I haven't always been a fan of Superman, or any other superhero for that matter. In our family my older brother's the one who collects comic books, and he's the one who tells us about the adventures of his favorite superheroes. It's no surprise, then, that he's also the one who introduced me to Smallville.

My brother started collecting DVD box sets when they started making them. He has dozens: the complete Friends series, Alias, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Six Feet Under, Buffy... you name it, he's got it, including of course, Smallville. I couldn't be bothered to watch them because there were just too many and I didn't have the time. Sometimes my brother would tell me about how good some of the shows were, but I usually ignored him, and he usually left it at that.

When Smallville came out, though, he insisted that I watch it. He actually bribed me! "I'll pay you ten bucks to watch one episode," he said, "on the condition that you give me back the ten bucks if you like it. You can keep the money if you don't like it." How would he know if I really liked it? I could pretend not to, and keep the money. "Well, then you won't get to watch the other episodes." Shrewd guy, my brother. But then again, he was so confident I would love Smallville that it wasn't really a gamble to him.

(SPOILER ALERT: spoilers ahead for Smallville seasons 5 and 6.)

So I watched Smallville, and six years later, I'm still watching. The thing about Smallville is that although it's one of the most unrealistic shows on TV, it's got a human element that touches and inspires. I can't even begin to count how many episodes have brought tears to my eyes since Season 1. Judging from the fact that Smallville is now in its seventh season and still going strong, I'm not the only one who feels that way.

So many things have changed since we first met Clark, Lana, Lex, and the rest of the gang in Season 1. Our favorite characters have grown and changed, some for the better, some for the worse. We've lost a few beloved characters - most recently, Clark's father, who died in Season 5. Tell me you didn't cry when you watched that happen, and I'll call you the biggest, fattest liar on the face of this earth.

Season 6 brings even more changes. It starts with Lana and Lex still together after Lana's breakup with Clark. For most of the season, as we watch Lana and Lex dancing around their trust issues, we can't help but think that this may be one of the worst couples in television history. It's plain to all Smallville fans that they're so terribly wrong for each other. Lex even tricks Lana into believing that she's pregnant with his child so that she will agree to marry him.

Well, she does end up marrying Lex despite all Clark's efforts (or lack thereof) to break them up. Lana had actually decided at the eleventh hour not to marry Lex, but then was forced into it because of Lionel's threats against Clark. I was resisting, praying all the way to the altar for something to stop the wedding, but I guess it had to happen. It's what kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole season, that's for sure.