Sorry for the massively delayed review on this one. I've had some work/family things pop up, and unfortunately this past week I've been feeling ill. Better later than never though, right?
This episode continued to focus on the fallout of Tal Rho's attack on Smallville. This is primarily felt through the Cushing family, as Kyle is once again told to take a leave of absence from his position as a fireman (this time being told to do so by the Mayor). Kyle then attempts to make amends with fellow firemen at the coffee house, only to be furthered rejected. He then starts to consider leaving Smallville altogether. Sarah also begins to receive resentment at school due to what happened, resulting in her leaving for the day. Jordan follows her, and they both end up getting caught by the police (not before sharing a heartfelt moment together though). Later, Lana overhears the Mayor planning to throw Kyle under the bus despite previously promising to help them set the record straight. With all these factors adding up, I suspect a pretty big shakeup for the Cushing's as the season comes to a close.
(Side Note: How about Jonathan too? He just continues to get the shaft!)
On the Superman front, the episode mainly dealt with the question, "Should there be Kryptonian weapons available for the government to use against Superman?". General Sam Lane surprises Clark by telling him that he plans on destroying all the Kryptonite weapons he has created, due to the distrust they have caused in his family. Initially, Clark is in agreement but eventually starts to question if maybe a defense against him is actually necessary. Sam tells Lois about this, and of course, she gets superheated and tells Clark that he's making a mistake. Clark explains that despite his best intentions, he felt good when he lost control over his powers, and there needs to be a fail-safe in case it ever happens again. The two compromise, and instead of leaving the Kryptonite weapons under the DOD's hands, Clark puts them under the ownership of John Henry Irons. Want to talk about a relationship that's come a long way?!
Lois also experienced some fallout in this episode, as she loses the trust of Chrissy due to her having to lie and withhold information surrounding the DOD and Tal-Rho. You have to really feel bad for Lois here, as she got stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does she keep her journalistic integrity, or keep her trust between her, her father, and her husband? A relatably hard decision to make, indeed. While she still managed to get some info for Chrissy to write a story, time will tell if it's enough to mend their friendship and professional trust.
Lastly on the Tal-Rho front. Throughout the episode, we see glimpses of his upbringing on Earth. We find out he wasn't always keen on his father's plan, and that he actually might've ended up becoming a decent person if it wasn't for him. Despite it all, however, at the end of the episode, we witness some sort of transformation happen to him that allows him to break free of his Kryptonite cell, and subsequently, fly into the sun and begin absorbing its energy. I'm not quite sure what it all means, but it certainly can't be good.
Overall, a solid episode that sets up the final two installments very well!
What do you think of the episode?
