Loved it? Hated it? What did you think?

[BoyScout-ManOfTomorrow]

Okay my only problem with the episode is that they kept Clark fighting the Zoners offscreen...

But its still a 10 episode. When you do things like Phantom Zone, Kara, Doomsday, LnC well it's a no-brainer. This was the best episode for Kara and seeing "Supergirl" in S10 made me hope "Bloodline" was her last.

Erica Durance deserves a special mention. Although Lois is tough I liked how she kinda panicked in the PZ (very understandable). Erica played that well and it let Clark be the hero and utter awesome lines like "No-one is messing with Lois and Clark". When Lois turned into Faora I was shocked at how different Erica played her. I mean with those expressions and mannerisms she could play a serial killer or something. The looks she gives to Tess for example is just...awesome in a weird sick seductive kinda way.

After "Prey" and "Identity" and even "Bloodline" I don't mind if Clark needs rescueing. Especially when Kara needs the screentime. And Clark already saved her so it was only fair to return the favour.

[Bally]

9.

This episode is one of the reasons why it looked like season 8 was going so superbly well. There was character development for both existing and older characters, storyline development, links to previous seasons' storylines, Clark being decisive, a little bit of humour and very very good direction.

Tess is again on form as mysterious yet determined. You always suspect she knows more than she's letting on but she portrays herself as somebody trying to get to the bottom of things because she doesn't know anything. She's not intimidated by Lois/Faora but certainly spooked because she thinks she's seen another, more dangerous side of Lois that she hadn't expected. She tries to rattle Clark at the end by suggesting that he was in the Arctic as the last person to see Lex, and Clark has to brush it off.

Chloe's role is explained away by her Brainiac infection so her seemingly implausible attempt to use alien technology is made plausible. She's also suitably spooked by Lois/Faora and recognises the threat after learning of the Zod connection. That's another thing they tied in well with the previous episode involving the Phantom Zone Zod. She still got a funny moment when snapping at Oliver for backseat driving as she attempted to access the crystal.

Kara being cold and distant is another neat touch explained away by her being trapped in the Phantom Zone. She's spent every day for a year fighting for her life while knowing that she has an easy out, but fears the consequences of taking that easy out. It takes much persuasion from Clark in the end to get her to change her mind. Back on Earth, she finds more warmth and humanity again yet she knows that she will be of more use elsewhere, searching for the place for Kandorians that she believes to be more than a rumour.

Davis has been searching through his family history and upbringing to find clues about the first 3 years of his life, maybe to help explain the blackouts he's been having. Though he goes to Chloe for help, he finds help in the most unlikely source. He is suitably baffled by Lois/Faora and thinks she's on drugs, only to have his missing years filled in, confusing and scaring him even more. He looks genuinely worried by the icy calm woman in front of him, and the look on his face when he realises that what she meant by that which kills you makes you stronger is the absolute truth is one of purpose. It's him embracing his dark side instead of fighting it and that doesn't bode well for everybody else for the rest of the season.

Oliver largely gets the humourous moments in the episode. He's sceptical about Chloe's belief that she can access the crystal's database (?) yet goes along with the plan to steal the alien computer from Tess. He positively lights up when told that Tess has it, probably because he thinks he's going to have some fun. As it turns out, he sort of does and it's funny to hear some of his lines when using the voice distorter. I liked when he was watching Chloe try to use the device because he played it with the vibe all us blokes have done with our other halves on occasion. You know the one. I don't mean to sound sexist here but it's when your woman tries to do something that is so obviously beyond her capabilities, or just a 'manly' task, and cocks it up just like you knew she would. Whether you pointed it out to her beforehand or not, the outcome is still the same. It's all your fault! Ahem...anyway, Chloe does in fact know what she's doing and even shoves Oliver out of the way. He was impresses by that, as he pointed out to Clark. It was good to see Oliver questioning Clark about a situation without berating him about his supposed inertia for once.

Clark is determined and proactive in this one, and again it makes him a better character. There's no self pity or blaming himself, and even his line about hiding his secret from Lois almost getting her killed is said as truth, not to berate himself for doing something wrong. He knows he had little chance to react once the crystal activated and he did try telling Lois to get away. In the Phantom Zone, he's acutely aware that Lois is terrified so he offers calming reassurance that makes her want to stick by him come what may. He's also calmly persuasive when Kara at first refuses to leave the Phantom Zone with him, giving her that 'trust me' look that seems so effective with everybody he's talking to. He won't attack Faora because he doesn't want to hurt Lois but he's already planned ahead by getting Kara to find John Jones and get the Red Crystal to send Faora back. At the end, he doesn't flinch when Tess tried to get him to talk about what happened to Lex, and he doesn't get defensive and snappy with Oliver when asked about Chloe's Braniac infection. He's clear and concise about his reasoning.

This episode is dominated by Lois though. She's obviously accidentally walked into the Talon apartment during a 'pants off' situation once too often so decides to move back to the farm with Clark. She's really perky and makes herself at home, until the crystal gets activated. In the Phantom Zone, she's immediately aware that they are not on Earth and that she's in danger. The biggest surprise here is how openly fearful she is in front of Clark. She's terrified, doesn't care that he sees her that way and requires constant reassurance. She doesn't want to leave his side at all. I suppose the situation is one where her usual wall of bravado would be useless anyway.

Back at the DP as Lois, she obviously sees Clark as somebody she can gossip too. She did the same in Plastique. She's back in familiar Lois mode with the bravado ("Because I'm me. Hello?") and the saying-something-and-wishing-she hadn't mode (the knight in shining armour quote). Clark is getting better at pulling her up on stuff like that (see Plastique again, with the charming smile quote). Her 'nightmare' freaked her out enough to leave her thinking she doesn't want Clark to be looking out for her, probably because it's one less thing she can banter with him over. She needs to believe that she's above him.

It's as Faora though where Erica's performance is so striking. Whereas Lois is a whirlwind of attitude and movement, Faora is played with a slow deliberate grace and an icy demeanour. Even her accent is a bit Deep South at times ("They didn't love you like I love my son"). Not quite sure where she found time to change into her Desperate Housewives attire but she was still gorgeous, even looking a bit older than she is. Even the facial expressions were on point. She played the worried mother looking for her son really well, but her best expression was the one immediately after she's stabbed Davis - she walks to his prone body so nonchalantly, as if it's the sort of thing she does (gladly) on a daily basis. Like when Tom directs an episode and puts in little details, it looks like Erica tries to do that with her performances.

The direction and pacing of the episode were excellent. The lighting was good throughout and the washed out look of the Phantom Zone added to its otherworldlyness. The only jarring moment was the scene cutting from Lois being possessed by the tracks to Lois/Faora at the DP. There was a change of clothes somewhere! I also liked the scene where Lois/Faora attacks Clark and jumps on him on top of the car/ambulance/firetruck/whatever it was. As Clark is struggling, the camera is pointing down on him and extremely close up. As they cut to Lois/Faora, the camera is point up and hiding the light from her eyes, making them look colder.

I've probably said this in a few threads but Erica being allowed to go back to her natutal hair colour has done wonders for her appearance. She was always beautiful but the darker hair really enhances it because it softens her features more. It doesn't matter if she's wearing more tomboyish attire like jeans and a ponytail at the beginning of the episode, or roughed up in the Phantom Zone, or glammed up as Faora, or back in Lois' workday attire at the end, the darker hair really makes her features shine. It also has the effect of not highlighting her cleavage and body, though these are still terrific of course!

[jon-el87]

An okay episode. It resolved the Kara trapped in the PZ cliffhanger, from "Arctic". Unfortunatly, then she decides to go into space, looking for Kandor and was gone until season 10, where she made two bad appearances and went to the future. They should've had her in one more episode, of this season, where they concluded her time on the show (like I've said elsewhere, just have her get stuck about a decade into the future).

I liked the PZ scenes. Found myself thinking about classic Doctor Who, where they'd frequently end up in places that was clearly a quarry. This was, no doubt, also also shot in a quarry somewhere, but modern optical effects allows them to change colors and brightness, to create a feeling that they actually are in another dimension, not just running around in some quarry in Canada.