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Probably the biggest failing of the Superman movies so far has been its superficial treatment of the villians. They are all evil, and their wickedness is taken at face value without any inspiration or history. This is where this series comes in and really fills a niche. Lex Luthor is wealthy beyond measure, and his deeds are not inspired primarily by greed, as in the Christopher Reeve / Gene Hackman movies. Instead, he is fueled by curiousity, loneliness, and a desire for others to trust him. First, he is curious about the effects the meteor showers have had on Smallville, yet whenever he digs, Clark Kent is there covering something up. Second, he is lonely. Whether by his bald head, his wealthy status or the upbringing by his father, his most stable companions are books and the wisdom they impart to him. Last, he needs others. Of all the characters in the series, he reaches out to others more than anyone else, and gets rejected most often. All three of this trends come together in Season Five to create the man that will become a monster. Finally, a TV show that explores the villians as much as it explores the heroes. For that, this is a great show to watch.
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Video quality is reference for a DVD. Saturated colors, skilled camera work, good sound, all wrapped up in the best show on TV.
This season was the best so far and is worth every penny. Don't hesitate to pick this one up.
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I've been a comics fan since the 1950's. Comics literally helped me learn to read. The first super hero comics I read were about Superman, Batman, etc.
I wasn't able to watch the Smallville series originally because I didn't have cable tv. I live in a small town in Maine, and the signal from the "broadcast" channel was too weak to watch.
A few months ago I came into some money, and gleefully ordered this set. I just loved it. I loved it so much that I just ordered Season 6 as well.
Now I'm experiencing the Joy of Comics, after a 20-year "vacation."
I've also ordered Superman Doomsday.
Oh, yes, and I plan to order Spiderman 3, in case you're interested.
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Season five of the WB's (now the CW) Superman as a teenager drama, Smallville produced a landmark episode, introduced a few new superheroes that show up in Superman's future and also saw the death of one of the show's most-loved characters.
Early in the fifth season, the show reached its 100th episode, quite an accomplishment in and of itself, and that episode, "Reckoning," was when the powers that be decided that a major character was going to die, and while most people could read the writing on the wall as to who that character would be, the show did tease a little bit, leading viewers to think it may be somebody other than Clark's father, Jonathan, but in the end, the newly-elected Senator Kent was stricken moments after fighting with Lionel Luthor, surrounded by his wife and son.
Smallville explores the youth of future Superman Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he learns to deal with his powers and how to use them to help others. This season was the first season that the main character and his friends were no longer in high school, so the show shifted a little bit, with a lot of action taking place in nearby Metropolis.
As Clark struggles with his secret, another person becomes a keeper of that secret. Clark's friend Chloe (Allison Mack) learned of the secret late in season four, but she gets closer to Clark in the fifth season as he realizes she knows and finds himself becoming more and more comfortable around her. Clark's relationship with the love of his teenage life, Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) is another story, as he struggles keeping his secret from her. He finally tells her and in the 100th episode, Lana is killed while being chased by Lex (Michael Rosenbaum), forcing Clark to request a favor of his biological father Jor-El. Clark gets to live the day over, doesn't tell Lana his secret and saves her, eventually leading to the death of Jonathan Kent (John Schneider).
Lana turns to Lex for comfort and finds much more than that, as the two begin a relationship that is certainly doomed from the start, but one that infuriates Clark as he truly believes the horrible things that Lex is capable of and doesn't want Lana to be part of them. Lana's romance with Lex also stems from a mutual interest in a space ship that crashed in the finale of season four and which Lex secures in the start of this season.
At the start of the season, Clark and Chloe both end up in the "Fortress of Solitude," where Clark accidently releases Krypontians from the Phantom Zone. One Kryptonian who comes to play a big part in the season is Milton Fine (guest star James Marsters), who also will be known as Brainiac. He is a professor at Central Kansas A and M, where Clark is a student, but his Kryptonian heritage is discovered as he tries to convince Clark that Jor-El was evil. The two do battle, with Clark coming out on top in the first round, but Fine seemingly getting revenge in the finale.
Chloe takes her journalism to Metropolis University, where she rooms with Lana. Chloe also gets a job at the Daily Planet, where she uses all the resources available to her to help Clark fight against the evil of the world. She also spends a good deal of time with her cousin, Lois Lane (Erica Durance), who showed up in the previous season as a regular hinderance in Clark's life. Lois also gets the chance to serve as campaign manager for Jonathan's senate run against Lex and eventually as Martha Kent's (Annette O'Toole) chief of staff when she takes her husband's seat.
Lionel Luthor (John Glover) also discovers Clark's secrets and uses them to his advantage with the Kents, eventually leading to the heart attack that kills Jonathan. He also finances Jonathan's senate run against his son, knowing that the power that Lex is seeking will only make him hungry for more and he believes that is not good for anybody. Lionel also seems very interested in Martha Kent as the season winds down.
The landmark episode was certainly the 100th, which featured the death of Jonathan and the break-up of Clark and Lana. In addition, the season also features the introduction of Aquaman and Cyborg, friends who will come back to help Clark in the future. The highlight of the season for me, anyway, was the episode that featured John Schneider's former Dukes of Hazzard co-star Tom Wopat at Senator Jack Jennings. The two really play up the whole Hazzard connection, right down to a 1969 Dodge Charger with a stuck passenger side door. I really got a kick out of that episode and was glad the two got to work together before Schneider's character died.
This set also featured two commentary tracks, deleted scenes and a great behind-the-scenes look at the making of the landmark 100th episode, all solid extras on another solid set.
All told, the fifth season of Smallville's only weakness may indeed be Kryptonite.
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A lot of stuff happens this season that makes this worth buying; Aquaman, silver Kryptonite, Braniac and the death of a family member are just a few things that happen this season. Season five is definitely one of the most exciting seasons and one of the most interesting since a lot of it takes place in Metropolis. The series just gets better and better with each season
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