Episode 1.4: X-Ray

This is another fairly solid episode from Smallville. The character of Tina Greer, while a cool idea, is fairly annoying as she is played to the hilt and possibly goes a little too overboard just a little too quickly. Though, in all fairness, you could say that the character does call for a little instability. I would have just liked a certain level of subtlety to the performance, which I felt was lacking, though she did give a nice reaction to the moment when she kills her own mother.

The most interesting parts of this episode involve Lex. He isn't in this one much but he makes an impact in the few scenes that he is in. In one of these he isn't actually Lex at all but Tina Greer pretending to be Lex. It's interesting to watch Rosenbaum's performance in this scene as he plays it with a slight feminine touch indicating Tina's inability to hide her body language despite the change in appearance.

The other scenes with Lex involve a sub-plot about a blackmail attempt which he turns to his advantage in one of his first truly devious moments.

I also like the character of Chloe and she is given a bit more to do in this episode as she helps Lana with something personal.

It's cool to see how Clark copes with his various emerging powers like a confused teenager going through the different stages of puberty. The scene where he looks into the girls showers using his x-ray vision, though obvious, is a classic and funny moment.

Entertaining but not without its flaws. 7/10