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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Smallville 10x5 - "Isis"


ROLL CALL:

SUPERMAN! LOIS LANE! TESS MERCER! THE GREEN ARROW!
Special DC Universe Guest Star (sort of):
ISIS!
With special mention of:
BLACK ADAM! (Isis pulls a dagger specifically marked "Dagger of Teth-Adam, Khandaq")

The following is a love letter to Erica Durance. She's wonderful. The best Lois Lane ever. Ever. She was always hot, but for the last couple of seasons, she's become more and more endearing, neurotic, and lovable as Lois. And we found out this episode she does a really good Clark/Tom Welling as Clark impression. It's completely unfair that Erica Durance will never even be considered for an Emmy despite the incredible work she's doing as Lois Lane.

The big news is that Smallville finally pulled the trigger on Clark telling Lois he's the Blur (and presumably, about the rest of his secret, like being from Krypton). Lois has known since last season, of course, but she desperately needed the validation of Clark actually telling her, thereby proving he loves her enough to trust her completely. He does. Actually, Clark tells her twice, but the first time on the Daily Planet roof didn't count because the spirit of Isis had possessed Lois' body. Isis' uninterested reaction to the news that Clark is the Blur was the opposite of Lois'.

Clark's second, successful attempt at telling the real Lois resulted in Lois' throwing herself at Clark in a super sexy way. As a pay off to this lingering issue, it was just about perfect. And at this point, I believe every member of the remaining primary cast members now have no superhero secrets they're keeping from each other.

The second big news, not quite as major, but in its own way surprisingly moving, is Tess being let into the Justice League. (I sort of thought they were already calling themselves the "Justice League", but I guess not. Oliver and Clark still just call it "the team".) Tess has been kicked around all over the place since she joined Smallville, but because she selflessly helped Clark and Oliver find Lois/Isis (after Hawkman couldn't be located, to the heroes' chagrin), Clark and Oliver (Clark a little hesitantly) asked Tess to take Chloe's place and run Watchtower. This big thumbs up to Tess literally sent Tess running out of the room overwhelmed by emotion. Cassidy Freeman also deserves serious props for the layers she brings to Tess, the most difficult, complex character in Smallville. Smallville should have their own Emmys if that what it takes to give this show the acclaim it deserves.

Oliver and Tess had a few tete-a-tetes about love and loss. Oliver is still pining for Chloe, but his heartfelt speeches about her melted Tess' iced-over heart. I guess now the ball is in Tess' court to reveal her secrets to Clark and Oliver: 1) She was a Checkmate agent (I thought Checkmate was hunting her and her life was in danger? Guess not.) 2) Tess has also been secretly raising the young Alexander Luthor clone at Luthor Mansion, and she learned the joys of letting that future bald super villain sit in her lap while she reads him "Peter Pan". Tess hasn't told anyone she's mothering the Next Lex, nor that he's growing at an alarming rate.

The main plot involved Oliver, now a superhero rock star since "coming out" as Green Arrow, throwing a giant Egyptian party full of the artifacts Lois and Hawkman uncovered in Egypt in episode 2 "Shield". The amulet of Isis was discovered missing, and that's because it's been in Lois' purse since she got back from Egypt. For the second time in the series, Lois was possessed by a superpowered entity; the spirit of Isis used her as a vessel to resurrect her love Osiris. The plot was kind of a letdown (no Black Adam outside of the dagger reference) and Lois being possessed was more fun in season 8, when the Kryptonian mother of Doomsday took over her body and went toe to toe with Clark. Isis may have been in Lois' hot body and wearing the latest hot Egyptian dress from the Lois Lane Collection, but she was kind of a monotone bore.

Although I hate Cat Grant, using her as a rival for Lois who's trying to "prove Lois is the Blur" was pretty good. Especially when Tess laughed in her face and when Lois almost punched her in the face after Cat stabbed her hand with scissors. Incidentally, I just realized that there are two Cat Grants in Smallville; the one I hate who's a Daily Planet reporter and one I'm indifferent to, who is the host of The Catherine Grant Show seen last season in "Crossfire".

Speaking of "Crossfire", where is Speedy? She hasn't been seen or even mentioned by Oliver in months. I hope she didn't go back to her old ways walking the streets for money.

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