This season of “Heroes” has been uneven, but in many respects, success or failure has been dependent on the treatment of Samuel Sullivan. That character has done more for this season than almost any other element, and as such, one would expect the same would be true for this episode (and the season as a whole).

So it is a bit unfortunate that the time has finally come for Samuel’s motivations to become clear. As much as it was necessary for the good of the season arc, since it begins to answer some of the pressing questions about Samuel and his activities since the season premiere, it also feels a bit too simple. It renders Samuel a less compelling villain to have him searching for more and more power.

While I felt that the season got off to a slow and confusing start, the writers have settled in nicely and the show is finding its way back into my good graces. It still has its definite flaws, but it’s easy to forgive when I come away from an episode satisfied. Granted, it’s still early in the season, and the writers tend to lose their way in the second half time and again, but for now, I’m good with “Smallville”.

I will be the first to admit that enjoyment of recent seasons might be predicated on one’s enjoyment of the Clark/Lois dynamic. That element has certainly been ramping up this season, and by making it a critical part of the season arc, the writers resolve one of the issues with its treatment last season.

Unfortunately, there is a drawback. The writers are trying to play on the nostalgic factor of the Lois and Clark relationship. There is a certain degree of expectation and anticipation (and I say that personally). It’s not all that different from the anticipation of Clark donning the familiar red and blue, taking flight, or managing to craft a believable secret identity when everyone and their brother has seen his face without glasses for all this time.

It’s a game of inches, and the writers want to touch on the Lois’ constant suspicions about Clark and his true nature without pulling the trigger. But just as it became ridiculous after years of teasing during the Clark/Lana era, it’s getting old now. In fact, having seen it all before, patience is becoming elusive.

Maybe this is one of those few remaining constraints on the producers, something they’re not allowed to have happen on the show. That would be unfortunate. The writers have already strayed so far from the traditional canon that they really could ignore the “rules” and have things happen much earlier in the timeline. In my opinion, the show would be much stronger as a result.

Because it was clear that Lois wouldn’t get to the end of the episode with her realization intact, my pleasure over some of the more iconic moments was mitigated. The saving grace was how Lois was convinced that Clark was not the Blur. Having Chloe abuse her power as Watchtower once again was a smart move. I like the darker direction that Chloe has been taking since her experiences last season, and how it threatens her relationship with Clark. If Chloe’s death (once again used as a tease) doesn’t come to pass, I begin to wonder if she’ll go darkside in the future.

The introduction of the Wonder Twins didn’t bother me, even if there were indications that the writers once again assumed a certain amount of backstory knowledge on the part of the audience. I recalled just enough from childhood cartoons, I think! They served a purpose within the context of the story, helped indirectly elevate the legend of the Blur and the status of the familiar sigil as a symbol of hope, and gave Clark a chance to show some rare wisdom.

Perhaps the best part of the episode was the final scene, and how it dovetailed with the vision in the teaser. A lot of the small details from earlier episodes are coming together to form a bleak picture, and I like where it’s all going. As long as the writers keep their eyes on a solid plan for the whole season, this could turn out to be another winner.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10

Written by Eric Kripke and Nancy Weiner
Directed by Jim Conway

I must admit that I had some concerns when I first heard that an episode of the fifth season would be held at a “Supernatural” convention. I thought the writers were perhaps going a little too “meta” in the process. I’m still not convinced that it wasn’t a very bad idea, but it certainly had its charms.

Eric Kripke and the production staff love the fans, and they like to show it by gently mocking some of the sacred cows of the fandom. Just the fact that they tolerate the creepy Wincest fans is a testimony to their inclusivity. I think the writers did the fans justice by addressing, on a certain level, some of the common insults tossed at the super-fanatic. And I would hope that the fans enjoyed the recognition for what it was.

That said, I thought the episode was trying a little too hard to push its theme and moral underpinnings at the expense of the story. The entire ghost story aspect felt generic, and when even the main characters are wondering why they are getting sidetracked from their main mission, it’s telling. Only the fact that Chuck was able to toss out an unexpected lead on the Colt made it workable.

I mentioned in the review for the previous episode that the current run of relatively light-hearted episodes and side missions seemed to be designed to mitigate the darkness to come. Hopefully this will turn out to be true, and hopefully this trend is about to shift towards the darkness. Because if this continues for much longer, this season of “Supernatural” threatens to become a parallel to the disappointing sixth season of “The X-Files”.

As I’ve said before, comedy is a lot harder than drama. Most people can understand and relate to the core principles of the dramatic material, because it always boils down to the relationship between the Brothers Winchester. It’s a common language. Comedy, on the other hand, is largely subjective. Appreciation of a joke relies on relative context.

I also find it harder to appreciate the comedic episodes when the focus is less about revealing something interesting about the brothers and more on something external to them. The previous episode worked because, in the end, it was about Sam and Dean and the big picture. This was closer to “Hollywood Babylon”, though this episode did manage to still poke fan at something actually related to the show.

So far, this has been a somewhat surprising start to the fifth season, and not necessarily in a good way. While it has been solid and above average, the fifth season hasn’t been as strong as the fourth season. I think there have been some great episodes, but I haven’t been as hooked as I have been in the past. At least some of that must be the effect of too much light fare. There’s still plenty of time left for this season to ramp up, though, so I’m not expressing too much disappointment yet.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10

Something funny has happened since the rough start to the fourth season. “Heroes” has actually gotten some good storylines going. I find that the success or failure of an episode has everything to do with which plot threads are currently being explored, and by extension, which characters are involved. I mentioned this in a review for one of the earlier fourth season episodes, and it continues to be true.

I’ve liked the Matt/Sylar battle since the beginning of the season, and it’s only gotten better with time. I thought that Sylar’s ploy to take over Matt’s body was very well done, but I think I like Matt’s chess game with Sylar in this episode even more. Both of them are playing for high stakes and adopting a “scorched earth” policy that fits their personalities. Sylar is willing to destroy Matt’s life and kill innocents to gain advantage; Matt is willing to sacrifice his own life to stop Sylar.

This is one of those wonderful mythology-laden episodes that serves the interests of both longtime fans and those only familiar with “Smallville”. It’s entirely possible to watch this episode without any prior knowledge of the franchise and understand the context of it all. That it touched on parallels to earlier seasons of the show, and managed to tie together some of the loose ends over the years, also made this a winner.

The idea of alien creatures in “Fringe”, even if just as a riff on the ongoing exploration of the meaning of consciousness, leaves me a bit uncertain. I would have been a little happier if the “infection” of the cosmonaut had been revealed as a catalyst for the fragmentation of the cosmonaut’s own consciousness, or even just a fragment of it.

After all, the treatment of this rogue consciousness was very similar to the reports of “shadow people” in the paranormal investigative world. Granted, such phenomena isn’t said to result in people turning into ash, but there were strong similarities, particularly in terms of the video evidence and the unusual electromagnetic effects. Merging the current legends and lore of “shadow people” to this particular story could have grounded it in the semi-familiar world. (At least, for those already with an interest in “fringe science”.)

I personally think the concepts at play in the show are complicated enough without adding alien consciousnesses to the mix. If there is one thing that has marked genre shows produced by JJ Abrams, it is a tendency to expand the frame of unusual reference a little too far. Keeping the scope of the series to the bizarre fringes of technological advancement between two parallel universes should give them more than enough room to maneuver. Adding aliens into the mix expands the boundaries a bit more than necessary.

I get the distinct feeling that the writers for “Supernatural” are trying to bring some of the lighter moments into the season early because the latter half of the season is going to be the darkest stretch yet. Even episodes like this, clearly based on an idea with pure comic potential, comes to a close with a heavy dose of dread. Considering that it’s the apocalypse, that’s probably not a huge shock.

Comedy is subjective, but I thought it was great to see the writers spoof their own most difficult timeslot competition. “CSI” has some truly awful writing and acting across the board, and “Grey’s Anatomy” is overwrought soap opera. I loved the sitcom opening credits and the “Knight Rider” spoof, and that commercial fooled me the first time through.

This was billed as a much-anticipated episode, and it certainly had its allure. The Hiro/Charlie episodes were some of the best of the first season, and I was interested to see how the current version of Hiro would manage to interact with the old timeline without causing massive problems and changes. Add Samuel to the mix, and things get really complicated.

After a couple of episodes devoted to Oliver, positioning him as a hero again in time for the real fireworks to start, this seems like a bit of a transitional installment. It’s focused mostly on the relationships and setting up subplots, and for that reason alone, it feels a little bit like filler. If progress hadn’t been made on the Clark/Lois relationship, it might have been completely unnecessary.

As it is, there’s not much to the episode. The playful banter between Clark and Lois does speak to their chemistry. After so many years together on the show, they’ve fallen into a good rhythm and the verbal sparring comes naturally. Erica Durance has really settled into the role, even to the point where she seems to be enjoying the chance to be more than the eye candy.

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Edward James Olmos

“The Plan” is a direct-to-DVD film for “Battlestar Galactica” that promises to answer one of the more obvious questions from the series run: what exactly was this “plan” that the Cylons had, as referenced endlessly in the first couple seasons? Fans have been waiting a long time for this particular story, as told from the perspective of the Cylons. But as the old saying going: while all answers are replies, not all replies are answers.

So it is with “The Plan”.