And now, the final season of Smallville. What a relief to hear these sweet words, told by Tom Welling. After a mashup of past scenes, that should stimulate your nostalgia, the story started right after the dramatic events of Salvation. It's like the show never stopped because inspired by its captivating story and friendly characters I couldn't help dreaming about it in the last past months.
The first thing that really stroke me is how Lois & Clark have grown on me. When Erica Durance entered the arena some seasons ago I never expected her to reign someday right beside Teri Hatcher. You have to see her run in the rain or sweat when the temperature rises dangerously. Her acting, sex appeal and charisma are so wired that she should make you realize the impossible. The person you picture as Lois or Clark could be the one ! And you definitely don't have to be them to touch its heart. That's why their love story should never stop to move you. As perfectly pictured in Charade it's just timeless. A neverending ballet where the differences between the smart beauty and super beast have faded. Lois isn't an Hostage anymore, she's her own hero. Free from the chains that prevented her so far to express her love she can consider Clark for what defines him, his humanity, and help him to become the superhero he is.
Beside our irresistible duo I was also quite impressed by the acting. As usual Durance's performance was stellar but Welling did an excellent job too. In fact the episode probably featured one of his most convincing scene. How would you portray your inner demons ? The duality growing in Clark's heart was very well portrayed and I found him darker and even more mature that in the past season. It's not just about the black suit anymore, he has embraced his destiny and it's like his resources were infinite. As for Cassidy Freeman she gave birth to a glamorous and tortured Tess Mercer. Moreover her role wasn't anecdotic and actually reminded me of the twisted Conspiracy installment. Justin Hartley's chest was also featured and his lines were hilarious, specially considering the context. Last but not least Allison Mack was less present than the others but it was sweet to have our lovely Chloe back but I really regret that she will only guest star during the whole season. Let's hope the writers have planned something dazzling for her few appearances !
An other major element we have to consider obviously is the story. Last year I questioned the whole Zod mumbo jumbo at the beginning but it quickly developed as a jaw dropping odyssey. Here it felt like a blindfolded journey at times because you should often wonder if what happens is real or not. Are you watching Smallville or dreaming of it ? The experience was puzzling and some sequences quite touching. The visual effects were well rendered and the production was immersive. But my main complain would be that the editing wasn't creative enough. They chose the easy escape of switching between the arcs instead of blending them in a surprising fashion. It's what happens once you've lived the Lost incident. However it shouldn't prevent you from following their epic adventures. Otherwise even if the writing was exciting I couldn't help noting a few shortcuts. Like in Kandor things happened too fast when one arc really deserved to be covered among multiple episodes. In fact it could happen so we better stay tuned. If not it's probably for the best because Zod made me believe in the show dream team. I know they have the power and talent to make it happen. Moreover I'm quite intrigued by their new nemesis !
One down. Twenty something to go. Lazarus was a brilliant way to introduce the tenth and last season. It wasn't flawless but overall it had everything a long time fan can expect from Smallville. How could you be disappointed by a science-fiction recipe that has aged so well ? We all have the potential to become the Lois & Clark of tomorrow. Become the hero you are !
