I don't care about your precious Canon or MYTHOS, Smallville!

[lurkingchicken]

This is a rant, something I'll blog elsewhere with much more snark and profanity, but thought I'd share my thoughts here. I've posted this in other threads, but it comes down to this and yes, ALL Mileage May Vary:

I don't give a damn about CANON or frakin' MYTHOS!

• If I wanted to read the Harry Potter books vs. the movies, I would. (Have done neither.)
• If I wanted to keep my thoughts on the Lord of the Rings intact, I would not go see the movies. I did.
• If wanted to read the comic books, I'd buy and read the bloody comics! I don't.

That's right, I don't read the comics. Instead I see X-Men, Iron Man and yes, I watch Smallville. Oh, and just because I don't read the comics, I am no less of a fan. I am a huge fan of the movies I see, and the shows like Smallville that I watch and discuss online!

Respect but don't worship the source

I respect the source material, I understand that without the original books I would not have True Blood or The Vampire Diaries. Without them, my TV would miss the pretty, hot hot men and life would be sad without the shirtlessness. I am grateful to the source material, I just do not hold it sacred. Why?

Because sometimes a movie, play, TV show, new book or new comic can make it even better. Or at least tell me a story in a whole new way.

• JJ Abrams did an amazing job with Star Trek, but most reboots are just rehashes and boring homages, nothing new to see (e.g. Superman Returns).
• True Blood is defying its mythos, letting a breakout character like Lafayette live. By honoring their Buddhist gift, the show is even better IMO while still being respectful of its source.
• Wicked retold The Wizard of Oz in a totally fresh way, one of the reasons I love it so. It literally defies mythos, Defying Gravity.

More than other shows and stories, Smallville started out IMO as a creative retelling of a familiar story. I got this untold secret look in the life of a young Clark Kent.

• I really saw his parents, good and bad. I saw how he grew up, the lessons they taught him.
• He was friends with a young LEX LUTHOR! Holy Crap! Meeting young Lex, we met his father Lionel and got insight into his future villainy.
• He had friends I'd never heard of before, like the fabulous Chloe Sullivan. Way to go!
• I met a young Lois Lane, who once upon a time had no interest in journalism. Clever twist, Show (or at least a valiant effort).
• Through Clark, I met both familiar and lesser known DC villains and heroes, got to see them updated for modern times. And yes met a few new faves, like Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, and of course, the Green Arrow aka Oliver Queen, The Most Interesting Man in the World.

The point of this rant is that for all the hype or claims to defy mythos, to give us a truly new version of the Superman story (which I know only from film and TV), Smallville has also failed. YMMV.

• TPTB stuck us with mythos 'ships when they weakened the story, the show. Sorry fans, IMO 7+ years of Lanaville was not what I signed up to watch.
• Lightswitching both Luthors to suit the show's need for a Villain of the Week on a regular basis did it no favors. The arc that pushed Lex over the edge to the Dark Side was poorly done.
• Plus they retold mythos badly with idiotic Indian caves and mystical witches and vampires, stealing canon from better shows like Buffy. FAIL.

And it looks like, pure SPECULATION based upon SPOILER WARNING: it looks like Chlollie may suffer some version of Death by Canon, be sacrificed on the Unholy Altar of Frakin Mythos. And that sucks!

There is still time Smallville. Write a great story for everyone, one that DC Comics will have no choice but to love and respect and let you dare to be different (sorta what you started out doing all those years ago).  / End rant.