There are a lot of reasons an episode of a show can seem long. Some of them are not good: bad writing, plot holes, bad acting among them. But sometimes it’s a good thing. This is one of those. There’s a lot going on in “Uncontrollable Forces” and many subplots, most of which link up one way or another. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, as I almost always do with this series, but it just seemed to go on longer than usual. Which I was fine with, it was great, but it’s an odd phenomenon I’ve notice from time to time.

The opening sequence is remarkably powerful, and really lets Elizabeth Tulloch show off her acting chops. Lois goes through a series of scenes: work, family, friends, doctor’s visits, and things are clearly weighing on her. It’s obvious things aren’t going well, and you can draw certain conclusions based on last episode. What’s even more remarkable about this is that there is no dialogue at all. It’s a well-done opening, and I give points to both Ms. Tulloch and director Elizabeth Henstridge (who you might know better as Jemma Simmons from Agents of SHIELD).

After that solemn opening, we drop back into more normal life. Smallville High may be closed thanks to the mold discovered last episode, but the kids are still expected to study. Naturally, Clark is leaning on the boys about that, and a somewhat distracted Lois agrees, although it’s clear she has little idea what she’s agreeing to. That is a great subtle moment, showing how much they trust each other. Curfews established, the boys take off and Clark worries, being able to tell something’s off with his wife, but she is clearly not ready to talk about it. Also enjoying the break from school, Sarah and Natalie are at the diner. Nat’s actually working, while Sarah peppers her with questions about life on her Earth, and then does some internet sleuthing to find the analogue of someone Nat used to know. They rush off to look into this, leaving just as the Kent boys come in and Sarah and Jordan have an awkward scene in passing.

At the Gazette, Chrissy has an assignment for Lois: looking into the judge that agreed to free the suddenly-empowered (then dead) Mr. Miller. Clark invites himself along and makes a good enough case that Lois agrees. They leave in a hurry, and Chrissy has to deal with a problem we’ve seen pop several times over on The Flash. Natalie asks for permission for her little trip with Sarah, and then makes several very good points in her discussion with her father. John Henry relents, and Nat takes off.

Taking a completely different approach, Sarah uses an old dodge and takes advantage of her mother’s distraction to slip away. Once again, her younger sister seems to have vanished without a trace as she’s never seen or mentioned in the episode. Lana gets even more harried when her predecessor calls, clearly terrified and not making a lot of sense. Lana hears some confusing things and tries to puzzle out what’s going on before the call abruptly ends. In Metropolis, Clark talks about being back in their old stomping grounds (perfect word choice for the farm boy) while Lois continues to just be… off. Finally, they get their meeting with Judge Reagan, which doesn’t go smoothly.

Jonathan gets a party invite, and we learn that he and Eliza, the source of so many of his problems last season, have broken up. Jonathan kills a few birds with one stone, actually trying to get his brother to get over his own breakup, and finding a way to skirt their parents’ curfew, or at least get a lot out of the time they have. It’s another of many good scenes with the brothers, showing their affection for each other without getting over the top about it. With her reporters (who might be her entire staff) out of town, Chrissy has to handle a surprising development in town, and ends up talking awkwardly with Kyle to get some information about what happened. Lana arrives, clearly rattled, and we hear something that’s news to me on several fronts and is no doubt going to lead to problems for Sarah.

Natalie and Sarah make an amusing duo as they get to their destination and we see some very obvious differences in their backgrounds. Their original plan falls apart in front of their eyes, and Sarah tries to remain upbeat and focused. The brothers Kent arrive at the party Jon was talking about, they run into Eliza, and we can see right off the bat there’s been some miscommunication between them. Jon encourages Jordan and excuses himself, leaving Jordan clearly lost.

The Dynamic Duo tries to regroup, with Sarah refusing to give up on her self-appointed mission. As “wing woman,” she takes matters in to her own hands, and brings Mateo, an attractive young man, over to talk to Nat. Mateo and Nat are amusingly awkward, and Sarah hurriedly disappears. Jordan wanders around, tries to follow his brother’s advice, fails due to no fault of his own, and has one of those embarrassing moments that can happen at a crowded party. Then, it turns out that the brothers aren’t the only Smallville residents here, and that it is, indeed, a small world after all. This is, of course, where Sarah and Natalie have been, and Jordan and Sarah have a good talk in the midst of the party.

Also in Metropolis, Lois and Clark get absolutely nowhere with the judge. They share their concerns about Henry Miller, The judge seems shocked by some of what they tell her, but less so when a group of thugs come in. The thugs, led by Mr. Orr (a minor character from the comics), take charge of the room and escort the reporters out. Once outside, Clark learns a favorite place of his has closed, and Lois comes up with a plan to try and recover from this setback. Nat and Mateo hit it off, and talk about a favorite subject of hers. Actually, it’s about her only interest I think we’ve heard of outside of science. Eliza has her talk with Jonathan, and gives him a very nice present. Considering what we know of her is that she lives in a trailer park and had to sell drugs to help pay the bills at home, I think this new generosity (and her outfit for this party) bode ill for the girl.

Jordan and Sarah decide to team up for a new venture, and Sarah shows a new talent that really makes me wonder just how she’s been spending her time. Lana pays a call to the Irons house, gets some surprising news, and then a dinner invitation. While I’m all for a Lana/John Henry friendship, or even more, the big plot hole here is that, if she’s both desperate to talk to her daughter and now all kinds of mad at her, why doesn’t she just call or text her? Lois tries to figure out what to do next, and then sees just how badly shaken Judge Reagan is by the earlier interview. While the judge makes a surprising statement, Superman follows the thugs. Mr. Orr, in this world, works for Bruno Mannheim. Mannheim is a Superman foe in the comics, and seems to be the same here. While I give Mannheim points for being smart and careful, there’s a somewhat unlikely bit that lets him know Superman is near. Showing he certainly has no fear or awe of the most powerful man on the planet, Mannheim calls him down to ask why he’s there. I admit, that wasn’t at all what I was expecting. It’s an interesting chat with some implied menace, and a great acing job on the part of Chad Coleman.

While Lois tries to help the judge, John Henry wows Lana with his cooking skills. It makes sense; as I’ve seen elsewhere, “Baking is just science for hungry people.” Between them, they figure out some of what ex-Mayor Dean might have meant in his odd phone call with Lana, and they go off to investigate (apparently in the middle of dinner). At the big party, Jon has a very awkward conversation with Eliza, and Jordan and Sarah push their luck a bit. Mateo and Nat are getting along great, but get interrupted by the spillover from Jordan and Sarah’s problem.

John and Lana’s Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys moment takes a turn when they find something, do something not smart I see all the time on tv, and then get interrupted by the Mysterious Menacing Figure ™. I bet John is wishing he either had his suit or a decent remote summoner for it. The figure gets what it came for, but oddly leaves them both alive. I mean, I’m glad, I like both characters, but it’s not how this villain has been acting up to now. Mannheim keeps lecturing Superman, and Lois tries to get the judge to not do something rash. Finally, Mannheim says something that makes no sense given what he himself did earlier in the show, Superman takes off to help Lois, and we finally learn what’s been going on with the ace reporter.

Later, Lois and Clark have a very intense conversation about what’s going on. The kids talk about the party and show how they got some petty revenge on a jerk. We see a bit more about what Mannheim is up to, and learn something startling about another doppleganger on this Earth. The kids finally start getting home, and Sarah gets off remarkably light given what she did. Then again, Lana’s had a rough day. The boys get home and Lois shares her bad news, leaving us a very touching family scene. It’s a somber note to end the episode on, but it fits.

What I Liked: As is usual with this show, just about everything. The acting and writing were both fantastic. There were a lot of great moments throughout, from the powerful opening to the Lois and Clark scenes to the fun at the party. I liked the Lana and John Henry scenes, too. I’m intrigued by whatever is going on with Eliza, Bruno Mannheim, the strange powered intruder, and hoping those plotlines don’t tie in. Nat had several great scenes and good lines. I don’t exactly approve of how Jordan used his powers near the end of the show, but it was both funny as hell and very believable for a kid.

What I Didn’t: It’s been established many times that Kansas is in Smallville and that Metropolis is on the East Coast. How people are flitting back and forth so easily and so often, even those with powers, is something I really hope they eventually either explain or stop doing. Mannheim contradicted himself at one point, and that really seemed out of character for someone as clearly intelligent and careful as he is. I’m really not clear on why Lana didn’t just call Sarah, or why Sarah created that problem for herself in the first place.

This episode was fantastic. There were a lot of great moments, although yes, a few weird ones as well. I’ll give this a low 4 out of 5. It would have been higher without some of the odd notes mentioned above.