Last night's Smallville

[quiet_tiger]

I looked forward all this week to watching Smallville, because I wanted to see how badly AlMiles bastardized Aquaman. I thought they did a good job, and didn't bastardize him.

Let me just say here that the antenna gods were not kind last night, so the picture was pretty crappy- things were tripled, so for example, grins were widened into frightening jack-o-lantern smiles. So, I can't say anything about facial expressions, or special effects, though really not being able to seem them can only make the show better.

I will have to say that Lois wasn't overly irritating. She wasn't a bimbo, and she brought out that beautiful snark in Clark. And Chloe was in good form, reminding Clark that having his powers is a Good Thing. Aquaman's introduction was interesting, though it was an example of yet another person on the show not knowing how to properly perform CPR (unless I was taught wrong, most people on TV don't do it right). I didn't even pray for Lois to die.

Of course, even with all that was good in this ep, the thing that made it so totally awesomely wonderful was that LANA ONLY HAD TWO LINES. She wasn't even in it after the first scene. Perhaps, there is a small, remote, teensy chance that there is a God.

Anyway, I was upset with my antenna gods for really two reasons: I couldn't really see what Arthur looked like (but he looked okay), and I couldn't really see James Marsters deliver his lines (heck, I didn't even realize it was him for a minute). Heh, James, I love you. I found it really interesting that JM places such emphasis on the "er" sounds in words; the only time I've ever noticed it before this is in an episode of Buffy (I think 4th season) when Spike has to pretend to someone that he is a friend of Xander's: he says "I'm just a friend of Xander's, here" and he places a heavy emphasis on the er in Xander and here. *shrugs* I thought it was just part of the accent he put on, but I don't think it was. I was surprised at the way in which the camera angles were so strange on JM and TW when they walked across the parking lot or whatever as Clark apologized. When they faced each other, the angle just made Tom look huge compared to James. Also, on the shots of James, they could have told him to look a little lower on TW, rather than into his eyes, so it wasn't so obvious that he had to really look up at TW. Unless they wanted to make James look that much smaller. Or maybe it was just me, especially after the convo over in roxymissrose's journal about JM being only about 5'10 compared to TW's 6'4.

Anyone else think that Clark was jealous when he came across Lois and Arthus smooching? He sounded so accusatory, but was he jealous of Arthur, or Lois...

I was pleased that this time AlMiles managed to use the right person, and made Aquaman Arthur instead of confusing him with anyone else. I don't know too much about Arthur, though the essay I read about him and Garth was pro-Garth, and Arthur came off looking like a huge jerk. But they did get the fact of him needing to rehydrate often right, which I was pleased with. But they really didn't have to show him wearing the green and organge the whole time. Beat us over the head, much?

I have written here (watched it and took notes last night) "born with an amazing gift" but I have no idea what I was supposed to remember about that quote. Maybe that Arthur wasn't so much "born with a gift" as "was raised underneath the ocean," similar to the way Clark wasn't really "born with a gift" so much as "raised underneath a yellow sun, rather than a red sun."

Lexy was good laast night. I loved the exchange between Arthur and Lex: "Why are you doing this?" "One, you called me a tool." *snicker* Also, as Clark and Lex talked (and possibly eyefucked, I couldn't tell): Well, you didn't tell them about my pitch fork, did you?" The line was so Lex, but the delivery was strange. Kind of... like the voice Lex would use if he were roleplaying the Devil in the bedroom. Oh, Lexy. You poor, evil woobie.

Was anyone else just groaning over the "I'm not ready for the JLA yet" line? Like, I had to pause the tape I was groaning to such extent. Well, and I wanted to watch the exchange again. I wonder how long it took them to come up with that? I can just picture a writer sitting with a pencil: "Must work in Justice League joke. Must work in Justice League joke... Well, it's the JLA, and Aquaman swims... lifeguard begins with L... ooo, JLA can be junior lifeguards!"

Someone called Clark "special."

He is. In sooooooo many ways... (the "eating paste" kind of special, in my book).

And, next week... vampires? ...VAMPIRES????? Jeez, just when you think they can't use another cliche... Well, okay, I've never thought that about Smallville. You may or may not have noticed that unless it involves a Buffy vampire, I don't rec or read anything that has vampires in Smallville. It just doesn't work for me. I have no idea why, especially since I rec not one but TWO fics with werewolves in them, for crying out loud, but I just can't do vampires. Next week is going to be awful. "Spell" kind of awful. Perhaps even "Recruit" or "Ageless" kind of awful, and those episodes need to be wiped from my memory.

Overall, I enjoyed last night's ep. Hopefully the season will stay strong, and limit our exposure to Lana. And Jor-El. And hey, I forgot that the Kents weren't in it, either! I can't stand them! Wow, I should dld the ep just because of all that! Awesome. Just give us Clark, Chloe, Lex, James Marsters (and whatever character he's supposed to be playing), and a random cute boy. I'm good with that.

Comments

[ender24]

I am falling asleep right now, but I had to say: the trailer for next week?? LOOKS SOOO BAD....

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

"the trailer for next week?? LOOKS SOOO BAD...."

*Doesn't* it though? I thought things were getting a little bit better- looks like we all let down our guard too soon...

Why, AlMiles, why??