Smallville presents the series "Finale"

     Ten years in the making, the CW's Smallville finally comes to a close this weekend. Clark Kent (Tom Welling) realizes that to become the Superman the world needs him to be, he must embrace the past and both of his fathers, as well as what they have taught him. It is not a realization reached easily, but once discovered, his destiny is achieved hard and fast, in time to stop Darkseid from destroying the world. As Clark is doing this, Oliver (Justin Hartley) searches for Darkseid's minions, Lois (Erica Durance) tries to stop the government from making a horrible mistake, and Tess (Cassidy Freeman) squares off with Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) for the family legacy. And there's a wedding.


     There can be much written about what is not in the "Finale" of Smallville (the other heroes in the Justice League, for example), but that would be counterproductive. The most important thing that has to happen in the series finale, as known since the show began, is Clark embracing his destiny once and for all, so of course, a very large part of the hour is about that. And that is done incredibly well, leaving nothing to complain about.
     Since Clark must look to his fathers for who he is supposed to be, bringing back Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) seems a no brainer. While it is never clear how exactly Jonathan appears, it can be assumed that Clark thinking about him being there is represented by a visual image for television viewing audiences. Jonathan isn't a ghost, and he isn't resurrected. Clark can imagine the words his father would say to him in his head, and to make that more digestible to viewers, Smallville gives a physical man in place.

     Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) also comes to town, a real, life person, to attend Clark's wedding to Lois. Having both of Clark's parents sit together in the front row is a nice treat, and a pleasing image. They are both a very big part of who he is, so it is appropriate to have them there for his special day. As such, she doesn't bring her boyfriend, who it would have been nice to have a cameo from, but it is understandable that he would not fit into this scene.

     Jor-El (Terrence Stamp), by contrast, must remain a voice in a cold, ice prison. It's what he's almost always exclusively been, and so it is the best way for Clark to relate to him. It doesn't make his advice less pertinent, or his words less meaningful. In the ultimate show of cohesion, Jonathan and Jor-El, who have been at odds plenty over the years, come together to give Clark the costume that he will wear when saving the world. It's a big moment, symbolizing all of Clark's experiences coming together to make him Superman.

     Once Clark puts on the suit, there's a little too much CGI, but the point is made. We then see Superman in action. While many wondered what rights Smallville would get to show the caped crusader, since DC has another movie currently in the pipeline, clearly, they were given carte blanche. John William's historic score cinches the moment, and there is no doubt that the figure on screen is the legendary Superman. Ten years, and oh such a satisfying pay off!

     Less satisfying is the payoff of the Clark/Lois relationship. Much of the first hour of "Finale" is spent as each have their doubts about the marriage. Those doubts are soothed by reading each other's vows. They belong together, and that is as plain as day to viewers and characters alike. The jitters are calmed, and they go to the chapel, where, interestingly, the vows are read again. Perhaps repeating those words of love drills it into fans' heads that yes, these two feel very strongly and must be together, despite what is about to happen.

     Then, right as the rings are going on the fingers, disaster strikes, and the wedding guests flee. Clark is able to save the day, and the chapel remains only partially destroyed, a triumph compared to other, similar disasters in like series. Yet, after all is said and done, the ending reveals it take seven more years before Clark and Lois make it back to the altar. Why!? Sure, Clark probably gets a little busy as soon as he becomes Superman, but seven years seems pretty excessive to not be able to find time to make it down to the courthouse. The pair are in love! It just doesn't make sense they would wait so long! The best theory is that it puts the characters more in line with the comic book timeline. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

     That being said, the rest of the seven years later glimpse is nearly perfect, with Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet, a screaming Perry White (Michael McKean), who we sadly never see, and young Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) being told he has big shoes to live up to (his brother, also played by Ashmore, was a beloved central character on Smallville before being killed off). Also, a mention on TV of Lex becoming president in 2018 (that's not an election year!). Only thing missing is, no Cat (Keri Lynn Pratt)? Then one last look at Superman as he takes off to save the world.

     One quick note about Ashmore's cameo. While it is more than welcome to see another Jimmy played by the same, very talented actor, it would have been nice if the surprise were not spoiled in the opening credits. Once Ashmore's name pops up on screen, it isn't hard for long-time fans to summarize just why he is here, especially since the episode begins with the seven years later framework, so it is likely to end in the same time frame. Couldn't Ashmore's name have been saved for the ending credits?

     Chloe (Allison Mack) gets the honor of opening the show, reading to a little blond boy who has to be her and Oliver's son, seven years in the future. She is reading him a story called Smallville, about Clark's journey into becoming the great superhero. As a participant in most of the journey, it is an appropriate story for Chloe to be sharing with her child. It's also nice to know that she gets a happy ending, as she has had plenty of pain in her life.

     It is unclear if Chloe and Oliver stay together, though they must have at least had a child together, because the resemblance in the kid is uncanny. In comic lore, Chloe has been added late, after her popularity among Smallville fans, as she is a character created just for this TV series. Oliver, who is the Green Arrow, has a relationship with Black Canary, who has been seen on Smallville, but not in "Finale." Not establishing that Oliver is with Chloe, while leaving room to stay comic canon, does hang a slight bit of sadness over Chloe's happy ending, though.

     Oliver isn't seen in the future sequences at all, but he is more than triumphant in the present. He has been marked with the Omega, a symbol for Darkseid, for awhile, which causes Oliver to betray his friends. While much of Oliver's struggle for redemption in the series is self-driven, this time, Clark comes to Oliver's rescue. Because Oliver is a hero, too, with his own story, this would have been a very unsatisfying end for him. It is nice that Clark can help a friend out, but fans of the show need to see Oliver being personally triumphant, too.

     And so he goes after Darkseid's three minions, and single-handedly takes them down with one shot. It's actually three separate arrows fired at the same time, but still hella impressive. Would Darkseid's minions be quite so easy to take out? It almost seems a cheat, though Oliver already got his fight sequence with Clark, so another is not necessary. It's a slightly weak sequence if over thought, but if emotion is allowed to rule, Oliver is served well.

     Perhaps the second most anticipated thing about "Finale," after Clark putting on the Superman suit, is the return of Lex Luthor. While longtime Superman fans knew that Lex would have to return at some point as Clark's greatest foe, the detaile were sketchy. In Smallville, the writers chose to have the new Lex assembled from the best parts of imperfect clones, then given life by Darkseid in exchange for Lex's father, Lionel's (John Glover) soul. That'll do.

     Lionel himself is dispatched with. Darkseid takes him over, zombie like, and in an encounter where Clark learns to fly (another momentous moment!) Clark destroys both Lionel and Darkseid. At least, that's what appears to happen. The real Lionel's death several seasons ago was shocking and moving. This Lionel has never been more than a shadow than the other one, and he deserves no less than a quick ending, without frills. Which is what he gets.

     Sadly, Tess also meets her fate, as she confronts her brother, Lex. Tess has struggled with her goodness after learning she is a Luthor. In the end, she proves herself on the right side, though that is little comfort as Lex guts her with a knife. She manages to rub something on his face first that wipes his memory, thus making her death heroic, though regrettable. Presumably, since Tess was created just for Smallville, and not part of comic lore, the writers wanted to remove her from play. That's too bad, because she has been a complicated, interesting character, and could have had plenty of story left.

     Lex and Clark's conversation, before Lex's memory goes, is everything Smallville needs for a scene between the two. Lex tells Clark they are connected, and one can only be as great as the other. They do not physically fight, as this Lex is not ready for their first battle yet, and Clark doesn't seek one out. But there is a real sense of set up between the two, a hint of their shared destiny. It's chilling, and perfectly executed between two wonderful actors. Thank goodness Rosenbaum agreed to return for "Finale," as losing this small bit would have weakened the overall episode noticeably.


     All in all, a very strong "Finale" for Smallville. At times, it has the epic power of a movie. Others, it resorts back to a long running, successful TV show. Clark Kent, the boy on his journey will live on on DVD, but Superman has a lot more adventures to come. Is it too soon to start campaigning for a Tom Welling / Erica Durance / Michael Rosenbaum starring full length feature?

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Article first published as TV Review: Smallville - "Finale" on Blogcritics.

Smallville - "Luthor"

     Going in, I knew that this week's episode of Smallville, titled "Luthor", would feature the return of John Glover as Lionel Luthor, but I wasn't sure what that meant for the series or the plot.  I have long missed the complicated, often villainous, Lionel.  His untimely death mid-season years ago was hard to take, and I have wished for his comeback ever since that day.  Now that it's hear, I'm not sure this was the best Smallville episode.  It wasn't bad, but I was expecting more.  Hopefully, we'll get it when Lionel returns again early next year.

     Lionel himself was as brilliantly performed as he ever was.  Glover still inhabits the character like skin.  The alternate universe premise, though, is tired.  How many shows have used it over the years?  I get it; we get to see a favorite charcter in an evil incarnation.  In this case, there was also the nature vs. nurture argument, and once again glimpsing how Clark (Tom Welling) could have ended up evil if he was raised differently.  In Clark's case, we've already seen it before enough time that this was far from novel.  What was strange, as compared to most alternate universes in screen and literature, is that Lois (Erica Durance) and Oliver (Justin Hartley) seem to be the same people on both sides of the mirror.

     How big a presence the Luthor name will be in the final season of Smallville has been a topic of much debate among fans.  Obviously, for anyone who cares about the Superman character, Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil.  The character was so wonderfully handled on this series by Michael Rosenbaum, and the actor's reluctance to return has caused grief.  The show's writers have kept things under wraps, but a number of possibilities are brewing.  Tess (Cassidy Freeman), though not a surprising revelation, is fully out as a Luthor family member.  The alternate Lionel, still living long after he died off in the show's normal universe, secretly crossed over, unnoticed by the other characters.  He will be featured in at least one more episode early next year, the season's 13th, which also boasts returning former series stars Annette O'Toole and Allison Mack, according to the imdb page, even though there is no title assigned yet.  Additionally, a young reborn clone of Lex named Alexander is apparently grown and on the loose.  When he is next seen, will he be played by Rosenbaum, as fans long for, or someone else?

     The only character that got serious development this week was Tess.  Her secrets have been exposed to Clark, and although the beginning of the episode, when he initially found out, felt awkward and out of character for them both, the resolution at the end was sweet and true.  I am an ardent fan of Tess, and if anyone could succeed Rosenbaum, as regretable as it is that he needed a fill-in, it's Freeman.  Her struggle with humanity and moral goodness mirrors Lex's own, but unlike him, she seems to mostly be winning hers.  Her inclusion at Watchtower was one of the most emotionally rewarding of the series, and her final season arc has been fantastic.  I can't wait to see how it ends, and how the return of other Luthors will affect her.

     As final seasons go, this one has had far more hits than misses (this week's episode leaning slightly towards hit, despite its problems, because of what it set up), and I believe the series is having one of it's strongest years yet.  Smallville's fall finale will be next Friday night, and will feature many recurring characters including Cat Grant (Keri Lynn Pratt), the not-dead Slade Wilson (Michael Hogan, bringing back the eyepatch again, as he did in Battlestar Galactica), Stargirl (Brittney Irvin), Hawkman (Michael Shanks), and Black Canary (Alaina Huffman).  Plus, this week's Entertainment Weekly showed a picture from the episode with Clark on bended knee to Lois, holding a ring.  It will surely be amazing, and you won't want to miss it.

     Smallville airs Friday nights at 8pm on the CW.

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Guess who's coming back to Smallville?

     The CW's Smallville is having an exciting year, especially where guest stars are concerned.  With a new two hour TV movie coming up in a couple of weeks, featuring a whole bunch of other heroes, the show is brimming with talent.  However, some news broke a few days ago that is even bigger for the show.  Two Superman heavyweights are returning.  No, no, sorry.  Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor is not coming back...yet, anyway.  It seems that actor is reluctant to go bald again.  But hey, Gene Hackman played Lex with hair, so why not Rosenbaum?  Anyway, I think you will be pleased with who is returning.

     Annette O'Toole (Nash Bridges) played mother Martha Kent for 132 episodes of the series, leaving almost two years ago.  (Fun fact: Annette O'Toole also played Superman love interest Lana Lang in the movie Superman III.)  The last of the adults to leave the cast, Martha went to take her deceased husband's job as a Senator in Washington D.C.  Though fans had been promised an occasional return of Ma Kent, she has been absent from the show since May 2007.  However, I am please to report that she is returning to the town of Smallville this May in the season's penultimate episode.

     Shortly after O'Toole's return was announced, so was the comeback in the same episode of her real life husband, Christopher Guest movie staple, Michael McKean (Clue, Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap).  McKean was previously on Smallville back in a  2003 titled "Perry", when he played the legendary editor of the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet, Perry White.  White has been portrayed by many actors in many versions of Superman, including Jackie Cooper in four movies, Lane Smith in the television show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and most recently Frank Langella (Frost / Nixon) in the 2006 film Superman Returns.  McKean's take was memorable, however, as his Perry White has a drunkard, washed up, unemployed loser.  Clark met him and set him on the proper path, and viewers of the show have long awaited his triumphant remergence.  It is not clear if McKean will become recurring, as both Clark (Tom Welling) and Lois (Erica Durance) currently work at The Daily Planet on the show.  There have been several editors of the newspaper on Smallville, including Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher (Star Wars).  Could Perry White have finally arrived once and for all?  And is he romantically linked to Martha Kent?  Considering how important a role White plays in the Superman legacy, his return to the show is big news.

     While O'Toole and McKean won't arrive until May, you can watch Smallville every Friday night on The CW, as it returns from its winter hiatus this coming Friday.