Smallville

[hils]

BLAH!!!

I wondered how long it would be for the euphoria to wear off. The answer is now.

This episode was slow, boring and pointless.

Well, not entirely pointless I suppose. We've established the Clois, which frankly was more fun when it was subtle, and Chloe has finally moved on from Clark (for which I say a massive hoorah even if I hate Chimmy)

But the crystal is back so that's something. I'm hoping against hope that this Season will end with Clark getting the crystal back, rebuilding the fortress and going off to become Superman in the final episode.

But, yeah, not impressed with this one at all.

Comments

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

*pukes* Thanks, you've just sullied Chloe for me, she's one of my favourite characters. She would never sleep with Lana. Though, if it weren't for the fact they're cousins, Chloe/Lois would be appealing.

I think it's probably the only way they can really go - it's also something Clark would have to learn to live with. An important lesson in itself - Superman doesn't go round being all mopey because he couldn't save someone (you can't save everyone even if you are the Man of Steel, and the embodiment of Truth, Justice, and the American way), so Clark has to move on emotionally. Also, the only thing that really ties Clark back to his old life in Smallville is Chloe, she's the tie that binds him to his life. Once that's severed he can recreate himself as Clark Kent, the bumbling nerdy reporter, who lives a parallel life as Superman.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Clark's already moving that way, which is the only reason I stuck with Season 8 for more than one episode. It actually feels sort of like Superman now

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

Smallville didn't need a sudden move on though - it's finding the proper reasons and motivations behind that moving on which is what series 8 is about. With the proper reasons, and motivation, with the correct heartaches, and tragedies, you really make Superman. It wouldn't actually be the Superman of the comics, but just like DC comics, various incarnations of the Superman mythos have been set in different worlds (as exemplified by Crisis on Infinite Earths, but referenced much earlier), Smallville in effect sets itself on it's own world. This allows things to be similar, characters to be there - but gives you the scope for difference. Superman of Earth 1, and the Superman we know today are very different, as was Superboy of Earth whatever. They bring different legacies, different MO's, sometimes different powers - but the moral beacon, is there. How it got there is the ignored but important bit.

Which is why I think sometimes Smallville gets too raw a deal from the cannon brotherhood, while sometimes losing itself in the freedom a new mythos allows. It's both good and bad in other words.

In some ways, it bugs me that Dean Cain was used for Vandal Savage - because they could have had a mini-Crisis, with the Superman crossing into Clark's world. It would have been ace - though DC would probably have had a fit at the very thought.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Heh! Yeah, I've noticed DC is very twitchy around Smallville, not letting them use Batman or Wonder Woman for example

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

I actually think it's franchise protection. I suspect they were convinced, in heavy sales people/producer tactics, to allow Smallville to go head (rather than younger teen based series based on Superboy which had been mooted at the time), so they negotiated back hard for high cost of the license, in negotiating down to an affordable cost, certain stipulations were put in place, based on what was original told to them "It's a series about Superman before he becomes Superman", ergo he can't fly, and he'll only encounter minor heroes (not that GA is all that minor, but he was never quite in the league of your principle DC characters).

[hils.livejournal.com]

Ahh! Ok, well that makes sense I guess. Besides, if they introduced Batman they'd only fuck it up ;)

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

Batman doesn't fit into the model of what Smallville is doing, he's far too deep and dark for Smallville, plus his exploits as a young man are actually quite adult. He kind of skips the teenage years, and his early 20's - pretty much jumping from the point where his parents died to having a big rubber suit. Though I think briefly there was a comic series about a teenage Bruce Wayne, but I could be mistaken.

As to Wonder Woman, her powers are built on magic, and Smallville is all about the sci-fi, so she can't fit into that universe as it is now.

Besides, Smallville got Batman's standard replacement (though in my opinion superior) character in Green Arrow. Similar history, similar MO's, equipment, except Green Arrow is more of a fun guy, and a genuine skirt chaser (while Bruce simply plays the part), he's also more of a social thinker, and a do gooder so he can fit into the brighter world of Smallville.

It would be interested to see Clark's view of the world, and justice pushed by Batman though. It would be a toughening experience for the young Clark Kent.

[hils.livejournal.com]

God, yes, they bicker about it plenty in the comic

Batman: Doom
Superman: Hope
Batman: DOOM!
Superman: HOPE! *slap*
Batman: *gets out the kryptonite*