The Last Smallville (aka: "Dawson's Creek with Capes")
That joke was my first reaction to hearing about development on this T.V. series - which might have had its origins in a pilot script for a "Young Bruce Wayne" series that never went into production. The 3rd season of Smallville hinted what might have been when a character named Adam Knight was introduced and had fans guessing - but that turned out to be a red herring (proof positive that every idea gets used).
Anyway... I was always ambivalant about this show - it fell into predictable soap opera patterns - far too few thing happening, gimmicks (Kyrptonite-powered villains of the week, Clark's senior ring gem made of Red kryptonite, that cave, and Jor-El - the longest-running voicemail ever). When it got better was when it got closer to the source - and that was the problem. The show was a new twist on a series/character that is in dispute (Superboy) so when it became more about 'Superman', it seemed like the show was reborn - that was the last three seaons.
And what a terrific 3 seasons it was - cool takes on familiar stuff Lois and Clark at the Daily Planet, the early days of the Justice League, Doomsday, Checkmate, the Suicide Squad lots of their cool take on Green Arrow (which doesn't really exist in the comics - he's like a hybrid of the late 50's Batman wannabe and the late 70's-80's, pre-Mike Grell - when he was a columnist at a newspaper - that's a story that would would have made a fun subplot, with Oliver joining the staff at the Planet. Well, there's always the comics...just let me write it.) I liked how they let Lois and Clark be together and not wipe out her memories of his secret I.D. just to clean house - fans were guessing that would happen.
It made sense to me that the finale paid off the last 3 years rather than the whole show. Lex Luthor's return 'cameo' (that is the best way to describe it) was really just a way of dotting the i's and crossing the t's and putting the toys back in the box. We didnt' get to see Lex in his power suit joining Clark in the 3-way 'rassle with Darkseid - that's not really what the show was about, but yes, some fans were hoping for it, including me, just for a laugh. The only real showdown was the fight between brainwashed Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) and Clark at the wedding - that was well done. The business of stopping the invasion of the New Gods by pushing their planet away like a communications sattellite is more impressive in summary form, but an impressive visual. One visual however,...
We only got to see Tom Welling partially in the Superman costume, usually in extreme close-up. Anyone hanging in there from the begining hoping to see Superman's grand entrance in the finale was probably tossing their drink at the sight of a cgi Superman, instead. Was that their nod to the old 40's serials, where a cartoon substituted for the actor in flying scenes?
As for the framing sequence, I thought it was nice, if a bit cloying, though it had me wondering if Chloe's son is a young Connor Hawke - the 90's Green Arrow - Oliver's son in the comics. Yep, there's nothing new under the sun in funybooks...
This felt like my longest entry yet!
Take care. Be Good. Send me any Superman comics you don't want. Bye-bye. ;)
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