Hi all.
I'm just starting a watch through of every episode of the show and thought I'd post my thoughts on each episode as I watch them. I haven't been able to watch Lois & Clark for years (long and boring story), so I was pleasantly surprised when I found copies of seasons 2, 3 and 4 at my local Big Lots! for $8 plus tax each, so I got them and ordered season 1 from Amazon and it came today.

Anyway, I was thinking it would be nice to watch the episodes in order and write my thoughts o them on this thread and maybe get a little discussion going, though I don't know if anything I say will be of any interest to anyone on here or at all original. Tonight I watched the pilot. It was good, and with the exception of a few special effects and the older computers shown, hasn't really aged much, if at all, in my opinion.

I did think Lex scaring the snake away by looking at it with his Evil Eyes was a bit ridiculous and I thought it would have been better if when Superman flew away from Lex at the end after saying to "Look up" Lex had said something like "Indeed I shall... Mr Kent" (Fanfic idea, Lex knows from the beginning, but Clark doesn't know he knows, anyone wanting to write it, go ahead, just let me know where I can read it).

The characterization of Lois, Clark, Perry, Jimmy, Lex and the elder Kents was really just brilliant, especially Perry. Great direction, a good script that sets everything up well for a Superman series. Ideal really, and nowhere near as cheesy as the show is made out to be by non-fans. 9/10.

A minor note.
I've never seen season 4 so if you could avoid spoilers for it in this thread, I'd be grateful.

I'll post again when I've watched episode 2, unless it's to reply to someone else on the thread.

Absolutely no reason why you shouldn't start a fresh episode discussion thread, Suggs, if that suits you better, so carry on as you like.

But just in case you're unaware and it's of use to you, there's a TOC of discussion threads for each episode stickied to the top of this forum. I know stickied threads are - contrarily - sometimes hard to spot! You may find something in the previous discussions that sparks a thought or two you'd like to share in your reviews.

LabRat

Cool Labby. What's TOC stand for? Nice dog avatar, by the way.

TOC = Table of Contents (AKA a wondrous labor of love for the fandom by Labby)

Michael

Thanks Michael.

Thanks. Our Homer in his much younger days. He's a bit of an old man now, but still just as happy.


Although Mike tends to get to them first and do most of the work these days. <g>

The pilot was a lot of fun. Even twenty years later it's still quite sweet. The design team was going for a slightly forties vibe.

Labby, Homer is a beautiful dog.

Morgana, I agree about the Pilot being fun and sweet. The forties vibe comes though well, sort of a 90's version of the 40's.

1.2 Strange Visitor.

I thought this episode was really good. It truly showed how the paranoid would react to an alien being on Earth. Perry gets some good moments, like in the empty warehouse. Teri does a great job as Lois again. Dean really shows Clark's emotions at not knowing who or what he is, and of finding his ship and that globe thing, very well. The only bad things in the episode were the portrayal of Jimmy as a bit of an idiot, which if I remember correctly changes later in the series, and the flying sequences now look dated. Trask was a convincing villain, and I think there could be an interesting story made of how he came to be the man he is. In a different show, he could be the hero, but not this one. All in all, a really good episode.
8/10.

We've been watching a bunch of old time hero shows lately (Wonder Woman, The 6 Million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk -- and even Emergency -- to name a few). It's amazing how much time is wasted boring the viewer with introducing characters' history and back-story. (There's a montage at the beginning of Incredible Hulk, which -- I kid you not -- feels like it goes on for 5 minutes, describing David Banner's blissful married life.) That's what was so refreshing with Lois and Clark. They left the background information (and character history) dribble out during the course of the first season (and sometimes beyond). While the Pilot was still an introduction to characters and setting, it wasn't bogged down with boring (and actionless) back-story. The action starts right away. It's what hooked me. I find it interesting to see these old shows (or those ones I mentioned earlier that I loved as a kid) again now from the first episode. Nowadays, if shows made and aired such slow-moving Pilots, the shows would lose their audience before getting to fun good stuff or even the second half of the Pilot episode. I recall watching those shows with enthusiasm as a child, but watching them now with my kids, I have to BEG them to keep with the show (and/or stay awake), because it WILL get better. "Lois and Clark" starts out good and kept getting better throughout its first season.

As Morgana pointed out, the production team gave the show a very timeless feel to it. From the set design to the costumes, the show doesn't feel glued to a certain era. The only things that show us what decade it's set in is the electronics: beepers, fax machines, monochrome computer monitors, flip cell phones, 3.5 floppy diskettes, etc.

LATER: Actually, the preview for the new Supergirl show reminds me a lot of the feel of "Lois and Clark". I look forward to seeing if that feeling remains once I watch its Pilot.

1.3 Never Ending Battle.

This was a good episode. It was enjoyable seeing Lois knocked down a peg or two. She deserved it after what she did to to Clark. I also like Jimmy standing up for himself at the end. Lex was perfectly acted. The only real problem with this episode is it feels it should have come before Strange Visitor, especially considering the zero gravity club comment by Cat, and Lois temporarily falling for the mad man's story even after he gives Superman's planet of origin as whatever it was, when in Strange Visitor, she finds out that he comes from a planet called Krypton. In future, I will be watching this episode before Strange Visitor.

8/10.

1.4 I'm Looking Through You.

I liked the B plot of Lois feeling ignored by Clark in pajamas. Teri really played Lois well here. It's no surprise that she came second best on a list of Lois Lane live action performances. First place went to what's her name from Smallville. I seriously can't remember. Anyway, while not the best episode, it was interesting in that it was the first time Clark had to outsmart villains as Superman. I like when Clark/Superman, in any version, shows there's more to him stopping the bad guys than his superpowers. All in all, a good episode, but sadly the worst one yet.

7/10.

1.5 Requiem For A Superhero.

A good episode that entertains well, moves the overall story onward, and shows a little insight into Lex's psyche. As usual Teri, Dean, Lane and John did great job of acting their respective roles of Lois, Clark, Perry and Lex. I thought it was a good scheme of Luthor's to manipulate events so that Lois thought he'd saved her life. He is clearly showing himself to be much better a tactician than Clark, but then he's had years of practice. Lois seems blind to half the stuff going on around her (CK=SM, Luthor being Satan level evil). It seems a bit weird for such a genius reporter type. The upgraded boxers were an interesting idea that could be taken further, though if I remember rightly, it wasn't. Sam's story was well written and acted. Overall, a very good episode.

8/10.

1.6 I've Got A Crush On You.

Not bad, but not good either. The dumpster scene was funny. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that made this episode even the tiniest bit memorable.

Sadly 6/10.

1.7 Smart Kids.
Smart Kids, dumb writers. An awful episode, with a few humorous moments to make it worth watching, mostly coming from Cat. Worst one yet.

3/10.

SK never fails to disappoint, LOL

Exactly. I truly forgot exactly how bad it was. Fortunately, it was followed by......

1.8 The Green, Green Glow Of Home.

A classic episode, an absolute masterpiece, everything about this episode is as near to perfect as possible. Lois & Clark done right. Perfectly written, acted and directed. Dean's performance in particular stood out, it pulled me in and made me feel like this was all happening to a real man. Also, the elder Kents were acted brilliantly. I really liked the story. Not only would I say it was the best Lois & Clark episode yet, I would say that as Superman stuff goes, it was up there with the very best in my opinion, which includes this, the first two Christopher Reeve movies, and some of the comics, though it will probably be expanded to more L&C as I watch further on into the show.

10/10. I'm very much looking forward to the next episode. Too bad nothing could top this one......

1.9 Man Of Steel Bars

A good episode with the whole cast on top form and an original idea for the story. It really is a great example of what makes Smith the best Perry White ever to be put on-screen. Also, Teri Hatcher is now 100% definitely my favorite Lois.

8/10.

The Green, Green Glow of Home

Yeah, this was a great episode! Pity we never saw Rachel again after this. Trask was a bit on the crazy side.

Morgana,
It was a great episode. We don't see Rachel again? That's disappointing. Trask was a lot on the crazy side. Way too paranoid.


1.10 Pheromone, My Lovely.

A really good episode with some funny parts thanks to Perry and the cleaning lady and some of Lois' lines. The recycling bit at the beginning was corny.

8/10.

1.11 Honeymoon In Metropolis.

A good episode, in fact it's nearly perfect. The only thing that ruins it is the stupid Sore Throat source guy. Loved the Lois/Clark banter.

7/10.

1.12 All Shook Up.

A fantastic episode. Not just a great episode of Lois & Clark, but one of the best Superman stories ever put on screen. Especially good parts included Lois saying no to Lex, which wasn't that surprising, as he basically asked her to be his personal whore in exchange for her life and of course, the Cat-fession scene.

10/10.

A good episode, agree, but to me Lois' "no" was more "give me a minute. I'll get back to you." True she did call Clark, but something that I cant put my finger on, was missing.

SJH,
I can see why you'd think that, but I can't see Lois prostituting herself for survival. Not any Lois, but especially not Teri's version.


1.13 Witness.

This episode was OK, but it could have been a lot better. It just seemed to be missing the spark that makes Lois & Clark special, both as a version of Superman, and as a TV show generally. Not as bad as Smart Kids though.

4/10.

1.14 Illusions Of Granduer.

It was awful. As bad as Smart Kids or Superman III. If I never see it again, it'll be too soon. What were they thinking? Magic? AGHH!!

3/10.

1.12 All Shook Up.

One of my all time favorites! Lois surprise kiss to Superman before he takes off is sweet and hopeful.

Tracy's portrayal of Cat is given a lot of depth here. Pity the writers did not give her more to work with.

I agree on both counts. In fact, after I'm done with L&C I might check out more of her work. What would you recommend? I actually think it would be a good idea to cast her as a companion in Doctor Who.

She is excellent in Babylon 5. If you haven't ever watched that show, do so! Start from the pilot episode and work forward. Tracy Scoggins isn't in the first few seasons, but hat show is the best I have ever seen in terms of multi-episode (multi-season, really) story arcs and character development, and is definitely best watched in order.

The character she plays in B5 is pretty much the opposite of Cat. In it, she's a straight-laced military officer.

Joy,
Lynn

Sounds interesting. I might give it a go, after I've finished with L&C.

One of my favorites too. I thoroughly enjoy "ASU"-related fanfic, including Bobbart's When The Sky Falls and After Nightfall: The Return of Superman; Nan Smith's Four Days To Nightfall; Tank Wilson's Day Follows Nightfall; LabRat's Are You Lonesome Tonight, Meredith Knight's All Stirred Up; and Virginia R's Nightfall Honeymoon. There are many more excellent fanfics and I salute all the authors.

IolantheAlias,
Great shades of fanfic!! Thanks for the recommendations. I look forward to reading them and any others you may recommend after I've finished watching the show. I agree with you, the authors are definitely to be commended. Most of the authors in the archive are brilliant. In fact, I can't think of anywhere else online where fanfic is written to such a high degree of quality. A close second, and in fact, the only place even in the same league would be A Teaspoon & An Open Mind, somewhere I strongly suggest any Doctor Who fans visit. Back on topic, I'd just like to say one last thing, and that is simply this: is there a fanfic in which Clark wears a lead lined suit to protect him from Kryptonite?

1.15 The Ides Of Metropolis.

A bit of a filler episode it seemed. It was entertaining enough, but didn't seem to move the overall plot along.I enjoyed seeing the Jonathon & Martha story, and I liked the scenes between Nigel and Lex, and Teri & Dean did their usual great jobs in the title roles, as did Lane Smith as Perry, but some indefinable thing, some spark seemed missing from this episode.

5/10.

1.16 Foundling

A really good episode, with some interesting ideas and a refreshingly different take on how Clark finds out about who he is and his past. It was good to see him finally get answers, though it seemed a bit dragged out for info the audience knows before watching the episode. The Elvisless advice bit from Perry was funny, as was the Cat/Jimmy subplot. I thought that the information Jor-El put in the globe could have been covered in one message, leaving another four available for more things to be told. With that in mind......

7/10.

In answer to your question, in For the Greater Good by Wendy Richards, there is a lead-lined suit.

Another story with lead-containing suits is Birthday Surprise by Thomas Mc.

I just finished reading it. It made me feel more for Lois and Clark than ANY version of Superman I've previously experienced. That includes movies, comic books and TV shows (including it's source material). It is quite simply one of the best Superman stories of all time. Is there a sequel?

No, there is no sequel to that particular story. I do highly recommend reading more by Wendy however. She wrote quite a few extremely long fics. Another interesting story is Green Card.

I've read some of her stuff. She's one of the best writers on the Archive. "She wrote"? Why the past tense?

1.17 The Rival.

A good episode that explains a lot about Lois & why she is the way she is. Although between Linda & Claude, it's amazing she ever trusted anyone else ever again.

6/10.

Suggs, Wendy has left the fandom.

One word, just one word: why?

From what she's said, she just lost interest. For a while, she started writing Dr. Who fanfic but now she's very much into knitting absolutely gorgeous garments. I think that's how she gets her creative fix now.

That's disappointing. She's a really good writer. It's too bad she's not still writing. Do you know where I can read her Doctor Who fanfic?

I'll ask her. She's a very good friend and I'm seeing her this weekend. I'll let her know that people are still enjoying her LnC fanfic.

I couldn't help but think of the animated Superman series of the late 1990's where Superman did have a lead-lined suit. In the DVD commentary, though, the producers said that they would always have the suit get torn or damaged so Superman would be affected by the Kryptonite, otherwise there would be no struggle and no drama.

Okay, Suggs, to find Wendy's Dr. Who fanfic, here is a link: http://www.whofic.com/viewuser.php?uid=637

Wendy wanted me to warn you that it's quite different from her LnC fanfic. She has written some slash as well as threesomes.

Thanks to an email from Irene, I found this thread. Suggs - and Irene - thank you so much for the lovely compliments, which have really made me blush!

Yes, I have moved on. For a number of years, I wrote Doctor Who fic; I see, Suggs, that you are a DW fan, so I'll let you know that my era was the Ninth and Tenth Doctor, with preferred companions including Rose, Jack and Donna, and a sideline of Jackie. Wasn't particularly fond of Martha, and can't stand River Song. I lost interest in Doctor Who when I couldn't take to the Eleventh Doctor, and even now with the Twelfth I can't get back into it - Stephen Moffat as showrunner and head writer isn't to my taste.

These days, as well as knitting, I'm writing in a very small British-based fandom, Lewis, and posting on the multi-fandom fic site AO3.

You're right about the general quality of work on Teaspoon: they switched to an all-moderated system some years back, which means that although authors can upload work themselves it's looked over by moderators who will reject the work if it's full of typos/grammatical errors, character-bashing, songfic or other faux pas.

Although I'm no longer part of this fandom, it's definitely lovely to see everyone still so enthusiastic, and new people joining all the time

Wendy, if you read this, it was nice to hear from you and I enjoyed your work on A Teaspoon & An Open Mind. I just thought your work on here and on that site was, as the tenth, or should we say eleventh (grrr, bad Moffat, bad!!) Doctor would say, "Brilliant!!" Sorry, got a little sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yes, I was about to say how much I enjoyed your series Earth To Ashes. I can understand not liking the Moff, have you tried the original series of Doctor Who? I did, and was pleasantly surprised. Also, if there were enough people on here asking for you to write more, would you? I'd love to see a good story with Ten and Clark meeting and talking about the destruction of Krypton & Gallifrey. Maybe Krypton was sabotaged somehow as part of the Time War? No one's ever done it as far as I know and you're the only one I know who could do it justice. Anyway, enough from me, I have an exam to get back to. Enjoy the knitting and Lewis.
All the best,
Sam.

P.S. We seem to have similar taste in Doctors and companions, though I pretty much like all of the Doctors except 2 and 7. 9 and 10 do feel more like my era.

1.18 Vatman.

A good, fun episode. I enjoyed the Perry/Jimmy storyline. It was interesting to see the contrast between Clark and the clone, which shows that the most impressive characters in the DC universe are not Superman or any other superhero, but actually Jonathon & Martha Kent. This episode did subtly put that message across, and it did it well. I don't get how Lois didn't instantly work out The Secret after the scene in her apartment though.

7/10.

Hi Suggs

I'm really glad you liked the Earth to Ashes series; I was surprised and very pleased at the way that turned out. Nine's survivor's guilt and PTSD and the way his short life turned out really struck a chord with me and inspired more than once the sort of writing you see in that series.

I'm very familiar with Classic Who; I grew up on Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison. There aren't many arcs of the classic series I haven't seen. Two I'm indifferent to; least favourites of the classic era are One, Six and (now, following a rewatch) Four.

It's flattering to hear that people would still like me to write again in this fandom, but I'm afraid it won't happen. It's not that I won't; I can't. When I lose inspiration in a fandom, it doesn't come back. It happened with L&C, and then later happened with DW. I very briefly stuck a toe into the Sherlock fandom, but that's not happening any more either. (Plus I really, really hate crossovers!

Wendy

OK, well, other than here and on Teaspoon is there anywhere else you've written online? Better yet, any non-fanfic writing?

1.19 Fly Hard.

One of the best episodes yet, very interesting idea with the whole Clark can't change and is stuck in the situation, requiring a bit more intelligence on his part. I also liked the humor provided by Cat. And I'd have gone for that red number too.;)
9/10.

1.20 Barbarians At The Planet.

A great episode with a great story, fantastically acted, extremely well written with plenty of emotional turmoil for the characters, and it ended on a great cliffhanger. This is one of the best Superman things ever. I very much look forward to seeing it's conclusion, and if it's even half as good as this, it'll be a classic.
10/10.

I do have an account on AO3, here. I haven't written any fiction that isn't fanfic.

Wendy

Some great work on there. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who was even in the slightest bit interested.

1.21 The House Of Luthor.

A good episode. Pretty much perfect, except that it seemed weird to me that Lex had done such a good job of covering everything else up, and then he messed up with covering up his causing the downfall of the Planet. Seems odd to me, but what do I know?

It just seemed rushed to me. Like they were trying to cram in a story that could have been done more justice if we'd seen it a little bit more over the season (gathering evidence of Luthor's wrongdoings and criminal activity) into one episode.


Fortunately, the acting of the main cast was impressive enough to distract from the rushed story, and in particular Teri Hatcher was absolutely amazing in this episode. I also liked the symbolism of Lex starting the episode on top of the world (flying in VR) and ending it falling from grace (to his death). Many people see Superman as a Jesus figure (when in fact he was intended by his creators as a Moses figure) this reminded me of Satan falling from Heaven, which I find it weird that I would think of that, because I'm an Atheist.

Also I HATE that Lois didn't speak first at the end!!! Any fanfics where she did?

8/10 for this episode. I guess if paired with it's first part, which it should be, then the overall story gets 10/10.

Review of the Season as a whole coming up in the next post.

Season One Review.

Best story: 2 part finale.
Worst story: Smart Kids.

A brilliant first season, with very few bad episodes, a great cast, and a great overall story. I really liked the way Clark was written so differently from other incarnations. No major complaints. I didn't really have anywhere to put this in the individual episode reviews, but I really like the way they show Clark using his powers in everyday ways. It's not something I've ever seen any other version doing. This is probably one of the best versions of the Superman story ever.

Score for the season: 9/10.

An excellent point. I never really thought about it before, but this also works nicely with Lex's comments in the pilot episode about liking the fact that all of Metropolis has to look up to see him.

Joy,
Lynn

I completely agree. That kind of goes full circle for the season when you think about it, doesn't it?

Can't answer that one specifically for you, Suggs - but if you check out the TOCs list at the top of this folder, Io used to add to the reviews of each episode with a list of fanfic related to it. You might find your answer there.

Sorry I seem to be constantly plugging those TOCs...


LabRat

I started rewatching the series and decided that I wasn't going to skip any episodes. I'm glad that I made this decision.

One thing I had forgotten is how absolutely charming Lex was and how much charisma he had. I totally understood how Lois was swept off her feet. Just on the surface, he was absolutely adorable. Of course we know that there was a lot more lurking under the surface and he was really a monster!

Yes! In particular I can see why she'd be interested in Lex from episodes like 'I've Got A Crush On You'. He's so darn charming when he shows up on her doorstep, singing "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)". That one sticks out in my memory, as does the quiet moment they share in "Fly Hard", when Lois is lying with her head in his lap while he lists all the things that money can't buy ("brown eyes" being among them). Both those moments are sweet and rather sensual, at least enough for me to cut her a little slack.

And such a cute sense of humour he had as well. I loved it in Fly Hard when he teased her about the two of them finally having spent the night together!

2.1 Madame Ex

A boring episode. The only interesting thing for me was Jimmy's offscreen plastic surgery and murder of Cat Grant. But seriously why did they make those cast changes? Jimmy 1 was good, and Cat was funny.

3/10.

2.2 Wall Of Sound.

I can't put my finger on why, but I didn't enjoy this episode, though the Lois/Clark stuff was great. I really hope Season 2 has better to offer than these first two episodes indicate.

4/10.

LOL!


Really?! I just re-watched it and I loved it... Maybe because I skipped all the parts that weren't Lois-Clark banter :P The ending is cheesy though... That rose thing... Seriously?! C'mon...
I don't know what your standards are, but I find that the 2nd season is the best, maybe because it depicts the transition from friends to lovers of those two.
For the record, I am stuck with 4.02: I just can't get myself to finish the fourth season! All that syrup between the two newlyweds is so boring... :P

2.3 The Source.

Absolutely brilliant. The show is back on track again after two terrible episodes. This one was great, it really showed insight into Lois as a person and as a journalist. Also I liked the Jonathon subplot, but felt it would have been slightly better if Jonathon had given subway guy CPR after a heart attack instead of just saying that he fainted.

8/10. Where's the fanfic based on this episode?

2.4 The Prankster.

I enjoyed this episode a lot. Highlights included Lois & Clark's reactions to her college friend's success & wife, every scene with the Prankster, and Lois' meltdown. A fun watch, and Betty White's boyfriend was good in his scene too.

7/10.

Betty White's boyfriend?

The actor who played The Prankster's father also played Betty White's character Rose's boyfriend on Golden Girls. Sorry for the confusion.

Ah, okay. Thanks for filling me in.

2.5 Church Of Metropolis.

A really good episode, everything with Lois, Clark, Jimmy, Perry, Mayson and their respective actors was great. It was good story, well directed, just perfect. The only flaw for me was Bill Church and Uncle Mike being actors so associated with other things. I had a little trouble getting past Frank Barone as head of an international crime syndicate, but that soon passed, same with the guy from Gremlins being Lois's uncle. I also found it a little weird that Lois worked out that Superman was The Cop, but still can't figure out that he's really Clark. The flying dancing bit at the end was beautiful.

8/10.

2.6 Operation Blackout.

A good episode. I liked especially the bits with Lois on the flagpole, Andy, ah, who am I kidding I liked it all except the stupid villains. It was a really fun episode but I think it's A Plot would have even more relevance today.

7/10.

2.7 That Old Gang Of Mine.

A near perfect episode. The only flaws being the poor casting of Al Capone looks wise, the weirdness of the fact that Lois & Hamilton's rescue depended on Lois' beeper being the only one in Metropolis, and why oh why bring criminals back from the dead instead of say Gandhi, John Lennon or Elvis? The effect of Clark's death was brilliantly played by Teri, Justin and Lane. As I said, a nearly perfect episode. The only reason I mentioned the flaws above was because they stood out so much because of the quality of everything else. Best of the season so far.

9/10.

2.8 A Bolt From The Blue.

A good episode with a good idea behind it, and some good humorous moments. Well acted and written. I'm sorry but I don't have much to say about this one. Are there any fanfics about SuperMouse? (Maybe it's the secret origin of Mighty Mouse).

7/10.

2.9 Season's Greedings.

A great episode, brilliantly written and acted. I thought it was very funny mainly Clark's reaction to Perry's threat to send him to the darkroom and his vacuuming of the M&Ms. I also thought it was very moving with the little girl Danielle and Lois' Christmas B plot. The Toyman made a relatively believable villain, a good change from the usual bad guys on this show who never repent. I'd like if he came back, but if I remember rightly, he doesn't.

7/10.

2.10 Metallo.

A really good episode with a good comic book villain who was well written and acted well. I enjoyed seeing Lucy again, although I guess she got the same plastic surgery as Jimmy since she looks so different now. I also liked the oatmeal bit, it was funny. Jimmy was given a bit more to do which I liked. Overall, a fun episode, well written, well acted. I especially thought Teri Hatcher did a good job with this one.

8/10.

2.11 Chi Of Steel.

The Smart Kids of season 2. This one just didn't interest me at all for some reason, although after seeing her endure all the sexism earlier in the episode, it was satisfying when Lois kicked the gun out of Generic Chinese Villain's hand, and I was amused by the Jonathan's Chinese food bit.

3/10.

2.12 The Eyes Have It.

I thought this episode was very respectful in the way it showed a disabled Superman (sadly we'd be seeing more of, but we didn't know that that) and also of the disabled in general. The villains were way too generic though. I'm guessing this episode won't make sense in future of the show as Lois will probably not be randomly spouting random knowledge. All in all, a really good episode.

7/10.

I believe it was in M.L. Thompson's great story Blind (Super)Man's Bluff Lois continues to spout random knowledge throughout. (Please, correct me if I'm recalling the wrong story.)

Are you talking about Harold Gould?

VirginiaR,
I'll definately read that sometime, and I guess you just confirmed what I thought, that fanfics aside, the random knowledge will never come up again. Thanks.

Morgana,
I think so, but I could be wrong.

2.13 The Pheonix.

Wow!! I can't believe they made an episode this good!!No complaints here. I loved all of it. Best. Episode. Ever!!

10/10.

2.14 Top Copy.

Another classic. The kryptonite lipstick was a good and original idea. Loved the back and forth on Lois and Clark's relationship status. I think Perry knows Clark's secret....

9/10.

2.15 The Return Of The Prankster.

Not bad. Not especially memorable either though. Nothing really happened to move the overall story forward, and whilst it wasn't a bad episode, it wasn't very interesting either. It's just The Prankster redone, but worse, as we've seen it all before.

5/10.

2.16 Lucky Leon.

A great episode, full of classic moments, and it advanced Lois & Clark's relationship well. I thought it was nearly perfect. Rare for this show, it had a good villain who wasn't, to quote my friend from when the show was airing, "Sexy Lexy". I liked Leon's plan of tricking Superman. I didn't like all the sports metaphors. Too many of them. But the ending: WOW!! That was fantastic!! Best episode yet that didn't feature Luthor.

10/10.

2.17 Ressurection.

A good episode with some funny moments and an annoying DEA agent. The reactions to Mayson's passing were very strange for a world where they've cured death (That Old Gang Of Mine)!! The ending wasn't very good though (Looks like you've got some choices to make) Um, did this show get renamed Lois, Clark & Dan when I wasn't looking? Most baffling of all was why Clark waited so long to freeze the virus on Star Labs rooftop.

All in all, 7/10.

Remember this is Hollywood where once the original inventor destroys the notes it is never reinvented. Unlike the real world where there are usually three other scientists about a week to a year behind when something is announced.

True, I guess it was a bit much to ask for a bit more realism about the science in a show about a man who flies around saving people's lives in an outfit that most rainbows would find too colorful....

2.18 Tempus Fugitive.

A really good episode. It was well written (except one part, I'll get to that later) well acted, overall just brilliant. It was funny, emotional, and interesting. The gun talk in the saloon by the James brothers was amusing, though milked a little too much. One thing that I thought was bad was the part where Wells makes them forget the whole thing. Not because of the forgetting but the method seemed stupid. He could have used some kind of sci-fi device and just said he'd gotten it in the future, but noooooooooo.......

I also thought it was stupid of them to use H.G.Wells instead of just making up a character to be the good time traveller. Eh, what do I know?

All in all, a fun, enjoyable episode with a few minor flaws.
8/10.

2.19 Target: Jimmy Olsen.

An OK episode ruined by Agent Scumdino. I don't know why he annoys me so much. Without him I'd probably give this episode a 7/10 since it was well written, acted (apart from A.D.S.) and directed, but with him.....

4/10.

2.20 Individual Responsibility.

A good episode that was well written and acted. I found the study of Clark's motivations to be Superman interesting. The red Kryptonite was a good idea. I also enjoyed how they showed Perry's ingenuity in this episode. And best of all, no Danny Boy to ruin things.

8/10.

2.21 Whine, Whine, Whine.

An interesting idea for an episode, and thankfully it finished off Scardino's story. I also liked Lois finally decide she wanted to be with Clark (about time!!), but it would have been a good idea to show Clark doubting some of his actions as Superman, which could have expanded on the study of his motivations in the previous episode.

7/10, would have been an 8 if not for Agent Dannikins.

2.22 And The Answer Is....

A good episode with some enjoyable moments such as Nigel's death and the whole gift certificate thing. I thought it was interesting to see Clark's ethics under fire, and that ending at the fountain was fantastic.

9/10.

Season Two Review.

Best Episode: The Phoenix.
Worst Episode: Wall Of Sound.

A brilliant season that takes all that was good in the first and improves on it. I really enjoyed some of the changes made between seasons 1 & 2, and think they improved things a lot. For example, as much as I liked Jimmy 1, Jimmy 2 is even better. I'm glad he Regenerated. Intergang was a good addition to the show. The only thing I'd have done differently is actually explain the disappearance of Cat Grant. Loved the ending of the season on a cliffhanger. I can't wait to start watching season 3!!!

Score for the season: 10/10.

I can't wait either, Suggs. I've been enjoying your fresh insights.

No idea why it never occurred to me before but I'll add this thread to the Episode Discussions Thread sticked to the top of this forum when I can get the forum to cooperate. (Every so often it either doesn't include the hyperlinks button in the options or it does but it gives me something other than hyperlinks. Italics as it happens, right now. *sigh*)

LabRat

No more waiting needed Labby. A new season of my fresh insights begins here.

3.1 We Have A Lot To Talk About.

I enjoyed this episode. It was interesting to see how Lois reacted to The Ultimate Secret. I also liked seeing Church reform, and thought it was sad that he basically ended up going to jail because he was trying to be a better person. That Mindy is one manipulative cow!! I don't get why either Church found her so attractive, but I find intelligence sexy whereas stupidity just annoys the crap out of me. I found the "Lois!!"/"Lane!!" bomb scene amusing. I have a few random thoughts about this episode.

1. How has Perry not worked out Clark's secret after 2 years? I thought he didn't become Editor of a major Metropolitan newspaper because he could yodel. I'm beginning to think that's exactly how he got the job.

2. I'm glad there isn't a Jimmy 3.

3. How did Lois survive the low temperature at that height in the end scene. Beautiful as the scene was, that part didn't make sense to me.

4. For the heads of an international crime syndicate, the Churches were very easy to frame.

5. This is the first episode shown after Christopher Reeve's accident. I just wanted to acknowledge that sad fact.

8/10.

3.2 Ordinary People.

A good episode with funny parts. I particularly liked the line "Don't you think you should try dating first?" and the part about Perry being afraid of Alice was funny. I thought Spencer Spencer was a terrible villain though. Mind you, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "Mr and Mrs Spencer, what would you like to name the baby?" "Spencer" Um, Oh-Kay. What were they thinking? Maybe the asked Mrs Spencer before the drugs wore off... Anyway, I loved all the interaction between Lois & Clark. Only SS ruined this one for me.

7/10.

3.3 Contact.

An interesting episode, but somehow it didn't work for me. I don't know why. I don't understand how people could be so skeptical about aliens in a world where an alien flies around in golf clothes. Also Clark is a moron if his decision at the end is anything to go by. Other wise, not a bad episode.
6/10.

3.4 When Irish Eyes Are Killing.

With the exception of some Lois & Clark moments, this episode was just absolutely awful. The villain was a joke. I just hope things improve.

4/10. And it only gets that for the way it advanced the main couple's relationship, otherwise it would be a big fat 0.

3.5 Just Say Noah.

One of the funniest episodes yet with plenty of good lines that made me laugh, for example: "Fly, it's faster". Unfortunately, the villain was disposable as they nearly always are on this show. It was nice to see Lois & Clark resolve their problems in this episode.

7/10. Would have been a 9 if not for Larry the nutcase and his cult of imbeciles ruining the episode.

3.6 Don't Tug On Superman's Cape.

A really good, fun episode. I thought the cutaways were funny, and the episode had some good villains, although it was a little hard not to think of the character of Tim Lake as "That Guy From Star Trek: The Next Generation". It did seem odd that they were rich, evil, and had the same interest in rarities as Lex did, and even obtained his arms of the Venus De Milo. The episode also explains the lack of Batman in the show. The Lakes did what The Joker couldn't, they killed Bruce Wayne and stole the Batmobile. Seriously though I enjoyed this episode a lot and highly recommend it to anyone on the board who, for whatever reason hasn't seen it, or at least, hasn't seen it for a long time.

8/10.

Hey Suggs, will you be doing anymore of these?

Yes, I've unfortunately been very busy lately, and haven't had time free to watch the show. If all goes well, that will change soon though.

3.7 Ultra Woman.

Finally got to watch another episode!! It was worth the wait though. This was a fun episode & I really enjoyed how it shook up the usual dynamic between the two lead characters. It was an interesting study of what makes them who they are. For example, the mugging scene showed how Clark will help people whether he has the powers or not. The episode also had good humorous moments, but the things that were the most effective in this episode were the ending proposal and acceptance (Finally!!) and Alice leaving Perry. All in all, best episode of Season 3 (so far).

9/10.

Loved the Ultra Woman episode and I always wished that Lois could have kept those powers. Imagine how much help she would be to Clark?

True. She would have been helpful, but then it wouldn't be the same show, and people would be complaining that she didn't have the powers in the comics. I think it would be interesting to see them both with powers at the same time though.

I enjoyed the episode but the writer's jabs at conservatives for several episodes bugged me. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the name Gene Newtrich was intended to sound like Newt Gingrich. Larry Smiley's name in Just Say Noah was also an obvious poke at Gary Smalley. Choosing those names didn't add anything to the story, but they did distract from an excellent show.

Shallowford,
I didn't think of that. No spoilers please, but are there any others?

I think either they decided to back off or someone got called onto the carpet and chewed out because I don't remember anything like it happening again.

By the way, I've said that Mindy was one of my favorite characters, but I was mistaken. I LOVED SHELLYE LONG AS LUCILLE!!! "Ultra Lucille. Say it. Ultra Lucille. Let it roll off your tongue. Ultra Lucille."

Shallowford, glad you enjoyed Diane Chambers: Superman Villainess. On that note however, we move onto:

3.8 Chip Off The Old Clark.

This episode was mind-numbingly dull to me, and I don't quite know why. I just couldn't get into it. I'm sure some people on the forum enjoy it, but sadly I don't see the appeal. The only thing I liked was Clark using his brain a bit more at the end, both in finding Anonymous and much more impressively, in stopping the missile. Oh, and the "who cares?" last words. A Very Lois Moment.

Because of the end, 4/10. Without that ending, it would have been a 0.

3.9 Super Mann.

This was a fun episode. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, from the thawing out of the Nazi Porn Stars to Perry's speech about undying ideologies, this episode was pure brilliance. The Nazis, being a real evil, made this episode a thousand times more scary than any fictional super villain could ever hope to be. The only bad thing about this episode is I can't help but wonder how Clark got from Bomb to Protective Cage without killing a bunch of people, but I'll just accept that he did.
8/10. If the cage thing had been explained it would be 10/10.

You're kidding...

I've been fairly with you on most of your reviews but...no. Clearly, this is a joke.

Super Mann??!! I can't even.

Groobie, sorry, no joke.

Onwards to 3.10 Virtually Destroyed.

This was a bad episode, albeit with a few interesting ideas. It feels a little like the Pre-Matrix. A hero escapes a virtual reality simulation run by an artificial intelligence that's up to no good. Thankfully, Keanu Reeves has never played Clark Kent/ Superman. I was absolutely amazed by the revelation of Clark's virginity. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL LOIS THAT TWO EPISODES AGO YOU MORON?!! Sorry, it's just very stupid of him, but then again, this is a world where good eyesight is an effective disguise, so I'll do like they say in that Frozen movie: Let It Go (Is Frozen any good?). For a genius, Jaxon was certainly an idiot. His actors did a terrible job, one made worse by the excellence of the regular cast. DC did an especially good job in all three roles. Overall, good ideas badly executed.

I'm gonna give this 6/10.

That's probably because if Clark lied about having a kid (he clearly knew about), he'd lie about being a virgin too. Until Lois believed Clark wasn't the kid's father, she wouldn't believe anything he said.

Also, I agree with Groobie on Super Mann. It felt a bit 1970s to me, plot wise.

You're probably right about why he didn't tell her about being so inexperienced, I didn't think of it that way.

As for Super Mann, I thought the 1970sish plot thing was an intentional throwback, and just rolled with it.

3.11 Home Is Where The Hurt Is.

I thought this was a good episode with an original idea behind it. As far as I know the Kryptonian Germ idea has never been used before or since. I liked the comedy of Lois' parents, but thought Baby was a stupid idea. The acting in this episode was really good, especially between Teri and Dean. They made the whole thing very believable. I believed that a man could no longer fly....

This episode gets 8/10.

P.S. Did the original actor who played Sam die or something? I just wonder why he was recast.

3.12 Never On Sunday.

Interesting episode. I didn't think BS was a very good villain, but then I don't buy the whole magic thing at all, and can't stand it as a plot device. I thought the wedding planning moments were funny. All in all, not bad, but not great either.

6/10.

Oh, Suggs, I am so with you, there. I find magic tricks and plots utterly boring and I've often been puzzled by the fact that almost every US show tends to have at least one episode devoted to a magic plot. Like the 'boxing episode'. Just out of curiosity, does anyone have a cultural reason why this is so and why these two subjects should hold so much fascination for US plot writers?

As an American, Labby, I'm just as perplexed as you. From what I can tell neither of these things are really that popular with the general American public, only with Hollywood writers, actors, and producers. I hear of more boxing movies (or episodes on TV) than of actual boxing matches and the only place magic is popular is when visiting Las Vegas (not even with kids at birthday parties as shown on TV). I always thought it was a sign of the times, something that was popular with the general public in the 50s-70s, but now -- with its continued perseverance in Hollywood (and really nowhere else) -- I'm beginning to wonder if Hollywood is being lobbied to make these sort of films and episodes. That wouldn't surprise me. Companies promote their products in films and TV, so why not sports and (the magic) industry?

I don't get the appeal either. The lobbying theory makes absolute sense to me. And now onwards to....

3.13 The Dad Who Came In From The Cold.

Great cold opening. I was enjoying this episode, it was nice seeing Jimmy actually get a plot devoted to him. Unfortunately, it seemed to all fall apart at the end with people knowing or expecting other characters to know things they had no reason to, and I would like to know why Clark's cape is bulletproof now, since it never has been before. Also, who took the photo of Clark saving the plane? From the angle it was taken the person would have to be flying themselves. Insanity.

Overall though, I liked the episode, it was mostly well written, the acting was good, and it was well directed. I would have expected spies coming to Metropolis to actually have a plan to deal with Superman interfering considering they were up to no good. IDIOTS!! What was the thinking "Eh who cares? It's only Superman, I'm sure he won't stop us, or even if we succed in all our plans, I'm sure he won't mind us murdering his friends. Even if he does, we can easily deal with an angry superhuman who is as near to a God as anyone can get, no problem." Like I said, idiots.

On a side note, that plane rescue was good, and so were the effects shown of Jimmy falling off the building.

Rating time....

7/10.

P.S. It would be so cool if this Clark could meet Batman, the Doctor (from Doctor Who) or Spider-Man. Are there any fanfics where these meetings happen?

Yes to all three. A search in the archives under Batman, Bruce Wayne, etc. is a good way to start.

Cool. I'll do that later. For now though, what can I say but up, up, and away to the next installment (collective groan from all readers)....

3.14 Tempus Anyone?

OK, first things first. I loved this episode. It was a great tribute to another show that was on at the time, whether that was intentional or not. I am of course referring to Sliders. I love shows/episodes about alternate parallel realities, I just think it's a fascinating concept, the whole idea of how lives can turn out completely different (Yes, I do think It's A Wonderful Life is a great movie before anyone says anything, although it is a little too long). Anyway, this episode was great for that, and also I enjoyed how it explored what it is that makes Clark do the Superman thing. Amazing that even with a completely different life, he still ended up doing it, albeit with some imported Lois Lane help....

Tempus's plan was interesting, and it was fun to see a villain with an actual smart plan for once. I mean right up til the end, everything everyone did was exactly what he anticipated. That's a smart person. I don't like him because he's evil, but I definitely respect his intelligence. He's also funny and charming though, but like I said evil. Hmm, like many politicians. Nice social commentary show....

Lana was a terrible person, but still more fun than her Smallville counterpart. Sorry Smallville fans. I love that show, I've seen every single episode, but I just infinitely prefer this Lana, and also incidentally the Annette O'Toole Lana from Superman 3 (the less said about any Superman movie made after part 2 the better though, so moving on...).

I can see why they kept Dean Cain in the role of Clark, Justin as Jimmy, and Lane as Perry but think if they had recast for this one episode, it would have been interesting for fans. People could have imagined it as a multiverse where alternate actors versions of Superman existed in other realities, which I guess would either be an improvement or a detriment, depending on your point of view, but either way it works.

Okay, the big flaw of the episode. H.G. Wells. Again. Stop it. Just stop showing him. Include Tempus, don't include Wells. HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT SHOW MAKERS?

I've rambled on about this long enough. I don't want to bore people any more than I probably already have so here goes with the grading. Most will likely disagree, but it's my grade, and I'm sticking to this one.

9/10.

P.S. I think the character of Lois would make a great Doctor Who companion (Any incarnation). I just had an idea for a fanfic or possibly even a series of them. Tempus dumps a Lois from after Season 4 on the Doctor's Earth and the Time Lord (As played by Peter Capaldi) finds her, post Clara. The story follows his attempts to get her back to Clark, and to find and restore his home planet, Gallifrey. The actual story/stories would be about the relationship developing over time and through many adventures, from strangers to friends, and the sadness of them both when it's time to say goodbye.......

I missed your earlier hatred of the HG Wells character. I take it you find him a kin to JarJar (in ineptitude).

I don't hate Wells, but I'll agree that he's not necessary. Tempus is the perfect antagonist - I don't understand why his foil can't be from the future as well. That character doesn't need to specifically be H.G. Wells in order for any of the stories he's in to work.

As a side note, I always felt like at least one of the writers was inspired by Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity." Wells is an Eternal; Tempus is from the Hidden Centuries looking to shake things up.

VirginiaR and Groobie,
Definitely. I do find wells to be Jar Jar like, and I do think Wells' character role could be performed by someone else, and The Groob's (new nickname idea) idea of someone from the future works better than the idea of Herbert the sherbet. I don't hate him. I just think he ruins the idea that we're meant to take the show even the slightest bit seriously, and that's baring in mind that this is a show about a man flying around saving lives in pajamas with his underwear on the outside, and his girlfriend.

3.15 I Now Pronounce You....

Oh, this was a bad episode. Frog clones in a presidential overthrow conspiracy? Seriously show, seriously? No. No, no no. No. NO!! Just no. Unacceptable, especially considering how good the previous episode was. I am insulted. The only thing more insulting than this episode's main plot was Lois being revealed as a clone at the end. My guess is that they were switched when Lois signed the wedding certificate. She seemed a little out of character during the wedding itself, plus it seemed like they had her go there purposefully as a separation tactic. This show just jumped the shark big time. In fact it jumped a whole shark family. On the plus side though Lex is obviously coming back, so I'm going to call this a draw for now, and hope it gets better.

5/10.

P.S. Is anyone else on here a fan of the Nostalgia Critic on YouTube?

*pat, pat* We've all been there, buddy.
And the worst is yet to come... :P

Darth Vader parody voice: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3.16 Double Jeopardy.

AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

The only thing good about this episode was the acting of the main cast and that of John as Lex. Because of that, I'm going to be generous in grading this, this insult.

2/10.

3.17 Seconds.

Oh thank Krypton!! This episode was much better than the previous two. I thought Teri Hatcher did a really good job in this one. The plot was still bad, but I guess that can't be helped, it's just an awful arc, I can't wait for it to be over actually.

So, Lex is dead. Again. Possibly anyway, considering we didn't see a body or anything, which I have no doubt is on purpose and can only assume he'll be back sometime in Season 4, because A - He's like a cockroach, impossible to kill, and B- we had more proof of his death in Bolt From The Blue than in this one, and then the best episode ever, The Phoenix happened, so I won't exactly be shocked when he comes back. Also, C - Why waste the ultimate story of Lex knowing that Clark Kent is Superman? Only idiots would do that.

Now, Lois has Amnesia. Yay, more pointless crap to continue this endless arc. WHY WON'T IT END? I hope it's only a 4 episode arc, because quite frankly that's pushing it.

One last note. Clark's parents are awesome, both in character and their actors.

6/10.

3.18 Forget Me Not.

F###!!! S###!! D@#% #$%%$$# piece of #$%^$ episode!!! ARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! I can't take this arc anymore!!! I hope it ends soon. This is just awful. Doctor Deter the detour is a unprofessional selfish moron. The acting of the regular cast is the only good thing in this episode, which means they are the only reason it gets as high a score as I'm giving it, and I believe I'm being kind when I give this episode the following score: 3/10.

3.19 Odepus Wrecks.

It's over, it's finally over!!! THANK GOD, THANK ALLAH, THANK BUDDHA, THANK THOR AND THANK ZEUS!!! Seriously though, this episode wasn't bad, the villain was slightly interesting, and it was fun seeing Deter go to a magical place. It was great seeing Lois get her memories back at the end, and I was very happy when she punched out Deter.

7/10.

3.20 It's A Small World After All.

Not a bad episode, I enjoyed it. The acting was good, it was well directed, and not badly written. The "Clois" relationshippy scenes were good, and displayed their emotions well, and the Navy Seal scene was funny. The villainess had believeable motives and was fun. I enjoyed seeing her get what she deserved, but why did her henchman get away scott free?

8/10.

3.21 Through A Glass, Darkly.

I enjoyed this episode. It was interesting & had good vilains/anti-heroes. Not quite sure what Sarah & Ching are supposed to be. This episode was well acted, writen and directed. Unfortunately though, I don't really have anything else to say about it, so I'll end the review here.

7/10.

3.22 Big Girls Don't Fly.

Great episode. Perfectly acted, written, and directed. Well, except for three things. 1. Ching & Zara are Kryptonians, but in the previous episode Ching stood in the middle of a kryptonite force field without getting hurt. 2. How Clark stared at Lois and his parents with that expression on his face in front of a room full of journalists without any of them noticing and realizing that Superman and Clark are the same person is beyond me. 3. Tez was a terrible villain not least due to him not being very well developed. I thought the ending was handled beautifully and would have made a perfect sad ending to the entire show if that had been their intended plan. A fantastic season finale.

9/10.

Season 3 Review.

Best Episode: Tempus Anyone?.
Worst Story: The Clonesia Arc.

A great season with some real highs and lows. When it was good it was fantastic, when it was bad, it was just awful crap for a whole five episode arc of hell. Overall though, it was brilliant, a masterpiece of a season. I very much look forward to Season 4, and actually seeing episodes that I have never seen before.

Score for the season: If it weren't for the wedding/clone/amnesia arc thing, I would give this season an 8, but as it is, I'm going to go with 7/10.

That sums it up pretty well. Tempus, Anyone? is my favorite episode, too (no big surprise to anyone on the boards, I'm sure. )

You have good taste. Just out of curiosity, what other shows do you watch (both old and current)?

4.1 Lord Of The Fly's.

Not a bad episode. It's fun watching Clark, Lois, Mallory Keaton and company VS wannabe General Zod and his army. This episode was nice in that instead of trying to make it a big world conquering thing which they didn't have the budget for, they made it more personal. It was also a good idea to use Smallville instead of Metropolis since everything is set there in this show. I thought the visual of the krytonian palaceship was handled brilliantly, and the acting was good, except for a rare misfire on Teri Hatcher's part. I didn't find it funny when Jimmy failed to work out that Clark and Superman are the same person. Again. SHOULDN'T THAT BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE BY NOW? Oh well, I'll just Frozen it (Let It Go). Anyway, it was written well enough, and I look forward to the next episode.

7/10.

4.2 Battleground Earth.

That was a satisfying conclusion to the New Krypton arc. Lord "I'm an overgrown 5 year old" Nor got what he deserved, as did his most loyal followers. Particularly good moments included Lois kicking Major Lethal Gas in the balls and Clark coming back from being Star Trek transported. If nothing else, right now, I'm just glad the hangover from Season 3 is over with, and I can now watch something new, especially since if I'm right, I have never seen the next episode.

7/10.

4.3 Swear To God, This Time We're Not Kidding.

Oh, utter crap. The Wedding Destroyer was an awful villainess. The acting, writing, and direction of this episode were worst of any episode yet, and what the Hell was Mike supposed to be? The actual wedding vows were nice though. This episode made no sense, and I just kept wondering if someone slipped a mind altering substance into my Pepsi. This episode was a huge letdown. I'm going to invent a time machine so I can go back and tell my past self not to watch this.

I hate to say this: 1/10. I know, I know, but what can I say? The wedding was nice, so it deserves a point for that. But only that.

Give Coke a try next time
(You're right, though!)

LOL. Very funny, and I mean that most sincerely.

4.4 Soul Mates.

OK, in the last review I wondered if someone drugged me, in this one I wonder if someone drugged the writer(s). Seriously, a anti-sex soul curse? What on Krypton were they thinking? What next? Lois gets a haircut and her chopped off hair attacks them because it hates rejection? Clark falls in love with Lucy because she and Lois are sisters? Perry and Lois have an affair? How much crazier can this show get? This episode was terrible. They may as well have called it what it was: Superman's Quest For Sex. I'm really hoping the next episode is good.

0/10.

Ah, I see you've made it to season 4. Enjoy. Or, like many of us, don't. These are not the characters DJL envisioned. This is what happens when studio executives interfere with the creative process. Let's see if you can pinpoint when Teri got pregnant and she and Dean had their falling out. You will notice their chemistry fizzling away, and you'll start to see how the actors, whose characters are now married, stop kissing each other. Really, such a shame.

Seriously? Damn!! That is sad. Did they ever make up and become friends again?

4.5 Brutal Youth.

Another First Time Viewing (second one, first was Swear To God, This Time We're Not Kidding). I hate writing out episode titles in initials, it takes forever for readers to translate if the don't know every episode title by heart.

I liked this episode. It wasn't great, but it had an interesting premise, and Teri Hatcher did a great job. The guy playing Old Jimmy was great too, almost as though he'd played the role before. It was nice to see Clark making such a sacrifice for Jimmy. I know the show is called Lois & Clark but it is nice when they acknowledge their relationships with others in a bigger way. This episode was fun though, even if not as good as most stuff from the first three seasons.

6/10.

You were probably joking by the "almost as though he'd played the role before," but just in case you were serious or in case anyone else reading this thread doesn't already know... The guy playing Old Jimmy was Jack Larson, who actually had played the role before. He was the actor who played Jimmy in the 1950's TV series "The Adventures of Superman" (the one with George Reeves as Clark/Superman). The choice of him for Old Jimmy was, I think, a brilliant and fun Easter egg.

Joy,
Lynn

I know, I know! It should happen...
I don't understand though... They drifted apart because of her pregnancy? Or the two things just happen to occur at the same time?

I love Suggs' sense of humor


Thank youuuuu!!! I am one of them... I SO hate acronyms! (even in RL*)
*:Doh!

The complete story involves gossip about the actors, which isn't allowed on these boards. But Google Zoomway Made For Each Other and you can find a detailed description. And yes, HiddenMoon, you nailed it!

Ooops. Can I just remind everyone that actor gossip is one of the few things we have a rule against on these mbs. There's a gossip section on Zoomway's mbs, if you want to indulge though.

LabRat

Thanks, but I'm not interested in this kind of stuff. I only asked because it seemed weird to me that two people stopped getting along just because one of them got pregnant (so much for hormones kicking in! :P). I'd say Groobie pretty much answered me


Yay!

Lynn, I was joking, and I did know he played Jimmy in the original show, even though I've never watched it. I agree that it was a good, fun easter egg that adds to the episode if you know about it but doesn't detract if you don't.

HiddenMoon, or as you shall be known from now on, Moonikins, it's great to have a fan, and nicer still to have one that thinks like me. It's Hell isn't it?

Grobielicious, thank you for the suggestion. I'm reading about it all now. I'm not hugely interested in this sort of thing normally, but in the case of this bone, I'll bite.....

Thanks Labby, nice to hear from you, I promise not to break any rules of the board.

So, after reading that Made For Each Other thing, I just have one question, and if it's against board rules, then don't answer, but I just want a yes or no answer if it's answerable. Are Dean & Teri friends now?

4.6 The People Vs Lois Lane.

I thought I was watching a Superman show, not Law & Order. I guess I was wrong. Seriously, this episode was boring. Having said that, I liked the idea behind it the acting was good, (there was a small moment where Martha's expression was perfectly done, just a silent second that perfectly showed exactly how proud of her son Martha was, just after he gave his speech about how Clark loves Lois and he respects truth, etc) and it was a well executed, if somewhat predictable cliffhanger. I would say I'm looking forward to part 2, but screw looking forward, I think I'll just skip that part and go watch it now.

7/10 thanks to Martha. Would have been 6/10 otherwise.

P.S. Would somebody tell me how 2 farmers have so much airfare money? It makes no sense.

They fly Superman Airlines a lot? I always assume that that is their mode of transport in any episode in which they are in Metropolis and it is neither shown nor said that they came by plane.

What I wonder is how they can spend so much time away from their farm. I guess they keep Wayne Irig and their other neighbours busy.

Joy,
Lynn

I assumed that too, but they often mention coming in by plane, which is what made me wonder about the airfare. I assume they have the most successful farm in the world, and can afford all the expensive plane tickets and people working on their farm that they need.

Or maybe they ask Clark to squeeze some coal for them?

Joy,
Lynn

4.7 Dead Lois Walking.

In Law & Order: Metropolis, Part 2, SUPERMAN OF ALL PEOPLE BREAKS A WOMAN OUT OF JAIL. After that, it was very much a typical run of the mill episode minus the fun, action and romance. Well, not true, those things were there but not done very well. It was dull, and very predictable. I assume the writers had just given up at this point. I hope I'm wrong, because I want to be able to enjoy the rest of the show. This is not an acceptable episode. Please rewrite it and have it on my desk on Monday morning.

4/10.

4.8 Bob & Carol & Lois & Clark.

A fun episode, but I was a bit annoyed by Lois' line about not having had friends for a long time. What are Perry and Jimmy, goldfish? I also found it odd that Bob had to be covered in his suit to avoid being a magnet, but didn't need a mask. I did think that showing a couple like Lois & Clark but villains was an interesting idea, and not just because the series lacks superpowered evil people. Actually they aren't any superpowered people other than Clark very often. So all in all, a fun episode.

7/10.

Probably.

4.9 Ghosts.

AGHHHH!!!! The show just FLEW OVER THE DAMN SHARK!!! It hurts my sanity!! Seriously though, this episode was awful. Not just the idea of ghosts being real but also Lois & Clark being haunted by Drew Carey & Mimi. I'm sorry, this review is gonna be really short because I don't have anything to say about this episode other than a recommendation that every copy of this episode be destroyed, for the good of the legacy of the Lois & Clark show, the general Superman mythos, and humanity in general. This is the worst episode yet.

0/10.

Perhaps you should have started at the end of Season 4 and worked your way towards the pilot.

I see that Groobie story is having an influence on you...
I have to confess: starting from 4X05, I only watched snippets of the episodes, here and there...

I've started so I'll finish. I am determined to watch every last minute, even if it gets worse (please tell me it doesn't get worse). As for going backwards, that would be a good idea, except I would have quit by the end/beginning of the last/first season, plus it would have made even less sense to me than it does anyway. Don't forget I don't know this series that well.

I'll admit that I don't even remember much from the latter half of season four; I think I blocked it out as a self-preservation instinct. I will say, however, that there are some good moments left in the series.

Just brace yourself for I've Got You Under My Skin, though.

Joy,
Lynn

Thanks for the warning. Without spoiling it, tell me, is that episode really so bad?

Yes.

Definitely, yes .

Laura (who gives you props from making it through 'Ghosts'...not an easy task ).

If Ghosts flew over the shark, I've Got You Under My Skin made it all the way to where Krypton used to be. And the devastation was about as bad as Krypton's explosion.

Joy,
Lynn

Damn, that sounds awful. I'm kind of dreading it now. Oh well, it's only 45 minutes. I'm sure I'll cope and not come out with PTTD (Post Traumatic Televisual Disorder).

Yay, I earned props. I'll take the Globe from season 1 if it's limited to this show, or Matt Smith's sonic screwdriver if not.

But seriously, I don't know what to say. Thanks? OK, I'm just going to go with that. Thank you.

Stay strong! We are all here to support you

lol, I appreciate it. And in response to what can I say but ?

Hi. My name is Lynn, and I am recovering from watching I've Got You Under My Skin.

Maybe we should make bumper stickers that say, "I Survived IGYUMS."

Joy,
Lynn

Maybe. I can't comment on that. Yet.

I can...and we should . LOL

Awesome, Lynn!

Laura

Maybe instead of limiting it to that one episode, "I survived season 4"?

Works for me.

Shameless Plug Alert: My story On Plot Reuse, or Maybe Four Seasons Were Enough came about as my way of expressing my frustration with season four.

Joy,
Lynn

That was hilarious!! Thank you for the link.

Bravo, Lynn ...I loved it!

Laura

Thank you both for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I'm normally a little shy about plugging my own stories, but in this instance, the story just seemed so appropriate to the discussion.

Joy,
Lynn

It was. I'll be making sure to read more of your stories after I'm done watching the show. Speaking of which.....

4.10 Stop The Presses.

Not bad. This episode was much better than the previous one, but that's not saying much. I found it interesting to see how a shift in their working relationship effected Lois & Clark's personal relationship. The episode lacked the humor of most, and I was disappointed that Eric Press didn't redeem himself at the end, as I was expecting him to. On the plus side, the acting of the main cast was good, especially Lane Smith as Perry.

5/10.

4.11 Twas The Night Before Mxymas.

This was an insane episode. An imp creating a recursive temporal loop? Really? Really? NO!! BAD!! BAD SHOW, BAD!!! I know Mxy is taken from the comics, but that's no excuse. I mean they don't use Brainiac, but they use Mxykins? Unacceptable. I can't think of a single thing I liked about this episode besides the main cast's acting, which was good, but even so, nowhere near their nomal standard.

1/10.

Exactly half a season to go. I'm not sure if I should feel sad, or maybe happy given the quality of this final season.

Cool. Thanks!

Joy,
Lynn

You're welcome.

I would have posted this last night, but I couldn't access the forum for some reason.

4.12 Lethal Weapon.

A good episode, I enjoyed this one. It’s always fun to see the new effects of red kryptonite on Clark. The evil plot of Inspector... sorry, I mean Mister Gadget was quite good, though not very original, and the acting was great, especially by Leo from The West Wing the guy playing Mister Gadget. I felt really sad for Perry at the end. That last scene he was in was acted perfectly by Lane Smith. I really felt that this was man who had gone through the emotional ringer, and it was very written and acted wonderfully. It wasn’t at all overdone, but it was very sad, and most importantly, it was believable. I think Lane Smith was a gifted actor who deserved more credit than he got, and his performance here raises the score given to this episode, an episode which is a stand out of season 4 in a good way. I’m hoping for some more like this, because I’d like to see the show go out with some dignity.

8/10.

4.13 Sex, Lies & Videotape.

I thought this was a great episode, mainly because of the way it examined the consequences and the morality of Clark's lying about being two people. It was well acted, it was written perfectly for what it was aiming to be, and it showed exactly how difficult it must be to be a representative figure of morality, someone who kids and adults look up to, as many people would if Superman were real. Mini-highlights included the flying scenes which I thought were done especially well, and seeing the kid smile at the end when his faith in Superman was restored, but the mirror/heat vision diffusion of the bomb seemed a little stupid, so I'm knocking off a point for that.

8/10.

I forgot to add, I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.

4.14 Meet John Doe.

A really good episode, this show has really gotten back it's former glory in these last few episodes. This episode was fun, especially seeing Tempus without Wells. His plan wasn't up to his usual standards however. It just seemed like he was making it up as he went along, a far cry from planning every detail and manipulating everyone in Tempus Anyone?. Having said that, the acting was good, the director did a great job, and the cliffhanger was almost perfect. I also thought the shrink/crazy guy twist before the intro sequence was really good too. I would have to say this is the best episode of the season so far, and I'm really looking forward to watching part 2.

9/10.

4.15 Lois & Clarks.

What a disappointment this was after the last few episodes. Wells was back, damn him, and Alternate Clark not liking the same foods makes no sense since they would have the same taste buds. Not to mention the electric Tempus Think thing. Worst of all though was the flashback music video halfway through the episode. Having said all that, the acting was good on most people's parts, it was well directed, but disappointing for the reasons I stated above. A random thought: I think Wells had already helped to rescue Alt-Lois earlier in his personal timeline, based on his exit line and wink. Just my opinion though. Anyway, those are my thoughts on this episode, time to grade it now.

6/10.

4.16 AKA Superman.

Not a bad episode. Not great either, but not bad. It was very by the numbers though, so much so that I don't have much to say about it, other than how terrible and also out of character Jimmy was by lying to Penny.

5/10.

4.17 Faster Than A Speeding Vixen.

This was insane. A robot built by the phantom of the opera and Lex Luthor's son? Crazy. Also I thought the reveal of Leslie's parentage was handled badly. It could have been done a lot more dramatically. Why tell the audience now? We could have discovered it later on, with Lois & Clark. All the end needed to show was that Leslie and The Phantom Of The Opera were working together and that they built Vixen. I thought Lois' baby dream was weird, but funny. I look forward to seeing Lois & Clark stop Lex Jr, though not the follow up episodes featuring Lois, Clark, Jimmy & Perry on the unemployment line, even despite that creating funny banter between the four of them. Also, does anyone else get the feeling Stern was forced to sell the Daily Planet? Just a thought.

4/10.

4.18 Shadow Of A Doubt.

Not a bad episode, at least not in comparison to the previous one. Forget next year's Batman V Superman, 1997 brings you Superman Vs The Vashta Nerada. OK, maybe not, but that would be cool, I'd pay good money to see that. Anyway, back on topic. Lois & Clark seemed a little off in the episode. In the last one, they were all over each other. In this, not even so much as a peck on the cheek. Bit odd.

At last, they're finally using the plot of Lex knowing The Secret. Too bad it's just that his son is finding out, I think they could have done more with it. Maybe play the tape to the whole world? It's what I would do if I were Lex Jr. I'd also send a sniper to Kansas, whilst keeping Clark busy in Metropolis. I wouldn't do that for real though, but I just think if I were as evil as these villains make out they are, and had Lex Jr's resources and supposed intelligence, and knew The Secret, I'd really waste no time making Clark suffer.

Other than the showmakers wanting the characters/ status quo for future episodes, I don't get why the villains never do anything like these ideas. It would certainly make them seem more evil. Ah well, just rambling, sorry. I'm looking forward to part 3 now.

6/10.

TA-DAH! You got it!!! Now, let's not start again the Cain/Hatcher gossip thing, I can already feel Labrat's teeth in my calf... :P

Gosh, you really have a talent for villainy... Have you ever thought about sending your resume to DC (or Marvel)?

OK, no problem. After all we did the Cain/Hatcher gossip thing before.

As for the villainy, I guess I could write it well, but actually doing it would be impossible for me because I am a good person, or at least I try to be. If I had a resume worth submitting, I would submit it to DC and/or Marvel. I don't think either would be too happy if they hired me though.

At Marvel, the One More Day deal? Reversed. Aunt May Parker? Dead. Thor and Mrs Skywalker? Never happened. Yoda Vs Venom? Coming to a comic book store near you.

As for DC, well Superman outed to the world as Clark Kent and the Kents killed as above, Alfred would be killed by the Joker who would know that Bruce Wayne is Batman, Wonder Woman would be trapped in the Phantom Zone for 2,000 years of subjective time and as for Lois Lane?

Lois would be transported to 70 years in the future by a villain that hasn't been made up yet, a kind of mix of Tempus and Zod, and she'd have to cope with adjusting to living in a new time with a Clark who just got his first grey hair. In other words, I'd shake it up a bit just for the sake of it. Probably a bad idea.

4.19 Voice From The Past.

This was definitely the best episode of this 3-parter. I enjoyed seeing fake Lex Jr redeem himself. It was good to see Luthor's legacy finally end. Most of all, it was nice to see Dr. Klien happy. Not much else to say. The acting was good, the direction OK, the writing was also not bad, but overall, despite having good ingredients, the finished product could have been a lot better, but I did enjoy it, so I can't complain.

7/10.

I just realized that the next one is the one you were all saying is awful.....

Sam from Quantum Leap impression: Oh boy!!

Also, exactly six months ago today was when I watched the Pilot and started this thread. Time (and Superman) flies.

You might want to check our KenJ's story Aurora Borealis

Cool. I will soon.

4.20 I've Got You Under My Skin.

Wow, I don't believe it. A soul swapping magic stone? Lois knowing it was Clark in the other body because..... reasons. Worst of all, Clark just shouting for help just because he's in another body. That was very out of character. A better ending would have been Clark (in other body) saves Becky and then Bodysnatcher realizes the error of his ways, and swaps back before being killed. This episode was very bad, but not as bad as I was expecting, probably due to it being hyped on here as the Lois & Clark equivalent to The Phantom Menace. It isn't, but it is a stupid episode, only worth watching as part of a marathon. Even so, there are worse episodes of this show, but overall, it stinks. You can smell the plot a mile away. *Sniff* Is that dogs? No. *Sniff* Cows is it? *Sniff* No, I know. It's bulls**t!!

3/10.

Also, I think Invasion Of The Bodysnatcher would have been a better title for this one.

What?! Ok, I think I'll skip this episode altogether.


LOL! We're gonna miss your reviews, Suggs... (Only two episodes to go!)

Don't skip it. It's worth watching just for the "What The F**k?" Factor.

I'm not looking forward to this being over. Just 2 episode reviews, a season 4 review and an overall series review to go. So four more things to look forward to, but first I actually have to watch the episodes...

LOL! We're gonna miss your reviews, Suggs... (Only two episodes to go!) [/quote]

To be honest, I stole that joke from a sitcom, and paraphrased it. Sorry.

I'm glad you didn't find it as bad as you had feared. Your opinion of the episode is higher than mine. For me, it is earns a low 2/10 rating. The only thing that keeps it from being a 1/10 is something that Susan G. (?) wrote about how it nicely balanced the first season: In S1, Lois couldn't recognize Clark when he was in blue tights. Now that she really knows and loves him, she can recognize him in a new body.

Joy,
Lynn

That's brilliant. I didn't think of that, that's a great symmetry in the show. Susan is a genius!!

4.21 Toy Story.

I thought this was a fun episode, though it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I expected a sequel to Season's Greedings, or maybe Lois and Clark going against living toys created by a mad scientist. Not that a toymaker got mad because a company fired him for saying "Hmm, let's make a Star Trek transporter. I don't know how to do it, but you build it and then give me all the credit, because I suggested it."

I thought that Doctor Klien being kidnapped by toys was very funny, as was when he said about having heard Lois' story. I was very happy when Perry & Alice got back together. This episode was fun, and it was nice to see that Lois is ready for kids, and the story she told was kind of beautiful. All in all, a good episode. I'm looking forward to the last one very much, but also in a different way I'm not because it's hard to believe it's so close to the show being all over.

7/10.

OK, as I've just got one more episode to go I went back through this thread because I remember saying "I'll do that after finishing the show" a lot. As it turns out, all I said I'd do is watch Babylon 5 and read a bunch of fanfic on the Archive, which I will read. I've watched some Babylon 5 (the first 3 episodes), and I couldn't get into it. I'm sorry Lynn, I tried.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I didn't forget what I said, and will be more than willing to provide feedback on the fanfic if anyone's interested. Also, I will be writing some of my own (a series, I mentioned the idea on page 13 of this thread in the P.S. section of my review of Tempus Anyone) if anyone's interested. If not, I won't bother writing it.

Thank you all, and I'll be watching the last one as soon as I can, I promise.

Babylon 5 does get off to a somewhat slow start. I would consider the first several episodes decent, but nowhere near outstanding. I would say the show comes into its own somewhere in the middle of the first season.

Since the last Doctor I saw more than five minutes of was Peter Davison, I probably wouldn't read a crossover story with a later one, but I imagine that there probably are Whovians here who would be interested in such a crossover. If you write any short stories that are either only L&C or are crossovers for a show/book/etc. with which I am familiar, I would definitely read them.

Joy,
Lynn

Lynn,
I don't know if you'd be interested in it, but I did write a L&C/ Harry Potter crossover that I put on the archive a few years ago. To be honest, I think it's terrible, but Labby thought it good enough to put up so that must mean something, given the quality of The Archive. It's called Far From Home, under the author name Jensguy (how do I change that?). I've also written some other stuff on Fanfiction.net under the name Suggs With A Box (also my name on the Gallifrey Base forum), some of which is really good and some of which is awful.

As for the Doctor Who/Lois & Clark crossover I have in mind, I was thinking of a series of stories, one of which would feature a past Doctor, and another would have Lois meeting the Smallville and/or movie version(s) of herself and Clark or supporting characters like Perry, Jimmy, Lex or the Kents. I don't know, it's in the early planning stages. I don't even have any idea how many stories will be in the series.


You mentioned crossovers with things you're more familiar with. What would that include? Also, on an unrelated note, do you think I should give Babylon 5 another chance?
All the best,
Sam.

Hello Sam,

(By the way, if I may ask, what is the significance of your "Suggs_With_a_Box" handle? I've been curious about that for a while.)

I read the Harry Potter books, but I don't really understand why they are so popular. I think whether I would read an HP/L&C crossover would depend on whether I happen to be just busy at the time or whether I am insanely busy. (Those are the only options for me during the school year.) The idea of Lois meeting other versions of herself and/or Clark is definitely appealing. I have seen a couple of very well-written stories in which this happens, but there is plenty of room for many more such stories. (Don't ask me to name the stories I read; IIRC, one was by Queen of the Capes and the other was by Shayne, but I wouldn't swear to it.)

In addition to L&C, my major fandoms include Star Trek (the original series), Sherlock Holmes, and -- yes -- Babylon 5. I would consider B5 to be far and away the best show that has ever aired on television. It is almost entirely the vision of one creative genius (J. Michael Straczynski), and it shows -- there is more foreshadowing and character growth in this series than in any other I have seen. Minor things that are easily overlooked in season one become major plot points in later seasons. One example:
The show coheres incredibly well and depicts gradual (and, sometimes, not-so-gradual) character changes in very believable manners. This show is anything but episodic, once it seriously gets underway. The characters at the end of the series are very different people than they were when the series began.

Joy,
Lynn

Hey Lynn,
My user name refers to a line from Matt Smith's first episode as The Doctor in Doctor Who where he is referred to by his new companion as "a madman with a box" and Suggs, the singer of one of my favorite bands, Madness. Speaking of user names, it's obvious why Lynn is there for yours, but what does the S.M. mean? Super Man? Sex Machine? Supreme Marshmallow? Soccer Mom?

I'll look for those stories, especially the Queen Of The Capes one, she, along with you, Labrat, and Wendy Richards are my favorite writers on the Archive. I assume from your comment about the school year that you are a teacher or work somehow in that field. Cool. My sister is a deputy principal. I don't know how people can cope with so many kids at once.

Star Trek is cool. My wife and I watched every episode of the original series and the six original cast movies last year. It was fun. You really make a great case for Babylon 5. I'll give it another go. Since you mention Sherlock Holmes, I'll ask. Do you like Sherlock?

Babylon 5 was a brilliant show. And Tracy Scoggins was a regular in Season 5, so there's even an L&C connection.

Suggs With a Box, wow, I'm incredibly honoured to be listed in the company of such fantastic writers. Thank you!

Thank you for the explanation on your online name. I never would have guessed it. I was thinking along the lines of "suggestion box," and wondering why you might take that on as a moniker. I fear there's nothing particular interesting about the "S.M." part of mine; those letters are my middle and last initials. (I was amused by your ideas, though.) I had originally wanted to sign on simply as "Lynn M.," but was surprised to see that there had been someone on the boards using that already. S/he also had even written several pieces of fanfic. If you go over to the archives, you'll see separate listings for her stories and mine. But if "S.M." had stood for something else, it probably would have been "Superman's Mine." (Hey, a gal can dream.)

I am indeed a teacher. In fact, I am a mild-mannered teacher of computer networking and information security at a local community college by day. (By night I am a divorced mom of a mostly sweet -- but beginning to act like a teenager -- young man with special needs. I squeeze my L&C-related activities in when I can.) I haven't had a chance to watch Sherlock; it's on my someday-when-I-retire-and-have-more-free-time list. What do you think of it?

Susan, There's another connection between B5 and L&C: Jason Carter, who played the whiner in "Whine Whine Whine" played a very different, and much more sympathetic, sort of character in Babylon 5.

Time to awaken D.S. and start getting ready for school...

Joy,
Lynn

I, too, am sad you only have one episode to go, Suggs. It's been a delightful and interesting journey, sharing the responses of someone coming to the show for the first time. Made me quite nostalgic for the early days. I've found that the first thing I do now on logging into the boards is scroll down eagerly to see if this thread has been updated. <g> I hope you enjoy the finale!

If you want to change your author name on the Archive, just email or message me with the name you want to use and I'll pass it on to Lauren as part of my weekly upload/updates.

And thank you for including me in your favourite author list. That was unexpected and quite made my day. I'm glad you enjoyed the stories.

I'm a big Sherlock fan - despite never having had any interest in the original. I love the relationship between Sherlock and Watson - as portrayed by two very talented actors - the humour and the convoluted plots. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.

LabRat

Oh, and one crossover I always recommend is Becky Bain's Timeless:

http://www.lcfanfic.com/stories/1999/html/timeless.html

It's a cross with the original Beauty and the Beast. Apart from being a beautifully written fic, it's also written in such a way that you understand the B&TB characters even if - like me - you've never watched that show. The two are merged perfectly.

LabRat

I found the stories I was thinking of: The summary for Shayne's Group Therapy is "Trapped together, several versions of Clark Kent and Superman compare notes, and learn something valuable in the process."

I apologize for misremembering the author of Lunkheads. It was not Queenie; it was bakasi. The summary for this story is, "H.G. Wells is on yet another journey through several universes, trying to save the world. Tired and sick of what she has seen so far, Lois has just one question: Why help all those lunkheads?"

Both are extremely short and fun reads.

Joy,
Lynn

Groobie,
That's cool. I forgot to list you along Lynn, Queenie, Labby and Wendy, but you're up there with them for what little it's worth. I love your work. I just couldn't list everyone or the post would be a mile long.

Lynn,
OK, I know you did the parallel on purpose, but you do sound like a bit of a superhero, seriously. Then again, most people are. We just don't go around in our pajamas saving strangers (or in Tom Selleck's case. having his mustache save people). In answer to your question, I think Sherlock is one of the best things on television. I just hate the looooooong wait between seasons. By the way, thanks for the links to those 2 stories. I look forward to reading them soon.

Labrat,
Thank you for the huge compliment. I did actually watch the show years ago, but it'd been so long I had actually forgotten everything, so it was still just like I'd never seen it before. I'm glad you've enjoyed this thread, I have too. In fact, I've been coming to this forum several times a day just to see if anyone's added to this thread. Everyone's been awesome, and I really feel welcomed into the forum and like a member of the community.

I will email you soon to request the archive name change (what's your email?). Of course I included you in the list of my favorite writers for the Archive. Your stuff is great. I really enjoy it. It's some of the best written work I've ever read. Why is it all so long though?

As you may have noticed in my response to Lynn, I love Sherlock. Like you, I never had any interest in the original books or previous adaptions. I did try reading the books after seeing Sherlock, but having seen the show, it ruins the mystery aspect. What's your favorite episode?

That's all for now, just wanted to reply to everyone. If all goes well today, I'll be watching the last episode tonight and posting the last reviews tomorrow. I do have university work to do tonight, so obviously that has to come first. OK, time to end this post and I'd prefer to do so on a positive note. I know...... Chocolate & Puppies & The Sexy Person Of Your Choice.

It's worth a lot! Thank you!

You're welcome.

Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out. I didn't get to watch it tonight, sorry for anyone looking forward to the reviews.

4.22 The Family Hour.

This was a good episode, but a disappointing finale. The actors playing Lois’ parents did a very good job here, and it was nice to see them get along instead of giving everyone Sam & Ellen Poisoning. The villain was basically a weird Brainiac Wannabe. Who has over 90% of their brain working and then can’t come up with a better scheme than robbing banks? Very strange.

As always, I enjoyed the acting of Dean, Teri, Justin and the actors playing the Kents. It was odd that Perry was absent from this one, though I assume he was spending some much built up vacation time with Alice. This episode was well directed, and well written, though I would have thought the writers would throw in a scene showing Martha and Jonathon’s reaction to the sad news of Lois & Clark being unable to conceive, something to which they could relate. I guess the baby showing up at the end is kind of a full circle thing for them, as it reflects back to Clark arriving from the stars. Speaking of the baby, that was an odd ending.

I can only assume the original plan was to make a Season 5, and that something went wrong somewhere. But right now, I’m just here to judge this episode, not the series as a whole. That comes later. This episode gets a score of:

8/10.

Season 4 Review.

Best story: Sex, Lies & Videotape.

Worst story: Ghosts.

I think this season was a real mixed bag. It had some good and some bad episodes. When it was bad, it was awful. I almost stopped watching the show during this season because of those episodes, but I’m glad I didn’t because when it was good, it was still wonderful.

It didn’t quite have the magic of the first three seasons, but it was still fun and enjoyable as an overall experience, and it had something the first 3 seasons didn’t have: episodes I had never, ever seen, which I found enjoyable, even if one of them was Ghosts. Seriously, I hate that episode.

Anyway, this season gets a lot of hate, and is probably why the general public don’t remember the show fondly, like the Christopher Reeve movies or Smallville, but I don’t think it deserves it, or at least not as much as it does get. All in all, it’s very flawed but still enjoyable.

Score for the season: 6/10.

Lois & Clark: Overall Review & General Thoughts.

Best Story: The Phoenix.

Worst Story: Ghosts.

Best Season: 2.

Worst Season: 4.

This show is fantastic. Absolutely brilliant. It starts off with a great first season that when you think about it, is kind of a proto-Buffy type thing what with the balancing of superhero life and normal life and the Big Bad of the season (Lex Luthor). It then goes on to an even better second season with a brilliant new enemy (Intergang) which works brilliantly, and then moves into a third season with lots of great episodes, before The Arc Of Crappiness descends upon us, which puts a downer on the end of season 3. After that is the merely not great fourth season finishes things on a slightly sour note due to the quality being a lot worse than before (damn Ghosts).

The great thing about the show in my mind is how it combines action, romance, and adventure. It has something for most people. It does have good and bad episodes in all seasons, but overall it is a great show, both in terms of the characters of the Superman mythos, and also television in general. The main cast are nearly always on top form, the writing and direction are good the majority of the time, so no complaints there.

Whilst I don’t think the quality of the fourth season was as bad as it is made out to be, I did think the show needed some new creative blood by the end, or definitely some sort of help. It is very sad that it ended when it did, because it was just getting to the interesting part: Superman after the point where he’s been stuck for decades (thanks for that DC, by the way). We always see him at about 30 odd years old, nothing ever changes. Now this show was about to move things forward, and that’s when it gets cancelled? What idiot made that decision? Season 5 could have been great, and ended the show on a high note, or it could have been shit. Who knows? Anyway, this show deserves to hold its head up high, it really was great, despite some terrible villains, though there are some exceptions. Lex and Tempus spring to mind. They were great.

No other filmed version of Superman has ever handled the relationship of Lois & Clark quite so well. It even has the best fandom I’ve ever known, and I’m proud to a part of it, it feels like a strange kind of family, always welcoming, and are always friendly. Hell, even the fanfic is almost universally awesome!! The only problems I have with the show are episodes like Ghosts and that IT ENDED ON A DAMN CLIFFHANGER!!!

Score for the complete show: 8/10. It loses a points for the bad episodes, such as Ghosts. Did I mention I don’t like that episode? Also, I’d just like to say one more time that Tempus Anyone? is awesome!!!

It’s been great fun watching this show, and sharing my thoughts with all of you. I’ve made some good friends here, and that’s great. I will definitely be staying on the forum, and staying in touch. As for this watchthrough and review, what can I say? I’m sad it’s over, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as I have.

I don’t really know how to end this to be honest, so I looked up quotes from the show and this one seemed the most appropriate for an ending. In the words of Lane Smith as Perry White: “Yeah, well, just remember there's no perfect sunsets. There's a little crack in every cloud, but that's what gives you your silver lining.”

It was fun to read along with you. Thanks for the experience of watching it again through fresh eyes.

You are more than welcome. Good luck with becoming President.

I've enjoyed your reviews although I haven't commented earlier. Thanks so much for sharing them. Your insights brought perspectives I hadn't considered before.

It was interesting to see how the show's focus moved from Lois and Clark to include more Superman in the following seasons.

I haven't watched Season 4 since its initial airing, and I'm honestly not sure I saw all the episodes. I have total amnesia regarding Ghosts, probably because I didn't care for episodes with similar themes (Druids and Voodoo spring to mind). And the producers and executive producers changed during the show. If I recall by Season 4 Deborah Joy Levine was no longer the producer or executive producer. I don't have the DVDs of Season 4 to check. I noticed that when it first aired, and saw a change in the feel of the show during that final season.

I'm sure someone can correct me if my interpretation/memory is wrong, but as I recall initially L&C was reportedly renewed for a 5th season, and then suddenly cancelled. I read somewhere where there were plans to resolve the cliffhanger about the baby, although I don't know who said it. L&C aired at 8 pm Sundays at least in the Eastern time zone. Until the final season when partway through it was moved to I think Saturday at 10 pm at least in my local area, after the episodes were already planned if not filmed for the earlier time slot (at least allegedly). Some of this supposedly had to do with the head of Disney (Disney owned ABC) who wanted to resurrect The Wonderful World of Disney in the early Sunday night time slot. He did and was its host. There was also competition from Touched By An Angel in the 8 pm Sunday time slot on CBS instead of Murder She Wrote (different demographics with Murder appealing primarily to a much older age group). As I recall L&C fell in the ratings during that last season, which happened to a lot of shows who were moved around like that, including Murder She Wrote interestingly enough.

You're welcome. Thank you for your interesting and very informative post.

Kind of ironic, given the show's title.

Finally able to do some catchup on the pc today.


dklabrat@gmail.com. Or you can private message me here on the boards if you need help with anything.


Thank you! For an old, 'hasbeen' author who hasn't written for so long, it's a real treat to hear that, every now and then.


LOL. Yes, it's been pointed out before. <G> I recall, when I decided halfway through Caped Fear that it was going wrong and I needed to start again, getting severely castigated for decimating rainforests by those waiting for the conclusion. (That was back when I used to print out a hard copy of what I'd written the previous evening so I could edit it during my lunchbreak at work. Oh, the deprivations of the author back in my youth. <g>) )

I can only suggest that it's because I cut my teeth on the tentative vignettes of my fanfic trade previously in many other fandoms, before finding this one. By the time I got here, I'd completed my 'apprenticeship' with the likes of Star Trek, Robin of Sherwood and The Young Riders and was ready for the big stuff.


You know, I thought about this question long and hard and I don't know that I can really say! I seem to spend a lot of time during end credits thinking, "Well, that was the best episode they've ever done!" only for them to surpass themselves and do even better with the next episode.

But, if pushed, I'll confess to really enjoying The Sign of the Three. Simply for it's being a long, sentimental love letter to John and Sherlock's friendship. And I did like A Scandal in Belgravia, for its introduction of Irene Adler.

As regards L&C's 5th season cuidadora has most of the details right. Deborah Joy Levine was sacked at the end of season one, along with other major cast. And Disney did green light the season, but then reneged on the deal as they wanted one of their own shows in the time slot and after they'd seen the poor ratings for S4.

Although, some fans think that may have been a blessing in disguise, given what Tim Minear stated were his S5 plans. <g> The baby was to have grown at a rapid rate to become a rebellious teen and much hijinks would ensue as an exasperated Lois and Clark dealt with the fallout of his running around using his powers irresponsibly. I can't remember what other plans were - although I think one episode would have dealt with Lois and Clark first meeting as teenagers.

Alert viewers will note that Minear used the same plotline in Angel, when he went on to write for that show. It so irked me at the time that I stopped watching. Although, to be fair, when I did watch it many years later, it didn't seem as egregious then as it had previously. Sometimes, time mellows. <G>

I'll miss this thread. It's been a real pleasure to share your views, Suggs. Hopefully, you'll find new subjects to entertain us with, here on the boards in the future. <g>

Labby,
Private messaging? Sounds fun. But seriously, I'll email you soon to sort out the archive name change. I wouldn't say what I did about the quality of your work if I didn't mean it. Having said that, I have two questions. Have you written any original fiction? and what is The Young Riders?

I'd agree with you completely about Sherlock. Are you looking forward to the special on New Year's Day? I know I am.

Season 5 sounds like it would have been awful. I still think it would be nice to have a one-off TV movie to tie up the loose ends from the show and catch up with the characters. Yes, I know Lane Smith is no longer with us, but they could work around that. Also Tim did ruin Angel. Who takes a show about a tortured vampire with a soul doing good to atone for his past and says let's throw a microwaved son in here?

I will miss this thread too. I will probably find new subjects to entertain you with in future, though I don't have any ideas just yet. Hmm, what do people on this forum like? A-ha!! Superman things that come in sets of 4 and start with a great first part, move on to an even better second part, have a not as good third entry, and an awful fourth!! I'll review the Christopher Reeve movies!! But seriously, it's weird how that pattern fits Lois & Clark and those movies so well. Honestly, I'll come up with something, but I'll have to think about it.

All the best Labby,
Suggs.

Oh, yeah. I've dallied with most genres over the years. Thrillers, mysteries, romance, SF, SFantasy, poetry... It was animal stories from aged eight to thirteen. Then I discovered a book of Trek fanfic in my local bookstore and was amazed at the notion people out there were actually writing stories about my favourite characters. <g>

The Young Riders was my big love right before LNC. A highly romanticised Western series about a Pony Express station and its riders. I had a serious thing for The Kid. http://www.tv.com/shows/the-young-riders/


Absolutely! I don't tend to watch much TV over the festive season but that will definitely be one of the highlights.

LabRat

Ohhhh, The Young Riders! I loved this show! Well, to be more accurate, I loved the B-plot of this show. I taped every episode, then would rewatch the tapes skipping over any scene that did not feature the Kid and Lou. I can not tell you how many times I watched Requiem for a Hero...but only the Kid and Lou scenes. Go to Youtube and search for "The Young Riders Requiem for a Hero Part 1" and then "The Young Riders Requiem for a Hero Part 2". Someone cut together just their scenes...squeeeeeeeeeeeee! The same fan also posted "The Young Riders Kid and Lou - Pond Scene" - so hot! So playfully romantic!

It's really not a stretch to see why I fell in love with Lois and Clark too.

They were absolutely adorable together and, I agree - a huge part of why I loved the show snd wore out my old VHS tapes, too. I had the added issue of the third season never being shown in the UK, so my tapes were ropey 20th generation copies smuggled in from US fans. <g>

I also loved that the Riders were a family, a team, looking out for one another. In an early episode, when the bad guys were after Ike and he learned the other Riders were putting thenselves in danger to protect him we had this dialogue as he tried to dissuade them:

Ike: They came for me.
Buck: Then they came for us.

That was the precise moment I went from liking to adoring this one.

LabRat

Young Riders sounds cool. I'll have to check it out sometime. Do you know if they have it on Netflix?

Incidentally, I decided against writing that Lois Lane travels with The Doctor fanfic, as I don't think I could write either character well enough. Sorry to anyone who may be disappointed by that.

All the best everyone.