CBR: The CBR Review: "Smallville" Season 10

[CBR News]

Graeme McMillan reviewed tonight's tenth season premiere of "Smallville" and liked what he saw, calling it "the best 'Smallville' since Geoff Johns' 'Absolute Justice' and the freshest the show has felt in years."


Full article here.

[jediracer]

sooooo excited for this tonight!

[AirDave]

What's always frustrated me was that the show kept moving away from him reaching his destiny rather than toward acheiving it. There could have been so many great moments of Clark taking important steps toward the cape. It's a shame that an opportunity has been delayed. I really think he should be Nolan's Superman in Superman Begins.

[alexforever]

I don't get a lot of the DC references on the show, but it's not bad.

[Surtur]

What's always frustrated me was that the show kept moving away from him reaching his destiny rather than toward acheiving it.

This is true, but I can sort of see why they did this..at least from a story point of view. It's been clear since early on they wanted to end this show with Clark becoming Superman, or at least right about to become him.

So you can see why they have pushed it back, the longer the show is on the more they have to push it back. This doesn't bother me since the show is about him becoming Superman, not him as Superman..so once he becomes Superman the show should kind of end. So if they want to push that off for a bit so they can give us another season or 2..I'm fine with it.

[David Walton]

It's a great review, and I'm pretty much agreed.

[ZeoVGM]

Fantastic premiere. I can't wait for the rest of the season.

[Jimmy Bond]

This is true, but I can sort of see why they did this..at least from a story point of view. It's been clear since early on they wanted to end this show with Clark becoming Superman, or at least right about to become him.

So you can see why they have pushed it back, the longer the show is on the more they have to push it back. This doesn't bother me since the show is about him becoming Superman, not him as Superman..so once he becomes Superman the show should kind of end. So if they want to push that off for a bit so they can give us another season or 2..I'm fine with it.

Even with that route though, there's no doubt that Smallville's mid-years were poorly handled. The show originally was about the high school years, of which it did fine. Recently, they've done a decent job in the last couple years. But the "college years" (that didn't really have college soon after) were mishandled. They could have had Clark studying journalism and science, while traveling around the world and gaining new insight. Instead he was moping about Lana most the time.

Overall, I can say the show had a good start and end, so at least it has a nice image looking back. I think it's fine they had to prolong Superman. But seasons 6 and 7...horrible.

[David Walton]

Even with that route though, there's no doubt that Smallville's mid-years were poorly handled. The show originally was about the high school years, of which it did fine. Recently, they've done a decent job in the last couple years. But the "college years" (that didn't really have college soon after) were mishandled. They could have had Clark studying journalism and science, while traveling around the world and gaining new insight. Instead he was moping about Lana most the time.

Overall, I can say the show had a good start and end, so at least it has a nice image looking back. I think it's fine they had to prolong Superman. But seasons 6 and 7...horrible.

No question about it. They had no gameplan for Clark beyond high school.

[khiaao]

I;m glad its ending - it sucked!

[n8twing]

Wow, I thought the season opener was a jumbled mess.

The most effective stuff concerned Lex-clone vs. Clark. That worked.

But everything else didn't. It's fairly clear the writers have no idea how they will resolve the cliffhangers they set up with their season finales. A lot of non-answers and dance-arounds. What attacked Ollie? Those things moved lightning fast and were mistaken for Kryptonian in the season finale. What about the "Granny Goodness" who brought Tess to the Lab? Seems like they changed their mind and dreamed up the Lex-clone thing.

And Jor-El's motivations and advice, taken all together, never make any sense. And now Clark is seeing ghosts? That leave half-built fences?

Then there's Lois' reaction to learning Clark's secret... which made no sense she'd leave, or not even confront him. This should be AWESOME news for her, right? Her two "dream guys" are the same guy. Why leave? And in typical weirdo-Smallville fashion, why is Lois standing in the middle of an African desert by herself??

This thing was all over the place.

[Jimmy Bond]

But everything else didn't. It's fairly clear the writers have no idea how they will resolve the cliffhangers they set up with their season finales. A lot of non-answers and dance-arounds. What attacked Ollie? Those things moved lightning fast and were mistaken for Kryptonian in the season finale.

Uh, at least wait to find out more?

What about the "Granny Goodness" who brought Tess to the Lab? Seems like they changed their mind and dreamed up the Lex-clone thing.

She could still be involved. Again at least wait to find out more.

And Jor-El's motivations and advice, taken all together, never make any sense.

He thinks that even though Clark has finally actually accepted his destiny, he hasn't quite reached it yet. He destroyed towers which left people in danger, which was not professional. He sacrificed himself despite the fact that Earth still needs him, etc.

And now Clark is seeing ghosts? That leave half-built fences?

I took it as up to interpretation. Ghosts, afterlife, dream, whatever. Either way, Johnathan Kent came to warn Clark in a metaphysical way.

Then there's Lois' reaction to learning Clark's secret... which made no sense she'd leave, or not even confront him. This should be AWESOME news for her, right? Her two "dream guys" are the same guy. Why leave? And in typical weirdo-Smallville fashion, why is Lois standing in the middle of an African desert by herself??

Did you watch the episode last season with Perry White?

[n8twing]

Saxon, I understand all the "in-story" reasons you presented... but see my original comment about being "jumbled." It's like the season finale set up some Darkseid stuff, but then they decided they weren't ready yet, so we got completely weird follow-ups.

Jor-El's speeches and pronouncements are always to propel some mumbo-jumbo plot mechanics; His motivations and even personality have varied wildly.

And I don't buy Lois leaving with the recent bombshell concerning Clark's identity. Smallville's Lois, as she has been presented, would be secretly thrilled although maybe outwardly angry. But she wouldn't run.

[Jimmy Bond]

Saxon, I understand all the "in-story" reasons you presented... but see my original comment about being "jumbled." It's like the season finale set up some Darkseid stuff, but then they decided they weren't ready yet, so we got completely weird follow-ups.

I thought we did see Darkseid show up, as well as a gazillion references to the great evil that is coming.

Jor-El's speeches and pronouncements are always to propel some mumbo-jumbo plot mechanics; His motivations and even personality have varied wildly.

True that.

And I don't buy Lois leaving with the recent bombshell concerning Clark's identity. Smallville's Lois, as she has been presented, would be secretly thrilled although maybe outwardly angry. But she wouldn't run.

Well in Season 9, she purposefully wanted to block out knowing who the Blur is. She is probably aware of her inability to keep secrets. It's possible she just wants the secret to sink in before being around Clark and Metropolis any further.

[Sean Walsh]

What about the "Granny Goodness" who brought Tess to the Lab? Seems like they changed their mind and dreamed up the Lex-clone thing.

.....unless Granny and the New Gods are involved with Cadmus? (Not a bad stretch - all 3 of those things were created by the same person in the comics )

And if they are all involved, then perhaps the door on Lex is not quite closed just yet....?