Season 2, Episode 19: Precipice

 

"Precipice"

Episode 19

Air Episode: April 22nd, 2003

I don't know what it is about this episode but it always struck me as....unusually boring??? O_o  Maybe because it feels so unSMallville as there's no nauseating Clana drama, Chloe being an excruciating sight to hear or see and no Superman emphasis, not to mention no random meteor freak of the week causing mayhem in town.  It's just Lex dealing with Helen's psychotic ex-boyfriend while Clark gets in over his head protecting Lana and is forced to do community service to repay his debt to society.  Oh and Lex trains Lana in the art of whoop a$$ aka self defense when she gets literally pushed around by some drunk frat boys and is sick of feeling like a damsel in distress that needs Clark to save her all the time.  Well, at least she continues to realize Clark is always protecting her and the fact she constantly gives him a hard time despite that because he has a secret and doesn't show up sometimes means he's a unreliable jerk! Sorry, I'm not letting that go since this season is the beginning of the constant clashing of these two between being a couple, then not a couple, then a couple again, Ewwwww!!! This episode does introduce us to the new sheriff in town...since well...the last one was an attempted murderer. O_o  Honestly, I really love Sheriff Nancy, played with a smuggish charm in Camille Mitchell, who fits into the cast immediately interacting with our fellow townies by giving them a hard time and cracking jokes at their expense, not to mention her harsh sarcasm toward Clark and Lex in particular. Ha!

But unfortunately, she is simply a gem in an episode filled with useless dirt. I'm sorry but whether it's Clark and Lana dealing with the consequences of those frat guys assaulting her or Lex and Helen dealing with the disturbing stalking of her ex boyfriend, Paul, I just can never get fully invested into this episode and just want to skip it.  Not even because it's filler because there are aspects that move the story along like Lex finally proposing to Helen after realizing how much an impression she's left on his morality but that the stories at hand feel either cliche and minuscule compared to other conflicts before this one or the whole psychotic ex boyfriend feels like something out of some cheesy prime time soap! O_O  Sure, Paul is genuinely terrifying at times....and then at times I find him terribly campy and over the top! Sure, that's in part to Anson Mount's performance but I'm sure it's because of the obvious direction and a script that follows the same beat as usual for stories like this (Helen is scared about his return, Lex is skeptical and apprehensive of her ex, ex tries to frame her new boyfriend, ex boyfriend snaps and puts her life at risk, new boyfriend goes after him wanting revenge....excuse but YAWN! -_-)  Then all of sudden Clark is shoehorned into the plot last minute as Lex's partner in crime to stop Paul and manages to save Lex last minute by running into a train when Paul is about kill him. Ehhhhh, I just don't care....just don't care at all.  Not to mention, considering Helen was in critical condition after Paul nearly killed her, by the end of the episode, it's almost as if nothing happened....no repercussions at all from Paul doing all that to her or even them as a coupling....like what??? O_o  

Everything is all back to status quo and even when Lex was about to cross the line, which was interesting, Helen's love is apparently what saved him from doing so like some....I don't know...heartfelt revelation that doesn't feel earned at all.  Hey, I love Lex and don't mind their relationship but ehhhh....I just don't care for any of it.  Also, Lana unleashing her hidden dragon on that faking frat boy at the end is....ummmm....WOW! Well, glad the writers wanted to make Lana more confident and self assured but no...just no....all just to make a point about Lana saving Clark for once instead of usual other way around when his family gets sued by the lying victim. Ummmmmm yeah, I'm sorry, this episode is just such a non-event compared to what you'd expect from the show. Things happen but there isn't anything that comes from it besides a new sheriff who is a likable b!tch. lol I guess Clark learned a lesson about being more human despite unleashing his powers so carelessly??? Ehhhh, next episode!

Final Morph: D+