Smallville Review – “Quest”

Yesterday’s episode gets a review tonight.

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 Holly Harold
Directed by Ken Biller

Original Airdate

Quest originally aired on Thursday, May 8, 2008.

Synopsis

Lex is attacked by an individual seeking the cryptograph. The attacker carves Kryptonian symbols into Lex’s chest during the attack, which draws the attention of just about everybody. Answers are to be found in Montreal.

High Point

“I think you need me still” was a great line, but I really enjoyed the way they started pulling together threads from the first season right through. It’s almost as though they were aiming for closure, and it felt right.

Low Point

To heck with Kara last week – when did Chloe get so strong?

The Review

Again, the originality we seem to feel from this derives from the feeling that things are becoming what we’ve expected for the first time in this series. It’s not fresh in the context of the 60 year history of the character, but it’s a new feel for this show. I give it 4 out of 6.

The effects were well done until the very end, at which point a physical prop was quite obviously replaced with a CGI object. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story moves forward fairly well, pulling together threads that reach well past this particular season, and doing so in a rather plausible manner, with the exception of the Low Point. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting is well done, with a decidedly evil Lex working off of two very good guest stars. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response was pretty strong for the most part. There’s really only the one moment that jars me out of the story, and that’s the one I’ve already described. Those who helped her get there should have stuck around to help with this end, too. It means paying for another guest star and then explaining why they don’t necessarily stick around, but that would have been easier to explain. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production was very well done. The technical aspects of filming have never been an issue for this crew. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a descent second last episode of the series. (As was pointed out by Madgnome last week, this season has been shortened by the writer’s strike. The season finale is next week.) I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Quest receives 33 out of 42.