Smallville: The Complete Third Season (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)With the TV airwaves overstuffed with tired reality shows and crime dramas, shows like Smallville with it's intelligence and fantasy continue to be a refreshing change.
Season three continues this shows really quite remarkable development and quality. Bit by bit, little by little we see Clark developing into the character who will won day be know as Superman.
There are 22 episodes in Season three. i won't summarize all of them due to space but here are some of the highlights:
"Extinction" - Clark discovers someone is hunting people affected by the kryptonite rocks and the killer's next target is Lex. Clark uses his powers to save Lex, but is caught off guard when the killer learns his weakness and shoots him with a kryptonite bullet.
"Perry" - Our first introduction to Perry White, The editor of the Daily Planet in the Comics, a once promising journalist whose career was destroyed by Lionel Luthor, arrives in Smallville in search of alien stories for a tabloid news show. In spite of being constantly inebriated, Perry believes he has witnessed Clark using his extraordinary speed, so he devises a dangerous scheme to expose Clark's superpowers. Meanwhile, Lex learns that Perry has powerful incriminating evidence of Lionel's shady past.
"Relic" - Clark discovers that Jor-El was on Earth forty years ago. Lana's great uncle, who was convicted of murdering his wife forty years ago, shows her a picture of the man he believes really killed her aunt, and she is shocked to discover the drifter looks just like Clark.
"Whisper" Attempting to stop a robbery, Clark is temporarily blinded when he shoots off a burst of heat vision that is accidentally reflected back into his eyes by a piece of kryptonite and soon realizes his body has developed super-hearing to compensate for his lack of sight.
"Hereafter" - Clark discovers that his schoolmate Jordan can foresee the future, but is horrified when Jordan tells him he "sees" Lana dying in a fire in the next few days. When Jordan bumps into Clark, the viewer is treated to a quick image of the classic Superman "S" symbol on a red cape, while the camera flies through space.
"Covenant" - Things come to a head in Smallville when Kara, a beautiful girl with superpowers, who claims to be from Krypton, comes to entice Clark to fulfill his destiny. Overwhelmed, Clark turns to his parents for advice but is shocked when Kara forces Jonathan to finally reveal the deal he made with Jor-El. Also, Clark makes a discovery that ultimately redefines his relationship with Lex, and Clark's relationship with Lana takes a final turn.
One of the best things about watching Smallville is tryting to find all the little hints and inside bits that they place in almost every episode such as the constant use of REd, Blue, and yellow, Superman's costume colors, and the appearance of the trademark "S".
Nice extras include commentary on select episodes, deleted scenes, etc...

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Clark Kent lives in Smallville, but in many ways he is out of this world, and so is this spectacular series that provides a fascinating spin on Superman lore. Season 3 is marked by Clark's inability to overpower destiny and its pressing call for his return home. Clark, who has left Smallville for Metropolis, returns to Smallville to help his parents, who are desperately trying to save their cash-strapped farm and is happily surprised to find that Lex Luthor has survived a deadly jet crash. Lex and Clark's ill-fated camaraderie is strengthened by this miracle but causes tension in the close-knit Kent family, as Jonathan fears that Lex will emulate Lionel and his unscrupulous ways, even while Lex has tried to establish his own identity.

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Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)**I'm going to SPOILER tag this review for anyone who hasn't seen this season yet. Some of the problems that I have with this season, I'll need to reference specific details**
The 7th Season of Smallville, unfortunately, has two fewer episodes due to the writer's strike. Some of the problems in this season could be a direct result of this. Another issue is that the CW renewed the show for an 8th season, but most of the contracts for the cast had ended, except for Tom Welling. In some ways, it seemed that the writers were struggling to come up with a good way to transition into Season 8 while finding a way to make plausible exits for those cast members who will not be returning to the show. Unfortunately, this hurt Season 7 of Smallville to a degree. The show loses some of its cohesiveness that they've enjoyed, especially in comparison to Seasons 5 & 6, which in my opinion, are the show's best seasons.
Of course, most people don't realize how difficult it is to be a show running for 7 years and maintain that high level of quality that Smallville has been. Most shows tend to lose something the longer they are on the air. Stories change, cast members come and go, and it can be very difficult to maintain the show's quality with so many changes.
Okay Smallville fans, we're finally treated to what many people had been waiting for: Lana finding out Clark's secret, AND Clark finding out that Lana knows. Many people, myself included, were expecting something big for this occasion, since, for some people, they had been waiting for this moment for 7 years. The emotional climax is dry. One is almost forced to ask, "Is that it? Is this as excited as they can get? Clark FINALLY gets what he wants, and yet, he doesn't seem as excited as he should be." Okay, we all know that Clark will eventually end up with Lois. But in that moment with Lana, I felt that there needed to be more than what they showed. I would think that Clark would be ecstatic! I would think that Lana would have a ton of questions to ask him, especially given their history.
Exit Martha Kent from the show, enter cousin Kara (aka, Supergirl). At first, I was extremely apprehensive about this addition. And yet, newcomer, Laura Vandervroot does a credible job with the limited amount of time that she is on the show. It's difficult to do a proper character development on a character who is only in a handful of episodes. Purists may find a distaste that Supergirl demonstrates more powers than Clark, at this point, as he is still unable AND unwilling to learn to fly.
Kristin Kreuk is also in the show for a limited time, and she even drops down to third billing in the opening credits behind Tom and Michael. She's barely in the last five episodes as Kristin was in Thailand shooting a movie. While it's not her fault, the final moment between Clark and Lana, via videotape is stale and leaves the viewer feeling cheated. Many fans who already seem to despise the character of Lana were given further ammunition when Lana breaks up with Clark via videotape.
James Marsters returns as Brainiac, and he's still as good as ever. I was glad to see them bring the character back.
Chloe is still Clark's faithful sidekick but now she's a "meteor freak;" a type of person that she has spent much of her time trying to expose. Now she's faced with her own dilema of whether or not to tell boyfriend, Jimmy Olson that she now possesses the power to heal. While interesting, one still can't help but wonder how and when Chloe suddenly came upon this power. We are given no explanation or even possible theories.
Lois is as headstrong as ever, but toward the end of the season, her character begins to soften a bit, especially toward Clark. You can't help but think that the writers are laying some groundwork for the future couple. I still think Erica is the best Lois to play the part, and Lois has some great moments with Clark at the end of the season.
Michael Rosenbaum is always fantastic, even though Lex still can't seem to avoid getting shot. The only problem is that Lex doesn't seem to be around as much. There are stretches where you miss him. I certainly did, considering he's one of the strongest actors of the cast. There is a classic moment when Lex finally rids himself of the last trace of good that is left. The scene after he has killed Lionel, and he throws "Alexander" on the fire shouting, "You make me weak!" is classic, vintage Lex, and Michael Rosenbaum has the character nailed cold.
Tom Welling is excellent as Clark. If he has one "weakness" it's his difficulty in showing real, genuine emotion. There are scenes were he appears to be trying too hard, and it loses some punch because it doesn't appear natural enough. His range as an actor has only grown with each season, but I'd love to see him lose his fear of expanding his emotional range to include complete sadness and the sense of loss. He showed real glimpses of this during the time when Jonathan Kent died. He's also still a fantastic director as shown in "Apocalypse" where Clark is given a chance to see how things would be if he never came to Earth. It's sort of a Smallville version of "It's a Wonderful Life."
This season still has some great and memorable episodes. Lana briefly possesses Clark's powers (though at no loss of his own) in "Wrath." It's a great episode, and you really understand why no one but Clark can handle that much power; not just physically but psychologically.
"Descent" may be the season's best episode as Lex and Lionel have their final confrontation that leads to tragic results for Lionel. The final scene with Lex and Clark standing on either side of Lionel's coffin is a classic and powerful Smallville moment that is not to be missed.
As good as many episodes were, the season finale, "Arctic" is bit of a let down, especially when you compare it to past finales that always had dazzling cliffhangers that made you dread the 5 months until you find out what happens! The problem with "Arctic" as well as with the main storyline leading to it, is that it feels rushed. It was as if the writers were trying to quickly get through it as fast as possible (especially with 2 fewer episodes to work with) in order to get things set-up for the next season. Unfortunately, the finale and main storyline suffer as a consequence.
Things might have improved greatly if they had done what other shows have done in the past: shoot a 90 minute finale. This gives them more time for better plot development, and it would not have felt rushed. You have the final confrontation with Brainiac. You have Clark and Lana dealing with their final moments. You have Clark trying to get to Lex to prevent him from using a device that will somehow control Clark (a fairly weak idea on the writer's part. It still seems unlikely from a character standpoint that Jor-El would actually create some device to control Clark that could be used by humans even if they had to find the clues to acquire it. Here Smallville went a little "Da Vinci Code" on us. Besides, I didn't see any concern on Jor-El's part when Clark was on red kryptonite and wreaking havoc in Metropolis).
Because past seasons of Smallville have all been great or beyond great, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing from this season. It felt rushed. It lacked the emotional depth that Smallville has utilized in the past, and the storyline turned out to be only satisfactory when compared to past seasons.
I still love this show and have since the first season. Since the show has been picked up for another season, I'm really hoping that with a full 22-episode season, Smallville can bounce back and end the series with the efficient capability that the writers have shown in the past. After all, Smallville is about Clark becoming Superman, and I for one, want them to go out in a blaze of glory as Clark finally accepts his destiny and becomes the iconic hero that we all know and love.

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SMALLVILLE:COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON - Blu-Ray Movie

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Smallville - The Complete Seasons 1-7 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)My rating is for the series and not for this particular set of DVDs, which I consider to be appallingly priced. I am a longtime watcher of SMALLVILLE and I wouldn't discourage anyone from taking time to get acquainted with the show. That said, I'm not sure that catching up on the show is best accomplished by buying this set. As I write this review the discounted price is $325. Unless the price drops dramatically, my advice is to buy this set a volume at a time. What I usually do when I want to collect a TV series (and I own around 40 series on DVD) is put all of the individual volumes into my Amazon shopping cart and then save them for later. Then I periodically visit my Cart to see if any of the items I'm watching experience a price drop. For instance, I had all of THE GILMORE GIRLS in my cart, waiting for the price to drop during a sale. One day I logged in to see that the prices for most seasons of GG had dropped to under $20 and I instantly bought all those seasons. Do the same with SMALLVILLE and I think you will get the entire series for a whole lot less than $325. (By the way, an interesting tie-in between Superman and THE GILMORE GIRLS is that the back lot that was used for the filming of GG was adjacent to the one used for THE ADVENTURES OF LOIS AND CLARK [it was also used for the tragically cancelled PUSHING DAISIES]. When Clark visited Smallville in that series, the Smallville town square was the same one used for the Stars Hollow town square.]
The other big question is whether someone will want to catch up on this show. It definitely isn't for everyone. If you enjoy fantasy or Sci-fi it can be a heck of a lot of fun. Comic book purists sometimes get too angry watching it to enjoy it. My daughter, for instance, knows more about Superman comics than anyone I know. She could probably teach a college level course on the history of Superman and his various incarnations. She does not share my enthusiasm for SMALLVILLE. The series is not a canonical version of Superman: The Early Years as much as it is a reimagining of the Superman legend focused Clark Kent of Smallville rather than of Metropolis. There are analogs of nearly everything that you can find in the regular Superman comics, but in a slightly different form. As of Season 8 many of Superman's traditional enemies have put in an appearance on the show, from Lex Luthor (who was through the first seven seasons a series regular) to Brainiac to Doomsday. There have been multiple references to the Justice League and many of Superman's future colleagues have been introduced in the series (but to date no Batman, Wonder Woman, or Green Lantern - though it is interesting that the acclaimed Green Lantern writer Geoff Johns has begun to work as a guest writer on the show - next to Grant Morrison, Johns might be the most respected writer currently working on DC superheroes), with JLA stalwarts such as the Green Arrow (a series regular in Season 8), the Flash, Aquaman, the Flash, and the Martian Manhunter (a recurring character who in Season 8 has made several appearances, though he is temporarily stripped of his powers). In Season 7 Clark's cousin Kara (Supergirl) was a regular. Seriously, the Superman references are too many to attempt to count.
SMALLVILLE, while freely altering elements of the Superman story, is deeply respectful of its source material (though many fans of the comics would undoubtedly disagree). Clark almost always dresses in variations of blue, red, and yellow, the constituent colors of Superman's cape and tights. The producers have brought onto the show as guest stars a large number of actors from previous Superman TV shows and movies. For instance, Christopher Reeve had a recurring role that ended only with his death, Margot Kidder appeared briefly as a guest star, and Christian Kane, the Superman from THE ADVENTURES OF LOIS AND CLARK. The two things that the creators of SMALLVILLE said that we would never see on the show are Clark flying on a regular basis or Clark wearing the Superman uniform. Frankly, I think that was fine for the first several seasons, but I don't think they imagined the show would last for 8 seasons. I'm not keen on seeing Tom Welling put on tights, but I think the show would be well served by allowing him to fly. At this point Clark's failure to gain his last ability has become rather silly.
The early years on the show were largely structured around a meteor-freak-of-the-week format. The idea is that when Clark arrived in Smallville from Krypton he did so in a meteor shower bringing many "meteor rocks" (i.e., kryptonite) with him. While toxic to Clark, the rocks imbue normal humans with a variety of powers. So, each week in the first few seasons Clark would have to struggle against some person with unusual powers created by the rocks. It was pretty consistently the least interesting part of the show.
Thankfully, alongside the meteor-freak-of-the-week were the main relationships in Clark's life: his parents, his friend and then later nemesis Lex Luthor (played marvelously by Michael Rosenbaum), his best friend Chloe Sullivan (again, played wonderfully, this time by Allison Mack), and most of all, the first love of Clark's life, Lana Lang (played by the almost impossibly cute Kristin Kreuk). During all of this many interesting story lines were introduced and developed, though to tell the truth after a certain point keeping Lana the focus of Clark's love life kept the show from developing. Lana left the show at the end of Season Seven, and the result has been in Season Eight a complete resurgence of the show, easily the best season in several years, as the departure of Lana and Lex has allowed the development of an entirely new dynamic for the show. In particular, while Clark and Chloe's cousin Lois Lane have enjoyed a love-hate relationship (with Lois treating Clark with persistent disdain), in Season Eight is definitely more love than hate. The relationships on the show have sometimes led to some atrocious storylines, none worse than in Season Six (the worst season on the show), where things heated up between Lex and Lana.
Over the years I've definitely enjoyed the show more than it has upset me. My main complaint is that I'm not sure that there is an overarching story. The narrative definitely feels like it is being made up as they go along. It isn't like LOST or BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, where you feel that the story as a whole is informed by where the series is going to end up. There is an interesting dynamic in the writing, however, that is fairly unique to SMALLVILLE. Most shows tend to end pretty much at the climax of the episode, or at most a minute or two afterwards. Almost every episode of SMALLVILLE climaxes a good 8 or 9 minutes before the end of the episode. You then get a few scenes that shows the main characters reacting to the events of the previous half hour. So you'll always get a scene, say, between Lex and Chloe and then between Lana and Clark. Most episodes have a fairly leisurely feel to them. All in all, a good thing.
In short, this is a good series, though certainly not a great one. If you enjoy fantasy and Sci-fi, you'll probably enjoy it. You'll sometimes be irritated (especially at how thick-headed Clark is, though in most other ways Tom Welling makes a thoroughly enjoyable Clark, and he certainly looks the part), sometimes entertained, and sometimes blown away. The show usually has memorable season finales, more than its fair share of truly awful episodes, and a good number of excellent ones. If it never becomes consistently excellent, neither does it become consistently bad (with the possible exception of the terrible Lex/Lana story of Season Six). It does get better after the first couple of seasons, stays pretty much on the same level after that (with the exception of Season Six), and then gets very good in Season Eight again. All in all, I give this series a thumb's up. I've always looked forward to seeing it each week and I'll continue to do so until they decide to bring the series to an end. Just do yourself a favor and collect the individual seasons individually and not through this very expensive set.

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Smallville - The Complete First Four Seasons (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)Since I'm much too lazy to attempt to review every season individually, I'm going to make a clumsy attempt to review the entire show at once. I have recently become absolutely obsessed with this show. For a long time, I just caught a stray episode here and there, and didn't really watch it religiously, but through the generous nature of a good friend, and the magic of DVD's, I was able to get ahold of and watch all of the first three seasons. After that, the decision to buy this set was easy.
"Smallville" is basically the next incarnation of the Superman mythology, but rather than just being another iteration of the same old thing, it manages to be a fresh and hip new spin on the concept. It centers on Clark Kent growing up in Smallville, and discovering his super powers and origins, all while trying to lead a normal life as a teenager. One of the best things about the show is how it brings so many more levels of emotional depth to the character. This was the beauty of Spiderman, for example, that he was also a kid in addition to having these amazing powers, which made him more relatable and more real to a young audience, and Gough and Millar have successfully brought that same quality to Superman. He's always been previously depicted as a nearly perfect character, and this is the first time we see him as a human with his own problems and inner conflicts, and I think that makes him that much more of an interesting and sympathetic character. Plus, it's great to see more of his relationship with his parents, and how they helped to shape him into the man he'll one day be.
Also, what they've done with Lex Luthor on this show is just remarkable. Rather than just having him as the quintessential super-villian, he starts out as a good guy, who befriends Clark, and becomes sort of a big brother/role model character for him. However, we see from the start that evil runs deep in the family, with his tyrannical, crime-lord father Lionel. Throughout the show, we see hints that Lex will eventually follow the same path, and that he's always trying to resist becoming his dad, even though we know that somehow he eventually will. When you put this, and his friendship with Clark into context with what kind of person he eventually becomes, it adds so much more to the concept than just the simple "Hero vs. Villian" thing. Also, Michael Rosenbaum is a remarkably talented young actor, who brings so many more dimensions to the character than ever before.
The show begins relatively simple, setting up for everything that will happen later on. The basic idea that we have to begin with is that the kryptonite from the meteor shower has infected a large number of the townspeople, and given them super powers. This provides Clark with a wide supply of foes to battle, to sharpen his skills as a superhero. And once again, we have a human quality here, that we've never seen in any past incarnations of "Superman". The villians are seemingly normal people, usually kids, with no costumes or anything. It adds a greater sense of realism, and I really like that.
Gradually, with each season, the plotlines have gotten more complex, with Clark slowly learning more and more about his abilities, and where he comes from, eventually leading up to the more "Superman"-like adventures we'll be seeing in season 5. Each season has been better than the last, and everything is really falling into place nicely. The pace of the show has been great, and the writers have done a great job of staying true to the mythology, while simultaneously taking it into new and interesting directions.
Technically speaking, the show is fantastic as well. The actors all have great chemistry, and all bring something special to their characters. Tom Welling is easily the best Superman since Christopher Reeve, so good in fact that I've almost forgotten how bad Dean Cain was. It's also great to see veteran actors like John Schneider, John Glover, and Annette O'Toole in there with the younger actors, as well as guest appearances from past "Superman" stars, like Margot Kidder, Terence Stamp, and even Mr. Reeve himself. There is also a great deal of subtlety and detail in the show, as far as lighting and camera angles (watch the commentary to get an idea), and the subtle use of color to create just the right atmospheres for the scene. Also, the special effects are among the best I've seen on a television show. These guys really put a great deal of time and effort into putting everything together.
I really can't say enough about this show. Everything about it is just so wonderfully engaging, and masterfully executed. Those who deride it and compare it to "Dawson's Creek" just because it's on the WB are being far too superficial, and aren't giving it nearly a fair enough chance. "Smallville" is easily one of the best incarnations of Superman yet.

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Before the Legend...Before the Icon...He was a teenager growing up in Smallville. Season 1 chronicles the life of the boy who would be Superman in a 6-disc collector's set with super bonus features. Season 2 includes all 23 second-season episodes plus bonus materials worthy of a hero. Among the episode highlights: Clark grapples with his true calling. Is he on Earth to serve humanity or perhaps destroy it? Season 3 is marked by Clark's inability to overpower destiny and its pressing call for his return home. Clark, who has left Smallville for Metropolis, returns to Smallville to help his parents, and is happily surprised to find that Lex Luthor has survived a deadly jet crash. Season 4 is Clark Kent's senior year! The 22 episodes include the quest for 3 Kryptonian crystals and Clark's bold attempt to keep those mysterious stones from destroying Earth. Lois Lane smart, opinionated and entirely annoying to Clark comes to Smallville. The calling awaits Clark an awakening to a destiny that only he can accept and fulfill.

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Smallville: The Complete First Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Before battling the forces of evil, Clark Kent faced his greatest challenge: high school. The WB's engaging hit drama has finally arrived on DVD. A devastating meteor shower strikes the peaceful town of Smallville. For most of the townsfolk, the event brought great losses and unexplainable results, but for the caring Kent Family (John Schneider & Annette O'Toole), it blessed them with an amazing gift: a son who will become Earth's greatest champion. Producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have developed an original and appealing twist to the Superman myth. "Smallville" is the popular live-action comic book series that follows the young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) adapting to his superhuman powers, his friendship with future arch nemesis Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and the developing relationship with sweetheart Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk). The series is a surprising mix of coming-of-age drama and comic-book fantasy. "Smallville" also features a top-notch cast and stunning visual effects. The first season of "Smallville" definitely keeps viewers entertained but too many "Villain of the Week" episodes give the show a repetitive nature.

Fans of the WB drama will be satisfied with "Smallville: The Complete First Season". All 21 episodes of the first season are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Its picture quality is quite bright and reasonably sharp. The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is satisfactory with decent surround effects. The box set includes two commentary tracks by series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, several deleted scenes from the pilot and second episode, "Storyboard to Screen" featurette, an interactive tour of Smallville, some promotional material and DVD-ROM extras. Overall, "Smallville: The Complte First Season" scores a "B".

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Before the Legend...Before the Icon...He was a teenager growing up in Smallville. The Complete First Season of the hit series that chronicles the life of the boy who would be Superman is on DVD in a 6-disc collector's set with super bonus features.DVD Features:Audio CommentaryDVD ROM FeaturesDeleted ScenesOtherStoryboardsTV Spot

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Smallville - Pilot (Mini DVD) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)In recent years Superman has been honored with a stamp and as one of the Top 10 American pop culture icons of all time. With the pilot episode of "Smallville" we have yet another successful small screen version of the strange visitor from another planet who is coming back to the silver screen later this year. The great twist this time around is that the story is about a Clark Kent who is still a high schol student and years away from putting on the suit with the big red "S." But his powers are just starting to really come into play and as the cover indicates, he ends up with a different type of big red "S" on his chest. The other key thing is that at this point the woman with the initials "LL" in his life is named Lana Lang, and she is the girl next door (a relative concept in the farm country of Kansas).
Keep in mind that when Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel created the Man of Steel in 1939 there was no Superboy until 1949, when he began part of the futuristic Legion of Super-Heroes. All we knew about the early days is that just before the doomed planet Krypton exploded to fragments, a scientist placed his infant son within an experimental rocket ship, launching it toward earth. When the vessel reached our planet, the child was found by an elderly couple, the Kents. They adopted the super tyke and with love and guidance shaped the boy's future. As he grew older Clark Kent learned to hurdle skyscrapers, leap an eighth of a mile, raise tremendous weights, run faster than a streamline train, and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin. When his foster parents passed away, Clark decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind.
The key part of "Smallville" is that creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar go back to a much simpler beginning, with young Clark (Tom Welling) growing up on the Kent farm with Martha (Annette O'Toole) and Jonathan (John Schneider). From the "Superboy" comic books the series borrows the characters of girl next-door Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and best buddy Pete Ross (Sam Jones III). But in addition to covering the basics, Gough and Millar come up with a key triad of additions to the original Smallville mythos that not only make the series work but make this pilot movie stand up so well.
First, they add young Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) to the mix, knowing that he and Superman are fated to be (im)mortal enemies, but that for the present he and Clark are friends after Clark saves Lex's life in a car accident that should have killed them both. The key thing is that they truly are friends and that "Smallville" is as much about how Lex would become a super villain as it is about how Clark would become a super hero. Throw into the mix Daddy Dearest in the form of Lionel Luthor (John Glover), and Lex would have already pulled all of his hair out if it were not for what happened that fateful day in Smallville.
Second, is the brilliant reconceptualization of Superman's arrival on earth where the small spacecraft shows up in the middle of a shower of glowing green meteors that are all that remains of the planet Krypton. As much as the little boy in that spaceship, those meteors change Smallville forever, turning a little girl into an orphans and a young boy bald, and the small Kansas town into the self proclaimed meteor capital of the world. More importantly, those little green rocks will have continue to have an impact as they cause a series of mutations with which young Clark will have to contend. This also accounts for the great in-joke that Clark always becomes a bumbling idiot around Lana because she wears a locket made of kryptonite.
Third, there is the multi-purpose character of Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack). The driving force of the Smallville High School student newspaper her "Wall of the Weird" documents all the strange things that have happened around Smallville since the meteor shower, making her the show's resident mistress of exposition. But she is also the tragic figure who longs for Clark the way he casts puppy dog glances at Lana, creating a nice example of teenage love triangle pathos.
Overall, Miller and Gough had created an extremely solid premise for their series, which creates multi-dynamics for all of the plotlines. The pilot also gets off to an impressive start with the devastating arrival of the meteors from Krypton along with the spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-el. My only serious complaint is that Schneider's Jonathan Kent has too much of an angry edge, which takes away from his font of parental wisdom. Martha really needs to mellow him out so that he cuts Clark some slack. I understand that Jonathan is motivated by fears and concerns about his adopted son, but I always liked the gentle influence personified by Glenn Ford in the first Christopher Reeve "Superman" film. My only real question is has to do with how Lana and Clark end up being in the same grade given that she is clearly a few years older when he shows up in the opening part of the pilot.
Yes, we can also throw into the mix that Clark and Lana are played by a couple of cute young actors. Welling is not too serious as the kid who is going to grow up to be the hero who stands for truth, justice, and the American way, and I was going to say Kruek was the WB's new Katie Holmes except after her soft-core Lana scene in the school swimming pool goes way beyond the world's biggest collection of midriff revealing tops. But the bottom line here is that either the Clark-Lana or the Clark-Lex would be enough to make this a good show and "Smallville" has both of them and a lot more, including the brilliant metaphor of the scarecrow immortalized on the cover of this DVD.

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