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Smallville, Season Three (Spoilers)

 
  

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FinderWolf
18:27 / 05.02.04
I'm betting that Johnathan Kent's heart attack is because his body was subjected to such huge stresses when Jor-El gave him powers for a few days at the beginning of this season. That's what I've heard on the Smallville websites rumor mill. There were all these things about Johnathan having to deal some negative consequences and a deadly price of his deal with Jor-El. And Jor-El's line was something like "Would you be willing to lay down your life for Kal-El?"

Come to think of it, Jor-El's been dead for years - how can the Smallville Jor-El not only interact with people like "he's" having a real conversation, but bestow super-powers on people for 24 hours? The Jor-El that "lived" in the ship was just a program, no? Of course, I may be getting too analytical about this - we could always say that Krypton technology could have programmed Jor-El's essence and any number of powers/actions to do at some point in the future in some kind of amazing sentient A.I. program.

Anyway. I bet it's not Bruce. Probably some kid created for the show who was bred to be a genius perfect specimen / super-solider or something like that.
 
 
Tamayyurt
18:41 / 05.02.04
Well, he was really intended to be Bruce but with the up coming Batman Movie WB didn't want to confuse people and steal the movie's thunder. So they changed the character. I hop they don't flat out say HE"S NOT BRUCE. HE'S INFACT CARLOS WILLSON Teen Super Soldier! I hope they leave it up in the air so after the movie he can come bak as propper Bruce Wayne.
 
 
FinderWolf
14:53 / 11.02.04
One of the producers - Alfred Gough (which always struck me as interesting since Michael Gough played Alfred in the Batman movies) just said officially 'Adam Knight is definitely not Bruce Wayne, but the speculation has been fun to watch' on the biggest Smallville fan site.

New ep. tonight - did anyone see the glimpse of Clark's future in the last ep.? Apparently there was a kid who could see the moment of people's death when he touched them, and when he touched Clark we saw a flash of somehting Red, Blue and Yellow then the camera zoomed away from Earth into the cosmos. The kid said something like "it seems like you are never going to die, that your future just goes on forever". Sounds like it was a nice moment - sorry I missed that ep (it was the one last week).
 
 
FinderWolf
14:53 / 11.02.04
One of the producers - Alfred Gough (which always struck me as interesting since Michael Gough played Alfred in the Batman movies) just said officially 'Adam Knight is definitely not Bruce Wayne, but the speculation has been fun to watch' on the biggest Smallville fan site.

New ep. tonight - did anyone see the glimpse of Clark's future in the last ep.? Apparently there was a kid who could see the moment of people's death when he touched them, and when he touched Clark we saw a flash of somehting Red, Blue and Yellow then the camera zoomed away from Earth into the cosmos. The kid said something like "it seems like you are never going to die, that your future just goes on forever". Sounds like it was a nice moment - sorry I missed that ep (it was the one last week).
 
 
FinderWolf
13:08 / 12.02.04
Decent ep - so it looks like Adam is some sort of attempt to create the perfect genetic human or something like that. Next week's fatal attraction thing looks interesting.

Nice to see some Pete Ross spotlight and address the jealousy that would invariably be a part of being Clark's best friend and knowing his secret. Holy shit, Clark STOLE from Lex!!! Yikes!!! That was hardcore. Also hardcore was the way Lex totally knew, and also hardcore was Clark's turning Pete down for a 'let's put this all behind us and make up' basketball game. Pete really put Clark in a horrible position and Clark forgives him, but Clark can't just laugh and pretend it never happened a day later. Some nice acting from Tom Welling (Clark) and Sam Jones III (Pete) in this.

I liked the moment where Johnathan says "Clark, someday you'll be in a position to make huge moral choices, on a scale your mother and I never dreamed of." YEAH, pops, like being in the motherfucking JUSTICE LEAGUE, baby!!!!
 
 
FinderWolf
13:59 / 19.02.04
Wow. That was probably one of the worst Smallvilles ever. I'm talking about the 'Fatal Attraction' ep last night. Yeah, the girl was hot, but the writing, direction, even Tom Welling's acting periodically through the episode, just sucked. And the Adam plotline just seems ridiculous now.
 
 
FinderWolf
14:34 / 19.02.04
Also, remember how she said she first teleported into a cornfield? Well, the way the parents were afraid of her, I bet the writers were tipping the proverbial hat to the old (black and white old) Twilight Zone episode where the parents have a kid who can do anything (literally ANYTHING he wants), and they're terrified of him. When the kid's really pissed off, he threatens to send various family members into "the cornfield," which basically means they disappear into nowhere and never come back.
 
 
FinderWolf
15:06 / 19.02.04
from an interesting interview with Alfred Gough over at www.supermanhomepage.com:

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Interview with "Smallville" Executive Producer Alfred Gough
On Monday February 9th 2004, Warner Bros. held a press junket with various fan sites, enabling them to interview "Smallville" Executive Producer Al Gough. The Superman Homepage was one of these sites and what follows is a transcription from the telephone conversation/interview with Mr Gough.
Q: Firstly, congratulations on the birth of your new baby boy Jasper! How are mother and baby doing?

A: Thank you very much. Everybody's good.

[Note: Al's wife just gave birth to their second child on Wednesday February 4, 2004: Jasper Benjamin Gough, 8lbs 12oz, born at 1:12pm]

Q: Fans got scared that you were about to kill off Jonathan Kent in a recent episode. Please tell me you're not planning to have Jonathan die while Clark is still in Smallville ala "Superman: The Movie"?

A: [Laughs] Well no, but certainly his heart attack is tied to the super powers he got in "Exile". So what we tried to do was tie his failing health into the mythology of our show, and the price he paid to bring Clark home.

Q: So this was the "grave consequences" Jor-El spoke of when he told Jonathan he could give him the power to stop Clark for a price?

A: Exactly. But I think it does definitely change up the Clark/Jonathan relationship which we definitely play with in the next couple of episodes.

Q: Jor-El clearly has a plan for his son? Will this be something that'll get resolved this season or will Jor-El's master plan slowly leak its way out as the series continues?

A: I think it is something that will continue throughout the series, but it will definitely take an interesting turn towards the end of the season. Details which I can't go into now. [Laughs]

Q: We've heard from Jor-El - what about his biological mother, Lara?

A: You know what, that is something that we could potentially be looking into.

Q: Any casting hints in that regard?

A: Ah, no. [Laughs]

Q: Will you be exploring Krypton at all? See what it looked like?

A: Not really, and there are two reasons for that. I think, one: Creatively for us, the show is called "Smallville", stay based here on Earth; and then on a bigger company level, they're doing this Superman movie which apparently deals a lot with Krypton, so we sort of struck a deal with DC Comics where you won't really see a lot of Kryptonian bits in "Smallville". Which is fair enough, it's not something creatively we were looking to do. We like to use the Jor-El relationship to further our own mythology.

Q: We've heard Lois Lane's name, will we be seeing her any time soon?

A: Not this season. But definitely potential for the future.

Q: Now Lois is definitely Chloe's cousin, there's some fans who still think that somehow Chloe will change her name and become Lois Lane?

A: [Laughs] No, she's definitely Chloe's cousin.

Q: There have been rumors of a super pet? Any chance we'll ever see Krypto the Superdog work his way into the show?

A: You know at some point it would be great, again it won't be this season. We toyed with the idea of introducing him in "Whisper" as Clark's seeing-eye-dog, but we scrapped that idea. But we'd love to see Krypto, again it's just a matter of, with all these characters, can we introduce them in a way that furthers our story telling, and done in a unique way.

Q: How do you prevent Smallville from having the most anticlimactic series finale in television history when the end is the beginning of a whole new story, a story everybody knows?

A: The question is though, how does it end? Again, it's not in the comics, what causes Clark and Lex to have this insurmountable rift? What is the thing that happens that neither can overcome so that they become sworn enemies? That's sort of the fun of the show. Again that's not something that's really in the comics... You know, Superboy making Lex lose his hair doesn't count. So I think that's the story that's fun, and I think going down that path is a little interesting. But you're right, you know people say to me "Al how is 'Smallville' going to end?", and I say, "Badly". Why not. Clark doesn't end up with Lana, and he and Lex are complete enemies. So how is that good? But what in that journey forges him into that hero that we all know?

Q: What's interesting that Lex doesn't necessarily hate Clark when he leaves Smallville, it's Superman he hates later on.

A: Exactly, so there's that level of it as well. So we think it's more the trials of Clark and the trials of Lex. This year what I think is interesting is Lex trying to move towards the light and in a way getting darker because of being worried about his father. But with Clark I think he's definitely been a little darker, especially when we opened the season. And when Dr. Swann returns we call him on the carpet about his actions this past year. I think that's something really important to point out, I mean here's a kid who has found out a lot of information at a very young age, and quite frankly isn't sure how to deal with it. And how it affects the relationships with people around him... In "Velocity" we see Clark and Pete's friendship tested. Then in "Obsession", which is the one following it, it's a little interesting because he meets a girl who ends up saving him, she has a power. And then Clark thinks, "Well is the right girl for me someone who is different like me, not Lana, but someone who also has a secret they have to hide, is that the type of person I should be with?" I think it's always trying to pose interesting questions for Clark that, when you look down the line with Superman, you'll see this formation of the persona and the person.

------
 
 
FinderWolf
14:13 / 25.02.04
New ep. tonite - apparently the rumors are that it's the sample of Clark's blood that the Luthors have been scheming over (both Jr. and Sr.) that keeps Adam alive when he should be dead -- I guess some scientists messed with it or something. Kinda lame-sounding... hopefully the show starts getting kick-ass again soon. Rumors are also out there that in an upcoming episode where Lex tries to retrieve his lost memories, Clark undergoes the same process and has flashes of Jor-El and Lara putting him in the ship when he was a baby.
 
 
FinderWolf
12:49 / 26.02.04
Boy, last night's ep. sucked! This whole Adam plotline really blows. The only interesting idea, I thought, was when Clark says "If my blood can heal people, maybe I should come forward." Clark's altruism in action.

Why would Clark's blood be able to bring people back to life?? Or maybe it's half Clark's blood + half other genetic manipulation stuff? Wouldn't Clark's blood more likely give people superpowers than bring them back to life? It's not like the blood is just strengthening their immune system, it's BRING PEOPLE BACK FROM THE DEAD.

Bring on Christopher Reeve and the season finale arc. This recent stuff has been lame - the show can be (and has been) so much better than this.
 
 
Tamayyurt
13:37 / 26.02.04
"If my blood can heal people, maybe I should come forward." Clark's altruism in action.

You read my mind... this episode was lame. The only nugget of goodness was when Clark says the above.It was the only realistic moment in the show. I was watching it with friends and they kept laughing at the cheesey lines and obvious plot turns (I mean, yeah everyone walks into a hospital with a bomb strapped to their chest... and a kryptonite bomb no less! Sheesh.
 
 
FinderWolf
14:48 / 26.02.04
Yeah, seems like anyone can not only get kryptonite in Smallville but use it to hotwire cars, make bombs, etc. etc. It's getting a little silly.
 
 
Saint Keggers
15:04 / 26.02.04
Kryptonite is smallville's ducttape.
 
 
FinderWolf
17:14 / 26.02.04
LOL!
 
 
FinderWolf
13:44 / 04.03.04
That Smallville was kinda weak, but the Lionel/Lex stuff was cool.

I liked the idea that Lex is so pissed at his dad that he's gonna
hand him over to the Feds (Lionel certainly was a major asshole in
this ep.). I also liked the scene where Lex said "oh, you've been
following me?" and Clark just dodged it and said "Don't turn this
back on me, this is about saving Lana."

I guess next week begins the Smallville repeats.

Oh, and thank God stupid-ass Adam is finally dead.
 
 
FinderWolf
12:44 / 05.03.04
You know, they didn't seem to ever explain why there was the time-travel loop...Huh. Unless I'm forgetting something, it's a
horrible plot hole.
 
 
EvskiG
13:32 / 05.03.04
Telephone wires + rain puddles filled with Kryptonite + electricity = time traveling phone call.
 
 
_Boboss
08:00 / 09.03.04
don't think there's a UK thread for this so sorry for spoiling the flow, but the episode where he gets blinded, then hit in the eyes with the blowtorch, and his sight comes back but blurry, and he goes to the hospital and...

comes out with glasses. sometimes this show is really brilliant. i hadn't even noticed that clark didn't have to wear glasses. i love how the bits come together a tiny piece at a time.
 
 
Jack The Bodiless
11:30 / 09.03.04
So he has to wear glasses for a bit, and all the superfans go "oooh! look! he's wearing glasses, just like Clark Kent does in the comics!" That's not 'the bits coming together a tiny piece at a time', that's an in-joke to fanboys by fanboys. Like Spike making references to Buffy when appearing in Angel, or all the names on the government computer files in X-2.

Sorry, but this show is, generally, awful. Plot holes a mile wide, still yet more kryptovillain-of-the-week and Clark and Lana relationship will-they-won't-they nonsense getting in the way of the only interesting bit about the show - Lex and Lionel's power struggles. I feel so sorry for Michael Rosenbaum and John Glover - excellent actors making the most of poor scripts that rehash old ideas over and over again, and acting their wee hearts out nonetheless.

Gough's rhetorical questions about the 'future' of the show's plotlines betray a basic lack of knowledge about his own product and the origins of said product, that is, frankly, horrifying. What the hell have the comics got to do with it?! Superman and Luthor only ever met long after Kent had moved to Metropolis and started wearing the cape. Luthor had no idea Kent was Superman. So there's no big falling out to lead up to. There's nothing wrong with doing a what-if show that doesn't base itself around Superman comic continuity, but don't then reference the redundant continuity to try and tantalise your audience in an interview! In this continuity, Kent and Luthor could be the best of buddies in Metropolis - although my silly idea of Lionel being horribly injured and snatching Lex's body and identity to carry on living (hence the hatred Kent has for 'Lex' and Luthor not giving a shite about Kent) still appeals to me.

But this show is godawful, it really is. Poorly scripted, poorly directed, bad effects (the CG shots of Kent's eardrum in last night's UK ep were stultifyingly bad. I've seen better Sega Megadrive graphics)... We Want The Lex & Lionel Show!
 
 
Tamayyurt
11:54 / 09.03.04
That'll be the spinoff show called "Lex Corp."
But yeah, this show is not good at all. It has fun bits here and there but with Buffy and Angel gone it hurts to think that this is the only comic booky show on TV... that's really disappointing.

I wonder if Mutant X has gotten any better?
 
 
FinderWolf
13:05 / 09.03.04
Aww, I know the show isn't that great, but it does have really good moments, most of which are admittedly Lex & Lionel, but some of which even involve Clark and his parents. I think it hit its high point in the second season with the Chris Reeve/Jor-El stuff, and Clark accidentally killing Ma Kent's baby.

Presumably to end the series, Lex will undergo some sort of mindwipe so that he forgets he ever knew Clark at all. They're not going to end it with Lex and Clark still knowing each other so well, since obviously, the minute Supes shows up in town, Lex would go "Hey! That's Clark Kent!!"

But I think this show, though its average episode is weakish and sometimes awful, does have things that make it worthwhile and even exciting now and then. This season, they seem to be in a bit of a rut, though...

Oh, and MUTANT X still sucks, rest assured. I see the plot synopses on the net here and there and I see commercials for it now and then, and it looks like the same old crap. Compared to MUTANT X, SMALLVILLE is like The Sopranos.
 
 
FinderWolf
13:10 / 09.03.04
>> Telephone wires + rain puddles filled with Kryptonite + electricity = time traveling phone call.

Oh yeah, this was lame. I was wondering why the puddles and electricity kept glowing green. Very lame indeed.

But I still think that this show, in its history, has had some great moments where they add in creative ways to the Superman mythos (i.e. Jor-El being sent to Earth to learn a lesson, like Odin sending Thor to earth for the same reason in the Marvel comics, and thus Jor-El having Earth in mind as a place where there are Good People years later, when he's got a baby to mail somewhere) in very innovative ways. Sometimes the plot twists are clever. Sometimes (ok, most of the time) they suck or kind of suck.

The Lex/Lionel stuff is definitely the best and most consistent, and I agree, sometimes even the Lex/Lionel stuff is poorly scripted and I also feel bad for those poor actors when that happens.

And Tom Welling is a really good Clark, I think. Even if his acting, while good and certainly improved over the years, isn't quite Marlon Brando or Chris Reeve yet.
 
 
_Boboss
13:17 / 09.03.04
mutant x, there's a dodgy show indeed. it has lex luthor in it too, utterly convincing as 'the cleverest man on earth', in his weekly tussles with the terrifying andy warhol.
so where are we - is smallville generally awful or godawful, really?
splain please why him getting glasses isn't a bit coming together a tiny piece at a time. granted tho last night there were two bits, glasses and hearing, that's true. hardly just for fanboys though, my flatmates, not comic readers at all, were greatly cheered by the specs moment. you don't have to be a fanboy to be intimately familiar with the more obvious props and pieces of superman lore. [for the other examples, spike referring to buffy in angel could easily be described as 'consistent characterisation', and the names on the gov't computer in X2 an ingenious way of the filmmakers filling the parameters of the viewing technology currently available to their audience.] when does he get ice breath?

you're right about lex 'n' lion-o (such a mane) being the best bits. seems to me it's clark's neglect that is turning lex bad, and directly causing the problems for everyone else through his dishonesty. flawed heroes and heroic villains. snice.

i think, tho i could be wrong, that in pre-crisis continuity lex did actually spend considerable time in smallville where the young evil genius regularly bedevilled superboy. fanboyness y'see.

and you'd be mad not to say that the direction on this show weren't occasionally clunky, and the scripts, especially the clark'n'lana/dawson's crack rubbish frequently irritating, but i think, as often proved by buffy, angel, oz, six feet under, curb yr enthusiasm and most my other preferred shows, that's just something you have (or don't have) to put up with when engaging with this medium (medium = neither rare, nor well-done).
 
 
Tamayyurt
14:40 / 09.03.04
Oh, and MUTANT X still sucks, rest assured.

Oh I figured.

Aww, I know the show isn't that great, but it does have really good moments...

I know it does but it could be so much better! And it was fine when it was followed up by Angel... but now I really need it to get better for my sake. It needs to fill the void and as it is it's going to leave me hungry.
 
 
Tryphena Absent
14:57 / 09.03.04
Mutant X... you mean Mutant seX (the show with no substance) right?

'Oh Lex from the New Adventures of Superman, you're so sexy'
'Yes, yes I am character whose name I can't remember. My god, your PVC clad thighs are so inviting, I'm going to give them a steamy look while thinking about computer chips.'

Later...
'I'm cooking... potatoes.' Nameless character says breathlessly and proceeds to fellate potato between perfectly glossed lips and flicks straightened blond hair.

Worst. Show. Ever.
 
 
FinderWolf
14:50 / 06.04.04
Next new Smallville ep. is next Wed., April 14. This is the one guest-starring CHRISTOPHER REEVE as Dr. Swann, where Swann tangles with Lionel Luthor a bit in addition to having a nice mentorly chat with Clark. Written by comics' Jeph Loeb. Should be fun.
 
 
diz
15:14 / 06.04.04
Q: There have been rumors of a super pet? Any chance we'll ever see Krypto the Superdog work his way into the show?

A: You know at some point it would be great, again it won't be this season. We toyed with the idea of introducing him in "Whisper" as Clark's seeing-eye-dog, but we scrapped that idea. But we'd love to see Krypto, again it's just a matter of, with all these characters, can we introduce them in a way that furthers our story telling, and done in a unique way.


no, no, a thousand times no. Krypto is teh suck. i don't know what in the name of fuck Jeph Loeb sees in fucking Superdog, but i think he may have been dropped on his head as a baby.
 
 
FinderWolf
13:51 / 15.04.04
So last night Chris Reeve returned. It wasn't quite as good as his first episode, but it was an ok ep. nonetheless. I was shocked at Jonathan's behavior - physically attacking Lionel in the caves, threatening to shoot him. How the hell did Chris Reeve end up with the key when we last saw it floating around the air/ground of the caves after the big scuffle/confrontation?

And lots more anger and mistrust coming to the forefront of the Lex/Clark relationship.

Clark's/Tom Welling's acting seemed a little more wooden, less lively, in this ep. than it's been lately. And not a sign of Pete and Chloe.

There are rumors that a Supergirl-analog character will show up in the series finale...
 
 
FinderWolf
13:53 / 16.04.04
my friend Mark's comments on the show -- so good I had to share them:

------

made no sense either. None of it.

Example: Lex goes to see the FBI wearing the wire? Um, why? Were they spyingon themselves?
Also, why is he never suspicious when Clark shows up in the middle of nowhere with no car?

What was Dr. Swan talking with Clark about via email? Why would he be chatting with him?

"Dear kal-el,
Hope all is well on the farm. How are the superpowers developing?
Love,
Dr. Swan"

Also, Clark saying 'I just met with Dr. Swan IN NEW YORK!' Only took him a few seconds to get there and back huh?

in a word....lameass.

What did Swan do? Nothing. Why was he in the episode? To give Clark the "I'm waiting" message? where did he get that message from?

How did he get the key? Why did they key go into the wall and then do nothing?
I was really hoping for something good to come from the episode...And the whole Lana thing has turned into boredom incarnate.

I am quickly losing faith in the series. I have not given up hope on it but still, it is not enocuraging.

------
 
 
FinderWolf
14:35 / 22.04.04
Last night's ep: a lot better than the crappy last Christopher Reeve episode. Some really good stuff with Lionel, Lex and Chloe. Good performances all around. And maybe annoying Lana will just plain go away for a while!!! And Pete even got some good moments here.
 
 
Saint Keggers
15:49 / 22.04.04
DId they actually have a superpower that had nothing to do with kryptonite? It'd have been a nice change. But I think the green mist when it was released screamed kryptonite.

Why is it that when Krypton exploded every single fragment went to smallville?
 
 
FinderWolf
17:36 / 22.04.04
I actually think the truth serum gas last night had nothing to do with Kryptonite, even though it was sort of greyish-green. They would have made the gas glowing green or some stupid thing like that if it was kryptonite-related (or would have mentioned 'the marginal traces of kryptonite in the air in smallville augmented the gas', etc.) So yes, they actually did have a non-Kryptonite related 'power' on the show.
 
 
Tamayyurt
20:59 / 22.04.04
Wow, that's a first!

What happened last night. I saw a preview and it looked like they had captured clark and were putting him in a tank of some sort?
 
 
Saint Keggers
21:34 / 22.04.04
That was a preview for next weeks episode.

As for what happened this week: (taken from telivisionwithoutpity.com)

The "Truth" has set Smallville free. At least this week. When Chloe sneaks into LuthorCorp's Smallville plant and gets accidentally dosed with an unstable chemical, she acquires the ability (through weird scrubbing-bubble pheromones) to make people reveal the truth. Soon, everybody is spilling their guts, from Pete 'srevealing his long-standing crush on Chloe with a very awkward kiss to MamaKent's unloading her worries about Bo Duke to a flummoxed Chloe. Soon, she's got the world on a journalistic string, revealing a teacher's Weather Underground-like secret and making all the other students fear her Bob Woodward powers of investigation. Chloe alienates everyone, including Clark, who is the only one immune to the truth-telling. Clark fixes Chloe with a Pulp Fiction shot of medicine to the heart that he gets from a LuthorCorp vet who just happened to have a vial of it in his bum fridge in Metropolis. Right. But the good parts of the episode involve Chloe's flirting with evil again, trying to frame Papa Luthor by making him confess to his parents' murders (it backfires: Papa Luthor now has even more reason to kill Chloe), and the best revelation of all: Lana applies to go to school in Paris starting this summer. Sure, it's probably not for good and I'm certain something will keep Lana around (she's got second billing, remember), but at least I’m going to sleep better tonight knowing that for the time being, at least, Lana's tiny flat ass is on its way out of town.
 
 
FinderWolf
13:35 / 23.04.04
"Tiny flat ass!" Hahaha -- I love television without pity.
 
  

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