Smallville Season 9 Episode 3 Review: "Rabid"

by ak10 | 19:27 EDT, 02 Nov, 2010

Let me start by saying how frustrated I get with the writing on Smallville sometimes. With a character such as Clark Kent/Superman, there should be no shortage of story possibilities, however, time and time again their are episodes that are just lazy blatent ripoffs of other things. Take the episode "Mery" from season 5, it is laughably ripped straight from the script pages of the Saw movie franchise. This lastest episode "Rabid" is just another example of that. Anyone who has seen the zombie movie 28 Days Later can tell you, that the begining of this episode and the overall plot was just an utter hachet job on the movie. From the very first scene of Clark awaking alone in a hospital bed and then walking outside only to find their is no one around is just verbatim. It annoys me when they do this, cause it is starting to become a trend with their writers, and its just lazy uninspired writing.

The only redeeming thing in this episode was the very first inception of Clark and Lois working together, only to have Clark make an excuse to step away for a second to go save the day. That 30 second scene was the only bright spot in an otherwise awful episode. That superman-eques dynamic is what the writers need to focus on. And please, for the love of God, stop with the pop-culture ripoffs. I swear, if their is even a vampire Twilighty themed episode, I may just be done.

Comments

Sparhawke | 11:07 EDT, 10 Oct, 2009

Agreed, to watch this episode was just ridiculous and painful but I sat throught it simply so that next week I would know what is going on. Much better would've had something like braniacs supervirus and just leave it be, rather than making a 4th rate zombie rip off.

ak10 | 12:40 EDT, 10 Oct, 2009

Yes, exactly. They could have easily done a similar storyline, just have people infected in a different way. Like somehow they got infected with a krypotian virus, they could have had green glowing eyes, still have super-strentgh, and not be flesh hungry zombies. Clark would have not been able to get too close, and it would have made way more sense since Zod's people are trying to find the source of their powers, they could have been testing the virus on the humans to see how it would affect them and see if it would work on themselves. This was just bizarre, why would Zod's people have a zombie virus lying around anyway? Why would they even know what a zombie was, were zombie flicks big on Krypton? The whole thing just did not make any sense.

clarkymark | 13:55 EDT, 10 Oct, 2009

this actually happens in the comics so it makes perfect sense. admitting the comics didnt use the word zombie but the effects were pretty much the same. there are far worse episodes than this. metallo for instance. that should have been dragged out longer. he shouldnt have just been in 1 episode. none the less i enjoyed it. just relax and stop taking things so seriously. noone is perfect

MattFinch | 19:46 EDT, 10 Oct, 2009

I don't agree, I loved 28 day later, but I still thought this was a brilliant episode. I like the way they reference other things, such as the Buffy episode, I think it's fun but still carries the story arc further. The lois and clark relationship developed and we saw the zod and his followers had a reason for using the virus. Yes it wasn't original, but it was still highly enjoyable. There is a whole season to focus on the superman -esque dynamic, so I don't mind one episode being different.

JohnH | 21:50 EDT, 10 Oct, 2009

i didnt like it but i didi liked the whole horror story part to the episode but it was abit of a carbon copy of 28 days laterguess the carbon copy was the worst part cos we got a 28 days later dont need a copy of it other than that it was a good episode it kick starts clois working together things can happen i think there has been worst episodes than this it wasent the best episode this season this episode more went outa the superman concept its about clarks dark road and his training and this more a clark than kal-el rather comical how zod thought jor-el was the blurr at the end kicks off the fact zod and clark will fight it out at some point this seasonjust i think now it might drag into the ground if they make more now i love smallville but its starting to buckle the storylines aint really what they used to be all in all id say do a full season end it with a 2 hour episode finishing off his training and he finally becomes superman all in all i think now that smallvilles days are numbered i dont think at this moment they should renew it i think they should give it a full season then end it at that

Sparhawke | 10:50 EDT, 11 Oct, 2009

Not too sure about having Callum Blue as Zod either...maybe I just remember him too much from DLM but it seems a bit like Elmo having been cast as Hannibal Lector...there is just something about it that doesn't work. (Even though I am sure Elmo is a great actor)

patleeyc | 11:38 EDT, 11 Oct, 2009

It was ok. Not original... but the main idea was that it had to lead to the eventual showdown between the baddies and clark in the coming episodes. (they had to "filter" him out obviously).Let's face it, its not easy to be original in today's world;I enjoyed it anyways.

joshy_boi19 | 09:10 EDT, 12 Oct, 2009

I didin't enjoy it that much, but then I haven't really enjoyed much of season nine. I did think that, although yes it is an orignal story from the Superman comics, they did take a bit too much from 28 Days Later there is no denying it. The waking up in the "Hospital" part, walking through the empty streets. This annoyed me but I just kinda let it slide as stuff like this happens all the time in TV. But I lost the plot when the Dr (I keep forgetting his name but he is an awful actor) called the virus RAGE. Man at least try to cover up your plagarism a little, and I know zombie themes all rub off one another but 28 Days Later had that edge because of RAGE. I almost punched the computer screen at that point. Needless to say this season best pick up soon, because I'm giving it pity viewings at the moment for the sheer fact that I have been watching for so many years now but I'm starting to lose patience now, they ahd a great story to end it on last season. They could have gone out with a bang but decided to squeeze more blood from the stone.

NikolasPatton | 23:57 EDT, 12 Oct, 2009

i think that this episode though unoriginal (dont think it was intended to be original i think that was the point to be like 28 days , but some people are just to simple minded to think long enough before they ridicule something ) was very enjoyable from start to finish the chemistry between erica and tom is great and besides cloe i love this seasons direction so far. every episode has lived up to the hype in my opinion, this season, but obviously others think differently so thats why this show probably has this season and one more until its finished because people cant enjoy it for what it is. please just enjoy the show instead of trying to find reasons to criticize it.

fudgefase | 07:50 EDT, 14 Oct, 2009

Very bizarre!

Want to comment on this post? First, you must log in to your SideReel account!

SideReel - Watch TV Shows Online - Full Episodes of Your Favorite Shows