Spot on review, particularly about the writing for Hartley/GA.  At times I wonder why Hartley hasn't been attempting to branch out into movies or other shows (he was passable in the Aquaman pilot), while at other times he looks inept.  I'm with you that it's the writing.  Also, while I'm not that familiar with the comic book Cat Grant, she can't possibly be as annoying as she is on the show, can she?  And that's really the best actress they could find?

One huge nit that I'm sure that's been crabbed about before: the usage of the word "secret".  Why not "ability" or "powers"?  Much better fit.  "Secret" sounds like some high school lovesick retard.  But I digress.

I liked the Green Arrow and Tess in this episode and of course the ending. Those were the main thrusts of the show. The whole Isis storyline was just an excuse to get Erica in a sexy outfit (thank you producers!). That part of the episode was a throwaway, but the characters showed emotion and depth and that's why I liked it. I was expecting Clark's reveal to Lois to be drawn out a couple of more episodes so I was pleased when it happened.

As I understand it, the necklace was on Carter Hall's desk and it "accidentally" fell into Lois' purse.  Why didn't it get noticed by SOMEONE when she went through customs in the airport?  Why wasn't she arrested in Egypt for smuggling antiquities?  Um, cause it's a magic necklace?

I've found that Smallville is either really cute or really dull with not much inbetween.  This ep was one of the dull ones.  Being a hetero female, watching Lois prance around in a short skirt doesn't have a lot of appeal for me.  While I enjoyed a certain nostalgic rush from my childhood with the Isis costume, it would have been better if she had spun in place to morph into it.

Nice review as usual, Joe.

Really enjoyed Tess this week.  I liked how Oliver was against her involvement and then finally warmed up to her in the end.  Ever since she arrived on the show, I've been wanting Tess to take on reasonable motivation.  I never really understood what she was trying to achieve in season 8 and last season her loyalty was all over the place that I got confused about her motivations for switching sides all the time.  Now it looks like this season, we'll get a pretty consistent struggle from her: who does she side with, the heroes she has wanted to help for years or the little evil genius she has a chance to redeem?  I wonder how Clark and Oliver will feel when they find out she's raising the reincarnation of their greatest enemy...

Loves me some toga on Lois, but yeah, it was just your typical "Smallville"-style possession this week, nothing special.  The glowing yellow rope holding Clark down was cool (immediately thought Wonder Woman) as was the Black Adam prop reference.  I will say this: despite inconsistencies, the writers do have an ability to leave some "Easter eggs" for hardcore fans (Black Adam, the Gleek phone last season, Oliver mentioning a "boxing glove" arrow in season 6, etc.).  It was pretty cool to see the heroes actually work as a team.  More often than not, Clark and Oliver have confrontations and go off to solve problems on their own.  It was a nice change of pace to see them put their heads together with Tess (due to a lack of Chloe) and confront the enemy with a somewhat coordinated effort (shooting the necklace off Lois and into Clark's hand to reverse the transformation with his heat vision).  Very cool visual.

Glad to see the secret is out in the open with Lois and Clark.  I just wish that such an important event had taken place with an equally important story.  Last week's 200th episode milestone would have been a better fit for it, especially after Clark came back from the future.  Future Lois said that the day he revealed who he was was the most romantic day for her.  The slow dance in the barn after his trip to the future felt a hell of a lot more romantic than the last scene this week, but who knows?  Maybe they'll pick up right where they left off next episode and the day isn't over yet.

But based off of the promo for the next episode, it looks to be a bit of a downer and horror-like story (just in time for Halloween).  Did I see Scarecrow in the trailer?

Review was great as usual Joe and definitely agree with the grade. The last 5 minutes of this episode definitely saved the whole thing because without it, being a long time fan of the series I would have considered it one of the worse. I mean it was great seeing Erica Durance in the toga outfit for the majority of the episode, but the focus of the episode should have been on Clark revealing his secret to Lois and Tess being a mother to Lil' Lex.  The Isis storyline should have and could have been eliminated. And Cat Grant was cute at first but she's becoming annoying. Hopefully she'll be gone for a while.

Speaking of Wonder Woman, do any of you maniacs think that since Wonder Woman is going to be developed as a TV show now that TPTB will allow Wonder Woman to make an appearance on Smallville? Would be nice! It is the last season after all.

And Duckbeaver, I also thought the character in the trailer looked like Scarecrow. Would be kind of cool if it were but I don't think it is.

And I'm not big on Captain Marvel or Black Adam so could someone explain what the easter egg for Black Adam was in this episode?

Oh, yeah.  I was just wondering: was the museum curator/event organizer (that lady with the really hoarse voice, sounded like she needed a cough drop!) talking to Oliver in the beginning the reincarnated Sheyara/Hawkgirl?  I remember that Hawkman had a vision of her in the 2nd episode of the season and the curator this week looked familiar, but I couldn't recall if it was the same actress.  Anyone know if it was Sheyara or just a random character?

PAGE, Lois/Isis was about to sacrifice Clark with a dagger labeled as belonging to "Teth-Adam" which was Black Adam's original name in Egypt.

Thanks Duckbeaver. I do vaguely remember Teth Adam referring to Black Adam, but I somehow missed the label on the dagger. Even after watching the episode a 2nd time.

I completely agree with the inconsistency of story, but then again, it was another Possession episode. Who on this show HASN'T been possessed now, I guess? But I really felt like the last scene sold this episode for me. Welling and Durrance were acting the hell out of that scene, and it felt right. When they first brought Lois in, it seemed like they were forcing a connection between Clark and Lois that wasn't there. I remember one ep where she told him "I hate that you know me that well" and I just wanted to scream because nowhere in the show had we seen that. They just wanted to write it, but that didn't make it so.

Now it feels like these two connect. And Welling and Durance have chemistry on screen, 'so much more than he ever had with Lana. Watching him share screen time with Kristin Kreuk for six years while not feeling any romantic empathy was painful, they werejust two attractive people  but that didn't make them a couple.  Although it would have been nice to see this moment years ago, I give the writers credit for the way they handled it.

duckbeaver, the curator/event oranizer was played by the beautiful Erica Cerra who plays Jo on Eureka.

Thanks for the note about the dagger.  I noticed the label on it and knew I had to be missing something with that close-up.  I've never really been into Black Adam and Shazam so that one flew right passed me.

When I looked at the time on my dvr as I fast-forwarded right after Lois was "de-possessed,"  I noticed there seemed to be an awful lot of time left in the show, so I was hoping for something big and not only did we get that great little scene with Tess and lil Lex, but we are finally done with the "will they, won't they"!!!

I have a feeling that Tess is not going to be to happy when lil Lex become big Lex.  She's always been in love with him, but now she's his mother figure.  I could be wrong, but I don't see Lex wanting a relationship with his new mommy.  Let's hope so at least...eck!

Joe, good review as per usual.  Also, they showed the necklace getting knocked off a table and falling into Lois bag in Egypt in the "previously on Smallville" segment even though that footage was never shown before.  And I am kind the same as Kara, wouldn't that have come up at customs and wouldn't she have been arrested for smuggling?  Maybe not since other implausible things seemed to be happening in Egypt like Lois and Hawkman's amazing cell phone coverage in the middle of the desert.