Turbulence

Season 8, Episode 16, Aired
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Episode Summary

Tess Mercer invites Clark to accompany her to a press conference in Los Angeles, but when an accident cripples the plane, Clark must choose between saving Tess and revealing his powers, or letting her die. Meanwhile, Davis tries to control the Doomsday monster within.
8.5
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EPISODE RATING: Great
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Fan Episode Reviews (33)

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  • A hospitalized Jimmy sees Davis commit murder--or is it the drugs talking? Davis has a unique way of controlling Doomsday, and Clark may have to reveal his secret to Tess to save her when their plane is disabled.moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By 1960UncleSteve, Oct 24, 2011 Report Abuse
    Some shows that are on eight years grow stale, show the writers are running out of ideas, or otherwise make you shake your head and remember it "when it was good." Smallville is not one of those shows, and Turbulence proves the point. The title refers, of course, to Clark and Tess' plane trip, but it can sure refer to what happens to Jimmy as well, with his witnessing first a murder committed by Davis, then later a long embrace by Davis and Chloe. There's no small amout of turbulence in his angry breakup with Chloe either. In fact, the Jimmy Gone Wild/Davis the Villain Slayer storyline is as every bit an 'A' plot as is Clark and Tess' plane trip. It was one thing to watch, and shake our heads, as Lex did things we knew would only lead him to become the sinister Superman foe of legend. It's quite something else to watch Jimmy rant at Chloe, take four pills at once, knowing he's only supposed to take three in an entire day. It's also something else to see Davis reason that it's ok to murder common criminals if that's what it takes to keep Doomsday at bay. Unlike Lex, we know Jimmy's not destined to go to the Dark Side, and there's no reason Davis has to either. They can still be saved (well, at this point, anyway). But the road to salvation is not the ones they are on. And then there's the little matter of Tess and her interest in Clark's secret. She scoffs at Lex's friendship with Clark, telling Clark it was just obsession. She does this while trying to build trust with Clark, and feeding her own growing obsession with him. She even goes to the extreme measure of placing her life, and Clark's in grave danger (should Clark actually BE a normal man) with the bogus plane trip. Yes, Smallville has been around many years, and for the obvious reason--Superman doesn't begin his career at 50--it can't last much longer. But it sure doesn't feel old or tired, and it will be one of those handful of series we'll watch from beginning to end more than once.moreless

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    2 1

  • WAY Too Many References.

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By LoyalFan77, Mar 21, 2011 Report Abuse
    Ok so it's great that this show has been able to last for 8 seasons, and it's because of this that I find myself in the same situation as a lot of you fans out there. I watch, not because it's so great, but mostly because I'm loyal to the show, and want nothing more than to see it ended right. Some moments are amazing, and others are flat. I don't know what it is that I've been paying attention to all these years, but it wasn't until this episode that I noticed how awful the dialogue is; almost to the point where it's painful to watch. Case in point:

    1) Cloe makes a reference to "America's Next Top Model" when talking about clarks' Transformation.

    2) Cloe Makes a reference to "Highschool Musical" (This one just about made me cringe, but I guess it is the CW after all)

    3) Tess makes a reference to "Nip/Tuck" on the plane.

    4) Tess makes a reference to E "True Hollywood Story" on the same plane. Which leads me to ask the question: for someone trying to uncover Clarks Deep secrets, Running a company as big as the Daily planet as well as Lex's other assets, how and when exactly does Tess Mercer find the time to catch-up with Nip/Tuck and E-True Hollywood Gossip (leave that to the actual reporters)

    Last, but not least, there were way too many Cinderella references in this episode, and I don't know who Florence Nightingale is; another reference I think should have been edited out.

    Overall, it was an ok episode. It was pretty Hilarious how many times Davis practically pulled one over Jimmy. Scene with Cloe and Jimmy at the end, Strong as always. Allison Mack is an acting prodigy who is not only good, but she's done enough camera work that she knows how to Nail every single shot; which is why she gets the majority of the face time in every scene that she's in. Clark "Jumping" out of the plane with Tess looked like a really cheap computer game from the 90's...He looked like a small speck of dust in the air, but I can understand if the special effects department didn't want to waste their recently acquired stimulus package on bad writing.moreless

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    2 9

  • This ep was alright, but honestly, did anything relevant happen? Sure there was some character building with Davis and Jimmy and Chloe broke up which made good side plots, but Clark's story; completely irrelevant. New writers are definitely overdue.moreless

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By tkb_chimy_jr18, Mar 08, 2011 Report Abuse
    These writers are way past their expiry date which apparently was at the end of 2008 because ever since the beginning of the new year not a single episode which has aired deserves 9/10 or higher, and trust me folks, 8/10 for smallville is embarrassing. Smallville's been on a dry streak ever since the Bride episode. Yeh it's OK to have a couple weak episodes per season, but now they're exaggerating. Most people think that season 7 was the worst season, but season 7 was not only sick, but at this point in time the plot was building up to something intense with the death of Lionel Luthor, and Lex and Clark racing to solve the secret of Veritas) This season they've flooded the show with too many meaningless side-plots featuring the whole Davis Bloom/Doomsday story. They need to stop teasing us with these below average episodes and make the show more intense and interesting, cause right now it's slowly dying because there's no rising action, and whenever there is, it doesn't lead to anything meaningful.moreless

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    2 1

  • Oh boy.

    1.0
    "Abysmal"
    By mrslimm, Mar 08, 2011 Report Abuse
    It is clear that nobody on Smallville - the cast, the writers (Clark gets Tess drunk!), the director (this is very slackly paced, not a usual problem on the show) - can be bothered with the show anymore. Those of us who are sticking with it are only doing so out of a sense of misguided loyalty and that we really want to see, after all the misery and violence and stupidity we've been subjected to (seasons 4,5, 7 and 8), some kind of happy, or at least hopeful, climax to let Clark Kent go off into the sunset and future super-deeds. However, writers without ideas cannot think positively and American shows are required by law to be 'dark' and 'edgy'. So, there won't be a happy ending and while the 'creative' forces tread water Smallville will continue to embarrass everyone involved with it.

    Read more of my bite-size reviews at misterslimm.wordpress.com.moreless

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    1 3

  • Very intense.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By brainlesskiller, Feb 06, 2011 Report Abuse
    It was a good story. Two different plotlines (Clark with Tess, Jimmy with Davis and Chloe). Some people are bashing the show, saying things like '...I don't know why I am still watching this show, writers are bad, etc etc...'.
    These people don't miss a single episode and after the very end of each one come running to this site to write their crap review. I think these bad reviews to be very funny, because they talk so much nonsense...
    Must be because these people knows everything about the comic character and they know how to produce and tell a story, huh? And let's not forget that mostly they are teenagers trying to pose as very reasonable adults, hahaha...
    I know when an episode is good or not. Every time I read a bad review - even when the episode is not good - I laugh and laugh and laugh...what else to do?moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    3 1
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • When Clark shows Chloe how fast he can change he is wearing a white shirt and a black tie with white spots before and after his red-blue outfit change. However when he gets to work he is wearing a dark shirt with a gray-striped tie. Edit
    • It's never explained why the entire hospital staff seem to have disappeared when Jimmy gets up the first time, runs into the drunk driver, and sees the man being killed. Hospitals don't leave the hallways deserted, particularly those in a major metropolitan city. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Injoke: When Chloe points out Clark's "wardrobe malfunction" Clark looks down, and slightly tugs on his dress shirt, and sees that his tie isn't fastened. That image is a injoke on the iconic image, in comics and Superman: The Movie of Clark pulling open his dress shirt revealing his blue shirt with the "S" emblem. Clark even wears a blue shirt under his dress shirt. Edit
    • International Airdates: Norway: Saturday, April 18, 2009 7.10 pm on TVNorge Sweden: Friday, September 4, 2009 on TV6 Czech Republic: April 6, 2010 on TV Nova Turkey: June 20, 2010 on CNBC-e Edit
    • Music: I Don't Care (Apocalyptica) Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Tess: Clark, we all have our deepest, darkest secrets. I just told you mine. Now tell me yours. Clark: There's nothing to tell. With me, it's what you see is what you get. Edit
    • Clark: Chloe, working at the Daily Planet is a perfect cover. Chloe: Right. So, what, you're gonna pull a quick costume change in the middle of the bullpen? Edit
    • Clark: I thought you'd be happy. I mean, you were the one who convinced me to embrace my double identity and inspire the world. Chloe: Yeah, but Clark, did you have to make a guest appearance on every single traffic cam in town? Clark: Hey, slowing my superspeed down enough to appear on video is not easy. I wasn't even sure it worked the first few times. Chloe: Look, I'm all about your streak of primary colors making a splash, but this is more like a tsunami. Clark: If it means giving people hope, Chloe, I'll take that chance. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Chloe: (to Clark) Not to preempt your episode of America's Next Top Model, but you've got a little of a wardrobe malfunction. America's Next Top Model is a show on the CW that's hosted by former supermodel Tyra Banks where women compete to become a famous model. Also, the "wardrobe malfunction" is a reference to the half-time portion of Super Bowl XXXVIII (38), where Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson performed together. The term refers to when, at the end of the show, Justin purposefully ripped off part of Janet's clothing. Edit
    • Tess: (referring to Clark's backpack) I think we can find something a little less High School Musical. This is a reference to Disney's 2006 movie about two teens who fall in love and get involved together in their school's musical. Edit
    • Tess: I bet you didn't expect the in-flight entertainment to include my True Hollywood Story uh? "True Hollywood Story" is a TV documentary on E! Entertainment Television channel about the life of famous personalities and public figures. Edit

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