Well done, Smallville.
I steal that line from Lois Lane because it’s a fitting expression of congratulations (and thanks) to Smallville for last night’s excellent series send off. Given all the pent up anticipation leading in, it felt like more of an event than just any old series finale. It’s no easy feat capping ten seasons of story and giving loyal fans what they want, but the show delivered in spades and then some.
As one of the fans that stuck with it to the end (and suffered through countless meteor-freak-of-the-week episodes), “Finale” was a satisfying, yet bittersweet conclusion to Clark Kent’s coming of age tale and a beginning to Superman’s. And the finale was not without the money shots: finally embracing his destiny, Clark donned the red and blue suit and took flight. There were several goosebump-inducing moments in the finale, but just like every Smallville fan knows, you take the good with the bad. Here’s a list of our favorite moments from last night’s 2 hour series-ender as well as the worst moments.
Best Moments
The Vows - CLois fans got all they dreamed for an more. The first half of the finale was a fitting tribute to Clark and Lois’ relationship, though not complete devoid of the “will they, won’t they?” see-saw. But leave it to good ol’ Chloe to be the glue that sticks everything together. Mrs. Green Arrow gave Lois an advance copy of Clark’s vows, which convinced her that she wouldn’t be holding Clark back. This resulted in a great hallway scene with Clark and Lois sharing each others vows behind a closed door (it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony).
The Wedding - For a brief moment, it appeared that Clark wasn’t going to show up, but he fittingly appeared right by her side, holding true to his wish that she stand beside him as a super hero. Though Darkseid busted up the nuptials, it still turned out to be a poignant scene.
Lex’s Return! At long last, Michael Rosenbaum was back (bald cap in tow) and it was like he never left. Lex confronting Clark in the mansion was THE scene of the finale. It was amazing how in just a few seconds, I realized all that we’ve been missing since that Season 7 finale; Lex and his monologues of good versus evil are what made the show worth watching. “A villain is only as good as his hero, ” quipped Lex at Clark, reminding him that they both need each other. I loved this line almost as much as Lex’s classic line “I’m the villain of this story.” Of course, Clark wasn’t without his rebuttal – “I will always be there to stop you.” Great stuff, indeed.
Previously on Smallville… - The montage of scenes over the years set just the right mood for this emotional two hour send off. Again, for all the complaining each Smallville fan has done over the years, there sure was an abundance of great moments and scenes that made the ride worthwhile.
Pa Kent – It really doesn’t make sense that Clark suddenly was able to see the ghost of Jonathan Kent (John Schneider), but that didn’t seem to matter. Pa Kent was right there to tell Clark to embrace his past, both human and Kryptonian. It was his speech that allowed Clark to trust his real father, Jor-El.
Clark Passing His Final Trial (AND FLYING). This was the “Touchdown!” moment of the finale. With Pa Kent telling Clark what he needed to hear and Clark realizing that Jor-El has been in his corner this entire time, Clark was able to mentally mature himself into the Man of Steel and began flying at that exact moment (I don’t know about you, but I was standing at this point, hands raised in the air). We were again treated to another montage of flashbacks, this time seeing all of Clark’s trials over time.
The Threat - Though Clark disposed of Darkseid a little too easily (more on that later), the sudden emergence and scale of the Apokolips threat was just the level of impending doom to showcase just how much Earth needed Clark. There’s nothing less frightening than planetary extinction and mankind was certainly ready to throw in the towel before Clark showed up.
No Full Body Shot of the Suit - I’m probably in the minority here, but I’m glad that Tom Welling didn’t don the full suit, or at least we didn’t see the full body shot. Leaving this up to the imagination was the best decision in this case and I think just seeing the “S” on his chest worked just as well. Serious bonus points are in order for using the original score to Richard Donner’s Superman as Clark took flight from the Fortress of Solitude.
The Flash Forward - More kudos for flashing forward seven years to show us the iconic scene at the Daily Planet. Perry White barking orders at Lois from his office and a young Jimmy [Bartholomew] Olsen taking director from Lois on the best way to frame Superman in a photo.
The Worst Moments
The finale certainly wasn’t without its weaknesses and facepalm-inducing moments. Some things are forgivable, but others were just downright wrong. Starting with…
Lex’s Mindwipe - Sure, Lex’s return is what we’ve been waiting for since Season 7, but making him lose his memory completely invalidated the scene in the mansion, and quite frankly, his entire relationship with Clark and growth as a character. Imagine Lex not knowing what happened with the Porsche on the bridge in the pilot? Or forgetting his bullied upbringing or his impossible to please father. How about Lex discovering the Fortress of Soltitude and that his former best friend Clark was The Traveler. These are all things that made him who he is and this was, hands down, the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened in the finale.
Tess Dying - For the sake of comics continuity, it made sense that Tess and Lionel both died (neither of them being characters in the Superman canon), but I was bit irked that no one seemed to care about her disappearance. Tess’ character is one of the true saving graces from the post-Lex Smallville era, and seeing her turn around and fight off her intrinsic Luthor nature was awesome.
Weak Foes - Did anyone else find it a bit odd that Oliver was able to dispatch of Darkseid’s minions with one quick arrow to the chest? And how about Darkseid, being this eternal creature of evil, bowing out with complete ease. And Apokolips must not have much of a propulsion system, because Clark moved it halfway across the galaxy with what seemed like a gentle push.
CG - The computer generated Superman flying and saving Air Force One was a bit on the cheesy side. Granted, Welling didn’t want any full body shots with the suit, but I felt that the lackluster animation took away from the scene (If you want to see epic flying, check out the Season 4 premiere, Crusade, where Kal-El flies and catches up to a private jet – that was awesome).
Loading …Well that’s it. It’s all over. All in all, it was a satisfying tenth season, full with great moments and references to the comics. And the finale was an epic payoff to fan loyalty throughout the years. What were your thoughts on the finale? Epic? Awesome? Any pet peeves? Let us know in the comments below.
