What did you think of Fanatic?

[Vatusia]

I can't believe there isn't already one of these, but here we go!

I thought this was an entertaining episode, and all the nitpicks I've been reading on other boards (ie about Lois the Campaign Manager's credentials, how could Martha possibly fall into Lionel's clutches again, etc) seem a bit, well, *nitpicky* to me. I loved the rallies, I think JS cuts quite a figure as a political candidate - whaddya wanna bet he runs for office in a few years? ;) I loved the Chloe-Clark sex convo, and I was tremendously impressed with Chloe's mature attitude toward this outpouring of TMI from the man she still probably loves. Maybe now that she knows his secret, Chloe sees the potential drawbacks of having Clark as a mate and has decided Lana can have him. :lol:

But I digress. Great acting, clever script, evocative direction.

One quibble: I really think Lex is more evil now than he showed himself to be in this ep.This wasn't MR's fault - he did his usual perfect job of portraying what was laid out for him in the script. Yes, yes, Lex is wanting to dig up dirt on the Kents, yes he wants to win this little election (can you really see Lex taking time out of his busy schedule to go sit in the Kansas legislature?! :rotfl: ) a little TOO much - but I think in the beginning of the ep, Lex is just evil enough that he would have embraced psycho-girl's tactics AND would probably have embraced HER, too! He's still a little too nice, too misunderstood, too ambiguous - too Season 1. I did like his line to Clark about the White House however. ;)

Nice work though!

[God-Man]

I finally got in! Woo Hoo! I've been trying since "Fanatic" ended to get into the forums with no luck, so here I go...

I enjoyed "Fanatic". Not for the main story. That was boring. The Clark/Lana scenes made the episode for me. Now, I don't usually like seeing Lana rip into Clark, but now that they are a serious couple, it was about time Lana started asking questions about the Boy of Steel. I loved it when Clark attacked Lana, b/c Idon't think that has ever happened. Ever. Nice, but Clark deserved Lana's suspicions this time.

Loved the Clark/Chloe scenes,as usual. 'Krypto Hag" is my new favorite word.

It's great to see that this episode included a recap before the episode started to catch up on all of the subplots. I alsolike the fact that they moved a couple of them foward. That has been something that this season has done better that previous ones. Right off the bat we saw a follow up to "Lexmas", where Lex is informed that the dirt on Pa Kent was ready. Too bad that we didn't get to see what it was.

While I'm at it, what is the deal with Lionel Luthor? What is his endgame? I thought that Lex completely owned Luthorcorp, and that Lionel had nothing. He acts as if he is still running Luthorcorp. Also, is he still possesed by Jor-El? Why is he helping the Kents? Where does he get his money? What is up?

Loved it when Lana told Clark that she thought that a spaceship landed during the first meteor shower. If you've seen the spoilers, you know where Lana's suspicions will lead to, and I for one can't wait. At this point I desperately want Clark to tell Lana his secret. As much as I've trashed Lana in the past,Ilove seeing them together as a couple. Seeing them fight now seems natural, not corny or melodramatic. I can handle it.

Martha getting into Lionel's car? Uh-oh...

What was the deal with Jonathan's pills? A harbringer...or misdirection?

Lois as a campaign manager? Please. Erica Durance's superb performance saved the ridiculous notion of her running a campaign, however.

Overall, I enjoyed "Fanatic" as a means to an end. It's all setup for "Reckoning". I think that episode will be classic. One of the all time great Smallville episodes. "Fanatic" and 'Lockdown" set the stage.

One more thing. When Clark and Martha discover Pa Kent hung upside down in the barn, I couldn't help but notice that Clark was EXPRESIONLESS. You would think that he would express shock and fear at the possibility that your father might be dead. No. Welling just has that vapid look on his face. Jesus, does he have any other face than blank? And you would think that he would hurry and get him down. No, the vapid one just stares like an idiot instead.


Despite that, "Fanatic" was an enjoyable episode. Welcome back Smallville.

[double L]

good episode not as good as Hidden but one of the better ones of this season.

[gamer2]

Lex owns lexcorp. Luther corp I believe still belongs to Lionel

[thmallville]

This was a sucky episode. I was extremely bored when I was watching it. Smallville has disappointed me.

[smallvilleobsessor17]

Me too! It's very unusual for SV to have such a bad episode.

[thmallville]

Actually.... Drone, Aqua, Cool, Heat.... it's not SO unusual to have the occasional SUCKY episode.

[pags3223]

I thought it was very entertaining and enjoyed it immensely. I thought the acting was good all around with the exception of the psycho girl who shaved her head. Sorry to be petty, but I didn't think she looked that pretty and every scene with her left something to be desired.

With that said, I think it was an excellent episode. I thought the storyline was good, it kept the overall theme of the season going, and began the setup for the 100th episode.

I think that what is causing some people to be dissatisfied with the episode is that there is such a big build-up being made for the 100th episode that the story and quality of the episodes that precede it are being overlooked or overjudged.

[Saber]

It was boring :o ; Lex and Lionel were great but other than that it was a disappointing episode.
I hate that Martha is getting in with Lionel, totally cheap; I wish they wouldn’t go there. :\

[cayayofm]

I have very mixed felings because the main plot was bad, really bad. I hate when villians are just crazy and the is just no logic with their actions. This episode was saved by the rest, the Lana/Clark stuff. The funny Clark/Chloe conversation, the episode actually moved the season plots foward and that it was a joy seeing Martha doing something involving the story. It was time for Lana to comfront Clark and I liked how she did not let him blame it on her, this is so not her fault. Clark seeking for sexual advice was very funny and cute. I agree about Martha getting in the car with Lionel very cheap, we know the kind of woman that Martha is, why go there?

Overall this was a just a set up to the 100th episode wich it seems is going to be gigantic.

I gave it 2.5/5 stars.

[superhippie2000]

i thought the episode was good. i think most people hated it cause it really didnt have much to do with clark and was focused more on the campaign. i am glad that they had an episode that focused more on mr and mrs kent because most of the time when they do stuff in the episode its like 5 minutes and that is it.

[smallvilleobsessor17]

That was part of it. But I was just thinking, they probably made this episode not so good so that the 100th episode( OH YEA!!!) will seem even better.

[Snarky]

It was average. The Lex/Lionel banter was fantastic. The Chlark was hilarious with far more chemistry than Clark and Lana ever had. The Lionel/Martha could be an intriguing storyline if its kept a mental challenge. Martha is from his world and understands how to play the game.

It was great to see Lois bonding with Martha and Jonathan while maintaining her snarky attitude toward Clark. Nice!

I'm disappointed with the Clana neither one of them are mature enough to be involved in a sexual relationship. It cheapens his character immensely and makes him come off like a selfish jerk...everything Superman is not. Come on writers Clark should be matured well past this point by now.

The head shaving scene was a bit weird and definately a waste of screentime, but hey it kept with the whole movie rip-off theme from fourth season (GI Jane anyone?)

Overall this epi earns a C for me.

[Metropolis Hero]

I thought this episode was alright. Nothing great or anything but it did have some interesting moments. I liked the fact that this episode focused more on Jonathan and Martha for once and i loved the Chloe/Clark sex talk!

[loistickyfingerz]

I thought overall it was a good episode in that it flowed well, was continuosly entertaining, it moved all the characters forward and it contained continuity not only from previous episodes, but the shot of Jonathan taking the pills I think will flow into future shows, as will the "atomic bomb" Lionel burned.

The storyline itself wasn't strong, but it worked and it served its purpose I felt.

I just wish we could see a little more reaction from Clark since this is the second time Lois has nailed the bad guy for him.

[tw190]

Thought it was kinda boring. But I wasn't really expecting much! You know, this was an episode that I didn't really want to re-watch over the weekend. Don't get me wrong, I liked it because it was Smallville, but I have seen better.

THE GOOD:
-Lois as campaign manager.
-Mention of Milton Fine! *swoons*
-JK hanging from the barn, niiice. Someone meant business!
-The rally was neat, including Clark catching the bullet.
-Chlark sex talk!
-Lana's get close to finding out the secret and Clark's panicking! ---SPOILER--- I'm betting this'll lead to a break up of Clana in 5.12's "Reckoning". ---END OF SPOILER---

THE SO-SO:
-I did like how the Clana sex talk went... I mean, come on, they are boyfriend/girlfriend but it seemed awkward. I mean, yes it was awkward for Clark, but something about the scene didn't fit right... can't seem to pinpoint it.
-The guest star sort of annoyed me. Her character, I mean. Dunno. She didn't do anything for me.

It was an okay episode, in my "three least favorite eps of season five" list, but I am really happy with season five so I'm not gonna complain. ;)

[Son of Kal-El20]

I saw this episode last night and i have to say it wasn't one of the better episodes of Smallville. The main plot was really boring and the psycho female was definitely a below average villian of the week. The performances were decent but for some reason I think Tom Welling was also bored because in this episode Clark seemed to have this 'whatever'/bored persona about him. Also nothing really important happened in this episode except Lana coming one step closer to finding out that Clark is a Kryptonian. But all in all, I can tell this episode was just a filler to get people back into the groove of Smallville. 'Fanatic' is definitely one of the most boring episodes in Smallville history( with the main character also looking bored to boot). I give 'Fanatic' a 5/10.

P.S- I don't know if anyone noticed but for some reason in this episode, both Welling and Rosenbaum looked a lot older than usual. I don't know if it was the makeup or something but they both looked like they were in their thirties.

[tw190]

Wow, Son of Kal-El20 my opinion exactly. Didn't see your post before I edited mine, so I'd like to say: Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. TW seemed a little bored.

[clark25]

I thought this one was very well put
together and I thought JS done some
perty good camping speaking.And to I
sure am glad it was not lois that was
the shooter I was rooting for her all the
way while she was trying to fight of that
freaky girl and to the chloe and clark sex
talk was funny.I thought anywho perty
good epy everything is shaping up for
the big 100th

[vyperman7]

I have to say that I am suprised with the negative response this episode has received. I thought that it was well paced and that it did a good job leading into the final turn before the 100th episode. It dealt with the status of the Clana relationship, which I was happy to see. While I am not a Clana shipper, I did want the relationship to be developed better to show us why Clark and Lana do not end up together, and to answer the question of how their sex life has been going. The Chlark talk was a funny way to deal with it. This episode also focused on the senate race and how JK is doing. The relationship between Martha and Lionel was also an interesting development as well.

While this was not my favorite episode by any means, I still enjoyed it and thought it did a good job forshadowing and building towards the 100th episode,

[Watching Smallville]

I liked this episode for several reasons. A lot of people complain about the main plot line, but I thought it showed what kind of leader Lex would be, and the fanaticism he could inspire in his followers. I thought MR was very creepy talking to the "troops" and passing along all his historic warfare philosophy. So I found the main plot line interesting and revealing.

I also liked looking at Jonathan's side of the campaign, completely unprofessional but heartfelt. It's very idealistic of TPTB to create this kind of political face-off, which happens rarely in reality, but which does, sometimes, end with an underdog as the winner. Lots of political commentary under the radar in this one, which I also found interesting.

I also liked the fact that the elephants in the room were finally discussed between Lana and Clark. Lana said in Thirst that she missed being with Clark, and we never heard another word since. I'm glad she brought it up. I'm glad she caught the deflection and bounced it right back to Clark. I also like the fact that she came clean about studying the meteor showers and showed us that she has been on the trail and following the clues -- like anyone would.

Clark didn't fare too well in this episode. A bit of a jerk with Lana, a bit of a jerk with Chloe. This is the first episode where I thought they both should just ditch him. As far as character goes, I guess it's consistent for Clark to be both evasive and clueless, but at this point, keeping his secret from Lana is really eroding his integrity -- not to mention his sensitivity. I wish Chloe had shown as much backbone as Lana did and just walked away from that conversation, but I think it's a clue that she'll put up with anything from Clark and that she still has feelings for him.

All in all, I enjoyed the episode. It tied up some dangling plot lines, revealed something more about the characters, and set us up for future events. Even Shelby had a scene. I give it a B+.

[superman79]

I liked it alright...yeah the Lex-wannabe was kinda corny but everything else was very entertaining. I also liked that look Lois gave Clark after she had subdued the Lex acolyte.

[SmallvilleFan11]

I To Am also shocked at the negative response this episode is receiving. I thought it was well done, and is leading up to the 100th eppy very nicely. Well done Smallville, well done....

[TheFlasher]

I thought the episode was very boring...saying we waited the whole Christmas period for something better than Lexmas. Clark seemed like he had nothing to do until the end when catching the bullet.

I hope this is the worst episode of this season.

The crazy Disciple of Lex had no acting talent at all....seems the casting director made a bad decision there.

Is this the first SV episode that didnt see Clark and the main enemy conflict? Lois handled herself well as always.

[Welling_is_pretty]

Post #17 of 23

I saw this episode last night and i have to say it wasn't one of the better episodes of Smallville. The main plot was really boring and the psycho female was definitely a below average villian of the week. The performances were decent but for some reason I think Tom Welling was also bored because in this episode Clark seemed to have this 'whatever'/bored persona about him. Also nothing really important happened in this episode except Lana coming one step closer to finding out that Clark is a Kryptonian. But all in all, I can tell this episode was just a filler to get people back into the groove of Smallville. 'Fanatic' is definitely one of the most boring episodes in Smallville history( with the main character also looking bored to boot). I give 'Fanatic' a 5/10.

P.S- I don't know if anyone noticed but for some reason in this episode, both Welling and Rosenbaum looked a lot older than usual. I don't know if it was the makeup or something but they both looked like they were in their thirties.

I didn't care much for this episode either. The villian(ess?) was pretty standard, I agree (although she did some of the best acting in the eppy).
Tommy did seem bored but perhaps that was because he didn't have much to do. (as you may have noticed from my avatar and user name I am a bigtime Welling fan and was surprised by how little we saw of Clark in this episode! Seriously, he got about 10 minutes of the eppy--it seemed to me!)
The whole thing with Lois was kinda unbelievable.
The Chlark talk was funny to a degree but the Kryptohag line made me wince.
For me, the best part of the episode was Lionel. Man, is Glover ever good at playing evil or what?!
Oh, and it was funny how Clark and Lex had that wonderful little conversation, don't you think? It was very friendly and almost seemed to harken back to the early seasons, it seemed to me.
All in all, I felt that this episode wasn't that great, and like someone else said: they were just filling time until the 100th.

[ryb]

I haven't been visiting KryptonSite for a while for fear of Ep 100 spoilers, but I thought I'd come straight to the ep discussions to post a review.

I was surprised by some of the negative reaction to the episode. I guess I shouldn't be since the episode is far from mainstream Smallville, but I was still somewhat taken aback.

Fanatic is one of my personal favorites of the season. The reason is one of construct and execution. For those unaware, this was Wendy Mericle's first episode credited as a writer, and Michael Rohl, though certainly around the directing block in the past, makes an appearance in the Smallville neighborhood. In other words, these are two relative newbies to the particular roles, and I thought they did a tremendous job.

This episode is so great because of its structure. The flow of the show was nearly flawlessly smooth. Never did the pace seem out of phase or inconsistent. The writing was much above average in terms of intellect and impact (I thought Lex and Lionel were especially well written in this episode). And it was a pleasant breath of fresh air to see an episode focused on character interaction rather than character. For example:

1) Martha and Lionel -- Always a treat to see Annette O'Toole and John Glover together...some of my favorite scenes from Season 2 featured this pair. John Glover's performance in Fanatic was impressively sinister. I was spooked by his scene with Martha. Glover has become more subtle with Lionel over the years, and I welcome this added complexity.

2) Lex with his fanatics -- even though Lex hardly goes as far with his intentions (yet), you can sense how far he may be willing to go with time. I love how he compared the campaign to war -- somewhat exaggerated for a state senatorial race, to which he calls a "stepping stone" in his conversation with Clark. Interesting dichotomy, if you ask me. This scene, I think, is a good foreshadow of Lex's "recruitment" of allies in the future.

3) Clark and Lana -- It's been a while since I've seen a good Clark and Lana scene, but I thought both of their scenes together were well done. I was especially appreciative of the loft scene -- a coming clean, of sorts, but more of a foreshadow of why things won't work between the two (re: Lana's investigation of the meteor showers).

4) Clark and Chloe -- Wow, gotta love the chemistry. Their comedic "sex talk" scene was a gold mine. Tom Welling works best with Allison Mack right now, and this scene is clear proof of that. These two have a blast together, and the payoff is sublime.

5) The Kents and Lois -- How can Lois be so nice to the parents and so "rough and tumble" with Clark? I don't know, but Erica Durance makes it look easy. The sparks she adds to the show are wondrous and a joy to watch.

6) Clark and Lex -- Man, it's fun to watch these two in scenes together. The tension is palpable. I can't wait for more of this.

As for the episode itself, this is flat-out character and story development. What will be the repercussions of Martha and Lionel (Obviously, Jonathan is bound to find out)? Lana has come clean about her investigation of the meteor showers, but she hasn't come clean with who is helping her. The Clark-Lana-Lex triangle continues. How far will Lois go to help the Kents? How far will Chloe go to protect Clark? What will prompt Clark, if anything, to tell Lana his secret? All questions to which this episode gives clues.

For the continuity-demanders, this episode was a treasure. References to Season 2/3/4 eps were apparent, and some lingering questions regarding the Clark-Lana relationship from early Season 5 episodes were answered.

Finally, regarding the "main plot storyline," I think the episode was much more interesting than some people suggest. First off, I think it gives a hint as to Lex's "recruiting" future (Read above). Secondly, I thought the acting performance by Annie Burgstede (as Samantha) was appropriately over-the-top. After all, fanatics generally are (although I found her scene with the two cohorts kind of plastic). And wasn't that mansion scene between Lex and Samantha creepy? That was good stuff.

I immediately recognized this episode as a low-budget episode. These have to exist to allow such eps as Arrival, Hidden, Splinter, and Solitude. I imagine the 100th is a major portion of the financial equation as well. And frankly, given the circumstances, I thought the plot's payoff was worth it.

I find it interesting that a lot of complaints about the episode were with regard to Clark's limited screen time. I personally found it refreshing. I imagine it's building blocks to Ep 100, so we have to have a feel for how the other characters are interacting and what they are doing before the tragedy occurs. The fact that Clark takes a back seat, I believe, is paramount for Ep 100's impact to be substantial. Yes, the show is about Clark, but Clark's actions are often brought on by others' motives/actions.

I was especially amused by the "Tom Welling seemed bored" comment. I certainly didn't get that impression. In fact, his scenes with Chloe were impressively on target. I think his performance in this show was "subtle" and not "bored". His role was a supporter in this episode. And those thinking that the show should be all-Clark, all-the-time -- I merely remind you that some of the best episodes featured Clark as more of a supporting character (Shattered and Onyx come quickly to mind).

Given the above, I give Fanatic an emphatic 'A'.

[SnarkMasterJ]

It was decent. There was so much Nois that I thought I might vomit, but it was a pretty good ep.

Good Chlark. Oddly less-annoying but still bothersome Clana.

I'd gripe about some of the nitpicks and nuisances, but they used Depeche Mode...my complaints end there.

Over-all, 6.5-7/10.

[ryb]

Just a comment on the episode teaser, which I meant to include in my review -- someone mentioned it in their review, so I thought I'd comment...

This is a plot device used in many TV series from time to time. Some examples are "The Girl Next Door" from Veronica Mars, "all things" from The X-Files, "What Kind of Day Has It Been" from The West Wing, and "Resurrection Ship: Part 2" from Battlestar Galactica. Often they are used as misleading foreshadows, as was the case with Fanatic (In fact, all but the West Wing example listed above were misleading foreshadows). The fourth season Smallville episode Spirit also used this.

Many viewers find them annoying; I usually find them interesting because it makes me wonder how we get from Point A to Point B and then how the writers do it differently. Is it necessary? Usually not, but they do add a bit of mystery to the episode, which is usually the intent.

I know there's a "jingo" name for this plot device, but for the life of me I can't remember it. I've heard them called "post hoc teasers" before, but that's not the "term".

[cayayofm]

ryb now that you mention the teaser, when the episode started and I saw the"48 hours earlier" I was furious. I guess it was that we know that there is no way that Lois will murder Jonathan, but later I thought well it will be interesting to see how they ended up in that point wich now I think it was not that bad. Also there is many things that I agree with your review and your emphasis on the characters interaction and how one of my favorite pairing on screen is Lionel and Martha. However, I can put aside a lot of things that bugged me. Like some people mentioned I thought the acting was off this week. The fanatic girl (Samantha) was just a bad actress, yes I guess she was supposed to be a little over the top, but it did not worked, I thought that in the scene in wich she is with Lex she was supossed to come off like you said creepy, but I thought that she was supossed to bring some kind o sensuality that she did not. Also I hate crazy villains, that there actions have not logic and just are evil because they are the villain, it just bores me. The Lana and Clark dorm room scene while apreciated I could not help notice how unconftrible the acting made me feel, I have to agree that the acting of Welling was a little off.

[Deana]

I loved this episode. I think it's the fact that the Kent's and Lois had big roles in this one. I like these characters, add Lionel to the mix, more than Lana, Chloe, and SV's very on Super Dummy, Clark Kent.

Samantha was creepy...

[watcher4]

I liked how the episode started at the end (sort of) and went back to previous events.

IMHO-Although not the best, there were some strong moments.

I did not feel that I wasted my time in watching the episode.

[Crazy4Smallville]

Crazy4Smallville's Weekly Review 5:10 Fanatic

This review is late because I missed watching Smallville on Thursday because of a scheduled meeting. My husband had bought me a new DVR - and I set it to record Smallville. It did, but not so that I could watch it. It would play only 1 minute at a time and then skip ten. But, I thought I had saved myself, because I had also set the VCR. It recorded fine - but not Smallville. Instead I got two episodes of the Simpsons. It seems that I haven't used my VCR since early fall - and the time had not been changed when we switched daylight savings time back in November. So, just as Smallville came on... the recording stopped. There is no describing how frustrated I was. I ran me a very hot bubble bath and read a book to keep my mind off of Smallville.

However, that didn't work for too long. I knew there was a copy out there and I just had to watch it. So, on Saturday afternoon I found myself sitting on someone else's couch watching this episode. Since then, my husband worked most of Saturday to find out why my DVR recorded the way it did and has set the correct time on the VCR. Yet, I'm still worried. Though we successfully recorded Desperate Housewives last night, I still worry. Because, my next scheduled appointment just happens to be the night of the 100th episode.

So, what about Fanatic? It was... okay. There was some funny parts and some moments, but it was really full of much of the 'same old' things.

How many times will Lex conviently get knocked out? Maybe his psychotic problems is not due to his fathers sadistic teachings and rantings, but of being konked over the head.

How many more times will Lex show up at the hospital showing concern for one of the Kent's and he and Clark have an angst moment? For Pete's sake... that conversation has been beat to death.

How many more psycho's are obsessed with either Lex, Clark or Lana? I suppose since the three spend more time in Metropolis - there's a whole new slew of them. Granted they've already went through the whole population of Smallville.

How many more times will Pa Kent get the crap kicked out of him? I mean - he's already taking some red pills to stay alive. Maybe he wouldn't need them if he wasn't always getting hurt. I'll reiterate what I've always said before - he's really is SuperDad. It's a miracle he's survived this long. But, I have a feeling he's only got a few more episodes until all the abuse finally catches up to him.

Prediction: Jonathan Kent will die at the hands of Lana Lang.

How many more times does Clark and Lana have to have an intense moment and then a conversation about trust and lies? That's what they're whole relationship has been based on. If Clark would just be honest with her and she with Clark - then there would be nothing left but the physical aspect of the relationship - and that might not even be possible. This see-saw has been going on for five years and yet it continues. I'm tired of loft scenes, excuses and mind games.

How many more times will Clark be completely insensitive to Chloe's feelings? It's one thing to continue in an unhealthy obsession - while your best friend sticks by you. It's another to keep rubbing that disaster into their face. As much as I found their conversation hilarious and awkward, I didn't see the purpose for it. So, Clark's having some trust issues with Lana and his abilities to commit fornication. Clark doesn't want to hear what Chloe has to say, because he knows that it wouldn't be anything he wants to do. Only one thing came to verition - He clearly shows that he doesn't trust Lana and he absolutely trusts Chloe (even with the most intimate details)- yet he's still blind as a bat.

Now, onto the good stuff in the episode:

Lionel Luthor - what is that man up to and who is? He's playing both sides. It's like he's trying to fuel a war between the Kents and the Luthors. He takes a step to save them by destroying whatever evidence Lex's henchman discovered, yet tries to fuel a wedge between Jonathan and Martha. Also, he tries to destroy Lex's campaign and at the same time help fund Jonathan's. He's up to something - and I haven't a clue as to what it is. I love it! It's fresh, new and intriguing.

Lois saves the day on her own - so she thinks. I LOVE IT. This is the Lois Lane/Clark Kent situations that I love. The Lois I've always known thought she was the hero of the two, never knowing what Clark had done to get to the point of her coming to the rescue at the very end. I love that kind of banter.

Another prediction: Lana Lang will die at the hands of *** ******.
Granted, she's part of mythos, but this show has strayed alot from previous mythos and they could make my dreams come true. Lana's no longer important to the story - other than the possibility of being a catalyst that puts two great men on opposite poles. That would sum up her whole role in this show altogether. She would be Clark's Kryptonite and Lex's shattered mirror. However, if they remain on the cheesy path they've been on for the last few years - she'll always be the love of Clark's life and Lois the consellation prize.

Well, this has been Crazy4Smallville's review of Fanatic.

Till next time,

[Sweetie]

I liked this episode.The sex-talk between Clark & Chloé was very funny.How could she know for sure that there's no danger for Lana?Did we miss an episode;)

I think that the psycho-chick's storyline was neat,I like Lex's reaction when he saw her with her shaved head and wearing his bathrobe:Oh!I didn't recognise you there for a moment:)

Lana & Clark's plot was lame.There's a big different between saying that I'm studying the meteor showers & I saw a spaceship and saying:Hey!I'm the alien who was in the first ship that killed your parents.That would been extremely hard to swallow.She won't take it very well either:mad:

Lionel wants Lex out of the race:he doesn't beleive that his son can do the job.He wants Martha for himself.So,he will make sure that Johnathan be out of the picture.Be carefull Martha,you play with fire!

[F-Stop Blues]

I liked this ep. It wasnt overwhelmingly great but it was solid. Its clear to me that this along with Lockdown are really just setting up the events for Reckoning. Its sort of like a three part ep in that way. Anyway, I dont really like Lois being JK's campaign manager becuase imo its stupid but I do like that this season Lois has stories that arent related to Clark. This ep along with Solitide, I dont Lois interacted with Clark once. Its nice to see that her character isnt reliant on Clark or Chloe.

Overall good solid ep, I like the setting up for Reckoning and I liked all the good JK and Lex stuff.

[TheDanimal]

Overall I thought the episode was good. It would've been better without the crazy girl Lex twin. The whole "fanatic" concept is just so overdone. We all know Lex is out to beat JK in the election, I think the character assassination concept has far more potential than an actual assassination, which is also overdone. All that being said, there were still enough subplots to make the show entertaining and intriguing. So overall I'd have to rate the episode good but not great.

[Kryptomaniac]

VERY GOOD EPISODE. Just goes to show how the actors can all shine when they have a well-written script and a director who cares about how the characters come across on screen.

And, I knew Clark would have THE TALK with someone some day but I never dreamed it would be Chloe. That was one of my favorite SV scenes ever.

JS and AO looked like they belonged in Kansas politics.

I felt sorry for the actress who shaved her head but it WAS very dramatic. AND, SV has proven to be quite a steppingstone to many actors' careers (look what the fat-sucking girl from CRAVING has acheived, for instance) so she probably thought it was worth it.

The death of the two other Students For Lex guys was really unnecessary.

I enjoyed this episode. 4 out of 5 rating.:) :) :) :)

[RedPhoenix23]

Meh, it was alright, but at the end of the day it just felt like a filler ep. I haven't even re-watched since it aired.

[dfm82]

This was an excellent episode IMO... i think these last 3 episodes before the big 100th episode are a way to set things up before the major events that are about to happen... ;)

About the episode i think finally we are seeing our questions answered, for example the whole thing about Clark and Lana not having sex after Clark's "ressurection", Lana figuring out that both meteor showers were not random events and also that Clark might not be that "normal" as she thought... i also enjoyed Clark's conversation with Chloe and his fears of not being able to control his superpowers with Lana in the sexual act... :p the role of Lionel Luthor in this episode was great too, i wonder what that "atomic bomb" was about...
oh and the scene of Clark catching the rifle bullet...AWESOME... specially when it passes through the baloon, great special effects. :cool: The FOTW was maybe the worst thing on the episode, still i think it was excellent and a very good set up to the 100th episode.

I give the episode 4 out of 5 rating.

[dhacker615]

This is the type of episode SV has always struggled to get right. There was a lot going on in B stories and most of it was pretty good. We learned Clark and Lana have been struggling with intimacy on a couple levels in the time since his powers returned. We saw Martha Kent go to Lionel for help. There was a nice little Chloe-Clark scene.

However, all of that left very little room for the A story. Lois got the campaign manager job, because she had no other reason to be around this episode. This is a constant problem with Lois, but it was laughable this week. The nut-job fixated on Lex has been done better in earlier episodes. The head shaving was the only fresh wrinkle. You knew the bullet at the opening wasn't going to do harm anyone, so the whole episode was devoid of any real suspense.

More to the point, there was a lot of needed exposition that needed explaining. In addition to the source Lionels funds, I would like to know why the election is suddenly so improtant to Martha. Her husband seemed to enter the race almost on a whim, so why is she willing to risk everything so that he can beat Lex? Isn't Lionel at least as bad, if not worse?

Instead, we get yet another Kent family member assaulted in the barn. That, loss of memory, teenage character suddenly getting an adult job, the freak of the week being obssesed with one of the feamle cast members and the don't be a hero lecture from the female sheriff are easily the most hackneyed Smallville cliches.

[President_Luthor]

QUOTE]Originally posted by ryb
The fact that Clark takes a back seat, I believe, is paramount for Ep 100's impact to be substantial. Yes, the show is about Clark, but Clark's actions are often brought on by others' motives/actions ... his scenes with Chloe were impressively on target. I think his performance in this show was "subtle" and not "bored"... some of the best episodes featured Clark as more of a supporting character (Shattered and Onyx come quickly to mind). Given the above, I give Fanatic an emphatic 'A'. [/QUOTE]

I just saw it tonight, and I thought it was a solid, plot-driven episode. If Lexmas was a vision of what 'might-have-been'

There were so many relationships, issues and foreshadowing moments in it -- but they all seemed to mesh. And it was all JK-focused, which I think is long-overdue since JK has played a key role in Clark's development up to this point.

I loved that moment when Lionel told Lex to dust off that 'Art of War'. Fan-nut Samantha was indeed right -- he was losing his edge. If Lionel could easily outbid Griff for JK's dirt (and erase Griff in Suicide Slums), then Lex does need to ante up and raise his own game. Better mansion security should be the least of his worries.

Lionel once again proves that he's the puppetmaster of the whole show, pulling strings on both the Kent and Lex camps. Now, he's got Martha under his wing in yet another secret (as if the Kents don't have enough trouble with "secrets and lies"!)

Chloe and Clark's chat about Clark's krypto-performance anxiety was priceless. Great acting from both of them. Let's hope it's 'finally' dawning on Clark that his lying routine with Lana is wearing thin (thank you Chloe for that much-needed wake-up call).

I'm one of those fans who hasn't read any #100 spoilers, so the building tension is only fueling my anticipation of this defining episode.

One question I had was: what were those red pills JK was popping shortly after the Lois-becomes-campaign-manager scene? Was it prescribed medication for JK's slowly failing health? Speed? Caffeine pills? Vitamins? I won't speculate, as it might have something to do with the future.

The fanatic was also entertaining, and came off as a believably crazy obsessed-fan (if that makes sense). I thought it was great that Lois 'saved the day', while being unaware that Clark actually stopped the bullet dead in the air.

I loved the ep because it was the father-figures -- Lionel and Jonathan -- who were in the limelight, as a reminder that Clark and Lex have defined themselves or set themselves apart, according to how their own fathers led their own lives.

Is Lionel doing the Kents (and Kansas) a favour by trying to sabotage his own son's rise to power, and its unforseen consequences?

Is JK an idealist or just naive by trying to be 'the hero' in a world where it was always his son who saved the day without recognition or reward? You've got to love the ambiguity they served up in this ep.

A solid episode on all fronts -- with Lana taking a stand on Clark's own "do as I say, not as I do" mentality. It's about time she told him to walk the walk.

The time has come for all involved to face the consequences for their secrets, lies and convenient 'truths', I am looking forward to it.

[Supersonic]

What was that line from Lex? "You may think you know me, but don't EVER presume to judge me" or something like that...

[jay dante]

Funniest part of episode was when psycho girl shaved her head and went to Lex naked.

[Nimkong]

This episode is terrible,but i love one part.I love how it was a flashback episode.But i hated the plot and the girl was a freak even after lex told her off.

[SGuthrie27]

Uggggghhhhh... I didn't really care for this episode AT ALL. It did ratchet up the upcoming election storyline a good deal, and it offered some nice moments for Jonathan and for the Kents in general, but aside from that, I didn't care for it much. Samantha Drake WAS a total freak, even without powers, and she seriously creeped me out in her psychotic devotion to Lex and how she viewed him. I really enjoyed seeing Lois get to take her down at the end of the episode! :lol:

[Lonnietoons]

It was okay. I loved the Kents moments - and I really enjoyed the moments between Jonathan and Lois. Wish we had gotten more of them =)

That creepy psycho though... jeeeeiks! Talk about being... well, fanatic O_O

[SGuthrie27]

^ No joke!!! When she shot her two friends in cold blood, and then the whole head-shaving deal... EEK! :eek:

[Lonnietoons]

^ No joke!!! When she shot her two friends in cold blood, and then the whole head-shaving deal... EEK! :eek:

Loool just before she pulled out the gun I thought "Only thing missing now is a gun and... oh. Well there you go" :rotfl:

[SGuthrie27]

Loool just before she pulled out the gun I thought "Only thing missing now is a gun and... oh. Well there you go" :rotfl:

Ha-ha-ha!!!! No kidding! And then that scene where she showed up in Lex's office, totally bald, with her feet on his desk, in his bathrobe! :eek: And that creepy "Lex" necklace... That should have been his first sign that the girl was a psychopath.

[hadezown]

The episode was actually decent. I just can't stand these writters making Clark act like a 12 year old. Lana is wondering why he won't have sex and says not to keep secrets.

Clark: Secret sharing works both ways Lana!
Clark: You study astronomy! What's up with all that secret?? Bad bad! This is why I won't have sex with yoU!

So lame