Kal-El's Newest Fan

And now, a word from the other (less good-looking) half of dawrighthouse.

As B has pointed out on some previous posts, she's into a new show called "Homeland".  What she neglected to mention is that she has also started watching another show, with me.  Granted, this show was my idea, but she has really taken to it.  And that show is:

Smallville, if you've never heard of it, is the story of Clark Kent as he negotiates his way through high school and early adulthood to ultimately become what we all know him as:  Superman.  The show ran on the CW network from 2001-2011, and over the past couple of years (especially with the release of Superman Returns in 2006 and Man of Steel this past summer) I've been interested in giving it a try.

The main cast of Season 1

We're about halfway through season 1, and so far, it's not bad.  The first season of a show is rarely the best season, in my experience (although LOST and Battlestar Galactica are two notable exceptions); the cast usually has to get comfortable in their roles, and the show in general needs to find the right gear.  That is certainly true of Smallville,  but the show has definite potential.  There is alot of foreshadowing of what Clark's life will be like in the future; a future that, as a 17-year-old high school student, he doesn't have a clue about.  This leads to some funny dialogue; when asked by one of his friends what he wanted to do when he grows up, he responded, "I don't know, but I sure hope it doesn't involve wearing a suit and doing alot of flying around."

This is not the Superman of the Christopher Reeve movies (which I grew up watching).  It's actually more akin to this past summer's Man of Steel; Clark knows that he's different (his parents tell him in the first episode that he's not from Earth), but he has to grow into his powers.  He has to figure out how to use his strength without being destructive, how to control his X-ray vision, etc.  The first season is set in somewhat of a "villain of the week" pattern, but interestingly Clark can't always use his super abilities to solve problems.  Mostly this is due to his having to keep those abilities secret, something that his earthly parents are adamant about.

Lex Luthor, Clark Kent, and Lana Lang

For me, this is one of the endearing qualities of the Superman story.  Kal-El--Superman's real name--was raised by good, wholesome, salt-of-the-earth people; his parents instilled good values and a hard work ethic in him as they raised him on their farm.  Watching this show, you get the idea of how significant this is; since he would appear to mere mortals almost as a god, if Kal-El was not a good person at heart, things would go very badly for the people of earth.

One of the most interesting aspects of Smallville is Clark's relationship with a young Lex Luthor, played very, very well by actor Michael Rosenbaum:

Lex and Clark are friends; Lex is only a couple of years older than Clark, and works for his dad's corporation in the town of Smallville.  Lex suspects there is something different about Clark, but he (as of yet) can't figure out what it is.  Lex can also be very ruthless in dealing with those who cross him, but you get the sense that he genuinely likes Clark and his family.  This should make for some interesting TV down the road, as something will obviously drive them apart.

It's a little rough around the edges--the show started 12 years ago, after all--but I'm hooked, and B is as well (although she'd never admit it to any of you).  And since this show has already completed, if any of you have seen it, no spoilers please!

And next time you see her, ask her what she thinks of Lex.