Ep 1.20 - Obscura

[SGuthrie27]

I really enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I just rewatched it today (for probably the 4th or 5th time), for the Chlarky good moments! There were plenty of them, but the time when Clark asked her to the Spring Formal was perfect. I love how she looked like she was glowing -- I mean, she's naturally radiant, but with the light of the setting sun behind her, and her beaming smile, and then the way Clark practically dances with the pitchfork after she leaves because he's so excited... whew, that's just classic stuff. I also LOVED it when Clark ripped the coffin out of the ground and when Chloe regained consciousness, she practically lunged into his arms, crying, "Clark, it's you! It's always you!" So incredibly romantically awesome... The plot of the episode was a little unusual and the performances of the guest stars were nothing to write home about, but really, the character beats and the Chlark romance are what make it one of my favorite episodes, and most often rewatched ones at that. It also provided good set-up for the season finale, specifically with the octagonal key, Whitney discovering his dad's medals, and all the Clark-Chloe-Lana triangle elements.

--SGuthrie ><>' --

[MannaBanana]

Lana kept seeing through the cops eyes, so how convenient she DIDNT see what the cop shot Clark and nothing happened. It would have been more interesting if she saw that part. But all in all pretty good episode

[Nimkong]

Again it had a good plot but the last couple of epiosdes were lame to the rest

6/10

[Munnag]

8 Points, Loves the Chloe relation ship with Clark, Lana temporary abilities due to the explosion and the affect of media explosion was quite interesting, Writing really come up here with the good inputs.. !!

[jsm]

It’s a strange plot- an explosion causes Lana to see through the eyes of Chloe’s kidnapper. It’s still an alright episode. I never understood why Clark used his abilities in front of the cop, when he knew Lana could see through the cop's eyes. 7/10

[laurarawlins]

thoughts on the episode

Most of this episode made sense, but a lot of it had too many loose ends and didn't make any sense at all because there were 2 completely different plots going on at the same time. plot 1: the kidnapping cop struggling to keep his career by setting up crimes so he can be the hero and save Chloe, and trying to get the credit where credit is due. The credit that he feels he deserves he should have, with Lana seeing through his eyes and Clark always getting there in time to save Chloe before he could.

Plot 2: Lex's conspiracy theory on Clark after one of his scientists finds the key to Clark's space ship in the field where Clark's ship landed after hearing a tall tale from a crop duster, after hiring Roger Nixon to looking in to the mystery that Clark Kent. how does these 2 plots connect with each other? when they don't have a connection? that is what doesn't make any sense. why does it go from the kidnapping cop angle to Lex circling Clark's secret angle? I don't get that. that's why gave this episode a 5 out of 10 for plot inconsistency and complacency

[jon-el87]

Lana becomes the FOTW of this episode. This episode seems to have been forgotten by the writers, by the time they made "Extinction". Van saved her life. Had he known that she was once meteor infected, he probably would've killed her. And no one brought it up, when Lana expressed her disliking of the meteor infected.

I actually found Lana tolerable in this episode. This was, of course, early Smallville and she hadn't reached her peak of annoying. As the show progressed, AlMiles desperatly tried to keep her, despite it being obvious that she had served her purpose. Martha even notes in this episode that said ship has sailed. Between the scene between Clark and Martha and him asking Chloe to the dance, this feels like the moment in the show, when they should've began to phase out Lana (at least, as a romantic interest).

I liked how Clark climbed up on the windmill, to scan the area. Couldn't help but thinking: "Barry on the Flash would've needed to be instructed to do so. He wouldn't have thought about doing that, on his own." Granted, Barry wouldn't be able to x-ray the field. I'm just enjoying the ability to see a hero doing independant thinking. These newer shows tries desperatly to get everyone involved in the plot. And the end result is supporting characters giving the hero instructions on what to do, while the hero comes across as stupid, for not being able to figure this out by himself/herself.

Chloe makes passing reference to a cousin, but it can't be Lois, as the mentioned cousin is already in college. Of course, we never explore Chloe's family tree (apart from the Lanes), so she could easily have a third cousin, through an aunt or uncle that we never met. We never saw the cousin, when the characters began spending more time in Metropolis. Though, if this cousin is already in college, while Chloe is a freshman in High School, she would've already graduated college (and possibly moved to another city, for work), by the time Chloe entered Met U. The writers probably just forgot about this cousin. They had enough trouble keeping Chloe's mom consistent: she's a deadbeat mom, no she's a patient in a mental hospital (with a hereditary psychiatric disease), no she's a meteor freak (and have been catatonic for years).

We may not have had another MF villain, but we did have a one-shot villain. And due to him being a one-shot, we never learn much about him. So, he wanted to be a hero, so he kidnapped Chloe. We don't know what drove him to such extremes. Of course, does anyone actually care? He's a guy, who kidnapped a teenage girl (and buried her alive). Then he kidnaps a second girl and tries to kill her. He's not the one we're supposed to be sympathetic towards. Any fleshing out could end up badly, where the episode insists that he (and not the two teenage girls) is the real victim.

[DJ Doena]

Chloe makes passing reference to a cousin, but it can't be Lois, as the mentioned cousin is already in college.

I think back then this was actually an offhand remark. But she didn't actually say that her cousin was in college. She only referenced her dorms. I could imagine that - both due to Losi general behaviour but also due to her father's job - Lois (or Lucy) spend some time in a boarding school where they would have dorms as well.

[DJ Doena]

When I rewatch these early episodes I always love to see some small details that they've sprinkled in without actually pointing them out. In this case Clark's superstrength. After he'd rescued Chloe and spent the night in the hospital he has a talk with his fater outside the barn. And during this talk they load feed bags onto the truck. Jonathan always grabs one and has to throw it over his shoulder to carry it, while at the same time Clark simply grabs three of them. The scene is about their talk about Lex' check, the working is just scenery but very well done.

[caseyatbt]

I am finally watching this series for the first time. I have been wondering all season, what does Lana see in Whitney. This episode finally showed me some reason of why she is with him. He finally treated her like someone worthy of her affection.

[Kris Winchester]

Exactly what I thought too, DJ Doena. I like how causal everything was in this episode, like Clark was carrying lots of sacks with ease while Jonathan used most of his strenght to carry one of two. All of it without it being made a point of. Same with Roger being a goof stepping into the puddle and the great scene with Clark and Lex in the barn.
Also loved how Nixon kept spying on Clark throughout the episode hinting of what is coming. I have never been a fan of Whitney by any means. But he was more likeable near the end of the season. But very self-centered even at the end of the season, talking about himself and his fathers medals. But I have no doubts that he cared deeply for Lana. He was great in the season finale. Only thing I did not like about this episode was the cheesy scene right after the opening credits.. Where Clark talks to his parents about Lana and Chloe. Lana was also ungrateful towards the officers expecting them to just believe her when she talked about "visions" I mean seriously ughhh.