I do not wish to be flamed, but I don't quite understand why everyone think this episode is crap. Sure it is not the best one, but I found it soooo great ! :duh:
First I must say the actor playing the toyman was incredible ! I had the impression to see the comicbook ! That was great and I hink he was playing madness without being cheap or cheesy. Straight from the comic book.
the only one thing I did not buy was the "very scary laugh" when he is lookinn at the fire. That was .... overplayed and bad. but that was the only exception IMO.
I found it strange that Lana wanted soooo much to go out on patrol with Clark, I understand the necessity of it in the story, but that was not so believable for me.
And, IMO again, I loved K.Keurk in this episode, she was funny as hell (bedroom) and sad and beautiful as hell in the end. Some things keep disturbing me here and there about her motivations or her way to see things.
Chloe on the other hand, even if she is over-used, was very great. When I see her and the other actors, I have the feeling she is more believable , more natural, there are more things about her than he rest.
And I dig Smallville's Oliver Queen. I loved his introduction in the meeting room at the beginning of the episode, I loved his gesture, I felt he was a businessman, which, I think is important (!). And I love him at the end, almost as dark as Bruce Wayne. I understand that "killing" Lex was not easy even if he wanted to do it so much, and I think the actor portrays him quite well, even if it could possibly be more subtle and more focused. In the end playing Ollie Queen is not easy at all, I would say.
But the highlight for me in this episode was, for sure, Tom Welling AND Lex.
Tom Welling was excellent, I found him good throughout the episode and excellent in the last scene. for once I had the impression to see Clark as weak and vulnerable. Incredible. I knew the whole poisoned Lana was a bit fake but I bought it due to both of the actors. I found it as sad as magical. I saw it coming but that was great.
Call me naiv, but it mademe cry. I'm not ashamed to say it, it was a sad moment, I could feel the feeling of Clark when he was asking her to stay. It touched me.
And finally : Lex. Not sure if it was M.Rosenbaum, don't think so, but, maybe for the first time, I really felt the poison of Lex Luthor, how bad and evil he is. It was disgusting me. The whole "he is alive and declared war" completely disgusted me. I wanted him to die, to suffer. the last time I felt that was when I read "lex luthor : man of Steel".
I think the fact that he was only here partially help me see the venimous tentacles he has everywhere, how dangerous and vile he is. Chloe was right he IS a monster.
So, even with story "short cuts", I really enjoyed this episode and found it great. My highlights were the Toyman, Lex, and Tom Welling in all his scenes with Lana.
