Season 1, Episode 19: Crush

 

"Crush"

Episode 19

Air Date: May 7, 2002

Oh look! It's a pre-O.C.ed Adam Brody! I love it how you see feature big stars (well at least during the O.C. days! 0_0) guest starring on Smallville as up in coming actors just trying to make it before their big breaks.  Here, Adam plays a recently admitted psych ward patient who tragically lose mobility in his hands and can't seem to catch break with his drawing now.  Justin as a character is serviceable and nothing really special tho, only being your run of the mill meteor freak and used to push the other characters forward in their arcs.  In this case, make Clark suddenly realize how much he likes Chloe.....excuse me....HUH!!??  O_o  Sigh...of course the episode where Chloe finally blows up on Clark about her hatred and resentment toward his relationship with Lana (and Lex apparently! O_O) that she would fall for another guy; leaving Clark to wrestle with his sudden feelings for his best friend....boy does this show LOVE melodrama.  I know these are teenagers and insufferable angst comes with the territory but my god is it already grating to watch already for me...and we have THREE MORE HIGH SCHOOL SEASONS to go.  Both Clark and Chloe are both reevaluating their friendship but doing it for clearly superficial and seriously selfish reasons.  Both of them are right to call each other out on that but still, the writers play it off like Chloe going to Justin because of her anger at Clark and Clark wanting Chloe want she's suddenly unavailable just feels so....forced and juvenile.  But then again, TEENAGERS right??? Hormonal and irrationally prone to not making sense with their emotions but....come on!!! O_O lol

And to make matters worse, suddenly Lana is all mopey and teary eye now that Clark reveals he has feelings for Chloe and seems to want to be with him now.  Yeah, she talks about how she's been with Whitney after his father got sick for support and they haven't had much time to apparently redefine their relationship but it just comes off kind of heartless. O_O  Especially since Lana could have made her feelings more clear before and gone after Clark but of course, leaving Whitney while his father dying would just be beyond evil so we get "I'll stay with Whitney until Clark wants someone else".  But then you have Clark telling Lex he wants both of them and not ruin their friendship and all I can do is rub my head from this sudden triangle/square non-sense of love. Whitney's dating Lana, but Lana also likes Clark, but Clark's in love with Lana...oh but he likes Chloe now when she's off the market while Chloe starting getting close to a guy because Clark won't spend more time with her???!!!! -_- Ehhhhhh!!! Back to Justin and his apparent revenge over the person that nearly killed him and is responsible for his hands being damaged, he finds out Principal Kwan may have been the one behind the wheel but it turns out in a sudden scene with Clark and his son, Danny talk about Kwan's horrific death; revealing that HE was the driver that his Justin. Didn't stop Justin from running his dad over with his own car...YIKES!!! Tho I have to admit, the VFX for the floating objects Justin uses with his telekinesis could have used....A LOT more work! O_O  Just a little too obvious that they're digital creations and not actual objects being hurled around by a mind willing powered teen.

In other plot news, we get a story between Lex and his old housekeeper named Pamela, who apparently was very close to Lex and his mother before she died.  I liked more of the backstory centered around the Luthor family and what caused Lex to be so broken and fragmented as a child to grow up to be the rebellious rich boy he use to be.  Once again, Lionel drops by and their scene together is effortlessly solid.  Lionel knowing how to push on Lex's Achilles Heel about his past with her and their family while also revealing that Pamala is sick is always so cruel and brilliant to watch on how Lionel is so nonchalant about other's pain in favor of testing Lex.  I'm glad Lex went to see Pamala and they got some closer about their past together, especially regarding Lex's mother. The only other significance of this episode is the heartbreaking loss of Whitney's father's death as we get a very powerful last scene with everyone attending his dad's funeral while Clark is being beyond overdramatic by looking painfully at Lana before walking over in the pouring rain that is anything but light! The hell! I mean great direction, beautiful cinematography and love the version of "Time After Time" they used...but still....what the hell?! O_o "Crush" is your standard Smallville episode with messy and confusing teen romance politics but luckily, Lex's plot with Pamala holds everything together so lovingly despite that.  Now Clark and Chloe are gonna be seeing more of each other, with Clark going for it as Chloe so gleefully smiles about it.  Ehhhhhh!!! I miss the Lana love stares! At least THAT made sense! lol

Final Kryptonite: B