Hey folks, Valkor here. Smallville, which airs on the CW network,
is one of those shows that I thought would never reach a point
where I'd see a season 10. And now season 10, which is the shows
final season… supposedly, is just around the corner and I'm glad
it went so far. But if you've fallen behind on the exploits of
Clark Kent, then Warner Home has got you covered with the release
of Smallville the Complete 9th Season. Trust me, there's a lot
to take in.
There are several key moments in season 9 that need to be made mentioned, such as the rise of Zod, Clark finally facing his destiny, we get to see more costumes in the form of the JSA (Justice Society of America) and the return of old favorites such as Zatanna, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and even the Wonder Twins. And sadly we get one more season of Clark's inabilities to fly, though he knows that he can – he simply, at this point in time, cannot make it happen. But if hints from the last episode are any indication, he will fly before the series ends and embrace his calling. There's still no Bruce Wayne, though in this stage of the game, he should be back in Gotham at least studying Gotham's crime scene and scoping out who the supers are. However that's moot at this point and whether his character will even make even a brief appearance, even if it's in a news clipping, I doubt will happen. There's also the rise of a new enemy, the fall of Tess Mercer, and the origins of one of Superman's most dangerous villains – Metallo. So with in mind that let's take a look at some choice episodes of the season, starting with the first episode.
Savior – Lois returns after having gone missing for three weeks (she was sent to the future), reappearing on a train, with no memory of the events that took place. Clark has a change in get up and rather being called the Red/Blue Blur, he's simply only know as "The Blur". This new costume also dons his family's crest – the iconic "S". A Kandorian that returned with Lois has news for Clark, before her demise. And Zod, having recently been freed from the Black Orb, looks to find out why he and his people have not gained powers from the yellow sun.
Roulette – An Oliver Queen episode, where he is forced into a game orchestrated by Chloe to "wake him up" after a recent fallout with the team. Introducing the character Roulette, Oliver is chased, shot at, arrested, and his bank account emptied and soon he must make a choice that will change his life from here on.
Absolute Justice: parts one and two – Quite possibly the best episodes in the entire series. Sylvester Pemberton aka "The Star-Spangled Kid" approaches Chloe claiming he knows who she is and about Watchtower, with an offer about forming a team. However his life is cut short when he's killed in a frost battle with a guy called Icicle. The episode introduces the JSA: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, and Pembroke's protégé Stargirl. These episodes also introduce a group known as "Checkmate", lead by Agent Pam Waller (Pam Grier), and whose purpose is later revealed to be to protect the planet from an alien invasion. And it's Checkmate to sent Icicle to take out the JSA. Finally John aka Manhunter is given back his powers when Dr. Fate sacrifices his life to save him.
Conspiracy – Bernard Chisolm is a conspiracy theorist, who believes he was kidnapped by aliens. He tries to get Lois to write a story about his incidents but she refuses. In turn he kidnaps her and tries to make her do it. This is also the ep where Zod gains his powers; after being shot by Chisolm, Clark uses his own blood to heal him – the very blood which is the doorway to getting his powers from the yellow sun.
Salvation – this is where it all comes to an end, where Clark must face his destiny and possibly keeping a promise to his father to help save Zod. Now that the Kandorians all have powers, they now gather under one symbol – the symbol for the House of Zod, and they make sure the world knows of their existence by burning the symbol into historic monuments. Lois realizes through a kiss who The Blur really is, The Kandorians learn that Zod isn't really looking out for their best interest and have chosen to go to this other world using the book of Rao, which takes all Kryptonians – including Clark. Zod uses a blue kryptonite blade that takes away his powers, causing him to stay behind. He and Clark butt heads and in the end Clark stabs himself with the blue blade, falling off the building where they were fighting and with the powers of the blue meteor away from Zod, he is sent through the portal, leaving his fate in the hands of the waiting Kandorians and also leaving us the viewers to wonder how will Clark survive the fall.
What makes the final episode key is that right in the beginning Clark opens a present from his mom, which appears to be his Superman suit. Will he get to wear it this season? Maybe; quite possibly in the last episode, though I hope its sooner.
The Good:
Even with its filler eps, I give Smallville Season 9 credit for one thing – it consistently keeps the flow of suspense and drama going throughout, hardly ever faltering. With this high level of suspense, it will truly hold your interest and makes you wonder just what will happen next. Sure most episodes are crammed with situations and what not, however the pacing and suspense stays spot on. Credit should also be given to the introduction of Checkmate for keeping the interest rolling and thank you Pam Grier for your wonderful portrayal of Agent Waller. Kudos need to be given to Justin Hartley, who I now see as the Bruce Wayne of the show. Dude is everything Bruce Wayne/Batman should be and yet he's not "The Guy". But he comes into his own and I respect the Green Arrow character moreso now than I've ever done in any of his comic book or cartoon incarnations (save for Justice League Unlimited). Erica Durance IS Lois Lane in every sense of the characters being – she's perky, spunky, a fast talker, and it doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes. But I love how she has embraced the character, giving Lois a life I never thought possible. I'm gonna be honest, I was never invested in the character personally; I've followed Lois in comics, movies, etc, but I never saw anything truly special about her, other than she's Clark's love interest. In this series she has a purpose of not only wanting to be good at what she does, but also capable of kicking ass when possible, and holding it down when push comes to shove. In other words – I've finally fallen in love with Lois Lane. Callum Blue makes for a wonderful Zod, and huge points must be given for bringing in my main man Julian Sands aka The Warlock as Jor-El. Though I thought he was playing Zod, I'm just happy to see that he's still got it. Bring him back in some flashback episodes please! Lastly I gotta give it up to Brian Austin Green as Metallo, who takes the character in an entirely different direction than the comic makes him out to be – not so much the bad guy and even saves the day. What will happen now that he has the red kryptonite heart is anyone's guess, but I'm tuning into season 10 to find out.
The Bad:
I'm not fond of Chloe this season. I'm not saying I hate the character, I just didn't care for the fact that she's acting so deceptive towards Clark about situations such as Roulette involving Oliver, having a krypton stockpile (though I understand her reasoning, not a fan of her doing it on the slick), and her needing validation to stay on as Watchtower. Oh come on! Really? I say let her walk and bring in that other hacker; he was more fun anyway. And the relationship between her and Oliver? REALLY!!? It's almost like, he couldn't get Lois, she couldn't get Clark, well uhhh let's let them have each other! Its way to convenient and I'm sorry, I'm not with it.
The disappointment:
That we'll never see Bruce Wayne in Smallville; as perfect as it would have been to have him on the show, I see it can or will ever happen. WB, that's a missed opportunity for some serious ratings.
My DVR is locked and ready for the last season of Smallville,
which begins Sept. 24th. And if you wanna catch up before it starts,
then definitely head out and pick up "Smallville: The Complete
9th Season" out now in a six disc DVD set. And out of TOV 5 stars,
I give the set 4.5 stars. And it's been Valkor tested and TOV
Approved.