HowardPaul

Smallville, Season 4 query

We've mainly watched the show via DVDs. We watched the first 3 seasons over the past 2 months. This week we got season 4 and have watched 4 episodes.
What I noted was more sex and nudity in those first 4 episodes than the entire preceding 3 seasons.
Did the show get a new writer or new producers or what?
I must confess that I do not like them making it more like other sex-filled teen shows.
Thanks
How

ElijahS

It wasn't new writers or producers so much as an attempt to switch directions. The third season is considerably darker than the first two, and the fourth season was an attempt to lighten the show up in a way. It balances out eventually.

- Elijah

My TV DVD Collection

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP
The all-new drama from the creator of THE WEST WING and SPORTS NIGHT
Premiering this fall on NBC

The last five minutes of St. Elsewhere is the only television show, ever. Everything else is a daydream.

John*D

Just another way to ramp up the season with new viewers? Anything to keep up the ratings and continue its success is fine by me!


If you haven't gotten to episode 5, it's a really good one! Especially with what's coming out on DVD this week.


p.s. - you'll be seeing more skin throughout the season. Nothing too extravagent, I suppose.

HowardPaul

Thanks for the replies.
No, I've not seen episode 5 yet. The point I'm making, what is troubling me is that for 3 years this was a show I felt comfortable letting my kids watch. But, the first 4 episodes of season 4 have dramatically increased the frank sexual/nudity content. It might jack up their ratings but, imo, it has really degraded the show significantly.
I found the way they handled sex/nudity Seasons 1-3 far more tasteful and family friendly.
In short, I'm really disappointed and also offended by this change in path.
How

Randall Cyrenne

The past couple of seasons definitely ramped up the sexual content, as well as some depictions of violence. I'm OK with it, as far as my wife and I watching it, but am concerned that it seems a bit much at times for a show so popular with teens. However, as the producers would likely say, that's what repsonsible parents (like you)are for--- to monitor and influence what their kids can watch. We never watch this show anymore until our little girl is in bed. It's too bad, though, that the show can't be shared with everyone in the family.

I guess we can be thankful that the most family-friendly Super-show, Adventures of Superman, is on DVD now.

HowardPaul

Thanks for your astute comments Randall.
You've piqued my interest. Is Adventures of Superman really good? Does it withstand the test of time?
Thanks
How

Ryan L. Bisasky

the episode i watched last night on my dvr boy that bikini that lois was wearing was ever so skimpy (i even thought that there might be a slip)

Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you

John*D

Season 4 was their senior year in High School and season 5 being their first year in college. Bound to see more sexually oriented themes.

There is always the classic Superman as suggested above, as well as SUPERMAN: The Animated Series. I don't recall Lois&Clark being that risque. If you have kids, you probably want to pre-screen the episodes of Smallville, as with any show/movie.

As far as Superhero shows goes, SMALLVILLE is freak'n great. Can't wait for season 5 to continue on later this week...

MattSav

I find these comments about Smallville season 4 interesting (and this is coming from an American). I guess it comes down to the whole Sex vs. Violence (which seems to fall squarely into an American vs. European) debate. Sometimes I am amazed that some parents will let children watch a show that can be very violent, yet then complain when elements of sex are introduced.

Take Smallville for instance. In the second episode of season 1, a boy obsessed/mutated by insects kills his own mother and mummifies the corpse. I would find that scene (violent murder) much more disturbing to show a younger child than, say, Clark getting it on with Lana (sexual in a romantic/angst-filled idealized teenager sense.)

Julio Diaz

Independent of any concerns about the sexual content, I thought Season 4 was Smallville's weakest, and the only things that saved it for me were the always fantastic Alison Mack and the addition of the excellent Erica Durrance as Lois Lane. I despised Jensen Ackles' character almost from the start, and his whole storyline with Lana was atrocious.

I seriously doubted whether I was going to buy season 4 as I didn't enjoy a lot of it when it aired, and I probably would have skipped it if it wasn't for the facts that a) it's getting much better this season so far and b) it was on sale for just under $25.

Edited to add spoiler coverage. Sorry, folks!

Greg_S_H

You might want to spoiler some of that, as it sounds like Howard is still in the middle of season 4 and may not want to know what happens at the end of 4 and the beginning of 5.

Sex vs. violence debate. This isn't the place for it, so I'm just going to say this and not debate it further. It's not that difficult to raise a non-violent child. You lead by example and teach them when violence is appropriate and when it is not. The violence of a bugman mummyfying his mother? That's not appropriate. Clark Kent using his powers to stop the bugman? That is. You instill these values in a child and if you do it right, a little cartoon violence on TV isn't going to tempt them to do it themselves. Of course, I don't advocate showing your child something like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre--not because he will take up a chainsaw and make a mask out of human flesh, but because it is frightening and disturbing for a child.

Sex, on the other hand, is something we want for our children *eventually*. Like, if you're a father and you have a daughter, you want it for her when she's married and about 45-years-old. We just don't want it for them *now*. And seeing sex on TV is more likely, in my opinion, to cause a child to want to act than violence. Speaking from my own experience here. I didn't know anything about sex when I was seven years old, but then I saw Bizarre on Showtime. Suddenly, I knew why girls were different and why that was a very good thing. And then, I went out and knocked up six girls in the neighborhood. Okay, that last part isn't true.

Mikel_Cooperman

I've never thought that the sexual aspects of Smallville was too much. It seems rather mild to me. How old is the original poster?
Nudity? I dont recall any except maybe Clarks butt as he was running into the water but it was pretty far away. If someone is worried about that I dont know what to tell them.