Smallville "Abyss" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Hobbes829]

i liked the flashback, but 8th grade chloe talked like an adult. It was annoying.

 

[bigddan11]

Just when you think things couldn't get better, they find a way to make it happen. I was worried about Brainiac taking over Chloe and making her lose her memories because I thought it meant she'd turn evil. I'm glad to see I was wrong there, but who'd have thought Brainiac would take over the fortress like that? I guess we now know why the Legion has to come back and help. With the fortress and its Kryptonian tech, Brainiac could actually create himself a new body as well.

Clark, despite all his good intentions, just made Chloe a bigger target than ever. Now she doesn't remember Clark's powers or that Doomsday is coming after her. I wonder if she even rememebrs about her own meteor powers.

So, Smallville Med returns. I guess it had to happen eventually, just as did Lana's return (next week), but they're still making a horrible mistake not having Martha Kent show up for Chloe's wedding. Oliver will be there, and I've heard rumors that another member of the Jusice League will be there.

Spoiler

Actually, Cyborg returns to pay his respects, and I suspect him, Clark, and Green Arrow will have to team up together to take down Doomsday.

I'd say this was quite possibly the best episode of the season, and next week only looks better.

 

[Junkion]

but who'd have thought Brainiac would take over the fortress like that?

The second they showed the black goo that is Brainiac dripping out of her ear, my first & only thought was "how much you wanna bet Brainiac takes over the fortress?" This show is to predictable anymore.

I guess we now know why the Legion has to come back and help. With the fortress and its Kryptonian tech, Brainiac could actually create himself a new body as well.

Which hopefully will actually look robotic this time, I don't enjoy human looking Brainiacs unless they are Brainiac 5.

Now she doesn't remember that Doomsday is coming after her.

She never knew that Doomsday was coming for her in the first place. All she knew was she kept seeing the Kryptonian symbol for Doom and not even the meaning until Clark told her.

I'd say this was quite possibly the best episode of the season, and next week only looks better.

I was content with the episode until they proved that they had lost all ability to surprise me.

 

[creativerealms]

Actually the witch crap was in season four and the vampire crap was in season five.

The saw rippoff was actually a decent but not great Lionel episode.

 

[Hobbes829]

The second they showed the black goo that is Brainiac dripping out of her ear, my first & only thought was "how much you wanna bet Brainiac takes over the fortress?" This show is to predictable anymore.

I was content with the episode until they proved that they had lost all ability to surprise me.

Who cares if it's predictable. At least the stories make sense now and aren't all over the place. I'm glad to see that they are showing consequences for clark's actions. Instead of the lame consequences like robbing clark of his powers for not going back to the fortress by sundown. Clark's abilities aren't mystical. His kryptonian physiology is enhenced by the sun. Even if he could take the powers, they would eventually return. This time, Clark took a risk and while you could see that brainiac would take over the fortress, at least it made sense. I don't want curve balls for the sake of curve balls. That's what's wrong with Heroes season 2 and onwards.

 

[Batman]

Going into this episode I knew, it wasn't going to be as strong as the previous 7 episode of Season 8 . So it was no surprise to me that overall the episode really didn't soar really high . That being said this episode is by no means a flop, The last 10 minutes of the episode followed by the preview for "Bride" had me on freaking Cloud 9 .

The Best parts of the episode for me was

1. Preview for "Bride" - "DOOMSDAY !!!!!!!"

2. The resurrection of The Fortress Of Solitude

3. The Return of Brainiac, Infecting The Fortress console and The F.O.S.

4. Establishing The Classic Father & Son relationship between Jor-EL & Kal-EL .

5. The Kryptonian code used in Chloe's mindwipe by Brainiac as well as the kryptonian symbol for "DOOMSDAY" .

The new TPTB have really step up changing they whole dynamic of this series from just another Teen soap opera drama and into a Superman mythology series .

I can't wait to see the episode "Bride" and how the cliffhanger will give us a sneak Peek into the upcoming arc in the second half of Season 8 .

1. Lois & Clark coming closer together

2. Doomsday & BRAINIAC

3. More of Clark's journey to becoming Superman

 

[bat313]

Anybody else get the darn Jets/Pats game on WPIX instead of Smallville? I did and i'm pissed. One, i'm a Giants fan, and two i missed a new ep of smallville!

 

[Junkion]

I don't want curve balls for the sake of curve balls. That's what's wrong with Heroes season 2 and onwards.

I prefer that curveballs be thrown in just not for the sake of them but I will take them thrown in for the sake of them if it keeps the show from becoming predictable. A predictable show is a boring show.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Just when you think things couldn't get better, they find a way to make it happen. I was worried about Brainiac taking over Chloe and making her lose her memories because I thought it meant she'd turn evil. I'm glad to see I was wrong there, but who'd have thought Brainiac would take over the fortress like that? I guess we now know why the Legion has to come back and help. With the fortress and its Kryptonian tech, Brainiac could actually create himself a new body as well.

Clark, despite all his good intentions, just made Chloe a bigger target than ever. Now she doesn't remember Clark's powers or that Doomsday is coming after her. I wonder if she even rememebrs about her own meteor powers.

So, Smallville Med returns. I guess it had to happen eventually, just as did Lana's return (next week), but they're still making a horrible mistake not having Martha Kent show up for Chloe's wedding. Oliver will be there, and I've heard rumors that another member of the Jusice League will be there.

Spoiler

Actually, Cyborg returns to pay his respects, and I suspect him, Clark, and Green Arrow will have to team up together to take down Doomsday.

I'd say this was quite possibly the best episode of the season, and next week only looks better.

Spoiler

Nah, Cyborg's not gonna be in Bride. I think there was a scheduling problem.

The second they showed the black goo that is Brainiac dripping out of her ear, my first & only thought was "how much you wanna bet Brainiac takes over the fortress?" This show is to predictable anymore.

Which hopefully will actually look robotic this time, I don't enjoy human looking Brainiacs unless they are Brainiac 5.

Gotta divorce yourself from a comics if only a little or else there's really no point in watching this show. In the DC multi-verse there will always be alternate interpretations, this show is no different.

I prefer that curveballs be thrown in just not for the sake of them but I will take them thrown in for the sake of them if it keeps the show from becoming predictable. A predictable show is a boring show.

It's not really predictable. Sure, we know that Brainiac's back, but as to what he plans we do not know. Heck, who saw Zod being DD's daddy coming? None of us, that's for sure.


Remind me, did Jor-El create Brainiac in this universe or where there others?

 

[Hobbes829]

name one show that isn't predictable to some extent. You see enough tv and movies and you aren't surprised by much. It's nice when you get something unexpected, but so long as it makes sense. Predictability doesn't neccessarily mean boring. Also, i find it hilarious that you watch a show that is predictable by it's very nature. You know clark will become superman, he and lois will fall in love, etc.

Bottom line: It's not about the destination, it's about the ride.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

name one show that isn't predictable to some extent. You see enough tv and movies and you aren't surprised by much. It's nice when you get something unexpected, but so long as it makes sense. Predictability doesn't neccessarily mean boring. Also, i find it hilarious that you watch a show that is predictable by it's very nature. You know clark will become superman, he and lois will fall in love, etc.

Bottom line: It's not about the destination, it's about the ride.

Preach, my brother, PREACH!!!

But yeah, after a long week at school and only two (three, counting Lost) shows I watch in primetime on the big networks it's nice to be able to come home to something relatively entertaining, espicially more so considering the past nine weeks of Smallville have been their best in a long, long time if ever.

 

[Russkafin]

Spoiler

Remind me, did Jor-El create Brainiac in this universe or where there others?

Spoiler

Some episodes have said Jor-El created him, but last season they also attributed his creation to Dax-Ur (played by Mark McClure).

 

[DisneyBoy]

I dug the effects used to show Chloe's memories being systematically erased, giving them sort of a compelling way to redo the typical amnesia plot.

I could not WAIT to get here and comment on that after seeing last night's episode. They may have saved money by reusing the shots of the fortress reforming (a major bummer to me, since I'd always expected the reforming of the fortress to also address the fact that Lex "died" in it), but they certainly went all-out on the sequences inside Chloe's mind. I really, really enjoyed those. They built up energy and suspense and had me on the edge of my seat. Smallville hasn't done that for me since the season two episode "fever". It was compelling, it was emotional, and it was all one long shot - all unusual for Smallville.

I especially appreciated the noticeable absense of Alicia in the "Chloe learns the secret" flashback. Methinks A-Mac actually reshot her reaction clips because I distinctly recall Alicia hovering behind her the entire time.

So yeah...I was really pumped about that...and then someone had to go and post this:

the effects with the static and flashes were done really well, even though the whole concept/plot was taken directly from one of my fav. movies eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. right down to chloe trying to hide clark in diffrent memories the way jim carrey was trying to do with kate winslet's character.

You just HAD to remind me. Yup. You're right now that I think about it - it's a total steal, which sucks because Smallville finally seemed to have an original sequence. That's REALLY going to bother me.

I'm not sure I love Chloe not knowing. It was a part of her character, it was her right as Smallville's best loved persona to be able to hold up the "I KNOW THE SECRET" trophy and laugh at Lana and Lois and all the other idiots who didn't love Clark nearly as much or deserve that same right.

HOWEVER, it makes STORY LOGIC for Clark to spare Chloe, and I guess this means she won't be dying that untimely death we'd all imagined back in seasons two and three, so...I'm proud of the writers for taking that risk, because it made sense and could pay off. Just keep on giving Chloe her limelight, and I'll try not to feel the pain.

Anyone think she'll remember again? Is this just a temporary thing?

I wonder if she even rememebrs about her own meteor powers.

Did Jor-El heal her of those?

Also - didn't Clark's chat with Jor-El just totally address all the problems we've been having with the kryptonian bully since day one? Nice move new writers.

8th grade chloe talked like an adult. It was annoying.

Yes, it was. They wrote her exactly like adult Chloe, and you could see the kids were having to work hard to get around all those silly sentence structures. Still, they did a respectable job. The kiss wasn't all that great, and her wig was annoying, but yeah. Decent stuff.

For the record, I didn't see Brainiac taking over the fortress, but that's only because this episode kept me so in the moment. Which is VERY rare. Usually, I'm just sitting there rolling my eyes saying "and then what? Lex shows up at the exact right moment?"

I missed Chloe's first blackout because I didn't see the first twentish minutes. What was she remembering? I hope it was the "Fever" scene. I really wanted her love speech to Clark to be in the episode...

Major continuity problem - Clark takes Chloe to the ARCTIC while Jimmy is getting her coat and bags from upstairs at the Talon...and after the wind-wipe we get NO EXPLANATION as to how Jimmy reacted to coming back downstairs and realizing Chloe had gone away. If Clark brought her to the caves first (do they still work that way?) and teleported to the North, it STILL didn't take less than 30 seconds to accomplish. So...what happened there?

 

[bigddan11]

For the record, I didn't see Brainiac taking over the fortress, but that's only because this episode kept me so in the moment. Which is VERY rare. Usually, I'm just sitting there rolling my eyes saying "and then what? Lex shows up at the exact right moment?"

I don't know how you could miss it. Clark goes up to the fortress to thank his father for saving Chloe, his father finally tells him he loves him, and as Clark leaves the fortress, the Brainiac black ooze infests the crystals and the episode ends with it spreading over the entire fortress and him saying- "DOOMSDAY HAS ARRIVED!"

 

[Webryder]

I don't know how you could miss it. Clark goes up to the fortress to thank his father for saving Chloe, his father finally tells him he loves him, and as Clark leaves the fortress, the Brainiac black ooze infests the crystals and the episode ends with it spreading over the entire fortress and him saying- "DOOMSDAY HAS ARRIVED!"

I think he meant to say he didn't see that scene coming before it actually played out in the ep. At the point when it was happening, then of course, but Smallville didn't neccessarily telegraph the Brainiac takeover from way early on like they're usually prone to do.

I especially appreciated the noticeable absense of Alicia in the "Chloe learns the secret" flashback. Methinks A-Mac actually reshot her reaction clips because I distinctly recall Alicia hovering behind her the entire time.

I believe you're right. They did go back and refilm that scene. The only reasons I can figure is seeing Alicia's self-serving mug would've distracted from the weight of what was being shown. Besides it was featured thru the subjectivity of Chloe's mind's eye so maybe her subconscious just omitted Alicia being there.

Also - didn't Clark's chat with Jor-El just totally address all the problems we've been having with the kryptonian bully since day one? Nice move new writers.

I don't know if I totally bought into that scene especially given some of the things Jor-el has done in the past, but if you forget everything you know about continuity it plays well.

I wonder if we'll ever find out how the sender of the Crystal managed to jerry-rigg it into a sort of homemade dual phantom zone projector/Krypton re-creator. Here's an idea, maybe it WAS Chlo-IAC who was behind it and the memory of her doing it got erased.

I'm not sure I love Chloe not knowing. It was a part of her character, it was her right as Smallville's best loved persona to be able to hold up the "I KNOW THE SECRET" trophy and laugh at Lana and Lois and all the other idiots who didn't love Clark nearly as much or deserve that same right.

Oh you know that's not gonna stand for very long at all I bet. I don't have any real proof I'm just not that eager to revisit the Clark lying to Chloe about his secret and Chloe always curious to uncover the "mysteries of Clark Kent", you know...that old bag. I'm hoping they have a good reason for the back to season 2 Chloe/Clark paradigm shift that's different then what's already been done.

Yes, it was. They wrote her exactly like adult Chloe, and you could see the kids were having to work hard to get around all those silly sentence structures. Still, they did a respectable job. The kiss wasn't all that great, and her wig was annoying, but yeah. Decent stuff.

I just wish the writers would at least make an attempt to have them talk like normal people their age. The out-dated pop culture reference, double entendre speak was cute in high school but it wears WAY past thin nowadays since they have soo many shows that use that same type of dialogue flooding the networks.

What 20-something year old even knows who Frank Sinatra is much less lives his life by one of his songs??

 

[Hobbes829]

the sinatra reference doesn't bother me. I am 23 and love sinatra. My problem is that they are trying too hard to be joss whedonesque with the dialogue and it comes off as unnatural. Instead of saying that a character is late, joss would have buffy say, "she makes Gidou look punctual" More interesting, but unless you're joss whedon it's best to not try and write dialogue like him. chloe saying "keanu reeves dvd-a-thon" ranks as one of, if not the worst of these types of irritating attempts to write "hip" dialogue.

Clark and Chloe kissing "to get it out of the way and just be friends" was mentioned a few seasons ago, and it was cool to see it dramatized, but it just came off as SO bad.

Clark may be maturing but Jor-el is a D-bag. I can't stress how much i hate the idea of a dead guy's disembodied voice is talking in real time. Krypton was supposed to be a place of advanced technology. This is way too mystical for my tastes.

 

[Webryder]

From what we've seen so far can anyone make sense of Brainiacs plan?

Steal the Crystal-check

Slowly take over Chloe-check

Get her to cover up Clark's secret by killing someone-check check

Mail?? , the Crystal to Clark as a makeshift PZ projector to get him trapped-check

Hope he runs into Faora (the disembodied wife of Zod) in a wasteland that stretches into forever on the off chance she can sneak out past 2 Kryptonians from the "House of EL" backdoor-check

Hope that she feels the need to move heaven and earth to find her missing protoplasm...uh er, I mean son to set him on the path to becoming Doomsday (even though neither Zod nor Brainiac himself even tried in the past when they had the chance)-check

Release Clark from the phantom zone?? -ok check

Erase Chloe's memories so she'll only want Davis thereby making him fall for her more-ok, almost done, check

Infect the FoS-check

Rule and/or destroy the world...if there's anything left that is-to be continued

Wow...the more that I think about it, a whole lota stars had to line up for that to work out huh? And I thought Heroes was getting kinda convoluted.

 

[KYO'NYUU IMOUTO]

Major continuity problem - Clark takes Chloe to the ARCTIC while Jimmy is getting her coat and bags from upstairs at the Talon...and after the wind-wipe we get NO EXPLANATION as to how Jimmy reacted to coming back downstairs and realizing Chloe had gone away. If Clark brought her to the caves first (do they still work that way?) and teleported to the North, it STILL didn't take less than 30 seconds to accomplish. So...what happened there?

I figure Jimmy gave Clark a ear-full about as to what happened with Chloe, however I think he was just happyshe was 'alright' again. Basically, the writers were either low on time and/or felt the audience could piece together that Jimmy was probably angry or something like so. I really don't think it matters, though. Clark got to the caves quickly, teleported, spent all of five minutes there, and got back to the hospital probably in under five minutes.

 

[DisneyBoy]

I think he meant to say he didn't see that scene coming before it actually played out in the ep.

Thanks, that's what I meant.

chloe saying "keanu reeves dvd-a-thon" ranks as one of, if not the worst of these types of irritating attempts to write "hip" dialogue.

Actually, A-Mac made it work. That line wasn't supposed to be serious anyways. Immediately afterwards, Lana looks at her like she's crazy. It was just an made-up alibi anyways.

Clark and Chloe kissing "to get it out of the way and just be friends" was mentioned a few seasons ago, and it was cool to see it dramatized, but it just came off as SO bad.

Yeah...it wasn't great, but I wanted to like it because A-Mac said in an interview that she'd watched the scene being shot and thought it was cute.

I believe you're right. They did go back and refilm that scene.

And given how happy I was about the idea of that, I still remember seeing the shots and thinking "A-Mac isn't really bringing the goods." Her original reaction was much better. Wet eyes, stunned and frightened expression. It was good stuff, except for...

...Alicia's self-serving mug...

Yeah. That stank. So I was hoping this new clip could become the "official" Chloe finds out clip. Because Alicia was a stupid moment in Smallville history best forgotten. Hey maybe Clark, Al and Miles can bring us all up to the Fortress one-by-one after all these years of dedicated viewing and help us out by erasing the stupid parts from our memory.

I figure Jimmy gave Clark a ear-full about as to what happened with Chloe, however I think he was just happyshe was 'alright' again. Basically, the writers were either low on time and/or felt the audience could piece together that Jimmy was probably angry or something like so. I really don't think it matters, though. Clark got to the caves quickly, teleported, spent all of five minutes there, and got back to the hospital probably in under five minutes.

It mattered to me, and to the quality of the show because Jimmy was given a real opportunity in this episode to react to the strange things happening to the woman he loves more than life itself. Given the build-up in recent weeks with him having found Chloe's old note, and now Davis hovering around constantly, you'd think here Jimmy would have stuck by his gal no matter what.

I just remembered ANOTHER continuity gaff. What kind of loving, worried, insecure fiancee first makes a same-day appointment for Chloe to get a cat scan (I know this is Smallville, but that one just hurts) and then LEAVES HER AT THE HOSPITAL when he KNOWS she's losing her memories, even of HIM...and then DRIVES TWO HOURS BACK TO SMALLVILLE to sit in an apartment. Like...what? She was going to remember your phone number and call you up?

Oh wait...was Chloe at the Smallville medical center? Whatever. Dude - you love her? Tired of other men stealing her affections? Desperate to spend your whole life with her? STAY BY HER SIDE YOU MORON.

Sorry I'm caps-ing so much, but this story would have been GREATLY improved if we'd been allowed to see Jimmy as a real person and not the typical "I'm just a sideliner here because it's part of the myth" as he's always been. He should have been suspicious of Clark, jealous, accusatory...and he definitely should have yelled at Clark for obviously kidnapping Chloe and lying straight to his face. I'm not saying he has to know the secret, but come on! "Let's get her to a hospital. I'll wait with her while you get the bags." And...nothing from the fiancee?

Doomsday's gonna break through that boy like cardboard.

Which hopefully will actually look robotic this time, I don't enjoy human looking Brainiacs

I also hope we don't have to deal with a typical human-looking Brainiac in the next few episodes. Marsters may be beloved by Buffy fans, but I've waited and been patient, and still feel nothing for him. There were more poorly-written villains than this who still put on a big show of being creepy and entertaining.

Television Without Pity's recap for the episode reminded me that Chloe did tell Clark in this episode just how much knowing his secret has helped her affect change in the world and all that. And yet he STILL mind-wiped her. I'd forgotten about those lines of hers, and they completely alter my opinions on it. I mean, yes, Clark is sparing Chloe her duties as his personal body-guard, but will he then do the same thing to Lana, whom he apparently loves just as much, if not possibly more? It was wrong...I'm looking forward to Chloe taking Clark down a notch when she remembers again.

But I have this really serious feeling that the writers did this to bring her character to a conclusive place. She won't get her memories back, and will just be "happy" with Jimmy. Is this really her send-off? If this were Al and Miles, I'd be confident she'd find it all out again. But this new guard...they're unpredictable.

 

[Hobbes829]

James Marsters is the man, and think its best that we don't see a robot on a television budget. For proof of this watch any number of scenes between him and lex. Brilliant! Just brilliant acting! As an aside, i like the idea of keeping much of Doomsday in shadow. That way you see that it's him but you don't pic apart every little detail. Characters like him are best in shadow and at night time settings.