#6.22 “Phantom” Review

NOTE: Well, I must warn you that this review will be more spoilery than usual. So, if my normal spoiler level even comes close to bothering you, just wait to read this until you’ve seen the episode. Reading this will spoil you rotten.

Wow. What a way to end a season!

While I really enjoyed this episode, it wasn’t perfect by any stretch. Probably the biggest problem writers Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer had was getting everything into the episode. They had a lot of ground to cover so I’m not sure the action was as smooth as it could have been. The episode had a very choppy feel to it at points. It was more like a “this happened first” and then “that happened next” type of exposition as opposed to a smooth and cohesive whole. However, overall the episode they’d dished up was very exciting.

The action was brisk and it kept my interest the entire episode. I didn’t feel bored at any point. The act break cliff-hangers were excellent and the stakes kept on rising for all of the characters until all of the season-ending cliff-hangers had been revealed.

And it’s amazing how dark Lex has gotten. Even as he professes his love for Lana, he denied doing anything to hurt her. Not that I didn’t think he deserved it, Lana has a lot of reasons to be absolutely furious with Lex, but it was still shocking how viciously she twisted the knife the way she did. Not only did she tell him that she was leaving and that Lex didn’t even have the capability to love, she told him that Clark meant more to her than Lex ever did.

Ouch.

As painful as it was for Lex to hear, Lana was probably right that he doesn’t have the capacity to love. The proof of that is in Lex’s own actions. He’s more concerned about what other people can provide him rather than how he can help others. He has no empathy. So much so, he’s almost pathological.

For example, when the Phantom-possessed child broke out and killed his minion, Lex’s only thought was for his own survival. In order to save himself, he locked that scientist in with the Phantom even knowing that he would be almost certain to die.

That’s cold and quite a contrast to what Clark did.

When Clark saw the Phantom, he pushed Lex out of the way. Lex is the man he blamed for Lana’s death, yet Clark stepped in the path of the Phantom and pushed him to safety. As much as he hates Lex for what he thinks he’d done to Lana, Clark still puts his life on the line to save him.

I really liked Lois sticking with it and going after the story, even after Chloe warned her to back off. It turned out her cousin was right and Lois nearly died because of it. I don’t know why she called Chloe instead of 911, or how Chloe even knew where she was, but I’m glad she was able to heal Lois.

However, I was sorry when Chloe first healed Lois it looked like Chloe had disappeared. The whole Chloe becomes Lois theory I had thought had become real. My daughter, who isn’t familiar with the “Chlois” theory, screamed and asked where Chloe had gone. I was shocked and answered, “I don’t know.” However, I was relieved when they showed Chloe sitting there. I like Chloe a lot. I wouldn’t want them to kill her off, but she looked close to death.

I’m glad we finally know for sure that Lionel is indeed a good guy. However, it was, as I feared, a big stretch to believe that Lionel forced Lana to marry Lex to protect Clark. It seems an extremely convoluted plan. But now that Lionel is solidly on the good side again, I hope he can help Clark next year. That is, if he can get out of that collapsing dam.

I’m ecstatic we got more back story on Martian Manhunter, J’onn J’onzz. It’s an interesting idea that he was sent by Jor-El to watch over Clark. It ties him firmly to Clark’s origins and gives Clark another source of information for his past. Also, maybe Martian Manhunter could become a new father figure for Clark. That would especially come in handy if Lionel doesn’t make it out of the season alive. I like Phil Morris. I hope he shows up a lot more often next season.

Before I talk about the biggest event in the episode, I must tell you that I had been partly spoiled to what happened to Lana in this episode. Believe me: I’m sorry I found out ahead of time. Call me a spoiler-phobe from now on.

Anyway, what I wasn’t expecting was the open-endedness of who might have done the dirty deed. Was Lex really responsible for her “murder” as Clark assumed and the Lowell County Sheriff’s office seemed to think? I don’t think he did it since he seemed genuinely shocked at the news. However the police certainly thought he’d done it, but I’m not sure what to believe. Maybe he was being a good liar. He’d been so seemingly sincere in his earlier denials of orchestrating the fake pregnancy, despite the fact that we all know he did it. After all, he killed to protect the secret in “Promise” and was seen to burn evidence later after he’d poisoned Lana to fake a miscarriage. So, was he lying to Clark when he said he didn’t know what had happened to Lana?

However, Lana had not so subtly dropped some hints that Lex might want to kill her. She told Clark it was dangerous for her to stay in Smallville. Later, when she told Lex she was leaving, she asked Lex whether he would kill her.

But I am not sure why she would have even brought that up to him unless it was for the benefit of the security cameras, and thus the police. Maybe she did it in an effort to implicate Lex. Also, her behavior right before her car blew up was a bit suspicious. Why would she call Lionel, a man she said she didn’t trust, where he could find her? Did she want him to come running so she’d have a witness to the explosion? What about that convenient delivery truck that blocked Lionel’s (and our) view of her at a critical point just before the car exploded?

It is all suspicious, so I don’t think she’s really dead.

But nothing is certain. If she really died I would be sorry to see Lana go. I like the character, even though she’s been poorly served with the wildly erratic characterizations she’s had to go through from time to time.

Lana really dying would stink on so many levels. She’s finally found out almost everything about Clark’s secret, after six full seasons of her angst about the secrets he’s been keeping from her. Would her dying now, after Lana and Clark could finally move past all the secrets-and-lies nonsense, be fair to her as a character? Would ending her story so abruptly be fair to the fans of the show? I had thought once she found out, maybe Lana and Clark could finally be together, or at least be friends. So, she finally finds out the exact nature of his secret and they go and kill her? It doesn’t make sense. I can’t believe they’d end Lana’s story with an untimely death, leaving her relationship with Clark with no clear resolution. I guess we’ll find out for sure come sometime in September.

However, they’ve pulled this “death that isn’t really a death” trick before with Chloe at the end of Season 3. It’s trite and, if it’s true she’s not really dead, then it’s entirely transparent. As good as this season has been, I’m disappointed they’ve resorted to that for whatever reason.

Smallville’s Bizarro was an interesting take on the character. I was worried we’d get the “Me am Bizarro” sort of dialogue, like in the comics and other TV shows, so I’m glad they restrained themselves. I’m not sure that would really play well in a more realistic world. As Bizarro said, “I’m you, only a little more bizarre.” That line was awesome. However, I’m sorry we didn’t see more of him but the fight between Clark and Bizarro was exciting.

The episode left a lot of things hanging by the end, of course. It’s standard operating procedure for Smallville season finales, so that wasn’t surprising at all. The episode had answered a ton of questions but left many more for them to answer next season.

Now that Martha is apparently leaving Smallville, will she come back from time to time? At the end Lionel, Lois and Chloe all faced death, in addition to Lana’s apparent murder. Will everyone else make it out of the season alive? I’m not sure Clark will be worse for wear after getting tossed by Bizarro, but how will he fight a clone who can fly when he’s shown that he’s either unable (or unwilling) to do the same? What will Bizarro-Clark be up to next season? Will Lex be able to prove he had nothing to do with Lana’s death? Or did he have everything to do with it? Will Lana’s murder be a mystery for Clark and Chloe to solve? Is she even really dead? How will Lois’ investigation into Lex’s 33.1 experiments progress? Will we see more super-soldiers next season? Will Green Arrow be back next season now since Justin Hartley’s Pilot wasn’t picked up? Will there be other DC Comic characters making visits to Smallville?

Although they’ve muddied the waters quite a bit with this season finale, one thing is very clear: it’s going to be very long summer. As if suffering the oppressive heat in Florida weren’t bad enough…

Anyway, the acting was top notch as it ever is whenever James Marshall is in the director’s chair. Tom was, for lack of a better term, perfect. I’m not sure anything he’d done in this episode, either as Clark or as Bizarro, was less than flawless so I’ll just highlight my favorite scenes. The entire barn scene with Lana was terrific. He started being so happy and relieved that Lana was finally free, despite the pain she had no doubt been feeling. Then he was distraught that she was leaving, so much so that I totally bought that Clark was finally ready to tell her. And, Tom said so much without speaking as Clark watched Lana head toward the door that I knew he was going to tell her before he did. I am so impressed by Tom’s ability to communicate what Clark is feeling without speaking a single word.

Later on when Clark had learned about Lana’s death, Tom’s face again said so much. Clark was trying so hard to keep it in and not show Lionel how much he was hurting yet he couldn’t. I felt so badly for Clark. Finally Lana was going to be free from Lex and he’d just promised he’d protect her and yet she’d died. What a devastating moment for Clark and Tom played it absolutely faultlessly, right before he turned angry at Lex apparently murdering Lana. The whole scene was amazing.

After Clark had the run-in with the Phantom and there were two Clarks, Tom must have had a lot of fun. Bizarro-Clark was terrific to watch. He wasn’t just Clark wearing black, or another take on the Red-K-Clark Tom had done before. No, this Clark was menacing and dangerous and had a twisted sense of humor. Asking Lionel, “Do you like my new look?” and telling Clark, “I’m you, only a little bit more bizarre.” There was a sense of humor to Bizarro but, aside from looking a lot like him, he clearly wasn’t Clark. I thought that Tom made him different enough from Redk-Clark that I am looking forward to seeing more of Bizarro next season.

Kristin was amazing in this episode. Probably her best scenes were the ones with Clark in the barn and the one in the library with Lex. Lana was so resolved to leave Clark in order to protect him… Their kiss was well played by her. By kissing him, she had fully accepted him. I don’t think she needed to say a word after that, but it was a nice affirmation for Clark that her feelings for him hadn’t changed after she’d found out everything.

The scene with Lex in the library was terrific. Kristin played Lana as vulnerable and strong at the same time. Lana was angry that he manipulated her and relieved to finally have it out with him, yet she was sad too. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears for most of that scene with Lex. Kristin played the scene with so many different intents, it was a very complicated performance. If Lana is really dead, I’ll be sorry to see Kristin go. She’s risen to the occasion more than she ever has this year, a few hiccups (“Noir”) aside.

Michael was absolutely fabulous in this episode. I don’t know at this point whether Lex is lying or not, but the way Michael made Lex so devastated by Lana’s condemnation of him was heartbreaking. I felt sorry for him even though he’s been a complete evil egomaniacal bastard lately. Lex is hard to love sometimes but Michael made me believe that Lana’s words crushed what little is left of his heart. And the scene with Clark in the tunnels was nothing less than outstanding. I completely believed Lex didn’t know a thing about Lana’s death, but if he didn’t do it (if she’s really dead) than whom else would have the motive?

Allison Mack was awesome in this episode. I love Allison, and I probably never talk about her enough, but the scene where she was crying over Lois’s body was amazing. She portrayed devastation perfectly. It was an absolutely heartbreaking scene.

Annette O’Toole did a wonderful job in the final scene she will play as a series regular. It was bitter sweet. In a literary sense, maybe it even makes sense. I’m not sure Clark really needs her anymore, after all Martha has done her job in raising a hero. Maybe that’s why she’s been so sparingly used the last few seasons. I like Annette O’Toole a lot so I’m sorry that she is leaving the regular cast. Hopefully she’ll be back from time to time in as a special guest star.

Erica was terrific as was John but this review is already long enough so I’ll leave it at that.

All in all, probably one of the better episodes this season but in comparison to even last year’s finale, it came off a bit lacking. I give this episode only 4 Phantom Zone escapees out of a possible 5.

Note: The views of Triplet don’t necessarily represent the thoughts and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite. Send her feedback.