
When I was a kid, there was only one part of Superman: The Movie that scared the crap out of me. Towards the beginning of the film we see three Kryptonian villains getting banished inside of a glass prism screaming to be released. Of course these villains were being trapped inside of the Phantom Zone, Krypton’s version of Guantanamo Bay that floated around the galaxy and for a young kid it can be scary stuff…it can also be scary stuff if your name is Oliver Queen and Clark Kent. In Friday’s episode, “Dominion,†Clark finds out that Deathstroke had been found on a street corner having escaped from the Phantom Zone. Clark realizes there must be a leak that is letting people escape and decides to go in to the Phantom Zone and close it himself. Little does he know that Oliver plans to join in…oh yeah, and General Zod is now in charge of the Phantom Zone. Pretty bad, right? It gets worse. Clark has no powers inside of the Phantom Zone and as soon as he gets there he is captured, and his only way back to Earth is in the hands of General Zod. Meanwhile, Tess and Lois are left back home to try and figure out a way to bring them back, which leads Tess to reveal to Lois that Clark is taking some huge risks with his plans that Lois doesn’t even know about.

The one thing I’ve always liked about Smallville’s interpretation of the Phantom Zone is that it makes it a tangible place. For people who grew up with the Richard Donner movies they might only remember it as that glass prism of doom, but Smallville has shown us the nightmare of a planet that is inside. There aren’t only bad people in the Phantom Zone, but some bad creatures too, none more powerful than Zod. It was interesting that they chose to have Zod be a combination of the phantom Zod (last seen possessing Lex Luthor in the Season 5 finale and Season 6 premiere) and the Zod we remember from last season (played by the always marvelous Callum Blue) to form a super Zod hybrid. After Michael Rosenbaum’s departure from the show the writers seemed to struggle in finding another credible season-long villain for Clark (*shudders*…Doomsday…) and Callum’s Zod really turned that around, so it was great to see him one last time before the show’s end.

It was also great to see Justin Hartley/Oliver back this week after a lengthy absence (he also directed the episode). They really played up his storyline of being marked by Darkseid and the darkness inside of him that a lot of fans have been clamoring for since we first saw the mark on him. When he made the deal with Zod to fight Clark to the death I thought “this has to be some sort of trick orchestrated by Clark and Oliver†(yes, I use words like orchestrated in my inner-dialogue) but when he stabbed Clark I was legitimately surprised. The whole Gladiator aspect to this episode was bizarre, but oddly appropriate.
There’s only one aspect of the episode that kind of bothered me, but I think it was supposed to. Clark comes back home to Lois from the Phantom Zone and she tells him that he’s actually been gone for three weeks and she honestly didn’t know if he would ever come back. My heart just broke for Lois and I was actually angry at Clark for his selfishness and not telling Lois what his plan was. I realize that my empathy towards Lois was probably the desired reaction that the writers had intended, but it left me feeling a little pissed at Clark (especially because you know I love me some Lois) for hurting her so badly. I think Lois forgave Clark faster than I did!
Overall, it was an interesting little episode with some great performances. Judging by the preview of next week, we should see more development with Oliver trying to rid himself of the darkness and even a return from Kara! Only two episodes left!
Related posts
Classics
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People, which US audiences still have not been able…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
Catching Up with Ted Lasso and Previewing Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] The not so dirty little secret about how I approach a new series is that I sometimes make a call based on the headspace I’m in at the time. It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a show after the first season and then binge…
Interview: Henri Esteve on Grown-ish Season 3
An interview with Henri Esteve, who plays Javi on Freeform’s Grown-ish. He talks about his season three experience.
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…