Smallville Sleeper (2001–2011) Online

'Sleeper' is the second-worst episode of the season for me, after 'Fierce.' Clark needs to try to find BrainIAC and Kara, or stop Lex from getting to Zurich to discover the box. Instead, he at first wastes his time looking over Lana. Chloe is busy trying to gain access to a satellite that may have caught BrainIAC and Kara's flight into an unknown territory, and in the process must constantly lie to her boyfriend Jimmy to continue this endeavor. In this fallout, Jimmy gets stuck between a government agent who believes Chloe is a terrorist due to a project called StarHawk earlier in the season.

This episode proves that Jimmy-centric episodes are rather weak. Along with 'Noir,' the Smallville powers-that-be are now 0/2 in the Jimmy-centric episodes department.

First of all, there are plenty of plot-holes. Story-wise, Clark isn't looking for BrainIAC or trying to stop Lex from getting to Zurich. Insteead, he's wasting all his time in the hospital sitting by Lana. There are three things going on in his life, and he decides to tend to by far the least important matter. Stupid pining over Lana. Truly disgusting. I can see why the government would believe Chloe to be a terrorist with evil plans, but the storyline was poorly executed. No more episodes mostly starring Aaron Ashmore! Jimmy as James Bond was only ever-so-slightly cool, because of a couple cool gadgets. But nothing worth dedicating an episode about.

The only thing that saved this was the more-important subplot involving Clark's hearing Kara's transmission from the Fortress, and a message from Virgil Swann's diary from 1989. The temporary sub-plot was no good. A '7' rating is generous.

Spy vs spy with Chloe and Jimmy. The a special agent from the federal government is convinced Chloe is a terrorist and, for some mind boggling reason, decides to enlist Jimmy Olsen in a counter intelligence effort against her. Chloe immediately discovers Jimmy's attempts to spy on her and becomes distrustful of him.

For a heavily Jimmy focused episode that doesn't advance any seasonal story arcs much, I didn't mind this episode. Both Jimmy and Chloe know the other one is up to something, and they both distrust each other. The tension works well. The two of them end up at a nightclub opening together, each with different spy goals. Their conversations are short and terse, and the one dance they do together was almost kind of sexy. I wish Clark and Lana's relationship had been more like this.

At the end of the episode we learn that Kara and Brainiac went back in time to Kyrpton in 1989 "plus or minus a few lightyears." This is a disappointment. Time travel, with its inherent inconsistencies and unreasonableness, is the most irritating plot device. Once it's invoked you just have to give up, and say "ok I guess that's possible" to whatever the show throws at you. Hopefully they wrap up the time travel quickly and never go back to it.

"I went to a Halloween party once as James Bond and everyone thought I was the Maitre D".

That's a hilarious line Jimmy Olsen utters just before he's recruited by the government to take part in some secret agent action. "Sleeper" is mostly a Jimmy Olsen episode, and while far from being the best episode of the season, it still has enough fun moments to keep me entertained. Personally I'd still rather watch a slightly fun weak episode like this than a flat out dull weak episode like "Subterranean" from season 6.

I think one reason for this episode being poorly received has to do with it's placement in the episode order. As is common in late season episodes, "Sleeper" attempts to tell an amusing stand alone story, that can only be described as useless filler, in the midst of all the epic end of season story arcs. Following the episodes of Traveller, Veritas and Descent, and immediately preceding the final 3 episodes of the season, this was bound to disappoint when there's so little focus given to the larger story.

By no means is "Sleeper" a great episode, but for me it's just entertaining enough to watch on multiple viewings.

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