Today started with a brief interview with a Professor, exaggerating solutions to world problems in a Composition class, and skipping Algebra for fried chicken and gravy. I was not about to let a poor lecturer of mathematics ruin my day. I had spent five months preparing for the tenth and finale season of the show “Smallville.”
It began with a returning interest in comics. I started with Marvel and was met with lackluster results. I then turned to the internet reviewer Linkara for suggestions. My favorite reviews of his happened to not only be Batman stories but many DC stories in all. I started with Batman and moved onto to Superman when I randomly picked up “The Death of Superman” and became hooked.
When I craved more stories of the blue and red boy scout I looked back to Smallville. I had only caught maybe a single episode’s worth of time in snippets of many that a room mate watched when ever he could. At the time, we were lucky to even see the WB (now CW) due to our remote location. I recall the episode where Clark rescues Lex from a psychiatric ward and fully displayed his powers in front of him. They seem to be friends. It did not leave a good impression then and I remember the only reason why I had watched it. The “Superman Returns” teaser played during the final commercial break.
Thinking that it would be neat to start at the first season and watch straight through, I began the first episode in May and kept going like a speeding bullet. I obtained all nine, then current, seasons and started a journey with Clark Kent that would lead him to be the most iconic superhero the world would ever know. I have to admit, for three seasons it didn’t get old watching a guy tear off doors and toss people in the air. It was strangely gratifying.
As of this writing, this last season that I have prepared for looks to exceed all of my expectations. I finished the last episode of season nine hours before the premiere and I did not miss a beat. I gotta say, the Cinema Snob’s theory on series last season may ring true. When the series “24” learned that it would be canceled only halfway through their current season in production, the show radically changed and the stories and character really went all out knowing that they had nothing to lose. The series would be over and there was not any pressure to keep things smoothed over and play it safe to insure longevity of their show. However, when the end is in site and with enough warning they can really pump ideas in that they could not before and really raise the stakes to “go out with a bang,” so to speak.
Smallville season ten definitely got off to the right start. As someone who has watched all nine seasons back to back I can safely say that episode one of season ten is the best episode I have seen so far. It recaps with Clark sending General Zod and his army away from Earth and falls to the ground from atop the Daily Planet with the blue kryptonite still lodged in his chest. Inside his near death experience there are echos of his greatest nemesis, the darkness within him that is still needed to be met and overcome, and a great danged that lies ahead. Since his reawakening, Lois knows who he really is and respects his identity, Clark is prepared to don the proper attire for his symbol of hope, Lex is definitely coming back, Johnathan Kent’s cameo, and the first act of what would become Superman’s iconic save is catching the globe of the Daily Planet as it free falls onto the crowd below in mid-jump. All of this happened in first episode and it was incredible to watch. The surprise at the end is best left to potential viewers and fans who have not seen this episode yet.
I cannot stress how well this episode was written and set up the rest of the season for what could possibly be not only the redemption of the fledgling, but could be the best thing to happen for comic book television. If you ever want to premiere a new season of a show, this is how it should be.
No comments:
Post a Comment