If they don't do that then I think that most viewers will drop the show anyways. It's not just an insult, it's injury.


Anyways, I was thinking about S9 *brr* and what the writers can do to improve it. IMHO the cast has become bloated and severely unbalanced. Everyone's either working for the DP, owns it, used to work for it and is still sort of connected and the only person I can think of who isn't directly connected to that is Davis. Cast should be trimmed also:
- What is Tess doing and why should I care any longer?
- What is Oliver doing and why should I support his murderous ass?
- What is Nois doing and why should I care about her in the first place?
- What is Chloe doing and how can I continue relating to her?
- What is Clark doing and why is everyone still close to him?

We have AM confirmed for S9, TW is 99% because there hasn't been an official release yet. IIRC JH is signed on for another season, I think CF is too (standard contracts are 2 years?). So is SW but I hope he finishes up his arc with this season. AA I don't recall anything specific about. ED will only start negotiating renewal after they are certain about TW but she's iffy.

Having in mind the type of stuff SP can write, I believe that we will get another retool with S9, this time more drastic and even more blotched. They will stick to the triangles. RetconVille! Whoo!

Oh god, why didn't they just put a bullet in it and let it die quickly.

Dear me, does that mean we might get RealChanceTess? (Oliver or Clark, take your pick) Or on a more positive note, maybe actually get to see Lois/Jimmy get it on. Perhaps Shelby gets a gal pal.

Actually, I speculated months ago that if they were ever going to go romantic with Chlark they would need a 9th season so they could end it and get back to Clois. In short, roma-Chlark would be another Clois obstacle. Now that would be a kick in the pants --- it's like watching the Hindenberg -- "Oh the humanity!". For me that would cheapen the Chlark relationship if Chloe turned into just an "ex" and it certainly would not make Clois look better in my book (because now Lois would be the only one he could be with because everyone left --- it's not what I consider "epic").

They were doing some furious re-writes a few weeks ago.

Since Doomsday can't be killed, maybe they can find a way to put him into a state of suspended animation (buried at the bottom of some Antarctic lake, perhaps), giving the main characters and the writers some breathing space while they conceive of the perfect final season.

Don't bother me. I'm vacationing in Luxor.

Given what they pulled with Lex I absolutely wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility that SW "dies" and Dooms isn't completely defeated. They can just ditch the Davis persona and have someone in the suit Dooms doesn't speak as I recall =).

Didn't he say "Chlo-eeeee" in Bride, while in Doomie form? Or am I just making stuff up in my head again?

It's mind-bogglingly bad that they would actually consider stalling the Doomsday/Clark fight to bring people in for season 9. It's horrfic in fact, because they've been building up to it all season...only what's going to stall it? I shudder to think how terrible it's going to be.



I've read something about a wrestler who was being spoken to about being Doomsday for season 9, which amuses me no end. Is he going to lumber around, alternatively whining and groaning nonsensical words before it comes time for a hiatus and he happens to cross paths with Clark so they can fight again? How appropriately Smallville-lame. No wonder the movies want to go dark, it's the only thing that will wipe the stench of what the writers have done to the character on this show from people's minds.

Elly, you didn't make it up. He did, in fact, say Chloe's name as Doomsday in "Bride".

The CW has released official word and Tom has been signed. JH would be in year... two? I think of a five-year contract he signed with the CW itself, so they can use him or pull him for another project as they wish, but I'm going to bet they keep him on SV. It just means his salary isn't coming out of SV's budget, which helps. CF and SW I think would have been signed for S8 with an S9 option, but that's just me guessing TPTB would want to give themselves the option to gauge fan reaction and see if it's worth keeping them both around. Again, I'm going to guess they will because from what I've seen fan reaction has been largely good for both of them. AA I believe is also signed for S9, which is why I really don't think we'll be seeing any changes in the opening credits/main cast for S9.

Guest stars, of course, are always up in the air, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll see a new girl in Clark's life to bridge the gap between Clana and Clark/ILL and fill the currently missing triangle point that's always been Lana. All I can say is it better be Lori.

Oh dear God, no. Please, no. No more girls. I can't sit through another season of Manwhoreville, I just can't. *hyperventilates*

Don't give TPTB any ideas, PolarB! :(

Me either. Why even go there considering how many problems Clana left in it's wake? *sighs* Clark Kent: Manwhore of Season 9. How sad is it that feels like a forgeone conclusion because the writers are just that lazy, bad and predictable?

Honestly, because it's the only way I can see lessening the whole "ILL is a second choice to Lana" aspect that the show's just created. The fact is, they have started hints of romantic Clois. There needs to be a wrench put in that in order for Clark to deal with the Clana mess that's been left behind. In short, he needs a rebound. If he doesn't, then that's what ILL will look like. Also, they now need to stretch and stall the Clark/ILL relationship for another season. Leaving Clark single doesn't really do that and yes, TPTB will need their triangle. And since they're not going to pit Lois and Chloe against each other for Clark's affections, a new girl is about their only choice. Lori is the canonical bridge between Lana and ILL, the canonical rebound girl. Why not use her for just that?

I haven't seen any hints of romantic Cnois.

I haven't seen any romantic Cnois either, I've seen Nois reveal her feelings, pine, and rely on rather skeezy scenes of fellatio and zipping up her dress to show her attraction to Clark, but nothing from him to her. Nois is less than a rebound to Clark, her feelings simply don't register to him considering he goes to Lana without a second thought about Nois or their apparent "relationship".

There's no tension about him Clark realizing her emotions towards him, there's nothing about her trying to hide her feelings or get over him - she already thinks the state of their relationship should lead them to marriage considering her reactions in Bride to his reading the vows and Clark just doesn't care. So, the rebound ship has sailed wrt to Nois, and Lori would amplify that her romantic feelings mean nothing to Clark. It would also cause ManWhore!Clark to return yet again, and that is worst of all.

Also, canonically, Clark is supposed to pine for ILL, and well with Nois' behaviour, "canonically" wrt to anything on this show, has, IMO, sailed.

Huh? That's all they do.

They pit Lana vs. Chloe for 7 freaking seasons with an occasional nod to Lois. That was more tolerable because in earlier seasons they explored things like parental legacies, and destiny vs. self determination, how your character determines choices and your future, different ethical philosophies. But not so much recently. Now they just built up Lois vs. Chloe the first half for no apparent reason beyond density, then Lana again.

So if they are going to use ED, it will be Lois vs. Chloe. That's how they operate. Almost everything they do with Lois is done to threaten Chloe, or compare her. So, if I heard about some other plot development beyond Manwhoreville, who does Clark sleep with I might be interested in 9. What I've seen though it they seem to think they have Chlois as a conflict to tease and not a damn thing else in the thematic works.

IMO etc.

He was prepared to kiss her in Bride and, well, this is the w/o spoilers thread, so I'll just leave that at that. The point is, even if Clark shows no reciprocal feelings, they've started things from Lois' end. Something has to stop/stall that for another whole season, since the Clark/ILL pairing likely isn't going to happen until the end of the series, if they decide to show it at all. I just don't see them having Lois decide to back off, leaving her and Clark with no romantic attachments/possibilities for a whole season, yet still working together on a regular basis. That isn't how this show works. Introducing a new girl into the mix allows Clark to attempt to try romance post-Clana mess and gives Lois a reason to back off, albeit likely unhappily.


I have to admit, I have yet to see this supposed "manwhore" at all. I agree a new girl isn't the most perfect solution, but I think it would achieve several goals that would be in line with how TPTB generally run things.


This is obviously a YMMV thing. I see no attempt to pit Lois and Chloe against each other either in the future or currently. But then, I've also never really viewed Chloe as a possible romantic interest for Clark, mainly because the show and its producers keep showing and telling me she's not. But again, YMMV. Everything is subjective and can be interpreted in many ways. This show loves its ambiguity.

I don't think they were talking about using that guy as doomsday. I think the plan is for him to be some other Superman baddie. Personally, I'm tired of watching Clark Kent defeat Supermans foes. Besides Chloe...who cares if Doomsday kills Clark? It just has no meaning.

Does anyone else also think that this season will end with Clark "dead" after the Clark/Doomsday fight? I am guessing it could be this season's cliffhanger given the news about Smallville's renewal and TW's re-signing. (It hurts just to think about season nine ... Argh.)

That's where my money is. I'd expect Doomy to be "dead" as well (with a hint of resurrection in the coda of the first episode of S9). Even more, I think they'll have Chloe holding Clark in the classic shot from the comics/cartoon. Sort of like Odyssey. I'd speculate that will re-trigger the healing power thing (in September, of course) and deus-ex-machina Chloe will be back in business (dead, of course, for at least most of the episode if not until EP2). This would also provide the ever-important continuity porn: 1) Chloe's power is triggered by extreme loss again. 2) Bookends with Odyssey.

Yeah, I could see them going there.

My understanding is that one quote said they were casting him as a villain, the other actually mentioned Doomsday. However, my understanding is also that wrestling sites are not bastions of accuracy. I think they could just as easily be playing around with casting him as Darkseid (the names are easy to confuse if you don't know much about comics). I really don't see why they'd bring back Doomie for more than an episode or two-- bringing back SW (hopefully as Zod) makes sense, because he's been something of a hit with the audience, but Doomie without his alter ego isn't very exciting and wouldn't be much good for a long-term arc, IMHO.



I have to say, it's not much of a cliffhanger for anyone who knows ANYTHING about Superman. This whole arc is based on the bestselling comic book ever, after all-- who doesn't know the outcome? But yes, I think they were planning on this even before they were officially renewed, and it's the one thing that makes me glad they're renewing. I'd hate to see the series end with Clark dead:-(.

If Clark prefers a mermaid over Lois, it's going to be even more ridiculous IMO. She's then what..... 3rd choice? It needs to be considered that in the mythology Clark never had any relationship with Lois before his romances with Lana/Lori. But yeah I see this scenario as possible. Sadly, it seems, we need a S9 thread. God I feel sorry for every SV reviewer out there.

Yeah, me too. I, for one, am actually even hoping it will.


I hate TPTB for what they have done to SV and its characters, but I still don't think they would be so unbelievably stupid to end the season with Clark dead without being certain they will have another season to remedy that. I am maybe too optimistic ...

Based on what I've read of the quote, he auditioned for another role for S8, but was told he was too big. They then decided he'd be good for Doomsday, but that role had already been cast. It was then indicated that they were "attempting" to write him in as Doomsday for S9. That said, I initially thought it was possible they meant Darkseid and got confused, or are simply having him refer to the role as "Doomsday" so as not to spoil the possibility of Darkseid.


On that scope, are any of the cliffhangers really that big of a deal knowing what we know about him? I mean, I certainly knew Clark would be getting out of the PZ in the S6 premiere, and I knew he'd resurface somehow after Arctic. I think the "cliffhanger" comes in not necessarily knowing what the ultimate outcome will be, but how they get there. In this case, we know Clark will live, but how? Will TPTB lift from the comics, or will they go their own way? At this point, I think a dead!Clark for the finale is almost a given if we actually get the Dooms-Clark fight and they don't drag that out into S9.


There was a quote from TPTB from some time ago saying that they had two endings planned, depending on whether or not S9 went forward either "a heroic send-off or a heartbreaking decision for Clark to move on to the next phase." Clark dead doesn't sound like a heroic send off to me. Of course, this means we now get the "heartbreaking decision".

Correct me if I’m wrong but if I remember my Supes lore correctly he actually proposed to Lori before discovering she was a mermaid and that’s what kept them apart. If they go that route doesn’t that still make ILL a rebound? Clark is still coming off a relationship that he didn’t necessarily want to terminate which is the way I define rebound. The only difference I see is that he would be rebounding off of Lori instead of Lana.

I would much prefer to see him just heal past the Lana bit before jumping into anything with anyone for a while.

Introducing another LI is a lose/lose in my book. First you know you’re watching something that is going to be doomed and second given much how much I hate Lois I have no doubt that I’ll prefer Clorie (or is there a word for Clark/Lori…Calori maybe?) to Clois. I’m still a little bitter about Clalicia. Possibly getting invested in another relationship that I know won’t go anywhere despite saying to myself I’m not isn’t something I want to watch.


They can stall Clois by giving Lois another love interest instead of Clark.

So is anybody other than Welling contractually obligated to return for a ninth year?

AM I know of for sure. Not positive on the others.

Clana's lack of closure is a problem, but Clark is already being very fickle and manwhore-ish. Clark hooking up with another woman isn't going to make that better. The only way to fix the Clana problem so that another woman doesn't look like a consolation prize is for Lana to return sans kryptonite suit barrier and for Clark to reject reuniting with Lana anyway because he's outgrown her. That would show growth and maturity on Clark's part.

Why would we expect them to keep strictly to Superman lore? They can bring in Lori, have her and Clark date for a while and then go their own separate ways. There doesn't have to be an engagement. Hell, I'd prefer it if she wasn't a freaking mermaid.

Actually, I'd prefer Clark stay single, but with a whole season coming up, I know that isn't going to happen. So I'd rather a new LI come in and let Clark realize either "No, I'm not ready for this" or "Yes I am, but not with you" as opposed to him moving right on to ILL and have her look like someone he's settling with because Lana's gone. That and they need a solid reason for Lois to back off, because I'm with everyone else: I don't want another season of pining Lois and clueless Clark. There needs to be an obstacle and right now, there isn't one, imo.

I think they should have Clark pursue Chloe romantically and have Chloe reject his romantic interests. Now *THAT* would be an enjoyable turnaround and make up for so much of Chloe as the always injured third point of the Chlarkana triangle crap.

I don't expect them to stick to Superman lore necessarily. I was more pointing out that I don't see how it makes Clois any less of a rebound even if they do it the way you proposed. In addition to my previous definition of rebound I'll add that I typically see people use that word when one relationship follows on the heels of another in a short span of time regardless of how it ended. So Lori becomes a rebound girl for Lana and then Lois becomes the rebound girl for Lori. If the goal is to make Lois not look like a rebound I'm just not seeing how another relationship solves that. I'm going to agree with Masenna here but the only way to make any girl not be a second choice to Lana is to have Clark be able to actively choose between the two when Lana is really a viable option.

I just think a better way to do it is cool the jets on Clois, have them have a talk when Lois gets back that there is something going on with them but Clark's hurt right now etc... Lois tells him that's fine but she's not going to sit around waiting and that she doesn't want to be second string. That's perfectly in character for Lois. Then have someone come along for Lois that she's interested in which gets Clark thinking about what it might be like if Lois weren't there. It's what I was originally hoping would happen with Chimmy/Chlark and sure I'd puke to see what I wanted for them get handed to Clois but it would be a far cry better than going through ANOTHER girl for Clark that I might like better than Lois. Plus it removes any chance of some angsty, not together due to circumstance relationship that might even make Lois be a third non-choice than a second.

You mentioned whether we really expect the show to stick to Superman lore. Do we really expect them to have a couple have a mature and amicable breakup scenario? The only of those I can recall is Chloe and Clark from Vortex.

Fucking WHAT?! Season 9?? Christ, hell does have a basement. And apparently we've all been dropped into it.

They've got to be kidding.

Yes, hell does have a basement. Unfortunately you can't get to it right now. It's frozen over.

KSite has promo pix up for Infamous. Wet Clark could almost tempt me to watch this one...

http://www.kryptonsite.com/infamousgallery6.htm

Christmas trees?? When exactly is this episode set?

http://www.kryptonsite.com/infamousgallery11.htm

And is that supposed to be the DP globe in the background or just an image of it on a poster or something?

Smallville is set in Canada. I know they keep saying Kansas, but it's just an accent thing. I take it you aren't from a northern region? Those are just trees where I come from! All year long. Yeah, we have some with leaves too.

Is it bad that when I saw the picture of Clark electrocuting Linda Lake, I thought "so now he's willing to kill to protect his secret. Good to know."?

I think it's a poster. It looks like they're at the airport.



Given how limited the show has been in its exteriors lately, due to the budget, I'd be surprised if they actually shot it in the woods. I imagine that those are just a bunch of trees on the set.

Also there is a building behind them. And the trees are small. They aren't really supposed to be in the woods, I imagine. Probably in a parking lot somewhere.

The thing in the background is the bridge from Legion, Bloodline, and other episodes.


Is it just me, or is that light blue suitcase seems unzipped. Why do I have a feeling Lois will be spilling her items in the rain making clark feel more guilty...Oh so that's how they are going to justify Lois getting the story. Clark was late picking her up, and she's upset hurt and angry, and Clark makes it up to her with his story. Solve the Linda problem and make Lois happy, kill two birds with one stone bit.

Heh, yeah, not from anywhere near Canada, but I did visit the Vancouver area last year. No, what made me think they were Xmas trees was this:


Which is like the Xmas tree lot we saw in Lexmas. Plus, the tree next to Chloe looked like it already had a bauble on it to my sleep deprived mind, though I guess it could just be a background light.


Yeah, it's looking a bit knackered as well.

From the Media thread:

On MR's possible return as Lex for season 9 Massena1 said:



I am on a different mind on this one. I love MR and would want nothing more than to see him on my screen again, but IMHO, if they bring Lex back, they will only butcher the character some more and treat him like a cardboard villain. Throw in every episode Lex praising Nois and saying how she is the best reporter Evah! that will bring him down and so on, and shoehoning of Nois in everything Lex and I can't imagine how they would make Lex better.

Unless they bring him back and actually show us his evil plans, and make him succeed in at least one of them, I would rather have Lex offscreen and think that at least he blew up Ollie and almost blew up the DP. I also have this dreadful feeling that they would make it his mission to separate the EPIC!ICONIC!couple Cnois, and I cannot stomach another season of Lex's mission is only to keep Clark from the woman he chooses again and MR coming back to the show would mean I would have to watch season 9 (Such talent should never go unappreciated).

For me, no MR please uless there were new more competent writers, if the writing for season 8 was this bad, I can only imagine how it will be for season 9, especially if ED returns as Nois and SWF's Chloe's role of going after Lex. Please MR, run, refuse, somebody offer this man his own show and pay him double whatever Smallville is offering him, anything!

ETA: Tennison, I hope this is the right place to post this, if not, please let me know and I will move it.

I tend to agree with this. While MR undeniably adds a lot to the show, the writing this year has been so abysmal that even terrific actors can't save it. The constant lightswitching, lack of story logic, and total absence of characterization make the show unwatchable for me. Adding MR back won't help unless the underlying problems are fixed, IMHO.

jimmy4 - Yeah, I wouldn't want to see any of that either. However with Tess, the Injustice League and the set up for Lex to get revenge on Ollie for buying out Luthorcorp, Lex would have a lot of stuff to do. If they introduce Intergang as an ongoing storyline, Lex as HMBIC of that organization would also suit Lex well. Plus, it'd be a shame if Cassidy Freeman and Michael Rosenbaum never got to have a scene together given how long so many of us wanted Lex to have his Mercy to interact with.
I'd like to see MR direct the Injustice league. I consider it his birthright since it started up with the MB.

Ditto. For that just because I love(d) the character, I'd rather he stay off screen. It's another big reason I'd vote they'd write Chloe riding off into the Gotham Sunset at the end of this season. Hell, I'd take the return of Bart to sweep her off her feet at this point. I don't want to see her getting continued dragged through the mud for another year for that Emo bitch and her idiot of her cousin. Run Allison run! (and take us with you and allow this show to drown in their own washed up lackluster writing chauvinistic misery).

While I'd love to see this too, having Lex back makes Tess sort of redundant unless they're going to try to out-evil each other. Which would be cool, so naturally, it won't happen. That said, if they do get MR to return, I doubt he'll be full time, which I think is for the best at this point, especially if they're also keeping Cassidy and Sam, which TPTB have been intimating they'd like to do. Personally, I thought Lex would have been better served in S7 being a part-timer and forcing the writers to take advantage of his appearances. If they do get him full time, I can only see more of the same as what we got of him in S6 and S7 and for a final year, I think having a more enigmatic and dangerous Lex would be far more interesting.

A solution that works better for me is for ED not to be re-signed, and for AM to stay so that Chloe can go back to work at the DP. YMMV, of course:-).

I'd like to see Chloe back at the Planet, and her and Clark taking on 33.1 and Lex. Someone needs to shoot Lois too. However, I've sort of lost faith in this show's interest in telling the story they built. I don't need to see Lex back to plant kryptonite bombs in Clark's pants.

That said, bringing back MR, if they could do it, would do a lot to restore my faith that they mean to finish the story properly.

I too have lost tons of faith after they gave me SuperLana the Martyr Saint.

And that's the problem. Even if they gave us Chlark at the Planet next year, it might well not be enough for me. I need consistency in storytelling, decent characterization, and plots that make sense. The writing is the big problem right now, IMHO.

I agree. Lex returning sounds nice in theory, but in practice they'll just waste him like they always do.