11 replies on “Smallville Discussion – “Velocity””

  1. Role reversal
    Pete doesn’t get knocked out and Clark does!

    And Lana’s BF is heading in the psycho freak direction…

    • Re: Role reversal

      And Lana’s BF is heading in the psycho freak direction…

      I think they’re trying to create a market for Kryptonite-enhanced products, now that it’s also a fuel enhancer. “Kryptonite: Good for every purpose!”

      With a “use at your own risk” in the very fine print.

      I’m wondering how much of the “is he Bruce Wayne?” was deliberate misdirection. Not that that’s a gripe, when it’s done right, I love being taken for a ride in the wrong direction.

      But as misdirections go, this one, if it was deliberate, wasn’t a great one, there wasn’t that classic sense of “ooh, you got me good” that there is when there’s the one obvious clue that was in plain sight.

      I loved it when Pete reminded Clark at the beginning that he’s good at keeping secrets, and the ambiguity about whether it was a threat or not. A sidekick with moral ambiguity!

      • Re: Role reversal

        I loved it when Pete reminded Clark at the beginning that he’s good at keeping secrets, and the ambiguity about whether it was a threat or not. A sidekick with moral ambiguity!

        I have to confess, I was surprised at the ending: normally in shows like this, they’d make up and chalk it up to experience, but they’ve got Clark realizing that he has an above average responsibility, as well as this probably being more realistic as well. Pete really went too far asking Clark to steal for him. And Lex basically saying “see? it’s not so easy taking the high road is it?” I’m absolutely amazed that a show that gives you this much to think about while still being entertaining is staying on the air. I thought Sam Jones did a decent, though not great, job of acting too, with probably the most substantial role he’s had as Pete. Showed a lot of promise though…

        • Re: Role reversal

          Pete really went too far asking Clark to steal for him. And Lex basically
          saying “see? it’s not so easy taking the high road is it?”

          I thought he looked kinda proud of Clark in a way, really nice ambiguity.

          I thought Sam Jones did a
          decent, though not great, job of acting too, with probably the most
          substantial role he’s had as Pete. Showed a lot of promise though…

          His nostrils were all flary when he was racing angry…

        • Re: Role reversal

          I loved it when Pete reminded Clark at the beginning that he’s good at keeping secrets, and the ambiguity about whether it was a threat or not. A sidekick with moral ambiguity!

          I have to confess, I was surprised at the ending: normally in shows like this, they’d make up and chalk it up to experience, but they’ve got Clark realizing that he has an above average responsibility, as well as this probably being more realistic as well. Pete really went too far asking Clark to steal for him. And Lex basically saying “see? it’s not so easy taking the high road is it?” I’m absolutely amazed that a show that gives you this much to think about while still being entertaining is staying on the air. I thought Sam Jones did a decent, though not great, job of acting too, with probably the most substantial role he’s had as Pete. Showed a lot of promise though…

          I’d have to agree completely with you there. I was impressed that they didn’t end it with the typical “yeah, we’re buds again, forget about it!” And I’m even MORE happy that they didn’t end it with the same Lana/Clark stare and sappy music. They still have that way too much during every episode, but I suppose it has to be there since Clark always wanted her, and eventually leaves Smallville and considers her his “first love”. So they really have to play up that failed romance some I guess. I’m just glad they didn’t end the episode with it again.

          But I must say, I will actually be sad when Lex and Clark are finally arch enemies. Even though their friendship seems to teeter on fake sometimes (both are lying to each other, but like each other too much to confront I think). But the characters really seem to care about one another. I just can’t imagine those two being enemies. It will be a sad (and exciting) day when the tide turns there.

          • Re: Role reversal

            I’m even MORE happy that they didn’t end it with the same Lana/Clark stare and sappy music. They still have that way too much during every episode…

            But I must say, I will actually be sad when Lex and Clark are finally arch enemies. Even though their friendship seems to teeter on fake sometimes (both are lying to each other, but like each other too much to confront I think). But the characters really seem to care about one another. I just can’t imagine those two being enemies. It will be a sad (and exciting) day when the tide turns there.

            The Lana/Clark stuff (aka “Cow eyes on Parade”) is really wearing to me because it doesn’t go anywhere for plot or character development. Wow, Clark’s secrecy is keeping them apart!!!!?!?! That’s new!!! And they want to be together!!?!?!? Whoulda thunk it!?!?!?

            They could use the situation to go in any number of directions. How about Clark trying to figure out just how things would change if she knew, trying to find a way he could either tell her or let her figure it out? How about it giving Lana a real temptation to dig into Clark’s secrets, but in a different way than Chloe does? Trying to find out from Martha?

            But as it is, they don’t use it for plot or for character development, but instead, for playing “sappy music that we just happen to sell.”

            One thing that was kinda weird (and I hope deliberately weird) is the way that Clark clearly could have confessed to Lex that he stole the car. Lex makes it clear that he isn’t angry about it and there was even a hint that he was anticipating it. But the way that Clark lied, knowing that Lex knew he was lying, made him seem as though he’s morally okay with deceiving Lex, rather than very reluctant to.

            In one of the comic book versions, way early, Lex and Clark did grow up in Smallville as friends and what destroyed their friendship was when Lex was doing some questionable experiments. Maybe even creating life or something like that, I forget. Sometimes the show looks like it’s heading that way.

            Since they’re not sticking to canon, I’d be really interested to see if it turns into a case of Lex as a ruthless pragmatic and Clark as an ethical code above all else type of person. Lex wouldn’t have any qualms about advancing scientific knowledge, seeing that as the greater good, or about the methods he uses to get there, using Lionel’s type of tactics but for a different goal than just accumulating more money and power. Clark would be more of the “ends don’t justify the means” and “there are things that people just shouldn’t be able to do,” and there’d even be some inconsistency there, because he does have the power to do a lot of those things.

            Another twist might be that Clark and Lex remain friends but Lex and Superman are bitter enemies. Clark tries to change him while Superman tries to thwart him. Or there’s the clone issue…right now, Lex does seem to have his own moral code, to protect his friends, not hurt innocent people, but to fight an all-out and dirty battle if he thinks somebody has betrayed him. So if he dies and Lionel clones him, the clone would have the intelligence but, like Emily, wouldn’t have ethics or a conscience.

            Just as long as it’s something they keep building up to, rather than a sudden “enemies now” thing!

      • Re: Role reversal

        I’m wondering how much of the “is he Bruce Wayne?” was deliberate misdirection. Not that that’s a gripe, when it’s done right, I love being taken for a ride in the wrong direction.

        It was a really good misdirection because I didn’t even know I was being misdirected! What “is he Bruce Wayne” thing are you refering to?

        • Re: Role reversal

          It was a really good misdirection because I didn’t even
          know I was being misdirected! What “is he Bruce Wayne”
          thing are you refering to?

          Adam has dead parents, a bunch of skills Bruce Wayne would
          have, serious anger management issues, and a tendency to
          dress in black, grey, and yellow. Some thought he was
          Bruce Wayne.

          • Re: Role reversal

            It was a really good misdirection because I didn’t even
            know I was being misdirected! What “is he Bruce Wayne”
            thing are you refering to?

            Adam has dead parents, a bunch of skills Bruce Wayne would
            have, serious anger management issues, and a tendency to
            dress in black, grey, and yellow. Some thought he was
            Bruce Wayne.

            Plus his last name is Knight.

            • Re: Role reversal

              It was a really good misdirection because I didn’t even
              know I was being misdirected! What “is he Bruce Wayne”
              thing are you refering to?

              Adam has dead parents, a bunch of skills Bruce Wayne would
              have, serious anger management issues, and a tendency to
              dress in black, grey, and yellow. Some thought he was
              Bruce Wayne.

              Plus his last name is Knight.

              Plus, in what I thought was a hidden joke, Adam West is the actor who played Bruce Wayne in the ’60s camp version.

          • Re: Role reversal

            It was a really good misdirection because I didn’t even
            know I was being misdirected! What “is he Bruce Wayne”
            thing are you refering to?

            Adam has dead parents, a bunch of skills Bruce Wayne would
            have, serious anger management issues, and a tendency to
            dress in black, grey, and yellow. Some thought he was
            Bruce Wayne.

            You know, fuck you man, ’cause time’s gonna tell on that one.
            ;-)

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