SV: 8-22 “Doomsday” Review/Recap

 

I understand precisely why this episode required a red script and increased secrecy. The powers-that-be had to keep it under wraps so unsuspecting viewers would tune in. Thank goodness for the Internet though. As Firebunny observed on TWoP, the east coast was able to warn the west coast of this travesty.

This is one of the worst, if not the worst, Smallville finales/episodes/ideas ever. What a mess. I think Editing pieced together random scenes that added up to 42 minutes and called it a day. On the other hand, there was so much wrong that the producers, writers, director, FX team and the sound/music guy can each have a slice of blame pie. A whole season of build up that fizzles into nothing – and I’m not just talking about the Clark/Doomsday fight. Read on, if you dare...

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The Previously on SV reminds us of the important events in s8. Unsurprisingly, Lois’ only contribution is telling the RBB that she’s only a phone call away. Oy.


Night time in Metropolis: A figure flies and lands on the Daily Planet roof. It’s Rokk. Clark is waiting to greet him. They shake hands. Rokk is glad Clark agreed to meet him. How did Rokk get a message to Clark to meet him? Rokk hopes he’s not too late. He says that any time they go back in time, they risk changing fate. He hopes that after coming back to change the future, he still has a future to go back to. Clark is confused. He thought the future would be safe if they got rid of Brainiac. Rokk says that everything is safe and Brainiac is gone. But so is Clark. Rokk explains that when Clark saved Chloe’s life, he saved Chloe’s connection to Doomsday. When she stopped Clark from sending Davis to the Phantom Zone and made him invulnerable to green Kryptonite, Clark cannot defeat Doomsday. Oh, come on! A jerk from the future comes back to blame the Legion’s negligence on Chloe?! Hey, Rokk – Chloe didn’t ask to be infected by Brainiac; she didn’t accidentally leave a ring lying around for the Persuader to come back in time and screw up the timeline; she was protecting Clark when she doused Davis with the green K; and she stopped Clark from a) ending up in the PZ with Davis or b) beating himself up forever for his decision to condemn Davis (who was fighting the Beast) to an eternity in Hell. Eh, Rokk is dumb as a rock (tm Sue Denim). Clark says he’d never take back his choice to save Chloe. Rokk hands Clark another Legion ring. He tells Clark to send Doomsday to the future where the Legion will be ready to fight him. Clark replies that the Legion didn’t unleash Doomsday, he did. Oh no. Rokk reiterates that there is nothing on Earth that will stop Doomsday from killing Clark. Clark recalls that his father told him he was sent to save mankind. He wonders if that is his true destiny. What? To get killed fighting Doomsday? Think, Clark. Clark asks how much time he has. Rokk replies ominously that Clark dies tomorrow.

 

Edge city: Chloe and Davis are lying atop their truck looking at the sky. Chloe says she can’t see a toga-clad woman in the stars. Davis tells Chloe the story of Persephone: Persephone was taken by Hades to the Underworld and Demeter, her mother, enlisted the gods help to find her daughter. When Hades offered Persephone her freedom, to everyone’s surprise Persephone chose to live underground with the Dark Prince. Davis is amazed that they are going to pull this off. Chloe says as long as they can keep the gods from hunting them.

At Luthor mansion, Tess walks down a hallway with a lackey behind her. She asks if they have a lock on their location. The lackey says that they’ve traced the radiation off Bloome after he attacked Neutron but they have another problem. They arrive at a door being guarded by two security men. Tess walks in to find the safe blown out. The metal case holding the orb is destroyed. Tess realizes that the orb has been stolen. Lackey says that no one could have broken in. Tess yells that the system was down. Lackey clarifies that it was only for a few seconds and security believes the door was blown off from the inside. Tess replies that Lackey has no idea how many lives are at stake. She orders him to find the orb.

 

At the DP, Clark looks thoughtfully at the Legion ring. Note that he is able to handle the ring without activating time travel. He puts it in a fancy box and puts the box in his desk drawer. Er, Clark? Should that be in the tool box in the barn? Or maybe the trap door compartment in the barn? Or the Fortress of Solitude? Why is Clark so dumb?! Sexy but dumb. Clark resumes typing. The RBB’s goodbye letter to Metropolis is on his screen. Lois walks in. She brusquely asks what Clark is doing to find Chloe. Clark replies that no one wants to find Chloe more than he does. "Except maybe me" says Lois, annoyed. She adds that she hasn’t slept in days and is seriously near a caffeine OD (I wish!). Clark replies that he hadn’t noticed and continues to stare at the screen. Lois, of course, doesn’t notice or doesn't care that Clark is upset. Lois asks what Clark is working on and if he wants to share. When she goes to look at his screen, he closes the document. "No", he replies calmly. This upsets Lois further. She actually has the gall to be upset after she shamelessly stole his story in "Plastique"?! She goes for more coffee. The phone on her desk rings. She turns around - Clark is no longer at his desk - and answers the phone.

It’s the RBB. He says that he’s searching for Chloe. He will find her. Lois asks how he knows she’s missing. Clark replies that he’s been keeping an eye on her. Lois babbles on like a tween. She concludes that she doesn’t know how she’ll repay him after this. Clark asks for a favor. He wants her to publish a letter for him. He whooshes over and puts the letter on Lois’ screen. Lois starts to open it but Clark tells her not to. He asks if he can count on Lois to publish the letter if anything happens to him. Lois asks what RBB means by that. Clark replies that sometimes they can’t outrun their destiny. Clark could. He’s got the Legion ring – if he’d just use it, the idiot. Lois replies that she thought he was invincible. Clark replies that he thought so too. Lois wants to meet him. She has to see his face. She wants to see what he can’t show anyone else (well, except for Chloe, Lana, Oliver, Bart, Tess, ... but who’s counting?). Clark replies it’s not a good idea. Lois says that he’ll get through this; he has to. She tells him that there is a phone booth on Fourth and Main. And suggests they meet at midnight. Huh? Isn’t he supposed to be looking for your cousin, Lois? Get a grip! Geez, Lois’ "storyline" is all over the place. First, she can’t deal with superhero life because of her daddy issues. Then she’s reconsidering/mourning her breakup with Oliver ("Toxic"). Then she’s panting after Clark and his suit. Now she’s panting after the RBB and she’s never met him! He could be a 15-year-old kid or a 35-year-old married man with 4 kids. Heck, "he" could be a she! If Lois was going to go gaga on a superhero, why not Green Arrow? At least she knows he’s Oliver Queen, a gorgeous single male billionaire, and knows that he’s a good man (until recently anyway). Not to mention she can paw his expensive suits to her heart’s content. Instead she looks fickle and superficial. It’s truly amazing what passes for "iconic" these days.

 

Kent farm: Clark waits in his loft. Dinah shows up. Clark starts to ask about Bart but Bart whooshes in. Clark asks if Bart has the schematics. Bart whooshes off to lay the schematics on a table. They are the schematics of the LuthorCorp/Queen Industries geothermal facility. Bart asks about the black hole. Clark explains that Rokk said nothing on Earth could destroy the Beast, so the plan is to bury him. The geothermal facility created one mile of tunnel beneath the Earth’s crust. Clark asks if he can manage to get the Beast there, can Bart and Dinah access the detonators in the shaft. Dinah asks if they are really going to bury the Beast alive. Clark replies that there is still a side of Davis worth saving. He hands Bart the box containing the Black K. Bart nonchalantly takes it out; Clark backs away. He tells Bart that it will split the Kryptonian from the human side of Davis. Say what? According to Faora Davis is made up of genetic matter containing their planet’s most powerful life forms ("Bloodline"). There is no human component – just more Kryptonian. I wish the writers would remember their own canon. Oliver shows up. He asks what if the plan fails. Good question for a douche. What if Clark unleashes a monster without a conscience? Clark insists that it’s the only option. Oliver asks about the option of getting rid of the Beast before he "beasts out". Oliver says that Clark won’t admit that there is a darker side to humanity. Clark says that he’s looking at it right now. Touché, Clark. Oliver replies that not everyone is worth saving. They need to take care of Davis. Clark asks if Oliver is talking murder. Bart interjects that there’s some serious tension going on. Dinah asks Oliver what Clark is talking about. Oliver shakes his head. Clark says that Oliver crossed the line. He killed Lex. Clark tells Oliver that he’s not one of them anymore. Oliver turns around Lex-like and walks out.

Daily Planet: Jimmy sneaks into Tess’ office. "I’m in" he tells Oliver over his headset. Oliver asks if Jimmy has the decryption key. Duh. Shouldn’t Oliver have asked before the mission started? Davis tells Jimmy to call when he has Chloe’s location. Jimmy sits at Tess’ desk. There’s a crunch and a yell. Lois comes out from under the desk complaining that Jimmy stepped on her hand. Aww, she misses Grant. Jimmy tells her not to leave her hand on the floor under a desk in a room she’s not supposed to be in. Jimmy asks what Lois is doing. Lois replies that she’s looking for Chloe and Davis. She adds that it’s telling that Tess’ head of security is staked out at Chloe’s apartment. She couldn’t get access to Tess computer because it was encrypted. Jimmy takes out the key and plugs it into the computer. Jimmy figures out that Chloe and Davis are in Edge City. He orders Lois not to take her eyes of them and to let him know if they move. Lois clicks on an open application. It’s a video of a beat up Regan. He tells Tess that Lex tried to break down the orb’s technology. Tess explains to Lois says that the orb is not of this Earth and it’s calling to her. There is life inside it that won’t be released till the Traveler kills the Beast. According to "Arctic", the orb is meant to control the Traveler. Now it contains life that’ll be freed once Clark kills Doomsday? Huh? Regan replies that what they are unleashing could be the end of the world. You mean more than Doomsday? Lois attempts to look concerned.

 

At the DP, Clark receives a voice message from Black Canary telling them they found Davis and Chloe. Clark’s super-hearing kicks in and he hears Chloe say "Wait. No! Don’t!" He zips off changing into his RBB clothes. He walks around a destroyed car. Dinah and Bart are waiting for him. Dinah apologizes and says they couldn’t risk losing him. Green Arrow shoots a Kryptonite laced arrow in Clark’s back. The three traitors stand over Clark. GA says that the arrow won’t kill him – it’ll just get his ego out of the way so they can do what needs to be done. Is GA an expert on the dosage of green K that will/won’t kill Clark? Whatever.

At the DP, Lois exits the elevator. Tess is waiting for her. She snarks that she misses Lois’ maid costume. Lois snarks back to her boss that she’s stopped cleaning up after Tess. Huh? Was Lois moonlighting as a maid in Offscreensville? Even after her raise ("Bloodline")? Tess says that she expected reconnaissance from her reports but the bar has always been lower for Lois. You have no idea, Tess. You missed her tryst with Grant. Lois replies that family loyalty may mean nothing to Tess; if Tess needs to fire her then "pull the trigger". Oh, please, Tess, pull the trigger. It’s been begging to be pulled for a long time now. Tess says she plans to but she wants to know what Lois did with the orb. First, why would Tess think Lois knows about the orb? Second, the vault was blown from the inside. When Lois asks what orb, Tess explains that it’s the alien technology from her vault. If Lois has the orb, why would Tess feel the need to explain what it is? This scene makes absolutely no sense. Lois turns away and Tess kicks her. Lois deduces that Tess wants to take over the world with an alien nation. Shut up, Lois. They fight until Lois somehow manages to get her hand on the Legion ring box and hits Tess with it. The ring falls on the floor. Lois picks it up. *poof* Lois is gone. Was the ring preprogrammed (but nothing happened to Clark when he held it)? Did Lois, in the middle of a fight, wish she could time travel? Regardless, yay Lois is gone! Hopefully the Legion shoots first and asks questions later.

At the geothermal plant, Chloe wakes up to see Davis out on the floor tied with plastic tie wraps (?). With billions of dollars at his disposal and the knowledge that the Beast can kill Clark, Oliver supplies the team with twist ties?! GA, Impulse, and BC stand over Davis. Chloe asks what’s going on. Bart apologizes for sneaking up on her super-fast and tranquilizing her. Chloe asks where Clark is. She looks down at Davis. She realizes that Oliver found a way to kill Davis and Clark wouldn’t go along with it. BC replies that Clark wanted to play devil’s advocate with the actual devil and split the Kryptonian from the human. Chloe remembers the effects of black Kryptonite. Oliver says there was a glitch in Clark’s plan – the whole beast part. Bart adds that Clark couldn’t control Davis’ alter ego. Chloe replies that she can control it. As long as she’s with him, he doesn’t change. She asks that they not do this. Davis says that they have to; it’s not working anymore. Huh? He says this after their conversation on the truck? Chloe tells him to focus on her. Davis says it’s too late as his eyes go red. Oliver grabs Chloe while Bart and Dinah hold onto Davis. Davis breaks the twist ties (eh) and sends both flying. Oliver grabs an arrow – an arrow? really? Is that the best he can do? – he is about to release it when Chloe grabs the black K and shoves it at Davis. Bright light emanates as the Beast and Davis split. Davis looks terrified as he comes face-to-face with the Beast.

 

Jimmy pulls up to where Tess’ map showed Chloe and Davis were. He walks past the destroyed car and spots Clark on the ground. Clark weakly tells him to remove the dart. Jimmy removes the dart as Clark cries out in pain. The dart stops glowing. Jimmy is amused. He moves the dart toward Clark and it starts glowing again. Clark grunts in pain and Jimmy pulls the dart away; staring at Clark in confusion. The cut on Clark face disappears. Clark gets up. Jimmy amazed says that the cut is gone. Clark starts to say something but Jimmy cuts him off. Jimmy says he’s not buying it. Clark is here one second then he isn’t; he took a bullet but was fine the next day; Jimmy struggles to come up with a name for Clark. Super... guy is what he settles on. Clark looks like he’s about to lie then thinks better of it. He admits that he’s the RBB. Jimmy was right about him (Clark) and about Davis. Clark says that Jimmy was the only one to put it all together. Clark apologizes for lying. Jimmy looks elated. Clark asks if Jimmy still has the "wedding gift". Jimmy admits that he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it. Clark tells Jimmy to give Chloe the gift now and, no matter what happens to him, Jimmy should make sure Chloe and Davis are safe. "Do you trust me?" asks Clark. "Always, CK" replies Jimmy. Clark whooshes off. "That is so cool" says Jimmy in awe.

Clark whooshes into the geothermal plant. He checks on an unconscious Dinah; ignores Oliver and heads for Chloe. Chloe is just gaining consciousness. Clark asks what happened. Chloe replies what Clark wanted – she split the Beast from Davis. Clark asks where Doomsday went. When no one answers, he uses his super-hearing to find him. Clark tells Oliver, Bart, and Dinah that he can get the Beast back but he needs them to detonate the explosive. If Clark gets the Beast in the tunnel, they’ll do the rest replies Oliver. Clark asks if he can trust him (Oliver). Oliver says yes. Huh? Oliver shot Clark with green K; Clark trusts him and that’s the end of their disagreement? They weren’t disagreeing on which restaurant to go to. Bah – another storyline that went nowhere.

Downtown Metropolis: People are screaming as Clark stops in front of a phone booth. He briefly remembers his meeting with Lois. As he turns around, as car comes flying toward him. He catches it effortlessly. Doomsday throws a woman through a pane of glass while holding a little girl. Clark zips off and takes the girl from the Beast depositing her on garbage bags and takes the time to reassure her. Doomsday comes up behind him and punches him repeatedly as the little girl cries. One final punch sends Clark flying; blood gushing from his mouth. Clark crashes through several buildings and looks around dazed. Doomsday lands in front of him. Clark grabs Doomsday around the middle and shoots up in the sky. An explosion occurs where they land. Toby summed it up nicely: "It was so bad and cheesy and the fight looked like Power Rangers".

In another part of town, Jimmy puts Davis’ unconscious body down on the floor. Chloe thanks him and asks where they are. Jimmy replies that it’s his wedding present to her. Huh? Jimmy was begging Oliver for $600; stole money from Chloe; yet he somehow owns a huge loft with stain-glass windows?! Meanwhile, he was living with Chloe and Lois above the Talon – but he owned this? Just how much does a DP photographer/bartender/junkie make anyway? Better yet, why in heck didn’t Jimmy sell this when he was desperate for his next fix? And, come to think of it, how did he clean up so fast? Another interesting plotline that happened in Offscreensville. Jimmy says he would have given it to her after the reception. It needs work but so did they. Chloe looks touched. She walks up to a window and notes that she can see all of Metropolis. Jimmy says that the loft can be seen from anywhere in the city. She could see him watch over her. Huh? Chloe says that Jimmy always seems to come through; always doing the right thing; saying the right words. Huh? What is she talking about? What are the writers thinking?! This is the insecure, womanizing junkie who quit his job at the DP, stole from her, and left her nasty messages. Jimmy says that he knows about Clark. He sees what Chloe sacrificed for Clark; for everyone. Aww. That’s sweet (and true!) but so out-of-nowhere. Chloe says that she was with Davis to protect Clark. Huh? What about trying to save the man (Davis) from the Beast, Chloe? Seeing the last bit of good in someone and trying to save them? What the heck, writers, you incompetent hacks!! Jimmy says that Chloe is as much of a hero as Clark’s ever been with what she’s gone through and what she’s risked. Eh. She’s been more of a hero what with Clark’s obsessive langst; his pity parties; and waiting until the shit hit the fan. Chloe replies that she’s lost so much. All she misses is Jimmy. Hahahahha! She hasn't thought of him since "Stiletto". Jimmy says that she’s found him again. They kiss. There’s a strange metal slicing noise. A pipe sticks out of Jimmy’s chest. He falls to the ground as Davis removes the bloody pipe.

Davis, devastated, asks Chloe if this whole time it was about Clark. He walks toward Chloe as she backs away. He says that Chloe is the only one who ever loved him. Chloe replies that she thought she did but she just wanted to save him. Davis yells that there is nothing left to save. He walks menacingly toward Chloe holding the pipe. Jimmy comes up behind him and pushes him. Davis falls and is skewered on a large fork-like thing. Jimmy falls to the ground. Chloe holds him. Jimmy apologizes and tells Chloe he loves her. He dies. Wow. Just wow. The writers retconned the whole Davis arc; the whole junkie, jealous, desperate Jimmy arc; the only interesting arcs of s8. What a wasted season...

Henry James Olsen's Funeral: Chloe stands with Dinah and Bart. Oliver stands far away on the other side. A single tear goes down his face. Oh brother. How clichéd. Jimmy’s father puts a hand on the coffin. A little boy offers him comfort. The boy and his father walk away. The boy stops and looks back. Chloe notices and walks over. "You must be Jimmy’s little brother" she says. She puts Jimmy’s camera around the boy’s neck and says that Jimmy would have wanted him to have it. "Maybe one day you’ll follow in his footsteps" she adds. So, let me get this straight. Jimmy Olsen wasn’t the iconic Jimmy Olsen – his brother Jimmy is?! I’m reminded of: "Hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl." At least that was funny. This? Pathetic with no build up. Fail, writers. Chloe is all kinds of awesome though. After the year from hell, she takes the time to console Jimmy’s younger brother.

Clark watches the funeral from afar. Oh no. He’s moping again. I don’t know if I can take another Clark Kent pity party. He watches as everyone leaves. Years from now, young Jimmy Olsen will become Superman's pal because Clark Kent feels guilty that Jimmy's older brother, Jimmy, was killed. Iconic!

 

Clark walks into the "wedding gift" apartment. He stares at the blood stain on the floor. Chloe looks over the balcony and sees Clark. "You’re alive!" she exclaims and runs down the stairs into his arms. Clark makes no move toward her. They hug. Chloe asks how he survived the geothermal explosion. Clark replies that he doesn’t know. He got out but couldn’t save anyone else. He adds that he searched everywhere but there is no trace of Lois. Chloe replies that she saw someone put up a missing person poster with her picture and hopes she... hasn’t lost everyone, finishes Clark. Chloe asks why Clark wasn’t at the funeral – she needed him. Clark replies that he is the reason Jimmy is dead. He put humanity on a pedestal (no, the pedestal is reserved for Lana). Oliver was right. Huh? Clark should have killed Davis with no regard for the man who was struggling to be good?! Clark looks around the apartment and urges Chloe to get rid of it. Chloe replies that Jimmy knew her so well; the place is perfect for the Watchtower. Chloe says that Oliver, Bart and Dinah disappeared. She suggests that it’s up to her and Clark to bring them home. Clark is too mired in self-loathing and self-pity to listen. He replies that he doesn’t have a home. He was raised to believe that his Kryptonian part that was dangerous but he was wrong. It’s his human side; the side that gets attached; the side that makes emotional decisions that is his enemy. Davis proved that to him. Eh, Clark’s already had this particular crisis of faith – in "Fade" when he saved Graham only to find out he was a hired assassin. He figured out back then that, like firemen and policemen, he can’t choose who he saves. Where is Martha to kick his ass?!

 

Chloe replies that Clark can’t cut everyone out of his life because of "some psychopath". Bah. Way to retcon Davis’ entire struggle with the Beast (played brilliantly by Witwer) - his life as a paramedic; his desire to die to escape his destiny is reduced to "some psychopath". What a travesty. Chloe says that human emotion is what made Clark the hero he is. Clark insists that it’s what stopped him from becoming the hero he could be. "Clark Kent is dead", he says, "Goodbye, Chloe". He walks out. Shut up, Clark. You are not my hero.

Summary: This episode was crap. An epic fail. "Failsday" (tm RepairmanBob) indeed.