So yesterday was the Season 9 of Smallville's final episode titled "Salvation" and was a finale it was. Compared to last year's "Doomsday" which was hardly any like Doomsday for Earth, it was much more action packed, continued the good storyline that has carried throughout the season and at it's core, was still a love story between Lois and Clark. It also brung Clark CLOSER then EVER to becoming Superman.
The episode began with a flash forward in time to 2013, Lex Luthor is running for the Presidency, Lois Lane is the star reporter at the Daily Planet and Perry White if the Editor in Chief. A plane is about to crash into the Daily Planet and SUPERMAN saves it! All be it in the reflection of the Planet's golden globe but we can see Superman in the reflection carrying the plane away. And if that isn't enough, Clark wakes up and finds a PRESENT from Martha next to him. It is only the FRICKING Superman costume, but again sadly we only see the reflection in his eye. Now to me, if this was to be the SERIES FINALE, then we would have seen the suit for real but since it got renewed, we didn't. There was scrimpings of this throughout the episode much like Veritas back in Season 7.
Sadly, Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude has been permantly destroyed because Zod mashed up the Fortress' console as well as making Tess Mercer "Two-Face from Metropolis", possibly an in joke mirror to her selfish and two faced ways throughout the season.
The Book of Rao which has been the focul point of the remaining episodes is front and centre in this episode. Basically, it can open a portal and it drags all Kryptonians through the portal to a Paradise. After using crytals Tess pulled from the Solar Tower, Clark activates it and Zod's soldiers find out he killed Faora and so forth, switch sides to Kal-El and go through the portal. Zod has a blue kryptonite dagger and when he and Kal-El are left, they don't get pulled through because they don't appear Kryptonian. A properly good fight, good editing, good choreography takes place, Clark holds his own if not gets on top at first but Zod eventually takes over the fight (Come on, he is a soldier) and corners Clark at the edge with the Blue Kryptonite dagger. Clark allows himself to be stabbed and falls off the edge. Out of its radiation range, Zod's powers activate and the portal swallows him up into the sky as Clark drops to his death. Where we see "To Be Continued".
More intersting stuff happened before this fight though, Clark more of less reveals he is the Blur to Lois by kissing her, and she recognising his kissing pattern deduces the two are the same.
Oliver and Chloe is another love story intergragted into the finale. Zod's troops have disabled communication satelites that mean Chloe and her computers are useless. Oliver says he launched a new "QUEEN INDUSTRIES SATELITE (AKA The Justice League Watchtower Satelite) and goes to the earth sub station to activate it. He is crawling through ventilation shafts and gets it up and running, but is then surrounded by people as shown by Chloe's screen. He says he loves her before saying that "THEY'RE NOT KANDORIAN". Then who the hell are they?
Well it ties into the death in the finale that was promised. Tess who was brought to the hospital by Clark after Zod burnt her goes into cardiac arrest and dies from her severe injuries. That is not he juicy bit. An old woman is outsite her room in the hospital corridor knitting furiously. The doctors leave the room and call Tess' death. The old woman gets up and goes inside the room.
Now then onto the juicy possible links to Season 10!
Can you remember the end of Absolute Justice back in February? No? Then let me remind you. Icicle who had just been defeated by the Justice League and Justice Society, was back at Checkmate HQ. Amanda Waller comes in and kills him after saying "Apokolips is coming"!! That is the home world of ... DARKSEID.
Darkseid has been rumoured to be "next season" on Smallville since Season 7 with the producers trying to find the right storyline to get him on the show. However, being such a grand and powerful character it has proved difficult. If though there has ever been any more nods to Darkseid then it is in "Salvation".
Firstly, the nod from Geoff Johns back int Absolute Justice which he confirmed was "Apokolips" and not "Apocalypse" as in Zod destroying the earth.
Then we see a strange old woman knitting outside Tess' room. Granny Goodness anyone?
The final nod is "What happened to Oliver?". Before the line goes dead he says "Chloe, they're not Kandorian!". No Ollie they're not, they are New Gods.
My Prediction for Season 10!
As it is WAY to early to start saying WHAT WILL happen. This is just a theory of mine below.
Firstly, this season will be the last season of Smallville, simply because Clark is too far gone to becoming Superman that it can't not be the last season. Firstly, he has got the cape, second the suit and third says "I know my destiny now". 1+1+1=Superman. The question is, how is he going to stall becoming Superman for a year? Well, could he be too busy trying to prevent a full on alien invasion from Darkseid. Maybe. Could Granny Goodness be Darkseid's agent sent to Earth to search for the Anti-Life Equation working alongside Intergang. This would be the Season long storyline of the Justice League trying to fight Intergang who have advanced weapons. We could also have appearances from Darkseid's Elite: Kalibak, Desaard etc. Then Darkseid himself graces Earth along with his army, battles Clark and is defeated and the world rejoices and proclaims the Blur as the planets protector, like "some kind of Superman". Clark only wears the suit in the final scene. That is my prediction.
What did you think of the Finale and what to expect in Season 9?