thoughts on SV2 - 'Vortex', I have a few things to say
It was good, but ...
Personally, it could've been done a whole lot better.
Clark/TW: Liked his performance very, very much. Angsty!Angry!GiveMeBackMyFather!Clark is very much likable, and TW seems very comfortable in this episode. Which, for all the cuteness innocent!Clark brought, this more mature-and-not-so-oblivious/innocent Clark is a much more layered character than what I felt TW brought to the table in the last season. (But don't get me wrong, I loved all of SV).
Lex/MR: He's looking good, despite what some may say about 'gaining a few pounds.' Honest, I don't think he's changed a bit. Well, in the first couple of scenes, his face did look a little rounder, but I didn't notice anything after that. I think they need to give MR more and better dialogue to work with; some of his lines present in this episode were just cringe-worthy, or rather the structure of when and where they were to be executed was, and I felt that had they given him better lines and suitable scenes in which he might say them, it would've strengthened his performance. Still, I think MR did a fab job with what he was given, but my nitpicks with the often horrendous dialogue are addressed further down.
Lana/KK: I don't know, I'm finding myself warming up to Lana in this episode, if only for the final scene with Clark where she basically tries to get him to fess up about what really happened in the tornado. She says something along the lines of, "Just remember Clark, you can't hide in your room forever," and that gave me the intriguing impression that Lana might not be so oblivious anymore, and might start snooping around for some answers. It excites me to no end that Lana, friend next door and high school crush, might just jump at the chance of exposing his secret! Though, of course, that won't happen in reality....
Bo/JS: Loved John's performance, but again, dialogue needed some serious tweaking. I mean, revealing even more of Clark's secret/abilities to Nixon? And then having it seem like Bo Kent might've actually tried to murder Nixon?? I mean, come on! We know Papa Kent was not happy in the least with Nixon, and we know he'll go to great lengths to protect his family, but would he really come as close as they made it seem to killing Nixon? I honestly don't think so. Bo is too good of a man.
Lionel/JG: LOVED LIONEL! Cannot say it enough, though I would've loved to see more scenes with him. But, that will come! Mwah, now that he's a reg. ;) Very raw, throaty Lionel, hurt and blind, fer chrissakes. Loved the Lex/Lionel scenes, especially the hospital at the end where Lex just kind of slips away from his father, turns his back, and you can see him deflate. In trying to do something good and help his father for a change, Lionel ends up telling him how it would've been better had Lex let him die rather than be blind. That ungrateful, magnificent bastard ;)
Dialogue nitpicks: Serious work needed here. The scene where Lex goes to Clark and tells him about his father and how he hesitated in helping Lionel, that was all wrong. Wrong place, wrong time to mention such a thing. Couldn've they have worked it in better than that? I mean, Clark was worried and busy and on his way to find his missing Bo Kent, and Lex comes in and talks about Lionel this and how he hesitated and Lionel could've died and what an awful person Lex must be and blah blah blah. Also - Bo Kent telling Nixon about the first time Clark used his powers? So not good judgement on revealing that info to him on the writers parts. I mean, come on. Why would Bo do something like that, when it could only jeopardize Clark's safety even further?
Gunweilding!Lex: Very hot, but not very sensible. I don't think they should've had Lex kill Nixon just like that - poof! You're dead. Just the moral factor and the act alone, shouldn't it have squicked Clark and made him more wary of his friendship with Lex if Lex would do such a thing as kill another man, right in front of his eyes? Granted, it was for Clark's own protection, but I still think they should've chained Nixon up and lock him up in some insane asylum rather than have Lex shoot him, and then have Clark and Papa Kent be all blase about it. And here I thought Clark had issues with hurting others. I think the writers just got lazy and couldn't think of another way to keep Clark's secret safe if Nixon was somehow still in the picture or alive, so they had no other way to deal with him except kill him.
Post-Tornado: The recovery of Smallville after a couple of major twisters is mind-boggling. Especially Lana, who claimed she had never been more terrified in her life when she was in that tornado, her truck getting ripped to shreds with Clark somehow miraculously appearing and shielding her from the wind. She gets right back on her feet and chats with Chloe about the Spring Formal and even has enough energy to compliment on how good they looked together, right after she's just suffered a 'minor concussion' and was scared shitless. Not to mention, trying to figure out the whole Clark thing. Honestly, I think KK could've played with Lana's facial features and emotions more rather than just seem (and look) as if she hadn't even been in the middle of a tornado, about to die. Could've shown just a wee more emotion. Also, did anyone notice how she did not have one scratch on her?? I mean, she was in the middle of a ripping tornado, truck and debris flying everywhere around her. I think at least a tiny scratch would've been permissable. She's not Super, after all.
Overall, Vortex could've been better. The pacing could've been a little tighter, too. But I still loved it to death, and will continue to love it to death. SV always had some weak dialogue, so the dialogue here was nothing too suprising. But, after all, I don't think we watch it for the dialogue, but rather the character interaction, especially that of Clark/Lex.
And was it just me, or should there have been more CLex moments? Hopefully, next ep. But then again, Clark's hormones seem to be waking up in that one...for the female type, too. :\ *crosses fingers for some Lex luvin*
Personally, it could've been done a whole lot better.
Clark/TW: Liked his performance very, very much. Angsty!Angry!GiveMeBackMyFather!Clark is very much likable, and TW seems very comfortable in this episode. Which, for all the cuteness innocent!Clark brought, this more mature-and-not-so-oblivious/innocent Clark is a much more layered character than what I felt TW brought to the table in the last season. (But don't get me wrong, I loved all of SV).
Lex/MR: He's looking good, despite what some may say about 'gaining a few pounds.' Honest, I don't think he's changed a bit. Well, in the first couple of scenes, his face did look a little rounder, but I didn't notice anything after that. I think they need to give MR more and better dialogue to work with; some of his lines present in this episode were just cringe-worthy, or rather the structure of when and where they were to be executed was, and I felt that had they given him better lines and suitable scenes in which he might say them, it would've strengthened his performance. Still, I think MR did a fab job with what he was given, but my nitpicks with the often horrendous dialogue are addressed further down.
Lana/KK: I don't know, I'm finding myself warming up to Lana in this episode, if only for the final scene with Clark where she basically tries to get him to fess up about what really happened in the tornado. She says something along the lines of, "Just remember Clark, you can't hide in your room forever," and that gave me the intriguing impression that Lana might not be so oblivious anymore, and might start snooping around for some answers. It excites me to no end that Lana, friend next door and high school crush, might just jump at the chance of exposing his secret! Though, of course, that won't happen in reality....
Bo/JS: Loved John's performance, but again, dialogue needed some serious tweaking. I mean, revealing even more of Clark's secret/abilities to Nixon? And then having it seem like Bo Kent might've actually tried to murder Nixon?? I mean, come on! We know Papa Kent was not happy in the least with Nixon, and we know he'll go to great lengths to protect his family, but would he really come as close as they made it seem to killing Nixon? I honestly don't think so. Bo is too good of a man.
Lionel/JG: LOVED LIONEL! Cannot say it enough, though I would've loved to see more scenes with him. But, that will come! Mwah, now that he's a reg. ;) Very raw, throaty Lionel, hurt and blind, fer chrissakes. Loved the Lex/Lionel scenes, especially the hospital at the end where Lex just kind of slips away from his father, turns his back, and you can see him deflate. In trying to do something good and help his father for a change, Lionel ends up telling him how it would've been better had Lex let him die rather than be blind. That ungrateful, magnificent bastard ;)
Dialogue nitpicks: Serious work needed here. The scene where Lex goes to Clark and tells him about his father and how he hesitated in helping Lionel, that was all wrong. Wrong place, wrong time to mention such a thing. Couldn've they have worked it in better than that? I mean, Clark was worried and busy and on his way to find his missing Bo Kent, and Lex comes in and talks about Lionel this and how he hesitated and Lionel could've died and what an awful person Lex must be and blah blah blah. Also - Bo Kent telling Nixon about the first time Clark used his powers? So not good judgement on revealing that info to him on the writers parts. I mean, come on. Why would Bo do something like that, when it could only jeopardize Clark's safety even further?
Gunweilding!Lex: Very hot, but not very sensible. I don't think they should've had Lex kill Nixon just like that - poof! You're dead. Just the moral factor and the act alone, shouldn't it have squicked Clark and made him more wary of his friendship with Lex if Lex would do such a thing as kill another man, right in front of his eyes? Granted, it was for Clark's own protection, but I still think they should've chained Nixon up and lock him up in some insane asylum rather than have Lex shoot him, and then have Clark and Papa Kent be all blase about it. And here I thought Clark had issues with hurting others. I think the writers just got lazy and couldn't think of another way to keep Clark's secret safe if Nixon was somehow still in the picture or alive, so they had no other way to deal with him except kill him.
Post-Tornado: The recovery of Smallville after a couple of major twisters is mind-boggling. Especially Lana, who claimed she had never been more terrified in her life when she was in that tornado, her truck getting ripped to shreds with Clark somehow miraculously appearing and shielding her from the wind. She gets right back on her feet and chats with Chloe about the Spring Formal and even has enough energy to compliment on how good they looked together, right after she's just suffered a 'minor concussion' and was scared shitless. Not to mention, trying to figure out the whole Clark thing. Honestly, I think KK could've played with Lana's facial features and emotions more rather than just seem (and look) as if she hadn't even been in the middle of a tornado, about to die. Could've shown just a wee more emotion. Also, did anyone notice how she did not have one scratch on her?? I mean, she was in the middle of a ripping tornado, truck and debris flying everywhere around her. I think at least a tiny scratch would've been permissable. She's not Super, after all.
Overall, Vortex could've been better. The pacing could've been a little tighter, too. But I still loved it to death, and will continue to love it to death. SV always had some weak dialogue, so the dialogue here was nothing too suprising. But, after all, I don't think we watch it for the dialogue, but rather the character interaction, especially that of Clark/Lex.
And was it just me, or should there have been more CLex moments? Hopefully, next ep. But then again, Clark's hormones seem to be waking up in that one...for the female type, too. :\ *crosses fingers for some Lex luvin*