Smallville season finale, what did ya'll think? by Suenos

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Smallville season finale, what did ya'll think?

POSTED BY: SUENOS
UPDATED: Saturday, August 23, 2003 12:09
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VIEWED: 7569
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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 9:09 AM

Is anyone else watching this show? I kinda got hooked and I'm interested in speculating where they'll be taking the show next year.

Did Lex get the royal shaft from his fiance and father?

Is Clark really off to Metropolis?

Is Chloe the new bad girl we all love to hate?

_________________________________________________
Courage is the price life exacts for granting peace

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 11:09 AM

LIVINGIMPAIRED

Smallville has always struck me as a Buffy rip-off with DC comic characters, and much weaker writing. I'm not alone in this opinion, as I have heard many critics say the same. Why is it that the WB feels compelled to continuously clone a show that they showed little respect towards? (Further examples include Charmed, Roswell, Birds of Prey...) The season finalie of Smallville this year solidifed this in my opinion. Season Two of Buffy ended with Buffy leaving Sunnydale, and--Suprise!--season two of Smallville had the same ending.

Oh, and while I'm on the topic: are we supposed to be losing sleep over Clark's "destiny"? Anyone who hasn't been in a coma since the 1930's would be able to figure out that Clark's misinterpreting the prophesy. Seriously.

And that's not where it ends. Martha gets pregnant, and you KNOW she's going to miscarage, or the babys gonna die soon after birth. Lex gets engaged and immediatly you KNOW the writers are setting him up for the big fall. There is absolutely ZERO suspense in this show, because anyone putting just the slightest bit of thought into it can figure out most of the big "plot twists" five episodes before they happen. My pet theory: Chloe is going to start writing under the pseudonym Lois Lane. I can feel it coming.

So why do I even watch the show? Number of factors, really. It's not a bad as most stuff on TV; another member of my family is addicted to it; it has the bestest theme song ever; and Lex Luther is frickin' cool.

Sorry for my litte rant. I haven't taken my medication today...

________________

RONA: Um... Why's that guy tied to a chair?
XANDER: The question you'll soon be asking is: "Why isn't he gagged?"

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 1:14 PM

WULFHAWK

I like it.

The mythology of Superman and Lex Luthor is still potent, after all these decades. How did Superman come to be such an honest Joe living the biggest lie in comicdom? Here it is. How did Lex become such a nemesis of the Man of Steel? Watch and speculate.

Yes, I know the end of this trip...I'm just enjoying the path.

tanstaafl

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 1:47 PM

HJERMSTED

I've unenthusiastically watched Smallville since the beginning hoping it would catch fire. It hasn't yet. It's WAAAYY better than Birds of Prey (which was completely mishandled), tho.

My main problem with Smallville is that it's comprised of completely dull main and side characters. No dramatic tension exists whatsoever. Aside from Lex, the show never takes a real narrative risk nor adequately explores the shades of grey that lie between good and evil... every villain is over the top and obvious about his/her intentions.

And where is the sex? Is this Seventh Heaven, or what? We're talking about teenagers here... hormones should be raging. Parents should be frustrated. Is the fantasy element of this meant to be completely chaste teens?

Whedon and company raised the narrative bar too high for even Kal-El to fly up to.

I read somewhere that Buffy writer Drew Z. Greenburg may be joining the writing team at Smallville. Perhaps his presence will liven things up over there.

mattro

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:09 PM

CAPTBAGGYTROUSERS

I concur with all Livingimpaired's criticism of the show, but in full disclosure, I've only watching it a handful of times. My girlfriend, who simply could not get into BTVS, loves Smallville. "It's Superman for girls!" she delights in saying.

As a huge Buffy AND Superman fan, Smallville is neither here nor there to me. I would love to watch "the adventures of Superman when he was a boy" if it were good. And if it didn't feel so warmed-over.

That won't stop me from speculating:

The "prophecy" business: Clark understands Kryptonian, but is mistranslating the word/phrase for "rule" for the word "lead." That's my guess. Jor El having sent him to whip us into shape is too much of a slap in the face to the established "myth."

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:21 PM

HAPLO721

Actually, the current continuity has Jor-El sending Clark to Earth to turn it into the new Krypton. There's this little doohickey called the Eradicator that's meant to facilitate this, but Supes destroyed it... or so he thought. It later ended up with its consciousness in a botched clone of Supes and is now a superhero in its own right.

Personally, I love Smallville. Yes, you know where you'll end up... eventually. In the meantime, there's all sorts of wacky fun to be had.

Also, Chloe as Lois Lane? Uh-uh. No way. Ain't gonna happen. First of all, Clark would recognize her, secondly, Lois is Chloe's cousin according to one of the show's creators.

Early: You ever been raped, Kaylee?
Kaylee: You know, it's funny you should mention that... ever heard of the Fox network?

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 4:54 PM

SUENOS

Chloe is Lois Lane's cousin?? That would be interesting. I just haven't figured out where they're going with the whole Chloe/Lana story line. Lana is obviously the love interest (I wish she'd grow a backbone, she spends too much time simpering with those gourgeous eyes and being rescued, but I digress...) but is Chloe really going to turn on Clark?

I can't wait to see how Lex gets back at dear old dad for his latest hijinks.

I never watched Buffy (don't shoot!! I was either out of the country or without a TV when the show started, I just never had time to catch up!) so I didn't notice the similar story lines and I'm not very familar with the Superman mythology so the show has been working for me and occasionally manages to surprise me.

I'm looking forward to next season, I wonder if the setting will be Smallville or Metropolis??

______________________________________
A musical fantasy with an astonishing cast
of audio-animatronic personalities

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 5:40 PM

ETERNALS

They can't stray to far from the story line that has been set out for 70 years. In that, Clark dates Lana Lang, and then moves on. Pete Ross eventually marries Lana, don't know if we will see that happen?

I happen to like the show, and think that it wasn't that bad of a finale. The grief that he must have felt would have been harsh

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 5:47 PM

DUTCH

I love Smallville, it used to be my favourite show before I saw Firefly.

As for speculation, I think the new Mrs. Luthor was indeed working for Lionel Luthor and set him up for a nice plane crash. This was after all, Lionel Luthor's company jet they were flying in, as part of the wedding gift. Also, father and daughter-in-law have been seen talking together far too much for this to be a coincidence.

As for Chloe being Lois Lane, that's too far fetched.. especially after noticing something on the WB smallville site "classifieds" where the following add was placed:
"ROOMMATE WANTED
Female needed to share dorm room at Metropolis University. Call Lois at 555-0144"

I would feel bad if Chloe went all "bad girl".. I like Chloe better than Lana.

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Thursday, May 22, 2003 5:48 AM

HJERMSTED

Smallville end of SECOND season:

Disastrous life-changing events occur.
Our hero feels estranged from his parents.
Our hero leaves town, running away from his problems.

Sound familiar?
This is almost exactly how season two of Buffy ended. Smallville threw in a Lex plane crash subplot to distract from the obvious parallels.

Hey, if you're going to copy a formula, you may as well copy the best!

mattro

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Friday, May 23, 2003 10:52 PM

ELKA

Quote:
Originally posted by Hjermsted:
.....

And where is the sex? Is this Seventh Heaven, or what? We're talking about teenagers here... hormones should be raging. Parents should be frustrated. Is the fantasy element of this meant to be completely chaste teens?

Hjermsted, I know this wasn't really the point ofw what you were saying, but recently, this article was on www.scifi.com:

Smallville's Clark To Stay Pure

Smallville executive producer Al Gough told TV Guide Online that Clark Kent will remain a virgin for the foreseeable future. "Yes, Clark is a virgin ... and will remain so," Gough told the site. "The show is about romance, not about sex, like Dawson's Creek, where they just hop into bed with each other."

Clark (Tom Welling) is in a love triangle with Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack). But, Gough said, "once you cross that line [of sex], then you forever change the character and the series. It's not something we want to do at this stage of the game. It'll definitely be down the road."

((read the original article here: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-tv.html?2003-05/09/09.45.tv ))

Personally, I am on the fence as far as Smallville...some aspects I really like, some I don't, some episodes I like..yada yada. But I actually think that the charactors not going at it like bunnies is refreshingly different from other age-geared programming with rife sexual tension and the soap opera-iness that invariably follows.

The bumpkiniest of the Bumpkin Army.

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Thursday, July 31, 2003 12:09 PM

KASUO

This whole sex discussion reminded me of the movie Mallrats..

Quote:

Brodie: Doesn't matter, can't happen.
T.S. Quint: Why not? It's bound to come up.
Brodie: It's impossible, Lois could never have Superman's baby. Do you think her fallopian tubes could handle the sperm? I guarantee you he blows a load like a shotgun right through her back. What about her womb? Do you think it's strong enough to carry her child?
T.S. Quint: Sure, why not?
Brodie: He's an alien, for Christ sake. His Kyrptonian biological makeup is enhanced by earth's yellow sun. If Lois gets a tan the kid could kick right through her stomach. Only someone like Wonder Woman has a strong enough uterus to carry his kid. The only way he could bang regular chicks is with a kryptonite condom. That would kill him!

"Let's moon 'em!"

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Saturday, August 2, 2003 4:28 AM

DEKION

I have to disagree with you regarding the similarities of Buffy and Smallville, and the WB cloning Buffy. First, the "leaving setting" season finale is as old as television itself, and it happening on Buffy and Smallville is not exactly a conspiracy. Besides, the circumstances of the departure are amazingly different, and it made sense. On the "no suspense" thing, there is a saying. A good story is about the journey, not the destination. Of course we know Clark will be Superman, that is not important, of course we know Lex will be evil, that is not important, what is important is what they go through to achieve those destinies, and how it shapes the world and people around them. Just like on any other show, main characters are not going to die (unless we are watching Babylon 5), or be harmed in any serious way. Simply put, contracts for actors prevent such things to some degree, and the typical american viewer makes it even harder, as we have a hard time accepting major changes in a show we like. I will agree that Buffy has amazing writing (Joss Wheden and JMS are my favorite TV writers, jms having the lead but not by much), but the writing of Smallville is far and away better than 95% of TV shows out there, and the acting is top notch as well (especially the parents, and especially starting in late season 1 to now.) There are some similarities to this type of show (Smallville and Buffy both started as teen action/drama's), but that is the genre, not the show. That is like saying Farscape is a rip-off of Star Trek because they are both in space. That is just part of the genre, nothing more.
Oh, on the Chloe writing as Lois Lane thing, acually they are cousins and Lois is in College now (according to the shows producers), which means you did not see it coming.
In closing, picking nits is all too common a practice by those who could not write a script themselves. I prefer to sit back and watch it, and enjoy it. I don't think picking out every flaw is going to do anything but annoy those you are picking them out to. Every show has flaws (even Firefly and Buffy), so we could go round and round on this until the sun explodes. There are no original stories (William Shakespeare pretty much killed all of them), only original ways to tell old stories. With that in mind, Smallville (and Buffy) are great retellings of the "destiny child" story archetype. I have enjoyed them both, and look forward to more Smallville and the Smallville DVD set.

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Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:20 AM

LUNATIKAT

Dear LivingImpaired,

Quote:
My pet theory: Chloe is going to start writing under the pseudonym Lois Lane. I can feel it coming.

So why do I even watch the show? Number of factors, really. It's not a bad as most stuff on TV; another member of my family is addicted to it; it has the bestest theme song ever; and Lex Luther is frickin' cool.

Just had to respond with pure fan-girl drooliness, Gods yes!, Michael Rosenbaum is in****ingcredible as Lex Luthor. (Anybody know where I can find a drooligirl emoticon?) Knowing the Superboy history, knowing that Lex is going to go bad and watching Rosenbaum (easily the most complicated and conflicted character in the show)reveal the why and how of this change. . . Pure bliss. If only Superboy were as compelling, 'cause he's just so pretty! Love the characters, love the cast(even the substition of an asian girl for our traditionally anglo/redheaded Lana Lang), wish the show was a little snappier, just seems to drawl along a lot of the time. Oh, yeah, the idea of Chloe-Lois made me shriek with disgusted delight, what a perfect/perfectly awful whoop that would be. Now I'm seriously wondering if they'll go that way with her, and am starting to look forward to next season with some eagerness.

Thanks.

Lunatikat - beyond all reason

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Thursday, August 14, 2003 7:43 AM

LUNATIKAT

Quote:
Originally posted by kasuo:
This whole sex discussion reminded me of the movie Mallrats..

Quote:

Brodie: Doesn't matter, can't happen.
T.S. Quint: Why not? It's bound to come up.
Brodie: It's impossible, Lois could never have Superman's baby. Do you think her fallopian tubes could handle the sperm? I guarantee you he blows a load like a shotgun right through her back. What about her womb? Do you think it's strong enough to carry her child?
T.S. Quint: Sure, why not?
Brodie: He's an alien, for Christ sake. His Kyrptonian biological makeup is enhanced by earth's yellow sun. If Lois gets a tan the kid could kick right through her stomach. Only someone like Wonder Woman has a strong enough uterus to carry his kid. The only way he could bang regular chicks is with a kryptonite condom. That would kill him!

For the full discussion of Kryptonian/Terran reproductive hazards read Larry Niven's article "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" (from All the Myriad Ways, also posted on the web at http://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html )which ends with the idea that perhaps Superman could be outfitted with a reproductive pouch in his abdomen and carry his own child to term since his Terran mate would be unable to perform this duty. Check it out.

Lunatikat - the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes (We don't know where we're going but we're making great time.)

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Wednesday, August 20, 2003 3:14 PM

KATHY

Quote:
Originally posted by LivingImpaired:
[So why do I even watch the show? Number of factors, really. It's not a bad as most stuff on TV; another member of my family is addicted to it; it has the bestest theme song ever; and Lex Luther is frickin' cool.

Lex is Bi*****n! if it wasn't for him i wouldn't even watch the show. micheal rosenbaum if the man.

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Thursday, August 21, 2003 4:06 AM

LIVINGIMPAIRED

Quote:
Originally posted by Dekion:
[B}In closing, picking nits is all too common a practice by those who could not write a script themselves. I prefer to sit back and watch it, and enjoy it. I don't think picking out every flaw is going to do anything but annoy those you are picking them out to. Every show has flaws (even Firefly and Buffy), so we could go round and round on this until the sun explodes. There are no original stories (William Shakespeare pretty much killed all of them), only original ways to tell old stories.

Well, I've certainly been put in my place now. Oh, and by the way:

1) I have written scripts, and according to those who've read them, I've done it well.

2) William Shakespeare was brilliant, but hardly original. Romeo and Juliet, for example, is baised on a poem titled--if memory serves me--The Tradgical Story of Romulus and Juliet. And now that I think of it, I don't recall Shakespeare ever writing a story about people from other planets or about girls that are destined to slay vampires. He did not cover it all.

3) We have a saying in my family: "Don't ID4 it." Which basically means that if you nit pick some things to death, you miss the enjoyment. Which is true in many instances; after all, if you're worrying about how Apple computers are compatible with Alien spaceships, you're missing the fun of things getting blown up. However, Smallville is not ID4. And while Smallville has many good qualities, I personally don't like it.

Quote:
Just like on any other show, main characters are not going to die (unless we are watching Babylon 5), or be harmed in any serious way.

1) In the real world, when people are in danger, that means they could die. On most television shows, when people are in danger, that means the background music changes. When I watch Smallville and some main character is is "mortal peril," this provokes no more emotion then if the same character drank a glass of water. I know they're not gonna die. However, when anyone is put in mortal peril on a Whedonverse show, I'm often terrified. That character might actually die. On a Joss Whedon show, characters can die at any moment, for any reason, with no warning. It's happened so often there's even a term for it: BSD / Big Scooby Death. So while I miss Tara, Joyce, Anya, and Doyle, I recognize that their deaths had a purpose. And I further recognize that on a show revolving around getting the bad guy or killing the critter, it's only logical that deaths should be on both sides.

________________

I'm thinkin' you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other 'til we go away?

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Saturday, August 23, 2003 12:09 PM

DEKION

I will agree that Whedon shows such as Buffy, Angel and probably Firefly could have characters die at any moment, just like B5. Unfortunately that is not the norm, and we cannot attack shows for not breaking the norm, we can only praise those that do (such as shows by jms, Joss and one little show called The Soprano's). On the Shakespeare thing I will quote A&E's "The Top 100 people of the last 200 Years" when they ranked William Shakespeare as 5th. They stated that "every plot devise in every story that has ever been told was told by William Shakespeare first." An alien boy is not a plot device, it is a character. Most people scoff at that statement because they think characters or settings are plot devices, they are not. (not saying you thought that, just that a lot of people do.)
On you writing scripts, since there is no way I can prove or disprove that statement in an anonymous forum, I choose to take you at your word. The question would be, were they good enough to get used? If not, then the writers on Smallville have still outdone both of us (although I don't write scripts, I write short stories, I have not gotten crap pubilished {partly for lack of trying, partly lack of confidence in said work}). I mean no insult by that statement, but nonetheless we are not qualified to criticize on that level unless we have achieved that level. If you have, and have not stated so, they I apologize. Chances are you are just like all the other struggling writers (myself included), and will never break it big. You must always write because you have to, not because you want to or you need paid (paraphrasing jms). I do wish you the best of luck, however, and hope you write the next HUGO or Saturn (what the hell, make it Emmy) winning script to air.
Your statement "Don't ID4 it," which I assume means do not nitpick, is a good one. But, you are nitpicking, so there you are. I can see why you don't have the "dread" feeling in Smallville because the characters are not like those on Buffy, Angel, B5, or Firefly (or basically 99.9% of other TV shows), they are iconic. They are an integral part of the American consciousness (and beyond in many cases), you simply can't kill them. Period. With that in mind, I can see where you are coming from, but once again it is the journey, not the destination, that makes it great. I will use one B5 example. In the first episode "Midnight on the Firing Line" Londo says that his people can see their deaths in a dream. He stated G'Kar and he would die at each other throats in 20 years. Well, in early to mid season 2, in the HUGO winning episode The Coming of Shadows" you see them kill one another, thus reiterating that Londo and G'Kar will do it, as you see some of it on screen. In the late third season 2-parter, War Without End, you see it actually happen. The thing that is always left behind the scenes is the true reason for this mutual murder. They did not do it out of hatred (which was the obvious assumption because they hated each other for most of their characters lives), but it was done out of love and respect. G'Kar saw the shell of a man, black and twisted, that Londo had become, and Londo realized what his poor choices had turned him into. He asked G'Kar to finish it, and G'Kar did so (there were not weapons handy). That story was cool at first, but was fantistic in the end, because you had no idea that was how it was going to happen. It destroyed the expectation everyone had, and told a story that transcended the "I already know what will happen" principle, because knowing what will happen is never as interesting as how it will happen. Just my opinion, but I thing Whedon and jms do this really well. Smallville does as well, as we see Lex slowly spiral into darkness, no matter how hard he tries not to. I truly think it and SG-1 (and perhaps Angel now that I have started watching other Joss shows) are the only "scifi" worth watching on TV right now (don't get me started on Enterprise), and because of that I am grateful. This is a pretty crappy time for scifi entertainment on TV, as they all get cancelled (Farscape, Firefly, etc.). I think we might be heading to a new "early 80's" (which was a horribly dark scifi time), when all we had was Galactica (Ugh) and Buck Rogers (Ugh again), neither on at the same time, and neither one being very impressive once you have left puberty. (sorry, that was a rant.)
Long story short, we can't penalize people for not being Joss Whedon, jms or David Chase, but we can compliment Joss Whedon, jms and David Chase for being themselves. I hope that made some small amount of logic.

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