DVD Reviews

Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Aug 29, 2009, 20:05 GMT

There\'s a new reporter at the Daily Planet: Clark Kent, who shares a workspace with Lois Lane. There\'s a new hero in Metropolis, too. No one knows who he is. But Jimmy Olsen was on the scene of one of the do-gooder\'s exploits, and he snapped a blurred photo of the hero in superspeed action - a hero everyone now calls the Red-Blue Blur. Red-jacketed, blue-shirted Clark Kent draws closer ...more

It may be called Smallville, but this season finds the series moving more and more to Metropolis.  Clark Kent is gradually leading up to his career as Superman, but before that he has to be a cub reporter at the Dailey Planet.  

Clark Kent (Tom Welling) has gotten a job. He’s a reporter at the Daily Planet and sits across from Lois Lane (Erica Durance).  Is this starting to sound familiar?  Clark also decides to champion justice in the big city, but uses his super speed to conceal his identity and becomes known as the Red-Blue Blur under the tutelage of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) though the student and teacher don’t see eye to eye. 

The Kryptonian Doomsday has been sent to Earth to destroy Clark and possesses the body of paramedic Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer).  Lex Luthor is missing and Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) has taken over LuthorCorp and she’s just as villainous as the missing Lex.  Chloe (Allison Mack) is suffering from her attack from Brainiac and there’s her romance with Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) that is leading to wedding bells.  

Season Eight of Smallville finds some series regulars leaving the show.  Lex and Lionel Luther, Lana, and Supergirl are no longer on the show.  Lex and Lana probably have the right to return in guest status though, maybe Supergirl too.  This season finds Clark moving towards the iconic Superman that we all come to know and love. 

However, the departure of Lex left some shoes to fill and a series of villains attacking Metropolis tried to fill the bill, though Lex is mentioned a lot.  Of course, you also have Mercer trying to be a Lex replacement as well.  The plotlines range from the divine to the absurd and some of them make the season feel a bit long in the tooth. 

The series has gone on for eight seasons, certainly longer than most popular sci-fi series.  I’m sure the tinkering will have fans falling on either side of the aisle.  We know how fanboys and girls like to tear down the stuff they love. 

The departure of cast members can’t be a good sign.  Not to mention the departure of the series creators in season seven.  I suppose only time will tell how the series will fare (the next season will have a villain you’ll want to kneel before).  This season isn’t bad, but I imagine the missing cast and characters played havoc with the show runners and fans as well.  

Smallville is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (1.78:1).  Special features include two commentaries.  “Identity” features director Mairzee Almas, executive producer Brian Peterson, and Cassidy Freeman.  “Legion” has producers Darren Swimmer and Tim Scanlan and writer Geoff Johns. 

The remainder of the special features is presented in high definition and includes 18 minutes of deleted scenes, the 19 minute “In the Director’s Chair” in which actress Allison Mack steps behind the camera, and the 15 minute “Smallville’s Doomsday” which focuses on the villain.  

Smallville is moving more towards the big city and the iconic Superman.  The show has been on for some time and perhaps its age is starting to show.  Departing cast probably doesn’t bode well for it, but perhaps next season’s villainous introduction will breathe some new life into the old boy. 

Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon. Visit the DVD database for more information.