Myzttyplk(sp?)!

Mxyzptlk. Mix-yez-pitel-ik. (If they are going with the latest incarnation, that is. At one time he was known as "Mxyztplk".)

Gensundeit.

I wonder how badly they will [redcircle X 4] this character up...

You mean

"Gesundheit"?

Or is this how you guys write it?

Bless you!

I don't know, I think the character was pretty "redcircle times four"ed up to begin with.

Lex is getting to be quite dastardly.

Brought to you by OLD SPICE RED ZONE!!! The deodorant of Superman!!

I thought they'd never stop whoring their product around.

Overall, a good episode. Anyone know what it was that Lex showed Mikhal at the end?

TUE

I don't think you're supposed to know yet.

About the Old Spice, to be fair there was at least one case of product placement in the first Superman movie (The box of Cheerios) and at least it made sense seeing it in Clark's locker. But the banner at the football game was a bit much.


The end where Clark rescues Cloe reminded me of the "Flash" episode wher Barry tries to convince his friend that he's not the Flash by superspeeding into his costume and running by and then quickly changing back into his regular clothes and standing once again next to his friend. (of course the special effects here are much better.)

Okay, so now Mxyzptlk is not a bald imp from the fifth dimension who gets sent back there whenever he’s tricked into saying his name backwards, but a normal-looking guy with a Slavic accent with powers of telepathic suggestion, whose name backwards was supposedly his families name before they escaped persecution? I mean, if they’re going to have him not resemble the comic character in any way, shape or form other than the name, why bother using the name? Why not just make him an entirely other character, since in every other respect, he pretty much is?

Also, it’s a pity they didn’t use him in Red, or featured Red K in this episode, since Mxyzptlk is the one who created it.

In addition, the way he pronounces his name does not conform to its spelling. It’s pronounced MIX-el-PIT-el-lick (by himself in the teaser and Chloe in the second scene of Act 2), when the spelling would indicate MIX-yiz-PIT-el-lick, which is how it’s pronounced, as indicated here.

I really like how the Clark playing football thread is working out. On the one hand, Jonathan is right in that Clark might hurt someone or expose his secret, but I can also understand how Clark is conflicted over wanting to be a part of a peer group. What I really liked is how realistic Jason’s reaction is, since the use of performance enhancers is exactly what people would suspect when seeing someone like Clark perform like that. I wonder if giving a blood or urine sample would show any indication that Clark isn’t human?

In the opening scene of Act 2, Clark holds a piece of kryptonite in his hand, one larger than the one Lana had as a charm on her necklace, yet he manages to resist collapsing, his veins don’t protrude from his skin, and he is able to throw a football across the room (even though he misses).

So much for the notion of Chloe and Clark’s friendship being permanently damaged in the previous episode. Man, that Reset Button must have permanent indentations by now!

Okay, so the announcer booth where the PA system is all wired up has an open door that people can just waltz into to sabotage it? Oooooooookay.

So now it’s official: Clark can run fast enough for avoid being directly seen with the naked eye. Of course, this would wreak havoc with the atmosphere and anyone around him, and create massive sonic booms, which people would see.

Man I just love seeing the “displaced air” streaking effect when Clark is at super speed. But wasn’t that energy signature blue in Run to contrast with Bart’s whose signature was red? Now in this episode, Clark’s is red too.

Whoa, what an ending. And a nice cliffhanger.

Clark also had a stick of Red Zone in his locker as he was suiting up before the big game. The PA announcer also mentioned that the game was sponsored by Red Zone.

I haven't seen product placement this blatant since Survivor.

"Now in this episode, Clark’s is red too. "

I think that was because he was wearing a red jersey.

As well as Red Zone.

So now it’s official: Clark can run fast enough for avoid being directly seen with the naked eye. Of course, this would wreak havoc with the atmosphere and anyone around him, and create massive sonic booms, which people would see.

That sequence bothered the c**p out of me. OK, he's fast, but the way everything froze, for a minute I thought I was wathcing Charmed. This is Clark Kent, not Piper Halliwell folks.

I don't know much about the original character of Mxyzptlk
(only from Lois&clark)
but even I found that this one here was far away from the orginal idea.

What also bothers me is that most times
the secret and weakness behind a "villian"
here in Smallville are discovered within litterally a few mouse clicks or a minute of thinking.
It took Chloe (and Clark) really only a minute
to find out WHO and HOW is the reason for their both "problem" and the solution is found quickly.

My first thought about what is on level 33.1
is: Lex' new "beeing-obsessed-about-Clark's-Secret Room" but then I thought Lex would not show this to Mxy and what should he do about it?
Lex said, he was going to have company at his new place, so...
...we'll see.

I guess it would have been much funnier
to have a more original Mxy character in smallville causing all sorts of trouble.
(I remember the ep from Lois and Clark,
wasn't it a Groundhog Day thing and only Clark could remember the day repeated over and over again?)

TPTB were probobly afraid that doing a totally off-the-wall hour of craziness would damage the show's dramatic credibility. If nothing else, doing it right would probobly be too expensive for live-action TV.

I wonder if giving a blood or urine sample would show any indication that Clark isn’t human? -Luigi Novi

In late season 2 and early season 3, there was a whole hubbub with that doctor who was Lex's girlfriend (forget her name) who had a sample of Clark's boold. She knew right away that it wasn't from this planet. I'd never thought about Clark having extraterrestrial pee, though (believe it or not)

When Jason is talking to Lana about his lying about Clark taking a drug test since he knows about the two of them, he saud "I can't imagine what I'd do if if someone tried to take you away from me." Um, I can, 'cause we saw it 3 episodes ago in Devoted. True, Jason only THOUGHT Clark was up to something, and he WAS under some extreme influence at the time, but he can still imagine it, right?

I mean, if they’re going to have him not resemble the comic character in any way, shape or form other than the name, why bother using the name? Why not just make him an entirely other character, since in every other respect, he pretty much is?

Amen. That's why I'm really starting to hate this series. They try and give lipservice to the comics fans, but instead wind up ****ing all over them. If you're gonna use Mxyzptlk, then use him, don't just have some generic villain of the week using his name.

Man, this was even more ****ed up than the Flash and Perry White characterizations. I'm surprised they managed to pull Lois off so well with their terrible track record.

Mikal: Wow, and people call ME angry.

Geez, guys. Chill. I can say from my point of view that I've been a Superman fan for as long as I can remember, and I've enjoyed every version from Kirk Allyn to Tom Welling. (My favorite is still George Reeves.) Each version of Superman is different. Why can't this version of Mxyzptlk have its own interpretation as well?

Mikal: They try and give lipservice to the comics fans, but instead wind up ****ing all over them.
Luigi Novi: Yeah, you'd think we could expect better with someone like Jeph Loeb in charge.

Mikal:Man, this was even more ****ed up than the Flash and Perry White characterizations.
Luigi Novi: Thank you!

Chris Todaro: Why can't this version of Mxyzptlk have its own interpretation as well?
Luigi Novi: How was this an "interpretation"? I mean, doesn't even an interpretation require that it still posses the essence of the original in some way than simply the guy's name?

1) He still has an "otherworldly" connection.
2) A backwards spelling of his name is involved in some way.
3) He still causes mischief through supernatural powers.
4) He still is a foil for Superman (Clark).

By the way, how do we know this is the final form we will see him in? He may later evolve into a Mxyzptlk closer to other incarnations we've seen.

The first hardly connect him to the original character, and the second two describe every other villain that's appeared on the series.

But hey, whatever.

So.. you guys would RATHER see a short, bald, obnoxious little imp with no ties to logic whatsoever than a relatively serious character who actually advances the plot? (Now don't shout, I KNOW that's not the point you guys are trying to make. But I'm pretty sure it's what TPTB were thinking)

You know, honestly, the PErry White.Flash things didn't bother me at all. Now if they ever tried to introduce a young Ollie Queen as some NeoCon, THAT would •••• me off. ;-)

Blitz: So.. you guys would RATHER see a short, bald, obnoxious little imp with no ties to logic whatsoever than a relatively serious character who actually advances the plot?
Luigi Novi: I'd rather, when they presume to use a character from the comics, that theyactually use that character, and that if they're going to use a completely different one, that they not give it merely the name of the one in the comics. Nothing in this episode required the name "Mxyzptlk."

I'm glad that Smallville tweaks the characters a little. If they went verbatim by the comics, then the Kents would be gray-haired senior citizens, Pete would have been played by a white actor, there would be no Chloe whatsoever, Lana would be a redhead, Clark would have landed in the '30s, not 1989, and he'd be calling himself Superboy. I like this adaptation the best of any I've seen.

Tweaking the characters a little is one thing. This is another, IMO.

I don't think the Kents were necessarily gray-haired when Clark was a teenager.

The 1930's is the external date. Internally, they stay away from dates because the books are ongoing series that have been around for decades. Since it's now 2004, nowhere in the current books is it going to say he landed on Earth 70 years ago.

Although if they had let Martha give birth, we could specualte that that kid would grow up to be Superbody. I mean, if the current Superboy is a clone fathered by Supes and Luthor that co-exists with Superman in the "now" continuity, why not an adpatation that makes hiim a kid brother?

Take Lois & Clark. First season was fantastic. It was all character based. Lex Luthor was a Bill Gates-esque villain. If you took away the superhero component, it could have even passed for a regular drama.

Then the second season came along, and they decided it needed to be more sci-fi. Lois and Clark became time travelers. Lois had an evil twin. Lois was cloned. Lois ate a frog. Yes, you read that right.

If Myx had been more like the character in the comics in this episode, Smallville would have "jumped the shark," and taken the first step down the same road that Lois and Clark did.

IMHO.

Brian Lombard: Take Lois & Clark.
Luigi Novi: No thanks, you can have it.

Brian Lombard: If Myx had been more like the character in the comics in this episode, Smallville would have "jumped the shark," and taken the first step down the same road that Lois and Clark did.
Luigi Novi: Then they shouldn't have used him. If they wanted this totally differnet character, why call him Mxyzptlk?

Lex is definitely not as good as he used to be. I wonder what's on that floor. And I wonder what Lex's response to Clark was, or if he gave one. And I wonder how long it will be before we learn what Lex said to Clark.

Brian Webber: That sequence bothered the c**p out of me. OK, he's fast, but the way everything froze, for a minute I thought I was wathcing Charmed. This is Clark Kent, not Piper Halliwell folks.
Thank God.

Blitz: TPTB were probobly afraid that doing a totally off-the-wall hour of craziness would damage the show's dramatic credibility. If nothing else, doing it right would probobly be too expensive for live-action TV.
Done right, it could be a great episode. Sometimes you need the crazy episodes in the middle of all the drama.

Blitz: When Jason is talking to Lana about his lying about Clark taking a drug test since he knows about the two of them, he saud "I can't imagine what I'd do if if someone tried to take you away from me." Um, I can, 'cause we saw it 3 episodes ago in Devoted. True, Jason only THOUGHT Clark was up to something, and he WAS under some extreme influence at the time, but he can still imagine it, right?
I don't think he remembers being under the influence in that episode.

I thought that the Perry White episode is supposed to be one of the better Season 3 eps?

Why can't he be that fast?
Mh.
Lets say he runs about 500 meters in 1-3 seconds?

How fast is that? 9000km/h?
Is that right?

Let's see...

500m/s * 3600s/h * 1km/1000m = 500 * 3600 / 1000 km/h = 1800 km/h

Which raises the question, "Where's the kaboom"? (with apologies to Marvin the Martian).

Mach 1 at sea level is approximately 300 m/s. So if he's running at 500m/s, there should be a sonic boom.

If Myx had been more like the character in the comics in this episode, Smallville would have "jumped the shark," and taken the first step down the same road that Lois and Clark did.

Smallville jumped the shark a while ago. Not sure exactly where, but I'm positive it did. At least for me.

Lois was cloned. Lois ate a frog.

I thought her clone ate the frog.

Hey, I can't beleive I ahven't brought up the best aspect of this episode yet!

THE MUSIC!

The Donnas, The Hives, Green Day, Social Distortion (those of us in the loop simply call them Social D)...

Best Smallville Music EVER!

If CK could break someone's collar bone by just running into them at normal speed, shouldn't Jason have suffered more serious injuries than just being knocked out two weeks ago when CK ran into him at superspeed (to knock him out of the way when he was being shot at) There are several other instances of him running into ppl at superspeed to whisk them out of danger.