Smallville series finale
I didn't watch the series finale of Smallville live, partly because setting up the television and trying to find the CW channel would be a major effort (we watch a lot of DVDs, but not broadcast television), and mostly because I hadn't seen the show for several seasons, especially after the departure of the only person consistently worth watching on the show: Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor.
Oh, yes, Lionel Luthor was often worth watching, and I liked Chloe Sullivan, but Lana annoyed me (and many other people) and Lois annoyed me and plotlines annoyed me and so on. To be fair, I've seen Lana Lang's actress in other things, and given a decent script, she can act, and to be fair, I don't think it was Erica Durance as Lois who annoyed me but just the Lois character in general. The only Lois portrayal I've ever liked was Teri Hatcher's in Lois and Clark, and I'm digressing. Anyway I'd drifted off from the show.
But I decided that I'd invested enough time in the show to give the series finale a whirl. And what do you know? It was corny, the dialogue was frequently gag-inducing, it had plot holes too large even for the Man of Steel to fix (and a bit at the end that just does not make any sense), it had incredibly cheap and pathetic narrative tricks to handle previously poorly managed actor contracts that came across as incredibly cheap and pathetic narrative tricks, it had people talking to gravestones and clichéd scene after clichéd scene and by the end I was grinning, a bit teary eyed, and clapping and all happy. It's enough to get me to go back and check out the last couple of seasons. Maybe.
Damn you, show.
Five years ago,
wolfblade commented that what the show really needed was a transition movie, and then to turn itself into Metropolis, which the show didn't do, for various rights and other issues, instead forcing itself to wobble and wobble and wobble while waiting for Superman to embrace his destiny, which, of course, this being Smallville, he couldn't quite do.
But that allowed this final episode to be the "Superman embraces his destiny" show. Finally.
I give credit to the show for being willing to suspend all narrative disbelief to bring back various characters as ghosts, ghouls or clones with their memories miraculously restored; I'd say, what, except that we all know what: the show had earlier lost those actors and realized they were really needed in the finale whether or not it made sense, so, um, ghosts! Clones with their father's hearts! (Or whatever heart Lex Luthor ended up getting - that entire scene was so laughable I failed to pay much attention.)
I give less credit to the many, many, less awesome moments: seriously, you expect me to believe that even Lex Luthor (well, his clone) could completely lose his memory and then seven years later be president? Also, er, thanks for the years of character development and all that. That Air Force One's security under the circumstances would be that lax? That, KNOWING THAT NUCLEAR MATERIAL WAS ABOUT TO BE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ATMOSPHERE, anyone would allow the President to be up in Air Force One to begin with? (Yes, I know what they were going for but it was ridiculous.) And I don't get why, given that their wedding ceremony was just interrupted, not cancelled, Lois and Clark waited seven years to get married again just for the fun of an admittedly good joke that he'd be a bit late. And the various slow bits and the many other plot holes I'm just not getting into. Oh, and where was the rest of the Justice League? And if the evil planet was that close why weren't tides and earthquakes going wild? And, sniffle a bit, so, Chloe and Clark didn't end up together after all? (Well, yes, I know, continuity, but, still. I liked them as a couple better than Lois and Clark.) And, unresolved point: did Clark end up not selling the farm after all that? (I know he said it was in escrow and all that but having decided that he really was Smallville after all maybe he just cancelled the paperwork at the last minute?) Why wasn't Pete in more of the background clips (or any of the background clips) since they did waste background clip time on the far more annoying Lana character?
But against that we had the good bits: the conversation between Clark and Lex (those of you who watched it, admit it: you were just waiting for Clark and Lex to finally, after ten years of agony, strip and DO IT ALREADY. Lex, the presidency will have lovely young men for you soon enough, BUT THIS IS YOUR ONLY SHOT AT AN ALIEN. And Clark, Clark, we all know your feelings by now.) Chloe telling Green Arrow to go be a hero. Lois' wedding dress.
And the awesome moments: Clark showing up to walk down the aisle with Lois (followed by the less awesome moment of forcing us to listen to some of those vows all over again). Superman flying. Superman saving Air Force One. The John Williams music. Chloe telling her kid that there will always be more Superman and Smallville stories. (Was anyone other than me hoping that the arrows in the kid's room meant that Green Arrow was finally embracing his poly side with both Chloe and Canary, since, after all, he can't always be a straight arrow? My apologies. Please pretend I didn't say that.)
So, yeah. A fitting ending for the show, I think. And I suspect my freakish desire to catch up on the show will end soon enough. After all, I've already had my satisfying ending.
Oh, yes, Lionel Luthor was often worth watching, and I liked Chloe Sullivan, but Lana annoyed me (and many other people) and Lois annoyed me and plotlines annoyed me and so on. To be fair, I've seen Lana Lang's actress in other things, and given a decent script, she can act, and to be fair, I don't think it was Erica Durance as Lois who annoyed me but just the Lois character in general. The only Lois portrayal I've ever liked was Teri Hatcher's in Lois and Clark, and I'm digressing. Anyway I'd drifted off from the show.
But I decided that I'd invested enough time in the show to give the series finale a whirl. And what do you know? It was corny, the dialogue was frequently gag-inducing, it had plot holes too large even for the Man of Steel to fix (and a bit at the end that just does not make any sense), it had incredibly cheap and pathetic narrative tricks to handle previously poorly managed actor contracts that came across as incredibly cheap and pathetic narrative tricks, it had people talking to gravestones and clichéd scene after clichéd scene and by the end I was grinning, a bit teary eyed, and clapping and all happy. It's enough to get me to go back and check out the last couple of seasons. Maybe.
Damn you, show.
Five years ago,
wolfblade commented that what the show really needed was a transition movie, and then to turn itself into Metropolis, which the show didn't do, for various rights and other issues, instead forcing itself to wobble and wobble and wobble while waiting for Superman to embrace his destiny, which, of course, this being Smallville, he couldn't quite do.
But that allowed this final episode to be the "Superman embraces his destiny" show. Finally.
I give credit to the show for being willing to suspend all narrative disbelief to bring back various characters as ghosts, ghouls or clones with their memories miraculously restored; I'd say, what, except that we all know what: the show had earlier lost those actors and realized they were really needed in the finale whether or not it made sense, so, um, ghosts! Clones with their father's hearts! (Or whatever heart Lex Luthor ended up getting - that entire scene was so laughable I failed to pay much attention.)
I give less credit to the many, many, less awesome moments: seriously, you expect me to believe that even Lex Luthor (well, his clone) could completely lose his memory and then seven years later be president? Also, er, thanks for the years of character development and all that. That Air Force One's security under the circumstances would be that lax? That, KNOWING THAT NUCLEAR MATERIAL WAS ABOUT TO BE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ATMOSPHERE, anyone would allow the President to be up in Air Force One to begin with? (Yes, I know what they were going for but it was ridiculous.) And I don't get why, given that their wedding ceremony was just interrupted, not cancelled, Lois and Clark waited seven years to get married again just for the fun of an admittedly good joke that he'd be a bit late. And the various slow bits and the many other plot holes I'm just not getting into. Oh, and where was the rest of the Justice League? And if the evil planet was that close why weren't tides and earthquakes going wild? And, sniffle a bit, so, Chloe and Clark didn't end up together after all? (Well, yes, I know, continuity, but, still. I liked them as a couple better than Lois and Clark.) And, unresolved point: did Clark end up not selling the farm after all that? (I know he said it was in escrow and all that but having decided that he really was Smallville after all maybe he just cancelled the paperwork at the last minute?) Why wasn't Pete in more of the background clips (or any of the background clips) since they did waste background clip time on the far more annoying Lana character?
But against that we had the good bits: the conversation between Clark and Lex (those of you who watched it, admit it: you were just waiting for Clark and Lex to finally, after ten years of agony, strip and DO IT ALREADY. Lex, the presidency will have lovely young men for you soon enough, BUT THIS IS YOUR ONLY SHOT AT AN ALIEN. And Clark, Clark, we all know your feelings by now.) Chloe telling Green Arrow to go be a hero. Lois' wedding dress.
And the awesome moments: Clark showing up to walk down the aisle with Lois (followed by the less awesome moment of forcing us to listen to some of those vows all over again). Superman flying. Superman saving Air Force One. The John Williams music. Chloe telling her kid that there will always be more Superman and Smallville stories. (Was anyone other than me hoping that the arrows in the kid's room meant that Green Arrow was finally embracing his poly side with both Chloe and Canary, since, after all, he can't always be a straight arrow? My apologies. Please pretend I didn't say that.)
So, yeah. A fitting ending for the show, I think. And I suspect my freakish desire to catch up on the show will end soon enough. After all, I've already had my satisfying ending.