Smallville season 10 (1 Viewer)

[Mark Maltais]

+1 also on the last episode, it was GREAT. Older Clark in the elevator looked good, they pulled it off very well!!

 

[Jason_V]

Just finished watching and it was a light bulb went off over Clark's head. Seeing what he could be, what the future can hold. I was desperately hoping the whole thing wouldn't be wiped out of existence by the end...and it wasn't. The episode left a warm feeling instead of the usual ominous gloom. Major points for the last scene. Maybe Clark has actually learned to fly, or at least levitate, after Kara's lesson last week.

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Jason_V

Just finished watching and it was a light bulb went off over Clark's head. Seeing what he could be, what the future can hold. I was desperately hoping the whole thing wouldn't be wiped out of existence by the end...and it wasn't. The episode left a warm feeling instead of the usual ominous gloom. Major points for the last scene. Maybe Clark has actually learned to fly, or at least levitate, after Kara's lesson last week.

I think the message was that he was letting darkness "Weigh him down" and that by letting go of it, he could fly. This was one of the best Smallville episodes in years.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Right, Clark's inability to levitate/fly was basically due to psychological factors, not physical ones. It'll be interesting to actually see if Clark realized he was floating during their dance, or if he was just caught in the moment with his own eyes closed and left himself feel totally secure with Lois in his arms, feeling as safe as he ever will with her to let his own guard down with her, signifying the burgeoning of true intimacy between Clark and Lois.

I can't really blame the original showrunners for stringing the viewers along, running out the clock, so to speak, because they were tasked with showing the viewers the years leading up to Clark becoming Superman, not a show about Superman's daily adventures as Metropolis's protector. I don't think anyone thought Smallville would run for 10 seasons. Perhaps on the onset, they were hoping for 5 seasons at best (especially for a syndication deal). This season, the showrunners have to get a move on the macro-plot storyline, and put all the pieces in play for the final reveal of Clark taking on the public mantle of Superman. So they are able to finally pair Lois and Clark up, something the viewers have wanted for a long time since season 4 (or whatever season Lois joined the cast). So, with so many plot restraints taken off the show's overall 10th season arc, I think it's easier to write stories that we viewers and fans have been waiting for for a long, long time. But they are doing a fine job in the execution of these stories as well, and the chemistry between Tom and Erica has been taken up a notch, and Tom seems to be putting everything he has into this final season acting-wise, and it shows. Tom's grown a lot in the 10 years on the show, both in the close-up acting department and in the action/physicality department.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I liked the concept behind this episode, but I wasn't a big fan of the execution. It came across as very dismissive of Christianity in general and plain dress sects like the Amish, the Mennonites, the Shakers etc., which I found very off putting. I also thought the ending was very antithetical to the whole idea of Superman. Lois basically threatens the village with the idea of Clark as a vengeful demon that will rain fire and brimstone down upon them if they don't fall into line -- and Clark agreed! Clark's seemingly miraculous saving of Lois should have been an opportunity to present a positive message. After surviving the blue kryptonite fire, he would have appeared to have the divine imprimatur to deliver a message of non-violence and hope and show them the error of their ways. Instead, it amounted to a threat making Clark a fearful rather than inspiring figure.

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

That cult had some critical differences from the Amish and Christianity. The Amish don't kidnap young women every year for the purpose of sacrifices. The show actually made a reference to something more comparable -- pardon me for forgetting, but I mostly didn't care about the episode -- I think it was David Koresh? It didn't showcase a mainstream religion or even a sect, it showcased a dangerous cult.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It was basically the plot to Wicker Man transposed to East Bumfuck, Kansas. I didn't read the village as a Branch Davidian sect or extremist offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventists, but rather as a pocket community similar to the Mennonites with maybe a dozen or so farms. Nothing about the village was cultish until the meteor shower killed the preacher's daughter. In his grief, the preacher chose to believe that his daughter's death was a sacrifice demanded by God rather than a random and senseless tragedy. When the blue kryptonite purified their water supplies and fertilized the fields, the village took it as confirmation of the preacher's interpretation of events. The first anniversary rolls around, and somehow the consensus is established that another young woman needs to be sacrificed to keep God appeased, and the village becomes united by a murderous secret.

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

Cults usually start out as something else. People are into some form of mainstream religion, get disillusioned, and become something else. Lois called them on it. "I don't remember human sacrifice being part of my Good Book." There's little objective criteria available when deciding the line between faith and delusion. However, any U.S. religion calling for murder ("sacrifice") cannot be considered a mainstream religion. So these people started out as something long ago, but became something else due to the delusions of their leader. At that point, I say they became a cult. They were following the leader and his delusions, not any documentable word of God. I think we essentially agree on what was going on, if not the naming/semantics. I just think when you have a murderous cult (sect, whatever), I wouldn't consider any commentary on said cult/sect/whatever a commentary on mainstream religions. Also, as a practical matter, I don't think the tone of Smallville allows for a statement against mainstream Christianity. If it came off that way to some, I tend to think it was completely unintentional.

 

[Jason_V]

If nothing else, I really enjoyed the Clark/Lois interplay, especially in the teaser. I laughed out loud when Lois called Doomsday a horned toad or whatever the exact verbage was. The ep really cemented the fact there is a Lois AND Clark who share all their secrets. The way she stuck up for him at the end and threatened fire and brimstone on the village was definitely a "smirk" moment for me. It was also a bit bloodier than normal, with Clark being slashed across the chest and then burned on his back.


Now that I can see where the Alexander storyline is going, I think I appreciate it more. Clearly there's going to be a Lex/Clark showdown...just not with the Rosenbaum Lex. (The Alexander cutting his hair scene was kinda creepy, too.)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

During the first half of tonight's episode, I was worried they were going to turn General Lane into the Military Man stereotype, but fortunately they revealed a more nuanced approach by the end. One of the things I like about the Superman story is the idea that our protagonists are good people because they were shaped by good people. General Lane may seem harsh, unforgiving and authoritarian -- but there's more to him than that. He loves his daughters, and Clark was decent enough to see that even when the general had his sights out for Clark.


Lucy's always been a sort of inexplicably drawn character in her handful of appearances on "Smallville". She seems to exist merely to create conflict among the better developed characters.


The vigilante registration act is an interesting development, sort of like the Mutant Registration Act in certain iterations of the Marvel universe. That'll obviously cause Oliver problems, having revealed himself to the world, and may finally push Clark to craft a distinct Clark Kent identity. I was glad they mentioned that Martha has used her influence as a senator to keep Clark off the government's radar. Otherwise, once Clark reveals himself as Superman it would only take one photo of his face through facial recognition software to reveal him as Clark Kent.

 

[JimKr]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt
Otherwise, once Clark reveals himself as Superman it would only take one photo of his face through facial recognition software to reveal him as Clark Kent.

In an imaginary TV world?

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I've had to catch up with the last 4 eps in one shot I was a bit behind glad they are finally moving forward the best of the batch was the reunion ep, I started dreading what I thought might be a clip show but it turned out great, loved that clark and Lois danced to the same song from the pilot that Lana and Clark could'nt dance to, a nice touch. This is a decent season so far.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

so if I saw correctly, Tess is actually Lex's sister? wow.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Originally Posted by cajunhillbilly

so if I saw correctly, Tess is actually Lex's sister? wow.

Half-sister. Something tells me that Lionel Luthor has quite a few bastard children running around out there.


Interesting that they recast Granny Goodness from a genuine old lady in the season nine finale with the demon DMV clerk from "Reaper" (or Delores Herbig (as in "Her big brown eyes") for "Dead Like Me" fans.) Personally, I think the Granny for this episode is closer to the imposing figure normally associated with the character.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Meh. I cut it off mid-episode and removed my series recording.

 

[JimKr]

Originally Posted by Greg_S_H

Meh. I cut it off mid-episode and removed my series recording.

LOL!


I've been wondering for 9 seasons now how this series has kept on the air.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Damn, Greg, why do that now when it's so close to the end?


AC's wife is a first class fishy bitch and AC was getting on my nerves, too, when did he turn into an asshole?

 

[Greg_S_H]

It's not about entertaining any more, it's about commenting and persuading. I'm not going to root for domestic terrorism ("Everyone was out" doesn't cut it; see: Sterling Hall) or against the United States, so I'm out. And, I realize I'm close to or already in violation of forum rules, so that'll be all from me on this.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Eh, I look at is as being how does the extraordinary hero finds his place in the world, given circumstances that promote fear and distrust.


Plus, such fears and distrust has been amplified by Darkseid's presence on earth, so this is a heightened state of paranoia and uncertainty which our heroes have to overcome, as it's one thing to deal with the not-so-clear, but present danger, it's another to also deal with the 24-hour news cycle and the public relations minefields as well.

 

[pitchman]

I am still enjoying the current season, but I have say the vigilante registration act storyline is less than original (X-Men, Watchmen, Iron Man, etc.) and not compelling in the least. Hopefully this arc has run its course and we can return to seeing how Clark finally fulfills his destiny and becomes the Man Of Steel.