DVD : Smallville - The Complete Seventh Season [Blu-ray]

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- An excellent season for a show that has been on for seven years
Warning! Several spoilers!

I have long had a conflicted reaction to SMALLVILLE. On the one hand I really like a lot of the main characters -- the reconception of Lex Luthor and the invention of the character of Chloe Sullivan are two major contributions to the Superman mythology -- and there are in each season at least a few exceptionally good episodes. On the other hand, SMALLVILLE narratively remains one of the most timid shows on TV, barely moving the overall story along from one season to the next. Fans of LOST became unhappy with the series both in Season Two and at the very beginning of Season Three because the show seemed to go into something of a holding pattern. Instead of moving the story along, it seemed to be standing still (luckily LOST dramatically picked up the pace in the last 16 episodes of Season Three and all of Season Four). But compared to SMALLVILLE, even at its slowest LOST seemed to be moving along at a jacket rabbit pace. Both shows seem slow compared to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, which has moved its story along at a refreshingly brisk pace.

So, all in all, not much happened in Season Seven of SMALLVILLE, much like all previous seasons. The goal of the show seems to be to stretch it out as long as possible, not to make the best show that they can. Four or five episodes can pass with virtually nothing of significance having happened, and then you get an exception one like "Descent," in which Lex kills his own father Lionel, and Lex is transformed into something approximating the utterly evil Lex Luthor of traditional Superman.

But the timidity of the writers/producers dominates the show. Only at the end of the season do we finally see what appears to be the genuine end of the Lana/Clark romance. Lois was introduced seasons ago, yet it is hard to imagine her and Clark having much chemistry (that will be the great challenge for Season Eight, making the eventual romance between the two of them seem not merely possible but plausible). They seem more than anything like non-kissing cousins. New plot wrinkles were introduced in Season Seven, like Clark's cousin Kara arriving and the emergence of the Veritas organization, but these mainly seemed to be ways of postponing the real story. And what is that? How a mild-mannered farm boy (as Lois puts it) can be transformed into the world's greatest super hero. In Season Six we seemed to be moving a bit in that direction with Oliver Queen urging to use his abilities for some greater purpose, but in Season Seven Clark seems to have regressed. He seems -- to be blunt -- to be clueless about what he should be doing with his life.

The biggest story surrounding Season Seven really is about what it portends for Season Eight. There is absolutely no question, the changes from Season Seven to Eight will be enormous. Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and Kristin Kreuk (Lana) both will be more or less leaving the show. Lex should be present in at least the first episode of Season Eight, but while both are supposed to return in guest roles, neither is expected to play a major role next season. Also gone is John Glover as Lionel Luthor. It could have been worse. After these three major characters were acknowledged by the studio to be leaving, Allison Mack's agent demanded a substantial raise, since Chloe would be the only major remaining character besides Clark from Season One. After a few days of posturing and an enormous outcry of outrage by fans, it was announced that Chloe would indeed returning (I hope her raise was a good one -- she deserves it). This good news was tempered with reports that Laura Vandervoort, who had been excellent in Season Seven as Kara (aka Supergirl), might not be returning in Season Eight. I hope they bring her back. This show has lost an exceptional number of familiar faces in recent years. They ought to try and keep any good, new one. There are rumors that Oliver Queen aka The Green Arrow might be back for at least part of Season Eight.

But my major concerns with Season Eight return to questions of narrative. Speed it up, guys! They really need this season to deal with two major issues and then bring the series to an end. First, they really need to make this particular Clark and this particular Lois believable as a romantically destined couple. Second, they need to give Clark the backbone to face up to the significance of his having the powers that he does and what that entails. In other words, Clark needs to become heroic on a truly super level. As far as the romance goes, there have been other shows that have successfully replaced one epic romantic couple with another. The love of Buffy's life was Angel, but her romance with Spike was engrossing in its own way. And while for three years the great romantic couple on THE O.C. was Ryan and Marissa (though I personally preferred Summer and Seth), Season Four made us forget all about R&M by unexpectedly pairing Ryan with Taylor, a character he had had absolutely no romantic vibes with in Season Three. The show needs to hit the ground running in Season Eight pushing the whole Lois and Clark thing. We have to believe that they might have a future together by the time the series ends. Right now it takes a heck of a lot of imagination to imagine them together.

Update (July): The people taking over the production of the show apparently are having some of the same feelings about the need to develop the Lois and Clark connection as I mentioned above. Multiple leaks indicate the Season 8 will show a definite racheting up of the relationship between those two, though initially it will be more comedic than dramatic. I think that could be wise. It is easier to imagine them developing feelings through comic situations than heavy emotionally ones. But the leaks definitely have me looking forward to what comes next. Also, confirmation that Oliver Queen will be very close to a full time character and the announcement that Doomsday will be played by Sam Witmer (best known as Crashdown from Season One of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA).

Rating:

- Incredible Season!!!!
This Is By far the best season out of all of the 7 seasons on Smallville, Every Single episode was like a mini movie, that kepted you on your seats!! by far the most Groundbreakin Series on Television!! Can't Wait for season 8!!!!!

Rating:

- A Transitional Season
Smallville's Seventh Season can easily be categorized into three distinct parts, each containing their own strenghts and weaknesses:

1. At the beginning of this season, Kara Jor-El (better known as Supergirl) is introduced. The developement of her character is a welcome breathe of fresh air to the show, while the description of her Kryptonian parents' relationship to Clark's Kryptonian family provides some intriguing backstory into the politics of Krypton. At the same time, however, the Clark/Lana soap opera continues, milking that relationship for all it is worth (a would-be touching moment in the finale is rendered midly emotional as a result).

2. The middle of the season struggled to find it's footing. On one (positive) hand, Clark takes a very interesting romp through Lex's twisted mind in "Fracture", while Braniac (always a well-acted, interesting character) returns to wreak more havoc on the House of El. On the other (negative) hand, the Grant Gabriel character arc completely fails, the much-hyped "Gemini" episode fails to deliver its potential, while the return of an old friend in "Hero" proves to be anti-climatic and contrived.

3. The final portion of the season, however, is what boosts my rating from three stars to four. The final seven episodes of the series deal with the mysterious "Veritas" society (of which Lionel Luthor is intimately involved in) that know of Clark's Kryptonian heritage. The quest to decipher "Veritas" leads Lex Luthor to take the final step (in a chilling scene) towards obsessive madness, puts Lana, Chloe, and Kara in mortal danger, and ultimately sets up a long-awaited Clark/Lex showdown.

To conclude, though the opening portions of the Smallville's Seventh Season were average at best, the "Veritas" angle brings back the intense drama that Smallville fans are used to. As the show progresses into what may be it's final (eighth) season minus a few long-time cast members, the look of the show may be quite different than ever before. In recent seasons, Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar have been heavily criticed for tampering with the heralded Superman cannon. However, with the depature of Gough and Millar following this season, perhaps the new producers will spend more time explaining how Clark ultimately became the Superman we all know and love.

Rating:

- Smallville-The Complete Seventh Season
I have enjoyed Smallville since season 1 and with the seventh season going to blu-ray, I believe it will be awesome because I own season 6 on blu-ray.

Rating:

- Fantasic
Smallville - The Complete Seventh Season

This is going to be fantasic

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