Product: Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season (2009)
Rating: 5.0
A Return to Form
As a Superman fan, Smallville holds a special significance for me. This show began in September of 2001, and Clark was a freshman in high school, and so was I. Each new season represented a new year in the life of Clark, and in season 4, I felt like we graduated together. Season 5 came along with a unique challenge for writing. You see, in the comics, there isn't a whole lot to pull from in Clark's "college" years, but one thing was for sure, Clark wasn't in Smallville. The challenge became to find a meaningful and sensible way to keep telling this story. Admittedly, the introduction of Lois seemed an odd choice, but Erica Durance was so compelling in that role, that I'd skip the obvious story questions (namely, if she knows Clark prior to his dimwitted persona to disguise Superman, how would a pair of glasses fool her later?). So Season 5 comes around, and it goes forward. Sure it wasn't it's strongest season, but it kept the same feel, and had enough compelling stories to really make it feel like things had progressed past high school. Then came season 6...Season 6 certainly had some great episodes (Justice immediately springs to mind), but as a whole it tried to take Clark from home and stick him in Metropolis. This is where things really go down hill. Season 7 tried to mature Clark a little bit by throwing his cousin Kara, a.k.a Supergirl, into the mix, but ultimately, the season didn't go anywhere. It didn't do anything. Then season 8 came and really represented a low point for the series. With the departure of the executive producers Al Gough and Miles Miller, as well as Michael Rosenbaum (whose departure was the real impact of the series), the season couldn't find it's legs, even with the promise of Doomsday on the horizon (as well as a pleasant episode written by comic legend Geoff Johns, introducing the Legion of Super Heroes). A lot of us thought this was the final nail in the Smallville coffin, and that season 9 would finally be the departure point for this series. But then, something miraculous happened.Season 9 did something that the show desperately needed for some time. It went for reinvention. Clark, truly accepting his role as a hero (as opposed to superspeeding around Metropolis in his red and blue farm duds), acted as a catalyst for the show to change. It focused less on Clark, the kid from Kansas trying to find his place in the world, and more on Clark, the man in Metropolis stepping up and nearing the end of his journey to becoming Superman. Adding Zod to the mix as the shows main antagonist helped him to take a true stand for a cause. Finally Clark had matured. While the show really isn't "Smallville" anymore, and is mostly "Metropolis", the reinvention was not only necessary, but successful. Fans of the series found themselves coming back to the series for new and interesting reasons. And with the announcement that season 10 will be the last, we can only hope that Smallville will keep the momentum from last year, and move on towards a satisfying conclusion to a show that has truly been rollercoaster ride for fans of Superman and fans of Smallville alike. And with the announcement that legendary villain of comics, Darkseid being primed to take the stage, this season promises to be just that, a satisfying conclusion.So pick it up on DVD or Blu-Ray. With awesome episodes like "Absolute Justice" this season is a must have for any Smallville fan.