What I'm Watching: Smallville

Smallville: Season 9, Episode 9 "Pandora" (B)

Finally seeing what happened to Lois during those three lost weeks has been a long time coming, and fortunately the reveal is interesting and helps to really drive the show forward, uniting two of this season’s main threads – the Kandorians and the budding romance between Clark and Lois. This happens to be one of the positive uses of time travel in a way that actually helps a show progress in its storylines (take note, “Heroes”), and it’s also important because this season now has a sense of purpose, a future to prevent. Seeing an angry Chloe who could no longer trust Clark and call him one of her friends was cool, even if some of her dialogue was, as usual for the character, a bit over-the-top and obnoxious. Chloe and Oliver made for a nice band of ninjas, and it was pretty awesome having them burst in there like that to save the lives of our two fated lovers. It’s sort of funny that they all managed to keep Clark’s alien identity a secret from Lois, and it’s actually quite impressive because, even if Lois had retained her memory, this was the more believable and fresher way to have her proceed without knowing Clark’s true identity. The standoff between Clark and Zod was intense, and having had it already means that it can be a disappointment when an alternate future happens and it’s not necessarily as remarkable. Clark’s decision to find the Kandorians was a surprise, but not as shocking as having them all, including Zod, bow down to him. It’s good that Clark is embracing his destiny and trying to save the planet, and also that he and Lois are now an official couple! This show could just be headed in the right direction. Looks like we'll have to wait until January to find out what's coming next - the show returns on January 22nd with a new episode.