Episode 1.8: Jitters

This is an excellent episode that really hits you with an emotional sucker-punch in its final scene. You feel deeply sympathetic towards Lex Luthor as the contrast in the relationships that both he and Clark have with their parents is made all too clear. Whatever future crimes Lex may commit he will always be a victim to his own father's inability to show even the slightest ounce of genuine affection towards his son.

But it's not all negative on the emotional side of things. There is plenty of humour too as Clark makes the mistake of hosting a house party while his parents are away in Metropolis for the night. He clears up the mess using his super-speed only to find that his parents got back early and have been stood there watching him for the past few minutes. The little applause that Jonathan gives is a top reaction that just made me chuckle.

It's worth noting that Lex also puts his life on the line in a genuinely heroic effort to save a load of school kids. This highlights the fact that he really does have a lot of good left in him, making the character much more tragic, as we are fully aware of the man that he will one day become.

A great character study that gives a real insight into what makes two iconic characters become the men they are destined to be. 9/10

Episode 1.7: Craving

Craving is notable mainly for the presence of actress Amy Adams in the supporting role of a girl so desperate to lose weight she starts to live on a diet of strange shakes that have been infected by the meteor rocks. As a result she becomes the victim of horrible cravings that make her attack people in order to suck out their body fat.

Amy Adams is a wonderful actress and has since gone on to deliver great performances in the likes of Enchanted and Doubt. She is just as spectacular here even though, during some sequences, she has to work under some dodgy prosthetics.

Although the story for this episode's freak of the week can at times come off as fairly silly, it does at least allow the viewer to sympathise for the meteor infected character, something that has been lacking since the pilot episode. This might be down to Adam's performance just as much as, if not more than, the writing itself. In fact, without her presence I'm not sure this episode would hold as much interest for me.

However, there is also an interesting plot involving Lex who spends most of the episode trying to get a scientist onto his payroll. The reason this is interesting is that the scientist in question is conducting research into the effects of meteor rocks on genetic makeup. It's nice to see the writers acknowledge the fact that there would be other people out there intelligent enough to see what's going on in Smallville other than Clark and friends.

This is a solid episode made all the more watchable by its guest star. 7/10

Episode 1.6: Hourglass

This episode features a villain named Harry Bollston who, after falling into a pond in his electric chair, is transformed into a much younger version of himself. Beyond this the meteor rocks in the pond that trigger his transformation offer him no other super powers like the typical meteor freaks we have seen so far. This makes him a much more interesting villain. He is also a much darker villain than we are used to seeing in Smallville as it is not the rocks that have brought about his nasty behaviour, rather, they have simply allowed him to continue where he left off so many years ago. George Murdock is particularly creepy as the older Harry Bollston who spends his days in a retirement home quietly reliving his past crimes through old newspaper clippings.

Also in this episode we are treated to visions of the possible futures of both Clark and Lex. These visions offer a glimpse into the destinies that we as viewers are already aware of for these characters. Clark's destiny is that of the saviour while Lex's is that of the destroyer. They are two sides of the same coin.

There is a touching moment with Lana too as she is forced to be reminded of her parents' deaths when she stumbles across a news article about it on Chloe's 'wall of weird'. It reminds us that the stories on Chloe's wall are not simply weird and entertaining headlines, but people's lives, much the same way as any news story in the real world might be. This ties into Harry's obsession with collecting old newspaper clippings about his crimes. To him they are trophies of past victories to be savoured. To the families of his victims they are a painful reminder.

Hourglass is a wonderful episode and one of the high points of the first season. 9/10

Episode 1.5: Cool

Cool focuses on a meteor freak who sucks all of the heat out of anything he touches. Unfortunately, when he does this to other people he kills them.

This episode is very entertaining for a number of reasons, the first of which is the performance of Alison Mack as Chloe. It is the first time we get to see Chloe as a full-blooded human being with real emotions and not just a tool of exposition for the other characters. She is absolutely charming and at times heartbreaking.

Lex also starts to make some moves on the Kent family and, although you want to believe his offer to help them is sincere, you can't help but think he's up to something. The tension that arises between Jonathan and Lex whenever they occupy the same space is palpable and you often wander whether Jonathan's distrust of Lex could be doing more harm than good. Is it a form of self-fulfilling prophecy? If you make someone out to be a bad seed for long enough is it inevitable that they will become as such?

The villain of the piece is okay for entertainment purposes. But in the end he's just another stupid jock. It would be nice if someone with a bit more brains, who could challenge Clark, was infected by the meteor rocks for a change. Also, Clark defeats Sean by throwing him into water, thereby freezing him inside a big block of ice. In this case how did Sean get out of the lake that gave him his powers in the first place?

Putting this minor quibble aside for a moment this was a very enjoyable episode that showed just how valuable some of the supporting players could be if they were given more to do. I look forward to seeing more from Chloe in the future. 7/10

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

Episode 1.3: Hothead

Hot Head quickly puts the series back on track after the mild disappointment of Metamorphosis. The motivations of the villain are much more realistic and believable and make the character a more appealing prospect than 'Bug Boy'. Everyone has probably experienced some form of bullying from the teachers at school and this episode adequately deals with that theme along with the overpowering desire to win at all costs.

There are some really nice character moments here too. The opposition between Lex and his father is brought to the fore as they go head to head over certain business strategies. The relationship between Clark and Lana really shines too and they have a nice little moment at the end where they both scream their lungs out just for the fun of it. I couldn't help but have a smile on my face after this.

In fact, there are a lot of humorous moments throughout, particularly the reaction from Clark and Lex in The Talon after Lana has served them their drinks.

Clark: Is that what you ordered?

Lex: Not even close!

Good stuff. 8/10

Episode 1.2: Metamorphosis

After the cracking pilot episode Metamorphosis comes as something of a disappointment. However, it is far from being a bad episode. It's main problems lie solely on the villain of the piece. The actor playing the 'Bug Boy' does a fine job and there's certainly nothing wrong with his performance. But he is given awful pieces of dialogue to spout off about how he has become something of a superior being. It feels very clichéd.

On the plus point there are quite a few standout moments. We start to see the manipulative side of Lex, portrayed excellently by Rosenbaum, who pretty much charms the pants off all but Jonathan Kent. There is also a rather amusing scene at the beginning of the episode in which Clark appears to be flying.

What is certainly clear from this episode and the pilot is the x-files inspired direction in which the show seems to be heading with its 'freak of the week' formula. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The reason for why there would be so many of these freaks in Smallville is established quite nicely. But that also means that the quality of each episode could hinge entirely on the quality of the freak. Applying that theory to this episode it is clear that the writers will have to do better than 'Bug Boy'.

Great character moments but flat and clichéd villain. 6/10