Smallville – Episode 9-22 Review

Shows

I say this every single year, and it’s always true: For its season finales, Smallville produces perhaps the best “Previously” montages I’ve ever seen. They really do a phenomenal job of summing up the past season (and sometimes more) in a matter of exhilarating minutes.

And I absolutely LOVED the opening segment. Fantastic stuff. We got a peak into the world of the Man of Steel, with Perry White as the editor of the Daily Planet, Lois as his ace reporter, Jimmy Olsen as her lovable whipping boy, Lex Luthor planning for a run at President of the United States, and for those of you who looked at the HD episode screencaps, an actual glimpse of Clark in his full Superman garb. The only dangerous thing about the scene was that, at this rate, Smallville may very well still be on the air in 2013!

And that vision/dream sequence (I personally see it as a vision) was highlighted even further by Martha’s present for Clark, namely the classic Superman costume. This was a fun, significant moment because, as most long time fans are likely aware, Martha is traditionally the person who creates Clark’s first Superman costume. Now, the question remains, will he actually wear this outfit next season? It’s tough to say. On the one hand, I just don’t see the powers that be submitting to Clark officially becoming Superman (even if he’s not using the name). On the other, it would seem a bit odd that he wouldn’t wear the suit his mother made for him. Especially since his current shirt is all ripped up. I’m guessing we might see some sort of hybrid costume, like using the blue shirt with the trench coat, perhaps.

Oh, and while I was critical about Martha’s role as the Red Queen, I did sorta appreciate Clark’s tidbit of information that she inherited the Kryoptonian library that was uploaded into Lionel after he had died. I don’t know, it helped make Martha’s side job a little less inhuman.

I enjoyed the overall theme of the episode, regarding whether or not Clark should use the Book of Ra. On the one hand, using it will solve a major problem without having to shed blood. But it would also deprive our world of a hero, and our hero of the life he’s always known. And while the appearance of the Justice League and Society was brief, I loved their ongoing debate on what would be the best way to handle the situation. It was just a really realistic portrayal of what people in their situation would do. These decisions are not easy, they’re something that needs to be discussed and debated. And I thought it was great how Clark entered the room and really took command of the situation. Once again, it was a marvelous indicator of how much he’s grown. Who remembers a few years ago when other heroes would have to convince him to become part of a team?

This finale did feature one major death, that being Tess. Really, could it have been anybody else? I am somewhat disappointed, as she did develop into quite the interesting and complex character, but ultimately what sort of shelf life did she have? What could she have brought to the table next season? Clark has enough allies, and you don’t want to spread yourself too thin by making her a second rate villain. So while I did grow to enjoy her, I think it was the right choice to write her off. And I thought they did a fine job with her death as well, having her attempt to make amends for her past sins. We learned what we suspected – that deep down she was doing what she thought was right, and that when push came to shove, she was good.

I’m typically leery of when they have main characters discover Clark’s secret – particularly ones that traditionally remain unaware in the Superman mythos – but I’m actually (and surprisingly) going to let the Lois scene slide, just because I thought it was done so wonderfully. I thought it was great how Lois figured out that Zod wasn’t the Blur, just by touching his hand, but that she kept her wits about the situation. And Zod’s heartless, chilling response to the discovery was fantastic as well. And c’mon, Clark making those last minute saves are always a winner (and how fitting was it that her demise would have been being thrown through the telephone booth she used to communicate with the Blur?)

I thought the scene might end with Clark gently setting down an unconscious Lois – or even with Lois opening her eyes and seeing Clark (in Blur garb) holding her. But what they ultimately went with worked so much better, with Lois rising to her feet and seeing the Blur standing in the darkness. She begged for forgiveness, and he tenderly grabbed hold of her. Then he pulled her in, and gave her a long, loving kiss. And I must say, that might have been the most passionate kiss we’ve ever seen on this show (and that says something, considering that every finale seems to include one “we may not make it through the rest of the day” kiss). But it was a kiss so special that Lois immediately recognized it. The scene just really, really worked.

The ending of the episode was interesting, mostly because there was only about five minutes left and I couldn’t help but wonder how they would wrap everything up in a satisfying way. That isn’t to say it was unsatisfying, just not necessarily what I was hoping for (c’mon, you all know I wanted him to fly). That being said, I thought the final battle was really cool. The Smallville special effects department does sometimes go a little overboard with their slow motion, freeze frame technique, but that’s a minor gripe. I enjoyed these two men fighting as humans, with both attempting to remain close enough to the Blue Kryptonite to prevent their ascension. In the end, Clark sacrificed himself in order to banish Zod from Earth.

Next season, it seems, we’ll see Clark square off against Darkseid. That old lady knitting outside Tess’ hospital room? That was apparently Granny Goodness. And the non-Kandorians attacking Oliver were likely his minions. Sounds interesting to me! My only hope: They don’t take the Davis Bloom route. Just give us bad ass monster Darkseid right off the bat.

So that’s it for season nine of Smallville. Incredibly, this little show that could outlasted the other shows I review – powerhouses like Lost, 24, Prison Break, and Heroes – to stand as the sole survivor amongst my television writing projects. We’ll see about possibly adding another show to my resume, but at the very least, Smallville guarantees I’ll be back to reviewing next year. Thanks for reading.

Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, 24, Heroes, and Smallville. Be sure to visit his blog at [a case of the blog] and follow him on Twitter.

Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into various popular television shows. Be sure to visit his blog at [a case of the blog] and follow him on Twitter.