I was discussing Smallville the other day with a friend of mine who used to watch the show. He hasn’t seen it since the end of season five or so, but I have continually told him how great it has remained, with Lana usually being the exception. He then noted that Lex, Lana, Lionel, Jonathan, Martha, and Pete have all left the show, and that it barely resembles its original cast. He then accused the show of jumping the shark – an expression I absolutely detest, because very few people actually use it correctly (TV Guide is a huge offender of this).
The thing is, it was somewhat inherent to the story that many of the above characters leave the show. We always knew that Clark wouldn’t end up with Lana. He ends up with Lois. So it was essentially predetermined that she, at some point or another, would be written off. We also knew that Lex would ultimately become the lead villain, and that his father isn’t a part of his life. Again, one way or another, Lex would usurp and eliminate his dad. Speaking of dads, it’s pretty much accepted that Jonathan passes away at some point during Clark’s life as a young adult.
And while it wasn’t etched in stone that characters like Martha and Pete would leave, quite simply their characters were no longer necessary for the direction Clark was going in. And I think Lana shows what could happen when a character overstays its welcome.
Lex leaving is pretty inexcusable, and that’s the one thing hurting the series this season.
So no, the current cast of Smallville barely resembles the original, but if you knew it would be on for eight years, you have to have known that certain characters would be written off.
Anyway, this episode saw the very sweet reunion between Clark and his ever so beautiful cousin, Kara. Along with the lack of Lex, the other thing that has really irked me about this season is how Clark can mope about being alone, yet never once mention the fact that his cousin is, ya’ know, missing. That being said, I did think that their scenes together were rather touching, and I’m REALLY glad they didn’t kill her off. I thought both characters possessed a certain sense of maturity that was lacking during much of the previous season. I thought her comment about him always being close to her heart was especially sweet. I truly do hope this isn’t the last time we see Kara. And damn, she couldn’t teach him to fly before leaving?
I also love how the family crest is getting more and more explicitly the Superman symbol every time we see it.
I’m still not completely sold on the Tess character, but I do really enjoy all of her interactions with Oliver/Green Arrow. I especially loved their scene together with Oliver in his green garb. I absolutely loved the small smirk he made when she started getting sassy with him. Oliver really does bring out the best in the Tess character. And, arguably, vice versa.
So we’ve finally gotten the story behind Doomsday. Again, I’m pretty clueless when it comes to his comic book character, so I haven’t a clue if he really is the genetic combination of General Zod and his wife – although I suspect he isn’t – but this at least sets the course for their big confrontation, likely in the series finale.
Oh, and of course, I do like how more and more characters are becoming aware of Clark’s feelings for Lois (both Kara and Zod’s lady called him out on it). This season Lois’ feelings have been pretty obvious, but we haven’t really been clued in how Clark feels. It’s nice to see that he’s interested, as well. I am curious if they’ll be able to continue to build this relationship all season, while maintaining interest, without actually getting them together.
But God help this show if they have Clark get all gaga when Lana returns.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.
