The fall season is approaching and we here at TVGasm are ready to take on a whole new slew of programming. We are huge fans of reality television, but we also like any sort of television worthy of snark and banter. Unfortunately for me, we started this blog several years too late for me to comment on one of the all-time greatest television shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was even too late to get my licks in on Joss Whedon's not so great comeback called Firefly. Thankfully, I caught onto this blogging game in plenty of time to review the current cream of the teen-driven sci-fi melodrama crop, Smallville. I think it's consistently one of the more interesting programs on television, and the season premier did not disappoint.
For those of you not familiar with the show, Smallville follows the adventures of Clark Kent as he goes from awkward high school teenager to mild mannered reporter. We not only learn about him, but all of the characters that surround his life, including such familiar names as Lex Luthor and Lana Lang. There is a large amount of debate on the way the show has constructed the Superman universe, but that discussion is boring and inconsequential to anybody except the biggest whiny ass fanboys. Smallville manages to take elements of the movie and the comic book, not only for the story, but the actors as well. So with that history lesson over, let's get back to the show.
Fans of Smallville were left with one of the best cliffhangers last year when Chloe Sullivan, enterprising Smallville High reporter, and her dad were killed in an explosion while supposedly in FBI custody. She was set to testify against Lex Luthor's dad, Lionel, in his murder trial. Perhaps they would have been safe if the US Marshals were on the job, since they are the ones in charge of witness protection, but I digress. Her death meant the trial against Lionel would be hard pressed for a conviction. More importantly to the viewer, it left an opening to introduce Lois Lane, who is Chloe's cousin, and determined to investigate the causes of her death. So what about Lois? She is played by Erica Durance who, by early returns, is quite the hottie (Smallville always has some of the best brunettes on TV), although it's too early to tell if she is going to challenge the uberhot Kristin Kreuk for lead vixen on the show. We can only hope she tries as hard as humanly possible.
The only thing Lois had about Chloe was a message she left Clark asking her to investigate her death. Therefore, Lois must go out in search of Clark and heads to the Kent farm. Clark's situation was also up in the air at the end of last season. In Smallville's universe, the people from Clark's home planet Krypton are not the benevolent people some of us might now from the movies. Clark's dad Jor-El, is determined for Clark to be a conqueror of earth, in stark contrast to Clark's human parents, Jon and Martha Kent, who want Clark to do good for mankind. Jor-El sort of abducted Clark at the end of last season, and left Jonathan Kent in a coma. Luckily for Lois, Clark decides to crash land to earth at the same time she is driving to look for him. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember who he is, so Lois has no idea who she stumbled upon except that he is naked and should probably go to the hospital. Once there, they run into Martha Kent, who hasn't seen her son in three months, and decides to take him home, despite his ramblings that they he is searching for a sign. There was also another shot of Clark's backside before the hospital folks handed him some scrubs. Fans of Tom Welling no doubt loved this episode as there was plenty of Clark's bare ass for all to see.
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Comments (9)
well done, j-unit. . . i was particularly perturbed by the vespa thing. whenever i played GTA III or VC, i was always ashamed to ride the vespa or "fagglio". . .whatever they called it.
1 of 9 | Posted by dartnok | Posted on September 23, 2004 9:44 AM
It's good to see that Margot Kidder has rebounded from her mental breakdown a few years ago.
Why is Lex Luthor in Egypt? Why does he hate Clark now? Weren't they supposed to be friends on the show?
Also, are Jor-El and Kal-El related to Antwaan Randle-El?
2 of 9 | Posted by b-side | Posted on September 23, 2004 10:04 AM
Lex is in Egypt looking for some kryptonian artifacts that supposedly hold some vast amounts of knowledge that would "put the library of Alexandria to shame". Essentially he hopes that finding these relics will give him some sort of insidght into the disease he has.
Clark is friends with Lex, but finds out that Lex is investigating his family, which makes him pissed off. Lex only hates Clark because he is so secretive.
Randel-El is no relation.
3 of 9 | Posted by J-Unit | Posted on September 23, 2004 10:14 AM
I assumed Lionel had Lex poisoned in order to spur Lex onto a search for a panacea: Clark's blood. How ever did they land that plane with no door?
Can someone please explain black Kryptonite? I don't recall ever hearing of that one before.
4 of 9 | Posted by Lady J | Posted on September 23, 2004 10:44 AM
I think you're lying. I think Antwaan Randle-El is in the superman clique. After all, any friend of Hines is a friend of mine.
5 of 9 | Posted by b-side | Posted on September 23, 2004 10:51 AM
>Can someone please explain black Kryptonite?
Black Kryptonite gives you rhythm.
6 of 9 | Posted by Papercuts! | Posted on September 23, 2004 12:00 PM
>Black Kryptonite gives you rhythm.
Standin' up or layin' down? There are degrees of rhythym.
7 of 9 | Posted by Lady J | Posted on September 23, 2004 7:17 PM
Excellent write-up, J-unit. And, a great season opening as this show has only improved over time gradually incorporating Clark's skills into his adolescent development - or lackthereof in the way of women. Perhaps one of the most interesting cliffhangers is the ancient symbol now tatooed on Lana's back as it physically ties her to Clark and his supernatural-power world. It will be interesting to see how that plays out upon her return to Smallville. Also, looks like there'll be some good triangles this season as her hottie boyfriend is in the credits (though name not yet on www.imdb.com). And, Lois has entered the scene as a fiesty young reporter already intrigued with Clark's body - I mean, brain.
Agreed on Margot Kidder - but a nice cameo for the show.
8 of 9 | Posted by Grabz | Posted on September 27, 2004 8:24 PM
now thats just sad,i was really hoping that this season,we will all have the opportunity to brutally experience CK coming out the closet; revealing that him and Luther to really be the chocking chicken reach-around bandits.Not fair i have to wait till next season to see the primetime shocker.
9 of 9 | Posted by Jan | Posted on September 29, 2004 10:11 PM