Smallville: Season 8

Except for a major stutter in mid-season, Season 8 of SMALLVILLE has been the best in several years. The major problem with the show had long been the continuing gap between it and the traditional Superman mythology. It was OK for this to happen for a while it was dealing with Clark's high school days, but after awhile they simply needed to get on with the story. We've always known how it was going to end. Or at least where a number of things would inevitably end up. Lana would go away and Lois would take her place. Clark would learn to fly. He would become a superhero and embrace his destiny. But for several years, while the show remained enjoyable, it felt more like the show was running in place than telling a story. Season 8 went a long way to correcting this. For instance, things really started heating up between Clark and Lois, and they turned out to far more chemistry than we had been given reason in previous seasons to hope. In fact, I enjoyed few things in Season 8 as much as the scenes between the two of them. And increasingly the show was brought in line with DC mythology. In fact, the current producers have promised that the 9th season will move even closer to Superman. And all I can say is, it's about time.As if to prove all this, the one real glitch in Season 8 came with the return of Lana in midseason. The series had been moving along marvelously, with one delightful twist after another, all to come to a crashing halt when Lana came back to SMALLVILLE. Mind you, I like Kristin Kreuk and think she is one of the cutest women in the world, but the whole Clark and Lana story got old a very long time ago and it was time to move on, not time to prolong it a bit longer. Lana's goodbye in Season 7 should have been for good. Worst of all, when Lana came back, Lois went away. One of the most regrettable tings about Season 8 is that Erica Durance, despite being an opening credits character, was in fact only a halftime cast member. I didn't count precisely, but my guess is that she was actually only in about half of the season's episodes. For the show to move forward in Season 9, that needs to change. They need to pull out their pocketbooks and pay Erica Durance for twenty-two episodes. Hopefully they have realized this on their own.Season 8 saw a number of other DC additions. We got additional tastes of the JLA in embryo. We got Clark fully embracing a dual identity, as Clark on the one hand the Red-Blue Streak on the other, even wearing something of a uniform in the combo of his red or blue T-shirt and blue or red windbreaker. He works at the Daily Planet as a reporter, sitting right beside Lois. And he confronts during the course of the season one of the greatest Superman nemeses, Doomsday, who bears the distinction of having killed Superman in the comics. Sharing the body of Davis Bloome, Doomsday remains somewhat under control, but when he becomes pure beast in the finale, he is pretty fearsome indeed. For so long the show seems afraid to embrace the fact that this whole thing was about the Boy Who Becomes Superman. Now that it is finally coming to terms with that, it has gotten better.I'm more excited about SMALLVILLE moving into Season 9 than I have in a long, long time. With things between Lois and Clark becoming what it was supposed to be, with the show moving closer to the DC mythology (with one staggering exception, the death - or at least the apparent death - of a Superman universe staple), and with the new producers seemingly unafraid to move the story to new places, the show at this late date seems to be revitalized and full of purpose once again. Even though Season Eight did not end on the kind of huge cliffhanger it has in the previous seven ones, but a sad, somber one, most things will inevitably go back to normal, or SMALLVILLE's version of normal, early in Season 9.

It seemed that the show's writers had two main objectives this season: 1)Fire up the chemistry between Erica Durance and Tom Welling full blast and 2)Create and carry out a plausible introduction of Doomsday to Smallville. They accomplished both - a remarkable feat given that the "genius" in charge of actor contracts hired Erica Durance for a mere 12 shows out of 22! But this is a testament to Durance's talent and presence - she owns most of her scenes. Then on the Doomsday arc - it was clever the way they used the Pilot footage to integrate the Davis Bloom/ Doomsday character. I do think they went nauseatingly overboard with the use of Chloe in the Doomsday arc but thankfully, there was a payoff: (Fingers crossed) This season may mark the end of the uber-annoying hold Chloe had on Clark. I swear sometimes it seemed like Clark was Chloe's pet doggy and she scolded him whenever he displeased her and patted him when he obeyed her -oh, these lazy and cheap writers/producers - they consistently use the chloe character as a shortcut in plot points instead of using the more interesting but expensive comic book routes. Here's hoping this changes next season. One of my all out favorite exchanges from the finale is when Chloe tells Clark (paraphrased), "It's the human emotions that have made you the hero that you are." And Clark responds, "It's those emotions that keep me from being the hero I could be." Oh, snap! Hopefully, this really is the end of Smallville's watered down, couch-sitting, Hamlet-like version of Clark Kent and the producers will stay true to their word and move the show in line with the comics - which I hope includes getting rid of Chloe. Fine, don't kill her off but, please, get rid of her!! One character I was not sorry to see go was the queen-of-all-things-obnoxious, lana lang. I was heartbroken to see her back this season in five episodes. I took off one star for this terrible imposition the show runners forced on us. And, I totally agree with a previous reviewer in that her story arc was not only ridiculous, but laugh-out-loud insanely moronic! I, too, almost stopped watching the show because of this particular plot point. Seriously, Jimmy Olsen makes a more believable superhero than lang. Here's to this really and truly being the end of her! Speaking of Jimmy Olsen, I was briefly upset at the writers killing him off but, it was ... callously inventive how they introduced his little brother to be the "real" Jimmy Olsen who will become Superman's Pal and Lois Lane's sidekick. Aaron Ashmore has an endearing quality to him but he was too assertive to be the traditional young Olsen from the comics. I sincerely wish him all the best in all he is to do. I'm going to miss seeing him on the show. The scene he had with Lois in the finale was quintessential Lois and Jimmy. They really seemed to enjoy each other. Another thing I appreciated was how the writers used more of Superman's Judeo-Christian origin. Although, the analogies were sometimes much too blatant and extremely misused. For example, peterson comparing chloe to Mary Magdalegne - PLEASE, if the real Mary had been like her, the entire world would have been seriously screwed for all time!!All in all, I do say it is the best season of Smallville thus far due to the fact that Lois and Clark got good development in eleven of the twelve Lois Lane episodes. These particular moments are so good that I may actually buy this dvd set at the introductory price instead of waiting for the Christmas $15 sale. It seems that in the end, the multiple personality prone show runners thought this too - the DVD cover with Lois and Clark at the Daily Planet promotes the best this season had to offer and is my absolute favorite to date.UPDATE 8/27/09DVD Features:1. All 22 episodes in anamorphic widescreen on 6 discs - much better than the pan and scan full screen version shown on air.2. Two featurettes: In the Director's Chair w/ Mack and Doomsday-Making of a Monster - they couldn't have picked two more boring subjects3. Two very interesting commentaries on two episodes -"Identity" (producer, director and Cassidy Freeman) and "Legion" (producers and writer).Episode List:1.Oddyssey: GRADE A-2.Plastique: B+ (deleted scene)3.Toxic: B-4.Instinct: B ...(deleted scenes) Focuses on Jimmy more than usual which he totally pulls off being the object of a super woman's affections and there's a really cool fight scene between her and Lois.5.Committed: A ...The look on Clark's face when Lois admits to loving him is priceless and the last scene in the elevator is fantastic.6.Prey: B-7.Identity: A- ...(commentary)8.Bloodline: A-9.Abyss: C-10.Bride: B ...In my opinion, the real "Bride" at the heart of the episode is Lois destined to belong to Superman despite the very unwelcome intrusion of the lang character. Honestly, they should have spared us.11.Legion: B- ...(wierd deleted scene and interesting commentary by comics writer Geoff Johns - he states his regrets about not getting to write for Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen in this episode) The best non-Erica Durance episode of the season but not as solid as it could have been. Again, I agree with the previous reviewer when he said that lana lang almost managed to ruin it by showing her face.12.Bulletproof: D ...Why was chloe still in Smallville when her new husband, Henry James Olsen was in Star City recovering from near fatal wounds inflicted on him by his new wife's would-be lover, Doomsday? Lois was the one taking care of Jimmy just so her dear, sweet, considerate cousin can stick around all her helpless friends who just can't live without her incessant, ignorant, incompetent and often murderous meddling.13.Power: FAIL ...(deleted scenes) The butchering of Clark Kent's character and the ARC OF SUCK of lana lang in full swing courtesy of showrunners kelly souders and brian peterson, writers todd slavkin and darren swimmer and first time director alison mack. Either they were even more delusional than the lana and chloe fans or all their brains were buried in a crap infested toilet when they conceived this - it holds the shameful distinction along with Season 4's "Ageless" (another lang-worshiping episode as conceived by devoted worshipers al gough and miles millar though steven deknight took the blame) as the WORST EPISODE OF THE ENTIRE SERIES.14.Requiem: D- ...(deleted scenes) The only thing that saved it from being on par in idiocy with "Power" is that lana "the girl next door turned Lex Luthor free-loader turned embittered, vengeful hypocrite turned Bizarro's skank turned insane thief turned giant turn off for Clark" lang finally left the building. The exit from Clark's life that should have stuck happend in Season 5's "Void." It was an extremely moving scene played to perfection by Kreuk. I actually felt for Lana and hoped the writers would empower her from then on instead, the very next episode, they had her clinging to Lex and would repeat this sickening topsy turvey for THREE FULL YEARS until this sorry excuse for a story unceremoniously pulled the plug.15.Infamous: B+ ...Very, very special moments here. Unfortunately, this is where they decided to turn Davis Bloom into the Incredible Hulk without the heroics.16.Turbulence: C+ ...(deleted scene) And this is where they revealed Tess to be a total mess of a woman and where they did a 180 with (Henry) Jimmy Olsen.17.Hex: A ...(most interesting deleted scenes - there are several) The whole silly chloe-is-Lois obsessively DELUSIONAL fan theory is laid to rest. You'd think that 7 and 1/2 years would be long enough to hold on to their delusion but these very immature people just couldn't stomache accepting the fact that the icons Clark Kent and Lois Lane were NEVER created to have feeble phlegmatic temperaments.18.Eternal: C- ...(deleted scene)19.Stiletto: A ...The best episode of the season by far. We get Lois in a Catwoman/Huntress costume with Batman references galore and the real beginning of the legendary romance between Lois and Superman. They even used three notes of the John Williams penned theme song for Lois in the last scene. Very cool episode.20.Beast: D- ...(deleted scenes)21.Injustice: D- ...(deleted scenes) Tom Welling at his directorial worst, I'm sorry to say. This episode was TOTALLY POINTLESS. After viewing it the first time, it gave the impression that: 1)Oliver deeply cared for Tess, but then just a few episodes into the following season, he completely turned on her. 2)Tess is presented as a master manipulator, meticulously deliberate in every move she makes- following episode and for the entirety of season nine, she's shown to be completely clueless and bases all her decisions on pure emotion. 3)Chloe is played as a an uber-sweet, vulnerable, self-sacrificing victim of her own heroics... very next week, she's forever branded as the high priestess of delusional, narcissistic, egotistical, incompetent, murderously ignorant morons everywhere. 4)Clark seemed to actually have a solid grasp on who he is and what his purpose is then the very next episode, he declares himself to be more lost than ever - see what happens when you rely on little chloe to be your "brain" and "best friend" for eight freakingly loong years.22.Doomsday: D ...It was not as bad as I expected it to be and has actually got me excited for the next season or two. I'll bet that Lois and eventually Lex will turn up with some form of amnesia.The following is directed at those who are unfamiliar with this series but are considering buying this set: If you've read through most of the reviews, you've noticed that Superman fans are split into roughly four categories:1.The Comic Book Fan Boys (mostly boys): These are intimately familiar with Superman lore and so are simultaneously horrified and fascinated by this show. They are very vocal in complaining about the changes in the traditional Superman story but continue watching this show because they love the episodes that directly foreshadow the future assured incarnation of an unleashed Superman.2.The Generation Z Phlegmatics: These fans are the current young generation that were born between 1986-1995. Mostly, they know little if anything about Superman before "Smallville." So, actually, they are NOT Superman fans at all but merely "Smallville" fans with a penchant for the teen-age melodramatic, girly, idiotic, tragicly nonsensical romance stories the CW loves to serve them up. To them, Lana Lang is the love of Clark Kent's life and she should have never left the series. Or, if Lana had to leave then Chloe Sullivan should be Clark's bride. These have a special attachment to the manufactured Chloe character because she is one of them. Perhaps this is precisely why the show creators decided to invent this character - to speak directly to those who were teenagers and preteens when this show began. But wether they love Clana or Chlark, these fans have one thing that unites them: They all hate Lois Lane. They hate her because her character is nothing like them. They don't understand how this version of Clark Kent (whom the creators made out to be a phlegmatic-like character, at least for the first 3 seasons) can possibly fall in love with a woman like Lois - assertive, self-sufficient, irreverent and beautifully sexy with little insecurity - EXACTLY the type of woman the real Superman/Clark Kent (with his melancholic/choleric temperament) would fall hard for. The critical reviews with a 1-3 star rating are given by fans that fall into this or the previous category.3.The Superfriend Fan: This is what I call those that are not comic book fans per se but grew up watching or became interested in the animated versions of Superfriends and Justice League. They mostly just like DC comic book superheros and are not familiar or like very much the Marvel characters or any other comic book company inventions. These fans mostly ignored this show until about season 4, 5 or 6 when Smallville started looking more like its predecessors. They take this show for what it is - a new incarnation of a favorite fictional character. As long as the major points are hit, they don't mind this version too much (unless it's something as horrendous as the superlana arc!!!).4.Everyone Else: This is you. You've heard of Superman (how could you not?) and your parents or grandparents or great-grandparents grew up reading Superman Comic Books. When comic books were first invented in the 1930's until about the first half of the 1960's (what's considered the "Golden Age" of entertainment - before the dawn of the hippies and feminists and method actor take-over), reading comics was as common as reading the newspaper and were sold at all news stands for about the same price as a newspaper. Now, comic books are only sold on the internet or in specialty stores run by die-hard fans that scare off the general public for ridiculously high prices. Anyway, if you're reading this, it's probably because you like the Superman character and have become curious about this long-running show that is about the man-who-would-be. My advice: If you can easily afford it, go ahead and buy this set at the current $30-something price. You will be entertained and you'll love the classic 1940's style and feel to the sets and costumes - especially where Clark Kent and Lois Lane are concerned. If you're still unsure, wait for this to go on sale (it always does - usually within a year of release) for under $20. You won't regret this purchase. Ignore the negative reviews - as previously noted, they were made by disgruntled fans and not a true reflection of the high production quality of this show. Even if you don't much care for Superman, you will be wowed by the sizzling, sparkling, combustible chemistry between Erica Durance and Tom Welling.

This eighth season of Smallville is in many ways a letdown but it is still entertaining and does have a few gems every now and again. This season sees Clark finally get a job at the Daily Planet and begin to accept his role as a hero but the new boss of LuthorCorp, Tess Mercer, has her own suspicions abut Clark and his involvement in the disappearance of Lex Luthor.This season of Smallville sees a veritable bevy of DC heroes and villains appearing in one form or another with the likes of Maxima, Plastique, the Legion of Superheroes, Faora, Toyman, Zatanna, Doomsday and a couple of others all turinging up at some point. Some of these characters, such as Zatanna and Toyman, are dealt with rather well while others aren't, the Doomsday storyline for example really isn't all that well done which is a shame considering how much time it takes up in the series.The main problem that this series has is the return of Lana for four episodes which brings with it an unwanted return to the Clark/Lana relationship which was one of the worst parts of many of the previous seasons. As well as this the writing of many episodes is somewhat inconsistent going from the good (`Toxic' and `Hex') to the bad (`Power') to the so bad it's good (`Stiletto'). The season finale was also something of a letdown that never delivers on what it could have beenOverall, although the season was terribly patchy in places and has a tendency to rely too much on dues ex mechina, it is still quite a fun season. Season eight may not have been the best season Smallville has ever produced but I am still glad it will continue into season nine and beyond.

The last season I didnt overly enjoy. I think you could feel the show beginning to struggle and keeps its place without getting too ridiculous in its web of stories. So this was the first Season I considered not buying the DVDs (I only watch the episodes on DVD, part for ease of viewing and and part tradition!). However, it wasn't long before my curiosity got the better of me and I caved in, and im glad I did - eventually.The first few episodes were dissapointing, the wrap-up to last years season finale felt rushed and too quick and generally a lot is introduced very heavy handedly. The new characters, the changes in Clarke, the new Job, and at lot of coincindences(more than usual!) all feel a bit rushed. Once the series gets going though it really gets back, in my opinion, to the heights it was at before. The new characters are definetly one of the big reasons. They seem to make all the difference, allowing them to essentially re-tell the same stories with new spins. Lex is replace by Tess, who puts a stunning female spin on the egotistical power hungry tycoon. Lois replaces Lana as the love interest so gracefully that you wonder what Clarke ever saw in Lana. Then to top off the new characters Davis Bloom aka Doomsday is fantastically both dark and endearing making a superbly complex nenmesis.The real leap for the series comes naturally through Clarke making some really big steps towards the super hero status. With that idea the writers have come up with a lot of great stories for evaluating the super hero persona and the logistics and realities of the life. As well, they build the progress so well that it doesn't feel forced, but maybe thats not suprising since its the 8th season. The moral line continues as a strong focus point and the contrast with the Oliver Queen/Green Arrow works even greater this year and the two characters work perfectly together.By the end of the series Clarke is so much nearer to being Superman that the show as a whole really feels like its paying off and it takes the show to a new level.Its not without its ridiculous stories riddled with coincidences and lucky timings but this IS Smallville and its done it for so long now that its made it acceptable and almost expected. Being based on a comic I guess they have the right to be slightly absurd at times.The season Finale is brilliantly low key, instead of the usual impending Doom, and I hope next Season picks up as strong as this one finished.

Having spent the last year or so catching up on the whole of the Smallville series on dvd's, loving every minute and finally getting to watch Season 8. Wasn't too happy I had to rush through it when I discovered Season 9 would be starting on tv, so the last 5 or 6 episodes were watched over 2 evenings. Might have to re watch the series properly at some point. I did enjoy it, but was slightly disappointed with the ending of this season, as one reviewer said, it was rather anticlimactic, kinda pleased I got to see Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 9 the same evening! Having said that 9 seems so far a bit darker.. not necessarily a bad thing, will have to wait and see.

I love this series. The last few have been good, but repetitive, occasionally cringey and done everything they can to keep Clark away from 'Accepting his destiny' because they knew they needed to in order to keep the show going. Of course, I have loved each series more (My personal favourite being the sixth) but by the end of the Seventh it was clear something needed to be done if they were gonna keep going. And this was it. Clark finally accepting what he needs to become, this is more or less his 'prototype' Superman, his first steps. As well as this there's him and Lois, the way their relationship has evolved (from finding each other annoying, to being friends, to Lois comforting him as Lana broke up with him) has been nice so far, and this series takes it to the next step, they work together now, and spend alot of time together....of course we all know where this leads, and it's nice to see it developing. Problems however, as many will tell you, the 5 episode Lana arc is an utter disgrace, almost throwing away all Clarks development from earlier eps of the series (It comes back though) and the finale is dissapointing due to the confrontation between Doomsday and Clark eing built up to be completly amazing, yet being not much more than a superjump across the city. Apart from this though, Season 8 is Smallville at it's best so far. I'm now waiting for Season 9 with excitement as I hear it's utterly amazing.

Fantastic, I can't stop watching. This is exactly what I wanted and was looking for; totally hooked from the start. Finally things are really starting to take shape, loads of hints and you really start to see that CK and Lois have a little something going on. Roll on series 9 - this is awesome.