Smallville has ended its historic ten year run with Finale over the weekend. When I sat down to do this review I tried to think of positives from the Finale that would make me feel better about the show I have invested ten year of my life in. Watching the Finale on Friday night I kept waiting for something to happen that would make me say "yeah, that’s why I have watched this show for as long as I have." But that moment never came for me. So here is my scene by scene brake down of how I felt about the Finale of Smallville.
Opening up with Chloe reading to what appears to be her and Oliver's son from a comic of Smallville I thought was really dumb. I mean why would the put Clark's origin in to a comic book for the world to find out who he is? Apokolips looks great though, you can tell that they sank their entire budget for the season in the Finale and the CGI shots of Apokolips.
The whole Lois having doubts about their marriage because of Clark needing to be there to save the world was just ludicrous. In a way it is selfish of her to make that choice for him. Clark’s clam approach to it was a nice way to keep it from getting out of hand though. By telling her "you're just going to have to leave me at the altar," it was a good way to show how Clark has grown over the years from not very sure of himself to being cool and confident.
Chloe and Oliver's relationship bothers me, maybe it’s because he is suppose to be with Black Canary in the comics, but to me they just don't fit together. The whole metaphor talk thing is just dumb "all you have to do is get the mice and the pumpkin over to Cinderella and get them to the church on time.”
Martha and Clark's scene was really good I really missed Annette O'toole on the show and I think she brings a real sweet soft touch to the show. Turning Clark into an ass that is just willing to let go of his past was way out of nowhere and pointless. The way he talks to Martha makes him seem like he is on his high horse and that he knows better than the person that instilled him with his values like he a teenager or something.
Chloe talking Lois back into the wedding was meh for me. I mean her line "he is not God Lois," was good, but other than that it was just ok. Lois reading what Clark wrote to her was cheesy. That was her big "ah ha" moment? Come on, he pretty much told her that in person so all she had to do is read it for it to really sink in.
Tess seems not to really have a place in the Finale her scene with Granny was ok and got the point across that Apokolips is coming but other than a later scene she didn't do much.
Darkseid's minions having Oliver do all their dirty work was a nice touch. The thing that really impressed me was the plan with the gold Kryptonite; it’s just the comic geek in me.
The scene in the grave yard was really well written. Tom Welling doesn't really do it for me in this scene, but John Schneider, as always, rocked in this scene. I still don't get where he got this thing about not needing to remember his past to make him Superman thing came from. Then Oliver comes in and doesn't help the scene at all.
I talked about earlier how Clark seemed really grown up because of the way he handled Lois not wanting to get married, and I say that then what do they do? They make Clark revert in to the same unsure little kid that has prevented him from being Superman. When he is talking to Lois and she makes him realize that this is what he needs is played well by Welling and Erica Durance, but I just don't think they should make Clark doubt the wedding.
Now we come to the wedding. The wedding just didn't do it for me. The music, the guy we have never met walking Martha down the aisle, and Clark making Lois think he was too busy to make it just didn't work for me. There were some highlights though, like Lois asking Clark "Everything ok Smallville?" Also the Gold K ring comes back in to play, which like I said was a good story, Clark saving Lois was awesome and the way he talked the Darkness out of Oliver was very Superman to me.
Side note : I am mad they never gave Oliver his sweet goatee.
Chloe's exit from the show was weak. That’s it she is going to help out by going back to Star City and that’s all we hear from her? They could have done something a little better for another character who has been on the show for ten years as well.
Jonathan and Clark's relationship is one of the main reason why I loved this show in its earlier years, and that shined in the barn scene. John Schneider just absolutely rules as Jonathan Kent. It was a very nice twist telling Clark to seek guidance from Jor-El. Martha coming in to hammer the point home to tell Clark how important he was to her and Jonathan made it that much better. All and all probably my favorite scene in the show.
Tess finally seems to have a purpose in this episode; apparently a scruffy looking Lionel wants her heart so that he can finally put Lex together. Which by the way is a very dumb way to bring Lex back. Lionel is very creepy with Tess to, I mean that’s your daughter creep and your rubbing all over her like you paid for her. Then out of nowhere Tess is a flipping ninja master, I mean what are the odds of her kicking that trey of scalpels up and catching one? Darkseid looks and sound extremely stupid when he bartering with Lionel.
Really glad they finally have Clark putting his glasses on when he is around public. Clark X-raying the entire Daily Planet staff to reveal that the all had Omegas was really cool.
Side Note : I was disappointed we didn't get to see Clark use all his powers one last time. Terrible foreshadowing by sending Clark to the Luthor Mansion. Oh yeah and remember back in the earlier season when it was like 3 hours to get to Metropolis from Smallville? Lois made it from the Kent Farm to the Daily Planet awful fast. I liked the part where Lois got her way on to Air Force one it seemed very Lois to me.
And here we go with one of the biggest let downs of the entire episode, the Clark and Lex scene. The "Hello Clark" was really a nice was to kick it off, although Tom Welling didn't react like he should. Michael Rosenbaum I always thought made a good Lex, but his bald cap kind of makes him look like Hector Hammond. What makes the scene bad is that Lex doesn't seem like he hates Clark. I wanted him to say "Die alien! Die!" but I never got it.
Oliver going back to Watchtower to get his bow was ripped right from Batman. Then he goes and confronts Darkseid's minions and hits them with three arrows. You read right three arrows and no more Granny, Desaad, or Godfrey. That was one of the more stupid things of the episode.
Once again Lois on Air Force One was very Lois. The way she made her way back to the meeting room and made her speech (which was cheesy) was just how Lois would.
The Lionel being posses by Darkseid didn't bother me. It made Darkseid sound better because his voice didn't sound forced. So let me get this straight, Clark only had to have flash backs of the past to be able to fly? I'm sorry but that is something that could have happened in like season 5 or something. Never the less we get finally see Clark fly and he takes out Darkseid. Lame way to defeat a very powerful villain but it was visually very good, and one of the cooler parts of the show.
Tess comes to confront Lex, they have some banter and he kills her. Like I said Tess seems not to really have a place in the Finale. She uses a toxin that conveniently wipes Lex’s memory. Ok plot hole here she tells him you won’t remember anything up until this point, well then how does he remember all he learned at school? How does he know how to talk? It was just a quick out for them so that it wouldn’t leave a bigger plot hole for the future as to why Lex doesn’t tell the world who Clark is.
Clark finally tells Jor-El that he is ready to accept his Kryptonian side then all the sudden he is ready for his Superman suit. Once again that’s all he had to do? Why not do this last season when Martha gave it to him and Jor-El locked it away? The best part of this scene was that Jonathan gave Clark the suit, and when Clark flies changing in to the suit was really awesome (even though you don’t really get to see him in the suit).
Now my biggest complaint about the Finale, a CGI Superman. We only get to see him from far away and it’s not a very clear shot. “Superman” pushing Apokolips away didn’t bother me that much you can tell it was rushed, but it was cool. One thing that did bother me is that just getting rid of Apokolips instantly got rid of the Omegas on people. Apaokolips wasn't around when people got them so why would just pushing the planet away get rid of them? A better way to rid the Omegas off of people would have been to let people actually see Superman to inspire good in them the way Clark did with Oliver earlier. Then it goes back to the stupid story of Chloe reading the comic book to her son, with her being the only person to say Superman in the entire finale. The needed to have someone give Clark the name Superman in this episode, not just have Chloe tell her child that’s when he became Superman.
Then they show the seven years later, one of the coolest parts was they brought back Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy, and you can also hear Michael McKean as Perry White. Lex has become President Elect, which doesn’t bother me, it that’s he became President Elect even though he forgot everything up until the point where he killed Tess. We find out that Lois and Clark still haven’t married which I am not sure why they went ahead and did this, maybe it’s because that heard Lee’s cries of disgust when they were going to be married before he was Superman. But why would they wait seven years? Clark going to the roof to change had potential to be cool but they ruined it with slow motion and him holding his shirt open too long. Oh yeah, AND NO SHOT OF HIM IN THE SUPER SUIT!!!! Adding John Williams Superman theme was nice because I just love that song.
Final thoughts: All in all, this episode was weak. No good shots of Superman, a weak Clark/Lex confrontation, Tess didn’t have a place in the story, Darkseid was too easily defeated, too much of people (especially Clark) just going “Ah, Ha” and realizing what they need to do, and NO ONE SAYS SUPERMAN!!! But there were some highlights as well; most of them involve Jonathan Kent. Clark and Jonathan scenes were well written and heartwarming. Jonathan giving Clark the Super suit was good. The flying scene looked really good as well and like I said earlier the part where he changes in to the suit leaving the fortress was really cool.
And there you have it I went through and watched the entire episode and gave you my thoughts. I know its long but thanks for reading who ever stuck around long enough to do it. Leave your comments in the appropriate place.