Beware of spoilers for the episode in the article. Please do not continue reading if you haven’t watched the episode yet and you are not okay with being spoiled.
Introduction:
The show took a break for a week and a lot of stuff happened both behind and in front of the camera. The show returned from its break this week and I have to say that this episode felt like the first episode of a season and not the penultimate episode of one ,which is good because the show was just renewed for a fourth season. I see this episode as the true beginning of the show's 4th season.
Lex Luthor :
Bruno Mannheim's admission about framing Lex had one ripple effect we saw coming a mile away. Lex Luthor was finally released from prison and I have to say, this might be the most outright psychopathic version of Lex I've ever seen in any live action media. He isn't sympathetic like Michael Rosenbaum's Lex from Smallville or campy like Jon Cryer's Supergirl Lex. He is every bit as terrifying and calculating as Lex should be after having been consumed by vengeance for nearly two decades. Lex has been planning his revenge , Bruno is in prison and his wife is dead leaving Lois and Superman as his primary targets. Michael Cudlitz gave a great performance in his introductory episode of the show as the iconic DC villain.
The fact Lex took over the prison was in character , he went right to the top and threatened the lives of the prison Warden's wife and his child, effectively pulling the Warden's strings like a puppet. Lex is a master manipulator, he picked the biggest bully in that prison and made him his own literal personal chair for him to sit on. The call back to Lex delivering on everything he promised he would do to the prisoners was scary, from the prisoner without his teeth to the prisoner who ended up in a wheelchair. Lex is not going to stop coming after Lois and Superman.
Lex ,Clark and Lois's verandah confrontation was amazing. This show has operated on it's own level quality wise but the build up of Lex walking to the Kent's mansion , the man walked for a whole day to get to the Kent's farm. I originally thought Lex was ignoring Clark but I'm now not so sure. Lex might have been testing if Clark was Superman and it seemed like he might have figured it out or at least he is now suspicious. Superman is always around to save her and I'm sure because he is keeping track of Lois it's very likely he suspects Clark might be Superman. Lex seems to be able to read people quite well and he definitely knew Clark didn't fear him from that small interaction they had , that probably tipped him off.
Jordan :
Jordan has gotten really cocky and sloppy since he saved Sarah and George Jr . His lack of maturity is putting everyone he cares about at risk. Clark's face when Jordan used his powers to push his hand away said it all , Clark was pissed.
The final straw was Jordan assisting Clark during the tornado against his father's wishes and then to make matters worse taking pictures and videos with people ,even with his costume and goggles on. It's way too risky.I agreed with Sam "Jordan isn't careful enough" not to get caught. Especially with Lex Luthor out of prison and out for blood Jordan's behavior will put him in danger as Superman's kid. Lex talked about how Lois's actions resulted in him losing time with his daughter, so hurting or harming Jordan would be perfect revenge for him. Jordan as a teenager doesn't think too far ahead but how his decisions could have far reaching consequences for not only himself but his family.
Jonathan :
The Jonathan and Kyle storyline was a good example of why this show doesn't really need twelve (12) regular actors. The show seems to have struggled quite a bit with finding things to do with Jordan or even Kyle as characters. Jordan is an interesting character but I feel like his storylines on the show haven't been as interesting or compelling as they can be. Kyle is in a similar boat with the biggest difference between the two characters being Jonathan being more consistently likable. I absolutely love the actors and I wish they had more interesting material to work with.
Lana Lang and Sarah :
Sarah got mad at her mom for a little bit for telling Clark and Lois what she said about Jordan to her in confidence. Jordan's behavior is affecting everyone around him. I don't think Sarah was wrong to talk to her mother about Jordan's behavior , Lana also wasn't wrong to talk to Clark and Lois (as Jordan's parents) so they could try and contain the situation before it got too out of hand. Jordan confronting Sarah was out of line, he needs to be humbled because he thinks he is invincible and the reality is not even Superman is completely invincible. Jordan will meet someone who can take him in a fight. Sarah seems to be maturing whilst Jordan isn't. I wonder what color she'll color her hair, could it be red like her mother in the comics.
The Ending:
Lex's men have been keeping track of Bizarro Superman and the episode ended with Lex going underground and finding the zombified Bizarro Superman eating rats in a scene that truly looked like something out of a horror movie, before both he and his henchman were attacked by Bizarro Superman. One thing we can bet on is that Lex Luthor isn't dead.
Verdict :
A very solid episode of the show which felt like the first episode of a new season, setting up a very interesting 4th season ahead. If the show hadn't been renewed for another season I would have been very mad at the idea of never getting to see that.
Rating:
Story: 8/10
Visuals: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Performances: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
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