Smallville Season 8 Discussion Thread

[Eric]

Yes, 'Doomsday' was a huge letdown, especially if you followed how it was being touted as 'the episode we were all looking forward to' on E! or other interview sites. (Though I am glad they finally got rid of both Davis and Jimmy. Nothing against the actors - they did a great job, but it just wasn't their time.)

 

I think I appreciated the 'tornado-in-the-middle-of-prom' cliffhanger more that I will this one. But that may be because we expected so much more as the series went on. And maybe they'll wow us with the opener in October, with the battle we really would appreciate.

 

Missing footage - how did Jimmy find the JLA, Chloe, and Davis, and then how did C/J/D all get to the 'Gotham Clock Tower'? That was a little... odd. Sure, Clark pointed him in the right direction after revealing himself (yet again...sigh...)

 

Notice that Clark has these good plans and Chloe keeps f-ing it up? What the hell?

 

Clark leaves the most important item of all time in his desk at work????? Wha????

 

If they bring back Zod, which is pretty much a given, they had better give him form. Like Terrance Stamp. Sure he's aged since his portrayal in S1 and 2, but I think he'd be the man to pull it off. And make fans go gaga in the process! If not him, maybe Christopher Walken's available?

 

AND WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT ORB?!? It's not just me, according to the posts above, and I know I have not missed any ep since the onset. So just where did that come from? And furthermore, who busted it out of the vault? (And why would Tess go after Lois, given the amount of strength it would have taken to do what was shown?)

 

Too many questions...

 

I figure everything will be resolved within 15 minutes of next season's premiere just like always, so that's why the finale has to be that much better. They usually have us believing the world is coming to end and all hope is lost, only to have everything back to normal before the following premiere is half over.

 

Clark leaving the ring behind was another one of those "Are they serious?" moments where I can't believe the writers actually came up with that and someone else OK'd it. Similar moments, other than the ones mentioned, included Davis going psycho over Chloe's admission despite knowing he had an unstoppable killing machine inside him that only she could stop and the over-before-it-started battle between Clark and Doomsday.

 

Just too many plot holes and silliness in what was supposed to be such an epic episode.

 

As for the orb, I couldn't remember where it came from, either, but I just figured I'd seen and forgotten since there have been so many orbs/crystals/rocks/artifacts over the years.

 

And Bespin refugee, you could be right about Sam playing Zod. Remember when they announced two regular characters would die in the finale? They also said that didn't mean there wouldn't be a twist. Though it could be that it's that Jimmy wasn't the real Jimmy, maybe that's the twist to Sam Witwer's character dying; he'll be back in another form. I'll have to rewatch the episode and see if it looks like him standing below the window.

[yojoebro82]

The rest of this season was really good. Of course, there were some not-so-good moments like always, but overall I thought Season 8 was really solid. That's part of why the finale was so disappointing.

 

 

Yeah, that's what I heard too. The episodes I have seen were good. I'll probably still get the season.

 

What's this thing with Jimmy? I honestly never knew what "retcon" means. Did they replace him with a bow tie wearing, camera-toting, news boy from straight out of the 1930s? If so, I'll have a real problem with it. I hate when characters are never allowed to evolve.

[Ares6009]

If they bring back Zod, which is pretty much a given, they had better give him form. Like Terrance Stamp. Sure he's aged since his portrayal in S1 and 2, but I think he'd be the man to pull it off. And make fans go gaga in the process! If not him, maybe Christopher Walken's available?

I'd look for Sam Whitner (Davis) to return to play Zod next season. Someone on another board pointed out a line from this season's "Bloodline" (Zod's wife takes over Lois' body and reveals Davis' heritage)

[From Tv.com] Faora (To Davis): "You don't recognize me... but you are the spitting image of your father"

 

 

Good call, there! Not something that'd make me happy, but it is a good possibility.

[Eric]

The rest of this season was really good. Of course, there were some not-so-good moments like always, but overall I thought Season 8 was really solid. That's part of why the finale was so disappointing.

 

 

Yeah, that's what I heard too. The episodes I have seen were good. I'll probably still get the season.

 

What's this thing with Jimmy? I honestly never knew what "retcon" means. Did they replace him with a bow tie wearing, camera-toting, news boy from straight out of the 1930s? If so, I'll have a real problem with it. I hate when characters are never allowed to evolve.

 

"Retcon" means changing history with a new story or details. Basically it's just disregarding something that's already been established. For example, if they suddenly established that Clark was from Mars and pretended it was always that way, that would be retconning his old origin.

 

Spoiler warning here:

 

The thing with Jimmy is they killed him off, but at his funeral his name was given as "Henry James Olsen" rather than the real name of Jimmy Olsen from the comics. On the show, he has a little brother who is likely supposed to eventually be the real Jimmy Olsen as we know him (Chloe gave him Jimmy's camera), but I'm pretty sure Jimmy Olsen, in any form, is now done on Smallville.

 

Really, it's not that big of a deal. Essentially the writers just found a backdoor (copout?) way to kill off a main character that the audience didn't see coming without messing with established canon (we all know Jimmy Olsen is alive and well when Clark is Superman and working for the Daily Planet).

[yojoebro82]

Spoiler warning here:

 

The thing with Jimmy is they killed him off, but at his funeral his name was given as "Henry James Olsen" rather than the real name of Jimmy Olsen from the comics. On the show, he has a little brother who is likely supposed to eventually be the real Jimmy Olsen as we know him (Chloe gave him Jimmy's camera), but I'm pretty sure Jimmy Olsen, in any form, is now done on Smallville.

 

Really, it's not that big of a deal. Essentially the writers just found a backdoor (copout?) way to kill off a main character that the audience didn't see coming without messing with established canon (we all know Jimmy Olsen is alive and well when Clark is Superman and working for the Daily Planet).

 

Weak.

 

Why would Jimmy Olsen (the one who died) go around calling himself the same name as his little brother? Guess I'll just have to watch it for myself.

[Eric]

Weak.

 

Why would Jimmy Olsen (the one who died) go around calling himself the same name as his little brother? Guess I'll just have to watch it for myself.

 

Yeah, it's weak at best, but I'd still watch the season because it's worth it. This is just the first truly disappointing season finale of the series.

[Ares6009]

Weak.

 

Why would Jimmy Olsen (the one who died) go around calling himself the same name as his little brother? Guess I'll just have to watch it for myself.

 

Yeah, it's weak at best, but I'd still watch the season because it's worth it. This is just the first truly disappointing season finale of the series.

 

Could be 2 non-writer related reasons. Maybe like Indiana Jones, he didn't like his first name. Second, maybe he just liked to mess with his little brother.

[Bespin refugee]

I guess I could see them both being named for a relative; although, I'm not really expecting it to be explained.

With Jimmy's secrecy, and her 'you must be his liitle brother' (that I've never met), Chloe didn't seem to know much about Jimmy's family; and I don't see Jimmy II hanging out/working at the Planet in the next year or two. Heck, we don't even have Perry White in charge there yet. :-/

[Ares6009]

I guess I could see them both being named for a relative; although, I'm not really expecting it to be explained.

With Jimmy's secrecy, and her 'you must be his liitle brother' (that I've never met), Chloe didn't seem to know much about Jimmy's family; and I don't see Jimmy II hanging out/working at the Planet in the next year or two. Heck, we don't even have Perry White in charge there yet. :-/

 

 

Guess he didn't go to his big bro's wedding, either

[Bespin refugee]

^Neither family seemed to be at the wedding. Why did Clark give Chloe away instead of her father? @hmmm@

[Ares6009]

^Neither family seemed to be at the wedding. Why did Clark give Chloe away instead of her father? @hmmm@

 

 

I can't remember exactly, but wasn't he on the run, or even dead? It was back in the first couple of seasons, but I remember he and Chloe had to beat feet, and their Smallville home exploded, and Chloe wasn't found until the next season... In fact, I think that's when Lois showed up and found amnesia-Clark in the field??? Anyway, I don't remember what ended up happening to her dad - obviously she made it back.

[Eric]

The name thing isn't as big a deal to me as Chloe first meeting her husband's little brother (her brother-in-law) for the first time, not at their wedding, but at his funeral.

 

Just one of the many WTF? moments on my favorite show...

[Bespin refugee]

^Neither family seemed to be at the wedding. Why did Clark give Chloe away instead of her father? @hmmm@

 

I can't remember exactly, but wasn't he on the run, or even dead? It was back in the first couple of seasons, but I remember he and Chloe had to beat feet, and their Smallville home exploded, and Chloe wasn't found until the next season... In fact, I think that's when Lois showed up and found amnesia-Clark in the field??? Anyway, I don't remember what ended up happening to her dad - obviously she made it back.

Yeah, I'm thinking that was probably the last time we saw him (season 4's "Gone"). How is it that they can bring back Chloe's letter, or one of the earlier 'meteor freaks', and yet they seem to forget about Chloe's dad and/or Lana's Aunt Nell. :?

[yojoebro82]

I read a TV guide that had a blurb about Jimmy's death. The guy who played Davis says something along the lines that that DC is very particular about the show having close ties to the comic and that Jimmy was too close in age to Clark, so that's why he was offed..........

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT!!!!!?????

 

 

 

 

Has DC been paying attention to what Smallville has been doing for the last 8 years??? So Jimmy being maybe 2 years younger than Clark is a bigger diviation than, say......Clark meeting Lois as a teen and having her be a Kent house guest for 3 seasons? Or any of the other dozens of liberties the show's taken with Supes history???? Ridiculous!

[Ares6009]

Heh heh! Totally! Maybe DC just got fed up with all the canon-raping that's been going on, but this was the only thing they felt they could do something about? I could see the comic historian rep standing on the sidelines constantly going, 'umm...guys?...hello?...that's not really the way... ummm guys?'

[Eric]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Based on how many complaints we see on this forum alone, I would imagine they receive lots of complaints about Smallville deviating so much from the familiar canon.

 

I agree that it's kind of silly that Jimmy Olsen would be the thing they get up in arms about. I think you might be on to something, Ares. This was something they could actually do something about, so they did.

 

I'd like to see them do one or two other things to get the show closer to the comic.

[yojoebro82]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Figures. I actually LIKE that they weren't playing too close to comic comtinuity.

[Pluvsjazzs]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Figures. I actually LIKE that they weren't playing too close to comic comtinuity.

 

 

you guys have to remember this was a cliff hanger! lois is still missing we dont know if she traveled back to the past or future if she traveled back to the past she could change jimmy's fate. remember with cliff hangers all may not be as it appears thats the object of a cliff hanger. just a thought!

[Bespin refugee]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Figures. I actually LIKE that they weren't playing too close to comic comtinuity.

From an E! interview

"everything we do in the finale is in order to line up with the DC mythology."

 

you guys have to remember this was a cliff hanger! lois is still missing we dont know if she traveled back to the past or future if she traveled back to the past she could change jimmy's fate. remember with cliff hangers all may not be as it appears thats the object of a cliff hanger. just a thought!

I was actually hoping for a time travel 'retcon', but, unfortunately, I'm expecting Jimmy II to be the status-quo

[Ares6009]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Figures. I actually LIKE that they weren't playing too close to comic comtinuity.

From an E! interview

"everything we do in the finale is in order to line up with the DC mythology."

 

you guys have to remember this was a cliff hanger! lois is still missing we dont know if she traveled back to the past or future if she traveled back to the past she could change jimmy's fate. remember with cliff hangers all may not be as it appears thats the object of a cliff hanger. just a thought!

I was actually hoping for a time travel 'retcon', but, unfortunately, I'm expecting Jimmy II to be the status-quo

 

 

Eric - that's exactly what was put out there previous to the finale - the writers (or DC's enforcers, however it really is) want the show to 'get on track with continuity'. Jimmy was the start. But I guess they realize to go all the way back and retcon Lois and Davis out would be too much to do in what might be the last season coming up. So they have to take their battles as they can win them.

 

Spidey - As for Lois, the ring was set to take <whomever> to a particular point in time in the future where there'd be an army o' Legionaires waiting to take out Doomsday. Imagine their surprise...

 

As for the 'new' Jimmy character, I don't expect we'll be seeing him again. That was just a one-shot to deal with the getting-rid-of-the-Jimmy-they-gave-us (whew!) character. I don't even think the kid was in the credits.

[yojoebro82]

the writers (or DC's enforcers, however it really is) want the show to 'get on track with continuity'. Jimmy was the start.

 

They're too late for that!!! I'm sorry but this show has one season left after 8 years! Let the wrters/producers finish telling their story and let the show end up wherever it ends up. Big Brother DC can keep their thumb down on the next Superman property that comes down the line.

[Pluvsjazzs]

Maybe this is the beginning of a trend that will see DC forcing the show to be closer to the comics.

 

Figures. I actually LIKE that they weren't playing too close to comic comtinuity.

From an E! interview

"everything we do in the finale is in order to line up with the DC mythology."

 

you guys have to remember this was a cliff hanger! lois is still missing we dont know if she traveled back to the past or future if she traveled back to the past she could change jimmy's fate. remember with cliff hangers all may not be as it appears thats the object of a cliff hanger. just a thought!

I was actually hoping for a time travel 'retcon', but, unfortunately, I'm expecting Jimmy II to be the status-quo

 

 

Eric - that's exactly what was put out there previous to the finale - the writers (or DC's enforcers, however it really is) want the show to 'get on track with continuity'. Jimmy was the start. But I guess they realize to go all the way back and retcon Lois and Davis out would be too much to do in what might be the last season coming up. So they have to take their battles as they can win them.

 

Spidey - As for Lois, the ring was set to take <whomever> to a particular point in time in the future where there'd be an army o' Legionaires waiting to take out Doomsday. Imagine their surprise...

 

As for the 'new' Jimmy character, I don't expect we'll be seeing him again. That was just a one-shot to deal with the getting-rid-of-the-Jimmy-they-gave-us (whew!) character. I don't even think the kid was in the credits.

 

 

interesting point! i was merely sugesting an alternate plot. whatever they have in mind it will not be the obvious and nothing that we come up with good cliff hangers never are but they do have to make sense or it doesn't work

[Eric]

Eric - that's exactly what was put out there previous to the finale - the writers (or DC's enforcers, however it really is) want the show to 'get on track with continuity'. Jimmy was the start. But I guess they realize to go all the way back and retcon Lois and Davis out would be too much to do in what might be the last season coming up. So they have to take their battles as they can win them.

 

I thought I'd heard that somewhere.

 

Anyway, I'm alright with it, especially cause characters like Jimmy (and Lois) were brought in for hype or to spike interest rather than them being truly necessary to tell Clark's coming-of-age story.

 

I agree about Jimmy's brother, too. I doubt we'll see anymore of him, and I think his appearance was just for explanation. I'd say the Jimmy Olsen book has been closed when it comes to Smallville.

 

And though 9 seems like the last season, this season was supposed to be the last, too, so maybe they'll surprise us and get a 10th season since Tom Welling is signed for one. In two season's time, I think they could really mend some fences, so to speak, and get things truly lined up with DC continuity as we know it.