TV Blog: Smallville "Siren"

So it's been a while, not only since I've added to this blog, but also since I've done a review/recap of a Smallville episode. Last week's episode "Persona" did a whole lot more than continue the "return of Bizarro" story arc and showcase the return of James Marsters as "the Brain-Interactive Construct", or as we long-time Superman readers call him, Brainiac. It added yet a new wrinkle, a new complication in the "Clana" relationship, the idea that Bizarro was a better "Clark" to Lana than the real Clark himself in terms of acceptance and understanding, in terms of being a better partner in the relationship. Check out the following clip from "Persona":



This week's episode, "Siren", spends almost as much time on the "A-Plot", the return of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and the introduction of Dinah Lance/Black Canary, as it does on the repercussions of this confrontation, on the real Clark at first unable to accept that Lana couldn't distinguish him from "the Phantom" (Bizarro), that she could possibly love the Phantom more and wish for him rather than Clark himself. This scene comes about a third of the way into the episode--Lana's just been honest with Clark about something else she'd been hiding, something that Lionel Luthor was holding over her head, something regarding Bizarro, and it brings everything that had thus far been unspoken to the surface:



Now I'll be the first to admit this is one of those moments where I wanted to reach through the screen and throttle Clark, or at least shake him and yell, "What the hell's the matter with you?" Yes, having your life stolen by a copy of yourself, learning that the copy and your girlfriend were playing house, blissfully happy for weeks while you were being kept on ice (literally), would and should get under anyone's skin. But acting this way, being unable to really listen, to see and feel what the woman you love is desperately trying to tell you ... well, these are the moments Smallville's writers have been so good about maintaining in terms of Clark's maturing process. We're seven years in, and he can still be a jerk when he's been hurt, he can still be right and do all the wrong things. It makes for believable drama that watchers who could care less about what's going on in the "A" plot can care about.

Thankfully, this was NOT one of those episodes (like "Persona") that ends on a heartbreaking note. This was NOT one of those episodes where Clark lets Lana walk out the door without saying SOMETHING to make her turn around:



It's not a great answer that Clark gives her, (in fact, its EXACTLY the answer Bizarro said Clark would give) but it's an honest, heartfelt one, and this time it's not cruel and judgmental. It's something to build hope on. The entire scene is very well written, and if you're a Clana fan, as I am, then it works, it rings true.

The entire episode, in fact, is very well written: Justin Hartley (Green Arrow) is treated to some of the best lines in his return to the show, and the writers give a good ending (of sorts) to the Oliver-Lois relationship that was a big part of last season. The action featuring Green Arrow, Clark, and Black Canary is good fun, too, and yes, absolutely, actress Alaina Huffman wears Black Canary's trademark fishnets and boots VERY well. It's a nice writerly touch that her outfit is the source of some of good one-liners, as well, because come on, you can't wear that outfit and not have someone say SOMETHING glib. All in all, a strong episode that was worth the wait.