Well ‘Smallville’ fans, we’ve made it. There have been some tough times (I’m looking at you vine lady), and some truly great ones. But it all comes to a head in tonight’s finale of season 6. This week powers are exposed, friends are stabbed, and a hero hunts his enemy. Last season ended with geektastic Zodness, this year we end with something even more bizarre. Enough about all that junk, let’s talk about how hot Erica Durance is for the next three thousand words. Or we could talk about the episode; it’s your choice.
So, lesson one in kicking off your finale is to have an exorcism and a hero get his insides ripped out. A Phantom has possessed a man and as a priest tries to wish the demon away, the Martian Manhunter approaches the possessed man. For his troubles he gets his heart ripped out and is then punched through the roof where he decides to redline it through the sky. As the Phantom man stalks the priest and his daughter, Lex and his team show up to capture him. Instead of that the Phantom bursts through the man’s chest, splattering blood everywhere, and flies away. I don’t know about you, but an opening like that gets me pumped for an exceptional episode.
Back in the “real world” Lex is ordering his men to find the escaped Phantom. At that moment Lionel, father of the year, shows up. Lex accuses his father of pitting Lana against him, an act he calls deplorable even for the elder Luthor. Lionel coldly tells his son, “Lana does not love you. The only reason she married you is because I gave her a gentle, but very firm, nudge.” For some odd reason this upsets Evil Baldy and he demands his father get out of his life. Lionel proclaims that getting rid of him won’t be that easy. Yeah, we’ve figured that since season 2. You have to wonder how prepared Lionel could possibly be for Lex’s potential.
Off to happier places, Martha gets encouragement from her son. But she tells him that her leaving in no way obligates him to tend to the farm. He’s had a rough year, a good mom always notices, and if he needs to leave Smallville then someone else can take care of the farm. She tells him she loves him and leaves for her flight to D.C. Lois is continuing her research into Wes’ death when Chloe shows up. Our super searcher tells her friend that she should back off the story. This is a battle Lois can’t win, to which Lois superficially agrees. After Lois rips some numbers she’s researching up, Chloe leaves and Lois immediately figures out they are coordinates. It looks like Lois is going to take a trip.
I’ve been saying it all year; the Lana and Clark stuff is too often horrible. The scene between the two in the Kent barn is one of the nicest moments they have ever had. Lana has come to say goodbye. She informs Clark that she’s leaving Lex, a fact Clark knows he should be sorry about but he’s just so damn happy. She feels she has to leave, but he pledges to protect her. Lana tells him he can’t this time, “Just know that I will always love you.” As she walks away Clark can’t take it and super runs after her. Surprise! He tells her the truth, that he’s from a planet called Krypton. Looking like a puppy dog he asks her to say something, to which she replies with a kiss. It was hokey, I’ll agree. But it’s refreshing to watch a scene like this between these two and have it actually work. It’s a miracle worth noting, and good writing is the key. Clark tells her there is no reason for her to leave, but she knows about his weakness. He insists she tell him who told her about that, and he figures out it as Lionel. She explains Lionel’s scheme and why she married Lex. Clark looks a tad miffed.
Clark shows up to confront Lionel. Enraged he throws the scheming jerk around a bit as Lionel desperately tries explaining he was helping Clark. As Clark goes to kill Lionel the Martian Manhunter shows up and stops him. Manhunter confirms that Lionel is telling the truth. It’s then that they explain what has happened. Lionel was possessed by Jor-El at the same time Zod was in Lex. Jor-El made Lionel doodle in Kryptonian and that was a beacon that summoned the Manhunter to earth. He worked with Jor-El, bringing prisoners to justice. Jor-El asked him to watch over Clark from a distance. He explains to Clark about Lex’s plan and the phantom, then goes to leave and carry out his mission. Clark stops him, saying having a hole in the chest may not put him in the best position to fight a powerful being. The Manhunter tells Clark that the phantom is looking for a Kryptonian host so that he can remain alive and get himself back. So yeah, maybe not such a good idea to go after this thing Clark.
Meanwhile Lana tells Lex she is leaving him, and the two exchange barbs comparing the lies and emotional scars each has placed on the other. Lex denies the false pregnancy, then tells her whatever he did was because he loves her. “You aren’t capable of love, Lex. You never were.” Lex realizes it is Clark that is the reason for her betrayal, and he tell Lana Clark is the biggest liar of them all. Lana tells her husband that Clark means more to her than he ever will, and he hits her. I mean, when you say something like that to Lex Luthor can you expect any less? He tells her he can’t let her go, and Lana says that killing her would be the only way to keep her around. She walks out…so he doesn’t kill her.
Remember Lois? Yeah, she’s doing the typical Lois crap. Getting herself into trouble. She arrives at the coordinates, which happen to be Reeves Dam. While investigating the area a guard finds her and she attacks him. During the fight he stabs her. Great, now you’ve done it Lane. As she bleeds to death she calls Chloe but can’t hold the phone and falls over.
Chloe helps Clark track the Phantom so he can find and kill it. He confesses that he told Lana his secret and Chloe looked a bit jealous. Hmmm…maybe Jimmy was right to feel threatened by Clark earlier in the season. Although, maybe she just likes being the one to keep his secret. Lionel is on his way to pick up Lana, but she doesn’t trust him. She says she’s leaving town and nobody will stop her. As Lionel pulls up, she looks at him and gets in her car. It’s here where she finds out that she can be stopped. Her car blows up, essentially killing her. At least, that’s what we’re supposed to believe but I have a hard time ignoring that large box truck that obstructed Lionel’s view for a moment. Honestly, I’m thinking Lana set this up to make Lex think she’s dead so he won’t go after her.
Clarks shows up to tell Lionel that Lex has acquired the Phantom in the form of a little boy. Lionel tells Clark that Lana is “gone.” “She’s gone? What do you mean gone,” Clark pleads with him. Lionel tells him that Lana is dead. He was there and saw the car explode with her in it. Bravo to Tom Welling for really doing this scene justice. It could have been ridiculously cheesy, but Clark’s pain really came through. “She was gonna leave him. He didn’t want her to leave,” our enraged hero says. He demands to know where Lex is, but Lionel can’t tell him. He doesn’t want Clark to do something he’ll regret for the rest of his life.
What happens next is one of the oddest things to ever happen in this show. I’m a bit flabbergasted for a number of reasons, not least is the loss of probably the second best character on the show. Chloe arrives at the damn, having tracked Lois’ cell phone. She finds Lois on the ground, looking a bit dead. Chloe is distraught as she holds her cousin and tells her she’s the strongest woman she knows. As a tear falls onto Lois’ forehead a flash of white light surrounds them and Lois is alive and OK. Except Chloe is dead. If anyone is keeping tabs, tonight marks the second time Lois has died and then been brought back to life in a ridiculous way in a moving picture show (the first being in the Donner film starring Christopher Reeve). So, that’s Chloe’s power? To take the place of someone she loves who died? Hey, it’s a noble thing…but kind of useless as a power. It is extremely upsetting that Chloe was punked out of the show in such a way.
Down in the lab Lex and his team extracts blood from the boy and discovers it’s just what they need to get his army up and running. Unfortunately Phantom Boy breaks out of his restraints and starts killing people. Lex escapes, but as he runs away Clark shows up after having followed Lionel to the dam. Clark asks why Lex killed Lana, but Lex looks honestly confused. It appears he didn’t do it. As Clark prepares to finish off his nemesis the boy appears and Lex says he’ll kill them both. Clark reluctantly let’s Lex go to prepare for battle. The Phantom bursts out of the boy and flies at Clark. Lying on the ground Clark looks up to see…himself.
OK, what is going on here? An evil Clark, or something else? The rest of the episode provides the clues we need to figure it out. As the two battle Lionel comes upon the evil Clark, but is warned by our very own Boy Scout. So Lionel tries using green kryptonite on him, which just gives him more power. There’s clue numero uno. Clark looks at his doppelganger and asks who he is. “I’m you…only a little more bizarre.” Alarm bells are flashing in fan’s minds at this moment. The two super men run at each other and Clark is thrown away. As this bizarre version of Clark flies after Superman his face turns metallic looking. Ladies and gentlemen, season 6 has ended with the introduction of Bizarro.
Now this is going to be a point of contention between fans of ‘Smallville’ who also follow the comics and those who simply enjoy the show. Looking at the situation it’s quite possible the creators didn’t think a true version of Bizarro would work on the show. Maybe they’re right, but how funny and cool would it be to have Bizarro on ‘Smallville?’ This appears to just be an evil Clark, not exactly the Bizarro we know from the comics. For those who don’t know, Bizarro is essentially the exact opposite of Superman. He’s not an evil being, he just does things that are the negative of what Superman would. So if Supes would save a life, Bizarro would end it. This manifests itself in many ways, including his crazy speech pattern. The Bizarro in the show appears to be a mixture of the different versions that have appeared in the comics, and at the same time a whole new entity. Maybe it’s just me, but this character seems to be a bit much. But man, if they do this right next season we could be in for some intriguing stuff. Let’s hope I’m wrong and the writers bring us a full on Bizarro for Clark to battle in season seven.
For my fellow Lex Luthor fans let me begrudgingly note that he was arrested for the murder of Lana. But don’t count the man out; I’m sure Ms. Tessmacher can fly a balloon in to rescue him from prison. There you have the finale of season six. It was a solid episode that delivered quite a bit of fun, plus a number of references to the Donner films. Which may I say were quite welcome. Not that it was a question, with fairly solid ratings, but TV Blend will join you again in September for the next season of ‘Smallville.’ Enjoy the summer everyone.
