Smallville Season Premiere
Here I am doing what I do every year. I watch the season premiere of Smallville and I just hope. I live in hope.
You see, Smallville is one of those shows that I want to like. I should like it. I have friends that like it. But it just doesn’t really do it for me. I’ve watched entire seasons. (But I have yet to go back and watch since the beginning, which is something I keep telling myself I’m going to do, cause that way I can be fair in my evaluation.)
For me, I think the bottom line is that the show is weak in dialogue and content once you compare it to something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. Those shows had wacky stuff going on, but they always made sure you realized that when things were stupid, they knew they were stupid. Stupid was what they were going for. But on some of these other shows, Smallville included (and I always felt this way about Charmed, too) they have stupid story lines or unbelievable villains who have to speak badly written lines, and they are completely serious. I can’t take that.
You probably want an example and I’m not sure I can give you one you will understand, but let me try.
Take this scene from this week’s ep of Smallville, when Clark thanks the other supers for saving him:
Clark: I owe you all my life, I don’t know how to thank you.
Chick: Oh, you would have done the same thing for any of us.
Water Guy: Ah, you can’t take all the credit. I hear those were some pretty sweet aerodynamics your friend powered up back there
Chick: Yeah, where you been hiding that guy?
Clark: Its a long story, but I’m sure he’ll be back one day.
(three second pause for swelling music)
Compare it to another situation on Buffy where Cordelia thanks Xander for saving her life in Some Assembly Required:
XANDER: Well, I guess that makes it official. Everybody’s paired off. Vampires get dates. Hell, even the school librarian sees more action than me. You ever think that the world is a giant game of musical chairs, and the music’s stopped and we’re the only ones who don’t have a chair?
WILLOW: All the time.
CORDELIA: Xander? I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. What you did in there was really brave and heroic, and I just wanted to tell you if there was anything that I could ever do to…
XANDER: Do you mind? We’re talking here.
(Cordelia is taken aback, rolls her eyes and leaves.)
XANDER: So where were we?
WILLOW: Wondering why we never get dates.
XANDER: Yeah, so why do you think that is?
See? Do you see the difference? Once is kinda dull with weird swelling music behind it. The other is cool and funny and to the point.
