The Couch Potato Speaks

Smallville: A better-than-average episode, I thought. Chloe gets a dose of Mystery Substance (100% Kryptonite-free, for a change!) and acquires the power to compel the truth from anyone she questions. Except, of course, Clark. She isn't aware of it at first, but once she figures it out, she takes the bit in her teeth and runs with it, exposing secrets left and right with unseemly glee. Very much in character. And I liked it that her victims didn't look drugged or concussed, and didn't recite the truth in a mind-numbed monotone. They just blurted out the truth and then looked shocked/embarrassed/angry (pick one or more) that they'd done so, with no understanding of why they'd done it.

Innocent questions get interesting answers from Pete re Clark, though she never gets a chance to ask him point-blank about Clark's secrets once she realizes what she's got. But she tried--I'll give her that. She also manages to drag a couple of truthful questions out of Lionel Luthor, getting a confession of conspiracy to commit murder on tape. Alas for Chloe, voicemail isn't a terribly secure way to store such things (but, hey, it was the best she could do on the spur of the moment) and she finds out at the end of the ep that Lionel has hacked her voicemail and the recording is gone. Close-up of Chloe looking worried--and rightly so, since she knows that Lionel knows that she knows his deep dark secret, and she's got nothing to hold over him to keep him off her back. As the lovely and talented snippy said, "Why does Chloe keep poking him with a stick?" And it's true. She does. Well, now she's worried. As well she should be.

Other comments: Saaaaaaayyy...when Clark gives Chloe the "Pulp Fiction" treatment (injection of drug into the heart to save her life), he tears open her shirt (or was it her jacket?) to reveal a lacy red bra (or was it some kind of shirt?). In any case, Chloe has quite a rack. Too bad they dress her down so Lana looks better by comparison. A more interesting personality _and_ sexier--no surprise they're hiding her light (so to speak) under a bushel basket. And is Lana really leaving Smallville? Heh. Right. Is a bear Catholic? Don't tease me that way, dammit!

Angel: Uhmm...I watched it. VK (Connor) was measurably less annoying, but still grates badly. "Eve" was nowhere to be seen--and thank God for small favors--though I understand we haven't seen the last of her. Have I mentioned how boring I find Spike's scenes? Sajahn is dead at last. Yay! But the whole last act was a muddled mess.

So, when Wesley destroyed the Magical Memory Tour Maguffin, did Connor recover his memories or didn't he? I sure as hell couldn't tell. On one hand he suddenly goes from punching bag to lethal killer boy right after the giganto-explosion of Previously Ons. On the other hand, he then reverts to Kinder, Gentler Connor immediately after capping Sajahn. (What? No quickening?). So does he remember, or doesn't he? If he does, is he pretending otherwise because a) he's plotting his vicious sullen revenge on Angel, or b) he's mellowed/learned something from his happy new fake life and is going to cut Angel some slack for doing the best he could under terrible circumstances? If they want to leave it unclear why he's hiding that fact--assuming he does remember--that's one thing. But they left it unclear what actually HAPPENED, which is just suck-ass writing.

And where the hell was the payoff scene of Wesley and company confronting Angel AFTER they got their memories back? Oh--wait. Gunn's in hell. Fred's dead. Lorne...well, Lorne would just go "tut tut" and have a drink. But Wesley--ah, Wesley should read him the riot act. But they skip right over that and cut to Broody Wes lurking alone in his office. What a cheat! Of course, it's par for the course for Mutant Enemy these days. Next week I fully expect him to have manly stubble again.

And I'll probably watch. *sigh*