WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Naomi Season 1, Episode 5, “Shadow Ridge,” now available on the CW.
In the CW’s Naomi, the title character has been struggling to figure out why she ended up on this Earth. She linked it to the shady car dealer in Port Oswego known as Zumbado, but her quest was endangered when an alien bounty hunter named Jaeger tried to claim her. It hasn’t deterred her, though, pushing her deeper into investigating the mystery after her parents admitted she came from somewhere else. The series then remixed one of Smallville’s best traits, creating a brand-new mystery that could have dire repercussions for the planet.
In its early seasons, Smallville had villains like Jeremy Creek, who had electric powers, Greg who became a human insect, the shapeshifting Tina Greer and so many more testing Kal-El. As Clark grew older, they’d be killed, put in Belle Reve, experimented upon by the Luthors or be weaponized by other groups who wanted to dominate the world. It allowed a nice mix of action, comedy and horror to add nuance to Smallville’s initial foundation.
Naomi followed a similar path at a camp, Shadow Ridge, where a counsellor, Jeff, spread word about a local legend named Moonshine Jimmy. It was a horror story of murder and intrigue, akin to Jason from Friday the 13th, meant to keep the kids indoors. However, Anthony, one of the guys crushing on Naomi, got sick after being exposed to something ghoulish in the woods.
It caused Naomi, her bestie Annabelle, her beau in Nathan and Anthony to further investigate if it was something supernatural. It led to them getting caught for breaking curfew, being punished and thinking it was all a wild goose chase. That is until she and Anthony found a cabin and lair containing crates of a blue substance known as Dilustel. It tied into video footage they saw earlier of a woman, Belinda, being attacked by a mysterious figure. She described the blue substance as an environmental threat, confirming her disappearance was real, as well as a cover-up.
It led to Jeff arriving, revealing himself as the culprit. His eyes turned red and his face began to crack, warping him into something scary. Luckily, Naomi was able to use her energy blasts to take him out. Anthony was discombobulated so he didn’t see her using her powers, while Annabelle helped cover up any chance of exposure, keeping Naomi in the clear.
However, she was lost over who stored this substance, why it hurt Anthony and why there was the alien language on the crates connected to her lineage. These glyphs were found on the disc Zumbado had with the 29 refugees who came over from Naomi’s world, leaving fans wondering if this was some of terrorist substance meant to help them take over. It has an adverse effect on humans, so Naomi will be seeking answers once her dad, Greg, and military dissect the creates. It remains to be seen what they’ll do with Jeff as well, who could end up being a trump card into Naomi’s past.
See how Naomi’s journey unfolds, with new episodes airing on The CW Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT.
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