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Saturday, 2 June 2012

Smallville - 10.13: "Beacon" Review


The campaign to repeal the VRA reaches its climax and Lionel Luthor begins to reclaim his empire, persuading people he faked his death. Alexander rears his ugly head and attempts to shoot Martha in the hopes of killing the Blur.

Lois (Erica Durance) confronts Tess (Cassidy Freeman) over the censored articles in the Daily Planet and Tess denies approving any of them.   Walking into her office, she finds it's been taken over by Lionel Luthor (Julian Glover.)  Wielding a paraphrased  Mark Twain quote this time, instead of a Shakespearean quote, "the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."  Tess wants nothing to do with him but he claims he's still her father.   Now he acknowledges her.   He successfully faked his own death is the spiel he's been giving everyone and the gullible old world believes it.   She turned her back on him in his world and now he believes is the time to put things ight.   He's here to provide for her and her brother, Alexander (Lucas Grabeel).   She tells him Clark (Tom Welling) isn't his in this world.   He knows about Clark saving Lex and calls her Lutessa.   Lex needs his father.

Oliver (Justin Hartley) and Chloe (Allison Mack) are together  and they watch the news story about the VRA and the vote to overturn it, a pro-hero rally.   Martha (Annette O'Toole) is campaigning to overturn it.  Chloe knows Oliver's been helping people still.   He wore a hoodie. Clark's still saving people even if they don't want to be be saved by him.   Lois tells Clark he's still focused on "flying under the radar" and he's lost touch with reality.   They watch Martha's speech on the TV where she says they can't do it on their own.   They must join together so their "strength shines through the night like a beacon."  No one is born to hate.   A message clearly intended for Alexander and Lionel.   Lois believes there's still hope.   Martha is shot at.  Begging the question Clark could just as easily have watched the rally in person, then that'd make him an easier target.

Clark arrives at the hospital to find she wore a bullet proof vest  and Lois on the phone to her.   Martha has to protect Clark and his friends and needs to encourage them to stand up for what they believe in.   They need to believe in Clark.  She and Jonathan made a pact to protect Clark.   He doesn't want to lose Martha too.   Chloe turns up and they talk about Clark when he's not there, saying she has to share Clark with the world and he worries about Martha.   Chloe understands why she became the Red Queen and Martha realizes why Chloe took over from Amanda Waller, but she asks why she left Clark.   They both had to leave for him to step up on his own.  Chloe's part of their family.   Martha is Chloe's mother figure and Chloe's watching over Clark as one of his oldest friends.

Clark investigates the CS and stumbles across Oliver in his hoodie.   Martha's also standing up for him, he couldn't just sit around.   Clark finds Kryptonite meaning the bullets disappeared on impact which is why there's no trace of them.   The shooting was personal, not political in the hopes of luring the Blur.   Lois bakes muffins, she's getting better.   Lois believes the shooter could be Ray Sacks (Dylan Neal) or Bruno Mannheim.   Martha tells her she's been impressed with her for ages and gives her the necklace that Jonathan's mother gave her on their wedding day.   Lois is "a perfect fit for Clark." Lois inspires him.   She wishes she could do that now as he's losing hope.   Clark's been losing hope for a long time now.   Martha inspires Lois too and gives her an idea when she tells her how Perry White began his fight by printing pamphlets from a storage unit.   Lois: "So low rent and so rebel."

Lionel finds Alexander, who was glad to watch him fall 40 storeys.  He takes the gun from him and realizes he's the shooter.   He betrayed Lex for Clark in another life but they have a chance to work together now.   His own son, "you will rule our family destiny no matter what it costs."  Including Lionel's own life.  Lois goes through Perry's old stuff and Chloe arrives disguised in her black shades and hat.   Lois needs her help to hack into all the news sites.   She can't let all these "power puff pieces piling up against the Blur" continue.   Clark finds the shooter's crow's nest and an 'S' symbol scratched on the ledge.   He's seen it in Alexander's cell.   Oliver says they'll find him and he does.

Lionel's been reading the other Lionel's journal and the board members took him back at Luthorcorp.  Oliver tells him how he murdered his parents in this life and he almost hits Lionel, who relishes the thought of Oliver being thrown out by security.   He accuses Oliver of wanting celebrity and making the mistake of trusting people, who he describes as 'vulgar, uneducated' and don't realize they're fighting for them.   When Oliver's name is cleared he'll be coming after them.   Lionel promises the people will turn on them tomorrow, cos it'll happen to Lionel with his family.

Tess informs Clark that Lionel is back and he can't send them back as he destroyed the mirror box.   He thinks Jor El might be able to help and wants nothing done until he returns.   Tess comments there must be another way to deal with them.  Is Tess running from her destiny, of what she may become as she's determined to want to get rid of Lionel and Alexander, for whom she cared a while ago.   Lionel takes Alexander to the mansion and Martha tells him it's not Lionel's home.   She says Alexander's not well and needs help.   Lionel comments on Clark's journey through the looking glass.   Oliver already made an Alice in Wonderland 'down the rabbit hole' reference last episode.   Lionel finds Martha attractive and recalls Lionel gave her an engraved wristwatch and asks if she told her husband about it.   Alexander hears everything, he used Clark to kill Lex in his world.   He knocks out Martha as she's about to leave.   Lionel picked his son in two worlds and it wasn't Alexander.   Lionel says he was wrong and pleads for his life.   Alexander sets fire to the mansion.

At the farm Tess looks for the Phantom Zone crystal and Clark returns when he realizes what she meant by other means of handling them.   She asks how Clark can be so good and Alexander replies cos "no one  taught him to hate" like Lionel did.  He uses Kryptonite on Clark, who tries to convince him he's not a killer yet.   Tess tells Alexander he blames everyone but himself and she understands how he feels, he can't step into the light if he's ashamed.   Clark changed things for her and can do the same for him.  She takes the gun from him just like Lionel did.   Alexander has Tess.   Clark rushes back to save Martha and reluctantly Lionel, throwing him to the ground when he gets him out.

Clark thinks they'll lose the vote, but people speak out in favour of the Blur and how he's changed their lives.   Clark: "a beacon of hope shining light on the truth."  Chloe tells him how they all stepped forward for him.   Lois tells him, "You're an American hero Clark." Clark wants to be the man Martha made the suit for.   Clark is inspired by them.   To be a beacon hr believes they need to see his face.   In the future he wore glasses and had a "bad haircut."  He can't treat Clark Kent as a disguise cos of his parents.   Martha tell shim he's who he is cos of his strength and bravery, these are all real.   He'll always be her son.   He's "the light."  (Lots of light references in this episode and some darkness ones too.)  Jonathan would be proud of him.

Alexander tells Tess he's beginning to lose his memory, what if he begins to forget her.   Tess promises to make everything okay and injects him with cyanide but the needle bends.   Does this mean Alexander won't really die.   Look a boy of steel.   Plenty of inspiration lines with Clark being bombarded with inspiration from all sides, but he needs others to inspire him, instead of finding it within himself and it's always those around him who have to fill him with hope and convince him to continue what he does and fulfill his destiny as he should.  Glad the VRA's done and dusted.   Funnily enough, this is the first time we hear of Martha's tireless campaign against the VRA, from Lois and when Martha is actually in Metropolis.   Alexander conveniently beginning to forget who he is, so he won't recall Clark is the Blur.   Then he'll forget Tess and what she's done for him too and become another ruthless Lex.   Which Tess probably knows so was attempting to kill him now.

The videos used in the show were made by actual fans and the better ones were used in the segment.   As for the Kryptonite bullet wouldn't Martha's clothes still have remains of the dust.

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