You may recall last year’s report card began with a solid “B” but turned into a generous “D” because of Lana Lang’s embarrassing mid-season “super” farewell arc. It could’ve dropped to an “F” if I’d graded the entire season, which included Chloe running off with a serial killer who later killed Jimmy Olsen, who was retconned to “Henry” Olsen. To be fair there were good episodes after the mid-season point last year, but they were so overshadowed by the truly bad that it scarcely mattered and that’s why I decided to wait until the season was completely over this year before issuing a report card.

I’m happy to report Season 9 had the guts to avoid the huge regression traps Smallville writers have always fallen into that have chronically destroyed the momentum in the latter half of the season. I’m sure some things were still changed when they found out they were renewed, and what some have called “fan pandering” resulted in other changes, but on the whole this season Clark was allowed to advance ever closer to his birthright and his destiny with Lois by his side.

Being the Hero

Clark Kent began the season on shaky ground, but that’s not surprising considering that’s where he ended in last year’s finale. After Lois vanished and Jimmy was killed, Clark renounced his human ties and went full on Kryptonian believing purging his emotions would make him a better hero. In truth it was his way of numbing his guilt over Jimmy’s death and the pain of losing Lois.

Clark began training in all things Kryptonian at the Fortress of Solitude. He also created a black ensemble which included his family crest, i.e. the Superman shield. He even burned the emblem onto walls at places where he’d made rescues or taken down bad guys in hopes his calling card would serve as a symbol of hope and a reminder that he was watching over the city.

However, his self-imposed exile ended abruptly when Lois Lane mysteriously reappeared. Clark not only returned to his human life, but he began to pursue Lois romantically. He also reestablished his connection to Lois as the Blur with his phone calls.

On some level he knew he shouldn’t, but on another he discovered a whole new side to Lois that, as he confessed to his mother, made him fall even deeper for her.

Supporting the Hero

Lois returned with a fragmented memory of an apocalyptic future (hey, it’s always something), which included flashes of her and Clark making passionate love to each other. It’s hard to say if that imagery made her more amenable to the idea of dating Clark, but by mid-season they had shared several dates.

At the same time, as mentioned, she and the Blur reestablished their phone-on-phone clandestine relationship, but her feelings for him were evolving. She, like the Lois Lanes before her, became his champion and public defender. Never blindly, but always passionately.

The Justice Society of America was dragged out of retirement to defend themselves against a villain who was systematically murdering their members. The introduction of the JSA boosted Smallville’s comic book currency quite a bit.

And who’d have thunk it? The Wonder Twins, perhaps the least respected super duo in the history of superheroes,were written as sympathetic and actually endearing characters on Smallville, yet their essence as overeager and slightly bungling heroes was preserved.

They were big fans of the Blur who inspired them to use their powers for good. Naturally they had to be brought under control for the sake of the Blur’s reputation, but there was a great scene between the nascent heroes and their idol.

The Blur gave one of those speeches that suited the Superman archetype. He cautioned the twins to be more careful, but commended their heroism. Clark had truly become a hero that other heroes admired and respected.

Always a supporter of the hero, Martha Kent made an unannounced, but welcome visit to the farm and brought Perry White with her as a surprise love interest. This shouldn’t have worked, but for some reason it did. Maybe because Annette O’Toole (Martha) and Michael McKean (Perry) are married in real life. In any case they sold the pairing. On the other hand Martha being the Red Queen, a feared rogue operative, was a bit harder to swallow.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely believe Martha would do anything to protect her son, even becoming the Red Queen, but Martha’s heroic turn was symptomatic of something that began the previous season with Lana and her tin can fusion super suit. For whatever reason characters had to have the label “hero” bestowed upon them this year. Hopefully next season they’ll leave that to the guy with the “S” on his chest.

Subverting the Hero

I like Oliver Queen, AKA Green Arrow, and I have from the start, but last year and this year he has done some plotting behind Clark’s back. It was time for a comeuppance.

The solution, which I don’t think was entirely deliberate, was to have Oliver dive into a bottle of booze as his way of dealing, well not dealing, with his guilt over ‘killing’ Lex Luthor the previous season. Oliver also began to pine for ex-lover Lois Lane.

Fortunately for Clark, or unfortunately for Oliver depending on your point of view, Lois was steadfastly loyal to Clark and so the Emerald Archer rebounded to Lois’s cousin Chloe practically in the very next episode.

Yep, Jimmy Olsen’s widow. Not only that, but Chloe called all the shots in their “no strings attached” sex-only relationship.

If that didn’t erase Oliver’s old swashbuckling image, then certainly wearing matching plaid bathrobes at a country bed & breakfast knocked him off the Wheaties shelf and landed him squarely next to the Special K. The one with yogurt clusters.

Admittedly the relationship was a bit tacky given that Jimmy hadn’t even been dead half a year, but apparently Chloe missed sex.

Speaking of Ms Sullivan, the reason she made the “Subverting the Hero” section is because her control freak nature and delusions of grandeur ran amok this season.

She had surveillance equipment everywhere and tapped into the city and the nation’s surveillance systems, bugged Clark’s home, put tracking devices on members of the JLA, at least on Oliver, and bugged documentation she created for the Kandorians.

Clark became the main target of her contempt and resentment. Chloe might’ve felt justified because Clark ran off to be the lone Kryptonian for three weeks right after Jimmy’s funeral, but considering her relationship with Davis Bloome last year while Jimmy was still alive, there seemed to be no real sincerity in terms of her grief.

However, it did create a feeling of déjà vu. In season 8’s finale, which aired May 14 2009, Chloe reconnected with Jimmy and they got all lovey-dovey. Then she told Davis Bloome, a serial killer she had run away with, that she only thought she loved him. This year on May 14, 2010, Chloe told Oliver she loved him. At least she’s predictable, but her character in general was cold, condescending, judgmental, brittle, and she stole from the guy she was sleeping with, which earned her the Lana Luthor chutzpah award. She was also given an ill-fitting hard ass mantle punctuated by dialogue like, “I didn’t realize you were Zod’s little bitch.”

Tess Mercer was the “bitch” in question and for some odd reason Chloe and Tess were paired up at least three times this past season, but only after Chloe and Oliver hooked up.

All I could gather from their scenes together is that Tess, another one of Oliver’s exes, was there to envy Chloe’s place in Oliver’s life and to regret how she never meant as much to him.

This came across as utterly unbelievable, especially considering Tess’ negative opinion of Oliver and the fact that he cheated on her.

Ah, poor Tess, she was all over the map in season 9. She betrayed humankind to Zod because she believed he could save humankind. Figure that one out. Tess was also the victim of a remarkable amount of violence, even from Clark, which is unacceptable.

On the other hand, yeah, the one with the weapon, she’s no slouch when it comes to delivering punishment. In the finale she hammered on Zod’s face with a cool kryptonite knuckle duster. But alas, Zod’s heat vision gave him the advantage of distance when delivering a fatal fiery blow to Tess while he deftly avoided the kryptonite.

Fear not, the finale ended with an old woman going into Tess’ hospital room after the doctor declared her dead. There are hints and spoilers as to whom she might be, but I won’t post speculation here.

Hating the Hero

The infamous General Zod had already made his debut on Smallville at the end of season 5 when he possessed the body of Lex Luthor. He was then dispatched back to the Phantom Zone by Clark in the season 6 premiere. Remember? Good, now forget it.

This year the clone of Zod — Major Zod — and many of his followers from Kandor, were brought out of stasis by Ms Bipolar herself — Tess Mercer.

However, the Kandorians arrived with no super powers due to Jor-El introducing blue kryptonite into the cloning process, which rendered them basically human. Trying to obtain super powers became a critical point for Zod throughout the season because he feared his followers would defect and give their allegiance to Kal-El, who offered them new lives and identities on Earth. Zod also became extremely envious of the adoration the humans felt for Kal-El’s public hero persona The Blur.

When Zod wasn’t the focus, there was a veritable rogues’ gallery of villains to take up the slack. Toyman returned for some unfinished business, and Metallo, one of Superman’s formidable enemies, debuted this season with an interesting and sympathetic back story. Silver Banshee’s debut wasn’t as auspicious, but it’s nice to have Superman’s vulnerability to magic addressed. Icicle was launched at the JSA by Checkmate’s Amanda Waller, who believes herself to be a good guy, but her tactics, motives and prejudices proved otherwise. Also in a separate chess club was Max Lord who simply wanted to annihilate all meta beings. And though not from the myth, I enjoyed the smarmy crooked D.A. Ray Sacks.

Romancing the Hero

Lois fell deep and hard for both the farm boy and the public hero, which I would’ve thought impossible without Clark having two visible personas, but the writers pulled it off, so kudos to them. Lois’s unique relationship with Clark and the Blur, which recreated the traditional triangle composed of Lois, Clark and Superman, has no parallel with any of the other relationships Clark has ever had on Smallville.

Chloe and Lana, for example, both found out Clark’s secret before he had the public hero persona. They accepted his alien origin when they found out the truth about him, but that’s not the same as falling for both sides of him independently and equally. That’s an important distinction and why it touches Clark as deeply as it does.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about them as a couple is that they’re fun. Not just fun to watch, but obviously they are having fun together. This is no small feat considering how buttoned down and often unhappy Clark has been over the years. And it’s not just Lois having a positive impact on Clark. He is having a positive impact on her as well.

Clark Kent has been the only man who has been able to reel Lois in when she is tempted to cross the wrong lines while pursuing a story, or when picking the wrong person to become confrontational with.

This was a very subtle addition to their relationship. There were no pedantic lectures, or obsequious pleading. In fact it was mostly physical. In the episode Charade, Lois started to angrily charge after Franklin Stern, the Daily Planet’s owner and fill-in editor, but Clark winged a restraining arm out to block her even before she made a move because he knew how she would react. That was a smart way to convey how well Clark has come to know Lois. It also illustrates how much Lois has come to respect Clark’s judgment because, let’s face it, if she didn’t, he’d be chasing his head down the hall.

And finally, debuting without the assist of red kryptonite, was Clark’s sexual assertiveness. He genuinely found his testosterone this season and repeatedly wanted to let Lois know exactly that.

His new found sexual aggression was an offshoot of his general growing confidence at tackling goals, and he definitely wanted to “tackle” Lois. She seemed to be the one who brought it out in him from the beginning, even way back when they swapped pointed barbs instead of kisses.

Heroes and Zeroes

As with any previous season, season 9 delivered both hits and misses, though this year seemed to have the most cohesive overall thematic story line of any season produced thus far. It also created a sense of location with function. In the past the various locations merely existed for compartmentalized blocks of dialogue, or to speed up plot exposition as when Clark visited Chloe at the Daily Planet to take advantage of her hacking skills. Now, thankfully, the Daily Planet actually functions as a newspaper and Clark goes there because (gasp!) he’s a reporter.

Other perks and fun bits this season included Lois finally attending a monster truck rally, John Jones briefly appearing in his true Martian form, and Dr. Emil Hamilton, the show’s chief physician and scientist, displaying a laid back sense of humor in the episode Persuasion. Surprisingly, falling on the “zero” side was Zatanna.

She was depicted as a stereotypical predatory female who needed to steal another woman’s man for whatever reason. She even stooped to putting a spell on Clark to seduce him away from Lois. It’s not just the cliche of such a scenario, it’s that Zatanna is a powerful fascinating character who shouldn’t be wasted on a trivial home-wrecker subplot.

No doubt Zatanna was misused partly so that Clark could prove, by breaking the spell, that his bond with Lois was stronger than her magic. Something similar, without the magic, was done with Lois when she helped John Corben (Metallo) escape from Tess’ lab in Upgrade. He became smitten with Lois and told her how he felt. Lois was quick to point out that she was with someone and that he was “it” for her.

Hopefully this upcoming season, their final season, they won’t need the crutch of third parties to prove how much they love each other, they’ll just tell each other. That would not only be refreshing, it would raise their grade average.

]]> http://redboots.net/planet/?feed=rss2&p=264 3 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=252 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=252#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:29:40 +0000 Guardian http://redboots.net/planet/?p=252 When Obsessions Collide

It is not an exaggeration to say that I have loved Superman all my life. In fact, Superman seems to go beyond my cognitive memory. He was always there and I have no recollection of learning about him, no more than most of us remember learning about a table or chair, but as a child, Superman was just as real to me as that table and chair.

Every Superman fan has a first Superman and George Reeves was mine. Yes, I’m an old fart. I was a kid in the 1960s and a teen in the early 1970s, but the Adventures of Superman debuted before I was born so I was thankful reruns existed even in the Stone Age of my childhood. I was glued to my TV set listening to the long harp glissando intro as the camera zoomed past unnamed planets and a comet exploded spelling out the title of the show.

Like the other kids in the neighborhood I wore a towel around my neck and “flew” across the front yard with my arms outstretched. Sometimes I’d stumble over one of my mom’s rose bushes as a reminder that not only was I not flying, but I wasn’t invulnerable either.Even though Superman was my hero and who I pretended to be, the character I actually identified with as a child was Jimmy Olsen, but not because he was the youngest character. Let’s face it, when you’re 8 years old a guy in his 20s who can drive a car and has a job is an adult. It was Jimmy’s innocence, or lack of maturity if you prefer, that made me identify with him. He had the good sense to be afraid of ghosts after all and he also had the proper hero worship of Superman that a kid audience could identify with.

Perry White was the father figure who treated all of his reporters like children, but particularly Jimmy. Clark Kent was the guy who winked at us from time to time because we were in on his secret. We knew he was really Superman. Lois Lane … I didn’t know what to make of her as a kid.

All the other women on TV at the time were moms, teachers, nurses, waitresses, secretaries and on sitcoms there were lots of mothers-in-law, but no one like Lois. She worked with, and often competed against men. This was not a “girl power” epiphany for me by any means since my perspective was strictly from a child’s point of view. I actually designated Phyllis Coates’ Lois Lane as “the mean Lois Lane” because she was so strident and seemed angry most of the time. Of course Noel Neill was “the nice Lois Lane” because she smiled a lot and got in trouble with Jimmy Olsen.

As an adult, however, I revisited the series and realized just how good Phyllis Coates was in the role. She was a total pistol. She was a tough cookie with a quick wit and a good right hook. She was there only during the show’s first season, which had a decidedly film noir flavor and contained the majority of what I considered the “spooky episodes” as a child.

Of course this was a discovery I would make much later. In the meantime I had my adolescence to suffer through, but it was during that period of teen turmoil that I experienced firsthand why the word fan was derived from fanatic.

“To Boldly Go”

One night I was watching TV, but my parents’ cable suddenly went out. That left me at the mercy of only three local channels, which were all showing news at the time. I picked up the remote and began aimlessly clicking through them, but noticed I was picking up a fourth channel. Since the night was cold and dry our old rooftop antenna was picking up a channel from a city about 40 miles away. That channel was showing a rerun of Star Trek.

Star Trek, like Adventures of Superman, was not a show I had seen during its original run. I knew of it, but had never seen an episode until that night. Ironically it was the pilot episode, or rather the second pilot episode, ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before.’ I was as jaded as any other teenager when it came to television and so viewed it with a jaundiced eye.

In the episode a friend of the lead character Captain Kirk became overtaken by some type of ESP power which caused his eyes to look metallic and made him super brainy and gave him telekinetic abilities. It wasn’t long before he saw himself as god-like by comparison to his shipmates. Kirk, with urging from a guy with pointed ears, decided to maroon his friend on a planet where he could not harm anyone.

A final battle ensued between Kirk and his friend. At one point the god-like crewman’s eyes turned back to normal and I, the jaded teenager, nodded and said to myself, “yeah, I knew it. They’ll be friends again and sail off on another adventure,” but I was wrong. His eyes went right back to the metallic color and Kirk actually had to kill him. Well, nothing works wonders for a teenager more than the ability to be surprised by something.

I began watching it from that point forward and got hooked. I even started sending for any merchandise advertised like the chest insignias, models of the Enterprise and bought every book that came out. It was all a bit disconcerting for me since I never felt that taken over by a TV show before. It became like my private addiction. I didn’t tell my friends or family about it because I was sure they’d think me crazy for such an all inclusive obsession. Had the internet existed at the time, I’d have known right away I was not alone.

The truth is, Star Trek’s power over me came from it being just about the only character-driven drama at the time, or more accurately an evolutionary link between plot-driven and character-driven formats. Most dramas of the era were strictly plot-driven and that meant you didn’t really get to know much about the characters and they certainly didn’t evolve because the plot was king and could override anything you knew about a character at any time. If, for example, the plot called for a confirmed bachelor to fall in love, get married and become a widower all in one episode, believe it or not, that’s what would happen. The writers might even have him flirting with some new woman in the very next episode and his one-shot marriage would never be mentioned again on the series.

To be honest Star Trek wasn’t entirely immune to this melodramatic writing style either since Kirk certainly had his share of doomed romances that he bounced back from quite handily, but it was how he and those around him handled the event that marked the difference. For the most part the writers suggested a situation and then figured out how the characters, with their very individual personalities, philosophies and gifts, would tackle the problem. It was rarely just about the danger at hand, whether it was a doomsday machine, a giant amoeba, or even tribbles. It didn’t matter because it was about the characters’ interaction and what they took away from the experience. It was this unique approach to characterization and character evolution that ensured the adventures of this crew would continue long after the series went off the air.

Adding to Star Trek’s uniqueness was an international and interracial crew, which might be common now, but thirty years ago it was unheard of. Not to mention a female officer. Lieutenant Uhura, who worked on the bridge with male officers, was sort of a callback to Lois Lane. However it was Mr. Spock who was tailor-made for me as a teenager to identify with. He was something of an outsider and his logic and emotions were constantly at war with each other. That is a teenager in a nutshell.

Spock was part of a triumvirate with Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk. McCoy was the conscience of the trio. If Spock’s logic or Kirk’s bravado got in the way of sane decision making, “Bones” generally was the voice of reason who stepped in and chided either or both of them for losing perspective.

As for Captain Kirk, he was brash, a rule-breaker, combative, impulsive, pig-headed, a smart-ass, confrontational and yet he was also a brilliant tactician and was compassionate. Very soon I would make a connection to him with the woman from my childhood who I did not understand at the time.

“You will believe a man can fly”

As my Star Trek obsession continued to hum along, an old friend reappeared. Superman arrived on the big screen and I went opening day. It didn’t take long for the movie to rekindle my affection for my first hero. I even bought one of the Superman rings the theater was selling in the lobby. And while I was too old as a twenty-something to fly around the yard, I was old enough to appreciate the romance that had only been very vaguely hinted at in the old series.

I have to admit, though, I did miss my childhood version of Clark Kent who had actually been quite charming. In the movie all Clark was missing was a “kick me” sign taped to his back to complete his totally dorky persona. But thankfully Christopher Reeve’s Superman was everything he should be and he fell head over heels for Lois Lane.

Margot Kidder portrayed a feisty Lois Lane who, like the Phyllis Coates version, was all about getting the story by any means necessary, yet completely smitten with Superman, as was more typical of Noel Neill’s Lois Lane. Bolstered by the women’s movement of the 1970s and no longer fettered by gray tweed suits, this Lois Lane took ever greater and crazier chances to get a story, which was particularly true in the sequel.

In Superman II Lois made a beeline for the Eiffel Tower. Not for the view or the romance, but because terrorists were holding hostages and had a nuclear bomb stashed at the famous landmark. Now that’s Lois Lane. After her inevitable rescue by Superman, she and Clark were assigned to uncover a honeymoon scam at Niagara Falls. Perhaps bored with the assignment and being forced to work with Clark more closely than usual, Lois began to suspect her dorky partner was really Superman.

When her suspicions were confirmed, she confessed her love to him and off they flew to the Fortress of Solitude. They had a long chat and after dinner Superman went where no Superman had gone before … to bed with Lois Lane. Unfortunately Clark had to lose his powers in order for this to take place and I knew right there that it would all be undone somehow because Superman was not going to retire. Sure enough, Clark restored his powers and the much hated mind-wipe kiss took place and Lois forgot everything.

The franchise had two horrible sequels after that and limped off movie screens in 1987. Even the Star Trek movie franchise ended in 1991, at least the franchise involving the original crew. However, a year earlier I caught the evening news and there was a story about Clark Kent and Lois Lane becoming engaged for real in the comics. Apparently while I was busy Trekking at movie theaters, the Superman story was revamped by John Byrne. Most things remained the same, but one key element was altered. Clark Kent was now the real person and Superman was the disguise.

“A triangle built for two”

Three years after the news reported the historic engagement in the comics, Lois and Clark The New Adventures of Superman debuted on network television. It’s probably needless of me to say I became obsessed with this show much as I had with the original Star Trek. It was character-driven, it was about the evolution of a relationship and it was Superman. I was doomed.

Having Clark Kent as the real person allowed the series to achieve a love triangle consisting of Clark, Lois, and Superman, which wasn’t really possible in many earlier versions where Clark Kent was merely an act. Ironically Dean Cain’s Clark Kent had more in common with George Reeves’ version from the 1950s than he did with Clark Kent in the movies from the 70s and 80s.

This not only allowed for a realistic evolution of Lois and Clark’s relationship, but also Clark’s relationship with his alter-ego Superman. Over time Clark became more and more confident in the role and Superman ceased being just a disguise, he became a true extension of Clark himself. It was that fact which led to Lois Lane’s epiphany that the qualities she found attractive in Superman were qualities that Clark Kent had possessed all along.

This led to a conflict in Lois’s heart. She gradually began to discover that the man she had once labeled a “hack from Nowheresville,” had become a man she could not live without. Even though she still loved Superman, in the end it came down to which man she believed needed her more and she chose Clark Kent.

Teri Hatcher’s portrayal of Lois Lane naturally had the most in depth look at the intrepid reporter since Lois was a title character in this version. Her Lois Lane was also the most scrutinized by her co-worker Clark Kent. When Clark had to describe Lois to his parents, he said she was “complicated, domineering, uncompromising, pig-headed … brilliant.” And Lois described herself as having a habit of “diving in without checking the water level first.” Without changing a word, all of that describes Captain Kirk.

Lois was also very competitive, impulsive, hated to lose and would use her obvious sex appeal to get a story or gain entry into areas that were otherwise off limits. She would also break the rules like publishing false information in her stories in hopes of drawing out the bad guys.

Alas, all good things come to an end and Lois & Clark ended its run in 1997, but it did prove that a man could not only fly, he could fall in love and not have it reset by a mind-wipe … at least not permanently. It also proved that 20 million people, who probably never thought they would watch a Superman show, would tune in if it had something unique to say and an empathetic way to say it.

Intermezzo

Debuting in 1996 was Superman, the animated series. Like Lois & Clark, it was based on the John Byrne revamp from the comics. Unlike Lois & Clark, however, this series really didn’t explore a romance between the two characters. That was addressed in the Justice League animated series, which debuted in 2001.

Lois guest starred in ten episodes of Justice League and as mentioned she was given a bit of romance, but with Superman, not Clark Kent. In the episode ‘Question Authority’ she and Superman shared a date, but despite her romantic feelings for him, Lois expressed her concerns that he and the League were crossing the line using too much force.

These animated series were directed at an older audience than previous cartoon renditions, and though there’s no direct correlation I can draw between this Lois Lane and Captain Kirk, other than she had qualities consistent with previous Lois Lanes, her very gung-ho approach to achieving a goal was very familiar.

The Justice League series ended in 2006 and Superman Returns debuted at the box-office the same year. Unfortunately the movie seemed to be dipped in a melancholy batter and deep fried in Donner flashback oil.

It was clear director Bryan Singer chose Brandon Routh to play Superman because of his uncanny resemblance to the late Christopher Reeve, but his choice of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane was a total misfire. One critic described her as “the essence of vanilla on screen” and that was one of the kinder remarks.

In fairness to Ms Bosworth, she was not helped at all by the bland writing of her character. It was as if the writers had never seen any previous interpretation of Lois Lane before in their lives, or Singer decided to reinvent her with disastrous results. There was no sass, snap or moxie, and since the actress was just four years out of high school, she looked far too young for the role.

Naturally there was no parallel between this Lois Lane and Captain Kirk, but two years before this movie hit theaters, a new Lois Lane hit the small screen.

It’s a Smallville After All

Smallville, the story of a young Clark Kent growing up in his fabled small Kansas hometown debuted on the WB network in 2001. Filled with darkness and angst, it could almost serve as a template for the ill conceived Superman Returns. No one was happy on this series, not for long anyway. It seemed a very curious take on a myth traditionally filled with light and hope.

In 2004 Lois Lane entered this kingdom of gloom, and as many critics noted Erica Durance’s portrayal of Lois Lane was a breath of fresh air. Every inch a general’s daughter, she is tomboyish, reckless, often foolishly brave, and won’t stand down even when the odds are against her. Durance’s Lois Lane is probably the closest match to Captain Kirk.

I’ve never used the word “roguish” to describe a woman, but it actually suits Smallville’s Lois. Raised more like a son than a daughter, Lois is less likely than the other female characters on the series to coddle the often moody Clark Kent. In fact she delights in pointing out when he’s having a self indulgent pity party.

By telling Clark to trust his gut and basically lighten up, she’s had a surprising effect on Clark. He is very different when around Lois than when interacting with the other characters. He’s more confident, perhaps because he has noticed she finds that attractive in men. This season Lois began to have romantic feelings for Clark, feelings she confessed “snuck up” on her and that she finds confusing. It was also this year that old friends with new faces snuck up on me.

You can go home again

Nearly 20 years after the movie franchise left the big screen and more than 40 years since it graced the small screen, the original crew of the Enterprise returned to theaters. Star Trek has now achieved true mythic status. The characters, their attitudes and catch phrases have become so familiar in our culture that new actors are able to take on their legendary roles and bring them back to life.

Director J.J. Abrams said he wanted to create a movie that would make people want to get right back in line to buy another ticket after seeing Star Trek for the first time. For tens of thousands of movie-goers, myself included, he did just that. Of course there are some hard line Trekkers who felt he tampered too much with back story continuity and made certain canon stories impossible in the future, but for those like me, it has always been about the characters. When you get them right, everything else falls into place.

I truly loved this movie. The crew began forming from scratch and meeting each other in entertaining ways, but the main focus was on the leader of the pack, James T. Kirk. He entered the world barely escaping death and from that moment on he leaped from precipice to precipice throughout the movie like a one-man cliffhanger. This tied into a line delivered by Captain Pike earlier in the movie where he said Kirk had spent his entire life leaping without looking and we come full circle back to Lois diving in without checking the water level first.

Lois Lane and Captain Kirk, two A-type personalities who span several generations, but never go out of style. They’ve seen me through losing baby teeth to getting too many gray hairs. I find it comforting that they’ve always been there and always will.

And as a final note, Smallville could learn something from the Star Trek movie. There is a big audience of people out there who like the emphasis on the heroes, not the villains, who prefer uplifting characterization, humor and romance over moody self-indulgent pity, melodrama and angst. Smallville has been moved to Friday night, probably in an effort to rotate it out of the CW’s lineup and so next season may be its last chance to be heroic, uplifting and to take advantage of a romance set in place decades ago between Clark Kent/Superman and ‘Captain’ Lois Lane.

body swapping

Smallville, which started out well this year, but fumbled badly after mid-season in the ratings, has been sent to the minors. It will be on Friday nights next fall. Apparently CW’s advertising and/or art department, decided they needed a quick emergency poster advertising the night change.  With the cast gone for the summer hiatus, they couldn’t shoot a quick promo, so it’s understandable they had to use old promo photos. The problem is, they used real old promo photos — with a twist.

The above promo poster is composed of separate photos that are photo-shopped together, but for reasons unknown the photos they chose are nearly three years old.  That means Erica Durance (Lois) has blonde hair again instead of her natural brunette hair (right-hand inset), which she sported this year. More bizarre still, the ad/art person put Erica’s head on Kristin Kreuk’s (Lana) body  (left-hand inset) .

It just seems symptomatic of what’s wrong with Smallville’s promotional photos in general and their lack of creativity and care. Smallville’s photo shoots look like they’re promoting a show about a gritty law firm. There is nothing in their static approach that gives an inkling of what the show is about. While it’s true it would be hard to promote the image of a young Superman and his budding romance with Lois Lane without the costume, there are creative ways around that.

Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman ran a series of what were dubbed the “tattoo” promo pictures. They were used before the series debuted to make it clear that the series was not going to be just another superhero show.

The Superman emblem was prominent and the romantic connection was obvious. There is nothing that hints at this type of intimacy in the Smallville promos even though Clark and Lois became flirtatious this season.

Since it’s a good bet that will continue, or even deepen next season, they seriously need a promo shoot to convey that.

Unfortunately it seems the star of the show is not heavily into promoting his show. I won’t try to second guess his reasons, but since the group photos tend to appear piecemeal anyway and then photo-shopped together, there are alternatives.

It’s difficult to convey a romance with only one party in the picture, but here is a photo that launched a million downloads back in the day. Lois Lane wearing nothing but Superman’s cape. It told a simple, but sexy story with one photo and yet showed very little skin. The imagination filled in the details.

Again, it’s possible to be creative and evoke Superman without having to show the costume, which doesn’t exist on Smallville yet anyway. However, it reminds potential viewers what the show is about and that is what Smallville’s current promos sorely lack.

A promo has to grab attention and be memorable if it hopes to fulfill its function. Smallville’s promotions are flat and uninspired. They’re just pretty pictures of pretty people.

Next year is probably Smallville’s last. The exile to Friday night is a big hint that they’re being rotated out of the lineup, but that can work to a show’s advantage. It is always better to officially announce you are ending a series instead of the network announcing that you’ve been canceled. They should advertise next season as the last season and people who haven’t watched it in years may come back just to see how it ends, especially if clever promos are used to let them know what they’re missing.

]]> http://redboots.net/planet/?feed=rss2&p=237 3 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=181 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=181#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:46:54 +0000 Guardian http://redboots.net/planet/?p=181

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.

Smallville began its eighth season making up for lost time, or more accurately wasted time. For seven years Clark Kent remained bogged down in the same place with little to no advancement. He wasn’t in school, didn’t have a job other than 5 minutes worth of farm chores and would happily leave his powers behind if possible. What did he do with all that free time? He pined for Lana, of course.

This year, however, Clark charged out of the starting gate after being imprisoned in a Russian work camp for several weeks without his powers. This was the result of Lex Luthor getting control of a device that rendered the Traveler (Clark) powerless and also caused the collapse of the Fortress of Solitude in last season’s finale.

After that loose end was tied up Martian Manhunter sacrificed his own powers to restore Clark’s, which led to Mr. Kent experiencing an epiphany. He said, “I’ve been hanging onto a life on this farm that hasn’t existed for years,” and when Martian Manhunter asked him what he was going to do about it, Clark replied that he was going to let the old life go, and for the first ten episodes, that’s exactly what he did.

Clark got a job at the Daily Planet and, thanks to some fashion advice from Lois, ditched the flannel for suits and ties.

He began listening to the police scanner for anyone in trouble who might need a super helping hand. He was careful to make his rescues at super speed so that he could not be seen, but he didn’t count on Jimmy being at the right place at the right time with a camera.

Jimmy snapped a photo of a red-blue blur saving Lois Lane’s life and suddenly Metropolis had a mysterious new hero.

Speaking of the mercurial Ms Lane, she began her second year at the Daily Planet and was actually welcoming of her newbie coworker. As mentioned she got Clark out of his ruben rags and into something more professional and even took him out on assignments.

This is not to say her motives were completely altruistic. Clark proved to be a sharp observer and his x-ray vision and super hearing didn’t hurt either, but Lois also had a hidden incentive.

Despite vowing to never fall for a guy like Clark Kent, Lois began to tumble. Clark’s feelings for her, on the other hand, were given more ambiguity. Lana was returning after all, but he was permitted to give Lois adoring gazes, big smiles and he took care of her during a hangover, a true sign of love in any language.

Korbi Ghosh, whose Korbi TV column appears on the zap2it television site, praised the nascent relationship.

Their chemistry is palpable. You could actually feel it in last night’s opening scene at Chloe and Jimmy’s engagement party. She razzes him incessantly and his face just lights up when he smiles at her. My apologies to those who prefer Clark with another, there is electricity between these two. And speaking of the sparks, I squealed like a school girl when she was forced, under pain of electrocution, to admit her love for him last night [Committed aired]. You too?

It’s been a long time since Smallville has gotten noticed in the media. Then again, when the show stayed quagmired in the same place for seven years, why would the media notice?

The re-energized season 8 was also noticed by Mike Moody at tvsquad.com in his article Five Reasons to Watch Smallville. Reason number 1, Clark’s a Big Boy Now. Moody mentions Clark leaving the farm and the flannel behind for life in the big city as a reporter and reconciling with Jor-El, who was finally transformed into a “benevolent mentor” rather than a sadistic punisher.

Moody also said, “The show is moving further into Superman territory than ever before, and it’s pretty thrilling to see that happen.”

Reason number 2, Lana is out; Lois is in. He mentioned that part of the charm of season 8 is derived from Clark and Lois’s budding feelings and butting heads. Regarding Erica Durance’s performance as Lois Lane, Moody said, “Erica Durance’s Lois Lane has to be one of the best versions of the character to hit any screen, big or small” and is a Lois Lane worthy of Clark Kent/Superman’s affections. “Durance’s Type-A personality is a welcome change from Kristin Kreuk’s mopey Lana Lang.”

Reasons 3 through 5 lavished praise on the new supporting characters. Number 3, Doomsday/Davis Bloome, “Re-imagining the character as a likable do-gooder paramedic with a deadly dark side, and throwing the better parts of his comic book origin into the mix, was a smart move.”

Number 4, Tess Mercer, “Lex Luthor’s leggy successor is almost as fun to watch as the big bald baddie himself … Tess Mercer isn’t all eye shadow and bad attitude. She’s a jilted former good girl with a deep connection to our number five …” I’ll also toss in that Tess was starting to build an army of malcontent mutants.

Number 5, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. Moody admitted that he wasn’t pleased when the show introduced Green Arrow a few years ago since it was obvious the producers were shooting for a pseudo-Batman, but that Hartley’s portrayal won him over. “His charismatic performance added a nice light counterpoint to the doom and gloom usually surrounding Clark.”

Another plus for season 8 was having the Daily Planet be a newspaper, not just a backdrop for Clark needing some database hacked by Chloe. Suddenly the people in the background have begun interacting with those in the foreground instead of just peopling the scene. One Planeteer chided Lois for invading his personal space and gave the impression it was not the first time.

Clark and Lois also actively discuss what they’re investigating and go out into the field. Lois uses her take-no-prisoners approach while Clark plies his super advantage during investigations.

The show was now ready for the eleventh episode and the end of the first half of the season. With things going so swimmingly, what could go wrong?

In the episode Bride, Chloe and Jimmy’s wedding served as a backdrop for several building story lines.

Chloe had been cleansed of Brainiac by Jor-El, who also purged her memories of Clark’s secret at Clark’s request, but Brainiac had infected the Fortress of Solitude as soon as he left Chloe.

Davis, who had been suffering blackouts where he went on killing rampages, was more and more drawn to Chloe and refused to go to her wedding because he didn’t want to see her marry the wrong man.  He kept phoning her on her wedding day, but Chloe did not answer his calls.

Meanwhile Oliver, dressed as the Green Arrow,  had tracked Lex to an old warehouse in Cuba and fired an arrow into the head of a mannequin he mistook for Lex. This was bad old school Smallville writing where the characters are twisted to fit the plot. Other than a vague “Lex is evil and deserves to die” motive, Oliver has no real reason to kill Lex.  Actually it was all an excuse for Lana to make a grand entrance flying out of the darkness like a little ninja to scold Oliver for his unheroic behavior.

Unfortunately Oliver convinced her to attend Chloe’s wedding and very little of the new school writing was left from that point forward.

Just at the moment Clark and Lois’s feelings began to boil over during a dance at the wedding reception, Lana made her kiss-stopping entrance.

Lois left, but glanced back a last time at Clark, who looked like he’d taken a rifle butt to the head as he stood dumbly looking at his ex-girlfriend.

All at once the season that had been so different and promising began to revert back to the angst-filled soap opera it had been in the past,

Lana Lang, described as “mopey” in the TV Squad article, is actually a young woman who seems to thrive in a bubble of melancholy. This is so much a part of her personality that on the rare occasions where she experiences fleeting happiness, she actually seems out of character. She even wore black to Chloe’s wedding.

In an unwelcome blast from the past, Clark and Lana had one of their barn loft scenes of emotionally evasive conversation and tensely polite reminiscing.

Clark asked Lana what changed her mind about coming back for Chloe’s wedding, but she didn’t answer. Instead Lana complimented Clark’s work as the Red-Blue Blur and awkwardly injected a romantic reference by saying she had always dreamed of a summer wedding taking place on Clark’s farm, but with her having the lead role as the bride.

That comment not only seemed oddly out of place, but even tacky considering Lana had left Clark with a “dear john” DVD. Of course later it is revealed she was forced to make the DVD, but at this point Clark doesn’t know that and so it came across as being in the worst possible taste. Yet Clark continued on as if she’d said something rational and relevant to their current situation. This is Smallville old school writing at its worst.

Perhaps the best comparison of old school and new school writing was the unintentional parallel drawn between the scenes of ex-lovers. Oliver found Lois sitting on the front porch with a bottle of champagne about to drown her sorrows and offered a sympathetic ear. The dialogue was honest and believable as Lois tried to explain her confusing feelings for Clark. At no time did Oliver make an attempt to steal the spotlight. He was, as one reviewer put it, “a stand up guy.”

The episode ended with Doomsday raiding the wedding, disabling Clark, nearly killing Jimmy and kidnapping Chloe. There was a final shot of Lex hooked up to some sort of life support equipment watching everything unfold. How he was able to do that was not explained.

Had this been Lana’s first and last episode, I would have still given Smallville a B for its mid-season grade. Unfortunately it was merely her first in a string of five episodes and each got progressively worse.

Lana had little to do in the episode Legion and that’s probably due to the fact the episode was written for an earlier spot in the season prior to Lana’s return.

The old school writing continued with Chloe miraculously having her memory of Clark’s secret restored. Why even take it away if it was going to be given back with no fanfare or consequences a few episodes later?

A small hint as to what Lana would be up to in her arc was revealed at the end when she told Clark that “Our destiny is not written in some book in the future. We write it ourselves.” Apparently Lana wasn’t happy with the vibe she got from Saturn Girl regarding how she was remembered in the future.

In Bulletproof Lana had a side story involving Tess Mercer in which she revealed to Tess that Lex had been using her as his eyes and ears by implanting some optic nerve device in her head. Now how Lana knew this is never revealed, but again that was in keeping with the old school writing just like a pointless drawn out martial arts brawl between the two women.

Clark’s story, which had no bearing on Lana’s, involved going under cover as a cop to find out who shot Detective John Jones, Martian Manhunter’s earthbound identity. It wasn’t a bad story, but it wasn’t terribly original either. As a friend put it, the story line could’ve been done on the show Kung Fu The Legend Continues. At least the martial arts brawl would’ve made sense.

The penultimate episode of Lana’s arc, Power, was an episode the former show-runners Gough and Millar could’ve written. Lana was the star, the  hero and Clark was merely used to wander around listening to flashback testimonials from other characters as to how awesome Lana is and to point out that she had been forced by Lex’s goons to make the farewell DVD she left for Clark.

The plot, such as it was, involved Lana stealing an experimental suit designed for Lex to keep him alive and to make him super strong and super fast. Did she steal it to destroy it? Hell no, she stole the suit to have it fused to her body so she could ply her new trade as a superhero! This was embarrassingly bad storytelling and was soundly panned in reviews.

The worst part, however, for a lot of Superman and comic book fans was not just the choice of having Clark stupid enough to hook back up with Lana romantically again for the millionth time, but to have the bad taste to have the couple kiss on the rooftop of the Daily Planet. That rooftop has been Superman and Lois Lane’s rendezvous spot for decades.

It was tacky and insulting and became an over idealized, overblown cinematic  moment with the sun rising in the distant and a pull back shot bathing the wonderful couple in a golden glow. There were people who never  hated Lana before who started hating her at that moment, which is neither here nor there since she has no importance in the Superman saga, but it dragged the star of that saga down with her.

After Power, there was a quarter of a million less viewers who tuned in to Lana’s final episode Requiem. Perhaps the title referred to the death of the audience.  The plot involved Toyman working for Lex and setting up explosives around town and it was the job of Metropolis’ new power couple, as Oliver mockingly referred to Clark and Lana, to save the day.

In Bulletproof Lana suffered from an overdose of hubris by referring to herself as Lex Luthor’s equal. In Power she said she was Clark Kent’s equal, but this episode painfully illustrated she was neither.

It never seemed to occur to Lana that Lex, a person who hated Clark and knew his weakness to kryptonite, would build a suit for himself that would exploit that weakness. Pride goeth before a fall and Lana fell hard. Lex designed the suit to absorb kryptonite and then had Toyman design a bomb filled with kryptonite. Clark naturally couldn’t get near it and so Lana had to defuse the bomb and in so doing made herself as toxic to Clark literally as she had been metaphorically for all these years.

The episode ended with Clark crumpled on the loft floor after a suicidal kiss with Lana. She ran off to save the world after Clark begged her to stay. It’s funny that the super suit project was called Prometheus, named for the Titan who defied Zeus and brought fire to mankind. His punishment was to have his liver ripped out over and over throughout eternity by a giant eagle. So why was Clark the one left with his guts ripped out?

Lana’s farewell arc was scheduled for last year, but Kristin Kreuk, the actress who plays Lana, left prematurely to film a movie thinking the WGA strike would last longer. In turn her arc had to be wedged into this season. It’s highly possible that a lot of the elements that were supposed to be used last year and made more sense last year, were adapted to scripts this year. Show-runner Darren Swimmer said they’d been planning Lana’s arc before this season began and so it does sound like it was the arc, in whole or in part,  designed for last year.

A solid B turned turned into a solid D after Lana’s arc. I can’t even imagine why the audience would come back for the next new episode. From their point of view the end of the arc would look like a cliffhanger, not a final resolution of the Clark/Lana relationship.  After all Lana is still alive. There are a lot of scientists Clark could consult to try and find a cure for Lana’s kryptonite radiation.

The producers can be grateful the show has been renewed for a ninth season because this one may be unsalvageable.

In the new season some cast members will be returning, some will be missing and still others will merely make guest appearances to tie up dangling plot lines from last year. There will also be new cast members, if only temporarily, and a few of them will have familiar names, at least for comic book fans.

With a new team of show-runners replacing the departed Gough and Millar, there is an opportunity to resuscitate the ailing series and give it an epic sendoff. This doesn’t mean the previous show-runners wouldn’t have given it an equally grand departure, but they had such an entrenched view of their endgame that many plot lines just puttered around aimlessly waiting for the payoff.

SPOILERS

Maybe the most long awaited change will be Clark Kent finally becoming a reporter at the Daily Planet.  Yeah, okay, there have been changes more eagerly anticipated like Clark conquering the power of flight, or donning the famous costume, but no one is expecting miracles. However, at the very least, Clark becoming a reporter working with Lois Lane at the great metropolitan newspaper gives Smallville a recognizable mythic credential.

Also Clark, according to spoilers, will give some serious consideration to creating a secret identity, but again the idea that we’ll actually see the Superman costume is unlikely. He will also develop more than friendly feelings for Lois, but that will happen just in time for Lana to come back to town. You’ll recall Lana left town after leaving Clark a Dear John DVD.

It would be great to see Clark finally over his Lana obsession, but old plot lines die hard on this show. This could actually be an intriguing story arc. Lana suddenly returns and Clark, who thought he was completely over her, isn’t so sure when they meet up again, but over the course of the arc he could remember that, for the most part, their relationship was filled with too much angst and not nearly enough happiness.

It’s time for Clark to move on emotionally and it’s important that it be his choice to move on from Lana rather than implying Lois Lane is merely a silver medal runner up in the love Olympics. Viewers need to see Clark realize how bad things had been between himself and Lana and that it’s not what he wants out of life and love in his future.

Speaking of Clark’s future love, Lois Lane will also undergo some changes and soul searching, like her feelings for Oliver Queen. Although one obvious change is purely physical, she’ll have brunette hair rather than the blonde-do she sported in the previous seasons. Not only is it more in keeping with most versions of Lois Lane, the coloring is more appealing on the actress.

No doubt the biggest change for Lois will be dealing with Clark Kent as a co-worker and possible reporting partner. Starting out their legendary pairing at such an early point presents some challenges, not the least of which being how will this Lois Lane ever be fooled by a pair of glasses?

At some point in the new season they should introduce Perry White as the editor even if they  have to use a different actor than they had used several years ago in the episode Perry. With Lois and Clark in their iconic places at the Daily Planet, the paper itself needs to have an editorial identity. Of course in the early going a Lex Luthor minion named Tess Mercer will be tending to the running of the grand old paper while tossing passes at Clark Kent. However, eventually like all villains, she will be overthrown and it would be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce Perry White.

Returning, Visiting and Vanishing

Indefatigable sidekick Chloe Sullivan will be back along with her boyfriend Jimmy Olsen. You’ll recall the previous season ended with Jimmy asking Chloe to marry him. You may also remember that something in Chloe’s powers weakened Brainiac. It turns out that Chloe’s powers will have further development in season 8 and she will take an active interest in running Isis, the foundation for the meteor infected that Lana had created as a front for her spying activities on ex-husband Lex Luthor.

As to the fate of the bald billionaire, Lex will not be returning. His absence will be filled by a variety of villain types including the previously referenced minion Tess, as well as a man named Davis  who will somehow become Doomsday, and then there’s Maxima, the intergalactic babe who always wants to mate with Superman to produce a super race of warriors. Lastly, Clark’s cousin Kara will be returning, but only for an episode or two and Lana, as mentioned, will return for five episodes.

A few of the growing crew of lifesize action figures will be returning, although the nascent Justice League will be missing Impulse and Cyborg due to previous commitments by the actors who play those characters.

There will also be a glimpse of the Legion of Super Heroes in an episode where Superman from the future sends the Legionnaires  back in time to Smallville for an unknown mission. Lightning Lad or Live Wire? Time will tell.

Probably the best news on the superhero front is that Clark will actually get off the bench. It’s not that Clark hasn’t performed his share of rescues in the past, but if given the choice to have or not have super powers, he opted for the latter.

This upcoming season, however, Clark will take a proactive stand. Not only that, but allegedly Green Arrow will suffer a crisis of faith in the cause and it’s Clark Kent, of all people, who has to get him back in the game. The nagging question will be, of course, is this all too little too late?

Smallville has steadily lost its audience as Clark pined for Lana seven long years, shrugged off the idea of being a hero, allowed his sidekick Chloe Sullivan to do all his research and thinking for him while he generally stood on the sidelines watching the world in trouble, but not feeling quite bad enough about Earth’s plight to put out more than a minimal localized effort.

For the new season to not only maintain its fading audience, but lure the disenchanted back, it will require a herculean effort on the part of the writing staff and the CW network, which has often done a poor job of promoting older shows in favor of the next new shiny thing.

Another problem is that the new show-runners want to keep pimping the idea that there could be a ninth season even before the eighth is launched. If, however, they stated emphatically that season eight was going to be the last season, they could use the tried and true “countdown” type of advertising technique, i.e., “Only 6 episodes left of Smallville.” It’s amazing how many people will return to a show they had abandoned years ago when they feel it is finally going to end.

On the other hand, if season eight were to do well even without an ‘end of series’ advertising strategy, there could be a ninth season, but that requires contract renewals and as of yet there has been no news that Welling (Clark Kent) would sign for another year. Realistically all television series end. They can drag on after their expiration date, which some critics say is already true of Smallville, or they can end definitively with a feeling their goals have been met. In the case of Smallville that would mean having things end in a manner that makes it clear that Clark will be Superman and happily so, rather than being bullied into it by Jor-El, or guilted into it by Green Arrow, lectured into it by Chloe, or driven by revenge by Lex Luthor.

This might be the season worth a second look from those who dumped Smallville years ago, or gave it a cursory try and found it not to their liking, or even for those who had hoped Clark would start drifting away from Lana as soon as Lois Lane showed up only to be disappointed year after year. The new show-runners have made a lot of promises and hopefully they can keep most of them.

]]> http://redboots.net/planet/?feed=rss2&p=97 10 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=27 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=27#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:46:36 +0000 Guardian http://redboots.net/planet/?p=27

This Thursday, May 1, SMALLVILLE takes a look at what the world would be like if Clark had never come to Earth. In what might be titled ‘It’s a Worrisome Life’, Clark gets the George Bailey treatment via his Kryptonian father Jor-El. It would seem at first glance that his friends are better off. Lana is married rather than in a coma and Chloe is engaged to be married because she actually had a social life in a future where she wasn’t Clark’s hacker handmaiden.

However, not all is as rosy as it seems. Lois, though an intrepid reporter, is in handcuffs and has to be rescued from Lex Luthor’s minions. Oh, and Lex made it to the top, he’s the president of the United States and Brainiac is his right-hand man. If that wasn’t bad enough, Clark’s own cousin Kara was raised by the Luthors. Here’s a director’s cut of the episode.

However, Siegel himself set the record straight with a letter to the editor of Time Magazine, a publication that also printed the erroneous classmate story. Siegel stated that a fictional reporter named Torchy Blane, featured in a series of B movies from the 1930s, was his true inspiration

Glenda Farrell was the actress who portrayed Torchy in the bulk of the movies, but an attractive brunette named Lola Lane (above), who obviously inspired Lois’s name, played her in one of the better films.

Torchy, like Lois, did the requisite snooping, cajoling, phoning and even paid an informant from her ’swindle sheet’ (expense account) money, but an added bonus with actress Lola Lane’s version was her athleticism.

Lola wore trousers throughout most of the movie and considering some of the physical stunts she had to do, it was a wardrobe choice born of necessity, not a fashion statement.

Here’s a clip of Lola Lane as Torchy Blane doing what would also become typical of Lois Lane throughout her long history in the Superman mythology and would, of course, put her on Superman’s radar.

Torchy also had her own non-super powered version of Superman in the person of Detective Lieutenant Steve McBride. She called him “Skipper” as an endearment, not unlike Lois calling Clark “Smallville.”

It’s easy to see the similarity in the pattern of a stalwart reporter taking the dangerous approach to landing a story while the man who loves her frets for her safety and arrives in the nick of time when she gets in over her head, which tended to happen in every movie.

The choice of Lois Lane’s profession was due to the serendipity of timing. In the 1930s and early 1940s female reporters were very popular in movies and a favorite role for actresses.

It would be difficult to name a top box-office actress from that era who didn’t play a reporter at some point and the reason was obvious.

Such a role allowed an actress to play something other than the traditional good girl or bad girl love interest. She also got to be heroic, adventurous and work with male characters as an equal in a competitive career atmosphere.

While the enthusiasm for cinematic reporters has dwindled over the years and Torchy Blane has drifted into obscurity for all but the most stalwart movie trivia buffs, she has had a lasting impact her creators could never envision.

Lois Lane, inspired by the B movie heroine, is still in the newsroom hammering out headlines 70 years later and in her own way keeping Torchy’s flame for journalism burning.

]]> http://redboots.net/planet/?feed=rss2&p=25 2 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=23 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=23#comments Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:25:32 +0000 Guardian http://redboots.net/planet/?p=23

Since, as mentioned, I turned off the comment feature due to way too much spam getting through even with filters, I asked you to send me your comments to my e-mail address at guardian@redboots.net and you did. Thanks!

I’m going to post and comment on some of your e-mail. I’m not posting all of the e-mail since many are simply one liners like “I agree” or “I disagree” or “Loved your post” type of comments. Believe me, I love getting them, both positive and negative, but in this column I’ll be addressing comments, questions, critiques, etc. so let’s get started.

Superman:Doomsday

Justagigalo wrote:

I thought the movie was fine, but it wasn’t the Doomsday saga without the Reign of Supermen and the other heroes showing up in the funeral arc and why no Jonathan?

Personally, I think there’s just too much back story non-comic book readers would need for the Reign part to work. How would even a two hour movie explain Cyborg Superman and Eradicator? And considering the Superboy lawsuit, he’d be out in any case.

Though keep in mind the real reason for the Reign of Supermen was basically padding in preparation for Superman’s return. The comic had to keep storylines going in the Superman comics until he got back. That’s part of the same deal when you get to the Funeral for a Friend section with all the other superheroes. They were helping fill comic space in the Superman titles.

I think they were also telling the story from a different point of view than the comic continuity of the Doomsday era since Jonathan, as you said, was gone. They were going with the movie view of Superman where, in his adult life, Pa Kent is gone. Also, like the movies, Superman is the only hero. Not to mention Lois dating Superman instead of Clark.

Gomez wrote:

My big problem was Superman’s face. He looked really old.

I didn’t like the lines they put on his face either. He looked tired and I agree not terribly youthful.

Is Chloe Sullivan Really Lena Thorul?

Terry_Vecki wrote:

No, no a thousand times no! I don’t want Chloe related to Lex Luthor EVER!

Fear not, I doubt the producers of Smallville have ever heard of Lena Thorul, but I found some of the similarities interesting, hence the theory.

A Many Splintered Thing

Angie wrote:

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your review. I think it was very accurate, and it showed how this show has lost complete direction. As a Superman fan, it’s truly a shame to see what they’re doing to Clark Kent’s character here.

You’re rare. Not many Superman fans tune in anymore except for mythos type episodes. Mainly those that involve other heroes. I think that’s why we have Kara this year. Perhaps also to offset the third or fourth return of the doomed Clark and Lana relationship. It doesn’t matter to me that the relationship will allegedly be angst-free and that Lana is in on the secret, because it’s like throwing good money after bad since their relationship ultimately goes nowhere.

I ‘m not looking forward to it, but Lois Lane’s arc seems interesting, so there’s some compensation that points to the future and isn’t mired in the past like Clark’s storyline.

Hils wrote:

I just wanted to thank you for writing an article that expressed so eloquently how so many Smallville fans feel about Season 6 of the show.

I can only pray that the writers and/or producers of the show get a chance to read it so they can see exactly how and why they went wrong.

A couple of people, myself included, have linked to this in our blogs so that as many people as possible can read it. You never know it might, eventually, make its way to the powers that be.

Thanks for the good thoughts and the link. I’d like to think all of this will make a difference, and though I’m not completely pessimistic, I believe the producers mapped out how they want to end the show and have decided to follow that to the letter. My guess is that they want it to end with Lana making a noble sacrifice by letting Clark go off and fulfill his destiny. That’s not the true story, but it is the one the Clana fans (Clark/Lana romance fans) have been feeding the powers that be, along with custom M&Ms stating ’save Clana’.

Ashley wrote:

Thank you for this article. It says everything I’ve been ranting about for the past six years. Perhaps love-seeking teens adore the show because of its Forever Revolving Around Lana theme, but I, for one, expect so much more from a Future-Superman show. It is truly sad that Smallville has become Lanaville. I’m staying until there’s Lex, however, who seems to be, so far, the true hero of this perverted tale.

I’m kind of at a loss as to what they plan to do with Lana. She can’t replace Chloe in terms of being his researcher, she doesn’t have the skills. The funny thing about Lana is that she always begins as the ideal and idealized girlfriend. She’ll do just about anything for her guy, at least until she rebounds to the next guy and then the pattern repeats.

If that holds true to form this year, then Lana will probably help Clark by getting the information he needs, but not in the manner Chloe did and unlike Chloe, Lana will get fringe benefits.

Liz wrote:

I just finished reading your blog and had to say that: A) it was wonderfully written and B) I agree with everything you wrote.

I admit to starting to watch Smallville only with the advent of Lois Lane, so I haven’t been faced with the Clark/Lana saga for the entire history of the series, but what I have seen of it does make one want to “retch or strangle” someone, preferably Lana. Or the series writers.

The thought of this upcoming season bringing back the dead horse of the Clark/Lana storyline makes me wish they’d bring back Oliver with an engagement ring for Lois, have her marry him and become the top reporter on the “Star City Gazette” and wash her hands (and a lot of viewers hands as well) of Clark and his obsession with Lana.

I figured out why Lana has been given more importance than the character should and it has to do with confusing Peter Parker with Clark Kent. You’ll recall his narration line from the first Spider-man movie:

“…this, like any other story worth telling, is all about a girl … the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson, the woman I loved since before I even liked girls…”

However, the reason it worked with Spider-man is because the writers/director decided to go with Peter’s destined love Mary Jane Watson rather than his doomed romance with Gwen Stacey, even though she was his first true love in the comics.

You can tell how Smallville tried to duplicate the Mary Jane scenario with Lana. The problem, of course, is that Lana Lang is not the destined love interest in the myth. Superman’s romance with Lois Lane is so legendary that the audience of any generation is well aware of that fact and so they begin to feel progress won’t be made. They don’t see the point of investing in the story any longer.

And by progress I don’t mean Clark leaving Lana and hooking up with Lois, or anyone else for that matter. The audience has to believe that the myth is evolving, but as long as Clark is with Lana, it doesn’t matter what else Clark does, or what he accomplishes because it feels like he isn’t moving toward the future.

None of this means the show is in any danger of cancellation, however, because Smallville has a loyal core of between 5.5 and 4.5 million viewers who’ll watch no matter what. While those numbers would get a show canceled on a big network, they’re more than high enough to keep Smallville on the CW. Now whether the CW itself can survive as a network is a different matter.

In short, I don’t think the return of Clana will cause a problem in the ratings and since baseball is not on a major network this season like it was last year, the ratings could even prosper, at least within the parameter of that loyal core. On the other hand, attracting new viewers, or viewers who gave up on the show will be the hard part.

Again, I want to thank all of you for your comments and insights and keep writing. Each time I gather enough e-mail, I’ll post another Metropolis Mailbag column and respond.

The first half of the season averaged nearly 5 million viewers, while the “back 9,” as the remaining episodes are referred to in TV lingo, could barely come close to 4 million. What happened?

Right and Wrong

The show did get some things right at the beginning. First, they introduced Jimmy Olsen.

The famous cub reporter provided a love interest for Chloe Sullivan and also lightened the mood of the often grimly dark series.

However, no matter how engaging a supporting cast character is, he is not designed to carry an episode even with the help of other supporting cast members. This can fall flat, as happened with Static. The lead character has to play a prominent role in the story line even if the focus is on a secondary character.

Another plus on the right side was making Lois Lane, at long last, a reporter. Where they failed was in how they handled her sudden interest in journalism in the episode Sneeze.

While it’s easy to see why anyone would be curious about how a barn door flew 7 miles across the county on a clear day, that shouldn’t be the story that makes Lois proclaim journalism as her calling.

Starting her out at a tabloid, on the other hand, was rather brilliant. Without the scholastic background and thus no shiny journalism degree, a tabloid was the perfect solution. It taught her the ropes in a more practical hands-on environment and more importantly, by the end of the season, it taught her about the need for credibility, something she would never have at a tabloid.

They also added a fledgling hero with a costumed secret identity to go with the fledgling reporter. This gave Smallville at least a mythic verisimilitude. The only real error they made was similar to the supporting cast error in that a guest star shouldn’t eclipse the lead character.

Even so, the addition of billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, AKA Green Arrow, was an inspired choice because he was the closest Smallville could come to introducing Batman, who the producers were not permitted to use, and yet he was a lot more charming and approachable than the Dark Knight.

This led to the inevitable relationship with Lois Lane. A relationship, according to one critic, “that didn’t make you retch or desire to strangle anyone.”

Such sentiment isn’t surprising considering how most viewers must feel after enduring years of obsessive angst, or worse, cutesie-poo togetherness fluff. Oliver and Lois offered a good-natured grownup alternative.

Wrong is Right

There is probably nothing more wrong than the pairing of Lex Luthor and Lana Lang, but this diabolical romantic match-up was an inspired direction. It illustrated how emotionally and even psychologically damaged the two of them were. Lana, who rebounded to Lex from Clark after rebounding from Jason to Clark, was accustomed to getting her way, but she finally landed in a relationship with a man who likewise was accustomed to getting his way.

While that kind of relationship can lead to an amusing clash of wills, with Lex and Lana it skirted the edges of insanity. Lex, like Jason and Clark before him, was obsessed with Lana, not truly in love with her.

Lana, of course, has had only one obsession, aside from her dead parents that is — the need for complete disclosure from prospective mates, or there’ll be hell to pay.

Because of this self-defeating flaw in Lana, she will always be doomed to be disappointed because no one will ever be one hundred percent honest one hundred percent of the time.

As each man failed her impossible standards, Lana became a little bit darker and harder. Incapable of unconditional love, Lana began to self destruct.

At first Lana played the part of the sorrowful bird in the gilded cage when she discovered she was pregnant and Lex proposed marriage.

She defaulted to her old tactic of running back to Clark. She could always count on his obsession with her to pull her through, but not this time.

Clark, after discovering she was pregnant, a factoid she did not volunteer, told her he hoped she’d be happy with Lex and sent her on her way.

This was surprising since Clark in the past would have taken her back under any circumstances, no matter how much she had stomped on his heart prior to her rebound. Could it be that Clark had finally grown up and found a moral boundary he wouldn’t cross even for Lana? No, not really.

Right is Right

However he might have been temporarily buoyed up by kissing Lois while disguised as Green Arrow in the episode Hydro. It was at the end of that episode that Lana paid Clark her rebound visit, but he sent her packing.

A couple of episodes later in Crimson a love potion mixed with red kryptonite caused Clark and Lois to fall for each other. It was a lighthearted episode filled with iconography like Clark “leaping tall buildings” with Lois in his arms. Unfortunately it ended with Clark kidnapping Lana, so his obsession continued.

Nonetheless, early in the season Clark had been on the right track hunting down the criminals from the Phantom Zone and wanting to resume his training at the Fortress of Solitude when he had disposed of the Zoners. Not that slogging off to the Fortress of Solitude and emerging a dozen years later without explanation as Superman has ever been an interesting dramatic maneuver, but at least Clark had constructive goals for once.

Capping off his progress, Clark joined forces with the nascent Justice League. He was reluctant at first and clearly not the leader, but this qualified as amazing progress for Clark considering just the year before he hated his powers and heritage.

With things moving so smoothly and inexorably toward the future, what could go wrong?

Wrong is Just Plain Wrong

When Clark makes this face it’s a sure bet that the actor is trying a little too hard to look overjoyed at the prospect of getting Lana back.

Lana’s greatest power is to give Clark hope of a reconciliation after he’s made an effort to move on from her.

As mentioned she did exactly that in Hydro by showing up at his loft making rebound sounds, but also as mentioned, Clark still had some boundaries left at that point and so did not take her back.

Unfortunately his resolve began to unravel in Labyrinth, an episode where an alien took over Clark’s mind and used his memories as weapons. It was revealing that only the pink innocent Lana dwelt there. A Lana who never dated Whitney, Jason, or Lex Luthor. A Lana who never really existed except in Clark’s mind, but apparently that was enough.

Fantasy Lana was able to talk Clark into putting his head in the villain’s noose, even though that meant he’d lose his free will and be the villain’s puppet forever. You’d think if anything could convince Clark that his feelings for Lana were not only obsessive, but were delusional and destructive as well, it would have been that episode. Alas, you’d be wrong.

Clark leaped to the nonsensical conclusion that it meant he still loved Lana. That bit of faulty deductive reasoning was costly enough, as was Clark kidnapping Lana at the end of the following episode, but nothing was as costly as Clark wanting to propose to Lana on her wedding day to Lex Luthor.

After the wedding episode the show lost 600 or so thousand of the remaining viewers. It could be argued they left because Lana was forced to marry Lex, but that’s highly unlikely considering Lex and Lana’s sexual consummation didn’t hurt the ratings back when episodes were hitting nearly 5 million, nor were the ratings hurt when Lana accepted Lex’s proposal.

Even her pregnancy didn’t hurt the ratings. On the contrary, the revelation that the pregnancy was fake brought on by injections of hormones was merely an anticlimactic footnote that occurred when the ratings were already hitting under 4 million.

But the blame doesn’t rest solely with Lana. In fact Lana was actually interesting this year, at least up to a given point.

Her emotional meltdowns, her chronic rebound tendencies, her Diogenes complex to find an honest man all collided with each other this season.

She emerged as a woman who very much earned the name Luthor, even more so than Lex. In many ways she possessed the necessary sociopathic coldness that has yet to completely overtake Lex.

She tortured Lionel while he was hospitalized due to injuries sustained during an explosion that trapped Lex underground in a maze of tunnels rigged with explosives. Lana felt entitled to torture her father-in-law because Lionel had discovered her plan to bolt from the altar with a dear John, Whitney, Jason, Lex letter and forced her to marry Lex.

During the torture, which included pinching off Lionel’s oxygen supply, he confessed that he had forced her to marry Lex because he needed someone to get close enough to his son to spy on his activities to protect Clark.

In the final episode of the season Lana ran out on her marriage and straight to Clark and told him everything about the shotgun wedding. Well almost everything. She conveniently left out the part about Lionel wanting to protect Clark. This launched Clark into a blindly stupid rage and caused him to nearly kill Lionel. Had Martian Manhunter not stopped him, that sadly would’ve been the outcome.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right”

While Lana is an easy target due to her extremely fickle nature and erratic choices as she rebounds back and forth between men, the truth is she has no power of her own.

That’s why the real downfall of the season lands more squarely on Clark Kent’s broad shoulders because he, like Lex and others, empowers Lana by granting her dominion over their actions.

If Clark weren’t destined to become Superman, then none of this would matter. If Clark was still 15 years old, a lot of it could be forgiven, but he is destined to be Superman and now he’s 21 years old and he’s run out of excuses.

When Lex was trapped in the tunnels and his death was imminent, Lana had the means to save him after finding the blueprints, but she sat on the information.

Again, stunningly cold-blooded, she only released the information when she learned Clark was trapped in the tunnels with Lex.

It can’t even be argued that Lex deserved a death sentence for making Lana believe she was pregnant. It was a cruel plot, but not a deadly one and he is the villain. We expect more from heroes, or just plain good people.

Yet, ironically, it was Lex who went back to rescue Clark after he became trapped in a pile of rubble laced with kryptonite.

Later, when Clark found out that Lana had given the blueprints to the rescuers, he concluded it meant that Lana must really love Lex, rather than seeing it as Lana doing the right and decent thing that any good person should do. That made it seem as if Clark, the alleged hero of the story, would have expected Lana to let Lex die if she were not in love with him, and worse, he would’ve been fine with that.

When a hero’s compass fails so miserably to find ethical north, then the hero is lost. When the villain is occasionally more heroic than the hero, the villain becomes the sympathetic character. When their mutual ambiguity can be traced back to the same character, Lana Lang in this case, then they’ve surrendered their power and story to her and she becomes the important character and the entire focus of the series shifts accordingly.

For years there was a standing joke among Smallville fans that the show was more about Lana and her negligible place in the myth than it was about the hero and villain and their epic journey. However, this past season seemed to prove them right.

Again, this isn’t about blaming Lana because without Clark and Lex tripping over themselves to possess her and doing things they normally wouldn’t do towards that end, she’s a very powerless character. Unfortunately series co-creator Miles Millar recently stated that the upcoming season, apparently with the theme of “the season of reversals,” will explore, yet again, the Clark and Lana relationship “as they try and make it work and can a superhero really have a girlfriend, which is the classic superhero dilemma.”

If this sounds redundant, it is. Whether or not a superhero can have a relationship and make it work was explored thoroughly on Lois & Clark The New Adventures of Superman a decade ago. Of course by using Lana the answer ironically becomes no, because the audience already knows that his relationship with Lana flops.

It’s strange that Millar and his partner Al Gough chose to build the show around Clark’s doomed relationship with Lana, though they weren’t terribly forthcoming with that plan early in the buzz phase.

That’s not really surprising because it’s doubtful many viewers would tune in for a show called Lana and Clark.

Instead most viewers thought they would be seeing a detailed evolution of Clark Kent’s journey from farm boy to the world’s greatest hero and likewise the journey of Lex Luthor from being Clark Kent’s best friend to Superman’s worst enemy.

The show has at most, contractually speaking, two seasons left and so all points may simply be moot anyway as to whether the show goes out with a whimper or a bang. However, I fear that the Lana/Clark relationship will be drawn out to the bitter end and so I’m leaning towards whimper.

]]> http://redboots.net/planet/?feed=rss2&p=12 0 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=22 http://redboots.net/planet/?p=22#comments Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:56:45 +0000 Guardian http://redboots.net/planet/?p=22 Behind the scenes of the animated movie

Translating the best selling Death of Superman saga into a 70 minute animated movie is a daunting task. Of course in that time frame not everything will be covered, which might upset purists, but unless you have the money to produce a story on a Peter Jackson scale, that’s inevitable.

The other purist constituency who might quibble over details would be fans of the Superman animated series, disappointed that different voice actors are being used and the look of the characters will be different. However, for the rest of us, this should be a very intense and entertaining movie.

The Story

“My aim is to make something so dramatically compelling that within the first five minutes you’ll forget you’re watching a cartoon.”

Bruce Timm, who has brought Superman back to life in a big way through animation, took on the Superman – Doomsday project.

We all know the story, a mammoth, seemingly unstoppable monster is destroying everything in its wake and the only thing that stands between Doomsday and the survival of the human race is Superman. The Man of Steel finally defeats the behemoth, but at the cost of his own life. And basically that is the story of Superman’s death.

However, the writers had a specific goal in mind with Doomsday. He had to be powerful enough for the audience to believe that Superman might not win, but not so powerful that he could easily beat Superman. In turn, Superman will face an enemy for the first time who could actually defeat him, something Superman never let himself believe before of any enemy.

“As exciting as the Superman – Doomsday sequence is, I think in some ways I was even more challenged and more interested by how we would do The World Without Superman segment.”

The Characters

While many heroes are defined by their quests, vengeance or even their villains, Superman’s true connection is to humanity, to his friends, family and the woman he loves.

Because this is true, we believe their grief at his loss and believe that the world would mourn his passing.

Jimmy Olsen in this version is a bit more mature than the version in the animated series so that he’s more in keeping with the Doomsday story arc.

And though not a key character in the original saga, Lex Luthor was given a key role in the animated version. He is described as “darker” and a “very damaged individual.”

Lex also grieves over the loss, not of Superman, but what he represents to Lex, his one true challenge. The one enemy that he could not defeat.

It’s said that a hero is only as good as his villain, well, the reverse is also true. Without Superman, Lex has no real challenge left. In one of the clips of Lex pounding an ersatz Superman, he shouts, “Why did you leave me!”

Obviously no one is going to feel the loss as keenly as Lois Lane. Always famous for her rock solid toughness and cynicism, Lois fell hard for Superman in a way she had never and would never love another. There was only one other woman that could match Lois’s grief and that was his mother Martha Kent.

There’s no indication that Jonathan is alive in this version of the story from the clips I saw, but Martha was at the funeral and grieved by herself because the public would never know that she was Superman’s mother.

In Martha Lois saw a kindred spirit and sought her out so that they could grieve and remember him together without the prying eyes of the world finding out that Martha had lost a son and Lois had lost the love of her life.

The Romance

“We decided that when our story begins that Lois and Superman have been seeing each other. So that gave us the opportunity to explore thematically more mature material.”

–Duane Capizzi

Not just Superman, but Clark as well. It would be nice if the story included a revelation, but whether it does or not, it’s clear that Lois knows that Clark and Superman are the same person in this story as was true in the Death of Superman arc where they were engaged.

The romance of Superman and Lois Lane has endured for 70 years because of many factors like nods to classical myth and even fairytales, but where it differed is where it really succeeded. Instead of a heroine waiting for a glass slipper, or to be awakened by a magical kiss, Lois Lane would be more likely to interview Prince Charming about the continued viability of the monarchy.

“Personally, for me, if Lois isn’t a major character, if she’s not really a super important character in the story, then it’s really not a Superman movie because in a weird kind of way, she almost becomes the central character because you’re almost seeing the entire story through her eyes. “

– Bruce Timm

Raised by a general who wanted a son, Lois makes things happen, she doesn’t wait for them to happen. However, her penchant for extreme risks and a dangerous approach to journalism is what caught Superman’s eye in the first place.

It’s difficult to imagine Lois with anyone else because it seemed to take a super man to handle her. That’s why the Death of Superman arc hit her so hard and made her feel helpless for the first time in her life.

The Look

Although the look of the movie is different from the previous series, the characters seems to be a blend of the comic art and the familiar animated characterization.

“When it came to designing Metropolis, one of the things we wanted to do was ground the movie in a little bit more of a believable reality.”

–Bruce Timm

The art captures a beautiful verisimilitude. Attention to scope, scale and detail makes Metropolis a real city. At least as real as Superman’s mythical home can be captured in animation.

If I haven’t sold you on this DVD, then it wasn’t for want of trying. Pick it up September 18, 2007.

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