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Saturday 8 August 2020

Episode 5.8: Solitude

Martha is hit by a light from the sky before contracting a strange virus. Clark fears that it is Jor El coming to collect on his promise to take someone close to him. Milton Fine confirms Clark's suspicion, telling him the only way to stop Jor El is to sever his connection to earth, which is the fortress of solitude. Meanwhile, Chloe sees Fine exiting the space craft in liquid form after trying to help Lois dig up some dirt on Lex. Lois wants to bring Lex down after getting into a thing with him at the Talon. Chloe transports herself to the fortress in time to help Clark defeat Fine and stop him from unleashing Zod onto the Earth. When Fine is killed, his spaceship suddenly disappears, leaving Lex frustrated and adamant that Lionel had something to do with it.

My biggest frustration with this episode, that prevents it from getting a perfect score, is Lois' attitude towards Lex. Her only previous interaction with him, from what I can remember, is when he helped get her sister Lucy out of a tight spot. Add to that the fact that it was Lex who helped save Chloe from Lionel at the end of season 3. So, by rights, she has no reason to be so against him beyond the heresay of others. This kind of makes me lose a little respect for her. I could totally buy her being cautious of him given what she may have heard from others. But to go so fully on the offensive against him just feels like a plot device to further Chloe's investigation into Fine, which is totally unnecessary given that she had been following him anyway. They could have had Chloe witness Fine's T1000 schtick without the need for the extra baggage. And the scene where Lois distracts a Luthorcorp security guard is so hokey anyway that they could have afforded to lose that whole Lois subplot, which is something I never thought I'd hear myself saying.

Other than that I love everything else that is going on in this episode. Fine reveals his true motives, something I was always surprised that he did so soon. I'd have expected them to try and drag this out for most of the season. I'm glad they don't. But Fine has still been a very formidable villain. However, it would have been nice to finally be given his true identity in this one, as Braniac, but unfortunately we have to wait a bit longer for that revelation, despite everything we know about him already pointing to it. Either way, the character is a master manipulator, playing on Clark's fears and using them against him.

I love the way Lex grabs his father's head at the end before walking away. No words necessary. Just a look that could kill. Lex also cracks me up when he calls Lois a "muffin peddler". She kinda had it coming.

The final showdown between Clark and Fine is pretty cool, with Chloe once again proving to be Clark's greatest ally.

But the real sting in the tale of this one is the ominous final shot of Jonathan smiling at Clark as the two of them discuss whether or not Jor El will really follow through on his promise. Watching this moment with hindsight, knowing that Reckoning is just a few epidodes away, is a real punch to the gut.

9/10

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