I continue my journey through Smallville. In the last post I was worried the show was declining a little bit. Well, the bad times are here my friends.
1. Zod and the Non-Cliffhangers
After awhile you start to ask, “why end a season in a cliffhanger at all?” I know the show runners want people to come back the following season, but I’m starting to notice a pattern in Smallville cliffhangers. No matter how bad things are, by the end of the first episode back, Clark will be safe and sound and back in the barn loft.
When Season Six begins, Clark is in the Phantom Zone, Lex is possessed by Zod, and Metropolis is so overrun with riots it looks post-apocalyptic. It is as alien and far-fetched as the show has ever been, but by the end of the episode? Yup, you guessed it; don’t you worry your pretty little heads.
2. Green Arrow
I think Green Arrow is the best superhero-related addition to the show. Probably because he’s the most human.
In this season, we’re introduced to Oliver Queen, who moonlights as the vigilante superhero, Green Arrow. He doesn’t have any powers, just a god-like accuracy with his arrows. Oh, and money.
My DC knowledge is actually quite limited, but in the Justice League cartoon, Green Arrow challenged a lot of opinions and kept other heroes with super powers focused on humanity and the small picture; not the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people, but a stubborn viewpoint that ensures justice for everyone — especially the little guys.
I suspect that this attitude is typical to the Green Arrow character, because that’s how he is in Smallville. He’s the first person to challenge Clark on how he’s been using his powers. Yes, Clark has been using his powers to protect friends and family and the people of Smallville, but what about the rest of the world?
Characters need to be challenged in order to grow. And challenging Clark on a human level (by someone with no powers) helps root a show in things we can relate to, while making Clark a better, more interesting man at the same time.
3. Justice League Appears
I wonder if Marvel’s Cinematic Universe owes a litle credit to Smallville’s design.
In Season Four, Clark met Bart Allen, Kid Flash. In Season Five, Clark met Aquaman and Cyborg. Now in Season Six, we see them all united under the leadership of Green Arrow, as the Justice League. I’m not sure whether this was intended from the start, or the reception to the Bart was so good that they just kept going. Either way, it’s kinda cool and they don’t overplay it. Just give us a taste.
4. Lexana
Lana smootching the bad guy, Lana in love with the bad guy, Lana engaged to the bad guy, Lana impregnated by the bad guy. I am starting to realize there are people out there who like this relationship, but I’m trying to remember Season One when I liked Lana. When she was cute and hot and Clark was pursuing her, and little by little they worked their way into each other’s hearts. Pure, young love.
Not this monstrosity. Each kiss, each scene taints my memory. Booooo.
5. Nightmare Season
This season is dark. Ugly even. It starts with Clark in the Phantom Zone, a bleak, grey world filled with some the deadliest and cruelest beings in the universe, who are trapped, and angry that they’re trapped. Meanwhile, Metropolis is basically in anarchy.
Even though Clark escapes, he spends the season dealing with some of the monsters that escape. All the while Lex and Lana and smooching.
It’s a season filled with stuff we either don’t want to see, or feel compelled to look away from.
6. Over-Lexed
Did you ever have a time when your Father investigated something illegal/immoral you were secretly working on, found out you’d disappeared, had all of your research and facility removed during this time so that you wouldn’t be discovered, and then when you returned, give you a lecture about being careless before demanding to be cut into your secret project?
Or discover your son has murdered someone in the basement of the chapel he is supposed to be married in later that afternoon?
Because this is the kind of relationship Lionel and Lex have, and it is tiresome. I’m tired, Season Six. I’m so tired.
7. Kind of Stop Paying Attention
There are a lot of times during Season Six where I realized I wasn’t paying attention. Like when Jimmy gets knocked out and dreams of being a reporter in the 1940’s, or the episode where Clark wakes up powerless in an institution and is told everything he knows about himself is a lie, or yet another scene where Lex is saying one thing but meaning another and I just kind of … zone out. Lex and Lana begin another conversation about trust and I look at reddit.
Overall there’s still a lot to enjoy this season, but I think the repetition and bleakness made this season the weakest yet for me.