Arrival- Discussion Thread (spoilers)

[triplet]

Thank you a thousand times over....I can't tell you how heartbroken I was to get home from work, check my tape, and find out there's no picture...the violent aftermath saw much profanity and the deaths of many inanimate objects...so thanks a bunch....it did indeed help.

LOL!

You're welcome... have a funeral for those inanimate objects.

The ending was amazing, I loved the way Brainiac like grew out of the black pool.

The liquid rose up and turned into black crystals, which echoed the formation of the FOS I thought, and then the crystals formed a roughly human shape which slowly turned into an apparently nude James Marsters...

It was creepy and cool.



It was a brilliant way to intro Brainiac.

 

[Frodo]

I thought the Episode was great . It reminded me of why I use to love SV so much .

 

[Wolfsbane]

I just watched it again. I paid close attention to the Lionel scene and realized something. It has to be Jor-el possesing him, because when he walked to the vault, all the Krytonite started glowing as it usually does. I'm guessing most of caught this already, but I'm really tired, lol.

 

[Serene]

Somebody else (maybe Serene?) said it was creepy. I agree Lex has definitely got the creepy vibe going this season.

Serene also said that she *likes* it... alot.

BTW: I asked Jolie to ask her friend what she likes about SV. Why does she watch it?
*ahem*
The answer came in an e-mail. Female fan? Well duh!!!!!!
<- slaps self for asking a VERY stupid question LOL

LOL... D'uh, indeed. I think I've mentioned before that where I work is almost exclusively women. Naturally, we have a Hunk Gallery.. and you know whose picture I make sure is front and center. Based on that alone, several of my co-workers watched the preem last night. They all liked it too. No one is planning on seeing the new Supes movie, mainly because they are simply not Superman fans. I had to explain to them what the FOS was. Gah!

<-spreading the love.

 

[KikiDee]

I think your confusing me saying that it's not "set apart from the movies" with it "following the movies continuity". I'm aware SV doesnt follow S:TM's continuity to a tee, my point was merely that the show has never shyed away from what inspired it, even though they've done their own take, and they do include some of the elements that they liked. Theyve never try to be the Donner films, theyve just paid proper respect to them

Yeh, what he said! I still think a lot of people wanted to see the FOS. I think it's cool that they use elements from the films. I just don't get why people don't appreciate the homage to such a wonderful memory. I'm not sure, but I think this is where the carousel comes in.

 

[Max]

I mentioned this in another thread on another board, but what if Braniac manipulated the two Kryptonians into bringing him to Earth. Let's face it, the two aliens were not the brightest bulbs in the box. Braniac has a very specific mission he wants to accomplish on Earth, and I gather that he knows Kal-el is on Earth. So how does he get there? I thought of this after seeing the very end of the episode - after the two Kryptonians are dispensed with, Braniac simply slides out from under the ship and takes human form - ready to begin his agenda.

Just a thought.

 

[The Sage]

Sage? Do you have the trailer for next week that they showed at the end of last night's ep?
I'd looove a cap of Clark's face when he's first talking to Lana at the beginning of that.

Unfortunately I missed that.

 

[muscaremy]

watchin it again .... man that scene where lana is walkin cross the street and lex almost hits her with his car..... we watchin smallville or a george romero zombie flick!!

hahaha

 

[muscaremy]

man rosenbaum is gonna do an awesome job with the evilness comin......and have to say it again ... marsters is gonna rock as the b-man

 

[Wolfsbane]

I'm addicted to that Depeche Mode song now. It's awesome.

 

[mathhater]

LOL!

You're welcome... have a funeral for those inanimate objects.

The ending was amazing, I loved the way Brainiac like grew out of the black pool.

The liquid rose up and turned into black crystals, which echoed the formation of the FOS I thought, and then the crystals formed a roughly human shape which slowly turned into an apparently nude James Marsters...

It was creepy and cool.



It was a brilliant way to intro Brainiac.

Definately...as I said earlier...through a very fortunate twist of fate, I did get to see like the last 5 seconds of the show later in the night...so I was lucky enough to see Brainiac...but it still sucks missing the stuff between the Phantom Zone and then...so here's me still waiting for "Arrival"....dammit
Plus I WAS planning on re-watching the FOS part again...like 100 times.....that night....

*patiently waits for rerun....with much profanity*

 

[joke]

Personally, I'm sick and tired of the angle Smallville is playing with the "I want to be a normal person" theme. I mean, they've had Clark ***** about his powers and how he wants to be powerless like a normal person for four seasons now. Enough already! If I were him, I'd wake up every day with a smile because I've got all these wonderful powers. Enough with the godamn sobstories, bring on Brainiac or Zod or someone. And for the love of god, they should get some villains who *didn't* get their powers because of kryptonite. Other than Marsters' character, that is. Kryptonite hurting Clark is just fine, that's what it's meant to do, but every possible combination between kryptonite and electricity/water/breath/snow/sun/mud/whatever giving everyone goddamn superpowers is just stupid..

 

[SuperSoldier87]

I'm sick of it too. Sometimes I wonder how Jor-el can tollerate it

 

[OobeDoobBenubi]

James Masters sure has this odd thing of showing up in the 5th seasons of shows. Hopefully he can stick around longer then 1 Season this time. Maybe he could train Clark like Jor El will be because they know Zod will come & once Clark takes care of Zod Braniac goes to destroy Clark

 

[Kane]

Alright I finally saw the episode, and heres my pretty objective review (because I really wanted to like this episode);

The Pros:

- The special effects and CGI were very well done.

- The Fortress set is pretty cool, you can tell alot of time went into it.

- The opening credits are well done this season, good choice of footage to use.

- The story elements based of the Superman movies were a nice touch

- Jason Teague is dead.

- The song at the end was cool, though this is more of a compliment for the artist of the song.

The Cons:

- I felt Namek and Athyr were totally pointless. Their appearances seemed unecessary and their connection to blood staining the stone and a meteor shower magically appearing out of nowhere was not explained either.

- The budget could have been handled a little better; less explosions during the Kryptonians VS Cops scenes and save all that for the Clark VS Kryptonians scene (which wasnt very good). I've seen freaks of the week that were more of a threat to Clark in battle than these guys. Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that they turned their backs while Clark while he was being sucked in, saying "it is done" when it wasnt. They werent the most menacing villians at all, or written as the brightest. It was disapointing.

- Im not exactly sure what mental state Lana was in when she decided to listen to a mentally unfit Lionel and try to confront the Kryptonians (but then again, she seemed pretty unstable herself). I cant remember if this was even addressed but what happened to her Isobelle powers? Isobelle was meant to kill Jason as well, meaning her powers would have still been active inside her when the helicopter crashed (and her body was pushed to the extreme like in China) yet she didnt become Isobelle. I have a feeling the writers are trying to sweep this mess under a rug along with the Kryptonite in China.

- They really need to tone down the use of the word "Super" after this episode, its getting pretty lame.

- Jor-el is continued to be written as quite an a$$hole, making Clark believe humans are below him and their lives are small in comparison to his destiny. I think they really need to address (and I mean SOON) who this being claiming to be "Jor-el" is. Jor-el is long dead but hes portrayed here as some kind of omnipotent yet flawed God. I think it'd be awesome if they connected "Jor-el" and the fortress to Brainiac or Eradicator one day. I dont like the characterization for him at all, it all went downhill when he killed that Kara/Linsday girl without remorse.

Random Thoughts:

- It looks like Brainiac could have a Kryptonian origin in this version, as his lifeforce eminated off that Kryptonian ship.

- If Namek and Athyr had the ability to open and close the Phantom Zone, why couldnt they just free Zodd and his disciples?

Overall:

I'd give this episode about 7/10, it's clear that theyve made alot of efforts to improve the series after last season (so thats worth some praise) and even though the special effects were really cool, some of the writing is still a bit transparent and sloppy. Hopefully they can maintain this momentum throughout the season, then the season could be decent (but I'm not getting my hopes up this soon).

 

[avidreader]

I'm addicted to that Depeche Mode song now. It's awesome.

I agree that song is really special. I couldnt, get it from my usual place so I went and bought it from itunes. Great song.

 

[avidreader]

Alright I finally saw the episode, and heres my pretty objective review (because I really wanted to like this episode);

The Pros:

- The special effects and CGI were very well done.

- The Fortress set is pretty cool, you can tell alot of time went into it.

- The opening credits are well done this season, good choice of footage to use.

- The story elements based of the Superman movies were a nice touch

- Jason Teague is dead.

- The song at the end was cool, though this is more of a compliment for the artist of the song.

The Cons:

- I felt Namek and Athyr were totally pointless. Their appearances seemed unecessary and their connection to blood staining the stone and a meteor showing magically appearing out of nowhere was not explained either.

- The budget could have been handled a little better; less explosions during the Kryptonians VS Cops scenes and save all that for the Clark VS Kryptonians scene (which wasnt very good). I've seen freaks of the week that were more of a threat to Clark in battle than these guys. Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that they turned their backs while Clark while he was being sucked in, saying "it is done" when it wasnt. They werent the most menacing villians at all, or written as the brightest. It was disapointing.

- Im not exactly sure what mental state Lana was in when she decided to listen to a mentally unfit Lionel and try to confront the Kryptonians (but then again, she seemed pretty unstable herself). I cant remember if this was even addressed but what happened to her Isobelle powers? Isobelle was meant to kill Jason as well, meaning her powers would have still been active inside her when the helicopter crashed (and her body was pushed to the extreme like in China) yet she didnt become Isobelle. I have a feeling the writers are trying to sweep this mess under a rug along with the Kryptonite in China.

- They really need to tone down the use of the word "Super" after this episode, its getting pretty lame.

- Jor-el is continued to be written as quite an a$$hole, making Clark believe humans are below him and their lives are small in comparison to his destiny. I think they really need to address (and I mean SOON) who this being claiming to be "Jor-el" is. Jor-el is long dead but hes portrayed here as some kind of omnipotent yet flawed God. I think it'd be awesome if they connected "Jor-el" and the fortress to Brainiac or Eradicator one day. I dont like the characterization for him at all, it all went downhill when he killed that Kara/Linsday girl without remorse.

Random Thoughts:

- It looks like Brainiac could have a Kryptonian origin in this version, as his lifeforce eminated off that Kryptonian ship.

- If Namek and Athyr had the ability to open and close the Phantom Zone, why couldnt they just free Zodd and his disciples?

Overall:

I'd give this episode about 7/10, it's clear that theyve made alot of efforts to improve the series after last season (so thats worth some praise) and even though the special effects were really cool, some of the writing is still a bit transparent and sloppy. Hopefully they can maintain this momentum throughout the season, then the season could be decent (but I'm not getting my hopes up this soon).

Dont take this the wrong way, but you seem to have missed alot of what's going on, maybe you should rewatch the finale and the opener again and you might find some answers to turn your cons into pros.

 

[Kane]

What exactly did I miss?

 

[avidreader]

What exactly did I miss?

Well for one, in Commencement Isobel left Lana, which means no more Isobel powers.

 

[Kane]

Thats why I was asking about that in my review. I thought Isobel was also meant to kill Jason, to wipe out that family's bloodline. Jason was still alive at the time, so I was wondering why she left or what happened to her.

But theres nothing really more to look for in these episodes that I havent described, unless you can think of anything I missed..

 

[Pickle-El]

Dont take this the wrong way, but you seem to have missed alot of what's going on, maybe you should rewatch the finale and the opener again and you might find some answers to turn your cons into pros.

Not to be a complete jerk but, I agree a lot with what he said. As a matter of fact, a lot of people in this thread alone felt the same way. (And some of us HAVE seen it more than 1x)

My pro's and cons:

Pros

-The Effects, they went all out in this one.
-The 'Idea' of bringing in anything related to Zod/a character introduced in Donner's mythology
- Clark/Chloe, Clark/Lana, Clark/Lex ACTUAL INTERACTION!!! I can't stress this enough....finally, he's called out, finally he calls someone out, and finally he's honest w/Lana. (Only after she spilled guts first because he was already taking a step away from her....)
- Very good paced episode
- Rosenbaum and Mack were terrific as usual in their roles
- Chloe's finally telling Clark how she's always had her suspicions and her subsequent list.....lame excuses, etc.
- Devious Lex ('Now how could Clark be all the way out here Chloe?', just looking at Lana slightly annoyed after she fell)
- The 40-Story Igloo
- The 'hero' shots of Clark
- Lana actual being a sneaky little devil, trying to trick the Kryptonians in the mansion.
- Lex taking the ship first chance he got.



Cons

- Lack of explanation for Kryptonian villains
- The consistant use of 'super' and other 'campy' dialogue. It's fine once in a while, but they just have been doing it incessantly. He is going to be Superman, we GET IT. No need to wink at the camera every oppurtunity.
- That damn dog still alive?!?!?
- For the most part, I wasn't as impressed with the all around acting this time around. Just wasn't feeling it. I mean, one minute Welling does something great with Mack, then I just kinda roll my eyes when he's with Kreuk in their 'spill guts' scene..... (Maybe it's the whole dynamic of the relationship.....who knows, maybe Mack simply blows Kreuk away...and maybe...) I wasn't impressed at all with the Kryptonian villain acting. There were 2 of them, and yet not a slight hint of a personality between them. Totally cardboard cut-outs
- Though the 'idea' was cool...just saying 'Zod's Disciples' ..... His actual disciples :
-Those AWFUL Kryptonian suits!!!!!!!!!
- New Truck, AGAIN.....how bout selling that indestructable truck for some big $$$$$. Eh Jonathon? I'm sure LuthorCorp could use that super silly unbendable metal!
- Okay, I'm kinda joking around in those last 2.

Otherwise, as a fan, I enjoyed the episode. Not quite as much as last years opener, but still. This is meant as fun time at home on Thursdays. Having not read any spoilers year, you can imagine I'm digesting Smallville right now as it unspools....looking forward to next week.

 

[Brainiac 8]

-Those AWFUL Kryptonian suits!!!!!!!!!

Yea, Whoever thought they would hire Joel Schumacher to create the Kryptonian costumes. Instead of Bat nipples, we get Krypto nipples

 

[AgentPat]

Y'know, considering the nature of this show - it being FANTASY and all - there's just some things I'll give 'em a pass on. I had PLENTY of raised eyebrows throughout the episode...

• How come the Kryptonians didn't fly?
• They're right off the "boat" and they know English pretty dern well.
• How come Chloe didn't freeze into a popsicle OUTSIDE the FOS?
• Why would true arctic conditions just happen all of a sudden?
• Be back by sundown? Eh? Sundown is happening right NOW some place in the world.
• Clark runs fast. Re-heeeeeely fast. Like jet speed fast. Stick your head out the window of your car at 60 mph. In the arctic. Yeah. Chloe's gonna live through that, ahuh.
• Lionel removed Geneveve's body from Lana's apartment. How did Lex get it in order to set up her death via the meteor shower? Did Lionel tell Lex where it was *before* Lionel got zapped into a comatose state?
• So Lionel wakes up (at some point) with apparent cataracts in his eyes and a scrambled brain. We'll just let him carve his initials into the floor of Lex's study. Nobody will notice - or care.
• A METEOR hits the Kent house and nearly obliterates it. Three people are in 6 feet proximity of each other as it happens. One survives with minor cuts and abrasions, one is nearly killed, and the third disappears entirely. Okay. LOL
• Speaking of meteors, anybody here know how much damage even a basketball sized meteor can do? Heh. There were an awful lot of craters in Smallville. That town and possibly half the state of Kansas would have been wiped out. Gone. Gonzo. Seeeeeyaaa! Tunguska, Siberia. 1908. Look it up.
• So NOBODY saw the spaceship before Lex retrieved it?
• And btw, how DID he retrieve it without anybody seeing him do it? That sucker was pretty big.
• How did Clark know the Kryptonians actually killed anybody? The hospital's emergency patients were METEOR shower related, no?
• Chloe's in a hospital that gets its medicine via dogsled, and Lex can STILL find her? Yeah, riiiiiight!
• I could keep going, but that should be enough for now.

...This is called nit-picking, ladies and germs. I can do it with aplomb. But the bottom line is, I really enjoyed the episode, and that's all that counts. If you become so pre-occupied with the minutia, your enjoyment of the big picture is just going to suffer. So go with it. Enjoy it for what it is - a fantasy show about an alien with superhuman powers. If you can manage to get beyond the premise, you're all set.

 

[OobeDoobBenubi]

This Premiere has more Plot Holes then a Star Wars movie

 

[AgentPat]

This Premiere has more Plot Holes then a Star Wars movie

Star Wars? The most successful film franchise of all time? That Star Wars?

Yeah, those movies sucked, didn't they?