SV Random Rewatch: "Wrath"
Mar. 21st, 2010 02:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acampbellClana sex is generally enough to keep me from reviewing an episode (cf. "Mortal," "Hidden," "Requiem,") and "Wrath" is no exception. However, lately I find myself dipping back into eps from the later seasons just because there's not that much to engage me in the show these days. I'd only rewatched "Wrath" a couple of times before, once the standard rewatch with my daughter and once for capping, so it's been a while.
And, wow, just wow. This ep should have a Shrine of Supreme Importance in the No Payoff thread. What amazed me on this re-watch is just how much stuff comes to light in this ep, and is set up apparently for a massive payoff shortly down the road, and then: nothing.
I fully expected S7, and the Clana "real shot," to give us at long last what so many of us had been waiting for so long: for Clark and Lana to conclude, or, even better, for Clark to come to the twofold conclusion that Lana was not the woman he'd always imagined her to be and that they were woefully ill-suited to each other, despite having been in mutual denial for years. This episode, at long last, set everything up perfectly for this, at least given that they'd declined to have Clark come to this realization at any time previously during their relationship--of course, he did come to this conclusion in a nicely timely manner as early as S3("Phoenix," closing scene) but the show refused to recognize it, kept referring to them and having other characters refer to them as a couple, and declined to let either of them truly move on. As time went on, I was sure that, when Lana rebounded to Lex in S5 and into bed with him shortly after, treated Clark like crud until well into S6, and ultimately was willing to dump Lex at the altar and cheat on him with Clark, that Clark would be shocked at this behavior and finally disillusioned. He never was, though I'm sure he would have had the show been allowed to go in the direction it was trying to go. I admired the decision Clark came to in "Hydro," that since Lana made her choice and was expecting a child with Lex, there could be no going back. Then there was that inexplicable about-face around the time of "Labyrinth," and despite the Clana not knowing that the baby was imaginary yet, despite the fact that nothing had changed, they were hot to get back together. It was a huge disappointment then, an even bigger disappointment in S7, and, well, we know that even in S8, we were cheated of a decent resolution.
In this episode, Lana is visited with superpowers, gets drunk with power, and becomes so obsessed with "telling her story" and getting revenge on Lex/bringing him to "justice," that it horrifies everyone. Several main characters are injured during her "quest" (read "rampage").
Clark observes at the beginning of the episode that she's been "distant," then finds out from Chloe she's been deceiving him continuously with lies about visits to Nell in Metropolis while really spying on Lex from the Isis Foundation.
Lionel warns Clark that Lana may not be the person he thinks she is and: "have you ever allowed yourself to take a really honest look at Lana?" and warns her she could betray him. Comparing Clark and Lana to Sampson and Delilah. Lex points out to Clark that Lana is deceiving him. Gradually Clark begins to believe it, observing that ever since Lana came back, she's been "different...darker."
Why does it take him so long?
In addition, Lana displays significant contempt toward Clark for "hiding on the farm" and being too cowardly to take Lex out. And for putting her on a pedestal. She shows what I would consider her true colors in this just as in "Thirst" two seasons before. But then, I was always convinced that her main emotion for Clark was contempt and she was just really after him because a) she didn't want to be alone and wanted someone to cling to, and b) he's hot. Sounds simplistic, but there it is.
(I always wondered how Martha felt about Clark and Lana living together at the farm. Maybe we were supposed to assume that she was cosmopolitan enough not to mind, but I'm sure Jonathan wouldn't have liked it.
And I always expected Lex to flatten Clark and Lana both once Lana moved in at the farm. I was disappointed that nothing happened, but the good side was that Lex appeared to have elected not to waste time trying to get back at them and elected to move on (even if they did drop the Lex Redemption Arc forecast at the beginning of the season). Of course, Lex "moving on" was negated by the time mid-S8 came along...:()
What does it mean when Lana throws the photo of herself at the mirror in what I think is supposed to be Clark's room, but seems to be laid out very differently, or at least photographed differently? Is she angry because she hears Clark asking Chloe to keep an eye on her? Is it an accident because she's not yet used to her powers? Just curious.
This ep does give us two Clex scenes!
Where Lex goes to the farm and demands Clark tell him what's going on.
and: when Clark goes to the mansion to find out what Lex is going to do for revenge, Lex tells him Lana still has feelings for him (Lex) and: what do you think is stronger: her obsession with me or her feelings for you? Clark insists she'd never have done anything like this before becoming involved with Lex. Lex claims he wasn't the first to teach her about betrayal. As usual, it's always someone other than Lana's fault.
Chloe & Lana:
A great conversation that seemed to forecast that Chloe and Lana would no longer be friends and that Chloe would make it her mission to shield Clark from the darkness in Lana.
The final Clana barn scene capsulizes what's wrong with this relationship: Lana wants to enjoy Clark's love no matter what she does.
Clark seems to realize the relationship is rapidly becoming Bad News, but lacks the will to break away. By "Siren," he's giving her a free pass again and discounting the entire thing.
In conclusion:
Despite some of the annoyances of this ep, it promised great things...that were never delivered. There are myriad warnings about Lana's inner evil in this episode.
There were no consequences to Lana's pursuit of revenge and violent behavior.
We were not given an indication of any impact of Lana's obsession with Lex on her subsequent relationship with Clark.
Nothing came of Chloe's threats to Lana save a touch of coolness in their next scene together in their first scene following this episode
Nothing lasting came of Clark's becoming acquainted, through conversations with Chloe, Lex, and Lionel, and through his own eyes, with Lana's devious and dark behavior. In the very next episode, he mentions offhand that Lana is visiting Nell in Metropolis--which was her equivalent of Bunburying. Did Clark, and the writers just forget that the visits to Nell were a cover?
I expected him to be so horrified that their relationship would never recover.
But then, so much that happens on SV just doesn't "stick." By the next ep, it's all forgotten.
On an entirely different tack: does anyone know what the actual "approved" spelling is for "Naman" and "Segeeth"? I've seen them spelled in what seems like countless ways in fandom, and never know which spelling is correct.
And, wow, just wow. This ep should have a Shrine of Supreme Importance in the No Payoff thread. What amazed me on this re-watch is just how much stuff comes to light in this ep, and is set up apparently for a massive payoff shortly down the road, and then: nothing.
I fully expected S7, and the Clana "real shot," to give us at long last what so many of us had been waiting for so long: for Clark and Lana to conclude, or, even better, for Clark to come to the twofold conclusion that Lana was not the woman he'd always imagined her to be and that they were woefully ill-suited to each other, despite having been in mutual denial for years. This episode, at long last, set everything up perfectly for this, at least given that they'd declined to have Clark come to this realization at any time previously during their relationship--of course, he did come to this conclusion in a nicely timely manner as early as S3("Phoenix," closing scene) but the show refused to recognize it, kept referring to them and having other characters refer to them as a couple, and declined to let either of them truly move on. As time went on, I was sure that, when Lana rebounded to Lex in S5 and into bed with him shortly after, treated Clark like crud until well into S6, and ultimately was willing to dump Lex at the altar and cheat on him with Clark, that Clark would be shocked at this behavior and finally disillusioned. He never was, though I'm sure he would have had the show been allowed to go in the direction it was trying to go. I admired the decision Clark came to in "Hydro," that since Lana made her choice and was expecting a child with Lex, there could be no going back. Then there was that inexplicable about-face around the time of "Labyrinth," and despite the Clana not knowing that the baby was imaginary yet, despite the fact that nothing had changed, they were hot to get back together. It was a huge disappointment then, an even bigger disappointment in S7, and, well, we know that even in S8, we were cheated of a decent resolution.
In this episode, Lana is visited with superpowers, gets drunk with power, and becomes so obsessed with "telling her story" and getting revenge on Lex/bringing him to "justice," that it horrifies everyone. Several main characters are injured during her "quest" (read "rampage").
Clark observes at the beginning of the episode that she's been "distant," then finds out from Chloe she's been deceiving him continuously with lies about visits to Nell in Metropolis while really spying on Lex from the Isis Foundation.
Lionel warns Clark that Lana may not be the person he thinks she is and: "have you ever allowed yourself to take a really honest look at Lana?" and warns her she could betray him. Comparing Clark and Lana to Sampson and Delilah. Lex points out to Clark that Lana is deceiving him. Gradually Clark begins to believe it, observing that ever since Lana came back, she's been "different...darker."
Why does it take him so long?
In addition, Lana displays significant contempt toward Clark for "hiding on the farm" and being too cowardly to take Lex out. And for putting her on a pedestal. She shows what I would consider her true colors in this just as in "Thirst" two seasons before. But then, I was always convinced that her main emotion for Clark was contempt and she was just really after him because a) she didn't want to be alone and wanted someone to cling to, and b) he's hot. Sounds simplistic, but there it is.
(I always wondered how Martha felt about Clark and Lana living together at the farm. Maybe we were supposed to assume that she was cosmopolitan enough not to mind, but I'm sure Jonathan wouldn't have liked it.
And I always expected Lex to flatten Clark and Lana both once Lana moved in at the farm. I was disappointed that nothing happened, but the good side was that Lex appeared to have elected not to waste time trying to get back at them and elected to move on (even if they did drop the Lex Redemption Arc forecast at the beginning of the season). Of course, Lex "moving on" was negated by the time mid-S8 came along...:()
What does it mean when Lana throws the photo of herself at the mirror in what I think is supposed to be Clark's room, but seems to be laid out very differently, or at least photographed differently? Is she angry because she hears Clark asking Chloe to keep an eye on her? Is it an accident because she's not yet used to her powers? Just curious.
This ep does give us two Clex scenes!
Where Lex goes to the farm and demands Clark tell him what's going on.
and: when Clark goes to the mansion to find out what Lex is going to do for revenge, Lex tells him Lana still has feelings for him (Lex) and: what do you think is stronger: her obsession with me or her feelings for you? Clark insists she'd never have done anything like this before becoming involved with Lex. Lex claims he wasn't the first to teach her about betrayal. As usual, it's always someone other than Lana's fault.
Chloe & Lana:
A great conversation that seemed to forecast that Chloe and Lana would no longer be friends and that Chloe would make it her mission to shield Clark from the darkness in Lana.
The final Clana barn scene capsulizes what's wrong with this relationship: Lana wants to enjoy Clark's love no matter what she does.
Clark seems to realize the relationship is rapidly becoming Bad News, but lacks the will to break away. By "Siren," he's giving her a free pass again and discounting the entire thing.
In conclusion:
Despite some of the annoyances of this ep, it promised great things...that were never delivered. There are myriad warnings about Lana's inner evil in this episode.
There were no consequences to Lana's pursuit of revenge and violent behavior.
We were not given an indication of any impact of Lana's obsession with Lex on her subsequent relationship with Clark.
Nothing came of Chloe's threats to Lana save a touch of coolness in their next scene together in their first scene following this episode
Nothing lasting came of Clark's becoming acquainted, through conversations with Chloe, Lex, and Lionel, and through his own eyes, with Lana's devious and dark behavior. In the very next episode, he mentions offhand that Lana is visiting Nell in Metropolis--which was her equivalent of Bunburying. Did Clark, and the writers just forget that the visits to Nell were a cover?
I expected him to be so horrified that their relationship would never recover.
But then, so much that happens on SV just doesn't "stick." By the next ep, it's all forgotten.
On an entirely different tack: does anyone know what the actual "approved" spelling is for "Naman" and "Segeeth"? I've seen them spelled in what seems like countless ways in fandom, and never know which spelling is correct.
