Some Thoughts on Justice League and Dawn of Justice

Spoilers for Justice League are in this post! Don't read if you haven't seen the film yet.

With the recent release of Justice League, I’ve had a lot of thoughts about Justice League and Batman vs Superman and how they can’t be dismissed lightly because of how layered the films and the overall story are:

First of all, we can’t take the plot of these films too lightly. If you think Justice League is about the Justice League defeating the alien threat of Steppenwolf and his parademons, then you should go rewatch the film again (I say rewatch it anyways, cause it’s such a great film), as this is the secondary plot of the movie. The primary plot of Justice League is really about the formation of the team and the individual team members having to learn how to come together and unite to form an unbeatable force (it’s all right in front of us in the marketing of the film). They all have a personal journey to make, and they have to overcome their fears and doubts before they can begin to trust each other and work together. This is illustrated to us very well in the beginnings of the film as Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince contact the different metahumans, Barry Allen, Arthur Curry, and Victor Stone. The names of these three and others were given to Bruce by Amanda Waller as shown to us in the Oscar winning film - Suicide Squad, which occurred in between Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

We are also shown how invincible Steppenwolf is as he is able to easily overcome the individual forces, the Amazonians, the Atlanteans, and Man to obtain the Motherboxes. It isn’t until the League is able to unite and work together that they are able to defeat him, and even then they need some “super” help (sorry, couldn’t help myself. lol). We see how, without Superman, Earth is doomed and the inhabitants of Earth would be unable to defeat Steppenwolf. The League has to learn how to work together to bring Superman back and they all played a part in bringing him back with the help of one of the Motherboxes. It isn’t until Superman is fully back and unites with the League that Steppenwolf can be defeated and sent packing.

Some have thought that Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice only showed us 15 mins (or whatever it ended up being) of Superman and Batman actually fighting, if so - then you need to rewatch the film. Batman versus Superman starts in the Prologue of the film when Batman witnesses firsthand the destruction of Metropolis and he sees Superman and Zod destroying Metropolis and he decides Superman is dangerous and he then starts his quest to destroy Superman. The whole movie is Batman/Bruce Wayne’s machinations to destroy Superman.

Having Lex Luthor behind the scenes pulling the strings to drag Batman further down into the darkness is icing on the cake for this film. While Batman is distracted by figuring out a way to defeat Superman, the real villain, who is Lex, ultimately unleashes a devil to destroy a god, in which he eventually succeeds. Lex is aware that in defeating Superman he can bring in true chaos to the world by way of the Motherboxes. The effects of Lex's plan is dealt with in Justice League, which in turn makes that last end credit scene in Justice League more meaningful and it isn't just eye candy.

Lex would’ve triumphed except for he forgot the one thing that trumps everything and can’t be quantified- Love. Especially the love a son has for his mother, and how some men would do anything to protect their mother. He was counting on Clark Kent's love for his mother to manipulate him into defeating Batman, but he overlooked Bruce's love for his long dead mother. Maybe he thought Bruce was too far down the dark path and couldn't be redeemed because of the crimes he had committed. Bruce Wayne became Batman because of the love he had for his mother and father. But he had lost sight of this over the past couple of years due to the darkness of Gotham. He was becoming the type of person he had initially set out to protect people from. Clark’s love for his mother broke through this darkness and reminded Bruce of why he became Batman in the first place. He became Batman to protect the Martha and Thomas Wayne’s of the world.

With Clark Kent speaking the name of “Martha” and to "save Martha" this snapped Bruce back to what he was all about in the first place and he also realized the being in front of him was more like him than he realized. He saw a chance to do what his pre-teen self couldn't do - "save Martha".  He saw that Clark cared just as much for his mother and that his last dying breath was for someone to save his mother regardless of what happened to him. This is why he was willing to spare Superman and go save Martha Kent while Clark went to deal with Lex. Thus the beginning of the Justice League and you can say the Dawn of Justice.

First Tracks from Danny Elfman's Justice League Soundtrack!

Watertower Music has released the first tracks from the Justice League Motion Picture Soundtrack by Danny Elfman. The first track is titled "Hero's Theme" and the second is "Friends and Foes". While Hero's Theme is a new composition, Friends and Foes does contain hints from John Williams iconic Main Theme from 1978's Superman The Movie. Random Angst is hoping that Danny Elfman also includes themes from previous DC movies and is able to weave them into his original compositions. I think that having this musical continuity is key to tying in previous films and stories recently released by WB and DC. Rupert Gregson-Williams was able to do it with the Wonder Woman soundtrack in a satisfying way, so he was able to show that it can be done and be done well.

Stay tuned for more releases and the entire soundtrack can be pre-ordered now and will be available on November 10th, 2017 (per iTunes).

Watertower Music has also released the titles for the 2-Disc soundtrack.

Disc 1 01. Everybody Knows - Sigrid 02. The Justice League Theme - Logos 03. Hero’s Theme 04. Batman on the Roof 05. Enter Cyborg 06. Wonder Woman Rescue 07. Hippolyta's Arrow 08. The Story of Steppenwolf 09. The Amazon Mother Box 10. Cyborg Meets Diana 11. Aquaman in Atlantis 12. Then There Were Three 13. The Tunnel Fight 14. The World Needs Superman 15. Spark of The Flash 16. Friends and Foes 17. Justice League United 18. Home 19. Bruce and Diana 20. The Final Battle 21. A New Hope 22. Anti-Hero’s Theme 23. Come Together – Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL 24. Icky Thump – The White Stripes

Disc 2 01. The Tunnel Fight (Full Length Bonus Track) 02. The Final Battle (Full Length Bonus Track) 03. Mother Russia (Bonus Track)

You can currently stream or buy these two songs on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and other digital music services.

UPDATE: As of today, Oct 30, 2017, Friends and Foes is no longer available to stream or buy (at least via iTunes).  My speculation is that it will be released as a single sometime over the couple of weeks prior to the film release in the theaters. Then it will be available once the album is fully released on November 10, 2017.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 1 – Prologue

 

"There was a time above. A time before. There were perfect things. Diamond absolutes. But things fall, things on earth. And what falls, is fallen. In the dream, they took me to the light. A beautiful lie."

As Batman vs. Superman starts we are shown a prologue that plays an important role in  the story and has major repercussions for the rest of the movie. I haven't seen too many prologues that have such an influence on the rest of a film as this one does. In this prologue we are shown the death of the Bruce's parents at the hands of Joe Chill, we see Bruce's discovery of the caves near his home, and we see the final battle of Kal-El and Zod in Man of Steel but from Bruce Wayne's perspective. This is a lot of ground to cover in the short 10 minutes that is devoted to these scenes.

The prologue starts with the Death of Thomas and Martha Wayne while the haunting score of Hans Zimmer's 'Beautiful Lie' plays during this scene. We also hear the above quoted dialogue from an older Bruce Wayne during this scene.

In regards to the death of the Wayne's, this is a scene that has been shown many times on the big and small screen. I myself have seen it four times in various formats prior to this movie. However, I believe this one is the most impactful of the ones that have previously been shown. This scene focuses solely on the mugging and murder of the Wayne's. Only one word is spoken in this scene, "Martha". This scene focuses more on the loss of Martha Wayne and how a little boy had to watch his mother die. While Batman Begins had focused on the relationship between Bruce and his father, Thomas, this movie is more about the loss of Martha. This scene is juxtaposed with the funeral of the Wayne's and in this film, Bruce discovers the cave full of bats near his home during this time. As Bruce discovers the cave of bats they end up carrying him up to the light and out of the cave as the older Bruce says "In the dream, they took me to the light. A beautiful lie."  These two short scenes are the essence of Batman and are the impetus of how he comes to be. Bruce Wayne becomes Batman because his parents are killed and he desires to right this wrong for the rest of his life.

From there we jump ahead in time to the events that we see at the end of Man of Steel (2013). Bruce Wayne arrives in Metropolis via helicopter from Gotham and witnesses first hand the final battle between Zod and Kal-El while driving on the streets of Metropolis. Bruce has an office building full of friends in Metropolis that he is trying to reach as Metropolis falls apart around him due to the World Builder wreaking havoc in the city. As Bruce reaches his office building, he is too late as he witnesses Zod destroy the building with his laser vision. Bruce can only watch in horror as his building collapses killing his friends and coworkers. Bruce then makes his way to the building to try and find survivors. He helps a security guard, Wally, who is trapped in rubble. He also is able to save a young girl from being killed as debris collapses almost killing her. As Kal-El and Zod continue to fight in the sky above Metropolis, Bruce watches with hatred towards these two aliens who are destroying a city and killing innocents.

This is the moment that Batman starts planning to stop Superman. This is the moment when Batman vs. Superman starts. A common complaint of this movie is that there were only a small amount of actual fighting between Batman and Superman. When in reality, Batman vs. Superman starts 9:50 into the movie.

Zack Snyder does an excellent job of tying in Man of Steel to this movie and propelling the overall story forward. Including this prologue scene setting up Bruce Wayne's hatred of Kal-El and what he did to Metropolis was a smart move in more ways than one. Not only does it move the story forward, Snyder validates one of the biggest complaints from Man of Steel. This complaint is about the wanton destruction of Metropolis during the final battle and the major loss of life. Snyder doesn't attempt to excuse or explain why it happened, but instead infuses those complaints into Bruce Wayne and his motivations for Dawn of Justice.

Before this horrific moment, the public and even Bruce Wayne did not know of Kal-El and his existence on Earth. Then all of a sudden in a matter of days, the world changes and these aliens are destroying cities and people are dying as a result of their feud. Dawn of Justice deals directly with this fear, from Bruce Wayne and others being scared of what Kal-El can do, to the media having a heyday with biased reporting and trying to pit half of the population against the other half. In real life we can't even have a presidential election without arguing and protests, with the media fueling hatred for the two parties to go against each other. Imagine if an event such as what happened in Man of Steel actually happened and how the media would cover it and try to influence the population. I imagine it would happen pretty close to what is portrayed in this film, half of the population would hate Superman, the other half would love him and the media would do all it could to demonize the other half it doesn't agree with. I believe this to be a genius move by Snyder and the story writers. This isn't your father's 1978 Superman feel good story, and nor should it be. A lot has changed in 35 years and a modern retelling of Superman should reflect that.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

"Black and blue. Fight night. The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world: God versus man; day versus night; Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!"- Lex Luthor

Batman versus Superman. When this title was announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2014, it blew my mind! I was eagerly awaiting the announcement of a Man of Steel 2 movie, but this! This, my fellow nerds, was paramount to the Second Coming! Then to top it all off - Wonder Woman was announced to be a part of the movie too!

Batman AND Superman in the same movie?! The Man of Steel AND The Dark Knight at odds one with another?! Wonder Woman fighting alongside the two most iconic superheroes of all time?! Finally! This will be the first time The Trinity would appear on the big screen for fans to enjoy. For the first time we will see Diana Prince in action on film. The potential for greatness and movie making history was finally announced! And let me tell you, this film did not disappoint.

Wait, WHAT?! What is this you are reading? I'm sure you're asking yourself, "Am I truly reading a review of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice that isn't disparaging the film left and right?" or "Am I understanding this correctly? This guy actually LIKED this movie?!" The answer is yes, you are.

But all joking aside; yes, I did enjoy this movie from the first viewing. I saw it multiple times in the theaters, four times in fact. I would've gone once or twice more had I had the time to do so. I bought the Ultimate Edition when it came out on home video and my appreciation and enjoyment of this film grew even more. The storyline and character development was fleshed out to be more fulfilling and robust with the Ultimate Edition. If this Ultimate Edition had been released in theaters, I believe it would have been better received.

I intend to break this film down into various parts from beginning to end, as well as to write a character analysis for each of the main players in the film, over the next few weeks. To discuss and analyze everything this movie event has to offer would be too long for one blog post. I will attempt to win over those that dislike, are ambivalent, and even hate this movie; as well as reinforce the greatness of this movie with those that do enjoy it. I'm looking forward to this experience as I delve deep into this film, which in my opinion could be considered the greatest movie of 2016. It's only competition being Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But at the end of the day, if you don't like the film - that's fine, if you do like the film -great! Either way, life will go on and Warner Bros. will continue to produce and release films from the DC Universe for those that enjoy them.

Listed below are the topics I will address and expound upon, I will activate links to the various topics and characters as I finish writing them.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 1 - Prologue

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 2 - The Setup

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 3 - Investigations

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 4 - The Plan is Set in Motion

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice pt. 5 - War

Bruce Wayne/Batman

Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Lex Luthor

Lois Lane

Alfred

Zod/Doomsday

Justice League Footage!

One of the most exciting things to come out of San Diego Comic Con this past weekend was a trailer of sorts, of the upcoming Justice League movie. In this exclusive footage, we get to see Bruce Wayne visiting Arthur Curry (Aquaman) and Barry Allen (The Flash) and inviting them to join with him for an upcoming, unknown threat. We see Bruce and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) planning out how to create a super team. We also see three of them (Bruce, Barry, and Diana)  together, along with Cyborg (Victor Stone) walking into an abandoned room.

Following on the heels of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where we saw very small glimpses of Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg, it was great to see them a little longer in this trailer and see more of their personalities as we watch them interact with Bruce. We also briefly see a Mother Box being buried in the ground. We saw two Mother Box's in Dawn of Justice, one that essentially combined with Victor Stone and presumably turned him into Cyborg. The other was in Ultimate Edition, when we see Lex Luthor communing with Steppenwolf (a DC villain and Darkseid follower) and a Mother Box is present.

Justice League is set to be released November 17th 2017.

https://youtu.be/gglkYMGRYlE

Smallville Season 7 Episode 18-Apocalypse

Apocalypse shows up what would happen if Kal-El hadn't made it to Earth and the results of Lex Luthor's quest for power. While reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life, this episode shows us some previews of Clark and Lois and the chemistry they will later have. We see how Clark will embrace his destiny after trying to put it off for some time. In this alternate timeline, we get to see Clark Kent in the press reporter outfit with glasses that we have come to know and love. Kara is rescued from Krypton and we get to see baby Kal-El once again. This episode is full of nostalgic moments, at least if you're old enough to have seen the Superman movie from the late 70's. While I am not a fan of the episodes where Clark's secret is revealed to a major character, but then by the end of the episode those characters no longer remember it, this one was well done and entertaining.

At the loft in the Kent barn, Clark Kent is reading Dr. Virgil Swan's journal. Choe Sullivan comes in and Clark tells Chloe that he received another message from Kara Kent on Krypton. Clark needs to go back to Krypton to stop them from destroying him as a baby. Clark decides not to go back in time to Krypton. Chloe pleads with Clark to go back to Krypton, and puts the key into his hand. He says that this planet would be better off if he had never existed. They key emits a light and Clark wakes up in the barn. A teenager comes in and asks him what he is doing in there. The boy reveals that he is Clark Kent.

Clark goes into the farmhouse and sees pictures of Jonathan and Martha Kent with the new Clark Kent. The new Clark Kent tells him to get out of the home. Clark decides to check on his friends, and looks up their addresses to go talk with them. He tracks down Chloe Sullivan, and she doesn't know him. He introduces himself to her and asks about Lana Lang. She doesn't know where she is. Chloe is engaged and introduces him to her fiance. Clark tells her that he is happy for her.

Clark goes to the Daily Planet and runs into Jimmy Olsen. He enlists Jimmy to help track down Lana. Jimmy does a search for her, and discovers that Lana is now married with kids. Clark is happy for Lana, and turns to leave and bumps into Lois Lane. Clark catches her and she comments on how cute he is. She invites Clark to have a drink with him after work. Just then, the feds come in and arrest Lois for possessing government property. The leader of the group is Kara Kent, they take Lois off in handcuffs. Jimmy reveals that Lex Luthor is President. Clark tells him that he has to stop Lex. Jimmy is about to shred some evidence and tells Clark that Lois has him run errands for her. Jimmy tells Clark who to talk to to find out more information.

Clark goes to a bar to find this person, and sees the old Sheriff of Smallville, Sheriff Adams, but she doesn't recognize him. She happens to be the person that Clark needs to get information from. He tells her that Lois was arrested, Adams doesn't know this. Clark wants to know where she is, Adams tells him.

Black SUV's pull up to a facility and bring Lois out. Clark disables the security guards and grabs Lois. She is twitterpated at being rescued by Clark.

They go to Jimmy's place and Lois tells Clark that she has confidential information,a video, that would incriminate Lex Luthor and expose his lies. While in captivity, Lois overheard that they will be taken Lex to NORAD to hide out. Lois thinks that it's the result of an impending nuclear threat. The video shows that Milton Fine is working with Lex. Clark realizes that because he wasn't there to stop them, Lex and Fine are taking over the world. They devise a plan to stop them by getting the codes for the nuclear launch. Clark puts on a suit and tie and Lois gives him her press pass. Lois then puts the famous dark rimmed glasses on Clark.

At a press conference, Kara and Lex are discussing how while Lex is looking out for the greater good of humanity, Fine is behind the false information of a nuclear attack. Kara reveals a document that proves this. Lex burns it and tells her that Fine is following his orders. Lex pulls the guilt card on her and tells her that he is disappointed in her. Lex reminds her that his father found her ship by the Reeves Dam and protected her. Kara backs down and Fine comes in to take Lex to the press conference and they leave.

Clark confronts Kara and reveals himself to her. They talk about how to stop Lex and Fine. Kara is reluctant and says she is loyal to Lex. Clark tells her that Fine is Brainiac and that he must be stopped. Apparently Kara knows who Brainiac is in this alternate timeline and agrees to help Clark stop Brainiac. They go to Lex and tell him of Brainiac's evil plan. Clark tells Lex that Fine is using him to gain access to the nuclear arsenal. Lex reveals that he knows this and that the world's best and brightest are safe and that he will be their leader. Lex pulls a gun and shoots Clark with kryptonite bullets. He then shoots Kara too. Fine comes in and has Kara transported to medical care with kryptonite handcuffs. He brings in the briefcase and Lex gives the codes for the nuclear launch. Lex leaves for NORAD, and Fine stays to deal with Clark. They talk about how Fine will use Kara's fortress to release General Zod from the Phantom Zone.

Fine shoots Clark in the head, but it reveals that this alternate reality has been put in motion by Jor-El. He tells Clark that he must stop Brainiac and go to Krypton. Clark is then back in the barn with Chloe. He tells her that he must go to Krypton to stop Brainiac.

On Krypton, Brainiac has baby Kal-El and is about to stab him. Kara steps in and tries to stop it. Brainiac throws her and tells her that she can't stop him. Clark shows up and he and Fine struggle. Kara comes up behind him and stabs him with the knife. Clark grabs his babyself and puts him in the ship. Kara deals with Brainiac and the ship with Kal-El takes off. Clark asks about Brainiac and Kara tells him that she destroyed him. Kara and Clark escape through the portal back to Earth.

On Earth, Clark checks on Lana via telephone and she is getting worse. Clark and Kara talk about going back in time again to try and fix things again, they could save their planet. Clark tells her that they can't change the past, they can only affect the future. Kara tells him that no matter what she will be there to support him.

Lex visits Clark in the barn and they talk about Lana Lang and her condition. Lex has had the best doctors check on Lana and they don't have any idea on how to heal her. Clark tells Lex that he doesn't know what can be done. Lex doesn't believe him and tells him to come to him if there is anything he remembers.

At the Daily Planet, Clark is researching ways to help Lana. Lois comes in and questions what he is doing. He tells her and she doesn't know what to say. Lois wants to help Clark, but doesn't know what to say. Clark tells her that she is a good friend, and she invites him to go out for a drink with her.

At the Kent home, Kara is up and goes to get a drink of milk, but starts to have a major headache and falls to the floor in pain.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 17-Sleeper

Overall, I thought this was a boring episode, and that it was aptly titled -Sleeper.  But it did bring to light some good information for the ongoing story plot. Obviously the whereabouts of Kara and Brainiac are huge and what Brainiac's evil plot to destroy Clark Kent is. While this nugget of information is huge and very interesting to find out, the rest of the episode is a foray into the relationship of Jimmy Olsen and Chloe Sullivan. While I find these characters interesting, as long as they don't overstep their bounds for their roles in the series, I don't find their relationship very interesting. It could be that I have a longing for Chloe and Clark to get together in a romantic relationship, which will probably never happen. But I think Jimmy is best relegated to a secondary or tertiary role in the series, as this attempt to have him as a primary role in the episode fell flat, for me anyways. The introduction of Special Agent Vanessa Weber and the introduction of her into the series was well done and I found her character and involvement more interesting than Jimmy Olsen in this episode. Sadly, I doubt we'll be seeing Agent Weber very much if at all in the future. The subplot of Lex Luthor opening the lock box in Zurich was a big deal and what the reveal for what was inside it is a big plot point too. However, this subplot took very little screen time and could've been easily added to any other episode.

FULL REVIEW:

At a club full of beautiful people, we see a masked man in black crawling through the ventilation shaft. He opens the vent and jumps down into a hallway and uses a stun gun on a man with a briefcase. He opens the briefcase and downloads the contents. He leaves and goes into an elevator and removes his black clothing. It is none other than Jimmy Olsen!

The next scene starts off with the title - 14 hours earlier. We then see Jimmy clumsily making breakfast for Chloe Sullivan. Chloe comes into the kitchen and tells him that she can't stay for breakfast. Jimmy is sad, and feels neglected. He questions Chloe if she is feeling anything for their relationship anymore. She indicates that it will take some time, plus she is really busy running Isis for Lana Lang, while she is incapacitated. She tells Jimmy that she will take him to lunch later and leaves for work. Jimmy eats breakfast alone, and we see that someone is spying on him through the window with some high tech gear.

At Isis, Chloe is getting things up and running, Clark comes in and tells her that he didn't get the keys yet and that he spent all night by Lana's side. Chloe tells Clark that he needs to put more effort into getting those keys from Lex or else it won't matter anymore. They discuss the need to find Brainiac so that they can get Lana healed. Clark and Chloe are frustrated over the lack of success. They decide to take a different approach and look at information gained from satellite images. Chloe will try to access this information and Clark will try to get information from Dr. Swan's journals.

Jimmy is hanging out at the Talon, when Special Agent Vanessa Weber begins telling Jimmy that they have been watching him. She accuses him of hacking the mainframe of the NSA. Jimmy doesn't know what she is talking about and Vanessa shows him a picture of Chloe and accuses Chloe of being a terrorist. Vanessa wants Jimmy to spy on Chloe and to tell them if she makes her move. Vanessa gives Jimmy a suitcase full of spy gear. She tells Jimmy that Chloe is not who he thinks she is. Jimmy believes her.

Jimmy goes to Isis and talks to Chloe about how they were supposed to have lunch but she forgot. Chloe blows him off and she runs off to meet with Clark.

Lex Luthor is planning his trip to Zurich and an assistant comes and tells him that there are some complications, the government has red flagged his travel plans. Lex tells him to fix it.

Jimmy comes back to Isis and breaks in and opens the computer lab. He sees that Chloe is trying to hack into the NSA satellites.

At Chloe's apartment, Clark has been reading Swan's journal and tells Chloe that there is a page there that wasn't there before. There is a message that in order for him to save Lana, he needs to take her to the fortress. Chloe tells him that it might be a trick, but Clark is willing to risk it.

Clark goes back to the barn and gets the portal key. Jimmy comes walking in and wants to talk to him. Jimmy hints that he has a friend that is hiding something, Clark surmises it's Chloe and encourages him to trust her.

Clark goes to the Fortress and questions Jor-El about the message to save Lana. He hears a distorted voice and it is Kara trying to communicate with him. She warns him and states that she is on Krypton. Clark is confused.

At Isis, Chloe is trying to hack into the satellites information and comes across information that could help him track down Braniac. She calls Clark and tells him that she has a way to figure out what's going on. The computer starts copying files and Chloe figures out that Jimmy is the one copying the files.

Jimmy meets with Agent Weber and she tells him to go with Chloe to the club and to wear a wire to spy on her. She threatens Jimmy to do it, even though he doesn't want to, or else they will both be facing federal charges.

At the club, Chloe and Jimmy are dressed to impress. Jimmy uses his cell phone to clone the data files from Chloe's phone to his. He distracts her by asking her to dance. They dance like pros and Chloe is impressed. Afterwards, Jimmy grabs his phone and then makes an excuse to go. Chloe then gets into the elevator. She goes to another floor in the building which happens to have a computer lab for the satellites. Jimmy is now dressed in black, crawling through the ventilation shafts as in the beginning of the episode. While Chloe is hacking into the satellite system, Jimmy is tasing the man with the briefcase. Chloe finds the information that will help them locate Brainiac. Jimmy exits the elevator and goes to find Agent Weber. He gives Vanessa the cell phone and it contains false information. It turns out Chloe double crossed Jimmy. Vanessa tells Jimmy that he is going to prison and has him escorted out. Chloe locates the information and sends it to her email address, just as Agent Weber comes in and stops Chloe. Jimmy disables the guard and heads back to where Chloe is. She is being interrogated by Agent Weber, Chloe won't talk and is being beaten for it. Jimmy comes in and distracts Agent Weber, he disables the other guard, but Weber starts beating him up, but he knocks Vanessa out. He unties Chloe and they escape.

Back at the Talon, Jimmy and Chloe begin arguing about trust and how Chloe has been deceiving him. Chloe admits that she lied to him, and tells him to ask her whatever he wants to. Jimmy kisses her and then she kisses him back. Jimmy tells her that the feds won't be coming after them, that he has taken care of it.

In Zurich, Switzerland, Lex arrives at the bank and is handed the lock box. He goes into a room and opens the box using the two keys. There is nothing inside the box. Or so it appears. There is a secret compartment, that Lex finds and he finds the envelope. Inside is a device with wheels that must be configured to reveal the Veritas V. Lex is assaulted from behind, but he disables the assailant who tells him that "You aren't one of them", before being knocked out.

At the Daily Planet, Jimmy visits Lex and asks him for help. Lex has cleared Chloe's name and Jimmy asks what's the catch. Lex says there's no catch, but tells him that when he needs help, he knows Jimmy will be there for him. Jimmy leaves knowing he just made a deal with the devil.

At the barn loft, Clark tells Chloe that Brainiac has taken Kara to Krypton, but that is impossible. Chloe tells Clark that maybe it is true and shows him pictures that were taken by the satellites. Chloe shows Clark how the pictures show a vortex opening and revealing a red star and a planet. They surmise that Kara and Brainiac have time traveled back to the time when Krypton still existed. They realize that Clark has to go back in time to Krypton as well to prevent Brainiac from killing him as a baby and causing him to cease to exist.

In a deleted scene, we see Lex being visited by Special Agent Weber. He reveals that he knows he is being barred from international travel due to her survelliance on the Daily Planet and Chloe Sullivan. He threatens her to fix that ban on Lex's travel or he will reveal her unethical tactics to her supervisor.

In a second deleted scene, we see Chloe get into the elevator at the club. She has a key hidden in her shoe that allows her to access the floor to the satellite computer lab via elevator.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 16-Descent

Lex Luthor has been flirting with the dark side for some time now. He has been on the edge, but has always had a reason to not jump off. In this episode, titled Descent, we see the events that pushes him over that edge and causes him to descend into the darkness. He not only commits a physical act that has him embrace the darkness, but an internal struggle is going on inside him as well. These two events are the final acts that enable Lex's journey to pure evil become complete. We also see how the friendship of Lex and Clark Kent will never be repairable and how after six and a half seasons, there is no going back for them. 

FULL REVIEW:

Lionel Luthor shows up to LuthorCorp at night and goes to his office, Lex is there. Lex talks to him about the Traveler and asks him if he has found the Traveler. Lionel tries to play it off as nonsense. Lex brings up how they were in Smallville when the meteor shower occurred. Lex accuses him of being there for the Traveler and that he put his life at risk for this Traveler. Lex asks him who the Traveler is, and Lionel tries to tell Lex that he, Lex, is the Traveler. Lex doesn't buy it and tells him that he will find the box in Zurich and find out for himself. He pulls out a gun and tells Lionel to give him the second key. Lex pulls it off Lionel's neck and then pushes Lionel out of his office window. Lionel calmly falls to his presumed death.

At the Daily Planet, Chloe Sullivan and Clark Kent are searching for Brainiac and any clues to his whereabouts. They notice a buzz going on, and Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen come in reporting that someone jumped off the LuthorCorp building and that it might be Lionel Luthor. They all rush outside and there is a body covered, lying on the steps. Lex comes out to the steps and pretends that he doesn't know what is going on. Lex identifies Lionel and acts like he is shock. Lex hears a voice, saying "You killed him?". He turns and sees the younger version of himself asking this question. Lex turns and finds Clark in the crowd and starts to walk away. Clark talks with Chloe about how he doubts that Lionel committed suicide and mentions that Lionel had talked to him earlier and that he wanted to give him a locket.

Back at the Luthor mansion, Lex is sitting by the fireplace by himself. His assistant comes in and offers her condolescences. Lex tells her about a memory that he has about his dad taking him to the a museum in Washington DC. Lex has his locket, and the assistant figures out what happened and tells him that know one would ever know. She opens the locket and the key isn't inside. She tells him that Lionel visited the basement of the Daily Planet. Lex prepares to leave, and his younger self visits him again. Alexander tells Lex that he shouldn't have killed Lionel. Lex yells at him, and then realizes Alexander isn't real.

At LuthorCorp in Lionel's office, Clark is studying the scene and opens the vault. He examines the valuables in Lionel's vault and notices some kryptonian symbols on a metal bar. He picks it up and reads them. It says: Kal-El in the event of my death. He turns the different sections and it turns on and projects a message on the wall. More kryptonian symbols appear and the message informs him of the the two keys and they will reveal information on how to stop Clark. He must prevent this from happening.

At the Daily Planet, Jimmy is looking at a picture taken in Lex's Daily Planet office. In the background, Lionel is being pushed out of the window, but they can't make out who the other person is. They decide to go to Isis and use the computers that Lana has. They agree to get Chloe's help. Chloe walks in to her office and finds a paper folded up and inside it is a key, the second key to the box in Zurich. She hides the key in her desk. Lex comes down the stairs and starts to question Chloe about his father visiting her. He looks inside the desk and finds the key. He accuses Chloe of hiding it from him, which she was, and then fires her. Chloe is escorted from the building. Lex's assistant comes in and says she will get things ready and that he should go home and get some sleep. She overly friendly with him and tells him "We did it Lex.". Lex gives her a cold look and walks out. The assistant goes to pack up Chloe's things and there's a text message from Jimmy indicating that Lionel's death wasn't a suicide and that they have a picture. The assistant reads it and goes to Jimmy's office. She pulls a gun on them and escorts them into the storage room. The assistant tells them that she knows that the picture was uploaded to a second server. She shoots Lois in the shoulder, forcing them to tell her where it was uploaded to. She then puts them in a cold freezer and closes the door. Jimmy is left banging on the door.

At Isis Chloe and Clark are already there. Clark tells Chloe about Lionel's message. She tells Clark how Jimmy uploaded the photo to the server. She pulls it up and starts working on the resolution. Chloe tells Clark about how Lex found the key and then fired her. She will work on it. Clark goes to the mansion to find the key.

At the mansion Clark is looking for the key and Lex walks in. Clark tells him that he doesn't believe Lionel killed himself. They begin talking about their fathers and their early friendship. Lex tells Clark that he turned out the way he did because of Clark. He just wanted to be friends with Clark. Lex talks about how his father turned to Clark because he could trust him. Lex begins to blame Clark for Jonathan's death, but Clark tells him that he has proof that Lex killed Lionel.

At Isis, Chloe has been working on the picture and the final resolution comes through and Chloe sees Lex in the picture. Just then, Lex's assistant comes in and knocks Chloe out. Clark comes in a few minutes later finding Chloe on the ground. She wakes up and tells him that she saw the picture of Lex pushing Lionel out of the window. They talk about Lois and Jimmy and wonder where they are. They determine that whoever knocked her out must have stopped them from coming over. Clark goes to find them. Lex's assistant is listening and sees Clark superspeed off. She leaves and calls Lex and leaves a message  telling him she knows who the Traveler. As she walks to her car, she is grabbed and a man sprays a chemical into her mouth and she convulses and then dies.

Clark goes to the Daily Planet and uses his hearing to locate Lois and Jimmy. They have passed out from the cold, when Clark opens the doors. He uses his heat vision to warm them up and he runs off. Jimmy opens his eyes and sees the door open.

At the mansion, Lex is making plans to go to Zurich via phone. Alexander appears and urges Lex to not go to Zurich. That if he does that then it will destroy him. Lex grabs Alexander and tells him that he makes him weak and then throws him into the fire. Alexander is symbolically killed and has been purged from Lex's conscious.

At the Kent barn, Clark is pondering, looking at the metal bar he found in Lionel's vault. Chloe comes in and tells him that no one is invited to the funeral. Clark tells Chloe that Lionel is another father figure that has died trying to protect him. First, Jor-El, then Jonathan, now Lionel. Clark questions how someone could kill their own father. Chloe tells him that in the pure absence of love, pure evil exists. Lionel died protecting him and they have to prevent Lex from succeeding. Clark vows to get the keys from Lex and not letting him use the keys.

At the cemetary, Lex is standing next to his father's graveside, alone. We see Clark come walking up and stand in front of Lex by the grave. Lex and Clark stare at each other and after a moment, Lex leaves. Clark grabs a handful of dirt and drops it on Lionel's coffin.

In a deleted scene, Lois and Jimmy are in the freezer trying to stay warm and encourage each other to stay awake. Jimmy starts banging on the floor with a metal bar, hoping someone will hear it and rescue them.

While I hated Lionel Luthor for the longest time, pretty much up until this season, I always found that he was true to himself. He was always the jerk of the show, the one who no matter what, you could count on him to always do what's best for him. When he started to slowly change and become a better man, I was always waiting for him to change back to being selfish. In the end he never did, til the end Lionel protected Clark and his secret. While he is mostly responsible for Lex's upbringing, he did try to change him in the end. Lex had his chances to 'repent' and change his ways, even his dead mother couldn't change Lex. Lionel ended up being Clark's friend after Lex couldn't or wouldn't. It was sad to see him meet his demise, but a necessary step for his son, Lex, to descend into the darkness. Lionel will be missed, but I believe he did fulfill his destiny on the show Smallville.

On a sidenote, I was surprised that Martha Kent wasn't brought into the episode somehow. The writers spent a lot of time developing Martha and Lionel's relationship over the previous couple of seasons, and to not have her at the end I thought was a missed emotional opportunity. Maybe they will address it in later episodes.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 15-Veritas

We learn more about Veritas and those that founded it. We learn that Lex Luthor is gaining memories lost due to his exposure to the meteor shower. We learn that Clark Kent still can't fly. We learn that Virgil Swan, Lionel Luthor, Robert Queen and Edward Teague have known about Kryptonians and in a round about way, Clark Kent since he arrived in Smallville. We learn that there is a mysterious envelope locked in a Zurich vault that contains secret information that only the now deceased Virgil Swan knew about. I was hoping that we'd actually get to see Clark fly, the other times we've seen 'Clark' fly don't count as it wasn't truly Clark. But, no it was only a tease to get our hopes up. We did get to see the dynamic duo of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen work together for the first time as reporter and camera man. Hopefully we'll see more of that in future episodes. 

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At the Kent farm, Kara Kent is helping out with the chores. An eagle is spying on her and then fly's into the barn. Kara hears the dog barking in the barn and goes to investigate. Inside she finds Professor Fine and he tells her that knows she is from Krypton and he knows about Kal-El. He tells Kara that he knows of a way to go back and change things. Kara doesn't fall for it and Fine grabs her, but Clark Kent arrives and throws him away. Fine then escapes with a warning that other's will be hurt.

Clark tells Kara that Fine isn't a man, he's a machine - Brainiac. Clark tells her that the last time he went up against him, Fine tried to get him to release General Zod. They talk about how Clark needs to learn how to fly if they want to defeat Fine.

Lois is drawing a blank for her next article, Jimmy shows up and suggests that they could work together for a great article. Chloe has run off when Clark called her. Just then Lois gets an email from the coroner's office about how Patricia Swan had been murdered. They decide to go investigate.

Lex Luthor's assistant comes in and tells him that Patricia's murder has been covered up and it won't get back to him. Lex and the assistant talk about Veritas and how he has been searching all his life for it, but didn't know exactly what it was due to the memories he lost from the meteor shower incident. Lex tells her that ever since he got shot in Detroit and was healed, his memories have been coming back. We then see a flashback to when Lex was a child playing hide and seek with Patricia Swan, Oliver Queen and the Teague boy. Lex goes and hides in a closet and overhears the adults, minus Virgil Swan, talking about Veritas and how Virgil Swan is keeping things from them. They formed Veritas to protect the secret of the Traveler. They have an envelope that Lionel wants to open, but the other's won't open it until Swan arrives to the meeting. Lionel accuses Robert Queen of working with Swan to keep the information from him. The Teagues have been searching the earth for the stones and Lionel insinuates a conspiracy to keep him out of the loop. Edward Teague tells Lionel that this is bigger than any of them. Lionel pushes for them to open the envelope to learn the information, because the Traveler is here now. They will take the envelope to Zurich to keep it locked away and safe. Queen has a key that is enclosed in a locket that he wears. Back to the present and Lex now has Patricia's swan locket and he opens it to reveal a similar key. Lex tells his assistant to find out what safe that key opens and she has 24 hours to do so.

At LuthorCorp, Lois and Jimmy sneak in as maintenance workers and ambush Lionel Luthor in his office. Jimmy is taking pictures and Lois is asking him questions about Patricia Swan's murder. Lionel denies killing Patricia. Jimmy shows Lionel pictures of Patricia with her locket on, and the morgue picture shows Patricia without the locket and with scares on her neck from the locket being forcibly removed. Lionel then draws out a locket of his own, the same one that Queen was wearing.

At the Kent farm, from the barn loft Clark is watching Kara fly. She lands next to him and tells him to stop stalling. Apparently Clark is afraid to fly, but Kara encourages him that it's easy, just up, up and away. Clark chickens out and they come up with a different plan of attack. They realize that they can track him by focusing on the energy he uses, that he is a computer.

At Isis, Lana is there alone when Brainiac arrives and grabs Lana. He uses his creepy interface to steal energy from Lana.

At the Planet Clark reads the newspaper about Patricia Swan's death. Chloe tells Clark that she hasn't found any clues that Lionel is behind the murder. Chloe scours the internet for power surges and discovers that there was one by Isis. Clark rushes off and goes to Isis. Lionel is there and Lana is not. Lionel tells Clark that the receptionist told him that Lana had a visitor and then left with him. Clark and Lionel argue over his integrity, Lionel tries to give Clark the locket, but he wouldn't take it. He leaves an envelope for Lana in Isis.

Clark rushes home and finds Lana there. She is cooking something on the stove with her back towards him. She doesn't respond to him talking and Clark goes over and discovers that Lana is boiling water and that the pan is hot and burning her hand. Lana is not responding to the pain and her eyes are milky white. Kara comes in and asks what happened. Lana grabs a pen and paper and writes some kryptonian symbols down. Clark reads them and it says Deliver Kara, Daily Planet. Kara rushes off to the Planet.

Jimmy and Lois break into Isis because Lionel left his office and went straight to Isis. They look around and find Lana's computer room. Lois also finds the envelope left for Lana, containing a picture of Patricia's driver who killed her. There is also a picture of the driver talking with Lex. They surmise that Lex hired the driver to kill Patricia.

At the Luthor mansion, the assistant comes to tell Lex that there is a roadblock. Lex is ready to leave, and is mad there is a hold up. The assistant tells Lex that the safe requires two keys. This is news to Lex. He pulls out an old newspaper that announces the death of the Queens. Lex has another flashback of when he was playing at his dad's office. He goes to listen in and hears his dad talking about their key. Lex sees a security officer hands Lionel the key.  Lionel then talks on the phone with someone about how they only need Swan's key to open to safe. Lex sees his father as he walks out of the office, and they are readying to fly in a helicopter to Smallville.

Kara goes to the Planet and is on the roof waiting for Brainiac. Clark shows up and tells her that he won't let her face Braniac alone. Braniac then shows up and tells them he is the only one that can help Lana and that he is controlling her now. Brainiac tells Kara to come with him, which she does. Brainiac and Kara fly off together leaving Clark behind. They fly up into space and disappear.

Lionel is at the Planet waiting to talk with Chloe. He implores her to talk with Clark, but Chloe refuses due to his past murders. Lionel tells her that he's changed, when Jor-El chose him to be his vessel it changed him. He begs Chloe to listen, Clark is in terrible danger as he has turned from Jor-El. Lionel tells her that he has repented. He warns her that something terrible is coming. Chloe doesn't believe him and walks away.

Clark is at the mental hospital waiting to see Lana, and Chloe shows up and tells him that there is no new information on Kara and Brainiac. Clark goes in to see Lana and she is still unresponsive with the milky white eyes. She calls him Kal-El and says you're too late, Kal-El. Chloe comes in and sees Clark kneeling next to Lana and begins to cry.

In a deleted scene, Kara and Brainiac are in a jungle next to some stone figures. Brainiac tells Kara to take off the bracelet. He tells her that she could have saved Lana, but she didn't. She takes off the bracelet and throws it. The scene ends.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 14-Traveler

In Traveler we learn more about the mythology of Smallville and the mystery of how Lionel Luthor is so entrenched in helping Clark Kent. We find out that Virgil Swan, Lionel Luthor and the Queens, along with a fourth family - the Teague's, have known about 'The Traveler' for some time. That the Traveler arrived on Earth during the first meteor shower. At the time they didn't know who that was, but eventually Lionel figured it out. He had the other patriarch's killed. We get to see more of the motivation of Lionel Luthor. This episode came up with a great way to neutralize Clark Kent, with kryptonite tasers and a kryptonite cage. With Clark captured, it was great to see Chloe Sullivan and Lana Lang work together to first free Kara Kent from the evil clutches of Lex Luthor, and then help Clark escape. If they have a common goal, Lana and Chloe work great together and it's fun to watch. We also see Chloe declare her love for Clark, not in his presence though, while it didn't come across as romantic love, more like true love for another human being. I still think that Chloe and Clark should end up together and scenes like that only reinforce that idea for me.

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In Metropolis at LuthorCorp, Lionel Luthor is working late and is brought a note from a security guard, who indicates that he has recieved another one. He opens the envelope and he is distraught.

At night in the Kent barn, Clark goes up to his loft and retrieves the key to the portal to the Fortress. In the background we see someone sneaking around in the shadows. Clark is tased with a kryptonite taser by multiple military personnel who capture him and knock him out.

Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan go into the barn and see the mess left by the kidnapping. Lana tells Chloe that Clark was going to the Fortress. Chloe finds the book with the hidden key and they realize he never made it to the Fortress. They discover a kryptonite taser left from the kidnapping and give each other a worried look.

We see Clark in a cage that has kryptonite infused bars. The leader of the kidnappers is in a booth and pulls a lever which increases the level of kryptonite in the bars. Clark tries to escape and it is again increased. The kidnapper warns him not to try and escape or he will continue to amp up the levels, possibly killing him.

Lionel Luthor meets with Patricia Swan, the daughter of Virgil Swan. Lionel reveals that Patricia and Lex used to play together as children. Patricia has inherited Virgil's Estate, money and research. Virgil was obsessed with a Traveler who came to Earth in a meteor shower and lived in Smallville. Patricia begins to tell a story of how four powerful families would gather every summer, the Swan's, the Queen's, the Teague's and the Luthor's. They formed a secret group called Veritas. Lionel calls it their astronomy club and minimizes the group. Patricia points out that all the other patriarchs are dead, and accuses Lionel of murdering them. She points out that she has proof that he murdered them. She tells him to turn over the Traveler now, Lionel refuses and tells her that she is in over her head.

At the Luthor mansion, Kara is reviewing documents and pictures of her in her alleged High School. Lex walks in and she tells him that is enjoying living there. Lex tries to convince her to undergo the tests to help her get her memory back. He urges her to trust him as he wants whats best for her. She agrees and Lex tells her that he will get things going. Lex leaves and meets with his assistant, who is watching Kara via video cameras. Lex tells her to ready the lab for tomorrow and that if she shows any signs of getting her memory back, to lock down the mansion.

Clark is still in a cage and the kidnapper is cruelly torturing Clark by increasing the krypton levels. In walks Lionel Luthor who is behind the kidnapping and tells the kidnapper to stop being cruel to Clark.

Back at LuthorCorp, Lionel is on the phone when Lana and Chloe walk in. He tells them that he is having his people look for Clark, he will let them know if he finds anything. They show Lionel the kryptonite electrode from the taser. He tries to pin the blame on Kara and Lex. He tells them that he wants Clark back safely as much as they do.

The next day, at the Daily Planet, Lana and Chloe are doing some research and discover that Lionel built a secret lab the same time he discovered Clark's secret, and that according to power records the lab was turned on last night. They conclude that Lionel is holding Clark captive in a secure facility. They realize that they need Kara's help, but that they will have to help her get her memory back. Chloe can take her to the Fortress if Lana will get her out of the mansion. Lana is aware of some secret passages that she can use to get Kara out.

At the mansion, Patricia Swan is visiting Lex and they talk about old times and catch up on what they are doing now. Patricia is wearing a locket that her father gave her when he passed away. Patricia gives Lex a painting that he drew when he was a child. It is in an insignia of the Veritas group. Lex doesn't remember much, and Patricia doesn't know too much, but Lionel is the last surviving member and he would probably know.

Lex visits Lionel and shows him the painting and that it is the symbol of Veritas. Lex wants to know about Veritas, but Lionel minimizes the importance. Lex tells Lionel he will go to Patricia and seek answers about Veritas and leaves the office. Lionel immediately calls Patricia and tells her that he is ready to make a deal.

Lana and Chloe are preparing to go rescue Kara. At the mansion, the security video feed is cut. Lana and Chloe enter Kara's room and convince her to go with them. By the time the security guards arrive, Kara is gone.

At the secure lab where Clark is being held captive, the kidnapper is talking about how he has hunted down a lot of meteor freaks. He used to be head of security in 33.1.

At the fortress, Chloe and Kara are looking for Jor-El. Chloe tells Jor-El about how Clark is in trouble and that he needs his help. A bright light appears and surrounds Kara and her memory is returned. Chloe tells Kara that they need to save Clark.

At the lab, Lionel meets with Patricia and she turns over the evidence of the murders. She asks to see the Traveler and sees him in a cage. She is saddened that he is in a cage. She wants to see him face to face to verify that he is the Traveler. The kidnapper knocks Patricia out from behind. Lionel takes the evidence and tells the kidnapper, Pierce, to put Patricia on a plane back to Europe and then take Clark back to his home and release him. Pierce pulls a gun on Lionel and tells him that he can't do that. The safety of the world is at stake and he won't release the meteor freak. Pierce tells Lionel that he is going to terminate Clark, and then knocks out Lionel. He turns up the power of the Kryptonite to it's full power and Clark is about to die. All of a sudden Kara bursts in and destroys the cage and frees Clark. Pierce is about to taser Clark and Kara when Lionel pushes Pierce and he falls on some wreckage, impaling himself.

At the Kent farm, Patricia is being cared for Clark. She knows who he is and gives Clark Virgil Swan's diary. Clark opens the diary revealing that it is full of kryptonian symbols and notes. In the diary, Clark reads a 'prophecy' that the Traveler will bring great change to the Earth. Patricia tells Clark about Lionel's treachery of murdering the other's in Veritas. She warns Clark of Lionel's evil intentions and his manipulations. Patricia tells Clark that she is willing to help him and will be moving to Metropolis so she can see the Traveler change the world.

At LuthorCorp, Lionel is in his office and Clark arrives. Lionel admits that he locked him in the cage, but it was to protect him. Lionel tells Clark that he was getting these letters that someone was after him. Lionel tells him that he built that cell for the other Kryptonians that have come to Earth. Clark tells him that he has spoken with Patricia and he knows about the murders. Lionel tells Clark that he has changed and he is a different man now. Clark responds, "No, you're not." and walks out.

Clark is rebuilding the parts of the barn that were damaged when he was kidnapped. Kara walks in and asks if he needs any help. Clark says that he doesn't and pulls out Kara's bracelet and gives it to her. He thanks her for saving his life, Kara tells him that Chloe and Lana helped her. They talk about how they have both been fooled by the Luthor's and that they only do what's right as long as it benefits them. Clark tells her that he wants to see the good in people, but he thinks that the Luthor's are a lost cause.

Patricia is heading into Metropolis in her Mercedes and it stops on a bridge. Her driver gets out and she asks him why they stopped. He shoots her, killing her. We then see Lex polishing the blood off of Patricia's swan necklace.

In some deleted scenes, we see how Lana and Chloe enlist Jimmy Olsen into helping Kara escape the mansion by disarming the security so they can cut the power. Once inside the mansion, Jimmy meets up with Kara and they talk about how they used to hang out. Jimmy tells Kara that she shouldn't trust Lex and that he is probably watching her 24/7. This puts some doubt in her mind and leads to her going with Chloe and Lana so quickly. Jimmy's mission is a success and he lets Lana and Chloe know so they can now cut the power.

Smallville Season 6 Episode 7-Rage

In this episode we see how Green Arrow and Clark Kent become better friends. Oliver Queen wants to be more like Clark Kent and to become more invincible than he currently is. In developing and using a specially created serum, RL-65, he is hoping to become more powerful. At first the RL-65 serum is very helpful and allows Oliver to do things that he normally couldn't. As with any drug though, with more usage, more problems come up. He begins to change into someone other than what he stands for as the Green Arrow.  Clark is able to step in and help Oliver realize that he is great the way he is without any special serum to augment his abilities. At the end Oliver realizes that his abilities are different than Clark’s and he needs to be thankful for what he has and take advantage of what he has been given.  

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The episode starts off with a heavy make out session between Lois Lane and Oliver Queen. Oliver hears cries for help outside his office. He sneaks out on her and goes to help a couple being mugged. As he thwarts the thieves and helps the couple escape, Green Arrow is shot!

The next day Lois tells Clark Kent about how Oliver left her and also how the Green Arrow was shot, but escaped before anyone could identify him. Clark puts two and two together and heads to Oliver's place. Clark confronts Oliver about being shot and Oliver denies it and is very short with Clark. They argue and Oliver breaks a glass, cutting himself. Clark leaves and outside the door, uses his x-ray vision to see Oliver injecting himself with something. Clark believes this is how Oliver was healed from the gunshot wound. Clark later tells Lois about what he saw, and she vows to help him.

Oliver meets up with his scientist friend and they talk about RL-65 and it's side affects, such as anger outbursts. Oliver says that he doesn't care about that and takes more of the RL-65 serum.

Clark goes to Chloe Sullivan at the Daily Planet and asks her to run tests on the needle that he recently took from Oliver's home. She says she will contact her chemistry friend at Met. U and tries to hurry Clark out, as she is meeting with Lana Lang to go to lunch. Lana shows up and Clark leaves. While Lana and Chloe are talking, Lana passes out for a few seconds.

At Oliver's home, Lois comes over to talk with Oliver and finds the Green Arrow going through Oliver's things. Lois ambushes Green Arrow and hits him with a dumb bell. Green Arrow turns around and throws her into a table and gets hurt. She threatens to call the cops if he doesn't leave. Green Arrow then leaves.

Green Arrow tracks down the man who shot him and roughs him up. The man jumps off a building and lands flat on his face. Green Arrow goes down to the street and finds that the man is okay. Green Arrow finds out from the man that he goes to Second Chance halfway house and gets a drug that allows him to be stronger and it also heals him when he gets hurt.

At the hospital, Clark visits Lois and finds out what happened between her and Green Arrow. She hasn't heard from Oliver since being in the hospital.

Lex Luthor pays a visit to Dr. Black and she tells Lex that she is terminating the project as people are getting hurt. Lex reveals that he is paying her more than Oliver Queen is and the project will not be terminated.

Clark and Chloe figure out that the needle contained a drug being developed by Dr. Black. They go to her lab and find that it has been sacked and the doctor has been killed. They discover some files from Second Chances halfway house a charity that is funded by Lex Luthor.

Green Arrow shows up at Lex's office and they confront each other and they draw on each other, Lex with a gun and Green Arrow with a crossbow. They fire at the same time and both are hit. Green Arrow has a syringe with RL-65 and gives himself an injection, which heals him. Clark shows up at this time, and wants to help Lex. They both agree that the world would be better off without Lex, but Clark argues that it's not for them to decide that. Green Arrow tells Clark that he didn't ransack the lab, that Lex did. Clark sees a case and he opens it finding more of the drug inside. He injects Lex and after a moment, Lex is revived and healed, but Clark and Green Arrow are gone.

At the Kent home, Clark and Martha have invited guests over for Thanksgiving. Lionel Luthor, Chloe, Lois and Oliver show up and have a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Oliver has apologized to Lois and they are happy again. Clark gives a nice speech about how thankful he is for his parents and for the faith they have had in him.

At the Luthor mansion, Lex and Lana are eating dinner and it is not as festive as at the Clark home. Lana is quiet and subdued. Earlier in the episode, she had learned that she is pregnant. She has only told Chloe up to this point. Lana doesn't tell Lex the good news.

During the episode we also see how Lionel doesn't want to hurt Martha and that he is beginning to genuinely care for her. A small subplot was that Lionel was invited to Thanksgiving dinner, but he tried to decline as he didn't want to put Martha and the Kent's in a bad situation by their association with him. However, Martha doesn't want to hear it and tells him that she considers him a friend and doesn't want to discontinue their friendship. He ends up coming to dinner.

Upon finding herself pregnant, Lana is stunned and doesn't know what to do. She isn't sure if she want's to be with Lex or not. Clark and Lana have a conversation where Clark could tell something was wrong, but Lana wouldn't tell him and asked him to leave instead.

Smallville Season 6 Episode 6-Fallout

This episode was great to see Clark bond with another Kryptonian, Raya, and how Clark was able to learn more about his heritage and culture. It's too bad that Raya was killed off so quickly. I would've like to have seen Raya at least finish out the season. I felt bad that she was killed so soon, and I think that having her last a few more episodes so that we could have gotten to know her better would have been better for not only the show as a whole, but for the character of Clark Kent in Smallville. We get to see more of the story arc of Lex and Lana expanded upon in this episode. I am torn between being intrigued and disappointed. I am intrigued as I watch Lex and Lana move from being in love with each other to starting to lie and outmaneuver each other. But at the same time, I am disappointed in Lana as she stoops to the level of the Luthors. In the past, while Lana did annoy me sometimes, she was always a pure character. A friend who was nice and sweet and while misguided sometimes, always tried to do the right thing. Now, it seems like Lana is being sullied by the Luthors and I am disappointed in Lana and her choices. I'm hoping that she will come to her senses at some point and get away from Lex.

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Fallout starts 6 weeks prior to the current timeline, with two boys playing basketball in Oakland, California. They see something fall from the sky and hit the ground near them. The two boys investigate and one is overtaken by one of the Phantoms from the Phantom Zone. He kills his friend and heads off looking for Kal-El.

Back in Smallville, Clark Kent is visited by an old friend, Raya, who has found her way to him. They spend some time together and Clark gets to know more about Krypton and Jor-El through Raya. Clark begins to feel less alone than he has in all his life. He is happy to have found a fellow Kryptonian, and a pretty one at that.

Lana Lang meets with the scientist that was working on the Kryptonian power source, and he gives her all of the research as well as the power source. He is leaving and getting out while he still can. He tells her that Lex Luthor has already started the testing phase of the project, which Lana didn't know about. Unbeknownst to them, Jimmy Olsen had been taking pictures of the exchange. He later shows up at the Luthor mansion and tries to blackmail Lex into letting him in on what the exchange was about. Jimmy secretly takes a picture of the schematics of the power source while Lex isn't looking. Jimmy is escorted out of the mansion. Lex goes to Lana and confronts her on the meeting. Lex tries to make her feel guilty for not telling him about that, while at the same time he hadn't told her about the military testing.

The Phantom tracks Clark down and confronts him at the barn with Raya. He uses a radiation blast against Clark, but it doesn't hurt him. Raya kicks the Phantom in the face and he escapes to recharge his power. The Phantom goes to the Mansion as he senses the power from the power source. At the mansion, Lex and Lana are arguing and Lana gives the ultimatum that it's either her or the power source. Just then the Phantom bursts in and throws Lex aside, burning him in the act. The Phantom consumes all the power from the power source and it disintegrates into dust, no longer usable. He leaves to then go find Clark and finish him off.

Raya and Clark talk about how Clark needs to go fight the Phantom, but Clark hasn't completed his training from Jor-El, as The Fortress is dead and he can't talk with Jor-El anymore. Raya and Clark go to The Fortress and Raya is able to send out a signal that lets the Phantom know where they are. Raya tells Clark to use the crystal with the S on it to store up the power that the Phantom will use against him. The crystal will absorb the power and will be able to be used to revive The Fortress again.

The Phantom shows up and he fights Clark and Raya, Raya is injured with a radiation blast, while Clark is able to absorb the rest of the energy from the Phantom. The Phantom's essence is destroyed and the boy's body is left behind still alive. Raya's injury is too much for her to overcome and she dies in Clark's arms in The Fortress.

The boy wakes up in the Smallville Hospital and Clark tells him that he found him unconscious and brought him to the hospital. Clark tells him he is in Kansas not California.

Clark and Martha Kent talk about Raya and how for the first time, Clark didn't feel alone and that he really enjoyed spending time with Raya and he is sad she is gone. Clark tells his mother that he will start his training after he finishes destroying the other Phantoms that came through the Phantom Zone portal with him.

At the end of the episode we see The Fortress light up and return to normal.

Smallville Season 6 Episode 5-Reunion

This episode further deepens the character of Lex and we see him and Clark drift further apart. Lex is despising Clark more and more, while Clark is realizing that he and Lex are no longer friends. Oliver Queen is becoming a regular character this season, one that is rising to the level of Lois Lane in importance to the stories being told.  Other than these character developments, there isn't much to this episode. It hearkens back to the early episodes of the series, in that there are mysterious murders that end up being caused by kryptonite meteor rocks and Clark and the gang end up solving the mystery by the end of the episode. The episode addresses the past history of Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen and how they have such a contentious relationship. We see at one point how Lex did have a friend and that he was a caring person. But we also see that even from a young age Lex did have a darkness to him that Lex himself has mentioned in previous episodes.

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Lex had a friend named Duncan in prep school and the two were being bullied by Oliver and his two friends. Lex and Duncan stumble up on some information that will be harmful to Oliver and his group, as they could get expelled from school. Lex believes they can use this to blackmail Oliver and friends to force them to let Lex and Duncan be apart of their group. Duncan wants to do the right thing and turn them into the principal. Lex tries to convince Duncan to not turn them in and they argue and come to blows. Lex almost kills Duncan, but Oliver pulls him off Duncan. Duncan stumbles out into the road and is hit by a car.

The episode is titled Reunion, as there is a Prep School reunion and Lex, Oliver and his two friends attend the reunion. Lex brings Lana Lang and Oliver brings Lois Lane to the reunion. At the reunion, one of Oliver's friends is killed by mysterious circumstances in front of everyone. At the hospital, later that evening, Oliver and his other friend are leaving the hospital in mourning as their friend was pronounced dead. As the friend gets into his limo to go back to Gotham City, his car explodes and he is killed.

At the Luthor mansion at about the same time, Lex and Lana witness some strange events and a chandelier falls from the ceiling almost killing Lex and Lana. Lana is injured and taken to the hospital.

Clark visits Oliver and finds out about Duncan and how he was killed. Clark finds out that Lionel Luthor swooped in and took care of Duncan's medical treatment and all the funeral costs. Clark goes and talks with Lionel and finds out that Duncan is still alive but is in a vegetative state. Lionel promised Duncan's mother he would try and discover a treatment to help Duncan recover. He is still trying to find a solution.

At the hospital, Clark shows up to visit and Lex rudely tells him to leave and that he doesn't have any reason to be there. Lois meets up with Clark at the hospital and they talk and go to a secret facility where the still alive, but vegetative, Duncan is being held.  They discover that the day the attacks started, Duncan started a new treatment involving kryptonite. They surmise that Duncan is behind the attacks and that he is using some form of astral projection. Clark realizes that Oliver is probably the next target and rushes off to his penthouse. He arrives just as a specialty arrow is shooting towards Oliver as projected by Duncan. The arrow was a limited EMP arrow, and Clark steps in front of the arrow and it detonates. In the detonation aura, we see an outline of a man that is Duncan. At that same moment, at the hospital, Lois sees Duncan go into convulsions and pass away. The EMP burst shorted out Duncan's ability which affected his biological functions.

Afterwards, Oliver goes to the Luthor mansion and apologizes to Lex for his past behavior and tells him that he was wrong for acting that way towards him and Duncan. Lex throws the apology back in his face and tells him that the only regret he has is that at one time he wanted to be his friend.

The final scene is Chloe coming to Clark with satellite photos of craters left around the world on the day that Clark was released from the Phantom Zone. In one photo Clark is able to recognize Raya and that she is alive in Australia.

Smallville Season 6 Episode 4-Arrow

This was a fun episode to watch as we see how Clark Kent and Oliver Queen discover each other's respective secret identities and how they agree to protect each other in that way. Oliver is all about helping those that need help and tells Clark that he needs to start thinking beyond just protecting his friends and family. That there is a whole world out there that could use the help that he would be able to provide with his abilities. While Green Arrow was introduced in the previous episode, this episode introduces him even more. Clark is more of a secondary character in this episode as he, Chloe Sullivan and Lois Lane all try to figure out who Green Arrow is.

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Oliver Queen and Lois go to a fundraiser together that Lionel Luthor is hosting for Martha Kent. Lionel gives Martha an expensive necklace to wear for the occasion. During which, Green Arrow crashes the party and steals the necklace. Lois chases after him and ends up grabbin a ring that Green Arrow was wearing around his neck on a chain. Lois is angry and writes an article in the Inquisitor about The Green Arrow Bandit. She does enlist Chloe's help in examining the ring, in which Chloe discovers a faint, worn image of a family crest. In talking with Clark about it, Clark realizes he has seen this before and goes to Oliver Queen's penthouse/office and uncovers evidence that Oliver is Green Arrow. While Clark knows who Green Arrow is, he doesn't tell Lois or Chloe, and Chloe is able to guess that Clark knows who Green Arrow is, but that he will keep that secret. Chloe doesn't press him and agrees to not investigate it further. However, Lois is still angry towards Green Arrow and is set on discovering who he is in spite of the fact that she and Oliver are still friends.

In a side story that is going on with Lex Luthor and Lana Lang, Lex reveals to Lana that he has the alien power source and that a scientist within LuthorCorp is trying to figure out how  to use it. Lana goes to visit with Lionel and they talk about how they need to protect Lex from himself and should try and recover the power source before something bad happens. She then runs into the scientist in the elevator on the way out and she blackmails him into not letting Lionel get his hands on the alien technology. Lana goes back to Lex and they talk about how she already knows about the alien power source and that is is actually a weapon. She tells Lex that they should keep working on it, so as to be prepared in case more aliens arrive and attack. It is later revealed that Lex was coordinating all of this through Lionel to manipulate Lana and to see if he could trust her. Lex also points out that Lionel is using the Kent's and is trying to convince them that he is a good man.

So we see how the Luthor's are using other's to compete for power using either the Kryptonian's themselves or their technology. Lex is now using Lana and has her fooled that he is a good man and that she is starting to follow in his footsteps too.