Best Fifth Episode of the Series?

[Crouching Lurker]

This is probably my least favorite best episode list. Week Five must be filler week or something. I ended up voting for Isis just because of the reveal. For me that event trumps all the other fifth episodes; it's been one of my wish list items since Lois came to Smallville, so that was a big payoff.

It's probably just me, but I couldn't vote Committed as my best because of what followed. Lois put her heart on the line time and time again, only to have it crushed. So while they had many cute, comedic moments and it was good that Lois finally began to come to terms with her love for Clark; Clark was mute regarding his feelings for her. It made their "relationship" largely one-sided and that's never fun to watch. Not to me anyway.

[Nerf]

For me, an ending does not make up the entire episode, whether it be a good or bad ending. For an episode to get the top spot on my list it would have to be one that I really enjoy watching all the way through. "Isis" doesn't do that. Most of the episode was average and I think the theme of the episode was hit a little too hard on the head, making it a tad annoying.

1. Committed - Such a good episode that balances the light and dark parts of the episode perfectly. Some of my favorite Lois moments are in this episode, including the scene where she wakes up in Clark's jersey and her "Yes" answer near the end. Erica nailed that bit. Also, I still believe Brainiac overpowered the lie detector; Chloe didn't love Jimmy, dagnabbit! *cough* But yes. Awesome episode from my favorite season.

2. Run - Very good introduction for Bart and forwarded S4's arc with the map. I usually wouldn't put this episode here, as I do think it's slightly overrated, but it's still very enjoyable and it gets my vote for this spot today.

3. Reunion - Usually this would get second place, but the astral projecting kid wasn't the best story device. I really enjoy the flashbacks, though, which are a great insight into Lex and Oliver's past. Those were the main strength of the episode. Plus, we got a mention of Gotham!

4. Isis - Even though the end scene doesn't give the episode first place, it sure does bump it up some. That scene was wonderful and really left me with a smile on my face. At first I was so annoyed, thinking Clark was doing it again and not telling her, but nope! Twas awesome. The episode also had some very good special effects, good scenes near the end for Tess, and Erica looked wonderful in the Isis outfit.

5. Action - Not one of the best, not one of the worst. Falls... right in the middle, actually. It's kinda cheesy, Christina Millian can't really act, but there are enough things to enjoy about the episode. Which includes the fricken awesome scene at the beginning with Clark saving Rachel and the fricken awesome scene near the end with Clark saving Lana. Awesome special effects for both saves. The Dark Lana parts of the episode were pretty good, too. Poor Lionel... the part where he pulls his hand out of that trap makes me cringe every time.

6. Perry - Enjoyable, but waaay overrated to me. I felt it was another one of those times where they introduce someone from the comics (in this case Perry White) and the show expects you to know who that is and when they say their name at the end of a teaser, or act break, it's like some big thing where the music swells. And if you don't know who that is, then it kind of falls flat. I think the episode still stands well on its own and usually I would rate it a couple spots higher, but I just haven't been much into the episode recently. I do love the tractor throw, though. One of the best effects and scenes the show has ever had.

7. Cool - Like many S1 episodes, the main plot isn't the best, but there are just so many little things throughout that make me smile and remind me why I fell in love with the show in the first place.

8. Roulette - A good episode for Oliver, for the most part, and one that his character really needed. That whole drunk, mopey thing was redundant and annoying. My favorite part, though, is the beginning with that song being the main audio track. Good music that was synced really well with the actions of the scene. The final scene with Green Arrow and Clark is good, too.

9. Nocturne - I don't really mind this one as much as everyone else. It's not that great, but I don't think it's bad, either. Looking back on it, it works so well how Lionel was doing experiments to try and use the sun as a super power resource, even back then, what with his involvement in Veritas.

10. Thirst - I know some people like this episode because of how bad it is, but I just can't stand it. The good parts of it (including Lex and Brainiac) are completely overshadowed by the mass amount of crap that is the rest of the episode. I do, however, enjoy the realism of Chloe having to start out in the basement. Back when the basement of the Daily Planet was exactly what it should be, where the biggest happenings are making coffee and writing obituaries, instead of the major news hub it has been portrayed as the last few seasons.

[Supsfan]

For me, an ending does not make up the entire episode, whether it be a good or bad ending. For an episode to get the top spot on my list it would have to be one that I really enjoy watching all the way through. "Isis" doesn't do that. Most of the episode was average and I think the theme of the episode was hit a little too hard on the head, making it a tad annoying.

A good ending to an episode can raise my score out of 10 one or two points. On the flip side A good episode with a bad ending most likely won't get a score of 10 from me and probably not 9 either. For me leaving an episode on a good note(for Clark at least) is a big part of my enjoyment of that episode. I can think of many episodes that end on angsty Clana scenes that just ruin the episode for me a bit

[Supes_24]

Run for me by far......

Usually eps with the powers and more action oriented storylines aren't executed well......but they nailed this one

Great Traditional superhero stories like "Run" will just about always beat the great Romance driven ones for me.....especially when the focus of the show was more bout "love drama" for so long

[Nerf]

A good ending to an episode can raise my score out of 10 one or two points. On the flip side A good episode with a bad ending most likely won't get a score of 10 from me and probably not 9 either. For me leaving an episode on a good note(for Clark at least) is a big part of my enjoyment of that episode. I can think of many episodes that end on angsty Clana scenes that just ruin the episode for me a bit

Oh, I definitely agree that the end of an episode can certainly have quite an affect (effect? Always mixing those up) on my opinion of the episode as a whole. That's why "Isis" did get the bump it did. Without that end scene, it would have fallen several spots lower.

But even so, I can't give a top spot to an episode where I only REALLY liked the ending. Or, in the case of "Crossfire", you were talking about how you would gladly leave out the Oliver story line. I agree. But there's only like 15 minutes of an episode if you leave the Oliver stuff out (and also the Chloe stuff. I love her character, but that was boring and really went nowhere). I can't really like an episode where I only like 15 minutes of it. I don't want to fast forward through big portions of an episode. To me, if an episode is only good for a small portion of it, then it's not a good episode, no matter how good that small portion was.

I think that my opinion is swayed more with the ending of a movie, than of a TV episode. Probably because I know that the show has a chance to come back and redeem itself if the ending was bad. With most movies, then end is the end and there have been several movies that have been completely ruined for me because of a crappy ending. The more recent remake of Planet of the Apes (2002, I think) for one. I remember really enjoying most of the movie (not that I can remember any of it now), but the ending was so bad that it just ruined the whole thing.

As for the mood of an ending, it doesn't really matter to me what it is, as long as it's good (at least to me). If an ending can leave me with a smile on my face, that's great. But I also love endings that leave me with a chill running down my spine from how creepy, or ominous it is (bonus if it has creepy/ominous music to boot). And even if an ending is angsty, or Clark is sad... that doesn't really make the ending bad to be just because of that. Especially if it dealt with Lana. Most likely it's due to the fact that I can really relate to the whole epic Clana drama. I had a relationship that was on and off for years, was full of secrets and lies. There was always something between us, but it still never worked. She even ended up getting married when she still had feelings for me (luckily not to one of my friends). Just their whole relationship I have been able to relate to and there were so many conversations between Lana & Clark that were almost exactly like conversations I'd had with my old girlfriend. Some may think that might cause me to actually dislike Clana more, but no... I relate and it gives me some form of comfort. I've never had to hide super powers, but there have been certainly been other things I've had to hide and not wanting to be in a relationship with the girl again because I don't want to hurt her again.

So endings like that have never bothered me because I've been there and it's like, "Damn, man. I feel your pain." That's actually part of the point of a teenage drama, is to be relatable.

Still... if we were to rank just endings of episodes, I'm sure I would rank the ones that leave me happy an squeeing above the sad, yet relatable ones.

[Supsfan]

Still... if we were to rank just endings of episodes, I'm sure I would rank the ones that leave me happy an squeeing above the sad, yet relatable ones.

I could think of many episodes that I rate better or worse based on endings. Alot of early season 2 episodes for instance had hints of "secrets and lies" near the end that just turn me off. A couple episodes that stand out in that bunch for me are "Red" which if it had a better ending scene would be borderline top 25 for me, as it stands that last Clark scene drags down the episode for me. Nocturne is another episode I might be more forgiving if it had a better end scene. That end scene drags it into my bottom 25(although in the 20-25 range) and if it ended on a better note I probably would have a slightly better opinion of it.

On the flip side Subterranean ended on a good note so I have it in my bottom 40-50 but if it had a bad ending it would be giving Nocturne a run for it's money

[Nerf]

But the end of "Red" makes complete sense. Couldn't end things all fine and dandy after the things Clark had done in that episode (I actually wish Lana had stayed mad at him longer, but... whatever). Besides, Lana was riding her horse in that scene... I always love scenes where Lana/Kristin gets to be riding, so that adds something nice to it for me. As for the episode itself, I like "Red", but I do think it's overrated. Never been one of my top episodes. The Red-K Clark stuff was good, but the stuff with that girl Jessie and her dad wasn't that great.

I completely agree about "Subterranean", though. The end of that episode is sooo cool with such an awesome song. Sadly, it's attached to such a crap episode and I'm not sure I've watched it since the first time I saw it. I may have watched the end a second time, but I'm not sure, and I don't think I have ever been able to bump that episode up in any rankings even with that awesome ending. Some episodes are just so bad that anything good in them is completely overshadowed.

[Supsfan]

But the end of "Red" makes complete sense. Couldn't end things all fine and dandy after the things Clark had done in that episode (I actually wish Lana had stayed mad at him longer, but... whatever). Besides, Lana was riding her horse in that scene... I always love scenes where Lana/Kristin gets to be riding, so that adds something nice to it for me. As for the episode itself, I like "Red", but I do think it's overrated. Never been one of my top episodes. The Red-K Clark stuff was good, but the stuff with that girl Jessie and her dad wasn't that great.

Red should have ended on a Clark and Pete or Clark and Jonathon/Martha scene that ends on a good note. I understand that Lana had a right to be mad, but they shouldn't have ended the episode on that note. They could have either had a Lana scene that wasn't the last scene of the episode or save the repercussions of that for the next episode.

They could have easily switched the Clark and his parents scene and the Clark and Lana scene around in order so that the episode ended on a Clark being reassured by his parents instead of Lana galloping away in anger. There was 3 scenes to end that episode. The first was Lex and Lionel, then Clark and his parents then Clark and Lana. I would have reshuffled it Clark and Lana first, Lex and Lionel second and end it off with Clark and his parents. That would leave the episode on a more positive note.

The happy last scene is a big reason I always enjoyed Lois episodes in S4(as well as Aqua and Exposed). No matter what happened in the episode the last scene ended on a positive note for Clark that life isn't so bad afterall.

I completely agree about "Subterranean", though. The end of that episode is sooo cool with such an awesome song. Sadly, it's attached to such a crap episode and I'm not sure I've watched it since the first time I saw it. I may have watched the end a second time, but I'm not sure, and I don't think I have ever been able to bump that episode up in any rankings even with that awesome ending. Some episodes are just so bad that anything good in them is completely overshadowed.

I am not referring to the Lex scene, I am just referring to the fact for Clark it ends on a positive note that he did something right. By no stretch of the imagination did I think the episode was great(It was rather boring) but I don't put it in the worst.episode.ever category because I think there is many things worse the show can do then be boring

[Nerf]

Maybe you're right, maybe they should have edited those scenes differently, switching them around, or leaving the repercussions with Lana for the next episode. I'm actually fine with how they did it, but you're right in that they could have switched those around and it wouldn't have changed anything except the tone the episode ended with. But, as we know, the writers love their teen drama.

I do like a lot of the Lois ending scenes, too. For the most part, Clark has always been more happy and carefree with her around than with Lana (and I am a fan of both Lana and Lois, so this isn't a shipper thing, just stating things like they are). And she could certainly always come into a scene, slap him on the arm, say, "Buck up, Smallville", and usually get a smile out of him. Part of what makes her great and why those two work so well together.

However, I don't think ALL episodes should end on a happy note. It's just not very realistic. I like to see Clark happy, but no one is happy all the time. Like it or not, he is basically human and deals with the same emotions we all do. To have him be happy all the time just wouldn't be relatable or realistic. Also, we must remember this is a TV show and not a movie. For the most part, I expect movies to end on a good, happy note. But a TV season is more like a book, with each episode being a chapter. When reading a book, do you expect each chapter to end on a good note with the main character(s) in a positive mood? I sure don't. I see episodes the same way, all pieces of one story, the characters going through ups and downs throughout the book/season. I don't expect each episode/chapter to end on a good note... and I don't want them to. *shrug* We all have different opinions, but that's how I see it.

I am not referring to the Lex scene, I am just referring to the fact for Clark it ends on a positive note that he did something right.

Oh. I was actually going through S6 episodes on Smallville Wiki tonight to see how many ended with Clark sad, or angry, or just not well off. Which were the majority of episodes. :-/ Certainly not a happy season for Clark. Again, that doesn't automatically make it a bad thing in my eyes, but I can see why people don't like the season that much. Anyway, I counted "Subterranean" as one of those because his final scene was a fight with Lana, where she gets offended by his implications that Lex is controlling her and leaves. So sure, Clark did do the right thing and saved that boy, but it still ended with him not being very happy.

[Colonel Rebel]

I went with Run, but I came very close to picking Perry.

[sassafras19]

1. Isis
2. Committed
3. Reunion
4. Perry
5. Run
6. Action
7. Roulette
8. Nocturne
9. Cool
10. Thirst

[abrazz1e]

1. Run

2. Reunion

3. Thirst (I actually really liked this. The Clana moment near the end was very sweet.)

4. Nocturne

5. Perry

6. Cool

7. Action


Haven't seen any of the others.