Just one word: BLAH!

Thanks for posting it though.

I had absolutely no idea what thread to put this in, but I guess it falls into S7 speculation, with no guarantee of its validity, so...

This is from Steve at Emijayne's blog. Take with huge GRAIN OF SALT. I do not vouch for accuracy. I just thought I post this for consideration/discussion.



Aside from KK, do we know of any other probjects that the SV cast are now committed to?

And outside of Tom Welling, could/should any of the other actors not coming back really derail the show? Especially KK. Honestly, why would this actress/character be absolutely mandatory to this show continuing?

But could this be why its taking so long for them to get back in front of the cameras?

See, what I don't get, and maybe this is just me not knowing anything about the film/television industry, but wouldn't all those projects be considered secondary to their SV commitment? Even if they were told Veritas was it, they all had to have known that the strike could end and they could potentially have to go back to work on SV, so I find it really, really difficult to believe that WB, or whomever ultimately holds their SV contracts, can't simply pull them off any new projects to return for SV filming. It just seems... well, stupid for that to not be the case, imo.

Craig has said that for the regular cast, Smallville trumps any other deals. Now, since KK's filming of the Street Fighter movie has gotten some press, I am guessing they are going to work with her so she can do both. IIRC, there was a press release that some of the movie will be filmed in Vancover, allowing her to do both.

It gets trickier for guest stars like JM, who has other commitments that take precident over Smallville, and may not be available for the last 3-5 episodes.ITA. As much as I am a fan of AM and MR, Supes is the only character the show needs on screen every week.

It's probably not something that was anticipated, so they wouldn't necessarily have allowed for it in their contracts or whatever.

As for cast members not returning... I would think Tom Welling would be the only one whose absence would absolutely derail the show. Anyone else (even a few anyone elses, for that matter) could be worked around.

I would think so too. The only other thing I can think of is maybe someone/s are refusing to come back? Its hard for me to imagine that, but I guess its a remote possibility. But even if that is the case, I can't think of any reason that goughlar can't make do. If its not Tom Welling (and I think we can be relatively confident he isn't the issue here), then whats the huge freaking deal? Be creative.



And it seems highly unlikely that everyone BUT him won't come back. Some of cast is surely ready to get back to work. AM seems to have a clear schedule, as far as I know.



Exactly! Or you would think. Though maybe this would require them to spend more time concentrating on Clark Kent, and you know how that can be tricky for them ;)

I wonder if Rosenbaum signed something. He wanted off of Smallville after this season anyway, maybe he has a project in the works.

Obviously Welling is the most critical to have until the end of the series but outside of him, I think it depends on how TPTB want to end this series in terms of who is needed and who is not. KK might not seem important, but if TPTB want to wrap the show up and put Clana into that little wrap up, then she is a mandatory person to have for the 8th season. IMHO, KK is needed. I've heard enough comments from TPTB over the years stating that Clana is the heart of the show to know that the heart of the show doesn't die until the end of the series.

When I look at Lex's character, it's easy to say that they can just write him out of the series but what if TPTB have big things planned for Clex to finish this series off? The Luthors have always been a pivotal part of the plot on Smallville and it's hard for me to believe that eliminating that from the equation going into the final year is something that TPTB can afford to do.

Same thing with AM. If she's gone, the entire dynamic of this show will change. She will no longer be the character to provide the much needed plot exposition and she won't be there for Clark as a friend either in the final season. If TPTB have counted on that to remain the same until the end of the series, then Chloe is a character that they simply cannot do without.

So basically, I think that this all has a lot to do with what TPTB have been planning. Losing one of the above characters might not seem that bad, but if they are heavily involved with what TPTB want to do next year, then I can certainly see that derailing this show. Another thing to consider is this much talked about 10 episode arc TPTB have planned to conclude the show. If they really do have this arc, then they probably have a pretty specific idea of how to go about ending this show and if any of the characters are missing from this arc, that will certainly change everything, IMO.

Good writers adjust. They deal with unforeseen circumstances, and they find a way to write around that. If KK wants out, then this bullshit about "Clana being the heart of the show" is adjusted. I don't believe for one second that can't be dealt with. Except for those obsessed with Lana/KK, and for them, nothing short of KK being the self-sacrificing saint of the universe will ever be enough.

Same with MR and AM. Good writers find a way. Even if you had planned something different.

How is just ending it without resolution a better alternative? Given the option of not ending it exactly how you wanted, or not giving it a proper ending at all, which one would you choose?

Ending Clark Kent's story is the most important factor here. Even if you can't bring the resolution you wanted for Lana, Chloe or Lex, should you just blow off Clark Kent's story? To me, thats just incomprehensible. YMMV

Eliminating the three characters mentioned above changes the entire dynamic of the show and what it has always been about. It's not about making an adjustment, IMO, it's about writing the entire show to be something that it never was in the first place. I think it's far too late to re-invent the show at this point. Minor changes can be made, but IMO, Lana, Chloe and Lex are not minor characters. I believe that the show can get along without one of them, but if more than one are gone, which is what I took out of that thing that you posted above, that's a major loss for TPTB.



Well, this really has to do with who is not coming back. If more than one character does not return, then how do you write an effective conclusion, especially if the last episode that you end on has to do with one of the characters that doesn't return? It's a tricky situation. TPTB could always simply ignore the previous episodes and move forward because they don't have the actors needed to continue those storylines, but I'd have to wonder how many people would like that alternative. Either way, TPTB are in trouble, IMO.




What good is Clark Kent's ending if his story involves other characters who suddenly drop out of the show? This is not the Clark Kent show, IMO. It has always been about other characters influencing his story and having a story of their own as well and if more than one actor cannot return, then it's likely that Clark's story will hit a brick wall. YMMV.

I don't know anything about how this stuff works in Hollywood, but it seems to me that refusing to honor a contract (even if you signed a second one that conflicts) would be actionable, and a career-ender, besides. Who would want to work with an actor who'd blow off a long-standing contract that way?

The only person to me whose absence would "spell the end of the show" would be TW. They can't film those last five episodes this season without him. Both Steve and Emijayne both seem perpetually hopeful that Welling is somehow going to wind up attached to the JLA movie, so I wonder if that's what he's talking about. But I haven't seen anything else that gives us a hint that Welling is involved with that project, or that the JLA movie is close to starting production, so honestly, I don't see much to worry about there. And as for other projects, Welling isn't the type to run out and sign a contract the minute he's free, anyway-- he seems to enjoy some free time. So I honestly doubt he's signed anything else.

Now, I think it's clear KK has a conflict. That seems evident, based on the news articles we've seen. Given that "Veritas'" original ending was a cliffhanger, it may be difficult for them to do the next episode without her. Which is to say, they may have written her into a position where she almost HAS to be in the next episode. I can see how that could be a problem. But I still think the writers could work around most situations like that, even if they have to do a somewhat lame time jump and tell us what happened, rather than showing it. Lame, but doable.

And AM and MR-- we haven't heard anything about them signing contracts elsewhere, so without further information, I'm not inclined to worry about them right now. For season 8, I think they're both clearly still up in the air. But I would expect them to finish out season 7. So I think the show's season eight could be in doubt, but I don't see any reason to worry about the last five episodes of this season, at least until we get some corroboration from another source.

Sure it is. But good writers find a way. Good writers that are getting paid a good amount definitely find a way.



Probably a damn sight more then those who would like the show dropped altogether when they still had the Clark Kent character to play with.



Yes, other characters influence Clark. But not just Lana, Lex and Chloe. Clark's parents influenced his story, and now they're gone. Pete influenced Clark's story, and now he's gone. Characters currently in his life and influencing him are Kara, and Lois. No indication of them going anywhere. JMHO, but I can't see one reason at all why Clark's story should hit a brick wall without Lana, Lex or Chloe. I think the Clark Kent character deserves a decent ending. I think TIIC owe viewers that. And if they have to do that without other original characters, then I think they need to do that. If they weren't prepared to do that without a useless waste of space like Lana Lang around, then they really never should've taken this project on in the first place, and they most certainly should never be trusted with any other similar type subject matter again. Though, on that last part, I feel thats true no matter how they end SV. ;)

I think we can count on some clunkiness for these last 5 episodes as they work around KK & MR. I think we count JM as almost completely gone with perhaps an extreme effort to get a close-out set of sequences that they film all at once. There's been no news on AM but projects are still ramping up quickly in a post-strike fever. Still, with the SV apriori commitment back in place, a new conflict prior to mid-April seems unlikely. It's possible that TPTB had asked the cast to extend beyond their usual mid-April cutoff date and MR said no --- so this puts them in a pickle (especially if they already accommodated KK). That kind of story, along with the KK filming story is probably enough for some to scream "disaster". I think it's more likely a production nightmare but not necessarily a show disaster.

The net result on all of this, as I see it, is that the show's shooting schedule is going to require alot of out-of-sequence work to get all the scenes in. I think AM and TW can kiss directing good-bye for S7 as these will not be stand-alone shoots. It's no wonder that script leaks are not forthcoming because they probably don't have full scripts yet - just bits of storylines on 3x5 cards that they are trying to put together in a pseudo-logical sequence (like a jigsaw puzzle without the box top) and then break them up into 5 shows.

Editing is going to be hell and we could have plot holes the size of the grand canyon BUT I still think the show limps thru the end of S7.

However.

S8 is a factor. They have to know if they are wrapping a series or a season. It's that simple. They can go on the theory of wrapping a season if they have positive vibe from the CW BUT this means they probably either have to secure the talent now or write a vague enough ending for characters. If MR has a movie and feels "forget em, I have a path forward", then they may have to wrap him up in 5 episodes. I'm speculating that they worked around KK because they got a S8 commitment out of her.


So...with filming less than two weeks away, we should soon get a sense of if they are wrapping a season or a series IMO.

I missed something, then? What has MR signed for?

New horror film

MR costars, filming mid-April.

I guess that you have more faith in these writers than I do. When all of the characters are present, they can't seem to write an episode without huge plotholes so take away a couple of key characters, that's a disaster waiting to happen, IMO.



I can. I'll throw a hypothetical example out there. Let's say that "Veritas" ends with a huge Clark/Lex cliffhanger and in the post-strike episodes, MR can't return plus, he's not even signed for season 8. Where do you go from there? In this type of example, Clark's story, involving the Luthors in this case, would hit a brick wall if the Luthors are nowhere to be found in the remaining episodes. JMHO.



I think that all of the characters deserve a decent ending. I don't think that Lex fans would be too happy if Lex appeared in one episode on a cliffhanger and then never saw him again, but that's JMO. Me? I just watch to see everyone interact and if key characters are eliminated from the series, then whatever ending TPTB have planned probably won't impress me that much, unless TPTB are able to eliminate these key characters in a natural sort of way rather than being forced into it by creating plotholes the size of Godzilla.

But in April Smallville wouldn't be already done with the shooting?? they would be in post production?? I thought half April/May and June were Hiatus and on July start the works for the next season.

If MR's movie starts to be filmed on mid April...MR has time to film all the Smallville episodes of this season.

Thanks myankskent, you just put to words exactly how I feel about this issue.

No, I'm sure they won't. So, I guess the question is do you screw everyone because you can't give some characters the closure you want? Does it have to be all, or nothing? I personally think there's one character on this show that has to be considered in a seperate category then the others. And I think its that story thats by far the most important to finish. I guess you can just blow it off if you lose other characters, I just can't imagine why anyone would.

In a perfect world, without contracts and such, this wouldn't be an issue. But goughlar knew they'd have this difficulty when they decided to aim for a S8 (their words, BTW). If the only possible way in the world for them to end this show included Lana, Lex and Chloe, then why wouldn't they have ended the show in S7 when they were assured to have everyone signed? Even pre-strike, they were saying they wanted 8 seasons. Why make sure to secure TW to a S8, but not the others, if his character is no more important then theirs? If they couldn't conceive of a possible scenario that didn't include these characters, why express a desire to continue the show beyond their guaranteed contracts? Unless they were in complete denial, you'd have to assume they factored in the possibility of certain actors not coming back.

considering that KK was rumored to have been hard to bring back for THIS season, it's stupid of them to think she was in their back pocket for S8 especially when she probably prefers even a bad Streetfighter movie to them. At least she gets to travel and do something different.

And I think that you don't ignore someone for the season prior to the season you REALLY need them i.e. MR. So I say if characters don't come back, blame Goughlar.

Excellent point. Did they take the other actors for granted or have S8 as something different in their mind? I wonder if some of the "love" on the set disappeared after they did that? I'm going to hazard a guess that if they had a different concept in mind a "spinoff setup" may have been it. Perhaps they started really lobbying for S8 when they saw Supergirl had not quite lit a fire yet? IDK, it's all random speculation but I think you are right that they have known this issue for years. I think the writer's strike has possibly messed up their end-game, however, and they may be hoist by their own petard at this moment.

BUT, filming from March 12 to April 12 for Rosenbaum (consistent with the start date Craig gave us, the HNR report of original production dates for S7 of SV, and the "mid-April" horror film start) should IMO be sufficient for MR to film all his scenes for the remaining 5 episodes. Go back after editing are a major issue but I wouldn't say insurmountable. I see nothing to suggest MR wont be around for that month of filming so the idea that his end game gets truncated with a one-episode cliffhanger doesn't seem warranted to me. To me 2 questions remain: can you wrap up the Lex story reasonably well in 5 episodes and do you need MR/KK scenes. I would say yes, 5 episodes is enough for closure for Lex. But MR/KK scenes? That could be a problem. Their overlap may be very short but again, I think good planning could make it happen.

As for KK ... well we know SF is supposed to shoot in Vancouver too. I suspect she's negotiated dates with SV and may be willing to film past April 12th to make that happen. Will anyone else be there to film with her? TW is the obvious question. Wel'll see.

The "well oiled machine" will be pushed to it's limits if they have to have all 5 scripts in a shoot ready state in just a few weeks but I think that is what they will try for.

To me the point is that not even CK's story can have a satisfying ending if some of the possible scenarios involving characters disappearing occur (like the one myankskent mentioned that could happen post-Veritas). Whether someone likes it or not, there are certain characters that Clark is emotionally tied to, and if they suddenly disappear without sufficient closure, then Clark's story looses believability and therefore quality. I don't think the issue is so simple as to say: why should Clark's story be sacrificed because of other characters? I think his story would *already* be screwed if some of the key relationships in his development disappear without a satisfying closure.

So, the solution is not to try at all? Just end it, and forget about it? I certainly can't imagine how thats more satisfying in any conceivable way. Perhaps without certain other characters, the ending will be less satisfying. I'm sure it will. Then again, perhaps not. But if you don't try at all, then you are guaranteed an unsatisfying end for all. Not only for the characters you lose due to contracts expiring, but for the character/s you still had availability to, including the main character, who you'll just discard with the rest. JMHO

I think that's a good question. If I were to answer for TPTB, I would say that even if they couldn't get these three back for next season, they were still counting on the fact that they would be able to wrap up their storylines this season. The strike put a dent into that. Now of course they should've anticipated the strike and giving Lex minimal screen time leading up to the strike is inexcusable, but in the end, they still had five episodes to potentially finish up their stories and now that looks like it's not the case.



I have no idea why TW was signed for 8 seasons. It appears to me that this is not the norm in television. Isn't it usually only 7? That's why Glover is technically signed for 8 because his contract began in season 2. Maybe they simply weren't allowed to sign all of the other actors for 8 so they figured that with having TW, the main character, already signed, it would be easier to get everyone else back.



Maybe because TPTB were banking on those actors returning to the show for an 8th season and if they end up not doing so, season 8 simply would not become a reality. I can't fault TPTB for wanting a season 8 without every actor signed. You've got to want to do it before you try to sign everyone for an additional season. It just doesn't always work out the way you want, IMO.



Exactly. And for the record, if Martha doesn't return prior to the end of this series, I think that really hurts Clark's conclusion. For a show that is mainly about Clark growing up with his family involved, it's unbelievable to me how we wouldn't get at least one scene where Clark said goodbye to Martha before he goes off to train to become Superman, or if not to train, leave Smallville and the farm in general.



If KK, MR and AM all left the show this season, I don't think that TW being signed for an additional season will do any good. TPTB will have lost the entire Luthor story by getting rid of Lex, and I'm assuming that Lionel would be gone as well, and they would've lost two girls on this show who know Clark's secret. IMHO, I don't see the show surviving that type of scenario. It's just too much of a loss.

To me, Clark is already Superman in every way but the costume and flying. I won't mention specific scenes here since there are many, but I think this season has been excellent in showing how Clark's progression is practically done. When it comes to Clark's character specifically, the only thing that would be a decent follow-up without the other characters who have shaped his emotional development to me, would be Clark as a reporter in Metropolis (Lois, Jimmy and some new characters included), but since we know TPTB have no intention of doing that...(I deliberately skipped the training-with-Jor-El part for obvious reasons)

The problem with that hypothesis is that it suggests that goughlar would just leave the ending up in the air in the case certain characters choose not to come back, rather then writing an ending for the show. Something they've already disputed. It would be the height of stupidity. Its possible that the strike did derail their plans to bring conclusion to certain characers, but then again, I honestly believe that both Lana and Lex could easily conclude their storylines. I certainly don't think you need another season of Lana. For what reason? Her and Clark have a strained relationship, and she's already articulated the fact that he's the main reason she's still in SV. What conculsion do you need beyond a break-up, and Lana going off to NY, or Europe? All you need in S8 is Clark talking about receiving a letter about how well she's doing. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. Having her hang around another season for a long lingering break-up seems, IMO, completely counter-productive and detrimental towards Clark.

As for Lex, he's already gotten pretty darn dark. Clark and he are currently adversaries, and Lex is in the crosshairs of the young JLA. We even just had an episode that set up the future Clark/Lex pretty well. Where Clark(Supes) would oppose Lex, but also always look out for him. As much as I'd personally like another season of Lex doing bad stuff, we've already seen that TIIC have most of Lex's nefarious deeds taking place in Offscreensville anyway. So, aside from the people who will miss MR (and with good reason), is it absolutely mandatory to have Lex on screen into a S8? As we've seen, they already have a tough enough time coming up with reasons to give him screentime. You can still make him very much a presence in S8, even without having him be present. And is there really a way to provide closure for Clark and Lex on SV when we know their story continues on beyond SV? I don't think so. I'm not sure what more has to occur on screen, but it does seem to me that it could conceivably be done in a few eps.

I think Chloe is a trickier case, since she's still very tied to the SV canvas. But I certainly hear enough people talking her dying to know that people are open to a sudden exit for her (for the record, its not MY preference for Chloe).

I actually believe a lot of the ducks are already in a row. I think the one character who does need a bit more screentime is Clark. Because honestly, they've spent so much time stalling him that they need a little time to rev him back up. I think its not impossible, its just probably they didn't want to do until they knew it was the home stretch. IMO, that was a mistake, but this is goughlar we're talking about. But I think ending the show before we got to see Clark's home stretch would be a huge disservice to the character, the actor who plays him, and the Clark/Supes fans who stuck it out this long to get some sort of glimpse of him stepping into the tights (even if thats not a visual). IMO

Not necessarily. They could've used the last five episodes of season 7 to provide the ending for the show. Who knows, that may in fact be what they do.



The problem here is that if I'm going to agree that TPTB can put an immediate end to Lex, Lana and Chloe, which you talked about above, then I would also have to agree that they could put an immediate end to Clark. What more needs to happen now with Clark? All he has to do is make the decision to leave Smallville and protect the world by becoming Superman. That can happen in one episode. He can learn to fly in another if they wanted to go there. I really don't see much more that TPTB have to show, or to put it another way, I don't see much more that TPTB have to show for Clark that they don't have to show for the other three characters.

And as far as screentime goes, Clark has double the amount of screentime than the person who has the second highest total this season, and that's with Clark being MIA for "Gemini". How much more screentime does this guy need? If he had more screentime, they'd have to shoot TW up with adrenaline to work 24 hours a day while getting no sleep, IMO.

I heard that the writers considered writing Lana out last year at one point, but decided not to do so. I'm glad they didn't because I think Lana plays an important role on SV beyond being Clark's love interest. I think she plays a role in Chloe and Lex's lives and their development and vice versa that is an important part of the storyline. And I hope the core four are on the show until the end.

But, KK does seem very ready to leave so in my mind, she's the toughest one to keep. Their SV employment contracts would normally be the top legal obligation for all the cast members. However, here are two points. First, with the strike, the producers would have had to pay the castmembers something even while they were not working to keep that contract in effect. If they didn't, then the actors would have been released from that obligation to some extent and given the freedom to make other employment contracts and SV would have to take second place to those. For the record, I think the producers probably did keep up the contracts for the main cast members, but I thought I'd share that it wasn't an absolute that their SV contracts would be their top priority at this point. Second, I could see the producers releasing KK from some of her S7 obligation to negotiate some appearances from her in S8. If I were in their shoes, I think that's what I would do to try to stretch what I have her for. I'd pay her more for less work to have her at the end of the show.

As for MR, if his film doesn't start until mid April, that doesn't seem to be any conflict with his regular SV shooting schedule which ends in mid April. It is my understanding that the personal service contracts the actors sign to film the tv show have time schedules in them so the actors will know when they will be available to do other projects/go on vacaction, etc. The actors are guaranteed a certain amount of time off. If SV wanted the actors to film beyond their normal schedule, then that would be the item requiring additional negotiation. I don't think Almiles would have assumed MR would be available beyond April to film episodes so I don't see anything unusual here. The question is whether MR will agree to return or not.

I want AM to stay. If she leaves, I'll stop watching because she's the only reason I care about this show. I don't know what her position is, but on one of her blogs she seemed nervous about the strike which made me think that they could get her to stay and I do think they want her to stay because they offered her the directing gig and they upped her spot in the credits just like they did with MR. I take those as signs the producers are courting them to sign up for S8.

Also, having a contract for S8 doesn't mean the actor will be in S8. John Glover is supposedly signed for S8, but I see them cutting him. Getting rid of AOT stunk. The way they handled her exit stunk and the way they are handling her absence stinks since they could at least have people get phone calls from her now and again and remember her existence.....but whatever. The only practical benefit is that on an expensive show to produce, cutting the cost of her salary gives them money to spend on other things. Same would be true of John Glover since he would have gotten salary increases during the run of the show.

And not surprisingly, I would cut ED's appearances in half even though she has a contract for S8 and use the money to pay for Justin Hartley or another Justice Leaguer to appear more. As a Chloiser, I would give ED a few (maybe 5 episodes) for next Fall and then kill her off so the second half of the second would be about the chain of events set off by her death for Clark, Chloe, Lex, Ollie and the Justice Leaguers.

ITA. As I said, besides the tights and flight, Clark is already Superman in every important aspect. There are many scenes this season that show he's already reached that maturity needed to become Superman, his final scene with Lex in Fracture being the pinnacle of that, so I really don't see any significant new development they can do with him (except starting a whole new show-Metropolis), only continued stalling (but this time TPTB would introduce other characters to provide that stalling and that would just seem so empty to me).

All this talk about contracts and season 8 almost has we wondering... what if AlMiles have already set their infamous ten episode arc into place and their plan for season 8 amounts to little more than coasting by on the "cool stuff" they've thought up over the years since they first envisioned the "final" scene for the series? They've known from the outset of season 7 that 8 was never a lock just as they've known the contracts for 3 of their four leads were set to expire. Seems like a lot of unknowns to bet the proper ending of an endeavor they've toiled a good chunk of their lives on. This season has given us story lines exploring the mythos and Kyrpton's back-story in much greater detail than ever and apparently the next few episodes promise even more details. As horrible as it is to contemplate, what if stuff like bringing Julian back from the dead so Lex could kill him and the Lara/Zor-El/Jor-El triangle were part of their final arc from the beginning?

Maybe it's unlikely but if I were AlMiles given the circumstances going into season seven I'd be seriously temped to hedge my bets and wrap up the necessities of Lex, Lana, and Chloe's story lines this season. Then if season eight were to happen it'd be all gravy.

IA. I think they've done a great set up for Lex as the villain (even if there have been roadblocks to iconic villainry like Lexana), and I think that Clark is the person they need to rev up to get him to his iconic status as Superman. However, I can't see Clark becoming that hero, getting that rev up, without Chloe and Lex. Chloe helps him become a hero with her encouragement and partnership, and Lex drives him to action with his deeds. It might be interesting, if these last few episodes with them rev him up, to see how he handles his budding heroism (in action, not in the same way as he has when he's been stalled) without them, but if he's already at the point of being a hero, why then wouldn't he be one?

I don't want them to just give up because of that; I can see how people who are watching the show solely for Clark's journey would feel really cheated if they just stopped because everyone else left. But I think that if they lose 3/4 of their main cast, it could turn out to be a disaster.

I don't even think they need a season either, though. I think they could wrap it up this season. It would be jam packed, but that might be really awesome.

But I watch the show for Lex and Chloe, so I'm automatically biased on that end.

Based on everything I've heard, there's almost certain to be a Season 8 at this point. So these conflicting obligations would probably only affect the last five episodes of Season 7, which would be a lot easier to work around.

Also, I haven't seen anything about this on Kryptonsite, SciFi Wire, or SuperheroHype, so I can't believe the situation is too terribly serious at this point.

Am I the only one who's never heard of this band? Am I just not hip to what the kids are listening to or is this some obscure group that the CW is trying to promote?

I've been debating for a few days if and, if so, what thread I should say/ask the same thing. I have never heard of One Republic. Not that I've never heard One Republic, I've never even heard of them. And I like to think I'm up to date on pop culture. I'm 24, I don't think I'm completely out of the loop... with the exception of heading-to-viral Youtube videos.

I don't think they're totally obscure. They've had a hit (fairly major, judging from my local radio) called "Apologize." But I do believe that's the only hit they've had so far, so I don't believe they're a household name, either.

Well, sure, you could make that arguement. But its a bit beside the point since the reason we are talking about wrapping some of the characters storylines up quickly is because they are no longer going to be around since actors contracts are expiring. Possibly. Since this is not the case with TW/Clark, wrapping up his storyline in a quick manner doesn't have to occur. But, I think we are agreeing that wrapping up storylines for the characters quick can be done, right? Even for Clark.

What more needs to happen with Clark? Probably just him deciding to accept his destiny, and off he goes. Sure, you can do that. What else can happen with Clark? Well, I'd like to see him learn to fly. I'd like to see truly take some pride in himself and what he can do. I'd like to see him happy because he can help people. I'd like to see move past Lana, and be OK with that. I'd like to see him come up with the costume. I'd like to see him reconsidering journalism. Thats just off the top of my head.

As far as I believe Clark has come, I still believe there's some ground left between where he is now, and him becoming Superman. So, I believe there is still another chapter of his story left to tell. And IMO, I'd like the show to end with something more definitive then "I'm going to go off to train", which just seems ambigious to me (not to mention the Jor-El problem). So, him making more particular decisions is preferable to me. Of course, I think the whole training thing should be ditched altogether.



I'm of a similar mind. It seems to me that they've created very easy ways for certain characters to exit. Lana especially. They've even gone so far as to float the idea that Clark is no longer in love with her. Or not like he once was. And they have Lana knowing this. I do see evidence that posible exits were worked into the storyline. I have no doubt the strike messed them up though.



I'm going to address that in 2 ways. The first, I don't actually see it that way. With Lex, he is one of the motivating factors that drives Clark to action. But we've seen him fight meteor freaks, phantoms, Brainiac, organized crime figures. So Clark is motivated by other influences. And although Chloe is an encouraging force in his life, and a HUGE help, I've seen him do heroic things without Chloe's involvement. Now, the second, *if* viewers are having a problem seeing Clark turn into Superman without one particular character motivating him, and another character pushing him into it, then maybe removing those characters isn't a terrible thing for the Clark character. It gives him a chance to be all that he can be without the crutches, so to speak. Because shouldn't we be able to visualize Clark as Superman without Lex motivating him, and without Chloe encouraging him?



Oh, thats OK, apparently there's only about 15 of us watching for Clark's journey, or so some would seem to suggest, LOL ;) ;)



Agreed. Its all hypothetical at this point. When its on K-Site, thats when its official to me. :)

The way I aways wanted the series to end is-

At the end of 2nd or 3rd to last episode Clark leaves to train.

10 Years later...

The last(couple of) episode we see where everyone one is , and Clark in costume BEING Superman.

They play "Apologize" at 24 Hour Fitness a lot (which is weird to me), but I had no idea who they were until the guest spot on SV was announced. Most people seem to have heard that song, though... even if they have no idea who's behind it (or they just think of Timbaland).

That is a really good point that I hadn't thought of at all. We should be able to visualize that, and honestly, I can't. But I want to! So maybe removing those "crutches" would be a good thing for him.

With the MFs and the phantoms and even Brainiac, there's an element of responsibility involved, though. He's the only one who can stop them at this point (and the only one trying to, aside from Lex), and the fact that they're around is intimately connected with him. Clark does really heroic things, no argument there, but it's because he feels he has to.

Now, one could make the argument that fighting Lex would be like fighting the MFs, but I think it would be really fitting if when Clark decides to step up, it's not "to fight Lex" (heck, Ollie's got that covered), but to be the other side of the equation- to be the good that balances the dark. They're like two sides of a coin, and I don't think the end of Clark's journey will be as satisfying without the other side.

But of course, in a strict sense, I suppose it's not necessary. And maybe with no Lana to distract him and no Lex to drive him into specific conflicts, Clark will decide that he does really just want to help people and go from there.

I would love to see all of these things happen as well. I too would hate the "And now I go to train!" ending.

I shudder at the thought of handing myself over to Hal 2.0 for "training." Terrifying.

Yeah, but when might we know? When are shows generally renewed?

I saw a youtube vid of Kristin already in Thailand. So, has filming already started there or what?

I think that would kind of be anti-climatic. If they're going to do a time jump, they should do it either in the last ten minutes of the finale, or between Season 7 and Season 8.

A poster over at http://www.kryptonsite.com has said they saw another trailer for "Hero", "Traveler", and "Veritas. In the supposed trailer, they say you can hear Chloe (the poster thinks it's her) say,"The world needs you, not me." I was wondering if anyone has seen this trailer. Thanks

I was thinking an epilogue episode would be nice. It is one of those things I see in other forms of media I thought would be fitting in a comic book show.

But a whole season of Superman sounds good. Or, Clark could do his training at the end of S7, then come back and figure out how to create the Superman/Clark Kent thing during S8.

I think that the actual shooting starts on March but she had to be there earlier for the Lana-Fu training

This is the 2nd time I'm hearing about other promo's being out there that haven't been posted anywhere. If they do exist, I guess they are showing them very infrequently. Maybe tomorrow night during the SV rerun? I hope so. And hopefully more Traveller stills will be released. :)

Sounds like a recycled Lana line.

IA. I have heard the song a number of times (it's a great song and the video is awesome!), but I only knew it as a Timbaland song until recently.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Smallville promo during America's Next Top Model tonight. It's the same one they've been showing, but they hardly ever promo SV during ANTM so I thought it was a good thing.

I was watching an episode of Superman: The Animated Series (the Tim Daly one) and Superman's underwear thingy look more black than red and slightly less silly. Maybe we could live with that?

Except if the other main characters surrounding Clark leave the show because the actors don't come back next season, or even this season for those last five episodes. That's where wrapping up Clark's story quickly would probably benefit him because to have a full season without those other characters present, it could throw the entire show out of whack. JMHO.




It can be done, as long as TPTB have a chance to do it. If actors leave suddenly as a result of this strike and don't come back next season, then of course TPTB can't wrap up the storylines, even in a quick manner. At least with Clark, no matter what happens, TW is going to be around to shoot whatever scenes are necessary to effectively wrap up his character. That might not be the case for the other characters on this show.

I know that you love Clark, V, and that you watch the show for him. I watch the show for his journey too, along with the other characters because I can't really say that I have a favorite on this show, but I really enjoy watching his journey because of his interaction with other characters. Smallville, IMO, at it's best, is when we get good character interaction. Take some key characters out, and the show loses what has made it great all of these years. That's why I would be hesitant to continue the show if that were the case. TW being signed, IMO, is not enough for me to continue unless I felt that Clark didn't need to interact with those other characters to get some positive development. At this point, I'm not so sure that I can come to that conclusion.

I don't think Smallville needs another 20+ episode season to wrap up the character story lines. As far as I care, screw the 10 episode arc of wonder- half the episides would be watered down to drag it out anyway. I agree with those that say Smallville would be a completely different show without Chloe, Lex, Lionel, and Lana.

The Clex dynamic, Clana dynamic, and Chlark dynamic have been core to the show for 7 seasons now. I think Smallville could survive without one of them-take your pick- but no more than one. It's much different than losing a Jonathan or Martha or Pete at this point, because these are characters that have been given MUCH MUCH more screentime and have been intricate to the main ongoing plot and Clark's life for Seven seasons. Therefore viewers such as myself tend to have a larger emotional investment in the characters, and take any one of the 3 (Chloe, Lex, Lana) the show is bound to lose a large percentage of viewers regardless. I don't watch the show for Clark alone. I watch the show for the relationships and experiences he has with the other main characters. To be honest I think Clark, hottness aside, would be rather boring character on his own. It's the way he interacts with the Lex, Chloe, and Lana that makes him interesting. There's a reason why X-Files fans prefer to forget every season after 7....and that was an amazingly popular and well written show...now with Smallville, I think the loss of 3 out of the 4 series long main characters would kill it, especially since it's a show that thrives on relationships.

I'm pretty sure that if they wanted to, tptb could believably wrap up the series in the final episodes we have left of season 7 . Honestly, it's not like half of them wouldn't have been filler/ fotw anyway. Look at the first half of this season...they're just biding their time. It would be amazing to have back to back action filled episodes.