Smallville

"Smallville" is an excellent idea for a TV series. I am one of those who grew up in the 1950s with Superboy and Superman comics. I loved the Superman films with Chris Reeves. I loved the "Lois and Clark" TV series. But this one, which chronicles Clark Kent's high school life, the period when he began to realize the extent of his super powers, and began to see his life's mission, has not been depicted before, as far as I can recall. They've done it extremely well, and the actors are very fitting for the parts. And, naturally, good always prevails over evil.

A year 2005 update -- we don't watch "Smallville" as faithfully anymore as we used to. I suppose that is a natural consequence, as old story lines get stale, and the writers try harder for scripts with an "edge." Still, whenever we do watch, we still enjoy the series.

A year 2010 update -- we are again watching "Smallville" every week. In spite of the age now of the series it remains an interesting series. I keep wondering when Clark will learn how to fly.

I'm wholeheartedly convinced that what makes Smallville work so well is the virtually flawless casting/direction on this show. Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk in my personal opinion are **sinfully** (and seemingly effortlessly) attractive individuals. They were the "bait" that initially had me interested in Smallville (after seeing them in fall previews for the show in 2001), as evolutionary biology compels us to naturally pay more attention to beautiful people. Then there was the Chloe Sullivan character, whose quirky and cerebral personality I was instantly drawn to. Allison Mack seems perfect for the role - she plays it with sass, intelligence, vulnerability, and a dynamic form of bubbly charisma. And I keep rooting for Chloe and Clark to make it happen (although I imagine something tragic might eventually happen to her character - guess there's always cousin Lois). I absolutely *adore* John Glover as Lionel Luthor...the cold, refined way he speaks, and the manner in which he carries himself is essential to the role. It was/is cool to see Annette O'Toole from Superman III show up as Clark's mother. And John Schneider really is the perfect dad for Superman in my view. Initially, I wasn't sure what to think about the adjustment to the Pete Ross character (it does wreak of "tokenism"), but as a person of color myself, I nevertheless *enthusiastically* applaud the show's efforts at more accurately reflecting our world by including Sam Jones III, and the multi-racial Kreuk. I just wish they gave poor Pete more to do. Let's not forget Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. What I like about his involvement with the show is that in actuality he seems to be a science-fiction/action guy in real life with his voice-over work. And I respect that immensely.

Tom Welling turned down the Clark Kent role twice -- but the show's creators knew that Smallville wouldn't fly (pun intended) the way it needed to without Welling; and that speaks volumes about how important casting decisions were to the show's creators. And it wouldn't be working as well without Michael Rosenbaum. Or Allison Mack. Or John Glover. Or John Schneider and Annette O'Toole. Kristin Kreuk is an incredibly refreshing presence on television, and I hope to see more of Sam Jones in the future - maybe in a role that will allow him to shine more than can as Pete Ross. Not since "New York Undercover" have I been as enthusiastic about a television show as I am about Smallville. I am now a huge fan of Brian Robbins and Michael Tollin, and was thrilled to learn that they have been behind some pretty slick productions, including the 1995 Russell Simmons-affiliated Rapumentary, "The Show." I feel enriched and invigorated with youthful energy every time I catch a new episode of Smallville (I'm a now "ancient" 27 years old), and I can only imagine how special it must be on that Vancouver set. Smallville is a great show that has assembled a nearly flawless cast, features great music, notable guest stars, fantastically fun plotlines, and a fearless approach to taking chances. Bravo.

A.K.

I've watched almost all current superhero shows: The Boys, Arrow, Daredevil, Flash, Punisher, Black Lightning, Supergirl, The Defenders, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Agents of Shield, Legends of Tomorrow, and a couple other ones. And I gotta say as good as some of those shows are, they just don't compare to Smallville. I know sounds crazy right? How can a show that premiered in 2001 be better than Daredevil? Well its simple. Smallville has heart. When you think of a superhero the first thing you want is heart and soul and by god this show has it. I know it sounds cheesy but its true. The show if far from perfect and the writing obviously might not be as legendary as The Boys for example. But it is consistent through ten seasons. The best part about this show in my opinion was the character development. Seeing Lex Luthor slowly develop into the villain he is today was phenomenal, Michael Rosenbaum nailed it I thought. Seeing Clark go from an insecure boy to a confident and heroic man was a beauty of a thing. Seeing Lois Lane go from guarded and unsure of herself to an independent and lovable character was awesome. Another thing I loved about this show were the relationships. And no I don't just mean romantic. The relationship between Clark and Lex is amazing to see how it unfolds from being acquaintances, to friends, to brothers, to a disdained partnership, to a nemesis relationship was done very well. The relationship between Clark and his parents (Kryptonian and the Kents) was also handled very nicely. And even more that I won't spoil. All in all this was an awesome show to watch even in 2019. 10 years from now this show will definitely have an impact for me.

When I first heard of the idea behind Smallville, I rolled my eyes and thought that is the dumbest idea ever. I mean, who wants to see Superman as a teen? Well after seeing it, I can say I sure as hell do. It has been a long time since I have been glued to the TV screen, waiting anxiously to see what will happen next. The reason this show is so good is because you already know the characters. Unless you were born yesterday, you know the story of Superman, you know who Lex Luther is. Superman is a permanent pop culture icon, like Batman. When I watched this show, I already knew these characters, it was so simple to get into this show. The WB must have dished out the big bucks for this show because for TV, the special FX were amazing. Everything about this show is pure gold, I know I will tune in every week, and watch one of the best shows on TV.

I have to admit that I'm a big superhero fan and love the majority of the superhero shows that I've seen, even some of the ones most consider bad I've still enjoyed. Having said that, I love Smallville. I think most people who've watched this still loves it. While some seasons were better than others, they're all good in their own right and definitely worth watching. Smallville is about the early years of Clark Kent (before he became known as Superman) and how he learns to control his powers and fight against different villains each episode. The entire cast was terrific but Tom Welling is definitely the star here. He was just brilliant as Clark Kent. He's still considered one of the best Clark Kent/Superman characters ever on a tv show. I just watched it all the way through recently and it's still just as good today as when it first came out. Do yourself a favor and go watch this! You won't be disappointed.