Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark (Tom Welling) furnish their apartment and Lois comments on how Chloe (Allison Mack) and Oliver (Justin Hartley) managed to fix up their place without any clashing between Oliver's Green Arrow colours. They need to take the time to find the perfect spot for their things and Clark thinks his perfect spot is with Lois. Tess (Cassidy Freeman) interrupts the cosiness with the news that Slade is back on earth and has been discovered in a coma.
Clark realizes the crystal activating the gate between the Phantom Zone and here can only be activated by someone from his family, with the House of El blood. Short memory here as he seems to have forgotten he gave blood to save Zod's (Callum Blue) life in season 9. As you'll recall his DNA/blood was also used for Superboy. Lois comments someone stole Clark's key, but the crystal is the only way out of the Phantom Zone. So if this was the case why didn't Zod return to earth instead of reinforcing his 'dominion' in the Phantom Zone. He could have reeked just as much havoc here. Only Clark would have his powers on earth.
At Watchtower, Tess prepares to send Clark to the Zone and Oliver arrives to help him, without even so much as a welcome or a thank you. As he says he risked his life and he's not acknowledged for it. He's right cos at the end when he asks Clark about what would happen to anyone of them who may be infected with the darkness, all Clark replies is that they'd have to be locked up. Sorry but Clarkie appears a bit dense in some of these episodes, he's oblivious to the fact that Oliver may have a genuine grievance or problem, but it's all about Lois, no really it is.
Tess has to practically beg Clark to take Oliver as he has experience in such situations, where Clark would be powerless and yet he still isn't convinced, he'd prefer to play hero alone. Yeah that'll work. She gives Clark a bracelet, which according to Booster's upgrade will achieve audio through it. As Clark leaves, Oliver rushes in with him and ends up in the Zone too. Oliver tells Clark he should have more faith in his friends but he still hasn't cottoned on to that 10s season on, since he wouldn't have managed anything here if Oliver wasn't around. Clark's hair appears to change in the Phantom Zone, for some reason.
Clark tells Oliver Jor-El built the Zone so that Krypton's worst criminals could have a life here. He notices the crystal is missing and the crystal is the gate. Lois, at Watchtower sees they haven't returned yet and the crystal loses transmission with them. Tess can't do anything and they're on their own. WEll they were on their own to begin with, not like anyone would be sent after them.
Clark is taken to Zod for some kneeling and Oliver is taken away. Zod lectures him on the powerless feeling when he knows he can't use his strength. Clark will have to work twice as hard to defeat him. Zod made an acquaintance with the original Zod's Phantom. Clark was his enemy in both lives and Clark adds he also defeated him in both. Zod orders Clark to kneel and serve him until he dies. Clark left him to the mercy of the Kandorians and Clark now tells Zod that this place was built for people of Zod's kind by Jor-El, well he just said that to Ollie. Wouldn't Zod already know why it was built. Zod comments on the no trial, no jury, "only the rule of Kal-El" aspect of the Zone. He admits sending Slade back to earth was a trap and Clark fell for it. Reminding him that they're both blood brothers. They have the same blood when Clark saved him and he forgot!
He and Zod share the same instincts and they "were meant to be leaders." Who else can Zod put his faith in, but himself. Then mentions Cain and Abel, asking which one is Clark, well clearly he's Abel. Clark claims he'd never murder Zod and he saved him. Zod was exiled by him. Clark will fight to the death in the arena. Knew Clarkie and Ollie would be pitted against each other eventually.
Clark fights but doesn't kill his opponent which is what Zod does for him. It's kill or be killed and only one walks away. Then the most silliest comment from Clark for the entire episode, if not series, that this only happens in Zod's world, well this is his world. As Zod rightly tells him. Who came up with this line. Tess is unable to locate them and Lois realizes Tess was going to self destruct the gateway. Lois has been to the Phantom Zone and Clark is running out of time. Tess tells her about the plan Clark had so that nothing escapes from there. Oliver, meanwhile is caged and he also realizes Clark's plan to self destruct the gate. There's no other choice. Oliver asks him how Lois feels about that and obviously he hasn't told her. Thought they weren't going to have anymore secrets from each other episodes ago. Tess refers to it as a last resort, but Lois can't accept she's playing with Clark's and Oliver's lives. So she pulls a gun on her to make her change her mind. Tess is meant to be a team member. Clark knew the risks and she didn't turn on them, Tess is only following Clark's orders.
They have a responsibility not to put the world at risk for selfish reasons. Tess: "being with a hero means accepting that hero's sacrifices." Lois turns this around and posits, "being a hero's wife means never accepting defeat." That's probably the General in her. (No, not Zod, her father.) Zod is looking for Oliver's dark side, the darkness within him that he's afraid of. Zod has seen Darkseid's powers when he came for him; promising lordship over this dominion if he took Clark out for him. That could be interpreted in two ways, ha. Obviously kill him. Oliver tells Zod they blocked him and his minions, but Zod reaffirms there are millions on Earth waiting to surrender to Darkseid's will. Speaking of which, what happened to Lionel and his encounter. Oliver was angry when his parents were killed and wanted revenge. He can feel the darkness now.
Oliver is confident he can win over the darkness but Zod is adamant he's "already an agent of Darkseid." Oliver believes Clark would stand by him. Zod however knows better, his faith in Oliver would be compromised and Oliver would be cast aside just like Zod. That's why Oliver asks Clark at the end what would happen and wasn't really happy with his response. Who would be? He tempts Oliver with the gesture they could rule here as brothers (he'd want Chloe anyday over Zod.) "I was looking for a brother in Kal El," but they don't have anything in common. He releases Oliver from his shackles and believes they do have plenty in common. He must be brave enough to walk the dark path, to honour the darkness or die.
Oliver and Clark engage in battle, for Zod's benefit of course. The bruises and cuts are real. The way the fight scene was shown in slow motion, appeared that Clark did have his strength. Oliver stabs Clark. Zod intercedes to finish Clark off himself, giving Clark the chance to grab the crystal from his neck, what they were after all along. Clark's wounds heal. Zod: "I will have my revenge." Zod is imprisoned in a crystal and sent way into space.
Clark was certain that whatever Zod said to Oliver, that he wouldn't give up on their plan. Oliver tells him the darkness is everywhere and Clark is positive they can fight it when it returns. Oliver then asks the burning question of what they would do if one of them was infected. To which Clark replies they'd be locked up. The Darkness is powerful and almost got him once. Yes but it's not all about Clark. Also Supergirl saved him that time; so he didn't fight the darkness off himself, like Oliver is attempting to do. Clark: "once in, no way out." He then tells Oliver that half the things Zod says are lies; takes people's fears and uses them against them.
Lois has finished the apartment and it appears they've been away almost 3 weeks, in comparison to what seemed like a few hours in the Zone. He believes the crystal being crushed altered time. Clark says Tess was meant to blow up the gate after 3 hours, but Lois found out his secret plan and convinced her to come round to her way of thinking. She wishes he had faith in Lois. He's part of her and in future she wants to be able to make that choice for herself. Clark tries to control the situation but his Kryptonian side takes over. He should try to explain it to her instead of hiding it. The wedding is in two days and that kept her going, also knowing he'd come back to her. Clark replies nothing in the world would stop him from walking down the aisle (isn't that a bit of a girly line, since technically the bride walks down the aisle, not the groom.) Well he shouldn't have said that anyway cos he's just jinxed his own wedding.
Tess brings Oliver the constellation chart he asked for, as found in the Veritas journal and Carter's notes. Hey look Carter, aka Hawkman (Michael Shanks) is mentioned again. He was searching for Orion's Bow, it's not a treasure as Oliver explains, but Hawkman's quest, which was used on Darkseid. Hawkman never had Oliver's family journal to find it, but Oliver knows where it is now. Tess doesn't believe fighting Darkseid is Oliver's personal fight, but he needs to do this for reasons not known to her, but to us. Oliver prays in church and the angel bleeds as he looks at it and leaves. I was about to say, 'weeping angel!' (Doctor Who fans will know that allusion.) Seemed to weep dark tears rather than any resembling blood.
Funny how this is Oliver's first trip to the Phantom Zone and the first thing he encounters are skulls with the Omega signs emblazoned on them, since he too is afflicted by this. Poor Ollie first the skulls, then Zod. Zod asking Clark, "when are you going to learn it's kill or be killed?" In reference to Clark letting him go. Well kneeling galore in this episode, guess he was making up for lost time and the last time this would be done, ha.
The fighting scenes between Oliver and Clark were clearly an allusion to the movie 300 (2006) but the angel's tears looked more like dark ooze. In the comics, Orion is Darkseid's son. The Justice League are always there to help each other so didn't much appreciate Lois' line saying they didn't want to send anyone else to the Zone to help them out. She just had a go at Tess for not being part of the team and then she comes up with this nonsense. The script sometimes defies logic, know it's the last season and everything, but really?
Zod's clone is from season 9 when Tess opened the orb releasing a younger clone of Zod, who went by the title of Major Zod and has combined with the version of General Zod, who was evident in Lex in the season 5 finale Vessel. This episode was directed by Justin Hartley and clearly you can see this, especially from the fighting scenes and how even though this episode was about Clark, Oliver's descent into the darkness is only subtly hinted at. He doesn't come out and tell anyone about it, that was nicely done. Cos it's not over yet for him and he hasn't thrown in the towel.
We shall always remember Callum Blue from the Sarah Jane Adventures and here he clearly underwent a bout of training to buff up and play Zod in season 9.
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