"Smallville" Requiem (2009)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Mike Rohl

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (characters) &
Joe Shuster (characters) ...

TV Series:

"Smallville" (2001)

Original Air Date:

5 February 2009 (Season 8, Episode 14)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

There is an explosion at Luthorcorp when Oliver is above to announce he controls the interests of Luthorcorp...

Plot Keywords:

Smallville | Power | Meteor Shower | Kansas | Best Friends

Cast

Tom Welling	...	Clark Kent
Allison Mack	...	Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance	...	Lois Lane (credit only)
Aaron Ashmore	...	Jimmy Olsen (credit only)
Cassidy Freeman	...	Tess Mercer (credit only)
Sam Witwer	...	Davis Bloome (credit only)
Justin Hartley	...	Oliver Queen
Kristin Kreuk	...	Lana Lang
Chris Gauthier	...	Winslow Schott / Toyman
Kevin Miller	...	Lex Luthor
Matt Adler	...	Lex Luthor (voice)
Chiara Zanni	...	Nurse
Francis X. McCarthy	...	Board Member #1 (as Francis Xavier McCarthy)
Teryl Rothery	...	Board Member #2
Ray Galletti	...	Board Member #3

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Smallville Films

Quotes:

Oliver Queen: [to Clark and Lana] Well, if it isn't Metropolis' newest power couple.

Soundtrack:

Goodnight, Travel Well

The 8th season is a symphony

I was a bit disappointed by Power and after reading this episode overview I wasn't even planning to watch it. The whole super Clana action sounded far too boring. However I changed my mind after reading some interesting reviews about how good the episode actually was.

This time it was a lot about character development. In the past episodes the relationship between Clark and Oliver got darker and darker. It seems they're drifting apart from each other, a bit like what happened between Clark and Lex years ago. However I really hope Oliver will manage to get back right on track or else his attitude could lead him to a "Dead End" (Batman short film). An interesting twist could be a confrontation between him and Clark. In fact Green Arrow is a bit like Batman because they have many gadgets to compensate their relative weakness compared to a powerful super-hero like Superman. The other interesting relationship was Chloe and Oliver. I'm surprised how close they got and how well they understand each other. The reference to Chloe's past action was also very well done because Oliver's one felt less bad. And last but not least, Clana. As much as I don't really like Lana I was gladly surprised how well the writers turned her into a character to help Clark to grow up and get stronger. The last scene was also a great moment and I really felt sad for them.

An other interesting thing about this episode was the justice and morality elements. I think the intention was to clearly define how far Clark would go to save someone and protect the people he loves. In the past episodes he confronted Oliver about his obsession of killing Lex but this time Chloe was in the middle. She's such an interesting character and without her there would be no Smallville. However in the plane I found she changed her mind a little too quickly but you have to admit that Clark's arguments were very convincing. For the fans it was probably a "comics" moment because his words felt really strong, like if they were said by The Man of Steel himself. It could even open a debate on death penalty. Does even a Nemesis deserve to die or is there always a peaceful solution to save its soul ? In the past episodes it wasn't clear if Clark was willing to kill Lex or not but this episode finally put an end to it, thanks to Chloe and Oliver.

Requiem was also a great episode because it was well written and directed. Watching it was as pleasant as listening a classical symphony. There were funny moments like the bed accident and the scene between Oliver and the toymaker at the hospital. Oliver mocking jokes were just hilarious. The pink nurse was also very easy on the eyes. However the overall mood was sad and most of the scenes were quite dark. In fact it's probably what I appreciate the most in season 8, its relative maturity. It's still a bit too "teenagy" on the edges but there have been so many strong episodes (Prey, Identity…) that the contents has taken over the form, the visual effects and production quality for example.

Now I can't wait for Lois to come back to see what happens between her and Clark because I was a huge fan of Lois & Clark. Erica Durance is no match to Teri Hatcher sex appeal but her performance in Bride was quite impressive. I also hope we'll learn more about the "merging" that happened between Tess and Oliver. Cassidy Freeman is so beautiful and her acting in Power was very convincing.