Finally finished watching Smallville

[Powerboy]

I know there's a long-running Smallville thread somewhere and if someone wants to incorporate this into it, that's fine. Up until now though, I've avoided the thread because I had not watched all of the series. I finally finished it on DVD the other day.

I think the show is underrated because of its original target audience among other reasons. Yeah, it's a soap opera- and the most successful television rendition of a comic book character ever done at ten seasons and still ending because they chose to end it.

The show clearly underwent a huge shift in its last three or possibly four seasons. It was still a soap opera but the elements of that soap opera were more relatable to adults.

I've been around for a while and yet for me, this show's versions of Jonathan and Martha Kent, Lois Lane, Lana Lang and possibly Lex Luthor have become the ones I picture when I think of those characters. Luthor is too much in the "becoming the character we know" process to really judge him against other performances but, for the others, these actors (John Schneider, Annette O'Toole and Erica Durance) have become the favorite portrayals for me. Lana Lang was too much in the early seasons' style of being for a much younger audience for me to love too much but as she's the only long-term version I've seen, she's THE version for me and I do like how she ended up in the later material.

They dragged out his becoming Superman for too long, especially since he had done all of his most significant stuff while they were still calling him the Blur. But I think they were locked into the idea that the series would end with his becoming Superman.

I particularly liked the last three seasons. Until then, they dragged out the angst and the mistakes he made because, well, because they needed those seven seasons. But then he started maturing into a character we could think of as Superman. Besides, it's sort of accepted that we can forgive those mistakes because he's really "Superboy" until the very last minutes of the last episode.

I think they did a great job of maintaining his ethical code and/ or showing it's development. I liked how they had him come to accept both his heritages.

In one of the DVD interviews, one of the writers explained that this was, obviously, a story about how Clark Kent becomes Superman. He went on to say that, effectively, Clark's existence ends with the end of the series because it ends with Clark deciding that Clark Kent is the disguise to prevent people from realizing who he really is and Superman is the identity where he shows his true self. Presumably, in private, with Lois, Chloe, his mom, he is still called Clark and does not behave like an idiot. But for all public and practical purposes, Clark from the end of the show onward is just a facade.

So just some thoughts having just completed watching the series.

[manofsteel1979]

Great post.

I still have a lot of affection for SMALLVILLE. It had it's ups and downs,but overall, aside from the original Donner film and MAN OF STEEL,it is the best live action interpretation of the Superman mythos, particularly where television is concerned (and don't get me wrong, I also liked AOS and Lois and Clark for what they were.)

To me the first Three seasons were well done. It was a teen soap take on the Superman mythos, and seeing how it was set during his high school years, it was appropriate tonally. Season 4 it lost it's way a bit and then it was all over the place after that and really took a dive with the first part of season 7. Season 8 on it felt like a completely different series, and for the better. Season 9 I particularly liked a lot and gave what I think was the best version of ZOD yet in any media yes...better than Stamp or Shannon...and my favorite episode of the series (Absolute Justice).

Some could say the series finale was a let down,but I liked it immensely. Yeah...we didn't get a full real shot of Tom Welling in the Superman suit,but we still got SUPERMAN PUSHING A FREAKING PLANET!!!...and seeing Rosenbaum in full evil Lex mode one last time was great. Also, knowing MOS was going to be a complete break with the past...hearing the John Williams music one last time while Clark did the iconic shirt rip was and still is a fanboy moment hard to match.

Plus...it made way for (IMO anyway) the most consistantly good monthly Superman comic DC publishes* in SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 which in it's pages has given us a revamped DCU done right and without the ongoing confusion the New 52 has undergone since it's inception.

Was Smallville perfect? Far from it.However, I do think it gets unfairly maligned.Yes the acting wasn't always the best and sometimes the show strayed a bit far away from the established mythos and thus ran a bit longer than it should have. However, Let's face it though,SMALLVILLE did a much better job making the character relevant to a new generation again than did the comics at the time and a multimillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster (Superman Returns). A lot of people came to be Superman fans through SMALLVILLE and to this day three years after it wrapped, it still is a great seller when it comes to tv series seasons. Shows Like ARROW and AGENTS OF SHEILD and even upcoming shows like THE FLASH and GOTHAM likely would have not even made it to air if SMALLVILLE hadn't showed a market for this type of comic book based series.

So, yes, kudos to SMALLVILLE.

* although, the main Superman books are now getting much much better than they were a year or so ago...and the Superman line is currently stronger over all than its been since the early 2000's.

[daBronzeBomma]

SMALLVILLE had by far the best Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and the best Clois interactions of any Superman project in any medium.

[Sacred Knight]

Best Lois Lane and best Lex Luthor.

[Powerboy]

Great post.

I still have a lot of affection for SMALLVILLE. It had it's ups and downs,but overall, aside from the original Donner film and MAN OF STEEL,it is the best live action interpretation of the Superman mythos, particularly where television is concerned (and don't get me wrong, I also liked AOS and Lois and Clark for what they were.)

To me the first Three seasons were well done. It was a teen soap take on the Superman mythos, and seeing how it was set during his high school years, it was appropriate tonally. Season 4 it lost it's way a bit and then it was all over the place after that and really took a dive with the first part of season 7. Season 8 on it felt like a completely different series, and for the better. Season 9 I particularly liked a lot and gave what I think was the best version of ZOD yet in any media yes...better than Stamp or Shannon...and my favorite episode of the series (Absolute Justice).

Some could say the series finale was a let down,but I liked it immensely. Yeah...we didn't get a full real shot of Tom Welling in the Superman suit,but we still got SUPERMAN PUSHING A FREAKING PLANET!!!...and seeing Rosenbaum in full evil Lex mode one last time was great. Also, knowing MOS was going to be a complete break with the past...hearing the John Williams music one last time while Clark did the iconic shirt rip was and still is a fanboy moment hard to match.

Plus...it made way for (IMO anyway) the most consistantly good monthly Superman comic DC publishes* in SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 which in it's pages has given us a revamped DCU done right and without the ongoing confusion the New 52 has undergone since it's inception.

Was Smallville perfect? Far from it.However, I do think it gets unfairly maligned.Yes the acting wasn't always the best and sometimes the show strayed a bit far away from the established mythos and thus ran a bit longer than it should have. However, Let's face it though,SMALLVILLE did a much better job making the character relevant to a new generation again than did the comics at the time and a multimillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster (Superman Returns). A lot of people came to be Superman fans through SMALLVILLE and to this day three years after it wrapped, it still is a great seller when it comes to tv series seasons. Shows Like ARROW and AGENTS OF SHEILD and even upcoming shows like THE FLASH and GOTHAM likely would have not even made it to air if SMALLVILLE hadn't showed a market for this type of comic book based series.

So, yes, kudos to SMALLVILLE.

* although, the main Superman books are now getting much much better than they were a year or so ago...and the Superman line is currently stronger over all than its been since the early 2000's.

Gotta agree with all of this.

It seemed to become almost a completely different show in season 8 and, as you said, for the better while in no way saying that a Superman show should not be designed to appeal to a young, female crowd.

I had stopped watching it at the end of season 7 which is ironic because season 8 and onward is when I would really have loved it.

I actually went back and watched the whole thing through again including the last three seasons specifically because I had started reading the Smallville season 11 comic and was amazed at how much I loved that version of Superman. Regardless of what anyone thought of the show, the Smallville comic as far as I've read so far gives us a Superman that is the absolute classic Superman in my opinion. I'm not talking about the costume. The character seems almost Silver Age in some of his attitudes and what he says. He seems, in a sense, out of place and I think that is the intention. He's in a 21st century world but he's a positive force trying to change the world to be more like him, not fit in and compromise himself to be accepted. He believes in people (even Lex Luthor) and does not doubt their potential for good.

[exile001]

This show has one of the best finales ever!

He battles the god of evil and hurls a planet(!!!) out of our solar system. Awsome stuff.

[manofsteel1979]

This show has one of the best finales ever!

He battles the god of evil and hurls a planet(!!!) out of our solar system. Awsome stuff.

I do find it amusing that the most "far out" and comic inspired live action moment in Superman history...happened on this show ironically.

[manofsteel1979]

Gotta agree with all of this.

It seemed to become almost a completely different show in season 8 and, as you said, for the better while in no way saying that a Superman show should not be designed to appeal to a young, female crowd.

I had stopped watching it at the end of season 7 which is ironic because season 8 and onward is when I would really have loved it.

I actually went back and watched the whole thing through again including the last three seasons specifically because I had started reading the Smallville season 11 comic and was amazed at how much I loved that version of Superman. Regardless of what anyone thought of the show, the Smallville comic as far as I've read so far gives us a Superman that is the absolute classic Superman in my opinion. I'm not talking about the costume. The character seems almost Silver Age in some of his attitudes and what he says. He seems, in a sense, out of place and I think that is the intention. He's in a 21st century world but he's a positive force trying to change the world to be more like him, not fit in and compromise himself to be accepted. He believes in people (even Lex Luthor) and does not doubt their potential for good.

A agree. In fact I prefer the costume he wears in SV11 over the New 52 suit.

SV11 actually in many ways reminds me of the late 80's-early 90's Superman books, that period after Byrne left and up to The Death and Return of Superman. High quality storytelling overall without trying to go for event after event. That period from 89-early 94 was my "golden age" in terms of modern Superman.

I do hope there is a SV 12 once this current "season" wraps. I am depressed AOS got axed. I REALLY would be upset if this book ended too.

[Powerboy]

A agree. In fact I prefer the costume he wears in SV11 over the New 52 suit.

SV11 actually in many ways reminds me of the late 80's-early 90's Superman books, that period after Byrne left and up to The Death and Return of Superman. High quality storytelling overall without trying to go for event after event. That period from 89-early 94 was my "golden age" in terms of modern Superman.

I do hope there is a SV 12 once this current "season" wraps. I am depressed AOS got axed. I REALLY would be upset if this book ended too.

It's funny that, in the last episode, the costume he was wearing (although it was all CGI) was the Superman Returns costume but the music and presentation was trying to say he had become the Christopher Reeve Superman (and, yes, I'm drawing a distinction between the Reeve Superman and Superman Returns).

I lag on my reading because I only buy the collections but I'm hoping that they establish "Smallville" as one of the realities that can cross over with the current comic setting so that we can be fairly sure the setting won't fade away.

I'm not sure what sort of popularity the Smallville comic is having though I fear it will fade as the time of the show rescinds further and further into the past unless the comic gains a following on its own merits.

[WillieMorgan]

It's funny that, in the last episode, the costume he was wearing (although it was all CGI) was the Superman Returns costume but the music and presentation was trying to say he had become the Christopher Reeve Superman (and, yes, I'm drawing a distinction between the Reeve Superman and Superman Returns).

I'm not 100% sure but I think the producers thought about using the Reeves era costume but went for the Routh one because the other didn't fit tonally.

Got to agree with the general consensus on this thread. Got all 10 seasons on DVD and thoroughly enjoy them. Currently sitting through Season 9 again. I've only got one nit-pick really. For the last 3 seasons there was far too little location filming. Too many important scenes took place on the same old sets (the Kent barn etc). I understand the economic reasons behind that but it still spoilt the illusion for me a bit.

[Pharozonk]

I liked Rosenbaum's portrayal of Lex Luthor, but everything else fell flat for me.

[The Red Monk]

I never went beyond midway of Season 7, which is probably for the best, since from what I've read, the show gets REALLY awful after that point.

Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor was awesome, but I'm not sure about Durance's Lois Lane. She was kind of fun in the earlier seasons, but I just found her character more and more annoying as the show went on.

Welling's Clark Kent never did it for me. He's not a bad actor, but his portrayal seemed almost wooden at times.

[Powerboy]

I never went beyond midway of Season 7, which is probably for the best, since from what I've read, the show gets REALLY awful after that point.

Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor was awesome, but I'm not sure about Durance's Lois Lane. She was kind of fun in the earlier seasons, but I just found her character more and more annoying as the show went on.

Welling's Clark Kent never did it for me. He's not a bad actor, but his portrayal seemed almost wooden at times.

My reaction and the reaction I've seen from most people seems exactly the opposite, that it was a soap opera for 12 year old girls through the first six seasons (apologies to women who started watching it at 12), had a rough transitional year in season 7 and then hit its greatness starting in season 8 and onward. While it was still a soap opera, it really started to revolve a lot more around the big stories rather than who was in love with who. Even the soap elements were on a more adult level of feelings. I still kick myself that I gave up on it after season 7 and then had to refresh my memory by watching it through again to get to the last three seasons which turned out to be the meat and substance of the show.

I can see where Lois's comedy banter might wear thin eventually though I still find Erica Durance's Lois the most interesting by far of any ever done. Also, although Lana Lang was mostly in the teen angst years of the show, I always felt she was presented as Clark's ultimate love in the show and was only eliminated from the running by a deus ex machina. I found how easily he shrugged his shoulders after Lana's permanent "Kryptonite condition" and fell in love with Lois a bit weak. It made it comes across as if Lois won by default. Maybe they were trying to say that had he met Lois first... But it didn't seem that way.

And here I am, rambling about that 12 year old teen angst thing that I allegedly don't care about.

While I don't know for sure, I suspect that a lot of criticism of the last few seasons came from people who were already devoted fans before the show suddenly did an almost 180 shift.

[misslane]

My reaction and the reaction I've seen from most people seems exactly the opposite, that it was a soap opera for 12 year old girls through the first six seasons (apologies to women who started watching it at 12), had a rough transitional year in season 7 and then hit its greatness starting in season 8 and onward.

The first three seasons of the show and the last three seasons of the show were both pretty good. There were some great arcs and episodes in the middle seasons as well. I hope you're not suggesting that shows aimed at appealing to young women, even a pre-Superman show, are somehow incapable of achieving greatness. More importantly, the ratings data plainly showed that the majority of viewers were men between the ages of 18-49. The perception that Smallville appealed primarily to tween girls is not supported by the facts.

While it was still a soap opera, it really started to revolve a lot more around the big stories rather than who was in love with who. Even the soap elements were on a more adult level of feelings. I still kick myself that I gave up on it after season 7 and then had to refresh my memory by watching it through again to get to the last three seasons which turned out to be the meat and substance of the show.

The show was an origin story. Clark's teenage years would therefore naturally be less focused on the hows and the whys of becoming Superman and more on the hows and the whys of developing his identity. Just because the final three seasons of the show began to explore how Clark started to build his iconic persona and iconic life does not mean that the years in which Clark struggled to define his morality and personality were less significant or substantive.

I can see where Lois's comedy banter might wear thin eventually though I still find Erica Durance's Lois the most interesting by far of any ever done. Also, although Lana Lang was mostly in the teen angst years of the show, I always felt she was presented as Clark's ultimate love in the show and was only eliminated from the running by a deus ex machina. I found how easily he shrugged his shoulders after Lana's permanent "Kryptonite condition" and fell in love with Lois a bit weak. It made it comes across as if Lois won by default. Maybe they were trying to say that had he met Lois first... But it didn't seem that way.

First, I'm not sure when falling in love with a man became equated with winning. Lois did not win Clark. They both fell in love with each other. It wasn't a contest. Second, Lana was not presented as Clark's ultimate love. What the show did was tragically separate Clark and Lana in a way that proved that Lana was not the love of Clark's life. Had the show wanted to send the message that Lana was Clark's ultimate love, then it would have had him spend the remaining two and a half seasons searching for a way to cure Lana of her kryptonite infection. Or, to be even more extreme, show Clark swearing off any future relationships because his heart could only ever belong to one woman.

Smallville never came close to showing Clark shrugging his shoulders after Lana left and easily falling in love with Lois. Clark didn't start dating Lois until a year had passed after Lana's final visit. He was even in an emotional place in which he had sworn off emotional attachments of any kind when he found himself drawn to Lois. To suggest that Clark went from Lana to Lois as if a lightswitch had been turned on is not supported by the show canon. What show canon did ultimately prove, however, was that Clark's relationship with Lois was one based on authentic love rather than infatuation. Clark's relationship with Lois was depicted as healthier and stronger than anything he ever shared with Lana. It's why Clark was never able to tell Lana she was "the one" or the love his life; it is why Clark was able to be more intimate and more collaborative with Lois than he was ever with Lana.

The kryptonite road block closed off one opportunity and allowed Clark to explore new ones. When this happens, it is hardly logical to assume that the next opportunity will be inescapably second rate. If an ambitious student spends his whole life dreaming of attending Harvard University yet ends up at Yale because Harvard rejects him, then it is not impossible for that young man to find Yale to be what he wanted from Harvard and more. It is highly pessimistic, in my view, to support a philosophy which argues that when a desired choice is eliminated, it is inevitable that the next choice will be lesser unfulfilling. In short, second choice does not mean second best.

[Jcady59]

I love the first five seasons and season nine and really like the remaining four. This is the show that got me into reading comics in the first place so it will always be special to me, and even if there is some dull parts(Season 7) it's over all one of my favorite shows ever.