Technically the midway point for most television shows these days is episode 11, at least assuming a TV series gets a full 22 episode season. If I were to give Smallville a grade for its first 11 episodes, I would give it a solid B mark. Some episodes were weaker and others were stronger, as is the case with any TV show, but averaging them together Smallville did very well and deserved no less than a B for the first half of the season.

However, Lana Lang’s return arc began in episode 11 and so I felt it necessary to include her arc in the mid-season assessment. To say that the inclusion of her arc throws the grading curve for a loop would be an understatement. It was such a radical departure from the progress the season made to that point that a teacher would ask the parent if the promising student was having trouble at home, or perhaps had started dabbling in drugs. (more…)