The story was influenced by a season 8 episode. In fact they were both written by the same author who also worked on a few others. They're not my favorites but they covered some interesting topics. In fact one of them is probably the most exciting when it comes to the Superman mythology. And when the others disappointed me Idol proved that the writer's skills matured and that it worked really hard to serve us with a script meeting season 9 standards. When a major twisted event occurred I thought the writer would choose an easy escape but instead it went the hard way by anticipating our thoughts to surprise and disconcert the good way. A particular speech should inspire most viewers and the speaker was so convincing that it should help you to better comprehend the myth. The very first minutes after that blew me away. It was so smart and I didn't see it coming.
However the direction wasn't flawless and I wonder why Anne Cofell worked alone on it as it's her first episode according to Wikipedia. I think experienced directors like Michael Rohl should have helped her. It would have avoided some mistakes and shortcuts that prevented Idol from being a perfect episode. Some visual effects were good but others were quite disappointing. They were used in bright daylight scenes. It's sad because their action was intense and as often the acting was good but the effects sort of ruined the immersion. Metropolis doesn't look real anymore when its studio and digital seams are apparent. I think they should stick to night scenes when such effects are rendered or better plan things.
But hopefully there were plenty of delightful moments and it was wise again to exclude some characters. This time it allowed the story to focus more on Clois, Chloe and a few new characters. Even if their role was interesting I found some moral lines too cheesy but they definitely brought some fresh air. However I really hated the recurrent subliminal ads for Twitter and Facebook. I'm sure some viewers registered on these websites, MySpace included, after watching Smallville without even wondering why. Otherwise I quickly forgot about it as the story was really exciting. It also seems the writers have planned something major for Chloe as her profile is getting more and more controversial. Now she reminds me of Tess because you never know what they're really up to. Do they serve humanity or themselves ? Last but not least Clois, played by Tom Welling and Erica Durance, reminded me of Lois & Clark, played by Teri Hatcher and Dead Cain. In fact Lois scenes were refreshing, funny, charming and deeply psychological. Being Erica must feel great because her talent is impressive and I really enjoy the close-ups when she talks with all her heart, the voice distorted by emotion and the eyes full of dew.
As often the end was priceless so stay tuned because the upcoming episode is the last before the winter's break !
However the direction wasn't flawless and I wonder why Anne Cofell worked alone on it as it's her first episode according to Wikipedia. I think experienced directors like Michael Rohl should have helped her. It would have avoided some mistakes and shortcuts that prevented Idol from being a perfect episode. Some visual effects were good but others were quite disappointing. They were used in bright daylight scenes. It's sad because their action was intense and as often the acting was good but the effects sort of ruined the immersion. Metropolis doesn't look real anymore when its studio and digital seams are apparent. I think they should stick to night scenes when such effects are rendered or better plan things.
But hopefully there were plenty of delightful moments and it was wise again to exclude some characters. This time it allowed the story to focus more on Clois, Chloe and a few new characters. Even if their role was interesting I found some moral lines too cheesy but they definitely brought some fresh air. However I really hated the recurrent subliminal ads for Twitter and Facebook. I'm sure some viewers registered on these websites, MySpace included, after watching Smallville without even wondering why. Otherwise I quickly forgot about it as the story was really exciting. It also seems the writers have planned something major for Chloe as her profile is getting more and more controversial. Now she reminds me of Tess because you never know what they're really up to. Do they serve humanity or themselves ? Last but not least Clois, played by Tom Welling and Erica Durance, reminded me of Lois & Clark, played by Teri Hatcher and Dead Cain. In fact Lois scenes were refreshing, funny, charming and deeply psychological. Being Erica must feel great because her talent is impressive and I really enjoy the close-ups when she talks with all her heart, the voice distorted by emotion and the eyes full of dew.
As often the end was priceless so stay tuned because the upcoming episode is the last before the winter's break !
