Smallville Review – “Pariah”

Lex and Chloe fans can go to bed happy tonight.

Cast

Tom
Welling
as
Clark Kent

Kristen Kreuk as
Lana Lang

Michael
Rosenbaum
as Lex Luthor

John
Glover

as Lionel Luthor

Annette
O’Toole
as Martha Kent

John
Schneider
as Jonathan Kent

Jensen Ackles as
Jason Teague

Allison Mack as
Chloe Sullivan.

Written by Holly Herald.

Directed by Paul Shapiro.

Original Airdate


Pariah
originally aired on Wednesday,
February 2, 2005.

Synopsis

Alicia is the prime suspect in a series of attacks
against Clark’s
friends.

High Point

The complete lack of insomnia, last minute medical
attention, or any
of the other big red reset buttons that would usually
be used to undo
what was done here tonight.

Low Point

I like that she found out, but I dislike that it was
practically
handed to her.

The Review

There might very well be some new and
original directions for
this show to take starting with tonight. Many of the
events didn’t
feel terribly original right now, but thinking about
where they can
take the show through the rest of the season, I’d say
it’s a pretty
good job. This is probably the turning point of the
season. I give
it 4 out of 6.

The effects were fairly nicely done. The
one new effect
looked more like a spotted sheet than a cloud, but I
suspect that’s a
matter of the cost and time involved in doing the CGI
on a large
number of particles. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story was strong as a piece of a larger
puzzle, but I’m
not sure it would stand on its own. It requires a
lot of knowledge of
the backstory to follow. Those of us who’ve been
around a while
should be easy to please with this; don’t use this to
induct a new
fan. I’ll give it 5 out of 6, as there’s no terribly
pressing need
for an episode that’s half way through the fourth
season of a series
to be completely accessible to new fans.

The acting was pretty good, particularly
when showing us a
side of Clark we haven’t seen before. I give it 5
out of 6.

The emotional response was very strong this
week. The scenes
with Mrs. Teague, Lex, Clark, and Chloe were all
great. The teaser
worked for me, too, but I’m a sucker for Joan Jett.
I give it 5 out
of 6.

The production was well designed, with the
various locations
and camera angles well chosen for natural reveals of
major events. I
give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, this was a pretty solid episode,
presenting us with
some potentially great paths for the series to
follow. I give it 5
out of 6.

In total,
Pariah
receives
33
out of 42.

10 replies on “Smallville Review – “Pariah””

  1. The old “Sleepless Nights” cliche

    The complete lack of insomnia

    Did you mean “amnesia”?

    • Re: The old “Sleepless Nights” cliche

      The complete lack of insomnia

      Did you mean “amnesia”?

      I did. It was a long day yesterday…

  2. Nooooo!!!
    I was bummed by this episode. I’ll avoid any spoilers, but those who saw it know what I’m talking about. Other than that very tragic part, the who episode was great. I agree about being a little put off by how easily Chloe found out. There was no build up to that whatsoever. But I loved Chloe’s reaction to it after finding out, and the stuff she said to Clark at the graveyard, kind of hinting that “I know you’re different but I’m not freaked out and I’m still here for you”. And Tom did a great job with the emotional Clark too. What happened?! It’s like he flipped a switch and has made Clark more like a real person now instead of the usual robot he’s played him for all these years.

    • Re: Nooooo!!!

      And Tom did a great job with the emotional Clark too. What happened?! It’s like he flipped a switch and has made Clark more like a real person now instead of the usual robot he’s played him for all these years.

      I really don’t think Tom has done a bad job with Clark. He’s playing a person who’s always holding back (in fear of hurting someone) and trying to hide something major about himself. I think playing that honestly would make you seem wooden. That’s what makes Kal so intense, Kal doesn’t hold back or hide. That’s why he was so good when he was playing Lionel. And that’s why he as good last night… for most of the episode he wasn’t hideing.

  3. at least this show is good (and not cancelled)
    Spoiler warning!

    I think, based on what we’ve seen throughout this season and with what Lois said to Chloe, she also knows about Clark – perhaps not quite all of it, but enough to know that he’s not quite normal.

    I’m in agreement with the low point – there definitely should have been more build to that, but now she knows! And she didn’t out him!

    Although I was unsurprised by her death, I was still saddened, but (at least) it’s starting to harden Clark into realizing that inaction can have consequences too.

    Now all we need is more Lionel and Jor-el, and I will be happy.

  4. Plot holes
    How come a teleporter wouldn’t teleport away when attacked?

    Also, when she teleports Cloe, how come they leave standing up and arrive in the car sitting down?

    And, from “Transference”, I can accept Lex believing that he was so strong in Clark’s body because of the transference, but how could he not be suspicious when Clark’s dad expected him to be strong (“Come on Clark, lift this up!”)?

    The demon proofreader strikes again:)

    Martin Cohen

    • Re: Plot holes

      And, from “Transference”, I can accept Lex believing that he was so strong in Clark’s body because of the transference, but how could he not be suspicious when Clark’s dad expected him to be strong (“Come on Clark, lift this up!”)?

      The demon proofreader strikes again:)

      Martin Cohen

      That was Lionel, not Lex, and he’s claiming amnesia during the incident (which I believe about as much as his blindness a couple of seasons ago)

    • Re: Plot holes

      How come a teleporter wouldn’t teleport away when
      attacked?

      Anyone she’s in contact with teleports with her, and
      teleporting with someone seems draining. She didn’t have
      time to react to being grabbed, and after that, she’d need
      to concentrate mid-panic to get out of there, and would
      drag him along, anyway.

      • Re: Plot holes

        How come a teleporter wouldn’t teleport away when
        attacked?

        Anyone she’s in contact with teleports with her

        Only if she want them to, according to her, in her first appearance.

  5. Alicia’s not THAT evil.
    everyone hates alicia i mean yeah so she tried to kill lana in her uber-obsession with clark but she did make the town a little livelier. its sad though i really liked alicia. she should not have died.

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