Disciple (910)

[GateWorld]

SMALLVILLE SEASON NINE DISCIPLE EPISODE NUMBER - 910 A man dressed as Green Arrow targets Oliver's friends, suggesting that someone from his past is following him. Zod appeals to Clark for help in getting powers for the Kandorians. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >

[LtColCarter]

Very enjoyable episode!

[Replicator Todd]

Fantastic episode! I loved the stuff between Zod/Clark/Lois, can't wait to see how Zod's plan is going to develop! I liked that the epsiode was focused on Oliver but still had Clark stuff, the Dark Archer was played by SG1's own Camulus(Steve Bacic)!

[LtColCarter]

Fantastic episode! I loved the stuff between Zod/Clark/Lois, can't wait to see how Zod's plan is going to develop! I liked that the epsiode was focused on Oliver but still had Clark stuff, the Dark Archer was played by SG1's own Camulus(Steve Bacic)!

Thanks! I thought I knew who the Dark Archer was. :-)

[the fifth man]

Very enjoyable episode!

Indeed! My wife and I sure liked it.

[Angela V]

Yeah, sticky went up finally. I was on after watching a later showing of SV and saw many viewing in here but no episode thread open yet.

Oh my gosh, Dark Archer is on The Guard! The Guard is a Canadian show on CTV. CTV has all the episodes on their website to watch. Never watched it before so starting watching on-line. The actress who played Janet Frasier on SG-1 is the love interest of his character. And well, she's playing a nudist and this show has no problem showing some skin. So it was kind of nice to see the actor (Steve Bacic) more clothed in this role. HAHAHA!

I'm worried about Chloe spending so much time in the Watch Tower.

[Elflinn]

Fantastic episode! I loved the stuff between Zod/Clark/Lois, can't wait to see how Zod's plan is going to develop! I liked that the epsiode was focused on Oliver but still had Clark stuff, the Dark Archer was played by SG1's own Camulus(Steve Bacic)!

Yes, you are so right! It's Steve Bacic... and in leather again!... Yes! I recognised him right away! I'm so glad I took the time to finally catch up on all the seasons of Andromeda... It so paid off!

[entil2001]

If there is one thing that “Smallville” has always struggled with, it’s continuity. Not just in terms of overall series continuity, which is generally acceptable, but rather, the continuity within a season arc. For one reason or another, it always feels like the writers fail to communicate once they break out the stories for the season. Add to that a historical tendency to lose focus about halfway through every season, and it’s no shock that “Smallville” has often been dismissed by fans of genre television, despite its longevity.

In this case, it is the treatment of the Clark/Zod relationship. While Clark has never been particularly talented at diplomacy, his interactions with Zod seem overly contentious, given his stated goals. Clark may be right not to trust Zod, but Clark had come to the conclusion that the best way to prevent the future seen in “Pandora” was to befriend Zod and show him a better path. Constantly making threats and dismissing Zod’s attempts at a dialogue don’t make sense within the context of that strategy.

Part of the problem is that Zod has been inconsistently depicted. Major Zod was ruthless from the start, and while the information provided in “Kandor” made some sense out of that, it also presented a case for Zod’s potential for redemption. Yet in the end, Zod always defaults to a scheme that he knows is diabolical. So which is it? Is Zod capable of change, or is Zod evil at the core? The writers could have gotten much more mileage out of a Zod that could go either way, giving Clark’s choices far more importance.

As it is, Clark’s choices really don’t matter. Zod will be evil, because Zod is always evil. In that respect, Clark’s decision to help Zod find another path is merely a delaying tactic. And perhaps that explains why the writers are inconsistent with Clark’s treatment of Zod. They know Clark’s strategy is doomed to fail, they know the audience must know it’s going to fail, so why bother making it convincing?

On the other side of the spectrum, we get another close look at Oliver’s climb back towards heroism, even as Clark becomes more and more uncomfortable with how Oliver and Chloe define the term. I know there are plenty of “Smallville” fans who consider episodes like this to be a waste of time, but I disagree. Oliver was introduced for two reasons: to jumpstart Clark’s development as a hero with a worldwide perspective (what a hero should be), and to provide Clark with a negative example (what a hero shouldn’t be).

So exploring Oliver’s side of the story is not a distraction from Clark’s journey; it is necessary to place Clark’s own development into context. Let’s face it: Superman/Clark Kent is a fairly boring character in and of itself. He only gets interesting when his strict moral code or inherent sense of moral superiority is challenged. Yet, he is also the hero of the story. The time-honored approach, then, is to ensure that his contemporaries are morally inferior yet still influential in his life.

The catch, however, is that Oliver’s story must eventually coincide with some important stage in Clark’s life. If Oliver is meant to stand as a key influence for Superman on “Smallville”, then for all his psychological damage, he has to be shown as a semi-capable mentor. Hence the introduction of Mia, who thankfully was not a one-episode addition to the mythos. If Oliver manages to make her even slightly viable as a hero, before her inevitable demise, then it justifies his role in Clark’s life just a little bit more.

Oliver’s journey is relevant in another sense. Chloe has been one of Clark’s primary allies for years. In fact, in many respects, Chloe has been Clark’s anchor in many a storm. Without a doubt, Chloe has changed in recent seasons, and from Clark’s perspective, not for the better. That has coincided with Chloe getting more involved in Oliver’s world. The more Clark and Oliver diverge in their view of the world, the greater the rift between Clark and Chloe. The more we understand Oliver’s side of the equation, the better we understand what it is that Clark rejects.

The problem with this entire approach is that it requires the characters to debate things a bit more directly than they are to be effective. The subtext is all there, but the characters stop just short of making a definitive point. It’s exactly the same problem that plagues the Clark/Zod scenes. It’s as if dancing around conflict is somehow the only way these people can communicate. I realize that the writers want to keep things stewing because they have no idea how long they need to keep the series going, but a little bit of frank confrontation can go a long way.

[Eternal Density]

Ahh, so that's where I know the dark archer from. He was naggingly familiar but I couldn't quite place the face.
And yeah, I'm a bit worried for Chloe too.