Smallville Season 7 Rewatched Review
The season of the 14 week Writer's Strike. The season Lex Luthor completely descends into that dark abyss by killing his father, Lionel, for power and greed. The last season where Kristen Kreuk will be a series regular, and Michael Rosenbaum departs from the series completely (still hoping he makes a guest appearance in the show's series finale this upcoming season). Even though this was Smallville's last transitional season it carried a massive punch in storytelling, but that's not to say I loved everything. In fact, while rewatching it I started to be quite annoyed with several things during the first half of the season. Whereas the second half really kicked things into gear, and was a great set-up for the show's last three seasons. Looking back at this season I can't help, but get excited to see Laura Vandervoort (Kara/Supergirl) returning to the show for it's final season. Not only was she the perfect Kara/Supergirl, but she is also one of my favorite actors and characters on her current show V.
Favorite Episodes
Bizarro
Kara
Cure
Lara
Blue
Gemini
Persona
Siren
Fracture
Traveler
Veritas
Descent
Apocalypse
Quest
Arctic
That has to be the shortest favorite episode lists I have written when discussing a season of Smallville. Season seven isn't a bad season, but it isn't epic either. All in all this season was mixed for me because there were some things I just loved, but there were some things I just loathed and cringed at. Since it was a mixed season I'm going to do this post somewhat different this time by discussing the pros and cons of this season.
The Cons
I rather start with the negative than end with it because some things just bugged me during this season. Alas, you will notice some cons will be in the pro categories.
Clana & Lana - For the most part this ship just bored me because it went nowhere until the season finale. You have Lana, hypocritically, withhelding secrets from Clark left and right. Lana was hard to take in this season because the negative traits she loathed about Clark and Lex she was basically exhibiting all throughout the season. Granted the reasoning behind getting back at the Lurthors were understandable with what happened to her in season six, but it definitely wasn't justified nor was her constant lying to Clark. She was just too much to shallow this season for me. You would think with everything that went on this season Lana would be a bit wiser in season eight to make her season seven storyline meaningful, but alas it didn't happen at all. Now normally I love dark storylines because they are so rich and compelling for me to watch which is why I thought Lana during season six was so interesting to watch. There were vibes of S6 Lana during this season, however; something was off about it. I don't know if it was writing for her character or Kristen simply wasn't putting all effort in it *shrugs*. Perhaps it was because Lana's (valid) criticism of Clark's actions was now becoming her own. For six seasons we seen Lana disagree with Clark or get angry at his secrets and lies. Alas, now she knows why Clark withheld things from her, and yet Lana lies and withheld secrets regarding Lex, Lionel, and the Isis Foundation. Knowing she can't tell Clark of these things because of his opinion of her would change (rightfully so) then you would think that would be the first clue that Lana shouldn't be doing what she is doing. I'm talking round in circles because that's basically what it was most of the season.
"Wrath" shows how all the things that I loathed about Lana and Clana in this season. She was power hungry for everything, mean to everyone in her way (she through Lois through a glass door window -- now at the time I bet many people said she was corrupted by the powers just like Eric Summers in "Leech" however as we find it out she wasn't as corrupted as we thought since she still wants the power in season eight), and etc. Granted it was one of the worst Lana-centric episodes of the series, but the writers actually return to this powerlike storyline in season eight. Lana was corrupted with the powers she was given by Clark, and yet she tells everyone she would never corrupt it like Lex. WTH?! Maybe off in offscreenville Lana battles her darkside of greed, but seeking power like this during her last two seasons on the show really hurt the character overall. Which is truthfully a shame, but I'll get to that discussion in the season eight post. All in all it was annoying to say the least, however; at least they didn't get what my friends and I call the Main Ship Happiness Syndrome. Where writers don't know what to do with them, or regulate them to ten minutes worth of worthless screentime.
The Funky Upcoming Seasons Set-Up - As I stated before season seven was one of Smallville's transitional seasons, and the tools used to help set-up the last three seasons of the show were Chloe, Jimmy, and Grant. Chloe had a great storyline in season six, so it's only right she has a more supporting storyline this season. Plus not to mention concentrate on Lex, Lionel, and Lana's departure. I know many people were annoyed by Chloe's storylines in this season, but as I see it three regular castmembers' departures have a higher priority on a character we all know was going to stay the following season. Chloe's storylines were pretty much unentertaining except if it dealt with Lex taking over The Daily Planet, or her power healing ability. Which leaves us to the relationship of Chloe and Jimmy. Jimmy's character is made of awesome on the show, and one of my favorites. However, this season wasn't Jimmy nor their relationship's finest. The reason wasn't because of the angst 'cause I love angst just as long as it was going somewhere even a tiny bit. The reason why it wasn't it's finest because for the most part their relationship really didn't go anywhere except in circles. It was basically seeing Clana all over again. You have Chloe hiding her meteor abilities from Jimmy, Jimmy knowing Chloe is hiding something and doesn't feel that trust one should have in a relationship, and then you have the other wheels of the wagon in the form of Clark and Kara (must add Aaron and Laura had this adoreable chemistry too) which just makes Chloe and Jimmy jealous. At least the jealousy of Kara was short lived, but the jealousy Jimmy has for Clark goes on for two seasons by now. Now Jimmy's jealousy I totally get and it's justified, however; the way the writers wrote it made Jimmy seem kinda whiney. At least with Clana and Clois the situations were different because all the characters at least progressed thus the angst went to another level of angst due to the maturity level and global scale. It was a constant yo-yo of breaking up, making up, secrets, and etc.
To top that off their episode "Sleeper" was just that a sleeper, and not in the movie context of a sleeper either. The other storylines regarding Veritas and Kara were awesome, it at least set-up Chloe's cliffhanger in "Arctic" (I'm a viewer that gets annoyed with things that are out of the blue), and I enjoyed the scene where Jimmy confronts Clark with Chloe's lies, but rest of the episode was literally outlandish and laughable. For instance, the dancing scene between was just plain laughable from the dance moves to the music used. Or how about the scene where Chloe gets beat up to a bloody plup. That whole entire scene was just fake looking, and Jimmy coming in to save her with these moves (we have yet seen him do on the show) made it even more laughable. I don't know if the writers were trying to make that episode the sequel to season six's "Noir" (a favorite of mine). It just didn't work with Jimmy being a James Bond type of character 'cause Jimmy is cool, but he's not that sleek. Meanwhile It wasn't until Jimmy going to Lex for a favor where things finally got interesting with this couple once again, and it was a great set-up for Chloe and Jimmy's big storylines in season eight.
Another funky set-up centered around the relationship of Lois and Grant. Now there were some things I did enjoy, such as hiring Lois for The Daily Planet bullpen position, their great banter, or their sexual tension interaction in the elevator in "Wrath." However, what I didn't enjoy is the whole Grey's Anatomy relationship they had. Now they did have this cute chemistry between, even though nothing beats that chemistry Clois and Lollie has, it's just sleeping with the boss aspect was annoying. It just didn't feel like something Lois Lane would do to me. I can see her kissing Grant, but not go to the lengths she went with him. At least they didn't go to the Grey's Anatomy level of sleeping with the boss (if they did then I totally missed it lol). To make it short the flirty and first kiss was in character for Lois, but I really don't see her doing what she did with Grant behind close doors. That said there is a silver lining which is Lois and Grant were mature enough to finally break things off. I never would like to see my favorite characters not make mistakes because they would become very Mary Sue characters. Just as long as they learn and take accountability for their actions. Which is exactly what Lois and Grant later did.
Pete "The Boss" Ross Return - Next to Lana's return in season eight this was one of the worst returns in the show's history. Some things I did enjoy, such as Pete's saving Kara, Pete and Clark playing basketball, continuing Kara's amnesia arc, Lex's vendetta against Pete, the band One Republic making an appearance, and the building up the Veritas storyline. I really enjoyed those moments, but Pete's storyline was just downright frustrating. However, those things just couldn't save the episode. Once again they had Pete pimping another placement product, and don't get me wrong I know how valueable they are to a show. One Tree Hill has done it with Sunkist and Kyle XY has done it with Sour Patch Kids candy, however; those shows interwoven those product placements so naturally within the storylines or placing them throughout the show's sets. It was just natural and it became part of those sets. With Smallville I didn't mind the product placement before because it was interwoven quite well into the storyline from Remy Zero to Lois' sweet Ford Fusion ride.
However, in the episode of "Hero" it was shown quite poorly because they made it laughable. Seriously, Stride kryptonite bubblegum which made Pete stretch out like Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic. With the exception of Kara's save in the teaser it was quite laughable because it was just too blantly noticeable. It wasn't subtle like in season four where we saw Old Spice throughout Clark's football storyline. Then you have the whole Pete's insecurity of being in Clark's shadow. I'm glad Pete finally accepted things by the end of the episode and it gave closure to that storyline, but then again I thought he did in season three's episode "Velocity" and "Truth". So was it needed for Pete to have his Clark Shadow Insecurity brought up again? I honestly don't believe so. I felt it was unnecessary since Pete and Clark fought about it and talked it out way back in season three. They could have done something differently with Pete's return and have a storyline that wasn't originated from that high school insecurity that was already closed up in season three. They could have done Pete's hero storyline by having him perhaps be a private investigator, and digging up the dirty deal Pete's father and uncle had with Lionel Luthor thus bringing up Jonathan's involvement in the deal. I always thought there was great potential angst that we haven't seen between Clark and Pete. Alas, that didn't happen and we got the lackluster Stride gum "Hero" episode instead *shrugs*.
The Pros
Now that we got the negatives out of the way it's time to go into the positives of the seasons. The season truly had some amazing memorable moments in the series. Scenes that would forever be part of the show's history that pushed these characters to the next level.
Bizarro the Shadow Self of Clark Kent - Bizarro has always been one of my favorite characters no matter the medium. I thought the show did an exceptional job in portraying this character. Tom Welling made sure he wasn't like RedK!Clark or Kal-El, but a person who was completely disturbing underneath and just happened to look like Clark. It's a hard feet to do, but if you rewatch the episode "Gemini" you can see subtle differences with his mannersims and facial expressions. For instance, Bizarro's voice is deeper than Clark's, and he always wears the blue jacket and not the red one. There is one point in Bizarro's arc where he is so completely bored out of his mind with Chloe that he shakes his head in annoyance right behind her back hehe. Little things that Tom, the writers, or directors did helped show Bizarro is someone we haven't yet seen on the show. Someone who is just completely out of control murder, but knows Clark so well since he basically downloaded everything from his DNA to his memories and feelings. He's such an interesting villain Clark had to face because he not only matched Clark in strength, but he also was a mental obstacle for Clark. Granted Brainaic is just like that, but he doesn't know everything inside like Clark. Bizarro is someone who made Clark face his own vices about himself, and I don't care who you are when someone knows you that well it's going to hit some nerves. To top that off you have the romantic obstacle of Bizarro feeling like a human by having feelings for Lana and flirting with Lois. Forget ships aside those moments are pretty priceless for me. Bizarro checking Lois out and getting all hands on her....man....I'm giggling at the scene just thinking about it lol. Whereas with Lana I thought Bizarro served a perfect purpose at showing one of the reasons why Clana is never meant to be in the end. Lana seriously couldn't figure out that Bizarro wasn't Clark, and she was all in La La Land.
The moment Bizarro started to open up, didn't really look for Clark's cousin Kara (seriously Clark craves anything family and feels responsible for her -- Lana was seriously thinking about herself in La La Land), and was more physical with her (which by the way Tom Welling looked amazing in his first season in "Persona" *drools*) should have been some red flags for Lana. Especially considering the fact Clark started to see her darkness in "Wrath", and that is something Clark easily forgets. I thought Lana wanted to believe Bizarro was Clark because she was in denial of what is right in front of her and in all honestly she was thinking of her own selfish needs. Sometimes it is easier to be in denial and go back to things were, but Lana was seriously kidding herself. She was with Bizarro for a month, and she couldn't tell it wasn't Clark lol. Delusional or not it's just another notch as to why Clana wasn't meant to be in the show's universe. Whereas Lois knew right away something wasn't right with Clark in "Bizarro". Even though Bizarro is a murder on Krypton and Earth it was still kinda sad to see him die by, Lana, the person he trusted the most. I thought everyone did a great job with this storyline, and it pushed other storylines forward and gave some backstory about life on Krypton. Plus the fight scenes in "Bizarro" were just made of awesome, and I loved how they used the light throughout Bizarro's arc to show his broken-up face.
Brainaic Returns - The previous seasons Brainaic was intense from starting Dark Thursday to places the chess pieces to get General Zod out of the Phantom Zone. In this season you really get more into the darkness of this character. To see how he adapts to current situations everytime he is forced to shut down his system. I loved this villain in all mediums, and in this season they took it up a notch. Once again he played chess with everyone to get what he wants from playing Bizarro to malipulating Kara's kindness of others to get her braclet to make the boom tube to the past. He was (almost) perfectly played in his chess game except one should never underestimate Clark Kent. One of the most chilling Brainiac moments came from the episode "Veritas".
The way he harmed Lana was so sad to see because he controlled Lana's every movement, she was in pain constantly, and he talked to Clark using Lana's body *shivers*. Man, it was so richly intense, and the show did an exceptional job at it from the dialogue (how James Masters delivers the lines that describes Lana's illness brought back memories of Spike for me) to the music "One More Day" by VAST was just one of the many reasons "Veritas" is one of my favorite episodes from the series. It was chilling, and sad not only for Lana and Clark but also for Kara since she basically scarificed herself to help others. The dark character of Brainiaic really helped push the show to go beyond the FoTW storylines onto villains that truly challenged Clark and pushed him to his destiny. Without Brainiac we wouldn't have gotten the Zoners, Bizarro, Doomsday, and etc. On this show everything is all intertwined. You can't have the development in one season without the previous season's events. Now that's what I look for in my tv shows, and the character of Brainaic served that purpose so well. I almost forgot to mention how cool was it to have Superman: The Movie Marc McClure to play Dax-Ur, a Kryptonian scientist that helped create Brainaic, to give not only advice to Clark (that he will later use since he will be married to Lois Lane someday) to the backstory on blue kryptonite and Brainaic. To see Marc McClure with another Superman was a sight to see because it just gave you those butterflies, and he had great chemistry with Tom. One of my favorite quotes from his character is telling Clark that the House of El were always survivors because as we can see from Kara and Clark's arrivals on Earth that case is very true.
Kara the True Supergirl - Imagine being eight years old and reading about a young girl who is stubborn, loyal, funny, fiesty, and not only make mistakes but also learn from them. She was the first comic book female character that I could relate to. She is still one of my favorite female characters to this day, and her stories in the comics still get to me. I seen nearly everything with this character in it from the ill-fated movie that starred Helen Slater (more on her later of course but I have to say even though that movie was gawd awful Helen Slater's portrayol of the movie was great) to the recent cartoons Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited (telling you the cartoon series helped bring this character back to life and she was utterly adoreable in those cartoons). So needless to say when I first heard about Supergirl coming to the show I seriously fangeeked out. I was dying all summer until they revealed who was going to play this character, and they chose the perfect person for the role. Laura Vandervoort looked just like my favorite character herego breathtaking beauty, and she portrayed her perfectly.
I loved that the writers were able to show Kara's love for horses by showing her taking care of them in "Veritas" and "Lara". The shout-out is right up there of having both Supergirls in the same frame in "Lara", and Kara calling herself Linda when she didn't have any memory. That small scene of Kara petting and feeding that horse just melt the inner fangirl inside because I honestly didn't expect the writes to touch upon it in the series. Laura and the writers did an awesome job of showing Kara's character traits of sexy, lost girl vulerability, adoreableness, and this great inner strength within. Plus for the most part I loved the clothes they put on from Kara Kent's farm look (I seriously want the jeans, white tops, and definitely the tan jacket -- they even put her in red flannel to match Clark's blue flannel which was just too cute with the matching Superman family colors) to her dresses. I couldn't be more pleased, and her interaction with Tom Welling's Clark was perfect.
They had that right touch of playful, adoreable chemistry you can not only see between long lost cousins but also siblings. From the way Kara teased and tried to teach Clark how to fly to Clark teaching Kara how to use her heat vision with watermelons hehe. Those training scenes were just too adoreable, and Tom and Laura hit that sibling-cousin chemistry out of the park. Alas, despite other characters' misgivings, A.I. Jor-El's advice, and Kara's mistakes Clark still doesn't give up his "older" cousin. To think what would happen to this vulerable, lost girl if Clark gave up on her. Clark's relationship with his cousin is one of the many examples of why he is the Man of Steel. The SuperCousins have each other's back, and I can't wait to see them together again for one more time in the show's final season. Plus weren't they the hottest cousin duo you have ever seen on primetime tv or what lol.
I'm glad they slowly developed Kara's character because I was concern that perhaps they would rush things a bit too fast with her. That they showed just because she can fly doesn't mean she still needs to learn things around her, and most importantly Kara wants to learn. Kara's journey has always been about the emotional and mental aspects of the character. She has her powers already, but she lacks in control of them. Which is why just like any young adult Kara has to figure out what she wants in life, patience, and knowing what type of person her father sadly was. The only way to do that is to break away from her controlling father (more on him later of course). I loved that the writers had Kara stand up to her father in "Blue" from protecting humans to her Aunt and "little" cousin. While "Veritas" is a very important episode and an episode for this character's development, but "Blue" is just as pivotal for Kara's character. When Kara told her father, "I might have not been here long, but I learned one thing: Everything you told me about humans is wrong. They're good people and they are worth defending." I cheered during the original airing, and I cheered during my rewatching. That was the moment Kara chose her side, and her father could no longer mindwipe her to control his daughter. The love and lessons given by her aunt, Clark, and others around her was simply too strong. Kara couldn't get to that scarificial state of mind in "Veritas" without the events and decisions she did in "Blue" against her controlling, malipulative father Zor-El. Plus you gotta love how they led up to Kara's stand in "Blue" (and her decisions in "Traveler" when she got her memory back) by planting the foundation seeds in the episode of "Lara" where Kara remembers her first arrival to Earth with her beloved Aunt Lara. I also loved that touched upon the comic book story arc of Kara not exactly being an ally of Clark's. That she could be a villain of Clark's and later the world's since Zor-El believed in conquering the world for his own agenda because of the malipulations by her father. You have this person who remembers Krypton, the House of El, and is now in a whole other world she simply doesn't understand but just loves the music (gawd I love that they had Kara addicted to her iPod and music -- such a Kara thing to do). She made mistakes along the way and is a snippy young adult, but eventually becomes into her own.
In "Vertias" Kara knows full well that Brainaic is not to be trusted and that she will most likely will not be returning to Earth anytime soon. She went with Brainaic because Kara grew to love humans because of the kindness of Clark's teachings, Lois, Lana, Lionel, Lara, and Jimmy. To see this character who arrived to Earth picking up little boys on the playground (hehe I loved that scene btw lol) with a snippy attitude to a character who put her life on the line for others with a more calmer-yet-still-sassy attitude. Great development all around for this character. For me Kara became Supergirl in "Veritas" with her scarifice. The writers and Laura did an awesome job at Kara's storyline, and it pushed many storylines forward. It jump started Lex's involvement in Veritas (might add I loved that had Lex and Kara interact in an almost romantic sense since that happened in the comics -- so many shout-outs in Kara's storyline), touched upon that cute chemistry between Jimmy and Kara (something that was seen in the cartoon series) to later push Chloe and Jimmy together thus setting up their awesome angsty storyline in season eight, and it brought so much backstory about Zor-El, Lara, Jor-El, and Krypton. Needless to say I'm simply overjoyed that Kara will be returning to the show in it's final season, and to think her episode is called "Supergirl" *fansqueels*. To think this character was primarly designed to be around for three episodes, but it propelled to a season seven regular and special guest star status.
Lara, Zor-El, and 1986 Krypton - Ever since season three episode "Memoria" I have been dying to see or to know about Smallville's version of Lara, and boy did they deliver for this fangirl. Helen Slater was a perfect fit for the character, and for this former Supergirl to be in scenes with the this generation's Supergirl was utterly perfect. The sweet chemistry between Lara and Kara were some of my favorite moments from the series. They just had this endearing mother and daughter chemistry that reminds me of Laura Vandervoort's V current storyline with suggorate mother figure Erica Evans (I only seen a few episodes when I have the time but I'm planning on getting the dvd boxset of that show in October since it's quite entertaining and I'm loving Laura's character on that show). Plus it doesn't hurt that all these actresses have this warmth quality to them. The flashback scenes of Lara and Kara in "Lara" were utterly adoreable because you finally get to see what the things Kara told Clark about in the earlier episodes. That Clark was Lara's "miracle baby", and she cherished her boy so. To see the place where he will be raised, and to ensure the fact these were the right people for her child.
Plus you know Lara was a thoughtful, caring person because you can see how motherly Lara was with Kara during their flashback scenes. You can see why Kara adored her aunt so, and why she would skip out of Kandor to visit her. I also adored that Lara accepted and praised Kara's name for the new addition to the House of El. I loved the subtle, meaningful things in the episode of "Lara" from naming Kal-El to Kara taking a picture of Lara. Which later becomes somewhat of a present Kara gives to her "younger" cousin. Just as much as I loved watching Lara and Kara's relationship I was happy to see Clark finally meeting his biological mother. She was just as sweet, proud, and scarifical as she was in "Memoria". Lara's episodes on this show was beautifully led up to through the flashback scene in "Memoria" to Kara retelling her memories to finally seeing mother and son reunited. To think two seasons from now Clark will get to know who his biological father was due to the power of Kryptonian cloning and Major Zod's memories of Jor-El.
With Kara's arrival on the show I was hoping her father would also appear because he is just as devious as General Zod was, and the hardest part was that he was family and Zor-El had a daughter with a kind heart that was in the crossfire of it all. Having Kara on board allowed more of the House of El backstory to be explored. To hear the sibling riff between Jor-El and Zor-El that would later have both brothers on different sides of the road. Zor-El was jealous of Jor-El's life whereas General Zod stopped being an ally because of ethnics, morals, and he blamed Jor-El passive decision making in regards to cloning. If you combined Jor-El destructive brotherly relationships with Zor-El and Zod, then you have the parallel relationship of Clark and Lex (and later on Major Zod). It was to the point Zor-El tried to kill his own brother. When Kara said the House of El was a "dysfunctional family" she was being quite lenient on the topic lol. So it was nice to see the SuperCousins move another direction that didn't follow their fathers' path. The only thing I wished the writers would have done to flesh out Zor-El's character, and give even more continuity to the show was to put the things in the CW Smallville "Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton" webseries into the show. 'Cause in the webseries they speak of so much, such as Zor-El being a disciple of Zod and sending two of his disciples to Earth (i.e. S5 Premiere "Arrival"), Kara showing seeds of rebellion against her father and his constant mindwipe of her, and fulfulling Rao's prophecy (i.e. S2, S3, & S9). That webseries truly gave a lot of backstory on the House of El, and continued the aggressive line of thinking we will see again in season nine with Major Zod's character. After rewatching the season I never realized that Zor-El was Supernatural's very own Hell torturer Alastair. Christopher Heyerdal portrayed both characters awesomely I must say.
Having the Kryptonian mythology of the past such a big storyline in this season it allowed viewers to some amazing things. One such amazing thing was seeing the destruction of Krypton through Kara's memory and Clark going back in time at 1986. The crew did an amazing job of slightly altering the Fortress of Soltitude set into Krypton's destruction from the CGI to bringing back Clark's ship from "Tempest". Anytime a character goes back in time I just love it even if there might be some glaring plotholes in the storyline. It's just so entertaining for this history grad lol.
Lex is the Villain of the Story - This was the season where Lex fully accepted his destiny, and Lionel saw right through it. He didn't believe for a minute Lex was looking at a higher calling when he was saved by Kara in "Bizarro" as compared to when Lex was saved by Clark in "Pilot". That said I truly believe they did that higher calling with Lex to get Lana back to Smallville without Lex's pinning eyes watching her. It was a quite solution, but at least the cloning of Lana was led up to with Project Ares, adult Julian Luthor, and the subject of clones was heavily used in season nine. The quick Lexana fix was tolerable because there was no way Lana was going to be in China for the first half of the season, and let Lex and Lionel get away with things they done to her.
Speaking of Julian or Grant I think it's another storyline that was floundering, and didn't know what exactly to do with him per sa once he fulfilled his purpose at The Daily Planet. He was a great tool to bring both Lois and Lex into the The Daily Planet, and he had that great Chief Editor energy when he sparred with Lois and Chloe. Once that ended you can see the floundering that was going on, so the death of Julian Luthor wasn't surprising. That said it still showed how desperate Lex was to have some type of family or anyone near him just as long as he could control them. It's a character trait Lex Luthor, no matter the medium, possesses because it's one of his major flaws. He needs and thrives off that controlling behavior over others. Creating Julian for Lex's own selfish needs, trying to control him, and then killing him was just another sign that Lex truly can't stop himself despite his so-called sugar-coated intentions. Plus you just know, whether it was shown on-screen or not, that Lionel knew Julian's death wasn't a mere mugging gone wrong. In the end I felt the most ache for Lionel because it was something he too deeply missed, but he wasn't going at in a malipluative way as compared to the old Lionel.
In any case, I was glad to see the higher calling stint slowly dissolved because if it went on for too long it would feel quite repeative and almost regressive considering what occured during season six. That said one storyline I did enjoy during the higher calling stint was Lex trying to heal metahumans through the immortal medical skills of Dr. Curtis Knox. Knox's story was basically a morbid version of Dr. Frankenstein, and Dean Cain did an awesome job at playing a villain. It was nice to finally see a special guest star from the Superman franchaise to play the villain. Dean Cain still has that precense that makes him quite charming, and had great chemistry with Michael and Tom. Plus it enabled Chloe to finally accept her metahuman abilities which by the way that storyline truly fizzled out quickly lol. Was it because the feedback was poor or was it because of the writer's strike they had to speed other storylines up? I have no idea, but that's one storyline that truly went out fast considering the massive build-up in season six. That said I think it was the right choice considering other character storylines had to be developed or set-up.
Speaking of Chloe's healing ability it did have it's usefullness in one of my favorite episodes of the series "Fracture". That episode was awesome from beginning to end. Not only was it a great episode because it brought Kara back into the mix, and had her interact with Lois (those two make a great team), but it showed so much about Lex's psychie. It truly kicked off Lex's final descent into darkness despite the fact little Alexander was still inside him. You can see how evil and stronger Lex was in comparison to that small, scared little boy Alexander inside. Little Alexander's role was perfectly cast, and he had amazing chemistry with nearly every castmember. One of my favorite moments is Clark talking to Alexander, and telling not to give up and that he will see him again. It was so touching and utterly adoreable. That episode also brought upon some distrubing moments, such as Lionel becoming physically violent with Lillian (good reminder of how much Lionel had changed and what he once was) and Lex forcing Clark to see Lexana sex in "Wraith". Another distrubing moment is when Clark is beating the crap out of Lex to protect Alexander, and instead of crying in pain bloody Lex is laughing his face off. The director did an awesome job of turning a beautiful sex scene into a distrubing one in a matter of a few seconds. I don't know about you, but it gave me chills. Last but not least it kicked off the Veritas storyline into full gear.
Yes, that storyline does have a few plotholes, such as the symbol wasn't shown on the props until this season lol. I heard the Veritas storyline was heavily ridculed, but I loved it for so many reasons. I thought it connected to so many storylines on the show in a very intertwined way. There was that great flashback scene of young Jason Teague, Oliver Queen (who had his cute little bow and arrow way back when), Patricia Swann, and Alexander playing hide and seek. The younger actors were casted perfectly because they actually looked like their adult counterparts. That was one of my favorite moments to see these characters at a younger age before all the chaos and the deaths of the Veritas Society. In fact all the flashback scenes I loved from Alexander seeing Dr. Swann to the real reason behind Lionel going to Smallville on the day of the first meteor shower.
I thought did an exceptional job at casting Robert Queen because for one he was so handsome and looked a lot like Justin Hartley. He carried himself in nearly the same way as Ollie does, but it's shame they didn't elaborate on the Queens' plane crash. 'Cause in the Oliver Queen Chronicles webseries (a special feature on the S6 dvd) Ollie crashed on the same island as his parents, and Ollie later discovered his parents' wedding rings and a note his mother wrote to him before the crash. Having Lex witness the fact Lionel had the Queens killed to get the other key opened up a compelling, dark storyline for Oliver's character in the coming season that will help mold Oliver into that rugged, rebellious Green Arrow we know in the comics. Seeing the backstory of the Veritas Society and Lex finding all the keys around the world just made me fangeek out. It reminded me a little of the Crystal arc in season four of everyone trying to find the crystals to form the Fortress of Soltitude. Here you had keys and special openings with a musical clock. I just love things like no matter the medium.
Plus it was a nice way to bring back Dr. Swann through the means of flashbacks, and the positive legacy he continues to bring through his lovely daughter Patricia Swann. Patricia Swann was perfectly casted for the role because she carried the same grace and good-yet-mysterious intentions Christopher Reeve gave Dr. Swann so many years ago. The actress who played Patricia had great chemistry with Tom Welling, and it was sad to see this character die off so quickly. That said her death was just another kilometer in Lex's descent into darkness. Lex killed his childhood friend, and he felt nothing except for being proud at having the job done and retreiving Patricia's necklace. He could have had the necklace copied, but no he wanted Patricia dead to cover his greedy tracks.
The only thing I was underwhelmed by was Edward Teague's introduction because it felt kinda lame. It emphasized the anti-alien viewpoint that Lex, John Corben/Metallo, Checkmate, and etc will carry out throughout the show's last few seasons which I did enjoy because it's a common theme in comics and movies. The writers covered all it's bases because I always wondered what became of Edward Teague since he was a member of the Veritas Society, and his wife and son were killed due to the crystal arc in season four. I was glad to see the writers fully close the Veritas storyline and the Teague family because there were no loose ends. It's just something about the Edward Teague portion felt kinda blah to me, and I was surprised by that in my rewatching because I always loved the Teague storyline during season four.
Not only did we get rich backstory on the characters' parents, connecting to the Kryptonians coming to Earth and the Traveler prophecy (which connected to the Rao prophecy that was spoken about since S2), but it also served it's purpose in solidfy Lionel's redemption and Lex's descent into evil. Once again Lionel's methods (Traveler cage anyone) got in the way of others trusting Lionel, and as I said in my previous rewatched post one can't easily forget the old Lionel. We all would like to think we can fully trust an untrustworthy person, but we simply don't work like that. Whether we like to admit it or not we still remember those massive negative events that people have done to us. So for Lionel to not only face his downspiraling son he also had to face the ridcule of the others that once trusted him. I was glad to see Lionel not falter from his protection of Clark and the world. Lionel (and later Oliver) is a prime example of redemption on the show because when we first saw Lionel he was this controlling, abusive father who craved and thrived off power and greed. Alas, jump to season seven you have this man who had changed so much despite having the same errantic methods to achieve his goals. Sometimes you can't wash off all those stripes off a Tigger. Lionel's death and funeral was so rich and compelling dark, and I loved every minute of it. It was sad to see Lionel take that swan dive from his son's hands (something we knew was going to happen eventually), and his funeral was equally as tragic.
Since Lex didn't allow any visitors it was lovely to see Clark show his appreciation for Lionel by attending and putting the dirt in the grave. The director did a great job by literally showing Lex and Clark on opposite sides now, and to see Lex smile at funeral.....man....it just gave you chills. "Descent" lived up to it's name because it turned Lex into this mean, selfish, and greeding villian that has been led-up to beautifully since season one. That episode was made of awesome because once again we were able to go into Lex's psychie by having himself talk to his inner child. The only thing left withing him that holds his redemption. The moment Lex figuratively killed young Alexander, which was also chilling, his redemption was no more. Lex had nothing to be redeemed about him any longer. The exhange between Clark and Lex illustrated that with Lex's devilish smile and Clark's Supermanly disapproval look. Lex accomplished his young adult objective in life which is surpassing his father, and once again the Luthor tradition was repeated once again. Lionel killed his father, and Lex killed Lionel. The visious cycle of the Luthors indeed.
Relationships Galore!! - This post is getting longer than I expected it to be, so I'll try to make this part as short as possible. With Lana out of the picture I was glad to see more of a push of romantic Clark and Lois. It's one of the reasons "Apocalypse" was a fan favorite because it was so iconic with it's relationships from Clark saving Lois and holding her in his arms to the SuperCousins trying to save the world from the evil clutches of Lex Luthor and Brainaic. Plus it was great foreshadowing of Clark going into reporter mode, and he wore the famous CK glasses!! That episode had everything in it that makes Superman so endearing for so many decades. Just like the season before it Clois supported each other through the rough times of their relationships. Clark had Lois' back when Oliver left again, and Lois had Clark's back when Lana left the videotape (more on that on the season eight post). Season seven built more foundation of Clois' friendship and flirtation that will lead into the last three seasons of show and later their iconic wedding bliss.
Another relationship I just loved seeing was Oliver and Lois *sigh*. Justin and Erica just have that yummy chemistry, and man when they broke up for good in "Siren" it was still so sad. Even though I loved Oliver and Lois together dearly "Siren" truly started the iconic relationships of Oliver/Dinah and Clois. I loved the comedy done by Erica and Justin when Lois figures out Oliver is the Green Arrow, and their kidnapping chaos with Black Canary. "Siren" was a great foreshadowing of Lois, specifically in season nine, one day sharing Superman with the world, and understanding and accepting the dual-identity life of a superhero.
I hope they bring Black Canary/Dinah back for an episode or two in the final season because Oliver really needs to get away from the boring and OOC Chlollie. No offense to any Chlollie fans, but I'm a viewer that is not on that bandwagon. Just with their small scenes Oliver and Dinah had this very relaxing, unforced chemistry that I adored. Just like Aquaman before her Black Canary had a bit of a rough start, but the more they used her the better the character was written. Lastly, the relationship I was overjoyed to see more screentime devoted to was Lois and Jimmy's friendship. We saw a bit of it in season six, but in this season this duo was working overtime from trying to find things out about Lex to be locked in The Daily Planet's freezer lol.
Overall, this season was a mixed bag, but the pros of the season were beyond amazng especially in my second viewing from Lex's descent and Lionel's death to setting up the last three seasons of the show. The only major disappointment that I didn't put in the Cons section because I would have to write a novel to get through all my ranting had to deal with the anti-climatic showdown between Lex and Clark in "Arctic". The dialogue from Lex was great and delivered perfectly by Michael, but the whole scene in itself was quite underwhelming. I truly hope Michael comes back for the final season because with this show iconic is the word, and nothing gets more iconic than Superman and Lex going at it. Thanks for reading and sorry in advance for my poor grammer and spelling errors.