Hostage 

With an opening theme like Save Me this episode title definitely means something deeper. Lois, Clark & The Blur. What a complex triangleship ! But Jordan Hawley and Anne Cofell Saunders did a great job at portraying these characters. The first worked on Rabid and Disciple. They're definitely not my favorite episodes but I still remember some of their emotional and inspiring scenes. The second gave birth to Idol, with the help of the head writer of course, but also wrote the hilarious Persuasion. I didn't know that before watching Hostage but now I'm done with it I'm not surprised at all. Indeed even if it wasn't funny Hawley and Saunders succeeded in developing a refreshing story but also all the arcs we had to follow so far, from the Red Queen to our two love birds crisis.

Smallville is a fairytale. If you pay attention there's always plenty of knowledge to acquire from it. The morality can be superficial at times but maybe it's only a reflection of the protagonists doubts. Having issues and dealing with them is part of life. What's the meaning of life ? It's a question Lois had to think about all along this installment. When Charade was an obvious sequel to Idol this one focused more on the philosophy of it. Remember her psychological therapy ? Well this time it was completely different. Indeed they finally decided to grant my wish and brought mature characters to the show. As mentioned in my Absolute Justice episode review I've always missed the good old days when Clark used to talk with his father and mother. He had so much to learn from their experience. The Martian Manhunter wasn't back but instead we had the most unexpected and welcome guest stars ever. I hadn't seen the previews so I didn't know what to expect so at times it's a good thing not to be too curious. Moreover their scenes were full of nostalgic memories and some of them were brilliantly directed. The performers also did an excellent job.

I don't dig the whole Book mumbo jumbo because I think such a metaphora is a bit too literal. I prefer the more spiritual approach of Jor-El. But they finally found a way to give it some sense. Indeed Clark learned more about it and what using it could mean for him and his kind. It should remind you of the Pandora box. What will happen once someone speaks its words ? We had a first element of answer but we'll have to wait for the finale to know what it's all about. Beside the recurring Zod arc Hostage found also a few minutes to feature Chloe. And what a part ! Allison Mack gave a very convincing performance and should make her character grow on you even more. After what happened in Sacrifice she had to redefine her role. Who is she for Clark and her friends ? Can a mere mortal like her, even very smart, make a difference ? And what about the Watch Tower ? Her dialogs sounded like words exchanged with a long time friend. It even becomes captivating when you hear Sullivan using lines you have written or told. Describing her as Big Sister in my Conspiracy episode review was obviously a reference to the Big Brother conspiracy but it was also a twisted pun on BioShock. That's why I'm glad Chloe is such a beautiful and sweet person and an ugly little creepy creature. Of course she has been in the shadow of Lois & Clark from time to time but in the end I think she did her part in season 9. I was expecting her to slowly disappear but instead she kept glowing and sparkling like a shining star, to guide the steps of her Family.

To sum things up Hostage was an excellent way to introduce the finale. I expect all these arcs to finally collide for a mesmerizing and apocalyptic fireworks. Moreover a note left to Lois should definitely intrigue you. Now let's hope they won't repeat Doomsday's mistake and try to amaze us with short action scenes and budget killer visual effects. Smallville doesn't need these superficial musical notes because Hostage proved again that empathic characters and an inspiring story are enough. Spice it up with investigation elements involving Lois and you know who and you get one of the strongest and most rewatchable episode ever.