Season 4 Episode 9 – Lois struggles against the fallout of the debate; Clark uses Luthor’s tactics against him, while Jonathan and Jordan prepare for an impending battle.
Please note, our reviews are based on likes and dislikes. These contain significant spoilers. If you haven’t already watched the episode, we recommend that you click off the article and come back once you have watched the episode. Enjoy!
What I Liked
1. Jordan’s reaction to seeing foods named after them in the diner. The fact it’s curly fries on the kid’s menu really offended him. When he ordered them, seeing his reaction to what arrived was brilliant. I love these little scenes as they give him and Jon a bit more character.
2. We’re beginning to see the full shift in Lex now. He’s tried to play the long and mental game with Lois and her family. This time he’s truly going on the offensive. This began the last episode when he stole John’s suit but this time it feels more aggressive. Lex tells Superman to his face that he will be coming after them and he’s not ready for what comes next. This version of Lex is the best live-action version we’ve ever had, the range is impeccable.
3. Simulations are run from the Fortress using John Henry Iron’s suit. Jon and Jordan both attempt to take it down after Clark warns them how close John was to killing him when they fought in the beginning. Jon and Jordan both struggle against it. The reason I like this scene more than anything as it shows how powerful the suit is and how much of a threat this is; not to mention the fact Lex has full control over the suit, which makes it even more dangerous.
4. Lois turns to Bruno Mannheim for help. Bruno’s in prison after the events of season 3 and to be honest, I never thought Bruno was a bad guy per se. He did go about things the wrong way but all of this with Lex began with Bruno and Lois putting him in prison through a lie. Some villains across these sorts of series are bad but have good intentions, Bruno is one of these and I’m happy to see him back.
5. The training does continue despite Lara explaining the boys will never be ready to defeat the suit. Superman decides to attempt it himself and tells them to work as a team. It’s a brilliant slow-motion shot of Jordan up in the air and Jon on the ground heading towards Clark.
6. Lex suits for the first time. He completely ignores Amanda’s pleas to stop and heads towards Doomsday who’s seemingly attempting to open a portal to return home. He manages to turn Doomsday one more time and now Smallville’s destruction begins.
What I Disliked
I did wish we got to see Superman get his heart back in this episode so we can kick on with the finale. I do believe Amanda may have something to do with this as I still think Lex has the heart and the one we saw him destroy wasn’t Superman’s. It’s a very small dislike and nothing that effects the overall episode but it’s just something I thought about towards the end of the episode.
Favorite Moment
What a beautiful moment with Jordan. As the brothers evacuate the town, a woman in a cafe is having a panic attack. Jordan sits down with her to calm her down instead of just swooping her out of there. I loved that scene. It then followed up with Jon stopping a car flying mid-air. It did end up with Superman saying goodbye to his family as he knows he can’t win, Doomsday then swipes him from the screen before the episode ends. I cannot wait for next week.
Standout Character
Superman is the man this week. Tyler Hoechlin has so much range as Superman and it’s reflected in this episode. We see him go head to head with Lex, we see him train others, we see him weak, we see him fight – there’s so much to like and it’s all reflected in this particular episode.
Verdict
I’ve never been this excited for a CW finale since The Flash season 3. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat back and thought to myself; “how do they win this?” This episode was the perfect way to bridge itself into the finale.
Rating 10/10
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The Review
Story - 10
Action - 10
Characters - 10
Entertainment - 10
Quality - 10
10
PERFECT!
I've never been this excited for a CW finale since The Flash season 3. It's been a long time since I've sat back and thought to myself; "how do they win this?" This episode was the perfect way to bridge itself into the finale.
