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.
Article comments
1 - Martian
Hi Betty - I just stumbled on your article today by google-ing Smallville season six special features. It was a very interesting read. Much like you felt closer to other fans by watching the "Smallville: Big Fans" feature, I could see inside your head a bit by what you wrote, and I appreciate it.
Smallville has a special place in my heart. When I'm having a bad day, it takes me away and I can forget everything. My 6-year-old boy watches it with me a lot, and it's something that we really enjoy together. That's very special to me.
The characters are very real to me. Their journey is very real to me. The way that Clark's parents were always there for him, how they raised him... that is one of the most special things about the show, and that doesn't go away just because Jonathan died or because Martha is in D.C.
There may be no such thing in the real world as super-powers, or super-heroes, but there are HEROES, and there IS right and wrong. So many parents and people seem to think that the world is full of gray. I'm getting pretty old, now, and I still know that it isn't. Yes, sometimes you DO have to choose the lesser of two evils, but most of the time, you don't. Most of the time, there is right and there is wrong. Not the knee-jerk, fundamentalist version of right and wrong, but rather, the "if it hurts someone else" it is wrong.
I believe that's what Superman teaches us, and that's what we can live up to and teach our children.
Well, sorry for the long-winded comment. Just wanted you to know that someone read your article and appreciated it.
2 - smallville-episodes
Thank you very much for giving us the possibility to express ourselves on this blog, really nice place to find out information and meet different sort of people with same needs.