“Salvation” – The Season Finale Airs Tonight!
IT’S CLARK VS ZOD IN THE SEASON FINALE – Zod unleashes his army upon the world, forcing Chloe to call in reinforcements from old friends. Zod tells Lois he is The Blur and asks her to steal the Book of Rao from Clark. Torn between Clark and The Blur, Lois asks Clark to come clean with her about everything but he refuses. Chloe and Oliver attempt to reconnect Watchtower’s satellite system in order to fight the Kandorians but to Chloe’s horror, Oliver gets caught on site and disappears. Tess attempts to stop Zod but he leaves her clinging to life. Clark and Zod battle for control of Earth.
It all comes down to this! The ninth season finale of Smallville and a long break ahead of us before we get into the tenth and potentially final season of the series.
Before we get to ‘Salvation’, check out the last couple of episodes of SHoE to catch you up on what’s going on with our favorite heroes. And, in the meantime, when the episode is over come back here and let us know what you thought, or email us so we can read your thoughts on the air! We’ll be back with the 150th episode of Starkville’s House of El soon!
@Tim Could be and if one were to remember back in the fourth season when Erica had the same deal, Lois was there when it made sense and it wasn’t awkward when she wasn’t there. I really hope Chloe will be in the 200th ep and the finale. To have her not there would be really odd.
Smallville News: Congrats to James Marsters aka (Brainic) who got hitched. Good for him! Source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b182456_buffys_james_marsters_getting_hitched.html
Since we don’t have a new topic, I’m gonna say here that I forgot how much I love Pilot, Hourglass, Jitters, Rogue, and Stray. That’s my top five for season 1
Official Season 9 DVD Art! I think it is my favorite cover yet, but the Superman shield is missing from the spine. Again. http://www.kryptonsite.com/s9dvdart.jpg
I saw the DVD cover and I have no problem with it. Although, I wouldn’t mind Chloe appearing somewhere on the cover. It’s her last season as a regular, so they should’ve considered adding her in appreciation.
Curious though is that most people consider “Salvation” was the best finale that has been done on Smallville. Then why not list your favorite finales 1 through 9? Could lead to some interesting results until the newest SHoE episode is out.
I can do that!
1. Salvation (9)
2. Covenant (3)
3. Commencement (4)
4. Vessel (5)
5. Tempest (1)
6. Arctic (7)
7. Exodus (2)
8. Phantom (6)
9. Doomsday (8)
@Tim Great find. I love Clark on the cover and I love WatchTower in the background.
Top Season Finales:
1. Salvation (9)
2. Vessel (5)
3. Commencement (4)
4. Doomsday (8)
5. Exodus (2)
6. Phantom (6)
7. Arctic (7)
8. Covenant (3)
9. Tempest (1)
The reason I rated “Covenant” so low was because the third season just wasn’t my favorite.
My Favorite Finales
1.Salvation
2.Commencement
3.Covenant
4.Vessel
5.Arctic
6.Phantom
7.Doomsday
9.Exodus
How about season premieres as well?
1. Crusade (Lois, Flight, awesome)
2.Exile
3.Salvation
4.Zod
5.Bizarro
6.Odyssey
7. Arrival (should have been more epic, Nam-Ek and Anus…uhhh.)
8.Vortex
9. Pilot (It’s classic and I love it, but it’s not really epic)
*3. is Savior, not salvation,lol
I can do that too!
1. Crusade (Probably the most epic premiere thus far)
2. Exile (I always combine this premiere with Phoenix in my head, which only heightens my enjoyment of it)
3. Savior (I love that this premiere had definitive ramifications throughout the whole season)
4. Pilot (Clark/Lex meeting, meteor shower, Clark learns he’s “not from around here”)
5. Odyssey (This was the first official step to Clark becoming Superman in the entire series…so I can’t rate it any lower)
6. Zod (Zod was more exciting than Odyssey, but it didn’t push Clark any closer…for that I blame the PTB)
7. Arrival (I think the fact that this was the first signs of the “stalling” tactic has tainted my enjoyment of this premiere)
8. Bizarro (I’ve only seen this one once, so I can’t even properly judge it. But the fact that all I remember is the Clark/Bizarro fight does not bode well)
9. Vortex (I don’t hate this premiere at all, it’s just not a favorite)
Cool! Now how about top 10 of the series, excluding premieres, finales, BIG eps (like rosetta or reckoning) introduction of a new hero.
1.Insurgence
2.Onyx
3.Nemesis
4.Rogue
5.Solitude
6.Talisman
7.Suspect
8.Transference
9.Relic
10.Precipice
@Tm
A list like that was did somewhat on a past episode on SHoE, can’t remember which one except that it was one of the Derek & Steve episodes, and it would surely lead to some interesting lists.
But since all these messages are under a post for season 9, maybe we should keep things around that area. If so, why not do a list of the top 5 episodes for the 9th season? Salvation, Kandor, Absolute Justice (whether you want to consider that one episode or two is your choice) and Pandora will surely be on most of the possible lists.
@Anthony Pa. The eps u r thinking of are sumter and vindicated, from the SHoE civil war. Best ep of s9 is Kandor, worst is Roulette. It’s hard to pick favorite one off episodes in season 9, as each episode nowdays leads into the next. I was originally going to make this a thread in the SHoE forums, but they are kinda dead, so that’s why I put it here.
@Tim It’s like you said, this ninth season like no other, the episodes kind of bleed into each other. It is one tight story, which is good because I prefer that type of storytelling for a TV Series. As far as favorite ep. excluding premieres, finales, and big ep. I can’t name them all but…
“Unsafe” and “Pariah.” (I loved Clark and Alicia together and Tom Welling acted his bum off in “Pariah.”
I love “Relic” just because I’m in love with that era in American film history anyway, plus it opens up not only the rest of the arc of the third season, but it also brings up the idea that Jor-El chose The Kents to raise his child. Plus, we get references to in future seasons like in “Lara” and “Kandor.”
I loved “Bulletproof” I didn’t loved it at first, but now that is one of my favorite eps of the eighth season.
I may be alone in this be I liked “Promise” I thought it was an interesting way to tell a story and I loved how Lana found out about Clark’s powers.
“Talisman” one of if not the best, written and directed eps. in Smallville’s history.
“Lineage” I always like eps. that go back to a Pilot ep. and tell the audience what they didn’t see. If nothing else, this begins the Lionel and and Jonathan feud that would last for years.
“Onyx” A sign of things to come with Lex Luthor.
“Insurgence” Maybe the first time Smallville felt to steal Derek’s word epic. And I think it was the first time the main characters spent the majority of their time not in Smallville. Plus, co written by Jeph Loeb I hope he writes the series finale.
Finally, maybe my favorite of all time: “Descent” maybe it’s too much like “Reckoning” but Lex finally turning and Clark and Lex’s confrontation at the library… Epic.
Here’s a good list question, what are the top ten DC Hero introductions? (This can include team up eps. as well)
1. Salvation
2. Arctic
3. Commencement
4. Doomsday
5. Phantom
6. Vessel
7. Covenant
8. Exodus
9. Tempest
DC Hero Introductions, well:
1. Justice (Justice League of America)
2. Absolute Justice (Justice Society of America, Hawkman, Stargirl, Dr. Fate)
3. Aqua (Aquaman)
4. Arrow (Green Arrow)
5. Legion (the Legion of Super-Heroes, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and technically Brainiac 5)
6. Pilot (just for Clark Kent/Superman)
7. Idol (Wonder Twins)
8. Cyborg (for guess who)
9. Siren (Black Canary)
10. Kara (Supergirl)
11. Run (The Flash/Impulse, but I didn’t like him being a villain)
12. Vengeance (Angel of Vengeance, but in the comics known as Acrata)
13. Hex (Zatanna)
14. Doomsday (Jimmy Olsen because “yes” he’s a hero, and also the Justice League)
By the way, I went in order of how I liked the character(s) in the episode, NOT how the episode was or how important it was.
I forgot 14. Odyssey (because of the JL saving Clark) and 4. Static (Martian Manhunter). So put Static in front of Arrow and move them down (do the same with Odyssey and Doomsday).
@Tim: no premieres, finales, or big episodes?
Damn, that’s gonna be hard, so they’re not in order except when they aired
Rogue
Stray
Red
Lineage
Perry (you can’t make me NOT choose this)
Transference
Apocalypse
Identity
Rabid
Pandora
Charade
Without your stipulations
1. Salvation (favorite episode EVER)
and then those ten plus Absolute Justice
Exile, Idol, Hex, Exile/Phoenix, Crusade, Metallo, Crossfire, Kandor, Hostage
Damn, I forgot Legion as one of my non-stipulation favorites.
I wanted to bring a point that my fellow SHoEligans and I and not even the brain trust have really made notice of (including Steve and Derek.) This is in regards to Lois. Recall back to the sixth season I just watched some scenes from the ep. “Arrow” where it was really the first time we saw The Green Arrow. And Lois was completely convinced from that episode to the majority of the sixth season until she finds out in the seventh season ep. “Siren” that Ollie is in fact Green Arrow; that Green Arrow was a villain or vigilante at best. Once she realizes what Ollie had been doing for the world as Green Arrow she saw “supers” completely differently. And we see this come to fruition when The Red Blue Blue Blur/The Blur hit Metropolis when she barely knows him, but becomes the president of his fan club. So to speak.
Because of this, I think that really played into Lois’ larger arc with Red, Blue/Blur and or The Blur in the tail end of the eighth season coming into the majority of the ninth season.
But something strikes me as interesting when Lois says to Ollie in “Siren” “I can’t share you with the rest of the world.” It reminds me of Clark & Lois conversation in “Charade” where she believes it is selfish in a way to be happy when they are people needing The Blur. What do you guys’ think changed with Lois this season in that regard? I want your guys’ opinions?
@Woo, I love that you brought this up!
I can only give my opinon this and obviously people are free to disagree.
First off, I think that Lois, much like Clark, has grown and matured over the years. Therefore, something that perhaps she thought she couldn’t handle a few years ago may be something that she COULD handle now with more perspective and maturity. Although I think it actually goes deeper than this…
In that scene in “Siren” Lois tells Clark that she knew that her father loved her; however, she also suggets that her father ‘”left her behind.” In fact, we’ve gotten several suggestions over the course of the last 6 years that General Lane was a rather absent father and treated Lois more like a solider than a daugther. Without a mother and with a rather absent father, Lois (like many of our Smallville characters) was missing that loving aspect at home. Lois confirms this in the Season 4 episode “Commencement” when she tells Martha and Jonathan that they were the “parents she never had.” So I think it’s important to note that General Lane had already started a pattern of leaving Lois behind and making her feel as if she was not important enough or special enough to receive attention.
I do believe that Oliver loved Lois very much. However, as you may recall, throughout Season 6….Oliver never seemed capable of showing Lois how much he loved her. She always seemed to come second to his job as the Green Arrow. Now, there are some that might say that this was necessary and noble. Of course, Oliver had a duty to the world and Lois respected that. However, I always got the sense that Lois knew on a deeper level that Oliver would never really be capable of truly loving her. He would always be emotionally distant in some way. He never really made her feel as if she was “special” or worth making a priority. In a way, Oliver was a lot like Lois’ father—drawn to a higher calling that was more important than her. In a weird way, I think Oliver loved Lois….but I don’t think Oliver really needed her. I think Oliver is the type of character (much like Bruce Wayne) who is OK being alone. I don’t think that Green Arrow desperately needs a soul mate to feel complete.
Why do I think it’s different with Clark and with the Blur?
The major reason I think it’s different time around is because CLARK is different. Clark Kent has been searching for a soul mate for the last 9 years. Clark’s search for a soulmate has been almost as much a part of Smallville as the development of his powers and his battles with the villians. Clark, unlike Oliver, isn’t just happy to engage in a relationship with someone and have it be casual. He desperately wants to find love and find someone to share his life with. He has said point blank several times over the years that all he’s ever wanted is to find someone to share his life with, to work with side by side just like his mother and father.
Clark is simply not capable of ever “leaving Lois behind.” He loves her too much and frankly, he needs her too much. We all saw what happened last year after Lois vanished. Clark was depressed. Unlike Oliver, Clark is not satisfied just having surface relationships or casual sex. He craves commitment and true love.
Yes, there are going to be times over the years where Clark’s job as Superman is going to interfere with his relationship with Lois. In fact, this has become an issue in every single medium of the modern Superman story including LnC and the modern comics.
The difference is that Clark always has Lois as the front of his mind. Even if he can’t be with her physically—he never loses sight of the fact that she is the most important thing in his life. And I truly believe that that is the major difference between Clark and Oliver when it comes to Lois on Smallville. Clark lives for the person he loves. So there is no way that Lois could ever feel like she came in second.
I also believe that Clark and the Blur have treated Lois as someone special. They have made her feel as though she is someone worthy of love and attention in a way that Oliver and Lois’ father were unable to do.
I have no doubt that there will be times in the future where Clark’s job as the Blur or Superman will put a strain on his relationship with Lois. It’s going to be a tough balancing act. I think the difference though is that these two love each other enough to make it work and to keep their love in their hearts and minds at all times. Lois will be able to share Clark with the world because she knows that at the end of the day he is committed to her and their life together. And in turn, Clark’s love for Lois becomes his inspiration and hope that keeps him going during his most difficult challenges. The famous line from the comics I think sums up what we can expect in the future. Clark says that the world finds their hope and inspiration in Superman….but he finds his hope and inspiration in his wife. Lois becomes part of Clark’s mission because she helps him remember what he’s fighting for.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. :) Good topic to bring up.
@Woo, I forgot to mention….
Lois does address this exact issue a little bit in her heart breaking conversation with Clark (that for some strange reason made me cry and still does) in the barn in “Infamous.” She is trying to convince Clark to “fight back” and “give them a chance to see who you really are.” She tells Clark that she’s “been down the hero road before and everytime I made a giant U-turn….but THIS was different.” Lois reveals to the audience that she feels as though things are different with Clark. Sadly, the audience knew that Lois was trying to tell Clark that she loved him. But Clark was being clueless at the time and couldn’t seem to figure it out. Lois became sad because she felt as though Clark was going to reverse time because she was NOT special. And of course, as we all know, Clark famously told her that it was because she WAS special. Hence, making him different from Oliver and her father.
@Natasha….I was cracking up at your series rewatch revelation that Clark Kent has notoriously obvious pick-up lines with the women he loves. Except he’s gotten bolder as the years have passed.
“Want to see the view from my loft?”
“We could go back to the farm and take a walk. I could give you Clark Kent’s tour of the galaxy.”
It’s like farmboy geek speak for “Want to come up and see my sketches?” I love that Clark has barely changed at all in 9 years. There is something so hilariously comforting about that.
@MJ, Lol! It was comforting, especially since we now have canon proof that the “tour of the galaxy” line is completely in character.
@Woo, I love the discussion you started. I think one thing we have to remember though is that Lois’ opinion change has canon proof as well because when the GA first made his appearance, he did it by stealing from people (whether they deserved it or not), so his actions were more vigilante than The Blur’s. The show has made it a point to show that Clark and Lois have a more black and white world view than the other characters. To them, the end doesn’t justify the means as it has done for other characters like Oliver, Chloe, or Lana. And as far as Lois knew when the Blur came on the scene, he saved her life twice without stopping for a photo op or have any other ulterior motives. And when those “ulterior motives” never cropped up between Identity and Infamous and then from Infamous to Stiletto, Lois couldn’t help but be intrigued by this mysterious figure that is just genuinely out to save the world.
On a personal note, as MJ implied, Clark himself in Salvation said that Lois was the only one he’s ever needed, and this is not a retcon. All the times Lana left/died, Clark has managed to function, even attempt his training with Jor-El, until she came back to town. Of course he loved Lana very much and wanted to be with her, but he didn’t need her. Flashfoward to Doomsday/Pandora/Savior and Clark is an emotional wreck without Lois. And he got to see how desolate his life was both literally and figuratively without her. All this harkens back to Bride when Lois told Oliver that, for once (implying that she felt this with Oliver as well as with anyone else in her life), she thought someone needed her. The Blur did need her because she was the only one he talked to personally. Lois said in Metallo that he just calls to “chat” sometimes, and it has also been shown in S9 that Clark for the most part didn’t speak about his personal life with Chloe or Oliver much (think Persuasion). Clark himself told Lois that she was the one he always needed (but didn’t know it until she hugged him in Metallo). This directly goes back to what Dr. Fate told both Clark and Lois (”She is the key” “You are the one he will need, he is the one you will need”). And I love that this isn’t just fanwanking but rather thugs we’ve seen and heard in canon.
or *things* and not “thugs”, lol. Damn iPod keyboard.
lol. I love all my fellow SHoEligans (No, not in THAT way), we have such awesome discussions. And I noticed that we are now more active in the comments than SHoE forums. Idk if u guys know this, but Derek is wasting money to pay the host of the forums when nobody uses them. Maybe we should try to bring life to the SHoE forums, but then again, Derek has stated on multiple occasions that he doesn’t care if the forums fall by the wayside, because at least we are talking.Plus this is more convenient. Hmm. Disregard this paragraph.
As far as DC Hero introductions:
1.Society/Legends (Justice Society of America)
2.Legion (Legion of Superherpes)
3. Hex (Zatanna)
4. Arrow (Green Arrow.Though his awesome introduction happened in 6×02)
5.Justice (JLA)
6.Run (Flash/Impulse)
7.Aqua (Aquaman)
8.Cyborg (Uhh…Cyborg, duh)
9.Siren (Black Canary)
10.Labyrinth (Martian Manhunter, though his real intro was in Static, this is when we see Phil Morris)
Oh my god, rereading I noticed I wrote “Legion of Superherpes” when I meant “Legion of Superheroes” that wasn’t meant to be funny, It was unintentional, the P key is right next to the O key. I am embarrassed now.
DAMMIT! I typed all my favorites (premieres, finales, heroes, and non-special) and it didn’t post! UGH!
Okay, let’s try this again.
PREMIERES
1. Vortex~ shut up. idk why, it just is
2. Savior
3. Pilot
4. Zod
5. Crusade
6. Arrival
7. Odyssey
8. Bizarro
9. Exile
FINALES
1. Salvation
2. Commencement
3. Covenant
4. Vessel
5. Phantom
6. Tempest~ the initial “WTF?!” factor still doesn’t escape me
7. Exodus
8. Doomsday
9. Arctic
NON-SPECIAL (has moe b/c I couldn’t narrow it down)
1. Transference
2. Heat~ is this considered “special”? i don’t care funniest episode EVER!!!
3. Persona
4. Descent
5. Apocalypse
6. Bloodline~ Erica’s finest performance
7. Labyrinth
8. Insurgence
9. Blank
10. Hex
11. Committed
12. Checkmate
13. Crossfire
14. Charade
15.Crimson~ almost messed myself from laughing so hard
16.Noir~ yeah, you heard right! only the b/w part though
To any- and everyone headed to San Diego in July.
SARITA “NEW MAMA BEAR” NOT-TELLING-YOU-MY-LAST-NAME ASKS THAT SOMEONE ASK KELLY AND BRAIN ABOUT THE BRACELET AT COMIC-CON. Please and thank you.
I love Clark and Lois together more than I love any other fictional couple in this world. But I’m pretty sure something would die inside of me if Clark ever gave Lois that tacky bracelet. Roses? Yes. A diamond engagent ring…hell yes. But the bracelet makes me cringe. I love the sentiment…but I hope I never see it again. Sorry!
I thought Salvation was great, best finale IMO. I liked the fact that even though we had a break up we didn’t have any teenage angst. That is well and truly over. There are so many episodes that I can’t rewatch because well they make me ill with the angst. I personally don’t want to see Lana back on Smallville. I have no idea what comics are being referred to with this Clark and Lana still have something crap because I haven’t read them and believe me when I say I have read alot of them. Anyway I want to see a grown up show next Season because well I am a grown up. It’s time. Lets have action, drama, a little bit of sex and romance but not too much and lets see Superman. Not the hide in the barn and thrown the ball around guy. I don’t ever want to see that guy again.I don’t want to see him being talked down too, I don’t want to see him being treated like an idiot and I sure as heck don’t want to see him asking other people to do his work for him. Thats not Superman. If this is the last Season then I want to the Iconic Team of Superman/Clark kent and Lois Lane. Working at the Daily Planet, fighting villians and giving each other support mixed in with some amazing banter like only the two of them can do. When people are asked about Superman and they are asked who is his partner /wife/girlfriend? It’s Lois Lane. Unless you watch Smallville then it could be anybody but the Smallville audience even at its zenith was only a very very small portion of the Superman fans. That said I will miss Smallville but this hasn’t been the best rendition of Superman. Unfortunately his character has been roughed up and butchered along the way in order to make secondary characters shine and to feed into this teenage girl/ boy fantasy crap but hopefully Season 10 will at least try and straighten this out. I just hope in the future when the next show about Superman starts TPTB always remember who the hero is which is something Smallville has failed to do many many times.
//Not the hide in the barn and thrown the ball around guy. I don’t ever want to see that guy again.I don’t want to see him being talked down too, I don’t want to see him being treated like an idiot and I sure as heck don’t want to see him asking other people to do his work for him.//
This didn’t happen this year, and when it did he stood up to those that tried it. Also, Superman DOES ask for help from time to time in the comics. That’s what the JLA is for. That’s what Supergirl, Superboy, and other members of the Superman family, are for. It’s what Lois is for. And in lieu of them he goes straight to Bruce/Batman for a particular kind of help. Just wanted to clear that up.
//When people are asked about Superman and they are asked who is his partner /wife/girlfriend? //
You’d be surprised how many people don’t know that Clark and Lois are married in the comics and have BEEN married for over a decade.
Also, I find it interesting that there are people that have seen Season 9, admit it’s the best, admitted that Smallville corrected a lot of its setback from previous seasons with this one season, admitted that Clark this season has been so very Supermanly, but still express concern that Season 10 won’t keep it up. I don’t think that in the last season of the series you have anything to worry about. I don’t consider this a valid concern anymore. Brian and Kelly (and Tom) have proven that they know where the comics are in the Modern Age. They may have some Silver Age or Donner Movie elements in place (the look of the Fortress, Jonathan Kent not alive, Clark’s earlier apprehension about having sex), but everything else has been very much Modern (Lois falling for Clark, Clark no longer afraid to get it on with the “non-powered humans”; updating the Triangle for Two in a why that NO OTHER rendition, even the comics, have been able to do while at the same time showing respect to the two characters involved; letting Lois in on the secret–which they are not going to take back because that would not be “evolving” the relationship as B&K have been telling and showing us this season; showing a future vision where Clark and Lois are married; and the most important thing: having Clark be very much human rather than Superman being the dominant personality).
They are no longer stalling for stalling’s sake. Clark has been Superman in all but name and costume this season. His only remaining hurtle is learning how to be a public figure while having a private life. Other than the coming Apokalips, this is what they are going to focus on in the final season. So stop worrying, it’ll be okay. Hell, it’ll be fricken EPIC!
Hey guys, I’m just curoius when the Salvation podcast will be aired, I want to know what you guys thought of the finale and your predictions for season 10! Thanks
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Hi; Great informations for me. Your post has helpful. I wish to has good posts like yours in my website. How do you write these posts? And you have a problem about your template.You should fix your caseabout your template … I recently came across your blog and have been readingalong. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this site often.Good day…