Due to circumstances beyond our control, I am posting Cowboy Pete for Peter. Spoilers abound so beware. This entry is Smallville and Angel
SMALLVILLE: While I fully believe that the powers that be at “Smallville” know where they’re going, I’m not entirely convinced they’ve licked the pacing problems of how to get there. Too many episodes, too many plotlines, have a sense of being in spincycle. Lana and Clark, will they, won’t they, will they (the answer being of course that they won’t) to the point of “Who cares?” The Kryptonian drink coaster key changes hands the way Spinal Tap changes drummers. Chloe suspects Clark, Clark suspects Lex, Lex suspects Lionel, and we find ourselves like the knights in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” shouting “Get on with it!” The previous season, I had a sense that the series was heading somewhere. Now, like the Worm Ouroboros, it seems mostly to be devouring its own tail.
This is not to say there haven’t been good moments, even good episodes. But often they feel like wasted opportunities. The tell-Chloe-the-truth episode was a good example. A situation arises Chloe can compel people to tell the truth. This is a staggering opportunity for an examination of journalistic ethics, of morality. Instead never does Chloe—or anyone—really float the notion that what she’s doing is staggeringly wrong. That she’s basically the Green K menace of the week. The Pete-Loves-Chloe reveal comes out of nowhere, which I guess it was supposed to do, but it didn’t go much of anywhere (and hasn’t since), and Chloe gets the goods on Lionel but loses the proof at the end, and anyway, I’m kind of surprised she’s still sucking oxygen considering she’s got that knowledge in her head, proof or no. Frankly, for an evil mastermind, Lionel is staggeringly inefficient at getting the job done. And if we’re supposed to be witnessing Lex’s journey toward villainy, it seems his journey is stuck in the waiting area.
That said: Last week’s episode was the best in a while. The ending was pretty much telegraphed (did ANYONE not see the reveal of Julian’s death coming before the station break?) but, nevertheless, the true calamity of the Lex/Lionel relationship has been elevated to the level of Greek drama. And John Glover’s reaction take in processing the information that he has unjustly despised his son for over a decade is the single best piece of acting this season, if not the history of the series. Plus just how wonderful was Clark’s buried memory of his imminent departure from Krypton (although I wish they’d shot all the memory sequences purely from POV) and his mom’s revelation that his first word was “Lara.” Very nice, and the first episode in quite a few weeks that renews the sense we’re heading somewhere.
ANGEL: More than any previous season, “Angel” has become one of the most character-driven series in the history of the Whedonverse. Far more than trying to determine what sort of endgame an evil mastermind is planning, this season—and the past weeks in particular—has been entirely about what’s up with the characters. Their personal trials, their mistakes, their soul searching, their constant questioning of whether they’re on the right or wrong side.
Probably the most outstanding concept has been the Wolfram and Hart version of Hell, an insanely white bread neighborhood in which every day starts out cheerfully before the husband goes down to the basement and gets his heart ripped out (which, actually, considering where my office is located and what I do for a living, hit way too close to home.)
Folks who thought I was precipitous in thinking we were done with Lindsay were absolutely correct as he makes his triumphant return in a particularly gripping episode, especially insofar as the outcome with the guilt-ridden Gunn. Meantime, in what is rapidly becoming a Whedon tradition, the end of a season is nigh when an actor from “Firefly” shows up. Once senses potential depths to Adam Baldwin’s character; I’m just not sure how much those depths will be explored considering the time we have remaining.
I applaud the tying up of loose ends. I was watching “Angel” reruns and thinking, “Hunh, I guess that prophecy about Conner killing the demon was wrong after all” and then, lo and behold, they not only get back to it, but use it as a platform to drive a further wedge between Angel and the rest of the Fang Gang. The most recent episode seemed mostly to exist so that Seven of Fred could be powered down…presumably so she couldn’t resolve whatever the final crisis is with a wave of her hand. It might have been necessary from that point of view, but it felt like a story that was stretched beyond its natural length. The significance of Angel’s ominous “We serve our clients” is yet to be seen, and I feel a growing sense of frustration that the season is reaching its end, especially since I feel like something major is being set-up for a following season that will never be.
And hey…I know it’s insanely unlikely, but wouldn’t it be cool if, in this week’s episode, Sarah Michelle Gellar really WAS in it. That the announcements that they couldn’t coordinate the schedule was a giant fake-out and they want fans to be caught off guard, so they managed to keep it under wraps? I mean, there’d be no point in promoting it as a Buffy return appearance since that would be done in order to get a ratings jump, and since the show’s canceled, who cares about that? And…man, wouldn’t it be a hoot if she’d finally hooked up with Xander? As I said, insanely unlikely, but it’d be fun.
Posted by Peter David at May 3, 2004 08:58 AM | TrackBack | Other blogs commentingI know that before I got a good look Adam's character, when the door burst open, my first thought was "Alien Bounty Hunter" from X-files...
While I enjoy the character driven stories of late, these past few episodes are kind of feeling like mid-season 7, there is no real advancement of the "Apocalypse" story line, but at least we're getting character development.
C'mon SciFi, or even HBO, PICK THIS SHOW UP! (Imagine what they could do with an HBO run...)
Agree with you on the pacing and missed opportunities on "Smallville". I do feel Christopher Reeve as Dr. Swan is pretty cool. I do want to pull my hair out at times regarding the "This is what we want"/ "It can never happen between us" and the "I want to tell her but I can't"/ "You can tell me anything Clark" back and forths with Lana and Clark. The Lionel/Lex "relationship" is kind of stuck in neutral as well.
How could you not mention Jonathan Kent finaly punching Lionel Luthor in the face? That was cool!
As for "Angel", the exact opposite is true. You can tell Whedon still has many stories to tell with these characters. A great, great, great show, and one I will miss dearly. Having SMG come back would be cool, but if they're going to surprise us, they're going through an awful lot of trouble to convince us otherwise. There was a story in The New York Post today about Buffy "appearing", but still no SMG.
Oh, well. the show is definitely strong enough to go out with a bang on its own, and it deserves all the attention it can get!
Agreed on most of your "Angel" comments -- I was pretty underwhelmed by this most recent one (way too talky, and as you say mostly depowering 7/Fred and not much else), but the two before it were really, really strong. I didn't think an episode bringing back Connor was likely to make me very happy, but wow.
I hope we get more of Lindsay than just his return; "Underneath" was terrific, but this time it really did feel that he and Eve were just being casually jostled out of the way.
And as for the basement bit ... well, certainly Joss has to find any basement a little intimidating, given that nobody in California **has** one. :-) (Took a lot of getting used to when I moved out here, lemme tell ya...)
TWL
Also, For All The "Angel" Fans Out There,
Please be advised that there is a VERY good chance we will see these characters again, even after the "Series Finale". For one thing, it may NOT be a "Series Finale" after all! British Sky Broadcasting, which is the operator of the UK's largest digital television platform, and a leading broadcaster of sports, movies, entertainment and news has had an inside source confirm that "Sky offered to pick up part of the production costs for a new season of "Angel", and all they needed was another network to do the same and it would carry on!
Also, if that doesn't come to fruition, there are reports that an "Angel" telemovie could be on the air as early as September (courtesy of WB)!!!
If you are interested in saving "Angel", visit SaveAngel.org and sign the petition.
Thanks,
Jerome
Peter, you hit the nail right on the head with Smallville (pardon the cliche). They've stretched out the Clark/Lana relationship long enough. Their reason is that they are hung up over the fact that he leaves her. I think they need to be together so that when he is forced to leave her the tragedy becomes that much greater and almost can be used for a reason why he has two separate identities in Metropolis. It is time to move on and watch each Lex's descent into villiany and Clark's struggle with heroism. In the process, we need to see Lana' slow growth into someone who can reconcile the part of her that is a sensual creature and that part of her that is the nurturer (I've always seen Lana as both Penelope from the Odyssey and Helen (Lana is the English version of the name Helen). We are watching a Greek drama here. We know the ending, it is the journey there that provides the dramatic irony.
Having said that, the past two episodes were good and the pacing has improved tremedously probably because sub-plots were kept to the minimum. It give the whole thing a sense of direction now that just fell apart during the Adam supposed storyline. Last week's was probably the best because we got to see Lex in a much more tragic role. His descent into villiany will be that much more tragic after seeing how willing he is to sacrifice himself for someone else.
I think aa lot of comics folks (my husband especially) forgot the angst of being a 16 year old. Especialy ones with all the responsibilities these kids have! Lex is around 23 or 24, but he's still got a lot of the same problems - with the definite "being a Luthor problem" being the foremost. Granted, the Lana/Clark thing is getting on my nerves, but maybe it'll get wrapped up at the end of the series, which is to be 4 seasons, I believe- cause that's how long high school lasts.
Of course, this all left me wondering what happened to the implication a few seasons ago in Smallville that Julian was actually still alive somewhere?
"I like the way this woman thinks."
I like the way Kathleen thinks too, but she didn't write the reviews. She justed posted them, becaused I was having computer problems and I couldn't access the software to post a blog entry. So I e-mailed it to Kath, she accessed it on her account and put it up. But all the opinions posted are mine.
So now that you know that, Eclark, feel free to reconsider and suddenly disagree with everything I said.
PAD
I haven't seen pictures of him yet, but James Marsters shaved his head last week as part of a charity benefit on the Ryan Seacrest Show. That action, more than anything, says to me that there will be no reprieve for "Angel" any time soon, despite reports that WB wants to produce TV movies. As Joss said in a recent TV Guide interview, "Who would direct them?" Most of the production staff has already lined up new jobs and would be unavailable to work on any Buffyverse projects next year. Most notably for the Cowboy Pete Peanut Gallery, current "Angel" showrunner Jeffrey Bell will be working on Alias next season.
Matt
Smallville:
I just wanted to say that I just loved PAD's comment on the series. Specially regarding Chloe and her lack of a journalistic moral compass.
I was also way glad to see her being shun by her classmates and hope that rejection endures past that episode. Let's face it, that's what high schoolers do, and Chloe got off easy if you ask me.
However, it would've been great if Chloe had been able to keep Lionel's recording. Just to see if blackmailing some one would put you on the path to the darkside. (You know what they say about the road to hell!)
As far as Clark goes... I have to ask, is there a reason why he is so passive resistant around Chloe and Lana? I know, I would've already gotten all over Chloe's face for not minding her own business; or at least I would've rubbed some salt about the fact that Clark found out who his parents were and he didn't tell her 'cause she's such a blabler mouth beeyeeaaatch (sp?).
And besides, if we asume the characters live in some sort of constant, logical world; wouldn't the revelation that an adopted child discovered who his parents were, be a HUGE ENOUGH revelation to justify Clark's need for secrecy and appease her curiosity? Honestly, when is enough, enough?
This whole Clark Kent has a 'secret' is just a big pain in the @$$. I would understand it if we were talking about the Superman character/persona; but a teenager with a secret? What in the blue blazes could they possibly think he is hidding? That he smokes? Drinks? Had sex with Paris Hilton? Is gay?
On Lana... Yes, please! Go away!!! Or at least fall for Lex!
On Lex... Well, it seems to me that he's stealing the show.
I kinda noticed that lately Clark has been using Lex. So it's great to see Clark realize that he can't be too trusting or naive about his friendship with Lex. The last couple of scenes they've had together play out like a chess game. Each one making moves in order to obtain a desired outcome.
On Lionel... He reminds me of an old New Teen Titans comic written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Pérez, were the villain's son ended up going to jail for his father's crimes and still his father thought of him as a disappointment!
I wonder, if after all is said and done, and all the wire taps and FBI documents are in; Lionel could pull some sort of guilt trip on Lex and get him to do his time for him.
I wonder if a nice short stint in jail, for crimes he didn't commit, would finally turn Lex Luthor into The Greatest Criminal Mind of our Time!
I just wonder.
Angel:
No complaints.
Great character development all around.
It's great to see how Wesley reverts back to 'vicious' when things don't go his away (again). From mild mannered to dark. And dark to the point were he wouldn't trust Angel as far as he could throw him. Funny, but I think this transformation has happened before (season 4?); so the fact that Angel wasn't as upset with Wes as before, reflect a better understanding of Angel about what makes Wesley tick? or just something else? (Please let me know if I'm wrong, or what you think.)
As far as Angel goes, there's no big bad in sight and yet I get this sense of urgency. And it's conveyed through David's acting. So kudos.
Well technically, the big bads are suppossed to be Wolfram and Hart... right?
That would be kewl.
And while I'm sad to see the characters go, in all honesty, part of me can't wait to see how it ends.
Will Angel turn into a real boy? Will Spike remain as the sole Vampire with a soul? If this were a book, would you have jumped to the last chapter by now?
Anyways
Regarding Seven of Fred...
It seems the writers can't handle having a speedster on the roster. Too bad. I thought her powers were neat. And Adam Baldwin seemed like a tough enough guy to keep her busy so that she wouldn't resolve the final crisis witha wave of her hand (as opposed to having Angel find an amulet that will allow him to resolve the final crisis with a wave of his hand!)
I also have to wonder, why would the Senior Partners set up her release in motion if they actually fear her. Yes I know that technically, her followers did all the ground work; but I remember a Doctor telling Gunn that his chip failed because the Senior Partners wanted it to fail. So there.
Cinescape debunked the whole "movie" of angel thing. Mercedes McNabb (Harmony) had been reported to say that no one had signed yet for the thing. And if they were serious they'd be in production now for a fall movie.
Travis
Regarding ratings, even for a show that is cancelled, the ratings still affect the network itself, as I understand it. Otherwise, how would they set advertising rates for shows that haven't premiered yet?
davidh
"Plus just how wonderful was Clark’s buried memory of his imminent departure from Krypton (although I wish they’d shot all the memory sequences purely from POV) and his mom’s revelation that his first word was 'Lara.'"
Actually this one particular part didn't work for me at all. What it reminded me of was one of Asimov's Black Widower stories. In those stories, for those who don't know, a group of men would have a guest to dinner at their club every month and the guest would inevitably have some kind of puzzle or mystery to unravel. The members of the club were always stymied but their waiter Henry would solve it every time. In this story, the guest was trying to prove the existence of extra-sensory perception and he used a story about someone who predicted a fire he couldn't have known about. When someone suggested that the person may have set the fire or had it set, the guest said that the fire had been started by lightning.
Henry solved the riddle with one of my favorite, elegant, simple solutions: The guest was lying. One of the clues was the lightning strike. Henry pointed out that anything that dramatic would have been part of the initial story, not brought up only after it had been raised as a hole in the guest's tale.
In the same way, I can't believe that the Kents would never have thought to tell their adopted son that his first word was the highly unusual and revealing "Lara." We know that Clark had asked about his past before, so why wouldn't *someone* have said, "Well, your first word was Lara? Maybe that's a clue...?"
Besides, PAD, you have kids. Which one's earliest words were "Peter"?
Going back to the Asimov story, I have an easier time believing Mrs. Kent told her son that his first word was Lara to assure him he hadn't forgotten his mother than that Baby Kal-El was on a first name basis with his Mom & Pop.
Even though I'm mourning the impending demise of the series, the last two episodes really didn't sit well with me. The whole gun toting CleaverClan sequence seemed a bit gratuitous. If Gunn knew how the amulet worked, why bother going through the whole running-helter-skelter-for-cover (behind the apparently bullet-proof sofas) when all he had to do was put the amulet on his person long enough to get answers from Lindsay? Leaving Gunn behind in place of Lindsay seemed pretty extreme considering the payoff amounted to merely a three minute interrogation at Angels office. Also, Lindsay &
Eve seemed a bit casual sitting in Angel's office when there weren't any glyphs to be found to cloak their presence. Now that the new (presumably more loyal) liaison is aware that Linds is free, what's keeping the Sr.Partners from just spiriting them away again? Hopefully they have a more a bigger plan ahead that demands Linds presence. And it took two weeks to rescue Gunn!?
On the plus side I'm totally groovin on Amy Acker's Illyria. Not only is she way hotter (albeit in a Marilyn Manson sort of way), Acker's performance is such that there's virtually no trace of her former character to be found at all. Spike's stubbornness in testing Illyria's abilities (and his clipboard) is absolutely hilarious. I wonder if shattering the magic memory box restored some repressed Fred memories as well as Connor and Wes?
Denison does an amazing haunted, tortured soul. Even better than Boreanaz. The only member of the cast that seems to be lacking in convicting characterization is Lorne. Instead of a major player, he's barely been more than a supporting role of late.
Last thought, I could actually get used to a well adjusted Connor.
I'm pretty sure Pete's crush on Chloe has been revealed before. I'm thinking it, along with his jealousy of Lex, came out in that personality altering flower ep around season 2. But nothing had been done with it since.
And Chloe is now officially the most clueless person on the planet. Pete told her that Clark can go supersonic and get to Metropolis and back in 10 minutes. Now, admittedly that was before she realized her truth power, but she quickly realized both the power and when it took effect. But no realization of "Hey, Pete had to be telling the truth about Clark going supersonic...he's a meteor rock freak!". And by this point, she should've come to the latter conclusion long ago anyway. Maybe she is the Silver Age Lois Lane. :-)
Boy, I sure did hate that Conner... But, like a lot of posters here, I really didn't mind him a couple of weeks ago.
My only problem is-- I am CERTAIN that Conner had ALL his memories back by the time the ep was over (look at Vincent's/Conner's eyes at the very end of the last scene-- before he walks out Angel's office door). Which is all good-- I'm just hoping I don't see regular ol' self-possessed "evil" Conner back before the Apocalypse... because then I would have to root for the bad guys.
And for those who don't already know it... You can get your Cordelia Chase/Charisma Carpenter fix in the latest issue of Playboy.
Dare you to read the articles first!
My Wednesday, last week, was pretty well interrupted by storms. Even though the power never once went out and even though it was never anywhere close to "Get to the basement!" weather, it was enough to activate the National Weather Service warnings.
While the picture never went grey as it does in my area, the sound was turned down as they scrolled the warning across the top of the screen.
The result was, to say the least, maddening!
And of course, the WB stopped running repeats of Smallville on the weekends.
So I missed most of what was said during the Lex/Lionel confrontation at the end.
As to Angel, I can't really comment on it since I haven't really watched the last three seasons. The last couple episodes, however, have piqued my interest and, though I didn't watch the last three seasons, I do have them on tape.
--Chris Grant
> Even though I'm mourning the impending demise of the series, the last two episodes really didn't sit well with me. The whole gun toting CleaverClan sequence seemed a bit gratuitous. If Gunn knew how the amulet worked, why bother going through the whole running-helter-skelter-for-cover (behind the apparently bullet-proof sofas) when all he had to do was put the amulet on his person long enough to get answers from Lindsay?
A) They needed to find the Wrath first - the door closed within 2 mins, they wouldn't have had time in the living room.
B) Gunn **WANTED** to be left behind & tortured, in his guilt over Fred. And he engineered it so that they had no time/chance to talk him out of it.
> Leaving Gunn behind in place of Lindsay seemed pretty extreme considering the payoff amounted to merely a three minute interrogation at Angels office.
They got L out because they were desperate. They didn't know how much he had, or indeed whether he had any pertinent info (Eve wanted them to break Lindsay out, she could well have been saying anything to achieve that). And none of them would have got out had Gunn not put that on (he was the only one who knew that that was the only way to get the rest of them out)
> Also, Lindsay & Eve seemed a bit casual sitting in Angel's office when there weren't any glyphs to be found to cloak their presence. Now that the new (presumably more loyal) liaison is aware that Linds is free, what's keeping the Sr.Partners from just spiriting them away again?
Angel's got them in his custody right now. 'Sides, they're not an immediate threat (hell, Eve's no problem/threat any more), and I bet the SPs'll be keeping an eye on them from now on anyway.
> Hopefully they have a more a bigger plan ahead that demands Linds presence.
I don't think they did actually - like I said, plan of desperation. No doubt he'll turn up again before the end tho.
PAD - Love the blog but rarely comment. I did want to point you, if you haven't already been, in the direction of Love! Valour! Compassion!, the film version of Terrence McNally's play. If you like Glover as an actor it's must-see viewing. He plays gay twin brothers - one evil and the other good, more or less, in a reprise of his stage role. Damn good stuff.
I recall reading that Dawn would be showing up in one of the final episodes. Anybody know if that is true? If so, it would be interesting for Angel to see her and then REMEMBER (due to being too close to the memory box when Wesley broke it) that she really isn't Buffy's sister. (Of course, Spike already knows that).
So now that you know that, Eclark, feel free to reconsider and suddenly disagree with everything I said
I was just softballing cause she's a girl.
Nah, seriously, I like the way you've assessed the stiuations in "Smallville" and "Tru Calling".
I touched on a slight disagreement with Tru in part two of this thread, but I'm wondering if you don't think the writers of Smallville are making Lex too sympathethic as a character? When you see where's he's been in his life, you almost can't help but feel sorry for him as the adult you know he's destined to be.
A quick reply on the length of the Smallville series. All the priniciple actors have 7 year contracts. So barring a ratings drop off, and in the words of the producers, the characters will be around even for college if necessary.
Im really digging the last Angel episodes.I particularly enjoy Illyria and her constant asskicking of Spike.The most disappointing thing for me is that David was not picked to be the next Batman.The man has mastered the dark ,brooding creature of the night thing.!!!
Enjoyed the return of Connor and the basement to hellthat Gunn was in .
Dont think the show will end 'happy"but there is a lot of storyline to try to jam in the last episodes remaining
No Dawn. Trachenberg is in training for her skating role in the "Ice Princess" movie that she is doing for Disney.
Has anybody checked out the Dark Shadows Journal page? The actor playing Barnabas was the mystical guardian in "Shells", the actress playing Angelique was Samm Riley in "As You Were" and the actress playing Victoria Winters had Nicholas Brandon for her prom date.
Not to sound 'too' cynical, but I remember some really good actors and actresses in the original soap opera who were not necessarily the most physically attractive; Thayer David and Grayson Hall in particular. Hall's main character, Dr. Julia Hoffman, an older, successful woman, is being played by Kelly Hu of 'X-2' and 'The Scorpion King.' Having looked at the cast, I don't think David and Hall would be allowed on the set let alone the series.
That said, I'm going to give the show a chance should it make it to the air, which is in doubt. Remember, the WB got 'Angel'and 'Buffy' on the air in the first place and while I may find their treatment of both shows at the end of their fifth seasons on this network objectionable, I feel that I should withhold judgement until I actually see the program.
That said, it had better be damned good.
And as for the idea of Buffy and Xander getting together, well, I guess I'm for it for one simple principle. Considering how they treated Spike and Anya; let the punishment fit the crime
I can't believe that of these two shows 'Angel' is the one that was canceled.
Tom Keller,
If you're talking about "between 'Smallville' and 'Angel', I tend to agree. While I enjoty the former, I LOVE the latter, and will really miss it.
The sad fact is more people watch "Smallville".
I think it would be more fun and interesting if Xander and Willow got back together.
--your pal, Hoy
My only problem is-- I am CERTAIN that Conner had ALL his memories back by the time the ep was over (look at Vincent's/Conner's eyes at the very end of the last scene-- before he walks out Angel's office door). Which is all good-- I'm just hoping I don't see regular ol' self-possessed "evil" Conner back before the Apocalypse... because then I would have to root for the bad guys.
I would love to comment on this episode, but because of T-Storms and Tornadoes, I saw exactly the last 15 minutes. The T-Storms and Tornadoes did not happen during the episode mind you. Four hours earlier, and that's when they decided to have issues with it.
Needless to say, I was not happy.
Travis
I keep wondering if maybe what's going to happen between Lionel and Lex is that Lionel is somehow going to trade bodies with Lex. Think about it: With Lionel using his new (disease resistant) body to fool everyone, putting an end to the "scheming Lionel Luther," and thus making the real Lex an even more tragic character, and the real Lionel a truly evil bastard.
It reminds me of the story in the comics several years ago, when Lex was pretending to be his own son (in a cloned body).
Hey, it could happen.
Jerome,
Yeah, that's the two I meant. I haven't seen Angel for a while, but I liked it when I did watch it. Smallville on the other hand, ugh. I saw the pilot and first episode and quickly relegated it to the 'If there's nothing else on - I'll read a book' category.
SMALLVILLE:
Many people comment on how great it would be if Lionel became Lex. I think that would be a huge betrayal and waste of the Lex/Clark relationship and three years of character development.
Much like Jonathan Kent informs the hero Clark will become, Lionel Luthor will inform the villain Lex will become. And just as Superman is a far greater hero and legend than the decent man Jonathan Kent is, Lex Luthor will become a villain who would humble even the rat bastard Lionel (hard as it might be to believe).
SER:
>>SMALLVILLE:
>>Many people comment on how great it would be if Lionel became Lex. I think that would be a huge betrayal and waste of the Lex/Clark relationship and three years of character development.
>>Much like Jonathan Kent informs the hero Clark will become, Lionel Luthor will inform the villain Lex will become. And just as Superman is a far greater hero and legend than the decent man Jonathan Kent is, Lex Luthor will become a villain who would humble even the rat bastard Lionel (hard as it might be to believe).
Agreed 100%. Add to your points the fact that there was a kryptonite-effected visionary who foresaw Lex's dark destiny and the evilness to come in the future, it pretty much puts to rest those people talking about the possibility of Lionel's transformation into Lex.
At this point, the most interesting thing about Smallville is that Millar, Gough, Loeb & co. have managed to create a sense that anything is possible — as evidenced by some of the above speculation.
This is significant in that a large part of the original appeal of Smallville was the sense it would eventually dovetail with the classic mythology we know so well. That idea has been reinforced by a handful of brief glimpses into the future: a flash of red cape, black-gloved Lex in the Oval Office, etc.
Welcome to Season Three, kids.
Unless the producers intend to end the series by hitting a Weisinger-esque amnesia/hoax/mass hypnosis/turn-back-time reset button (and I certainly hope not), I just can't see how Clark can one day fly into Metropolis in the familiar cape and blue longjohns without Lex, Lionel (if he's still breathing), Perry White, half the population of Smallville, the FBI and countless others going, "Aha! I knew it!"
Regarding Clark's secret, the show has slowly moved from a policy of "you break it (the secret), you buy it (the farm)" to the current approach of "the more the merrier". Pretty much everyone mentioned above now suspects Clark is harboring some dark secret; many have reason to suspect that he's more powerful than the average farmboy.
So, maybe this version of Superman is forced to wear a mask. Or decides to reveal his identity to the world. Or to give up the Clark Kent personna entirely. Or maybe he just gives Lex a heat-vision lobotomy. (None of which gets us completely back to the classic status quo.)
Despite the fact that Mark Waid is currently re-tooling Superman's official backstory to more closely resemble the television version, the end of the Smallville journey will be someplace we've never been. (Earth-WB, anyone?)
I worry that "Smallville" may be subject to the "Twin Peaks" syndrome. That is, the producers of the series may get a sense of how much power they have to manipulate their audience. And they will abuse that power, jerk the strings on the audience a little too hard, and the audience will walk away. David Lynch ruined the best thing he ever did out of his own hubris, and I fear that "Smallville" may be heading the same way.
The worst example of string jerking is the Clark/Lana relationship. It's already been established in the DC Universe, and in the animated Superman series, that Lana Lang knows Clark's secret. She and he have accepted that they just can't have a relationship. But this dance around with the relationship - warm, then cool, then warm, then cool...has become pathetic.
(Missed opportunity: when Clark put on the Red Kryptonite Ring last year, and went all Wild One, why the hell didn't he grab Lana and exert some Kryptonian testosterone? Not only would it end the endless cha-cha-cha of their relationship, but it would give Clark a REAL romantic problem to be saddled with.)
As for "Angel," I will celebrate the end of this nauseating vampire lovefest with a big Italian dinner...with plenty of garlic.
Unless the producers intend to end the series by hitting a Weisinger-esque amnesia/hoax/mass hypnosis/turn-back-time reset button (and I certainly hope not), I just can't see how Clark can one day fly into Metropolis in the familiar cape and blue longjohns without Lex, Lionel (if he's still breathing), Perry White, half the population of Smallville, the FBI and countless others going, "Aha! I knew it!"
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I recall the line from "Lois & Clark" in which Ma Kent says after designing the classic costume, "Well, no one's going to be looking at your face."
The problem with the Superman secret identity is the notion that Superman would "hang out" with Clark Kent's coworkers. My vision is that he's this guy in red and blue who prevents planes from going down and averts all other sorts of calamaties. While he's defying the laws of physics, I doubt anyone is going to think, "Hey, he looks like Clark!"
I hope that Lex knows Clark is Superman in the Smallville-verse. There would be a sort of noble nature to his villainy if he knows but doesn't go after Clark's friends and family. No, that would be beneath him and would miss the point.
I thought "Perry" solved the problem of Perry White suspecting that Clark is anything but a normal person -- he saw him with bleeding hands (when his powers cut out). And the glasses will continue the notion of Clark's human frailty.
What I like about the series is that it's giving Clark every reason in the world to *have* a secret identity. It's not just "I have powers and must help people. First I must disguise myself and deal with a complicated dual identity." That is counter-intuitive to what Clark is naturally doing -- trying to help with his natural gifts. However, he's learning how dangerous that is. And thus will eventually disguise himself.
"The worst example of string jerking is the Clark/Lana relationship. It's already been established in the DC Universe, and in the animated Superman series, that Lana Lang knows Clark's secret. She and he have accepted that they just can't have a relationship. But this dance around with the relationship - warm, then cool, then warm, then cool...has become pathetic."
While I agree that the Clark/Lana relationship has grown tedious I don't think that it has anything to do with previously established continuity ( be it comic book, cartoon or movie) just because SMALLVILLE has done so much that is completely different from any set continuity that to try and hold the show to what was established elsewhere is just useless. The only thing that we as viewers can be absolutely certain of is that Clark and Lex will become enemies and Clark will start wearing spandex.
I do hope that they either move the Lana/Clark thing along or just end it completely and send Lana to school in Europe.
There are currently only three current-run shows that I make it a point to watch: "24", "Smallville" and "Angel" (putting them in airing order). I've occassionally also watched "Tru Calling", but while I liked the season finale, hasn't yet become a "don't miss" show.
Unfortunately, "Smallville" isn't a "don't miss" show, either. I generally try not to miss it, but if I do, I'm not overly concerned. In fact, I'm not even going to bother to get the DVDs, which I do get for "24" and "Angel".
Pretty much the only thing that really keeps my interest with "Smallville" is the Lex Luthor thread. We know how he ends up. The question is, what will lead him there? Will he blame Clark for the loss of his hair, as he did in the Silver Age (but not for the destruction of the living protoplasm he'd created-- now there's a sense of mixed priorities), even though Clark was just a baby when he arrived, and didn't have any control over events? Or, maybe Clark will discover a formula to restore Lex's hair and that will send him over the edge:
Lex: Damn you, Clark! I was all set to get the starring role in the remake of "Kojak." You've ruined my life! I'll destroy you for that!
The great irony is that if Clark just told Lex the truth, as he did with Pete, they would not become arch enemies down the road. What would happen if Clark revealed all?
Clark: Lex, this is kind of difficult for me. I've debated whether or not I should burden you with this knowledge, but you are my best friend, and I think you deserve to know.
Lex: Know what, Clark?
Clark: (Deep breath). I have super powers. (Clark picks up a mahogany desk to demonstrate)
Lex: Cool. (reaching under the desk) I wondered where that pen had got to. So, you wanna get a pizza?
"Angel", on the other hand, remains very good and it will be a shame to see it go. I feel confident there was at least one more season worth of good material in those characters.
Rick
Once upon a time, I read a spoof of the Superman saga. In it, Clark admited to Lois and Perry that he was Superman.
"So", they said, "we've know that for years."
"How?"
"You are the only person with blue hair", they answered.
Glad to know I wasn't that only one who saw Adam Baldwin and for half a tic thought it was Eddie the Alien Bounty Hunter from "X-Files." (For the record, that's the large and talented Brian Thompson, who was also The Judge on "Buffy.")