[NAS] Individual Responsibility

TV Programme: The New Adventures Of Superman
Season: 2
Episode: 20
Date I watched this episode: 17/10/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 7 days.

With a title like "Individual Responsibility", who would have thought this episode would be about Red Kryptonite? This concept is very much embedded in Superman mythology, and the main knowledge I have of it is from Smallville (first appearing in [SMV] "Red", and several times since, but also playing a major role in the season 2 finale and season 3 premiere) and it also apparently shows up in Superboy, in episodes I've yet to watch.

In this version of the mythology, red kryptonite brings out Clark's "deep feelings" which he's been suppressing. It's the first time we've seen these strong emotions come out in this show, unlike Smallville where the adolescent Clark experiences this stuff all the time. So it's interesting to see how this anger and general heightened emotion manifests itself, with super-strength vandalism, and rising into the air involuntarily. Lois on the other hand was blindly incredulous on the side, thinking how much of a coincidence it was that Clark and Superman were both experiencing the same symptoms. What was so different in this version was that Clark can control his feelings and has a certain amount of willpower over the red kryptonite influence, which was an unexpected departure from the concept I'm used to.

In the end, Clark got to tackle some of those emotions and get his thoughts straight (just a couple of episodes before the season finale!) on Lois, his calling, and so on. Whether he'll be able to keep up with this "taking a break" while out with her, and just shut out any idea he has of duty, remains to be seen.

Once again it's good to see Intergang again and their cool modus operandi. Bill Church Jr is so calm and collected when doing business and telling Perry White that he runs a major crime organisation. It also raises the stakes for the whole programme - Intergang stealing the "last bastion of truth" from the city of Metropolis.

Perry appeared a lot more resourceful and dynamic than usual. He was actually quite key to the show. Jimmy also had a bit more of an interesting role; his personality shone through with his attempt to fill Perry's shoes. It was also nice to see Barbara Bosson in the episode. I know Barbara from Murder One, where she appeared in almost every episode of the entire programme. She's a great actress, although her character in this episode was only marginally different from the one in Murder One.

Altogether this was a really great mythology episode which put the show's own unique spin on a very well-established concept. It's also moved Clark and Lois one step further to the inevitably epic season finale.