September 23, 2004

Yeehaa! The rootin' tootin' return of Cowboy Pete's TV Roundup

Yup, winter's comin', and that's the signal that Cowboy Pete is back with the TV roundup. This week's launch is a good 'un with two episodes of "Charmed," the season launch of "Smallville," and a brand new "I Like This Show, I Wonder When They'll Cancel It" entry called "Veronica Mars." Spoilers abound.

"Charmed"--Two episodes in, and it's very clear that the driving force of this season is going to be Leo going slowly off his nut. The future of Wyatt going bad hangs heavily over the series, and it's starting to shape up that Leo is going to be main reason this will happen (if it does happen.) He's blown away a couple of Elders, and doesn't exactly seem to be drowning in remorse. Meanwhile he's being actively courted by an evil floating head which is, y'know, NEVER a good thing. Personally, I'm wondering whether Leo isn't going to be tapped to be the new Source of Evil, who has--to my knowledge--been without a vessel ever since Cole was blown away.

Meanwhile the three sisters continue to handle each escalatingly bizarre story development with an attitude that radiates "seen it all," but at the same time still has a freshness to it that most other shows which have been around this long can only envy. Plus special bonus points for catering to genre fans as this week featured John ("Q") de Lancie and Elizabeth (New Frontier's own "Shelby") Dennehy as elders, with Charisma Carpenter showing up next week. And hey, Phoebe naked on a horse...really, what's not to like?

"Smallville"--Okay, okay, I give. I finally believe a man can fly, okay? Not only does the show come out of the box firing on all cylinders, but they installed a few more cylinders for good measure so they could have those firing as well. Clark drops naked into a cornfield (to the delight of my wife and 13 year old daughter) only to be confronted by newly arrived Lois Lane, blowing a huge gaping hole in my Chloe-is-Lois theory (and drives the final nail into the coffin of the notion that some years down the road, reporter Lois Lane doesn't recognize Superman for who he is, glasses or lack of glasses notwithstanding.) There are enough meta-gags and nudge-nudge, wink-wink moments to satisfy Eric Idle's "Say no more" guy, ranging from the Superman movies' Lana Lang having a scene with the Superman movies' Lois Lane (who in turn makes reference to her and the Superman movies' Superman being a couple in "another lifetime"), to Lois' comment about liking nerds with glasses, to the priceless bit where some confused pilots pick up a speeding Kal-El on radar and wonder, "What is that? Is that a bird? A plane?"

And how about that flying Kal-El, huh? In a sequence that's about as far from "three running steps and hit the springboard" as you can get, Kal-El apparently, through sheer will power, severs some gravimetric lines or builds up some kinda energy or something, and blows himself skyward like a cork out of a champagne bottle. For years the mantra's been "no flights, no tights." Yet here we get one hell of a flight, although still no tights...or even underwear on Tom Welling for about half his screen time. And hey, Lana gets naked and glowy too, so that's all good.

Still, we are confronted with yet another deus ex machina to solve nasty behavior on Clark's part. Last time it was Jonathan getting powered up by Jor-El. This year's "huh?" moment is Margot Kidder pulling "black kryptonite" out of her ass (not, y'know, literally). Pulling in a new color of kryptonite to ignite a story, I've no problem with. Producing it in order to resolve a story, on the other hand...not exactly the best writing. So what does black kryptonite do? Well, to all intents and purposes, it restores Clark's soul, so I guess it's aptly named. Hey, how come Red Kryptonite doesn't make him a communist? Or make him vote Republican?

I also liked that Lois is the only other person on the show to dress in blue and red.

I have to admit I did see the shock ending coming the moment Clark showed up at Chloe's gravesite. But if you want to know where Chloe is, you need look no further than a flip of the channel dial to UPN, where you'll find...

"Veronica Mars"--...Chloe, or maybe her twin sister, in a vaguely noirish tale of a teenage girl who assists her father in running a private detective agency. Basically it's "My So Called Life" meets "Encyclopedia Brown," and the show is SO much better than that somewhat crappy description of it, I can't even begin to tell you. I tend to believe that first person narration should be limited to detective stories, and so it's right at home here, as Veronica is pulled both into an adultery investigation that could be connected with a supposedly resolved murder case, and also aids a young guy named Wallace who's run afoul of a motorcycle gang, led by the most intriguing good guy/bad guy cyclist since the Fonz. The only thing that concerns me is that her father says "Who's your daddy?" so many times that it's starting to make me wonder if he is, in fact, not her daddy.

Anyone, I don't want to go into too much detail because it's being repeated this Friday at 9 PM. At least, thank God, this Wednesday 9 PM launch is not its regular slot (that's going to be Tuesday) so it won't be going head-to-head with "West Wing." Now if the UPN will just stick with it long enough for it build an audience.

Waaa hoo, pardners.

And yeah, I know it's my birthday. Shaddup.

PAD

Posted by Peter David at September 23, 2004 12:06 AM | TrackBack | Other blogs commenting
Comments
Posted by: Nathan at September 23, 2004 12:45 AM

Hey, happy birthday.

Despite all the cool stuff going on, the thought foremost in my mind was, "Haven't we already had a season opener featuring Clark with a new personality?" They seriously need to find a new gimmick. (Yes, yes, I know. [scary wb guy]Clark's only dangerous enemy... is himself.[/scary wb guy]

And thought number two was, "Boy, Lois sure looks like Mike Myers in drag..."

Posted by: Randall Kirby at September 23, 2004 01:13 AM

Black Kryptonite's attribute is to tear off Tom Welling's shirt and split him in two.

best...kryptonite...ever.


-Also, I've got to say, I really liked the actress playing Lois. She has a nice off-the-cuff style of speech.

Also liked the nudity from both Tom and Kristen. Although hers was more "suggested." The guys on this show definitely show more skin than the girls. Kind of a nice switch from most shows, actually.

Posted by: eclark1849 at September 23, 2004 01:14 AM

Yeah, well, Charmed has lost it's charm for me, but I still watch it out of habit. Still, Charisma Carpenter is enough reason for me to tune in next week.

I'm not liking all the divergence from the traditional Superman story. Okay, I can see Luthor and Clark growing up in the same town. It's been done before. But it's REALLY becoming a stretch for me to believe someone like Lex could turn so utterly evil as we know he's destined to become. The only way I can see this working out is that Lionel kills Lex and takes over his body. (Remember that prediction by the way)

I don't think Lois and Clark should have gotten so chummy. I think it would have been better if Lois and Clark never got to know each other.

And how did I know that Clark would use his x-ray vision on Chloe's grave?

Oh, and you would think that an airplane pilot would know that no bird can fly that fast or that high.

Posted by: Jeff Kapalka at September 23, 2004 01:25 AM

Like yourself, I enjoyed the season debut of Smallville. Of course, this episode only reinforces my belief that there's gotta be some kind of massive mind-wipe occurring in the final episodes of the series. Otherwise, when the cape and tights show up, anybody who knows Clark is going to make the connection. (Not really connected to that, I was severely disappointed that, in the episode where Clark had to wear glasses... everybody knew it was Clark!)

Anyway, thanks for the tip about Veronica Mars. I'll have to set the VCR for Friday.

Posted by: Marcus at September 23, 2004 01:26 AM

Hey PAD. Don't know if you have access to watching different stuff at the same time, but The Lost was a prett cool roller coaster ride over on ABC.

Posted by: Randall at September 23, 2004 03:10 AM

I still don't understand why everbody needs Smallville to fit into established continuity. It's been an "elseworlds" from the start. Why not just enjoy the new story?
Why can't this Lex actually be a good person? It doesn't mean he still wouldn't have legitimate reason to oppose a Superman.

Posted by: Randy Lander at September 23, 2004 03:46 AM

Gave up on Smallville a while back, but Veronica Mars was indeed a great first episode. Nice cast, very well-written... I only gave it a shot because Rob Thomas (of the late, lamented Cupid) was involved, and I'm glad I did.

Good news about Veronica Mars is that although it seems destined for low ratings, it's already got buzz going, and really, UPN has low ratings on everything, don't they? I think it's got a better shot there than just about anywhere else.

Also found out that Trio is running Spaced, the British sitcom by the guys who made Shaun of the Dead. Watched two episodes tonight and it is absolutely hilarious, chockful of geek references and just plain fun anyway. If you happen to have the Trio cable network, it's worth a look.

Oh, and I second the recommendation for Lost. I actually thought Veronica Mars was a better hour of TV, but there's a lot of potential in that show.

Posted by: Alan Wilkinson at September 23, 2004 05:34 AM

"And yeah, I know it's my birthday. Shaddup."

Heh. Happy Birthday. :P

"Also liked the nudity from both Tom and Kristen. Although hers was more "suggested." The guys on this show definitely show more skin than the girls. Kind of a nice switch from most shows, actually."

Speak for yourself. Naked Tom does nothing for me...

Posted by: patwoman at September 23, 2004 06:22 AM

Happy Birthday, big guy. Remember, the only time we don't get older is when we are dead.
Thanks for the Cowboy Pete. That's one of the best things about a new Smallville season.

Posted by: Bill Mulligan at September 23, 2004 06:43 AM

Happy Birthday, PAD!

The flight effects were movie worthy. Just awesome. Margot looked pretty good considering all she's been through these last few years. The new Lois Lane is so much better than I expected--like Randall says, she's got a certain quality. Pluck, sass, moxie, whatever.

Let me second the "you ought to tape Lost and watch it later" crowd. It's from the Alias guy, so no surprise that it's so good. And I'll give Veronica Mars a try.

You know, I always wondered about the guy who walks around the city shouting "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird!" I mean, big flipping whoop dee doo. Get out much?

Posted by: Cardmage at September 23, 2004 07:12 AM

As for how Lois won't recognize Clark as Superman without the glasses...hey, maybe she wasn't looking at his FACE.

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at September 23, 2004 07:56 AM

Happy birthday, hope the ladies in your life treated you to a very special and memorable day.

I chose Lost over Smallville and have no regrets. I was captivated from the moment it began. The characters are as convincing in their mannerisms as they are very nicely diversified. A solid cast with an intriguing and captivating premise that looks to be on the way to keeping my attention throughout this season.

Fred

Posted by: Tony Miello at September 23, 2004 08:38 AM

How come no "LOST" review. I was really looking forward to your take on this show.

For anyone who missed it; think CASTAWAY with more people and some big critter running around looking to eat people.

Posted by: Hoy Murphy at September 23, 2004 08:52 AM

I watched Smallville with my teenage daughter and we were both creeped out by the scene of the old lady in the hospital drooling over the naked teenage boy.

--your pal, Hoy

Posted by: Travis Clark at September 23, 2004 08:57 AM

Enjoyed Smallville, specifically the flight scene... and a good "arc" beginning with the three devices.
And does John Glover not look cool with the shaved head and the glasses. Of course he's evil. He was the Devil in Brimstone.
And for those who didn't catch it, CSI:NY was actually pretty good. Each CSI, I guess, is shot in a different way. CSI is dark with Neon lights, CSI: Miami is extremely bright (and actually the worst of the lot. Caruso does nothing for me. Emily Proctor, though...) NY is shot through a blue lens. Adds a very gritty, urban drama. Worth your time.

Travis

Posted by: Kathleen David at September 23, 2004 09:03 AM

We taped "Lost" and plan to watch it before the weekend is out. From what I heard I think it will be added to Cowboy Pete shortly.
Kath

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at September 23, 2004 09:26 AM

Kathleen:

>We taped "Lost" and plan to watch it before the weekend is out. From what I heard I think it will be added to Cowboy Pete shortly.

Come on, give us that juicy gossip. Who'd you hear this from? Who is your source? ;)

Posted by: David Hunt at September 23, 2004 09:47 AM

As to how Clark will be able to disguise himself with a set of glasses, it's obvious that the last thing he gets out of all the Kryptonian stuff is a superpowerful cloaking/mind control device in the form of...a set of glasses. It's so obvious...

And happy birthday (I'll shut up now).

Posted by: Leviathan at September 23, 2004 10:10 AM

RE: "Charmed"

Leo is _not_ going to be the cause of Wyatt turning evil: That's a Red Herring!

He brought back the Wrong Wyatt from the Evilverse!

You read it here first.

Posted by: Jess Willey at September 23, 2004 10:37 AM


Happy Birthday...

Your present is umm... I well, it happened on Sunday, but I made my comic store sell out of three issues of Fallen Angel, propting a reorder that they couldn't get. He asked when the next trade was coming out... and then said something about: "Call DC if you have to... just make it happen." Hope that helps.

Oh, and I bought Madrox too.


Posted by: Rick Keating at September 23, 2004 10:58 AM

I flipped back and forth between “Smallville” and “Lost”, getting a taste of both. I liked Kal’s flying scene in “Smallville”, as well as the continuing chess game that is the Lex/Lionel relationship (one of the better elements of the show).

As to flying Kal-EL vs. Earthbound Clark Kent, it’ll be interesting how that works out. My guess is that Clark, can, of course, fly. He just doesn’t know how, or is subconsciously afraid to try for fear he’ll start down the dark path and take Darth Vader’s place at the emp-- oops, sorry. Wrong guy.

Anyway, Kal-El is not a separate personality, just what Clark was programmed to call himself and to think of himself as during his summer vacation with “Jor-El.” Eventually he will come to accept that he _is_ Kal-El of Krypton, but he is _also_ Clark Kent of Kansas (and that he’s _more_ Clark then Kal). Once he reconciles his birthright with the upbringing he’s had in Smallville, that subconscious inability to fly will be gone, and he’ll take to the skies.

He’ll also find himself compelled to do this while wearing long underwear, but that’s another matter.

I’m also curious about Chloe. Was the explosion staged or was she just lucky to escape alive? If the latter, was someone other than Lionel behind it, thus putting him in their debt, as Lois suggested? Will Clark and Lois ever to think to look for her over on UPN?

Actually, I already know the answer to that. PAD was right all along. Chloe _is_ Lois. She’s just wearing a wig. Why not? If glasses can be an effective disguise, even among people one sees on a daily basis, so can a wig.

It’s interesting that PAD should make the Chloe/Veronica Mars connection. My first thought when I started seeing the ads for “Veronica Mars” was that the actress looked a lot like Allison Mack. I knew it wasn’t her, but there was a certain similarity.

I did not, however, watch “Veronica Mars.” I may or may not do so in the future. As I’ve said before, I’ve cut back to pretty much nothing at all when it comes to currently run shows, and have turned instead to DVDs. I’m currently watching the entire run of “Buffy” on a daily basis, and finished season 2 yesterday (concurrent with season 4, I’ll also start watching the entire run of “Angel”). So far, “Smallville” and “Lost” appear to be the only current shows I’ll be watching (at least on a regular basis).

As to “Lost”, I think it has potential, but my flipping back and forth kept me from getting a sense of the characters and their personalities. Assuming neither it nor “Smallville” changes timeslots, I’ll have to tape one show for later viewing, until or unless I decide to pick one over the other.

Rick


Posted by: Jamie at September 23, 2004 11:36 AM

The good - he flew.

The bad - everything else.

The ugly - Petes gone and another whitebread joins the show.
- Black Kryptonite has the power to erase brainwashing and wake up people in a coma.
- All the ads for the Mountain, a new soap on after Smallville

Posted by: gary at September 23, 2004 12:28 PM

happy birthday peter

Posted by: ArcLight at September 23, 2004 12:39 PM

Wait? You mean "Veronica Mars" is on twice this week and neither time will be the regular timeslot? Yeah, that'll help draw viewers.

- Chris

Posted by: David Hunt at September 23, 2004 12:40 PM

SMALLVILLE: Has anyone noticed that all the rich/powerful masterminds on the show now have serious, probably fatal, health problems. Lionel's got that liver problem that's killing him. Lex need dialysis every 72 hours or he'll die. Swann is a quadraplegic and must have something fatal going on just so he can fit in. Finally there's Jor-el who has the minor health problem of being...uhm, dead.

Posted by: Randall Kirby at September 23, 2004 12:45 PM

Dang! - I didn't even notice Pete was missing! Where's my head at?

Posted by: George T. at September 23, 2004 12:50 PM

Happy Birthday Peter! I hope it's a great one!

Posted by: Don at September 23, 2004 12:57 PM

Fred quoted Kathleen:

>We taped "Lost" and plan to watch it before the weekend is out. From what I heard I think it will be added to Cowboy Pete shortly.

Come on, give us that juicy gossip. Who'd you hear this from? Who is your source? ;)

I think it was a faxed document.

Posted by: Napoleon Park at September 23, 2004 12:57 PM

Wait, today is also Jason Alexander's birthday. (he's 45. Festiv birthday, George)
And, come to think of it, when have we ever seen PAD and George Costanza together in the same place...?
you know what this means, don't you...
(I posted lengthy reviews of both CSI:NY and LOST over at the Jump The Shark Yahoo Group, but long story short, I liked 'em.)
[Kurt, it's me, Randall.]

Posted by: Lauren Dayap at September 23, 2004 01:05 PM

Is it really Peter David's bday today/?? If so happy birthday! Damn its a lot of people's bdays today (Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen and my friend Mike). Anyways my thoughts on Smallville (copied from my LJ)

-Clark uhh I mean Kal-El flying was a highlight..on another message board I'm on (Mark Millar's) someone commented how Kal-El looks like Neo but then again didn't someone comment on Neo doing his Superman thang in Matrix Reloaded?

-I loved tonight's episode, and Lois Lane coming into the picture just made it fresher and a bit more humorous than say well no one on the show has been funny..

-I miss Pete :(

-That Lana subplot or whatever you wanna call it was confusing...must watch episode again

-Best scenes I think was the beginning where Lois finds Clark butt nekkid in the cornfield..and she's like "just look at his eyes" when he turns around and she sees his "thing" and then she talks fast and very charming and witty and then she confronts Lionel and BAM... 180 degree turn on how she acts...quite impressive.

-Odd seeing two Clarks fighting...well regular Clark and Kal-El.

-Confused as to where Brigitte got the black kryptonite???


Man I KNEW I should've taped Lost on the other VCR...well if someone missed it (like me) saw its airing (both parts) Oct. 2 8pm I think..

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at September 23, 2004 01:06 PM

Napoleon:
>Wait, today is also Jason Alexander's birthday. (he's 45. Festiv birthday, George)
And, come to think of it, when have we ever seen PAD and George Costanza together in the same place...?
you know what this means, don't you...

Sure I do. It means that whenever young Peter David finds himself in times of trouble, he speaks the name of the ancient wizard who gave him his powers, and is magically transformed....

Posted by: Aaron at September 23, 2004 01:50 PM

-Confused as to where Brigitte got the black kryptonite???

She used a weather satellite to analyze some kryptonite in space, then replaced the unknown elements with nicotine… or was that another movie?

Posted by: AdamYJ at September 23, 2004 02:02 PM

So much for Smallville's "no flying" rule, huh?

I liked this episode. Lois absolutely stole the show. That was pretty much how I expect her to be (hear that comic writers? That's what she should be like!). It's just nice to have her there, too. It's also nice to have Lana away for a while. I greatly dislike Lana. She is quite the drip. Plus, her relationship with Clark is so overworked and strained that it's pretty much dead by now. The Black Kryptonite was okay, but I am a little put off that they went and invented a new color of Kryptonite (though, someone on another board suggested it was a nod to Superman III, which utilized kryptonite with tobacco tar in it). As for why Lois won't connect Clark to Superman after this; if we accept the glasses as a disguise in the first place, then almost anything goes. Besides, the only other way to do it is to keep out characters that are part of the Metropolis cast. I don't think I'd want to see this show if folks like Perry, Lois and Lex didn't show up sometime. Heck, I still want them to do an episode with Bizarro, Metallo, Prankster or Toyman.

Posted by: Scott Jones at September 23, 2004 03:02 PM

Oh, I think they've made it clear that Lex will turn evil. But not cliche, "Boy, aren't I evil" evil. No, he is going to mosey down the Road to Hell with the best of intentions. He made his big speech last season about the prophecy being misunderstood, about the person who would stand up to a super powered savior as being noble and brave. Much like B5's Londo, Lex will proudly and confidently walk down the path of darkness, sure of his intentions.

Posted by: blakelylaw at September 23, 2004 03:06 PM

Hey... Happy Birthday!

Posted by: Luigi Novi at September 23, 2004 03:21 PM

“But we knew it wouldn’t work out when every time he kissed me I kept losing my memory…”
Best Stunt Casting In-Joke Ever:
Martha Kent: “You don’t know anything about my son!”
Bridget Crosby: “You’re right. You’re right, I don’t. But I do know what it’s like to love someone whose calling is greater than your own.”
Martha Kent: “You and Dr. Swann?”
Bridget: “In a different lifetime.”

Pretty good season premiere, but too many cop-outs and moments spoiled by previews.

---I can’t say I’m really happy with how the show is continuing to deviate from the established mythos. I mean, I can stomach Clark’s too-early meeting with Lois, but I’m really not happy about how Clark/Kal-El is revealed more and more to be an intended leader of a Crusade to conquer (Earth?), or with how ominous Jor-El is, or how ominous “Kal-El” is supposed to be.

---I’m also unhappy with how the resolution to the “Kal-El”
storyline unfolded. It seemed a bit too “rabbit out of hat” to me, much like Spock’s vision in Operation—Annhilate!(TOS). It’s easy to write such endings by simply dropping exotic artifacts into a plot that can do anything the plot requires them to do, and even make up a new form of kryptonite with vague effects that doesn’t even exist in the comic book or any other previous Superman adaptation, than it is to write a plot in which the resolution blossoms naturally out of elements set up in the plot.

---Still, the episode delivered some nice moments. KUDOS to the creators for omitting Allison Mack from the opening title sequence!!! Had they not done so, the last twenty seconds of the episode, which were EXCELLENT, would not have been so. Nice touch. However, I do wish they had omitted that shot of Kal-El flying in that sequence, not to mention all the other stuff in the pre-premiere WB promos (Lois showing up, and Clark finally flying for real). It would’ve made these things much nicer surprises. And why in the WORLD did they have to inform the viewer during one of the commercials playing during the episode that Margot Kidder was showing up? I mean, HELLO! The viewer is already watching the friggin’ episode!! You got the person watching! You don’t need to convince them anymore to watch it! Why spoil yet another big surprise plot point? Sheesh. That’s THREE such surprises in the episode that were totally SPOILED, and only one (Chloe being alive) that wasn’t.

NITS & NOTES:
What a coincidence that the person who was driving by to witness Clark’s return just so happened to be Chloe’s cousin!

When making that rubbing of the mosaic in the church, Lana should tape the stencil paper down with drafting tape. Not doing so, the rubbing will be “off” as the paper shifts. Also, that rubbing comes out WAY too neat and perfect! Even taped down, there would be unavoidable smearing of charcoal in the “white” areas that fall in between the areas that would show up as dark (the areas that actually show up because something is underneath the paper). But it looks like a carefully-made illustration, and the way it appears on the paper, I imagine it was CGI’d into the shot.

And about that shot of Lana in bed with the sheet just covering her bum? WOOF!

Crosby and Martha both refer to Swann as “Doctor Swann.” Wasn’t he referred to as “Professor” in Rosetta(2.17) and Legacy(3.17)?

Okay, black kryptonite? Now I’ve heard of Green, Red, Blue, Gold, White, Anti-Kryptonite, X-Kryptonite, Jewel Kryptonite, Slow Kryptonite, X-Kryptonite, Silver Kryptonite, and even the fictional hoax Yellow Kryptonite created by Lex Luthor, but black? What is that supposed to do? According to Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite, it was created specifically for this episode with the power to—get this—“separate certain entities from people.” What a neat convenience that it just so happens to have the exact ability needed to resolve this episode’s conflict!

Moreover, how could Swann know that it would do this?

Funny how the shots of Clark flying looked a bit like Neo’s flying scenes in The Matrix movies. And I'm sure that the fact that Warner Bros. both owns DC Comics and distributed The Matrix movies is sheer coincidence. :-)

Posted by: Luigi Novi at September 23, 2004 03:23 PM

Btw, can anyone tell me how to format urls into words? And what about underline? Does the site still have underline formatting? Thanks.

Posted by: eclark1849 at September 23, 2004 03:49 PM

One more thing:
Lois and Chloe look nothing alike, wig or not.

One more thing:
Martha was extremely nice to Lois who comes barging into her house and wants to go upstairs to her son's room without being invited. My mom would have put her fist through the face of any woman trying to do something like that.

One more thing:
How many people here could invite someone to come and live with their family without consulting your parents first? Clark never invited Lana to come live with him.

Posted by: Steve Premo at September 23, 2004 04:06 PM

Smallville: My theory on Chloe's "death" is that Lex set up the explosion to fake Chloe's death in order to protect Chloe from Lionel and ensure her testimony. He, more than anyone else, wants Lionel behind bars, and knows that even a safe house can't protect Chloe from Lionel. Also, Chloe asked Lex to protect her.

Lois blew it, though, by suggesting to Lionel that Chloe's death might have been a set up. She was saying it just to bug him, but it's started him thinking.

Posted by: joelfinkle at September 23, 2004 04:10 PM

Here's another Kryptonite type list -- black's never been mentioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite

Posted by: eD Thomas at September 23, 2004 04:44 PM

Luigi:

Assuming the HTML tag isn't deactivated, you'd make words into a URL by typing:

Whatever you want the text to be without the spaces between the > and what's inside 'em.

This would result in Whatever you want the text to be.

However, for some reason the site isn't letting me use the "preview" button, so I can't tell if underlining is still there or whatever. If you want it, and it's not there, I'm sure a pair of tags will do the trick.

Posted by: eD Thomas at September 23, 2004 04:49 PM

Or, if I was thinking, I would have done this so that the page didn't read that as code. *slaps head*

OK, to make the link, type ‹a href="http://www.yourlinkhere.com">Your text here‹/a>

(If this one doesn't work, ‹ is a less than sign.)

Underline is ‹u>‹/u>

Maybe this time this will work...

Posted by: Rick Keating at September 23, 2004 04:50 PM

eclark1849 said:
"One more thing:
Lois and Chloe look nothing alike, wig or not."


The wig comment is what's known as a joke. Just as it's ludicrous to really expect a pair of glasses to work as a disguise (especially with people you know), a wig isn't much of a disguise either. That the actresses don't resemble each other is immaterial. The point of the joke is the humor behind the _idea_ that a wig as a disguise would work.

Rick


Posted by: Aaron Thall at September 23, 2004 05:12 PM

Given that Doc Swann was the one possessing the Black K, it's reasonably safe to make a postulation... He made it SPECIFICALLY to counter Jor-El's plans for Clark. There's none of it in Smallville that we've seen. It doesn't exist in the comics. Swann's known a lot more about Jor-El/Eradicator/Whomever that is from the start, so why WOULDN'T he create a defense against Clark being brainwashed? He's got the resources, the intelligence, and the empathy to pull something like this off. And if so, the Kents FINALLY have a defense against "Jor-El"/Eradicator. Nothing wrong with that.

Posted by: Scavenger at September 23, 2004 05:33 PM

Since the opening credits said "Special guest star Margot Kidder", I think the commercial for it doesn't release anything out of the bag.


As for the Lionel stealing Lex's body...perhaps you should look ahead a few episodes...and coming soon....IMPULSE!

Veronica Mars--yeah, it's hard to describe it in a way that doesn't make it sound dorky..I tried that on my blog, and didn't really pull it off.

Posted by: Denim at September 23, 2004 06:37 PM

Happy birthday Peter,
I would have to agree that Veronica Mars is a special treat this season, the only new show coming on this year that I had any vested interest in was Lost. On a whim, I decided to see Veronica Mars and was extremly pleased. It is a very difficult show to describe without giving anything away, and I hope that people see that there is so much more to the show then what the commercials show. The good thing is that the show is not on FOX and actually has a chance of having all of this seasons episodes aired.

Posted by: Jay at September 23, 2004 06:58 PM

Happy Birthday PAD.

I LOVED Veronica Mars. I admit I tuned in simply because I like Kristen Bell after seeing a few performances of hers (Gracie's Choice, Deadwood, and Spartan).

I'm definitely going to be back for more.

There is plot points galore to obsess over.

Where's her mom for real, is she involved with the guy her dad thinks killed his daughter?

Who raped Veronica? (Date rape is a misnomer, rape is rape, no qualifier is valid)

And oh so much more.

My favorite part is where she organized a sting on the evidence room so she could screw with the sheriff who shined her on when she tried to report the rape. That was pure artistry.

Can't wait for more!

Posted by: Tom Pearce at September 23, 2004 07:04 PM

Howdy, Cowboy Pete!

And Happy Birthday to you! Your present? I went ahead and have already tried FALLEN ANGEL and I am going to get the entire MADROX mini-series. So don't worry! The royalty cheques are a-comin'!! :-)

Posted by: Lee Houston, Junior at September 23, 2004 07:12 PM

Hey Peter.
We totally agree on both [I]Smallville[/I] and [I]Veronica Mars.[/I] Big surprise there, huh?
My own take on them and the season premiere of [I]Law and Order[/I] is posted at www.thealternative.tk
I will not be able to do it weekly like you though, so this is the only time I can give you any "competition". Hmmm... not bad for an otherwise unpublished author working as an e-journalist, a.k.a. unpaid content provider.
Anyway, take care and
[B]HAPPY BIRTHDAY![/B]

Posted by: Lee Houston, Junior at September 23, 2004 07:16 PM

Sorry about the []s.
If the preview feature had worked, I would have known that the []s did not.

Posted by: Shortdawg at September 23, 2004 07:26 PM

I can't believe how far this show has fallen since its season #2 glory days.

They replace Chloe, one of the hottest chicks on TV, with an ultra-annoying Lois who I don't even want to wank off to. And they replace Pete, who had morphed into an interesting character, with some pretty-boy, wooden boytoy for Lana.

The flying sequence, while OK, was in no way worth three years of buildup.

Even the dynamic between Lex and his dad, which was once so intense and powerful, now seems rather stale and tired.

As for the once pretty Margot Kidder, she now has a more masculine voice than me!

I imagine I'll keep watching, since I certainly have very little else to do with my life. But what I once followed with much enthusiasm is now more of a chore to keep up with than "NYPD Blue."

Posted by: JamesLynch at September 23, 2004 09:06 PM

SMALLVILLE thoughts:

First, I've said it before and I've said it again: THE SHOW SMALLVILLE IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL D.C. CONTINUITY!!! Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were not estranged buddies growing up. Lana Lang was not orphaned by the meteor shower that brought Clark to Earth; she wasn't a brunette either. Jor-El isn't trying to corrupt his son from beyond. And except for certain web writers' fantasies, Lois Lane's first meeting with Clark Kent did not involve full frontal nudity. This is no more part of the "real" D.C. Universe than Kingdom Come, or Batman as a vampire, or Superman being a Soviet champion. ***Please*** stop trying to squeeze that round peg of SMALLVILLE into the square hole of comics continuity. Thank you.

Whew.

It was a pretty good episode, even if it left me wondering if all the season openers will start with an unaired amount of time lapsing. It was nice to see that someone finally wrapped Clark in a red cape --and it was Lois Lane! -- and someone figured out to use kryptonite when Clark goes off the deep end.

My off-the-wall-but-it-may-prove-correct theory: Lionel Luthor was the one who sent Clark after the artifacts. In last season's finale, Lionel told Clark that hurting him (Clark) was the last thing on his (Lionel's) mind. Lionel's gift to Clark led to Clark's distrust of Lex, which made him more inclined to believe Jor-El's prediction that everyone would betray Clark. We know from Lex's prison visit that Lionel is after the artifacts and knew the legend too. And -- this is key -- we didn't hear Jor-El's voice when Clark went after the artifacts. I think that Lionel somehow found a way to tap into Clark's persona -- perhaps more easily when influenced by Jor-El -- and wants Clark to gather the artifacts to find a cure for Lionel (along with unearthly power). It would be in character for Lionel to use Clark for selfish ends.

As for how Chloe could have survived when Clark was nowhere around, there was a trick about assumptions in the comic GIRL GENIUS recently. In GG, Agatha is helping defend a circus troupe from a rampaging machine. Agatha blasts it, saying it's dead but doesn't know it yet; next panel Agatha looks surprised; next panel the machine is blasting something; flip the page and we see a charred skeleton with a character running to the scene yelling "Agatha!" Great cliffhanger. So, how'd Agatha survive?

Agatha wasn't blasted. In the next issue we see that somone had grabbed Agatha (resulting in her surprise) and that person was blasted. (The running person -- well, cat -- was yelling because Agatha was in danger, not because she was killed.) We assumed from the justaposition that Agatha was the victim; not when we see the full picture.

So why assume the explosion happened seconds after we saw Chloe turn around? We didn't see the flames touch her, or her acting like she heard a noise -- or any sign that she was there during the explosion. Just because it looked like the explosion happened moments after she arrived doesn't mean it did.

And right now it looks like SMALLVILLE's competing with ENTERPRISE for most gratituous t&a (or, in this episode, d&a for dicks and ass). Clark and Lois' first encounter isn't just a Meet Cute -- it's a Meet Cute Naked Boy. (How many women were hoping that wind would move that ear of corn?) Then we get Lana naked except for some carefully arranged random bedsheets -- and her nekkid silhouette in the shower! I guess it's Lex's turn next -- boy, girl, boy -- but my money's on Lois next. Can Clark control his x-ray vision?

And the trailers already hinted at the sexual triangle between Clark-Lana-Lois (a quadrangle when you factor in Lana's American Boyfriend in Paris, whose name eludes me). While that could be annoying, I'll take it if it means the end of Lana and Clark looking doe-eyed at each other and aaaaaaaaaaaalmost saying something...

Posted by: Deano at September 23, 2004 09:12 PM

SMALLVILLE
Ok ,i could have used fewer shots of Clark's bare ass and more of Lana's but thats just me.
I like Lois so far ,in that she has some attitude to her and may provide an interesting foil to Lex in some aspects (she obviously isnt intimidated easily if she is willing to spar with the much scarier Lionel Luthor)
Not a fan of the Black Kryptonite and some how i hope the 3 months of time with Jorel have an effect of some sort thru the season.Loved the flight sequence,in the sense we actually saw some form of propulsion field as Kalel took off.
The "crusade "comment was interesting ,are we looking at Kal El the conqueror,fighting what he was sent here for(like the Dragonballz series),or will his crusade be turned into a "never ending battle for truth ,justice,and the american way" ??
Lex on dialysis was unexpected but for the most part they got the look of the equipment correct.
Chloe and Jonathan alive...Yay!!!Jonathan and Lex are my two favorite characters on the show.Dont know whats going on with Lana,but it should prove interesting.
As far as Lex turning "evil" I dont think he turns evil in the comicbook sense.I rather like
someone else's theory in that he is evil with good intentions.Also am i the only one who noticed the reference to a library of knowledge
unlocked by ancient artifacts ?More to the point will this somehow hve something to do with Lex being cured or Lionel?
Just a theory......Lex gets access to this library of knowledge ,said library being Kryptonian ,he learns of the "crusade"as a result he either takes up the battle against the alien crusade setting up his battles with Clark,or JorEl
Learning of KalEl rejecting his heritage decides to offer Lex the knowledge as an exchange for him taking up the Crusade.Lex does so thinking he can stop it but ends being taken over by Jorel.You
seduced by the dark side and all.
Just my ideas

Posted by: SER at September 23, 2004 09:12 PM

Two things:

I don't look, at 30, that much like I did at 18. If Clark leaves Smallville, travels the world, and becomes Superman in his mid-late 20s, I don't see much of a problem. Imagine Tom Welling as Jeff East in SUPERMAN THE MOVIE.

This episode gave us two big clues as to the fact that Jor-El is not "evil" so much as "alien." Much of what he's said is not so bad from "a certain point of view." Think about what Kara said in the season finale. Was she really that far off? And humanity *is* a flawed race. And won't Superman eventually rule it with strength? Not through conquest but through the example he sets?

Furthermore, Dr. Crosby states that if Clark is flying that means he's "embraced his Kryptonian heritage." She also says that the symbol that so closely resembles the famous "S" shield is the Kryptonian word for "crusade." While there are obvious negative connotations to that word, "crusade" could also be defined as a "neverending battle for truth, justice, and the American way."

Let's be honest: Superman is not the life Martha Kent wants for her son. She'd be more than happy to have him married to Lana and running the farm in ten years -- not risking his life day in and day out. The future of isolation and sacrifice that faces Clark might inspire our respect but it would break a mother's heart.

Jor-El *must* spur Clark on to his greater calling. And if he's going to wind up flying around while sporting a major symbol of his Kryptonian heritage, he must come to terms with his father, right?

No, I think Superman will be the combination of the alien Kal-El who would rule Earth to save a flawed race from itself and the human Clark who would simply serve and protect his adopted planet.

Also, given that Kryptonians have apparently been on Earth before (even Jor-El) and before there was even kryptonite, it seems obvious that they're not an aggressive race.

Posted by: EClark1849 at September 23, 2004 10:25 PM

First, I've said it before and I've said it again: THE SHOW SMALLVILLE IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL D.C. CONTINUITY!!! Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were not estranged buddies growing up. Lana Lang was not orphaned by the meteor shower that brought Clark to Earth; she wasn't a brunette either. Jor-El isn't trying to corrupt his son from beyond.

James, I'm pretty sure that most of us realize, at least by now, that Smallville is not partof the Official DC Continuity.

However, in some pre-Crisis stories, Lex and Clark were indeed old buddies. Well, Lex and Superboy were. In fact, one of the reasons why Lex was said to have a major hate on for Superman was because Superboy caused Lex to go bald.

Smallville, to me, is like a collection of some of these Pre- Crisis stories formed together. Aside from that I just like to see how we go from what we see about Clark on TV to what we know his destiny is to be.

Posted by: Randall Kirby at September 23, 2004 11:02 PM

While Deus Ex Machina tend to be annoying, I have no problem with the show inventing a new form of kryptonite. Kryptonite as a concept was invented by the radio show.
Black Kryptonite's properties will probably remain nebulous on the show, as are the properties of regular "K" adapted to fit each week's premise. The comics will have to take the concept and run with it before we can say for certain what it's "supposed" to do.
My favorite form of Kryptonite is "pink K" - invented by Mr. Peter David.

RK

Posted by: Luigi Novi at September 23, 2004 11:35 PM

joelfinkle: Here's another Kryptonite type list -- black's never been mentioned. ">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite
Luigi Novi: Um, it’s the same list whose url I provided, Joel.

eD Thomas: Luigi: Assuming the HTML tag isn't deactivated, you'd make words into a URL by typing: Whatever you want the text to be without the spaces between the > and what's inside 'em.
Luigi Novi: I really appreciate the help, Ed, but I’m not following. What spaces are you referring to? I never put spaces between the text and the tags. I always put them right before and right after it. Also, what exactly is the tag? For italics it’s “i,” and for bold it’s “b,” but what do I put for links?

eD Thomas: OK, to make the link, type ‹a href="http://www.yourlinkhere.com">Your text here‹/a>
Luigi Novi: Okay, two questions. First, did you intend to put a “>” after that beginning “a” tag but forgot?

Second, are you saying that the tag includes the phrase href=, and that you have to put quotation marks after the url?

(Sorry if I’m being obtuse.)

eD Thomas: Underline is ‹u>‹/u>
Luigi Novi: I tried that with my first post. It didn’t work. And by the way, how did you put those underline tags without them disappearing? Is it because there was no text in between them?

Thanks.

Aaron Thall: Given that Doc Swann was the one possessing the Black K, it's reasonably safe to make a postulation... He made it SPECIFICALLY to counter Jor-El's plans for Clark.
Luigi Novi: And how would he know what Jor-El’s plans would be, that the plans would include brainwashing Clark, or for that matter, how to modify kryptonite to counteract such a thing? This makes Swann more of a deus ex magician than a scientist.

Aaron Thall: There's none of it in Smallville that we've seen. It doesn't exist in the comics. Swann's known a lot more about Jor-El/Eradicator/Whomever that is from the start…
Luigi Novi: The person we’ve known as Jor-El on the show is really the Eradicator? Now THAT idea I like!

Scavenger: Since the opening credits said "Special guest star Margot Kidder", I think the commercial for it doesn't release anything out of the bag.
Luigi Novi: I missed it. Thanks. (I would’ve omitted it from the credits as well.)

Lee Houston, Junior: Sorry about the []s. If the preview feature had worked, I would have known that the []s did not.
Luigi Novi: They work, but not with capitals. You have to use the lowercase versions of the letters.

Shortdawg: They replace Chloe, one of the hottest chicks on TV, with an ultra-annoying Lois who I don't even want to wank off to.
Luigi Novi: They did not necessarily replace Chloe. Chloe is probably still alive, and will show up. Lois may likewise be a temporary addition to the cast, as may Lois’ boyfriend.

And besides, I find Erica Durance perfectly wank-worthy. :-)

James Lynch: Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were not estranged buddies growing up.
Luigi Novi: Mark Waid’s recently completed miniserires Superman: Birthright establishes that they were.

James Lynch: ***Please*** stop trying to squeeze that round peg of SMALLVILLE into the square hole of comics continuity. Thank you.
Luigi Novi: The question on many comic fans’ minds, I think, is how far the show is deviating from that reference point, and how much it should. Personally, I can do without the invented-solely-for-the-show continuity changes, particularly ones that do not add anything to the show’s appeal, but exist merely to have stunt casting, continuity nods and in-jokes, like Perry White and Lois meeting Clark so early.

Posted by: Lee Houston, Junior at September 24, 2004 12:50 AM

In regards to the secret identity, efforts have been made in the past to show Clark as a viable disguise.
The Superman Radio Serial used two seperate yet distinct voices to show the difference between Clark and his alter ego.
The best visual effort made to portray Clark and Superman as two seperate people was by Christopher Reeve in his first movie.
Meanwhile, a pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths issue of Superman, (I think written by Marty Pasko) established that it is not just the glasses that make the secret identity, but Clark had always been using a power he was unaware of (super-hyptnotism) to make everyone believe that Clark was the mild mannered person he wanted them to think he was.

Posted by: Aaron Thall at September 24, 2004 01:06 AM

Aaron Thall: Given that Doc Swann was the one possessing the Black K, it's reasonably safe to make a postulation... He made it SPECIFICALLY to counter Jor-El's plans for Clark.
Luigi Novi: And how would he know what Jor-El’s plans would be, that the plans would include brainwashing Clark, or for that matter, how to modify kryptonite to counteract such a thing? This makes Swann more of a deus ex magician than a scientist.

No... He's had access to a lot of Kryptonian writings, and he's been in semi-regular contact with the Kents. A genius like him could have put the puzzle pieces together and realized that, god forbid, Clark got turned by "Jor-El", the world would need a way to undo it. It's obvious he knows more than he's saying... And just happening to have what was needed seems to support that theory.

Aaron Thall: There's none of it in Smallville that we've seen. It doesn't exist in the comics. Swann's known a lot more about Jor-El/Eradicator/Whomever that is from the start…
Luigi Novi: The person we’ve known as Jor-El on the show is really the Eradicator? Now THAT idea I like!

Well, he acts almost soulless... He's intent on making Clark a perfect Kryptonian... Clark was more militant under his control... Sounds like Eradicator to me... Of course, I'm admittedly not the biggest DC expert around, so I could be wrong...

But still, Eradicator is an excellent choice for an uber-villain for the series. Since he's a mechanical entity, he could have easily prepared the world to become a new Krypton (hense the cave and artifacts around the world), and delivered any messages from Jor-El for Clark (filtered through it's own programming, of course). It just makes the most sense given the evidence on hand.

Or would you prefer that Jor-El be evil?

Posted by: KryptonSite Craig at September 24, 2004 08:13 AM

I hope Lois is going to be in many more Smallvilles to come. There's some great stuff coming this season that hopefully you all will like. http://www.kryptonsite.com is my site for more if you'd like to be spoiled.

Who says Chloe's still alive? ;)

I plan on watching Veronica Mars - err, the Chloe Show soon. Got it downloaded. The few minutes I saw I liked. http://www.kryptonsite.com/chloemars.jpg might show the *real* reason I subconsciously will like, though.

Black Kryptonite is weird. Is that what Pete was affected by? He used to be a white guy, right? Okay, really lame joke, and not meant to be offensive at all.

I thought the Clark meld was weird. Actually, I was hoping for a HULK 377-ish type thing where the various versions of Clark/Kal-El fought inside his mind, WITHOUT the use of Kryptonite, and what we'd see in the end would be a melded, Kryptonian and human, Clark.

Posted by: KryptonSite Craig at September 24, 2004 08:15 AM

By the way, look for more nudity in future episodes.

I still can't believe no one's commented on the rear end crack that was seen on the premiere that WASN'T Tom Welling's.

And I agree, the Margot promo was LAME. I was amazed that I was able to fast forward through it before my roommate could see.

Posted by: SER at September 24, 2004 09:27 AM

Luigi Novi: The question on many comic fans’ minds, I think, is how far the show is deviating from that reference point, and how much it should. Personally, I can do without the invented-solely-for-the-show continuity changes, particularly ones that do not add anything to the show’s appeal, but exist merely to have stunt casting, continuity nods and in-jokes, like Perry White and Lois meeting Clark so early.
************************

In the Superboy comics, Clark pretty much met everyone he'd know as an adult while still in Smallville, from Bruce Wayne to Oliver Queen to Lois Lane and Perry White and Jimmy Olsen.

SMALLVILLE is basically Superboy without a disguise. I mean, the Clark Kent in MAN OF STEEL or in SUPERMAN THE MOVIE wasn't fighting assorted freaks of the week during his teen years.

Posted by: Rick Keating at September 24, 2004 09:41 AM

Luigi,

Regarding the Margot Kidder promo during the episode: if I remember correctly, that came at the half hour break. I've noticed the WB tends to do a quick summary and/or a "this is what's coming up" in the half hour break. My guess is that this isn't for the people already watching the show, but for people whose half hour long shows have ended and are now flipping through the channels to see what else is on. If the WB can get them to jump on board for the second half of "Smallville", while being quickly brought up to speed on what happened in the first half hour, maybe they'll come back next week (and the weeks after) for an entire episode.

As to not having Kidder's name in the credits, things like that aren't always possible, according to Actor's Guild rules (at least not without a whole bunch of legal hassles). I remember J. Michael Straczynski was once asked why Melissa Gilbert was in the opening credits of a B5 episode, thus spoiling her "surprise" appearance; in a nutshell, he said those were the rules. He might have liked to have kept it a surprise, but can you imagine all the legal hoops he and others would have had to jump through to allow for her name not to appear, while still ensuring she'd receive the appropriate renumeration?

There was also a comment (I forget from whom) praising the Powers that Be at Smallville for not including Allison Mack in the opening credits, so that surprise wasn't spoiled. I don't think they did that to keep from spoiling anything. I think they did it because she's no longer a series regular. When and if Chloe does turn up, either alive in the present, or via flashbacks, Mack would be credited as a guest or special guest.

As to Clark unconsciously using super hypnotism in that old pre-Crisis story, if it's the same one I'm thinking of, then it was the subject of a CBG article earlier this year. It was a goofy idea which was quickly forgotten, because the idea was that Clark had been hynotising people to see him as a middle-aged, slightly overweight balding guy. A few problems come to mind with this concept, not the least of which is why would Lana and later Lois have been so suspicious that Clark and Supes might be one and the same if their image of Clark looks nothing like Supes?

Plus, it raises the question why would he bother with the glasses if people see him as a completely different individual?

But back in the old days some of the stories were just a little bit sillier.

Rick

Posted by: Lauren Dayap at September 24, 2004 10:51 AM

I must say that that Margot promo seemed out of place..that aside I must say that I like the reaction here to the season premiere on Smallville than another comic book writer's message board I frequent to. Sure the people's negative comments on there are their own personal opinions but eh I'm just getting sick and tired of seeing negative comments done in a distasteful way...and granted there are some negative feedback on here but (IMO) I think it was done in a tasteful way..

Posted by: SER at September 24, 2004 11:03 AM

As to not having Kidder's name in the credits, things like that aren't always possible, according to Actor's Guild rules (at least not without a whole bunch of legal hassles). I remember J. Michael Straczynski was once asked why Melissa Gilbert was in the opening credits of a B5 episode, thus spoiling her "surprise" appearance; in a nutshell, he said those were the rules. He might have liked to have kept it a surprise, but can you imagine all the legal hoops he and others would have had to jump through to allow for her name not to appear, while still ensuring she'd receive the appropriate renumeration?
**************************
ANGEL did it at least three times (Juliett Landau in the episode "The Trial," Stephanie Romanov in "Peace Out," and Christian Kane in "Destiny."

****************************
There was also a comment (I forget from whom) praising the Powers that Be at Smallville for not including Allison Mack in the opening credits, so that surprise wasn't spoiled. I don't think they did that to keep from spoiling anything. I think they did it because she's no longer a series regular. When and if Chloe does turn up, either alive in the present, or via flashbacks, Mack would be credited as a guest or special guest.
*****************************

Everything I've read states she is a series regular. Only Sam Johnson was let go.


There was also a comment (I forget from whom) praising the Powers that Be at Smallville for not including Allison Mack in the opening credits, so that surprise wasn't spoiled. I don't think they did that to keep from spoiling anything. I think they did it because she's no longer a series regular. When and if Chloe does turn up, either alive in the present, or via flashbacks, Mack would be credited as a guest or special guest.

Posted by: Luigi Novi at September 24, 2004 03:43 PM

Aaron Thall: No... He's had access to a lot of Kryptonian writings…
Luigi Novi: And just how detailed are those writings? I have a set of Encyclopedias in my dining room, but it doesn’t show me how to make powerful weapons. And how could he translate those writings? You’re telling me that those writings are so detailed that they contain instructions to the effect of, “Okay, if a Kryptonian is brainwashed by the avatar of his dead father, get some of this black kryptonite stuff and touch it to his chest”? And isn’t it a bit convenient that he happens to have black kryptonite?

Aaron Thall: ….and he's been in semi-regular contact with the Kents.
Luigi Novi: What does regular contact with the Kents have to do with knowing how to break Jor-El’s spell over Clark?

Aaron Thall: A genius like him could have put the puzzle pieces together and realized that, god forbid, Clark got turned by "Jor-El", the world would need a way to undo it.
Luigi Novi: Which has nothing to do with knowing how to undo it, or having the resources to do so.

Aaron Thall: Or would you prefer that Jor-El be evil?
Luigi Novi: Read my first post on this board. I made it clear that I didn’t like that element.

KryptonSite Craig :I still can't believe no one's commented on the rear end crack that was seen on the premiere that WASN'T Tom Welling's.
Luigi Novi: Whose?

Rick Keating: As to not having Kidder's name in the credits, things like that aren't always possible, according to Actor's Guild rules (at least not without a whole bunch of legal hassles). I remember J. Michael Straczynski was once asked why Melissa Gilbert was in the opening credits of a B5 episode, thus spoiling her "surprise" appearance; in a nutshell, he said those were the rules.
Luigi Novi: It is my understanding that on occasion, actors have opted to allow their names not to be in the opening credits or publicity to make their appearance a surprise. Wesley Snipes did this in Waiting to Exhale. I believe there are other examples, though I can’t remember offhand. And yes, I was the one who praised the creators for not having Mack in the credits.

Posted by: KryptonSite Craig at September 24, 2004 03:50 PM

Look closely for *Annette O'Toole* crack. Really!

There is one series regular who was not in the opening credits for the premiere. Maybe he/she hasn't been seen on the series before. ;)

I wish they did credits the way they do for DOCTOR WHO and save them for the end. And even then, they'd jumble the names to keep a surprise (for example, Anthony Ainley who played the master, was given names like "Neal Tonyay" To keap a surprise.

Posted by: Aaron Thall at September 24, 2004 04:19 PM

Aaron Thall: No... He's had access to a lot of Kryptonian writings…
Luigi Novi: And just how detailed are those writings? I have a set of Encyclopedias in my dining room, but it doesn’t show me how to make powerful weapons. And how could he translate those writings? You’re telling me that those writings are so detailed that they contain instructions to the effect of, “Okay, if a Kryptonian is brainwashed by the avatar of his dead father, get some of this black kryptonite stuff and touch it to his chest”? And isn’t it a bit convenient that he happens to have black kryptonite?

Hense my theory that he had it specifically made. And being in regular communication with Clark, he probably knew of Clark's concerns... And when he vanished, several possibilities HAD to come to mind, including brainwashing.

Granted, HOW he could tailor Kryptonite to have that effect is a mystery... I chalk it up to more magic symbols.

Aaron Thall: ….and he's been in semi-regular contact with the Kents.
Luigi Novi: What does regular contact with the Kents have to do with knowing how to break Jor-El’s spell over Clark?

See above.

Aaron Thall: A genius like him could have put the puzzle pieces together and realized that, god forbid, Clark got turned by "Jor-El", the world would need a way to undo it.
Luigi Novi: Which has nothing to do with knowing how to undo it, or having the resources to do so.


See above. I'm probably giving the show too much credit, granted, and thinking too hard about this, but it's certainly not impossible that Swann could have prepared for this kind of situation, push come to shove. Certainly more likely than a fifth dimensional imp being reimagined as a russian student (oh, wait...)

Aaron Thall: Or would you prefer that Jor-El be evil?
Luigi Novi: Read my first post on this board. I made it clear that I didn’t like that element.

I was being sarcastic. Obviously, if it's Jor-El, the writers just don't get it... And that's unlikely. Hense my theory about Eradicator.

Posted by: arcee at September 24, 2004 06:06 PM

Re: Black Kryptonite

PAD your remarks about pulling (not literally, of course) Black K out of (ex-Lois') @$$ made me chuckle since you used PINK Kryptonite in your last Supergirl run on Superman himself.

What's wrong with Superman?

Supergirl: Lois, you don't want to know.

Posted by: Prospero at September 24, 2004 09:10 PM

Well, at least Veronica Mars isn't on FOX - since the "Firefly"- and the "Wonderfalls"-Desaster I don't give the new series on this network a real chance if they are too clever and too smart. But you forgot to mention "Desperate Housewifes" - that looks promising, IMHO.
Ad Astra

Posted by: eclark1849 at September 24, 2004 10:10 PM

Well, at least Veronica Mars isn't on FOX - since the "Firefly"- and the "Wonderfalls"-Desaster I don't give the new series on this network a real chance if they are too clever and too smart. But you forgot to mention "Desperate Housewifes" - that looks promising, IMHO.

Well, "Wonderfalls" was a lame rip off of Joan of Arcadia which is a better show all around.

I didn't watch "Firefly", and I assume that I wasn't the only one not watching.

Posted by: Luigi Novi at September 25, 2004 01:12 AM

Aaron Thall: Hense my theory that he had it specifically made. And being in regular communication with Clark, he probably knew of Clark's concerns... And when he vanished, several possibilities HAD to come to mind, including brainwashing.
Luigi Novi: Again, what does this have to do with it? I am not TALKING about “knowing about Clark’s concerns.” Of course he knew Clark’s concerns. The episodes featuring appearances by Swann explicitly MENTIONED these concerns. I am not talking about Swann knowing about Clark’s concerns or Jor-El’s intentions. I am talking about how he could create this black kryptonite stuff. You say, “Hence my theory that he had it specifically made,” when my entire point was HOW? How does some backward 21st century human create (or just happen to have and know the precise effects of) an exotic alien substance? I just don’t buy it. That’s just me. :-)

Aaron Thall: Granted, HOW he could tailor Kryptonite to have that effect is a mystery...
Luigi Novi: Which is precisely what I was talking about.

Aaron Thall: I was being sarcastic. Obviously, if it's Jor-El, the writers just don't get it... And that's unlikely.
Luigi Novi: Given that one of the producers is Jeph Loeb, I’d agree.

Posted by: SER at September 25, 2004 11:13 AM

Aaron Thall: I was being sarcastic. Obviously, if it's Jor-El, the writers just don't get it... And that's unlikely.
Luigi Novi: Given that one of the producers is Jeph Loeb, I’d agree.
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As I've said before, we've seen no real evidence that Jor-El is "evil." Lionel certainly is but his actions are selfish, twisted, while Jor-El's are distinctly "alien."

I always had problems with depictions of Kryptonians in which they appear to be simply advanced humans.

Let's look at some of Jor-El's alleged "evil" actions:

1) "Rule them with strength" from "Rosetta." This can simply be his alien notion for how Clark can protect the world from itself -- Jor-El saw the dark side of humanity, remember?

2) Jor-El's covenant with Jonathan demanded that he "return him to him" to be "reborn." This "rebirth" could be teaching Kal-El to fully understand his powers. He states in "Lineage" that "I'm waiting." When Jonathan resists, he sends Kara.

3) The Kara ruse is troublesome but I would not assume, as Jonathan did, that Jor-El "used her" -- it's possible that she was already dead and he used her body as a vessel.

4) Jor-El's treatment of Jonathan (and Kara's treatment of the FBI agent who was spying on them) might seem harsh by our standards but by an alien race's? Who knows?

Look, unless they wish to discount the 1961 flasback, Jor-El is clearly not evil. He was on Earth when there was no Kryptonite and no one could stop him. He made no effort to "conquer."

Also, *if* Jor-El were "evil," it would make no sense for Clark to adopt those Kryptonian symbols (the colors of his blanket and the chest symbol) as Superman. This implies that he comes to terms with his Kryptonian heritage.

Posted by: David Hunt at September 25, 2004 12:14 PM

SER: "Look, unless they wish to discount the 1961 flasback, Jor-El is clearly not evil. He was on Earth when there was no Kryptonite and no one could stop him. He made no effort to "conquer."

Look at Lex as he is in the series right now. Is he evil? Do you think that he might become evil? I mean, he's Lex Luthor afterall. Who you are as a child has a lot to do with who you are as an adult, but not everything.

Whoever/whatever is manipulating Clark seems to clearly see humans as vastly inferior and disposable. We can classify that as "alien" instead of "evil" but it still seems to be setting Clark up to conquer the Earth and rule over us like we're ants.

Posted by: Slick at September 25, 2004 02:29 PM

Well, regarding Jor-El, you'd also have to consider that Jor-El knew Clark was going to be raised by humans, who aren't exactly the most peaceful of species. Jor-El could have been under the assumption that once Clark descovered he had the power to rule, that Clark would want to rule, knowing that there was little to stop him. It made more sense to say "Rule them with Strength and Wisdom", rather than "Crush the f***ers under your thumb!" or "blend in with the weaklings, but secretly run around in red and blue tights and save them."

Posted by: SER at September 25, 2004 06:13 PM

Look at Lex as he is in the series right now. Is he evil? Do you think that he might become evil? I mean, he's Lex Luthor afterall. Who you are as a child has a lot to do with who you are as an adult, but not everything.
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That's a good point. However, I've long argued that Lex has shown obvious signs of the villain he will become as far back as the first season. We just ignore most of them or rationalize them because we don't *want* him to go bad.

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Whoever/whatever is manipulating Clark seems to clearly see humans as vastly inferior and disposable.

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Inferior, yes. By Kryptonian standards, Clark is basically being raised by apes (shades of Tarzan). Disposable? Not so much. Kara might not have been alive in the first place (we also don't know that Jor-El actually killed her). And his treatment of Jonathan might be more than it seems.

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We can classify that as "alien" instead of "evil" but it still seems to be setting Clark up to conquer the Earth and rule over us like we're ants.
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He hardly needs to "set" Clark up to essentially abuse his powers. The Clark who was under the influence of Red K in "Red" and "Exile" was someone who would wind up ruling over us like ants. You'll notice that Jor-El was not fond of those actions and attempted to stop him (the brand on his chest, which vanished once he removed the red k ring).

Jor-El knows first hands what humans are capable of and I think he probably fears what being raised by humans might do to Clark -- especially given Clark's powers.

Posted by: eD Thomas at September 25, 2004 09:12 PM

Luigi: Sorry for the delay in responding. Problem with my post was that Movable Type still read my faux-HTML, even though it is so wrong it hurts my HTML-lovin' head.

So I'll try this again.

The way I did the "‹" with the "‹u›" tag is because I didn't actually type the 'greater-than' and 'less-than' symbols... I used the ASCII Character codes to make 'em show up. So, when using trying to use the tags, don't copy and paste what you're seeing, because it's not the way it needs to be written. You actually gotta go and type out what you see (which, although it's a pain, is the only way to do this).

So, therefore, to make a hyperlink (say you were making it to my website, since, you know, it's a free plug...), you type:
‹a href="http://www.ert3.com"›ERT3.com‹/a›

This would result in ERT3.com to be shown.

As I'm sure you've figured out, the '/' tells the browser to turn the code off. So, if you're really into formatting, you gotta type whatever the format tag is (‹u&8250;) and then end whatever you want to format with the same tag with the "/", or else the format will continue throught the thread.

So, remember to just re-type what I hope actually showed up this time... and, if not, you can just e-mail me here and I'll try to explain it without being too lame!

-eD

Posted by: eD Thomas at September 25, 2004 09:15 PM

And, no, it seems the underline tag is disabled... although, for the life of me, I can't figure out why.

And WebMonkey should be able to answer any other questions you may have.

-eD

Posted by: Karen at September 25, 2004 11:04 PM

Ok, I just want to see if I learned something.

Posted by: Rick Keating at September 26, 2004 02:14 AM

Speaking of the "Superman" radio show, if any of you are interested in hearing what is considered one of the best radio serials, get a hold of "Superman Vs. The Atom Man." It's available through Radio Spirits (www.radiospirits.com), but Borders and/or Barnes and Noble sometimes carries it as well. It's 38 chapters (7.5 hours) of entertaining radio adventure with Clayton "Bud" Collyer as Supes and Mason Adams as the Krytonite-powered Atom Man.

Actually, _all_ the "Superman" radio adventures I've heard are pretty good (especially when you consider it was written as a juvenile series), but "Superman Vs. the Atom Man" is really good.

On the other hand, you've gotta laugh at Jor-El's statement to Lara in the very first episode that the Earth is on "the other side of the sun."

By the way, just as a point of clarification for those not familiar with the radio show, while two distinct voices were used for Clark and Supes, both belonged to the same man-- Clayton "Bud" Collyer.

And speaking of secret identity stuff, one of the most amusing things about the radio show was how often Clark would would make some careless remark and almost give himself away. It'd be something like,

White: "We just got word that The Wolf has arrived in Paris a few minutes ago. If he gets hold of Professor Jones, nothing will be able to stop him."

Clark: "Don't worry chief, I can be there in no time."

White: "You can?"

Clark: "Er, what I mean is, Superman can. I'll try to get in touch with him."

Still Clark's habit of nearly giving the game up notwithstanding, the radio show is good stuff.


Rick

Posted by: Jeff Kapalka at September 26, 2004 08:38 PM

Just wondering... Is anybody else hoping for a Lex/Lois/Clark triangle to pop up in Smallville? I think that has tons of story possibilities... especially since that, if the producers give a nod to post-Crisis continuity, Lois would wind up with Lex. (Since Lex might have some... issues with intimacy, he might transfer some of his negative feelings towards his exes to Lois, and... but I think I'm getting a bit dark, here.)

BTW, as long as a previous poster mentioned radio shows, you guys might also be interested in the fact that the BBC are presenting NEW Hitchhikers Guide shows (with most of the original cast) even as I type. Episodes are archived for 6 days after their last airing (late Thursday), and can be found on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/

Posted by: Somebody at September 26, 2004 08:58 PM

> As to not having Kidder's name in the credits, things like that aren't always possible, according to Actor's Guild rules (at least not without a whole bunch of legal hassles). I remember J. Michael Straczynski was once asked why Melissa Gilbert was in the opening credits of a B5 episode, thus spoiling her "surprise" appearance; in a nutshell, he said those were the rules. He might have liked to have kept it a surprise, but can you imagine all the legal hoops he and others would have had to jump through to allow for her name not to appear, while still ensuring she'd receive the appropriate renumeration?

Well, in addition to the Angel stuff someone mentioned above, I remember Virginia Hey getting credited in the closing, rather than opening, credits of John Quixote to keep her app a surprise.

Posted by: Somebody at September 26, 2004 08:58 PM

(NB: John Quixote = Farscape 4x08)

Posted by: David Serchay at September 27, 2004 10:30 PM

"Well, in addition to the Angel stuff someone mentioned above, I remember Virginia Hey getting credited in the closing, rather than opening, credits of John Quixote to keep her app a surprise."

Though you could hear her voice in the promos.

David

Posted by: David Turner at September 28, 2004 07:55 PM

No where in Superman mythos has Jor-el been portrayed as the bad guy. In fact, an dream tale had him as the only Kryptonian against an Earth invasion. I haven't been a loyal viewer of the show so I can only go by what others have said in this blog, but it appears that Jor-el is portrayed as good and bad. This seems to be the same as Enterprise's Daniels.

Maybe there's another force at work, corrupting everything that Jor-el left for his son, someone who would gain from Clark going to..
the Darkseid!

Ba-ba-baaa

Posted by: gene hall at December 8, 2004 11:09 PM

I just caught the rerun of Smallville and I have to say I really enjoyed the episode. All of the
in-jokes were plenty fun.
However, I just can't help but wonder how they are going to get these charachters to become who they will become. It's a bit of a stretch. Then again, I do have to suspend disbelief on Smallville fairly often.
One observation though, The Lois Lanes are getting progressively more attractive. We had
that ugly, frumpy Lois from the 50's series, then Margot Kidder, then Teri Hatcher, now Erika Durance. I think there's a definite pattern of hotter Lois Lanes developing and I like it. I like it alot.