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  • Originally posted by Bizarrolover
    IMO, what is happening now is that, as Lois hardly received any praise in the past seasons, now that she's getting some, it sounds like it's too much. Until this season, Lois was the mouthy cohort, the bitter chick, Lois is so Lois, the nosy cousin, etc, and we practically never heard any characters praising her or being happy for her. We've seen characters roll their eyes or respond with sarcasm at comments. Except for kara's 'Lois is tough, strong' in bloodline, I don't remember her receiving many compliments, not even from Clark, at least until he realized he was in love with her. But now that she's having such an important role in his life, the writers are finally acknowledging her good qualities on screen by letting other characters voice them aloud. If we compare what she's getting now to the practically non existant praise of the previous seasons, surely it may look like is too much.
    Maybe that's what it is. I don't know, I just wish we got more focus on Clark's transformation to Superman, more on Darkseid and the Suicide Squad rather than his relationship with Lois (now don't get me wrong, it is important, but can we do it to a lesser degree.)
    Last edited by Buziel0809; 11-28-2010, 07:01 AM.

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    • Originally posted by Buziel0809
      Maybe that's what it is. I don't know, I just wish we got more focus on Clark's transformation to Superman, more on Darkseid and the Suicide Squad rather than his relationship with Lois (now don't get me wrong, it is important, but can we do it to a lesser degree.)
      Out of curiosity, what aspects of Clark's transformation from Blur to Superman are lacking at the moment? What lessons must Clark still learn? What decisions must still be made? What personal issues must still be addressed? What should we be seeing that we're not seeing?

      In addition, didn't this episode focus a tremendous amount of time on two of the major villain arcs of the season: the government and Darkseid? Didn't Clark basically sum up for his team and for the audience the challenge ahead of them with Darkseid in the picture? As Clark said in Patriot, what makes The Darkness such a powerful enemy is that it preys on wavering souls and can't be seen. The Darkness, in other words, is responsible for Godfrey, for the anti-vigilante sentiment, for the Suicide Squad, for the VRA, for Granny Goodness, and possibly even Cadmus Labs. It's a creeping menace - a creeping darkness - so it's a difficult enemy to pin down and fight.

      Several episodes this season have equitably balanced out Lois/Clois plots with Luthor-related plots. Episodes like Isis, Harvest, and Abandoned, for example. Since Lazarus, Lex Luthor's rise to villainy and his relationship with Tess Mercer were established as critical plot points that would be key components of this final season. Whenever Darkseid hasn't been front and center, this plot has; and sometimes this plot has even been integrated into Darkseid-related stories.

      Finally, if the issue is Clark's actual interaction or lack of engagement with these enemies or involvement in these plots, then I am still confused. Clark has already dealt with Darkseid and his minions personally on more than one occasion this season. Furthermore, Clark is almost fully aware of the threat Darkseid poses, including how The Darkness has created and continues to create a dangerous environment for heroes. I think it's also important to remember that for the past several seasons, the pattern has always been for Clark's arc and the villain arcs to not fully intersect until the mid-season finale. We still have two more episodes to get through to reach that point. If Clark (or the show) hasn't spent a significant amount of time addressing the issues Lex, Tess, the VRA, the Suicide Squad, and Darkseid by then, then perhaps I will be concerned.

      ETA: I suppose one's opinion on this issue depends on how one defines Clark's story. From my perspective, Clark's story is anything related to his personal and professional growth. The fabric of Clark's journey--his story--on Smallville over the course of almost 10 seasons contains many threads. Two of the most significant threads driving the show and Clark's development all of these years are Clark's concerns that (a) he'd always be alone, and (b) that people wouldn't accept someone like him. These issues have been addressed via the Clois relationship development and musing on the merits/dangers of going public.

      In addition, over the course of the series Clark has dueled with his dual nature--human and alien (Clark/Kal-El; Jonathan/Jor-El), good and evil (Clark/Lex). Clark contending with his fathers was addressed in Lazarus (Jor-El and Jonathan), Supergirl (Jor-El), Homecoming (Jonathan), and Abandoned (Jor-El); the Clark/Kal-El/Blur dichotomy was addressed in Supergirl, Homecoming, Ambush, and Patriot; the good and evil dichotomy was explored in Lazarus, Isis, Harvest, and Abandoned through the story of Lex's clones, Tess caring for one of those clones, and Tess discovering her own Luthorian origins.

      Clark is one part of Clois, and it would seem that several things on that list served to develop Clark's character. Because things like sharing his love for her, his secret with her, and his journal including a vast amount of knowledge of his Kryptonian heritage (as a sign of emotional intimacy before physical intimacy) were linked to Clark overcoming non-romantic personal obstacles.

      Moreover, time with Clark and Lois onscreen is not always time focused on their romance, as I believe was the case in Supergirl. In Supergirl, both Clark and Lois has about equal screentime, and they did share several scenes together. However, again, I didn't feel like the focus was on Clois. Part of Lois and Clark's first scene in Supergirl was romantic in nature, because they were enjoying being reunited and were catching up briefly.

      The rest of Lois and Clark's interactions at Godfrey's rally, and back at the DP, had nothing to do with their romance and everything to do with the larger issues of the story, such as the merits of going public as a superhero given the vicissitudes of public loyalty and affection, and given the potential for a hero's loved ones to become targets. Lois and Clark then went their separate ways, with Lois defending heroes to Godfrey at the church and discussing what she'd found out with Oliver at his LuthorCorp office. Lois did tell Oliver, in about two sentences, her reasons for going to Africa. Yet the bulk of her interaction with Oliver in this scene, and the second scene she and Oliver shared toward the end of Supergirl, was about his secret identity (i.e. not Clois).

      Meanwhile, Clark was spending his time with Kara discussing The Darkness, Jor-El, and flight. Not once did Clark and Kara discuss Clark's relationship with Lois. Then there were the scenes with Lois trying to take down Godfrey by posing as both his limo driver and a Desaad Club employee, and her subsequent rescue by Clark and Kara. Other than Clark showing concern for Lois' well-being, I wouldn't say there was anything inherently Cloisy or a strong Clois focus in this part of the episode either. That said, the next scene between Kara and Lois in which they discussed the life of a superhero, and how that life could include someone without superpowers, did have a Clois focus.The following scene between Lois and Clark at the DP, however, did not.

      Sure, Clark said he didn't like Lois putting her life in danger and Lois said that the Blur was her hero. Nevertheless, the purpose of their conversation wasn't romantic. In fact, Lois and Clark discussed Godfrey and Kara just as much as their feelings, and the overall subject they were addressing was about public superheroism and faith, not romance. Lois' final scene with Oliver before his press conference, and Clark's final scenes with Kara in disguise and with a male citizen, had nothing to do with Clois, and again had everything to do with the larger hero issues of the episode. Thus, hero issues, not Clois, was the focus of Supergirl.

      Also, consider an episode like Abandoned. In that episode, only about 7 minutes were spent focusing on Clois--two of these three scenes were Lois alone either talking to Shelby about helping Clark or talking to Jor-El to help Clark believe in himself more as a hero. The other scene was the most romantic in nature, since it was Lois and Clark discussing Lois moving in, them both going on a date, and both of them having a private moment musing about getting married. The rest of the episode focused on Lois' dealing with her own issues with her mother, Clark's own issues with his father, Tess' childhood issues, and fleshing out Granny Goodness and the Darkseid plot.

      Examining Abandoned further, the one scene of Clark and Lois discussing her moving in and going out (with lingering engagement hints) was just as long as the scene of Clark fighting off Granny and saving Tess from the Furies. The scene of Clark investigating Granny for Tess at Watchtower was even longer. Plus, Lois giving a speech on Clark's behalf in the Fortress was ten seconds shorter than Clark's first scene with Tess at Granny's orphanage interacting with Granny and Furies. The Tess scenes at the Luthor mansion at the beginning and end of the episode took up more time than Lois watching her mother's tapes. So, like Supergirl, my view is that Clark and Lois may share scenes together and have separate stories, but time spent directly focusing on their romantic relationship does not exceed time spent on individual character arcs or on villain development arcs.
      Last edited by ginevrakent; 11-28-2010, 12:18 PM.

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      • Awesome episode!Great action,great lines and great production 10/10

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        • WOW! Great post and explaination!

          Originally posted by ginevrakent
          Out of curiosity, what aspects of Clark's transformation from Blur to Superman are lacking at the moment? What lessons must Clark still learn? What decisions must still be made? What personal issues must still be addressed? What should we be seeing that we're not seeing?

          In addition, didn't this episode focus a tremendous amount of time on two of the major villain arcs of the season: the government and Darkseid? Didn't Clark basically sum up for his team and for the audience the challenge ahead of them with Darkseid in the picture? As Clark said in Patriot, what makes The Darkness such a powerful enemy is that it preys on wavering souls and can't be seen. The Darkness, in other words, is responsible for Godfrey, for the anti-vigilante sentiment, for the Suicide Squad, for the VRA, for Granny Goodness, and possibly even Cadmus Labs. It's a creeping menace - a creeping darkness - so it's a difficult enemy to pin down and fight.

          Several episodes this season have equitably balanced out Lois/Clois plots with Luthor-related plots. Episodes like Isis, Harvest, and Abandoned, for example. Since Lazarus, Lex Luthor's rise to villainy and his relationship with Tess Mercer were established as critical plot points that would be key components of this final season. Whenever Darkseid hasn't been front and center, this plot has; and sometimes this plot has even been integrated into Darkseid-related stories.

          Finally, if the issue is Clark's actual interaction or lack of engagement with these enemies or involvement in these plots, then I am still confused. Clark has already dealt with Darkseid and his minions personally on more than one occasion this season. Furthermore, Clark is almost fully aware of the threat Darkseid poses, including how The Darkness has created and continues to create a dangerous environment for heroes. I think it's also important to remember that for the past several seasons, the pattern has always been for Clark's arc and the villain arcs to not fully intersect until the mid-season finale. We still have two more episodes to get through to reach that point. If Clark (or the show) hasn't spent a significant amount of time addressing the issues Lex, Tess, the VRA, the Suicide Squad, and Darkseid by then, then perhaps I will be concerned.

          ETA: I suppose one's opinion on this issue depends on how one defines Clark's story. From my perspective, Clark's story is anything related to his personal and professional growth. The fabric of Clark's journey--his story--on Smallville over the course of almost 10 seasons contains many threads. Two of the most significant threads driving the show and Clark's development all of these years are Clark's concerns that (a) he'd always be alone, and (b) that people wouldn't accept someone like him. These issues have been addressed via the Clois relationship development and musing on the merits/dangers of going public.

          In addition, over the course of the series Clark has dueled with his dual nature--human and alien (Clark/Kal-El; Jonathan/Jor-El), good and evil (Clark/Lex). Clark contending with his fathers was addressed in Lazarus (Jor-El and Jonathan), Supergirl (Jor-El), Homecoming (Jonathan), and Abandoned (Jor-El); the Clark/Kal-El/Blur dichotomy was addressed in Supergirl, Homecoming, Ambush, and Patriot; the good and evil dichotomy was explored in Lazarus, Isis, Harvest, and Abandoned through the story of Lex's clones, Tess caring for one of those clones, and Tess discovering her own Luthorian origins.

          Clark is one part of Clois, and it would seem that several things on that list served to develop Clark's character. Because things like sharing his love for her, his secret with her, and his journal including a vast amount of knowledge of his Kryptonian heritage (as a sign of emotional intimacy before physical intimacy) were linked to Clark overcoming non-romantic personal obstacles.

          Moreover, time with Clark and Lois onscreen is not always time focused on their romance, as I believe was the case in Supergirl. In Supergirl, both Clark and Lois has about equal screentime, and they did share several scenes together. However, again, I didn't feel like the focus was on Clois. Part of Lois and Clark's first scene in Supergirl was romantic in nature, because they were enjoying being reunited and were catching up briefly.

          The rest of Lois and Clark's interactions at Godfrey's rally, and back at the DP, had nothing to do with their romance and everything to do with the larger issues of the story, such as the merits of going public as a superhero given the vicissitudes of public loyalty and affection, and given the potential for a hero's loved ones to become targets. Lois and Clark then went their separate ways, with Lois defending heroes to Godfrey at the church and discussing what she'd found out with Oliver at his LuthorCorp office. Lois did tell Oliver, in about two sentences, her reasons for going to Africa. Yet the bulk of her interaction with Oliver in this scene, and the second scene she and Oliver shared toward the end of Supergirl, was about his secret identity (i.e. not Clois).

          Meanwhile, Clark was spending his time with Kara discussing The Darkness, Jor-El, and flight. Not once did Clark and Kara discuss Clark's relationship with Lois. Then there were the scenes with Lois trying to take down Godfrey by posing as both his limo driver and a Desaad Club employee, and her subsequent rescue by Clark and Kara. Other than Clark showing concern for Lois' well-being, I wouldn't say there was anything inherently Cloisy or a strong Clois focus in this part of the episode either. That said, the next scene between Kara and Lois in which they discussed the life of a superhero, and how that life could include someone without superpowers, did have a Clois focus.The following scene between Lois and Clark at the DP, however, did not.

          Sure, Clark said he didn't like Lois putting her life in danger and Lois said that the Blur was her hero. Nevertheless, the purpose of their conversation wasn't romantic. In fact, Lois and Clark discussed Godfrey and Kara just as much as their feelings, and the overall subject they were addressing was about public superheroism and faith, not romance. Lois' final scene with Oliver before his press conference, and Clark's final scenes with Kara in disguise and with a male citizen, had nothing to do with Clois, and again had everything to do with the larger hero issues of the episode. Thus, hero issues, not Clois, was the focus of Supergirl.

          Also, consider an episode like Abandoned. In that episode, only about 7 minutes were spent focusing on Clois--two of these three scenes were Lois alone either talking to Shelby about helping Clark or talking to Jor-El to help Clark believe in himself more as a hero. The other scene was the most romantic in nature, since it was Lois and Clark discussing Lois moving in, them both going on a date, and both of them having a private moment musing about getting married. The rest of the episode focused on Lois' dealing with her own issues with her mother, Clark's own issues with his father, Tess' childhood issues, and fleshing out Granny Goodness and the Darkseid plot.

          Examining Abandoned further, the one scene of Clark and Lois discussing her moving in and going out (with lingering engagement hints) was just as long as the scene of Clark fighting off Granny and saving Tess from the Furies. The scene of Clark investigating Granny for Tess at Watchtower was even longer. Plus, Lois giving a speech on Clark's behalf in the Fortress was ten seconds shorter than Clark's first scene with Tess at Granny's orphanage interacting with Granny and Furies. The Tess scenes at the Luthor mansion at the beginning and end of the episode took up more time than Lois watching her mother's tapes. So, like Supergirl, my view is that Clark and Lois may share scenes together and have separate stories, but time spent directly focusing on their romantic relationship does not exceed time spent on individual character arcs or on villain development arcs.

          Comment


          • i didn't really like the episode so much ...

            i never imagined that i would say that but i was bored actually ..
            it needs more actions scenes !! oh plzzzzz
            i was happy to see clark " about to fly" in end of " homecoming " and till now he did't do a move >>> up high !!!

            i don't care about Ac or his wife ....they have more scenes and scenario more than clark or erica !!

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            • The episode was overall terrible. What I hated most was Michael Hogan as Slade. Like I am supposed to believe that that John McCain look-alike is Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke.

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXB4VeYK3OM

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              • I really wanted to love this episode because it was directed Tom Welling. Unfortunately a lot of made no sense and the character Mera just annoyed me too much for me to totally enjoy it. Maybe it's because the actress who plays her is such a terrible actress!

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                • Gave it a 5

                  Now, this episode was OK. But in their FINAL season, Smallville shouldn't be alternating between BAD episodes(Harvest, Abandoned) and OK episodes(Ambush, Patriot). Their last GOOD episode was Homecoming in my opinion.

                  The only problem I have with Patriot is the obvious budget cuts. Really, the bad guys had to capture Aquaman in Offscreenville...AGAIN?! It's like everything important happens in Offscreenville now.

                  I would suggest that they just allocate the money used in hopelessly bad episodes like Harvest to better fund episodes like Patriot that actually do have a chance of becoming good episodes.

                  I really need Smallville to come up with a GREAT episode soon after the Harvest and Abandoned combo broke my long time faith in this show.

                  Comment


                  • Patriot was written by John Chisholm, who also wrote last season's Checkmate. Like Checkmate, Patriot was not Clark-centric but was Lois-centric instead and some of the scenes involving Lois were unnecessary. This marks the return of Aquaman and the debuts of Mera and Slade Wilson. Patriot marked Lois' first time in Watchtower as well as her meetings with Dr. Hamilton and Slade. Also, both Lois and Tess realize the other knows Clark's secret. It should have been Clark to save Aquaman and Green Arrow, but I'm glad he got to deal with Slade. In a way, this felt like the 6th season's Justice. It would have been better if someone else wrote this episode.

                    Comment


                    • 7. There was some big plotholes in this one. But other then that I was content. But not the best Tom has done.

                      Comment


                      • After rewatches I regret giving the episode such a high rating. There were good stuff in it but again Lois and Clark take the focus when it's not needed at all.

                        6 or 7 episode and I think even that is too much.

                        Comment


                        • Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.

                          - Oscar Wilde
                          This episode marks the final appearance of Aquaman (don't think he ever appeared in the S11 comic). I like that they introduce Mera as his wife and briefly mention that he's learned his true origin. It makes the character feel more like a three dimensional person, than just an occational guest star. When we saw him walk away, two years earlier, he didn't just stop around the corner and wait for the next time, he'd come into Clark's life (or simply cease to exist, whenever Clark isn't in the room). AC has his own life, seperate from Clark. You can imagine him having had his own adventures offscreen and fighting villains like Black Manta (whom we'll briefly see in "Prophecy"). In regards to his origin, I think the writer made the right choice, to not go into it too much. Otherwise, you would've had to add the characters finding out and reacting to the fact that Atlantis is a real place to the episode. It's not something you could just mention and simply move on.

                          The episode also introduces Slade Wilson, the future Deathstroke. Nothing against the actor, but he might be too old for the role. Yes, Slade is a white haired man with grown children (one of whom shows up in the S11 comic), in the comics, but Michael Hogan was already in his 60's by this point. So, it becomes a bit of a stretch that, in a few years he'll put on a costume and fight the likes of Batman. Of course, the character doesn't have to be the same age as the actor (this show's main character is a man, in his early 20's, played by an actor in his early 30's). He could be in his late 40's/early 50's and his aged appearance is the result of having been in the military for about 30 years.

                          The episode showed some (obvious) budget problems with AC swiming at super speed. Apparently, it was footage taken from Justin Hartley's Aquaman pilot, combined with what is clearly a shot of AC from the episode "Aqua".

                          Comment


                          • You know, in "Power", Lana gave herself superhuman powers and then announced herself as being Clark's equal now. Here, towards the end of the episode, Mera talks about Lois treating Clark as an equal and expecting him to do the same. I like the contrast. The former came across like Lana had a major inferiority complex, requiring her to acquire powers to feel equal. To change herself. Not to mention, feeling the need to point it out (a line that I could never imagine seeing Wonder Woman say for one simple reason: Superman and Wonder Woman both already knows it. There is nothing to prove to anyone). Lois, on the other hand, doesn't need to change herself. Not to mention, it's Mera who comments on her and Clark treating each other like equals (Lois doesn't have to point it out).

                            The episode was an important development for the relationship of Lois and Clark. Clark realizing that he'd be in the wrong to try and bench Lois, rather than keeping her in the loop. Here, Lois starts to worry and has to fly down to Miami, because Clark doesn't answer his phone. Only to then find out that she could've just gone to Watchtower in Metropolis and made a call from there. Clark is damaged from his relationship with Lana, someone who he had to constantly protect and save. Lois doesn't need protecting. At no point in this episode does she become a damsel in distress. She can handle herself. She can be part of the team. Here, she acquired and supplied Clark and Mera with blueprints to the facility that AC and Oliver were held at, on her own. Without help from anyone, nor had anyone told her to do it (she was proactive).

                            I quite liked the bit where Oliver showed up, at the Daily Planet, in disguise. Back in the day, there was a lot of concern that the staff at the Daily Planet would recognize Clark Kent as Superman. Well, here Oliver freaking Queen shows up at the office, without anyone noticing. If these people can't recognize Oliver Queen, because he's wearing a baseball cap, then Clark have nothing to worry about.

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