In it's tenth and final season, Smallville is winding down to a close. It's been an incredible ride and ushered in my favorite incarnation of Superman/Clark Kent and his supporting cast. With only 6 episodes left, I looked back at the last 10 years and compiled a top 10 list of what I believe are the best Smallville episodes. Feel free to list your top 10 in the comment section.
10. Season 9, Pandora: This was a great episode. It gives Clark a window into a potential future where Metropolis has been descimated by General Zod. The cinematography with the Red Sun solar effects really made this episode stand out. It also shows how Clark, Lois, Oliver, and Chloe have to set aside their differences, take on Zod, and send Lois back to the past so that she can help to fix the future.
9. Season 3, Exile: This episode not only showed Clark amped on Red Kryptonite, but it also conveyed a lot of emotion. It shows just how strong the Kents' love is for Clark. Even though he has willingly put on a Red K ring, committed robberies, and left home to run wild in Metropolis, Jonathan and Martha still stand by Clark. It shows where Clark gets his unfailing morality from. Plus, it's just awesome to see the SWAT team open fire on Clark and to see the Clark vs. superpowered Jonathan fight.
8. Season 4, Transference: This was a spectacular Lionel Luthor episode, even thought it's not REALLY Lionel. Through the use of a Kryptonian stone, Lionel switches bodies with Clark, giving Lionel Clark's body, along with all his powers. To see the acting range of Tom Welling and John Glover was really exciting. Plus, seeing what a Luthor would do with Clark's abilities was fun. I also really loved the prison riot at the end with Jimmy Eat World's "Pain" playing in the background.
7. Season 5, Reckoning: Smallville's 100th Episode. This was not only an achievement hitting 100 episodes, but it was also the most emotional episode of the entire series in my opinion. In this episode, fate claims the life of someone Clark loves in return for Jor-El returning Clark's life earlier in season 5. I won't give away any spoilers in case there are people who haven't seen it, but one of the most important characters in Clark's life dies and it is by far the saddest event to hit the series. The funeral literally brought tears to my eyes.
6. Season 9, Savior: This was probably my favorite premiere out of the entire series. Here, we see Clark leave his "human life" behind to do his training with Jor-El at the Fortress of Solitude, but he still patrols Metropolis. We also get to see Clark in his first costume AND he wears the symbol of the House of El on his chest. This was just a great episode with a new, fantastic score and we also see Clark in a more proactive guardian/superhero role. I also really loved Clark's interaction with Jor-El in the Fortress. It was just a gorgeous episode.
5. Season 9, Metallo: This may be because Metallo/John Corben is one of my all time favorite Superman villains, but I thought this episode was brilliantly done. It had it's own unique, scary score. It reminded me a little bit of the scoring used in The Dark Knight for The Joker. Also, the way that they did Metallo was great too. He was more of a Frankenstein-esque lab experiment. The character design was perfect. Also, Brain Austin Greene did a great job portraying the unhinged, psychotic side of John Corben after the procedure. Great music, great story, perfect acting.
4. Season 4, Run: This episode introduced Bart Allen, better known as part of The Flash family. While in the comics, Barry Allen is really the first Flash that Clark/Superman meets, it's understandable why they didn't use Barry Allen or Walley West, but they do make mention of all the people to have donned the name of The Flash in a very fun and creative way. This episode was great because it's the first time that we really see Clark humbled by the fact that there is someone out there who can move faster than he can. Also, the race between Clark and Bart at the end was a great reference/homage to the famous races in the comics between Superman and The Flash.
3. Season 8, Legion: Written by comic legend Geoff Johns, this episode introduced the Legion of Superheroes, a team from the 31st century that was inspired by Superman. This episode not only had a great story and dialogue, but it makes GREAT references to Clark's future and to the comics. Also, it was extremely fun to see Clark and the Legion go up against Brainiac.
2. Season 6, Justice: This episode brought together the team members that would make up the Justice League of America in the future: Clark, Green Arrow/Oliver Queen, Aquaman(Arthur Curry), Impulse (Bart Allen), and Cyborg (Victor Stone). Yeah, Cyborg isn't really a member of the League in the comics, but was still an awesome episode. To finally see all these characters together at one time AND team up against Lex Luthor was spectacular. This team up is used and referenced to a lot throughout the rest of the series.
1. Season 9, Absolute Justice: This was the 2-hour movie event that was written by Geoff Johns, with the second hour directed by Clark himself, Tom Welling. This episode introduced the Justice Society of America. This story and dialogue was the best that I've ever seen in Smallville. The way that Hawkman, Doctor Fate, and Stargirl interact with Clark, Green Arrow, and Martian Manhunter was perfectly done. At first there is great friction and doubt between the two teams, but how they overcome their differences and team up is perfectly done. Also, this episode introduces Amanda Waller and the organization Checkmate from the comics. The costumes for Hawkman and Doctor Fate were PERFECT. I especially loved how they captured the rough relationship between Green Arrow and Hawkman, just like in the comics. Lastly, I liked this episode because of just how much Clark learns from each member of the Justice Society. It was also really cool to finally see J'onn/Martian manhunter in his Green Martian form and having a long blue leather jacket, green shirt, and the red straps running across his chest to make him look like his comic interpretation.
So, those are my top 10. What are yours?