Red

Smallville Episode Review

In which Clark has crap taste in women. Even when he's evil.

What Happened

Clark gets his class ring, with a strange red stone, triggering a personality change. Using his parent's credit cards, Clark goes out to get all the fun toys he never had growing up. While Jonathan and Martha try to figure out what's going on, Clark sweet-talks Lana into going out with him, then takes her to a roadside bar and ditches her for the new girl in town. Jonathan and Pete team-up and get Clark's ring away from him, reversing it's effects.

The Good

• Lionel brought all his flunkies with him. They help carry all the baggage he brought on his guilt trip.
• Lex: "I wasn't aware that a $2000 coat came with a backbone." He should have known something was up when Clark tried to borrow Lex's car by guilting him with a mention of the accident at the bridge.
• Clark vs. Lionel? That's new and exciting.

The Bad

• Sure, Pete. Wave your hand in front of the face of the guy using his x-ray vision. That accomplishes a lot.
• Is every house in Smallville built near a cornfield?
• Clark's back to normal, but I'll bet they still have to pay for that expensive suit he was wearing as he writhed in the dirt, whimpering from the effects of the meteor rocks.

The Cliche

• He was holding a piece of paper in his hand and she still writes her phone number on his hand. Because she's That Kind of Girl.
• Lana and Clark are going on a date to a beer commercial.
• "Lex Luther and Clark Kent. I like the sound of that." I don't remember that from the comics.
• "You can't have it both ways." Lana refusing to accept Clark's apology.

What Did I Think?

Clark got pretty mean, derailing further his friendship with Lana. It wasn't an evil-mastermind swagger, just some believable teenage attitude. (Well, until his plan to blackmail the guy in the witness protection program.) Interesting, with some character repercussion between Clark and Lana that should last at least an episode or two.