Smallville Episode Review: "Persona"

As mentioned in the "Recap" post, I'm trying something different. This, instead of a play-by-play, will sum up this week's episode without too many spoilers.

The episode tonight was incredibly intense. As you may or may not be able to recall, the last episode ended with Kara missing, a problem in Lex's lab, Lex revealing that his dead baby brother, Julien, was alive, and Jar-El, Clark's birth father, telling Clark that he's messed things up for the last time.

Turns out, Jar-El, instead of killing someone close to Clark has simply been holding him for the time being. Meanwhile, a Phantom Clark-look-alike has taken Clark's place and moved into his life. The problem? Other than the fact that our hero is in deep trouble: no one's realized.

For the Clark phantom, there's another problem: the yellow sun of our world turns his skin to stone. He needs to try to figure out a way to make that stop, realizing that sooner or later, someone's going to catch on. And it's just a matter of time before someone does.

This episode was intriguing, and it raises lots of questions:
How much longer before something happens to make Lana and Clark break it off for good? Their relationship isn't the best at the end of this episode: to put it lightly. Which would you choose, though: a man who says he loves you but is never there, or someone impersonating him who would turn over the world for you?
When will they find Kara? Is her memory going to return?
How will Professor Fine's finding information about himself affect Clark (read the recap) and the others?
How will Lex handle the situation with his brother? Does it help shape who he becomes?

Smallville: Episode Recap "Persona"

Trying something new. This recap contains an in-depth depiction of what happened in Smalllville tonight. Unfortunately, something I thought unimportant in a last episode was important. Figures.

Well, the new Smallville began with a much-needed bang. Lana and Clark in bed, and then the editor of the Daily Planet (who is dating Lois on the DL) goes to Lionel Luthor and basically says, "You're my father, pay up." He adds that he was made from the original Julien's DNA because Lex missed his brother - and that Lex had told him not to go to Lionel because Lionel might decide to turn on him.

Lana and Clark wake up together in bed, and Clark is very affectionate, telling her how beautiful she is, and being all-around very open with her.

Meanwhile, there is somebody knocking off homeless guys, and Lana has him traced to Suicide Slums (if you follow Smallville like I do, you know that's where Lionel Luthor's parents lived before he killed them - or had them killed) and Clark goes. Clark confronts his former history teacher who was created by Kryptonians - and he calls "Clark" out as not being Kal-el. The new Clark (whom we'll call NEW) explains that he can't go out into the sun without being turned to stone - he thinks that the professor can help. The professor ignores him. But then agrees to help, once NEW reminds him that Kal-el tried to kill him.

There is a shield from a Kryptonian that will lead to a Kryptonian who can help him. NEW takes the bait and goes to visit Chloe, who, in confusion, reminds him that he already has the shield. Chloe realizes that somethings wrong with Clark - and that it's not actually him. She goes to
Lana to warn her, and learns that NEW and Lana are leaving Smallvillle.

Then, Lana suggests that NEW go to the fortress for the shield he can't find, after he mentions he thinks Kara might have taken it.

When he gets there, Jar-El calls him the phantom, tells him to leave, and then releases the real Kal-El, who goes to Lana, saves her, then tries to find out what to do to destroy NEW (should I call him the Phantom now, I wonder?? Nah. Too confusing). Clark goes Lionel Luthor, who at some point became an emissary of Jar-El and asks him for help. After Lionel suggests what he can do - using the shield, of course, he goes into an elevator and Clark leaves. Lionel then becomes the professor (who has the ability to become others - he once impersonated Jonathon Kent -- after Mr. Kent died).

Clark goes to Chloe, and tells her he can't find the shield. He proves that he's not NEW by stepping into the light, and she gives him the shield. He does what the Lionel Professor told him, and says the name of the Kryptonian who supposedly owns it. He approaches the Kryptonian, and tells him who he is (Kal-El). "Ahh, the House of El." Dear old Clarky falls for the whole thing hook, line and sinker, as they say.

Clark obtains the blue Kryptonite from him, which is what the professor said would help NEW not be affected by the sun.

Here's the thing with Krytonian minerals: they affect Clark and NEW oppositely. Blue Krytonite turns Clark into a human.

Then, there's this big old scene with Lana, Clark and NEW, where Lana goes to take the blue stone to NEW and then realizes that she's more in love than she ever has been... and then she gives him the stone. NEW breaks into a million pieces - stone, and then a break.

The kicker: the Professor wants help from the Krytonian who created him... he's damaged. He's used both Clark and the Phantom for that (finding him). He kills the Kryptonian - or at least it looks that way. He gets the information out of him to survive.

Lex fires Julien from the Daily Planet. Julien's not upset. Instead, he's looking forward to being part of his newfound family. Huh. He goes out to dinner with Lionel, and after, just as he tells Julien he's a Luthor, they're mugged and Julien's killed.

Was it planned? Lex hears the news and is devastated by it - Lionel looked pretty upset, too.

Curious episode: Clark and Lana are together, but not. Julien, a newly found son and brother, is killed. The Professor is back and powerful.

I really hope that Clark can fly by the end of this season. And a part of me wonders if this is the final straw for Lex - if his brother's second death is what pushes him over the edge and turns him into the Lex we all know and hate.

What do you think?

Me, I'm off for coffee.... yum.