10.20 - Prophecy - Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[PJBoy]

http://www.kryptonsite.com/smallvillespoilers.htm

 

[Prison Mike]

Good title.

 

[vantheman77]

i hope this refers to Clark's destiny and Justin Hartley is directing this.

 

[Binker]

Well, Prophecy refers to a prediction/information/messages that is not known to the prophet him or herself, of things to come. They range from divine inspiration, interpretation, or as a revelation. They can be god-like messages, or not be. There is also self-fulfilling prophecy, which means "a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior." And that, from the theme of fate/destiny, and the premise of the show itself, sounds like what Smallville has been about, doesn't it?

Ironically, Robert K. Merton is the guy who coined the term, and one of his examples rmeinded me of Smallville: "the self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning." The false definition sounds like Clark misreading the message back in Rosetta, to rule Earth, only to realize he wasn't "right" when it meant protecting the planet from Brainiac, General Zod, Doomsday, Major Zod, and now Darkseid. Add Doctor Fate's message of Clark leading the new generation of heroes, means Clark "ruling Earth" was pretty much right.

There are examples of the self-fulfilling prophecies in movies:
Anakin Skywalker was said to be the one in destroying the Sith, but in Star Wars Episode III, he has a dream about the death of Padmé; even after trying to save her with one action being his turn to the Sith, it is evil nature that actually leads to her death. His original prophecy of destroying the sith doesn't get fulfilled until Luke comes back into his life.

Who and what Neo is in the Matrix trilogy, and even the Neo/Oracle scene from the first film.

Twelve Monkeys' main character Cole, played by Bruce Willis, has a flashback from his childhood where a man dies. At the end of the film, it is him and he sees his younger self watching him.

As for Smallville; because of the last episode called Dominion, there are three theories as to what Prophecy will be about: a) Darkseid revealed, or b) Clark filfulls his destiny and becomes Superman, or c) both. Though, because I wonder on the two-part finale (and want it to be Part 1: Destiny, Part 2: Superman), I wonder if he won't be Superman until part 1 of the finale, and Prophecy will end with Clark holding onto the costume and Jor-El saying "you are ready."

 

[Prison Mike]

I think it has to deal with Darkseid moreso than Clark.

 

[vantheman77]

I think it's about Clark fulfilling a prophecy.

 

[DavidB1111]

Good points. Very good points, Binker.

I don't know. It's probably more of a prophecy for Clark, to me.
What prophecy exactly could Darkseid fulfill anyway, Prison Mike?

 

[Prison Mike]

I don't know. Taking over Earth, maybe?

 

[vantheman77]

I don't know how Prophecy could refer to Darkseid when we haven't seen much of him or his storyline this season.

These final 5 episodes (18-22) should focus on Clark's final transformation into Superman. That should be the main focus, first and foremost, with the wedding second.

 

[Prison Mike]

Darkseid has been the big bad this season. The final five episodes should heavily focus on him and Clark becoming Superman.

 

[Sawyer]

Both this and Dominion sound ****ing awesome.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Wow, the second to last episode title EVER.

I might start getting choked up....

 

[Prison Mike]

Wouldn't episode 21 be the second to last episode? Or is episode 21 basically part 1 of the finale? If it is, then that sucks.

 

[DavidB1111]

I don't know. Taking over Earth, maybe?

Except this isn't Final Crisis.

Yeah, Darkseid likes to do crazy things in the comics, but the majority of his world conquering came from the above.

I'm not saying this episode can't have anything to do with Darkseid, I'm just saying I don't think the title of Prophecy has anything to do with Darkseid here.

I could be wrong, but I don't know how they're going to involve a prophecy with Darkseid without introducing a lot of back story.
Or at the very least, some very convoluted finding of the Anti-Life Equation.

loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side

There it is.

 

[John Locke]

I think the prophecy can be one of two things.

Rao's prophecy- The propechy Zod and Zor-El believed in. Promised a Kryptonian paradise with a New Krypton. The only known line from the prophecy is "And a door would open to the sky... Abominations created of cold intelligence would walk the planet, and the rebellion of evil would tear the world apart." Sounds like Darkseid.

Or the propechy of Naman and Sageeth aka Clark and his greatest enemy Lex.​

 

[avidreader]

Maybe its the episode with the return of Lex Luthor, and they can both finally fulfill the prophecy that was set way back when.

Or what he said ^^^^

 

[DavidB1111]

Where did that line from Rao's prophecy come from? I don't remember it ever being said on the show?

I really would have remembered that.

And Abominations of cold Intellect do not a Darkseid make.
First off, he's not an Abomination. Mostly, because when I hear Abomination, I think of the Abomination of Desolation, Great Beast called Dragon, Father of Lies, Prince of Darkness, etc.
Nor an Eldrich horror.

I'll concede the cold Intellect part.
That is Darkseid. A God of Evil, and far more dangerous than an army of Zods.

The sheer strength of Doomsday mixed with literally God-like intelligence.

He gains his powers from his followers and combines that with his own base power.
However, he also can overexert himself.
In the Our Worlds at War saga he was weakened by enough that Wonder Woman had Raven contact the minds of a bunch of people, and had them pray to Darkseid, to give him the power back.

 

[Webhead2006]

Pretty cool title. Really do hope 19 and 20 will be darkseid plot episodes.

 

[BizarroAids]

Maybe its the episode with the return of Lex Luthor, and they can both finally fulfill the prophecy that was set way back when.

That would be amazing. Even if for a brief moment.

 

[The Caped Knight]

I think it's about Clark fulfilling a prophecy.

I don't think so, I mean it possible... But it seems this is more connected to Darkside .

 

[Webhead2006]

well it would be nice if its both on clark and darkseid which i dont see would be that hard.

 

[vantheman77]

This is part of the final 5 episodes that should focus on Clark. If it was about Darkseid, he'd manifest in this episode.

 

[Webhead2006]

well the focus yes is on clark but darkseid is a key thing too, and really he would need to be a big play into the final strech an all vant so i dont see the issue there.

 

[SpideyVille]

Or the propechy of Naman and Sageeth aka Clark and his greatest enemy Lex.​

This is what first came to my mind when I read the title.

 

[Webhead2006]

would be cool but they have played up the whole naman/segeeth thing with lex and davis. speaking of professor willowbrook, man would have been nice to see him again. Been a long time.