In an obvious nod to 28 Days Later, the episode even opened with Clark in a hospital. Yes, I know it wasn’t really a hospital, but Clark was laid out on a table with medical equipment nearby, so close enough. The filming was reminiscent of the recent cult classic as well, and in a good way.
As a mostly stand-alone episode, “Rabid” was extremely well put together. I thought opening the episode with Clark finding Lois in the throes of the infection was incredibly effective. I know it’s a common enough storytelling device in television, but it was still put to good use here.
And I was glad to see the return of Green Arrow. It looks like whatever his journey is going to be this season, he may come out of it an even more interesting character. Is that proposed Green Arrow spin-off still a possibility?
Oliver Queen is in a very dark place right now, and he’s lost a lot of confidence in himself. In fact, it was his self-loathing that allowed Lois to fall asleep and succumb to the infection in the first place. Though, I’m not sure he could have kept her awake had he actively been slapping her in the face the whole time. She went down fast.
I did find myself wondering how they were going to clean out the Daily Planet building, and how many of Lois and Clark’s coworkers died during this outbreak? Will that be addressed? The water supply will get people taking showers (if they’re not symptomatic by then) and the rain gets anyone who goes outside, but that still leaves a legitimate segment of the population who’ll do neither. Are they in danger?
It was a cool reveal to see that it was one of the rogue Kryptonians who unleashed this in an effort to out Jor-El. Of course they’re going to assume the red-blue blur is Jor-El. They probably know nothing of Kal. Problematic for Clark, though, is that they think that he is intentionally keeping them from gaining their yellow sun abilities.
I’m not exactly sure what is, to be honest. In the end, the episode established an interesting story arc for Oliver Queen to go on this season, as well as continuing the growing threat of whatever Zod is up to. And Clark is still struggling to figure out who he wants to be in his new life.
You know, the show could transform into it’s own spin-off and solve the “no flight, no costume” rule. Shift it to The New Adventures of Superman and all your problems are solved. Or, if you don’t want to be that direct in the title, call it Metropolis.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Oct 11, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
I think because the virus was airborne, the point of the rain was to concentrate enough of the antidote in the air to counteract it.
I don’t think you needed to be explicity exposed to the rain to be cured.
It’s a hell of a reset button though!