Smallville Review – “Siren”

Sorry this is a day late. My day job has been very interesting this week.

Cast

Tom Welling as Clark Kent
Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang
Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance as Lois Lane
Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olson
Laura Vandervoort as Kara
Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
John Glover as Lionel Luthor

Written by Brian Peterson and Kelly Sounders
Directed by Kevin Fair

Original Airdate

Siren originally aired on Thursday, February 7, 2008.

Synopsis

While working for Oliver Queen, Chloe is attacked by a woman with black leather clothes, fishnet stockings, and a subsonic scream.

High Point

A secret identity is actually revealed for once. In fact, more than one of them are.

Low Point

The final line of dialogue was the most irritating part of the final scene. If anyone involved in writing or planning for the series is reading this: LET IT GO. MOVE ON. THE AUDIENCE ALREADY KNOWS HOW THAT STORY ENDS. TELL THAT STORY ALREADY.

The Review

The originality is in how easily they discover each other’s identities. Otherwise, it’s the standard combat-filled misunderstanding when heroes meet for the first time before finally teaming up against the real villain. The continual attempts to reconcile Clark and Lana are also getting really irritating. Given last week’s events, this would have been the perfect time for Lana to leave Clark for good, now that she knows what he could choose to be, leaving him to a sympathetic evening with the recently heartbroken Lois. I give it 2 out of 6 for originality.

The effects were solid, particularly with the scream effects. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story, though unoriginal, did move things forward (and backward) as planned. If they’d just left the Clark and Lana thing alone, or simply taken it apart, it would have helped a lot. I give it 4 out of 6.

The acting from Alaina Huffman was decent as Black Canary. The main cast did decent work, though Kreuk’s idea of inner strength seems to halt all emotion. Durance did decent work for most of the episode, but was actually very good in the “Rocky Road” scene. I give it 4 out of 6.

The emotional response that should have been great with the return of the early JLA, but that excitement was crushed by the Clark/Lana relationship. It’s getting to the point where those two have persevered through so much that it’ll be hard to ever find some reason for the two of them to give up on the relationship. They need to find something to do it, and soon. I give it 2 out of 6.

The production was very good, particularly with the sound design on the Black Canary. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag. I’d like to give the Black Canary plotline a much higher score than the Clark/Lana plotline, so I’ll average them and go with 4 out of 6, and really hope they’ve decided to do the final breakup on the Valentine’s Day episode to really drive a stake in it.

In total, Siren receives 26 out of 42.

2 replies on “Smallville Review – “Siren””

  1. Lana must die and Clark must move on
    As I posted in the review of the last episode, the Clark/Lana crap has made me not want to watch the show anymore. The dramatic, crappy teen music and the longing stares at the moon by both of them just makes me want to gag. It was good when it was Lifehouse doing the songs and Clark was pining for Lana in the early seasons. Now it’s like some stupid soap opera that my parents watched when I was a kid. Neverending, dysfunctional relationship drama. "Will they make it work through all this adversity?!" Please God no, make it stop.

    And now that complaints about this drama are actually coming through in these reviews it makes me want to watch this episode even less (it remains unwatched on my Tivo). Clark and Lana’s little dysfunctional relationship needs to end now, preferably by Lana’s death. I’m only sticking around to see how the show wraps up (please be this season). I’ve been watching since the pilot and feel almost obligated to stick it out. But I’m having to force myself to watch it now, which sucks.

    • Re: Lana must die and Clark must move on

      I’ve been watching since the pilot and feel almost obligated to stick it out. But I’m having to force myself to watch it now, which sucks.

      Yup, I was just curious enough about the Canary to watch this, but frankly, I’m caring less and less.

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