Welling: Why no Superman?

[LaxScrutiny]

I think at this point the lack of flying is just them fucking with us.

As far as embracing his destiny, I think this take on it is fair. I know a hundred people who left high school, muddled with a year or two of college, and didn't know what they were doing with their lives.

Clark sees himself as Clark Kent. It was a big jump for him to realize he could/should help people all over, not just his friends and neighbours. None of us would make that mental leap, and it's not just because we don't have powers, it's a psychological thing to see that your world extends beyond your own yard.

Superman doesn't exist. He needs a reason to create him, and while they are dancing around it now, there still really isn't one. Why should there be a Superman when the Blue Blur is totally effective?

The only reason is because the word of Superman would be trusted, and Clark has to get into situations where Clark Kent's opinion isn't worth shit, and people would listen to Superman. That also means he has to have the wisdom and maturity to have something to say that's worth listening to. He's still a guy in his early twenties at this point, and no one cares what he thinks.

Once this gets established, then there's a reason to have a person called Superman that people will actually call for help instead of saying "What are you doing here? This is a restricted area." Clark has almost enough reason for this now, especially with having to deal with police.

I don't think he had this in earlier seasons, just jousting with Lex all the time or knocking out some meteor freak. Now he is in a position where he has to present evidence against someone, and he has to show where the evidence came from, he needs an identity.

 

[Nomad]

I don't see how legalities can stop them from showing Clark as Superman. After all, we've already seen the \S/ shield many times on the show; just put it on a slightly altered version of the suit if need be. And if Welling won't wear the costume, set the ending of the series ten years into the future and have a different actor play the role. In any case, seeing Superman in the final scene of Smallville is a must.

 

[Von_Steinwehr]

The glasses are a mute point now because too many people have seen Clark's face (unless the fortress erases the world's memories of Clark which allows him to take on the glasses and geeky performance and the incorporation of the suit).

Frankly I think this is their only way out. Too many people know, too many people have seen Clark's face. A reset button (in the form of a global mind-wipe) is the only thing that can fix it now.

I have to agree. If the writers want this universe to connect with the movies then a mind wipe is probably the only way to go at this point. If that is how the writers handle things then I will not be happy.

 

[nx1701g]

Time to slingshot around the Earth again...

 

[TGTheodore]

If we don't get it, it's a worse "fuck you" to the fans than the ending of Enterprise.

No, it means the producers have kept their word about something everyone has known from the start.

--Ted

 

[Von_Steinwehr]

"Time to slingshot around the Earth again... "

^^ or that. But that would mean Clark would have to learn to fly at some point and I don't know if that will even happen on this show. I am going to give this new writing team the benefit of the doubt for right now because season 8 has been much improved over the last few years, and Clark is at least now moving toward "something" that resembles his destiny. I am not too thrilled with the Lana love story again. Clark seemed to be making progress until she showed back up, and now it seems he has fallen off the wagon and drinking the Lana koolaid again.

 

[Immolatus]

Series rules have been broken before.

He doesn't fly, but he can "leap tall buildings in a single bound" - literally, he jumps - no actual horizontal flight, just vertical jumping. It's rarely used though. I think I can count how often on one hand.

The real reason for the lack of the suit at this point is legality. Which is really a cop-out for DC and WB. Truth is, they either think people too dumb to accept two people playing Supes, or they're just being idiots.

Though there has also been rumor for all these years that Welling is a believer in the Superman curse, and thus is the reason he's had it guaranteed to him he'll never have to don the suit.

If anyone is dumb enough not to be able to accept Welling on TV in the suit, while simultaneously accepting another actor in the suit in films... they should be euthanized.

Everyone who had watched this show wants just one damn thing: Welling, in the suit, atop the Daily Planet, before flying off to the triumphant fan-fare for the final 30 seconds of the damn series.

That's it. That's all we want. It's not asking a lot, is it? They've boned us around for years. This show was supposed to be a 4-year high school only show. Then they said, "one more" to wrap it up. And then it snow-balled like a shit-storm. This show was supposed to end every year for the past 4 seasons. This year it looked definite, and again, it looks to get a likely reprieve.

Which is fine, it's a good show. But it's screwed with us, toyed with us, teased us, and pissed us off a lot. We deserve our reward for years of faithful viewing and buying DVDs and enduring so many soap opera moments. We deserve 30 damned seconds of "awesome" with him finally being Superman and flying off towards his much-talked-about destiny.

If we don't get it, it's a worse "fuck you" to the fans than the ending of Enterprise.

I agree 100%. just 15-30 seconds as the series ends with him in the suit would make me happy. I always viewed this as the way it was going to end anyway. I was never expecting a "superman" T.V. show

 

[nx1701g]

I have a feeling this will be the ending:

We'll see the red blue blur take to the skies with them getting as close as the cape, but never showing his face. It'll be completely computer generated like it was in Season three.

 

[Broccoli]

If we don't get it, it's a worse "fuck you" to the fans than the ending of Enterprise.

No, it means the producers have kept their word about something everyone has known from the start.

--Ted

Yet, the producers who made that mandate are no longer on the show. Now, it can be "anything goes!"

 

[nx1701g]

^ Excellent point.

 

[JacksonArcher]

That and he did flying seasons ago, effectively breaking that promise (or part of it).

 

[JacksonArcher]

EDIT. DOUBLE POST.

 

[dragunzng]

Smallville is slowly starting to make me dislike my favorite ever super hero, a large part of that is Welling's portrayal. He's just so weak, I could understand that when he was still technically "Superboy", but surely he's old enough now that we should be able to start seeing the makings of Superman?

I don't know why I still watch Smallville even though I don't enjoy the show, like I said I'm a huge superman-fan but anger wells inside me whenever the show comes on. And yet... I can't not watch. Halp!

It seems, much like flying they're just making random things happen to draw the show out as long as they can.

I'll never understand why we can't have a Superman show as well written as something like Battlestar Galactica or even Supernatural. I'm not talking about tone, but generally the quality of writing.

Flying seems to be a fruit they've dangled in front of us for years, frankly I don't mind whether or not it ever happens but it is starting to get increasingly ridiculous how long they've put flying off, the number of folks who've seen Clarks face etc...

 

[Skywalker]

Smallville is slowly starting to make me dislike my favorite ever super hero, a large part of that is Welling's portrayal. He's just so weak, I could understand that when he still technically "superboy", but surely he's old enough now that we should be able to start seeing the makings of Superman?

And no, I don't know why I still watch Smallville even though I don't enjoy the show, like I said I'm a huge superman-fan, but the anger swells whenever the show comes on. And yet... I can't not watch. Halp!

I still think the theme song is actually the audience asking for somebody to save them from that terrible show.

 

[Chess Piece Face]

Even if he's not wearing the costume we all now and love, and even if he's not flying, he needs to do one thing, desperately - MAN UP AND BECOME AN ACTIVE SUPERHERO ALREADY.

You know how Peter Parker designed his costume and trained himself in the first movie? Well, we have needed to see something like that change for a long time. He is not a junior in high school anymore - the Lana stuff should be over - the guy should actively be INTO being a superhero!

 

[Lookingglassman]

They are messing with us. I still watch the show, but I am not sad if I miss an episode or two. It is getting old, especially with the way they tease us then screw us over. Lana is old. They should focus on him and Lois.

 

[Von_Steinwehr]

^^ I second that!

 

[dragunzng]

^^ I second that!

Surely you don't find the 8 year tease to be wearing thin?

 

[Praetor]

The sad part of it for me is this: there are so, so few actors I'd buy in that suit and I would buy him in it. It would work. He would look like a comic. The first time I saw Smallville, I had zero trouble accepting that idea, and I'm not sure I could have really gotten into the show otherwise.

I'm with you on this one. Welling's the only actor who actually looks like Superman to me now. If a reluctance to wear glasses or tights are part of his ego trip, that's one thing. I think the glasses should have been there since the heat vision/x-ray vision first emerged. Nothing about glasses would have made him less attractive, and why the hell would an ex-model have an aversion to wearing tights unless he had a tiny piece of Kryptonite.

It seems to me if the premise of 'Smallville' was supposed to be Superboy less the costume and flying, now it's gotten to be Superman less the costume (but with the flying and villains and allies and basically every damn thing else) that's just stupid and they need to rethink their premise or end the damn show and let him do features as Superman.

The eight year tease wore thin five years ago.

 

[Von_Steinwehr]

^^ I second that!

Surely you don't find the 8 year tease to be wearing thin?

No, I mean I agree with the post:
"They are messing with us. I still watch the show, but I am not sad if I miss an episode or two. It is getting old, especially with the way they tease us then screw us over. Lana is old. They should focus on him and Lois."

One of the things I have enjoyed about season 8 is the Lois/Clark relationship. I am not happy that they have brought Lana back for this brief story-arc