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This review contains MAJOR SPOILERS for ?Bride,? the tenth episode from ?Smallville?s? eighth season.

Thus far, Doomsday has been content to remain in the background, becoming more of a random news report of violence, destruction and mayhem, all while Davis Bloom (Sam Witwer) continues his life as a Metropolis paramedic. That is, until now.

Opening with an almost ?Cloverfield? beginning of Chloe (Allison Mack) and Jimmy?s (Aaron Ashmore) wedding, ?Bride? shows off some short and well collated scenes of love, loss and something far more sinister than a bald billionaire with his eyes set on extra terrestrials. From there, the episode very quickly jumps back into the ?Smallville? formula of bringing the seasons individually developed storylines into a singular event.

The disappearance of Lex, Ollie?s (Justin Hartley) desire for revenge, the budding romance between Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and the runaway Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk) all come rushing back into a single installment at a much slower pace than you would naturally expect.

At least, that is until Doomsday takes form and ?Bride? plunges back into ?Cloverfield? territory with a lot of screaming, death and virtually no scenes of Doomsday beyond the occasional glimpse in the shadows. The wedding scenes were disjointed through the many character scenes that were interspersed throughout Chloe?s big day (slowly telling the tale of the episode?s hand-held teaser) and the destruction of the barn was equally incoherent. (Then again, when is chaos ever organized?

What Worked

Although Oliver?s lead on Lex?s whereabouts ultimately proves fruitless, the final scene of a bald-headed figure hooked up to ?Smallville?s? home videos does come with something of a punch. Michael Rosenbaum may not have had any involvement, but the meaning is clear ? Lex will be back in one form or another. And hopefully so will the secret-protecting Chloe Sullivan.

The re-introduction of Lana as a Lex-hunting protector of Clark?s secret proves to be a much more intriguing notion than her short-lived spell as an element of darkness over the last couple of years. What?s more, her re-appearance into the Kent farm also triggers a deep pang of regret for Lois after finally realizing (or perhaps accepting) her feelings for her very own Smallville. And Endurance does a wonderful job of expressing her feelings with only a few lines of meager dialogue. In actual fact, it?s what is not said that gives the episode the moment the tenderness that really needed.

Instead, it was Lana?s discussions on the erasing of Chloe?s current spout of Kryptonian amnesia that carries the dwindling Clark/Lana relationship to a natural conclusion, paving the way for the infamous Lois and Clark duo to come together in true comic-book style.

Davis slowly losing control of himself and transforming into The Ultimate Destroyer, and the bringer of doomsday is becoming the most fascinating element to the new season. Much of the earlier stories may have been to build up Tess Mercer as the major new player in Metropolis, however she has been quite clearly surpassed by Bloom?s alter-ego. Not surprising given that she is following in the same footsteps as Rosenbaum.

What Didn?t Work

You would think that after seven and a half years, ?Smallville? would have run out of mushy platitudes, but somehow the show manages to surprise you by pulling out yet another cheesy Hallmark line from the Wholesome Olsen.

?Smallville? may not exactly be the biggest of network shows, however the low-budget transformation of the Kent barn into the Sullivan/Olsen wedding venue is something of a letdown given the elaborate and exuberance of some of the shows previous locations. Then again, given that it is Chloe that will be walking down the aisle, perhaps a more intimate setting is the better choice.

And despite the magnitude of the cliff-hanger ending, there are so many questions now dangling before us that demand answers: why is Lex wired up to wedding videos, what?s the deal with the Fortress of Solitude and more importantly why does Doomsday have access to it? A cliffhanger may be ?Smallville?s? style, but the annoyance of it all is still difficult to brush aside.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Smallville" stars Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Allison Mack and Justin Hartley. "Bride" was written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien, and was directed by Jeannot Szwarc. "Smallville" airs on The CW Thursday at 8 p.m.

Alan Stanley Blair is the Assistant News Editor for Airlock Alpha and its sister site Rabid Doll. He is currently studying for a diploma in Freelance Journalism and can be reached at ablair@airlockalpha.com.

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