Smallville

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#1

I just finished watching Smallville Season 1 (except special features), and I have to say, it was pretty good.

There were a few rough patches in the first few discs (especially having two episodes with essentially the same plot on disc 2), but the episode with the rogue cop really turned things around for me. I think I’d heard somewhere that it was filmed in Vancouver, but even if I hadn’t, I would have figured it out from the guest stars (Replacement Daniel :wink: , Major Lorne, and 2 Cylons. Plus, I watched a couple episodes of Season 9 on Hulu and they get Real Daniel too :wink: ).

I still haven’t seen enough to be willing to say he’s my favorite Lex Luthor, but the actor who plays Lex does an awesome job.

I also love all the self referential humor they slip in (like Clark not wanting a job that involves “wearing a suit and lots of flying”).

#2

Helo and the Cylones will keep returning… granted it sometimes are 5, 6 years apart… but they do return…

Rosenbaum’s Luthor is pretty awesome. Because he plays someone who really admires Clark, and who wants nothing more than giving away all he had if only to be like Clark for a while. You get to see how he is pushed and manipulated into the person he will become.

The first few seasons were good. There are a lot of freak of the week stuff, but when it’s a mythos episode that requires continuity, they were pretty amazing. It will get really awesome when it hits season 4 and 5.

From season 6 and 7… the quality of the writing will suffer a bit. Thing characters flip-flopping on what they said will happen a lot. It all gets better in season 8, and by season 9 it’s greater than it has ever been. To the point that there simply needs a season 10, and i am glad we are getting that.

#3

Yeah, the freak of the week stuff was getting a bit old. That’s part of the reason Rogue is where it turned the corner for me.

I have to say, from the two episodes of Season 9 I’ve seen, it looks like a completely different show in the later seasons. And why are they still not calling him Superman? This stuff with “The Blur” seems like they’re just trying to drag out giving him the suit and the name.

#4

yes, from season 6 on i’d call it a different show, and season 9 is a completely different show again.

they will not call him superman until he flies (cause lois coined that name when she saw superman fly). and he will not fly until the end of the show i guess.

i think the show can be broken down in to these sections.

season 1 ~ season 5, he wants to be like everyone else. he only like to use his power to protect his loved ones. though he is compelled by teachings of his father Jonathan Kent to help others. He completely resists Jor El’s attempt to teach him.

season 6 ~ season 8, he now realizes that he cannot live a normal life, because his powers comes with responsibilities and consequences. He wants to shad his human feelings because it causes too much pain. And he just wants to be a full Kryptonian as Jor El wanted. But his loyalties to his friends and man kind keeps interfering with his training.

season 9, he now has very little doubt what his purpose on earth. he accepts his destiny of bringing change to the world, but he will do it in his own way, because his human teachings is too big a part of him to give up.

I guess the way to enjoy it is to not expect for superman, but to see how Clark realizes his calling and realize his full potential.

it used to be a guilty pleasure for me, but as for season 9 i no longer call it that, because it’s just awesome. And I am in love with Tess Mercer… so… there

#5

Well, because of the trip I went on this past weekend, I marathoned Season 2 in less than a week.

At first, I thought having two red kryptonite episodes in one season was overdoing it, but with the end of the finale, it makes a certain amount of sense.

Even though he was only in one scene, having Christopher Reeve be the one to tell Clark about his origins was frakking awesome. Plus, the way they worked in the John Williams Superman theme throughout the back half of the season (but that scene especially).

The love triangle stuff was a little overdone at times, but it didn’t detract too much overall. And evil Chloe at the end there with Lionel was pretty interesting (even though what I’ve seen later tells me that she doesn’t stay darkside for long).

Now to the story of the final episode. The “Jor-El” persona of the ship didn’t seem quite right to me. The “world domination” bit sounded a lot more like Zod (and not just because of who voiced it :wink: ). I know it isn’t him, since he was around and about Clark’s age in the Season 9 finale.

It looks like Season 8 will be next for me, since I found it on sale for $20. Still working through special features of SGU Season 1.5 and Smallville Season 2 (plus, if I’m not done with it by the time Chuck Season 3 is out, that’ll take priority), so it’ll take longer.

#6

I wore out my DVR on that scene. You make me want to watch that episode again. sniffs

If you haven’t seen Smallville yet, I really recommend going in order. There are some major changes between certain seasons, as if they are different shows sometimes.

#7

I’ve seen a couple episodes from seasons 7-9, plus a few bits and pieces here and there.

A few things I forgot to mention because of how blown away I was by the finale (despite the love triangle stuff coming to a head).

  • Lionel is such a great slimy bastard.
  • Pete isn’t who I thought would be the first to discover the secret. Of course, with Chloe playing the Lois role in these early seasons, she’ll naturally be one of the last to find out.
  • Two pretty significant Stargate actors in the same episode, and a pretty foundational one too.
  • Nice to see the Daily Planet for the first time.
  • Really don’t like the new sheriff lady, but I’m guessing that’s what they were going for.

EDIT: Still forgot a couple things.

Liked that Ryan came back. It’s a shame he died, but there probably wasn’t too much more they could do with him. Especially since they clearly want to keep Clark as an only child.

They really played up the eventual Lex/Clark split even as they had Lex earn Jonathan’s respect, didn’t they?

#8

Lionel and Jonathan were the best parts of those early smallville. I can watch those two act all day. They can turn flip-flopping writing into something that’s seemingly deep and meaningful. I wish you can find season 4 and 5 cheap soon, because those are still my favorite seasons, mainly because Lionel and Jonathan were very important in those two seasons.

#9

Well, I ended up finding a pretty good deal and getting Seasons 3-7 for $80. Going to take me a while to get to/through them, but I’m thinking of changing this to posting my thoughts on each episode (or at least each disc) rather than entire seasons at a time.

#10

that would be awesome. please do.

#11

Episode 301: Exile

Stargate/Battlestar Actor Count*: 1 (Ryan Robbins (Louis) was Laydon Radim on Stargate Atlantis and is a regular on Sanctuary)

This is always just what I noticed, probably a few extra-minor actors on one side or the other that I missed.

Pretty good continuation of last season’s cliffhangar.

It shows that even though she’s working with Lionel, Chloe isn’t entirely darkside.

It’s so weird to see Clark as a supervillain, but I loved his one liners when he broke up the bank robbery just to grab the money and run.

I’m not sure why the Kents were going to be losing the farm. I thought that got resolved last season.

Why didn’t Jonathan take kryptonite to soften Clark up (like he and Pete did in Red) instead of going to the cave?

The cliffhanger was pretty solid, just hinting at the super fight that will probably make up a third of the next episode.

#12

it’s been a while, but if my memory didn’t fail me, i believe the apartment Clark was staying at was also in the Battlestar Galactica miniseries (pilot).

It is seen out the window during Roslin’s appointment with her doctor.

#13

Yeah. According to the Smallville Wiki, it’s also the apartment complex Clark threw the safe out of in Season 1 :wink:

I just realized I didn’t talk much about the Lex plotline. The skeleton kind of surprised me. I didn’t catch onto Louis being a figment of Lex’s imagination, even though there were a few hints there (like the necklace being “LL”).

#14

Episode 302 - Phoenix

Loved the opening fight scene even though they telegraphed the ending a bit. “Looks like the old man’s been working out.” :smiley:

What’s the point of police tape across a window 60 stories up?

When Edge showed up at the farm the first time, it seemed there was still a bit of Kal in Clark. Residual effect of being under the effects of red kryptonite for so long?

Lex actually had malaria? I thought that was a part of the fantasy when Louis said it. I thought the meteor shower gave him a super immune system.

Chloe - “Clark has more issues than Rolling Stone.” :smiley:

Is it just me, or are there more colored panels in Lex’s office windows every season?

Good plan from Edge there with the Kents on opposite sides of the barn. I hope we see him again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t. After all, with the Luthors, Smallville may have reached its quota of manipulative bastards.

One quibble. The placement of the bullet hole in the cockpit door doesn’t really line up with where the pilot got shot.

Nice callback at the end with the compass.

EDIT: Can’t believe I forgot to mention Lana saving the day. Not sure if she could have brought herself to pull the trigger, but she still did a great job.

#15

LOVE the Chloe one liners. They need more of those in the newer seasons.

i also miss the Clark Lex bromance. they were so close…

#16

Episode 303 - Extinction

Lana’s certainly dressed way differently than the last time we saw her go for a swim :wink:

Nice callbacks to all the Season 1 meteor freaks.

Lionel threatening to fire Chloe’s dad if she stops investigating Clark is low even for him.

Nice touch on the guy getting the hit list from hacking Chloe’s computer.

Lex is having difficulty getting life insurance from Lloyd’s of London? Damn, didn’t even realize they turned people down.

So after two episodes saying Lex had malaria, he says he hasn’t been sick since the meteor shower? I think the left hand didn’t know what the right was doing there.

“Life would be so much better for everyone if the meteor shower never happened.”? Ouch, Lana.

Kryptonite bullets? Are they specifically for Clark, or does he think they’d be especially effective against all meteor freaks?

I was wondering if Clark would be able to dodge the bullet before it got close enough to start screwing with his powers, but I suppose he’s not used to having to dodge bullets any more. Is this his closest call to date? Surgery with needle nosed pliers? Double ouch.

Yay for Lana saving the day again. Clark coming up with the Back to the Future solution :D.

I’d think the kryptonite would still weaken him, since it’s not entirely encased in lead, but I’m willing to let that go…

Wow, Lex managed to turn learning about meteor freaks into a way to boost his own ego.

“I wasn’t infected by meteor rocks.” Nice verbal footwork there, Clark. :wink:

“You are so low, you’re subterranean.” :smiley:

So, Lionel, you’re offended that Chloe investigated Lex, but you’re willing to fire her dad to keep her investigating Clark. How hypocritical can you be?

#17

yeah, also try to keep count how often Lana wear pink :stuck_out_tongue:

unfortunately the left hand didn’t know what the right was doing thing will come up more often later.

#18

Episode 304 - Slumber

Well, I’m not counting times she wears pink, since I’m sure I won’t really notice most of the time, but Lana was back to swimming in very little. :stuck_out_tongue:

The first hint of something being wrong was that Clark was dressed when he reached Sarah. If Lana hadn’t been around, I could have bought it.

And the other big one was the Kents buying Clark a new truck. They said they needed a new one, but they would have only had this last one 3.5-4 months, since the old one got wrecked by the ship explosion.

Lana - “Our relationship has always been about pain and angst.” :wink:

Clark - “How could you miss him? He had a big red cape on.” :smiley:

Nice foreshadowing with Lex in the dream sequence attacking Clark.

While I liked the dream, I think it went on a bit too long.

Nice technobabble from Chloe. Guess it comes from working in Vancouver and having short blond hair :stuck_out_tongue:

The bit with the sword in Lex’s mansion was a nice mirror.

One thing that seems a bit odd to me is that the stuff with Clark staying awake is that it’s assuming that caffine has the same effect on Kryptonians. I suppose I never really thought of it before, but Clark in other series could have just been drinking coffee in the mornings as part of his disguise.

Lionel, I find it hard to believe that you have Lex’s best interests at heart.
“When you’re rich, you’re not crazy… you’re eccentric.” Very true.

“In our dreams, we’re all super.” :smiley: Nice cover, Clark.

Overall, this was an unusual episode, but a pretty nice one.

This is the end of disc 1, so no new posts for a few days while I watch the special features on the last disc of SGU Season 1.5.

Limit on smilies is annoying.

#19

yeah, there’s also a limit on numbers of pictures. unfortunately there’s always some troll who spams a bazillion smilies and pictures, forcing people to put up limits like this…

the best things about these seasons is there are so many lines that hints or jokes about what’s to come. nice catching them all.

they won’t even bother to explain the car thing later… i guess that was the golden days for mid west farmers…

#20

If you don’t listen to it already, you should really give the Starkville’s House of El (short SHoE) Podcast a listen. Their last show covers all Smallville related happenings at this years Comic-Con. Although one of the Co-hosts, Steve wasn’t there for this recording, it still ended up hilarious and if you need some Smallville talk, plus old jokes plus many tangents, you should really check it out!