I love Season 2 of this show, and I thought this was quite a delightful little episode. Clark, Lois and a stowaway Jimmy essentially play search party to find an expedition that it turns out got in trouble with the natives. Why? Because the woman apparently thought it was okay to reach into the eye of their idol and grab a diamond out of it, since she was just "looking at it"! (Of course, she accidentally drops it in quicksand because the medicine man scared her - whoopsie!)
While the episode may look laughably insensitive by modern standards, considering when it was made, I have to give it at least a little credit. As horribly stereotypical as the tribe is, their anger at the whites is quite frankly justified, as opposed to them just being backward, savage cannibals.
The episode also features a man in a really awful gorilla suit, but considering what the show is, it's hard to be bothered by it.
While Perry White is absent in this episode, Clark, Lois and Jimmy are are all portrayed as well as ever. Like in many episodes of this series, Clark doesn't spend a lot of screen time as Superman - but in this case, not even the other characters are aware of Superman being around, as everything he does in this identity is out of their sight. This is one of the things I like best about this series: If he changed into Superman at the drop of the hat, all the problems would be solved instantly, but seeing him manage without bringing out the superheroic identity creates more interest. The episode is also greatly served by the change of scenery - it's just plain refreshing to go beyond Metropolis every once in a while!
Overall, a charming, entertaining episode that I'd recommend to any fans of this series.
While the episode may look laughably insensitive by modern standards, considering when it was made, I have to give it at least a little credit. As horribly stereotypical as the tribe is, their anger at the whites is quite frankly justified, as opposed to them just being backward, savage cannibals.
The episode also features a man in a really awful gorilla suit, but considering what the show is, it's hard to be bothered by it.
While Perry White is absent in this episode, Clark, Lois and Jimmy are are all portrayed as well as ever. Like in many episodes of this series, Clark doesn't spend a lot of screen time as Superman - but in this case, not even the other characters are aware of Superman being around, as everything he does in this identity is out of their sight. This is one of the things I like best about this series: If he changed into Superman at the drop of the hat, all the problems would be solved instantly, but seeing him manage without bringing out the superheroic identity creates more interest. The episode is also greatly served by the change of scenery - it's just plain refreshing to go beyond Metropolis every once in a while!
Overall, a charming, entertaining episode that I'd recommend to any fans of this series.