Smallville

[jordmundt6]

She's not spectacular, but she's not bad. Plus, I don't think she even pretends to be a humanitarian--I think the "team" she was talking about is an early form of the Legion of Doom. She lies well, delivers her lines okay. That's a huge step up from Vaugier and Kelly Brook who played the first of Lex Luthor's "fiery exes" in Season 1. Remember, McChesty who couldn't remember a line, stand on a mark, or exude an emotion--she even made Kreuk's early work look good.

Davis isn't as comforting as he should be to be damaged and romantic (the way Adam almost was). He does an okay job, but he doesn't have quite the right "look." I'm still not sold on Chloe running the Isis foundation--where's she getting the money from? Her cut of Lana's divorce settlement? She's an ace reporter and always will be (unless the writing improves), the same way Beatrix Kiddo was still Beatrix Kiddo no matter what happened to her on Kill Bill. With Chloe in the picture, even peripherally, this Lois will always look like the cut-rate version of herself, a cheap streetfair knockoff of a Rolex or a Pradda bag--pyrite compared to 24-karat gold. And if Clark is really doing scut work, why is he a reporter with a salary and a desk to match Lois, the supposed rising star of the newsroom?

[Black_XY390]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

As to the failed life-saving attempt--there are two possibilities. Either, her accidental horcruxing of Brainiac killed her own power and swapped it for HIS intellect (don't do this to me, producers), or Chloe never could heal Clark because he wasn't fully made human (that is, her healing power works only on Earth humans). I'm hoping for explanation B. Their solution to Clark's problem seems to lean toward that because he wasn't truly made human this time. Instead his powers were blocked/drained so that he needed a solar recharge.

Those each sound plausible but I am not to sure about either of them. Wasn't Chloe hacking into top secret computers long before she had he little encounter with Brainiac? What if her intellect is something different entirely and she just couldnt heal Clark, for the reasons you said. Most meteor powers didnt affect him anyway.

[jordmundt6]

My dream scenario, I suppose, is that he attacked her and encountered an intelligence greater or stronger than his own and was repelled...and that led to his question. However, knowing these writers...they'd never make Chloe that special. It's anathema to their very thought process.

[Ginny1976]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

She's not spectacular, but she's not bad. Plus, I don't think she even pretends to be a humanitarian--I think the "team" she was talking about is an early form of the Legion of Doom. She lies well, delivers her lines okay. That's a huge step up from Vaugier and Kelly Brook who played the first of Lex Luthor's "fiery exes" in Season 1. Remember, McChesty who couldn't remember a line, stand on a mark, or exude an emotion--she even made Kreuk's early work look good.

Davis isn't as comforting as he should be to be damaged and romantic (the way Adam almost was). He does an okay job, but he doesn't have quite the right "look." I'm still not sold on Chloe running the Isis foundation--where's she getting the money from? Her cut of Lana's divorce settlement? She's an ace reporter and always will be (unless the writing improves), the same way Beatrix Kiddo was still Beatrix Kiddo no matter what happened to her on Kill Bill. With Chloe in the picture, even peripherally, this Lois will always look like the cut-rate version of herself, a cheap streetfair knockoff of a Rolex or a Pradda bag--pyrite compared to 24-karat gold. And if Clark is really doing scut work, why is he a reporter with a salary and a desk to match Lois, the supposed rising star of the newsroom?

Yeah, Tess is okay. And I like it too that she's putting together her own team. That should be fun.

I don't really like Davis. He doesn't have the right look. He's not pretty enough for Smallville. Not that Jimmy is the greatest looking guy, but hten he's not supposed to be. I would go for Jimmy before Davis.
And as for the money thing....how is anyone able to afford anything on that show! Clarks Tundra he suddenly showed up in in season 6! At least he still has it, I guess, but still, it's rediculous. Wihtout his Mom there to run the farm, how is he able to do any thing!
And isn't Smallville supposed to be 2 hours away from Metropolis? They've lost the whole time continuity as well. Small things that bug me.

[jordmundt6]

Yeah, way back when Metropolis was supposed to be 2 hours away from Smallville--two minutes or less by foot (well Clark's feet). Davis isn't as charming as he needs to be for his transformation into villain to be a shock. I heard through the grapevine (reedboots.net, an L&C site that follows Smallville out of sheer frustration) that they're planning to bring not only Tess (who finds Clark an interesting little liar) but also some intergalactic warrior chick who thus far has resided pretty much solely in comics. From what little I've heard about her role in the comics, she has galactic conquest aspirations and always wants to procreate with Superman (Clark in this case) to breed a race of supersoldiers or some such nonsense. Can anyone confirm or refute her appearance on the show for me (please--PLEASE tell me you can refute it!!).

[GodricHollow]

Yep, alien chick who's after some action is appearing in the near future.

[jordmundt6]

GAH--has everyone attached to this show lost their MINDS?!!! This isn't freakin' Baywatch!

[GodricHollow]

This is what happens when you try and string a show out for so long. Should've left it at season 5 or 6 and have done.

[jordmundt6]

I keep hoping for a satisfactory Chloe ending--besides M*A*S*H* and West Wing were on longer than 5 years and THEY still had quality--I still liked JAG after 5 seasons. Is it really too much to expect quality for an extended (more than 60 episodes) on a scripted series?

[GodricHollow]

Well obviously, if they can come up with quality scripts and such for more than 5 years, go for it. Smallville hasn't. In fact, the typo I almost wrote there has led me to believe that season 7 was mostly Smallbile, not Smallville.

[Ginny1976]

Yeah, sorry Jordmund, her name is Maxima--here's the offical CW description:

DC COMICS CHARACTER MAXIMA SETS HER SIGHTS ON CLARK — Tess (Cassidy Freeman) and her team perform tests on Clark’s (Tom Welling) crystal that she had retrieved from the arctic, causing it to send a beam of light into the universe. This triggers the arrival of Maxima (guest star Charlotte Sullivan), a queen from the planet Almerac, who is searching for her soulmate, who she believes sent the signal. Unfortunately, Maxima’s power is too great for mortal men and her kiss kills them. The seductive Maxima arrives in Metropolis and begins her search, starting with Jimmy (Aaron Ashmore).

Hmm...so then I wonder if Maxima will try to kiss Jimmy and then Chloe will be able to try to save him and succeed, since they can't kill off Jimmy.
But it does sound she'll be a one hit wonder at least.
And it is nice that they'r bringing more Comic book characters on. Ususally can't go wrong there. The ones they've brought in so far have been pretty good to really great.

[crookshanks1177]

Originally Posted by katsumi

I couldn't for the life of me figure out where I recognized Davis Bloome from (the guy that plays him, anyway). I finally had to look him up -- he was that creepy guy from S1 of Dexter (the one who claimed to be the Ice Truck Killer but really wasn't).

He is seriously creepy.

I can't say I'm impressed with Tess Mercer. They keep trying to make her eyes look really intense with the lighting, but it just ends up making her look kind of demented (and not in a cool way). Plus, they're pulling the same old Lex routine with her: having her act like a harda** and then pretending at the same time to be a humanitarian. That was Lex's schtick. I don't want just a female Lex.

I think she just kind of sucks. I don't like her character at all. Hopefully they'll improve things before the season progresses too far with her.

Hear hear. I'm not liking her either. And I'm also sad with the Luthor mansion sans Luthors.

[jordmundt6]

Oh lordy!! Thanks Ginny1976. This is giving me uncomfortable L&C Season 4 flashbacks. In Season 4, there was a secretary--an actuarial secretary--perhaps, who was obsessed with Superman. She was sure they would be soulmates if they only met. Additionally, she was brainy enough to figure out that it would be untenable for Superman to be Superman all the time--so, she devoted herself to discovering his "secret" identity. She ran computer sims for days and eventually came up with Jimmy Olsen. She arranged to meet him, asked him a series of questions (that sort of jibed with what Superman posing as Jimmy might say). Then, in the middle of dinner, there was some sort of crime--a bank was held up across the street or something. Jimmy ducked out to call the cops and Superman promptly appeared, saving the day. Jimmy conveniently emerged from his search for a phone mere seconds after Superman flew off. Her suspicions confirmed, this nutty girl gave Jimmy a huge kiss saying "Oh, I can't wait to see you in your blue suit!" That comment threw Jimmy for a loop, but he obediently went out and purchased a robin's egg blue formal suit. Quite humorous actually.

The girl was played by Kristana Loken (or however you spell her name), the gal who eventually played the TX in Terminator 3, and BloodRayne in the first BloodRayne film. This was a sort of wink in casting because she was dating Justin Whalin (who played Jimmy on Lois & Clark) at the time. How many weeks grace do I get before they pull this stupid stunt.

Please note--the only potential positive to all this is that Chloe and Jimmy might split (I've already expressed my reservations and my confusion concerning that pairing).

Okay, so the crystal that Tess and company retrieved is Clark's? It's the starter crystal for the new Fortress of Solitude? Really? I thought it was blue kryptonite from the coloration and the glowing--a way to permanently strip Clark of his powers. Ah well, live and learn.

She sounds Mytzlplky to me. That is--she COULD be a one-shot, but she's an enduring problem who, if she boosts ratings enough, could be back again and again. Frankly, the Maxima-type character seems like the perfect bait to lure males 18-45 to the show--if well-written, it could have been a shrewd move.

[Ginny1976]

Umm..sorry jordmund, but Chloe and Jimmy aren't up yet. According to spoilers, there's supposed to be a wedding between them and Lana will come back for it. But, no one knows if the wedding will end in a Mrs. Jimmy Olsen. So maybe something will happen and one of them will back out at last minute. Or maybe some catastrophe will happen and it's postponed or something. But yeah, they're supposed to get married.

I'm surprised you didn't recognize that crystal. I was just happy to see it since it means that the Fortess can be rebuilt.

[jordmundt6]

They're really going to do this to me, are they? That is, without doubt, the worst news I've EVER heard with regard to this show!! Not only are we continuing with the romance of Wonder Woman and the stockboy--not only is Chloe's new ability supposed to be "infection" from Brainiac instead of her coming into her own fighting him off--but they're going so far as to have a WEDDING and LANA is gonna come back for it and torture us all with her presence. What is WRONG with these writers?!

Oh right--back to the beginning when we had the cave that led to the creation of the Fortress--I spent so much time blocking that stupid cave out of my brain that I forgot that the shield that first triggered it was blue-silver.

[Ginny1976]

So sorry jordmund. But yeah, I was hoping for something better this year and obviously it's much the same. Hope. I think it's the only thing that still ties us to this show. That's sad.

Yeah, the cave was pretty dumb. And then the whole going to the 4 quarters of hte earth to find the 3 parts of the crystal. With crazy Lex and schizo Lana the beginning of Lois. Season 4. Jason was good though.

[jordmundt6]

Jason...oh, yeah. Jason Teague. Um, he didn't really make an impression on me--and they attached their tribute to Christopher Reeve to that krypto-hormone juice/love potion. That might almost have been fun if Clark had better taste in women--that is, if TW's Clark were ANYTHING like Clark from L&C. It could have been the second coming of Pheremone, My Lovely. Instead, those of us who remember it, remember it for what it might have been.

[ComicBookWorm]

Maxima

[Ginny1976]

Oh, yes Comicbookworm, please tell us what you know of Maxima!

Oh and for Chloe fans (cough, cough, Jordmund, chough) There's an amazing Alison Mack interview here. Lot's of great things explained. Like her new superpowers and somethings she'll be facing with that.

[jordmundt6]

I read the first part and started throwing loose objects at my computer screen. She's "infected" with Brainiac and it takes over her personality--are there NO heroes on this show anymore? The idea of a character struggle is interesting, but you need backbone someplace to keep a hand on the tiller during the struggle. If the backbone has the identity crisis--it's goodbye Seattle. Without Chloe, there is no anchor--they've eliminated every candidate. And they're being snooty about how much Clark has to learn and grow over the next season--or two. With the GA compromised (and I took his criticism of Clark with a grain of salt since Oliver hasn't shown the strength he crows about and berates Clark for not having) there's no backbone, no direction unless Chloe provides it. Mercy...er, Tess seems like she has potential. I'm sure we'll get treated to more Mercer/Queen backstory as the season continues.