Ok, I have thought about this topic for years. What I would have done with Smallville had I been in complete and creative control and I want too share the mental notes I've made along the way. I'm not going too break this down in a season by season basis because quite frankly I don't feel like organizing it all right not. And I admit, some of my ideas are original and some have been formed off what HAS happened in the show. I'm not tossing everything. So here it goes........
- Clark and Lex would have faced numerous doppleganger parrallels throughout the show as the show would have been just as much about Lex as it was Clark. It was like that in during the first two seasons to a point but that faded and it was a mistake. These parrellels come into play with my other ideas.
- I would have taken the idea of evil Jor-El and RAN with the son of *****. It's original as far as the mythos goes and would have made the show it's own true entity instead copying Superman: The Movie and other mediums. I feel like that has been one of Smallville's biggest weaknesses, it was never it's own show. It tried too be Superman: The Movie, it had elements of the failed Flyby script, whatever was the flavor of the month(Kryp/Tuck anyone), etc. This changes that. Jor-El would have sent Kal-El too conquer in route too becoming the true nemesis of this story. The theme of nature versus nurture would have been on display here. This is the first parrellel between Clark and Lex, both of their birth fathers being evil. But Clark had the Kents. I keep going back and forth on the resolution of the evil Jor-El storyline. On one hand, Jor-El could have placed himself in the Phanton Zone somehow and then tricked Clark into helping him escape, setting up a Clark/Jor-El showdown too end the show. On the other hand, the idea of Clark not being able too touch such a villian, a villian that can hurt Clark from beyond the grave, is interesting.
- I switch up Lex's backstory. This idea came too me during the Lucas Luthor(where the F is he?) episode. Lex would have been one of several children of Lionel Luthor, all of which were born too different woman and then observed for in order to see which child was the best and brightest when left too their own devices. Julian Luthor is chosen first, but dies. Lionel is a sociopath with an ego above all else, this fits him perfectly The next in line is Lex, who I envision coming from a crap household with a white trash mom and drunken boyfriends left and right. Lionel simply plucks him one day, though the disconnect would still be in place between the two. On the way that day, a stop is made in Smallville as Clark's ship crashes. Plenty of storylines could have came from this idea.
- Lex leaves LuthorCorp and starts LexCorp from the ground up. I thought they would do this in seasons one/two but dropped the ball. I think it would have been cool too see dirt poor Lex for awhile and then watch him makes his way back up the ladder. Over time, Lex would have used LexCorp to advance politically. Lex interest in politics would have been prevelant from day one really. City Council, Mayor of Smallville, Mayor of Metropolis, Governor, Senator. After Lex killed Lionel at some point, the companies merge and Lex could have even left the show too be in office as Senator or Governor.
- Lex has too see himself as the hero. I didn't like the "I'm the villian of this story" line. Lex must believe what he is doing is right.
- The gang would have known Clark's secret and early. Lana, Pete, Chloe, everyone except Lex. Could've even kept Whitney around a few more seasons. The sense that Clark was keeping something from and not others would have fueled Lex's irritation and later anger at Clark for not trusting him. And this way, Clark and friends could have formed their own little scoobie gang and stopped villiany in Smallville and surrounding areas. It would have been fun, and would have saved us from six seasons of Clark hiding from Lana. Repeatedly. Lastly, this would have been one of the founding seeds of Superman because..........
- Sadly, darkly, they all would died. Other than Lana, who I will cover later, all would have died either helping or protecting Clark. This would have served as the harshest or harsh lessons, that Clark could go out and be the shining beacon of light with everyone knowing his true name, that even those closest too him couldn't know because they would be put in harms way one way or another. And that he would have too work alone for the same reasons, atleast until down the road when(off-screen), Clark meets other heroes. My Smallville would have had darker moments, with the light at the tunnel being that Clark will become Superman, mankinds savior, and inspire the world. That would have always been the light. And on a sentimental note, Clark would have dedicated Superman too his fallen friends.
- I would have had another original main cast member. I've always entertained the notion that Superman/Clark is naturally immortal. Atleast until the sun burns out. Until then he is forever 30. This is actually the basis of my own Superman fanfic. But anyway, they hinted at this in "Hourglass" and I would have taken it a step further. Another Kryptonian would have been on Earth, an abandoned member of a scientific expedition......in the 18/19th century. And despite all the powers, the ability too be a hero like Superman or conquer, would have simply stayed hidden and secluded. Out of the way. Once Clark's ship crashes, said Kryptonian character starts hanging around Smallville as a creepy drifter type and essentially stalks Clark, studying him up close and deciding what exactly too do with this new Kryptonian. You could have even had said character not reveal what he was at first, just hanging around, always nearby Clark. And then a big reveal in say the season one finale.
- Lex would have had a true LONG TERM love interest. Could've been Helen Bryce. And eventually they get married for real. And then she dies. Simply, suddenly, no deeper meaning, no deep backstory. This would have contrasted but parralleled Clark.......with Lana. Lana would have been the death in place of Jonathan Kent. The Kents would have survived the show under my control. I would have given Lana cancer, or some other un-curable illness. And despite all his God-like ability Clark would have been helpless and that would torn the character to it's core, which is that of man like you or I. Two lessons from real like are learned here. With Lex, anyone can be taken from us at anytime. With Clark, like I said sometimes there is nothing you can do.
- I would not have used the slew of Superman mythos villians like Braniac, Metallo, Bizzaro, etc. Clark has beaten everyone before he is Superman. It's backwards. Involve floater DC villians, like Deathstroke which they have recently. Intergang could have been involved. I would have involved the mystical side of the DC universe and put it to better use than witches. Black magic hurts Superman, use it. Neron and Etrigah would have been present. Jason Blood. Vandal Savage. Jor-El, like I said, would have been the series big bad. Doomsday I have an idea for but I will get to that in a second.
- The college issue. My Clark would have stayed in college and graduated, but not with a degree in Journalism. The degree would have been in Creative Writing, as my Clark would have been a multi-talented writer for the future contrast between himself and pure, kick ass journalist Lois Lane. The way I see it, Clark couldn't play sports and spent the majority of his childhood alone due to his secret. Had to pass the time somehow. Like an imagination. Writing would have been Clark's personal escape. It's just the journalistic style of writing would have won out in the end. As for where he went too college, does it matter? Clark can superspeed to class and back without breaking a sweat. Clark would have worked at the Smallville paper during a period of time as well.
- Clark would have worn glasses at times for the hell of it, to feel closer to normality.
- Clark would have left Smallville to explore another region of the world at some point, similiar to Birthright. As part of studying abroad perhaps. This could have been post-Lana dying and some neat back and forth could've happened with showing Clark somewhere like Africa and then hell breaking loose in Smallville due to his absence.
- Martian Manhunter would have joined the show sooner and would have been added in place of Green Arrow as a main cast member. I would have even had a Hyperclan story arc.
- As for Lois Lane, she would have been in my show but not as a main character. I just feel like that was another part of Clark's life that should have perhaps been kept seperate. We could've met her with Clark interning at the Daily Planet. I could have even had Clark keep bumping into her randomely along the way, once or twice per later season and both could have even remarked how strange it was.
- Lex would have still murdered Lionel. But inspired by a scene from V for Vendetta, it would have went down different. Lex would have poisened Lionel with a serum in his sleep, and then woke him up frankly saying, "Dad, father, Lionel, I have poisened you and your going to die shortly". Lionel would have responded with understanding and Lex would tell him that Lionel would die peacefully without feeling a thing. A calm, touching conversation would have followed in which a series worth of laundry would have been taken place. And in the middle of this conversation Lionel would have had a sudden jolt of pain. Lex grins, asks Lionel if he really thought Lex would let him off the hook that easy, gets up, and tells Lionel to enjoy the next couple hours of agony.
- I do introduce Connor Kent, through the cloning storyline dating back as far as season two. Sadly, Connor joins my bodycount list.....
- While writing this, I have determined I want Jor-El physically in the series. Whenever my final season went down, Jor-El would trick CONNOR into releasing him from the phantom zone. As part of Jor-El's backstory, his feud would have been with Lara's father, Sul-Van. Lara chooses her father, and Jor-El murders them via a war that costs Krypton it's existent. Jor-El sends Kal-El too Earth on a conquering mission and in the ship lies files of Kryptonian DNA for mass reproduction. Jor-El doesn't have enough time to build a ship that can take both he and Kal-El to Earth so he imprisons himself in the Phantom Zone until he can be freed. With Jor-El, I'm thinking Jason Isaacs in the Patriot, tyrannically evil. Upon being released from the Phantom Zone Jor-El, still tricking Connor, travel to the proposed Fortress of the show and the physical Jor-El in the moment learns from his computerized countepart that Clark/Kal-El resisted his plans. In anger, Jor-El murders Connor and procedes on with his plan without Kal-El. I envision Jor-El going after the Kents and being thwarted by Martian Manhunter, who would be nearly killed in the exchange. Clark and Jor-El have the ultimate showdown, one that ends with aforementioned nameless Kryptonian character taking kryptonite to Jor-El, killing Jor-El and sacrificing himself in the process. This also keeps bloods off Clarks hands, something not lost on my nameless Kryptonian character. But, that doesn't end my version of Smallville just yet......
- Jor-El's character would have been wrapped up with 3-4 episodes left. At this point, threads in Clark and Lex's life start wrapping up and the final positioning is put in place for the next chapter, the Superman-era of their lives. But how does Superman get introduced. Clark begins working on the idea of an identity, a symbol, that he can use too inspire humanity. The S symbol would have remained a crest of the House of El, as Clark would have seen fit that a symbol that ended a civilization now inspires another. But being the egoticistical ball of malovelence that Jor-El was, he would have a fail safe. DOOMSDAY, a creation of Jor-El in this universe, would be unleashed on Earth hellbent on laying waste to Earth. As Doomsday wakes through everything he comes across, Clark faces off with him privately, a few times, and dies. That is the end of the episode before the series finale, Clark is dead. The series finale would begin in an afterlife flashback with Clark surrounded by the friends and loved from throughout the series. Not any big moments in terms of stopping villians and crazy shennanegians, but small character moments that Clark shared. It would actually be new footage, conversations that happened off screen. This is were the sappy, sentimental returns of previous cast members would kick in. These would continue as Doomsday wrecked havoc in the real world. After more flashbacks, Clark comes face to face with Lara, Sul-Van, and my nameless Kryptonian character, whom we get too see reunited with family. The obligatory hugs and "we are so proud" moments follow. After it's explained that not all Kryptonians were like Jor-El and that the good of that civilization could live on in Clark, the souls of deceased Kryptonians inhabit Clarks and bring him back too life with more than enough power to defeat Doomsday. Taking advantage of the oppurtunity at hand, Clark arrives on the scene as Doomsday closes in on Metropolis in full Superman gear, going toe to toe with the alien weapon of mass destruction and defeats the beast to cheers and applause from not only the citizens of Metropolis but everywhere around the world. Lois Lane dubs this savior as Superman and the show ends on two notes. One, Lex Luthor declares his intention to run for President. Two, Clarks introductory press conference, broadcast worldwide, as Superman. Superman takes the stage as the camera fades to black.
Ok, I know I'm going to face heavy criticsm for turning Jor-El evil, the changes, Connor Kent, and my high body count, so have let me have it.
