But now there's Smallville. I'm Netflix-ing my way through the first season, and I like it.
Pros: Good character development and writing. You've got the happy but not entirely boring Kent family on one hand and the utterly twisted Luthor father/son dynamic on the other. Lex, far from being a typical 'baddie' is complex and conflicted. Clark is complex and conflicted, too (and played well by the Welling kid) but it took some time for him to get interesting. At least they've kept him from going all "I have all these nifty abilities but I can't get the girl I want. Waaaaaah!" Even though that's probably very true to what a teen superman would go through, I survived teen agnst and generally don't enjoy being reminded of it. Being a teenager is a slice of hell on so many levels, this thing could have gone the way Buffy did at times (teh why-can't-I-be-a-regular-kid whining that made me want to smack her zitless face) but managed not to. Almost at the end of the first season, and I really haven't wanted to smack Clark yet. YAY!
Cons: The themesong gets old when you watch 'em back to back. I get all, like, shut UP and fumble through the 60 odd remotes my husband has, looking for the one that skips the credits. I usually figure it out by the time it's over.
Oh, and Michael Rosenbalm looks a LOT like my best friend from college, only she's a girl. And has hair. And is, well, actually very pretty. He looks like he could be her brother.
The other negative in the first season was the drawback of episodic TV-- they had a monster of the week thing going for a while, and at least half of them were crap. The only reason I got Ron to keep watching with me was that Lex was so intriguing.
I didn't see the season-ender cliffhanger yet, so I'm glad I've been taking the season one discs slowly. Instant gratification is a beautiful thing. Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
The first season of Smallville was very good. Season two became so bad that I stopped watching entirely. I've caught occasional bits of season three, and was not at all enticed back.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I've been watching it since it came out. It was like Superman meets Dawson's Creek meets the X-Files. Just seemed like such a neat concept.
But besides that, what really kept me interested was Lex and Clark. I love their dynamic. Lex is by far my favorite character on the show, and his progression is wonderful to see unfold. It's almost sad, because you know that eventually these two people will be arch nemeses. But the fact that now they're friends, best friends, each with secrets, each growing and developing into their future selves...well, it's interesting.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the season. And then the second season. And i assume the third season will be coming out soon too. There's a couple events towards the end of the second season and through the third that are pretty major, pretty crazy. Enjoy.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I agree that parts during season 2 weren't so hot. But the end got alot better. And the first half of season 3 I thought was wonderful. So much going on, so many changes.
They've mostly gotten rid of the evil meteor rock affected baddy of the week. mostly...
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I don't really remember what was in the second season, even though I've seen every episode. What was the general arc of the second season, again?
The show rocks my socks now, though.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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If I remember correctly, towards the end of season 2 was the whole thing with Lex marrying that doctor who had scene the secret of Clarks blood. And things had started happening with the space ship. I can't remember if the indian caves and Jorell speaking to Clark and Christopher Reeves guest spots were season 2 or 3. I'm thinking maybe 3. Which is why i think i like 3 so much. That and the whole thing with Lex getting super close to clarks secret, and his father's secret, and then Clark having to show his powers to save Lex, but then Lex getting thrown in the mental institution. And then Clark finally deciding to come rescue him.
But the end of season 2 definitely had the red kryptonite and by the end clark took it and left. and the beginning of season 3 he was still in Metropolis being bad ass clark.
posted
the thing that bothered me about seasons 2 and 3, is that its just so obvious! Clark is always there, hes always moaning about kryptonite, lex and lionel just know so much, its realy...too much of a close call. The third season was really good, minus that annoyance, and i LOVED the finale. I cant wait for the premire!
Posts: 1604 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I like the show, but certain aspects have become extremely boring. For one thing, the relationship between Lana and Clark is a dead horse that's been flogged far too long. Just get them together, or keep them apart and get Clark a new love interest.
SPOILERS
The season three finale was awesome. The cliffhanger ending didn't really bug me, and reminded me of the final scene in the first Godfather. The way Lionel Luthor (easily my favorite character) exacted his revenge on all of his enemies was brilliant.
Though Clark and Lex have had some tough times as friends, Clark's discovery of Lex's "Clark Kent mystery room" was the straw that broke the camel's back. Though Lex doesn't seem to bear any great animosity for Clark, I think it's safe to say that next season will bring about the degeneration from friends to mortal enemies.
My favorite moment this season was between Lex and Clark. It was in the episode which cast Clark as the hero of a native myth, and Lex as the supposed villain. Lex theorized that he, in effect, was the actual hero, for if superman didn't have a great evil to fight against, then superman himself would become that evil.
posted
I started off loving Smallville despite the silly monster-teen-of-the-week bits. I liked Clark and his family, I liked his friends (although Lana changing from the red-haired country girl of the comics to a dark-haired exotic beauty was a trifle annoying) and I thought the actors playing the Luthors deserved Emmys. And the notion that Clark was sent to Earth to rule just floored me.
I still watch, but I get more annoyed every week as the plots take us farther and farther away from Superman history.
Why is Clark's dead father an ongoing character?
Why is it that his powers are so easy to get? His dad got 'em, some girl from a car wreck got 'em, some kid hit by lighteing stole 'em... kinda takes away the uniqueness of being Clark if his abilities are that transient.
What the hell is up with the cave? Jor-el was here before? He's still around?
After the government took away the first three or four super-powered teenagers, why didn't they quarantine the whole town and test everybody?
Why isn't Clark in jail? He's at the scene of every major disaster, murder, or accident. They sort of touched on this with the new sheriff but didn't keep up with it.
Once Clark found out kryptonite could hurt him, why wouldn't he take some time every weekend to go kryptonite-hunting with Pete and destroy every rock he found? If heat vision idn't do it there should be some cavern or crevice he could dump it in.
If you had no clue about your origins and you heard from a rich, world-class scientist who spoke your native language and knew where you came from, wouldn't you hang around and pump him for everything you could? Hell, intern with him for the summer or something.
How exactly is Clark going to maintain a secret identity later on around Lex?
"Hold it, Luthor. Your mad scheme ends here!"
"Clark, why are you running around in your jammies? Are you feeling all right?"
Why doesn't Clark practice more to find out what he can do? He still seems to constantly be surprised when a new ability pops up.
[SPOILER] Did he pay back all the money he stole during his red-k summer? [/SPOILER]
Every time they add a new plot twist that's tougher to explain and near impossible to reconcile with what's already happened or what we know will happen in the future, I think wistfully back to the first season.
[ May 25, 2004, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Yes, the Freak of the Week got old. Yes, they have been lame- the frozen guy, the fire coach, etc. Those are my least favorite episodes.
But what I really like is the major story arch.
Beginning with "SkinWalker" (season 2) where we first learned that Clark was Numan and was foretold (and that Kryptonians had visited earth in the past), the story arch really began to soar.
When Christopher Reeve, as Dr. Swann, showed up in Rosetta (season 2) and told Clark where he was from, his name, and Clark learned to read Kryptonian from the cave- I just loved it. But the real climax was, as they began to play the John William's Superman movie them as Clark learned that he had been sent to earth to conquer- Wow. What a twist. This was not simply the same old superman story. The producers where not afraid to change the mythology.
Not being a comic book reader, I really didn't care about the continuity with them (as much continuity as a 60 year old series can have with the myriad writers and story retellings). I liked how they took the basics of the old tale and breathed life into it so it was not simply a coming of age story but was also more cosmic. That really is the right word.
That is reinforced by Clark's relationship with Lex, Segeeth in the Kiwatche prophecies, of which I love Lex's interpretation.
Season 2 was great, I thought, especially the way they built Clark and Lana up. "Red", "Prodigal", "Calling"- all great episodes. And the season finale, with Jor-el (Terrance Stamp) manipulating Clark and pushing him, was just great.
Season 3 started great. But then they continued the Freak of the Week a couple of times, like Magnetic or Obsession (though Obsession did show Clark the possibility that he might have to be alone in his secret), which I like least.
But at the same time, even during those FoTW episodes, they continued the larger story arch. Adam Knight, Lionel's cancer, Lionel's parent's murder, etc. Even an episode like "Relic", which seemed a gimic (Smallville set in 1961?) turned out to have major importance in the mytharch. Jor-El had also visited earth, smallville, even. Clarks being sent to the Kents was not an accident. And that was the episode that opened up the whole murder of Lionel's parents (paralleling the comicbook Lex who murdered his parents in order to receive seed money.)
"Shattered" and "Assylum" where really good, with Lex breaking down and finally learning Clark's secret (and the fact that Lionel had murdered his parents.) I really liked the fact that Lex stayed Clark's friend when he found out. He fought one of the old FoTW's in order to save Clark, even when he was about to go into shock therapy at Lionel's behest. I also liked finally seeing what happened to some of the old FoTW's. That also told me that Clark is partly resposible for Lex becoming his enemy. His mistakes, his secrets, his lies, suspicians and his mood shifts (see how he treats Lex when he's around Red Kryptonite) all play a part in Lex's fall, though Lionel's influence is obviously also key.
The partial responsibility for the future enmity with Lex lie in Clark's juevenile actions.
The last few episodes where good, though there were some jarring points. Like how Emily Dinsmore (the cloned, fast girl) built a glass structure to capture Lana. Or the false tension that Clark would actually open up to Lana. Who actually expected him to, yet they hinged part of the tension on that question.
And yes, it's not very realistic, on one level. A HS newspaper editor being able to run any story she wants (and wandering the schools late at night? Not my HS). Clark would definitely be a suspect, as many times as he's turned up at crime scenes (though the new Sherrif mentioned it in one of the Season 2 episodes- Clark has a hero complex and is on her radar.) Many other things, too. Smallville would definitely be on the FBI radar.
But for what it is, especially the characters, I love it. The Lana and Clark yo-yo has to end, though it was good at the end of last season. Even Pete and Lex said it must stop, showing the producers know they have milked it dry.
The producers have said that a new love interest for Clark will be in season 4. Considering that Chloe may be dead (or in witness protection) and her cousin is/was Lois Lane, she may return as another character. I have mixed feelings about this. Chloe really does seem to be perfect for Clark, the girl he must "grow into" as she told him in her letter in "Fever" (s2). But it would look goofy if they simply did a "Patty Duke".
So I don't know how they will resolve it. Allison Mack (Chloe) is listed as coming back next season, though Pete is not (which we saw in "Forsaken"). Given the ending, Chloe being dead, and the possibility that the producers may really have the guts to kill off a main character (or at least make it appear that way)- well, I don't know. It could be a Patty Duke situation. Or Chloe could be assuming a new ID (though to return to Smallville would be stupid if that was the case.) Clark might get out of the "cave" earlier in time, to save her and Lex. Or something else. Better not be stupid, though.
Lionel really is something though. And Jor-el really rivals him in terms of manipulation and sociopathy.
Despite some incredibly stupid episodes (like Whisper and Magnetic) I have come to trust the producers and like what they are doing. So I'm willing to wait and see.
posted
Chloe's death was probably the biggest surprise of the season finale. Lex gets poisoned by wine, which is rather stupid, considering the season 2 finale also ended with Lex heading toward his death. Martha looking at a fire in the shape of a kryptonian symbol on a field on the farm seems a bit random.
The thing that bothered me most about the season finale was they put absolutely every bit of the suspense near the end. Cramming every single cliffhanger into a final "Godfather" scene was interesting, but rather stupid. And not showing Lionel's trial after all the anticipation was a big disappointment.
The first half of the episode didn't flow very smoothly like season one's "Tempest" did, and the acting skills of the young woman who played "Kara" were utterly horrible (she actually looked at the camera and acknowledged it at one point.) The character of Kara herself was very annoying as well. How could Clark possibly have believed someone who says "A place where all your questions will be answered," every other minute? The episode wasn't as bad as say, "Magnetic" but it could have been better.
I also don't believe that anything actually happened to Chloe or Lex at all. My theory is that during the final scene, Lionel was simply imagining the deaths of the people who testified against him, and the smile he had at the end was the giveaway.
Overall, the season finale was better than last year's "Exodus," which didn't leave you wondering where Clark's going and what will happen to Lex too much because you know they're going to be okay. Season 3 is probably my favorite of all of them (even though Adam Knight didn't turn out to be Bruce Wayne, despite all the clues.) Smallville remains my favorite television show and seeing OSC review it in his column was very delightful. I'll be awaiting the premiere this fall with big anticipation.
Posts: 121 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
If they make the entire end a dream sequence of Lionel, that would be the ultimate cop-out- on a par with the death of Bobby Ewing on Dallas turning out to be a dream way back in the mid 80's. That has become such a joke of a way to handle things and "reset" the tension that was created.
From what I could tell, Lionel has not had his trial. The last thing to happen was Clark testifying at the bail hearing and based on that, Lionel's bail being denied.
That's not to say that Lionel isn't trying to seek revenge on those who instigated all of this, even if he can beat the charges. The action against Lex (though you know he has to live for a couple of reasons: He's Clark's nemesis and he's a meteor freak himself, with his ridiculously high white blood cell count that renders him immune to sickness.)
What happened to Chloe and what happened to Lex occured at the same time as the symbol that appeared at the Kent farm. Lionel would have nothing to do with that, so it clearly cannot be some dream sequence or something.
Incidently, over at kryptonsite.com there are some screen caps showing that the symbol on the farm is that of "grandfather". Jonathan Kent is also laid out in the same form as the symbol. Not sure what, if anything, that is supposed to mean.
The pacing of episode might have been a little off. But the overall flow had a nice symmetry to it.
Clark is told by Kara that everyone will betray him and then, one by one, they do, at least in his mind. When the episode begins, he refused to believe it. But slowly, that changes. Jonathan's deal with Jor-el, Lana and Lex, Lex's Clark Room. Pete's already gone and Chloe is going into hiding. He's all alone.
You gotta love Jonathan, though. "Clark, I've lived a full life. You need to be free."
And the Cave Jor-el (whether his spirit or some kind of AI Jor-el sent with the ship) really is Lionel's equal, if not worse.
Despite all the arguments about continuity from the comics, Jor-el's methods- manipulation, lies, threats, inflicting pain, emotional blackmail (about Clark's mother), causing Jonathan physical problems when he does not bring Clark to him, and even killing Kara and threatening Jonathan with death- all those things, those Machiavellian methods put him up there with Lionel. At the end, you'll notice that Clark is bound in a fetal position in the superman symbol.
All in all, while not as good as Exile (which I loved. I had thought that Jor-el actually purposely sent red-k to Earth so that if Kal-el refused to follow his destiny, the red-k would make him do it. Turned out not to be true, but I didn't know that till the end) it promises some real answers, finally. About Jor-el, about Lex and Clark, Lois Lane, Dr. Swann (how did he get the key?), etc.
I love this show, own the first two seasons on DVD and have all of s3 on my harddrive.
I don't think Lex can really be killed with poison anyway. I like this show a lot... I also, in a fangirly manner wish that Clark would take off his shirt more often.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Most of what Kara said had a Oudupis (sorry that is spelt very poorly) slant on it wich was interesting and above what I had though smallville was capapul of (I absolutly love the show though, dont get me wrong), but then of corse, she ends up being a fake.
I dobut Lex is really dead, after all the mind controling stuff from last seson was in his brandy too (you would think he would learn better!).
If Chloe is dead, as well as Pete being gone (two of my favorit charicters) I might just... i dont know... but it would be bad! hehe.
Lex seems to be the most interesting part of the plots so I doubt that he is gone for good (he is also one of my favorits).
I guess we will just have to wate for next seson. Posts: 264 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I think the show has had its ups and downs...the monster of the week thing got rather old...but they got a little bit better about it in the third season. Clark annoys me at times both in how he deals with Lex and in how he deals with Lana. Though the stuff with lana is annoying, it is not really surprising. TV shows love to have couples that are almost together but they are always kept apart (until the very end of the series). Hell Friends did it for years with Ross and Rachel's on again off again relationship.
I do wonder if they killed Chloe...she really got on my nerves at time with her constant probing, though that is typical of a reporter. Hell, I think on a whole most reporters are rather annoying so her behavior makes sense. I think the episode where she got that power to make people tell the truth really spelled out her personality. If I were Clark I would not speak to her again after that.
As for lex, they can't kill him since we all know Lex Luther does not die (since he is in the Superman movies), but it will be interesting to see how they get out of this one. Of course they have twisted the mythology in some places, I don't think they would go so far as to kill lex. Besides, he is one of the most interesting characters.
I also wonder if Pete and Lana will be back. They both seem intent on leaving smallville but of course that could change over the summer.
I just think it seems cheap to make it look like all of Clarks friends either die or plan to leave for good at the end of the season for some sort of fake cliffhanger. They clearly are not going to get rid of the entire cast, so this all just seems fake. Of course if they are going to have a major cast shake up, I will stand corrected and applaud them for the guts they have to try to pull something like that off without destroying the series.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Okay, I hadn't even considered this (which is odd, knowing how cynical I am) but I've seen speculation on the net that the finale ended with most of the cast possibly dead so that if any of the actors tried to renogotiate their contracts they could be easily written out of the series. Hmm...
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
[Spoilers ahead- though I wonder why the need since the season finale already aired last week and it's not like it will be rebroadcast until the end of summer/beginning of fall in the lead up to the season premier]
The info at Kryptonsite.com, which in turn seems to come from the powers that be is that only Pete will be gone. Obviously, Lex has to be there, since he is Segeeth, the "brother" to Naman that becomes his enemy. So any cliffhanger there is not really artificial- more a wondering about how he will survive it. Like a book with the main character in jeopardy. With the exception of GRR Martin, the main character never is really in jeopardy of dying, though they can be in moral, emotional or psychological jeopardy. I think it's safe to say that this event in Lex's life, taken with every other bad thing that has happened to him, is part of why he becomes what he becomes.
AS for Chloe, that's the real mystery. Allison Mack is slated for next season. Yet if you watch the explosion you'll notice she's right inside the door when it happens and the fire that engulfs her blows out the door windows. No way she survived. So two obvious options present themselves. Either Clark gets out of wherever he is "before" the events occur and is able to save them (assuming he knows what will happen, etc)- which is lame- or Allison Mack, the actress, comes back playing as someone else- which just seems dumb.
There's got to be a 3rd- like she survived and disappears/assumes a new identity- though how that occurs in the face of the evidence that she was right at the door it was engulfed with fire and when the house exploded, and why she would be dumb enough to return to Smallville, Kansas, under witness protection, even under an assumed ID, I don't know.
Of course, perhaps she disappears only for a short time (assuming she survived), until Lionel dies for whatever reason, after which she can return. Though I would hate to see John Glover disappear. His games with everyone, especially Lex, are really interesting.
The only one further ahead of him is Swann (Reeve), who pretended to work with him and the result was that somehow he got the key.
Anyway, a great show and despite the "comic book" depiction of the world, where there really could be superhero vigilantes assisting the police, it does a good job of showing what it would be like to grow up as the future superman.
Can you imagine the lawyers?
"Your honor, my client's rights where violated by Superman when he used his x-ray vision to see into his house. Clearly, he had an expectation of privacy. I move that any evidence obtained from such an 'illegal invasion' constitute the fruits of a poisonous tree. In as much as Superman often works with the Police, any work he was doing could be considered at their behest and hence subject to such laws."
[Supes on the stand and being cross-examined by the defense.] "So you expect us to take your word that you saw my client about to murder so-and-so?" "That is correct" "And you never lie?" "Never" "What about your normal life. I assume you have a secret identity to protect your privacy and those you love. When you leave to rush off to whatever emergency is taking place, are you honest about where you are going to people?" "no. (sheepishly)" "So you admit to lying regularly to cover yourself. Why, then, should we believe you now?"
Ah, but I love the Kents. They are what makes Superman, not Jor-el.
posted
right on Fitz. I haven't watched the season finale yet, and i've just had a bit of it spoiled. damn you all!
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
And, as I said in the original post, __I__ haven't even seen all of season one yet. Not that I mind spoilers, really. But I don't get cable or TV. If I did I wouldn't watch most of it, anyway. *shrug*
So now I have a thread of my own that I won't even read. *snort* that is SOO funny. Posts: 1664 | Registered: Apr 2004
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As the producers don't seem to be following the comic book mythos (with the exception of nods here and there: Dr. Foster as Lex's therapist, Kara introduced as Clark's cousin- the same name as Supergirl, who was Clark's cousin), I highly doubt it.
I mean, they have created a very organic mythology- native Americans, Clark sent to conquer, etc. I really don't see them bringing in a Braniac (or Eradicator, for that matter) because that would require a huge amount of Kryptonian backstory to explain where they came from. The show is about Clark Kent coming to terms with his destiny (or creating it), not about Krypton.
The cave Jor-el is probably not really Jor-el's spirit, since there is no supernatural in Smallville. It seems to be the same manifestation that appeared to Clark from the ship, which was clearly AI.
At first, I thought that the ship was the thing that was actually programmed with the Jor-El AI. But the fact that Jor-El continues to exist after the destruction says it's somewhere else.
"Relic" introduced the idea that a memory and/or personality could be "downloaded" into objects. I would bet that, given the way it's been used, the KEY is actually the container for the Jor-El AI program.
The Caves, I would guess, are some kind of organic computer (for lack of a better word). When Clark placed the key in the slot, "Jor-El 1.0" was downloaded into the Caves and from then on, operated from both locations. He could "call" to Jonathan from the key, could speak from the Caves, etc.
Now, some speculate that the only negative view of Jor-El comes from Clark's reading of the ship's message. That he misunderstood "conquer" or "rule" and that Jor-El really meant something more benevolent. But that's ridiculous. He had no trouble reading the message Swann showed him. And the ship itself actually told Clark that it was time and he had to leave everything behind and pursue his destiny- after which it painfully burned the house of El symbol into Clark's chest. Then, in the Cave, Jor-El 1.0 gave Jonathan powers on the grounds that Jonathan would return Clark when it was time. When Jonathan later refused, it began to cause him physical problems with his heart. It used Kara, lying to Clark about another Krypton realm and using Clark's real mother's love as manipulation. Finally, it threatened Jonathan with death if Clark did not go willingly. All amoral actions more in keeping with Lionel than Jonathan.
And the only memories Clark has of Jor-El, thus the only non-AI based standards for judging Jor-El's behavior, is "Relic" (Smallville 1961) and "Memoria" where Jor-El puts Kal-El in the ship. "Relic" shows a younger Jor-El, still fighting his own, Lionel-like father who sent him to Earth as punishment and to teach him a lesson. That was 40 years ago. It's possible that the results of the Louis affair and subsequent events caused him to accept his Father's lesson about earth and life. The next time we see him is talking to Lara when they send Clark to earth. There, Lara is the one who wonders if "they will love him." All he says is "His destiny is set, as is ours." Yes, he holds her hand, but that is it. There's no emotional farewell to his son. He seems colder, more distant and fatalistic.
Now, it can be argued that Jor-El 1.0 was programmed by an enemy (some say Zod, in a nod to the fact that Terrence Stamp is the voice, others Brainiac), or that it was corrupted.
But that seems a somewhat convoluted argument to simply explain why the comic book Jor-El differs from the Smallville Jor-El. I say, let the difference exist. Hurdles do not need to be jumped through to preserve continuity when continuity WITHIN the comics is not even remotely complete and when the show's producers have not been afraid to change things anyway (Like splitting Lex into father and son).
The powers that be aren't afraid to screw with the mythos. And that's what I like about it. You cannot know where it is really going with these things.
The only contradiction to all this is how "Jor-El 1.0" could have preserved "Kara" in the caves 14 years ago if he wasn't downloaded till last season. Two possibilities exist. 1) His AI was transferred there when the meteor shower occurred and wasn't "awakened" to begin new action until Clark put the Key in the cave. 2) "Kara" was preserved inside the Caves 'accidently' and Jor-El 1.0 merely used her once he came online.
A great story, though. And I don't think it needs Brainiac.
posted
well, i just finally got to watch the finale today.
*Spoilers for S3*
It was pretty cool. Chloe dying was a huge shock. And I don't think people are far off with the idea that they bring the actress back as Lois Lane.
quote:It was in the episode which cast Clark as the hero of a native myth, and Lex as the supposed villain. Lex theorized that he, in effect, was the actual hero, for if superman didn't have a great evil to fight against, then superman himself would become that evil.
agreed. I thought that was awesome.
I also agree with what Ian said about Clark's ignorant actions causing Lex to eventually hate him. Maybe i'm biased because Lex is my favorite character, but there are so many times Clark says or does something to Lex and I just think "why?". that's so stupid.
anyway, cool episode. i'm excited for next season.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
spoilers ahead There are deep time-travel/paradox/fate implications set throughout the way the story has so far developed. Among many other things, there are long-ago nativeAmerican legends, and of the discovery of a long-lost cave filled with prophesy of the savior/superman. All long before "Jorel's visit" in the '60s.
And Lex's words were closer to "Just think of all the power that this [the nativeAmerican name for the savior/superman] has. Maybe... Maybe the man who would dare to fight him is the hero."
Gotta admit the LexLuthor&Father Show is the only thing on television that I even try into fit into my schedule.
(sigh... I miss Illyria. Maybe they'll bring her back with Spike. And nope, Buffy and Angel otherwise never became a part of my viewing habits.)
posted
If they bring Chloe back as Lois, I'll stop watching. I don't mind, no, I expect minor changes to the mythos to keep it fresh and entertaining (like Clark spending 10 years learning from his dad's AI program in the movie, or John Byrne's excellent "Man of Steel" series that not only expertly revised Supes and made him fun again, but first suggested that Lex was a meglomaniacal businessman rather than a mad scientist).
But Chloe as Lois would change too many of the dynamics I like about the story. Sorry.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I just started watching this season and now I am completely and utterly, obsessed. This is the one thing that I have been keeping tabs on, on T.V. and what I have recently been scrounging around the internet looking for information.
Yeah, the Lex and Clark dynamic was what originally got me hooked and what continues to keep me watchin'. I really regret turning off the T.V. after the first couple of minutes of the premier. Now I must figure out a way to get a hold of the first two season DVDs with my, er- limited funds.
Posts: 35 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Actually, Chloe's death could be what triggers the entry into journalism for Lois Lane. If memory serves (and it does), Chloe use Lane's name (completely unknown journalistically) to get a hot story into the Planet. Lane didn't care because she was completely uninterested in journalism.
But having one's cousin murdered because of stories and investigations she had done might well incite one to become a reporter themself.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Or, it could be that the "death" of Cloe in the exploding house was staged by the FBI to make everyone think she is dead, so Lionel would stop trying to kill her. But would the FBI ever be this creative? Maybe in Smallville. Local FBI office probably got hit by meteor rock.
I always thought that Cloe was a far more interesting person than Lana, and Clark was stupid for falling for the wrong girl.
But Clark was also stupid enough to have a jealous fit when he saw Lex giving Lana a good-bye hug at the airport. He wasn't upset that Lex gave her the ticket. What's wrong with Lex being there to be the only friend from Smallville saying good-bye to her? For a superman with training wheels who is nonetheless supposed to have this cosmic genius-level intelligence, Clark sure is a dimwit.
I like this show enough to watch it, but it makes me mad enough not to record it.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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It's the krytonite pendant Lana's been wearing all those years: Clark's just figuring feelin weak at the knees to be a sign of true love. Happens to even the brightest of hormone-overcharged and romance-tale-believing teens
"But would the FBI ever be this creative? Maybe in Smallville. Local FBI office probably got hit by meteor rock."
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Of course, there is that look the G-Man with glasses gives Chloe and her dad as they drive away from the exploding home. One could interpret that as suspicious, as in he was in on the murder (and some support this by saying that that guy was actually seen in the caves with Lionel, the MB). Or that he was in on the "faked death." No way of knowing, really.
Realistically, the explosion, especially fire coming out the door occurs RIGHT when Chloe is standing in front of the door. Unless there is a secret trap door that she suddenly fell through, or a wall of some protective material dropped down in front of her, there is no way she could have survived.
(Oh, and that symbol on the Kent farm looks like "father" to me, not grandfather, based on the family tree Clark drew in Rosetta. More appropriate, I think.)
This weekend I had a mini smallville marathon (I've been going through some stressful times and this is one of the things that distracts me) and what I really again caught was how perfect Chloe is for Clark and as Lois Lane. She really seems to be the girl of his dreams, the kind of girl "you grow into." Not that Lana is lame (though she is kind of dull), but Chloe is much more interesting and I love the way her face expresses her real feeling for Clark when he is not looking. It seems fitting that Lana would be a red-herring in what turns out to be a Clark-Chloe relationship.
Of course, now that she's dead, that's gone. But maybe he'll see in Lois the qualities he saw in Chloe. Maybe he'll realize what he had and finally look beyond Lana.
As for Allison Mack coming back as Lois, I have mixed feelings. It could really be lame. It really could, with the whole "identical cousins" Patty Duke syndrome it would require. Unless they gave AM enough makeup to look different, in which case, why use the same actress if you change her face each week. But it might be done properly. Then again, Allison Mack could simply be in the first couple episodes, somehow (like flashbacks, etc), and then be out, so that her disappearance from the show really is a surprise.
Or Clark could use some sort of time travel (like being in a timeless phantom zone) to get out early and save her. That could be lame, too. Or not, depending on how it's done.
I guess that's a sign of a good cliff-hanger. You can't think of a way out that would be not be lame.
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Being a teenager is a slice of hell on so many levels, this thing could have gone the way Buffy did at times (teh why-can't-I-be-a-regular-kid whining that made me want to smack her zitless face) but managed not to. Almost at the end of the first season, and I really haven't wanted to smack Clark yet. YAY!
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"But would the FBI ever be this creative? Maybe in Smallville. Local FBI office probably got hit by meteor rock." ![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
