UPDATED 7/15/08: Casting notices have gone out in Vancouver for the role of Maxima. Maxima first appeared in DC Comics' Action Comics #645 back in 1989 and was at one time even a member of the Justice League comic book continuity. She also appeared in the Superman animated series. The comics version of Maxima is a royal queen from the planet Almerac determined to be the bride of Superman.
- We don't know the title for this one yet, although considering the character, "Maxima" is a strong possibility.
Quote: one last season or two of Lois and Clark isn't going to be that bad. It's got to happen sooner or later.
Paraphrasing a writer here, to each their own. IMO, putting this take of Lois and Clark together is like mixing oil and water - it doesn't work!!! I'd rather watch paint dry, or to take a joke from another television - I'd rather just watch TV (mind you the TV does not have to be on) - that one still cracks me up!!
I guess what excited me about "Smallville" was the idea of throwing what's already been done out the window - and not having to march-in step with the comics/films' history. Oh well!! __________________
The Bible is so powerful. It's not to be left on your shelf. It's to outline even the simplest scriptures that can mean so much in building yourself up.
"I am God's workmanship." (Ephesians 2:10)
"I have been redeemed and forgiven." (Colossians 1:14)
"I am the salt and the light of the earth." (Matthew 5:13-14)
- UPDATE: The "Maxima" casting notice is now known as "Melissa." What's this change all about? We have no clue... perhaps our expectation of Maxima is premature.
Quote: perhaps our expectation of Maxima is premature.
Yep. Definitely right.
Episode #8-4: Title Unknown October 9, 2008
UPDATED 7/16/08: An update, thanks to S.A.M.: A super-powered character named "Melissa" has her eyes on Clark. They kiss and he tries to resist. Originally casting notices for this episode called for "Maxima," a character from the DC Comics universe of characters, but apparently this has been changed... we're assuming for either legal or creative reasons.
There's so much Smallville action coming up in Season 8 (premiering Sept. 18, at 8 pm/ET) that TVGuide.com broke its Q&A with three of the executive producers into two parts. First up, Darren Swimmer shares a look at new developments for Chloe, ponders Clark's heritage, and hints at more guest stars from other Superman productions. — Michael Maloney
TVGuide.com: Fans are thrilled that Allison Mack (Chloe) is back this season. With Lana no longer a regular character on the canvas, might the door open for a Clark/Chloe romance?
Darren Swimmer: Jimmy has asked Chloe to marry him. We'll find out the answer to that question early on in the season. Chloe's love for Clark will never go away, but [those two] as a couple this year is pretty unlikely. All the "Chlark" fans out there will have to keep waiting.
TVGuide.com: Chloe has always been Clark's "go to" person when things get tough.
Swimmer: And that will continue. There are some changes ahead for her and some challenges she's going to face. There are also some romantic twists she'll deal with this year. She's definitely not going to be wanting for a date — [but] it may not be Clark.
TVGuide.com: Will we continue to see Chloe's meteor-freak powers?
Swimmer: She has powers, but they've changed. They won't manifest in the same way that they did before.
TVGuide.com: Chloe has struck such a chord with viewers that there's even fan fiction out there that has Lois dying and Chloe taking her cousin's name so that she would wind up becoming the woman in Clark's life.
Swimmer: Yes. There is that theory that Chloe is Lois, but she is not Lois. Lois is Lois, as crazy as that may seem. We hear the fans and we understand where that comes from. But unfortunately, it's not the way that the show is going.
TVGuide.com: Are you influenced by fan response on the Internet?
Swimmer: We definitely hear what the fans say and we can't help but be influenced by it, but I don't think that we're guided by it in the sense that we let it dictate anything, obviously. I don't think that fans would necessarily want that either. But we read it and we're in touch with what the fans are saying. They're our core fans. I think sometimes when somebody says they don't like something they still may find it entertaining, so we have to gauge how much of that is a response to the characters or a response to the way the story is being told.
TVGuide.com: Little touches like Chloe giving Jimmy a bowtie are a nice nod to fans who are familiar with the comic.
Swimmer: Yes. It's a year of challenges that Jimmy's going to have to go through. Chloe's going to have to go through them. Clark will, too. It's the year of "double identity." That's the theme. Clark's starting to understand he's got to have a double identity or he's not going to be able to move on with what his destiny is.
TVGuide.com: Might we see Clark with trademark dark-rimmed glasses?
Swimmer: No. [Pauses] Well, we may, but it won't be in the way that [you might expect].
TVGuide.com: We saw lots of Clark's Kryptonian background last year with his cousin Kara, mother Lara and Uncle Jor-El. Will we be seeing more of that influence this year?
Swimmer: I think we're moving away from the Kryptonian story. Last year we focused a lot on that and aspects of Clark's past. Clark can't escape his Kryptonian roots and that's definitely going to come back and haunt him this season, but this year will be more about moving forward with his destiny as becoming Superman in a way that we've never done before.
TVGuide.com: Helen Slater, Dean Cain, Margot Kidder.… So many actors from other Superman film and TV adaptations have guest-starred on Smallville. Do you have a wish list for this season?
Swimmer: Well, there's very few people left at this point [we haven't used]. We'd love to bring some of them back, but it's too early to talk in terms of scheduling. We're grateful to have had a chance to have all these great actors visit our show.
TVGuide.com: You're going into Season 8. Does it feel like there's no end in sight?
Swimmer: It's too soon to say. Eventually, Clark is going to become Superman, but he still has a ways to go before that happens. As long as the show keeps going, we want to see [his journey] continue.
"Bravery is not something that you can learn." ~Phil Morris, a.k.a. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter
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Part 2 of the interview.
In Part 2 of TVGuide.com's Smallville preview, exec producers Brian Peterson and Todd Slavkin give their take on Season 8 (which arrives Sept. 1 by talking about the return of Green Arrow and offering an update on important people in Clark's life (Lex, Lana and Martha included). Plus: Which DC Universe players you will — and won't — be seeing this year. — Michael Maloney
TVGuide.com: How did the WGA strike affect your storytelling last season?
Brian Peterson: We were only short two episodes; we did 20 out of the 22 [originally planned]. We actually got to complete most of our storylines that we set, especially the dynamics with Clark and Lex and also Lex and Lionel, including the final turn of Lex killing his father.
TVGuide.com: It was tough seeing John Glover leave, because he made such a great Lionel.
Todd Slavkin: John's a great actor and a great man — we miss him dearly — but it was always in the cards that Lex murdering his father would aid in his descent into evil. [Original show runners] Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar] had always had that idea. Still, it was tough to do.
TVGuide.com: I was telling Justin Hartley that I hope his return to the show as a regular means more Oliver and Lois. It's a successful pairing, even though it's outside the comic-books' mythos.
Peterson: Al and Miles really set up a show in which every character and every situation has a slight twist to it from the mythos, much like the different versions of the comic books do. We really pay attention to the mythos, but then try to put a spin on it. This year, we're introducing Davis Bloome (Battlestar Galactica's Sam Witwer) as Doomsday [the comic book villain that "killed" Superman in 1992], and we have a completely different take on it. As the season goes by, people will find he's very much in line with the mythology.
TVGuide.com: But Doomsday won't have the concrete jagged edges coming out of his body?
Slavkin: It's a re-imagination and a reinvention. We didn't want to take a character straight out of the comics, just as Al and Miles took Lex and created their very own version, which, in our minds, is the best version of any Lex Luthor in the history of the Superman folklore. We're doing the same thing with Doomsday. So while we definitely make a nod to the original, this is our own. I think the fans will be pleasantly excited.
TVGuide.com: What can you say about the statuses of Kristin Kreuk (Lana) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex)? I have to say, Michael makes every actor he's in a scene with a better one.
Peterson: Michael is fantastic. His rendition of Lex Luthor helped make the show what it is today. Obviously, we were very sad to see him go. He's pursuing his own interests and we're hoping the door is definitely open for him to return. We've not seen the last of Lex Luthor.
Slavkin: Kristin will return for at least five episodes this season. [Lana] will appear at an inopportune time for Clark. We don't want to give away when it will happen, but it's going to be an awesome moment in the history of Smallville when Kristin Kreuk comes back.
TVGuide.com: Great casting with Black Canary last year. And her "Canary cry" was well-done, special effects-wise.
Peterson: Alaina [Huffman] is great and she's a big part of the season premiere. This is a year in which Clark is really embracing being a super-hero and his double identity, but at the same time some of his friends in the Justice League are thrown into crises of their own. It's going to be an interesting year as Clark grows into himself.
TVGuide.com: What about Impulse and Cyborg? Tom Welling easily taps into Clark's protective side whenever he plays big brother to Impulse.
Slavkin: Clark's such a great role model. He has a sense of integrity about himself that he always passes on to young characters. The actors who play Impulse and Cyborg are phenomenal and we'd love to have them back sometime. In the premiere it's an incarnation of the Justice League that you've yet to see: Black Canary, Green Arrow and Aquaman (Alan Ritchson). The three of them are all searching for the missing Clark.
Peterson: That takes an interesting twist, too.
TVGuide.com: Annette O'Toole's Martha is a vital element in Clark's life. Might she be back?
Peterson: We're hoping. We actually have a very interesting idea for bringing her back. We hope it comes to fruition.
Slavkin: She's on Broadway right now [in Kindness], so if we can fit her into our schedule that would be great. She's a character we miss dearly because Ma Kent, like Pa Kent, has had such an impact on Clark.
TVGuide.com: Have we seen the last of Supergirl/Kara (Laura Vandervoort)?
Slavkin: She'll be back for a show, we hope.
TVGuide.com: Has DC said no to Batman or Bruce Wayne ever appearing on Smallville? Apparently, there's this movie out now featuring Batman....
Slavkin: It's a rights issue.
Peterson: We are going to have several DC Comics characters on the show this season. We have Maxima coming. Also, Plastique is going to be in Episode 2 [played by Jessica Parker Kennedy]. She has flame/explosive powers.
Slavkin: There's nothing better than to have an intergalactic sex goddess — Maxima — come into the DC Universe and have her try to mate with Clark.
TVGuide.com: How about for an episode introducing a beautiful blond telepath, a dark-haired guy with magnetic powers and a reddish-brown haired guy with lightning powers to play the founding members of the Legion of Super-Heroes?
Peterson: [Exchanging a look with Slavkin] We haven't thought about that actually. Hmm....
Also, E!Online talked to Samuel Witwer, who'll play Doomsday in Season 8.
Boy, Samuel Witwer sure does give good genre. First he was pilot Crashdown on Battlestar Galactica, and now he'll be taking on Superman himself in season eight of Smallville. According to Witwer, his newly introduced regular character, Davis "Doomsday" Bloome, starts out as a good guy (who has designs on Ms. Chloe herself), but before too long his romantic quest is interrupted by waking nightmares that bode not well for Chloe, Davis, Clark or Metropolis at large. Read on to hear what Samuel had to say about working with Allison Mack, creating Bloome's dark side and why Doomsday is unique in the pantheon of Superman villains.
Explain Doomsday to all those out there who might not know who he is.
Doomsday is a significant character in D.C. Comics mythology because he is the only character to kill Superman. They came up with him because they were like, OK, Lex Luthor is really smart, he's great, and they have all these other villains, like Brainiac, but no one can actually get into a knock-down, drag-out [fight] with Superman. So they came up with this invulnerable character, who was also from Krypton, called Doomsday.
Why is he evil if Superman is so nice?
Well, in our version, in our interpretation of the character, there are very specific reasons. I can't really go into them, but what I can tell you is the character's name is Davis Bloome. He's a paramedic in Metropolis, he's very good at his job, and he was raised in the foster system. He went from home to home—he's this survivor character, and he's kind of an outsider. But he's a really nice guy, really cool guy.
How is he introduced?
He's brought into the story when he strikes up a friendship with Chloe (Allison Mack) on the show. Chloe is dating Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore), so he doesn't want to step in—he's too nice of a guy to steal her. Because who wants to steal from Jimmy Olsen? Sweet little red-haired kid. Anyway, David starts losing large amounts of time. He's blacking out. He doesn't understand why.
Uh-oh.
Yeah, eventually this character will embark on a quest to find out why these blackouts are happening, and what he discovers is horrifying for the character, and hopefully horrifying for the audience. The producers, I don't know if they saw me in The Mist or in Dexter, but they approached me for the role, and they pitched a very interesting idea, and they wanted to get dark with it. Like darker than anything than anything that's been on the show. They want to get really psychologically messed-up.
It must be really hard for Davis when he finds out he's a psychotic supervillain.
Yeah. There are some really cool ideas around that. What do you when you find out you are the opposite of what you ever wanted to be? If you found out you were a murderer, and you didn't know this, what would you do? By the end of the season, in Davis Bloome's case, he's going to be trying to be the same guy, but he's...distressed.
Have you worked with any of the regulars yet?
I worked with Allison Mack yesterday, and she's a sweetheart. She's sort of my contact person into the world of the characters and the story. As for how he relates to all the other characters, that remains to be seen.
How long is this arc?
I'm going to be there the whole season. We just started shooting this week, and over the course of the season, the fans will start to recognize Doomsday as he was in the comics, but at first that's not the case.
Any scoop on when Kristin Kreuk will be returning to Smallville? — Ian
Ausiello: Would you believe sweeps? Shocking, I know. According to exec producer Brian Wayne Peterson, who I cornered at The CW's press tour party last week, Kreuk's five-episode stint as Lana will kick off in early November. "She'll come back at a very inopportune time for Clark," he hints. In the meantime, while Ms. Lang's off "giving Clark some space," the man who would be Super will be growing closer to Lois. "They'll be working together this year at Daily Planet," Peterson says, "and some friction is going to come out of that." Not to mention several winks to classic Superman lore — beginning in the season premiere. Teases Peterson: "There might be a phone booth moment between the two of them."
Now that Al Gough and Miles Millar are gone from Smallville, will the new show-runners amend their "No flights, no tights" policy? — Jeremy
Ausiello: Um… hell, yeah! "We are respecting everything that Al and Miles have set up," offers Peterson, choosing his words carefully. "All I'll say is we can definitely guarantee that there are no tights."
Any other scoop about Smallville? — Patricia
Ausiello: Obviously, I wasn't going to cut Peterson lose without asking him about Smallville's most celebrated non-couple, Clark and Chloe. "We definitely touch on [her feelings for him]," he says. Adds fellow EP Todd Slavkin: "They've been best friends for a long time, and Clark would never get in the way of her pursuing her happiness. But oftentimes, feelings have a way of creeping in. That's all we'll say." Um, you've said more than enough, my friend. More than enough!
Yup, now there's just that pesky fear of heights thing to deal with!! __________________
The Bible is so powerful. It's not to be left on your shelf. It's to outline even the simplest scriptures that can mean so much in building yourself up.
"I am God's workmanship." (Ephesians 2:10)
"I have been redeemed and forgiven." (Colossians 1:14)
"I am the salt and the light of the earth." (Matthew 5:13-14)
just do to him like my friends would probably do to me...(b/c i also have acrophobia)...throw him off of the barn!!! lol... __________________
"Bravery is not something that you can learn." ~Phil Morris, a.k.a. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter
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Quote: throw him off of the barn!!! lol...
LOL!! No problem with that, what's the worst that happens, he has to fill in the hole he makes by crashing into the ground.
Then again, when it was time for me to learn how to swim, my Dad just threw me in our pond. Amazing how quickly one learns to swim in that situtation!!
__________________
The Bible is so powerful. It's not to be left on your shelf. It's to outline even the simplest scriptures that can mean so much in building yourself up.
"I am God's workmanship." (Ephesians 2:10)
"I have been redeemed and forgiven." (Colossians 1:14)
"I am the salt and the light of the earth." (Matthew 5:13-14)
I hated getting thrown into the water. My dad did me the same way. I never learned to swim till I was a teenager and got to learn without the fear of drowning. Course, I still can't float. As soon as I stop moving I sink like a rock. __________________
UPDATED 7/25/08: It sounds like "Melissa" was indeed just a ploy to throw us off, and the intergalactic Maxima is indeed the one to appear in this episode.
- Justin Hartley (Oliver) and Sam Witwer (Davis Bloome) do not appear in this episode.
- The resurfacing of the "Fever" letter might lead Clark to realize what he's missing out on.
More Spoilers For Smallville Season 8!
UPDATED 7/25/08: Kristin Kreuk (Lana) will be back in Season 8 for five episodes. It is said that her episodes will begin during November sweeps.
hmm...meditate on this i must... __________________
"Bravery is not something that you can learn." ~Phil Morris, a.k.a. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter
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Sorry I've been away, but my computer crashed late Friday night & we got it back up last night. I got stuff!!
Episode #8-9: "Legion" 2008
Written By: Geoff Johns
UPDATED 7/27/08: Popular comic book writer Geoff Johns is writing the 9th episode of Season Eight, which will introduce the Legion of Super-Heroes to the Smallville mythology. No details have been revealed except that the characters will stay true to their origins and will indeed come from the future.
The Legion of Super-Heroes is coming to Smallville, and the writer who's guiding the futuristic team in comic books will be the one introducing them to the show.
Geoff Johns, writer of next month's Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds mini-series for DC Comics, will also be writing the Legion's introduction to the Smallville television show. As announced Sunday at San Diego Comic-Con, Johns will be writing "Legion," the ninth episode in this year's season 8 of Smallville.
"I've known the Smallville writing team – Todd [Slavkin], Darren [Swimmer], Brian [Wayne Peterson] and Kelly [Souders] – for a long time," Johns told Newsarama. "I had an idea for an episode, so we all had lunch. And I pitched them the idea of bringing the Legion of Super-Heroes to Smallville. And we're off and running."
In comics, the Legion of Super-Heroes is a group of super-powered teenagers from 1,000 years in the future who are inspired by the legend of Superman. The Legion story, which saw the young heroes time-traveling back to visit a young Clark Kent, recently inspired a Warner Bros. animated TV series.
Smallville fans had already seen updated versions of several DC Comics heroes on the live-action show, including Green Arrow, who's become a regular character. Just last month, it was announced that a new "Doomsday" character, played by Battlestar Galactica alum Sam Witwer, will be added to the Smallville cast this season as a nemesis for actor Tom Welling's Clark Kent.
While the show's very human-looking Doomsday is apparently a re-interpretation of the monstrous comics character who once killed Superman, according to Johns, the Legion that appears in his Smallville episode will be the team that comic book readers recognize.
"I can't get into any specifics about the story we're telling because we’re still working on it all. But they're from the 31st Century. And it will be focusing on some obvious characters who first met Clark," Johns said. "It will be written to fit with Smallville, and I think it's going to be a really fun challenge to approach the Legion in a different way. But with me, you know you're going to see Legion rings, and they're going to be as true to the core as possible. It's going to be the Legion of Super-Heroes."
Johns, who just recently used Legion characters in a story he wrote for the Superman-centered series Action Comics with artist Gary Frank, couldn't confirm if the Legion characters he's introducing in Smallville would appear in more than one episode.
As Smallville fans may remember, this won't be the first time the name "Geoff Johns" is attached to the show. In Season 4, a super-powered, villainous football-playing character was named Geoff Johns. And as most comic book fans know, Johns shares offices with former Smallville writer and comic book creator Jeph Loeb, who was involved with the series during Seasons 2-4.
"Like I said, I've known the Smallville team for a long time. And I have to thank Jeph Loeb for introducing me to those people in the first place," Johns said. "I'm really looking forward to working on the show. It's exciting to see the Legion be part of that."
Smallville fans rejoice! Following the show's Comic-Con panel, executive producers told our own Erin Fox that Lois and Clark's relationship is going to take a new direction this season. (Video of the interview coming soon!)
"Lois and Clark will be working side by side at The Daily Planet, and Lois will start to see Clark in a different way," they said. "She's surprised to see him in a suit, all grown up and handsome. It's no longer going to be played like a brother-sister relationship."
That huge news aside, the panel has to have been one of the single best hours of the four-day extravaganza. With a jocular cast and recurring jokes with the audience, the laughter was non-stop — and so were the spoilers. Here are the highlights, between the jokes:
• Season 8 is all about Clark's destiny as Superman. He joins the Daily Planet and uses his new gig as a way to find people in need. He also starts to realize that he may need a double identity to really evolve into Superman.
To that end, exec producer Brian Peterson says that the show will hold to its original "no tights" rule, but he wouldn't comment on the "no flights" theory.
• Behind-the-scenes changes are to come, too: Comic writer Jeff Johnson will be writing an episode of the show, and Allison Mack may have just finally shaken on a deal to direct an episode. When pressed about her plans, Mack started off with a diplomatic answer, but one of the panelists said "Why don't we make it official?" Kidding or not, it would be hard to back out of the public pact.
• Justin Hartley (yes, Oliver's back) says that the Green Arrow will be struggling with why he's doing what he's doing, while the show will be exploring the origin of the Green Arrow.
• Allison Mack's Chloe will also be doing some struggling of her own, and there's trouble in paradise ahead for her relationship with Jimmy. Mack says that Chloe will be finding some independence this season, though, and she'll maybe even have some new powers to show off — but no details yet!
• And as for Lana Lang's future kisses with Clark? Kristin Kreuk deftly avoided the question and titillated the audience by saying she'd like to see her kiss Chloe.
• Finally, of course, there was a long trailer preview with scenes from next season. With the introduction of at least two more heroes from DC Comics, the action is ratcheted up, especially as Clark starts to come into his own. In short, expect love, loss, mega-action and more of the Superman mythology to unfold.
Quote: Popular comic book writer Geoff Johns is writing the 9th episode of Season Eight, which will introduce the Legion of Super-Heroes to the Smallville mythology. No details have been revealed except that the characters will stay true to their origins and will indeed come from the future.
Thanks Mattro this is big news! __________________
KryptonSite Comic-Con Report: Sam Witwer Talks Doomsday!
We're still transcribing our interviews that we had conducted with Smallville writers and actors after the panel at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, but as a teaser, we thought you'd like to hear a little bit about Sam Witwer and his take on the series' new character Davis Bloome... a man who may someday spell Doomsday for Clark.
"He is this paramedic in Metropolis - a very cool, conscientious, nice guy," Witwer reveals. "He's sort of a perpetual outsider. He grew up in the foster system and had a very tough childhood. He's brought into the story because he forms this fast friendship with Chloe, and eventually he starts blacking out and missing time, and he becomes curious as to why that's happening, and what he learns is really horrible stuff."
"He finds out that he is innately the opposite of whatever he wanted to be. Hopefully the telling of that story will be very sad and psychologically messed up, and it will be probably very easily the darkest stuff Smallville's ever done," Witwer reveals.
"Eventually he is Doomsday, and he will eventually resemble the character that DC Comics fans are expecting," Witwer spoils. When asked if that means he will be wearing prosthetics later in the season, Witwer could not answer. "That I cannot comment on, but I will say that he will eventually resemble what people are expecting," he says.
"I just hope that the fans like what we do with it, because it's our own interpretation," Witwer says. "It's with the blessing of DC Comics, and we are not invalidating any of the backstory that Doomsday's had previously, but we are interpreting and adding to that backstory, and hopefully the fans dig on it, and I'll take my best shot at that guy."
Stay tuned later this week for more from Sam Witwer, in addition to actors Allison Mack, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman, and executive producers Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Todd Slavkin, and Darren Swimmer!
KryptonSite Comic-Con Report: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson Talk Season 8!
After the Smallville panel at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, the participating actors and producers spoke with members of the press about the upcoming season, and we are now happy to share with you an interview with two of the show's new executive producers, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, from their roundtable discussion.
Thanks go out to "Routh" for transcribing this one and saving Craig from about an hour's worth of transcribing.
Souders and Peterson began the roundtable by talking about someone who won't be a regular cast member in Season 8 - Michael Rosenbaum. "We can't say enough great things about Michael Rosenbaum," Brian Peterson says. "He just made the character of Lex Luthor for our show. It was sad to see him go pursue his own interests," he continues, pointing out that the Lex character is going to still be very much a part of this season.
Creatively, the departure of Lex has opened the doors for the show's producers to bring in other characters from the DC Comics universe. To fill that void, they looked to the character of Doomsday, killer of Superman from the classic 1992 comic book. "We needed a foe that was as great as Lex, and there are very few of those out there, so we brought in Doomsday who's going to be a great part of the season," Peterson says.
"And we brought in Tess who's going to be a formidable opponent for pretty much everybody on the cast at some point," Kelly Souders adds. "I think as much as we lost tremendously in Al and Miles, we're still in communication with them, and they've been really supportive. Obviously, we took some massive hits this year, but in a strange way it sort of forced everyone to look at the show differently, which I think you don't often have an opportunity like that after 7 seasons. It allowed the writers to walk in with a blank slate in some ways and look at how to reinvigorate and reinvent the show, the characters, the situations, the relationships. We're actually all very energized. I haven't seen the writer's room as energized in a while. Not that we weren't really passionate about it before, but I think it's just forced everyone to think [deeper]."
Also on tap for Season 8 is more interaction between Lois and Clark. "The dynamic of Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet, when the dailies are coming in, is fantastic," Peterson enthuses. "It's iconic, and it's exactly what those two actors feel like they were meant to do. They are just great together, and watching Clark and Lois together in the way that we're used to seeing them from everything that we remember, I think, is making it a really fun show this year."
Peterson is quick to point out that Season 8 will not be a rehash of the 1990's TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. "That isn't the feel of our show and isn't the characters that people have gotten to know on our show. I think as they work together you see the tension and the sparks fly which is really fun, but it's all born out of the same Clark Kent that we know, and the same Lois that we know on our show, so there is not a change in tone on the show in any way," he says.
Previous reports have had Erica Durance signed for the usual 12-13 episodes of her contract, though Peterson says there are always possibilities for more. "We have an option for her to do more, and what's great is she is really present in all of the episodes so far. She's front and center and is doing a great job. So yes, there's an opportunity for more," he says.
The relationship between Clark and Lois's cousin, Chloe, will also come into play early in the season. "We definitely have an episode this year that addresses a lot of the underlying tension, the sexual tension, the love tension between the two of them. So we do definitely touch on it this year," Peterson says. "It's also a season for all of the characters across the board to move on to the next phase of their life which is kind of exciting. So there's a lot of some sense of leaving the past behind and moving to the next part of the Superman mythology," Souders adds.
The romantic situation isn't the only thing Clark will have to explore this year. "Up until this point, we haven't done a lot with Clark trying to balance the double identity of Clark Kent and this Superman figure, so this year is very much about double identity and him learning the balance of that because that's a long journey in itself that we haven't even touched on really until now," Peterson reveals.
During the Comic-Con panel, Brian Peterson commented that Supernatural would be the show he would most like to see Smallville cross over with. As there are many who are fans of both shows, is that actually a possibility?
"We never cross anything out," Kelly Souders says. "We haven't talked about it in these first two months that we've been hitting the ground running on season 8," she reveals. "It was talked about in previous seasons, so it is in the realm of possibility," Peterson teases.
Season Eight marks the promotion of Peterson and Souders in addition to Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer as the series' new executive producers/showrunners. This team seems ready for the challenge, and they don't intend to change the show too drastically. "The great thing for the four of us since we've been on the show as long as we have, it sounds kind of cliche but these characters and the world and the show have a life of it's own, and so you can't come in and do a 90 degree turn, even if that's your intent because the characters are so true to themselves and I think our cast does such an amazing job of embodying the characters that they really live as real people. So when we talk about all of the changes, it's probably more of an evolution than a change," Souders says. "I think Allison has been such a great Chloe and she will always be that Chloe. This year, it's just about opening her world up a little bit more. Same thing with Clark Kent. So I think that show has been successful based on it's ability to kind of give us an origin story of Superman that felt real but also had some reinterpretations in it. So I think we're just following in those footsteps that Al and Miles created for us. Clark Kent's still the same Clark Kent, we just wanted to get him closer to the Superman that we know, that the general public is more familiar with."
KryptonSite Comic-Con Report: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson Talk Season 8! Part 2
After the Smallville panel at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, the participating actors and producers spoke with members of the press about the upcoming season, and we are now happy to share with you an interview with two of the show's new executive producers, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, from their roundtable discussion.
Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson took the opportunity to talk more about the show's addition of Doomsday to the show's mythos. "Nobody can ever step into Michael Rosenbaum and Lex Luthor's shoes," Souders says, revealing that one of the first things discussed was to not try to replace Lex. "There's just no point to it. We honor the character, and we honor the actor so much. But, that said, we looked at who was the biggest villain we could possibly bring in, we talked about Doomsday, we sat down with DC Comics. We have great reps over there that work with us tirelessly, and they kind of said that there hasn't been much backstory on Doomsday, so what Smallville always tries to do when they reinvent something is also try to link up eventually with what happens or to get the sense that that's where that character's going or that storyline so that everything kind of matches up. Just because he comes onto the scene as this really great, fun-loving, charming guy paramedic, doesn't mean that we aren't also trying to figure out how to make sure that he lines up down the road," she continues.
"I think Al and Miles created a show that uses DC mythology but always puts a little spin on the new characters and very much the way we introduced Brainiac the way we did. I think we got to a place that people understood we were linking up and we actually were really true and respectful to the mythology. It's exactly what we're doing with Doomsday," Peterson adds.
Season 8 might also prove to be the year that Clark will consider a dual life. "That's actually his main thrust this season," Kelly Souders says. "Saving people in Smallville was one thing, where he kind of had to run to the factory to save Chloe or the roads weren't very crowded, but being alive in Metropolis as Superman is a very different experience and he will find very quickly in the season that it's not so easy when you're running through crowded streets or you're having to run into a crowded crisis situation."
"Or you're accountable to Lois back at the Daily Planet," Peterson adds.
And finally, regarding the "No flights, no tights" edict, Peterson reveals that there have been talks about breaking one of those rules. "We have a lot of conversations," he says. "The only thing that we were saying is that we can absolutely confirm that there's no tights. That's pretty much all we can say on that."
Written By: Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson
Directed By: Kevin Fair
Guest Stars: Alaina Huffman (Black Canary), Alan Ritchson (Aquaman), Phil Morris (John Jones/Martian Manhunter)
UPDATED 7/27/08: New spoilers from the Comic-Con preview:
- Lois dresses as a maid to infiltrate the Luthor mansion.
- Green Arrow shoots Clark for some reason.
KryptonSite Comic-Con Report: Justin Hartley Talks About Green Arrow In Season 8!
After the Smallville panel at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, the participating actors and producers spoke with members of the press about the upcoming season, and we are now happy to share with you an interview with one of the show's new series regulars, Justin Hartley, as he talks Green Arrow in a roundtable discussion.
As opposed to the clean-shaven Oliver, Justin sported a bit of stubble, almost as if a desert island adventure might be in the offing. "I am about ready to be on an island," he confirms. "We're going to go back into the Smallville mythology a little bit, and kind of explore how Oliver became the Green Arrow, why is he the Green Arrow, and how he became so good at archery, and that kind of stuff. I wish I had a little bit more notice, but we'll see what we can do by tomorrow at 5 o'clock in the morning," he laughs.
Season Eight will make note of the friendship between Oliver and Clark. "They're buddies, they're friends," Justin says. "That's actually why Oliver comes back to look for Clark," he says, inadvertently letting out a spoiler before re-stating the quote replacing "Oliver" with "somebody."
The new season will provide new challenges for Oliver Queen. "Oliver gets broken down a little bit," Hartley says. "He starts to look at all of the things that he's sacrificed to do what he does, and he starts to wonder whether or not it was worth it, which is kind of cool. I think everybody does that, but I think once you do that, once you start to question something and your heart's not in it, it becomes really dangerous to keep doing it. Because you're vulnerable; you're susceptible. It's like you hear these football players say, if you're not playing 100%, you're going to get hurt. So there's that, and as he starts to question whether or not it's worth it anymore, Clark is starting to embrace his destiny a little bit more. It's interesting, because the guy that wore the suit is going the other way, and the guy that's never even put the suit on is going the other way. We start to butt heads a little bit, so it's going to be a lot of fun."
Season Eight is Justin's first as a Smallville season regular. "I was excited. I just shot a pilot [Austin Golden Hour] with Cassidy [Freeman]. She ruined it, and they didn't pick it up," he jokes, "and then a day or two later, I got the call. I love playing the character. I think it's a great show, and a lot of fun for me, so when they said 'series regular' I was definitely interested, and then it was just a matter of letting everybody talk about their things. I'm excited about it, and I have a lot of faith in the writers. They always write good stuff for me."
No Britney
by talking about the return of Green Arrow and offering an update on important people in Clark's life (Lex, Lana and Martha included). Plus: Which DC Universe players you will — and won't — be seeing this year. — Michael Maloney
