Season 1, Episode 10: "O Mother, Where Art Thou?" (SPOILERS)

[Gaultheria]

Lara told Kal that she gave birth to him. This does not match the series premiere, which showed a gestating fetus in Kal's travel pod. Maybe Lara just meant that phrase in a non-standard sense without going into medical details that would have been really awkward for that conversation. Maybe it's a continuity error. I wonder, though, if this Lara's mind and memories are some sort of holodeck reconstruction rather than a genuine copy.

 

[Gaultheria]

With the Kryptonians speaking in Goa'uld voices, I thought at first that that must be Peter Williams playing the doctor. This would have been the kind of gag that the DC CW shows sometimes have.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

When Superman called Lana by name ("You're the hero right now, Lana."), the way her old boyfriend used to, her face changed. Either she realized just then, or in that moment she was no longer able to pretend she didn't recognize him.

The way the camera dramatically pans and frames Superman so as to show us Lana's perspective, coupled with her "deer in headlights" reaction gave me the impression that she at least sensed it on some level. But I'm not so sure now.

 

[Holy Slapper]

I don't get the hate, I liked the episode a lot. It's clear Tal-Rho is not done yet with his schemes. And his side piece kick obviously is too far changed for the device to undo the transfer.

 

[herolee10]

Oooh, this supports my "he's not really Lara's son" theory!

Also, on re-watch, I'm thinking bringing the Eradicator to the Fortress (right before passing out) was maybe not the best idea.

And thanks to my Amazon copy and its captions, I can now spell Tal-Rho. Realized I'm looking forward to seeing Kyle eat some crow next week, as Lois was just vindicated in front of the whole damn town. Hopefully they'll be a bit more open and trusting with her now, and not treat her like such an outsider anymore.

I also thought that it was weird on how Lara never offered to confront Tal-Rho about his actions. This is probably one of those few times where having a pep talk wouldn't have been a bad idea.

 

[Sithborg]

I don't think it is exactly tough to figure out Tal-Rho didn't resurrect Lara or why Lara did not try to talk to her eldest son. She kind of left him with Zeta-Rho. Probably not a lot of warm feelings there....

 

[flickchick85]

Or he's not really her son. The fact that she didn't mention his existence in her whole story was suspicious, imo.

 

[herolee10]

Or he's not really her son. The fact that she didn't mention his existence in her whole story was suspicious, imo.

Perhaps, but she didn't exactly deny his existence either.

 

[Dr.]

Lara told Kal that she gave birth to him. This does not match the series premiere, which showed a gestating fetus in Kal's travel pod. Maybe Lara just meant that phrase in a non-standard sense without going into medical details that would have been really awkward for that conversation. Maybe it's a continuity error. I wonder, though, if this Lara's mind and memories are some sort of holodeck reconstruction rather than a genuine copy.

In the flashback/origin story of Tal-Rho, the Kryptonian pod opens and a gooey fluid drains out. This is very much like how baby Kal-El’s pod was depicted. But in Tal-Rho’s case, the passenger is a young boy — not an infant. So we might conclude that the fluid is part of the “bio tech” of the pod and not an artificial womb. Therefore, Lara could have given birth to Kal-El by natural means as she said she did.

 

[flickchick85]

Perhaps, but she didn't exactly deny his existence either.

Well, he exists. And she probably knew that to be the case. But that doesn't make him part of her story, which she didn't include him in. That's a GLARING omission to the point of being likely deliberate by the writer, imo. My suspicion is that he was created by Zeta-Rho for a specific purpose, perhaps using some her genetic material, after Lara left him. We already know he stole her sunstone, so clearly he was out to spite her.

 

[Gaultheria]

Helpful, but then it also raises the question on why those bodies didn't create several craters upon landing on the streets.

Superman was there with them, and he couldn’t be certain how invulnerable they still were. He wouldn’t just fly to the Fortress and let them fall.

 

[Flash525]

"Hi Mom, did I mention my cousin is also here somewhere? Maybe she can help with Morgan Edge and ... oh wait, never mind, I don't need her."

 

[Dark Raven]

Morgan Edge: Brother, come and join my fraternity. It's called Zheta Rho.

It seems a stretch that Lana can't even recognise Clark when she meets Superman. Not even his voice?

I'm glad the stories seem to be focussing less on the two boys and more on Superman himself.

Adrian Pasdar's Morgan Edge was clearly not Kryptonian. What happened to him? Is there no memory of him?

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Morgan Edge: Brother, come and join my fraternity. It's called Zheta Rho.

It seems a stretch that Lana can't even recognise Clark when she meets Superman. Not even his voice?

I'm glad the stories seem to be focussing less on the two boys and more on Superman himself.

Adrian Pasdar's Morgan Edge was clearly not Kryptonian. What happened to him? Is there no memory of him?

Honestly, I wish they'd just had Lana already know that he's Superman, I'd rather just skip the BS inevitable storyline of her finding out, and it would've made his and Lana's conversation in this episode a lot more powerful. They keep telling us him and Lana are close friends, but honestly the show does very little to actually show it.

 

[flickchick85]

They keep telling us him and Lana are close friends, but honestly the show does very little to actually show it.

I've noticed this too, but the more I think about it, the more I think we'll start seeing this now that Kyle will presumably come around to the side of the good guys. Because with Clark and Lana as exes, it would be a little odd/awkward for them to be hanging out in a social context without her husband (a husband we know got mad about her checking Clark's Facebook, lol), and her husband up 'til now had an antagonistic stance toward BOTH Clark and Lois, so opportunities to show Clark and Lana being friends wouldn't really come about organically. Now that the antagonism should be quelled (I'd hope), they'll probably show them all together more, and we can see more of Clark/Lana's rapport, I would think.

 

[Sithborg]

Well, he exists. And she probably knew that to be the case. But that doesn't make him part of her story, which she didn't include him in. That's a GLARING omission to the point of being likely deliberate by the writer, imo. My suspicion is that he was created by Zeta-Rho for a specific purpose, perhaps using some her genetic material, after Lara left him. We already know he stole her sunstone, so clearly he was out to spite her.

Just using Krypton as my knowledge base, as that is kind of the vibes I got and frankly, the most I know of the lore, who knows how long Tal was cooking. Tal-Rho did not have to be born before Lara left Zeta. The timeline on Krypton is very vague.

But the simplest answer is the writers did not want to acknowledge it, lest they paint Lara in an unfavorable light.

Honestly, I wish they'd just had Lana already know that he's Superman, I'd rather just skip the BS inevitable storyline of her finding out, and it would've made his and Lana's conversation in this episode a lot more powerful. They keep telling us him and Lana are close friends, but honestly the show does very little to actually show it.

Were close friends. In high school. Their current relationship is very much that of old friends who have families that are the focus of their lives.

 

[Dr.]

"Hi Mom, did I mention my cousin is also here somewhere? Maybe she can help with Morgan Edge and ... oh wait, never mind, I don't need her."

A version of this dialogue (minus the sarcasm ) would be confirmation of a shared universe with Supergirl. To be sure, all the BTS/“meta” info says that S&L exists within the newly-created Earth-Prime. But folks seem anxious for an explicit, onscreen acknowledgement.

I’m actually intrigued by the possibility that S&L could be self-contained and not integrated with the rest of the Arrowverse. IMO, that would be better for S&L. But as others have mentioned, the planned appearance of John Diggle will quash that notion. At which point, a shared universe will be (re)confirmed. And not mentioning Kara all this time will become retroactively… awkward.

 

[Gaultheria]

Tal-Rho: "Our time has almost come, Kal-El. Our people will awaken soon. And when that happens, I need you by my side, or you will be Eradicated too!"

@heatvision38, you're right. It seems that's what happened in the other universe to make Superman go bad.

 

[Dark Raven]

They seemed to just pigeonhole the name "Eradicator" onto that device even though it doesn't fit at all with what it actually does.

 

[Sithborg]

In a sense. It is designed to eradicate the human host personality.

 

[Dark Raven]

In a sense. It is designed to eradicate the human host personality.

But Lara would never have called it that, because she never intended it for that use. So surely she would've called it by a different name.

 

[Dr.]

But Lara would never have called it that, because she never intended it for that use. So surely she would've called it by a different name.

As @flickchick85 pointed out to me, Lara did call it by a different name - "Resurrection." But subsequently, she used "Eradicator." For the audience's sake, I suppose calling the same wacky gizmo by two different names might be confusing.

 

[Dark Raven]

As @flickchick85 pointed out to me, Lara did call it by a different name - "Resurrection." But subsequently, she used "Eradicator." For the audience's sake, I suppose calling the same wacky gizmo by two different names might be confusing.

I see. Thanks.

BTW has Morgan Edge been exposed for who he is now as Tally Ho? Can he continue his business ventures in Smallville as Morgan Edge? And will anyone ever trust him again including Kyle Cushing?

 

[Dr.]

BTW has Morgan Edge been exposed for who he is now as Tally Ho? Can he continue his business ventures in Smallville as Morgan Edge? And will anyone ever trust him again including Kyle Cushing?

Can he continue to own the Daily Planet? Under new management, might Clark and Lois get their jobs back?

 

[Gaultheria]

BTW has Morgan Edge been exposed for who he is now as Tally Ho? Can he continue his business ventures in Smallville as Morgan Edge? And will anyone ever trust him again including Kyle Cushing?

I'm sure he'll still have supporters and influence despite the evil he's done. It's been known to happen.