Why I Needed Smallville
Growing up, I didn’t really watch television shows all that much. After growing out of the phase of watching cartoons all day, most of my television viewing came through watching sports news shows and baseball games. However, six years ago, on a typical boring afternoon at my step dad’s house, I made a decision that will forever leave an impact on my life.
I was 16 years old at the time, and although I had a newfound obsession with the Spider-Man movies, I didn’t really have any knowledge of comic book superheroes. However, after flipping through channels, desperate to find something to watch, I heard the name Clark, and instantly I thought of Clark Kent, the alter-ego of Superman. I didn’t change the channel because I wanted to find out if this show called Smallville had anything to do Superman, and much to my surprise it did. After reading the episode description, I saw the name Tom Welling, and was instantly reminded of a girl I knew years back who would constantly brag about her obsession with him, and I knew right away that this was the show that I heard so much about after the attacks on September 11th.
I cannot speak about the impact that the show had during that time because I knew nothing about it, but I can speak about the impact that it had on me. After finishing that first episode, I decided to read up on the show and the plot. I quickly found my way to Kryptonsite, the self-named “Web’s first Source for Smallville”, and I was surprised to discover that the show was already in it’s 5th season, and that new episodes were given every Thursday night on the WB11. So on Thursday, November 5th, 2005, I did something that I had never done before; I sat down to watch a new episode of a show on television from beginning to end. I was very impressed with the episode, titled “Solitude”, especially by the fact that there was no appearance by Superman, even though I felt part of the vibe of the character there. From that moment on, I decided that I would not only continue to follow the show every week, but also that I would go back and try to catch up on the previous episodes. Luckily, I was able to do this with the daily showings of re-runs on ABC Family. I began to better understand the concept of the show and its characters enough to experience a moment that will forever be solidified in my memory.
On January 26th, 2006, days before I was about to celebrate my 17th birthday, I sat down to watch the 100th episode of Smallville, “Reckoning”, which concluded with me sitting on my bed, crying my heart out by episode’s end over the death of Jonathan Kent. At that moment I knew, this show was something special, since it brought out an emotion in me for someone that I did not know or had any connection to. That moment was not only a turning point for the series, but also for me.
For most of my life, I was desperate for someone to look up to. I wanted a role model who would help me grow up and learn to make the choices and decisions that would define who I am deep down inside. Smallville is a show about finding out who you are and embracing the life that lies ahead of you, despite all of the trials and tribulations that may lie ahead. In Smallville, we see a boy who struggles with finding his identity and trying to fit into a world that has yet to embrace one like him, and on a personally level, I feel like that has been the story of my own life, especially in recent years.
For many people, Smallville was just a show about Clark Kent’s journey towards becoming Superman. But for me it was more than that. One of the things that I enjoyed most about Smallville has been the fact that even though the show on the outside is about a super-powered being and the struggles he faces on his journey toward becoming the man he was meant to be, the lessons learned on the show are ones that can be applied to our own lives. Very often, I found myself relating to Clark and his current situation since it mirrored those that I was facing at that moment. Lessons that include overcoming whatever darkness that lies inside, facing the fear of what lies ahead in the future, finding true love that can withstand any obstacle, forgiving your past and most importantly, trying to find the good in everyone and never losing faith in them.
The biggest lesson, however, that Smallville has managed to perfectly demonstrate over the course of the entire series is that it doesn’t matter what you wear on the outside, but rather who you are on the inside and the values that you stand up for and carry with you everyday that defines who you are. I know many fans gave up on the show because they did not see Superman in a costume flying around, but what many have failed to notice is that Superman is not defined by powers or a costume, but rather by his morals and his strong sense of character. And much like we’ve seen Clark Kent do over the years, we too must learn to embrace who we are so that we can better able ourselves to stand tall as role models for others to look up to. After all, the spirit of Superman is all about hope and inspiration.
In case it has been unclear up until this point, I am not writing this to say that Smallville is the best show to ever be on television, or that it is what Superman fans and comic book fans have waited so long for. I am writing this to express my truly heartfelt appreciation for this show, not just for what has been done on-screen, but also for the impact that it has had off-screen. And on the eve of the Series Finale, I would like to express my thanks to Tom Welling for his 10 years of dedicated service both on and off-screen towards the show, as well as for his portrayal of Clark Kent, and the way that you’ve showed that the journey of Clark Kent is just as important as the destination. I would like to thank Erica Durance, for bringing to life a new version of Lois who will be looked at as the definitive Lois Lane of this generation. As for Michael Rosenbaum, thank you not just for returning for this Finale, but also for the 7 years of service and dedication that included a constant commitment to making the character of Lex Luthor come to life, not just with your portrayal, but also to the fact that you were willing to have your head on a daily basis. Thank you Annette O’Toole and John Schneider, for being the loving and supportive parents that we not only wish to have, but also hope to become. I also thank Kirsten Kreuk, Allison Mack, Justin Hartley, John Glover, and Cassidy Freeman for being such a supportive cast and helping to provide many great moment moments over the years. Also, thanks to Sam Jones III, Laura Vandervoort, Callum Blue, Sam Witwer, Aaron Ashmore, Christopher Reeve, Terrence Stamp, Margot Kidder, James Marsters, Kyle Gallner, Alan Ritchson, Lee Thompson Young, Phil Morris, Michael Mckean, Alaina Huffman, Alessandro Juliani, Serinda Swan, Pam Grier, Michael Shanks, Britt Irvin, and others for bringing several iconic characters to life in ways that have never been done before.
And last but not least, many thanks to Alfred Gough and Miles Millar for being the captains of this ship, who made it all possible to begin with, as well as Brian Peterson and Kelly Sounders, who took over and turned this show into something that many of us never believed it would be.
But most importantly, I would like to give a shout out to many people who have been like family during this time. Like most families, we may not have agreed over everything in the past few years, but one thing remained certain and that was the bond that brought us all together. So now I will like to express my thanks to my fellow Smallville fans over at the Superhero Hype boards; Prison Mike, Kal-El 8, KalKai, RouthIsSuperman, Webhead2006, Brainiac 8, The Incredible Hulk, BizarroAids, Zorex, Asteroid-Man, JosephCAW, Milos, Lencho01 and many more that I cannot remember off the tops of my head. And a Special Thanks to those who are no longer post as often, such as Agent Pat, Triplet, Serene, and the rest of the posters that I remember reading from before I finally decided to join the Hype. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for several great memories and moments on the Hype, as well as allowing me to let my voice be heard, and for being there as we take this journey together to the end.
Ten years is a very long time and quite an accomplishment. Although I wasn’t around for the entire ride, I know I can speak for many when I say that I grew up with this show. I was a young teenager, much like Clark was when series began, and now I am on my way to adulthood and I know at this stage in my life, just as one journey is ending for Clark, there is a journey ending that we each walk on together that is ending, but more importantly, a bigger and better journey is beginning,
As sad as it will be to see the show end, it comes with a bit of relief because in a time where it is hard to succeed in television, let alone as a series based on a comic book character, Smallville has managed to last as long as a decade, and it definitely deserves some recognition for such an accomplishment.
So with the ending upon us, just as a reminder for those of you who aren’t fans, or have never seen the show before, the Smallville 2-hour Series Finale airs Friday, May 13th, at 8pm ET, on CW11. I invite you all to tune in to just get a taste of a show that has truly proven itself to be worthy. After all, it is just about that time that we all come together to Look Up in the Sky as we learn to believe once again that a man can fly!
