Clark (Tom Welling) and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) in the pilot episode of SMALLVILLE.
© 2001 The WB

Mania Grade: B+
Stars: Tom Welling
Episode: Justice

Related Links

1

"Smallville: Justice"

As you’ve probably gathered from my previous Smallville reviews, it’s a series I don’t have a lot of confidence in but I stay with out of morbid curiosity and just the slightest glimmer of hope that it’ll get good again.  Well write this down because I actually enjoyed Justice.  It’s nowhere near a perfect episode, but it’s the best the series has had to offer this season.  Throughout this entire season anticipation has been building for the first appearance of the Justice League and now in this episode it finally happens, and overall it’s a good thing. 

At the Daily Planet, Chloe is meeting with the mysterious Dr. Caselli and she asks Clark to come back from South America to back her up.  Chloe is investigating the doctor because he’s been signing out mental patients from the local insane asylum and she feels it may be involved with 33.1, a program Lex is running to study being with special abilities.  He pulls a gun on her but before he can fire a figure blurs past at super speed and saves her.  It isn’t Clark though; it’s someone Clark knows from previous episodes Bart Allen.  Bart’s back in town but he won’t tell Clark why. 

Meanwhile Lionel and Lex are dealing with the fact that six Luthor Corp facilities, all connected with 33.1, have been hit and stolen from or destroyed.  Another of the facilities is hit and information is downloaded by Bart.  Bart meets with Green Arrow, and the first inklings of the JLA begin to appear.  When Clark investigates he discovers that Oliver Queen is running a super group that’s sole focus is to stop Lex from completing his research and creating super soldiers.  When Bart is captured by Lex Clark goes off on his own to save him only to encounter a lab full of meteor rocks that incapacitate him.  The Justice League (never actually being called the Justice League) springs into action with Green Arrow, Cyborg, and Aquaman, codenames they use to keep from revealing their identities, spring into action with Chloe in the clock tower running communications and monitoring the situation.   

In the end, they decide to call the group “Justice” and they invite Clark so far codenamed Boyscout, to join them in their fight.  Clark says that he wants to but he has to clean up his own mess first, referring to the Phantom Zone escapees roaming the planet.  This episode is pure super hero fun with only a few caveats.  Clark himself doesn’t get to do much in the episode and Aquaman is still the lamest Justice League member in comics and in this show.  They had to put the base where Bart, or Impulse (whatever) near a dock just to give Aquaman something to do.  Cyborg is pretty cool in the episode even if his costume and acting are both questionable.  This is a streamlined all hero all the time episode that sets up a formula with the heroes fighting the good fight and Chloe going all Oracle in the clock tower that I hope we see again and soon.   

There was one other thing that really made this episode superior to all others in this season; no Lana Lang.  She was out of the country picking out a wedding dress; well good for her, maybe she can stay gone.  Her character and storylines have done nothing but drag the series down.  Even the scenes involving Lois and Oliver are better executed and more interesting than anything Lana has done since season two.  There’s a lot to look forward too if this episode sets a trend for the series.  We got a glimpse of Martian Manhunter a while back so he’s sure to reappear, and what about some Green Lantern or some of the other really cool JLA heroes?  Anyway, this episode reinvigorated my interest in Smallville; let’s hope the writers can keep this momentum up.  Even if we’re done with the JLA for a few episodes if the writers can get away from the drudgery that is Lana Lang and her tired story arc and push forward with Clark’s evolution into a “world protecting” hero rather than just the guy that protects his friends, there’ll be some interesting stories to tell.  Oh, one other thing, enough with the no flying already!