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attoliaI had jotted down my reactions to Memoria and Talisman, but never got around to posting them. Thought I should do it before tonight's ep or it would never happen.
Memoria
Clark is so dumb in this episode! He points out to Lana the similarity between Lex's behavior on the ledge and his singing to the blanket in the barn. But, when he confronts Lex, he never considers that Lionel could be drugging Lex again, instead, just accuses him of having been crazy. To stop Lex from working with Dr Garner, Clark goes to Lionel for help!? The most likely response from Lionel to the knowledge that Lex is trying to regain his memories would be to send him right back to Belle Reve, the result that Clark claims he is trying to avoid!
As I watched the first part of this episode, I kept thinking that someone who had no idea of who these characters were could easily decide that Clark was the villain out to betray Lex. And that was before Lionel pointed out Clark's conflict of interest.
Clark can't think of any options other than going to Lionel. Certainly, telling Lex the (partial) truth never crossed his mind, even though it was probably the safest thing he could have done. I wonder what would have happened if he'd asked his parents to talk to Lex. If the Kent's had truly considered him part of the family, as he'd requested in Phoenix, that might have worked. But since they took his money and were willing to let him rot in Belle Reve, probably not.
A side thought: when Clark becomes Superman, he will stand for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. But at this time, Lex is the one searching for the truth, Lex is trying to bring his father to Justice and Lex, businessman with questionable practices, stands for the American Way.
I agree with those who try to fanwank that Lionel rigged the birthday party to be a failure. There is no way he'd have no guests. If nothing else, people would come just to gawk and get the excessive goody bags.
My DH thought Lex had believed he'd killed Julian even before this episode until he remembered seeing Lillian do it. But I think Lex had repressed both the events we saw in Julian's room. In the last scene with Lionel, the way he says "that's what I repressed" made me think that Lionel had always thought Lex had repressed the memory of killing Julian, since that was what Lionel himself had tried to put "all in the past". When Clark asks Lex why Lionel hates him (what a nice way to put it, Clark) Lex thinks about what he'd remembered so far, and then remembers the rest. Is that how you all saw it? (See the end of this point for an additional comment below has a spoiler for Talisman).
Talisman
When Jeremiah first gets the powers, he loses his glasses.
That is one heck of an office for a teaching assistant. Most professors don't have it so nice.
When I first watched this episode I kept thinking "This isn't my show", particularly during the Clark-Lex confrontation in the office. It hurt to see how cold they were to each other. Clark accuses Lex so quickly, almost preemptively, to distract from his own interests. Anyway, I realized that the story I care most about has already diverged from the one shown on screen and that I need to just take what I enjoy from each episode, rather than try to force the whole thing into how I personally view the overall story. I did like how Lex clearly had no patience with Clark's lies. Why should he? Clark lies here even though he doesn't have to. Lex already knows he's interested in the Kawatche and the caves.
Lana asks Lex "why he kept the Talon so long" if it wasn't a worthwhile investment, not why he bought it in the first place. So it doesn't change my impression that he originally bought it as part of his be-nice-to-Lana-for-Clark's-sake plan. The rest of there scene was not much different than the one in which he tells Lana it's her job to take on the Beanery. So not (necessarily) romance.
Whoever designed the blade didn't think it through. If it is supposed to be a great weapon for Naman, why make its bearer just as powerful as Naman instead of a little weaker? Why make it something that could injure Naman? Why have it be destroyed if Segeet touches it, so Naman can get it eventually, rather than have it not give away its powers?
Clark didn't have a good view of Lex and Lionel grabbing the knife. Lionel definitely gets it first, but Lex grabs for a different part of it, so he might know if it crumbled when he touched it or if it already had.
They make it clear that there is no fixed interpretation of the legend of Naman and Segeet. Are they strictly good and evil as suggested in this episode or is it more complicated than that as I thought was implied in Skinwalkers? Is Naman destined to kill Segeet as Jeremiah thought? Will Clark be denying his destiny by refusing ever to kill Lex Luthor? Is the Kawatche myth really his destiny or just a story? In that last scene with his parents, Clark seems to believe it was real since part of the prophecy had come true.
That closing scene ... It certainly has occurred to me that he hero of this story is Lex.
Despite how I interpret the revelations in Memoria, the following though occurred to me. What if Lex did blame himself for Julian or had somehow picked up from Lionel that he had done something terrible? That could have contributed to his desire not to be like his father. So far this season we've seen Lex decide that he is freak who is the source of his own survival, we've seen him realize he didn't kill his brother, and we've seen him reinterpret the Kawatche myth so that his probable role is that of the hero. What if all this serves to remove some of his fears so that he stops trying so hard not to be like his Father and thus ends up becoming worse
Memoria
Clark is so dumb in this episode! He points out to Lana the similarity between Lex's behavior on the ledge and his singing to the blanket in the barn. But, when he confronts Lex, he never considers that Lionel could be drugging Lex again, instead, just accuses him of having been crazy. To stop Lex from working with Dr Garner, Clark goes to Lionel for help!? The most likely response from Lionel to the knowledge that Lex is trying to regain his memories would be to send him right back to Belle Reve, the result that Clark claims he is trying to avoid!
As I watched the first part of this episode, I kept thinking that someone who had no idea of who these characters were could easily decide that Clark was the villain out to betray Lex. And that was before Lionel pointed out Clark's conflict of interest.
Clark can't think of any options other than going to Lionel. Certainly, telling Lex the (partial) truth never crossed his mind, even though it was probably the safest thing he could have done. I wonder what would have happened if he'd asked his parents to talk to Lex. If the Kent's had truly considered him part of the family, as he'd requested in Phoenix, that might have worked. But since they took his money and were willing to let him rot in Belle Reve, probably not.
A side thought: when Clark becomes Superman, he will stand for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. But at this time, Lex is the one searching for the truth, Lex is trying to bring his father to Justice and Lex, businessman with questionable practices, stands for the American Way.
I agree with those who try to fanwank that Lionel rigged the birthday party to be a failure. There is no way he'd have no guests. If nothing else, people would come just to gawk and get the excessive goody bags.
My DH thought Lex had believed he'd killed Julian even before this episode until he remembered seeing Lillian do it. But I think Lex had repressed both the events we saw in Julian's room. In the last scene with Lionel, the way he says "that's what I repressed" made me think that Lionel had always thought Lex had repressed the memory of killing Julian, since that was what Lionel himself had tried to put "all in the past". When Clark asks Lex why Lionel hates him (what a nice way to put it, Clark) Lex thinks about what he'd remembered so far, and then remembers the rest. Is that how you all saw it? (See the end of this point for an additional comment below has a spoiler for Talisman).
Talisman
When Jeremiah first gets the powers, he loses his glasses.
That is one heck of an office for a teaching assistant. Most professors don't have it so nice.
When I first watched this episode I kept thinking "This isn't my show", particularly during the Clark-Lex confrontation in the office. It hurt to see how cold they were to each other. Clark accuses Lex so quickly, almost preemptively, to distract from his own interests. Anyway, I realized that the story I care most about has already diverged from the one shown on screen and that I need to just take what I enjoy from each episode, rather than try to force the whole thing into how I personally view the overall story. I did like how Lex clearly had no patience with Clark's lies. Why should he? Clark lies here even though he doesn't have to. Lex already knows he's interested in the Kawatche and the caves.
Lana asks Lex "why he kept the Talon so long" if it wasn't a worthwhile investment, not why he bought it in the first place. So it doesn't change my impression that he originally bought it as part of his be-nice-to-Lana-for-Clark's-sake plan. The rest of there scene was not much different than the one in which he tells Lana it's her job to take on the Beanery. So not (necessarily) romance.
Whoever designed the blade didn't think it through. If it is supposed to be a great weapon for Naman, why make its bearer just as powerful as Naman instead of a little weaker? Why make it something that could injure Naman? Why have it be destroyed if Segeet touches it, so Naman can get it eventually, rather than have it not give away its powers?
Clark didn't have a good view of Lex and Lionel grabbing the knife. Lionel definitely gets it first, but Lex grabs for a different part of it, so he might know if it crumbled when he touched it or if it already had.
They make it clear that there is no fixed interpretation of the legend of Naman and Segeet. Are they strictly good and evil as suggested in this episode or is it more complicated than that as I thought was implied in Skinwalkers? Is Naman destined to kill Segeet as Jeremiah thought? Will Clark be denying his destiny by refusing ever to kill Lex Luthor? Is the Kawatche myth really his destiny or just a story? In that last scene with his parents, Clark seems to believe it was real since part of the prophecy had come true.
That closing scene ... It certainly has occurred to me that he hero of this story is Lex.
Despite how I interpret the revelations in Memoria, the following though occurred to me. What if Lex did blame himself for Julian or had somehow picked up from Lionel that he had done something terrible? That could have contributed to his desire not to be like his father. So far this season we've seen Lex decide that he is freak who is the source of his own survival, we've seen him realize he didn't kill his brother, and we've seen him reinterpret the Kawatche myth so that his probable role is that of the hero. What if all this serves to remove some of his fears so that he stops trying so hard not to be like his Father and thus ends up becoming worse
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no subject
I'm pretty sure "the American Way" was supposed to refer to capitalism, as opposed to communism, since that was the big issue of the day. I think the Bill of Rights comes under Justice. But I was mostly being tongue-in-cheek.
I did read your theory on the Kawatche myth. It was interesting, but I don't think AlMiles will do anything that complex. They don't seem to be that clever. Or, at least, they don't expect the audience to be.
no subject
Well, that amounts to the same thing, imho. I was indoctrinated . . . I mean, I went to grade/high school during the middle years of the cold war (1971-1984) and most of what I heard of the "evils of communism" had more to do with the lack of individual rights than anything else. Like how the government controlled the media and suppressed the practice of religion, the existence of political prisoners, etc.