SV Random Rewatch: "Facade"
Sep. 24th, 2009 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acampbellThe fourth day of my vacation, and it isn't turning out the way I thought, planned or hoped. Hope is fading that I'll be able to get the viruses off my computer. It will run Norton and Spybot--Norton pulls up nothing, and Spybot says: "14 files in use and cannot be deleted." I'm sure those are the virus files. None of my doc or program files will open.
Right now, I'm just trying to jump ship and copy everything on my hard drive to my external hard drive so I can at least save my stuff, but I'm having trouble getting with that, too. My online activities will be limited until further notice. It's amazing how much of my life revolves around online stuff, and without it, I'm lost.
If anyone has ANY virus removal tips, or even file moving/transfer to share, please do! I'm so discouraged. I can use Leah's computer during the day while she's at work (I'm on it now) but I'm being very conservative in what I do on it. I'm so afraid of picking up a virus on here, too!
In the evenings while on vacation, I've been trying to sort all my fanfic and related fandom stuff, and rewatching random SV eps as I do. Up last night was "Facade."
Eps where the focus was on female appearance were never the best, and this one's no exception, and thought it's lately been a trend to look on S4 with a new appreciation (for, however silly/raunchy some of the plots, at least everyone was still largely in character back then, and we still had sunshine and colors) when one actually sits down and starts working through the eps, (especially directly after watching S1) the dislike and disappointment we originally felt come creeping back, and this ep, the third of the season, for me marks the point at which S4 began to go awry.
Let's get The Fail out of the way first:
One minor thing that never fails to bug me is when they recycle character's names, first OR last. This has happened several times on this show, and while I get the "cuteness" of giving some characters names of people on the staff and crew, did we really need "Abigail Fine" and then "Milton Fine" one season later. No, they're not related. To me, this is almost as bad as recycling the actors.
Clark joins the football team:
This was an early example of recycling a plot element that had already been dealth with early on. The third episode of the series, "Hothead," had Clark and his father at odds over Clark's desire to play football, and why it was not right or fair for Clark to strut his stuff on the field, however much he might want to. Now the issue is back, and extends over 2/3 of the season. However good Clark looks in the football duds,
and however satisfying it ultimately was to see him decide--on his own, later in the season--to quit this time, I wish they'd let Clark do the football run in his freshman year rather than his senior. His rebellion against his dad, and the lessons learn (although these were well enough addressed in "Hothead") would've fit a lot better there.
Martha's job at the Talon:
Sending Martha to work at the Talon in S4 was Epic Fail. Surely they could've found something better for her to do. (It was apparently AOT's idea because "Martha needed something to do,"--as though helping her heart-diseased husband run a farm wasn't enough! Based on other comments of hers previously discussed (I won't put you all through it again) AOT generally had some pretty whacked notions about her character, IMO). In S2, she had enough business skills and acumen to be Lionel Luthor's assistant; now, her plea to Jonathan consists of: "It's not as if I have a full resume!" (whatever that means. I realize that Lionel's reason for hiring her may not have been primarily her job skills, but we still were given to understand that she was capable at the job, even if she did quit abruptly and with no explanation.) The teensy bit of related insight we got into Martha's character (i.e. using the job to escape from the stress of worrying about Jonathan) was trashed by Martha confiding in "Lana as Relationship Counsellor," and all else I recall about Martha's Talon stint (did they ever specify why/when she quit working there?) is how Lana apparently did Everything Much Better Than She Did.
Besides, Jonathan's dislike of All Things Luthor had grown pretty tiresome by then, especially considering Bo's "Let Him (Lex) Rot in Belle Reve" philosophy of S3. I groan at the way Martha thanks him for "letting" her take the job, and he responds with, "You're welcome, you're welcome," as they embrace. Sheesh.
Gratuitous sex--in the "boys' locker room," no less, between characters we couldn't care less about.
Which brings me to:
Lana:
S4 started out with promises of a "new, improved, Lana Lang." She was to have a new wardrobe and vastly increased spunk. We did see Lana and Jason share some humorous moments, and do in this episode as well
(what a getup for school, huh?)
but it won't be long before she devolves back to Secwets and Wies. Already, she's bolted on Jason in Paris, forcing him to follow her to Smallville. Or, rather, the writers forced him to follow her. Most of Lana's "new improvements" entailed other characters, some who barely knew her, extolling how great she was.
Bear with me while I expound further.
Lana and Clark are broken up. She comes back to Smallville (and most of us were hoping fervently that she'd stay in Paris for a while) in a relationship with an auxiliary character, which is fine. But, IMO, this relationship should've stayed on the outskirts. (I've always contended that the end of S4 would've been the ideal time for the Lexana to begin--it could've been launched very successfully at the end of "Covenant", progressed (without sex, because she wasn't "legal" yet) into S5, and we'd have been spared the Jana, the Clana 2.0/Clana sex, and Lana looking quite so much like a fickle little skank, with the rebounding to Clark after the Jana and to Lex after the Clana 2.0. She and Lex could've gotten slowly and steadily more serious, with Clark growing more and more concerned, and it would've been more satisfying). As it is, I struggle to understand why we should care quite so much about Lana and Jason when we could easily have done without Jason altogether. As horrible as the Clexana was when we finally got it, Jason was one character we just didn't need, though JA is cute and a good actor. This was an early example of SV adding too many characters. They already had a surfeit of female characters--Chloe and Lana should've been one person to begin with, and now they had Lois.
(I often say I'd take in dozens of stray cats were it not that, for each cat I'd add, the cats I already have would suffer: there'd be less money and resources to care for THEM. The same happens on a TV show: add too many characters, and you don't have the time or attention to focus on the ones that are truly important.)
As it is, in largely disassociating herself from the other main characters, Lana is of no more than tepid interest at this point in the series. They tried to force us to be interested down the road, but even giving an uber-juicy storyline in S6 didn't sell her.
I love how continually duplicitous, throughout the seasons, is the Secwets and Wies princess.
Still, we're never allowed to forget for a moment how PIVOTAL she is, through the tedious means of other characters documenting her "superiority" by the things they say:
Dr. Fine: is all about how "perfect" Lana's face is.
Jason: 1, Delivers a paean about how Lana is beautiful inside as well as out; 2. Concedes that Lana kicks the crap out of him at Xbox; 3. Predicts his guys (team) will be "drooling" over Lana.
Lex: he tells her how absolutely insightful she was for seeing potential in the Talon when no one else did and how very much she's done with the place. Never mind that the place is currently closed and she let it go out of business so she could go to Paris.
No Clark/Lex:
I realize the guys are still on the outs with one another in this ep because of the CoCK, but a little attention to the damaged friendship, and their related thoughts/feelings, would've been welcome. Compared to S1-3 the Great Dearth of Clex began in earnest in S4, and we began to get the feeling both that we were expected to believe that they'd never really been friends (which would get worse) and that the show was never going to get back to addressing a lot of the serious and momentous stuff involving the guClark and Lex from S3, like Shattered/Asylum/Memoria and the fallout thereof. Also in S4 began the pushing of Lex down the Dark Path and the abandonment of making him a sympathetic character. Kudos to MR that he allowed Lex to retain humanity, and our sympathy and allegiance, to the bitter end.
Lex's scenes: One of the worst things about this ep is that Lex, cut off from Clark and from his father, functions solely as a prop for Lana in this episode--foreshadowing of S6, ya know. In fact, the Lexana was beginning to rear its creepy head about this time--and not in the more desirable way referred to above.
First she finds him opening a box and scolds him for "going through other people's mail" (he does point out that the box was addressed to "The Talon) only one ep after she's arranged to move back in (she says in "Gone" that she wants to "rent the apartment" but how much ya wanna bet no money ever changed hands?). Then he veers off to extol her foresight in seeing something in the Talon that everyone else missed, and what a great job she did in bringing it back. The fact that he provided funding and support had nothing to do with it, apparently.
And then in his scene with Jason at the hospital, he avers that "Lana deserves the best. I hope you're it."
He has no scenes of his own independent of Lana's presence and/or concern over Lana, and we get no insight into why and how he's missing Clark so much that within one ep he'll be bestowing snazzy uniforms on the entire HS football team, crunching up his Porsche, and tearing down hisjerk-off chamber just to get him back.
Kick the Chloe:
It's so sad: it's as though she's thinking about how she's finally got a shot at Clark now that Lana's involved with someone else, and her just-come-to-town cousin has swooped in and displaced her. All's fair and all
but I always feel badly for Chloe when she feels on the outs with her love for Clark. Maybe because I could really identify with her.
Now The Good:
Cute Chloe/Lois and cute Clois moments
I love Clark's giggle when the General says Lois flunked out the previous semester. And how he's sort of cowed into silence by the big, tough guy and his military bearing.
The chemistry between Clark and Abby. It never fails to amaze how TW can sparkle with other young women--usually blondes--that Aren't Lana.
Jason made a funny:
"I already know you're stuck up; in fact, I've been meanin' to talk to you about that."
"Oh, you're funny."
I so wanted him to say: "But I'm dead serious!" Even though he was "just joking," it was great fun to hear someone refer to Lana as "stuck up."
and then later when he says: "The reasons I love you is not something you can see in a mirror...that's good, I'm gonna write that down and use it later." There's a welcome touch of Adam Knight in this lad.
Clark's Jonathan smackdown. Clark is growing up and better able to hold his own with his often-cantankerous dad.
Dunk tank:
Had Lois's arc concluded permanently at the end of "Devoted" I'd have been satisfied to wait for her reappearance until Clark made his way to Metropolis.
Last but hardly least:
Clark's lookin' good in this ep! (and is that a sheen of perspiration on his skin?). His hairstyle is almost a callback to the "Exodus" 'do.
Part 1
Part 2
Deleted Scenes
So, in short, dumb A plot, too much Lana/Lana worship, no decent (Clex)...but some Pretty and a few chuckles.
Caps byacampbell. Usage welcome, please comment/credit.
Right now, I'm just trying to jump ship and copy everything on my hard drive to my external hard drive so I can at least save my stuff, but I'm having trouble getting with that, too. My online activities will be limited until further notice. It's amazing how much of my life revolves around online stuff, and without it, I'm lost.
If anyone has ANY virus removal tips, or even file moving/transfer to share, please do! I'm so discouraged. I can use Leah's computer during the day while she's at work (I'm on it now) but I'm being very conservative in what I do on it. I'm so afraid of picking up a virus on here, too!
In the evenings while on vacation, I've been trying to sort all my fanfic and related fandom stuff, and rewatching random SV eps as I do. Up last night was "Facade."
Eps where the focus was on female appearance were never the best, and this one's no exception, and thought it's lately been a trend to look on S4 with a new appreciation (for, however silly/raunchy some of the plots, at least everyone was still largely in character back then, and we still had sunshine and colors) when one actually sits down and starts working through the eps, (especially directly after watching S1) the dislike and disappointment we originally felt come creeping back, and this ep, the third of the season, for me marks the point at which S4 began to go awry.
Let's get The Fail out of the way first:
One minor thing that never fails to bug me is when they recycle character's names, first OR last. This has happened several times on this show, and while I get the "cuteness" of giving some characters names of people on the staff and crew, did we really need "Abigail Fine" and then "Milton Fine" one season later. No, they're not related. To me, this is almost as bad as recycling the actors.
Clark joins the football team:
This was an early example of recycling a plot element that had already been dealth with early on. The third episode of the series, "Hothead," had Clark and his father at odds over Clark's desire to play football, and why it was not right or fair for Clark to strut his stuff on the field, however much he might want to. Now the issue is back, and extends over 2/3 of the season. However good Clark looks in the football duds,
and however satisfying it ultimately was to see him decide--on his own, later in the season--to quit this time, I wish they'd let Clark do the football run in his freshman year rather than his senior. His rebellion against his dad, and the lessons learn (although these were well enough addressed in "Hothead") would've fit a lot better there.
Martha's job at the Talon:
Sending Martha to work at the Talon in S4 was Epic Fail. Surely they could've found something better for her to do. (It was apparently AOT's idea because "Martha needed something to do,"--as though helping her heart-diseased husband run a farm wasn't enough! Based on other comments of hers previously discussed (I won't put you all through it again) AOT generally had some pretty whacked notions about her character, IMO). In S2, she had enough business skills and acumen to be Lionel Luthor's assistant; now, her plea to Jonathan consists of: "It's not as if I have a full resume!" (whatever that means. I realize that Lionel's reason for hiring her may not have been primarily her job skills, but we still were given to understand that she was capable at the job, even if she did quit abruptly and with no explanation.) The teensy bit of related insight we got into Martha's character (i.e. using the job to escape from the stress of worrying about Jonathan) was trashed by Martha confiding in "Lana as Relationship Counsellor," and all else I recall about Martha's Talon stint (did they ever specify why/when she quit working there?) is how Lana apparently did Everything Much Better Than She Did.
Besides, Jonathan's dislike of All Things Luthor had grown pretty tiresome by then, especially considering Bo's "Let Him (Lex) Rot in Belle Reve" philosophy of S3. I groan at the way Martha thanks him for "letting" her take the job, and he responds with, "You're welcome, you're welcome," as they embrace. Sheesh.
Gratuitous sex--in the "boys' locker room," no less, between characters we couldn't care less about.
Which brings me to:
Lana:
S4 started out with promises of a "new, improved, Lana Lang." She was to have a new wardrobe and vastly increased spunk. We did see Lana and Jason share some humorous moments, and do in this episode as well
(what a getup for school, huh?)
but it won't be long before she devolves back to Secwets and Wies. Already, she's bolted on Jason in Paris, forcing him to follow her to Smallville. Or, rather, the writers forced him to follow her. Most of Lana's "new improvements" entailed other characters, some who barely knew her, extolling how great she was.
Bear with me while I expound further.
Lana and Clark are broken up. She comes back to Smallville (and most of us were hoping fervently that she'd stay in Paris for a while) in a relationship with an auxiliary character, which is fine. But, IMO, this relationship should've stayed on the outskirts. (I've always contended that the end of S4 would've been the ideal time for the Lexana to begin--it could've been launched very successfully at the end of "Covenant", progressed (without sex, because she wasn't "legal" yet) into S5, and we'd have been spared the Jana, the Clana 2.0/Clana sex, and Lana looking quite so much like a fickle little skank, with the rebounding to Clark after the Jana and to Lex after the Clana 2.0. She and Lex could've gotten slowly and steadily more serious, with Clark growing more and more concerned, and it would've been more satisfying). As it is, I struggle to understand why we should care quite so much about Lana and Jason when we could easily have done without Jason altogether. As horrible as the Clexana was when we finally got it, Jason was one character we just didn't need, though JA is cute and a good actor. This was an early example of SV adding too many characters. They already had a surfeit of female characters--Chloe and Lana should've been one person to begin with, and now they had Lois.
(I often say I'd take in dozens of stray cats were it not that, for each cat I'd add, the cats I already have would suffer: there'd be less money and resources to care for THEM. The same happens on a TV show: add too many characters, and you don't have the time or attention to focus on the ones that are truly important.)
As it is, in largely disassociating herself from the other main characters, Lana is of no more than tepid interest at this point in the series. They tried to force us to be interested down the road, but even giving an uber-juicy storyline in S6 didn't sell her.
I love how continually duplicitous, throughout the seasons, is the Secwets and Wies princess.
Still, we're never allowed to forget for a moment how PIVOTAL she is, through the tedious means of other characters documenting her "superiority" by the things they say:
Dr. Fine: is all about how "perfect" Lana's face is.
Jason: 1, Delivers a paean about how Lana is beautiful inside as well as out; 2. Concedes that Lana kicks the crap out of him at Xbox; 3. Predicts his guys (team) will be "drooling" over Lana.
Lex: he tells her how absolutely insightful she was for seeing potential in the Talon when no one else did and how very much she's done with the place. Never mind that the place is currently closed and she let it go out of business so she could go to Paris.
No Clark/Lex:
I realize the guys are still on the outs with one another in this ep because of the CoCK, but a little attention to the damaged friendship, and their related thoughts/feelings, would've been welcome. Compared to S1-3 the Great Dearth of Clex began in earnest in S4, and we began to get the feeling both that we were expected to believe that they'd never really been friends (which would get worse) and that the show was never going to get back to addressing a lot of the serious and momentous stuff involving the guClark and Lex from S3, like Shattered/Asylum/Memoria and the fallout thereof. Also in S4 began the pushing of Lex down the Dark Path and the abandonment of making him a sympathetic character. Kudos to MR that he allowed Lex to retain humanity, and our sympathy and allegiance, to the bitter end.
Lex's scenes: One of the worst things about this ep is that Lex, cut off from Clark and from his father, functions solely as a prop for Lana in this episode--foreshadowing of S6, ya know. In fact, the Lexana was beginning to rear its creepy head about this time--and not in the more desirable way referred to above.
First she finds him opening a box and scolds him for "going through other people's mail" (he does point out that the box was addressed to "The Talon) only one ep after she's arranged to move back in (she says in "Gone" that she wants to "rent the apartment" but how much ya wanna bet no money ever changed hands?). Then he veers off to extol her foresight in seeing something in the Talon that everyone else missed, and what a great job she did in bringing it back. The fact that he provided funding and support had nothing to do with it, apparently.
And then in his scene with Jason at the hospital, he avers that "Lana deserves the best. I hope you're it."
He has no scenes of his own independent of Lana's presence and/or concern over Lana, and we get no insight into why and how he's missing Clark so much that within one ep he'll be bestowing snazzy uniforms on the entire HS football team, crunching up his Porsche, and tearing down his
Kick the Chloe:
It's so sad: it's as though she's thinking about how she's finally got a shot at Clark now that Lana's involved with someone else, and her just-come-to-town cousin has swooped in and displaced her. All's fair and all
but I always feel badly for Chloe when she feels on the outs with her love for Clark. Maybe because I could really identify with her.
Now The Good:
Cute Chloe/Lois and cute Clois moments
I love Clark's giggle when the General says Lois flunked out the previous semester. And how he's sort of cowed into silence by the big, tough guy and his military bearing.
The chemistry between Clark and Abby. It never fails to amaze how TW can sparkle with other young women--usually blondes--that Aren't Lana.
Jason made a funny:
"I already know you're stuck up; in fact, I've been meanin' to talk to you about that."
"Oh, you're funny."
I so wanted him to say: "But I'm dead serious!" Even though he was "just joking," it was great fun to hear someone refer to Lana as "stuck up."
and then later when he says: "The reasons I love you is not something you can see in a mirror...that's good, I'm gonna write that down and use it later." There's a welcome touch of Adam Knight in this lad.
Clark's Jonathan smackdown. Clark is growing up and better able to hold his own with his often-cantankerous dad.
Dunk tank:
Had Lois's arc concluded permanently at the end of "Devoted" I'd have been satisfied to wait for her reappearance until Clark made his way to Metropolis.
Last but hardly least:
Clark's lookin' good in this ep! (and is that a sheen of perspiration on his skin?). His hairstyle is almost a callback to the "Exodus" 'do.
Part 1
Part 2
Deleted Scenes
So, in short, dumb A plot, too much Lana/Lana worship, no decent (Clex)...but some Pretty and a few chuckles.
Caps by
acampbell. Usage welcome, please comment/credit.
