Season 9, Episode 3: Rabid

"Rabid"

Episode 3

Air Date: October 9th, 2009

WELL!!! O_O  This is an episode that definitely came the hell out of nowhere like the raged out monsters that are unleashed on Metropolis due to some mysterious and rapidly spreading virus.  I never though Smallville would do such a "Dawn of the Dead/28 Days Later" type of apocalyptic episode but Rabid....works and works TOO WELL!!! The horrifying make-ups, the grotesque effects and sinister direction very authentic of the zombie apocalypse genre, etc. The writers and especially the production crew knock this one out of the park.  After a terrifying flashfoward teaser where Lois is looking a bit...different, the episode continues with the status quo of late with Clark and Lois working late at the Planet, only Lois is a bit heartbroken by the Blur not following up with her in a while.  Meanwhile, Clark hilarious distracts Lois as much as he can while blurring to and from the Planet to make his usual supersaves.  I love this scene, especially of the classic Superman moments while Lois and Clark have their usual banter that's getting more romantic and sweet than usual.  OMG!!! We soon get reunion scene between Clark and Oliver as he rides reckless around the city; leaving the Blur to stop him.  Jesus, Oliver's arc with his whole depression is a bit excessive after last season but it's interesting to see Clark in the heroic role having to lecture Oliver now who is completely out of control.  We even see it again at the end with Clark confronting Oliver about letting Lois out of his sight during the zombie outbreak and risking her life in the process.  It seems Clark maybe getting through him...until he just burns his Green Arrow gear indefinitely....sigh.....

Back to zombieland, like I said, the zombies are tremendous well done by the production as the action sequences centered around them are not only realistic brutal but extremely well choreographed! Seriously the writers are making up for that horribly short Doomsday fight during the last finale! The zombie attack scene on the mansion is just incredible when Tess takes that samurai sword to defined herself and slices through the multiple zombies attacking her.  Then that scene is topped by that unforseen Daily Planet rumble between Clark and Lois vs. the employees that were turned at the Planet.  Never thought I'd see such an awesome action sequence on this show like this but both Clark and Lois kicked serious a$$ here.  I especially loved the moment Clark superpunches a zombie into another while Lois is too busy fighting to see it.  HA! So much clever writing this season!  But honestly, Clark and Lois' chemistry/scenes are intensifying even more with some amazing moments in this episode like them connecting at the Planet after the attack to that wonderfully direction sequence when a zombie Lois is attacking Clark and he just superholds her until the anti-dote takes effect as the city is cured of the virus.  It's so beautiful, frightening, intense, yet so romantic! Jesus this episode ROCKED! And if you don't believe that things between Clark and Lois are finally moving from sexual tension to actual romance, there's a scene of Clark taking a picture of Lana (AHHHH! it's only a picture! It can't hurt! *retracts gun*), smiles at it and puts it in an old photo album with other pictures of her....to close the book on her!??? OMG!!! It's a miracle...and look who walks in right after to share yet another emotional progressive moment with Clark! I wanted to faint so hard.

I loved we're seeing more of Emil Hamliton as usual, who seems to be making more of a recurring role as apart of the team.  It's good to know someone is working with Chloe to keep her in her place as he's very aware of what she's doing behind the heroes back, including apparently bugging Oliver's belt when he discovers there's a camera in there!?? Yeah, I don't know what's happening to this character but Chloe is now crossing boundaries for the sake of the excuse of everyone moving away from her.  Considering how she's literally watching over everyone, even in their private moments, this is serious horrible and there needs to be series consequences for what's she's doing. O_O  Jesus, these characters have serious issues.  But characters who don't our young Zod, who discovers one of his soldiers unleashed the hostile kryptonian virus to unravel the identity of the Kryptonian among them who is going around saving the city.  After his soldier shows him the House of El insignia, he concludes it's Jor-El and to repay him for giving him said information...but going behind his back with such a risky plan, he slices his head off with a sword.  Ummm Zod may not have his powers, but he is already proving to be a terrific villain in the making for this season to cap the episode off.  From start to finish, Rabid is brilliantly bizarre in its match of zombie unleashing mayhem mixed with inspired Superman moments, romantic banter, incredible closure on dying love interest storylines (seriously WOW! :) and thoroughly intense action scenes that go high above the usual short battles on this show! Season 9...keep it all the way up! :)

Final Kryptonite: A+(+)