Product: Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season (2009)
Rating: 4.0
Tom Welling must kneel before Zod
Having only watched the first season during its original run, I have practically no frame of reference from which to compare Season 9. Folks and friends have claimed that Season 9 actually isn't so bad compared to prior seasons, these pals of mine having stated that SMALLVILLE jumped the shark many years ago. Me, I simply was never invested in this version of Clark Kent, and, yeah, Tom Welling's wooden acting factors in big. A girlfriend once labeled Welling's acting as "reserved," but let us not talk falsely now. It also doesn't sit well that the show is taking its sweet time with Clark's evolution to the Big Red S. I do think the move to Metropolis was a step forward. I won't go into the soap opera content. But Superman's got no business being in THE O.C.This ninth season revolves around several threads. Major Zod and his troop of fellow Kandorians have descended on Metropolis on a quest to turn Earth's yellow sun to red so that they could gain otherworldly abilities. The vacuously-named mystery man, the "Red-Blue Blur," continues to protect Metropolis. Chloe Sullivan, who has developed into a darker character, is still trying to get the band together, the band, of course, projected as this reality's Justice League. Clark Kent and Lois Lane continue their cautious circling around each other. Intimacy is hard to achieve when both parties have built up so many defensive walls. I like what Erica Durance does with her character. Lois is appropriately spunky and obnoxious and vulnerable and lovable. And she never stops talking.What made me check out SMALLVILLE again after so long is the show's steady increase in featuring DC properties. I glommed onto Season 8 because of the "Legion" episode. Season 9 turned my head strictly because of the episode "Absolute Justice," which by the way is gratifyingly excellent. It's no secret that SMALLVILLE is more an Elseworlds-type reality than a reflection of DC's ongoing continuity. As such, I do relish the changes invoked regarding these halfway familiar characters. And, as for Clark Kent himself, he's one step closer to putting on the flashy red and blue tights. If nothing else, that Season 10 is the final season seems to be galvanizing the writers to get a move on already. How much longer will they allow the Red-Blah-Blah to go around gigged out in an uber-lame black trench coat that even Neo thinks is played out?And what's a show like this without a covert organization mucking things up? The shadowy agency called Checkmate makes its debut, headed up by the calculating Amanda Waller (Pam Grier) and numbering Maxwell Lord as one of its agents. Checkmate is intent on countering some sort of impending alien invasion. It's pretty decent foreshadowing.I have several favorite episodes from Season 9, and these all involve SMALLVILLE's expanding its universe to explore its DC roots. "Crossfire" features Green Arrow's mentoring of soiled dove/cage fighter Mia Dearden (readers of Green Arrow's comic book know her as "Speedy"). "Idol" introduces the Wonder Twins, and I grinned real big when the twins bumped fists and said: "Powers, activate!" "Warrior" presents a twist on the Shazam! story and also the return of Zatanna.For JSA fiends "Absolute Justice" is must-see viewing. "Absolute Justice" is SMALLVILLE at its most comic-booky, with the added bonus of Geoff Johns having scripted the thing. It's neat to see the Justice Society treated with proper awe and reverence, and comic book fans will geek out on all the Easter eggs the episode throws in. Even Ma Hunkel gets a cameo. But I wasn't really sold until Dr. Fate spoke with that grand, solemn delivery of his. And while I did have reservations regarding Hawkman's costume (I thought the cuirass looked cheesy and the wings were a bit too stiff), I thought the winged wonder comes off really well. I don't know, though, that Carter Hall needed to channel Christian Bale's voice whenever he becomes Hawkman. Also, I enjoyed the instant rivalry that surfaced between Hawkman and Green Arrow (this being true to the comics, by the way). And I can't wait to see more of Star Girl. So, for now, I'm back in the fold and tuning in to Season 10. Maybe it's not too little too late, after all.SMALLVILLE - THE COMPLETE NINTH SEASON offers the following bonus material: audio commentary on the episodes "Kandor" (with actor Callum Blue and executive producers Turi Meyer and Al Septien) and "Idol" (with actress Erica Durance and executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson); Deleted/Unaired Scenes from 8 episodes: "Rabid," Roulette," "Disciple," "Persuasion," "Conspiracy," "Upgrade," "Charade," and "Salvation"; "Kneel Before Zod" - a featurette exploring the evolution of Superman's classic foe (00:15:12 minutes long); "Absolute Justice: From Script to Screen" - a featurette going into the process of marrying the JSA into the SMALLVILLE universe (00:29:28 minutes).