#7.13 “Hero” Review

WARNING: Okay, you know the drill. If reading spoilers isn’t for you, you should read this after you’ve watched the episode because I will spoil you rotten otherwise!

I knew nothing about this episode coming into it except that Pete was going to be back. At least, not until I read the Official Description. Yikes.

Kryptonite laced chewing gum giving Pete powers? How stupid an idea is that? Maybe it’s because this is the first professional writing job (or at least as far as I could tell, anyway, but my Google-foo sometimes fails me) for either credited writer, but as far as freak of the week ideas go, this looked pretty dumb from the outset. All I could think was “Why is this the episode they used to bring Pete back”?

NOTE: Actually, I had written the previous two paragraphs even before the episode had aired. When I told a friend that I had actually written some of it beforehand because I had wanted to get down my first impressions from the Official Description, which weren’t good as you can see. She tried to be the voice of reason and said that I should give them a chance; that they might surprise me; that it might not be as bad as it sounds.

Kryptonite enhanced chewing gum? Pete coming back as a krypto-freak-of-the-week?

Yeah, right.

I don’t think even I am that positive about the show.

The very description had “dreck” written all over it. How could anyone have saved this, especially when it’s directed by a director with not the best record (Michael Rohl also directed “Hypnotic,” which is among the lowest rated episodes for me) and was written by two first-time scribes?

Back in my review for “Nemesis,” which is one of my favorite episodes and was directed and written by two of my favorite people on the show (Mairzee Almas and Caroline Dries), I noted that there are times when not even a hack writer and director could screw a great idea up. So, talented writer Caroline and wonderful director Mairzee had almost been guaranteed to produce a magnificent episode and they did.

So, going from this episode, I guess the inverse is true as well: there are times when not even the best writer and director can save a certain idea. So what chance did Michael Rohl and Aaron and Todd Helbing really have of helping this sorry episode rise above its lame premise? Probably not a snowball’s chance in hell and no; they didn’t surprise me.

I literally swore at the end of each act as I fast forwarded through the commercials. Thank goodness for TiVo and the fact that I had a conflict so I didn’t see this episode live and could do that.

But you might wonder, why did I swear? Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, the most ridiculous plot points were trumped time and time again by even more ridiculous plot points. The fact that this episode was the most shameless product placement I have ever seen didn’t help this story at all.

On the second viewing, I must admit it wasn’t as bad as the first (Pete’s story seemed to make more sense and the characters seemed to be acting less out of character), but this episode still is one of my least favorite of the season mainly because of its shameless extremity of the product placement.

Is the falling American dollar really hurting The CW so badly that they need to design such dreck around one of their sponsor’s products? If things are so bad, maybe we should all take up a collection and give them money so this sort of train wreck doesn’t happen again.

Yeah, they’ve had product placement before and it’s probably a fact of life in modern TV, but was this extensive an example of product placement really necessary? It makes me never want to try Stride gum if their marketing hacks think doing something like what we got with “Hero” is a good idea.

The whole premise was just so stupid I’m sorry that this idea was foisted on Smallville. I don’t buy for a minute that Al & Miles would actually want to bring back Pete, a beloved character from the past, for such a shameless exhibition of corporate greed and have him come back as a FOTW, no loss. It lacked grace and, as a return engagement for Sam Jones III, was almost completely undignified.

Aaron and Todd are probably blameless in a lot of the choices here. I think that because I can’t see anyone, aside from some shill in the corporate marketing department, actually thinking kryptonite enhanced chewing gum is a good idea.

The way it worked even violates their own rules for how people develop abilities. Kryptonite enhancement usually takes time to occur or, if it is fast-acting, it takes a violent exposure. Like meteor hits, car accidents, bug attacks, nearly drowning in kryptonite polluted water, or getting hit by lightning. However in this episode, Pete merely chews gum and immediately becomes an angry and bitter Patrick “Eel” O’Brien (aka DC Comics “Plastic Man”) and, get this, he loses the ability as soon as he loses the gum during a scuffle with Lex’s newest minion.

Okay, this is a science fiction show about an alien from an alien planet with superhuman abilities, I completely get that, but even for this show that extreme a temporary power seriously strains credulity.

I guess it’s convenient that Clark destroyed what was left or Smallville would be overcome by angry and bitter elastic people. Also, it’s good for Pete, as a character directly from the Comic Books, that his powers weren’t permanent. However, I guess it would have made him a very interesting President of the United States in the future.

Oh, and about Pete: didn’t he get over his issues about being in Clark’s shadow back the dreadful season three episode, “Velocity.” If I had been reviewing for KryptonSite back then, it probably would have gotten a half a point… I loathed that episode, but Pete at the end had seemed to come with terms with being in “Clark’s shadow.” Didn’t Aaron and Todd see that episode? I guess the answer to that is obvious….

Another thing I didn’t like, although I can sorta see why they did it, was that no one told Kara the truth about her origin. The reason is that just wanting to tell her, even though it’s the right thing to do, probably isn’t dramatically powerful enough a reason to do it. They likely have some more important reason coming up, probably in the next few episodes to give her bigger stakes where she will NEED to know, where she will need to finally remember who she is. (That makes sense since they are “episodes that will change the series forever,” as Craig said, after all.) Right now the stakes aren’t exactly high, so I can see them waiting for the situation to get more serious before she needs to be told.

But, even with all of that, I just don’t see Clark agreeing with Lana and Lionel in letting Lex be the one to tell Kara his version of the truth unquestioned.

With all the obsessing about secrets and lies that had clouded Clark and Lana’s relationship up until recently, I would think the last thing either one would do is lie to Kara. And Clark knows the pain of the lies his adoptive parents had told him his whole life until the Smallville Pilot episode. Once he learned the truth, he was hurt and angry and it destroyed his view of the world and his place in it.

However, I suppose, that pain might in a way explain why he’s now lying to her. He doesn’t know why she lost her powers, much else how to help her get them back. He might see this as her chance to live as a normal person, as if she were human, without the burden of her powers. It’s a chance he’d leap at, if he could… Also, learning about lost powers might be worse than not knowing who you are, but certainly Clark must see how much this is hurting Kara in the long run.

All that said, I can’t wait to see how she reacts when she does find out. It will be a life-changing realization for her.

There were a couple of other really odd things in this story: since when is Jimmy chasing down leads for stories? Isn’t he a photographer? He not only had an image of Pete using his “powers,” he apparently had interviewed Pete and written a story. That was weird.

Another thing about Jimmy, I thought he and Chloe had patched up at the end of “Gemini.” Have I missed something? Or was it so vaguely a patch up that they didn’t follow through? Even if that hadn’t worked out to get them back together, why was he hanging out with Kara? Was it only so he could be on hand to witness Pete’s save? That whole thing seemed contrived.

Even with all the problems I had with this episode, I gotta say that I loved the evil doings of Lex in “Hero.” He was totally playing Kara and she’s just too naïve, or too stupid, to realize it. It was chilling at the end when he closed those doors, shutting her in with him. Like a fly drawn into the web of spider, Kara’s trapped and probably even won’t realize the danger until it’s too late. I can’t wait to see how she reacts when she finds out how much Lex has lied and manipulated her.

As uneven as this episode was, I gotta give them some kudos for having terrific continuity. I liked how they got the “Veritas” references in the episode, reminding us of Lillian’s references to the program (or whatever it is) and then showing the toy Alexander had painted in “Fracture.”

They referred to Ben Hubbard, even if obliquely, again. That’s a nice touch, although why would Lana ferry fence posts over to their neighbor? I think it was just so someone could be seen driving off in Clark’s truck. (This episode was all about product placement, I guess.) It was nice that Clark referred to Pete never returning his calls. After Pete left, he had barely ever come up in conversation. So, Pete cutting off Clark from all communication would probably make a lot of sense as an explanation of why Clark hadn’t spoken of Pete except for a time or two in the four years that have elapsed since he left the show. It might have been too painful a reminder.

Another good thing was Pete’s dilemma. Deciding whether he should use his “powers” openly will be an important issue for Clark later. Not every save can be done on the sly like he did with Lex and his minion.

And I LOVED (despite Lex getting knocked out being an overused plot device) that Lex’s knock out in this episode came from Clark. The way he flipped in the air before hitting the concrete was awesome, actually.

Overall, I can’t think of too many technical problems with the story. It had a good pace and the cliff-hangers were pretty good. The lingering questions they left behind, like what exactly had that minion of Lex’s found, that “something else,” are engaging enough to really get my interest. Despite this not being the best debut for a newbie writing team, I think they did okay with what they had to work with. I have to think most of this episode’s problems were imposed on the writers and were not something they came up with.

And to be honest, I think I can see why the Smallville Powers-that-be used Stride gum, even if didn’t like that they did it. An “S” shaped symbol will adorn Clark’s chest when he starts wearing blue spandex and it will look an awful lot like the “S” in the Stride logo. I can see the similarities being appealing to the marketing types.

Even though I understand it and can even see the connection (even if it is remote), I still think the “genius” who came up with the marketing pitch that turned into this episode needs to have his or her head examined.

Is it really a good idea to have your company’s product, even in a fictional universe, turned so toxic that it becomes so radioactive that it instantly creates mutations? I wouldn’t have thought so, but maybe since I don’t have a Master’s degree in marketing I might not understand. I probably have no real idea what I’m talking about…

Or, on second thought, maybe I do.

I was a film major in college with an emphasis in writing. I had even taken a few ad writing and marketing classes. I may not have any real world experience in the entertainment industry, sadly these reviews are the closest I come, but I did pretty well in several script contests a couple of years back. I could probably hold my own writing-wise, given the chance.

Could combining kryptonite with a sponsor’s product be all you need to do to land a freelance script sale to Al and Miles? With that concept as a starting-off point, I think I could probably come up with something. I’m smart and actually have my very own copy of Final Draft… I KNOW that I could do it.

I mean, how hard could it be?

Let’s see…. Well, how about this: they could use Clark’s new Toyota Tundra. It’s big, it’s pretty and it’s a lot sexier than Chloe’s Yaris. Also, it is more potentially lethal than say Lois’ Sprint cell phone or Lex’s Dell XPS laptop. Although why he needs a gaming laptop is beyond me. I guess he plays Warcraft when he’s not planning what experiments he wants to do on Kara.

Anyway, so here’s the pitch:

Think Stephen King’s Christine, but with Kryptonite instead of a ghost and a Toyota Tundra instead of a 1958 Plymouth Fury! It’s a sentient pick-up truck with Clark issues!

The truck is angry at Clark for killing so many of its brothers! I mean, think of it! The continuity would be wonderful… The show could finally address all the Fords and Chevys sent to early graves thanks to the carelessness of Clark…

The fans will like that aspect of it. It’ll be just icing that the vehicle will be fast, tough and Clark won’t be able to go near it because of the kryptonite! The car chase action would be epic and using a truck as part of the story would probably bring in more teen boys, a highly desired demo…

It’s a crazy idea, but it could succeed. I mean, if Kryptonite enhanced gum works for them, then why not a sentient Toyota thirsting for revenge?

If anyone at Millar/Gough Ink likes that idea, let me know. Al, Miles, babes… Call me. We’ll do lunch.

Ahem….

Anyway… The acting, for what it was worth, was terrific by everyone, despite some out-of-character storylines.

Tom was marvelous, as usual. Although I wasn’t happy about Clark’s feeling lingering guilt over Pete’s issues with his powers, I thought he portrayed those emotions really well. He played Clark’s emotional journey subtly, while he was still commanding. I’m not sure how you can act so conflicted, yet so resolved at the same time, but he did it.

He acted very Supermanly throughout. I especially loved the stern and commanding way he told Lionel, “We need to talk.” He was clearly furious about Lionel keeping Kara’s bracelet without telling him, but too intent on saving Pete to address that right then. Hopefully Clark will get back to Lionel about that in the next episode, “Traveler.”

Kristin Kruek was beautiful in this episode, but I also liked how she had Lana handle the dilemma of whether to tell Kara the truth. She truly did appear torn over the dilemma of whether to tell her. Lana’s scene with Kara in the barn was especially good. Kristin totally nailed that reaction shot at the end of the scene. The play of emotions on her face was wonderfully complex. It was a powerful moment.

Michael Rosenbaum wasn’t in this episode much, but what screen time he had was spectacular. He was being his manipulative best. Lex’s toying with Kara and her emotions to get what he wants, a Kent under his control and I loved how smoothly Michael played it. Also, I loved how matter of fact he was with Pete. He was blackmailing the man and yet he made it clear that Pete would pay if he didn’t get the bracelet. Threatening Chloe was perfect to get Pete to cave and Michael played Lex having such a malicious glee over getting the other man over a barrel like that. His performance was thoroughly enjoyable.

Lionel is perplexing, he tries to help Clark but then keeps Kara’s bracelet hidden from him. Is he good, or is he bad? The way that John played that opening scene in the Kent kitchen was beautiful. He seemed to sincerely want to help Clark protect Kara from Lex, but then very smoothly sidestepped discussing where Kara’s bracelet might be. I knew something was up with that. His reaction was suspicious, but he didn’t appear to be lying. Well, at least not until later when Pete found the bracelet in Lionel’s safe. John played Lionel as truly shocked by Clark’s anger after he saved him from the Kryptonite, but it had also looked like it was something he had been expecting. John is such a wonderful actor, even in two such short scenes, he brought so much into this episode….

Laura Vandervoort had an uneven episode, the beginning bits with her and Jimmy seemed stiff but I’m not sure it was because Kara was uncomfortable. I think it was because Laura was unsure how to act. The first scene with Lex in the library had more of the same feeling. I’m not sure she was carrying through Kara’s motivations very well in the earlier scenes, but the later loft scene with Lana was nearly perfect. She played Kara as resolved, yet with a hint of desperate confusion, to getting to the bottom of whatever it is that people are hiding about her past.

Aaron Ashmore did a wonderful job as Jimmy. His scenes with Chloe were so good. They have such great chemistry together. I can totally get why Chloe likes him. (I don’t think the same can be said for Jimmy and Kara. I never understood what she saw in him at all.) Probably one of Aaron’s better scenes, however, was one where he didn’t say a word. When Jimmy went into Lex’s office and watched the scene between Lex and Pete unfold, his face said so much without him saying a thing. I’m not sure he’s as quite as skilled as some of the other actors at that, like Tom or John, but he can certainly hold his own.

Poor Special Guest Star Sam Jones III (Pete), getting brought back for this product placement “filler” episode is shameful. If I had been reviewing for KryptonSite back in the day, all of you would know I was never his biggest fan. I haven’t missed him, or his character, and if this episode is the best they could do to bring Pete back, I wished he had stayed gone.

That said, I think Sam did better in this episode than he had when he had been a regular. It wasn’t a perfect episode for him, some of the scenes that showcased the gum seemed to be especially stiff (maybe he was as annoyed to have to shill for Stride as I was watching him do it), but in all I think Pete showed some growth during the course of this episode. Sam’s spent some time doing movies and he had a recurring role on ER. I think he’s matured a bit as an actor and it showed. I believe Pete had changed by the end of the episode. If Sam does come back next season, hopefully they’ll keep the product placement to a minimum on his return.

The production design was terrific. Only on Smallville does an abandoned chewing gum factory look so good. James Philpott does a wonderful job with what is probably a shoe string budget.

I guess the only thing I had a problem with the design elements were those fence posts that Clark put into the truck. The logs didn’t look believable and even looked plastic in one or two shots.

Also, the F/X in that shot was poor. It looked like that pallet of logs hung from a crane and they just removed the wires… It just didn’t look like Clark was actually lifting it himself. I know Tom isn’t really Superman, even though he does play him on TV, but when the F/X looks that awful, they should just scrub it and come up with something that doesn’t look so cheesy.

Oh, and I guess I should say something about the music. I liked OneRepublic, although lead singer Ryan Tedder probably needs to get some acting lessons before he does anything like this again. Initially, I had thought the music a bit on the bland side, but in watching the episode again some of it has actually started to grow on me. It probably helped that the band’s performances were inserted into the episode more gracefully than Smallville had done with other bands previously.

This episode probably isn’t the worst episode this season, but it could have been so much better than it was. Despite the story being somewhat exciting and better acted than most, I’m going to have to count down for the outrageously shameless selling out to Stride Gum in this episode. I give this episode 2.5 packs of kryptonite-laced Stride gum 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.