We were discussing this episode a little on IRC, so if I'm repeating myself, please forgive me.
Overall, I thought this episode was OK. Generally, I don't have strong feelings about the Clark/Lana relationship one way or the other because I know in the end, he leaves her in Smallville. What I find amusing is that TPTB over in Smallville's head office feel the need to use stuff like flashbacks to history in order to get Tom Welling/Kristin Kruek together. Kind of like feeding people's desire to see Clark and Lana together without actually have to deal with a real relationship. I personally loved the love scenes between Jor-El and Louise because I think Tom Welling is beautiful, and to see him in such a situation is just devine <g>.
The one thing that has been totally driving me nuts in every episode this season is the attempt on somebody's part to convince me that Clark and Lana had some kind of big romance and now it is over <sob>. What, they were a couple all of two days before Clark went Red-K and took off? So why all of the drama about The Breakup. TPTB act like this was the romance of the century, and when Lana is waxing all maudlin about how great it was and what they shared, I just keep thinking "Did I miss a few episodes in there?"
I did like that Jor-El came to Earth at an earlier point in time, thus offering up a rationale behind why Clark ended up with the Kents. I try not to look too hard at the amazing series of coincidences that would have had to occur for it all to happen - what if Jonathan and Martha hadn't been the ones to find Clark's ship? Jor-El's grand plan would have been totally blown.
My favorite part of the whole epi was when Jor-El was describing Krypton to Louise. "We have colors you've never seen. The moons are so close they fill up the night sky. And we have sunsets that last for hours." I probably don't have the words exactly right, but I thought it was great.
As for Jor-El himself, I haven't decided for sure that he's a malevolent being even though he came across as pretty heavy handed in S1/S2 and beginning of S3. Perhaps going through the decline of Krypton and having the knowledge of the fact that his home was going to be destroyed made him a little tougher than the Jor-El that came to Earth. Again, I'm having to really turn a blind eye to all of the time/space continuum stuff that mathematically makes it hard to believe that Jor-El found himself on Earth that way. I especially hate the Cave of All Answers that conveniently comes up with paintings and hidden compartments when needed to fill a plot hole.
As for Lex and Lionel, I may be the only Smallville fan alive who absolutely does not see the appeal in Lionel Luthor/John Glover. I don't know if it is that I think John Glover is a bad actor, but I don't know why Lex would ever believe the bag of lies Lionel shovels out every episode. He has to be the most insincere character I've ever seen. And why does Lex even care about his grandparents? He'd never met them, had no relationship with them. Unless he wants dirt on Lionel for future use, I just didn't buy the motivation for his actions. I think they are using this as more fodder to drive Lex down the street to the dark side.
I have to take a lot of what goes on on Smallville at a very surface level and not think too much. I watch if for the mythos, which I always think is pretty well done, and to see Tom Welling who I think makes an excellent teen-age Clark. As for the rest, meh.
Lynn
