Splinter: Post your reviews

[F-Stop Blues]

with 20 mins left I think its the best ep of the season.

[sheltiemom]

This episode was awesome.. Applause for the writers and actors.
This one will be hard to top. It should rank amound the series best.

[farmboy20]

i agree. that was one of their better ones.

[\S/Fanatic]

wait until next week...all i'm saying

[becomingagod]

I have to say I really enjoyed this episode, but before I call it the best one so far this season I have to say that thus far this may be my favorite season.

few pointers about the ep:

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1) what a way to have Prof. Fine reveal himself to Clark! (yeah yeah all the newbies think the cats COMPLETLEY out of the bag)
2) The episode wrapped itself up really good with fine having the silver-k and neutralizing it (? maybe ?)
3) face facts folks this was probably the closet we will get to a Bizarro Smallville. The makeup and acting of Tom Welling was exceptional.
4) Lionel, now here is a very interesting character, at the end of the fourth season Lionel's character had pretty much been exhausted (my opinion) I think the idea that Lionel is housing Jor-El's essence is intriguing, the question is who is in the driver seat? Lionel until Jor-El needs to use his body, or is Jor-El in full control, and using Lionel's memories and persona as a kind of secret idenity, hey I am impressed!


I guess thats it off hand, but ultimately I think this season is going to completly reinvigorate the show, if the first seven episodes are any indication!

-Becomingagod

[aqua]

Favorite episode of the season, one of my favorite of the season. I was blown away. Fabulous acting, direction, makeup, evcerything.

I had my doubts after Thirst and Exposed, but this put my fears at ease.

[jag5311]

Just saw it.

I agree, great episode. However, I am still unclear as to whether any of that stuff that Clark saw was false or not. A part of me wonders if ALL of it was true...because he remembered some stuff that really happened and other stuff that he thinks was false.

I don't know about how Clana will last. She is now in the bag of having some deep secrets, especially lying about the spaceship.

It looks like in the previews Clark really does try and destroy the FOS. I didn't know Dr. Fine would have the same powers as Clark, even though he is kryptonian.

Crazy.

Good episode though. Lionel is definitly a different person than Season 3 and 4.

[F-Stop Blues]

Originally posted by jag5311

I agree, great episode. However, I am still unclear as to whether any of that stuff that Clark saw was false or not. A part of me wonders if ALL of it was true...because he remembered some stuff that really happened and other stuff that he thinks was false.

.

All the crazy stuff he saw wasnt real but the things leading up to that were. For example Lana and Lex kissing wasnt real but them talking about the spaceship was. And Lionel talking to JK about knowing about Clark wasnt real but them talking about Lex was.

[Somebody Stop Me]

This episode was brilliant, well acted, used all the characters in a good way, and progressed the story along.

We also saw his hearing and x-ray vision in one episode. Finally!

Now this episode was a 5 of 5.

My only part was that the truck has been wrecked only so many times. By now their insurance has canceled.

And I wonder what Lex, hell all of them thinks about Clark now?

[ma200]

Pretty good episode. I really like Fine. I can see why James Marster is enjoying his arc because really, Fines does seem to have a pretty clear objective.

I couldn't believe that Clark b#$#*slapped his mama and choked his girlfriend. I know it's the silverkryptonite but that is just...I don't know.

I wonder how the security guard died? Did Clark kill him?

[Summers]

Best episode of the season...thus far. So make that three episodes I love this season :D.

Good:
-the music, and I swore I heard Alfred Hitchcock movie theme music.
-great teaser with the truck scene, and man their car insurance must be high. Take Clark off of the insurance fast that's the second time he totaled the car.
-Brainiac/Fine scenes excellent
-Clark's paranoia was excellent, and Tom did a great job especially in the money he thinks he sees.
-The Kents vs. Clark in the house was great. One of my favorite scenes.
-The Kents' realization that Chloe knows. No more wondering now we know that they know :). Plus now Chloe knows about redk.
-Finally actually punching by Clark during a fight, and no throwing :).
-Lionel/Jonathan scene, and Lionel/Lex
-now we know why Lex is running.....aww, I felt sorry for him with what Lionel said
-references of Julius Ceaser, Brutus, and Judas (as a history graduate I get a kick out of it :) )
-more distrust Clana. This episode she is the one that is lying...tsk tsk.
-seeing Clark's baby ship again :), and x-ray we haven't seen that in a while
-the ending of the silver k being made essentially out of Brainiac
-Lionel backstabbing his son by ruining his chances.

Bad:
-changed Brainiac's origins and powers. Don't get me wrong I loved the fight, and I know why they did it. So they can actually have a fight later in the season, but they completely altered Brainaic
-rushed too much of Fine's objective to fast. Was there a need to fush so fast? True it was only half-truths of his real agenda, but that was a lot on his motivation.
-still don't like the idea of Johnathan running. Sorry, I don't completetly OOC and John mentioned part of it in this episode.

Other than that great episode period :).


Originally posted by ma200

I wonder how the security guard died? Did Clark kill him?

I don't know. Either way it really wasn't him. It was the silver k, so there is a loophole. Just like the redk lol.

[jag5311]

Regarding the money Clark thinks he sees....was that just regular papers he throws down on the table when saying, "I told you he took money" or something...

It didn't look like money, but something like finance papers or plane tickets :)

So I assume in his mind it looked green like money, but it was really white papers.

[Somebody Stop Me]

The guard was still alive. He moaned when Lex was feeling for a pulse.

[ma200]

Originally posted by Somebody Stop Me
The guard was still alive. He moaned when Lex was feeling for a pulse.

Ohhhh, i see.

[abarsami]

Awesome. James played Braniac really well. The fight was better than the fight with the other kryptonians.

The ending shows how Braniac is indeed one smart ass machine.

[Summers]

Originally posted by jag5311
Regarding the money Clark thinks he sees....was that just regular papers he throws down on the table when saying, "I told you he took money" or something...

It didn't look like money, but something like finance papers or plane tickets :)

So I assume in his mind it looked green like money, but it was really white papers.

It was money in Clark's delusion. It was really just dirt on Lex's campaign. The width of the envelope was thicker when Lionel gave John the envelope even though the envelope in the delusion. While in reality when Clark held it it was quite thinner but he didn't even notice the difference.

[Emerald Dragen]

HOLY CRAP!!!

This episode was so awesome. I didn't think it would be by just what I had seen in online ads, but whoa, blew me away.

The hints at Johnathan's dying and the hint at Chloe's dying just was an excellent set up. you can suspect one or the other and never know for sure.

I loved, loved, loved the professor Fine and Clark stuff, I think that was the coolest thing I've seen since the whole Professor Swann stuff.

I loved the spinter being pulled out of Clark's neck all matrix style, the whole Star Wars kill my woman because I'm jealous paranoid aniken thing was awesome.

I really dig the Chloe interactions and the Lionel stuff with him being against his son. I have a feeling that he really was there and making deals with Johnathan, but not the one Clark thought he saw.

I just think the whole thing rocked, I don't have one bad thing to say about it. These type of episodes are what keeps me coming back to Smallville.

The music was outstanding as well. I also loved how Clark just went off the deep end, imagine being stuck with a psychotic superman.

Lex and Lana and the ship is another great story plot line. The who Fine thing with the ship and getting in and out without Lex knowing or anything and then dropping the rock there for LEx to find or something.

All this stuff is just great writting. All of the characters gave great acting. You just can't beat this kind of Smallville.

Even caught the eradicator thing thrown in there by proff fine.

But now I'm just rambling because I've got so many good things to say so I'm out.

[Summers]

Clark in the mansion going after Lex and Lana reminded me of two things:
-Lana is of The Shining with "Here's Johnny" :lol:
-Lex reminded from the Superman cartoon where we see Dark Lord Superman who was just plan evil...very cool episode I might add.

[DawnFire]

Wow, I really enjoyed this episode! Poor Clark, being paranoid and all. At least everyone knew it wasn't his fault he was acting that way, unlike the times he had Red Kryptonite and no good excuse to tell people.

What Lionel said to Lex at the end was so cold. But true.

[Clark Kent 86]

Fan-freakin-tastic!!!

nuff said.

[cyrus5450]

one of the best episodes. finally a good one, right after thirst, i thought the producers had lost their minds. i loved the car chase scene..best angles!

[Mydhrin]

I loved this episode!

First thing to mention was Toms acting. I loved it! He played the character so nicely.

My second favorite was Lionel scene with Lex. OH MY GOD! Everything that Lionel said i was saying to myself:"In your face Lex!" I just LOVED the speech. It was just TOO great! Is it me or is this shooting the Lexana theory down the drain? Damn even Lionel knows its impossible for Lana to fall for Lex, how the heck could this be possible now???

3rd was when Clark defended Human race against Fine. I loved it, the true Superman wouldnt have spoken better! Also, when he talked to his dad about the campaign, pretty good. Clark is beginning to show more maturity in that department :)

An other thing was when Clark was holding Lana in his hands after choking her. Man, those eyes showed what guilt he was having. That scene was great!

The hospital scene with Clana was good. Tsk tsk tsk for Lana and lying about the spaceship. Clark tested her because he knows damn well that there is a spaceship, but he accepts the lies of Lana because he understands why she does it.
Also, am i the only one that thought of this scene to be a perfect opportunity to reveal everything to Lana? When Lana said:"Its Ok, Chloe filled me in.[...] It also gave you temporary powers". Damn, it was a perfect icebreaker. Clark couldve started everything by addind:"Those werent temporary powers... [...]" Damn, i almost screamed CHICKEN at my tv!

Overall, i loved this episode. Not better then Hidden, but surely not far. Lets hope this season continues with those kind of episode!

[fash292]

Even though the episode was amazing!! IT did have one loop hole if you remember in the middle of hte episode or more towards the beginning it was a bit boring.. YOu probably don't remember cuz the last 20 minutes of the episode was spectacular.. LLs quote saying Lana will never love u Brilliant!!!! Braniac's storyline brilliant also!!!

[Summers]

Originally posted by Mydhrin

My second favorite was Lionel scene with Lex. OH MY GOD! Everything that Lionel said i was saying to myself:"In your face Lex!" I just LOVED the speech. It was just TOO great! Is it me or is this shooting the Lexana theory down the drain? Damn even Lionel knows its impossible for Lana to fall for Lex, how the heck could this be possible now???


Easy. What's the one thing Lex loves to do aganist his father? To prove him wrong ;). That's has been drive of his for so long it is only natural. He loves to prove Lionel wrong.

[Smelly]

So is the cat officially out of the bag after Clark disarms Lex, breaks his arm and then throws him 40 feet?

[TnTSCS]

Originally posted by aqua
Favorite episode of the season, one of my favorite of the season. I was blown away. Fabulous acting, direction, makeup, evcerything.

I had my doubts after Thirst and Exposed, but this put my fears at ease.

exactly my thoughts

another thing I liked was the special effects used in the fight scene

[ma200]

You know, I always thought Lex would be looking through the window staring at Clark and Lana making out. It would totally bring to mind of the "good sex, bad Lex" poster!!! :rotfl:

[constancelight]

All I got to say right now is WOW! I loved this episode.

I was so happy to see The kents return as well as Lionel.


I think TPTB are doing a great job at keeping the suspense up at who will be axed

And that Clark/Chloe hug was priceless.

Chloe really is devoted to Clark. Ahh.

[LuthorRequiem2]

Superb episode. TRULY character-driven, which is the reason I watch, the characters. I loved how we saw Clark's inner fears, his darkness. We all have that inside us, and the way silver kryptonite brought that out in Clark was brilliant! I did think, however, they shouldn't have had Clark punch his mom and strangle his dad that early in the episode. I think they should've developed Clark's paranoia a little bit more so that we felt like we were going crazy with him. But one episode can only have so much, and this one had a lot to chew on. It was FANTASTIC to see Lex and Lionel together onscreen again. That was the best part. Everything else was great. Clark being the bad guy, Lex defending the damsel in distress, Lana; Lana hiding secrets, Chloe's touching speech to Clark, Lionel helping Jonathan (JONATHAN WATCH OUT! THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS!), it was all so well-done!

[Deana]

This was my favorite episode of the season. Professor Fine's arc is awesome. The breakout artist of the season.

I can't wait to see the next episode.:D

[jack1487]

Great episode gets a 5 star rating from me. Tom Welling sure did his part; this was his most fabulous acting job. From the way he played Clark you were drawn into his head, if he keeps this up he could end up with an Emmy next year, which would be great. This episode blows away most of the stuff that I have seen this year on TV so far. In fact the whole cast and writers did an outstanding job tonight… To all KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!


Jack

[vikingjedi]

This is why I watch. Excellent episode. Lots of Lana and Superpowers which is always a good thing. I thought the previous 2 episodes were average at best.

I give it a 8.5/10. Thumbs up.

[MsSullivan]

Great Episode.

I thought TW was awesome in this episode. He looked hot even when paranoid. Choking Lana was awesome!

Chloe rocked! She was amazing in the DP/Kent house/dorm/hospital scenes (lol i think that was all of her scenes). Chloe's outfit was beautiful.

The Chloevage, wow! Chloe is hot! (sstray where is your weekly chloevage watch thread?)

The Chlark at the end was beautiful. Interesting how Clana in the hospital was a talk with lies and distrust, but the Chlark was about honest and loyalty. The hug was so beautiful.

I don't think Chloe is going to die, that would be the end of SV for me.

Again more proof that Clark is in tune with the Chloe frequency!

[Lexgirl33]

I really liked this episode...TW did a great job and brainiac is a great character!

[Watching Smallville]

So much going on in this episode. They laid a lot of groundwork for the future, really pushed the relationships to the breaking point, and made it all pretty exciting. I was really impressed with the acting.

I loved the "who can Clark trust" theme, contrasting crazy paranoia with genuine secrets, lies, and loyalties. And brilliant Brainiac makes Clark doubt everyone, sets up Professor Fine as the one person who is on his side, and leaves Clark with all these fuzzy memories where he still can't be sure what was real and what wasn't, putting all his relationships in doubt.

It was an amazing episode.

[BlueNRed2]

Better late than never. I've had a day to digest what i watched and then watch it a few more times. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure some things out. This was an *weird* episode for me. It was good but for different reasons than past episodes. The theme was spooky, the Lexana was strange and its hard to decipher what was real and what was paranoia. I loved the acting across the board.

I only had a few problems with this episode. First was the handling of the Kents learning that Chloe is knowledgable about Clark's secrets. It felt a little rushed and didnt recieve near the attention that Pete's revelation did in s2. Still, the confusion surrounding the different types of Kryptonite was uncomfortably enjoyable.

Second was the chaotic/choppy/rushed feeling the show presented. I'm guessing that this was intentional to aide in pushing the paranoia to the viewers but it didnt quite succeed in my case.

A couple of things to note:

Lana seems to be dangerously close to putting things together about Clark. Her interest in astronomy and the meteors, Lex's revelation about the ship and its connection to past events, Clark being effected by silverK....

Chloe, what to think about Chloe. Her "death before betrayal" line definately left an ominous aura in the air. Whether it is foreshadowing her future demise, something to throw off the Chlois fans or simply to define her extreme devotion to Clark, only time will tell for sure.

Lionel interfering with Lex's bid for senate is probably not going to end well. Lionel seems to be really close to getting Lex's deadly attention.

Overall, id give it an 8.5 out of 10. Great episode and definately more enjoyable than Aqua and Exposed...imho of course.

[Space_Ninja_3000]

I have to say that this was my favorite episode of the season so far. Why?

1. The tone of the entire episode was serious with none of the juvenile hokey jokes. Basically, I think this comes from the way they've written Lois Lane. She has been conceived as, and written consistently as a charicature of a human being. As a result, when she appears, the show enters a cartoon-like zone with bad jokes and cheesiness. But this episode was 180 opposite of that. It really reminded me of season 3 as it was filled with many dark aspects. I don't think the show needs to be dark per se, but I like it when its treated as a serious drama and not kitsch. So Kudos writers! Stay the course! And tone down Lois Lane; make her a bit more human.

2. Dialogue: This show had many great, memorable lines. Not a single wasted line, and a lot of fine details were covered. And, most importantly, it was believable dialogue. Also, the acting was superb on this one especially Kristen, Michael, and Tom.

3. Storylines: I really really liked that they took time to reveal a lot of character motivation here and moved several stories along. I have to say, the whole "Clark infected with kryptonite behaving weird" plot device is beyond hackneyed now, but I forgive them for it because they moved so many stories along underneath it. What did we learn here: why Lex didn't tell Lana about the ship, why he decided to tell her now, why Lionel may be supporting J. Kent in the race, what would motivate J. Kent to run (handled really well), why Lex is running, why Lex connects Lana to the ship, and we learned a good deal about Professor Fine. So much great stuff to think about here and build on. Plus, I was impressed with how efficiently and how well they weaved all of the main characters into this show. Of course, the one weak link in this series IMHO is Lois Lane.

I really hope the rest of the season stays on this track...

[dizzy]

Tom was AMAZING!!!

[Somebody Stop Me]

Lois was good in Commencement last year. And she was good in Blank.

[boonaducious]

After waiting three long days to see this episode, I finally did, and let's just say, it was well worth the wait.

Ever since Shattered, I had been waiting for an episode that Clark could go loco so Tom Welling could showcase his acting skills. This episode did it for me. Tom was superb in acting like he had gone psycho. This was definitly a different type of crazy than Lex two years ago. He seemed more psycho-killer than plain crazy. Lex just seemed less intense in that regard. Kudos to Tom for that. He's proving that Micheal isn't the only brilliant young actor in Smallville. His protrayal was quite frightening. However, the thing I liked the most about Clark's paranoia was that everyone knew about the silver rock rather than it just being another "it wasn't me" explaination. That made me glad because Lana wasn't going to hold it against him, rather than a "secrets and lies" return.

I loved the way in which Clark interacted with his parents and Chloe. It made me jump when he said those things about his parents and best friend. His reaction to Jonathan's fake line about him not being his son was heartbreaking, even though Chloe interrupted the whole effect. It really reminded me of a story I'm writing in which Jonathan really does betray Clark (even though he's under the influence of something). For this reason, I was actually wondering if we were going to go further into those delusions, but they didn't. However, I'm not complaining. Also, the way that the Kents found out that Chloe knows was not as spectacular as it could have been, but these people just got thrown around by their crazy son, I would be glad that Chloe saved the day. I'm actually surprised that Chloe didn't know about red K before since she might have deserved an explaination about prior behaviors. Those were not really nitpicks since they were not a big deal.

The Lexana thing was quite a saga, now that Lana knows that Lex has the ship (I thought that was real by the way). It's pretty obvious from Lana's distrust that it's going to be a one-sided love affair, and therefore will make Lex very bitter. On another Lana note, I though Kristen was amazing in this episode. I always thought she was a good actress, but this season she has been incredible. Her fear when Clark was looking for her made me scared for her. I wouldn't know what to do if my boyfriend turned all nuts like that. All of her other reactions to Clark, while good, were not even close to this tense moment. I was almost crying when Clark was choking her and professing his love for her at the same time. I then craked when he was holding her in his arms with a "what have I done" look on his face. More awesome acting from Tom.

I. Love. James. Marsters. It's official. His character is awesome. I loved how decietful he was and how he acted so compassionate evne though he was a cyborg. I thought that the fight between the two was incredible, including the splinter extraction. Btw, some people are wondering why he has Clark's powers. I always thought that he was just imitating Kryponian DNA, since he was faking everything else. He had to somehow convince Clark that he was Kryptonian and having powers was the best way to do that. The loft scene was definitly a high point for me, as well as the fact that the rock was part of him. It was a nice nod to the comics in which Silver K is actually fake. I'd alos like to say that Marsters and Welling have great chemistry and I can't wait for some real Braniac action in the future.

There are also several other things that I loved, such as Clark's delusion about Lex, Jonathan's aversion to running for state senator, Chloe's beautiful speech at the end, Lionel and Lex's conversation, Clark defending humanity to Fine, and, well, pretty much everything else.

Ok, now for a nitpick. I think that Jonathan running for state senator is a little far-fetched, even though I'm not totally against it. It's hard for me to believe that a farmer could win against a billionaire like Lex, even with an insider's help. However, I think that is really the only thing wrong with the idea, which could make for a very interesting story arc. I've said before that there needs to be a suspension of belief with sci-fi shows, even in "real life" things. Besides, even in real life there have been "average joes" who have won state senate races. Okay, this is turning out not to be a nitpick at all. Since I'm such a "pick-apart" person, that means that this really was a superb episode.

All in all, I thought that this was an awesome episode. I thought that it was even better that the previous psycho episode, "Shattered". So far, more episodes have been amazing than average, so I think that this is a very good omen for the season to come. I definitely give "Splinter" a 10/10

Note: I also posted this review on TV.com.

[Kryptonianian Warrior]

This is my favorite episode from this and last season! Everything flowed great and kept me at the edge of my seat. It can only get better from here. 5 out of 5

[4EverSmallville]

Spinter was an episode that I was anticipating greatly and I have to say I was not disappointed. It was a fabulous episode and about halfway through I'd already convinced myself it was one of my favorites. It's always a pleasure to see TW spread his wings as an actor and James Marsters was excellent, especially in his diatribe on the shortcomings of the human race. I loved the challenges he gave Clark in their last conversation, trying to get him to question his faith in humanity and the human race itself. Wonderful episode, my favorite this year.

[spideyfan]

Great episode. Great Fine/Clark interation. TW did a great job. In all, this was a well done episode with a great way to intoduce the real Fine to Clark. Also does it seem to anyone that Fine thinks like the "old" Jor-El thinking humans are weak.

[Kryptomaniac]

Eeewwwwww..was the splinter actually a piece of Dr. Fine INSIDE Clark, like on a recon mission or something?Eeewww...creepy.

EVERYBODY did a great job. A little slow, but that was okay. Clark looked really sick at times, almost like a junkie, but the slow buildup to this point was suspenseful and worked well.

.."you people keep popping up..." HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Bad Lana; keeping secrets from Clark again (re: black ship). At least Chloe volunteered info.

No Shelby?

Very good way to have Dr. Fine reveal himself to Clark. I had wondered how they would do that

Rating 4 out of 5.

[ryb]

What a terrific episode.

I love good suspense, and to me, suspense is best laid in layers. The first 45 minutes of Splinter was pure build-up and one of the better examples of it from any TV series in recent memory. During each commercial, I was pacing the floor just waiting for the show to return. For a "suspense" episode, that's a very good sign.

I'll highlight some of my favorite characteristics of the episode, by no means complete:

1) This episode was aesthetically one of the best I have ever seen, from any series. The mansion shots were fantastic, with purple, dark blue, and orange glows. I adored the dark silhouette of Clark in the bright glow surrounding him -- seemed to be an interesting nod to Episode III. I also liked the shots in the loft at the end of the episode. Fine all black; Clark an appropriate red and blue. Big kudos to director of photography Barry Donlevy and production designer David Willson for their magnificent work in this episode.

2) James Marshall, as usual, directed this episode beautifully. The show was very well-paced with tremendous segues. Some notable examples: Clark running out of the house after Chloe exposes him to (green) kryptonite. What a riveting scene. I thought the mansion scenes were exciting and disturbing...a hard combination to portray well. Marshall is a talented director, with an eye for detail. And the beauty was in the details in Splinter.

3) I can't say enough about Tom Welling's improvement as an actor. He was phenomenal in this episode...not one iota of over-acting evident. As Triplet noted in her review, his acting was actually subtle--definitely against acting instinct. Welling made Clark's paranoia reverberate on-screen with a realistic ferocity. Well done.

4) Supporting performances were also spectacular. Of particular note was John Glover's terrific interaction with John Schneider and Michael Rosenbaum. The Lex/Lionel scene at the end was especially powerful. I can't say enough about James Marsters. This actor is talented. How he pulls off the quiet evil he portrays is astounding to me. How he does it with the zeal he undoubtedly shows is even better. What a great addition to this show.

5) I'm just nuts this year about Allison Mack. I don't know how she does it, but her urgent performance episode after episode is both totally convincing and amazingly modest. Mack has made the most realistic character in this series. Her scenes with Clark were excellent, but I found her scene with Lana to be even better. Her heightened pacing of her words...her completely convincing look of bewilderment and fear. Great stuff.

6) If anyone was disappointed about the climactic fight scene in Arrival, I doubt the same can be said in Splinter. The "fight scene" between Fine and Clark was wonderfully portrayed and undeniably exciting. I loved Kreuk's portrayal of Lana in this sequence. She looked like a frightened kitten hiding in a dark corner. This scene was shot similarly to the conclusion of The Shining (Tom Welling's shouts of "Lana!" were eerily similar to Jack Nicholson's portrayal in the classic Kubrick film). Nice touch.

7) When Professor Fine said "Kal-El"...yeah, that was awesome.

8) Splinter seemed to be the metaphorical equivalent to tipping over the first domino. How Lex and Lana formed a somewhat secret partnership, how Fine's true identity is revealed, how Clark encourages his father to run against Lex, how Lionel's motives are now much more anti-Lex and pro-good...the stage has been set, and I imagine the repercussions (which this episode cleverly avoided -- would have totally ruined the pacing of the show had emotional impact, or character fallout, been included) will be forthcoming. Yes, the first domino has been tipped over. Now, how will the rest fall?

9) Forgot to mention...I love episodes in which the scenes are not entirely obvious as to their reality. I think some scenes were pretty obvious but others were not. It not only is a great way of portraying a character's thoughts/feelings (and their exaggerations, as was the case in this episode)...but it also plays on the audience's. And it promotes thought on what we think of these characters...what we believe their capabilities, motives, and feelings are versus what they might actually be.

10) Also forgot to mention...well-written episode. DeKnight is clearly the most talented writer on the show. That's right, Thirst haters. I said it.

This is the best episode of the season and one of my favorites of the series. I give Splinter a solid 'A'.

[President_Luthor]

Heh, heh. The whole episode is about secrets and lies.

I found it funny (in a cynical way) that Jonathan went on about how he'd never sell Clark out to Lionel, when he's sold out the Rosses to Lionel without batting an eyelash. Heck, I would vote for Lex just out of spite :lol:

Now we know what Stalker Clark would be like. Lana, girl, run ... while you still can! Now everyone can boast about having their own 'secret partnerships':

Chloe had hers with Lionel, Lionel has his with Jonathan, Lana has hers with Lex, Clark had his with Dr. Swann (and now Brainiac), Martha had her brief fling with LuthorCorp. (and as an accessory after the fact with JK and Lionel's adoption con job). That leaves us with, umm, Sheriff Adams, Aunt Nell and all those no-name security guards without any secret partnerships.

Man, that town's full of bold-faced liars. Clark was so full of it when he blabbed about humans being honest. Honesty to Clark is like plaid to Lex Luthor: a foreign object. Perhaps Brainiac was too cynical, but Clark isn't exactly a symbol of the best of human virtues. Jonathan taught him too well in the art of 'virtuous hypocrisy'.

Brainiac is the puppetmaster -- and everyone else is way out of their league. I think Lex owes Clark a nice punch in the face, IMHO. He's just waiting for the right moment to hand him a kryptonite knuckle sandwich. Brainiac's toying with all of them, and they don't even know it *cackles maniacally*

Splinter was definitely entertaining. :D

[Yuui]

Screencaps of the Episode:

http://img104.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=8f6_10nov05_smallville_1.jpg

http://img9.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=3a4_10nov05_smallville_10.jpg

http://img41.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=000_10nov05_smallville_17.jpg

http://img105.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=4c4_10nov05_smallville_20.jpg

http://img22.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=04e_10nov05_smallville_24.jpg

http://img7.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=44e_10nov05_smallville_27.jpg

http://img44.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=f8e_10nov05_smallville_30.jpg

http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=77c_10nov05_smallville_38.jpg

http://img11.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=85b_10nov05_smallville_41.jpg

http://img105.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=50f_10nov05_smallville_43.jpg


Thoughts:

I think it is the appropriate time to expose one facet of Milton Fine's persona, as within the next few episodes I expect all to known about Brainiac.

One troubling occurance is the redundancy in the writing for the relationship between Clark and Lex. Another would be the poor writing decisions presented in the form of a lack of elaboration on certain details (i.e., wouldn't Clark have damaged Martha's face when he hit her?) and the amnesia displayed this week when Clark didn't even address said issue, amongst other things.

A neat episode that felt a bit rushed with poor writing per usual.

[Somebody Stop Me]

I have an idea Yuui. Since said writing is so "poor", why don't you start writing this show and show us how it's done?