Review: 'Smallville' - Apocalypse

It is important to note that in no way is "Apocalypse" to be considered a filler episode.

Although the episode predominantly deals with Clark (Tom Welling) reliving his wonderful life without ever being a part of it, on the back of the episode are some rather weighty story-points necessary to usher “Smallville” into its seventh season finale.

The most notable parts of these are of course Milton Fine’s (James Marsters) sinister plans for planet Earth and Kara’s (Laura Vandervoort) imprisonment on Krypton. However, “Apocalypse” also embodies all the same eloquent charms of “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” as well as the harsh realities of both stories.

There was something oddly magical about watching Clark catch up with his friends in the most unexpected scenarios and witnessing their own happiness. Chloe (Allison Mack) is engaged, Lana (Kristen Kreuk) married and part of a happy family and Lois (Erica Durance) is a successful reporter ... all the things the man of steel hopes his friends will one day have.

And then, in a matter of moments, the episode does a complete one-eighty, and the real cost of his absence is revealed: Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) is the President of the United States with plans to declare nuclear war, Kara is his puppet (going by the name Linda Danvers) and above them both is Brainiac pulling the strings.

Tom Welling clearly has a genuine knack for directing as the first half of the story gracefully and effortlessly establishes the whereabouts of the shows main players before sending Clark off on his unusually dark mission to save Lois (through some nice nudges, winks and in-jokes to the future of both characters) and try to save the world from the Brain Interactive Construct.

What Worked

So much of the episode comes from the shows fifth season -- arguably “Smallville’s” strongest year – and ties in wonderfully with the mythology of the entire show. Scenes with Lex as President destroying the world have been glimpsed on the series before through dreams and what-could-be’s but nothing to this extent. And Brainiac’s master plan to free Zod was again in full fruition only this time relying on Kara of Krypton to release the imprisoned dictator.

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