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Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season
R1 - America - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Ethan C. Stevenson (26th September 2009). |
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The Show
 Oh, “Smallville” who would have thought that you would have lasted nine seasons, over 170 episodes and survived the collapse of your own channel of origin? Not me, that’s for sure. I admit, I used to watch this show; once upon a time I even liked it. But, around season five, right around the time that The WB closed up shop, I lost interest. The show had become stagnant and, realistically, I had (and continue to have) better things to do than sit and watch “Smallville.” So it’s somewhat of a surprise for me to be venturing back into the world of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), Lois Lane (Erica Durance), Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) and Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), and I’ll admit that some time away may have been a good thing, as so much of the series seems fresh, even if at the same time it feels oddly familiar. Lex is dead, or as good as anyway, Lana (Kristin Kruek) is entirely absent from a good portion of the first-half of the season and, could it be, Clark is actually donning his form-fitting suit? No, not quite but, as destiny approaches, Clark seem ready to embrace his hero-status. The inevitable seems not so entirely inevitable, as the writers keep the proverbial “carrot” dangling but approach the impending inevitability in a way that keeps it from feeling so… planned. Yes, there is still a lot wrong with this series. It’s running long in the tooth and can only keep going so long before it just becomes "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993-1997 although, I’ll admit, I wouldn’t mind seeing that reimagined, spining off and reappearing on the air waves with this cast). The show does tend to be the ever-predictable soap opera these days, although that is hardly a new development; “Smallville” seemingly transformed into one all those years ago and continues to have bouts of melo-drama-itis throughout the season. But, the writers also continue to bring in elements from the comic and films – characters, plots and subplots – that they dive into rather well, and I applaud the producers and writers for doing so. Foraging through the Superman cannon and making sense of it all is not an easy task, but mostly it’s done well. Likewise, I cannot fault the show for its acting, most of its writing and production values, all of which are top notch. The show feels professional and coherent and that’s fairly impressive considering the source material. As I’ve said before, comics-based properties inevitably get mishandled but, aside from rehashing plots, I can’t say a whole lot is wrong with the way the series is handled. At least, taking into account that “Smallville” is after all a modernized, reworked retelling of a story long established. Yes, things are changed but they sort of have to be for the premise to work the way it does here. I don’t think that this is a bad season at all. In fact it’s one of the stronger entries, in my opinion. It’s just a little inconsistent with some episodes that reek of a “why bother.” But, when the 8th entry into the series is good, it’s very good; I was particularly happy with the way the producers and writers handled the adaptation of “Doomsday,” not at all an easy task, they do it well. All 22 episodes from the shows eighth season are spread across 6 discs, they include: - "Odyssey" After missing for 4 weeks, Clark resurfaces in a Russian work camp, without his powers. Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) calls upon Black Canary and Aquaman to aid in his search for the missing Kent. With Lex presumed dead in the artic Fortress collapse, a new CEO called Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) takes the reigns at LuthorCorp. Meanwhile, Chloe is being held against her will in a compound in Montana. As a season premiere, this is pretty weak; it feels much more like the 21st episode of the 7th season and not the 1st episode of season eight. - "Plastique" Clark’s first day on the job begins with a fiery bang when a bus explodes right outside the Daily Planet. Rushing to the rescue, the superhero in street clothes pulls Tess Mercer, new Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Planet (and LuthorCorp CEO), from the wreckage. Meanwhile, Chloe rescues a girl with a dark secret named Bette from the tangled remains and meets an EMT named Davis Bloom (Sam Witwer). Retroactively, this episode actually stands fairy strong. Although very little happens on a standalone basis, it introduces and elaborates on characters that will be become increasingly important throughout the season. - "Toxic" It’s secondary character expository episode time as Oliver (Justin Hartley) is poisoned and unless Clark and Chloe find a cure, he’ll be dead in less than 12 hours! The episode runs back and forth between past and present, as we learn about Oliver Queen, the Green Lantern and… Tess Mercer? Again, a solid episode that serves a genuine purpose (developing characters), although, admittedly, it treads familiar waters. Chloe and Davis seem awfully cozy and I don’t like that; couldn’t the writers at least let the season progress a little further before so obviously shoving this plot twist into our faces? - "Instinct" A mysterious alien queen (Charlotte Sullivan) with the power to kill by a single kiss is summoned to Earth and begins looking for her new, Kryptonian, mate. Meanwhile, in non-comic book land, the depressingly dreary place where the most soap opera-y elements of “Smallville” exist, newly engaged couple Jimmy and Chloe move in together, but when Jimmy discovers a note written to Clark from years past, he gets all mopey and insecure. One part crummy and cheap drama, another part “we’ve already seen this” storyline, “Instinct” is the first real downer of the season, proving that “Smallville” is largely over-staying its welcome by retracing paths we’ve already been down. I mean, how many times do we need the same basic premise? The answer is not more than twice (and this is probably number six). - "Committed" At their wedding shower, Jimmy and Chloe are kidnapped by a troubled man who makes them take a lie-detector test, which they must pass in order to prove their love for each other. Oh, and not die. Realizing that the couple has gone missing, Lois and Clark investigate only to find that many young couples have been abducted just before their weddings, never to be seen again… alive! In order to save their friends before it’s too late, the duo pose as a newly engaged couple in order to get themselves captured. Funny and well written, this is a standout for the season. - "Prey" Some picking off costumed heroes… er, no that’s wrong. Someone’s picking off Chloe’s Isis members and Clark thinks it may be an inside job. Although Chloe insists it couldn’t possibly be someone she knows, Davis Bloom isn’t so sure. Dark but, not dark enough, this is decent but flawed episode that doesn’t rise above. - "Identity" Look, a bird! A plane! A red-blue-blur? Clark’s true identity may be revealed when he saves both Lois and Jimmy from a mugging. Although Jimmy only catches a mysterious “red-blue blur” with his camera, a little detective work goes a long way and Olsen may be in for one hell of a surprise. Although this episode has been done time and again – I’ve seriously lost count how many times someone has been dangerously close to finding out Clark’s secret – strong acting, a polished script and a slight change of pace make this a good, almost great, episode. - "Bloodline" One of Clark’s mysterious crystals sends he and Lois to the Phantom Zone where they meet Kara (Laura Vandervoort), a Kryptonian, who’s been imprisoned there by Brainiac. While trying to escape, Lois is possessed by Faora, the evil wife of Zod. Meanwhile, as Chloe and Oliver search for a way to reverse the powers of the crystal and bring Clark home, Lois returns to Metropolis and brings down the wraith of Faora upon her beloved city. The true identity of Davis Bloom is also, finally, and expertly, revealed. A middle of the road episode, the appearence of a maybe-Doomsday, and an excellent performance in one of the two times that Erica Durance gets to be someone other than Lois this season, make this considerably more worthwhile. - "Abyss" The writers were channeling Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry when they wrote this one. It’s basically the product of what happens when you smash “Smallville” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) together. Chloe is having her memories replaced by Kryptonian codes and who else but Brainiac is behind it all. As Chloe becomes less and less cognizant, she begins forgetting all those around her, including Jimmy and most surprising of all, Clark. The “Eternal Sunshine” moments come towards the middle of the show when she and Clark are literally running through her memories trying to escape the impending, all to quickly approaching, moment when she loses the memories of her longest and dearest friend. Largely this episode serves as a buffer for the upcoming story in the next episode, and is all the weaker for proceeding such as good episode. - "Bride" Ooooh… someone’s getting married in “Smallville.” Yes, the day is finally here as Jimmy and Chloe tie the knot on the Kent farm. The writers again take from a previous film with an opener that mimics “Cloverfield” (2008). One of, if not the best, episode of the season (quite possibly the series) this episode has the right mix of humor, character development and a genuinely compelling storyline that it was easily my favorite. The sudden appearance of Doomsday bringing down the hammer on the post-nuptial party only sweetens the deal, as even if it’s dark, we get to see the first scenes of the character in full form. - "Legion" In the smoldering wreckage that was once the Kent barn (and the place of the Olsen wedding), Clark is attacked by The Persuader, a 31st Century terrorist, but is saved by the Legion (Ryan Kennedy, Alexz Johnson and Calum Worthy) a league of young heroes also from that time period. In this episode we learn of the lasting positive effect that Clark/Superman has on the world/universe, uniting alien and humans once and for all. Clark learns that Brainiac has once again taken over Chloe and that he must kill her to rid the world of Brainiac for good. Meanwhile, Brainiac/Chloe informs Davis of his true destiny: to destroy the other son of Krypton and the world that he holds so dear. - "Bulletproof" It’s on to disc four and so begins the mid-season slowdown. A series of not-so-hot episodes reside on the disc, beginning with this episode. When John Jones (Phil Morris) is shot on the job, Clark goes undercover to find the perpetrator, only to discover sleaze and some not so honest officers of the law. Unfortunately, the show takes a side step for this one-off standalone, which is regrettable considering the strong build up in the previous two episodes. - "Power" Allison Mack (Chloe) gets her first “directed by” credit with this episode, a Lana centric flashback piece in which we discover where she’s been all this time. Ms. Mack does a good job (actually, a great job) with this entry, showcasing a strong style and pulling excellent performances from the actors. Disappointingly, she has a fairly weak episode too work with and while what she does with the material is admirable, the story she’s working with is tired and unnecessary. - "Requiem" An ex-employee of Queen Industries is in collusion with Lex Luthor, trying to bring down the entire company board, which includes Tess Mercer and Oliver Queen, by blowing up a bomb at an annual meeting. Also, Lana discovers that the LuthorCorp “Prometheus” Suit gives her powers equal to Clark’s, which is not exactly a good thing. There’s lots of expository in this episode, revealing that Lex is still alive and that we have a new villain in the midst. - "Infamous" Tori Spelling guest stars as Linda Lake (what is it with Superman and women with alliterative “L” names?), a woman looking to expose Clark’s true identity. Mr. Kent beats her to the punch by revealing his identity, not only to Lois, but also to the media, who have a field day. Although everything seems great at first, it quickly turns sour when DDS (the Department of Domestic Security) looks to capture Clark. This is a good premise, but ultimately is poorly executed. - "Turbulence" While still recovering from the aftermath of the Doomsday attack, Jimmy sees Davis kill a man. Unfortunately, no one believes him, including his new wife Chloe, who says he was probably hallucinating from the medicine that he has in his system. Meanwhile, Tess and Clark are plane bound for Los Angeles and that’s not good. A strong start to the rest of the season, the show picks itself up from the misstep that is disc four and soldiers on nicely. - "Hex" It’s a body switch episode! Harkening back to those classics of the past like “Freaky Friday” (1972) and “Vice Versa” (1988, please note some slight sarcasm here), Chloe has her birthday wish to switch places with Lois granted. Durance again channels another person entirely, and on the whole this is a fun, well written and perfectly acted episode. Is it somewhat of a diversion? Yeah, but it’s an entertaining one, so that counts for something in my book. - "Eternal" Davis Bloom (Doomsday) becomes a fully fleshed out character in episode 18, “Eternal”, with some massive “ret-conning” from the writers who put forth the idea that Davis has always been in Smallville, we just didn’t notice him due to his non-action with our main characters. We find out that he arrived in the same meteor shower as Clark and was a childhood friend of everyone’s favorite baldy, Lex Luthor. - "Stiletto" Looking for a cover story, Lois dawns a mask and some leather, and fights for justice as Stiletto, a ridiculous character in not only concept, but execution as well. I don’t see the point of this episode and it seems like filler-fodder designed to delay the impending climax of the season. Boo on you writers. Boo. - "Beast" The countdown to the ultimate showdown is upon us, as Clark unearths the empty grave of Davis Bloom, thus realizing that Doomsday is not dead. Oliver and Clark try and find the destructor but fail to do so, while Chloe is hiding Davis from sight. When Clark confronts Chloe, telling her how dangerous Davis really is, and that she should stay away from him if he comes calling, Chloe tells our hero that he’s frankly delusional, and just plain wrong. No miss, you’re the one who’s wrong. Oh so wrong. - "Injustice" Tess Mercer and her team of meteor-powered men hunt down Doomsday unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, Clark and Oliver hatch a plan to find Davis and separate Doomsday from the former. Will all go to plan or, well, not? You take a guess (hint: there’s still one more episode this season). - "Doomsday" Talk about an anti-climax. The 8th seasons finale, the end game of an arc long building to conclusion, is so unexcitingly lackluster. The fight that we’ve all been waiting for, Supes vs. Doomsday, lasts maybe a minute and, although the tone of the episode is appropriate, it just doesn’t live up to my expectations (bloated and unrealistic that they may have been). I don’t know, on one hand “Smallville” has over stayed it’s welcome. The show is getting tiresome, repetitive and dull. But, on the other, the characters still have a lot of life left in them, and truthfully, for some, the story is only just beginning. My advice? Miles Millar should make the upcoming 9th season the show's last, and re-launch the franchise as a spin-off called “Metropolis.” Revitalize the formula and make Clark Kent truly Superman; it’s the direction the series is heading anyway, the program just needs a little push in the right direction via a “reboot sequel,” which I think could be immensely successful given the nature of the television and film industry focused around comic books these days. Where Bryan Singer failed in 2006, I think the producers of “Smallville” could succeed.
Video
“Smallville” season eight sees a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that’s serviceable, stylized, but ultimately problematic. Although not outright bad, the “comic book” nature of the photography does harm the overall product, with poor shadow delineation in overly dark areas of the picture (often cloaking faces), and this kills detail. Contrast runs hot with skintones on actors looking like they’re sunburned and whites tend to bloom out of control far too often. On the plus side, the peculiar style does wonders for colors, especially primaries, which are bright, bordering on complete over saturation (although never verging on bleeding), and the image has nice pop. While previous seasons were shot on Super35 (35mm) film and transferred to HDCAM for editing and broadcast, season eight transitions fulltime into the high-definition video realm, with the Panavision Genesis HD camera system (the same machine that Bryan Singer and Newton Thomas Sigel used while shooting their Superman reboot, “Superman Returns” (2006) a few years ago). The result is a grain free but occasionally noisy presentation. The clean textures of HD video fit the show well, although the image is a little softer than seasons past, a side effect I find to be an unfortunate downside to the switch away from more organic, crisper, true film stock.
Audio
Warner offers two options: an English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix and a Portuguese dub encoded in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The default Dolby 5.1 track is actually pretty good, if not at times actually quite exceptional considering this is a TV show. Dialogue is clear and precise, surround activity is varied, but rear use is acceptable with a nice mix of ambient effects and forceful action. The only real downside, other than the lossy encoding (something you can’t get away from with DVD), is a fairly reserved, dare I say non existent, LFE presence. Subtitles are offered in a multitude of languages including: English for the hearing impaired, Spanish, French, Chinese, Thai and Portuguese.
Extras
Considering the rather varied life “Smallville” has had on home video, seeing multiple releases spanning across standard definition DVD and both high-definition formats (Blu-ray and the now dead HD DVD) equally with good and bad supplemental material, I didn’t really know what to expect for this 8th entry: would it be packed with loads of insight and hours of material, or would it be slight, dull and all to quick? Unfortunately, it’s not really on either side of that spectrum – some of the material that is offered is decent enough (others not as much) and although this isn’t hours upon several hours of extras, it’s more than just a few short minutes. Warner outfits season 8 with several deleted scenes, a few audio commentaries, a duo of featurettes and some bonus trailers. All video based material is 16x9-enhanced widescreen, unless otherwise noted. DISC ONE: 2 deleted scenes, one each from episodes “Plastique” and “Insitct” and are: - While working on the tractor in his barn, a mysterious woman arrives on horseback to talk with Clark. It turns about the woman is Tess Mercer, and the two have a very one-sided conversation full of awkwardness. 3 minutes 29 seconds. - Tess has a short exchange with her assistant. 12 seconds. Pre-menu bonus trailer is included for: - "Warner Blu-ray" promo runs 1 minute 42 seconds. DISC TWO: An audio commentary is included on the episode "Identity" with director Mairzee Almas, executive producer Brian Peterson, and actress Cassidy Freeman. They discuss the episode’s production, shooting techniques, how some of the effects and stunts are done, while also genuinely conversing about the show, actors and characters. Not a bad commentary, but considering that this is one of only two episodes with a supplemental track, it sort of feels wasted. I’d gladly switch this commentary for one on “Identity,” “Bride” or “Doomsday.” DISC THREE: First up is an audio commentary on the episode “Legion” with producers Darren Swimmer and Tim Scanlan and episode writer Geoff Jones. The track mostly focuses on the adaptation of the Legion, bringing it from the comics to the small screen. The rest of the track discusses various technical aspects of the episode, including how certain shots were achieved. Again, not a bad commentary by any means, but considering that this is one of only two episodes with a supplemental track, it sort of feels wasted. Next is a 43 seconds deleted scene from the episode "Legion" in which Lana comes upon a street full of hypnotized people. Realizing what has happened, she then warns a mother and her son to turn around. DISC FOUR: 2 deleted scenes, one each from the episodes “Power” and “Requiem”, they include: - Clark, unable to find Lana, checks-in with Chloe to see if she’s been able to uncover anything. 44 seconds. - Dealing with her new abilities Lana gets medical advice on what could be happening to her. 1 minute 19 seconds. DISC FIVE: 6 deleted scenes from 3 episodes on the disc, 1 from “Turbulence,” 4 from “Hex,” and 1 from “Eternal”, they include: - Jimmy and Chloe have a discussion in the hospital and then Jimmy remembers previous events via a quick, chaotic flashback. 53 seconds. - Not really sure what happened, Chloe (in Lois’ body) takes a Polaroid of herself just to make sure she isn’t hallucinating. 30 seconds. - “Lois” (really Chloe in Lois’ body) chats up a depressed Jimmy. Regrettably, Jimmy confesses that he regrets marrying Chloe. 2 minutes 33 seconds. - When Clark and “Lois” (still Chloe in Lois’ body) see a robbery in progress, Chloe tells Clark to “do something”… as Lois knows nothing of Clark’s powers, he dials 911. Angry and not wanting the criminal to escape, Chloe chases the guy down and tackles him. 39 seconds. - Chloe and Lois talk about the whole “body switch” experience. It turns out that Chloe was actually Lois’ inspiration for becoming a journalist. 1 minute 45 seconds. - A short flashback to a moment in young Lex’s life. 20 seconds. DISC SIX: “In the Director’s Chair: Behind the Lens and Calling the Shots with Allison Mack” is a featurette, running 19 minutes 14 seconds, that details the actress’ first foray into television directing. Cast members and crew, along with Mack herself, discuss her first job as director on the “Smallville” set with the episode “Power,” and specifically what it was like for her fellow cast mates to take orders from the sweet but domineering Chloe. This piece also (sort of) works as a “Making of…” documentary for the episode as well. The second featurette, titled “Smallville’s Doomsday: The Making of a Monster,” focuses on “Doomsday” and the process of bringing the fabled character to the “Smallville” small-screen. Made up mostly of interviews Bill Terezakis, the man charged with the difficult task of designing and creating a believable Doomsday for the show, and actor Sam Witwer. Runs 15 minutes 23 seconds. 4 deleted scenes, 3 from “Beast” and 1 from “Injustice”, they include: - Davis looks through some of Chloe’s old articles, questions her about her relationship with Clark and then enters into some mushy, soap opera dialog. 2 minutes 43 seconds. - The FBI pulls Chloe over to question her about Davis. 46 seconds. - A continuation of interrogation by the FBI. 33 seconds. - Clark finds Chloe in the shower. 47 seconds. Pre-menu bonus trailers are for: - “Batman/Superman: Public Enemies” runs 1 minute 2 seconds, presented in 1.85:1 window-boxed 4x3. - “Green Lantern: First Flight” 1 minute 7 seconds, presented in 1.85:1 window-boxed 4x3.
Packaging
“Smallville: The Compete Eighth Season” is packaged inside an extra thick clear amaray case, containing six discs, housed on flip mounted holders. Warner also includes a sturdy cardboard slip-case (the cover slips sideways over the package, as opposed to the standard “up/down”) adding an attractive, higher quality texture to the overall product. The release also includes a 14-page booklet with plot synopses and a rundown of disc contents.
Overall
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