What I’m Watching: Smallville

Smallville: Season 10, Episode 7 “Ambush” (D)

I’m all for the romance between Lois and Clark, but there’s no reason we have to have these stupid episodes with obnoxious music and relationship woes. This one is better than the rest, but it’s still problematic. One issue here is one that many have with “No Ordinary Family” – there were no stakes. Lucy’s duplicity is addressed only by a brief apology from her after the incident, and she so willingly agrees to plant a tracker on her father without his knowledge that it’s hard to believe she has a clue what she’s doing half the time. More importantly, the assertion that Clark is fast but can’t stop something or other is pointless, because he can and there’s no reason anyone else should think otherwise. The bad guys know Clark’s identity, yet he’s able to run around free and clear without a care in the world, and their big move is to blow up a building with anti-Blur signs on it? That’s not going to help anyone. We also have Clark appearing to ask the General (a dumb character, by the way) for Lois’ hand in marriage, yet the plotline is never addressed after that scene. While it’s possible that it’s being saved for a future episode, with the way this show keeps things on the sidelines for episodes at a time, that’s not exactly a comfort. On the subject of uncomfortable things, there’s already talk brewing that an eleventh season of this show could be in order. Please no.

What I’m Watching: NCIS: Los Angeles

NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 1, Episode 8 “Ambush” (B+)

Opening the episode with the marine’s paranoid flight into the aquarium and having his death captured on FishCam was a great jump-start for a very action-centric episode. Bringing back Special Agent Mike Renko, who appeared in the two-hour backdoor pilot that aired as part of the previous season of “NCIS,” was fun because he doesn’t distract from the main players of the team but has an entertaining rapport with the whole team and Kensi in particular. It was also cool to incorporate the murdered marine as Renko’s informant and connect him in that way. This show might be better named “NCIS: Undercover” since chameleon Callen always seems to be donning a fake identity for the same of the case, and most times at a moment’s notice. The reveal that Callen was seated in the prison van and that Sam was posing as a guard was treated so excitedly – it’s clear that this show is proud of itself when it manages to pull off a stunt like that. Callen’s back-and-forth insulting act with the brainwashed marine who kept holding a gun to him was really funny, and the other guy ultimately taking back his insults was a nice touch. Hetty’s trip to D.C. was highly interrupted by her desire to still supervise her team, and the relationship she has with Vance is truly superb. It’s impressive that Hetty is still able to motivate her team members to race each other up the stairs to be the first to the briefing room even when she’s not actually physically there.