Smallville Favorites

So here is the deal - I'm a huge Smallville fan.  Have been since day one.  This particular post will show you my favorite episodes from each season.  I've been a fan for all nine years and will continue watching through the end of the upcoming season ten.  Ten years!  Wow, I was in eighth grade when the first season premiered and now I'm a grown man watching the end.  And yes, unlike some people, I've loved every year.  Sure there have been some bad episodes but there have always been gems and they more than make up for the bad ones.  So let's get started:

• PILOT (Season One) – It’s a little cheesy picking the first episode of the series but as far as Superman origin stories go, this is one of the best. Having Clark not immediately accept his destiny, making it more like a guilty conscience making his choices, was a totally new idea. Tom Welling, in just a one hour pilot, proved to be a great Superman even without the “tights and flights”. Even Michael Rosenbaum was amazing as Lex Luthor. It takes true talent to make the world’s greatest supervillain and make him likable. I thought the idea of Lex and Clark becoming best friends was also a wonderful twist on the Superman mythology. Plus, Clark has a super-fight with his first villain and it was very good. I’ll never forget the previews for this episode and waiting with great anticipation to watch it. It’s hard to believe it was ten years ago! I was there for the beginning and I will be there for the end. And it all started with this episode.


• RED (Season Two) – Clark Kent is a great hero. But what happens when his inhibitions are taken away? Well, this episode has one advantage of being written by one of my favorite comic book writers, Jeph Loeb. One of the great things about this episode is that most Smallville episodes where someone is “changed” they don’t remember it - No such luck for Clark. As far as great drama TV goes, this one has a great ending. Clark wants to tell Lana how he feels but can’t because it will compromise his secret. It was like Ross and Rachel from Friends. Sort of . . . Anyway, I love personality shifts in shows. They tend to be some of the best episodes of ANY show. Tom Welling really showed off his acting well in this episode. It’s not easy to play your character a totally different way. Plus Kristin Kreuk is not the damsel in distress and it’s clear she has feelings for Clark but is very betrayed by him. She pulled it off really well, making her decision to shun Clark a believable one. Not all the red Kryptonite episodes were winners but being the first – this also makes this the best.

• ASYLUM (Season Three) – I’ve always wondered what the show would be like if Lex knew Clark’s secret. It was hinted at for 7 years but in season three when he found out he was going crazy (literally). This is a real shiner (no pun intended for baldy) for Michael Rosenbaum. He plays the victim really well. You are really rooting for him to escape and remember Clark’s powers. Also, having three villains come back and attack Clark is something he should get used to when he finally puts on the costume. Plus Eric (from LEECH) is one of my favorite Smallville villains and it was cool to see him again. I hope he comes back for season ten. That would be sweet. But anyway, Lionel plays the villain so well in this that you truly hate him. It’s also great to see Clark have to face the fact that he lost this battle and it was a huge win for the villain.

• ONYX (Season Four) – Personality shifts are the best episodes. But let’s be fair – this one BARELY qualifies. Lex, throughout most of the series up to this point, has been one of the heroes. To see him truly become the villain of the piece is amazing. “You were right about me all along Mr. Kent. I am the villain of the story.” That is one of the best lines in the entire SERIES! Rosenbaum is phenomenal at playing both the good and evil sides of Lex. Also, having a green Kryptonite ring was a nice touch. It’s also great to see Clark’s reaction to how evil Lex really is.

• VOID (Season Five) – There are a lot of great episodes. There are great Lex moments, great Clark moments, great Lois moments, etc. But this episode and it’s whole Flatliners vibe is pretty awesome.  Now you might be thinking this is an odd choice.  But this episode is great for its subtle moments. To be honest, the true highlight of this episode is when Lex and Clark “die”. Lex’s follow up with his mother after the events of LEXMAS (Season Five) is truly chilling. Rosenbaum plays his shock and fear at what he will become very well. His lie to Lana later is also a good tear jerker. On the flip side, Clark’s moment with Jonathon is probably John Schneider’s best performance since LEGACY (Season Three). His pride when he looks at his son, knowing what he will ultimately become, is also a tear jerker (in a good way). I also loved how they made it so Jonathon could forgive Clark since it was basically his fault he died. When he says, “You’re gonna be a symbol of hope and justice” to Clark I cheered. Sometimes those little moments are as exciting as the big ones (like Clark wearing the “S” in season nine). And that’s just great television.

• JUSTICE (Season Six) – I know what you’re thinking, “Come on, JJ! That’s a good one but surely you can find a better one! You love Season Six!” Yes, season six is probably my favorite. And yes, there are many gems, ZOD, LABYRINTH, FREAK, PROMISE, NEMESIS, NOIR, and PHANTOM. Wow, that’s a lot. Anyway, what makes this one special? Well, unlike my Season Five choice it’s for completely obvious reasons. It’s the freaking Justice League! Just like my Season Three choice (ASYLUM) where the villains team up it’s nice to see the opposite happen where the heroes team up. It was such a nice touch having all the previous heroes come back. And each actor captured them perfectly. It’s also great to hear the names Impulse, Cyborg, and Aquaman used not as jokes but as their actual codenames. Also, the fact that they team up against Lex Luthor (which will happen many times in the future) for the first time is as awesome as it gets. Plus, that shot at the end where they pull a “Cool Guys Don’t Look at Explosions” is fucking amazing! If you are not cheering then you are stupid!

• PERSONA (Season Seven) – To be honest, it was between this and ARCTIC. I love that last moment with Lex and Clark in the Fortress of Solitude but that doesn’t compare to this entire episode. From the great drama of Clark and Lana when she realizes she has been sleeping with his evil twin (who was not so evil to her) and Lex’s heart break when he has his (cloned) brother murdered is just great television. Even if it’s a little weird. Seeing Brainiac again is definitely a highlight. James Marsters is a wonderful actor and is a truly magnificent manipulator when he gets Clark and Bizarro to fight while he looks to save himself. And again, Welling plays the villain in the piece but not as straight forward as the last time we saw him. You see that he genuinely cares for Lana but can’t help his true nature. Kinda like Lex in season six.

• BRIDE (Season Eight) – As far as entrances go, Doomsday gets one of the best of the series. I dunno how everyone else reacted but I really liked the idea of making Doomsday a human and making him a weird doppelganger for Clark. The whole Cloverfield bit in the beginning is one of the best teases I have ever seen. This episode really changed the whole course of the season with the almost-kiss between Lois and Clark, Lana coming back, Green Arrow willing to commit murder, and especially Clark’s embarrassing failure at stopping Doomsday. I also love that the show broke a few unspoken rules – like Chloe was saved from Brainiac’s influence in the previous episode (ABYSS) but is now back under his control! I thought that was cool and a good way to trick the audience. But the best moment has to be the ending where we see that Lex has been watching this whole time! I haven’t had a geek out moment like that since they played the Superman theme in ROSETTA (Season Two).

• ABSOLUTE JUSTICE (Season Nine) – I gotta break my own rules here. This is technically two episodes but since I watched it as one two hour event the night it premiered it counts as one to me. I haven’t been more excited for a television event in a long, long time. Mostly Smallville moments like the PILOT, ROSETTA, CRUSADE, JUSTICE, LEGION, and this one. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and now Fridays I have looked forward to the show. But to be super excited for just one episode? You know it’s gonna be something special. The highlight for me is that this was written by Geoff Johns, my favorite comic book writer. Not only that but this episode is so chock full of great DC moments that the geek outs were almost orgasmic! From Dr Fate’s conversations with Lois and Clark to the final battle, what wasn’t there to love about this episode? The Justice Society makes a very believable entrance into the show and it’s clear that Amanda Waller, Checkmate, and the Suicide Squad are going to be formidable opponents for our heroes. Plus the Apokolips reference was a great surprise!

Don't worry, my season ten favorite will be posted next spring after the finale.  I do have a feeling that it will be the actual finale but ya never know . . . (no but it probably will be)