Smallville (TV Series) Prototype (2007) User Reviews

Remember Me

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 28 May 2008]

Les Luthor tests his ultimate weapon in a Luthercorp facility, the super soldier Wes Keenan, who is officially considered "killing in action" in a plane crash in Afghanistan by the US Government. When the corrupt senator Ed Burke threatens the Project 33.1 and the Luthor family, Lex sends Wes to resolve the situation killing the senator and his bodyguards. However, Lois witnesses the attack and recognizes Wes as the sweetheart and first kiss of her adolescence in a military base, emotionally affecting the behavior of the cold soldier. Meanwhile Martha is invited to be the substitute for the deceased senator Burke in the Senate.

"Prototype" is an engaging episode of this irregular Sixth Season of Smallville. The intentions of Lex disclosed in the end are the promise of a good Seventh Season, but the romantic situation between Lana and Clark is annoying. The ambiguity of Lionel is intriguing and exciting, and we never know the attitude that we might expect from this unpredictable character. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Protótipo" ("The Prototype")

Lex's scheme exposed

[Rcwilkinson123 · 9/10 · 12 October 2007]

Lex's evil scheme is exposed when it particularly involves investigative reporter Lois Lane in a build-up type of episode.

Lex dispatches his first prototype of 33.1- a former soldier stationed in Afghanistan named Wes Keenan, whom his wife tried to take revenge on Lex two episodes previous for believing Wes was still alive, contrary to news and Lex's reports. He completes his first trial run with ruthless efficiency. Lex then dispatches him upon the town. In addition, Lex has been working with a U.S. Senator from Kansas to complete the project. Lois gets word that there is major dirt on this Senator, though she doesn't know why. After seeking out the Senator, she encounters Wes, with which she already knew due to being involved with the Army because her father is a general. She tries to stop Wes from being pawned into his murderous ways, but the only thing that can stop a prototype is a satellite based in the atmosphere. When the satellite becomes dis-aligned with the Earth, Lois is able to speak with Wes. Wes explains that he was promised that with the surgery and DNA implants, he would be better equipped to serve the country in war, alike other potential candidates. Lois realizes Lex's horrible lie and promises to expose him and not let the same thing that happened to Wes happen to any other soldiers.

Meanwhile, Clark continues to try to find out why Lana truly married Lex after she told Clark on her wedding day that she wasn't going to go through with it. Lana also learns of the real reason why she was pregnant, and turns it on Lex as to make him feel guilty for always lying to her without directly telling him that she knows the truth behind his despicable act.

This episode is so pivotal. It reveals so much about Lex's untruthful schemes, both in his grand plan and in his relationship with Lana. It is good to see Lana finally learn the truth, that she was conned into the marriage, and to no longer see her unknowingly at Lex's mercy.

hello helo

[joh03096 · 6/10 · 22 December 2012]

First, a minor irritant: "You'de be surprised what I know." - Lana

Here is what Lana knows: 1) Clark has superhuman powers, and some kind of weakness. 2) Lex is up to something, it involves a codeword and sometimes Lex talks to a senator. That's not a surprising amount of information. Aren't we all more surprised that Lana has managed to stay relevant in this show for so long without ever seeming to know anything at all?

As for the rest of the episode, Wes Keenan is a super soldier with Titan infused DNA who can truly hurt Clark, yet all it takes to kill him is a blast of heat vision. I guess that's pretty convenient. It's also pretty convenient that Keenan decides to stop using his invisibility power when he's fighting Clark. Lex whispers "you were almost perfect" to Keenan's dead body at the end of the episode and demands to find out what exactly went wrong. Here's a hint: try making your super soldier stay invisible during battle next time, Lex.

It's unfortunate that Wes has to die so quickly and so anticlimactically. Clark is rarely put up against villains who actually pose a threat to his health. Even here, one episode away from the season six finale and Clark's biggest problem is that Lana is married to Lex and she won't tell him why. There are incredible alien criminals from the Phantom Zone crusading around earth, likely wreaking all sorts of havoc and still Clark is singularly obsessed with Lana and his own paranoid delusions about Lex. Wes was a good villain, a real threat, and an actual concrete reason to fear Lex. And even so, he was killed off in about ten minutes.

I guess if Wes had lived that might have distracted from the riveting Clark/Lana drama.