With Smallville, the adage 'hope for the best and expect the worst' is gospel. Fans learn quickly to keep expectations low and avoid disappointment – with good reason. Smallville has seen more fumbles in previous seasons than the NFL and CFL combined. Remember the Fortress of Lanatude? We're still not sure why a Kryptonian plot arc was given to Lana, not Clark, but we're Smallville fans. We adapt and move on.

After the disintegration of the latter half of season six (it was all downhill after "Justice"), I came into this season ready for more of the same. Brace yourselves, I haven't gotten it. To my extreme surprise, season seven has held up quite well and "Cure" is a good example of why. It's not flawless (Lana's curious lack of freak out over the name 'Kal-El' stands out), but it is a solid episode with great high points. Most of them belong to the ladies of Smallville; the girls brought their A-game this time. Allison, Laura, and Kristin all gave very strong performances that saved potentially mediocre dialogue.
 
This is no surprise where Allison Mack's involved; she's consistently been one of the show's greatest strengths. Jokingly called "Exposition Girl" by the fans, Allison could recite the Encyclopedia Britannica and make it Must-See TV. She's certainly taken 'the Chloe as Meteor Freak' storyline and turned it into something special.

I admit that I had my doubts about this storyline when it was introduced, but Allison's performance has sold it beautifully. Watch her face in her scenes with Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy's rails against meteor freaks. Don't forget her incredible scenes with Tom Welling. I would have given this episode a high mark for those alone, even though they're never a surprise. The dynamic between those two actors has never been anything but amazing.

Likewise, Laura Vandernoot's turn as Kara is another high point in this episode. I've been a Supergirl fan since I was in short-capes and the news of her introduction to the show alternately thrilled and terrified me. With DC tie-ins, Smallville either hits it out of the park, or falls flat on its face.

So far, I'm cautiously optimistic. The true test for Laura came this week with Phil Morris's J'onn, and she passed with flying colors. Kara's anger, confusion, and hurt play up well against his quiet strength, putting Clark in genuine tug-of-war. Who does he believe?

Don't worry; I'm not leaving out Kristin Kreuk. A character of extremes, Lana's never quite clicked with many fans, but not for lack of Smallville's trying. They've done everything, but the one. Lana's character has hinted at darker aspects in past seasons, but Smallville's consistently backed off. This season, however, it seems that may be changing. Kristin comes alive when given a chance to play with Lana's dark side, and it seems she may be getting her wish. Kristin's facial expression in her final scene, revealing Lana's obsessive surveillance of Lex, was absolutely chilling. I look forward to more of the same.

Last, but not least, the one thing that made the DC fan in me shriek with glee: Dean Cain as Vandal Savage (though they never name him as such, dubbing him Curtis Knox instead).

I rolled my eyes when Cain's casting was announced; I expected another stunt-casting gone bad. I can happily admit that, this time, I was wrong.
 
Dean Cain makes a fairly-compelling Vandal Savage (killing meteor freaks to harvest useful organs) and I would really love to see him return. The animated series "Justice League" made great use of Vandal and Superman's dynamic; I'd love a chance to see Smallville do the same. They certainly used him to great effect this week, his eternal solitude highlighting the path that lies ahead for Clark.

Next time, though, can we leave keep the cheesy "mortal man" jokes to a minimum?