I'm going to start off this article by saying I was a huge fan of "Smallville", the biggest in fact. I saw every episode from the time I was 8 to 18 and I highly enjoyed every moment of it . Like I said before, I'm aware a lot of people hate the show for either being too melodramatic or for changing characters or whatever. Trust me I know the show was far from perfect, especially in it's later years, But in my opinion it had more good moments than bad. I've been watching reruns on TNT and I've suddenly begun to re-love the show after not seeing an episode since the series finale. The following will detail the things that I feel made "Smallville" great and what I think most people disregard.
Clark Kent
The Clark Kent that was depicted in the show is in my opinion the best representation of the character to date, and just so you know i'm talking CLARK KENT, NOT SUPERMAN. I'll be very honest with you, as a child Superman was not my favorite superhero, I think like every kid I was a "Spider-man" fan right out the womb, But "Smallville" changed all that. I don't know why I disliked the fact that Supes was all god-like and perfect when I was a kid, but it was kind of a turn off for me. What I loved about watching the show was how human they made Clark(this was before "Man of Steel" remind you). Clark was just like one of us, trying to go the motions of life, when he suddenly discovers he's an alien. As the seasons go on he slowly discovers more about his origins and gains more and more abilities. It was so cool to see this guy who has always been depicted as being so sure of himself, as not having the answers to anything. I mean can you imagine growing up in a world where they're are all these sci-fi alien invasion films and then finding out your like them?
okay,now on to the point of Mr. Tom Welling. I don't care what anyone says, he is MY Superman. Many of you here on this site say he's a bad actor. You say that he's wooden and one dimensional, well your all wrong. What Welling gave us was a beautiful performance of a boy who wanted nothing more than be with his high school crush and live a "Normal" life, to a man who understands the importance of his purpose on Earth and decides to give up one dream to follow another. They're are two episodes in particular that I truly love, that show Welling's tremendous talent and range as an actor- "Labyrinth" and "Vengence"
The Kents
I absolutely loved the Kent family dynamic. I'm not sure about any of you guys, but I didn't exactly have an idyllic childhood. My parent divorced when I was 5 and they kept fighting over me and my sister until I turned 17 and told them I loved them both equally, to and shut up. Watching The Kents every week gave me the family I always wanted. A cool super powered older brother, a hard working and honest father who would die to protect his family, and a loving mother who you knew would always be their for you. The performances of John Schneider and Annette O'Toole couldn't have been better. they brought their characters to life in a way no other actors could. In a way their characters were the shows most important, because they are the ones who shaped Clark into the hero we all know him to be. If Clark were found by any other people he would've certainly become become a lab rat or grown up to take over the world.
Lex Luthor
Like Michael Fassbender's Magneto in "X-Men: First Class" or Heath Ledger's Joker in "The Dark knight", people who absolutely hated everything else about the show can't deny the incredible performance given by Michael Rosenbaum. Before "Smallville", my only knowledge of Lex was from the 70's movie and the animated series. The show gave us the opportunity watch Lex grow from a young man trying out run his destiny to a man who fully embraces his role as the villain. One of the highlights of the show was watching Lex slowly drift off into darkness, we all knew who he was eventually going to become, but we couldn't help but wish that he would let go of all the hate and just be good. It's funny when you think about all the times "Superman" has been adapted for film and T.V, and the best interpretation of the character of Lex Luthor came from an actor whose known more for comedy than Drama on a show on the CW. Yea, who expected that?
Clark and Lex
The Characters of "Superman" and "Lex Luthor" are legendary adversaries who have been going at it for decades, so the idea that they started off as friends was both unique and dicey, and fortunately it worked. The relationship between Clark and Lex was written so well, the way they met and became friends and then as the seasons went on they go on to become enemies. I love how it wasn't forced, it wasn't the fact that we all know them as enemies so it just ended up like that. It happened slowly season after season, Lex was angry over Clark for always lying to him, and Clark was angry at lex for hiding his true intentions . These two men who never wanted anything from one another but friendship were torn apart because their own insecurities. In the Finale these two titans meet once again after 3 yrs and the encounter was better than I could've imagined. At the same time they hate each other, in my opinion they also have a deep love and respect for one another. While the finale was disappointing in many ways, the final encounter between these two men was not. It summed up their relationship they had and the relationship they will have for days to come.
Lex and Lionel
The relationship between Lex and his dad was an incredible aspect of the show. I don't believe we ever saw or heard of Lionel in the comics before, he was an original character created for the show. To see Lex, this character that we know as the villain of all villians start off as a well meaning guy and then introduce his father as this evil, manipulative, rich man who raised his son as a warrior by having him play with battle recreations as toys and reading books on great conquerors throughout history gave a whole other dimension to the character. Lionel was a man who didn't take no for an answer and would kill anyone who got in the way of his schemes, even his son. Lex wanted to be different from his dad, a better man, a more moral man, but as the seasons progressed events in his life made him bitter and twisted. The poetic twist in the tale is that as the seasons went on and lex went from good to bad, Lionel went through a few changes as well and went from bad to good. Through various events Lionel had change of heart and began to change his ways, he saw that his son was going down a dangerous road, a road that Lionel went through and he tried to stop it, but it was too late. Lex had fallen too far and all Lionel could do was watch, until this final showdown between father and son.
Tess Mercer
I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet. The character of Tess Mercer was introduced in season 8 to be the replacement villain for Lex. Tess was shown to be this cold, calculating women who would do anything for Lex, but after learning of Lex's dirty dealings, including putting a chip in her head so he could hear and see everything she does, Tess decides to go her own way and help the world the way she thinks she should. While it was hard, Tess found her way to right side and became Chloe's replacement as Watchtower. The reason I think the character of Tess was a great idea was because we got to see someone who was almost exactly like Lex, but see her go down a better path. Another powerful scene in the series finale was the meeting of Lex and Tess. Lex has come back from the dead and is reintroducing himself to Tess as her brother, when he goes to hug her he end up fatally stabbing her. she then looks into his eyes and asks why, he says "it's to stop you from becoming me", and then she says "Clark already did that". Clark did for Tess what he tried and failed to with Lex, to make her a better person.
Lois Lane
What can I say about Erica Durance's Lois that hasn't been said before. She was sexy, smart, funny, and assertive, just all the things you want Lois to be. Like what was done with many of the shows characters, Lois was introduced before Clark became Superman in season 4. When her and Clark first met they hated each other, he found her too bossy and she saw him as some boring farm boy. As the seasons progressed they became friendlier and found solace in one another when then times got rough, but it wasn't until season 8 when things between them really started to heat up. The dynamic between the two as they tried to become more than friends was hilarious to watch. Both Lois and Clark are strong in their own way, but when they were around each they became so nervous because they really liked each other but couldn't admit it. When they finally did confess their love for each other, the relationship that followed was way more satisfying than the 7 seasons of Clark pining over Lana. The love that Lois felt for Clark was deeper than anything she ever felt before. a strong example of this was in the episode "Dominion" when Clark was stuck in the phantom zone and under his orders, Tess was going to close the portal,but Lois wasn't going to have any of that crap and pulled a gun on Tess. I love Superman, I've seen and read every nearly everything having to deal with him and I think Erica Durance was the best Lois lane ever, still is.
Well okay, that's it.
I know "Smallville" wasn't perfect, but you have to admit it had it's moments. So I dare you guys to say at least one good thing about the show, and if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.......which I know is unrealistic so have at it.