The Bad Batch’s final mission approaches and it’s one for the Star Wars history books! Hold onto your droids, folks, because The Bad Batch Season 3 trailer is action-packed, full of surprises, and sure to excite you about the show’s awaited return. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 returns to Disney+ for a 15-episode run beginning on February 21!
In addition to the Batchers, now scattered following the events of Season 2, the trailer includes some new creatures and familiar faces, including Wanda Sykes’ Phee. It ends with the shocking appearance of fan-favorite Sith apprentice turned free agent Asajj Ventress. “We love Asajj Ventress. She’s a character that we’ve been wanting to tell more stories about,” says Brad Rau, supervising director and one of the series’ executive producers. Rau clarifies that her return will honor prior tales, including the book where the character apparently perished. “We don’t want to spoil anything, but want fans to know that any new storytelling with Ventress will align with the events of Star Wars: Dark Disciple.”
In today’s The Bad Batch Season 3 trailer, the Batchers discover no end to the battle they’ve been fighting. Vowing to avenge their fallen squadmates, the group embarks on one last mission against the Empire in the form of a rescue operation. As the Bad Batch goes behind enemy lines, the series explodes with pulse-pounding firefights, interstellar dogfighting, and classic villains ruling the cosmos with an iron grip.
You can read episode details for The Bad Batch Season 3 below:
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 Release Schedule
February 21: Episode 1 (“Confined”), 2 (“Paths Unknown”), 3 (“Shadows of Tantiss”)
February 28: Episode 4 (“A Different Approach”)
March 6: Episode 5 (“The Return”)
March 13: Episode 6 (“Infiltration”), 7 (“Extraction”)
March 20: Episode 8 (“Bad Territory”)
March 27: Episode 9 (“The Harbinger”)
April 3: Episode 10 (“Identity Crisis”), 11 (“Point of No Return”)
PLOT: A deep dive into the life of Christopher Reeve, from his overnight stardom as Superman through to his life after the tragic accident which left him a person with quadriplegia.
REVIEW: When I heard Sundance would be showing a documentary about the life of Christopher Reeve, I correctly assumed that it wouldn’t leave a dry eye in this house whenever it was screened. Indeed, as the premiere screening wound up, the sobs from the audience were pronounced, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is certainly a heartbreaking experience.
Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui wisely adopt a non-linear style to tell Reeve’s story, opening with his accident, which came at a time when he was trying to rebuild his career following the disastrous end of the Superman franchise with Quest for Peace. Only a year before his devastating fall, he had a good role in Merchant/Ivory’s The Remains of the Day, but one of his sons freely admits that at the time of the accident, he was doing movies of the week to pay the bills.
Reeve’s ordeal is depicted in a harrowing fashion, never shying away from the fact that until the day he died, he was fighting to one day get out of his wheelchair. Yet, Reeve accomplished a lot after his accident, increasing funding for spinal cord injury research while also trying to improve the quality of life for those afflicted with his condition.
More than anything, the film zeroes in on his relationship with his wife, Dana Reeve, who became his tireless advocate. In a tragic twist of fate, she died of cancer only two years after her husband, orphaning their child, Will Reeve, who is the spitting image of his father.
If you’re coming to the film looking for a lot of insight into the making of the Superman movies, you won’t find that here, as that territory has been covered elsewhere (including by us). There’s not much about how fraught the shooting of the first film was, but the movie does pay special tribute to director Richard Donner, who was always Reeve’s advocate, both in the role and even after the Salkinds replaced him. Still, it’s a bit weird that Margot Kidder barely gets a mention, with their chemistry an important but ignored part of what cemented his legacy as Superman.
The documentary tries to present an honest account of Reeve’s life before the accident – warts and all. An old interview clip from The Tonight Show demonstrates his contempt for actors like Marlon Brando, who he said took his paycheck from making Superman without caring about his performance’s quality (he was probably right about that, though). At the same time, his son Matthew reveals that on the day of his birth, Reeve decided to go to France and ski with friends rather than be there for his partner at the time – Gae Exton, – which doesn’t reflect too well on the Man of Steel. But, as Reeve himself freely admits in interview clips, he never pretended to be perfect. For him, Superman was just another role until it took on more resonance following his accident.
Bonhôte and Ettedgui also dive into how Reeve, to his dismay, was never able to achieve significant success with any role beyond Superman, with him opting to look for roles that would cast him against type but always failed with critics and audiences. Some movies, such as Somewhere in Time, were good, but others, like Monsignor, were abysmal. The declining quality of the Superman movies is also referenced. However, there’s little insight into why they were so bad, which would be exciting territory for someone else to explore.
Yet, the film ultimately presents an inspiring account of Reeve’s second act in life, where his humbling accident made him a tireless advocate and strengthened many. One of the most heartbreaking threads in the doc relates to Reeve’s friendship with Robin Williams. We learn how the Reeve family struggled to make ends meet when faced with his substantial medical bills (over $400,000 a year) and how Williams and his wife, Marsha, often stepped in. Glenn Close also says, in an interview clip, that she believes Williams would still be alive today if Reeve were.
In the end, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is similar to Still, the documentary about Michael J. Fox that played here last year. Like that one, it embraces Reeve’s positive effect after his accident but doesn’t shy away from the often grim reality of his day-to-day life. It’s more honest about that aspect than other movies are, and it’s better for it.
Doctor Who is heading for a significant shakeup as Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctor’s newest companion, Ruby Sunday, prepares to exit the series after one season. The BBC introduced Gibson as Ruby Sunday in the latest Doctor Who Special “Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Street,” alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. Replacing Gibson in Season 15 of the long-running series is Varara Sethu (Jurassic Park: Dominion, Andor, Hard Sun).
Gibson will return as Ruby Sunday for season 14 of the series, which is set to drop in May on the BBC in the U.K. and Disney+ internationally. Season 15 is currently shooting in Wales, where Gatwa and Sethu will likely learn how much running is involved in the Doctor Who filming process. No reason has been given as to why Gibson is exiting the show.
Russell T Davies returns to the series for seasons 14 and 15 to showrun, write, and executive produce the new episodes, with co-production handled by Bad Wolf. According to The Daily Mirror, Davies decided to write Gibson’s Ruby Sunday out of the show last year after filming on her first run ended. Davies says the shocking conclusion to her story will surprise fans.
Sethu is already filming her turn as the Doctor’s next companion for Season 15. Sethu is known to many as Cinta from the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. The Indiana-born British actress also plays Lance Corporal Manisha Chetri in the Sky Original series Strike Back, focusing on Section 20, a secretive unit of British military intelligence. In Sky’s Stirke Back, a special operations personnel conducts several high-risk missions across the globe.
While it’s common for Doctor Who to introduce new companions to the series, one season could seem like insufficient time to spend with Ruby Sunday. In her debut episode, Gibson’s Ruby Sunday is a delightful, spirited character, sharing plenty of chemistry with Gatwa’s suave and adventuresome Doctor. Fans will undoubtedly speculate what led to her exiting the show but will assuredly welcome Varada Sethu to the fold.
When Doctor Who season 14 gets underway, Yasmin Finney (Heartstopper), singer Bonnie Langford (EastEnders, Doctor Who), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter, Frozen, Hamilton), and Indira Varma (Obsession, Silent Hours, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) join Gatwa and Gibson for eight episodes of timey-wimey adventures.
What do you think about Millie Gibson exiting Doctor Who after only one season? Let us know in the comments section below.
Awards season typically puts more dramatic fare at the forefront, with the occasional comedy or blockbuster sneaking in. But even if the Golden Globes won’t start a revolution with their inaugural Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award, there’s always Rotten Tomatoes to spotlight genre movies. And the Golden Tomato for Best-Reviewed Action & Adventure movie is…Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One – and yes, Tom Cruise is extremely happy with the win.
Following the win (made possible by its 96%), where it edged out John Wick: Chapter 4 and Godzilla Minus One, Tom Cruise posted a video thanking the critics and fans for the success of Dead Reckoning. “We make these movies for each and every one of you and I speak on behalf of McQ [Christopher McQuarrie], our entire cast and crew, that we are thrilled and truly honored to be not only one of the best-reviewed films of the year but the best-reviewed action movie of 2023. Thank you.”
Dead Reckoning was also ranked as the number two best-reviewed movie overall, with Tom Cruise and company falling to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Dead Reckoning has proven to be a critical success, and audiences helped it take in $560+ million. It was nominated for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Golden Globe but lost to Barbie, the year’s highest-grossing movie. Despite such acclaim all around, it’s highly unlikely that Dead Reckoning will be up for any major Oscars. However, it could earn some nominations in the technical categories, breaking the dry run the series has had so far at the Academy Awards.
If you haven’t had a chance to see Dead Reckoning just yet, it arrives on Paramount+ this Thursday, January 25th. But you’ll notice that the Part One has been dropped from the title, pointing to the follow-up – currently slated for May 23rd, 2025 (after a final delay stemming from the SAG-AFTRA strike) – being given a separate subtitle altogether.
Where does the action of Dead Reckoning – and the stunts of Tom Cruise – rank in the franchise? What was the best scene from the movie? Give us your pick below!
Earlier this month, The Bricklayer, the latest action film from Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight director Renny Harlin, was given a theatrical, On Demand, and Digital release. We’ve previously shared interviews with the film’s stars Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev, and now JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray has sat down for an interview with Harlin himself! The primary focus of this interview is The Bricklayer, of course, but it also branches out with mentions of other Harlin projects like The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea. You can check it out in the embed above.
Bumbray really enjoyed The Bricklayer, giving the film a 7/10 review you can read at THIS LINK. If you’d like to watch the movie, you can do so on Amazon.
Based on a bestselling book by former FBI agent Noah Boyd (aka Paul Lindsay), The Bricklayer has the following synopsis: A rogue insurgent is blackmailing the CIA by assassinating foreign journalists and making it appear the agency is responsible. As other nations turn against the U.S., the CIA must lure Steve Vail – their most brilliant and rebellious operative – out of retirement. With an elite and deadly skill set, Vail is tasked with helping clear the agency’s name, forcing him to confront his checkered past while unraveling an international conspiracy. Matt Johnson, Marc Moss, Pete Travis, and Hanna Weg worked on the screenplay.
Eckhart (The Dark Knight) and Dobrev (The Out-Laws) are joined in the cast by Clifton Collins Jr. (The Rules of Attraction), Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), and Ilfenesh Hadera (Baywatch).
There’s more Renny Harlin to come in 2024, as Lionsgate is preparing to release his trilogy of follow-ups to the 2008 horror film The Strangers. The Strangers: Chapter 1 is scheduled to reach theatres on May 17th, and the sequels are expected to follow close behind. Harlin is also currently in post-production on a shark thriller called Deep Water.
What did you think of our new Renny Harlin interview? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below – and if you have watched The Bricklayer, let us know what you thought of it!
It seemed like The Expendables franchise would jump the shark with its third film. That entry would bring in such names like Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas, Kelsey Grammer and Wesley Snipes; however, it would betray its concept by pushing them aside for new blood who had little connection to the 80s/90s action genre that it was celebrating. Even with its fanbase, the third movie was not well-received, so it was perplexing what the intention was with a fourth film. And one that had the audacity to push Sylvester Stallone himself aside. The fourth movie came and went with a whimper, but the film has managed to secure a bevy of nominations…for the Razzie Awards.
Expendables 4, or Expend4bles if you will, garnered a whopping seven nominations at this year’s Razzies. The Hollywood Reporter has been courteous enough to reveal the list of nominations at this year’s festivities along with some tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the films. Expend4bles will be competing with four other films for “Worst Picture.”
The list of Worst Picture nominees read,
— The Exorcist: Believer: “a 50-years-later remake/rip-off that was horrifying in unintended ways”
— Expend4bles: “another installment of a franchise that’s fading faster than Razzie “winner” Donald Trump’s mental acuity”
— Meg 2: The Trench: “a fishy tale about a snarky shark that flopped across all seven seas”
— Shazam! Fury of the Gods: “one of 2023’s several comic book movies failing to save the superhero genre”
— Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey: “a defamation (and defecation) on two of the most beloved Kiddie Lit characters, ‘re-imagining’ the huggable denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood as vicious, cannibal serial killers”
Nominees in the acting categories include such names as former Oscar winners Jon Voight, Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren, as well as Razzie “Repeat Offenders” Sylvester Stallone, Megan Fox and Jennifer Lopez. Razzie organizers would speak of this year’s nominations, saying, “After strikes, lingerings of a worldwide plague and a general sense of universal agoraphobia, the decline of the cinematic experience goes without saying. Thankfully, a doll pic and a bomb movie jump-started the Industry, which still left behind a trail of Pooh for the Razzies to pick up!”
Meanwhile, Dolph Lundgren has hinted that Sylvester Stallone may be developing another Expendablesin an effort to close out the show better. Lundgren told ScreenRant that he would return if Stallone was more involved this time around, “Yeah, if Sly’s in charge. I think he’s working on his version of another chapter with these guys. If he’s in charge, then yeah, I’m sure it would be fun to work on it.“
Ryan Gosling may have brought the Kenergy to Barbie but filmmaker Oliver Stone thinks he’s wasting his time. Oh, and he doesn’t like the Fast and the Furious movies anymore. Oh, and he won’t let go of how much he hates John Wick 4. Oh, and…
In a recent interview with City A.M., Oliver Stone took Gosling – who is on his way to his first Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for Barbie – to task, saying he is now part of the problem in Hollywood. “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy.” Stone’s biggest box office hit, JFK – which had its own “fantasy” to it – grossed $205 million worldwide, which Barbie earned in just five days.
Oliver Stone then said even the big franchise flicks have gotten dumber, saying, “Even the Fast and Furious movies, which I used to enjoy, have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?” As for other series the 77-year-old can’t stand, he gave John Wick 4 – a movie he has bashed before as “disgusting” – a go but couldn’t make it through without dozing off. “I fell asleep about 778 times during it. I kept waking up and having to face him killing more people. It’s like the world has degenerated into non-logic.”
Oliver Stone has never shied away from offering his viewpoint and it’s really no surprise that he’s not a fan of certain kinds of movies. But he does deserve some credit for giving the Fast and the Furious movies a shot, which at least gives his opinion on the franchise’s decline a little heft. As for his take on Gosling, that’s definitely more of a hot take, as he gives a pretty incredible comedic performance as Ken, not once coming off like a cash grab. (Wait until Stone hears how much Margot Robbie made…)
Do you agree with any of what Oliver Stone has to say about his latest targets? Where is he off base? Give us your take in the comments section below.
Andrew Scott is receiving accolades for his work in All of Us Strangers. Despite being the dark horse at the awards shows under the shadow of larger profile nominations, Scott’s recognition is adding to the fuel of his career fire. Scott is now taking up the identity of Thomas Ripley in the new Netflix limited series, Ripley. Netflix has just released the teaser which is showcasing the beautiful and moody black and white aesthetic of the show. The project comes from Steven Zaillian, who had also created, directed and executive produced the hit HBO show, The Night Of, as well as penning films like The Irishman, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gangs of New York.
The official synopsis from Netflix reads, “Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder. The drama series is based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels.”
Andrew Scott plays Tom Ripley. Dakota Fanning plays Marge Sherwood. Johnny Flynn plays Dickie Greenleaf. Additional cast include: Elliot Sumner, Maurizio Lombardi, Margherita Buy and John Malkovich (who portayed Tom Ripley himself in the film, Ripley’s Game). Ripley is co-produced by Showtime and Endemol Shine North America in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights. Executive producers are Steven Zaillian, Garrett Basch, Clayton Townsend, Guymon Casady, Ben Forkner, Sharon Levy and Philipp Keel of Diogenes. Scott will serve as a producer on the series. All eight episodes were directed and written by Steven Zaillian.
Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels inspired 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, which starred Matt Damon and Jude Law. They additionally inspired the 1960 film Purple Noon (where Ripley was played by Alain Delon), the 1977 film The American Friend (with Dennis Hopper as Ripley), the 2002 film Ripley’s Game (with John Malkovich), the 2005 film Ripley Under Ground (with Barry Pepper as Ripley), and a 1956 episode of the TV series Studio One. The recent film Saltburn has been regarded as spiritually similar to a Ripley tale with some twisted elements.
PLOT: A man (Sebastian Stan) with a rare condition that resulted in severe facial deformities undergoes an experimental treatment which leaves him with a new face.
REVIEW: Aaron Schimberg’s A Different Man is a blackly comic deconstruction of identity. It examines how suddenly waking up with a perfect face may, initially, be exciting but can’t permanently cure what’s under the skin and in the soul. While that sounds saccharine, Schimberg’s movie puts that message across in a surrealistic way that mainly works until a bizarre epilogue stretches the premise a tad too far.
Sebastian Stan is terrific in his meatiest role to date. The movie starts with him buried under layers of makeup as Edward, who seems to be afflicted with a condition similar to neurofibromatosis. He’s a contact object of curiosity and pity for those around him while he lives a quiet life in a decaying New York apartment. He pines for his pretty next-door neighbour, played by Renate Reinsve, while trying to make a career as an actor, only finding minor roles that cast him because of his facial differences.
Of course, Edward soon undergoes a procedure that leaves him looking like Sebastian Stan, which transforms his life overnight, but he can’t get over a certain pining for his former life. While the old neighbour decides to mount an off-Broadway tragedy about his different life, he talks his way into playing the role on stage. His perception of his former life is soon shaken up when he meets Adam Pearson’s Oswald. Like Oswald, Pearson suffers from neurofibromatosis, but unlike Edward, he seems perfectly content with his lot in life and is a positive, upbeat character. Of course, this drives the still self-pitying Edward crazy.
It’s a layered role for Stan, with him having to play the shy, withdrawn and sad Edward while still evoking that despite his new good looks, he’s still the same guy deep down. He plays the black comedy aspect very well, while Reinsve, the star of The Worst Person in The World, has a good part as the object of his affection, who has her own blindspots and a vacuous, selfish streak. Best of all is Pearson, who also starred in Schimberg’s last movie, Chained for Life. Ultra-charismatic and charming, Oswald is everything Edward is not, with the notion that not everything in life comes down to looks. Edward has dreamed of being good-looking, thinking that would give him everything he wants, but that’s only half true.
Schimberg does a good job conveying the loneliness of Edward’s life, both before and after the transformation, without evoking any sense of pity for the character. He also casts several actors with facial differences and satirizes how well-meaning people may patronize those with differences. The makeup conveying Edward’s condition is excellent but also serves as a sly commentary on how even the best makeup can’t evoke what a person with that condition looks like, which becomes all the more apparent when Pearson enters.
However, the film goes on about ten minutes too long, with a bizarre epilogue setting the film off towards an anti-climactic conclusion that dilutes some of the impact of what we’ve just seen. Nevertheless, it’s still a thoughtful, intelligent, and sometimes quite funny film, boasting a trio of terrific performances, with Stan at his best.
We all love a good superhero origin story. Sure, it’s great to see Spider-Man swing from buildings, but it’s what Uncle Ben tells a young Peter Parker that touches us all. We all love seeing Batman kick the Joker’s teeth in, but we are all fascinated by that tragic night in Crime Alley. So it’s no surprise that the first and greatest superhero of all time should have a TV show about what defines him. There is a reason why Clark Kent is the best of us. While Batman may be the ultimate example of physical perfection, Superman is the pinnacle of the goodness of humanity. But fans have always debated: is Superman Clark Kent, or is Clark Kent just a disguise? I have always argued Superman is just a cape. Clark is the hero who wears it. Smallville is the case for my belief in what makes Superman the greatest superhero in the world. The series followed a young Clark Kent’s journey to becoming the savior of humanity. On the flip side, we also saw how one man could never escape his fate of becoming the world’s most heinous criminal. Tragically, two friends who would wind up on opposite sides of good and evil. But have I built up the show into some kind of forgotten masterpiece? Or am I just drunk on kryptonite? Let’s find out in this episode of Gone But Not Forgotten.
Alfred Gough and Miles Millar developed Smallville. Smallville was conceived because WB president Peter Roth had been trying to create a Superboy TV show since 1979. Which is what led him to commission a Superman-origin TV show.
Now I call Bullsh*t on this. You see, a Superboy TV show had already aired in the late 80s and early 90s. I talked about that show in the first episode of Gone But Not Forgotten. I would suggest you check it out if you’re curious.
What is true is that the original idea for a WB superhero show was a pitch from Tim McCanlies that was called Bruce Wayne. This would have been a Batman’s Origin type of TV series. The proposal was shot down since Warner Brothers was trying to develop a new Batman movie, and they didn’t want brand confusion. However, the idea of an origin story caught on, and Roth approached the screenwriting and producing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The duo had been trying to get a TV series about the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Eraser. But, the project was going nowhere, and they were intrigued by the idea of a Superman origin show. Gough and Millar were not comic fans and were only casually familiar with the character. In an interview on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum, Millar and Gough said that they always wondered why Clark was so good. This question was the central theme of the series. Which is what excited them the most. But, they wanted to keep the show grounded, so they created the “no tights, no flights” rule. Essentially, they wanted to focus on the characters instead of the standard superhero fare.
This was a bit controversial and is still debated among fans on whether this was a mistake or not. I have always been on the fence about how much the source material should affect these projects. Sometimes it’s a good thing to stray a bit from the source material since the adaptations should focus on characters and plots. So sticking too close to the lore can just take away from that. A perfect example of this is Mortal Kombat Annihilation, where the movie is drowned in so many canons that it’s barely a movie. But then you have a movie like Wanted, and the only connection to the comic is the title.
So, finding the right balance is key. But did Smallville find that balance? Before we get to that answer, let’s return to its origins.
Casting the show was essential to its success. The first person cast was Kristen Kreuk, who had not been acting for very long. Her first role was in the teen soap opera Edgemont, and it was during this time that she was cast in the TV movie “Snow White: The Fairest of Them All”. This movie was sent to Alfred Gough and Miles Millar during their search for who would play Lana Lang. They were immediately impressed and said that they knew they had to snatch her up before anyone else could. So she was the first cast on the show. Kreuk did what she could with her role. At first, Lana was an interesting character. Her parents were killed in front of her eyes during the meteor shower. She was portrayed as the perfect girl, the girl next door, the popular cheerleader with a heart of gold. But during the first season, we learn that she is just pretending. Deep down, she is just trying to please everyone; she is trying to live up to what she thinks is what her parents would want her to be. This is why she fell in love with Clark. He saw the real her. Unfortunately, that was pretty much all the character had in the tank. Sadly, after a few seasons, Lana was reduced to being a love interest or, rather, a prize.
John Schneider was cast as Jonathan Kent. This was a brilliant piece of casting, considering he had played the iconic southern bad boy Bo Duke from Dukes of Hazard. It was completely believable that he would be a farmer. Schneider turned down Smallville three times because he said, “I don’t want to be part of what ruined the Superman legacy,” but he changed his mind after reading the script. He loved that Johnathan was not an idiot like other father figures on TV at the time. Schneider played Johnathan as a loving father who would do anything for his son. But he wasn’t perfect. He was overprotective of Clark and hated the Luthors. This was due to making a deal with Lionel Luthor to fake Clark’s adoption. The price was to betray his friends, the Ross family. John said that his son helped shape how he portrayed the relationship between Johnathan and Clark. John Schneider’s son suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, and he said that raising a child with special needs is a completely different life that many parents don’t experience. He said he brought this awareness in how he saw Johnathan and Clark’s relationship. I enjoyed John Schneider and Tom’s chemistry. You could believe that they were father and son. Some of my favorite scenes of the show are between the two actors.
Annette O’Toole had an interesting casting story. She wasn’t cast as Martha Kent until after the pilot was shot. Originally, actress Cynthia Ettinger was cast to shoot the pilot, but the team felt she was not working. She later said in interviews that they told her she was too young and it wasn’t believable to see her as a mother. O’Toole had just had a show called “The Huntress” that had recently been canceled. This opened her up for Gough and Millar to bring her on the show. Annette is known to many Superman fans as the first actress to portray Lana Lang. O’Toole is a huge Superman fan, so she was thrilled to visit the world of the son of Krypton again. Annette portrayed Martha Kent as a loving mother who was more open-minded than Johnathan, as she was willing not to judge Lex for the baggage of the Luthor name. Annette O’Toole had an interesting take when it came to Martha’s motivation. In the Smallville Season 1 Companion….
“I have the feeling that she didn’t have a mother growing up—they’ve never introduced a mother to her. That’s why being a mother is so important to her—and being the ‘picture book’ kind of mother at that”.
Like John Schneider, I think O’Toole’s Martha Kent has been the best portrayal of that character. No offense to Diane Lane. I think she did a great job, but at least O’Toole’s Martha Kent was never used for one of the stupidest moments in comic book cinema.
Since the show ended, both O’Toole and Schneider have said that many people from the military approach them with gratitude. It turns out many entertainment packages that were sent to the troops overseas had seasons of Smallville. So they have been told that the Kents were like their parents who were there with them during the hard times.
Sam Jones III played Pete Ross. I think Jones got the short end of the stick on the series. He was Clark’s best friend from childhood, but his character was never explored. For the first season, he had less screen time than Chloe Sullivan, who was not even a character from the comics. Sam was frustrated because of his character’s lack of direction. Many fans were, too, and made their feelings known in letters and message boards. So, the decision to have Pete learn Clark’s secret was introduced. Jones thought this would open up a new aspect of his character. Sadly this was handled poorly, it now became a storyline of Pete freaking out over how to keep Clarks secret. It was horrible, and it was the way the character was written out of the show that hurt Jones the most. At the end of Pete’s role in the series, he could no longer handle the burden of Clark’s double life. So, he left Smallville at the end of Season 3. Millar said they handled the exit of Pete Ross’s character poorly. At the time, they hoped to bring Pete Ross back in later seasons. This happened in one of the stupidest episodes of the TV series.
Allison Mack was cast as Chloe Sullivan, an original character for the show. Chloe was the Lois Lane stand-in and love rival to Lana. She got a lot of screen time and, ironically, better storylines than Lana ever did. She even had a web series during the show’s run. It’s eventually revealed that she is Lois Lane’s cousin, and she winds up getting married to Jimmy Olsen. Then, she is possessed by Brainiac and winds up marrying and becoming the mother of Green Arrow’s son. I am not lying. This all actually happened. Since the show ended, Allison Mack has become one of the most famous actors. To everyone’s dismay, it was for all the wrong reasons. Mack became involved with a cult called NXIM, which led to her going to prison for 21 months. This was all chronicled in the HBO award-nominated true crime documentary series The Vow
But, back to the lighter side of things.
Smallville can’t work without Clark Kent so they had to cast the perfect actor for the role. They did a nationwide search. Jessen Ackles was seriously considered for the role. But instead, they decided to go for a relatively unknown actor. Enter Tom Welling.
Tom had originally started out as a model and soon transitioned to acting. He was in a few episodes of Judging Amy and small roles in other shows. Welling turned down the role twice because he felt that the idea sounded silly and was worried about being typecast. Like John Schneider, he was convinced after reading the pilot’s script. Tom Welling brought out the best part of Clark Kent: his innate goodness. He saw the best in people, even Lex. Much of the show had Clark struggling with his destiny. Trying to learn his origins and holding on to his humanity. Welling did a great job of portraying such a struggle. But, the relationship between the two friends kept viewers returning for more. Lex and Clark were tragically destined to be bitter enemies for all time. This is where we see the show’s star, Lex Luthor, played by Michael Rosenbaum.
It’s no secret that Rosenbaum was the breakout star of the show. Most comic fans say that Michael Rosenbaum is the definitive Lex Luthor. I have to agree Gene Hackman was great, but his Lex Luthor was a buffoon obsessed with real estate. Sherman Howard was a great mad scientist, Lex Luthor, Jon Cryer was a great criminal mastermind, and Jesse Eisenberg was…well, that was a choice.
But Michael Rosenbaum just oozed this charisma, intelligence, and surprisingly vulnerability on screen. Like the Silver Age comics, Lex and Clark started out as friends, but slowly that friendship turned into bitterness and hatred. It’s funny because Michael Rosenbaum was the last person to be cast on the show. Not only that, but he bombed at his first audition. He said he didn’t take it seriously, he didn’t learn his lines, and it was a disaster. Like so many other actors on the cast, he thought a Superman TV show would be a joke, But two months later, they called him back to audition again. This time, his agent convinced him this would be a more grounded show, not an over-the-top superhero cheese-fest. So he learned his lines, went in, and said to himself, “If I fail, then I fail”.
Afterward, the network wanted him to meet the producers and audition again. This time, Rosenbaum refused. He told them that if they liked what they saw on the tape, they could hire him, and if they wanted to pass, that was fine. He got the role.
A great aspect of Lex’s life was his relationship with his father, Lionel Luthor. The amazing John Glover played Lionel. John has been working in the entertainment industry for decades. I have been a huge fan ever since he played the Devil on Brimstone. It’s a great show that was canceled too soon, but the best parts of the series were the scenes between John and the lead actor, Peter Horton. But many of you may remember him from classic movies like Gremlins 2 and Scrooged. John is an A-list star who deserves to get some recognition. The man can do comedy and drama. Which is not an easy thing for many actors to do. John played Lionel like a complete bastard. But he wasn’t a cartoonish villain like all the best bad guys. He thought he was the good guy. In Lionel’s twisted mind, he thought his motivations were pure. Lionel Luthor thought that Lex was weak and he needed to mold him. So, instead of compassion, he punished Lex. Lionel Luthor was only supposed to be a guest star, but John was so good they made him a regular. It’s funny how the creators originally tried to get William H Macy to take the role. I just can’t see anyone else as Lionel but John Glover
So, now that we have gone over the characters let’s get on to the show by looking at the infamous pilot. The show’s basic premise is that when Clark arrives on Earth, he’s not alone. Pieces of Krypton have followed him and, in a brilliant bit of writing, obscured his ship. This was great because there was always a plot hole in the comics and films that the government didn’t see the ship crash with current technology. But, the destruction the meteor shower rains on Smallville would lead to an immense irrational guilt. Lana’s parents died, Lex lost his hair, and people were mutated into kryptonite freaks.
This last bit was probably the worst part of the show. The “freak of the week” episodes were the one aspect of Smallville that was always used to put down the series. I get it; these were the early days of the DVR, and streaming was not even something anyone could dream of. Not everyone saw the pilot, so you had to hook people in with a gimmick. But, Jesus, some of those episodes were stupid. I mean, Kryptonite was used for anything. Here are a few examples…
It was used as a smoothie that would make you lose weight and turn into a monster that ate human fat. Side note: It would also turn you into a movie star, but that’s another story.
It would make flowers produce oils to make you invisible. Kryptonite was used to make gasoline for Fast and The Furious drag races. It was used to make gum, which would give you stretchy powers. It was the fountain of youth. It could turn you into a human insect. It just went on and on. Maybe I’m not remembering this correctly, But why didn’t the government investigate and capture kryptonite freaks? I know Luthor Corp did, but did no government official decide to pass by and pick up some rocks? Please let me know if I’m wrong because I don’t remember this being featured on the show.
But even though we had those negative aspects of the series, many things kept me watching. Character relationships were the best part of the show. Clark and Lex’s friendship wasn’t the only one that was explored. Johnathan’s mistrust of Lex because of his father, Martha trying to bring out the light in Lionel, and the Lex/Lionel mind games were some of the standouts. It’s just a shame that for all of the good, there was a lot of bad.
Some storylines just left me scratching my head, like making Lana and Lex a couple. I don’t get why they couldn’t just be friends. Also, am I the only one who thought it was weird that Lex hung out with teenagers? But one of the worst storylines was Chloe and Jimmy Olson’s relationship and eventual marriage/divorce. It ended with Jimmy dying after he saved her from Doomsday……don’t ask. Oh, and get this, it’s revealed that his name is not Jimmy it’s Henry James Olsen, Jimmy is a nickname. The real Jimmy Olsen is his baby brother. I know some of you may have thought that was okay or even good, but I’m sorry, I just thought it was ridiculous. There were also episodes that were blatant rip-offs. Two that come to mind were one that had Clark and the crew getting trapped by a serial killer who used elaborate death traps very similar to the Saw movies. Another that had Clark and his friends getting drunk of magical wine in Vegas was blatantly a rip-off of The Hangover.
This was a common problem with Smallville. Many arcs on the show were dumb, and a lot of these storylines would be resolved very clumsily. I always felt like this was because an idea was introduced without thinking about how they would resolve it. It felt like the writers were saying to each other, “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it in post”. The biggest example was Clark and Lana’s relationship conclusion. The problem was that Lois Lane was introduced in season 4, and Erica Durance just blew everyone away. She played the perfect Lois Lane. She was sarcastic, funny, brave, and a pain in the ass to Clark. Those early episodes were great. Tom Welling and Erica Durance’s chemistry was off the charts. Seeing them slowly go from hating each other to falling in love was a real treat.
The issue is that the show was built on Lana and Clark’s relationship. But, It was always destined to end, and the writers painted themselves in a corner. Instead of slowly having Clark and Lana move on from each other, the writers decided to cram it into one episode. The “brilliant” move was that Lana got superpowers, then to stop a kryptonite bomb, Lana absorbed the kryptonite energy into her body. Because of this, if Clark comes near her, he will die. I’m shocked this is the best they could come up with. It was the equivalent of someone trying to write their homework at the last minute.
Still, some of the cool stuff on the show was the comic book material that was used. It started with the episode “Hour Glass,” where we see a vision of Lex’s future as president. When Impulse is introduced in the episode “Run”, it ends with an awesome race between Clark and Bart. Another great episode was “Aqua,” which introduced Aquaman. Both the Wonder Twins and the Legion of Superheroes showed up in some of my favorite episodes of the entire series. But one of the best episodes was season six, called “Justice,” which introduced the Justice League. It’s sad that Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern could not be used for various reasons.
Another great aspect of the show was its love for the classic 1978 Superman The Movie. Many of the cast came back for the show. You have Marc McClure, who played Jimmy Olsen in the classic superhero film return as a lost Kryptonian living on Earth. He played Dax-Ur, the Kryptonian creator of Brainiac in season 7. The most famous moment on the show was when the best Superman ever, Christopher Reeve, guest starred on Smallville. He played Dr.Virgil Swan, a scientist who helped Clark learn more about his Kryptonian heritage. This moment was the most talked about moment on television that year. I remember that was all anyone could talk about at the comic book shop back home. Tom Welling said that Reeve was amazing to work with and it was an honor to be in the same room with him. In an episode of his podcast Talkville, he said
You could tell it was a blast to work with him, I mean just look at this PSA Tom and Chris did together.
But the same can’t be said for everyone from the classic film. Margot Kidder guest starred in a few episodes and was supposed to have had a bigger role in the series. There was a rumor that she was supposed to be the main villain of season 4. Sadly we will never know because Kidder was not happy with the producers. When Reeve passed away, they wanted her character to talk about Dr.Swan dying, which she was unhappy about. In an interview with the Superman Home Page on February 8, 2005. Margot said
I thought it was quite exploitative, and I said so, but they (The Producers) didn’t see it that way. I mean, Christopher was my friend, so to go on and do a scene where I announce his death on “Smallville” so that they can get publicity, it just seemed to me to be exploitative, personally. Probably didn’t to other people, and so it just didn’t work. If you’re going to get me to be exploitive, you’re going to have to pay me an awful lot of money. (Laughing).
So her character was killed off-screen. Still, it was nice to see her back in the Superman mythos again, even if it was for a little bit of time. They also used the 1978 Superman score quite a bit in the series, which is always nice to see used.
The show still feels dated at times, though. Mostly due to the music. Creed, Five for Fighting, Papa Roach, and many bands of the time were featured heavily on the show. This was due to marketing; after every episode, you would hear a promo promoting the music featured. One thing you can’t forget about Smallville is the theme song “Save Me” by the now-defunct band Remy Zero. The song will be forever associated with the Superman Legacy. It was even featured on the Arrowverse show Supergirl.
In season 7, Gough and Millar left the series. Although it’s never been explicitly said why they left. Many comments indicate that they always wanted five seasons, but the network wanted to stretch it out as long as possible. Michael Rosenbaum also left that season because he wanted to move on and felt that it wasn’t worth staying once Gough and Millar left. He returned in the finale but said he did it for the fans. Still, even though it was great to see him on the show again, you can tell his appearance was a rush job.
So, at the time, the show was hit or miss. This all changed with Season 10, which steered hard into the comic book content. This season featured many comic book characters being introduced to TV for the first time. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are two of the most memorable. Season 10 was generally thought to be the best of the series.
But the finale wound up being controversial. Some people hate the ending of the show, and some love it. I think the biggest issue was seeing Clark in the suit. Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders had taken over by this point in the series. We only got to see Clark do the classic opening of his shirt to reveal the S symbol and also a CGI Clark flying in silhouette.
According to an article on Screen Rant published in August 2017
Peterson said: “What we wanted to do all along was show hints at where he [Superman] was going because that is a whole different story that is yet to be told,” Peterson said. “It felt like it gave just enough without starting to tell a whole different story that is left for all the other media.”
So, should Smallville come back, technically, it did. DC Comics released a series of comics called Smallville Season 11, which were published between 2013 and 2016, and during the Crisis of Infinite Earths Arrowverse event, we got to visit Smallville again. The scene with Tom Welling and Jon Cryer was my favorite of the entire event. I especially love this line
But, recently, Welling and Rosenbaum said that an animated Smallville series was being developed. Sadly, Rosenbaum said at a convention that Gunn shot it down for now. Still, he said he would pursue it in a few years when things settle down at the DCEU. Hopefully, something may change in the future. In the meantime, Rosenbaum and Welling started a podcast called Talkville, where they rewatch the show and tell stories of their experience filming Smallville. It’s not a bad podcast to have playing in the background while you do errands.
Currently, you can see all 10 seasons of Smallville on Hulu. So, I recommend you travel down to that iconic farm to watch those incredible adventures. Just watch out for that perky kryptonite.
