Back in season eight, the show spent the entire year building up to the confrontation between Clark and Doomsday -- the show's take on what is probably the most iconic Superman battle in the comics ever.
And that confrontation was over in two or three punches in the season finale. The frustration of THAT particular approach was incredible, but in retrospect could be chalked up to a season that was being torn in a number of directions following the exit of series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.
Season nine was largely a redemption, and season 10, with the exception of a few obvious filler episodes, has been as well. But given a couple of statements made this week by executive producer Kelly Souders, there are certain things that are beginning to feel like Doomsday all over again.
For starters, there's the issue of Darkseid. The dark lord of Apokalips made a spectral appearance in the season premiere and his presence has been felt throughout many of the subsequent episodes, even though we've only gotten a glimpse of him here or there. The implication, of course, is that as Clark nears his destiny as Superman, one of his final "trials" would be the show's ultimate battle, this one between Clark and Darkseid. What bigger task could Clark accomplish than saving this planet by taking down such a seemingly unstoppable opponent? Beat Darkseid, don the tights, cue the John Williams theme, fly by the camera and smile. Makes sense, right?
Apparently that's just not going to happen. Earlier this week TVline.com asked Souders about Darkseid taking physical form, to which she responded, "Darkseid doesn't exactly live by the same physical rules of our universe, but there is no question when his PRESENCE is felt. [As the season winds down] if you look carefully, you'll see some [visual] remnants."
Not to belabor the point, but, again, are you kidding me?
After a season-wide build-up, we're NOT going to see Clark and Darkseid go toe-to-toe? Then what on Earth was the point of having the character in the show at all? Smallville has often "tweaked" the official canon of the comics, but this evil Jiminy Cricket approach, serving as a dark conscience to the people he corrupts, is a MAJOR let down compared to the sheer expectation that having Darkseid on the show implies.
The frustration of that particular revelation is boggling to the mind. Everything old is Doomsday again.
And then there's the relationship between Lois and Clark. Okay, once again, Smallville has done its own thing with the mythos, and I've long ago reconciled myself with that. In fact, I've been of the opinion that the Lois and Clark relationship has been one of the most appealing aspects of the series, this season in particular. Erica Durance and Tom Welling simply spark off each other, and their dialogue springs to life even in shows where the events surrounding it aren't quite up to par. So when Clark proposed and Lois said yes, it felt natural and, more importantly, right.
Since then, things have been progressing, giving the impression that we'll see a wedding before the show ends. Well, you may want to bring that package of rice back to the supermarket, and return that blender to Target.
While admittedly this doesn't ensure that we WON'T see a wedding, here's what Souders said on the subject: "At the end of the day, with everything that they're juggling in their lives, the question is whether or not they feel like getting married is really the most responsible thing."
Please don't ask me to repeat the question from the headline.
Again, IF the end result is that Clark and Lois do not ultimately get married, then what is the point of spending so much time building towards a moment that will not materialize? It just becomes a colossal waste of time for everyone and means that we've been running in place while waiting for the show to end.
I hope I'm wrong on both counts, but I just needed to express my frustration over the way things seem to be headed.
Hey, Smallville, if I didn't care, I wouldn't be bitching.