Justin Hartley Plays a Dangerous Game on Smallville

Just when I think I am watching one of the best seasons of Smallville ever and it is time to go into a slump, they throw "Roulette" at me. It will probably not be one of the favorites of most Smallville fans this season, but it may well be one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. This is Smallville giving me just what I want from one of my favorite shows.

Many will not appreciate the fact that it focuses on Oliver Queen and not Clark Kent, but what we get here is a perfectly realized character piece (with hardly even a real plot, which I don't care about anyway) that redeems a superhero through a comic-book fantasy and at the same time stays perfectly true to the characters I love on Smallville.

For a long time Oliver (Justin Hartley) has been in a downward spiral, going from the leader of the Justice League to a guy who burns his Green Arrow costume, a person who doesn't actively seek suicide but won't avoid it when he sees it. The episode begins with him meeting a fetching woman named Roulette (Steph Song, in a great guest appearance) and he agrees to go "all in" for whatever game she wants to play. He's thinking about a one-night stand, but he ends up taking a strange pill (note to sci-fi characters-never do that!) and ending up in a coffin, for starters.

Before we talk about Ollie's dangerous game let's tackle Clark (Tom Welling) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and their movie date night. Lois is on the outside upset about Oliver's abandonment of even their friendship, but she's also clearly ready to commence with some serious flirtations with Clark. To my great relief the flirting between these two is getting more open, and more obvious. Clark opens up with a great line upon finding Lois at the farm- "Shouldn't you be riding a mechanical bull somewhere? It's Friday night." But Lois steals the date, and, heck, she almost steals the show. Erica Durance is having one hell of a season.

Of course, the most fun parts of the date are right out of the comics. Clark goes to the kitchen to get popcorn and ends up making a quick run to Metropolis to save a woman, all the while not forgetting the butter. And watching the movie the two are classic Lois and Clark-Lois is very comfortable with the flirting and banter, and Clark can't stop being nervous and shaking his knee. Of course, he ends up saying the wrong thing after Lois confesses she is upset over Ollie. He's probably just celebrating with somebody else, Clark suggests. "Tall, dark, and single," says Lois, sizing up Clark. "Go figure."

But back to poor Oliver, who swears never to again trust a woman with a dragon tattoo (and haven't we all made that pledge at some point?). He goes from horror to horror in this strange game, suspecting first a dead Lex Luthor and then a live Toyman, and having no idea what is really going on.

One important thing I like that the writers are clear about-Oliver is not really suicidal nor has he really abandoned his hero persona, he has only forgotten himself. When faced with every choice that comes his way he doesn't act like a person who needs an intervention as much as a wake-up call. For one thing, he constantly keeps trying to save Roulette (or Victoria-her name varies) no matter how many times he thinks she's tried to kill him.

One thing the makers of this game did not count on, however, was Lois or apparently just how much Durance is rocking this season. Clark, who really has no idea what is going on, tells Lois to give Ollie some space even after she confronts him with the fact Clark didn't tell her how bad off Ollie's been. He probably wouldn't want anyone to know, says Clark. "Well, I'm not just anyone," says Lois. No kidding-this season I believe her. Lois eventually finds Roulette and, though clearly overmatched, goes one on one and gets in her kicks.

More importantly, Lois has become the one consistent engine that is driving the plot of Smallville this year. I thought it would be Zod, but Durance is pulling it off in such grand style that I'm not complaining. After all these years, I finally have no problem excepting her as THE Lois Lane.

Of course, my favorite character on Smallville has always been Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and I was so happy to see her revealed as the architect of most of this chaos toward the end. Chloe has become a controversial character in the last few years and a lot of the arguments among Smallville fans revolve around whether or not they "like" her. I think that totally misses the point. Outside of Clark, she is the last person left from the first show, and her character development has been both logical and a great deal of fun to watch.

Since appearing nine years ago on Smallville, Chloe has had two defining character traits: she is way too impulsive and she has an unreasonable confidence in herself. For a long time that was OK: truly empowered women who get by on brains and not bodies are too few on TV. But by now one might say Chloe has proceeded to full-on superiority complex.

It makes perfect sense. Chloe grew up, sans superpowers (except that stupid healing plot) in a world where there were meteor freaks and super villains, and heroes were the norm. Her smarts and her adventures have clearly made her believe she herself is a hero in the terms of a Batman (or...ahem...a Green Arrow). She isn't, but by now you try telling her that.

This has always been a very dangerous issue for her, and I was surprised it didn't kill her last year. I'll be surprised if it doesn't kill her this year. But I love watching it, because it has character-driven consistency (which Smallville often lacks) and Mack is just so good at playing it. How can anyone deny this is good acting? The Chloe of Season 9 is not here anymore to be liked. She is no longer the cute girl. Heck, if I was a hero OR a villain on Smallville, I'd fear her.

The episode is brought home by conversations, first by a Lois-Ollie heart-to-heart and then an iconic-looking rooftop talk between our two costumed superheroes. Ollie tells Clark he looks ridiculous in black. I don't think he does, but it is great to see the two of them back together like that.

If you are a fan of dense plot, or a singular focus on Clark, this episode might seem all over the place to you. But at this point, after all this time, what I want from Smallville is the characters I have grown to love, acting like they would logically act, for better or worse, while wrapped up in a superhero fantasy story. Forget realism. Give me grand choices and high drama. In an already great season, "Roulette" ups the ante even more.

Smallville has a reputation for big promises and lackluster endings. So far, they've promised a lot. Come on Smallville, don't let me down.

Smallville "Roulette" Episode Score (1-10): 10

For the rest of my Smallville reviews and other writing, see A Dash Of Salty.