The WB's Smallville has been a sassy, often clever reimagining of Superman's youth. The writers delighted in structuring the episodes with parallel themes, juxtaposing the loving Kent family with the pathologically dysfunctional Luthors. Taking a cue from Joss Whedon, they often turned normal teenage problems into Kryptonite-enhanced superpowers. And if the writers sometimes used a sledgehammer instead of a pen, such as when Clark developed heat vision during a heat wave while watching a sex ed film presented by a hot teacher, it was done with a wink and a smile.
As the series has progressed, however, the mythology of Smallville has diverged from that of the comic book Superman-- at least, the Superman I remember. Krypton is destroyed, but Clark's biological father Jor-El somehow appears to have survived-- enough of him remains to communicate with Clark and imbue Jonathan Kent with Kryptonian abilities. Kryptonians apparently visited Earth long, long before Clark's ship crashed. Ancient cave paintings in Smallville feature Kryptonian symbols that appear to fortell Lex's eventual turn to the dark side. The cave walls come alive at Clark's touch, acting more like a supercomputer or Stargate than granite. Instead of having a random effect, red kryptonite always turns Clark into a selfish git. And so forth.
I can live with that. The divergence of the mythology has actually heightened the show's appeal, as the mysteries are slowly unraveled bit by bit. But with this week's season premiere, things appear to have taken a turn for the worse. Best friends Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan are gone, and the removal of long-time supporting players is often a danger sign. To fill the gap they've brought in Chloe's cousin Lois Lane, shattering the mythological timeline (Clark and Lois don't meet in the comics until Clark shows up to work at the Daily Planet). Lois will apparently be sticking around for quite a while, as she and Clark investigate Chloe's apparent death. But bringing Lois in smacks of desperation. A cameo appearance with the two of them never quite meeting each other would have been delightful, but this long-term relationship rips the show out of the established mythos for good. And that break jumps Smallville over the shark in a single bound.
Part of the show's charm has always been the fact that we, as viewers, know Clark's destiny. Lex Luthor is a brilliantly tragic character, because for all that he desperately wants to be good, we know he's doomed to become evil. Our knowledge of their fates colors our perceptions of the characters, giving stories added nuance. Throwing Lois Lane into Smallville, however, means that everything we thought we knew about the future may not be true. In this universe. In this incarnation. And so those delicious moments of frisson become diminished by doubt.
The new Lana storyline also bodes ill. While making a rubbing of a Parisian tomb in Notre Dame, something mystical happened and Lana blacked out. When she awakened at her apartment, she discovered a new tattoo on her back matching a symbol from her rubbing. I couldn't quite tell if the symbol is meant to be Kryptonian, but I suspect so. That little bit of serendipity strains credulity.
I'm jumping to conclusions after just one episode, but I'm not heartened by the omens that episode contained. I fear that Smallville has lost its truth, justice, and American way.
Posted by Peter at September 24, 2004 4:15 PMIf a person most enjoyed the way that Smallville played with the ironies of Clark's future, as written by previous movies and even the comics, then for that person, yes the show has jumped the shark. However, as far as good television and good acting chemistry goes, Lois Lane/Eric Durance is a breath of fresh air for Smallville.
The Lana - Clark yo-yo relationship was getting to be too much and everyone was taking themselves WAY to seriously at the end of season three. I personally enjoy the romantic comedy and slapstick humor of Clark and Lois's relationship at this point. I also like that Lana has something to think about other than, "Oh, what's Clark not telling me now? Why won't he spill his guts to me?" I just can't wait till Clark learns how to fly, which is what I'm hoping will be part of the package of uniting the three stones.