Ep 3.8 - Shattered

[Freawaru]

I agree with DJDoena. It seemed to me Clark panicked. And he panicked because of how his parents would react. This is third season and here Clark still trusts the judgement of his parents. In fact, IMO, the next episode "Asylum" is very important because here Clark learns that he cannot always trust that. Both Kents tell him to not help his best friend and he complies - at least until he learns that Lex might be killed. Only now he goes against his parents and tries to save him, too late for Lex's memories at least. And at the end of this episode Clark wished he, too, could loose the memory of the past weeks and him betraying his best friend. Also, I suspect his own mistake and betrayal weighted on his conscience for a long time and gives him a reason to forgive the mistakes and betrayal of others.

[Arbar]

You know, I've heard the 'panicking' reason before, and I could never quite understand what he was panicking about, because Lex is his friend (although like you said DJDoena, he always was weird about his secret with those he knew!). But what you said, Freawaru, hadn't crossed my mind before - and it makes a lot more sense to me. He was very much influenced by his parents....unfortunately, because Jonathan was an ass in Shattered and Asylum!


The latter was on today, and all he could say at the end of the episode is that Clark should be glad Lex forgot his secret?! Kinda heartless for a salt-of-the-earth, kindly farmer (I guess that's more 'comics Jonathan' than the SV one, sadly) I always think it's a bit like him saying, 'Hey, sorry Lana's parents died son, but at least you won't have to make awkward conversation at the dinner table with her mother, amIright? Score one for you!'

[Freawaru]

The latter was on today, and all he could say at the end of the episode is that Clark should be glad Lex forgot his secret?! Kinda heartless for a salt-of-the-earth, kindly farmer (I guess that's more 'comics Jonathan' than the SV one, sadly)

I don't know the Superman comics myself but from what I heard the all the Smallville characters are very different personalities than in those books.

[costas22]

10 years to the day since it aired. Time sure flies.

This fantastic epi is always worth a rewatch.

[Bally]

Justifiably rated as one of the best episodes ever. Rosenbaum is absolutely brilliant playing Lex losing control of his mind and certainly elicits a lot of sympathy as he breaks down.

It's funny when he watches Clark save him from being run over by the Jag because his reaction is pitch perfect. Just the right balance of disbelief, awe and vindication. And his subsequent reaction as he is being whisked away and desperately calling out for Clark is fantastic.

Then the end scene which to my mind is one of the most emotionally devastating scenes in the entire show. When you see Lionel's eyes being to water, you see him asking himself - if only for a moment - if he hasn't taken things too far. Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" only adds to the moment. It makes you think about how you might feel if you saw somebody you cared about left as a shell of themselves

[jon-el87]

Thought Michael gave a good performance. The only bit of it I didn't like, was when Clark found him rocking that blanket. Not because he did it, but because right before we had seen him spy on Lionel and the Kents. So, him sitting there with the blanket felt out of place in that moment. However, at the same time, it's an important moment as it forces Clark to question Lex's sanity, especially when Chloe tells him about a similar incident when he was at boarding school. That scene had to happen.

This episode introduces the concept of Julian Luthor, a matter further explored in the episode "Delete" and would play into the Grant Gabriel plotline season 7. I like that they establish Lex's younger sibling here, rather than just leaving it for "Delete". So, the appearance of Lex's younger brother doesn't come out of nowhere, in that episode. Lex have had enough siblings, that showed up from nowhere. Which is a matter that makes Lionel's dilema of not wanting to loose another child all the more powerful. Not only did he have to bury a child, but he's also had to give away both a son and a daughter (even if she hasn't been introduced yet) and, between S2 and S3, he believed that Lex had died. Despite all of Lionel's flaws, he could never bring himself to murder his relatives... apart from that one time. Lex, on the other hand, will have an act for killing relatives: Lionel, Tess (she managed to survive, but I'm still counting her), Grant Gabriel and Adrian Cross (clones of Julian). Heck, he's probably killed Lucas, at some point. Hence why he never shows up again, even after the death of Lionel and apparent death of Lex.

This episode marked the third and final appearance of Morgan Edge, in which he seemingly dies. I've talked about this elsewhere and I'm entirely open to the possibility that this is actually an adaption of Vincent Edge. Meaning, that there could be a Morgan Edge, Jr. running around somewhere. Furthermore, this character is named "Morgan Edge". When the character was originally introduced in the comics, he was a guy named Morris Edelstein, who had changed his name to Morgan Edge. Not to mention, originally Edge wasn't a criminal linked to Intergang or Darkseid. That was actually a clone of Edge. So, this Morgan Edge could be an adaptation of the clone (only, instead of being a clone, he's an older guy with the same name), with Morris Edelstein showing up in Metropolis years later. Granted, one could question why an up and coming businessman would change his name to that of a crimelord. However, the old Edge died in 2003. If Morris comes to Metropolis in 2018, would anyone still remember some old crimelord who died 15 years ago? Especially, with all the things that would've happened in between (both stuff we saw on the show (and the S11 comic) and stuff that's bound to have happened between 2012 and 2018).

Coming back to the "Morgan Edge, Jr." scenario. If they were to do a SV animated revival, for the DC Streaming Service, they could have Morris Edelstein be introduced and be revealed to be the son of Morgan Edge. This leads to someone trying to blackmail him. However, rather than being blackmailed, not only does Edelstein go public with his ties to Edge, but he even changed his name to "Morgan Edge". Suggesting to the public, that he's not only unashamed of his roots, but that he's got nothing to hide (or does he?).

[costas22]

For my money, the best episode in the show's history. And certainly the best acting by any one actor in the show's history. I'm referring to Michael Rosenbaum of course. The writing was so good during those years, that they turned Rutger Hauer's unavailability to a positive by doing the whole plastic surgery storyline for Morgan Edge.

The ending montage was perfect as well.

[DJ Doena]

This episode introduces the concept of Julian Luthor, a matter further explored in the episode "Delete" and would play into the Grant Gabriel plotline season 7. I like that they establish Lex's younger sibling here

Actually they didn't. They did that way back in season one's Stray. From the transcript:

Clark: You know how it is. Being an only child, no one else around. Don't you ever wish you had a sibling?
Lex: I have one, Clark.
Clark: Really? I didn't know.
Lex: When I was eleven, my mother got pregnant again. It was a total surprise. I'd never seen my father happier. The day Julian was born was the only time I felt like I was part of a real family.
Clark: What happened?
Lex: The morning of his baptism, my mother went to his nursery, found him in his crib. He had stopped breathing. My mother was never the same after that and my father got even more distant. I think he saw Julian as his second chance. A chance for him to have a son he could truly love.
Clark: I'm sorry.

[jon-el87]

Actually they didn't. They did that way back in season one's Stray. From the transcript:

My mistake. Though, that's even better. You have someone/something mentioned in the first season, which is then explored in the third.