Season 5, Episode 22: Vessel

"Vessel"

Episode 22

Air Date: May 11th, 2006

It's finale time once again and despite this season impressive start to its troubling decline in quality after its 100th episode, Vessel as finales of the past have done is trying to bring all the plotlines of the season together; starting with a harrowing abduction by Lex as he is compelled to race off to a field in Smallville with Lana right behind him as Fine prepares him for Zod's arrival.  Yes, Zod is coming and sooner than Clark has expected as....he's been doing absolutely nothing to prevent this or prepare for it.  It takes Lex being taken by Fine and the ship for him to start doing anything about it.  Our hero everyone!!! -_-  At least we finally see him return to the Fortress as he asks Jor-El what to do as Fine close to retrieving his master, General Zod.  We get some exposition from Jor-El, from Zod's agenda on Krypton, his destruction of his homeworld and his plans for Earth as Fine or the Brain Interactive Construct as Jor-El finally calls him is set on finding him a vessel for his spirit since his body was destroyed before he was trapped in the Phantom Zone. All of this is awesome by the way and I love hearing more of the rich, elaborate Kryptonian mythology...at least until Jor-El gives Clark a kryptonian knife to kill Zod's vessel aka Lex! I mean why would Jor-El force him to do something he know he wouldn't??? Wouldn't it make more sense to confine and trap Lex so Clark can use the Fortress to expel Zod from Lex's body if it comes to that??? O_o If anything, wouldn't it cause Clark to hesitate even more to do it....which he eventually does??? Seriously, Jor-El's A.I. never makes sense with its random demands from Clark! Even the classic film's version of Jor-El had more compassion and understanding with the strict Kryptonian lessons he puts on him but it's starting not to make much sense in driving Clark toward his heritage and more away from it to stay on the farm to wonder what his true destiny is.

Anyway, Lex returns with kryptonian powers no less and it's revealed in a shocking sequence where Lex pushes Lionel across a field right into his car after Clark tells him where he disappeared.  While it's cool, even awesome to see Lex with powers (temporarily of course!) it sucks that his sudden alien upgrade is used as a way to make Clark look even dumber for not telling Lana his secret as Lex immediately shows and tells her...leaving Lana completely free to make the decision and stand by Lex despite it.  WOW!!! Now Lex is adamant about Lana showing him how much she wants this relationship by meeting him at the top of Luthorcorp by nightfall.  Yeah....about that! Even worse, Lana overhears Chloe and Clark talking about killing Lex; leading to an atrocious scene of Lana completely destroying Clark's heart in return for him continuing not to trust her when too much is at stake! My good what an idiot! The writers making Clark look even more like a loser on top of that by Lana verbally wondering how she ever could have loved Clark before leaving and Fine being right behind Clark to push the dagger even further about his failure relationship with Lana! Jesus....it's laughable at this point!

From there, the episode takes a quick, if not a bit rushed apocalyptic turn when Clark refuses to help Fine release Zod and puts in a Kryptonian computer virus that spreads from Smallville to Metropolis all too quickly.  It's just rushed because it doesn't seem like utter chaos would breakout that quickly but whatever, it's the finale and the stakes for once are taken to world ending proportions as the virus has shut down all communication and power in Metropolis and will reach across the world in a matter of hours! So things are royally screwed with Clark once again placed in the role of saving the world; this time with the Earth at stake if he doesn't stop Fine or more importantly...decides to kill Lex. Have to give the production and effects team create, they really do make their finales epic no matter how horrible it's been for a while this season in terms of quality.  Moments like Clark saving Chloe from an oncoming car that crashes through the Daily Planet or seeing Metropolis in utter chaos with massive riots, looting and violence running rampant, this truly does feel like the end of days.  Not to be outdone are some superb character moments like Chloe kissing Clark in case the world in fact ends, more importantly, Clark finally confronting Lex.  While the fight between them is your typical super throws with some added effects, the verbal match they have is the real highlight of the sequence.  Both men finally unloading their true feelings about each other, especially Lex admitting wanting all that Clark had, including Lana. Oh boy! 

But what truly makes this episode compelling are the finale moments as usual with Clark being tricked by Brainiac (I'm just gonna start calling him Brainiac! :P) to release Zod as he decides not to kill Lex but Fine (Ok maybe not! O_0) by stabbing him with the kryptonian dagger and a portal to the Phantom Zone opening in the Fortress before it reaches Fine and sends Zod's spirit into him.  I gotta say, it's chilling see Clark come face to face with one of his greatest foes...in the body of his greatest foe! Lol Michael Rosenbaum does a nice job with what we see so far, not being too over the top and campy as Zod but having a more reserved, confident presence knowing that Clark can't win....especially when he traps him out of nowhere in the Phantom Zone! Yikes, that was brilliant! :)  Even if the rest of the cliffhangers are a bit superfluous (Martha and Lois in a Luthorcorp jet about to crash thanks to Brainiac and Zod meeting Lana at the top of Luthorcorp when he shouldn't even know about that! -_-), the sight of Chloe and Lionel being lost in the destruction of Metropolis as the camera zooms away and shows all the world's power turning off while Clark spins in that mirror prism; trapped and heading to the Phantom Zone is tremendous! Definitely leaves A LOT to look forward too and be anxious about as Season 6 looms in the air to resolve all of this. Not the best finale, possibly the weakest so far because of some rushed plotting, horrible character interactions and questionable twists, but the set up with Zod's takeover of Earth as the Earth itself falls to Brainac's virus while Clark has been exiled to an intergalactic prison keeps you on the edge of your seat enough to be worth the watch. :)  Onto Season 6.....

Final Kryptonite: A-