News Smallville complete series finally coming to blu-ray

[The Realist]

So this second season has been up and down so far. Started off solid, took a dip with "Nocturne" and "Redux," then came back strong with "Lineage" and "Ryan," which were followed by the so-so "Dichotic" and "Skinwalker" (though the latter is very important to the show's unique version of the Superman mythology, even if it's not a great episode on its own terms).

Tonight's episode was "Visage," and wow, what a blast.

Spoiler

I knew I had forgotten a lot of details about the series, and I had 100 percent forgotten this episode's superbly executed twist, which was the return of shapeshifting kryptomutant Tina. I did remember that Whitney died in combat, and when he returned all amnesiac and unhinged and superstrong, my best guess was kryptonite reanimation or something. When he morphed into Tina -- which they held until at least halfway through the episode -- I was gobsmacked.

Best of all, they play fair with it. All the Tina clues are there, but you have to actually be thinking about a random freak of the week from early first season to figure it out, and who does that?

Allison Mack gets a great little performance showcase when Tina morphs into Chloe for one scene. Mack flawlessly becomes Tina with her every mannerism and inflection.

There's also a terrific bit of Smallville's special brand of Kryptonian sci-fi mystery, as Clark's ship activates on its own to neutralize Lana's kryptonite necklace and save Clark's life.

And Kreuk is unusually affecting in Lana's final scene with Clark, where she regrets questioning and doubting him, fearing she'll lose him like she does everyone else.

Really good episode.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Caplan was the runner-up for Lana. The role was a hand-out from the producers.

Of course, she ended up having a much bigger career in the long run.

 

[The Realist]

The show is on a roll. "Insurgence" is smartly scripted, exciting as hell, and looks like a million bucks. Feels like season finale caliber in the middle of the season.

Smallville is sometimes just good cheesy fun, but when it's good, it's great.

 

[thribs]

Started season 2 and I watch most episodes just saying, “just tell her already!” Must have been insufferable for people who watched it back in the day.
Picture quality is a lot better in season 2.

 

[The Realist]

Started season 2 and I watch most episodes just saying, “just tell her already!” Must have been insufferable for people who watched it back in the day.

My wife says the Kawatche cave paintings should have included a diminutive female figure berating a hulking male figure, while the male figure hangs his head sadly.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Maybe. But as a whole, I think the relationship was done quite well. Whether intended or not, it serves as a great deconstruction of the typical teen drama (or "CW") relationship.

Both are emotionally aloof and a little self-absorbed and riddled with codependency. And, in the end, their being together literally becomes toxic.

Clark's entire emotional basis is a childhood crush. It's wholly immature and ingenuine. In modern parlance, Clark's 'love' for Lana is full-on "nice guy". (Of course, we're talking about the actual nicest guy in all of fiction, but you get the idea.)

I think deep down he knows that, which is why he can never fully commit himself to her.

So while it might have been annoying at the time, in the end, it works because there's really a secondary theme that runs throughout the entirety of the show. That is, it essentially juxtaposes Lana against Lois. A bad relationship vs. a good one. Or rather, a bad relationship against their version of the most prolific relationship of the 20th century.

 

[USS Firefly]

And wasn't It that everybody who knew his secret suffered, like Pete?

 

[LaxScrutiny]

^ I don't remember it that way, although it was a long time ago. Pete suffered from envy after being in Clark's shadow. It's not like he was tortured by Lex and spent the rest of his life a cripple.

Chloe voluntarily jumped head-first into the adventure of a lifetime. Lana suffered from the Luthors while she didn't know his secret, and suffered emotionally from Clark keeping the secret from her. (I'm just going to forget her becoming "Kryptonite Lass" to avoid throwing up.) For Professor Swann, Clark's secret was the culmination of his life's work. Martha and Jonathon rarely suffered anything directly, and certainly showed right through the series that they were happy to be a part of Clark's life regardless of the stress (like any good parent.) For characters like Ollie and Tess, knowing Clark's secret was just another part of lives they were leading anyway. Emile had a blast, and I loved watching him.

I'd say the only ones who truly suffered from knowing were Lionel and Lex, and they deserved every bit of it.

 

[thribs]

Lana would have easily handled his secret, but of course many stories wouldn’t have happened in that case.
If I was wrong this, I would have Lana finding out in season 2. Something happens between their relationship and she leaves around season 4. Maybe she dies or something like that.
Another issue I had with this show is that they played the Lana/Clark relationship too hard that it made Lois his second choice. I always got the impression if Lana did come back in season 9 or 10 and she got cured from that Kryptonite condition, Clark would have picked her still and I wouldn’t have blamed him.

I just rewatched that Ryan episode again which sort of sours that Crisis clip. He tells Clark not to give up and keep helping people and he does give up and loses his powers. Probably wasn’t the smartest choice to do with the character.

 

[CorporalClegg]

But the whole point was that Lana was never his first choice to begin with. Their entire relationship was a lie based on immature emotional dependency and distrust. Lois gave Clark a taste of genuine mature intimacy and support. He wasn't going to give that up.

And the power suit was actually pretty great. It was really the best ending to Lana's arc you could ask for. For one, it's just a nice classically tragic beat, but as I alluded to above, it served as a literal manifestation of their toxic relationship.

But it was also a strong end to her main thematic through-line that began all the way back with their first on-screen meeting, where Kryptonite literally comes between them and Clark falls down. And that was the nuts and bolts of seven years of their relationship. Lana was continually keeping him down -- whereas Lois was pushing him to soar (If even unintentionally).

But more than that, the necklace itself had always been a security blanket for her -- and thus a source of strength. And, in the end, it was the very thing that killed her parents that gave her the power to do good in the world.

 

[thribs]

I don’t know if I see her that way. She was only like that because Clark didn’t tell her he was Superman, which is odd since she was one of the first to know in the comics. Even in Superman and Lois she doesn’t know.
The Clark/Lois relationship didn’t work as well for me as Lana. I just didn’t care as much. It wasn’t as good as the one in Lois and Clark.

 

[The Realist]

I'm finding CorporalClegg's perspectives on Clark/Lana/Lois very interesting, and I'm mentally filing them away for future reference as I proceed with my rewatch. As I've alluded to more than once, my memories of the show are even more incomplete than I realized, and it's like I'm discovering a lot of things for the first time, so I'm interested to see how the arc of the relationships plays out for me. I know that I'm actively invested in Clark/Lois -- the characters across decades of media, not the Smallville versions specifically -- in a way I wasn't on my initial watch, and I certainly wouldn't be pleased if Lois were treated like chump change compared to Lana.

I don’t know if I see her that way. She was only like that because Clark didn’t tell her he was Superman, which is odd since she was one of the first to know in the comics.

FWIW, I don't understand CC to be saying that Lana's a bad person, just that she's not good for Clark, partly because they're too much alike.

 

[thribs]

I just watched the Swann episode. It was cool to see Christopher Reeves again but I think it revealed too much too soon. I would have had a bit more fun with the mystery. It’s not like the majority of the people who watch know anyway.
It’s funny how it revolves around the symbol of hope but it isn’t the S here. Probably would have been more impactful if it was.

 

[Sketcher]

I remember they had a sort of S symbol early on, that looked more like an 8 or infinity symbol. Thought it would've been interesting to see how that symbol becomes the S, if maybe it's broken in half to show Clark's ties to both humanity and Krypton. But then the proper S symbol shows up in later seasons and never mind.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

But the whole point was that Lana was never his first choice to begin with. Their entire relationship was a lie based on immature emotional dependency and distrust. Lois gave Clark a taste of genuine mature intimacy and support. He wasn't going to give that up.

I more or less agree with you here, with the exception that Lana WAS his first choice. It was a wrong choice and it was written in very well, but it was always doomed and we all knew that, even the casual viewer.

And the power suit was actually pretty great. It was really the best ending to Lana's arc you could ask for. For one, it's just a nice classically tragic beat, but as I alluded to above, it served as a literal manifestation of their toxic relationship.

Honestly, I was fine with how it ended before the Power Suit, and would have never thought about Lana again. The storyline was an intrusion into my enjoyment of the show. Lana was gone and had been dealt with, Clark should have been free of her at that point, before she showed up out of the blue.

Here's the main thing I have a problem with: Clark and Lana shouldn't have ended because of Kryptonite. It should have ended because they had both gotten over their "whatever-it-is-you-want-to-call-it."

But more than that, the necklace itself had always been a security blanket for her -- and thus a source of strength. And, in the end, it was the very thing that killed her parents that gave her the power to do good in the world.

Only a security blanket against Clark, and really, it kept them apart, kept them from getting anywhere. Which is good in the long term scheme of things, their relationship had to fail. Was the necklace a security against anyone else in her life? I get where you're coming from, but Lana wasn't "using" the necklace to protect herself from anyone except Clark, and even that wasn't intentional. I mean, was she actually aware of it? Was she actually using it? Did it protect her from Jason? Did it protect her from Lex? From a storytelling perspective, it wasn't "protecting" her from Clark or anyone else. It was a McGuffin that served the plot. It was a barrier to keep their relationship from beginning at that point. For good reasons; the relationship had to fail, but let's not make it out to be something it wasn't.

 

[CorporalClegg]

FWIW, I don't understanding CC to be saying that Lana's a bad person, just that she's not good for Clark, partly because they're too much alike.

I adore Lana. Her's was really the tragedy of the show. She was a victim. Heck, back when I got my set I did watch some cherry-picked episodes from each season. And one thing I noticed with a 2021 perspective is how much o whatf Lex says to her over the years is straight out of the groomer's play book. And this was pretty consistent even with the random episode selection, such that I have to believe it was deliberate. Meaning that not only was Lexana intended all along, but someone was one on the staff was writing from experience -- which I think only makes her that much more tragic and compelling of a character.

It’s funny how it revolves around the symbol of hope but it isn’t the S here. Probably would have been more impactful if it was.

Disagree.

In fact, I wouldn't have completely objected had they kept the figure eight all a long. It's a mobius, symbolizing that the hope Superman brings to the world is infinite.

Only a security blanket against Clark, and really,

That's not how security blankets work. It's nothing more than a source of comfort, not an actual defense barrier or weapon.

But then that's the point. Through her determination and force of will she turned said source of comfort into an actual defense barrier and weapon she can use to protect herself from future Lexes and Jasons.

*Though I suppose you could argue that it is a bit over-simplified (If not reductive) second-wave cringe. But that's really not an argument to be had here.

 

[thribs]

In fact, I wouldn't have completely objected had they kept the figure eight all a long. It's a mobius, symbolizing that the hope Superman brings to the world is infinite.

That wasn’t the symbol for hope as well. It was something different.

The next episode after the Swann episode deals with Clark feeling alone; thinking he is the last Kryptonian. Someone should tell him to look under the dam.
I may be remembering it wrong but isn’t there a few Kryptonians living on Earth? Not to mention Starkiller.
They also reveal the name of the meteor rock out of the blue. You’d think the thing that has been causing them havoc for over a season would be a bit more special when they revealed the name.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

After all these years, we're still so passionate about this show. It must have been pretty good.

 

[Sketcher]

For the longest time I thought Smallville had the best interpretations of the characters. Superman & Lois is starting to hedge Erica Durance out of first place as Lois, but so far Michael Rosenbaum and John Schneider are still the best Lex and Jonathan Kent put to TV/movies IMO.

 

[thribs]

I still like Teri Hatcher’s Lois the most. She was just fun.
I agree with Lex but I always liked Lionel more.