I realize this is completely off topic for my blog, but I have to get something off my chest.
Smallville is a joke.
I cannot believe the writers of this show continue to treat the fans like 12 year olds. The writing on this show runs the gambit between mind-numbingly awesome, and dumbfoundingly stupid. Case in point: Last night during the premier Lois, now aware that Clark is the Blur, plays along with him in a couple different circumstances that are quite entertaining. Good job writers, that was fun. And then in the same episode, after performing a stunt requiring Clark to launch himself off the ground, grab an object mid-air and place it on the top of a sky scraper, Clark tells a character "For a moment there it felt like I was flying." Really Clark? I believe you said that exact line in Season 2. Maybe you felt like you were flying because you WERE flying!! Either you can't figure that out because you're the dumbest hero the world has ever seen, or the writers continue to believe that they can treat the viewers like infants. Since I don't believe Supes is a moron, I'm going with the latter. Shame on them.
Here we are, 10 years out from Clark's freshman year in High School. The guy is what, 24 years old? He flew above his bed in the SECOND EPISODE of the first season, and he hasn't yet tried to replicate that? He hasn't thought it odd that every person that comes from Krypton has the ability to fly, except for him? How about the fact that when he is under the spell of red Kryptonite (or any other color for that matter), he can fly at will? Nor has he questioned why he can fly in the future, when he's caught glimpses of that. Maybe it wasn't odd to Clark when his cousin told him he could fly? Or that one drop of his blood bestowed the gift of flight on Zod just last season. The writers don't even bother with these questions.
Fact is, the writers stopped stretching credibility about 8 seasons ago. Now, they're just stomping on it. Clark's inability to fly isn't just awkward, it's the big massive elephant in the room. And for them to pull out a line first uttered almost 8 years ago in the season 10 premier is completely unbelievable. Well, WAS unbelievable.
Until I read an interview with Tom Welling today. In that article, Welling said the following:
"The whole point was to try to elongate this journey or this transition that Clark has to becoming Superman."
That's right. Those feelings you get while watching Smallville, that you've seen this plot point or this episode before (haven't we all experienced that about 100 times?), those are intentional. They are actually stringing this out on purpose. And the reality is, they aren't even good at it. If they were, then we wouldn't notice. We'd be too wrapped up in how awesome this weeks episode was. Instead, we're treated to the same worn out plot points we've seen countless times before on this show. Congratulations Smallville writers, you've managed to turn my breathless anticipation for the season premier into a nagging pessimism that makes me want to sit out this season entirely. Good job.
Oh, and then Welling drops this gem:
"At this point you're like, 'Why doesn't he just put on the suit? I mean, come on, he's doing the same stuff now, so why not?' That's the challenge, to make that last until the end."
Let me get this right: the challenge is to make sure Clark behaves exactly OPPOSITE what common sense would suggest. Wow, that sounds like the foundation of a GREAT writing decision.
So congratulations Smallville fans, Clark won't be putting on the suit until the last episode. Which figures. The only interesting question left is, when will he fly?
If he doesn't fly until the last episode as well, I swear, I'm going to write a letter.
