Smallville 9x07 - "Kandor" - Discussion and Spoilers

[nx1701g]

Is Kandor a planet or a city in the Smallville universe?

City - Kara identified it as her hometown.

Also, why does Zod and the new arrivals consider themselves Kandorians instead of Kryptonians?

I think they are only calling themselves Kandorians with hometown identification.

What is Black Zero?

Black Zero is from the comics. There have been a couple of different versions including Supervillains, terrorist organizations, and a computer virus. In almost every continuity they were involved with the destruction of Krypton.

In the Smallville continuity they were a terrorist organization.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

^ My guess is that Smallville was going for the terrorist organisation with a dislike for clones.

 

[Lt. Trull]

Kandor could also be a region....
I'm from kandor or I'm kandorian is much the same as saying I'm from russia or I'm american...

 

[Trekker4747]

Kandor in the comics was a city on Krypton. The same is true here.

 

[O'Dib]

I get the impression that it was a city state. The caption at the beginning of the episode says "Kandorian Border". So even though the city is clearly visible from the border, its domain could be a lot wider than that, perhaps like Rome, and the Roman Empire. And who knows how tall those towers really are? The distance to the city could actually be enormous. Especially if Krypton is a larger planet, allowing you to see further before curvature interferes..

The State idea also explains how Kara could still be Kandorian after the city was destroyed: she was from the province. Or, they rebuilt it. Kryptonopolis sounds stupid anyway, I'd go with New Kandor for capital of Krypton..

BTW, the whole Krypton is larger thing (dunno how present that idea is in the current canon) would mean denser, heavier bodies for Kryptonians, and a certain measure of superstrength and damage resistance for them, when operating on Earth, even w/o Solar power. For example, I like in Public Enemies, how Superman was still pretty badass, even after exposure to Kryptonite. I picture it as short-circuiting his solar powers, but not turning him into a whimpering baby, like it does for CK in Smallville.

 

[nx1701g]

^ Good theory.

 

[DarthPipes]

I'm sorry to hear about your mom too, Pro.

Just finished watching it and I thought it was excellent. Easily the best episode of the season. Do you notice we seem to get a lot of those when Lois is not involved?

The Zod/Jor-El backstory was great and I love the flashbacks, from the destruction of Kandor to the Donnor Council scenes. They even actually managed to explain some of their old backstory like how Clark lost his powers a while back so they get a point there. Nice parrell between Zod/Jor-El and Clark/Lex.

Julian Sands was great as Jor-El, as was Callum Blue as Zod. Both managed to flesh out their characters nicely. I'm glad Chloe got something to do in this episode and the Clark/Oliver stuff was good too. You can't beat Tess either. My only disappointment is we didn't get to see Clark and Jor-El interact for more than twenty seconds.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

I found this episode to be fairly middling, and agree with Middle Earther in that it felt a bit like a wasted opportunity. Not to say it was bad. It certainly looked good, and there were a few moments that struggled above the mediocrity. But Jor-El and Zod didn't interest me all that much and I found much of the writing to be only worthy of a first draft. Tess' machinations were fairly intriguing though (she has a wicked little smirk) until they ultimately amounted to nought. Doesn't help that Clark is again made to look like a dumbass when he just sits their impotently as his father dies like so many other moments before, on this show and others, and when he doesn't easily notice Zod watching him in plain sight at the end of the ep.

Still, nothing to absolutely hate like other episodes this season.

Just finished watching it and I thought it was excellent. Do you notice we seem to get a lot of those when Lois is not involved?

Both my favourite and least favourite episodes this season have featured Lois heavily, and you know my opinion of this one so YMMV.

 

[the Dagman]

BTW, the whole Krypton is larger thing (dunno how present that idea is in the current canon) would mean denser, heavier bodies for Kryptonians, and a certain measure of superstrength and damage resistance for them, when operating on Earth, even w/o Solar power. For example, I like in Public Enemies, how Superman was still pretty badass, even after exposure to Kryptonite. I picture it as short-circuiting his solar powers, but not turning him into a whimpering baby, like it does for CK in Smallville.

Yes, this was part of the Golden Age explanation of Superman's powers. Krypton was larger and denser, and it's people are adapted to living that way. In fact, they were a planet of Supermen. All were strong, thick-skinned and leaping around everywhere. All of which were enhanced on the much smaller Earth, due to the lessened gravity on them. Like humans can leap a greater distance on the moon.

The other powers were explained away by the yellow sun. But the basic "leaping brick" powers were all supposed to be inherent, even on Krypton.

Later, that was changed. Making the Kryptonians more human like in their native environment. And more weight given to the yellow sun explanation of the powers. In fact, they went so far as to make kryptonians virtually the same as humans, but for being acclimated for their native environs. Going so far to say that humans could also gain such power if they were in a star system with a blue sun, thinking that a blue sun burns more intensely than a yellow one. And kryptonians would be even more powerful under such a star.

Gotta love the Silver Age.

 

[Guy Gardener]

This episode was stupid.

If Chloe was going to admit everything to the first guy walking into the Kent farm claiming to be Jor-El, then Tess is a moron for not attempting that tac months earlier, and she didn't ask why he used a different voice for his AI program and why his appearance differed so much from the newspaper clippings of him from his trip to smallville in the 50s before she figured out she was dealing with an out of date xerox.

How many writers were in on this gobshite? because sometimes they understood that Jor-El and Jor-El were both fakes, and that any hearty feelings Kal-El was feeling to either scientific Zombie doppleganger was misplaced transference, ever after Oliver asked Clark to qualify who was "real" because sometimes they were off in lala land about how :"My daddy is back!" ...It's like in Buffy when they kept saying that after she died if she came back "wrong" and that they might have to kill her for being an abomination... Even professor Moriarty from TNG was smart enough to admit that the emotions driving him were self destructive and menacing to everyone around him, and that he could just chill and enjoy the view because it clearly wasn't the 19th century anymore. Zod and Jor-El are skipping record doomed to repeat the same tragic mistakes over and over again.

How busy was Terrance Stamp?

Seriously?

"I'm looking for the man who shot my pa?"

Tess has a million bodies on her pay roll and surveillance tech that would make the CIA blush, which is compromised, but these Kandorians are still just driving around in stolen cars to get between their secret lair and the Luthor Mansion?

How hard is that to track?

Unless her plan was to make Clark kill them, which would be a good plan, a gps in the redblue blur costume they had Julian wearing is silly just to chase them down to some warehouse Any one could have found by cross referencing RAO holdings against their assets abnormal power consumption. That shit is Chloe 101.

Not only could the AI Jor-El repair this dead Clor-El, but frak it if Kal-El can settle for one clone, then one identical clone is as good as the next that AI Jor-El could just make a new Clor-El from scratch, and because Clark is so dim witted, parents replace dead pets all the time, he wouldn't UNDERSTAND the difference.

Gotta wonder how inexact this science was by the time Jor-El's brother decided to make himself a Lara of his own to make babies with, that Doomsday was an accident and not made like that onpurpose.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I gave this one an 'excellent' just for the Kryptonian stuff.

- Seeing Krypton again was pretty cool, and even cooler was that they recreated the court room and judgement council from the movie. How cool was that?

- However... It looks like they went the BSG route with the military and gave them a more contemporary look. That was cool too.

- I wasn't looking forward to seeing someone else play Jor El, but it worked out alright. I suppose you could write Julian Sands off as an older Tom Welling. Good casting with Sands by the way. Somehow I don't see Supes with a receding hairline though.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Interesting that everyone really likes Julian Sands. I wonder why.

Geez, this opening feels more like Terminator, rather than Smallville!

I thought the same thing.

Terrence Stamp is too old for the time in Jor-el's life to play the part.

A few years ago, I thought it would have been a good idea to see Stamp as Jor El, then someone pointed out the obvious... He was too old.

They're not quite there, but I'm going to go ahead and call what Tess is wearing "fuck-me boots."

Yeah, nice leg shot. And they say CW is for the ladies. Right. And those are the boots I like. Can't stand the ones that go all the way up and look like extra thick stockings. Those aren't sexy.

Did he just say he wants to eat her out?

More or less.

Really? Huh! Missed that. He needs to get in line though.

two items... My wife noticed that clark seems to have a habit of having fathers die in his arms on the farm.

[Khan]I will avenge you![/Khan]

"Sorry, no folicle."

I thought perhaps, that with the discussion of mutations, etc., we would find out that Doomsday was a failed clone of Zod's son.

You know I really like that idea.

I made that connection. I thought that was the point.

Will Kara's presence on Earth be kept quiet from them?

I completely forgot about her. Maybe the writers did too.

 

[Broccoli]

Somehow I don't see Supes with a receding hairline though.

Calling Nick Cage...

 

[Trekker4747]

ISomehow I don't see Supes with a receding hairline though.

The Yellow Sun, it's better than Rogaine!

 

[Lt. Trull]

Not only could the AI Jor-El repair this dead Clor-El, but frak it if Kal-El can settle for one clone, then one identical clone is as good as the next that AI Jor-El could just make a new Clor-El from scratch, and because Clark is so dim witted, parents replace dead pets all the time, he wouldn't UNDERSTAND the difference.

That's so true... if clark is feeling those kind of feelings for a clone... any clone would do.... why not have the fortress clone dear ole dad, download his ai into him...

then you could have a running (I wouldn't say gag) but I will... have a running gag where clarks fathers clone(s) constantly die in his arms on the farm.

Fate has decreed that any man calling himself clarks father dies on that farm in clarks arms...

 

[Guy Gardener]

South Park would sue.

Oh yes, and what's so wrong about Oliver/Justin taking his shirt off?

Great Shades of galaxy Quest?

 

[Trekker4747]

Oh yes, and what's so wrong about Oliver/Justin taking his shirt off?

We're not into dudes.

 

[Lt. Trull]

Oh yes, and what's so wrong about Oliver/Justin taking his shirt off?

We're not into dudes.

That was in Chloe's script, but Oliver/justin jumped in to take the hit instead..... bummer!

 

[Guy Gardener]

And Here I was thinking that people just really really liked shirts.

 

[O'Dib]

Yes, this was part of the Golden Age explanation of Superman's powers. Krypton was larger and denser, and it's people are adapted to living that way. In fact, they were a planet of Supermen. All were strong, thick-skinned and leaping around everywhere. All of which were enhanced on the much smaller Earth, due to the lessened gravity on them. Like humans can leap a greater distance on the moon.

The other powers were explained away by the yellow sun. But the basic "leaping brick" powers were all supposed to be inherent, even on Krypton.

Yeah, that's kind of stupid. It's like that episode of DS9 with the crippled girl who comes from a smaller gravity world, having to wear braces so as not to crumble on the station. And then, in her private quarters, she reduces the grav settings and starts flying, with Julian! When in fact she should've just been able to function normally, with Julian jumping about by himself.

Later, that was changed. Making the Kryptonians more human like in their native environment. And more weight given to the yellow sun explanation of the powers. In fact, they went so far as to make kryptonians virtually the same as humans, but for being acclimated for their native environs. Going so far to say that humans could also gain such power if they were in a star system with a blue sun, thinking that a blue sun burns more intensely than a yellow one. And kryptonians would be even more powerful under such a star.

Gotta love the Silver Age.

That's pretty lame as well. It gives way to idiotic stories like, lightning gave me Superman's powers! Nothing in the human makeup suggests we function as solar batteries! And blue suns should be lethal to kryptonians.

The only way for the kryptonian red/yellow sun thing to make sense is if they had evolved under a yellow sun, and depowered when it went red, due to outside tampering, or whatever.