Season 3, Episode 13: “What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger” (SPOILERS)

[Iceman]

Good final episode, can't wait to see how the final season ties all this together and I think we'll see the best of Lex then too. This actor is a lot more convincing than the film versions we've had.

Good to see Jordan and Sarah finally make some peace after the push by Clark.

Looks like John and Nat already have one foot in Metropolis, just hope we still get to see them a fair bit next season.

I was about to get annoyed with the Kyle Chrissy storyline taking another unnecessary step but in the end he actually dealt with a situation well breaking the news to Lana.

I'm a fan of Lana and John though. Including Clark & Lois, things got steamy on multiple fronts this episode lol. Unfortunately Sam's wasn't legit.

Poor cow. (like the poor little guy served up in Jurassic Park )

The Resident Evil Tyrant/Abomination Doomsday was good for a TV show budget.

Can't wait for our final mini-season to sign off this awesome show saying goodbye properly.

 

[O'Haire]

Crazy how far we've come since Smallville. Went from a 10 second Doomsday fight in that to almost 10 minutes of awesomeness in S&L. And the fight isn't even done.

 

[Sithborg]

The opening with Lois and Clark was really sweet. As always, the non super stuff is what really sells the show. Great bit with no speaking between Hoechlin and Tulloch.

I did laugh at Clark's over enthusiastic declaration of a family vacation.

I am sad that Jordan did not get the super powered beatdown he deserved and needed to knock him down a peg. However, they handled it in the very best way with this version of Clark. And I am glad he called him out on how he was treating Sarah. Sarah should still give him a kryptonite powered punch, though.

I don't hate Kyle as much as others do, and I would have liked to see more of Jon and Kyle at the firehouse. But, even I don't want to deal with a baby storyline, so the cast reductions is a blessing there.

Oh look, Sophie sighting. Definitely the last.

I liked the little we got between Superman and Lex. Say what you want about Cudlitz's Lex, he has the right beliefs about Superman.

And now for big D in the room. Did not expect Bizarro to become Doomsday. Not a huge fan of the RE look for Doomsday, really. Kind of wish they stole Krypton's Doomsday assets. But, the design still worked fine. I loved the integration of the flame breath, and really enhanced the look. And the fight was great. Really worth saving the money from the other episodes. That cliffhanger would have sucked, though.

Cast and budget reductions has me somewhat doubtful we will get Reign of the Supermen, which I would love to see with this cast. Here's hoping, though.

 

[vantheman77]

The could do their version of the death of Superman. They have Steel (Reoccurring does not mean gone at least for him. I see him in the premiere)already and their version of Superboy(Jordan getting a hair cut and a more colorful suit). The only person the do not have is the Eradicator... but if the bring his brother back... Just this time those three are not trying to pretend to be Superman they are trying protect what he loves most.. from Luthor. He is the bog bad now.

I see Nat going tot he DOD camp. The rest of Cushing staying in Smallville and Lois moving to Metropolis to be better protected. He can't go after he if she is working in plain site and at the Dailey Planet ...unless this version is deeply stupid..

I fear General Lane is dead.

I will bet you when the 4th season starts with Superman battling Doomsday on the Moon that Superman will be aided by Steel, Superboy (Jordan Kent), and Eradicator (Tal-Rho).

General Sam Lane will either be dead or could recast him like Jonathan Kent to appear in 3 episodes.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Ok, so crazy idea here that won't happen but what if Superman defeats Doomsday by dragging him into the sun, gets even more overcharged than he did in the S2 finale, and we get put on course for an All Star inspired storyline.

 

[Gaultheria]

General Sam Lane will either be dead or could recast him like Jonathan Kent to appear in 3 episodes.

If Gretchen is Gretchen Goode / Granny Goodness, then Sam could be the subject of nefarious cybernetic augmentation experiments at this moment, doomed to return in unrecognizable form in season 4.

(No, I’m not being serious about that. But he would complete the set of Superman stand-ins.)

If anyone would be at risk of Granny Goodness taking a personal interest in developing his or her potential, that’d be Natalie. Natalie might even be somewhat tempted to accept the offer, if Granny offered a cure for hereditary cancer.

 

[Gaultheria]

Sad to think that Le-Lak was probably nodding “No” to Luthor’s offer.

 

[Erik20]

After 3 seasons they finally gave me what I wanted, seeing Superman fight a monster. I was getting tired of him always fighting humans with his powers, or other Kryptonians. (Yes I know Bizarro is also Kryptonian, but at least he looked like a monster )

 

[Dark Raven]

I don't know if I really liked this cliffhanger. It wasn't something that it seemed to build up to all season, like the pay off to what we'd been waiting for all this time for the past few episodes. I feel Lex Luthor was a bit shoehorned into the last couple of episodes and so was Bizarro/ Doomsday. Him turning into Doomsday came out of nowhere. I would rather the last episode was the culmination of the big storyline, like it had been for the previous two seasons.

I feel it would've been best to stick with Bruno Manheim until the end and maybe introduced Lex but not had him do much at all until next season.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I will bet you when the 4th season starts with Superman battling Doomsday on the Moon that Superman will be aided by Steel, Superboy (Jordan Kent), and Eradicator (Tal-Rho).

Lets replace Tal with Supergirl.

 

[Gaultheria]

I have to admit that I'm feeling discouraged about DC's tendency to re-use plots in different media. If Superman is out of action for a while next season, I won't be surprised if Luthor breaks into the Fortress.

 

[vantheman77]

Lets replace Tal with Supergirl.

I hope the Supergirl s similar to the one from Flash movie.

 

[Gaultheria]

I have to admit that I'm feeling discouraged about DC's tendency to re-use plots in different media. If Superman is out of action for a while next season, I won't be surprised if Luthor breaks into the Fortress.

Though if DC wants to change what happens after that, making all this a plot by Darkseid to gain the last remnants of Kryptonian technology, I’d like that story.

 

[Brierrose]

Lets replace Tal with Supergirl.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Such a rip off.

 

[3rdstone]

Welp, guess we know why they were conserving their budget all season! And honestly should've been able to predict this from the episode title lol.


I'm quite confident that was all part of the plan.

So yeah. Great finale. Doomsday usually leaves me cold, but it's safe to say this is the first time I've actually been invested in a Doomsday story.

Not sure how I feel about the "if you just keep killing Bizarro, he becomes Doomsday" thing, because, like....why? And why would Lex know that? Does that mean Clark becomes more powerful if you kill him, too??? I suppose that's one easy way to explain him returning after his apparent death. We'll just have to see.
LOVED the Clark/Lois stuff in the beginning. Had me swooning.

Also really liked that speech Clark gave to Jordan at the restaurant.

Really wondering what Lex's endgame is here, because it can't just be, "unleash an un-killable monster on the world so it kills Superman and then REALLY no one can stop it." This Lex has plenty of menace to him, but I'm not sure I'm seeing the "cunning genius" aspects yet. Hopefully they bring that next season.
I totally agree. Why would killng Bizarro Superman over, and and over, and over again like three thousand times makes him turn into Doomsday? And how would Lex know? Eh..

But I'm also on your team: MOON BATTLE, MOON BATTLE, MOON BATTLE !!! That's totally awesome! Can't wait for the outcome from that bloody fight in first episode of next season!



Moon battle Moon battle Moon battle!!!! Sorry, I love a Superman moon battle. That whole bit in space was glorious.

Overall, yeah, best season of the show thus far. My only real complaint is there was no proper ending, so I'm happier than ever that we got S4!!! What a f***ing legendary day to be a Superman fan!!!!

I totally agree. Why would killng Bizarro Superman over, and and over, and over again like three thousand times makes him turn into Doomsday? And how would Lex know? Eh..

But I'm also on your team: MOON BATTLE, MOON BATTLE !!! That's totally awesome! Can't wait for the outcome from that bloody fight in first episode of next season!

 

[Primal Slayer]

Im hoping that Season 4 shows Lex being more Lex. These past two episodes he's just been a vengeful mob boss with money.

 

[Rick190293]

Very good episode, but imo they rushed Luthor and Doomsday, with not enough development on both. But still a great season and an amazing show. Can’t wait for season 4! Tyler and Bitsie’s chemistry on screen is perfect.

 

[Risitas]

About the 3x13, smallville have a event about meteors. Its possible Kara join in the last seasson?

 

[flickchick85]

Oh yeah...what WAS the deal with the meteor shower? Do we think it was a misdirect, or something's coming? Doubt it would be Kara, but it doesn't seem like they'd throw that in arbitrarily. Unless they just want to use it for some pretty visuals in the moon fight during the premiere lol. These writers love to swerve and take things in directions we don't expect, so maybe we're not getting any version DoS, Reign of the Supermen, etc, and they're gonna wrap up the Doomsday thing early on, and whatever's in that meteor shower will be the main plot of the season instead? Idk.

 

[Gaultheria]

Oh yeah...what WAS the deal with the meteor shower?

I thought it was visual reference to Doomsday's arrival on Earth in the comics, or to the Krypton series when Wegthor exploded and rained fragments (including Doomsday) down on Krypton.

 

[Dark Raven]

If Kara were arriving in a meteor shower they could have Izabela Vidovic play her.

 

[squeekness]

Oh yeah...what WAS the deal with the meteor shower? Do we think it was a misdirect, or something's coming? Doubt it would be Kara, but it doesn't seem like they'd throw that in arbitrarily. Unless they just want to use it for some pretty visuals in the moon fight during the premiere lol. These writers love to swerve and take things in directions we don't expect, so maybe we're not getting any version DoS, Reign of the Supermen, etc, and they're gonna wrap up the Doomsday thing early on, and whatever's in that meteor shower will be the main plot of the season instead? Idk.

Maybe there will be some kind of helpful flashback in early next season episodes to help explain or expand on this and Doomsday's evolution.

 

[Sithborg]

I totally agree. Why would killng Bizarro Superman over, and and over, and over again like three thousand times makes him turn into Doomsday? And how would Lex know? Eh..

But I'm also on your team: MOON BATTLE, MOON BATTLE !!! That's totally awesome! Can't wait for the outcome from that bloody fight in first episode of next season!

It was the results of Mannheim's experiments, I assume. Remember, he was bringing humans back to live, as well as giving them powers. And Lex made a lucky assumption, on killing him and seeing Bizarro revive, while also appearing to grow.

 

[Snow Queen]

Bizarro: