Smallville Review – “Rush”

Some of the elements from earlier this year have returned to Smallville.

Cast

Tom Welling as
Clark Kent
Kristen Kreuk as
Lana Lang
Michael
Rosenbaum
as Lex Luthor
John Glover
as Lionel Luthor
Sam Jones III as
Pete Ross
Allison Mack as
Chloe Sullivan
Annette
O’Toole
as Martha Kent
John
Schneider
as Jonathan Kent

Written by Todd
Slavkin
and Darren Swimmer.
Directed by Rick Rosenthal.

Original Airdate

Rush originally aired on Tuesday, February 2, 2003.

Synopsis

An alien organism feeds off human adrenaline.

High Point

Lex’s final scene. It really makes me wonder how soon Lex entered
that barn.

Low Point

The predictable (and boring) amnesia aspect. Telling Chloe made it
clear to me that amnesia would be involved. I’m not sure if that’s a
good thing, though. I think I’d rather see her figure it out for
herself, though. If she gets help from anyone figuring it out, that
help should come from Lex.

The Review

This episode was all about reintroducing elements of the past, which
hurt its originality. Still, the fact that Clark wasn’t the
only one affected by this was nice, and the way Clark’s dark side came
back was nice. Still, it felt like a rehash most of the time. I give
it 3 out of 6.

The effects were great, until the car went over the edge of
the gorge. The blue screening there was bad, and the final shot just
seemed off. (The car was being held too still, I think.) I give it 4
out of 6.

The story had some nice elements (like the barn scene,) but
it had a lot of predictable stuff. Some of that predictability would
have been reduced if the ads hadn’t revealed so much of the second
half. I give it 4 out of 6.

The acting was very good. Kristen Kreuk was even convincing.
Sam Jones III and Allison Mack had a chance to play different kinds of
characters this time through, and they did it well. I give it 5 out
of 6.

The emotional response this produced was poor in the
important places. The Lex scenes worked, as did the barn scene, and
the scene discussing Clark’s recent school performance. (Chalk that
last one up to Annette O’Toole’s performance.) I give it 4 out of 6.

The production was good. No moments really amazed me, but
the job got done. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, this was a decent episode with lasting implications,
but if it weren’t for Lex’s suspicions, I doubt this would have been a
significant landmark. I look back at Insurgence, and I
wonder why it wasn’t delayed a couple of weeks to fit this slot and
kick of February sweeps right. I give Rush 4 out of 6.

In total, Rush receives 28 out of 42.

6 replies on “Smallville Review – “Rush””

  1. Other than today being February 4th…
    Very nice review, as always.
    I was actually hoping that Clark would be affected by exactly the same thing as the other two, but what he was affected by was fairly predictable, and made sense.
    It does make me wonder where pete had been stashing the substance though.

    • Re: Other than today being February 4th…

      Very nice review, as always.
      I was actually hoping that Clark would be affected by exactly the same thing as the other two, but what he was affected by was fairly predictable, and made sense.
      It does make me wonder where pete had been stashing the substance though.

      I assumed Chloe held on to the sample she had in Red, and Pete used a chunk of that.

      • Re: Other than today being February 4th…

        It does make me wonder where pete had been stashing the substance though.

        I assumed Chloe held on to the sample she had in Red, and Pete used a chunk of that.

        There’s kryptoni…er….I mean meteor rocks all over Smallville, I figured that all Pete had to do was rummage around a little bit to find a red one.

        I did like the punch in the face though. In a public place no less, thus reaffirming that Clarck isn’t invulnerable to everyone not in the know : )

        • Re: Other than today being February 4th…

          There’s kryptoni…er….I mean meteor rocks all over Smallville, I figured that all Pete had to do was rummage around a little bit to find a red one.

          I thought that in “Red” it was fairly large area that had all red meteorites. Should’ve been easy to get another one.

        • Re: Other than today being February 4th…

          I did like the punch in the face though. In a public place no less, thus reaffirming that Clarck isn’t invulnerable to everyone not in the know : )

          Yeah, I liked that bit too. ;)

          I just wish that they’d make up their minds already. Does he get together with Chloe or Lana? Pick one and be done with it. Seeing Clark and Lana get close to hooking up and then blowing it every week is getting really old really fast… know what I mean?

  2. I’m getting so sick of this
    Well

    Just in case anyone is reading this so late after the first showing in the States, I wanted to make my feelings clear on the subject of Clark’s idiotic behaviour when it comes to Lana.

    Here is an exercise for clark to complete. It’s multiple choice, so hopefully it wont be too much of a strain on that super brain of his.

    If you are COMPLETELY innocent of any wrong doing and, somehow, the girl of your dreams has, yet again, misinterpreted some situation and now thinks you hate her, do you:

    1. Explain what actually happened and get really emotional while telling her how much it hurts you that, no matter how many times in the past you have been there for her and proven your love and devotion, not to mention your life saving skills and the fact that everything you EVER say comes true, she will, without any hesitation, take the smallest amount of circumstantial information and decide that you’re a complete idiot who has a penchant upsetting her and making her life a misery
    2. Stand there in silence as she cries and put a really guilty look on your face and make absolutely NO attempt to defend yourself

    Does anyone else find that a little bit ridiculous?

    The only time I can remember Clark actually standing up for himself was at the end of the Dichotic episode. We really need to see more of this. While I like television with gives me an emotional response, I wouldn’t say I enjoy feeling compelled to shout things like “For heavens sake SAY SOMETHING, SUPERFOOL!!” as he again refuses to put Lana straight about something… Sigh…

    Also, I have so little respect for Lana it’s not even funny. So many episodes now have ended with her angry with clark with the state of mind that any possibility of a relationship has gone out the window and then a couple of episodes down the line, it’s all forgotten about and the only question is what he’s going to do to screw it up this week, rather than if. It’s such a shame because I enjoyed the whole “finally asking her out on a proper date” scene a lot, and was even fooled into thinking it might actually work… Alas, no.

    I wonder how he’s going to screw it up with Lana next week.

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