over his framed ‘Lois’s rules of Journalism’ and Clark for some reason is embarrassed about telling her about it, even though he had no problem proudly telling Chlois when he thought that she was Lois. THIRD WORST MOMENT OF THE EPISODE!

Zatanna apologises to Ollie for... well, you know chaining him up and all... well, it's her bad luck that she hasn't yet met Wonder Woman because she'd probably invite her for Tea and Biscuits... OH IMAGINE THE PUPPIES!

Actually, at first Ollie shuns her and tells her to take a hike, before having a sudden change of heart and tells her he understands why someone would want to save their father but things are never as simple as that.

Zatana asks Ollie to keep in touch, giving her his number... nudge nudge, wink wink... before warning him of evil magicians and all that... weird I'm kinda excited at the prospect of that and for the first time this Season it makes me actually say... ROLL ON SEASON NINE!

Clark and Chloe have one of their best dialogues together for ages (Bar the Chloe shoving Clois in our faces larc). They both agree that each of them need to move on with life and look forward not back… well, until the next episode (Please let me be wrong).

Chloe is soon back at Isis and says to Ollie that she is ready to move forward in her life and accepts the job of ‘Watchtower’ before asking Impulse, Aquaman, Cyborg… and the rest of The Justice League Gang to confirm their presence because Watchtower in online… AWESOME!

The Rest

I’m expecting the Chimmy angst or reunion or whatever rubbish they can conjure up about that couple to happen next week. As far this episode goes it rocked. It had character, heart and in the most part good fluidity amongst the plot. Yes, there were some little problems with continuity and one minor problem with a characters logic, as there always is with TV, but overall, despite maybe lack of a big event or effects sequence, this episode was well written, well acted and most importantly enjoyable to watch… oh and Zatana was hot! AND I MEAN HOOOOOOOTTTT!

8/10

[1stbluss]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers

[blackcelebration]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers

First, welcome to Kryptonsite...

Actually, this is the place for subjective criticism but as long as you appreciate other people's opinion.

For example a few episodes back someone stated that Bulletproof was one of the shows worst episodes (Which I don't agree with, although it was average filler). Although I thought the following episode Power was the biggest pile of you know what to ever hit Smallville. Neither did I like the last episode before this one but I know some others did.

I did like this one though but I don't begrudge you for hating this episode because everyone's tastes differ... that's what makes it cool to be human :D

Anyhow, make sure to read up on the forum rules and respect other people's opinions.


Just saw that this was my 600th post... so whoppee for me! :D

[josue_can]

First, welcome to Kryptonsite...

Actually, this is the place for subjective criticism but as long as you appreciate other people's opinion.

For example a few episodes back someone stated that Bulletproof was one of the shows worst episodes (Which I don't agree with, although it was average filler). Although I thought the following episode Power was the biggest pile of you know what to ever hit Smallville. Neither did I like the last episode before this one but I know some others did.

I did like this one though but I don't begrudge you for hating this episode because everyone's tastes differ... that's what makes it cool to be human :D

Anyhow, make sure to read up on the forum rules and respect other people's opinions.




Exactly,

There is nothing wrong with me for loving it.

And there nothing wrong with you (1stbluss) for hating it.

[blackcelebration]

Exactly,

There is nothing wrong with me for loving it.

And there nothing wrong with you for hating it.

Err I didn't hate the episode:lol:

But I know what you mean !;)


Now looks ultra silly after realing that the comment wasn't meant for me :rotfl:

[cma_454]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers

Do you mean objective? Because all reviews are pretty subjective. Can you really write something based on personal tastes in a completely objective manner?

But, of course what you really mean is reviews that are subjective in the same way you are. Search the web, I'm sure there are some. Even here, it appears that there are at least two other people that share your opinion (see the poll at the top of this page).

[saltyweeks]

1stbluss, go back and read the forums in the Lana arc for a treasure trove of the stuff you are apparently looking for.

This was a wonderful hour of TV, a great one to watch with the girls this weekend. It reminded me of those Buffy one shot funny episodes that seem to be the ones I enjoy going back to the most, even if they aren't the most important.

I really like them giving Chloe a legit place in the DC heroes world. I just hope they use it.

[jordan_caye]

It was okay, sorry for being so late: i.e. school is lame! the episode was very neat to see a side of Chloe like that and how Lois remembered some stuff. Zatanna is cool and it was good that she will be able to come back! Clark was great in this episode i almost (you know what... myself) when Chloe changed back and he lept up to the building- tought he was flying but guess not. hope she can play magic genie again so clark can get the wish he wants. overall good episode, thanks for posting i enjoy reading them, and chloe and oliver establishing the watchtower is great!

[Lok]

After Chloe woke up and found out she was Lois I nearly turned the TV off!! how many times has this storyline been used on TV?

Glad I didnt............ the last 3 minutes made up for the filler episode, great to see the Legion and watchtower.....

I liked the Superman curl in the roof scene, but a change of angle 2 seconds later it was gone which annoyed me....

I would of loved to see Olivers wish come true, I am guessing it was to not have murdered Lex because he was feeling guilty after all....

BTW Clarks wish should not of been to be a normal guy, weve seen that alot of times and in the last episodes he was accepting his destiny..... it should of been "Damn I wish I could fly!"

[kimberlyclark]

Loved IT What a great episode Loved the clark/lois/chloe triangle. Like how Clark did not know it was chloe at first.. Keep up the Awesome work. Tom did a great job directing and Erica did a great job acting like chloe Can't imagine a Thursday night without watching Smallville never go off the air. lol

[BAMAGIRL]

I gave it a 10. Hilarious episode.

I loved this episode's different versions of Clark:

The pre-wish version: teasing, confidant, happy
The wish version: adorably geeky
The post-wish version: sweet and charming

Erica was awesome. I recognized a lot of "Chloe-isms" all during her portrayal of Chloe. Well-done Erica.

Everyone had great lines. Props to the writer for the snappy dialogue.

[BAD BOY 92]

worst episode i ever seen!!!!!!!!!! only a 1

[Uruk-Hai]

I thought "Hex" was one of the better episodes! I really liked the way they did Clark as the nerdy, mild-mannered reporter. Good direction for him!

[wingster55]

I don't think it goes in my ten worst episodes.
However I wouldn't put it in my top 20 either. I'm surprised so many people are considering it the best ep ever. Only for Clois fans I guess. Bryan Q's style.

[DestinyAw8s]

Excellent episode overall! ED and TW at their best! Brian Q. Miller gets Lois Lane. Love him!!:D

[KalEltheBoyscout]

I absolutely loved this episode. But the scene where Chlois is trying to prove to Clark that he has powers. LOL! That's a classic scene.

[hero`s passion]

I just say WOW!!!!:)))))

[bizzaroboy9]

wow! over 200 people likes this episode. this is the most i have seen of all episodes i think

[NoSupeForYou]

Anyone else get a little guilty pleasure from watching Chloe get zapped by the door to hell or whatever that was called? It was like she got tasered by death.

[thehenry89]

Anyone else get a little guilty pleasure from watching Chloe get zapped by the door to hell or whatever that was called? It was like she got tasered by death.

karma anyone ;)

[terri7015]

I LOVED it!!! It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! :D

[lex fan 10]

i like the magic girl and that was funny clark dident know who he was

[Jaderoyale]

Its that time of week again. Smallville time. *whistles*
Episode 17. Only 5 left. Crikey, it feels like yesterday that Odyssey was airing and everyone was screaming "LOOK AT CLARK! HES WET!!! HES IN DIFFERENT ATTIRE!" - Little did we know that for the rest of the season, Clark would be in some sort of smart shirt EVERY episode. I as a female, am extremley happy about this development. Keep him in shirts forever i say. Keep them all smart. We like smart.

So tonight, Hex. We get Zatanna and Chloe gets her birthday wish. To be Lois *eye twitches slightly* Now, there is only one thing i must stress. I will not have ANY of this... this Chlois theory. I am NOT a believer in it AT ALL, i understand that some are, and are extremley passionate about it, but thats where it ends for me. I have never liked it and i NEVER will. So the fact that this episode is being labelled and "Chlois" episode is sending me insane already. Chloe does not BECOME Lois in that sense. Lois will still be alive on an assignment, therefore this is not Chlois. Okay? *sighs* Right. I'm not sure whether i need alcohol or tea, because now i've got the Chlois theory in my head i'm feeling a little angsty....

Previously On Smallville... There is no episode recap but basically, last week Davis found out that murderering people soothes the savage beast. Clark had the time of his life running around a phone booth. And Jimmy became THE MAN.

Funky house music. Party. Chloes standing on a balcony looking at her wedding ring. Of course she is. Her marraige is over. Tear.
Present. Oliver. HE AND BART!? BART?!!?!?! Sorry. Bless Clark, i'm guessing thats a nice gift. Oliver is looking SHARP. LOIS! Girls having fun! Was that meant to be your life though Chloe? Ah. It begins. Good boy Ollie, nice with the sarcasm.

Lois; "One year closer to the sweet release of death"

*blinks* Either thats a hint to death, or Lois is more random than i ever thought. Aw, a small ChloLo moment. That was sweet. I miss the ChloLo. Oh look, legs. Zatanna. Hello. I can hear the males screaming with joy. Of course Chloes not going to see her eyes glow. Theres the wish. We know. Shes looked at Lois. *sigh* And there we go. I WANNA BE MY COUSIN.

Hahaha. I LOVED that part. The fact that her feet were too big for the slippers was hilarious. The lip bite was SPOT ON. Well done ED.

Opening credits. *throws arms and sways* I miss Martha.

Oh heavens, whats she wearing? That is NOT a Lois outfit at all. Gosh its vile. Let the freak out begin, as she has phoned Lois and Lois is absolutely fine. I love this episode already. I really do. I hope it doesn't go downhill.

Daily Planet. Morning coffee. Gosh. This is just. Anvil crazy. The outfit is VILE though. What is that in her hair?! I'm sorry. Oh look. Google. *fights laughter* Haven't seen that in a while, these days Clark uses tapped in police radios. In pops Clark. Looking as DAPER as ever. Nice shirt. Asks Chloe/Lois what she's doing back and then comments on the vile ensemble.

Clark; "Isn't there a limit to how tight a shirt can be to meet dress code?"

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Ahahahahaha. Oh my god. That was priceless. AND THE FACT HE SNORTED. AND looked at her chest. The way ED said "really" then, was very AM like. I must commend her. Oh, Chloe/Lois is slightly bitter. Clark was talking to Lois the night before, and not phoning her. Oh this is good. Clark, you are magnificent.

Right i must take a break to say the following - that scene. Was great. Not only did it show us and "Chloe" how Lois and Clark work together, it showed their relationship. The banter. Also the fact that Chloe, to me, has lost her reporters jazz. Usually, back in the day she would have been up running when a story broke, not just standing there.

- Wheres Jimmy? -

Back to the episode. Luthorcorp. Or is it Queencorp? Zatanna just stands there. Looking rather attractive. I do prefer my men, but the women on this show are marvellous aren't they? Slight sexual tension between Zatanna and Oliver. Of course. Ah let us mention John, the father. And she's told him she can grant wishes. Oliver at first is not tempted, then he is. Just get her the book. But what does he want? Hmmm?

On the streets. Clark comments that Chloe/Lois hasn't insulted him once. WHAT IS SHE WEARING? And why is that thing still in her hair? But a different colour. And shes tripped and Clarks caught her. And, OH MY. Look, at that look. LOOK AT IT. LOOOOOOOOOK! *bounces* I never expected that. I've been trying to forget about the said "loving gaze,". Thats right. He's never looked at you, Chloe, like that has he?
IS THAT A SPIT CURL!? Okay, Clark knows. You could tell by how fast he put her back up then. Say something. Nicely large PD gives her money. Chloe/Lois is baffled and then proceeds to translate the crazy town cryers latin. Ah so she tells him.

Yes Clark how did you not pick up on it? Clark likes what he's doing at the Planet. Good boy. To Zatannas magic room. Zatanna, talking. Telling Chloe/Lois that it was WISH. Clark looks baffled. Chloe/Lois is of course denying that she wants the life, but Zatanna points out its what she wanted at that moment the wish was granted. Chloe/Lois says she doesn't want it, yet remains as Lois. Here's Zatanna, ready to grant Clarks wish. And she has, whats the wish? Back on the streets Chloe/Lois is moaning and theres a robbery afoot. Clark has forgotten its actually Chloe and thinks hes with Lois. Hahaha look at his face. He looks buzzed. OMG. I literally just laughed out loud. That was amazing.

Chloe/Lois; Aren't you going to do anything?
Clark; You're absolutely right Lois *pulls out phone* 911...

Back to the Daily Planet. Clark is mouthing off about the reporters handbook. Haha. He's framed the rules. Little. LITTLE THINGS. *is bouncing* Chloe/Lois has an epiphany and pulls Clark away to the Daily Planet roof and then decides to give him a "talking to".

Clark; I don't make the news. I just report it.

OH seriously. I don't think i have EVER laughed so much in my life. This is great. Yes i know this isn't technically Lois. But TW and ED are just, wow. They bounce off each other so well. The look on Clarks face when Chloe/Lois locks the door. Hahaha. He looks completely horrified. As if he can't believe that shes broken a rule. So Chloe/Lois tells him to open the door, and the handle snaps off in his hand. Surely that will make him believe? No.

Clark; What i believe... is this door needs better maitenance... look at the rust in here,"

I have never. Felt the need to quote so much in my life. This is technically a recall to Blank when Clark lost his memory. Clark, is having none of this. So Chloe/Lois grabs a bar while Clark gazes into the air like a newborn baby seeing the clouds. That scene was GREAT. Clarks complete dellusions.

- Seriously, wasn't Jimmy meant to be in this? :lol: -

Random Luthorcorp storage. Green Arrow. TIGHT OUTFIT. I love the voice. Haha. So hes after the book. What exactly does he want? I'm guessing his parents alive and well. Now to a random alleyway. Zatanna appears. She knows its Oliver, not exactly stealth though really was he? So she can't grant her own wishes. And she wants her dad back. Course she does. Oliver goes to burn the book and it literally flies to Zatannas grasp who then conjours up some chains while speaking backwords and chains Oliver up. Kinky. Then walking off and leaving him chained and exposed.

Episodely visit to Met Gen. Crazy man in the bed. Seems Zatanna has to kill someone else to bring her father back. A life for a life. *blinks* What, is with the hints this episode?

DP roof. Zatanna trying to resurect. Chloe/Lois and Clark see the spell from the roof. Chloe/Lois gives Clark the superhero speech. Its weird, because he thinks its Lois. The world needs you. This line has no power for me after Lana murdered it. And Chloe's back. And hes jumped. That. That was a flight ring. SURELY. On the roof and Zatanna knows the rules apparently. Clark knows, nice mention of Pa Kent. *sniff* Oh. Chloes appeared and been pulled into the spell. The life is literally being sucked from her as John reforms. IS THAT A S CURL!? Seriously. Clark's hero speech to Zatanna has worked and she stops the spell.

Next day. Chloe is back to normal. Nice tight red shirt Clark. Episodely Chlark speech. Its nice, we haven't had one in a while, mainly because of, lets face it, Chimmy. Clarks talking about the feelings for Lois slightly. Non stop puppy dog eyes. Clark changes the subject to Chloe and Jimmy. But Chloe salvages it. Nice work. Pointing out that theres no harm in giving things another chance with someone if you know its right. And Clark does.

Back to Queencorp. Zatannas there again, with Oliver in a suit. Of course. Nice hair. Very bed ridden. Nice and fluffy. So Zatannas given him her card.

Zatanna; "This time i'm on your side,"

Well, i should think so love. So shes going on the road. Its her PHONE NUMBER Oliver. Kinky.

Daily Planet. Clark in a black shirt. Lois twisting the chair. Eeeee, nice callback. Let me see it!? *mind jumps into the gutter* Yeah, he does have a terrible poker face. Lois seems slightly, moved that hes framed the rules. Lois has a date. Clarks face. Aw. Back to basics. I don't think Clark wants that. I can see it.

Isis. Chloe and Oliver. Whats going on here. The music is beaty. I'm expecting something fab. "This is where i belong?" In Isis? Oh come on Chloe, don't be silly. Aquaman, online. Black Canary, online. Cyborg, online. IMPULSE, online. Green Arrow online. And there it is WATCHTOWER!!!

Overall. *bounces*
I am, so excited. This episode, well honestly, it was fab. It was so lighthearted. Hoenstly, i cannot remember smiling so much throughout an episode, let alone laughing. Fair enough this season has had its comedic moments, but this episode... *snorts*

I loved Clark. I really did. He was great. Its refreshing to see the writers give TW some comedy to act with and TW was absolutely great. Spot on with it all. The scene on the DP roof was absolutely hilarious. I was seriously crying with laughter, the facial expressions TW pulls are priceless. He always acts more through his face, which is what i love about him and this episode was no expection. "What i believe... is this door needs better maitenance, look at the rust," - that line, was beautiful. Haha.

Chloe. NORMAL Chloe. Its understandable that shes feeling depressed. Her marraige has broken down immediately after her husband comes back from Star City, to her obviously Lois' life seems more appealing. Chloe was right, that life is what she wanted all through high school and got within touching distance before it was taken away from her faster than she could say stop.

Now, Chloe/Lois. This, i don't know. As you know, i was worried about the whole "Chlois" theory *eye twitches* - but this episode showed us (IMO) that it DOES NOT exist. Chloe's wish was granted because in that moment, its what she wanted. If she would have truly wanted it, the spell would never have broken, but it did.
ED as Chloe. Now, this is a weird one really isn't it? Opposed to Bloodline when ED was portraying Faora, a character we have NOTHING to compare to, she was portraying an established character in this episode. There is one stand out performance of an actor on the show playing an established character to me, and thats when TW portrayed Lionel in Transference. But ED did well AM has pretty much stamped herself as Chloe Sullivan, she IS Chloe. Our first glimpse of ED portraying Lois was spot on. Then the outfit. *screams* How noone could tell that wasn't Lois i will never know. At times, what i loved that ED did, was try too hard, because in a sense Chloe was trying to be Lois, too hard, and failing. ED did a great job.

Chloes epiphany was obviously to move on from Jimmy and embrace the sidekick role.
Thats what i gathered, and why Jimmy wasn't in the episode.

Zatanna. I liked her. She was attractive and intruiging. Serinda portrayed the grief extremley well. The chemistry between her and Oliver (who i'm still annoyed with to be honest, so i refuse to talk about him) was great, then again, who does Oliver NOT have chemistry with?

The directing was great as well. And the episode was well written. I can't help but wonder what the episode would have been like if TW had directed it after all.

The final scene between Clark and Lois. I loved it. I loved Lois doing the exact same thing that Clark did to her at the end of Odyssey. Its clear to me now, that yes, Clark has fallen for Lois. I may have been skepitcal in the past few weeks thanks to Power and Requiem *shudder* - but this cemented it for me. He may not show it all the time (that look btw? *sigh), but its the little things. Like framing the rules that Lois made for him on his first day, and commenting to Chloe/Lois that she hadn't insulted him all day. Lois FINALLY did what i have wanted her to do since she came back in Infamous and told Clark to forget everything. The walls are up. She was going on a date. Clark was distraught. Lois didn't care. That. Is. CLOIS.

I have to commend the acting from ALL the actors tonight. It was fabulous. SPOT ON. As usual, TW and ED blew everything out the park with their scenes with each other. And AM and JH were good in the last scene.


I can't help myself.
I'm giving this an 10, my first 10 since... Legion i believe.
This episode is definetely within my faves of the season so far. But Identity is still my number one :D


And next week Clark becomes an emo and blames himself for everything.

[mr lane]

^^^^^^^ agrees with Jade :cool:

[bigblueplanet]

I’m impressed. This is a great example of how good writers can make a show golden.
I wasn’t as much entertained as this episode ever since Committed. Oh wait, that episode was written by the same writer, wasn’t it? Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Kudos to Brian.Q.Miller. We can see that he is definitely watching the show closely. He always brings the continuity, the spot-on characterization, understand what’s exactly happening & where each character stands in the current arc and really capturing the moment. And as a result, he captures our heart.

I wish he would write all the remaining episodes including S9. 10/10 from me.

.

[skully]

Excellent feel-good episode that you find yourself sitting with a grin on your face for most of the epi!! :D

Outstanding performances by ED and TW. AM and JH were great as well.

And I loved the final scene with Watchtower officially coming online. Gave me goose bumps.

9/10.

----- Added 15 Minutes later -----


wow! over 200 people likes this episode. this is the most i have seen of all episodes i think
Current record holder is Bride with 263 10s

Then comes Committed with 246, Hex with 220 and counting, and the only other 200 x 10 I could find was Phantom (exactly 200).

So an excellent vote of confidence for the latest epi and BQM's writing. :)

[cloisthelegendbegins]

USUAL LONG POST WARNING… Skip at will… ;) And I’m really not kidding this time, but MAN was this episode worth the word count!

Ah, what a difference a writer makes. I’d just like to start this week by saying I DO NOT BELIEVE that Commitment was Bryan Q Millar’s first scriptwriting gig. I don’t care what IMDB says – this guy? IS NOT A ROOKIE. How do I know that? I know he’s not a rookie, not just because he’s making some of the long standing Smallville writer’s look very, very bad for some of the episodes they’ve thrown at us over the years (Yes Power and Requiem I’m STILL looking at you), but he has also - *GASP* - researched what he’s writing and - *GossipGirlOMG!* - knows his subject matter. Research is usually part of a writer’s job, as are several other things like… ooohhh… lets say continuity… and characterization… and arcs that make sense… and… Well let’s just say Smallville can be hit and miss in many of these departments. But Bryan Q Millar has done too good a job on the three episodes he’s brought us this year for me to believe he’s a complete newbie. Is he infallible? Well from experience I can say any writer who thinks they are is usually not that good at their job. Not to mention difficult to work with when it comes to things like script changes or working with a team or answering to the needs of TPTB. In my opinion he’s as infallible as a Smallville writer gets. And I can say that, not just because I’m a writer, but because I’m a Smallville fan. I think the reason some of us get so angry about this show is because we really do love it – warts and all. And when you love someone (or something) you want the best for them, right? So when it gives us glimpses of greatness we cheer and when it gets things horribly wrong… we’re… well we’re pretty vocal about it :o

There was a lot to cheer about in Hex.

NO RECAP. That’s usually a sign of an episode that can stand alone. Smallville used to have a lot of those back in the day with the freak of the week storylines. Some people would say the lack of a recap automatically means ‘filler’. Personally, unless we’re coming back from a long hiatus or it’s a pivotal story in a long running arc, I like the episodes that get straight to it and leave more screen time for the story. But I understand when a recap is necessary. Some people don’t watch the show week in, week out. I know, shocking but true. Some probably weren’t encouraged to continue watching after years and years of the Clana rollercoaster. So sometimes a recap is necessary. Considering I know Hex will deal, at least in part, with the Chlois theory, I’m gonna say any recap for that ‘arc’ would have been longer than Smallville and Supernatural back to back screen-time wise – so good call on the lack of one!

Ace of Clubs. The music in that place always has that kind of tinny echo-y sound to it. You’d think the only nightclub in Metropolis would have a better sound system. Chloe is looking reflective as she studies the skyline, which is understandable after the horrors of last week and her break-up with Jimmy. We see her looking at her wedding ring. Nice follow on. Score one to Bryan Q Millar. Into shot comes a present from Clark and we see the switch from a smiling response to an expression of disappointment when she realizes it’s Oliver delivering it. Clark is off with Bart doing superhero things? Wow. Go Offscreenville Clark! And straight away this demonstrates how much his priorities have changed this season – how many of these kinds of parties for his nearest and dearest would he have missed before? Chloe understands, but we still know she’s disappointed. When Oliver encourages her to open the present we discover a copy of the book Clark got for Chloe when they were kids – nice continuity from Abyss. Another great thing about the use of the book was the fact it made Chloe look back at an earlier time in her life, which led us nicely into the next scene… In the words of EDChloe to Clark about the book later on – ‘nice call back’. Another point for BQM.

Inside the club and Chloe sees a laughing and happy Lois. After all she’s been through it has to feel like salt being rubbed into an open wound. So the ensuing woeful tirade is understandable, if a little hard to hear. Lets just recap shall we? This season alone Chloe has:

1/ Been held captive by Lex’s people in a faux secret government facility where she was tested and then injected with a mind control serum based on her own mother’s spinal fluid.

2/ Tried to help the meteor infected and ended up almost being fried by a murdering teenager.

3/ Been kidnapped with her fiance and attached to electric chairs by a lunatic.

4/ Been gradually taken over by a Krytonian supercomputer and murdered someone along the way.

5/ Had her emotions tested by her attraction to a tall, dark and dimpled paramedic she met after getting engaged to Jimmy.

6/ Had her memories gradually stripped away by Brainiac and then had Clark tamper with her memories when they were restored (not that she apparently remembers the latter)

7/ Been kidnapped from her own wedding after a monster attacked her guests and mauled her brand new husband.

8/ Been taken over by Brainiac and tried to kill… well… everyone on the planet basically…

9/ Had to continue lying to her fiancé/husband in order to protect other people’s secrets.

10/ And lost her husband because she didn’t believe him when he said tall, dark and dimpled was also dangerous and a murderer…

Going by Smallville time she’s had a rough few months. So looking at a happy, smiling Lois who seems to have everything Chloe once dreamed of really can’t be easy for her. Oliver being Oliver, he calls her on it in his own inimitable way and suggests she might be jealous. Chloe’s reaction to that is again understandable. Of course she’s gonna want a simpler life – even if it’s only to take a break from her problems - who hasn’t had moments like that in their life I ask you? Lois of course chooses that moment to announce she’s being flown first class to a breaking story in Mexico – ouch! She gives Chloe a birthday ‘cake’ with a lit candle and then in typical Lois fashion ruins it with a foot in mouth line of: ‘One year closer to the sweet release of death’, before planting a princess tiara on her head and disappearing after a kiss on the cheek and a ‘love you’! (BTW is it just me or are the ‘death anvils’ just an ikkle bit too much around Chloe this season? I’m beginning to feel like I’m being gradually brain washed.) To make matters worse, Oliver gets a call and has to leave too. Poor Chloe. Might not have stung as much if you’d BROUGHT HER A PRESENT Oliver! Not like you can’t afford it. Even if you did lose your jet, and therefore your home, last week. Instead he deflects a roving female magician named Zatanna in Chloe’s direction. Chloe happens to look at Lois as she makes a wish, she blows her candle out and…

Drunk Chloe at the Talon was wonderful. Oh Chloe. I’ve been there. For future reference it helps if you DRINK several glasses of that water before you collapse on the bed… The next morning and we have BUNNY SLIPPERS!!! (I so want a pair of those.) She shuffles to the mirror and… ‘Oh my God I’m Lois!’ I already know this episode is gonna be fun, and a lot lighter than the angst we’ve been given the last couple of weeks. And the way Erica Durance captured the tuck of the hair behind her ear, the lip bite and the tone of voice is already completely different from Lois and instantly recognizable as Chloe.

Cue opening credits.

When we come back EDChloe has done the sensible thing and phoned Lois to see what’s happened to her while she tries to force Chloe clothes onto a Lois body. But its not a Freaky Friday the way Chloe, or the CW Official Write Up monkeys thought it would be. Lois is still Lois. Lois says Chloe sounds funny. Just as well Lois was in a noisy army truck at the time really, or the ‘I’ve just got a frog in my throat’ excuse wouldn’t have worked as well. It’s small details like this that can often be overlooked on Smallville but make ALL THE DIFFERENCE to the levels of ‘believability’. And a brief glimpse of Lois ON ASSIGNMENT?! Well wonders never cease! Another point to BQM. And while we’re talking about this not-a-rookie-writer let me point out another subtle touch to this short scene. Let’s rewind:

LOIS: “…you don’t sound like yourself…”

EDCHLOE: “No… uh, me? Just got a frog in my throat.”

Anyone remember the last time an imitation Lois Lane was running loose around Metropolis on a TV show? For those that might not know, it was one of the most hated plotlines from the last season of Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman. Like I said – this writer knows his subject matter. This is another subtle touch that makes a difference to geeks like me. And again the EDChloe mannerisms in this scene are spot on – from facial expressions, to eye movements, to hand gestures. If there’s not a behind the scenes commentary from Allison Mack and Erica Durance for this episode on the DVD box set I’ll be bitterly disappointed.

EDChloe heads off to the Daily Planet and is greeted by lots of people she doesn’t know. Again the way people greet ‘Lois’, the congratulations from a co-worker on a recent article, even the way her gofer seems happy with the fact she doesn’t know his name, all go a LONG WAY towards giving us a picture of Lois Lane’s world. Add a backstage pass to a rock concert and a VIP pass clipped to a picture of the Dalai Lama (which was HILARIOUS) and I can’t help but wonder how BQM has managed to create that world for Lois in a matter of seconds when Smallville has had such a problem giving us even a small percentage of it in… oh, I dunno… FIVE SEASONS. See how easy it is when someone knows what they’re doing? Like I said. This guy’s no rookie.

A very Chloe computer search for Zatanna the magician later, and enter Clark. Loved the little dig he made about how Lois couldn’t have been deported from Mexico already, then his reaction to how tight her shirt was and Chloe’s answering ‘Really? You too?’ that told us she knew how guys tend to react to her cousin and how surprised she was Clark had even noticed. I also have to say the wardrobe department did a great job with EDChloe. The little barrette in her hair, the way her hair was straighter a-la-Chloe rather than ponytailed or curled a-la-Lois, the choice of clothes that are more Chloe than Lois and even the earrings. All of it subtle on first viewing, but on closer examination really adding to the perception of her being ‘different’. I’m a big fan of attention to detail. So kudos for that. Then BQM steps in again and gives us tightly written, snappy dialogue that again adds so much to the Offscreenville where so much of the good stuff seems to happen. Clark knows Lois’ daily routine off by heart, he can read her moods, Lois still talks to Clark on the phone even though things were left so strained between them at the end of Turbulence. We even learn they’ve been talking about Chloe and Jimmy’s break-up, with Lois obviously taking her cousins side of things whereas Clark sees it from both points of view. There’s also room in there for EDChloe to be upset he made time to talk to Lois when he couldn’t find time to call Chloe on her birthday - she’s upset when Clark sees Jimmy’s side of things – and she rises to the bait when he challenges her to chase a story the way Lois normally does.

And again we get all this in – wait for it – ONE MINUTE of screen time. He even has EDChloe remember to call Clark by the Smallville nickname – something Chloe never does, but that has always been associated with Lois Lane, even before Smallville the show. I learned more about Lois and the Clois relationship from Clark’s POV, from the moment EDChloe walked down the steps into the basement of the Daily Planet until she left to chase the story with Clark, than I have pretty much all season long. It makes me love BQM even more… but it makes me mad as hell that it takes a NEW Smallville writer to show me all this.

Luthorcorp. You know, I can’t remember the last time I saw the outside of that building in daylight. And Ollie has a new place to live! That’s a relief after the jet incident. Not only has he settled in to Lex/Lionel’s office, he’s also had the Queen family shield installed in supersize. Now I’m wondering if he has all his Green Arrow kit hidden behind it the way he did behind the clock face thingie at his other apartment. Wasn’t that where the safe was in Lionel’s office? That would work. Enter Zatanna and I really have to take a moment here to say the casting of Serinda Swan in this part was PERFECT. She’s gorgeous, sexy, sassy, confident, smart, able to hold her own in a conversation with Oliver in billionaire businessman mode – looks great in both the recognized Zatanna top hat, tails and fishnets and in ‘normal’ clothes. And she fit in with the cast as if she’d always been there. The show really has been incredibly good at casting DC characters this year. I also loved how Oliver - Smallville’s version of Bruce Wayne – recognized the reference to Shadowcrest, and therefore Zatanna’s father, the way Bruce Wayne would have. A nice shout out to the comics that worked here. And ANOTHER point towards BQM and his attention to detail.

We discover Zatanna is looking for her father’s book of magic spells and that Lex bought it at auction. We also discover that Queen Industries merger with Luthorcorp hasn’t allowed Oliver access to Lex’s ‘private collection’ - which opens the door to dozens of later plot opportunities. When Zatanna tries to bargain with Oliver and says she can grant him a wish, the fact she mentions he must have someone he lost or something he’s done that he wishes he could take back, made me think of his parents on first viewing. But on closer examination, the use of the newspaper with a picture of Lex on the front gave me another option, and made me wonder if he regretted ‘killing’ Lex. I’m happier with that idea. It steps him towards a redemption arc. I’m a tired of Ollie skipping back and forth over the line between right and wrong from one episode to the next.

Back to Clark and EDChloe and she’s having difficulties with Lois’ high heels. :) Clark has noticed something isn’t right – YAY to smart Clark and the fact he knows Lois so well – but EDChloe still seems reluctant to tell him the truth. At first this bothered me, but the line about ‘seeing things through fresh eyes’ excused it some. Plus how else is she supposed to find out what parts of the life she once wanted, she still wants? So fair enough. EDChloe trips and – wait just a darn minute – is that Clark looking at Lois more intensely? As if he has… FEELINGS for Lois?! Tom Welling completely sold me on this, and not just with the intensity in his eyes either. There was an almost breathless edge to his voice and he lowered the tone slightly when he looked her over and asked her why she was looking at him the way she was. Differently from the way Lois normally looks at you Clark? Or afraid that Lois might have gotten the same hint about how you feel that we just have? I think it was because Chloe knew him so well she was able to see something she hadn’t noticed from the outside looking in, but – more importantly – the VIEWER was given some insight into how Clark is feeling. Again it’s ABOUT DAMN TIME. Personally I still feel it’s too soon for a full blown romantic relationship between Lois and Clark after the recent Lana fiasco (*scowls at Power and Requiem*) so I’m all for a slow build. But I don’t think I could have taken much more of the apparent ambivalence from Clark, especially after the end of last weeks episode opened things up. When EDChloe calls him on the fact he’s never looked at her that way before – which of course he hasn’t because she wasn’t LOIS before - even his reaction to that is perfect. To me he’s at the early stage of denial Lois was way back at the start of the season. And I’ll have this confirmed later on because yes, BQM is THAT good.

There’s a news story calling and EDChloe and Clark head off to the police line to see what’s going on. Here we get yet more insight into the world of Lois Lane when a cop immediately pays her what he owes her from the Friday night poker game. I LOVED this. It’s SO Lois Lane. She can not only hold her own and win when playing poker with the boys, she’s also making contacts within the Metropolis Police Department who can help her with her stories. It shows how savvy she’s gotten since she tried – unsuccessfully – to get information from a cop in Plastique. EDChloe’s reaction to the cop warning her he’s been working on his bluffing skills for the next game was out of character enough to get a curious look from him, but he fed her the information in a way that confirmed the relationship Lois had formed over poker. Exposition the way it SHOULD be done here, folks. EDChloe then translates the Latin the crazy guy on the fire escape is yelling, again making Clark notice something’s up. The mention of Zatanna let’s her piece things together. Time to let the cat out of the bag. At first Clark plays it safe, why would he believe she’s Chloe even if he has noticed something isn’t right with ‘Lois’? It takes just a few carefully chosen words and a whole heap of lovely long term continuity to convince him; with everything from Clark standing her up at the formal to Chloe laying one on him as Zod took over the world, to crystals, Jor-El, the fortress and Brainiac. Yup, Clark’s convinced. I would have been too. A nice little dig from EDChloe about Clark paying more attention to Lois’ phone calls than her voicemail messages too. Ending with a very Chloe statement about not dwelling. Another tightly written scene without a single word of wasted dialogue. And Tom and Erica’s comedic timing shines with the material BQM has given them to work with.

One of my biggest fears with this episode was that Clark would once again regress with the whole not wanting to be a hero thing. It’s one of the tired and over-used plot devices Smallville is so fond of to slow things down. But I should have had more faith in BQM. Because the short scene outside the theatre where Zatanna is appearing tells me everything I need to know, and allays my fears at the same time. In 70 seconds of screen time he not only gives us the kind of two way conversation I LOVE between Clark and Chloe, he also deals with the birthday book and neatly segues into Clark’s realization that his life is all too often filled with tales of the weird and unexplained. EDChloe senses a similar nostalgia in Clark for the time when their lives were less ‘complicated’ – the kind of reminiscing that got her into this mess in the first place - but Clark, while saying that weird is so normal it’s not even weird anymore, doesn’t regress. Instead he says he honestly likes what he’s doing at the Daily Planet, even if he wishes there were DAYS when he could forget about saving the world and just be a normal reporter. That’s not regression, that’s a completely understandable reaction and it’s a nice, subtle foreshadowing of the life he will have one day when the guise of a normal reporter will allow him to have the kind of days where his entire raison d’être isn’t saving the world. Not a clunky anvil, not a tongue-in-cheek shout out to the fans – again great writing. The physical movement that went with this scene made it all seem very natural, while the conversation helped reconnect Chloe and Clark after they’d seemed to be growing further apart in the last episode. Great stuff.

Confronting Zatanna proved a revealing scene too. Clark assumed the hex was a curse. Zatanna pointed out it was something Chloe had wanted, if only for a moment. And the fact Chloe couldn’t break the spell until she knew for certain it wasn’t the life she wanted was another nice touch. There was no fortune cookie to be found, or simple reverse spell, memory wipe, resetting of time or magical bolt of lightning that could put things back the way they were. The spell wasn’t a curse at all. It was a gift. One that could allow Chloe – and later Clark – the time to look at what they really wanted. Again the hand gestures, facial expressions and even the difference in the intonation of her voice went a long way towards a convincing Chloe-in-Lois. I think Erica Durance did a great job with what was a tall order, but what she also did was highlight the differences in the two girls. The fact that Chloe is Chloe and Lois is Lois had been obvious to a lot of people for a long time, this episode really solidified that fact in my opinion (not that I needed convinced). Even though her mannerisms, attitude, appearance and use of words were different, I could still see Lois Lane – the same problem the characters in the show had. But at the same time there was enough Chloe there for me to recognize the difference. I don’t by any means see Erica’s performance as a mere parody of Chloe, in fact quite the opposite – I saw it as a way of paying tribute to the inner person Chloe is and the bond she has with Clark because of their long history together . Chloe has a role in Clark’s life that in recent episodes seemed to have been left by the wayside for the sake of exposition and drama and the kind of dumbing down of Clark to stall his progress that makes me crazy. In Hex we had progression for both Clark and Chloe and even Lois by default. This was by no means a ‘filler’ IMO. Far from it.

The weakness Clark has to magic, as established back in Season Four's now, not-completely-useless witches-arc, meant that Zatanna was able to tap into the throwaway wish he’d expressed about wanting days where he didn’t have to worry about saving the world. And here’s where the episode took on an even more hilarious angle than before. From the second EDChloe asked him if he was alright, Clark’s expression said it all. It was so adorably dorky and boyish, as if years of worry had literally been lifted off his shoulders. Everything from the 911 call to the wonderful scene on the roof of the Daily Planet was GREAT with a capital LOL! :lol: With his worries removed, Clark was a very different man around the woman he believed to be Lois. He was warmer, more flirtatious, he smiled more and the reveal of the Lois Lane rules of journalism framed and kept in his office drawer was PURE Smallville GOLD. I can’t stress enough how great Tom Welling is with comedy. It’s that subtlety of his again. Like I said last week there are times when it doesn’t help us to get inside Clark’s head, but it’s times like this where it’s exactly what’s needed. He could have played the comedy in this episode in a way that became slapstick and would have made Clark look more ridiculous than adorable. But instead he found a place somewhere between Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent and Dean Cain’s Clark Kent and made the Smallville mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent completely his own. He was EXACTLY how I would have expected this Clark to be if he was just an ordinary Kansas raised farm-boy. The glasses would have been a fangirl squee-worthy addition, and I can’t help but think there was a wasted opportunity here from that POV – but in every other way I saw a version of Clark Kent that could be completely believable as a facet of his later disguises. Honestly can’t gush enough about how much I loved the way ED and TW played that rooftop scene. Great writing, great comedic timing, great detail with things like the magical quality of Clark having an opportunity for the first time to listen to the sounds of the city the way everyone else does - and it all made sense from beginning to end. There wasn’t a wasted moment. Heck there was even time to squeeze in a self-inflicted dig at the show about the lack of flying!

Now the obvious thing for EDChloe to do might have been to push him off the edge of the building and force him into a situation where he had no choice but to realize what he could do and therefore break the spell. But I’m glad BQM didn’t go that route. For one, the whole thing about the spell is supposed to be that the people come to their own realization of what they want and who they are, otherwise what’s the point? And this Clark was completely convinced he was a normal guy. Maybe someone can remind me what film or book or TV show it is that’s currently eluding me, but I remember a storyline where if the person involved was completely absorbed in the illusion of who they thought they were and the world they were inhabiting, just the BELIEF that they were about to die could be enough to cause their heart to give out because of fear. Anyone? I want to say it was the Matrix films, but I’m not 100% sure. As it is it would have been nice to know how they DID get down from the roof in the end, but if all I have to do as a viewer is fill in an Offscreenville person who opened the door from the other side when they yelled for a while, then I’m okay with that. It’s a hell of a lot less of a gap than I’ve had to fill in before with this show. So I can work with BQM on this one, especially considering what he’s given me so far. Having said that, it was the first question my nephew asked when I watched the episode with him. And he’s TEN. If a ten year old notices a detail like that then a line to fix it shouldn’t be hard for a writer like BQM to throw in. Like I said, small detail when compared to the bigger picture. But a niggle nevertheless. Especially since I then had to take the time to explain my Offscreenville theory to my nephew. Anyone who ever got dragged into that kind of a conversation with a ten year old knows it opens the floodgates for more questions. It’s a chain reaction. And it’s why I always watch Smallville ON MY OWN the first time.

Is it wrong that I still get a tingle every time one of those little arrows appear on screen? Okay, okay so the Green Arrow kinda does it for me. But then I do love me some superhero action. Also love when a purely Oliver comment is made in that altered Green Arrow voice the way it was when he mentioned paying the guards he’d knocked out a good Christmas bonus to make up for it. Who else wants to know what was on that list of Lex’s stuff he had? Just me? We could play guess the plot that goes with the item…? No? You guys are no fun.:(

Having retrieved the magic book Zatanna was looking for, we then see Oliver reading it in a way that suggests he’s not too happy with the contents. Really gotta hand it to Justin Hartley for having such an expressive jaw-line. Enter Zatanna and a brief moment where Ollie tries to make like he hasn’t met her. She knows better and calls him on it. He drops the subterfuge pdq but considering the kind of things he’s experienced since he came to Metropolis and all he has seen in the Smallville universe in the way of meteor abilities and aliens, I can roll with it. He warns Zatanna of the dangers of the book, but in another nice example of making coherent sense of a plot, she explains that she can grant wishes for everyone but herself, so she needs the book to bring her father back from the dead. Ollie tries to destroy the book, but nope, the book flies into Zatanna’s hands. Ollie’s brief hesitation and the following understatement of ‘Not good’ was great, but nowhere near as great as the following spell read backwards that led to the chains flying past Zatanna’s head and Ollie being bound to a pole. Did anyone have a go at playing the spell in reverse to see what she said? Enquiring minds need to know. Ollie says she can’t just bring someone back and change fate, but there’s no changing Zatanna’s mind. Again not a wasted moment in this scene. Though the ‘I’m coming Father’ line was unnecessary I felt – it had already been established what she was going to do once she got the book. And a tied up Ollie in his Green Arrow leathers? Female minds go straight to the gutter all over the world…

Next we have Clark and EDChloe investigating the man who was yelling Latin in the earlier scene – Clark stepping up and taking the lead, preparing himself with a tug of his jacket, only to deliver a wonderfully dorky ‘Do. You. Speak. English?’ line. This was basically another opportunity for exposition, but it worked better than the usual Smallville pitfall in this area. One: It was EDChloe and Clark getting the information as Lane and Kent, investigative journalists from the Daily Planet – it wasn’t information provided in a long diatribe from Chloe that made Clark look dumber than my nephew. Two: EDChloe gave the man an opening with her line about the spell, making it even more understandable that the man would open up - an opening I would have liked to see Chloe give Jimmy when it came to Davis last week. And three: The life for a life/soul for a soul reveal upped the ante in a way that allowed both Chloe and Clark to understand the stakes without anyone needing to TELL them in the same language used in The Idiot’s Guide To Being A Superhero. (Copyrighted by Smallville Showrunners 2001 – 2009)

Zatanna on the roof of the Daily Planet. Is that place a magnet for this kind of thing or what?! It’s like the roof of Dana’s apartment building in Ghostbusters. Even the effect of clouds and lightning above the Daily Planet globe as Clark and EDChloe arrive reminded me of Ghostbusters (though the way the globe lit up was pretty). If the Stay Puft Marshmallow man had appeared Clark would have been in trouble, because Clark still won’t believe he’s the only one who can stop Zatanna. EDChloe knows he is, she believes in him even when he doesn’t believe in himself. And despite the appearance of the goddamn ‘The World Needs You’ line, I completely bought into this scene being the moment where Chloe let go of the things she thought she wanted and realized where her heart truly lies. This wasn’t Chloe being patronizing or lecturing Clark at Clark’s expense, this was Chloe in true heroine mode. She was passionate in her belief and faith in Clark and knew in that moment she was needed to help him save the day. It worked in this scenario, with the added bonus that it didn’t take anything away from Clark. I LOVED her change from EDChloe back into newly empowered Chloe. I LOVED that it was her belief in him rather than a lecture that made Clark take that leap of faith. It was almost as if, by breaking the spell, the fact she was free (in more ways than one) allowed Clark to stand on his own two feet again and be the man he was inside – thus breaking his own spell. Chloe was right, he doesn’t want to be a normal guy sitting behind a desk, reporting disasters when he could be out there stopping them. Not any more. In this scene I saw the last of Season One’s Clark and Chloe taking a huge leap forwards and I was incredibly proud of both of them. It felt like one of the most pivotal moments of this season to me.

Clark super-jumped to the rooftop – I won’t do the long rant about flying I did last week, we all know it’s long overdue – and faced Zatanna with the kind of stance and voice that yelled Superman at me again. Words can’t express how much I love moments like this with mature Clark. And the continuity from Season Five’s Reckoning was a thing of beauty in this scene. Without Clark’s experience of a ‘life for a life/soul for a soul’ the scene would have been flat, because we’re not emotionally invested in Zatanna. Clark is a different story. And I don’t think any long term Smallville fan will ever forget what it felt like when we saw Jonathan torn from Clark’s life. Clark understood that sense of loss and he completely understood the sense of responsibility Zatanna felt because her father had died for her. It was the same thing for Clark. He pleaded for Lana’s life and was told he would lose someone because of it (though personally I think the foreshadowing of Jonathan’s death had been there for a long time, so at most all that happened was he lost his life a little sooner). The scene not only showed long term continuity again, it also showed character growth for Clark again, because now we know he has come to terms with the loss of Jonathan and he can tap into that experience to empathize with someone else and help them. Again BQM had looked at the subject material, he looked at continuity, he formed a logical arc for the characters that MADE SENSE and he sold it in a scene that didn’t waste a word of dialogue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this guy IS NOT A ROOKIE.

When Chloe ran into the magic golden swirl and it was obvious she was in danger of becoming the life sacrificed to bring back another life, I have to admit I thought why? A big part of me thinks that with Clark’s help Zatanna would have stopped what she was doing – Clark tends to have that effect on people who, at their core, are good. Another part of me said it was Chloe backing Clark up because of his susceptibility to magic. But that makes three episodes in a row where she’s been stood at deaths door, though granted, this time it wasn’t because of Doomsday. On this occasion I think it was simply to up the ante again and reinforce the whole ‘life for a life’ mistake that had been made before in Clark’s life, while demonstrating to Zatanna the danger in what she was doing. That makes sense to me, especially from a BQM script. But then I think back to the line in Legion where Chloe told Clark if it came to a choice between her and the world again, he should let her die. A life for a life foreshadowing a life for millions of lives? I really hope not. Especially after this episode. To cap off this scene we had Clark using the lesson he’d just learned from Zatanna’s spell to tell her when it came to when people live or die: 'We don’t get to choose. But we do get to choose how to live the life we’ve been given. I’m finally the man that my father wanted me to be.' Jonathan Kent would be very proud of mature Clark in moments like these. But then he probably didn’t see Power and Requiem, did he? The part about choosing how to live the life we’ve been given is so important in this episode. And not just for Clark. Probably even more for Chloe. Clark was already finding his way by the start of this episode, Chloe still seemed pretty lost. And just like no-one should shoe-horn Clark into his 'destiny' - it should be CLARK'S CHOICE - I don’t believe anyone should shoe-horn Chloe into something she hasn't chosen for herself either. I have to look at the screen and go by what I’m shown. I want to SEE them make those choices and understand WHY. This episode went a long, long way towards doing that for me.

Back to the Talon and bunny slippers with the right size feet in them. We’ve come full circle. This time we have a renewed Chloe who seems much happier than she was at the start of the episode. I again LOVED this scene with Clark and Chloe. It was an adult, two-sided conversation where once again their friendship was solidified. I have to say after last weeks Chlark scenes and the flip-flopping of Chloe when it came to superhero disguise decisions, the continuity from beginning to end in this episode was REFRESHING AS HELL. To see both of them discussing each others problems and their recent experiences from both POV’s is something I’d missed more than I’d realized. Even the way Chloe let Clark know she was aware of his changed feelings for Lois was wonderful. She didn’t tell him what to do or lecture him or present him with a magical solution – she didn’t pimp her cousin - she just let him know she knew, said what she thought, and accepted it gracefully when he turned the tables on her and asked if they were just talking about him. The line ‘You can never be who you wanna be if you keep looking over your shoulder’ felt distinctly like a page being turned and a chapter being closed. It was bittersweet. But a lovely, lovely scene. More Chlark like this please show! No more co-dependence!

The Zatanna and Oliver wrap up was good too. There was a nice sub-text here. Oliver is another person who understand what it feels like to carry a burden from the past, and the fact he could respect Zatanna for making the right choice when he’d made the wrong one with his vendetta against Lex – as I’ve already said - is something I’d like to see picked up on. There’s a redemption arc needed for Oliver and seeing him taking on the tone of leader of the Justice League with someone who will one day be a member of that team felt like another step on the road to that redemption. I’m just hoping we don’t get another 180 next time he’s around. It was left wide open for Zatanna to come back and I’m really pleased about that. I think she’d be a great addition to the team. And a LOVELY flirtatious touch from her with the phone number comment and the wink.

Daily Planet and LOIS IS BACK! Complete with Mexico tan. Anyone else notice the similarity between this scene and the end scene in Odyssey? And again this goes back to what I said earlier about Clark being at the same point emotionally that Lois was earlier in the season. This time it’s Lois with the creaky chair and it’s Clark trying to work across from her. This time it’s Lois who has the upper hand because she knows something he doesn’t. At first Clark is snappy – worried about how obvious those puppy dog eyes have been Clark? Then he tries to play it cool when Lois asks how long it took for him to realise she wasn’t her usual charming self, but has another wonderful moment of dorkiness when he comments that Chloe let him drive :) I grinned when Lois bent across the desk and demanded he let her see it. I knew it was the framed journalism rules she was talking about, even if Clark seemed unsure. The poker face comment tied in with the earlier continuity of the episode and Lois’ Friday nights, while at the same time letting us know she can read him in the same way he knew there was something different about Chloe-as-Lois. LOVED the gimme, gimme. LOVED Clark’s sigh, similar little knock on the desk he did in the Odyssey scene, and the way he looked around him before bringing the framed rules out of the drawer - WONDERFULLY subtle again and cute as hell. Lois’ reaction was a big change from the level of gloating she’d had shown in seasons past and I LOVED the way she teased him about hanging it up somewhere where everyone could see it. Also LOVED the way Clark tried to dismiss the sentimental value of it by saying it was a momento of his first day at the Daily Planet, but then felt the need to soften it by saying it was also a reminder that there was only ONE Lois Lane. A much appreciated confirmation of the fact there is no Chlois outcome for this Lois Lane fan, and an equally lovely way of showing Clark knows the difference between Chloe and Lois. Each have a different role in his life, but are no less important, they add to his journey - the way it should be with the characters that surround Clark IMO. And with a better idea of how Clark is feeling, it was much easier to read his reaction when he found out Lois was going on a date. He made the same little ‘meh’ he did when Lois mentioned her feminine charms in Odyssey and then – LORD BLESS TRANSPARANCY – he asked should he call her if anything came through on the wire. I think Lois slipped up when she asked if it was so he could stand her up again, but I don’t think it was a mistake by BQM. Because it then opened up an opportunity to show that Lois wasn’t taking a chance on Clark romantically again. There’s a wonderful irony to the fact she’s putting him back at arms length in that department just as Clark is realizing how he feels, and the fact she walked away and left him standing there smiling down at the framed rules was again a mirror of the end of Odyssey when she was left holding his name plate and smiling the same way. We’ve seen Lois’ emotional journey with Clark and now that she thinks she can get past it, the tables are turned and Clark – ever the slower one on the uptake romance wise – is about the take the same journey. With his experience from Infamous and his decision not to put her in danger, it opens up the exploration of the triangle of two relationship if Lois continues to pursue the RBB. And it also answers the age old question of who Lois Lane falls in love with; Clark Kent or Superman. In Smallville, she falls for Clark Kent FIRST. She’s in love with the man, not the superhero. Whether or not he knows to what extent I don’t know, but I like that I don’t know – frankly I’d rather he didn’t. I think it has more emotional impact that way. With any luck we’ll get to see how Lois reacts to the RBB without knowing who he is, and at the same time we’ll have an opening for Clark to discover more about how he feels. The prospect of that gets this Superman Clois fan very excited for season nine. They lost me as a Smallville Clois fan with the glorification of Lana Lang and what it did to Clark. I can’t ‘ship’ a couple unless I love them both equally and want to see them together. Right now, I think Clark still has a way to go before he’s ready for a romantic relationship with Lois. But after Hex, I think he’s taken the first real steps towards it. If he keeps growing as a hero and a man the way he has for a lot of this season I’ll be cheering the romance part of his journey until I’m hoarse. Go on show – MAKE ME. I DARE YOU.

Final scene brings us to Isis and Chloe. And this is the Chloe I’ve been hoping for all season long. THIS Chloe has a direction. THIS Chloe knows what she wants and who she wants to be. THIS Chloe has finally put the past behind her and is ready to take the next step. THIS Chloe has taken all her experiences as a reporter, an investigator, a fountain of meteor freak knowledge, a mine of valuable information in all things alien, her side-kick experiences, her hacking skills, her empathy for the needs of others – ALL the things that can be tracked back to the beginning of Smallville history without the need to bend her into the shape to fit whatever story the Smallville gods want to tell on any given Thursday. And she’s finally listened to her heart without looking over her shoulder at what could have been. As she tells Oliver, the life she wanted as a reporter is someone else’s life now – another confirmation that Chloe is a character in her own right and not a mere placeholder for Lois Lane. It’s the life she wanted for a long time, but it’s not the life she wants now. She has a higher calling. She has the same opportunity as Clark in a sense. Not to be the person who sits behind a desk reporting disasters - instead doing something to stop them from happening. To me, her journey is now more parallel to Clark’s than reliant on it. I love that. Her destiny is her choice the same way his destiny is his. And IMO she’s more of a heroine than Lana, because the good she can do doesn’t require a hunt for superpowers to make her Clark’s ‘equal’. She’s already the equal of her Justice League team-mates because she brings her own individual skills and mindset to the table the same way all of them do. And if this means in future we get more of the two-sided Chlark interaction that we got in this episode then I say BRING IT ON.

So it was a very different Chloe Sullivan at the end of this episode IMO. The moment she told Oliver they all needed to listen to their inner voice, because they all knew what they really wanted, and this (as in with the Justice League) was where she belonged, Istarted to grin like an idiot. It may not be the place she planned on ending up, but to me - and I felt for Chloe too – it was the RIGHT place. Her life had changed the minute she knew Clark’s secret IMO. Then the doors slid open, the Justice League came online one by one with their codenames, Oliver checked in as Arrow… And when the music changed I SWEAR I got chills!

WATCHTOWER IS OFFICIALLY ONLINE.

And then the way the camera panned in on her face and she looked directly into the lens with that combination of confidence and determination as she said ‘Let’s get to work’. It was FREAKIN AMAZING. I didn’t just see an exciting cornucopia of possible Justice League stories appearing before my eyes, I also saw a whole new direction for a more focussed Chloe and the most OBVIOUS SPIN OFF SERIES in the history of TV since SG1 found Atlantis. I’d watch a Justice League show. But I’m just as pumped about where it will go on Smallville. My fear would be that it out-shadows Clark’s journey, which let’s face it, it has the ability to do while his destiny is stalled and the Justice League continue to get cooler with every appearance on the show. Another fear would be now that I’m excited about the direction the show is taking Chloe in, they’ll yank the rug out from under me by having all the death anvils they’ve been brainwashing me with actually turn out to have been warnings of what was to come…

All in all, this episode did many things for me on many levels. The balance of humor, character development, continuity and action reminded me of the best Smallville can offer and why it is I obsess about love this show as much as I do. Do I like episodes with more action? Yes I do. Do I love the continuing appearances of new DC characters? Hell yes. Does the Justice League rock my little world? Abso-freakin-lutely it does. Does the slow build of the Clois relationship warm the cockles of my mythos-loving heart? My cockles are well and truly on the way to being warm again after a distinct period of freezing cold temperatures, thank you. But an episode that is tightly written, with light to balance out the darkness of this season, plenty of opportunity for me to smile and LOL and that moves CLARK KENT’S journey forwards at the same time as some of the other characters without his development being sacrificed for theirs?

Bryan Q Millar – WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING? And more to the point – WHO ARE YOU?! I just can’t believe that you’re a rookie. And in my opinion at the VERY LEAST you should have the role of script supervisor on this show. That way I wouldn’t be so torn about scoring this episode. As a stand alone and on it’s own merits, I’d give it a 9. Judged with some of the continuity from Turbulance (for Chloe and Clark) and from - *gag* - Requiem (for Chloe and Oliver) I would have to ask questions about forgotten plot points and conversations that were had and score Hex lower. But that’s not your fault. So because I now see you as one of the potential saviours of the show I love so much I’m gonna give you extra brownie points for making me excited about the rest of the season. This episode showed once again why Smallville can’t be compared to other Superman shows or movies. It’s not a rehash of the same old/same old. With writers who can do this good a job on Clark and everyone around him I believe there are plenty more stories to tell. I can even forgive the odd plot-hole (I have before). There wasn’t a single character I didn’t enjoy on my TV screen tonight. Superman ‘snobs’ and literary/film aficionados might not see Smallville as a genius or even a groundbreaking body of work but episodes like Hex are great entertainment. And isn’t great entertainment what viewers tune in for when real life gets rough?

Therefore (and thanks for the most part to Bryan Q Millar) I give Hex a lacigam 10 points out of 10.

Next week it’s Eternal and Davis Bloom’s back-story. And it’s a Peterson/Souders episode. Let’s see if they can bring it like the new guy. They’ve got one heck of an act to follow after Hex…

[Anne13]

I cannot believe what I am reading. I sought out this site just to see how many people thought that the episode HEX was absolute garbage. I couldn't believe what I was watching last night. I mean the writers are so desperate for a story line that they go to the oldest trick in the book, a magic wish that makes you live someone else's life. GARBAGE. On top of that they followed it up with " what happens if Clark loses his powers or forgets he has them". What is this the millionth time that clark has, lost his powers, transferred his powers, forgotten his powers, denied his powers. Please for the love of god get back on track and stop re hashing the same plot over and over again. People actually wrote that this episode was excellent. On which planet was it excellent?....

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Worst EPISODE of SMALLVILLE EVER :(


Well, you're not the only one who felt that way, but I think if you're looking for an objective point of view, you're SOL. Most the sites I've been to are pro-Lois, pro-Chloe or pro-Lana.

Reasons why I give the episode a 2/10 ("Requiem" being worse), copied from my post at TWOP:
Chloe’s been shown by the writers to have had a truly craptacular year, personally and professionally and yet has not complained or *****ed or vented much. In fact, her behaviour was likened to that of a pod-person for that reason. But, yeah, it’s her birthday and what happens? Her best friend doesn’t show up because he’s busy, despite managing to find time in advance to give her gift to someone else to deliver (I thought he had superspeed?). Her cousin, as usual completely oblivious to the fact that other people have feelings, gleefully says she has to leave right away to fly first class on to an exciting assignment, pats her condescendingly and proceeds to hang around anyway, giggling on the phone. Chloe, who’s just been through the ringer with Jimmy the dickwad, makes a comment indicating that her life sucks a little. What does she get? She gets told not to be so self-pitying by the prick who blackmailed her 2 weeks ago and who “killed” Lex, who then proceeds to leave her at the party on her own.

She then gets to hear Clark allude to the fact that he sides with Jimmy on their separation, which I found completely unbelievable. How could Clark side with him? Has he even spoken to Jimmy about it, Jimmy who mentioned his jealousy of Clark and quit the Planet? I highly doubt it. It seemed very OOC and impossible for Clark to take this stance since presumably the only person who could have told him the circumstances would be Chloe herself (or possibly Lois, who despite her many, many faults is at least fiercely partisan in her protectiveness of Chloe).

The rest of the “action” was okay but ED did not impress me overly much with her acting. Like many others, I was willing to attribute my dislike of Lois Lane to the way the character was written and not the actress, but to be frank, there were very few moments where I remembered she was supposed to be Chloe; she seemed pretty much the same as always - luckily all the introspective stuff took place while AM played Chloe.

The over-riding message seemed to be “Anyone who thought Chloe could possibly measure up to Lois is nuts and here’s why!” It was really quite absurd, the way they went so overboard to demonstrate how respected Lois is as a journalist, despite never taking the time to show us her earning that respect.

Regarding Chloe wanting to be Lois, I had a somewhat different take. Chloe looks at Lois and sees somebody who seems to be supremely confident, to have few responsibilities and even fewer thoughts about anyone other than herself. She is living the life alright, not needing to save the world on a regular basis, no doubts about her own abilities, no secret she must keep to her dying breath, no knowledge of anything that’s actually going on all around her, no constantly lying to everyone she knows. To Chloe, that must seem extremely attractive, not to mention being able to hang with Clark all day and do the work that she’s pursued for the last 12 years. I think the spell was broken when Chloe realized that she does not in fact want a life on the sidelines, that her knowledge, abilities and wanting to help save the world will prevent her from ever being that blissfully ignorant again.

I also felt (or hoped) that we were seeing this episode through Chloe’s eyes and that she was an unreliable narrator. It reminded me a little bit of the Xander-centric episode from Buffy where everyone’s behaviour was slightly off and you understood it was because it was solely from Xander’s not un-biased viewpoint.

I’d like to think that these last two points are actually valid (despite my belief that the writers are complete hacks) but I’m afraid that I’m rationalizing so that I may bring myself to watch the rest of the season. I can only hope that it gets better (much, much better) than this or that Chloe croaks.

[traceylb]

I don't think it goes in my ten worst episodes.
However I wouldn't put it in my top 20 either. I'm surprised so many people are considering it the best ep ever. Only for Clois fans I guess. Bryan Q's style.

Sorry, not to be rude, but the question is "Loved it? Hated it? What did you think of Hex?" and not whether this was the best episode ever or in the Top 10 for Smallville.

I have given this a 9/10; I enjoyed the episode a lot and I've already watched it again; something I haven't been able to do since Bloodline.

It was a light-hearted episode but it still progressed the storyline of Chloe's future; many 'Chloe' fans were unhappy with her no longer being a reporter, so to revisit the reporter scenario that she thought she wanted and then finding out that this was not really her fit for where she is at in her life was a great lead in to establish her as the Watchtower...finally. I have not seen her as a reporter ever since she started working at the DP, as she was never shown to be interested in chasing stories but more so in the world of superheroes and Clark's dogsbody...so this works well for her character.

Since the return from the Lana arc these episodes leading up to the season finale appear to be strongly Chloe focused and not too focused on Clark, so I am happy if I can still enjoy an episode with minimal Clark progression.

ED as Chloe!Lois was very well done as I could see many of Chloe's mannerisms and actions and did not feel I was watching Lois. Especially the way Chloe!Lois walked, would turn around to Clark holding on to his arm...very Chloe.

I am dissapointed that we did not get more of actual Lois scenes as her appearance overall was very brief...but I expected this ever since reading the spoilers.

Clarks momentos are very much him as has been shown over the seasons to be that sentimental - looking at old photos, Lana's necklace, Mr Kents cufflinks, Chloe's flower and now Lois' rules just to name a few.

As I said, it was a funny light-hearted episode that managed to pick up Chloe's 'theme' this season about her looking out for herself for a change and finding her path in life. And just as any one of us do, we make the wrong decisions and may detour on the wrong path for a short time but we do get there eventually.

[Mickey_Bickey]

Its that time of week again. Smallville time. *whistles*
Episode 17. Only 5 left. Crikey, it feels like yesterday that Odyssey was airing and everyone was screaming "LOOK AT CLARK! HES WET!!! HES IN DIFFERENT ATTIRE!" - Little did we know that for the rest of the season, Clark would be in some sort of smart shirt EVERY episode. I as a female, am extremley happy about this development. Keep him in shirts forever i say. Keep them all smart. We like smart.

So tonight, Hex. We get Zatanna and Chloe gets her birthday wish. To be Lois *eye twitches slightly* Now, there is only one thing i must stress. I will not have ANY of this... this Chlois theory. I am NOT a believer in it AT ALL, i understand that some are, and are extremley passionate about it, but thats where it ends for me. I have never liked it and i NEVER will. So the fact that this episode is being labelled and "Chlois" episode is sending me insane already. Chloe does not BECOME Lois in that sense. Lois will still be alive on an assignment, therefore this is not Chlois. Okay? *sighs* Right. I'm not sure whether i need alcohol or tea, because now i've got the Chlois theory in my head i'm feeling a little angsty....

Previously On Smallville... There is no episode recap but basically, last week Davis found out that murderering people soothes the savage beast. Clark had the time of his life running around a phone booth. And Jimmy became THE MAN.

Funky house music. Party. Chloes standing on a balcony looking at her wedding ring. Of course she is. Her marraige is over. Tear.
Present. Oliver. HE AND BART!? BART?!!?!?! Sorry. Bless Clark, i'm guessing thats a nice gift. Oliver is looking SHARP. LOIS! Girls having fun! Was that meant to be your life though Chloe? Ah. It begins. Good boy Ollie, nice with the sarcasm.

Lois; "One year closer to the sweet release of death"

*blinks* Either thats a hint to death, or Lois is more random than i ever thought. Aw, a small ChloLo moment. That was sweet. I miss the ChloLo. Oh look, legs. Zatanna. Hello. I can hear the males screaming with joy. Of course Chloes not going to see her eyes glow. Theres the wish. We know. Shes looked at Lois. *sigh* And there we go. I WANNA BE MY COUSIN.

Hahaha. I LOVED that part. The fact that her feet were too big for the slippers was hilarious. The lip bite was SPOT ON. Well done ED.

Opening credits. *throws arms and sways* I miss Martha.

Oh heavens, whats she wearing? That is NOT a Lois outfit at all. Gosh its vile. Let the freak out begin, as she has phoned Lois and Lois is absolutely fine. I love this episode already. I really do. I hope it doesn't go downhill.

Daily Planet. Morning coffee. Gosh. This is just. Anvil crazy. The outfit is VILE though. What is that in her hair?! I'm sorry. Oh look. Google. *fights laughter* Haven't seen that in a while, these days Clark uses tapped in police radios. In pops Clark. Looking as DAPER as ever. Nice shirt. Asks Chloe/Lois what she's doing back and then comments on the vile ensemble.

Clark; "Isn't there a limit to how tight a shirt can be to meet dress code?"

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Ahahahahaha. Oh my god. That was priceless. AND THE FACT HE SNORTED. AND looked at her chest. The way ED said "really" then, was very AM like. I must commend her. Oh, Chloe/Lois is slightly bitter. Clark was talking to Lois the night before, and not phoning her. Oh this is good. Clark, you are magnificent.

Right i must take a break to say the following - that scene. Was great. Not only did it show us and "Chloe" how Lois and Clark work together, it showed their relationship. The banter. Also the fact that Chloe, to me, has lost her reporters jazz. Usually, back in the day she would have been up running when a story broke, not just standing there.

- Wheres Jimmy? -

Back to the episode. Luthorcorp. Or is it Queencorp? Zatanna just stands there. Looking rather attractive. I do prefer my men, but the women on this show are marvellous aren't they? Slight sexual tension between Zatanna and Oliver. Of course. Ah let us mention John, the father. And she's told him she can grant wishes. Oliver at first is not tempted, then he is. Just get her the book. But what does he want? Hmmm?

On the streets. Clark comments that Chloe/Lois hasn't insulted him once. WHAT IS SHE WEARING? And why is that thing still in her hair? But a different colour. And shes tripped and Clarks caught her. And, OH MY. Look, at that look. LOOK AT IT. LOOOOOOOOOK! *bounces* I never expected that. I've been trying to forget about the said "loving gaze,". Thats right. He's never looked at you, Chloe, like that has he?
IS THAT A SPIT CURL!? Okay, Clark knows. You could tell by how fast he put her back up then. Say something. Nicely large PD gives her money. Chloe/Lois is baffled and then proceeds to translate the crazy town cryers latin. Ah so she tells him.

Yes Clark how did you not pick up on it? Clark likes what he's doing at the Planet. Good boy. To Zatannas magic room. Zatanna, talking. Telling Chloe/Lois that it was WISH. Clark looks baffled. Chloe/Lois is of course denying that she wants the life, but Zatanna points out its what she wanted at that moment the wish was granted. Chloe/Lois says she doesn't want it, yet remains as Lois. Here's Zatanna, ready to grant Clarks wish. And she has, whats the wish? Back on the streets Chloe/Lois is moaning and theres a robbery afoot. Clark has forgotten its actually Chloe and thinks hes with Lois. Hahaha look at his face. He looks buzzed. OMG. I literally just laughed out loud. That was amazing.

Chloe/Lois; Aren't you going to do anything?
Clark; You're absolutely right Lois *pulls out phone* 911...

Back to the Daily Planet. Clark is mouthing off about the reporters handbook. Haha. He's framed the rules. Little. LITTLE THINGS. *is bouncing* Chloe/Lois has an epiphany and pulls Clark away to the Daily Planet roof and then decides to give him a "talking to".

Clark; I don't make the news. I just report it.

OH seriously. I don't think i have EVER laughed so much in my life. This is great. Yes i know this isn't technically Lois. But TW and ED are just, wow. They bounce off each other so well. The look on Clarks face when Chloe/Lois locks the door. Hahaha. He looks completely horrified. As if he can't believe that shes broken a rule. So Chloe/Lois tells him to open the door, and the handle snaps off in his hand. Surely that will make him believe? No.

Clark; What i believe... is this door needs better maitenance... look at the rust in here,"

I have never. Felt the need to quote so much in my life. This is technically a recall to Blank when Clark lost his memory. Clark, is having none of this. So Chloe/Lois grabs a bar while Clark gazes into the air like a newborn baby seeing the clouds. That scene was GREAT. Clarks complete dellusions.

- Seriously, wasn't Jimmy meant to be in this? :lol: -

Random Luthorcorp storage. Green Arrow. TIGHT OUTFIT. I love the voice. Haha. So hes after the book. What exactly does he want? I'm guessing his parents alive and well. Now to a random alleyway. Zatanna appears. She knows its Oliver, not exactly stealth though really was he? So she can't grant her own wishes. And she wants her dad back. Course she does. Oliver goes to burn the book and it literally flies to Zatannas grasp who then conjours up some chains while speaking backwords and chains Oliver up. Kinky. Then walking off and leaving him chained and exposed.

Episodely visit to Met Gen. Crazy man in the bed. Seems Zatanna has to kill someone else to bring her father back. A life for a life. *blinks* What, is with the hints this episode?

DP roof. Zatanna trying to resurect. Chloe/Lois and Clark see the spell from the roof. Chloe/Lois gives Clark the superhero speech. Its weird, because he thinks its Lois. The world needs you. This line has no power for me after Lana murdered it. And Chloe's back. And hes jumped. That. That was a flight ring. SURELY. On the roof and Zatanna knows the rules apparently. Clark knows, nice mention of Pa Kent. *sniff* Oh. Chloes appeared and been pulled into the spell. The life is literally being sucked from her as John reforms. IS THAT A S CURL!? Seriously. Clark's hero speech to Zatanna has worked and she stops the spell.

Next day. Chloe is back to normal. Nice tight red shirt Clark. Episodely Chlark speech. Its nice, we haven't had one in a while, mainly because of, lets face it, Chimmy. Clarks talking about the feelings for Lois slightly. Non stop puppy dog eyes. Clark changes the subject to Chloe and Jimmy. But Chloe salvages it. Nice work. Pointing out that theres no harm in giving things another chance with someone if you know its right. And Clark does.

Back to Queencorp. Zatannas there again, with Oliver in a suit. Of course. Nice hair. Very bed ridden. Nice and fluffy. So Zatannas given him her card.

Zatanna; "This time i'm on your side,"

Well, i should think so love. So shes going on the road. Its her PHONE NUMBER Oliver. Kinky.

Daily Planet. Clark in a black shirt. Lois twisting the chair. Eeeee, nice callback. Let me see it!? *mind jumps into the gutter* Yeah, he does have a terrible poker face. Lois seems slightly, moved that hes framed the rules. Lois has a date. Clarks face. Aw. Back to basics. I don't think Clark wants that. I can see it.

Isis. Chloe and Oliver. Whats going on here. The music is beaty. I'm expecting something fab. "This is where i belong?" In Isis? Oh come on Chloe, don't be silly. Aquaman, online. Black Canary, online. Cyborg, online. IMPULSE, online. Green Arrow online. And there it is WATCHTOWER!!!

Overall. *bounces*
I am, so excited. This episode, well honestly, it was fab. It was so lighthearted. Hoenstly, i cannot remember smiling so much throughout an episode, let alone laughing. Fair enough this season has had its comedic moments, but this episode... *snorts*

I loved Clark. I really did. He was great. Its refreshing to see the writers give TW some comedy to act with and TW was absolutely great. Spot on with it all. The scene on the DP roof was absolutely hilarious. I was seriously crying with laughter, the facial expressions TW pulls are priceless. He always acts more through his face, which is what i love about him and this episode was no expection. "What i believe... is this door needs better maitenance, look at the rust," - that line, was beautiful. Haha.

Chloe. NORMAL Chloe. Its understandable that shes feeling depressed. Her marraige has broken down immediately after her husband comes back from Star City, to her obviously Lois' life seems more appealing. Chloe was right, that life is what she wanted all through high school and got within touching distance before it was taken away from her faster than she could say stop.

Now, Chloe/Lois. This, i don't know. As you know, i was worried about the whole "Chlois" theory *eye twitches* - but this episode showed us (IMO) that it DOES NOT exist. Chloe's wish was granted because in that moment, its what she wanted. If she would have truly wanted it, the spell would never have broken, but it did.
ED as Chloe. Now, this is a weird one really isn't it? Opposed to Bloodline when ED was portraying Faora, a character we have NOTHING to compare to, she was portraying an established character in this episode. There is one stand out performance of an actor on the show playing an established character to me, and thats when TW portrayed Lionel in Transference. But ED did well AM has pretty much stamped herself as Chloe Sullivan, she IS Chloe. Our first glimpse of ED portraying Lois was spot on. Then the outfit. *screams* How noone could tell that wasn't Lois i will never know. At times, what i loved that ED did, was try too hard, because in a sense Chloe was trying to be Lois, too hard, and failing. ED did a great job.

Chloes epiphany was obviously to move on from Jimmy and embrace the sidekick role.
Thats what i gathered, and why Jimmy wasn't in the episode.

Zatanna. I liked her. She was attractive and intruiging. Serinda portrayed the grief extremley well. The chemistry between her and Oliver (who i'm still annoyed with to be honest, so i refuse to talk about him) was great, then again, who does Oliver NOT have chemistry with?

The directing was great as well. And the episode was well written. I can't help but wonder what the episode would have been like if TW had directed it after all.

The final scene between Clark and Lois. I loved it. I loved Lois doing the exact same thing that Clark did to her at the end of Odyssey. Its clear to me now, that yes, Clark has fallen for Lois. I may have been skepitcal in the past few weeks thanks to Power and Requiem *shudder* - but this cemented it for me. He may not show it all the time (that look btw? *sigh), but its the little things. Like framing the rules that Lois made for him on his first day, and commenting to Chloe/Lois that she hadn't insulted him all day. Lois FINALLY did what i have wanted her to do since she came back in Infamous and told Clark to forget everything. The walls are up. She was going on a date. Clark was distraught. Lois didn't care. That. Is. CLOIS.

I have to commend the acting from ALL the actors tonight. It was fabulous. SPOT ON. As usual, TW and ED blew everything out the park with their scenes with each other. And AM and JH were good in the last scene.


I can't help myself.
I'm giving this an 10, my first 10 since... Legion i believe.
This episode is definetely within my faves of the season so far. But Identity is still my number one :D


And next week Clark becomes an emo and blames himself for everything.

Jade, good review, and I just wanted to add that at the end of the DP scene with Lois and Clark didn't you just love that look on his face and the gleam in his eye that said "like hell I'm putting that on my list"! Loved it! Tom Welling knocked the cover off the ball in this one as did ED! Fantastic episode, and I also rate it a 10. :D;)

Really enjoyed reading this!!!

[rosalba]

OMG! I gave it a 10!
I loved it.
I actually like Chloe in this episode, she is a good friend of Clark and she accept the Clois with no problem in fact she is encouraging him to give it a try.
I love the TW and ED chemystri.
wow! 10, 10, 10!, love it , love it , love it!

[Mickey_Bickey]

USUAL LONG POST WARNING… Skip at will… ;) And I’m really not kidding this time, but MAN was this episode worth the word count!

Ah, what a difference a writer makes. I’d just like to start this week by saying I DO NOT BELIEVE that Commitment was Bryan Q Millar’s first scriptwriting gig. I don’t care what IMDB says – this guy? IS NOT A ROOKIE. How do I know that? I know he’s not a rookie, not just because he’s making some of the long standing Smallville writer’s look very, very bad for some of the episodes they’ve thrown at us over the years (Yes Power and Requiem I’m STILL looking at you), but he has also - *GASP* - researched what he’s writing and - *GossipGirlOMG!* - knows his subject matter. Research is usually part of a writer’s job, as are several other things like… ooohhh… lets say continuity… and characterization… and arcs that make sense… and… Well let’s just say Smallville can be hit and miss in many of these departments. But Bryan Q Millar has done too good a job on the three episodes he’s brought us this year for me to believe he’s a complete newbie. Is he infallible? Well from experience I can say any writer who thinks they are is usually not that good at their job. Not to mention difficult to work with when it comes to things like script changes or working with a team or answering to the needs of TPTB. In my opinion he’s as infallible as a Smallville writer gets. And I can say that, not just because I’m a writer, but because I’m a Smallville fan. I think the reason some of us get so angry about this show is because we really do love it – warts and all. And when you love someone (or something) you want the best for them, right? So when it gives us glimpses of greatness we cheer and when it gets things horribly wrong… we’re… well we’re pretty vocal about it :o

There was a lot to cheer about in Hex.

NO RECAP. That’s usually a sign of an episode that can stand alone. Smallville used to have a lot of those back in the day with the freak of the week storylines. Some people would say the lack of a recap automatically means ‘filler’. Personally, unless we’re coming back from a long hiatus or it’s a pivotal story in a long running arc, I like the episodes that get straight to it and leave more screen time for the story. But I understand when a recap is necessary. Some people don’t watch the show week in, week out. I know, shocking but true. Some probably weren’t encouraged to continue watching after years and years of the Clana rollercoaster. So sometimes a recap is necessary. Considering I know Hex will deal, at least in part, with the Chlois theory, I’m gonna say any recap for that ‘arc’ would have been longer than Smallville and Supernatural back to back screen-time wise – so good call on the lack of one!

Ace of Clubs. The music in that place always has that kind of tinny echo-y sound to it. You’d think the only nightclub in Metropolis would have a better sound system. Chloe is looking reflective as she studies the skyline, which is understandable after the horrors of last week and her break-up with Jimmy. We see her looking at her wedding ring. Nice follow on. Score one to Bryan Q Millar. Into shot comes a present from Clark and we see the switch from a smiling response to an expression of disappointment when she realizes it’s Oliver delivering it. Clark is off with Bart doing superhero things? Wow. Go Offscreenville Clark! And straight away this demonstrates how much his priorities have changed this season – how many of these kinds of parties for his nearest and dearest would he have missed before? Chloe understands, but we still know she’s disappointed. When Oliver encourages her to open the present we discover a copy of the book Clark got for Chloe when they were kids – nice continuity from Abyss. Another great thing about the use of the book was the fact it made Chloe look back at an earlier time in her life, which led us nicely into the next scene… In the words of EDChloe to Clark about the book later on – ‘nice call back’. Another point for BQM.

Inside the club and Chloe sees a laughing and happy Lois. After all she’s been through it has to feel like salt being rubbed into an open wound. So the ensuing woeful tirade is understandable, if a little hard to hear. Lets just recap shall we? This season alone Chloe has:

1/ Been held captive by Lex’s people in a faux secret government facility where she was tested and then injected with a mind control serum based on her own mother’s spinal fluid.

2/ Tried to help the meteor infected and ended up almost being fried by a murdering teenager.

3/ Been kidnapped with her fiance and attached to electric chairs by a lunatic.

4/ Been gradually taken over by a Krytonian supercomputer and murdered someone along the way.

5/ Had her emotions tested by her attraction to a tall, dark and dimpled paramedic she met after getting engaged to Jimmy.

6/ Had her memories gradually stripped away by Brainiac and then had Clark tamper with her memories when they were restored (not that she apparently remembers the latter)

7/ Been kidnapped from her own wedding after a monster attacked her guests and mauled her brand new husband.

8/ Been taken over by Brainiac and tried to kill… well… everyone on the planet basically…

9/ Had to continue lying to her fiancé/husband in order to protect other people’s secrets.

10/ And lost her husband because she didn’t believe him when he said tall, dark and dimpled was also dangerous and a murderer…

Going by Smallville time she’s had a rough few months. So looking at a happy, smiling Lois who seems to have everything Chloe once dreamed of really can’t be easy for her. Oliver being Oliver, he calls her on it in his own inimitable way and suggests she might be jealous. Chloe’s reaction to that is again understandable. Of course she’s gonna want a simpler life – even if it’s only to take a break from her problems - who hasn’t had moments like that in their life I ask you? Lois of course chooses that moment to announce she’s being flown first class to a breaking story in Mexico – ouch! She gives Chloe a birthday ‘cake’ with a lit candle and then in typical Lois fashion ruins it with a foot in mouth line of: ‘One year closer to the sweet release of death’, before planting a princess tiara on her head and disappearing after a kiss on the cheek and a ‘love you’! (BTW is it just me or are the ‘death anvils’ just an ikkle bit too much around Chloe this season? I’m beginning to feel like I’m being gradually brain washed.) To make matters worse, Oliver gets a call and has to leave too. Poor Chloe. Might not have stung as much if you’d BROUGHT HER A PRESENT Oliver! Not like you can’t afford it. Even if you did lose your jet, and therefore your home, last week. Instead he deflects a roving female magician named Zatanna in Chloe’s direction. Chloe happens to look at Lois as she makes a wish, she blows her candle out and…

Drunk Chloe at the Talon was wonderful. Oh Chloe. I’ve been there. For future reference it helps if you DRINK several glasses of that water before you collapse on the bed… The next morning and we have BUNNY SLIPPERS!!! (I so want a pair of those.) She shuffles to the mirror and… ‘Oh my God I’m Lois!’ I already know this episode is gonna be fun, and a lot lighter than the angst we’ve been given the last couple of weeks. And the way Erica Durance captured the tuck of the hair behind her ear, the lip bite and the tone of voice is already completely different from Lois and instantly recognizable as Chloe.

Cue opening credits.

When we come back EDChloe has done the sensible thing and phoned Lois to see what’s happened to her while she tries to force Chloe clothes onto a Lois body. But its not a Freaky Friday the way Chloe, or the CW Official Write Up monkeys thought it would be. Lois is still Lois. Lois says Chloe sounds funny. Just as well Lois was in a noisy army truck at the time really, or the ‘I’ve just got a frog in my throat’ excuse wouldn’t have worked as well. It’s small details like this that can often be overlooked on Smallville but make ALL THE DIFFERENCE to the levels of ‘believability’. And a brief glimpse of Lois ON ASSIGNMENT?! Well wonders never cease! Another point to BQM. And while we’re talking about this not-a-rookie-writer let me point out another subtle touch to this short scene. Let’s rewind:

LOIS: “…you don’t sound like yourself…”

EDCHLOE: “No… uh, me? Just got a frog in my throat.”

Anyone remember the last time an imitation Lois Lane was running loose around Metropolis on a TV show? For those that might not know, it was one of the most hated plotlines from the last season of Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman. Like I said – this writer knows his subject matter. This is another subtle touch that makes a difference to geeks like me. And again the EDChloe mannerisms in this scene are spot on – from facial expressions, to eye movements, to hand gestures. If there’s not a behind the scenes commentary from Allison Mack and Erica Durance for this episode on the DVD box set I’ll be bitterly disappointed.

EDChloe heads off to the Daily Planet and is greeted by lots of people she doesn’t know. Again the way people greet ‘Lois’, the congratulations from a co-worker on a recent article, even the way her gofer seems happy with the fact she doesn’t know his name, all go a LONG WAY towards giving us a picture of Lois Lane’s world. Add a backstage pass to a rock concert and a VIP pass clipped to a picture of the Dalai Lama (which was HILARIOUS) and I can’t help but wonder how BQM has managed to create that world for Lois in a matter of seconds when Smallville has had such a problem giving us even a small percentage of it in… oh, I dunno… FIVE SEASONS. See how easy it is when someone knows what they’re doing? Like I said. This guy’s no rookie.

A very Chloe computer search for Zatanna the magician later, and enter Clark. Loved the little dig he made about how Lois couldn’t have been deported from Mexico already, then his reaction to how tight her shirt was and Chloe’s answering ‘Really? You too?’ that told us she knew how guys tend to react to her cousin and how surprised she was Clark had even noticed. I also have to say the wardrobe department did a great job with EDChloe. The little barrette in her hair, the way her hair was straighter a-la-Chloe rather than ponytailed or curled a-la-Lois, the choice of clothes that are more Chloe than Lois and even the earrings. All of it subtle on first viewing, but on closer examination really adding to the perception of her being ‘different’. I’m a big fan of attention to detail. So kudos for that. Then BQM steps in again and gives us tightly written, snappy dialogue that again adds so much to the Offscreenville where so much of the good stuff seems to happen. Clark knows Lois’ daily routine off by heart, he can read her moods, Lois still talks to Clark on the phone even though things were left so strained between them at the end of Turbulence. We even learn they’ve been talking about Chloe and Jimmy’s break-up, with Lois obviously taking her cousins side of things whereas Clark sees it from both points of view. There’s also room in there for EDChloe to be upset he made time to talk to Lois when he couldn’t find time to call Chloe on her birthday - she’s upset when Clark sees Jimmy’s side of things – and she rises to the bait when he challenges her to chase a story the way Lois normally does.

And again we get all this in – wait for it – ONE MINUTE of screen time. He even has EDChloe remember to call Clark by the Smallville nickname – something Chloe never does, but that has always been associated with Lois Lane, even before Smallville the show. I learned more about Lois and the Clois relationship from Clark’s POV, from the moment EDChloe walked down the steps into the basement of the Daily Planet until she left to chase the story with Clark, than I have pretty much all season long. It makes me love BQM even more… but it makes me mad as hell that it takes a NEW Smallville writer to show me all this.

Luthorcorp. You know, I can’t remember the last time I saw the outside of that building in daylight. And Ollie has a new place to live! That’s a relief after the jet incident. Not only has he settled in to Lex/Lionel’s office, he’s also had the Queen family shield installed in supersize. Now I’m wondering if he has all his Green Arrow kit hidden behind it the way he did behind the clock face thingie at his other apartment. Wasn’t that where the safe was in Lionel’s office? That would work. Enter Zatanna and I really have to take a moment here to say the casting of Serinda Swan in this part was PERFECT. She’s gorgeous, sexy, sassy, confident, smart, able to hold her own in a conversation with Oliver in billionaire businessman mode – looks great in both the recognized Zatanna top hat, tails and fishnets and in ‘normal’ clothes. And she fit in with the cast as if she’d always been there. The show really has been incredibly good at casting DC characters this year. I also loved how Oliver - Smallville’s version of Bruce Wayne – recognized the reference to Shadowcrest, and therefore Zatanna’s father, the way Bruce Wayne would have. A nice shout out to the comics that worked here. And ANOTHER point towards BQM and his attention to detail.

We discover Zatanna is looking for her father’s book of magic spells and that Lex bought it at auction. We also discover that Queen Industries merger with Luthorcorp hasn’t allowed Oliver access to Lex’s ‘private collection’ - which opens the door to dozens of later plot opportunities. When Zatanna tries to bargain with Oliver and says she can grant him a wish, the fact she mentions he must have someone he lost or something he’s done that he wishes he could take back, made me think of his parents on first viewing. But on closer examination, the use of the newspaper with a picture of Lex on the front gave me another option, and made me wonder if he regretted ‘killing’ Lex. I’m happier with that idea. It steps him towards a redemption arc. I’m a tired of Ollie skipping back and forth over the line between right and wrong from one episode to the next.

Back to Clark and EDChloe and she’s having difficulties with Lois’ high heels. :) Clark has noticed something isn’t right – YAY to smart Clark and the fact he knows Lois so well – but EDChloe still seems reluctant to tell him the truth. At first this bothered me, but the line about ‘seeing things through fresh eyes’ excused it some. Plus how else is she supposed to find out what parts of the life she once wanted, she still wants? So fair enough. EDChloe trips and – wait just a darn minute – is that Clark looking at Lois more intensely? As if he has… FEELINGS for Lois?! Tom Welling completely sold me on this, and not just with the intensity in his eyes either. There was an almost breathless edge to his voice and he lowered the tone slightly when he looked her over and asked her why she was looking at him the way she was. Differently from the way Lois normally looks at you Clark? Or afraid that Lois might have gotten the same hint about how you feel that we just have? I think it was because Chloe knew him so well she was able to see something she hadn’t noticed from the outside looking in, but – more importantly – the VIEWER was given some insight into how Clark is feeling. Again it’s ABOUT DAMN TIME. Personally I still feel it’s too soon for a full blown romantic relationship between Lois and Clark after the recent Lana fiasco (*scowls at Power and Requiem*) so I’m all for a slow build. But I don’t think I could have taken much more of the apparent ambivalence from Clark, especially after the end of last weeks episode opened things up. When EDChloe calls him on the fact he’s never looked at her that way before – which of course he hasn’t because she wasn’t LOIS before - even his reaction to that is perfect. To me he’s at the early stage of denial Lois was way back at the start of the season. And I’ll have this confirmed later on because yes, BQM is THAT good.

There’s a news story calling and EDChloe and Clark head off to the police line to see what’s going on. Here we get yet more insight into the world of Lois Lane when a cop immediately pays her what he owes her from the Friday night poker game. I LOVED this. It’s SO Lois Lane. She can not only hold her own and win when playing poker with the boys, she’s also making contacts within the Metropolis Police Department who can help her with her stories. It shows how savvy she’s gotten since she tried – unsuccessfully – to get information from a cop in Plastique. EDChloe’s reaction to the cop warning her he’s been working on his bluffing skills for the next game was out of character enough to get a curious look from him, but he fed her the information in a way that confirmed the relationship Lois had formed over poker. Exposition the way it SHOULD be done here, folks. EDChloe then translates the Latin the crazy guy on the fire escape is yelling, again making Clark notice something’s up. The mention of Zatanna let’s her piece things together. Time to let the cat out of the bag. At first Clark plays it safe, why would he believe she’s Chloe even if he has noticed something isn’t right with ‘Lois’? It takes just a few carefully chosen words and a whole heap of lovely long term continuity to convince him; with everything from Clark standing her up at the formal to Chloe laying one on him as Zod took over the world, to crystals, Jor-El, the fortress and Brainiac. Yup, Clark’s convinced. I would have been too. A nice little dig from EDChloe about Clark paying more attention to Lois’ phone calls than her voicemail messages too. Ending with a very Chloe statement about not dwelling. Another tightly written scene without a single word of wasted dialogue. And Tom and Erica’s comedic timing shines with the material BQM has given them to work with.

One of my biggest fears with this episode was that Clark would once again regress with the whole not wanting to be a hero thing. It’s one of the tired and over-used plot devices Smallville is so fond of to slow things down. But I should have had more faith in BQM. Because the short scene outside the theatre where Zatanna is appearing tells me everything I need to know, and allays my fears at the same time. In 70 seconds of screen time he not only gives us the kind of two way conversation I LOVE between Clark and Chloe, he also deals with the birthday book and neatly segues into Clark’s realization that his life is all too often filled with tales of the weird and unexplained. EDChloe senses a similar nostalgia in Clark for the time when their lives were less ‘complicated’ – the kind of reminiscing that got her into this mess in the first place - but Clark, while saying that weird is so normal it’s not even weird anymore, doesn’t regress. Instead he says he honestly likes what he’s doing at the Daily Planet, even if he wishes there were DAYS when he could forget about saving the world and just be a normal reporter. That’s not regression, that’s a completely understandable reaction and it’s a nice, subtle foreshadowing of the life he will have one day when the guise of a normal reporter will allow him to have the kind of days where his entire raison d’être isn’t saving the world. Not a clunky anvil, not a tongue-in-cheek shout out to the fans – again great writing. The physical movement that went with this scene made it all seem very natural, while the conversation helped reconnect Chloe and Clark after they’d seemed to be growing further apart in the last episode. Great stuff.

Confronting Zatanna proved a revealing scene too. Clark assumed the hex was a curse. Zatanna pointed out it was something Chloe had wanted, if only for a moment. And the fact Chloe couldn’t break the spell until she knew for certain it wasn’t the life she wanted was another nice touch. There was no fortune cookie to be found, or simple reverse spell, memory wipe, resetting of time or magical bolt of lightning that could put things back the way they were. The spell wasn’t a curse at all. It was a gift. One that could allow Chloe – and later Clark – the time to look at what they really wanted. Again the hand gestures, facial expressions and even the difference in the intonation of her voice went a long way towards a convincing Chloe-in-Lois. I think Erica Durance did a great job with what was a tall order, but what she also did was highlight the differences in the two girls. The fact that Chloe is Chloe and Lois is Lois had been obvious to a lot of people for a long time, this episode really solidified that fact in my opinion (not that I needed convinced). Even though her mannerisms, attitude, appearance and use of words were different, I could still see Lois Lane – the same problem the characters in the show had. But at the same time there was enough Chloe there for me to recognize the difference. I don’t by any means see Erica’s performance as a mere parody of Chloe, in fact quite the opposite – I saw it as a way of paying tribute to the inner person Chloe is and the bond she has with Clark because of their long history together . Chloe has a role in Clark’s life that in recent episodes seemed to have been left by the wayside for the sake of exposition and drama and the kind of dumbing down of Clark to stall his progress that makes me crazy. In Hex we had progression for both Clark and Chloe and even Lois by default. This was by no means a ‘filler’ IMO. Far from it.

The weakness Clark has to magic, as established back in Season Four's now, not-completely-useless witches-arc, meant that Zatanna was able to tap into the throwaway wish he’d expressed about wanting days where he didn’t have to worry about saving the world. And here’s where the episode took on an even more hilarious angle than before. From the second EDChloe asked him if he was alright, Clark’s expression said it all. It was so adorably dorky and boyish, as if years of worry had literally been lifted off his shoulders. Everything from the 911 call to the wonderful scene on the roof of the Daily Planet was GREAT with a capital LOL! :lol: With his worries removed, Clark was a very different man around the woman he believed to be Lois. He was warmer, more flirtatious, he smiled more and the reveal of the Lois Lane rules of journalism framed and kept in his office drawer was PURE Smallville GOLD. I can’t stress enough how great Tom Welling is with comedy. It’s that subtlety of his again. Like I said last week there are times when it doesn’t help us to get inside Clark’s head, but it’s times like this where it’s exactly what’s needed. He could have played the comedy in this episode in a way that became slapstick and would have made Clark look more ridiculous than adorable. But instead he found a place somewhere between Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent and Dean Cain’s Clark Kent and made the Smallville mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent completely his own. He was EXACTLY how I would have expected this Clark to be if he was just an ordinary Kansas raised farm-boy. The glasses would have been a fangirl squee-worthy addition, and I can’t help but think there was a wasted opportunity here from that POV – but in every other way I saw a version of Clark Kent that could be completely believable as a facet of his later disguises. Honestly can’t gush enough about how much I loved the way ED and TW played that rooftop scene. Great writing, great comedic timing, great detail with things like the magical quality of Clark having an opportunity for the first time to listen to the sounds of the city the way everyone else does - and it all made sense from beginning to end. There wasn’t a wasted moment. Heck there was even time to squeeze in a self-inflicted dig at the show about the lack of flying!

Now the obvious thing for EDChloe to do might have been to push him off the edge of the building and force him into a situation where he had no choice but to realize what he could do and therefore break the spell. But I’m glad BQM didn’t go that route. For one, the whole thing about the spell is supposed to be that the people come to their own realization of what they want and who they are, otherwise what’s the point? And this Clark was completely convinced he was a normal guy. Maybe someone can remind me what film or book or TV show it is that’s currently eluding me, but I remember a storyline where if the person involved was completely absorbed in the illusion of who they thought they were and the world they were inhabiting, just the BELIEF that they were about to die could be enough to cause their heart to give out because of fear. Anyone? I want to say it was the Matrix films, but I’m not 100% sure. As it is it would have been nice to know how they DID get down from the roof in the end, but if all I have to do as a viewer is fill in an Offscreenville person who opened the door from the other side when they yelled for a while, then I’m okay with that. It’s a hell of a lot less of a gap than I’ve had to fill in before with this show. So I can work with BQM on this one, especially considering what he’s given me so far. Having said that, it was the first question my nephew asked when I watched the episode with him. And he’s TEN. If a ten year old notices a detail like that then a line to fix it shouldn’t be hard for a writer like BQM to throw in. Like I said, small detail when compared to the bigger picture. But a niggle nevertheless. Especially since I then had to take the time to explain my Offscreenville theory to my nephew. Anyone who ever got dragged into that kind of a conversation with a ten year old knows it opens the floodgates for more questions. It’s a chain reaction. And it’s why I always watch Smallville ON MY OWN the first time.

Is it wrong that I still get a tingle every time one of those little arrows appear on screen? Okay, okay so the Green Arrow kinda does it for me. But then I do love me some superhero action. Also love when a purely Oliver comment is made in that altered Green Arrow voice the way it was when he mentioned paying the guards he’d knocked out a good Christmas bonus to make up for it. Who else wants to know what was on that list of Lex’s stuff he had? Just me? We could play guess the plot that goes with the item…? No? You guys are no fun.:(

Having retrieved the magic book Zatanna was looking for, we then see Oliver reading it in a way that suggests he’s not too happy with the contents. Really gotta hand it to Justin Hartley for having such an expressive jaw-line. Enter Zatanna and a brief moment where Ollie tries to make like he hasn’t met her. She knows better and calls him on it. He drops the subterfuge pdq but considering the kind of things he’s experienced since he came to Metropolis and all he has seen in the Smallville universe in the way of meteor abilities and aliens, I can roll with it. He warns Zatanna of the dangers of the book, but in another nice example of making coherent sense of a plot, she explains that she can grant wishes for everyone but herself, so she needs the book to bring her father back from the dead. Ollie tries to destroy the book, but nope, the book flies into Zatanna’s hands. Ollie’s brief hesitation and the following understatement of ‘Not good’ was great, but nowhere near as great as the following spell read backwards that led to the chains flying past Zatanna’s head and Ollie being bound to a pole. Did anyone have a go at playing the spell in reverse to see what she said? Enquiring minds need to know. Ollie says she can’t just bring someone back and change fate, but there’s no changing Zatanna’s mind. Again not a wasted moment in this scene. Though the ‘I’m coming Father’ line was unnecessary I felt – it had already been established what she was going to do once she got the book. And a tied up Ollie in his Green Arrow leathers? Female minds go straight to the gutter all over the world…

Next we have Clark and EDChloe investigating the man who was yelling Latin in the earlier scene – Clark stepping up and taking the lead, preparing himself with a tug of his jacket, only to deliver a wonderfully dorky ‘Do. You. Speak. English?’ line. This was basically another opportunity for exposition, but it worked better than the usual Smallville pitfall in this area. One: It was EDChloe and Clark getting the information as Lane and Kent, investigative journalists from the Daily Planet – it wasn’t information provided in a long diatribe from Chloe that made Clark look dumber than my nephew. Two: EDChloe gave the man an opening with her line about the spell, making it even more understandable that the man would open up - an opening I would have liked to see Chloe give Jimmy when it came to Davis last week. And three: The life for a life/soul for a soul reveal upped the ante in a way that allowed both Chloe and Clark to understand the stakes without anyone needing to TELL them in the same language used in The Idiot’s Guide To Being A Superhero. (Copyrighted by Smallville Showrunners 2001 – 2009)

Zatanna on the roof of the Daily Planet. Is that place a magnet for this kind of thing or what?! It’s like the roof of Dana’s apartment building in Ghostbusters. Even the effect of clouds and lightning above the Daily Planet globe as Clark and EDChloe arrive reminded me of Ghostbusters (though the way the globe lit up was pretty). If the Stay Puft Marshmallow man had appeared Clark would have been in trouble, because Clark still won’t believe he’s the only one who can stop Zatanna. EDChloe knows he is, she believes in him even when he doesn’t believe in himself. And despite the appearance of the goddamn ‘The World Needs You’ line, I completely bought into this scene being the moment where Chloe let go of the things she thought she wanted and realized where her heart truly lies. This wasn’t Chloe being patronizing or lecturing Clark at Clark’s expense, this was Chloe in true heroine mode. She was passionate in her belief and faith in Clark and knew in that moment she was needed to help him save the day. It worked in this scenario, with the added bonus that it didn’t take anything away from Clark. I LOVED her change from EDChloe back into newly empowered Chloe. I LOVED that it was her belief in him rather than a lecture that made Clark take that leap of faith. It was almost as if, by breaking the spell, the fact she was free (in more ways than one) allowed Clark to stand on his own two feet again and be the man he was inside – thus breaking his own spell. Chloe was right, he doesn’t want to be a normal guy sitting behind a desk, reporting disasters when he could be out there stopping them. Not any more. In this scene I saw the last of Season One’s Clark and Chloe taking a huge leap forwards and I was incredibly proud of both of them. It felt like one of the most pivotal moments of this season to me.

Clark super-jumped to the rooftop – I won’t do the long rant about flying I did last week, we all know it’s long overdue – and faced Zatanna with the kind of stance and voice that yelled Superman at me again. Words can’t express how much I love moments like this with mature Clark. And the continuity from Season Five’s Reckoning was a thing of beauty in this scene. Without Clark’s experience of a ‘life for a life/soul for a soul’ the scene would have been flat, because we’re not emotionally invested in Zatanna. Clark is a different story. And I don’t think any long term Smallville fan will ever forget what it felt like when we saw Jonathan torn from Clark’s life. Clark understood that sense of loss and he completely understood the sense of responsibility Zatanna felt because her father had died for her. It was the same thing for Clark. He pleaded for Lana’s life and was told he would lose someone because of it (though personally I think the foreshadowing of Jonathan’s death had been there for a long time, so at most all that happened was he lost his life a little sooner). The scene not only showed long term continuity again, it also showed character growth for Clark again, because now we know he has come to terms with the loss of Jonathan and he can tap into that experience to empathize with someone else and help them. Again BQM had looked at the subject material, he looked at continuity, he formed a logical arc for the characters that MADE SENSE and he sold it in a scene that didn’t waste a word of dialogue. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this guy IS NOT A ROOKIE.

When Chloe ran into the magic golden swirl and it was obvious she was in danger of becoming the life sacrificed to bring back another life, I have to admit I thought why? A big part of me thinks that with Clark’s help Zatanna would have stopped what she was doing – Clark tends to have that effect on people who, at their core, are good. Another part of me said it was Chloe backing Clark up because of his susceptibility to magic. But that makes three episodes in a row where she’s been stood at deaths door, though granted, this time it wasn’t because of Doomsday. On this occasion I think it was simply to up the ante again and reinforce the whole ‘life for a life’ mistake that had been made before in Clark’s life, while demonstrating to Zatanna the danger in what she was doing. That makes sense to me, especially from a BQM script. But then I think back to the line in Legion where Chloe told Clark if it came to a choice between her and the world again, he should let her die. A life for a life foreshadowing a life for millions of lives? I really hope not. Especially after this episode. To cap off this scene we had Clark using the lesson he’d just learned from Zatanna’s spell to tell her when it came to when people live or die: 'We don’t get to choose. But we do get to choose how to live the life we’ve been given. I’m finally the man that my father wanted me to be.' Jonathan Kent would be very proud of mature Clark in moments like these. But then he probably didn’t see Power and Requiem, did he? The part about choosing how to live the life we’ve been given is so important in this episode. And not just for Clark. Probably even more for Chloe. Clark was already finding his way by the start of this episode, Chloe still seemed pretty lost. And just like no-one should shoe-horn Clark into his 'destiny' - it should be CLARK'S CHOICE - I don’t believe anyone should shoe-horn Chloe into something she hasn't chosen for herself either. I have to look at the screen and go by what I’m shown. I want to SEE them make those choices and understand WHY. This episode went a long, long way towards doing that for me.

Back to the Talon and bunny slippers with the right size feet in them. We’ve come full circle. This time we have a renewed Chloe who seems much happier than she was at the start of the episode. I again LOVED this scene with Clark and Chloe. It was an adult, two-sided conversation where once again their friendship was solidified. I have to say after last weeks Chlark scenes and the flip-flopping of Chloe when it came to superhero disguise decisions, the continuity from beginning to end in this episode was REFRESHING AS HELL. To see both of them discussing each others problems and their recent experiences from both POV’s is something I’d missed more than I’d realized. Even the way Chloe let Clark know she was aware of his changed feelings for Lois was wonderful. She didn’t tell him what to do or lecture him or present him with a magical solution – she didn’t pimp her cousin - she just let him know she knew, said what she thought, and accepted it gracefully when he turned the tables on her and asked if they were just talking about him. The line ‘You can never be who you wanna be if you keep looking over your shoulder’ felt distinctly like a page being turned and a chapter being closed. It was bittersweet. But a lovely, lovely scene. More Chlark like this please show! No more co-dependence!

The Zatanna and Oliver wrap up was good too. There was a nice sub-text here. Oliver is another person who understand what it feels like to carry a burden from the past, and the fact he could respect Zatanna for making the right choice when he’d made the wrong one with his vendetta against Lex – as I’ve already said - is something I’d like to see picked up on. There’s a redemption arc needed for Oliver and seeing him taking on the tone of leader of the Justice League with someone who will one day be a member of that team felt like another step on the road to that redemption. I’m just hoping we don’t get another 180 next time he’s around. It was left wide open for Zatanna to come back and I’m really pleased about that. I think she’d be a great addition to the team. And a LOVELY flirtatious touch from her with the phone number comment and the wink.

Daily Planet and LOIS IS BACK! Complete with Mexico tan. Anyone else notice the similarity between this scene and the end scene in Odyssey? And again this goes back to what I said earlier about Clark being at the same point emotionally that Lois was earlier in the season. This time it’s Lois with the creaky chair and it’s Clark trying to work across from her. This time it’s Lois who has the upper hand because she knows something he doesn’t. At first Clark is snappy – worried about how obvious those puppy dog eyes have been Clark? Then he tries to play it cool when Lois asks how long it took for him to realise she wasn’t her usual charming self, but has another wonderful moment of dorkiness when he comments that Chloe let him drive :) I grinned when Lois bent across the desk and demanded he let her see it. I knew it was the framed journalism rules she was talking about, even if Clark seemed unsure. The poker face comment tied in with the earlier continuity of the episode and Lois’ Friday nights, while at the same time letting us know she can read him in the same way he knew there was something different about Chloe-as-Lois. LOVED the gimme, gimme. LOVED Clark’s sigh, similar little knock on the desk he did in the Odyssey scene, and the way he looked around him before bringing the framed rules out of the drawer - WONDERFULLY subtle again and cute as hell. Lois’ reaction was a big change from the level of gloating she’d had shown in seasons past and I LOVED the way she teased him about hanging it up somewhere where everyone could see it. Also LOVED the way Clark tried to dismiss the sentimental value of it by saying it was a momento of his first day at the Daily Planet, but then felt the need to soften it by saying it was also a reminder that there was only ONE Lois Lane. A much appreciated confirmation of the fact there is no Chlois outcome for this Lois Lane fan, and an equally lovely way of showing Clark knows the difference between Chloe and Lois. Each have a different role in his life, but are no less important, they add to his journey - the way it should be with the characters that surround Clark IMO. And with a better idea of how Clark is feeling, it was much easier to read his reaction when he found out Lois was going on a date. He made the same little ‘meh’ he did when Lois mentioned her feminine charms in Odyssey and then – LORD BLESS TRANSPARANCY – he asked should he call her if anything came through on the wire. I think Lois slipped up when she asked if it was so he could stand her up again, but I don’t think it was a mistake by BQM. Because it then opened up an opportunity to show that Lois wasn’t taking a chance on Clark romantically again. There’s a wonderful irony to the fact she’s putting him back at arms length in that department just as Clark is realizing how he feels, and the fact she walked away and left him standing there smiling down at the framed rules was again a mirror of the end of Odyssey when she was left holding his name plate and smiling the same way. We’ve seen Lois’ emotional journey with Clark and now that she thinks she can get past it, the tables are turned and Clark – ever the slower one on the uptake romance wise – is about the take the same journey. With his experience from Infamous and his decision not to put her in danger, it opens up the exploration of the triangle of two relationship if Lois continues to pursue the RBB. And it also answers the age old question of who Lois Lane falls in love with; Clark Kent or Superman. In Smallville, she falls for Clark Kent FIRST. She’s in love with the man, not the superhero. Whether or not he knows to what extent I don’t know, but I like that I don’t know – frankly I’d rather he didn’t. I think it has more emotional impact that way. With any luck we’ll get to see how Lois reacts to the RBB without knowing who he is, and at the same time we’ll have an opening for Clark to discover more about how he feels. The prospect of that gets this Superman Clois fan very excited for season nine. They lost me as a Smallville Clois fan with the glorification of Lana Lang and what it did to Clark. I can’t ‘ship’ a couple unless I love them both equally and want to see them together. Right now, I think Clark still has a way to go before he’s ready for a romantic relationship with Lois. But after Hex, I think he’s taken the first real steps towards it. If he keeps growing as a hero and a man the way he has for a lot of this season I’ll be cheering the romance part of his journey until I’m hoarse. Go on show – MAKE ME. I DARE YOU.

Final scene brings us to Isis and Chloe. And this is the Chloe I’ve been hoping for all season long. THIS Chloe has a direction. THIS Chloe knows what she wants and who she wants to be. THIS Chloe has finally put the past behind her and is ready to take the next step. THIS Chloe has taken all her experiences as a reporter, an investigator, a fountain of meteor freak knowledge, a mine of valuable information in all things alien, her side-kick experiences, her hacking skills, her empathy for the needs of others – ALL the things that can be tracked back to the beginning of Smallville history without the need to bend her into the shape to fit whatever story the Smallville gods want to tell on any given Thursday. And she’s finally listened to her heart without looking over her shoulder at what could have been. As she tells Oliver, the life she wanted as a reporter is someone else’s life now – another confirmation that Chloe is a character in her own right and not a mere placeholder for Lois Lane. It’s the life she wanted for a long time, but it’s not the life she wants now. She has a higher calling. She has the same opportunity as Clark in a sense. Not to be the person who sits behind a desk reporting disasters - instead doing something to stop them from happening. To me, her journey is now more parallel to Clark’s than reliant on it. I love that. Her destiny is her choice the same way his destiny is his. And IMO she’s more of a heroine than Lana, because the good she can do doesn’t require a hunt for superpowers to make her Clark’s ‘equal’. She’s already the equal of her Justice League team-mates because she brings her own individual skills and mindset to the table the same way all of them do. And if this means in future we get more of the two-sided Chlark interaction that we got in this episode then I say BRING IT ON.

So it was a very different Chloe Sullivan at the end of this episode IMO. The moment she told Oliver they all needed to listen to their inner voice, because they all knew what they really wanted, and this (as in with the Justice League) was where she belonged, Istarted to grin like an idiot. It may not be the place she planned on ending up, but to me - and I felt for Chloe too – it was the RIGHT place. Her life had changed the minute she knew Clark’s secret IMO. Then the doors slid open, the Justice League came online one by one with their codenames, Oliver checked in as Arrow… And when the music changed I SWEAR I got chills!

WATCHTOWER IS OFFICIALLY ONLINE.

And then the way the camera panned in on her face and she looked directly into the lens with that combination of confidence and determination as she said ‘Let’s get to work’. It was FREAKIN AMAZING. I didn’t just see an exciting cornucopia of possible Justice League stories appearing before my eyes, I also saw a whole new direction for a more focussed Chloe and the most OBVIOUS SPIN OFF SERIES in the history of TV since SG1 found Atlantis. I’d watch a Justice League show. But I’m just as pumped about where it will go on Smallville. My fear would be that it out-shadows Clark’s journey, which let’s face it, it has the ability to do while his destiny is stalled and the Justice League continue to get cooler with every appearance on the show. Another fear would be now that I’m excited about the direction the show is taking Chloe in, they’ll yank the rug out from under me by having all the death anvils they’ve been brainwashing me with actually turn out to have been warnings of what was to come…

All in all, this episode did many things for me on many levels. The balance of humor, character development, continuity and action reminded me of the best Smallville can offer and why it is I obsess about love this show as much as I do. Do I like episodes with more action? Yes I do. Do I love the continuing appearances of new DC characters? Hell yes. Does the Justice League rock my little world? Abso-freakin-lutely it does. Does the slow build of the Clois relationship warm the cockles of my mythos-loving heart? My cockles are well and truly on the way to being warm again after a distinct period of freezing cold temperatures, thank you. But an episode that is tightly written, with light to balance out the darkness of this season, plenty of opportunity for me to smile and LOL and that moves CLARK KENT’S journey forwards at the same time as some of the other characters without his development being sacrificed for theirs?

Bryan Q Millar – WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING? And more to the point – WHO ARE YOU?! I just can’t believe that you’re a rookie. And in my opinion at the VERY LEAST you should have the role of script supervisor on this show. That way I wouldn’t be so torn about scoring this episode. As a stand alone and on it’s own merits, I’d give it a 9. Judged with some of the continuity from Turbulance (for Chloe and Clark) and from - *gag* - Requiem (for Chloe and Oliver) I would have to ask questions about forgotten plot points and conversations that were had and score Hex lower. But that’s not your fault. So because I now see you as one of the potential saviours of the show I love so much I’m gonna give you extra brownie points for making me excited about the rest of the season. This episode showed once again why Smallville can’t be compared to other Superman shows or movies. It’s not a rehash of the same old/same old. With writers who can do this good a job on Clark and everyone around him I believe there are plenty more stories to tell. I can even forgive the odd plot-hole (I have before). There wasn’t a single character I didn’t enjoy on my TV screen tonight. Superman ‘snobs’ and literary/film aficionados might not see Smallville as a genius or even a groundbreaking body of work but episodes like Hex are great entertainment. And isn’t great entertainment what viewers tune in for when real life gets rough?

Therefore (and thanks for the most part to Bryan Q Millar) I give Hex a lacigam 10 points out of 10.

Next week it’s Eternal and Davis Bloom’s back-story. And it’s a Peterson/Souders episode. Let’s see if they can bring it like the new guy. They’ve got one heck of an act to follow after Hex…

Annie, what a masterpiece!! I loved the description of the Lois and Clark scene at the end, and YES I posted last night in the live thread that the squeaky chair was just like Odyssey with Clark doing that to Lois!! LOVED IT!

I especially loved the determined look on Clark's face as Lois left for her date. He knows he wants her! There's no question in my mind! I loved the gleam in his eye and TW was amazing in this episode! I gave it a 10 too! Again, wonderful review! Every word! Very detailed and in depth! :D

[SnowBird]

Annie...A very well written review and worth the time to read it. Thanks for taking the time to give us your thoughts. It's nice to have an episode that is popular with viewers where I can read positive reviews.

[onio]

THANK GOD at least Zatanna wears her costume, what a disgusting costume of black cannary, I hated it, she looks like a drag queen

[Mr_Smallville]

A nice quirky episode injected with a dash of humour. I quite enjoyed this weeks show, it had a comic-esque feel about it.

I wasn't sure how this episode was going to pan out at first, but it seemed to gain momentum and finished solidly. It's interesting to see CK developing and putting together pieces of the personality puzzle that will finally reveal the man he'll become... 7.5

[disciples of zod]

8/10. here's why:

i actually thought it was a lot better than i expected, so yay! not that great, but it held my attention.

so it seems that Chloe has apparently moved on from Jimmy, which kinda breaks my heart a bit. seems they just brushed that under the rug. oh well. (cue bashers rejoicing!) :(

hey, zatana made a 180. i liked the starting out bad but becoming a good guy. way to go, writers! that was nice.

"not good." i think that was my favorite line! :lol:

that's all. going home for spring break, so i will have a temporary hiatus on this site. KBYE!

~K

[lm1212]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers


I think I understand your point (if what you meant to say is objective) and I wholeheartedly agree to being subjective about this show because all in all, I really want to love Smallville. So most of the time I do.

But unlike other die-hard fans, I do acknowledge the fact that Smallville sometimes (actually, most of the time) has major plotholes, the crappiest lines, the worst actors, dumbest story-lines...the list goes on and on.

Rating objectively? I would give the episode a a 5 or 6.

But as I said before, I really want to love Smallville, so I find the great parts of an episode (like the Clois and comedy) and enjoy it so much, that its like, who cares about mistakes.

[unfocused]

I'm terribly biased when it comes to Smallville as a whole. Hey, I'm a loyal fan, what can I say?


Anyone else get a little guilty pleasure from watching Chloe get zapped by the door to hell or whatever that was called? It was like she got tasered by death.


karma anyone ;)


Touché

:lol: I still can't believe she actually used that word.

[sphrkilo]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers

You do realize that when people post their opinions it is exactly that: their opinions. Sorry you didn't like it, but liking it doesn't equal not being OBJECTIVE. I'm a very objective viewer of Smallville, and I honestly have said that it sucks half the time. Season 4 was horrible, Season 7 was an entire throw away, but I still watch because overall I like the show. And I gave this epie an 8. It wasn't the best episode ever, but it was funny, and there were a lot of nuances in the acting (mainly Erica Durance's) that I think a lot of people missed. I know someone said that Chloe should have pushed Clark off of the roof, and I actually thought of that, but I don't think it would have been physically possible. There's a huge ledge to get over first, but the idea of it made me laugh. Side note: Zatanna's boots were awesome!

[AgentChaos]

I don't think Chloe was drunk when she got home from her party. I think she was just overwhelmingly depressed. Of course if she was, I'm not going to blame her.

[myloveahmed]

...great episode...i enjoyed it most esp. the Clois scenes...!

[skully]

I think she was just overwhelmingly depressed. Of course if she was, I'm not going to blame her.Damn straight. Let's not forget she has gone from the happiest day of her life to broken up with her new husband without so much as a Honeymoon in a couple of months. That's damned depressing. :(

And I, for one, don't think Chloe deserves it.

[Juju]

love every episode where there's clois thang. ED did well playing chloe sullivan. Very convincing.... I just love Lois Lane

[RaniaLovesClois]

I think it was a great episode. Chloe is back(watchtower is online), and the scenes with Clark and ''Lois'' were hilarious. The scene with Clark and LOIS was nice...

BUT
WE WANT MORE CLOIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ClLaLeChFAN01]

I was really nervous about this episode, I didnt think that I wouldnt like it. But I was wrong yet again! The story was great, the flow, it was entertaining, and it moved the story of Smallville along. It wasnt just another epsiode or just another filler. It looks like our characters are back on track!!!! I cant wait for next week!!!!

[Justin Murad]

10!!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch tower is officially online!! Yeah!

[SuperSam75]

I have to say this episode was really good. I enjoyed the way Zatanna was used, and the dialogue between Lois/Cloe and Clark was really enjoyable. This is a great example of how the episode doesn't have to center completely on the Superman/Clark mythos and still work. After a few less than great episodes, Hex was definitely appreciated. The ending ( "Watchtower online." ) sent chills up my comic geek spine. "Up, up, and away!"

[cloisthelegendbegins]

I don't think Chloe was drunk when she got home from her party. I think she was just overwhelmingly depressed. Of course if she was, I'm not going to blame her.

Tablets and water by the bed. Dizzy expression. Flopped down on top of covers with crown still on, didn't take make up off and didn't change into PJ's. And all of that after a birthday party. The evidence would say she was tipsy at the very least. Any time I've been overwhelmingly depressed I want my jammies and to snuggle under the covers. But maybe that's just me. After all, everyone knows Lois is the only 'alcoholic' on the show, right? :rolleyes:

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


Annie, what a masterpiece!! I loved the description of the Lois and Clark scene at the end, and YES I posted last night in the live thread that the squeaky chair was just like Odyssey with Clark doing that to Lois!! LOVED IT!

I especially loved the determined look on Clark's face as Lois left for her date. He knows he wants her! There's no question in my mind! I loved the gleam in his eye and TW was amazing in this episode! I gave it a 10 too! Again, wonderful review! Every word! Very detailed and in depth! :D

Thanks! It really was a fun episode. I loved all the little call backs to previous episodes :D


Annie...A very well written review and worth the time to read it. Thanks for taking the time to give us your thoughts. It's nice to have an episode that is popular with viewers where I can read positive reviews.

Thank you! A little long winded as usual, me being me. But there was a lot to this episode and I really did enjoy it. I'm glad it's done so well in the poll. ;) Makes a more than pleasant change to being here after Power and Requiem, right?

[Tompouce]

The more I watch this epi, the more I like it (I voted a 9 so after the 10, I don't know what I am going to do :D)

[saltyweeks]

blackcelebration and Annie, loved the reviews. Many other good ones too :)

This isn’t a review, just rambling…sorry...

One thing continues to amaze me, even from the comments this week, and I seem to be one of the few in the middle (or on all sides) of these things. I would really think that if any ONE of these 3 things is true:

1. you hate the character of Chloe

2. you hate the character of Lana

3. you hate the Lois-Clark relationship

...then you would hate the show Smallville. The powerful female presence and impact on the show from actual evolving, empowered women (what an irony to see the 90210 promos during Smallville—ha, ha) is such an important dynamic to the show. Look how much Martha is missed-- I like Jonathan more but MISS Martha much more. To dislike the dynamic, or wish to divide it, makes it seem to me like you'd find an easily accessible alternative show where women are Stepford Wives.

The show strives to be at a certain LEVEL (which makes it a superior scripted show), and that LEVEL includes elements, one of which is writing strong, flawed, semi-(in the hero world)-realistic females who have a big impact on the people around them, and also are capable of thinking and acting on many different levels, making realistic mistakes as well as portraying realistic nobility.

Sort of like Hermione in the Harry Potter movies (or, of course, any Whedon show female character) it's very notable when women are written this way as opposed to what usually happens in the realm of fantasy/sci-fi/superhero entertainment. As in real life, you can tell when a female character is making real choices and is truly empowered (in both good and bad ways) when she pisses a lot of people off who'd like to fit her into more traditional roles.

Now, I understand disliking certain aspects of the portrayals, some plot details, some of the acting, all that stuff—I do it all the time myself. But what I just don’t get is the rejection of the concept.

In this episode, for example, I’d think a person who “hates” the characters of Lois or Chloe, or dislikes the “Clark-Lois ‘ship” would, naturally, find so much else in Smallville distasteful over time that watching the show would be an act of sadomasochism.

In the end, these scripted show are what they are, and if you hate their “good” points, what must you think of their “bad” points? I think about the folks who post 5 or 6 “bad” reviews in a row, or for six or seven weeks write about how they can’t “stand” Smallville anymore. I can’t get past it—why are they watching?

Of course, to see so many positive reactions to this episode gives me some hope. It’s not that I want everyone to love every show-- but isn’t the whole point of having a favorite show to enjoy it?

The ending with Chloe as Watchtower—if you don’t see that as an important, fulfilling, defining payoff based on years of character development (or if you DO see that and dislike it), then I’m flummoxed over how you’d like anything in a show about Superman, or any good scripted hero or fantasy drama.

People I know roll their own eyes when I continue to go back to Buffy—but, sorry, that’s great TV to me. Smallville isn’t quite there, but it and Lost (and maybe Fringe) are about what we have on that level these days. There are other worthy shows, but Smallville comes closest to replacing the Whedon shows to me (far closer than the new Joss show Dollhouse). Seems like on this thread I almost always “Love It” when it comes to Smallville, though I have my criticisms, because that’s the point. Subjective? Wonderful. But you choose your own favorite shows.

Why would a person pick up a Superman comic in the first place? To go—“oh THAT’S unbelievable!”? No, I’d think it’s with a sense of wonder—and if you can get a little suspension of disbelief through strong characterization (and especially when the strong characterization includes the FEMALE characters—that old superhero-story weakness) you have superior entertainment.

I guess it hits me more this week, the exception that proves the rule, than when everyone was bashing the show during the Lana arc. I know you can’t please everyone. But if you “Hated” Hex or thought it a terrible episode, then, my goodness…what would you have thought of Action Comics #1?

[actaeon]

This was a great episode for lots of reasons, but Erica's performance was its heart and soul. She rocks at making this show lighthearted and fun, and her great comic timing brings out the best in TW. The rooftop scene just blew my socks off... an elegant comic build up... the rusty door handle... "call a locksmith"... climaxing in the bit with the pipe...! Great stuff!

It was impressive, the way she picked up on AM's smallest mannerisms. The wrinkled brow thing Allison does, the sidelong glance thing (so cute, BTW!), even the sweeping hand gesture that is so characteristic of AM. Clearly Erica studied her fellow actress' performances, and took the time to get it just right. I'm not only impressed with her professionalism, I find it touching that she is so respectful. Erica's got real class!

[RedKRules]

1, it sucked.

[unfocused]

Current record holder is Bride with 263 10s

Then comes Committed with 246, Hex with 220 and counting, and the only other 200 x 10 I could find was Phantom (exactly 200).

So an excellent vote of confidence for the latest epi and BQM's writing. :)

Thanks for the record. Currently Hex is at 239. And wow, after only two days. I bet it's also gotten a good amount of posts in it's forum. What was the record for that one? 15,000? Let me check the numbers, brb.

Crap, nvm. lol. Hex only has 4,747 so far. But again, that's after two days, so the numbers will go up. Just don't know how far up they will go...

[Moonshayde]

Wow. This episode was FUN. Fun, people. We don't get that very often LOL

I was really nervous about this episode. I was afraid they'd really destroy Chloe or would make a joke out of Lois or that Clark would barely be in it. I hate the Chlois Theory, and while I wasn't one to think it would be supported in this episode, I really didn't want the writers touching the concept either way.

But wow, I really loved this episode.

Clark was fantastic. Can we please give TW more comedy? Superman is supposed to be lighthearted and hopeful. I'm all for angst, but the light stuff is needed too. And not only was he funny, he had some really powerful heroic moments, and the call back to Dad was awesome.

I didn't think they could handle Clois well after the Lana arc, but I was surprised how well they are handling it so far. We're setting things of for the classics!

Lois was great, in her few scenes, and I really loved Chloe in this. My biggest nitpick was Chloe sort of pretending to be Lois there for a while which made me uncomfortable, but other than that it was fun. The whole DP roof scene after Clark was whammied? Oh my. That was hilarious. Chloe as Lois going after Clark with a pipe! Ha!

ED did a very good job with her performance. I am always suspicious when actors have to play other characters already played by an actor on the show because you have such high expectations. And everyone has a different facial structure and the way they carry themselves so it's very very hard.

But ED pulled it off. I could see Chloe in her eyes, in the way she pursed her lips, and the way she pronounced some of her words. *claps*

Then the end we get Chloe all fired up to be Watchtower. Awesome! I wasn't one who had an issue with the counselor thing, but Watchtower is much better. I love heroic!Chloe and it suits her character.

And the Lois and Clark scene was nicely done. :)

I was really pleased. Can we keep this writer? He knows what he is doing :)

[NoSupeForYou]

You do realize that when people post their opinions it is exactly that: their opinions. Sorry you didn't like it, but liking it doesn't equal not being OBJECTIVE. I'm a very objective viewer of Smallville, and I honestly have said that it sucks half the time. Season 4 was horrible, Season 7 was an entire throw away, but I still watch because overall I like the show. And I gave this epie an 8. It wasn't the best episode ever, but it was funny, and there were a lot of nuances in the acting (mainly Erica Durance's) that I think a lot of people missed. I know someone said that Chloe should have pushed Clark off of the roof, and I actually thought of that, but I don't think it would have been physically possible. There's a huge ledge to get over first, but the idea of it made me laugh. Side note: Zatanna's boots were awesome!

Totally agree. Clark still had his powers, he just forgot about them. There's no way Chloe could have pushed him off the roof even if he didn't have them. ED may be bigger than AM, but doesn't have near enough strength to push someone of TW's size off a building, especially if he tried to hold his ground.

[cloisthelegendbegins]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Welcome to K-Site!

I'm not quite sure what you mean. To me being subjective means ignoring what I'm shown onscreen and the show canon, going by what I feel and want as opposed to what I'm being told by the story. Whereas objective means I can set my personal feelings and wants aside and judge the episode based on the facts onscreen. Judging by the next part of your post I'm going to assume you mean objective rather than subjective. In which case, in my opinion no such fansite can exist. People will always bring their own experiences, thoughts, feelings and emotions into it - if they didn't then fansites wouldn't even exist to begin with. I would assume anyone who is part of a fansite is active in it because they're passionate about the subject matter - and that involves varying degrees of emotion.


Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

But by asking for subjective criticism you're asking people to bring their emotions into it while ignoring what is on screen. If you mean objective criticism it makes more sense IMO. That then brings us to the subject of whether everyone will have the same levels of objectivity. Because one person thinks this is 'possibly the worst episode of Smallville' it doesn't mean everyone will feel the same - hence the subject of this thread. The poll suggests that the vast majority of people who voted disagree with you. That doesn't mean everyone isn't entitled to their opinion. But if you want a place where everyone agrees with you then I doubt such a place exists. If you want to discuss your opinions in more depth and debate them with fellow Smallville fans then you're in the right place ;) But sometimes we all have to agree to disagree.


Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers?

If you want to elaborate on why you think this episode was written while someone was 'on the crapper' then I'm sure plenty of people, myself included, would love to discuss it with you...

[unfocused]

Annie is right, by the way.

Oh and if you're looking for objectivity, fansites are the last places you wanna be. I love my bias and I am proud of it. I'd marry my bias if I ever got it pregnant. And no one will ever take it away from me.

:)

[jobookjunkie]

Well that was FUN. Really fun. I spent most of Hex looking like :D and :lol:

In fact, my post is going to be really, really short. Hex gets 9 out of 10 from me (when there's an episode that has Lois AND flight in it, that'll be a 10) for the excellent writing and directing, for the performances and the sheer comedy gold that could be mined from the (Ch)Lois and Clark double act. Props to PS3 for putting this episode in as a bit of levity to all the gloom and darkness of the last couple of episodes.

What more can I say? I've rewatched about 20 times and it's just as funny every time. I loved it :D

[Tompouce]

Well that was FUN. Really fun. I spent most of Hex looking like :D and :lol:

In fact, my post is going to be really, really short. Hex gets 9 out of 10 from me (when there's an episode that has Lois AND flight in it, that'll be a 10) for the excellent writing and directing, for the performances and the sheer comedy gold that could be mined from the (Ch)Lois and Clark double act. Props to PS3 for putting this episode in as a bit of levity to all the gloom and darkness of the last couple of episodes.

What more can I say? I've rewatched about 20 times and it's just as funny every time. I loved it :D
We are exactly the same. Short post for a 9/10. Your summary is perfect:D;)

[akaLane]

Current record holder is Bride with 263 10s

Then comes Committed with 246, Hex with 220 and counting, and the only other 200 x 10 I could find was Phantom (exactly 200).

So an excellent vote of confidence for the latest epi and BQM's writing. :)

I think it's worth looking at percentages, too, and Hex is definitely the record holder there, among S8 episodes, at least. Almost 56% of the votes are a 10. I think Committed is in 2nd place, also having more than half of the votes being a 10. Definitely a lot of approval from BQM's writing. :)

[SnowBird]

Annie is right, by the way.

Oh and if you're looking for objectivity, fansites are the last places you wanna be. I love my bias and I am proud of it. I'd marry my bias if I ever got it pregnant. And no one will ever take it away from me.

:)

:rotfl:My dad use to say, "I'm alright, the world is all wrong." I guess sometimes I think so too because I have an unshakable opinion when it comes to certain aspects of Smallville and no one can tell me different. A stubborn streak I inherited from a long line of stubborn people. Still, I have learned that I'm not the only one in here and everyone has a right to their opinion even if it doesn't match up to my own. It is good to see that most everyone is on the same page when it comes to "Hex" and this week I'm a happy camper. I hope we get more episodes like this one in the future.

[dreamsofnever]

I realize this is a site for the show and therefore there is very much a fanboisism lol at that created word.

However I would like to ask is there a site for smallville that any of you know of that actually has subjective points of view?

Again a legit question not being snarky but the gushing over what is possibly the worst episode of smallville I have ever seen makes me realize this isnt the place for subjective criticism.

Well smallville lovers here is to hoping that the next episode isn't written while someone is on the crapper.... cheers

I'm sorry, but have you SEEN the 'loved it hated it' thread? for other episodes? It's rare that there is so much love for one episode. And the episodes do usually get their fair share of criticism.

I would actually have to say K-site is fairly objective. For every character, we have people who love that character and people who hate that character. Same with every ship. And since this is the biggest Smallville forum, I would say it's fair to say that we have a pretty good sampling of SV's fans in general.

So the fact that many people on here loved this episode doesn't mean that we're all 'fanboi's but that on a whole, this episode appealed to a large number of the fanbase.

And again, look at least week's episode and the episodes before that to see how much the ratings usually do vary on these threads.

Just because the majority of people doesn't agree with your opinion about the episode doesn't mean that the site is biased.

And also, it's against the rules for us to talk about any other forums on here. I would suggest you read the rules and perhaps read posts from other episodes before deciding that this is a wholly biased forum.

[unfocused]

:rotfl:My dad use to say, "I'm alright, the world is all wrong." I guess sometimes I think so too because I have an unshakable opinion when it comes to certain aspects of Smallville and no one can tell me different. A stubborn streak I inherited from a long line of stubborn people. Still, I have learned that I'm not the only one in here and everyone has a right to their opinion even if it doesn't match up to my own. It is good to see that most everyone is on the same page when it comes to "Hex" and this week I'm a happy camper. I hope we get more episodes like this one in the future.

That's the beauty of opinions. You don't have to change yours if you don't want to ;) I'm stubborn to, and I'm sure there are a few people on this board that know that already :lol: But it's nice knowing that you can always accept someone elses opinion, and they can accept yours, and you both can just leave it at that. Agree to disagree.

[cloisthelegendbegins]

But, yeah, it’s her birthday and what happens? Her best friend doesn’t show up because he’s busy, despite managing to find time in advance to give her gift to someone else to deliver (I thought he had superspeed?).

So Clark should have dropped his superhero duties and maybe even have avoided saving a life so he could give Chloe her birthday present in person? I'm sure Chloe would have been very pleased he did that.


Her cousin, as usual completely oblivious to the fact that other people have feelings, gleefully says she has to leave right away to fly first class on to an exciting assignment, pats her condescendingly and proceeds to hang around anyway, giggling on the phone.

Her cousin who WAS there for her birthday as opposed to Clark, who brought her the only thing close to a birthday cake she had, who got her the crown, told her she loved her, kissed her on the cheek... you know - showed more affection for her in general than either Clark OR Oliver. She's supposed to tell her bosses at the DP that they can stick their assignment cos she has to be there for her cousins birthday? She's supposed to not make the flight they've booked her on? She wouldn't think that her cousin knows what her job entails and that news stories don't break at inconvenient times?

And she was on the phone while WAITING FOR THE ELEVATOR.


Chloe, who’s just been through the ringer with Jimmy the dickwad, makes a comment indicating that her life sucks a little. What does she get? She gets told not to be so self-pitying by the prick who blackmailed her 2 weeks ago and who “killed” Lex, who then proceeds to leave her at the party on her own.

She makes a comment that her life sucks a little? It has sucked A LOT. And it was more than a comment - she was bemoaning the fact Lois' life seemed better than hers has been of late - which is COMPLETELY understandable IMO. Oliver then tried to snap her out of it - she even apologized and said she was sorry for the operetta. And he then got a call, presumably something GA related that he had to deal with. Should he have ignored that as well? Would Chloe have been happy with him ignoring something that again might have meant lives down the line or people in trouble or any number of a dozen other things she would have encouraged him to go see to? And she was hardly alone. There were dozens of people at that party the same way there were at her engagement party, or are we saying Chloe only has three friends at the minute? IMO that scene was to highlight how everyone but Chloe has a busy life and a purpose at that point while she doesn't feel that she has. By the end of the story that has changed. But the world doesn;t stop turning just because it's her birthday and I for one don't think for a single scond Chloe doesn't know that. Which of the other characters has had a birthday party recently? Have we had a party or even a card for Clark or Lois or Oliver? If Chloe had been at one of their birthday parties and something happened that needed her to leave would we be making the same criticisms of her?


She then gets to hear Clark allude to the fact that he sides with Jimmy on their separation, which I found completely unbelievable. How could Clark side with him? Has he even spoken to Jimmy about it, Jimmy who mentioned his jealousy of Clark and quit the Planet? I highly doubt it. It seemed very OOC and impossible for Clark to take this stance since presumably the only person who could have told him the circumstances would be Chloe herself (or possibly Lois, who despite her many, many faults is at least fiercely partisan in her protectiveness of Chloe).

Clark said there were TWO SIDES to every break up. He was NOT siding with Jimmy, he was simply pointing out that he wasn't CHOOSING a side. Lois obviously disagreed with him, hence why it was brought up. And for Clark to look objectively at both sides is NOT out of character. If anything he is prone to believing people who are in the wrong (not that I'm saying Jimmy is - because there are two sides to the story) - case in point being Lex and now Tess.


It was really quite absurd, the way they went so overboard to demonstrate how respected Lois is as a journalist, despite never taking the time to show us her earning that respect.

And yet they have taken considerable time onscreen to demonstrate Chloe is no longer a journalist and many people still think it's wrong. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Personally I think if people hate a particular character then nothing anyone says or does will change that opinion. But for many Lois fans it was long overdue to actually SEE something that confirmed her success. Especially nice in an episode that used one of ED's episodes for Chloe's storyline. Case in point being the screentime minutes BadToad brought us:

Chloe: 26m, 57s total
AMChloe: 9m, 50s
EDChloe: 17m, 7s
Lois: 4m, 20s

I fail to see how the argument can be made that this episode was ALL about Lois :confused:


Regarding Chloe wanting to be Lois, I had a somewhat different take. Chloe looks at Lois and sees somebody who seems to be supremely confident, to have few responsibilities and even fewer thoughts about anyone other than herself. She is living the life alright, not needing to save the world on a regular basis, no doubts about her own abilities, no secret she must keep to her dying breath, no knowledge of anything that’s actually going on all around her, no constantly lying to everyone she knows. To Chloe, that must seem extremely attractive, not to mention being able to hang with Clark all day and do the work that she’s pursued for the last 12 years. I think the spell was broken when Chloe realized that she does not in fact want a life on the sidelines, that her knowledge, abilities and wanting to help save the world will prevent her from ever being that blissfully ignorant again.

ITA - that's a GREAT way of putting it.

[actaeon]

But, yeah, it’s her birthday and what happens? Her best friend doesn’t show up because he’s busy, despite managing to find time in advance to give her gift to someone else to deliver To me, this just shows how strong Chloe is. Sure, if she were 12, this stuff might be devastating. But she's a mature adult. She understands that Clark has world-saving stuff to do. And he gave her a thoughtful gift, delivered personally by a mutual friend, which is pretty nice of him. As a Chloe fan, I like it when the show lets us know that Chloe understands these things. Chloe is a rock!


Her cousin, as usual completely oblivious to the fact that other people have feelings, gleefully says she has to leave right away to fly first class on to an exciting assignmentAgain, Chloe understands that Lois has a job to do. If somebody missed my birthday party because they had to work, I wouldn't burst into tears... I don't think Chloe should, either!

Another thing this bit of dialogue accomplished is to make it clear that Lois is a real reporter now. An aspect of Lois' character people had been complaining about got fixed. Where's the rub? This isn't The Chloe Sullivan Show. I'm a fan of both Chloe and Lois, and I don't see it as a zero-sum game, where if Lois gets something, Chloe loses. Yes, Chloe's having a sucky birthday. She's had a hard time lately. All this is essential to setting up the plot of this episode... and Chloe not only gets through it all, she gets rewarded in the end. It all works out for her, with a new direction for her life.



She then gets to hear Clark allude to the fact that he sides with Jimmy on their separation, which I found completely unbelievable. How could Clark side with him?My impression is that he sees both sides of the story, not that he sides with Jimmy. And seeing both sides is something Chloe ought to do, IMO. If she's blue about her bust-up with Jimmy, maybe the constructive thing is to get out there and do someting about it!


The rest of the “action” was okay but ED did not impress me overly much with her acting. Like many others, I was willing to attribute my dislike of Lois Lane to the way the character was written and not the actress, but to be frank, there were very few moments where I remembered she was supposed to be ChloeI disagree, but opinions on acting will vary. I posted earlier specifically what I liked about ED's approach to her portrayal Chlois, and my admiration for the respect ED evidently has for AM and the professionalism of both of these fine actresses.


The over-riding message seemed to be “Anyone who thought Chloe could possibly measure up to Lois is nuts and here’s why!” It was really quite absurd, I find nothing so mean-spirited in this episode at all, which seemed entirely light-hearted and positive. Again, I don't see this as a game of when one woman wins, another woman loses.


the way they went so overboard to demonstrate how respected Lois is as a journalist, despite never taking the time to show us her earning that respect.She's in a Humvee in Mexico covering a drug war, which seems like pretty respectable reporter-stuff to me. She has a picture on her desk of her meeting with the Dalai Lama; she also has a backstage press pass on her desk, to lighten the mood.


Regarding Chloe wanting to be Lois, I had a somewhat different take. Chloe looks at Lois and sees somebody who seems to be supremely confident, to have few responsibilities and even fewer thoughts about anyone other than herself. I don't think Chloe sees Lois as irresponsible and selfish. Quite the opposite; I think both women have a good deal of mutal respect and love, something I believe this episode made explcit.

Chloe finds much that is admirable in Lois' life. This is why she wished for it. The wish was temporary, because Chloe has her own life to live-- of course!



I also felt (or hoped) that we were seeing this episode through Chloe’s eyes and that she was an unreliable narrator. That the reset button will get pushed, and we'll go back to Chloe the reporter and Chlark? Never going to happen. Chloe's future is as Watchtower, and "there is only one Lois Lane". And Chloe gave up pining for Clark long ago, that dance is over, it's Clois from here on in.


I’d like to think that these last two points are actually valid (despite my belief that the writers are complete hacks) but I’m afraid that I’m rationalizing so that I may bring myself to watch the rest of the season. I can only hope that it gets better (much, much better) than this or that Chloe croaks.Better dead than Watchtower? Here's one long-time Chloe fan who absolutely disagrees.

[saltyweeks]

Annie is right, by the way.

Oh and if you're looking for objectivity, fansites are the last places you wanna be. I love my bias and I am proud of it. I'd marry my bias if I ever got it pregnant. And no one will ever take it away from me.

:)

hee hee. cute :p

[dreamsofnever]

I loved this episode. A lot. It's been awhile since I could say that, which is sad because Smallville is now the only show I watch religiously and when it's good, it's really good.

I absolutely loved SV's take on Zatanna. I've been excited for her appearance since Craig hinted that she might be showing up sometime this season. So, I am a fan of Zatanna in other incarnations and I think the SV version did her character justice. The costume was perfect-very true to the comics with a little bit of SV touch. The actress was a perfect fit for Zatanna too. I liked that her acting wasn't over the top, but conveyed just the right amount of emotion for each scene. I love that she actually said her spells backwards. That was impressive. It was interesting to see her search for her father's book and her desire to bring her father back to life. That was well played.

Moving away from Zatanna, let's move on to Chloe.

Now, I haven't been a huge fan of the way the show's written Chloe this year. I love Allison and she's done a great job with the material she's been given all season. I feel like this is the episode where they finally remembered who Chloe is supposed to be and got her character right. I felt really sad for her in the beginning and I think that, regardless of whether the divorce was 'her fault' or not, she does have a lot of reason to be down on her birthday. I hated watching everyone blow her off too. Poor Chloe :(

I thought ED did a really good job of playing Chloe, especially since it's extremely difficult to copy another actor's mannerisms and method. Unfortunately, this is the case where there's no way to perfectly mimic someone else and still ACT and react as you should in scenes. So kudos to Erica. Most of the episode, I nearly forgot it was Erica playing Chloe in a manner of speaking. And by the end, when Chloe realized that Watchtower was her true calling, I LOVED it. Now, I can relate to Chloe's journey in a way. Because I think it's poignant that many people believe they're going to grow up to be one thing. They spend their whole life working towards that one thing and then when they actually get there, they realize it's not what they wanted at all.

I've been there. I've thought I was going to do one thing with my life and then lost the passion for it and drifted along, not sure of my direction.

I think being Watchtower is something Chloe has shown a lot of talent for. I was excited to see her stepping into that role. It's a strange moment when you grow up and realize your old dream isn't the best thing for you and that you're meant for so much more than it and I think they played that last scene well.

On to Clark. I loved Tom's portrayal of oblivious!Clark. This was hilarious and well-played. To me, it was very mild-mannered reporter alter-ego and I loved it. I'm sad they ditched the glasses that were spoiled though. But I'm not entirely surprised. *sigh* I also loved that they made it clear that Zatanna's wishes were something the person wanted it the moment. I liked that the episode showed Clark embracing his powers for the most part, with a tiny moment of weakness at the wrong time. I loved that at the end, he remembered and realized he wanted the powers and the spell was broken. I think this shows that Clark has grown as a person and as a hero. In fact, the past two (arguably three) episodes we've seen a Clark that truly is the man who will become Superman to me.

Lois' story arc was very brief, but I loved what they did for it. I liked seeing her go off on assignment with a lot of excitement. I wasn't a huge fan of her letting that spill over onto Chloe, who was already having a rotten night though. But I loved that we actually get to see more in-your-face evidence that Lois IS a good reporter. Yes, there has been a lot of evidence in the past, but it's been subtle until now. So I liked this. I liked the scene at the end with Lois and Clark too. I loved the mirroring of the squeaky chair from Odyssey. I loved that Lois mentioned she had a date. She has every right to accept a date and mention it, I think. Let's look at this-she admitted she loved Clark and he didn't address it right away. So she took it back. She put herself out there and tried to kiss Clark. He pulled away and basically went awol for a month-no calls, no attempts to address it. While she KNEW his ex was back in town. Then Lois tried to talk to him about the almost kiss, and he ditched out at the last second. So, here is a woman that believes that he has no interest in her from the signs and she's moving on. That's the strong Lois I know and love and I was happy to see her. I also like that she addressed the missed date and basically attempted yet again to put things back into a co-worker/friend feel for them. It's better than avoiding the subject altogether like a coward.

So, kudos to Lois for that.

Of course, I love that Clark framed her rules of journalism. I love that he does seem to have an attraction to her, and I love that he's realizing he missed the boat. I think this is a nice way to play it after the whole Clana thing. Nice and easy and slow does it. We have hints here and there of attraction on both their parts, but he's not going from that krypto-kiss and star-crossed love straight into kissing Lois or even saying he loves Lois. BUT, he's showing a willingness and desire to move forward with his life. Well played.

Oh, and I loved Oliver in this episode too. Which is good, because he felt OOC towards the end of Requiem, to the point where my husband theorized that he was secretly Lex in Oliver's body and I started to think that might be true. But this episode shot that theory down in my mind. I think we saw Oliver regretting what he'd done, we saw Oliver being a friend to Chloe (and the wicked chemistry between the two, I'll admit!) we saw Oliver doing Green Arrow stuff which I ALWAYS love. Loved Zatanna's comment about him needing to work on his secret identity and how sheepish Oliver looked there. That was well-played.

Oh, and we saw Oliver's heroic side again when he tried to talk Zatanna out of using the book. I missed that side of him. I hope it's here to stay.

And I must say the visual look of this episode was perfect. I loved the colors used in the wardrobe, I loved the use of lighting. The effects were great too.

All in all, I loved the episode. It was well-written, consistent with the characters and canon, handled a new DC character very well, and the pacing was great. If Smallville was like this all the time, I'd be a happy camper.

I gave it a 9/10 on the poll, though I wish I could change my vote to a 10/10.