Precipice

[serafina20]

Last night was ... interesting. I was beating the scene that's giving me such a headached in COTW 37 into submission when Gilmore Girls started. Since I was at a good stopping place, I went into the living room to watch it with my family. Then, my brother came over. Great, except at nine Smallville stops and that's basically when I think, "I lived with you for twenty-two years and I need to be in here why?" I was going to stay and talk, but apparently I forgot to change the clock on my VCR, and it didn't tape and i knew my life would be miserable the next few days if I didn't get to see it, so I stayed in my room--alone--and watched it. I really don't like watching Smallville alone. I'm too much of a talker.

Anyway, brother stayed until midnight, so now I think I shouldn't have to go to school because I'm tired. But I will.


What I liked

The scenes between Lex and Clark. They had a nice, steady chemistry and really seemed like friends for the first time in awhile. I really like that while Clark was doing the community service, Lex got his man some coffee.

Chivalrous Lex. I'm all about strong women and women who take care of themselves in a situation, but I think it's in character for Lex to want to protect the people he knows. We've seen this in his attitude towards the Kents, and now with Lana and Helen. I liked that he was so concerned about Lana and that he'd take time out to try and teach her to defend herself. We've been seeing Lex softening to Lana the person this season (just a little; Nocturn, mostly; even though I think he was mostly teasing her with the poem, he still treated her like she was more than The Object of Clark's affections). I like the idea that he's now comfortable enough in the town to invite people in his daily life into his inner sanctuary and help them.

I liked Helen's obsessive stalker boyfriend, but out of selfish reasons. I've been banging my head against the wall, trying to figure out what to do with her in COTW, and this information helps.

All scenes between Chloe and Clark, especially the one in the loft. Allison Mack did such a good job of portraying the Chloe I fell in love with: happy, bouncy, irrepressible, and a little silly. And when she was in the loft with Clark, I, once again, really got the sense they were friends. I've always wanted them to be 'best friends' in a different sense than Clark is 'best friends' with Pete or Lex; I felt as if they were very close in this scene.

The idea that women should learn to take care of themselves. I have a lot of issues with the way it was done, but, hey, I'm all for the spirit. *waves girl power flag*

The fact that Clark gets in trouble for acting without thinking. In Visitor Clark was able to defend Cyrus in a more Superman-type way (hovering and telling the bullies to back off) because he wasn't emotionally involved. He is with Lana and he, therefore, reacts without thinking. I almost wish the guy had actually be injured; maybe not to the extent to which he was playing, but maybe a broken rib or a wrenched back. I want Clark to really see the consequences of his actions. The lecture Jonathan and Martha gave him was great and it was long overdue. I just wish that something besides money (or in addition to money) could have been at stake.

The engagement. Oh, wait; no. Not the engagement. Although I did get a little slasher thrill when Lex said the thing about not wanting to be a killer in someone's eyes (or whatever he said) and Helen said, "Clark." She sounded a little jealous to me.

What I didn't Like

The new sheriff. She's too much of a stereotype for me. Why does everyone come in and be an ass? Really, not everyone wants to make friends and influence people, but do you really want to come in and Piss Everyone Off?

Self-defense: Okay, I like that Lex pulled Lana aside and first taught her to get in touch with her anger. Lex is an angry guy (not all the time, but he knows his inner emotions better than, say, Clark), and I can buy the idea that he's been watching Lana be very *not* angry for almost two seasons and thinking, "Do something!" However... self-defense is more than knowing how to fight, and that didn't come across at *all*. After the attack, Lana should never be alone at the Talon. No woman should (or man); there should always be at least two people there. In the last scene with the college guy, where was a witness? I expected Chloe to be there taking pictures to prove the guy was faking, or at least for back-up.

Also, I get that KK is good a karate; at least, I think I read this somewhere. And I liked how after she started learning to fight, KK walked and held herself in a different way. I mean, she actually acted. However... she had one punching lesson and she took out the guy? Couldn't we have waited a few more episodes and have Lana take someone out? Show her training a little in each episode, have her say something like, 'My teacher says I'm a natural,' or something like that so when she is attacked again (and she will be) it comes out of the blue. The bully should have been caught by some other sort of defense. I just wish the writers/creators had more patience to really build something like this up.

The Helen-plot line. I'm really easy when it comes to shows, even shows I obsess about. I enjoyed this episode. I thought it was fun. However, at the end when Lex was going through the train with the gun, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the action on the screen, I didn't feel it. I don't believe Lex would get that crazy over Helen's accident. And that makes me sad because I'd like to be able to believe what I seem, and not just enjoy it because my tired brain goes, 'Oh! Suspense! Trains! Whee!'

What happened to the lights at the hospital? I mean, I don't spend a lot of times at hospitals, but I've never seen it that dark.

Why couldn't Helen have known at least basic self-defense?

Helen and Lex sure bounced back fast. And, once again, I really wish someone would have spent time on their relationship. I'd be happy to believe in the Hlex (which I don't, but I can pretend), but, dude, make it real.

Overall, I enjoyed the episode. Now, if only my freaking VCR had gone off and taped it. *sigh*

Comments

[ex-marcasit.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't Helen have known at least basic self-defense?

I agree with so much of what you said, Serafina, especially this. I mean, how was she presented to us in her first episode? As someone who drop kicked an orderly. Does she know how to kick butt or not? If not, then it's like openly admitting she and Lex running into each other at that meeting was an embarrassing contrivance, and if so, then she should've been better at defending herself AND we as the audience would expect to see that rage come out at some point in future episodes. Will it? Will that have anything to do with whatever goes wrong with her and Lex? I hate character inconsistencies.

Re:

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

You know, it's funny but when I wrote this, I totally forgot that she drop-kicked the orderly. Now her passivity makes even less sense. She always reminded me of an older, more mature, more 'finished' version of Chloe and Chloe fights for herself. I was flabbergasted as to why Helen hardly did anything in this scene. And I know the writers won't have any rage come out in future episodes; they don't ever seem to keep emotional continuity as a linking thread between episodes. There are some, but there don't ever seem to be emotional repercussions for what happens on screen. That's what I use fanfic for: to get the threads and emotional continuity the writers on the show don't give us.