Season 2, Episode 16: Fever

 

"Fever"

Episode 16

Air Date: February 18th, 2003

Ok, enough is enough! I was gonna start this joke with a hilarious reference to Peggy Lee's "Fever" but I'm just going to go right to what I utterly despised about this episode.  Chloe is one of the worst characters I have ever watch in a modern TV series....at least this version of her that won't stop being the most angst ridden, emotionally unstable individual that the writers make her out to be.  I mean it must be sooooo grating for Allison Mack to play such a 2 dimensional self aware yet self absorb narcissist who thinks her friends always, ALWAYS owe her for breaking her heart when it comes to her feelings for Clark.  I mean my god, this is the same girl last season who was chastising Clark, once again, for not opening his mouth and taking a risk with Lana yet here, she has the audacity to finally tell Clark how she feels....when he's sick and unconscious just for some overly sappy moment about her not being able to express her true feelings to him when he's awake.  Chloe is an awful friend to not only Clark, but especially Lana when it comes to Clark.  The passive aggressiveness behavior is atrocious writing and it only seems like an obligation to make the audience feel bad for Chloe, not to mention, when Clark answers her forbidden love letter by uttering "Lana"s name in his sleep....WOW!!! So the writers just want us to feel so heartbroken and shattered as Chloe does when it's her fault Clark isn't with her.  Clark actually asked Chloe out to the Spring Formal, Clark acknowledged his feelings openly to Chloe, Chloe did not to Clark out of her vapid insecurities and inept ability to care about anyone but herself.  Oh bringing up Clark leaving you at the Spring Formal when he went out to save Lana's life, not to mention search for his missing father after the storm hit.  I hate this character and she'll only get worse from here on out until Season 4 miraculously sees a complete 180 as the writers dropped her agitated attraction toward Clark and finally becomes the type of friend he deserves as well as needs! Jesus! -_-

Oh and of course, Lana finds the letter and is all awkward around Clark because Chloe has such strong feelings for him...the two looking at each other with such empathy for the guy they secretly have feelings for.  Mind you like I said, Clark asked Chloe out and he even asked Lana out a few episodes ago, but Lana and Chloe NEVER express their true feelings to Clark and some how act like this is some pre-21st Century world where the guy MUST ask the girl out or he doesn't feel the same and is an oblivious disappointment of a love interest.  God, this is because Al and Miles, the creators and showrunners for the series for the first 7 seasons and I'm already sick of this love triangle that would even make a shrink asks for more money before taking Chloe alone, let alone her and Lana.  Oh and Lana finally shows so much empathy and compassion since Clark was sick and could have died.  Watch in a few episodes when he somehow disappoints her again and Clark is made to look like a cowardly dog because he can never make it on time, be dependable and express his feelings without keeping freakin' secrets!!! GAAHHHHh!!! O_O All of that and I've still haven't gotten to the episode review itself properly. My God! The meteor rock toxin dilemma was great dramatic undertaking, putting the Kents in their most dire situation yet with Martha possibly dying and even Clark being struck sick by effects of the bust himself.  But where did it come from??? Yes, Smallville is covered in meteor rocks but it makes no sense for their to be a toxin in the storm cellar, especially right near the spaceship....??? O_o But it does lead to some tense and touching moments, finally revealing Martha's pregnancy to Jonathan and Clark that was teased in "Ryan" earlier in the season. It really is an awesome development knowing the ship has some kind of life giving properties to it as it is also used to desperately resolve the episode by curing both Clark and bringing Martha back to life.

Tho it does seem like something writers just used as a quick Dues Ex Machina when there are so many unanswered questions like how the hell the spaceship can do that to begin with.  Would have been nice down the line if we got a mention of Krypton's technology, mainly it's spaceships, were made to protect their people in case of the kryptonite exposure. Maybe Jor-El made the ship able to protect Clark in that way as well in case something were to arise to Clark during his trip to Earth.  Ehhhhhh, whatever, I guess it did make for a stunning light show....tho if the ship revived Martha, did it also revive any other patients who died or were in critical condition??? Would have been a great consequence of Jonathan's mission to save his family, not knowing what he could unleash with the key and the spaceship. But naw, that would be too interesting and brilliant for the writers! :P Speaking of Jonathan's solo mission to get the disc from the CDA, it was cool seeing Papa Kent getting into the action for once and having to save Clark.  Loved Clark coming anyway to save him and using Pete as a decoy was a great twist I didn't see coming! :) Also, that helicopter chase with the truck and military humvees looked expensive as hell.  Wonder how much that sequence costed the production crew in Vancouver at the time???

Lastly, we have Lex and Dr. Bryce dealing wit the fact that she may go off to a university and research new ways of medicine, leaving Lex to surprisingly wanting to her to move in with her to make her stay.  It's a very touching scene, underscored by Lex's menacing machinations in doing so.  Not only does Dr. Bryce find out about Clark but Lex is getting closer to the Kents by crossing his boundaries and having a copy of Martha's patient file given to him. Ehhhhh I love Lex, but clearly his curiosity for the truth will be a detriment on the supervillain he will become.  Not to mention, poor Helen stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place with keeping the Kents' secret and being involved with the man who can't stop trying to find out the truth by any means necessary.  That already looks like that won't end well. Yikes! But overall, without the unfortunate dread and horror of Chloe Sullivan and the romance pestering of this annoying teenage love triangle we are forced to watch with the good, "Fever" moves the overall plot along while giving use a heart-pounding story with Jonathan being put in a situation to come to his family's rescue and finally learning of Martha's secret that promises some hope for the Kent family for once. Even if it doesn't end that way....

Final Kryptonite: B+