#8.4 “Instinct” Review

NOTE: Beware: this review will spoil you rotten, so go watch the episode and read this only after you’re done. You won’t be sorry; this was a really good episode.

I really, really enjoyed this episode. And it wasn’t just for prurient interests either, although Tom was (again) looking really good and the girl who played Maxima (Charlotte Sullivan) was so beautiful it was startling. (Jimmy was seriously making an understatement when he told her that she was “very, very pretty,” in my opinion, and she’s clearly not my type.)

Anyway, mostly I liked it because the episode was an extremely good outing for writers Turi Meyer and Al Septien. It was exciting, the stakes kept on rising for all the characters as the episode progressed and the dialogue was tight, with hardly a wasted word. And I loved the continuity. Like how they brought in that letter Chloe had written to Clark in season 2’s “Fever” into this episode, as well as bringing Shelby back, mentioning Lois not forgiving Jimmy for lying to her about Lex at the end of last season, and Tess still looking for Lex (despite the fact that I’m not sure we’ll ever see him again).

However, what was probably my favorite part was of this episode was the way all the sub-plots tied almost perfectly into the main one. They even started the episode with a teaser that ended with Maxima promising to find Clark. Everything that followed touched on, or was affected by, Maxima’s search for Clark, her supposed soul mate, so that was a good way to start.

Clark was forced to examine his own feelings for Lana and Chloe, thanks to Maxima. He’s finally recognized that his relationship with Lana is history, even though he still loves her. Also, thanks in part to Maxima, he learned just how clueless he’d been about Chloe, but he now realizes just what he’d missed. It’s too late for Chloe, and Lana is gone, but where would Clark find someone else? Maxima was right when she said that Clark is desperately lonely and he actually seemed tempted by Maxima’s offer. His greatest fear is being alone and she honed in on that. It was like she had sensed it and, in that aspect, they both were soul mates. So maybe she was right, to an extent.

It would be terrific for Clark to have a girlfriend he didn’t have to be careful with, especially someone who is his equal physically, like Maxima, but in return for the love and companionship she’d offered she had asked for far too much in return… Being with her would have taken him from his home and the people he loves. Clark had to refuse her. Besides, I’m sure part of his refusal was because he knew that he could never love someone who would kill so casually.

Thanks to Maxima, we all know (as if we hadn’t known it before) that Clark’s search for his soul mate maybe won’t be as hard as he feared. His soul mate is not Lana and, since she’s since moved on, it’s not Chloe either. His soul mate is right in front of him and he doesn’t even know it. She torments him and teases him mercilessly, how he could see Lois that way now?

However, thanks to Maxima, Lois now knows she’s probably Clark’s soul mate even if she doesn’t totally believe it anymore than Clark would at this point. This knowledge should make the next few episodes very interesting for her.

Chloe finally admitted to herself (maybe more than she had to admit it to Clark), that her feelings are in the past. However, I’m not sure that I believed her. Her undying love for Clark has been so firmly established. Wasn’t it only a few episodes ago that she all but told Clark she was his for the asking? The Powers-That-Be for Smallville are inordinately fond of love-triangles so I have a feeling her undying love for Clark will come up again, probably at the most inopportune time too.

Jimmy was forced to examine his feelings for Chloe and her lingering ones for Clark thanks to reading Chloe’s letter and then because of his nearly fatal run-in with Maxima. He loves her, but he’s rightly worried that her feelings for him maybe aren’t as deep as the ones she has for Clark.

However, on the other hand, I’m with Chloe when she told Jimmy, “And to be perfectly honest, this constant insecurity about Clark is really starting to wear thin.” It really is starting to wear thin.

It’s more of a retread of past angst, like Chloe’s hiding her new powers from Jimmy even though they’d moved past that during last season’s “Gemini.”

Hadn’t Chloe and Jimmy moved past this too, the so-called Clark issue?

Is there no other source of drama for them than things they’d worried about, and had ostensibly moved beyond, already? Is there is no where else for them to go with them as a couple? As far as the relationship angst in this episode goes, this was the weakest part of this episode.

I liked the way the episode was structured; it started out by showing how everyone is living now. Chloe’s life with Jimmy is more fraught with doubts than she probably would like. Then, perhaps more importantly, was Clark’s lonely existence.

The view into Clark’s private life early in the episode didn’t take a long time, the kitchen scene was only a little over a minute long, but Turi and Al created an effective snapshot of how the changes in his life have affected him. It was touching how sad and lonely Clark is.

He lives now with just Shelby and gets nagged by Lois over the phone and before he’s on the clock, and that’s about it. He has no family life and his love life is non-existent.

That was a terrific setup, in addition to the wonderful tease, for the rest of the episode. It so simply outlined what the changes to Clark’s life means to him as an individual. It nearly perfectly setup what a temptation the alien love-goddess would be to Clark.

What a great start to the episode.

And their perhaps unlikely inclusion of Chloe’s letter to Clark, which he had never heard before, was a nice touch. It tied in with the general theme of the episode, everyone was concerned about finding the one person they’re destined to be with, and added some tension to the Clark-Chloe-Jimmy triangle.

Again, there was some highly enjoyable banter between Clark and Lois. I loved the cluelessness of Clark’s responding to Lois’ comments about endorphins when he said they are the result of playing a sport. When she countered with a highly suggestive clarification on other ways to boost endorphin levels as a couple, it was very funny. I loved how annoyed Clark got.

However, holy mixed metaphors, batman!

I think Lois used way too many metaphors in that first scene with Clark. In just one short scene she talked to Clark about Jimmy snoring like a freight train, about Clark needing to get back into the saddle, looking beyond his wheelhouse (which, I had to look up, it’s a boating metaphor), and likened his possible romantic prospects being like scoops of ice cream.

Maybe Turi and Al were trying too hard. As much as I usually like Lois’ snappy witticisms, all those mixed metaphors all at once, all in the same scene, and sometimes even in the same sentence, were a bit much.

I did really like their take on Maxima. Turi and Al made her “love” Clark for idealistic reasons that were not at all based in reality. She’s more in love with the idea of Clark, than she is with Clark. Clark was right that she doesn’t even know him, but he’s the epitome of the “brave and gallant men of Krypton.” He truly was everything she had ever wished for in a mate, an equal and someone with some “fight in him” as she put it.

Maxima was petulant and at times pouty, like the spoiled rotten brat she was in the animated Superman TV series. She’s apparently less like that in the comics, but I haven’t read any of those books so I can’t say much about that. She wasn’t as arrogant as she was in the animated series, perhaps, but she was also far more likable and also far more likely to be tempting to Clark. It was just the right mix to give her, otherwise she wouldn’t have been anywhere close to being appealing to Clark. They did a good job with her. It helped that Charlotte was probably perfect for the part, but more about her later.

It was interesting how they ended the episode. Tess got that email with a picture of the missing crystal with the somewhat ominous words, “You are not ready yet – X” Who the heck would have known about the crystal, much less have had reason (and the opportunity) to take it? The truth behind that mystery will no doubt take more than a few more episodes to be revealed. However, I’m really curious who has it and whether they’re really going to give it back to Tess if she does indeed prove herself “ready” for it.

Despite a few picayunish things, I liked this script a lot. However, Jimmy’s unrelenting angst about Clark and the retcon that now has Jor-El creating Brainiac (it had been previously revealed in “Persona” that Dax-Ur had created Brainiac) were annoying.

Tom Welling did an excellent job on this episode. The reflective moment in the kitchen scene when he picked up Lana’s old necklace was terrific. He gave Clark a touch of regret added to a contemplative look.

I thought the scene in the kitchen with Shelby was completely adorable! Tom has a love for dogs, he has several I believe, so the affection Clark shows his dog probably isn’t all acting on Tom’s part, but it was a wonderful touch. I loved that Clark was anxious to help Lois when she called him, but still remembered to feed the dog. And even took a moment to encourage him to eat and give him an affectionate scratch. It was a very sweet scene that was well played by Tom.

However, the dog actually looks like a different, and younger, animal than what we’ve seen before. I hope that “Bud,” the previously credited dog that had played Shelby in the past, is okay and living out a healthy, happy retirement!

Probably my favorite parts of the episode of Tom’s were scenes later on in the episode with Maxima and Lois. When Maxima first kissed Clark, Tom gave Clark a terrific and a very alpha-male vibe. Clark was getting into kissing her in a very red-k fueled way, even clearing the surface of a desk to get Maxima onto a horizontal surface as quickly as possible. I completely bought his overwhelming and primal desire for her.

Then, when Lois showed up, his confusion and distress was still believable. The shift between the two was well portrayed. When Clark snapped out of the state that Maxima’s kisses had put him into, his quick transition into a more standard confused-and-concerned Clark was convincing and added some humor to scene.
Later, after Clark had taken Maxima away before she could kill Lois, Tom had perfectly portrayed Clark’s warring emotions on the romantic possibilities that she had offered him. He played Clark as clearly tempted, her beauty and physical compatibility with him seemed to more than a bit appealing the way Tom played it. However, he had made Clark also regretful at the same time that he’d have to turn her down. Clark’s place is on earth, of course, so it made sense he couldn’t go off with her, but Tom made Clark’s conflicted feelings on the matter clear. It was an extremely well-done episode by Tom.

Erica Durance was completely awesome in this episode. Probably the funniest scene for Erica was where Lois freaked out after catching Clark with Maxima. It’s funny because it’s just what she’d recommended he do early on in the episode, she wanted him to go for some “wild cherry” rather than something more like Lana’s “sweet vanilla,” so why then did she flip out?

I think it would have been very easy for her to overplay that, and go strictly for the comedy, but I thought she had added in a touch of pathos to the scene. It wasn’t an over-the-top reaction, or it would have been too easy for Clark to figure out her feelings were hurt by his so quickly taking her words to heart. I thought that Erica had made it clear that Lois was hurt because she was sorry she wasn’t the one he who had pulled open his shirt in the elevator. The play of emotions over her face before she was forced to speak, forced to let Clark know she had seen, was terrific.

The way that Erica played it Lois didn’t want to admit it to herself, but by the end in the loft scene it was clear that what had happened did have an impact on her character. Her feelings for Clark have become stronger than she had thought. It was unexpected, but the way Erica played Lois’ shock at the growing realization it was still believable that she does indeed have feelings for Clark. It was a very well played episode for Erica.

I loved Allison Mack in this episode. I always love it when Chloe works with Clark the way she did here, the chemistry between Tom and Allison is just so good. Their scenes together were all terrific.

I love how slightly freaked out Allison plays Chloe when talking about her powers. She plays Chloe as scared about the ramifications, yet resolved to try and do the right thing. Allison did a very nice job making Chloe’s motives seem multi-leveled as Chloe tried to help Clark, lie to Tess and react to the theft of the stone all at the same time. I really liked her a lot in this episode.

I’m liking Tess more and more with the way that Cassidy Freeman plays her. She was tough and determined, but there was a touch of amusement too. That was an especially nice touch Cassidy had given Tess after her confrontation with Chloe.

Cassidy also played her as sincerely intrigued by Clark’s unexpected appearance at the Isis Foundation, probably the last place she thought she’d see her “copy boy.” At the end, the surprising email and the implications for her seemed to truly confuse Tess. I found every second of her screen time enjoyable to watch.

Guest star Charlotte Sullivan was terrific as Maxima. She gave her a playful quality to her sexuality, yet made her believably a villain at the same time. Her cruelty was chilling. She got angry and vengeful when she’d discovered the stock broker had lied to her. She even had this wonderful well-isn’t-it-obvious tone when explaining to the guy why he was dying. Of course it was because he had lied to her! She was selfish and unrepentant, yet Charlotte also played Maxima as truly regretful when Jimmy looked to be another victim.

Her scenes with Tom were wonderful. She played Maxima as playful and thrilled at how well things were going with Clark. When she found that he was indeed her equal, she played it like Maxima was like a kid tearing open the wrappings on a mountain of birthday presents. There was triumph and joy, yet at the same time Charlotte played it like it wasn’t just about sex. She made Maxima seem to sincerely believe Clark was meant to be with her; that he was meant to live his life with her and that only he could ease her loneliness. It added some needed pathos to the character.

Charlotte made Maxima a complete delight to watch and she even gave what could have been a very campy character some depth. I really hope that she makes a return visit.

As much as I’ve loved Melanie Williams costume designs this season, I think she made a few missteps in this episode. I hated that opening outfit Maxima wore (although I suppose it made Tess’ comment about Maxima going to the wrong disco an apt one). It didn’t seem to suit Charlotte’s figure very well.

Also, Chloe’s outfit in the first part of the episode was strange. A loose, bib front peasant blouse paired with that wide belt seemed to be an odd choice.

However, probably the worst design choice was the green dress that Maxima had stolen from Tess. I don’t believe Oliver would ever consider that at all suitable for his staid, very business-like ex-girlfriend. It was far too “slutty-Anna” for Tess, even if I could have believed the same short dress would fit both more petite Charlotte and the taller Cassidy. Added to that, I don’t think that the color of the dress was very flattering for Charlotte’s coloring

However, I still don’t have any complaints about how she’s dressing the men. I really like how she’s putting Clark in such dark colors. Primary colors are great at times, they underscore his preferred color scheme once he starts donning the tights, but at this point in the show I think a little goes a long way.

The darker colors are a breath of fresh air and helps make Clark seem less like a kid. He’s an adult now and looks more like it. The clothes are also more adult looking without it being hard to believe a twenty-something might wear them. She’s doing a nice job.

I don’t usually complain about the hair and make-up, but Charlotte’s make-up was too heavy (even for a royal alien sex-goddess) and her wig wasn’t the most realistic one I’ve ever seen. I have real life experience in theatre, not in film or TV, and in theatre the costume designer guides the make-up and hair.

I’m not exactly sure how much blame goes to Melanie Williams for any of the make-up and hair choices, or how much should instead go to the Key Make-Up Artist, Natalie Cosco, and Key Hairstylist, Sarah Koppes. (Ladies, you can thank iTunes for giving me end-credits that are actually legible so I can mention you by name.)

I know the budget was cut this year, but if Sarah is going to use a wig instead of coloring Charlotte’s hair, it should have been a less obvious one. Although, I’ll grant you that maybe few people beside me would have noticed.

As for Natalie’s make-up this season, even though I haven’t mentioned it before, I have been thinking it has been a bit on the heavy-handed side. In this episode, for example, when Lois was dressed down in jeans and loose, unfitted blouse, the make-up wasn’t much lighter than what she’s been wearing to work. I would think for most scenes, especially day-time casual scenes like the one in the loft, it should look more natural and less noticeable. Twenty-somethings usually don’t wear such heavy make-up all the time.

There was a lot to love about this episode, but there were some places where I also had a bit of a WTF moment too, so this episode wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. However, nearly every minute was enjoyable, so I’ll cut them… uhm… a little slack and give this episode 4.5 hyper-drive bracelets 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.