"Requiem," the 14th season eight episode of "Smallville," flogs more than a couple of presumed dead horses that once left deep impressions in the series' legacy of inspired, but now hackneyed, story elements.
While creatively ambiguous to have the deranged Toyman (Christopher Gauthier) talking to a puppet that has a video and microphone link to Lex, Rosenbaum's absence robs "Requiem" of the bad guy banter that once provided the series' title characters with a sense of imminent danger.
Without the contribution of the actor's sinister portrayal of this kind of interplay, Toyman, though admittedly a second-tier villain, simply comes off as an emotionally immature man who talks to himself, not a formidable opponent for the super powerful Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk).
At the very least the writers found a way around having to keep showcasing shadows of the Lex Luthor character, but in doing so he is essentially replaced by the suddenly morally dubious and more often shirtless Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley).
Although he often dogged Clark about not taking a more active role in saving the world, the character's unexpected penchant for murder diminishes how time on a deserted island changes him from a spoiled rich brat to a defender of justice.
Most ridiculous is the plot device that has Clark and Lana reason that Winslow Schott continues to register his deadly toys with a patent office given that he is very likely laying low from the authorities for his criminal acts.
Taking away from the tragedy of Lana's absorption of the meteor rock on the roof of The Daily Planet and her consequent inability to be with Clark is how the Lex Luthor look-alike emphasizes the consequences of her actions as though he were the episode's writer explaining it on a DVD commentary feature.
Is all that exposition necessary?
Thankfully, the absurdity of the aforementioned aspect of "Requiem" is not enough to diminish what is at best a moderate tear-jerker moment complemented by appropriate special effects when Clark presumably bids Lana a farewell kiss for the last time. Lana's newly acquired ability to weaken him adds a sense of the literal grotesque circumstances of their separation.
"Requiem" is an overall mediocre episode of "Smallville" that tries to tell a tragic love story fans were lead to suspect was over when Lana left town last season and because it has been implied many times that Clark has since become more interested in Erica Durance's Lois Lane. Hopefully, this is simply a transitional episode in that it resolves Rosenbaum's absence from the series and provides closure to the Clark/Lana relationship arc.
Popcorn rating:
(3 out of 5 pieces)
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