You know the rumor I need to hear? That they were scouting out for decent writers. Robert Kirkman writes a great Not Quite Superman, and he's a continuity addict. He seems to be a workaholic... What's one more project.

Up until Lana showed up the only real thing that annoyed me about the writing this year was the propping up of Nois as the bestest reportah evah!!! (I'm not including the Chimmy or the continued deconstruction of the Chloe character because that's been going on for 2 years now). I actually think Tess, at the beginning before Super Lana showed up, was a cool character. The way they handled the Davis character was very well done, and they were moving Clark forward at a breakneck pace compared to earlier seasons.

So, I think bringing MR back and incorporating the other new villains at his side would be a worthy storyline and would give Lex a direction the character hasn't had since season 4. Retaking his company, forming the Injustice League and putting Mercy in line are things I think would make MR happy. That, and the very new dynamic between Clark and Lex now that he knows the secret.

Word, PolarB. Isn't it sad that this is the yardstick with which we measure this show?

Which is exactly my problem with the writing this year. What happened to characterization? Why didn't we see Clark actually realize he needed to join the DP and work toward that goal, rather than just being hired with no effort and no qualifications? Why didn't we see Clark begin to slowly realize he needed to expand his hero work beyond his small town, and into the greater world? Instead he just suddenly started saving people in Metropolis, no explanation given. This all could have been an awesome arc for the first half of the season, but instead Clark was simply moved into position like a chess piece.

Meanwhile we have other characters wandering aimlessly (EDLo's whole arc consisting of lusting after Clark; Tess doing not much of anything; Ollie suddenly becoming a murderous villain; Chloe apparently forgetting her love for journalism; Lana returning and out of nowhere becoming a noble heroine). Really, the only arc I think they've handled well this year is Davis. The writing very much needs improvement, IMHO.

I don't even like saying that they've move Clark forwarded at a "breakneck place" because that implies some sort of movement or journey. They just plopped him into being RBB and working at the DP. We didn't get to see him decide to do those things.

Word EllyF and CTUN. That is my whole problem with season 8 and why I think Lex coming into season 9 given the same writers and same season 8 writing would not change much. I don't want characters to be moved from point A to point B with no in between development or explanation of how they got there. Season 8 Clois for example would not bother me as much, if we were actually shown the reasoning behind Lois suddenly going "mhhh I'm in love with Clark" in the most WTF scene of the season ("Committed"). I agree that Davis is the only character whose arc was handled properly and IMHO, this is mainly because ther really do not have anything on him for the past seven seasons to destroy/retcon/butcher or simply ignore. I'm almost sure that if Davis was there in season seven, season 8's arc would have been a massive retcon for him as well (I'm looking at Tess who was not there in earlier seasons but because she has to be connected to Lex and Ollie seems like a complete waste of an awesome actress).

For me characterization, continuity and internal story logic takes preference, and season 8 lacked all three. Characters were so OOC that at some point I couldn't bring myself to recognize them as the same characters I watched in earlier seasons. Even Nois, whose only good trait (in my opinion of course) was being the one that took charge in relationships and not being emo, became exactly that: Emo, pining, stalkerish, whining, moping character.

Like Massena1 mentioned above, Lex should and would have a lot to do in a season 9. But I thought the same thing about Chloe in season 8, when I heard that AM had re-signed and look what the show gave me. As it is, I've come to almost believe that the show looks at all the good ideas, throws them out of the window and starts decides to go with the worst ones. Unless the writing improves, I don't want Lex brought back for them to retcon more things about him (at this rate, I can see them saying that his age is different to justify an arc about him becoming a president). JMHO.

After seeing the Infamous promo pics... this is definitely a read-the-recap before viewing episode. Lois is back to looks of lust, Chloe and Clark are fighting. Fab.

I did this and made the mistake to rewatching Linda Lake clips from Hydro on YouTube. Epic fail that they forgot Linda was Chloe's nemesis. Double fail that the current EP's WROTE Hydro. When they can't remember their own damn episode it's just, heartbreaking.

I'll watch it for Davis and Davis/Chloe interaction. I gotta wonder how they're going to explain where he's been all this time.

We actually did get to see him decide. It just wasn't made into an episode long examination of why.



This isn't a fault of the show runners this year though, IMO. This could have been the last year. At this point you can't SLOWLY do anything. They should have taken care of this stuff in the years past, but they didn't. So, now they have to get to certain plot points as fast as possible. It comes off as shoddy television and it's a legitimate gripe, but you can't really pin this on PS3. They were handed this mess and are trying to do what they can.

Disagree. I totally blame PS3. Where is it written that Clark HAS to be in the Daily Planet by the second episode of the eighth season? Why couldn't it wait till the middle of the season? There was no need for them to get to "certain plot points" so quickly, and in fact it would have been a lot more interesting for us to see the journey, IMHO. I think it would have made a much stronger arc for him to discover the need for the DP, and maybe even a love for journalism, over the first half of the season. Ditto with the RBB thing. What could have been an interesting time of growth and change for Clark's character was simply glossed right over.

When? I'm not talking about seeing a caped Oliver standing on top of a building. I'm talking about the original reasoning that got him from being a frightened farm boy to running around Metropolis saving people. When, how and why did this happen?

Why did Clark need to be at the DP at the start of this year? Or the RBB at the start of this year? This is still supposed to be a "prequel"- there's no need for him to even be at the DP just yet. They had 22 episodes, that's not a small amount of time to develop an arc and see it through. They've done it with Davis in less than 13. There's a middle ground between doing nothing and having something done already. And a legitimate character arc is far more entertaining and satisfying than just plopping him down at a desk. This was totally PS3's fault.

How badly the PTB screwed up the first part of the season isn't really on-topic for this thread.

Indeed. We should be talking about how badly they'll continue to screw up.

I too think it's unfair that it seems Chloe won't share a scene with Linda Lake. Hydro was all about her and Clark vs. Linda bent on exposing him for her own glory and now it seems to be about the same thing, except replace Chloe with Lois. Not surprising as that seems to be the theme for the season.

I agree. I remember TV Guide said something along the lines of expecting another Chloe/Linda smackdown. But judging from the trailer and the pictures, it's all EDLo vs. Linda, as if the writers don't remember Hydro at all. I just hope we don't get any comments from Linda on EDLo's clear superiority as a reporter or as a friend to Clark, but I suppose those are a possibility.

Clark had virtually nothing to do with Linda in Hydro. He had his own storyline going with Oliver and Lois. Personally, I don't see why Infamous needs to be a rehash of Hydro anyway. At least this time around Linda will be interacting with more people than just Chloe and given that Linda is apparently interested in getting her career back, it makes sense to me that she'd be dealing with Lois. I don't see this as the writers "forgetting" what they did previously, I see it as them telling a different story than just giving us Linda vs Chloe Part 2, which I wouldn't have been interested in watching anyway.

PS were the writers of Hydro it means they don't remember their own story.


I dunno.

In Hydro, Linda's headline was "Farmboy from Another Planet"

In Infamous Lois's headline will be "Clark Kent Alien from Krypton"

It seems their reporting are on par with each other.

In fact, Linda wanted Clark's story to advance her career, while Clark gives Lois his story advancing both their careers.

Linda and Lois seems to be more alike based on the comparisons from cannon.

But this episode is a pure Clois bone there will be comments left and right.

I'm just upset that after a month so hiatus they come back with a redo/waste of an episode.

"Hydro" had nothing to do with Nois. It's a question of continuity for me. Linda "disappeared" because of Chloe. She'd be interested in another showdown and an opportunity to brag to Chloe that she outed Clark.

It's because when you bring a villain back, it is usually a sequel to that episode. And the dynamics should be the same.

When they brought Tina Greer back, it was to be with Lana again.

Both Chloe and Linda are out of work, and since Chloe has evidence Linda is a meteor freak, why doesn't Clark just out Linda as a meteor freak who can't be trusted? I don't see the need for Lois to be shoehorned into what should have been a rematch between Linda and Chloe.

Linda lost her job because of Chloe protecting Clark. Linda should want revenge on those two, Lois shouldn't be involved in this story if continuity and good storytelling were taken into account but with smallville we never get those two.

The way I see it, this is. Linda is picking up exactly where she left off in wanting to use Clark's secret for her own gain. Should she want revenge on Chloe personally? I don't know. Sure she was annoyed with Chloe in Hydro, but Chloe didn't really do anything to her. And Lois' involvement makes sense to me because Linda's playing this game in the media and that's where Lois is, not Chloe.

Chloe and Linda had a cat fight out side of the Daily Planet, Chloe called her out on being a meteor freak, and Linda wouldn't have been out of the DP for those reasons if Chloe never confronted her in the first place. I'd say Chloe did a lot of things to her.

Exposing Clark, and getting back at the DP would be her way at revenge against Chloe, who stopped her from doing just that in Hydro.


I would agree with this if only Lois was working in the media, but Clark works there too. Lois is not needed when Clark is in the media too, so again her involvement is nothing more then SWF something Chloe has already done.

I personally find a Linda vs Chloe rematch more interesting and entertaining then a Linda vs Chloe's cousin because with the latter it's a "been there done that" sort of feel. YMMV

Which are fairly petty, imo, and nothing that was ever public knowledge. Not that I don't think Linda wouldn't hold a grudge, but I think it would be secondary to regaining her fame and fortune.


Linda never got fired. Her disappearance was for reasons unrelated to Chloe.


Clark writing and publishing his own story would look sketchy at best, imo. Lois is the only other option given current canon.


I have to admit I'm having a little trouble seeing how a rematch has less of a "been there done that" feel than an interaction that's never happened before, but you're right, mileage does vary.

For me, I don't see it as so much a rematch as them picking up where they left off. As in when Tina Greer came back, she upped the stakes by actually wanting to be Clark or Whitney and have Lana all to herself that way (and wasn't the HoYay! glorious). Infamous doesn't seem to be upping anything. We have same situation, different girl. I blame the writers in general for giving us nothing more than a rehash. But I would have forgiven them a little if Linda was up against the same girl who thwarted her before and knew her weakness. Chloe is a more worthy opponent in this case and something more interesting could have come from it. Linda would have had to up her game. It just seems like same old, same old...

YMMV as always.

Because a rematch usually means there different stakes involved.

See what Infamous should have been about the consequence of Chloe now being out of the Planet. Linda is back, both girls are jobless, and one plans on getting back at the DP by exposing the secret Chloe fought her to protect. How can Chloe protect Clark when she's not at a higher ground?

It's Hydro reversal, where both girls were at the DP to now they are both out of it. One wanted to advance her career, there other was keeping hers at bay to protect the hero.

That's how it's different.

IMHO, getting thrown over Chloe's shoulders fighting her to prevent being exposed, flying into the path of a truck to be splattered and drizzle into a street drain and not be seen again in the show until now, definitely was a reason to do with Chloe.

Chloe and Linda had the history and now all that bad blood, starting with Linda trying to fob off mindless grunt work on Chloe and trading barbs about integrity and truth is flushed down the drain. Once again, potential is tossed aside and Linda Lake's character getting brought back is nothing more than the catalyst to Clark finding out the downside to telling his secret. Really, any random MF who knew his secret would do. Without Chloe interacting with Linda, there is nothing special about her return past another empty nod at the continuity fairy.

On the other topic (TPTB wanting MR to come back) I fear that Lex has the same problem as before only magnified. He's competely isolated from the rest of the cast and now that he is supposed to be dead, I'm going to guess that isolation would be even more pronounced. I don't want MR back if he is still stuck playing with minor guest villians.

If they could bring him back and have the public welcome him back like he being alive is a miracle, then maybe things could get intersting as long as they figured out how to have Clark talk to him without the constant rushing in to blame for everthing. Maybe have Lex come back without his memory (or so it would seem). Something would need to be done to allow the other actors to actually deal with him.

So yeah, sounds great but I would expect Smallville to totally squander the chance. (KEEP RUNNING MICHAEL!)

Exactly. For me bringing back Linda Lake should have been all about a follow-up of what happened between her and Chloe in Hydro. Now with what they are doing in Infamous with Nois, is a disappointment. It's like bringing back Tina-Greer(sp?) and in season 2 and instead of her worshiping Lana and wanting to be with her/be her and so on (like she did in the season 1 episode) with higher stakes, having her now worshipping Chloe and wanting to be Chloe and so on for no particlualr reason. As much as I love Chloe, it would have sucked big time because Tina's arc in season one had to do with Lana. The same thing should happen in Infamous IMHO. Linda Lake's arc was with Chloe with Clark, Clexana, and journalism integrity being the main subject matter. Now Clark being involed in Infamous makes sense, since he was the main subject matter in Hydro, but Nois was nowhere in sight, and to me it will be a total disappointment if we do not get at least one Chloe/Linda scene/rematch. From the promos/photos, it almost seems as if Chloe is only a footnote in anything Linda-Lake related, which is trully sad. YMMV

Bingo. "Her disappearance was unrelated to Chloe" seems to discount:
- Chloe figured out she was the one who murdered the baseball player
- Chloe was the one who threw her bodily in front of Lana's car, thus causing her to go "splat" and slink into the sewer where she belonged
- The fight, far from being petty IMO, was not only about protecting Clark's secret but also Chloe revealing that she was on to Linda. Linda was fighting Chloe with intent to kill from what I could see --- Chloe had the ability to ruin her career and send her to jail. Linda could have said "I overheard your friend is an alien" and just try to blackmail Chloe. But she didn't. Now perhaps it was just so we could have a fun on-screen fight but I think it was because when you weigh the verifiable evidence that Linda is a meteor freak against a claim from a suspected murderer that someone is an alien -- Linda was not in a strong position. If Linda did not run away because she thought she would be blamed for the baseball player's death -- then why did she run away? Which brings to me to....

Why ISN'T Linda "taking care of Chloe"? Chloe could still out her as a murderer (it's not like there is a statute of limitations). Perhaps the presence of the RBB make her overheard comment about Clark being an alien more credible but Linda is leaving an awfully big loose end there. Perhaps she thinks that busting Clark will keep Chloe silent --- but I don't know why --- at that point Chloe would really have nothing to lose. Chloe is still a threat to Linda in this scenario. In sum, it seems obvious to me that Linda's disappearance was DIRECTLY related to Chloe. Her return should therefore involve Chloe and not doing so leaves a crater of a plot hole glossed over to tell the story they way they want to -- regardless of the previously established narrative. It makes these writers a bunch of hacks IMO.

Ultimately, to me, this choice to make this a Lois/Linda fight vice Chloe/Linda fight squashes good storytelling in the attempt to play what I call "mythos bingo": Clark telling Lois, Lois making her career off of the Superman interview, and Lois getting to have a physical fight with a bad guy. Ostensibly, the purpose of the episode is theoretically to prove (for the 324566th time) to Clark that he just can't be "Clark Kent Alien" and he needs a disguise. I think that they've already proven the point about Clark needing a disguise -- which makes this episode feel like filler and mythos porn to me.* I want a story about Smallville and Clark's actual progression. I feel there is nothing fresh in this episode based on the promos thus far -- just a stretchout because Clark is relearning the same lesson. It undermines the series when they do this IMO.

I see no rationale for cutting the writer's any slack for the hatchet job they've done on Smallville -- by this time the stories should be better and not reheated leftovers.

But....let me finish on a different note. I think it may be that Linda ignoring Chloe as a threat is precisely her downfall in this episode. I believe it IS possible that while Lois gets the initial smackdown with Linda, it may be Chloe telling Clark how to finish off Linda that ultimately results in her demise. It would appear this leaves bombastic Lois with the splashy (pun intended) fight and Chloe ACTUALLY being the heroine who saves the day. I also suspect, like others, that it is Chloe who Clark runs to when he finds what a mess he's created and they'll have an argument but find a solution. This is based on the tense look of the pine-lot photos which appear to be closer to the end of the story because Clark's jacket is damaged. So, in the end it may be Chloe who provides the solution that gets him out of the jam. Curious and curiouser.

*further rationale in the spoilers thread.

And there we have the reason everything will be reset at the end of "Infamous". Clark's jacket is damaged. Mystery solved. ;)

On a totally new topic, I just had a thought, which I'm sure someone else has already had but I can't remember reading it. There are rumours that they're recasting the Doomsday monster as some wrestler guy, yet they've been hinting that they have ideas as to how to bring SW back for S9.

Black K anyone?

Yes, that has definitely been suggested in the past. I hope they don't go that route, however, as I see it as something of a copout-- Davis is not a nice, sweet guy trapped in a monster's body, but one who lies and manipulates and covers his own butt. I'd much rather they brought him back as Zod, if they want SW back... and I think having SW back would be great, as he's an awesome actor. However, he is the one person Ausiello indicated was NOT likely to come back next season, IIRC.

I actually wouldn't object to some Black K magic to bring Davis back. I don't really see Davis as a bad guy, just a good guy who has no choice and no will of his own but to become a monster. The way I see it, the evilness of the monster is seeping into Davis, since he is the same guy in a way (kind of like Ka-El in season 4's first episode). This would be awesome too but only if the writers don't try the same thing they tried in season six and have Zod wanting to have babies with Chloe this time round or with Nois. That would be horrid.

I figured it must have been. I can be slow to the obvious. :) But I do think it would work. I mean, Clark wasn't a bad guy trapped in a good guy's body, nor was Lex a good guy trapped in a bad guy's body; black K just separates one person into their good and bad sides. I think for Davis, it would work in that the bad side would be all monster and the good side would be all Davis. Regardless, I also prefer the Zod option.

As for him not returning, I'd be surprised, honestly. They were certainly telling SW earlier that they had ideas on how to keep him around. At this point, especially with all the talk of MR returning being a possibility, I see Cassidy as more expendable than I do Sam. I mean, they've more or less admitted that they want Doomsday to return as per Mr. Wrestler Dude. It would kind of suck to keep the monster and get rid of the guy who put so much effort into getting the character to that point, but that's my opinion, of course.

I thought I posted this here. Matt Morgan lied. Buddytv asked the CW press person who said he hasn't been cast in S9.

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/smallville...ator-26706.aspx

No, actors don't lie or make errors, they are just mislead by the evil show runners.

I wouldn't say Matt lied. He never said he was 100% cast. He said they couldn't use him for S8 and so they were "attempting" to fit him in for S9. That leaves room for it to not happen, and apparently, it isn't. Unless he's gone on record since the news first broke saying he was, which I don't know if he has or not.

My translation: We have no idea who this guy is. I had to google him to find out he is an out of work wrestler. He made the whole thing up and since he's causing me inconvenience in having to refute his career boosting lies, I'm going to make it clear no one here knows this clown by stopping just short of outright calling him a liar by starting off with the dismissive and distant "apparently", alluding to his unemployed status, laying it all on him as the source of the BS and ending with a very clear "not true."

YMMV.

New S8 promo image at KSite.

Nois looks so at home in her true element. Chloe looks like she's going to the 7th grade dance. Why oh WHY do they never play up AM's sex appeal? It's so odd.

Why isn't Clark in the Center?

From the look of this it seems it's Oliver's show.


Yeah, she does look better now that they are in a bar. Her breasts still seem larger to me, and the necklace looks bad.

Did they photo shop her in, only because if you look at everyone's feet, you can see them all, and the spot where you're supposed to see Nois's feet (behind Clark's) their missing.


She really does.

What a bizarre picture.

And what's ace...bs?

Ace of Clubs

From K-site:
Offical Description for Hex

Is this how "Hex" goes down? Lois and Chloe actually switch bodies, so ED plays Chloe and AM will play Lois? Or is this a mistake by the CW?

From the spoiler thread... continuing the discussion of shifting episodes from one season to the next:

As far as I'm aware, all contracts have end dates with mutual agreement and can't be extended unilaterally. Certainly there can be "options" where one party can pick up an "option" that extends another year but that's pre-negotiated at the start. I'm fairly certain a "season" ends with filming. If ED's contract expires at the end of S8, then they have no contractual vehicle to make any manuevers with - unilateral or bilateral. After the AM drama of last year, I'm fairly certain they either have ED on some contract for a S9 or there is no contract vehicle for the "missed episodes" at this time. You just can't change the period of performance unilaterally (I apologize if this comes across as a 'statement of fact' .... let me put it this way...I've never heard of any contract where one side was allowed to make a change to the terms and conditions without agreement of the other side).

On the thread, Craig seems to be saying that as far as he knows, nothing has changed. The implication seems to be that it's an error.



I agree. I don't think they can force ED to appear in an episode next year by holding back an episode this year-- if she has a thirteen-episode contract, they'd owe her for thirteen even if she only appeared in twelve. The only reason they did the "rollover episodes" for KK was because KK had a movie and needed to get out of her contract for a while, so they came to a mutual agreement.

Well ED is in the move Sleeping with the Lion and another TV movie Final Verdict, could that have any effect on her contract?

Final Verdict has already filmed and aired. Robin Hood has already filmed. Sleeping With the Lion seems to be in semi-permanent limbo. I doubt any of them have any effect. Besides, she can't just refuse to appear in an episode because she has to film something else-- she's under contract, so it would have to be by mutual agreement, like the KK thing. I think it's much more likely they just didn't want her in the episode, for whatever reason.

I knew about Robin Hood, I didn't know Final Verdict had filmed and aired already. Sorry.

Thanks for clarifying EllyF. It's not as if this is good news. I think I'll rely on Omar's recaps for this one, among others.



It's strange, IA. Have we ever seen the Ace of Clubs set this season and what's up with all the light bulbs? Also Erica's legs seem to be missing.

We saw it at least once in the Maxima episode because that's where Jimmy got drunk and seduced. And that one scene is why we no longer have Oliver's pad and he must live on his plane. Good budgeting by the show runners, as usual.

I don't know what's up with the light bulbs. Aside from making it oddly bright, the way they're hanging reminds me of birthday party balloons, which also adds to the weird feeling of the picture because this such a downer of a show. YMMV.

Wich means they could agree to let her film her movies for a change to have her come back for one episode. I think is odd that after they decided to have her on more they just cut her so drastically on the "Nois and Clark" season.

I don't want to nurture hope but is terribly odd, they do have one free episode for her on S9 they could do what the love to do use her image for the promos without she being on the season at all. Noisers will hold hope to see her once more and then use her last episode to give us anvils and a in the future kind of end like Clana.

I still hold on my theory that they are giving all shipper their endings so they can just ignore the DVD discs that don't agree with what they liked, which is shitty but it can also mean that Chlois could be done in the last episode.