Make it a good one

Next Friday, I think, will mark the end of an era.... it will be the beginning of the end. It will be the 10th start of something that has proven to be amazing and super all the same. I am speaking of the season premier of the final season of Smallville.

For those of you not privy to this amazingness... Smallville was the telling of Superman before he became Superman. It is the tale of young Clark Kent learning who he is, where he came from and trying to build his super powers. Over the course of nine seasons he has learned to shoot fire from his eyes, see through things that aren't encased in lead, run at extremely fast speeds, use his amazing lung capacity to knock down steel walls, and he one time, learned to fly.

It has become, at least to me, one of the great shows that has aired on tv this decade. The stories are fun, exciting, and very well told both thematically and visually. Just watch the season premier of season 5 where his fortress of solitude is built. STUNNING.

What is also fun to watch is number of cameos from people who were in the motion pictures or past TV shows that were about Superman. This was highlighted in the season two episode entitled ROSETTA, where Clark learns of his Kryptonian roots courtesy of Mr. Christopher Reeve. It was amazing. It was one of the episode from any show that made you proud and made you just a little weepy. Several others have made appearances on the show with the exception of Gene Hackman. What is he waiting for?

I have loved watching the show and hated it at the same time. As a Superman fanatic like myself, you have been waiting and waiting for him to put on the cape and become Superman. The series has done a great job of hiding that fact from him while telling the fans that they know what he will become even if Clark does not. You get mad at him for not embracing his destiny and for thinking that his father, Jor-el, has evil intentions for him.

Tom Welling has done a magnificent job in my mind of taking the humanity of Superman and Clark Kent and making it something we can all aspire to have. He has more screen time as the man of steel than any other actor combined to ever play the role. He has the chiseled looks, the hair, the smile, and the sensitivity of the role to make a wonderful Superman.

When the creators were putting the show together they has two rules, No flight, No tights. They were determined not to show the audience Superman, but rather Clark Kent. They wanted us to discover along with him who he was and what he will do despite the fact that we know he will become the best of the best... SUPERMAN. It has been frustrating and captivating at the same time. You keep coming back in the hopes that this season will become the season that Clark Kent embraces his destiny and understands what his future will hold.

I am looking forward to this last season. I am hopeful that it will go out on a high note. It has become part of my life. Much the way, that MASH, Brady Bunch, and Dallas were part of my mothers life, this is part of mine.

It is time that Clark Kent become Superman. The fans deserve to see the suit, the cape, and the shield. We deserve to see him take flight. We have devoted nine seasons to watching him grow and whine and grow some more, we need the payoff. I am excited, yet sad. This show has made Superman cooler, like that was possible, and has reached a new generation who didn't get to see Reeve prove to us that a man could fly.

To the producers I ask this of you... Make it a good one. Make this the season by which all other are measured. Make this the season that you will be remembered for. It is time. Who knows, maybe this will be the kick in the butt people need to make a second movie. I need more Superman... Superman Returns was a great start, you just need to follow it up.

Until next time
P