Smallville Review – “Fever”

One week until Christopher Reeve’s guest appearance, and it’s a heck of a week.

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 Matthew Okumura, who doesn’t seem to have an IMDB entry
under that name.
Directed by Bill
Gereghty
.

Original Airdate


Fever
originally aired on Tuesday,
February 18, 2003.

Synopsis

Martha Kent stirs up something toxic while burying the octagon.

High Point

Being forced to trust a stranger, especially one with ties to a
certain individual.

Low Point

The Talon Mix. That entire scene felt awkward, but that spot was such
a blatant promotion for the thing that’s it’s hard to ignore.

The Review

This felt original for Smallville, but so many of
the elements have been seen in other shows that it wasn’t completely
new. I give it 4 out of 6.

The only real effects were in the opening and closing
sequences. The effects near the end looked great, but the ones at the
beginning were terrible. Was that lung tissue, or did she swallow the
circuits of time? I give it 3 out of 6.

The story was well written, with the exception of that last
scene. It really felt like the WB told them they needed to plug the
CD, so they wrote the entire scene around that bit. I give it 5 out
of 6, because the rest was very strong, and that last bit didn’t feel
like the writers or producers really wanted it there.

The acting was very good from just about everyone. John
Schneider really had a chance to shine this week. Kristen Kreuk was
weak as usual, and Tom Welling was pretty bland as well. Still,
neither case was very distracting. I give it 5 out of 6 for the
strong secondary ensemble.

The emotional response was very strong. This was an intense
hour, and with the exception of the Talon Mix and everything after it,
that response was intensely positive. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production was the typical Smallville high.
(Let’s face it; I find shows with low production value hard to
stomach, unless they are Ed Wood low. I don’t watch anything with
poor production.) The only part that seemed to be odd was the layout
and decor in the hospital waiting room. I’ve never seen a hospital
waiting room with etched statues in my life; it did not look sterile.
I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, this was a worthy addition to sweeps week and the
Smallville series. Also, I’m betting on a mid-to-late May
due date. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total,
Fever
receives 32 out of 42.

29 replies on “Smallville Review – “Fever””

  1. *sigh* Clark, Clark, Clark…
    Boy, the way Clark keeps alienating the only two non-psycho/non-kryptonite-infected girls in Smallville, pretty soon he’ll only have Pete to turn to for companionship, if you know what I mean.

    Okay episode, but I was really disappointed because for some reason I had thought this week was the Christopher Reeve ep. Guess I’ll just have to wait a little while longer.

    • Re: *sigh* Clark, Clark, Clark…

      Okay episode, but I was really disappointed because for some reason I had thought this week was the Christopher Reeve ep. Guess I’ll just have to wait a little while longer.

      I Bet That Christopher Reeve Says to Clark At One Point: “I used To Be You…” And After A Pause Long Enough To Make Everyone Wonder, he Adds something Like “the Boy, Looking For Answers.”

  2. Ohhh. Mystic Healing

    I liked the show but one thing really bugged me (besides
    the low point). Did the ship heal everyone in the hospital? If
    not, why only the Kents? If so, why the focus on Martha as
    opposed to to headlines like “Entire Hospital Healed.”

    Am I the only one who expects this baby to miscarry or be
    stillborn? I just can’t see them changing things so much. I
    suppose the other option is that the baby will be born and will
    grow up in one episode and the “baby” will be the krypto-freak
    of the week. I can see it now: A tall teen in a black trechcoat
    enters the room and proceeds to beat the crap out of
    Clark.

    Clark: You killed my brother!

    Teen: No. I am your brother.

    Clark: Noooooooo!

    • Re: Ohhh. Mystic Healing

      I liked the show but one thing really bugged me (besides
      the low point). Did the ship heal everyone in the hospital? If
      not, why only the Kents? If so, why the focus on Martha as
      opposed to to headlines like “Entire Hospital Healed.”

      I assumed that everyone in the hospital was healed, because so many people in housecoats were wandering around out front after the flash.

      • Re: Ohhh. Mystic Healing

        I assumed that everyone in the hospital was healed, because
        so many people in housecoats were wandering around out
        front after the flash.

        I hadn’t noticed that. However, I think that if it was
        hospital-wide, the doctor would not have focused on Martha
        so much. Although she does know something is weird with
        Clark so maybe that’s why. Still, it seemed forced to me.

        • Re: Ohhh. Mystic Healing

          I think that if it was
          hospital-wide, the doctor would not have focused on Martha
          so much. Although she does know something is weird with
          Clark so maybe that’s why. Still, it seemed forced to me.

          The other patients were healed, and Martha was BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD. When a doctor declares that a patient has at best a few days to live, that the patient then dies in her hands after everything had been done to recussitate her, that the time of death was recorded. When that doctor then sees the patient in question come back from the dead in front of her very eyes in a mysterious white energetic flash, then its pretty damn normal for that doctor to be a bit curious about it all.

    • Re: Ohhh. Mystic Healing

      Am I the only one who expects this baby to miscarry or be stillborn? I just can’t see them changing things so much. I suppose the other option is that the baby will be born and will grow up in one episode and the “baby” will be the krypto-freak of the week.

      I’m figuring that the ship did more than just fix it so that Martha could become pregnant; it also impregnated her, so the baby is some kind of quasi-Kryptonian. Maybe it will be the Earth-Smallville version of Supergirl?

  3. Lana
    What is up with Lana? Is she suddenly hot for Clark just ’cause the blond wants him?

    And does anybody else get the feeling that Chloe will change her name for Lois and dye her hair black sometime in the forseable future? ;- )

    • Re: Lana

      What is up with Lana? Is she suddenly hot for Clark just
      ’cause the blond wants him?

      My take is that Lana has always like him but is jealous
      because Chloe is so into him.

      And does anybody else get the feeling that Chloe will change
      her name for Lois and dye her hair black sometime in the
      forseable future? ;- )

      I could see that, but I think it would be a bit obvious. No, I
      expect Chloe to die a grusome death in the finale before we
      pick up and move to Metropolis. Perhaps they’ll use that to
      push Clark into his Superman persona instead of the
      Shuttle/plane crash from the comics.

      • Re: Lana

        And does anybody else get the feeling that Chloe will change
        her name for Lois and dye her hair black sometime in the
        forseable future? ;- )

        I could see that, but I think it would be a bit obvious. No, I
        expect Chloe to die a grusome death in the finale before we
        pick up and move to Metropolis. Perhaps they’ll use that to
        push Clark into his Superman persona instead of the
        Shuttle/plane crash from the comics.

        Never thought of that, though now that you mention it it does seem like the best way to use her at the end of the series. They’ll probably do it in such a way as to set up the enmity between Clark and Lex.

        On the other hand, it would totally suck if we just figured out what a major plot point in the series finale would be years before it airs.

        • Re: Lana

          On the other hand, it would totally suck if we just figured out
          what a major plot point in the series finale would be years
          before it airs.

          I call dibs :-)

          • Re: Lana

            I call dibs :-)

            You’re at least a year too late. Check out the alt.tv.smallville archives on google groups for the details.

      • Re: Lana
        I’m holding out hope that we’ll eventually see Lois on the show. Ooh, like maybe she’s a friend that Chloe made during that summer Daily Planet internship! She comes to Smallville to visit Chloe and Clark falls for her. Yet another obstacle to Chloe-Clark love.

        And then, after the series ends, Clark moves to Metropolis were he meets up with Lois again and the rest is history, with Lana forgotten, fat and drunk in a Smallville trailer park. Heh heh.

      • Re: Lana

        I
        expect Chloe to die a grusome death in the finale before we
        pick up and move to Metropolis.

        Well, ever since the pilot I’ve figured that Chloe and Pete are doomed. They aren’t in the canon, and something has to push Clark to become a glasses wearing dork instead of the loveable farm boy he is now. But last night made me think that perhaps by the time our faverite Kryptonian gets over his Lana crush, Chloe might have gotten over him. And if she’s ever to be taken seriously as a big-shot journalist, her teenage wall-of-weird days might need to be forgotten. So that might save Chloe. As for Pete, unless he pulls a Michael Jackson and changes his name too, he’s not going to be Superman’s Pal, so he’s a goner for sure.

        • Re: Lana

          Well, ever since the pilot I’ve figured that Chloe and Pete are doomed. They aren’t in the canon

          Actually, Pete Ross has a long history as part of the Superman canon. Just not in the same form he has in the tv series. In current continuity, IIRC, he is some high mucky-muck in Lex Luthor’s presidential administration. Vice-President, maybe? And I think he’s also married to Lana Lang. Oh, and he’s white.

          • Re: Lana

            Well, ever since the pilot I’ve figured that Chloe and Pete are doomed. They aren’t in the canon

            Actually, Pete Ross has a long history as part of the Superman canon. Just not in the same form he has in the tv series. In current continuity, IIRC, he is some high mucky-muck in Lex Luthor’s presidential administration. Vice-President, maybe? And I think he’s also married to Lana Lang. Oh, and he’s white.

            Wow, that’s, something! What is that saying? Pete goes to work for Lex? After he turns evil? And him a Lana Falls in love? And he does a Michael Jackson?

      • Re: Lana

        What is up with Lana? Is she suddenly hot for Clark just
        ’cause the blond wants him?

        My take is that Lana has always like him but is jealous
        because Chloe is so into him.

        And does anybody else get the feeling that Chloe will change
        her name for Lois and dye her hair black sometime in the
        forseable future? ;- )

        I could see that, but I think it would be a bit obvious. No, I
        expect Chloe to die a grusome death in the finale before we
        pick up and move to Metropolis. Perhaps they’ll use that to
        push Clark into his Superman persona instead of the
        Shuttle/plane crash from the comics.

        Huh. I’ve never really thought of it before, I just assumed that Lana was Lois. I always wondered why they had her name Lana instead of Lois. Then, I just figured Lana is her middle name or they changed her name for the paper she worked for but, huh. Has Lana ever been in one of the superman episodes as a old lover or a villian?

        • Re: Lana

          Huh. I’ve never really thought of it before, I just assumed that Lana
          was Lois. I always wondered why they had her name Lana instead of
          Lois. Then, I just figured Lana is her middle name or they changed her
          name for the paper she worked for but, huh. Has Lana ever been in
          one of the superman episodes as a old lover or a villian?

          Lana has been in the comics for a long time, as Clark’s high school
          sweetheart. She was also in two of the Christopher Reeve movies (1
          and 3.) She’s not Lois.

  4. Pre-empted?!
    Was I the only one who didn’t get to see it thanks to a particular station deciding to show basketball insted of Smallville?

    • Re: Pre-empted?!

      Was I the only one who didn’t get to see it thanks to a
      particular station deciding to show basketball insted of
      Smallville?

      The local basketball team here is the Nuggets and the
      chance of them being on TV anytime in the next decade is
      remote. So Smallville is safe. Now Enterprise vs. the
      Avalanche is a different story. :-)

  5. Two low points
    I almost couldn’t stand watching Jonathon “sneak” into the compound to steal the key, just knowing what was coming would be completely unbelievable. Sometimes I hate being right.

    And then, the ship makes a major spectacle of itself in a very public way, and no one notices? One has to assume it healed everyone in the hospital, and it doesn’t make headlines around the world? The FBI would be swarming all over the Kents like Agent Pierce on Max, Isabel and Michael.

    Although I’m not overjoyed at the blatant pushing of CDs that’s common on shows these days, on the other hand, it’s kind of nice to actually see who’s doing the singing when it’s worked in in a reasonable way. On the first hand though, I’m guessing the entire reason Piper got a club on Charmed was so they had a place for the “band promotion of the week”.

    • Re: Two low points

      And then, the ship makes a major spectacle of itself in a very public way, and no one notices?

      To be fair, Smallville IS a small town. To be unfair, why does such a small town HAVE such a big hospital? :)

      • Re: Two low points

        To be unfair, why does such a small town HAVE such a big hospital? :)

        Have you seen their mortality rate? Not to mention the radiation poisoning…

        • Re: Two low points
          Not to mention Luthorcorp and Lexcorp being around. I guess Smallville must be levying either some hefty taxes on the Luthors or some hefty health insurance premiums on its citizens. Either that, or a FEMA grant after that slimy alien dropped all of his planet’s rocks on the town. :)

    • Re: Two low points

      I almost couldn’t stand watching Jonathon “sneak” into the compound to steal the key, just knowing what was coming would be completely unbelievable. Sometimes I hate being right.

      Agreed – it almost seemed like something from The Dukes of Hazzard. It’s not like he’s Bo Duke or some… Nevermind. *Grin*

      To be fair, I was expecting it to be Pete nailing the soldier over the head, and not Clark.

      Although I’m not overjoyed at the blatant pushing of CDs that’s common on shows these days, on the other hand, it’s kind of nice to actually see who’s doing the singing when it’s worked in in a reasonable way.

      This is the second time that Smallville has done this, the first being in Tempest at the Spring Formal with Remy Zero. I’ve thought that both times it was shot fairly well, though they weren’t as overt with Remy Zero as they were with Steadman. I’m not really down with the whole ad in the show thing with the Talon Mix (also, did anyone else notice the huge product placement for Gateway Computers?), as I think they could have ended the show with a shot of Clark opening the spaceship.

      Then again, if I had any control over television shows, Firefly would still be on.

      • Re: Two low points

        Then again, if I had any control over television shows, Firefly would still be on.

        Mental note: Find a way for GrimSean to be granted controll over US television…
        : )

        • Re: Two low points

          Then again, if I had any control over television shows, Firefly would still be on.

          Mental note: Find a way for GrimSean to be granted controll over US television…
          : )

          If he’s willing to kill Survivor while he’s at it, I’ll give you a hand.

          • Re: Two low points

            Then again, if I had any control over television shows, Firefly would still be on.

            Mental note: Find a way for GrimSean to be granted controll over US television…
            : )

            If he’s willing to kill Survivor while he’s at it, I’ll give you a hand.

            So, Grimmy my boy, whaddya say? ;- )

            • Re: Two low points

              Mental note: Find a way for GrimSean to be granted controll over US television…
              : )

              If he’s willing to kill Survivor while he’s at it, I’ll give you a hand.

              So, Grimmy my boy, whaddya say? ;- )

              Kill Survivor and continue Firefly? Done. I’ll have my people phone Fox and tell them to get right on that. I don’t understand how that slipped past me in the first place. Oversight on my part I guess. Sorry.

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