Smallville Episode Review: Lana Lang’s Wrath

Lana haters probably weren't too thrilled with the concept of this week's episode and giving her so much face/screen time. Personally, I was kind of into it. Until recently, Lana was my favorite character. Now, I admit she's gotten mega-annoying, only to be outplaced by Lois. But I digress ...

We start this week with Lana and Clark on a date, riding horses happily together like in the good old days. Then a storm moves in and they attempt to peace out. Unfortunately, there's kryptonite nearby and Clark can't move. Lana picks it up to throw it far away when lightning strikes. We know what happens when you're holding the magic green rock, you're with Clark and lighting hits you ... instant super powers! When a windmill is about to fall onto of Clark, Lana moves in and pushes it up and out of the way. The look on her face when she realizes what just happened? Totally priceless.

Then the writers (good luck with the strike, guys) decide to get cheeky and Lana and Clark make sexy time (which, apparently they haven't done before. I could have sworn Clark gave in back in season 5 but clearly I'm wrong), causing mini-earthquakes all around Smallville. Chloe rushes over to the Kent farm to make sure Clark's OK and finds out the real cause of the shaking. The whole scene was summed up best by Chloe herself: "Awkward!" Good try, though ...

So now that Lana has powers, she decides what she REALLY wants to do is get back at Lex for, well, everything. She breaks into the mansion and steals the hard drive containing everything about Project Scion, then takes it to the Daily Planet to get published so the world knows who "the real Lex Luthor is." Alas, Editor Grant won't publish (of course because he, too, is in cahoots with the Luthors) so Lana decides to do it all herself.

Hell hath NO fury like a woman scorned. Lana leaps on top of Lex's car like catwoman, and breaks the windshield. She wants to see where Scion is taking place. When Lex takes her there, she finds out all of his research on aliens. She's two seconds from killing him when #1 in typical Lex fashion he talks his way out of it and kisses her instead and #2 when she regains her composure and tries again, Clark intervenes. Lana wants to rid the world of Lex because, as she says, "How many people would still be alive if it weren't for Lex?" Excellent point. But we all know how this story is supposed to go, and Lex survives, while Clark takes Lana's powers away using high voltage electricity and meteor rock.

In other news, during the whole charade, the liquified alien remnants of Prof Milton Fine's spaceship has been enclosed in an air tight capsule for Lex and crew to study. That is, until the Clark and Lana square off happens and Clark unknowingly smashes the capsule, releasing the being. It quickly finds itself a new human carrier in the form of a woman doctor, and we're sure to see this story continue in the coming weeks.

In the end a few interesting things happen. #1 Grant deletes all of the Scion files, presumably from Lex's asking. #2 Chloe threatens Lana, saying she won't let her do anything to hurt Clark. #3 Lex realizes Lana still has feelings for him and tells Clark. In his words, "Funny thing about obsession is it outlives everything. Even love."

Last, but not least, the final scene leaves us with Lana and Clark AGAIN at night in his barn AGAIN talking about their relationship AGAIN with sappy music playing. However, we're left hanging as Lana tells Clark she just needs to know that he loves her. He doesn't immediately answer and the ending credits roll. Hmmm ... interesting.

Looks like we're getting a visit from Lara next week! Til then ... tell me what you thought about 'Wrath.'

UPDATE: Thanks to sttrent for the correction on the Lana and Clark hookup!