Smallville and Supernatural: Labyrinth and Night Shifter

[butterfly]

I'm finding Labyrinth extremely interesting to think about, because of the question of what it exactly it is. It wasn't a reflection of his subconscious, the way Slumber was, nor was it an escalating horror show of his deepest fears, as Splinter was -- no, this was both and neither, I think. The phantom attacked Clark and got into his head -- that's what J'onn told Clark. In a human, the phantom would have taken over completely. Because it's Clark, though, the phantom had to convince Clark to release control of his mind and reality.

That's why the asylum in the first place, then -- to create a place where Clark would have the option to give up his own self of sense, a place where he was told that who he was is a lie. Then, it had to make the place both realistic in terms of how Clark would end up in an asylum but also give him some reason to want to choose to lose himself. A blending of desire, conjecture, and fear.

Then, Clark had to believe that he was crazy. Over and over, he's given reasons to try to use his powers, and over and over, he fails (most notably, he tries to superspeed to save Chloe's life when she's getting shot). Seeing Lex without legs, having his heroism turned into something monstrous, was also very clearly a major blow to Clark's state of mind. His own mother, married to Lionel and believing that he needs help, was a true strike to his heart.

And then Lana -- the carrot, where everything else was the stick. He has to believe he's crazy, but there has to be a ray of light, the hope that if he chooses to let go of himself, something will be waiting for him on the other side. Lana is perfect in this role -- he's loved her since he was a child and in this reality, she loved him back. I was extremely impressed with KK in this episode -- she was wonderfully creepy/sweet as the Lana in the dream, and then she was Lana again at the end, all grown up.

An episode worth thinking over after it's done -- perhaps not as fun as Justice, but deeper.

I adored the trick that SPN played on us, by doing 'breaking news' in the middle of the previouslies. Both my roommate and I let out outraged yells at the idea that the show was being cut into, which resolved into satisfaction when it became clear that it was part of the show. It really brought me into the immediacy of the moment.

I love the evolution of the cop arc -- at first, in the Woman in White/Pilot, the cops are there to be made fun of and easily escaped from, but since then, cops have become steadily more competent and discrete as individuals. The Winchesters' livestyle has consequences, their choices have an impact in how future episodes play out -- the shapeshifter 'playing' Dean in Skin was laughed off at the time, and now it's made it impossible for either Dean or Sam to ever live a 'normal' life under their own names. And possibly any others, given that they are known to take aliases. Can't go back now.

I just love this show.