Smallville Review – “Oracle”

The season ends next week, so naturally the pace is
picking up.

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

Erica Durance as
Lois Lane

Allison Mack as
Chloe Sullivan.

Written by Caroline Dries.

Directed by Whitney Ransick.

Original Airdate


Oracle
originally aired on Thursday,
May 4, 2006.

Synopsis

Lex and Fine are near the completion of their project,
while Lionel
reveals more of his plans and knowledge to Clark.

High Point

The conversation between Lex and Fine in Lex’ office.

Low Point

The amount of time required for Clark to figure it
out.

The Review

This wasn’t very original, but that wasn’t a
big problem.
This episode is about tying together this season’s
loose ends for next
week’s season finale, and that’s what it did. We’d
seen all the
setups, and knew the payoff was coming. There was
only one unexpected
moment in the episode, quite near the end, which seems
to be setting
up a season finale somewhat similar to that from
season two. This one
doesn’t have a comic precedent that I’m aware of, so
I’ll give it 3
out of 6.

The effects were well done, even if they were
effects we’ve
seen before. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story seemed to be just picking up
forward momentum for
the first time in a while. All of the threads started
coming
together, without giving the impression that they were
crammed in at
the last minute. It’s a fine line to walk, but Dries
did it. I give
it 5 out of 6.

The acting had room for subtlety, and it was
used well.
Marsters, Glover, and Rosenbaum set a high standard
for their
coworkers, who are starting to catch up with them. I
give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response was the strongest it’s
been in a
while. Things are really moving now, with everything
really starting
to come together. This show may lag mid-season, but
they sure know
how to end a season. I give it 6 out of 6.

The production was well done, with careful
use of close-up
shots and long shots, with very few medium shots. We
either got a
sense of the scope of things, or a tight, emotional
feel, which is
exactly what this episode needed. I also like the
lower lighting than
past seasons, which helps generate a dark and brooding
feel. I give
it 6 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a strong lead-in to the season
ender. I give
it 5 out of 6.

In total,
Oracle
receives
35
out of 42.

11 replies on “Smallville Review – “Oracle””

  1. Unexpected Moment

    There was only one unexpected moment in the episode, quite near the end, which seems to be setting up a season finale somewhat similar to that from season two.

    Ok, I give up. To what are you referring?

    Great episode. I agree with your low point, but in my book it tied with the Chloe (and her computer) Deus ex machina moment. I think computer hacker chick is great, and I’m used to overlooking computer silliness, but Chloe went from high school journalist that can’t keep her private photos on her computer private, to super hacker (and cracker) overnight. When did that happen?

    • Re: Unexpected Moment

      Ok, I give up. To what are you referring?

      The event just after Lex opens the bottle for he and Lana.

  2. Comic book & high point
    Actually, there is a comic book precedent for part of this episode. Lex Luthor has the power of healing. He got it in a very different way in the comic book though.

    Thus, the end shot of Lex’s hand was my high point.

  3. Has Luthor Merged with Braniac?
    In the healing towards the end, he healed just like Braniac morphs. I remember in the Justice League cartoon, a part of Branaic and Luthor have merged. This might be the same thing.

  4. Channeling Jor-El
    If Fine didn’t want Lion-El touching him, why didn’t he move away?

    Also, does Fine move too fast for Clark to see?

    Also^2, is Fine that much stronger than Clark?

    Also^3, why did Lex think that the meteor rock might hurt Fine?

    Also^4, Lois’ statements to Clark are not very subtle?

    Also^5, why doesn’t Clark call Lois "Metropolis"? Everybody except Lois is from Smallville.

    • Re: Channeling Jor-El

      If Fine didn’t want Lion-El touching him, why didn’t he move away?

      No reason I can think of. He didn’t seem to move at all from the neck down, so Lion-El might have the ability to trap him in some way.

      Also, does Fine move too fast for Clark to see?

      Clark seems to need to concentrate to use his speed. Perhaps he’d only notice Fine if it was during one of these periods of concentration.

      Also^2, is Fine that much stronger than Clark?

      He seems to be. He also seems able to weaken Clark, as well. We know from the black kryptonite that he can pierce Clark’s skin.

      Also^3, why did Lex think that the meteor rock might hurt Fine?

      Because Lana learned that it could hurt those who came out of the spacecraft that landed in front of her. They assumed that Fine was one of them. I like how nicely it set things up for Lex to know what can hurt Superman.

      Also^4, Lois’ statements to Clark are not very subtle?

      Not a bit.

      Also^5, why doesn’t Clark call Lois "Metropolis"? Everybody except Lois is from Smallville.

      Clark doesn’t use nicknames. I’ve never seen Superman call Batman "Bats" instead of "Batman" or "Bruce," and it would seem weird if he did.

    • Re: Channeling Jor-El

      If Fine didn’t want Lion-El touching him, why didn’t he move away?

      Also, does Fine move too fast for Clark to see?

      Also^2, is Fine that much stronger than Clark?

      Also^3, why did Lex think that the meteor rock might hurt Fine?

      Also^4, Lois’ statements to Clark are not very subtle?

      Also^5, why doesn’t Clark call Lois "Metropolis"? Everybody except Lois is from Smallville.

      The problem I have is why would Lex try the Kryptonite thing on fine, but in five years of suspecting something about Clark, never have pulled out a green rock?

      • Re: Channeling Jor-El

        The problem I have is why would Lex try the Kryptonite thing on fine, but in five years of suspecting something about Clark, never have pulled out a green rock?

        Because he learned about that weakness from Lana in this episode.

  5. next week’s preview
    Why oh why? I get that they need to make it "big", but c’mon, a fight between Clark and a Kryptonized Lex can’t possibly have long-term implications. Very little in established canon works if Lex knows Clark’s secret before Clark even dons the cape, and we’ve known this for five years.

    So now we have a huge dramatic battle that, ultimately, impacts nothing. Clark has already pushed Lana away; that plot thread has all the motion it needs already. Lex can’t remember the fight, because he would later realize who Superman really was the first time he flew into sight and pulled a cat out of a tree. We’re already guaranteed some cheap plot device for amnesia, which makes the whole thing less attractive to me.

    On another note, I do agree that Clark was entirely too naive about Fine. Some naivety is required for the character — after all, he is the Big Blue Boy Scout — but that was a little excessive.

    • Re: next week’s preview

      We’re already guaranteed some cheap plot device for amnesia, which makes the whole thing less attractive to me.

      I Don’t Think We Need Amnesia. Smallville Isn’t The Comics, While It Might Draw From Them, It’s It’s Own Mythos. Lex Could Find Out. Also, Kryptonite Could Turn Out To Be A Virus, That The Vaccine Lex Developes Destroys. And Then Clark Could Die From The Resulting Mutated Virus. Then They Could All Turn Into Ponies And Prance Away.

      We Know Generally Where They’re Headed Because Of The Comics, But We Don’t Really Know For Certain.

      • Re: next week’s preview

        I Don’t Think We Need Amnesia.

        It’s not that we need it, it’s just that SmallVille is the concussion capital of the universe.

        Bring back Amnesia Man! He’ll save the plot!

Comments are closed.