Some welcome light relief before the portents for the end of season 10 are realized...

“Fortune”

Bachelor parties are things of legend. Nights of drunken debauchery where anything and everything can happen. We’ve all heard those stories that are so unbelievable you know they have to be true. Movies, books and television have all immortalized this time-honored tradition. Now imagine that the wedding party is made up of superheroes and their entourage. Is Metropolis ready?

Zatanna sends a bottle of champagne to Clark and Lois for their bachelor/bachelorette parties, with a little something extra: A dose of magic (apparently, since Clark is immune to the effects of alcohol). Everybody blacks out after the toast, only to have no memory of the previous night’s events the next day. Clark and Chloe are married, Lois and Oliver wake up on railroad tracks on the wrong side of town, and Emil and Tess are singing karaoke, with Emil dressed like Elvis. And believe it or not, things get worse, as Emil gets arrested for stealing an armored car, and Lois finds that she bet and lost her engagement ring on a hand of Black Jack.

Tonight’s Smallville was one of those great fun episodes, with tender moments interspersed throughout. One nice thing about 'Fortune' was seeing Emil finally getting some well-deserved love. The timid doctor got to show his wild side all dressed up like Elvis, singing for a crowd with Tess. Seeing those two characters let their hair down and getting a little silly really was great. They also share an all-too brief tender moment at Watchtower, where Emil confesses to Tess that he hadn’t sung much since his wife passed away, and that she used to love to have him sing to her. Tess tells him not to stop, and the two exchange a look that says more than they could guess. I hope they allow these two have more moments together, because they both deserve a little affection.

Lois shows how vulnerable she really can be in this outing, which has been a continuing theme this season. Since her introduction, Lois has always been a take charge, never-back-down sort of girl, which is the sort of young lady you’d like your little girls looking up to. But this season she has allowed herself to be a little more reliant on Clark, and being a touch more “girly”. This isn’t weakness by any means, but gives her a more balanced character. Her reaction to losing her ring and worrying about Clark’s reaction allowed some of that kneejerk reaction we all know Lois for to shine through, but also shows her softer side. Erica Durance has been terrific this season, and plays the part very well (better than some actresses we have seen in recent years).

We also get a bit of a send-off for our other wonder couple, Chloe and Oliver. Chloe tells Clark that she’s met so many others that are like him – mentioning a “billionaire with expensive toys” and a “wondrous woman” – and that she’s found that her place is helping these would-be heroes do the jobs that they’ve set out to do. And since she’s taken a job in Star City, Oliver decides he’s going to follow. It will be difficult enough to say goodbye to Chloe, even having seen her leave once before, but seeing Green Arrow leave Metropolis will be hard, even though there are so few episodes left. Their final moment on the episode was a nice valediction for the two, though. Their burgeoning romance has been at times comical, at times intense, but always honest, and a nice addition to the show.

Highlight of 'Fortune', hands down, had to be when Lois and Oliver end up at a casino to find out what happened to her ring. In order to get out of a pickle, they end up sneaking out by way of a stage full of showgirls. Let me just say, you haven’t seen Green Arrow until you’ve seen him done up like a Vegas-style showgirl. Justin Hartley, you will be missed on the program.

And to get the answers to what happened the night before? Emil’s camcorder is found, and the group gets treated to the party of a lifetime. They all have a lovely moment together as they relive the moments from the evening before, and we see them as friends in a way we haven’t before. Especially Emil and Tess. The video goes out, and everyone seems closer than before, when all of a sudden, we get a little home shot movie of the rest of the evening, as Emil and Tess decide to film a very tender moment. It made for a nice comedic moment, but also allows for a new romance on the show, which is nice for both of those characters.

Definitely a great episode tonight, with comedy, action, romance, and heroes in drag. One of the funniest episodes of Smallville yet, which I’m sure is the break we’ll need for the rest of the season.

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