Review: 'Smallville' - Quest

For every beacon of light in the universe, there is a pit of darkness. And with Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) now firmly placed in his own shadow, he's tiptoeing a little bit closer to Clark’s (Tom Welling) secret.

Furthering the recently developed Veritas myth-arc, “Quest” sees Clark come closer to uncovering the truth regarding the secret cabal and also to revealing his own secret. The episode is filled with explanations and hints to the old cave paintings and also the events of the fourth season, providing a larger significance to the hidden treasures throughout the globe that eventually revealed the Fortress of Solitude. Unfortunately however, the process contains a few more niggling plot-holes and continuity errors, the likes of which are becoming commonplace on the series.

Discussions of a enigmatic clock maker pointing the way to the Fortress and private commissions from Veritas carried hints of the Rambaldi saga from “Alias” without any of the eloquent and mystifying charm, but did lead to an interesting sacrifice and a slightly different take on the Kryptonian people.

It may be the next step in the Veritas story, but on a whole serves only as a prelude to a much bigger adventure.

What Worked

“Battlestar Galactica’s” Doc. Cottle (Don Rhodes) as a Russian antiquities dealer, the Kryptonian sacrifice and a bizarre exploding clock are among the episodes highlights, but the real gem is the continuation of Lex’s dark obsession. As he saves Milash, he takes another life and takes one more step into the darkness of his own soul. Without little Alexander at the back of his mind, nothing can stop Lex from becoming the villain he is destined to become.

Had it not been for Christopher Reeve’s earlier participation in the series, the mentions of Virgil Swann wouldn’t have carried the same weight on the show. He may not have been involved with the series in four years, but still Reeve’s contribution to the Superman story is being felt and has now become integral to “Smallville.” Too bad Edward Teague (Robert Picardo) didn’t command the same authority.

Talk about this story