Smallville: Fracture

[moonshayde]

I keep meaning to talk about this episode. Everyone is so better with their thinky thoughts that I run off to read them and never bother to post LOL



I think this may be one of my favorite episodes of the series. As much as I love Lois/Clark, on Smallville I've always been happiest from a storytelling point of view when they focus on Clark and Lex. The premise fo this show was always rooted in the different paths Clark and Lex were taking, and nothing highlights that more than parallels and contrasts between the characters.

I was a little disappointed that lionel was a physically abusive father. I always saw him as abusive with words and with his mental games, but not one that resorted to physical violence. But I suppose it makes sense. This helped remind us he's not a great guy.

What made more of an impact, though, was Lillian. Lex keeps Lillian on this pedestal. But the series has done a great job of hinting at the type of person she was, even while still allowing Lex to hold a torch for her. She was the one that killed Julian if I recall? And here, we see that she can be just as cold and manipulative as Lionel.

Clark was truly heroic in this episode. Kara and Lois were great. Chloe and the conflict over her powers was fabulous. Lex was amazing.

And we finally see why Clark will keep trying to protect and save Lex years from now. He's always going to hold onto that hope that the good part of Lex - little Alexander - will one day win out. Alexander loves Clark and considers him his best friend. Clark will never turn his back on him.

It doesn't get any closer to Superman than that :)

Comments

[foolish-grin.livejournal.com]

I was a little disappointed that lionel was a physically abusive father. I always saw him as abusive with words and with his mental games, but not one that resorted to physical violence.

WORD.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Oh good. Glad I wasn't the only one.

[seacrystal.livejournal.com]

I was a little disappointed that lionel was a physically abusive father. I always saw him as abusive with words and with his mental games, but not one that resorted to physical violence. But I suppose it makes sense. This helped remind us he's not a great guy.

Lionel has shown physical abuse in episodes before this though, so I don't really think it's out of the blue -- most notably with his brain-frying of Lex in Shattered. Also, in Memoria where he struck Lex after thinking that he killed his own brother.

What made more of an impact, though, was Lillian. Lex keeps Lillian on this pedestal. But the series has done a great job of hinting at the type of person she was, even while still allowing Lex to hold a torch for her. She was the one that killed Julian if I recall? And here, we see that she can be just as cold and manipulative as Lionel.

Exactly. I've always thought that it's creepy the way Lex put his mother on this pedestal, because I just don't see anything from her that could even resemble any kind of warmth that one would usually associate with a mother. So it's good that this episode finally made it clear cut with Lillian.

And we finally see why Clark will keep trying to protect and save Lex years from now. He's always going to hold onto that hope that the good part of Lex - little Alexander - will one day win out. Alexander loves Clark and considers him his best friend. Clark will never turn his back on him. It doesn't get any closer to Superman than that :)

This is definitely the highlight of the episode for me. Just like Lois' confession in the last episode gave a very real and believable obstacle in her future relationship with Clark, this moment gives us a very real reason of why Clark would always believe in Lex's own capacity for good, and why it's important that they were ever friends in the first place.