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This week, Vince and I get geekier than ever as we suggest various unlikely battles between characters from all comic and sci-fi arenas. Enjoy!

LLAP

-Cap’n Logan

I could hardly believe I was writing the blog a year ago when it was confirmed Smallville would get an eighth season, and now it’s been renewed again. I wondered how it would keep from crashing and burning without Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. I thought it would be “Lois and Clark” all over again. It spelled the end for the series… or so I assumed. But somehow, this has been the least dissapionting season in years.

As you may know if you’ve read the blog before, I’ve got a lot of issues with Smallville, and think it’s very often the perfect example of how NOT to make good television. Rehashed plots, too many love triangles, Kryptonian mythos that makes no sense, totally bogus character direction, easy five-minute wrap-ups, and most of all, a really wimpy and winy Clark Kent much of the time. But this season has, very often, been different. The stories have been stronger, more character-driven, more unpredictable, more believable, and more serious.

I never like to see this kind of show go on this long, because it’s obviously only because the CW needs it for ratings, not because the creative team actually has anything new to say. But surprisingly, because they were forced to come up with something that could carry the show without some of its principle characters into a season I’m sure they never assumed they’d be renewed for, the writers came up with more impressive stuff this year than I’ve seen from this show in a long time. Lex working from behind the scenes has been surprisingy effective, as was the buildup to finally seeing Doomsday– “Prey,” the episode with the Doomsday “copycat,” was especially effective and unpredictable. Clark really has stepped up this season and (finally) is starting to look more like the Superman he should be. I’ve especially been interested in his refusal to kill, no matter the cost or who tries to convince him someone needs to die (including the Legion of Superheroes and Oliver Queen).

But a NINTH season? As surprised as I’ve been by this year, I can’t help but attribute some of that to crappy plots and episodes from years past. There are certainly much, much better shows on the air, and I still don’t trust Smallville to continue this trend, or to keep getting better. The CW is still one of the least popular networks, and I’m afraid they’ll keep renewing Smallville until it stops being one of their top rated shows. I can’t imagine a season 10. This was supposed to be “Superman the early years,” but he really oughta be Superman by now. He’s never going to put on a costume in the show, and I’m afraid it’s having a really hard time getting away with that. How much longer can Clark be in Metropolis, be a superhero, build a secret identity, and NOT put on a costume??

LLAP

-Cap’n Logan