In this week’s episode, it was another bit of plot momentum along with some points to which I have to touch upon. Check them out after the jump.
Synopsis: Kandorians were being abducted under very mysterious circumstances, and they came to Clark for help, with Major Zod being a general pest and pissing and moaning that he didn’t have the powers he never had. But some of the Kandorians decided that they might be able to assimilate into Human Culture. This kidnapper, who has a surprising connection to the Kandorians, sees this as an invasion and does what he can to stop it.
What Worked: Bernard Chisholm (portrayed by J.R. Bourne) was portrayed well, as a paranoid and scared person who had terrible things done to him without his permission. The clone of Faora (Zod’s wife; played by Sharon Taylor) is a fantastic actress and I actually see her playing Renee Montoya if they ever decide to make a Gotham Central show or a Question movie. Callum Blue is still blowing it out of the water as the ersatz Zod and his perma-sneer is one of the best things about the show. The romantic tension between Oliver and Chloe works really well, even if it’s a little wonk for comic fans. The consequence of Clark saving Zod may bite him in the ass more than he might like.
What didn’t work: While J.R. Bourne played the character well, the concept of the character was weird, and the scenes in his lab played out like a deleted scene from SAW or Hostel. I’m not a fan of torture porn and it doesn’t belong in a show starring Superman. Batman…maybe, but definitely not Superman. There’s a scene where Zod goes undercover at the Daily Planet in order to find his missing soldiers, and everything is done in a slow mo shot that reminded me of one of those cheesy scenes from 300 (I DID like the movie mind you, but they were a tad cheesy). Zod getting healed by Clark’s blood struck me as a cheap plot device, as well as one stolen from Heroes. I actually found myself cringing seeing a single drop of Clark’s blood completely and utterly healing Zod’s wounds.
Things to Look Forward to: The blossoming romance between Oliver and Chloe, while it has zero chance of being permanent (unless they pretend that Black Canary doesn’t exist.) brings more to Chloe’s table than being the Oracle that can walk. And while I thought the plot device that gave Zod his new super powers was really annoying and stupid, the fact he HAS powers now makes things a lot worse for Clark in the near future.
Observation that really doesn’t fit anywhere but must be said: Poor Chloe, she’s like skirting the honor of being in-canon, while never actually getting there. First she’s in love with Clark (and we know how that went), then she marries Jimmy, who not only turns out to not be OUR Jimmy Olsen, but dies in the process. Now she’s dating Oliver, who we all know will marry Black Canary eventually. It’s a tough break for such a promising character that should end up in the comics sooner or later.
Overall: This episode was enjoyable, but not all that challenging for the actors involved. There was solid plot development but the hokey villain killed some of the excitement.
Final Verdict: Surf