Aqua

Season 5, Episode 4, Aired
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Episode Summary

At a party at Crater Lake, Lois is saved from drowning by Arthur "A.C." Curry. Arthur has incredible swimming abilities, but also a secret agenda aimed at...Lex. Meanwhile, Professor Fine discussed Lex's weapons-manufucturing operations with Clark.
9.2
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Fan Episode Reviews (76)

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  • Aqua...Bro?

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By lenzinoH20, Apr 22, 2011 Report Abuse
    Aqua-At a party at Crater Lake, Lois is saved from drowning by Arthur "A.C." Curry. Arthur has incredible swimming abilities, but also a secret agenda aimed at...Lex. Meanwhile, Professor Fine discussed Lex's weapons-manufucturing operations with Clark.

    Ehw! and this season started out so well! Now, as much I liked DC hero episodes on Smallville, "Aqua" is NO "Run" or "Justice", not even "Cyborg"! I don't know what the writers were thinking when they turned the future King of Atlantis into some surfer dude! Alan Ritchson as AC has the perfect look for the character yet his acting is mediocre at best! But it's not all his fault, as the writers give AC some terrible dialogue (why does he say "bro" so much?). Don't even get me started on the fish puns throughout this episode! I never understood why every character has make one everytime their in AC's presence, it's just "eye roll" worthy! Also, his brief (and laughably) romance with Lois throughout this episode seemed so forced, I could bare it. Then there's Lois defending him to Clark and accusing Clark of being jealous....uhh..wtf? Why would Clark be jealous of you, Lois? Ohh and that underwater fight between Clark and AC...can you say lame? Clark just stand there while AC sends him flying out the water.

    The only thing worth watching in this episode is Lex being so supervillain-ish when holding AC hostage at his lab. Micheal was just so effectively evil in that scene! Then there's the full first appearence of Professor Milton Fine, played by wonderful James Masters. I've been a fan of James since his fang days on Buffy as Spike and he makes a fine addition to the season. I love his resentment towards Lex and you can tell he is making Clark realize how truly cruel Lex is. But besides that, "Aqua" is poor representation of Aquqman and the character is better when his just a member of the Justice League like in "Justice" and "Odyssey." But an episode devoted to him is plain torture!moreless

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  • Arthur Curry arrives in Smallville. Having the ability to swim underwater allows him to also know when Lex Luthor is developing a new military weapon that will kill all marine life within its range.moreless

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By annericelover, Apr 23, 2009 Report Abuse
    With the success of The Pre-Flash episode "Run" the writers quickly decided to bring in a new member of what will become the Justice League in the near future. Unfortunately the success isn't repeated. While I will admit Arthur Curry's(Aquaman)drive to protect the waters is played pretty well, the character just isn't that interesting(well in Smallville, the Mercy Reef pilot showed he could be interesting). Lex has definitely begun feeding into his dark side that has been inching out more and more since last season(and even more recently given a further push in "Onyx"). The one huge aspect I didn't like was Lois appearance in the episode, it is explained that she was still out looking for her sister, but decided to take a break, just in time to be saved by Arthur Curry and begin her Superhero groupie ways. The rest of the cast does their best with a less than average story to work with. However, further appearances by Arthur Curry tend to be a little better. Worth a look, if not for more than just to see his introduction. FIND "MERCY REEF/AQUAMAN" AND WATCH ITmoreless

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  • Superhero Arthur Curry is introduced; he has swimming ability far beyond those of mortal man. He and Clark must team up to defeat a new underwater weapon that Lex has developed.moreless

    7.7
    "Good"
    By cxtasy, Sep 04, 2008 Report Abuse
    Clark has started classes at Central Kansas A & M, and starts a debate with Professor Milton Fine, a severe critic of Lex Luthor - "Beware of white knights," and Fine plans an expose piece on Luthorcorp. Hey, wait - Fine is the creature that morphed out of the black goo from the spacecraft in "Arrival" about three episodes back - so is he a good alien or bad alien? And how did he suddenly get a professor's chair at a University? He offers Clark a research position to support the tell-all book, but Clark is still defending Lex, and turns down the offer.

    A new superswimmer character, Arthur Curry, is introduced through saving Lois (she's back from Europe already) from drowning at Crater Lake, and he can even outswim Clark. A sophomore at the U of Miami, AC supposedly on the swim team, and has a criminal record for stealing dolphins and releasing them to the ocean, so he's a bit of an eco-terrorist. On a later visit to the lake with Lois, Arthur's disabled by a mysterious noise that only he can hear, but all the fish are turning up dead. Lex is behind this, testing a new underwater weapon called Leviathan, which he hopes to sell to the military, hang the fish consequences. Arthur came to Smallville because of a fish die-off at the lake, but Clark is suspicious of Arthur's ability, and follows him back to the lake, where Arthur is following a water trail back to the nearby Luthorcorp lab. Finding Leviathan plans in plain sight, he's about to sabotage the area, when Clark interrupts., and absorbs the C4 explosion with his own self. The rivals battle underwater, with a lot of posturing and staring, and Arthur wins round one. AC tells Clark what he plans to destroy Leviathan because it's threat to ocean life, but Clark will collaborate only by facing Lex directly. Lex is less than forthright, and Clark leaves with, "The days of me believing your lies are over." At the lake once more, someone nails Arthur with a poison dart, and soon he's strapped to a table in the lab, with Lex denying him water, which weakens AC just as kryptonite weakens Clark. The interrogation begins, Lex suspecting extremist groups, and wanting to know how Arthur can breathe underwater. Arriving just in time, Clark gives AC a quick shower, restoring his powers. As the military demonstration begins, everything goes wrong, but Lex only has suspicions about how someone aborted the weapon. Clark can't stop trying to believe in people, Lex can't stop his self-destructive path. AC won't return to school, and we see the beginnings of the Justice League of America. Clark admits to Professor Fine that he was right about Lex, and asks for the research position, which Fine offers. AC has to say goodbye to Lois; for all her brash attitude, she's going to miss him., she just can't keep her man...always falling for busy superheroes. She laments to Clark, "I've known a lot of guys who want to own the world, I haven't met very many who actually want to save it. How am I ever going to meet someone like that again?" Clark assures her (big fat hint of things to come), "Lois, I promise, someday, you'll meet someone even more special." A nice, well-played scene between the two. Rerun rating C+.moreless

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  • While diving at Crater Lake, Lois gets knocked out, and is rescued by a mysterious swimmer named Arthur "A.C." Curry (Aquaman). Despite that, Clark doesn't trust him. Meanwhile, unable to trust Lex, Clark befriends Milton Fine, one of his professors.moreless

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By scorpionqueen86, Apr 07, 2008 Report Abuse
    While diving at Crater Lake, Lois hits her head on the diving board and is knocked out. Before Clark can save her, a mysterious stranger able to swim faster than Clark appears and pulls Lois from the water, then introduces himself as Arthur "A.C." Curry (a.k.a. Aquaman). Despite having saved Lois, Clark doesn't trust A.C., and later keeps him from exploding a LuthorCorp project that turns out to be a weapon Lex is developing for the US military. Meanwhile, Clark finds himself unable to trust Lex further, and befriends Milton Fine (a.k.a. Brainiac), one of his professors at Central Kansas A&M.

    My Review: As cool as it is that the writers have introduced another one of Clark's fellow superheroes and Justice League members, they couldn't have picked a lamer hero to bring on. I'm sorry to those who actually like Aquaman, but his powers are pretty much useless. Well, unless he's in water, but what are the chances of him having to fight someone other than Clark underwater?? Plus, I've done a little bit of digging on Aquaman (thank you, Wikipedia!), as well as watched the trailer for the now-defunct AQUAMAN pilot, and have discovered that the writers have taken a few liberties with the character's abilities and backstory. What makes it worse is that Alan Ritchson's portrayal made A.C. seem like a bit of an airhead, what with calling Clark his "bro". How in the world this was one of the highest watched eps in SMALLVILLE history is beyond me, especially considering no one seemed that interested in the new series starring Justin Hartley (loved him on PASSIONS, by the way). I will say this, though, in Aquaman's defense: he's helped to give the JLA a bit of a jump-start (at least, as far as SMALLVILLE is concerned), *And* he's jump-started Clark's jealousy at seeing Lois with other guys. Anything that pushes Lois and Clark closer together is always a plus in my book. In fact, my reasoning for giving this episode such a high rating comes primarily from all the Clois moments viewers are treated to. Nine stars, or starfishes as the case may be, out of ten.

    Highlights: Lois and Chloe intruding on the Clana moment; Clark rushing to save Lois (I know that's what he does, but still...awww); Clark trying to sneak in to Professor Fine's class ("Good morning, Mr Kent. Did we start too early for you?" :D); Clark interrupting Lois and A.C.; Clark interrogating A.C., and Lois pulling Clark away; Clark and A.C. confronting Lex; Clark rescuing A.C. from Lex's lab; Clark and A.C. teaming up to one-up Lex; and Clark comforting Lois after A.C.'s departure (;D).moreless

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  • Lois is saved from drowning not by Clark but by Arthur "AC" Curry, the future Aquaman.

    8.9
    "Great"
    By Remo49, Mar 23, 2008 Report Abuse
    Let me start off by saying that I never really cared for Aquaman. Okay, it'd be neat to be able to breathe under water and swim faster than a torpedo but I just never really cared for the character. That being said I thought this was a very good episode. I was hoping we'd hear more about AC and where he came from but maybe that will come in future episodes. AC of course has a run in with Lex Luthor and is captured by him. He's saved by Clark who uses his heat vision to break a water pipe and drench AC with water. Seems AC is really a fish out of water on land and needs water constantly. Worth watchingmoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • At 10:03, at the college. There is a guy with a blue bike, he starts down the second set of steps. But at 10:06 he is back on the landing and is starting down the second set of steps again. Edit
    • When A.C. reaches an unconscious Lois underwater he stops to have a staredown with Clark. While each was surprised to see the other couldn't that wait until after Lois is rescued? Edit
    • When we first see Clark in his underwater face-off with A.C., you can see that he is barefoot. However, when A.C. throws his waterball at Clark and shoots him onto the beach, you can see (when he's flying through the air) that Clark now has his shoes back on. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Deleted Scene: Lois apologizes to Arthur for Clark's accusation of him being a terrorist. Arthur admits that he blew up a lab and tries to convince Lois that he was doing the right thing. Lois says that she thought he was somebody. Arthur apologizes for hurting her, then takes his leave. Edit
    • Chloe looks up information on A.C. on the actual Miami Hurricanes website under Swimming and Diving. The page she is looking at is almost identical in design to the actual website, apart from the absence of advertising banners and a different layout for swimmer profiles. Also, there are only women on the actual swimming and diving roster of the University of Miami. Edit
    • This was the highest rated episode for a Thursday night in The WB's history (6.4 million viewers). A reason why WB green lighted an Aquaman pilot to be created by Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Fine: You know, history shows us that every decision a man makes has an effect on the sum of his life. Edit
    • Clark: What brings you to the most landlocked spot on the map? A.C.: Crater Lake. Last few months, a bunch of fish have been dying off. EPA blames it on temperature changes, but I think that is totally bogus. Clark: Smallville's a long way to go to check on temperature changes. A.C.: Not if you care about the world you live in. See, people think that whatever happens in the oceans and lakes doesn't effect their lives, but it does. It's all connected. Clark: Do you really believe that or is that a pickup line for the girls? Edit
    • Fine: What is history? What is her story? What is your story... Mr. Kent? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • AC: It's a sonar weapon called Leviathan. It emits some kind of focused wave. Packs enough punch to rip a submarine in half. Leviathan (le-vi-a-then), is a sea creature from Biblical times, described as a giant serpent. It is mentioned throughout the Old Testament, and feasted on all living things in the water. Edit
    • Lois: You know this whole orange and green thing you got going? It looks like Flipper threw up. Flipper was the dolphin star of the 1963 movie Flipper. The movie was followed by TV shows in 1964 and 1995 and a movie remake in 1996. Edit
    • Professor Milton Fine: German philosophy is easy. Comedy is hard. A riff on the famous deathbed words: Dying is easy, comedy is hard. Exactly who first said them on their deathbed is up to debate. Two common candidates are Sir Donald Wolfit and Edmund Kean. Edit

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