Not bad. I’m sure many will complain about this being another “Clark stalks Lana to save her” episode ending with another “Lana wants Clark to open up but Clark can’t” final scene, but I like the fact that we saw Lana reacting favorably to a Meteor Freak who was upfront about (most of) his powers. And of course, the development between Lex and Chloe was good, though, from the way the episode played out, it did seem that it was Lex who had the private investigator killed, rather than Lionel.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES & NITS:
Christ, now they’re using kryptonite in snow globes? Geez, what is this, the Smallville equivalent of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda?

I find it interesting that the kryptonite in Seth’s system was not sufficient to cause Clark debilitation by merely being in his presence, or even by physical contact.

How did Chloe get into the school at night?

NICE effect of Clark using his heat vision to melt the road to prevent Seth and Lana from escaping.

When Lex takes Chloe to the morgue, Chloe turns to leave, and as she stands in the doorway talking to Lex at one point, a person (or a shadow, I couldn’t be sure) races behind her from right to left. Was this a production staffperson racing by, hoping not to be caught on camera? Or a vehicle moving by outside? Either way, it startled me.

I guess the judge the didn’t buy Lana’s defense that she wasn’t in control of her actions, since she ends up convicted of something, and has to do community service.

In the establishing shot of the final scene of the episode, we see the Kent’s mailbox, which says “KENT FARM.” I don’t live in a rural area, so those here who do can tell me: Is it typical in such places for words like “FARM” to be included with the family name?

I can't answer that last one yet, but I can in a few hours.

This is one episode I'll have to get via TWoP recaps. An entire "Lanaville" episode was making me shout at the TV. Morgan, er...suggested...I turn the TV off.

So I did, after her whole dimwitted "Are you stalking me?" thing.

I suppose that if Lana ever gets mad at Clark for keeping things from her again, or for acting strange, he can always retort, "At least I've never pointed a gun at your head!"

With suspension of disbelief in full gear, I can buy that Magneto Jr. has figured out how to manipulate metal when he concentrates. But I still have a hard time believing he'd have figured out how to control brain chemistry, thereby making Lana like him. Oh, I know, he just concentrates real hard...

And really, did it have to be something so overt as crackling green electrical discharges?

Sometimes a person will do that. We have several places around here that goby the name acres,(such as lazy acres, or green acres (no joke!)) or the hillman farm or baker farm. It isnt on their mailbox (usualy just the road numbers are on the box in big green and white numbers so the ambulance/fire people can see it better) but on a big sign in the yard, over the gates or on the barn.

Duke: Actually I think the first couple of times he "magnetized" her were accidents.

I enjoyed this one, it made up nicely for "Smallville 1961".

{The Good:}
- Jonathan's advice about Clark's relationship with Lana was tactfully delivered, and taken by Clark with maturity. Martha also has a nice exchange with Clark about Lana.
- Seth accepted his new powers much as I would at 16. Steal cars, steal money, go right after the zipper on Lana's sweater... Nice change of pace from the reclusive freaks who start killing all the school bullies who mocked them since the first grade.
- Clark earns his Eagle Scout badge in this ep. Using the compass to find Seth and magnetizing the amusement ride car were genius for a guy who usually flings his opponents into trees.
- Chloe's confession to Lex about her situation with Lionel was terrific. Lex' demeanor when receiving this news was perfect.

The Bad:
- Did anybody buy that the burly biker guy really had to have a cupie doll so bad that he was willing to rough up a 16 year old kid to get one?
- C'mon, Clark, did you really have to follow Lana on her date?
- Could Seth have levitated the Mustang out of the ditch Clark created in the road?
- The scene with the Torch office being ransacked was odd. Chloe opened the door with her key, noticed the mess, and walked into the room. Then the shady investigator shows up and proceeds to unhook the computer and walk away. OK, who tossed the room? And why did they lock the door behind them? If it was this guy, why walk away and come back for the computer?
- Why didn't Chloe call the cops when the investigator walked into the Torch office? All she had to say was "Help! A strange old man is in our school and he's stealing a computer!" The cops would have no reason to search the files if they recovered the computer, they would just give it back to the school.
- These end-of-the-show moments between Clark and Lana are getting old. This one was very well done, very emotional for both of them, but how many times are they going to go through this same routine?

The Ugly:
- OK, I buy that Seth can move metal objects. I can suspend disbelief and accept that somehow his magnetic control can manifest his will into Lana's brain somehow. But how did he heal the cut on his forehead?
- The producers of this show need to spend more time in hospitals. Due to Federal privacy statutes, there is no way Clark and Chloe could walk into any hospital's patient file room. Also, no way that Lana would mop hospital floors for community service, there are sanitary standars that hospital janitorial workers must maintain.
- Inventive move for Clark to melt the road to stop Seth's Mustang. And in doing so, he damaged the road to the point where it is unusable. The detour will probably add more than 5 miles to people's trips. Next time melt the tires.

Obi-Juan: Did anybody buy that the burly biker guy really had to have a cupie doll so bad that he was willing to rough up a 16 year old kid to get one?
Luigi Novi: Actually, it was a snowglobe of Smallville. (Pick, pick, pick! )

Obi-Juan:Next time melt the tires.
Luigi Novi: It would've been harder to do that without being seen by Seth and Lana.

And in doing so, he damaged the road to the point where it is unusable. The detour will probably add more than 5 miles to people's trips." -- Obi Juan

This is Smallville we're talking about. This is town somewhere between nowhere and BFE. This problem might inconvenience 2 or 3 people.

TUE RANT OF THE WEEK:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Chloe and Clark are perfect for each other. The scene in the medical records room showed more chemistry between the two of them than two seasons of scenes with Clark and Lana. If Clark told Chloe about his powers, she'd be okay with it. In fact, she'd probably be excited. Chloe doesn't have as many personal issues as Lana, and those issues that she does have, she handles them a heck of a lot better than Ms. Lang does. I could probably chalk this up to personal bias. As I said on last week's board, I don't much care for people like Lana. "Oh woe is me! I'm too popular!" Ugghhh! She could get ANY guy she wants. Why should we care whether she gets Clark? She's shallow, touchy, egocentric, and she's probably an STD funbag (okay so I'm exaggerating but I'm allowed once in a while).
Anyway, it's rare that I like the Lana character.
It's rare that I DON'T like the Chloe character.
Chloe's hot too!!

TUE

Obi-Juan:Next time melt the tires.
Luigi Novi: It would've been harder to do that without being seen by Seth and Lana.

Clark runs faster than the eye can see. I seriously doubt he would have been noticed in the few seconds it would have taken to run behind the passenger side and fry a couple of the tires.

And in doing so, he damaged the road to the point where it is unusable. The detour will probably add more than 5 miles to people's trips." -- Obi Juan

This is Smallville we're talking about. This is town somewhere between nowhere and BFE. This problem might inconvenience 2 or 3 people. - TUE

That's right, in a small midwestern town there are probably 3 or 4 roads out of the "Main Street USA" area. People still have to buy groceries, gasoline, go to school, etc. For Clark to damage the road puts people in a position of hardship. I wonder if we'll ever have a scene in which Clark and Jonathan have a nice heart-to-heart talk while Clark is repairing the damage he's done to people's property.

Did anybody buy that the burly biker guy really had to have a cupie doll so bad that he was willing to rough up a 16 year old kid to get one?

I don't think it's a matter of the guy wanting the snow globe. It was a matter of "Hey, I paid more than this darn thing's worth and didn't get jack, but a cute girl walks by, gets to play the game without paying[1] and she gets a prize for just coming close?"

I don't think he really wanted the snow globe, as such, but knowing that he'd get something and that the girl wouldn't probably would have been enough to placate him (well, that and a refund). For all his posturing, I doubt the guy would have gotten violent if Seth hadn't shoved him.

I'm just wondering... has anyone come up with a term for people empowered by Kryptonite exposure? 'Meteor Freak' doesn't have much of a ring to it... it seems like such a term should at least sound pseudo-scientific. Like Krypto-morph or something.

[1]--Hey, I didn't see any money change hands.

So Seth is still alive eh? Well it's a nice change from "everyone who sees Clark use his powers dies" thing. Personally, I'd like to se them follow up[ on this. So Seth won't remember anything? That could provide a great opportunity. Picture if you will, an epiosde where the kid wakes up and realizes he still has his powers. He vaugely remembers something about Clark that he can't put his finger on. So what does he do? He decides to go and ask him. Clark almost mistakes Seth wanting to know where he got these abilites as an attack and exposes his powers to a frighteend Seth. Clark realizes that Seth doesn't remember the fight or the car stealing or anythignt hat happened after the MRI except for a few non-sensicals blurs. Clark decides that it would be nice not to be "alone" in the power department since everyone else he's known with speical abilities has turned out evil (Tina Greer), died (Ryan), or both (Tina Greer, et al). Or in the case of Chloe's Reed Richardseque mechanic got murdered. Much too Lana's discomfort (becuase she obviously remembers EVERYTHING), Clark and Seth wind up becoming friends. Where the hypothetical epsiode goes from there, I leave to people who know more about TV writing than I do.

Not a bad idea eh?

Very interesting, if you ask me, which means that the writers will probobly never do anything close to it

Obi-Juan: Clark runs faster than the eye can see. I seriously doubt he would have been noticed in the few seconds it would have taken to run behind the passenger side and fry a couple of the tires.
Luigi Novi: But he would've had to stand still for at least a few seconds while doing this, during which Seth or Lana might've seen him.