#10.18 “Booster” Review

Standard disclaimer applies: This review contains spoilers, if you like to avoid learning important plot details before viewing the episode read further at your own risk.

In other seasons, this episode might have been called a ‘filler’ by jaded fans, or a ‘bottle’ show by the writing staff. (A bottle show is one that can go unaired without having any impact on overall story arcs for the season, the very definition of a ‘filler’ episode for fans.) However, writer and famed comic book writer (and Chief Creative Officer for DC Entertainment) Geoff Johns managed to squeeze some very good stuff into what might have normally been an episode you could have safely skipped viewing. Even though I think in this case that would be a mistake, you could still probably safely skip it if you have better things to do with your time than watch another comic book character make his debut on “Smallville.”

Aside from Tom Welling directing this and Geoff Johns writing it, I’m not sure I would have looked forward to this episode much at all because of just that. This is a Superman show, yet they keep bringing in all of his future friends, and more than a few of his future enemies, into the series. I haven’t had a lot of problems with the one-off introductions of other Super-powered characters from Clark’s future. In fact, I usually really enjoy those types of episodes, but I have read a few comics with Booster Gold in them and this time I honestly didn’t see the point.

To be clear, I don’t usually read Justice League comics at all. When I do read comics, I usually stick to Superman and Batman books, with the occasional foray into stories about the all three of the Trinity together (Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman). The only reason I had read the Justice League books I had were because the failed Justice League film that George Miller had planned was supposed to have been loosely (reportedly very loosely) based on a certain series of those books. (“The OMAC Project”)

It would have made for a good movie, if it had been done right, but it didn’t work out. So, that is the only story I had read that had Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, and it was the second Blue Beetle (Ted Kord’s version of the character). I had never read any with Jaime Reyes. So, having almost no experience with the characters coming in, I was perplexed how Geoff was going to fit Booster Gold and Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle into the show so late in its final season. It seemed inexplicable that their stories could be at all revelatory for Clark’s journey.

However, I have to say that Geoff Johns did an excellent job making those two budding heroes’ stories be reflective of Clark’s struggles. Although, he’s learned some lessons over the last ten seasons and had some things to teach Booster.
And Booster being so cavalier at first about Jaime’s problems with the Blue Beetle scarab showed him something too. To be a hero a man has to have confidence in whom and what he is.

That is something that maybe Clark needed to hear, so they both learned something. Clark seeing Booster’s fame-seeking, and his broader personality as the hero, helped him to see what his alter-ego should be more like. It didn’t hurt that Booster’s self-aggrandizing shtick was funny and entertaining. It was good that he remembered to give Booster a bit of heart in addition to his seemingly infinite ego, so there was some touching drama mixed in with the humor.

I loved how adorable Tom Welling played the bumbling, mild-mannered version of Clark. While I had always thought that the “Smallville” version of Clark didn’t need to be that, this isn’t 1978 and Tom’s really not playing the character the same way that Christopher Reeve had (even though I adore the “Smallville” version Tom has been delivering for 10 seasons). Yet it didn’t seem over-the-top or overblown.

In the past when the show made its wink-wink references to aspects of Superman’s canon, they were often played too obviously self-conscious. I was worried that was going to happen in this episode, with the images I’d seen of Clark wearing the glasses and in a phone booth, but I was pleasantly surprised when that didn’t happen. I’m very happy this worked out as well as it had.

I mean, Christopher Reeve’s bumbling Clark was anything but what Lois had said Clark needed to be in the tease: invisible and forgettable. Being a clumsy geek and inexplicably running into phone booths isn’t the best option when you want to blend-in. Yet, Tom helped sell that part of the episode. I bought his sudden clumsiness worked well with how Tom played it.

I loved Eric Martsolf as Booster Gold. While this wasn’t a perfect outing, and I think he overplayed the role at a couple of points, overall he gave a very entertaining performance. It wasn’t so over-the-top that Booster stopped being believable when he showed some vulnerability and insecurity. Eric did a very good job.

Sebastian Spence was great as Ted Kord. I remember him from “First Wave” and he was a good choice for Ted Kord. However, I’m not so sure that Jeren Brandt Bartlett was a good choice for Jaime Reyes. At best his performance was uneven, but I have to say he did a very good job while stuck in the suit. It can’t have been easy for him to play solely to a camera in the confines of that helmet. And Keri Lynn Pratt turned in another solid performance as Cat Grant.

The script was solid, another excellent outing from Geoff Johns. I always enjoy his episodes and despite my doubts about this one initially, I ended up really enjoying it. The stakes constantly rose for Clark, Lois, Booster, Jaime and Cat. The pace was good and there was a lot of meat in what could have otherwise been a ‘bottle’ or ‘filler’ episode. Also, there was some great humor and some tender moments too. Geoff did a spectacular job.

This episode marks the seventh time Tom Welling has directed a “Smallville” episode. I’m glad he’s turned in another terrific episode as a director, but it makes me a bit sad. This will be the last time Tom directs for the show. So I’m glad that this one turned out better than ‘Patriot’ had. He showed he has a sure hand in the director’s chair. The episode had some visually striking moments and some terrific acting, aside from a few rough spots in the acting from his cast.

Probably the best part of Tom’s directorial outing was that he is probably solely responsible for the costume quick-change in the phone booth not being too over-the-top. It was quick, yet so tastefully done. It was almost elegant in its economy: short, to the point, yet still effective.

I know the Director of Photography probably worked with Tom on that, but still… It was beautifully photographed and took up just enough screen time to underscore the importance of the moment for long-time Superman fans without hitting everyone else over the head with it. It wasn’t a too self-consciously an IMPORTANT MOMENT for the show and it didn’t come off as ridiculous either. He had a nice, light touch with this episode and that was only just one example.

It’s probably a serious nit-pick, but one thing that sorta bothered me was Clark taking Lois’ phone when he went to talk to Booster. I don’t think Clark would do that. Was that a directorial choice or something from the writer? Whoever let Clark do that I’m not sure was thinking things through…

And there was one pretty big continuity error in this episode, which I’m not sure who to blame for. I’m not sure I’d lay it at Tom’s feet, even though he’s the director, but it seems like it fits in here.

Anyway: after the confrontation with Booster ended, and Jaime returns to being a kid, he falls forward to the ground and ends up on his hands and knees… Then after the shock of what happened hits him, he falls forward and to the left of the screen. I had expected Jaime would have ended up on his side at Booster’s feet. Yet, when the camera shows him next, he’s on his butt, looking up at Booster in amazement. That felt off, so it seriously pulled me out of the scene right when I shouldn’t have been. Someone should have been more careful there, but I think that was the only thing that pulled me out of the episode.

Director of Photography Gord Verheul shot another beautiful episode. I liked how colorful the scenes with Booster were, with yellow lighting throughout almost every scene he was in. Yet, when Clark showed up, he had a warm golden key (primary) light from one side, a soft blue fill (which fills in shadows from the key) light from the other, but had a bright kicker (back-light that helps to frame the actor’s silhouette) that was blue.

Maybe it was just me, but I liked that a lot: Superman’s primary color helping to outline Tom’s body in the shot. Combined with the golden light on his face and the red of his jacket with the blue fill light from the side, it put all of Superman’s colors on Clark and perfectly sculpted Tom’s body and face in colorful light. It was a nice touch, especially since blue and yellow are also the primary colors for the two guest heroes.

Also, I adored the high contrast ratio (bright lights and with dark shadows) of the night time scenes. Not sure any phone booth has lighting that bright, if there are even any left anymore, but I liked how bright the light was from overhead. I also loved all the light flares from the bright lights in the scene with Clark and Ted Kord and then in the studio where Blue Beetle busted up Booster’s ceremony…

Production Designer James Philpott did a terrific job with the sets, even economically suggesting Kord’s high-tech environment with minimal set pieces: an aluminum table and laptop when Clark took that folder.

Costume Designer Melanie Williams did a great job with Booster’s costume and the dancer’s costumes. Key Make-Up Artist Tina Teoli and Key Hairstylist Sarah Koppes did a great job with Lois’ and Cat’s hair and make-up.

Probably not the best episode Tom Welling has ever directed, or the best that Geoff Johns has written, but overall I really enjoyed this. It didn’t lay the Superman ‘canon’ fodder on too thickly and kept it nice and light, yet the episode had some heart too. I give this episode 4.75 blue beetle scarabs out of a possible 5.

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