Smallville Recap 05.04.06: Oracle
Posted by James Thomlison on 05.05.2006
Brainiac returns, as does Jonathan... or does he? Lana and Lex dance around their status, Lionel really IS the good guy, and Lois is everyone's favorite ear! Oh yeah, and the shit storm is apparently brewing.
1. Again by default, they are teasing the last couple of episodes majorly involving Brainiac. What the Hell is going on here!?
2. Lana and Lex are full blown now, and they're teasing Clark and Chloe. Will she become his rebound lady?
3. No Lionel this episode; is he heeding Clark's warning?
4. Lex and Clark haven't spoken since the outing of the news. How will that go?
5. Two or so episodes left… this has to be the goodness right?
The Show
Show kicks off at the Kent farm, where Clark is arriving home and surprise! Birthday party for Clark! Martha, Chloe, and Lois are there. Lois bought him a journal. Chloe comp's some IOU's that Clark owes her. There is a card there in Jonathan's handwriting, which Martha found in his desk. He had bought him baseball tickets. Clark is saddened.
To the graveyard, where Clark is at Jonathan's grave. He's talking to him when he feels something behind him. Jonathan. He apologizes for not being at his birthday party, and he's telling Clark that there are no more lessons. He must do this on his own. He must stop what's coming. Millions of people will die. Lionel Luthor. To save this world, he has to kill Lionel Luthor. Jonathan then fades away.
Opening credits. Commercial break.
We're back and at the Kent farm, where Clark is trying to convince Martha it really was Jonathan. He comes clean about having seen Jonathan before. They agree it must REALLY be serious for Jonathan to even suggest such a thing.
To the Talon, where Lois and Lana are talking and Lana gives her that look – but says that "he's not my boyfriend".
To the Planet where Clark is also filling Chloe in. They are trying to figure out what Lionel could be doing. Chloe is skeptical though, as is there really ANYTHING that would make Clark Kent kill someone?
To the Luthor mansion where Lionel is there to question Lex about Brainiac. Apparently, Lex and Brainiac have been smuggling viruses into the country, and is harboring them. Lionel is trying like Hell to get him to end his partnership with Brainiac. Lex leaves and again Lionel goes into that heart attack-ish mode, but apparently, it's a possession of some kind as he stumbles to a coffee table and again begins scribbling. We now see it's Kryptonian of nature.
We're at LuthorCorp where Chloe and Clark are snooping around in Lionel's office. They find (in his computer) that Lionel has something called "The Weapon" and is going to discuss it (has a meeting) with the Pentagon next week. Clark is worried *he* may be "The Weapon".
Commercial break.
We're back and at the Luthor mansion, where Lana has arrived. He tells her that he's been working on something but needs to know if he can trust her. She has to be in 100% before he will show her.
Apparently, she agreed because we're now at a LuthorCorp lab. He has been collecting these virus' to "change the world". They've been able to alter these viruses into a very powerful immunity defense. Theoretically, one shot of it could protect you from anything that could possibly be unleashed. She HAS to keep this a secret. Not even Brainiac knows that Lex has developed these. Lex believes that Brainiac is answering to a "higher up", and doesn't trust him.
To the Kent farm, where Martha is arriving home as Lionel is leaving a message that he has to talk to Clark. She picks up the phone, and she notices Jonathan sitting in the living room. He questions her about Lionel. Martha can't even believe he's thinking that. It's been so hard without him. She goes to touch him, but he instantly moves. He again begins talking about Lionel, and Lionel Luthor MUST die. HAS TO. He transports outside, and we see that it is in fact SWERVE! Brainiac disguised as Jonathan Kent!
Commercial break.
We're back, and again at the Kent farm where Martha is explaining what happened. Clark fills her in on his Lionel theory. Martha fills him in on her whole Lionel having something to do with his death theory.
Back to the Luthor mansion where Brainiac has arrived to talk business. He's upset he's been out of the loop on the viruses progress. Some psychological banter between the two. Some scientific discussion of the viruses. Lex pulls out some Kryptonite, but it won't work on Brainiac – he isn't one of them, only made by them. He morph-thingees his finger into a blade pointed on Lex's throat, and demands the vaccine.
At the Planet where Chloe is about to fill Clark in some juice, but makes him promise to remain calm. Lionel talked to Jonathan an hour before he collapsed, and the call was from less than a mile from Clark's house. He was there the night Jonathan died.
To the Kent barn, where Lionel has arrived and Clark is grilling Lionel. He is completely honest about being there the night Jonathan died. Clark picks him up and throws him across the room. Clark bitches him out, and Lionel is proclaiming his innocence. "Jonathan" again appears and is egging Clark to do it, but he's getting out of hand with it. Clark is becoming suspicious as Lionel even admits there's no way Jonathan would talk like that. Clark lets go and heat visions Brainiac. He gets up and tells Clark how disappointed he is. Clark: You're not my father. And now it's time to fight.
Brainiac (still looking like Jonathan) throws a tractor at Clark, direct hit. Clark throws it off, but Brainiac is now strangling him. He has to stop though as Lionel has hit possessed mode again. He holds out his hand (full out white eyes) and touches Brainiac's cheek, which makes him go back to his normal self, and he "evaporates" in a way. Either way, he's gone.
Lionel exits possession mode, not aware of what happened.
Commercial break.
We're back and in Lionel's office. Clark fills Lionel in on Brainiac. He opens his safe, and reveals VOLUMES of the pages filled with the Kryptonian language.
Back at the Planet, where Chloe cracks a joke about Hell freezing over as Lionel and Clark are there together – as allies – to fill her in and show her some of the books. Sadly, Chloe's Kryptonian is rusty. Lionel believes that Brainiac tried to eliminate him because he fears that he will help Clark, and proceeds to fill them in on Lex's new virus that could destroy the human population to the point of extinction. THAT'S what "The Weapon" is.
To Lois' dorm room, where Clark has found pictures of the ship and the viruses. Lois walks in, and she is PISSED. Clark tries to warn her, and says that if she cares of Lex at all, she will tell Clark where that lab is RIGHT NOW.
To the lab, where Lex has figured out Brainiac's plan, and Brainiac has also figured out that Lex has mass-produced the vaccine in order to give humans a fighting chance again whatever Brainiac was planning to unleash. Brainiac injects one of the vials with something, grabs Lex, and injects him. He collapses immediately. Brainiac punches a high voltage generator that is running everything, and it starts to destroy everything. Clark arrives and….
Commercial break.
We're back and at the Luthor mansion, where a doctor is telling Lex that whatever he was injected with did nothing. He's in perfect health. Clark is there to check on him. He explains that he was the good guy here. LuthorCorp spent millions producing that vaccine. He then tells Clark not to snoop in Lana's shit anymore or there will be issues. Clark starts hounding him about Lana, but Lex says he didn't take Lana from Clark, he lost her all by himself (which is true).
To the Kent farm, where Lionel has arrived to "make a confession" to Martha. He tells her about the night that Jonathan died. He explains that he told Jonathan about Clark, but Jonathan was so angry, he never let him explain, proceeded to kick his ass, and that probably sent him into overdrive causing the heart attack. He hopes in time she'll forgive him, and leaves. She has this "Sheesh, that does sound exactly like Jonathan" look on her face.
Back to the Luthor mansion, where Lana and Lex are discussing Clark. They both agree that they care about him, but Lex also feels that Clark is always the one to barge in uninvited and then make other people feel like *they* should apologize. Lex holds out on Brainiac's real intentions, and goes to make a glass (he also notices where he was injected). He cuts himself, but it immediately heals – very Kryptonian like.
To the Kent farm, where Lois is there to grill Clark about Lana, but in a friendly supportive way. Some true-to-form WB conversation, and Chloe arrives (as Lois leaves) for some more true-to-form-WB-ness. She has run the Lionel stuff through the pattern scanner and it came back with three words: Zod Is Coming.
TO BE CONTINUED
Fade to black, ending credits.
Things to look for next week: Episode 22 - Vessel
1. It's the season finale. Will it be another cliffhanger that I love yet yell about until I get to see the next season's opener?
2. The previews seem to indicate that Lex has been chosen for something, and will be receiving Clark's abilities. Is this finally the heel turn that turns the two against each other for the rest of their lives?
3. It appears to be Brainiac / Lex vs. Lionel / Clark. Who ya got?
4. We all knew about the big death coming (Jonathan)… will they pull a swerve death out of nowhere?
5. ZOD IS COMING!!!!!!
The 411: This was everything that a setup-to-the-finale episode needed to be. All the key players were established, all the key lines were drawn, and all the unimportant side stories were avoided. Clark and Lionel seem aware that something big is coming, and are to some extent prepared for that. On the other side, Lex seems to have no idea what's coming, but is always prepared for anything. There really isn't much to break down here. Like I said, an almost flawless part 1 of a 2 part season finale.
