The_Promise
04-13-2006, 08:31 PM
The_Promise's Review of Smallville Season 5 Episode 18 "Fragile":
This is my first review so I hope it's okay :)
I absolutely loved this episode! Tom Welling was perfect director for this episode and the scenes were both beautifully filmed and directed. The lighting was dead on and the shots of the Kent house inside and out were filmed beautifully. I also like how before the episode came on they highlighted the fact that this was Tom Welling directorial debut. Made me smile.
This did remind me of another Ryan/Evan episode but for difference sake I liked how they picked a girl this time for the part and not a boy, there just seems to be way to many male meteor freaks, maybe it's genetics like the mutant gene...Anyways I am straying off topic into my own little world, sorry about that.
Tom Welling is going to be an amazing father when the time comes, from the lessons he's learned on Smallville and especially from the senior actors like John Schneider and Annette O'Toole.
By the way...Hands up whoever thought that Maddie looked like the little sister to the girl that plays Hermione Granger in Harry Potter? I was like isn't that...nah but she looks so much like her.
All kids, dogs and old women just love Clark! It's the people his own age he has the problem with lol!
I was glad to see the return of Shelby, I was beginning to worry about the poor thing. It goes to show: Shelby is the new Pete and gets just as much screentime too.
Clark was just so completely gentle, sensitive, loving and caring with Maddie.
He just seemed completely at peace with her, helping her with her powers, using humour to break the tension, explaining and showing her that she could trust him.
I was smiling the entire time when Clark and Maddie were talking about their fathers. The love and the tender emotion in the words about his dad, you could almost feel Jonathan Kent's presence in the room, and could almost in your head see Jonathan putting his hand on Clark's shoulder and smiling.
I gotta admit I also am completely and totally not liking the Lex and Lana storyline, something about it just seems wrong and being so close behind the tails of the Clana break I'm not surprised that some people see it the same way especially Clana fans both old and new. He just feels more like...I dunno how to explain it...a big brother or something...to me it just feels weird and I actually flinched to turn away when they kissed but I held my ground.
Lex was very nicely manipulative today, with the seafood dinner discussion and getting Lana to convince herself she fully trusted Lex. I didn't appreciate the fact that Lex ragged to Lana about his conversation with Chloe, it just didn't seem like Lex's character trait of fighting his own battles. Lex's hunt for Dr. Milton Fine is proving to be quite the treat as fans can now join the hunt at aol.com/smallville but unfortunately I hoped there would be a little more about Fine in this episode, oh well, ya can't have it all can ya?
I just found it quite interesting that Maddie had superpowers, Lois almost got "sliced, diced and pureed", Mama Kent was life threatened, and Lex did not know about it or even enter that storyline at all. Lois mentioned calling Lex but I guess never did. Usually Lex knows about basically everything that happens in Smallville, just seemed odd, though he was probably to busy in Lana world.
Speaking of Lana world... Lana says she trusts him, says to Chloe they are just friends and even in the last 5 minutes she says it's ridicious to think that they could be more than just friends, then after Lex kisses her, she looked half horrorfied/half stunned and then...she kissed him back. I knew that was coming and I read all the spoilers but when I was watching it my thought was still what the....
Something feel out of character, maybe Lana's up to something...
Chloe was 100% perfect and at her best in today's episode. Chloe's discomfort at seeing Lex and Lana in the dorm room was so appropriately perfect. Chloe was once again helping Clark, lending support and standing up for her not to be used as Clark's personal "covert spy". I just had to clap and cheer a little at that part it was so strong.
Chloe's concern for Lana being with Lex, while a little too forceful and saying that Lana may be doing it to hurt Clark, was completely spot on and I doubt Lana would have been so angry if Chloe hadn't been so completely right.
My favourite bit in the episode had to be the infamous Chloe and Lex battle of words. That was some of the best lines and script writing I've ever heard. Chloe was completely on the attack and trying to defend Lana at the same time and just when she thought she had the last word, Lex just smile wickedly and would proceed to hit Chloe in a spot way below the belt. Half the converation had me covering my mouth gasping and thinking "I can't believe [insert name here] just said that!!!
Of course, Chloe got the last word in to prove to Lex and the the fans that no one can beat Chloe Sullivan in a battle of verbal judo and that she still is "The Slickest Blond You'll Ever Meet".
Lois was once again the comedy relief of the episode and I liked how Lois thought she knew all about what little girls like and how taking care of Maddie would be so easy because she had a little sister that she basically raised and then she realized Maddie didn't like her and that she had no idea what to do.
I would have liked to see more of Lois defending Mattie against the Children Services person then perhaps even Maddie liking Lois a bit more and hiding behind Lois and calling for her to get Clark. That would have made the scene better, when Lois was talking to the Child Services Representative, it just seemed to be digging herself a deeper hole every time she said something.
Lionel was not in this episode at all, which I thought after the tension and sicovery last week there would at least be I dunno SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Why hasn't Clark told his mother that Lionel knows his secret? Does Clark think ignorance is bliss or that it's too much for Mama right now? The more Clark puts it off the more tangled in Lionel web Martha will become and I believe Clark's hesitation to tell Martha, will end of hurting her.
Martha was hardly in this episode at all really which kind of disappointed me a little in a reason that I can't really put my finger on, but it just seemed Clark was doing ALL the parenting in the episode. Martha may have been there but the only time she had presence in a scene was when Clark was talking about Jonathan and she stood by the window and they shared loving glances.
I guess Martha was too busy getting ready to be tortured in the next episode which looks absolutely terrible like a really bad Smallville version of SAW.
Is it just me or are you not as fond of the constant and sometimes over blatant, smack-in-the-face style product placement first the AOL then the SAW Smallville trailer.
You all remember "Forever" and "Reckoning" or should I say "House Of Wax" and "Final Destination III".
At first I was like okay they want imspiration but now it's just like "Why? WHY? Why, for the love of Smallville, are you doing this to us?". Makes me wanna go and shoot The Big Cat upstairs.
I give this episode 4.5 stain glass windows out of a possible 5.
This is my first review so I hope it's okay :)
I absolutely loved this episode! Tom Welling was perfect director for this episode and the scenes were both beautifully filmed and directed. The lighting was dead on and the shots of the Kent house inside and out were filmed beautifully. I also like how before the episode came on they highlighted the fact that this was Tom Welling directorial debut. Made me smile.
This did remind me of another Ryan/Evan episode but for difference sake I liked how they picked a girl this time for the part and not a boy, there just seems to be way to many male meteor freaks, maybe it's genetics like the mutant gene...Anyways I am straying off topic into my own little world, sorry about that.
Tom Welling is going to be an amazing father when the time comes, from the lessons he's learned on Smallville and especially from the senior actors like John Schneider and Annette O'Toole.
By the way...Hands up whoever thought that Maddie looked like the little sister to the girl that plays Hermione Granger in Harry Potter? I was like isn't that...nah but she looks so much like her.
All kids, dogs and old women just love Clark! It's the people his own age he has the problem with lol!
I was glad to see the return of Shelby, I was beginning to worry about the poor thing. It goes to show: Shelby is the new Pete and gets just as much screentime too.
Clark was just so completely gentle, sensitive, loving and caring with Maddie.
He just seemed completely at peace with her, helping her with her powers, using humour to break the tension, explaining and showing her that she could trust him.
I was smiling the entire time when Clark and Maddie were talking about their fathers. The love and the tender emotion in the words about his dad, you could almost feel Jonathan Kent's presence in the room, and could almost in your head see Jonathan putting his hand on Clark's shoulder and smiling.
I gotta admit I also am completely and totally not liking the Lex and Lana storyline, something about it just seems wrong and being so close behind the tails of the Clana break I'm not surprised that some people see it the same way especially Clana fans both old and new. He just feels more like...I dunno how to explain it...a big brother or something...to me it just feels weird and I actually flinched to turn away when they kissed but I held my ground.
Lex was very nicely manipulative today, with the seafood dinner discussion and getting Lana to convince herself she fully trusted Lex. I didn't appreciate the fact that Lex ragged to Lana about his conversation with Chloe, it just didn't seem like Lex's character trait of fighting his own battles. Lex's hunt for Dr. Milton Fine is proving to be quite the treat as fans can now join the hunt at aol.com/smallville but unfortunately I hoped there would be a little more about Fine in this episode, oh well, ya can't have it all can ya?
I just found it quite interesting that Maddie had superpowers, Lois almost got "sliced, diced and pureed", Mama Kent was life threatened, and Lex did not know about it or even enter that storyline at all. Lois mentioned calling Lex but I guess never did. Usually Lex knows about basically everything that happens in Smallville, just seemed odd, though he was probably to busy in Lana world.
Speaking of Lana world... Lana says she trusts him, says to Chloe they are just friends and even in the last 5 minutes she says it's ridicious to think that they could be more than just friends, then after Lex kisses her, she looked half horrorfied/half stunned and then...she kissed him back. I knew that was coming and I read all the spoilers but when I was watching it my thought was still what the....
Something feel out of character, maybe Lana's up to something...
Chloe was 100% perfect and at her best in today's episode. Chloe's discomfort at seeing Lex and Lana in the dorm room was so appropriately perfect. Chloe was once again helping Clark, lending support and standing up for her not to be used as Clark's personal "covert spy". I just had to clap and cheer a little at that part it was so strong.
Chloe's concern for Lana being with Lex, while a little too forceful and saying that Lana may be doing it to hurt Clark, was completely spot on and I doubt Lana would have been so angry if Chloe hadn't been so completely right.
My favourite bit in the episode had to be the infamous Chloe and Lex battle of words. That was some of the best lines and script writing I've ever heard. Chloe was completely on the attack and trying to defend Lana at the same time and just when she thought she had the last word, Lex just smile wickedly and would proceed to hit Chloe in a spot way below the belt. Half the converation had me covering my mouth gasping and thinking "I can't believe [insert name here] just said that!!!
Of course, Chloe got the last word in to prove to Lex and the the fans that no one can beat Chloe Sullivan in a battle of verbal judo and that she still is "The Slickest Blond You'll Ever Meet".
Lois was once again the comedy relief of the episode and I liked how Lois thought she knew all about what little girls like and how taking care of Maddie would be so easy because she had a little sister that she basically raised and then she realized Maddie didn't like her and that she had no idea what to do.
I would have liked to see more of Lois defending Mattie against the Children Services person then perhaps even Maddie liking Lois a bit more and hiding behind Lois and calling for her to get Clark. That would have made the scene better, when Lois was talking to the Child Services Representative, it just seemed to be digging herself a deeper hole every time she said something.
Lionel was not in this episode at all, which I thought after the tension and sicovery last week there would at least be I dunno SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Why hasn't Clark told his mother that Lionel knows his secret? Does Clark think ignorance is bliss or that it's too much for Mama right now? The more Clark puts it off the more tangled in Lionel web Martha will become and I believe Clark's hesitation to tell Martha, will end of hurting her.
Martha was hardly in this episode at all really which kind of disappointed me a little in a reason that I can't really put my finger on, but it just seemed Clark was doing ALL the parenting in the episode. Martha may have been there but the only time she had presence in a scene was when Clark was talking about Jonathan and she stood by the window and they shared loving glances.
I guess Martha was too busy getting ready to be tortured in the next episode which looks absolutely terrible like a really bad Smallville version of SAW.
Is it just me or are you not as fond of the constant and sometimes over blatant, smack-in-the-face style product placement first the AOL then the SAW Smallville trailer.
You all remember "Forever" and "Reckoning" or should I say "House Of Wax" and "Final Destination III".
At first I was like okay they want imspiration but now it's just like "Why? WHY? Why, for the love of Smallville, are you doing this to us?". Makes me wanna go and shoot The Big Cat upstairs.
I give this episode 4.5 stain glass windows out of a possible 5.