"Crimson"
Review!
Written
by Triplet
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NOTE:
This review spills major plot points, read no further if you
would prefer to remain unspoiled.
This was
another terrific episode! I don't know what they're doing right,
but whatever it is I hope they don't stop... This season has
probably been, overall, the best one yet.
The script
for "Crimson" maybe wasn't as compelling as last week's
"Labyrinth” (Red kryptonite infused aphrodisiac lipstick?
That’s a bit of a clunky device, even for Smallville.).
However, it more than made up for it in sheer fun, character
development, and major advancement of several storylines.
Clark’s
not very good at sharing his feelings with anyone, not even
his mother. It’s one of his biggest character flaws. He's
been a broody loner since the Pilot. He internalizes his problems.
In this episode Clark had even told Martha that he didn’t
want to talk to her about his love life.
Also, it
doesn’t appear from what Chloe said about Clark and Lois
having chemistry like hydrogen peroxide and nitroglycerin (two
things that, I guess, that shouldn't mix) that he's told her
how his feelings about Lois have changed.
So it was
very character revealing for Clark to finally act on his suppressed
feelings, even at the expense of others. As shocking as Clark's
behavior might have been while he was on the Red Kryptonite,
people in Smallville needed to hear what he’s been holding
back. His Red K fueled tirade poured some salt on old wounds,
opened up some new ones and moved several storylines forward.
Clark’s
rant not only ruined the party, he ruined Chloe’s relationship...
Jimmy sees her unconditional forgiveness of Clark's misdeeds
as a good reason to suspect that she’s not over her pining
when I’m not sure that’s really the case. However
she was stuck. Chloe couldn’t defend her reasons for sticking
by Clark to Jimmy without explaining why she again gave Clark
the benefit of the doubt. I mean, how do you explain to your
boyfriend that your best friend is an alien and sometimes acts
out of character because of the strange affects meteor rocks
have on him? What lie could possibly cover that? I guess the
answer is you don’t even try to think up one...
Clark's
misbehavior put her into a terrible spot. The real question
is will her feelings for Clark change after this? Will she still
be a loyal friend and give him unconditional support, no matter
the damage it does to her relationship with Jimmy? Or will there
be a strain on the relationship because how badly his actions
had hurt her personally? He's never hurt her before like this,
damaging her first healthy long term relationship. He couldn't
help himself, and she knows that, but the fallout should make
for good TV.
As much
as Clark's brutal honesty hurt Lana, she needed to hear what
Clark had to say. She especially needed to hear what he had
to say about Lex and his need to have her because she had been
Clark's first. Maybe Lex does love her, but it’s a twisted
love and there is an element of one-upmanship to it too... Lex
is jealous and wants what Clark has that he doesn’t. She
doesn’t want to be the prize in whatever competition that
Lex and Clark are in but she is. Lana being aware of that now
will certainly change the dynamic of her relationships with
both men.
Also, now that Lana knows that Clark still loves her, despite
his earlier denials to her about that, it will probably be a
very interesting wrinkle in their relationship. That combined
with her piecing together bits of his secret will probably help
her find her way toward having a real friendship with him. That
is something that maybe was hard to envision happening with
her bitterness up until now so that is also a very welcome development.
However,
her knowing his secret will put her into danger, like Clark
has feared it would. Stupidly, she actually went back and took
evidence of the nature of Clark's secret, the bent tool, and
is keeping it hidden from Lex. Lana probably thinks she's being
sly, but Lex will probably find out. How he will react once
he realizes she found out Clark's secret and didn't fill him
in on it? She should know that keeping secrets from Lex isn't
a good idea. It will probably be very bad for her when he finds
out, which again has prime dramatic potential.
It's clear
from his discussion with the doctor that Lex is somehow manipulating
Lana on a very fundamental level. He's apparently done something
to her that would make her pregnancy "not typical."
That's worse than just being manipulative.
I haven’t
been in love with the whole storyline, to be honest. However,
if Lex has somehow caused Lana to get pregnant by anything other
than... well... the standard means without her knowing about
it, what a great twist. Who the heck does that to someone they
love? Yikes... If that isn’t over the top evil being that
cavalier about the health of your loved one, I don’t know
what else could be. No matter what happens, the resolution of
this storyline should make for some very dramatic TV.
Lois and
Clark getting together, even if Lois didn't remember it later,
was wonderful to see. It was an amusing situation that the writers
created for them (clunky red-kryptonite-infused-lipstick plot
device aside). Lois was so in love with Clark that she even
found his dorky farm boy persona adorable. Clark was at first
embarrassed, and yet titillated, by her inexplicable ardor and
it made for some funny moments. His nervousness when she held
his hand and his confusion at the importance of the mix CD was
funny. I actually laughed out loud at him running away when
her backed was turned...
Later, when
he'd been hit with the Red Kryptonite he was actually offended
that she thought he was normal and he proved how much better
than normal he was. The moment he jumped or flew (or whatever)
over to Oliver's balcony, Lois was at first scared and then
amazed and then in awe and more deeply in love. His special
abilities made him even more special in her mind. She wasn't
grossed out or horrified.
Also, the
Red K gave him a confidence that Clark rarely has and it was
terrific to see Lois fall more deeply for him because of it.
Its shades of who Clark will be in the future when he's wearing
tights and that heroic confidence is part of the reason she
will fall for him then. It was a beautiful thing to see. What
a nice reference to their future and it makes me think that
this Lois and Clark, despite the prickliness of their current
relationship, could be eventually be a good couple.
Even as
much as Lois loved seeing the "real" Clark Kent, she
was also shaken by some of his behavior. His dragging Lana off
rocked her to her core. However, it was funny that she ate the
leftover deserts at the party to console herself in her despair.
Depressed by Clark's rejection, her vulnerability and how she
made herself feel better were both endearing.
Maybe the
whole episode hinged on a somewhat lame device, but what came
from it was terrific. Clark's behavior affected everyone to
some extent. So, kudos to the writers for delivering a wonderfully
entertaining and storyline advancing episode!
The actors
again did a marvelous job this week. Tom Welling was incredible
as a hopped-up-on-red-k Clark. He was confident and arrogant
and over the top masculine but it was a more subtle performance
than the previous Red Kryptonite episodes, "Red,"
"Rush," "Exile," and "Unsafe."
While I'm not sure this performance topped the stellar job he
did for last week's "Labyrinth," he again hit it out
of the park. Clark's Supermanly confidence and his rant at the
party while he was on Red K were both amazing to watch. I loved
him when he was off the Red K too as he was alternately amused
and embarrassed by Lois’ inexplicable love for him. His
chemistry with Erica Durance is terrific and their scenes together
were wonderful.
Erica was
terrific. She was sexy and yet vulnerable as Lois. The moment
when she realized that she had made Clark a mix CD was sobering.
Its importance was perhaps not completely understood by Clark
until just that moment and she perfectly portrayed how important
it was, as did Tom.
Kristin
Kreuk must have learned something on that shoot of her new movie
because she absolutely surprised me with just how good she was
in this episode. It seems lately that she's getting better and
better.
The loft
scene between Clark and Lana was a revelation. I don't think
I've ever seen her give that much to a scene ever in Smallville.
The pain that Lana felt about Clark finally telling her what
she had always wanted to hear (yet waiting to the night of her
engagement party to tell her), was heartbreaking. Wow. That
was a tough scene but she portrayed it perfectly.
Michael
Rosenbaum again perfectly delivered the contradiction that is
Lex Luthor lately. He's so sweet and loving to Lana yet so evil
when her back is turned. I think it would be so easy for Lex
to be over the top evil with some of the things he's been doing,
but Michael's playing that part of Lex so quietly and deliberately.
He's being manipulative with Lana's life and body and Michael
played it more like he'd just made a business deal.
Aaron Ashmore's
Jimmy hasn't more usually been the comedic relief in Smallville
storylines, while occasionally becoming a convenient conduit
for a Dues Ex Machina exit strategy out of lame plot ("Static"),
but he had a very important (if small) role in this story. Jimmy
helped Chloe in a real way, so it was nice seeing Aaron having
a larger slice of the B story pie, but he also had suffered
from Clark's behavior over in the A story. The scene where Jimmy
told Chloe that they should take a break was touching and sad
and Aaron did a stupendous job depicting that.
Allison Mack did an excellent job. Chloe had a tough ride in
this episode. She had to be so many different things, but she
hit each note with skill. Chloe's dilemma at supporting Clark
at the expense of her own heartbreak was moving and Allison
played the moment flawlessly.
I think
most of the success of this episode was due to the skilled directing
of director/cinematographer Glen Winter. This was his third
time in the director's chair for Smallville, and this episode
is proof he can do more than just shoot a pretty episode. The
strong performances by all was a testament to his skill at helping
his actor's deliver what they need to in order to make an episode
work. It could have easily gone over into camp territory but
it didn't. The tone was the right balance of humor and drama
and yet the script's action was kept tight so the story kept
moving and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Glen also
shot another beautiful episode. A camera that moves too much
can be annoying, and is a pet peeve of mine when it's overdone,
but I thought what Glen did here had given the camera just the
right amount of movement for the episode. I especially liked
the scene in the shop between Jimmy and the mystical woman who
gave Lois the lipstick. Good casting on her by the way. She
didn't have many lines but the actress delivered them well,
with a slightly creepy air, which was perfect for the part.
The engagement
party scene was also terrific. The tracking down the table was
nice and it was good the mechanism for that was hidden in some
way. How did he manage to track down the table with the candle
holders down the center of the table, the drapes and candelabras
above and the guests at the table to the side? Those were excellent
shots.
I also loved
the night scene with Clark and Lois on the roof of the Daily
Planet building. The craning shot hinted at Clark's future command
of flight, even if he only jumped with Lois in this episode.
Although
I must say I wasn't wild about the scenery in parts almost completely
blocking the view of Clark and Lois while they traveled across
the Metropolis skyline. I don't like it when scenery blocks
the view of the main subjects instead of being used as a frame.
It's a fairly common thing to do, Robert Altman did it a lot
in his films ("MASH," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller,"
"The Player"). I suppose it's a visual counterpart
of Altman's signature of having overlapping dialogue, but I've
always hated it... It's too busy. Glen's done it before, having
"ice crystals" obscure parts of Clark's body at times
when he's in the fortress. However, Lois and Clark finally soaring
through the skies together shouldn't be blocked nearly completely
by anything. It pulled me out of the scene and deflated some
of the impact of what should have been a very romantic moment.
Also, I'd
wished that Clark's and Lana's kiss in the loft had more close-ups.
Not because I'm that big a Clark/Lana fan, but because again
I thought the emotional impact was defused somewhat by the removed
feeling created by lingering on the long shots.
I loved
Caroline Cranstoun's costumes. Lois's vamp wear was terrifically
just trashy enough without being too over the top.. I loved
how well the make-up Lois wore seemed to emphasize the red lipstick,
which was a central plot device. The dress that Lana wore at
the engagement party was wonderful. The slightly pleated front
hinted at her pregnancy without hitting anyone over the head
with her obviously wearing maternity wear. I also liked that
Kristin's hair is looking more grown up. She's an expectant
mother, a bride to be and a grown woman. She shouldn't look
like she's a school girl anymore so the change is a welcome
one.
All in all,
clunky plot devices and scenery blocking the flight aside, this
was another stellar episode. Strongly directed, superbly acted
and beautifully written, I give this episode 5 romantic flights
across Metropolis's night sky out of 5.
Note:
The views of Triplet don't necessarily represent the thoughts
and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite. Send
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