Sunday, September 27, 2009

Smallville: "Savior"

It's amazing to think that Smallville has lasted nine seasons, five more than my favorite show in college, Lois & Clark. The show was originally about Clark Kent coming into his powers and responsibilities. The writing has been hit-or-miss over the years, like teenage Clark finding his way, but because the show has survived this long, the characters have grown organically anyway.

For the past two seasons I haven't cared how close the show is to canon. I've watched, as always, for moments that resonate with the Superman mythos, and when they come up, I still get goosebumps.

My favorite moments from the season premiere:

- Jor-El explaining that Clark can't fly because he still sees himself as human, and something or someone is holding him to that perception. Jor-El says he should let go of this, but we know it's his humanity that will lead Superman to use his power for good.

- Chloe understandably wants Clark to use the Legion ring to go back and save Jimmy (Henry James Olsen), and finally Clark shows some backbone and says he can't. (Of course, if you buy the whole turn-back-time scene in Superman (1978), Superman would go back in time to save Lois.)

- Lois rescuing Clark's nameplate from the wastebasket, having just met John Corben (the Notorious Brian Austin Green) who tried to take over his desk.

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