We're Not In Kansas Anymore: The Decline of Smallville

The other night I sat down to catch this weeks episode of The CW show, Smallville.  The preview made it look promising with more information about the mysterious agency known as Checkmate and a meeting between Checkmate’s Amanda Waller, and the shows hero, Clark Kent.  But yet again I was disappointed with the story, acting, and overall direction the episode went.  Every week I tune in and ask myself, what happened to one of best Superman television series ever?  At the end of season 6 Smallville was a must watch for me and my friends.  We would gather together every Thursday night with some pizza and Keystone Light to see how young Clark Kent drew closer to becoming the man of steel, and how his former best friend, Lex Luthor, became his greatest villain.  Season 7 turned out to be a level down from its previous season, but my friends and I did not worry, that is until big changes were announced for season 8.

Season 8 started with a re-focus of the show, mainly highlighting the budding romance between Lois and Clark.  Clark assumed a dual identity and helped the people of Metropolis, and he got a desk across from Lois at The Daily Planet.  Also in season 8 Clark became the red and blue blur, who goes around the city saving people while Lois developed an infatuation with the Clark’s alter ego.  So somebody tell me how that is not Superman?  Now in its 9th season, Clark has dropped the red and blue and is wearing all black, including a trench coat.  This leads me to believe the writers of Smallville haven’t even read a Superman comic book……………ever. 

Towards the end of season 7 it was announced that the show's creators, Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, would be leaving the show.  Along with them would be cast members Kristin Kreuk, who played Lana Lang, and Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor.  After hearing the news an alarm in my head went off and I knew Smallville was in trouble.  I had read in several interviews with Millar and Gough saying if they can get to the end of season 7 they could get to where the basic story of Superman begins.  So I always assumed the series would end with seven seasons.  When it was announced that Smallville was picked up for an 8^th season I was a little confused, but happy.  Then when I heard that Millar and Gough were leaving the show I freaked out.  Every show that has lost its creators has lost its soul.  These two men had a vision.  Smallville was a fully developed plan about two friends. one becoming the ultimate hero and one becoming the ultimate villain.   So how can a series about two people continue when one of them is gone? 

Since Millar and Gough’s departure the show has had a run of bad guest stars and bad villains to top off the terrible storylines.  The staff has tried marketing gimmicks including DC characters like The Legion of Super Heroes and the JSA, but those are only a couple of episodes in a season that is overall disappointing.  Doomsday, a character who killed Superman in the comic books, was featured predominately throughout season 8, and when it came for his big show down with Clark the audience got a few punches and hop; two minutes for the biggest battle Superman ever had in his seventy years was taken down to the length of a grade school squabble.  This was almost as sickening to watch as to the fate of Superman’s other greatest villain, Lex Luthor.

Everyone knows the villain is always more interesting to watch than the hero, and Michael Rosenbaum played Lex with such grace and fire that I loved seeing him grow each season closer and closer to the dark side of his soul.  Rosenbaum is a great Lex and his scenes with John Glover, who played Lex’s father, were some of my personal favorites.  In season 8 the character of Tess Mercer was brought in to replace Lex as CEO of Luthor Corp and series semi-villain.  However, Tess is no where near as fun to watch as ol’ baldy.  In fact, I am disappointed now every time Tess is in a scene.  She always seems like she is trying to act tough and evil, but not fooling anyone, especially Smallville's critics.  Writers and executive producers tried to keep Lex in the show, pretending Lex was pulling all the strings from afar until Green Arrow killed Lex by blowing up a truck he was supposedly in.  That was the worthy ending the Smallville writing staff thought Rosenbaum’s Lex deserved?  Ever heard the phrase, “bitch slap?”  

Also in season 8, actor Justin Hartley returned as a series regular, playing Green Arrow/Oliver Queen.  Now as much as I loved the character Hartley had created, having him in each episode is overkill.  He and Clark were still having the same conversation in season 8 they had in season 6 about proper forms of justice.  The characters moved on, why couldn’t the writers!  Green Arrow works much better as a guest star, with his mystery and charm surrounding him and keeping him a fresh character to watch.  I’m also concerned with Oliver’s current love interest, who is also no other than his former flame’s cousin, Chloe Sullivan. 

Chloe started the series as the lovable sidekick who had eyes for the big blue hero, and as the series continued she developed a relationship with photographer Jimmy Olsen.  She also became the center of the superheroes known as The Watchtower.  Chloe used to be Clark’s conscience; the person he could confide in, help him find the bad guys, and always keep him running toward his great destiny ahead.  Now after the death of Jimmy, Chloe has become this angry and bitter character who heads a superhero squad that the audience never sees, aside from Clark and Oliver.  I don’t even see the character that was the early seasons Lois Lane and ran the Smallville Torch.  I know characters evolve and change just as people do, but people really don’t change.  At the center we’ll always be the same person our whole lives, and I don’t see Chloe Sullivan on Smallville at all.
Now I could go on bitching all day about the show that I loved for six years, and how it became the bane of my television viewing, but my fingerds will develop carpal tunnel syndrome by then.  Smallville executive producers keep saying that this is just a new interpretation to the Superman myth.  Hey people, last time I checked Superman didn’t dress like he was in the Matrix!   I’d say Smallville is more lost than those people on ABC, but didn’t they already get found like three times already?

Season 10 has been announced for this fall season and unfortunately I still plan to watch it.  Because not to long ago my good friend Andrew said to me, “Smallville is like your child.  It started out all innocent and fun to watch, but as it matured it has become something you don’t approve of.  And even though you may not like what you see, you still have to love it anyway, and hope it gets back on track.”