Damn you, Smallville creators, for taking your holidays so early when the show is getting this good...

"Icarus"

Whoa, what? The writers of Smallville actually wrote this episode knowing that it would be over a month until there was a new episode? Seriously? I mean first there was the big event, which went into the big conflict, and rode on into the… alright, let’s just start at the beginning. Because when a show gets this good, you gotta pay attention.

Clark is standing outside a shop, looking at the ring he bought for Lois. She arrives, and he suggests they go to dinner at a new exclusive restaurant, where he had already made reservations. She turns down the idea, saying she just wants to go home and cuddle, since there is a curfew mandated by General Slade Wilson. He then tries to convince her to go out on the town, but to no avail. Finally, he says there’s a disturbance, zips off, and a pay phone rings. Lois answers, asking if he saved the day. He tells her to look up, and she is showered with white rose petals. He comes down, tells her she makes it difficult to ask a simple question, and he gets down on one knee to propose. And thank the maker, she says yes.

The next day at the Daily Planet, Lois shows up to work, only to go through a security check. Slade’s underlings – all in Gestapo-style uniforms – are checking everybody for anything suspicious. Lois receives a card from Chloe, who makes a nice flashback appearance, and a necklace is tucked away in the note. But then she has to deal with Cat, who is all aflutter over the ring (it seems a little strange that there wasn’t more animosity, since Cat’s been pining for Clark in her previous appearances, but that’s neither here nor there).

And then Tess shoos Cat away to inform Lois that she’s needed for a new retinal scan at Watchtower that evening. However, when she arrives that night, she finds only Clark. As they enter the control room, they are treated to a surprise party consisting of some of the Super Friends regulars – Tess, Ollie, Carter, Courtney, and Emil. Champagne flows, toasts are made, and there’s a really touching, yet funny, moment between Oliver and Carter. All is well, until Oliver hears a woman call for help. Ollie goes to subdue her attacker, but is then overtaken by an angry mob, as the attacker tells them he was jumped by the vigilante. Carter and Courtney come to the rescue, and whisk him away to safety.

Suddenly, all bets are off. Lois is taken for questioning at the Planet, along with Emil, Tess, and Cat. The lackeys are looking for the whereabouts of any of Queen’s friends, and Clark in particular. Clark shows up to Watchtower to find out what he can about Oliver’s attack, when the group finds out that Wilson is still alive. They decide that everyone is to go underground – and Watchtower shut down – until things can return to “normal”. Of course, the rules are broken when Clark, Carter and Oliver all show up at the same time to a military establishment to find out what Wilson’s goons are up to. They discuss the darkness that has grown, and Carter explains that he’s seen it before, in the forms of the Spanish Inquisition and the Third Reich. He says that whenever the darkness has arisen, a brighter light rose to stop it. They find out about the group being interrogated at the Planet, and Clark rushes off to save them. Lois escapes, and runs into Cat, who was the one to turn all of them in, believing she was doing her civic duty. Lois helps her understand that she has it all wrong, and that Cat would want her son looking up to those who stand up for justice, not crush it under their boots. Cat helps her get out, and she heads to Luthorcorp where she meets Wilson again.

He nearly kills her when Carter – in full Hawkman motif – comes to her rescue. The two fight, which leads to an explosion, hurtling Lois out of a window and toward the street below, with Carter following. Clark rescues Tess and Emil, and realizes where Lois has gotten to. He stops Wilson, who wants Clark to join his efforts. Clark destroys him with the magic Super shield crystal that we haven’t seen in a couple of seasons. He then finds Carter on the street, who has caught and saved Lois, but who is fatally injured. He tells Clark it will be okay, because he will be reunited with Shayera, and has Clark promise to keep Lois close always, and passes away.

Our last scene is in Egypt, as the super group is carrying Carter’s body to his final resting place. They lay him in his sarcophagus, only to see a glowing obelisk growing out of the sand. A bright flash, and the group is lying on the ground passed out. End credits.

So you can see my frustration. A terrific episode, lots of good things set up, and then the teaser for the next episode says Smallville will be back in late January. Oh, you horrible, nasty television people, how you toy with my emotions. It really does make me a little upset that this will be Smallville’s last season, because it has gotten so good. But all good things must come to an end, and we still have several months to enjoy it while we can.

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