Votey!

"There are still stories to tell" gave me a good chuckle. "There are still stories to re-tell" is more like it.

I think the show is well past it's use by date. I think the PTBs, as evidenced by the stuff with Lana that they say they planned well in advance of her arrival, have no new ideas left, and are just retelling stories they've already done with no desire to change and despite knowing their audience wants better - I think the problem is, they don't want to be better. They've settled into a niche, and are just biding their time for their pension until they have to leave. They're just doing things by route and habit, and are showing again how creatively dry they are. Season 9 will just be more of the same old stories, with more stalling and whatever nosensical DC character they can get their hands on so they can tell everyone: hey, it's a DC character, aren't we awesome?

I think there are a lot of people like me who look forward to seeing TW on screen, nonsensical hokey re-told plots or not, and are afraid that after the show's demise he'll disappear behind the camera or into Recluseville. Oh, and add JH to the "must see" category, although I think he has more ambition, and therefore more viability of finding a future series niche.

Seeing a beefy TW in the grey/white tee combo arguing with JH in Bulletproof was enough testosterone to keep me going for a week. Um, was there actual dialogue?

Yes, it's beyond shallow, but I'll put up with just about any craptastic writer's outlandish script so long as the guys' closeups are pretty. I don't think I'm alone in this. Sure, I'd like a better, improved SV and have the same despair that's voiced here, but, as a last resort, a new defective Season 9 is better than nothing -- and has the potential for an epic episode here and there. . . or, if not, a few epic scenes: SW in the shower, TW dripping in the Russian rain, AM strutting her stuff in the fortress.

It seems that former WB actors are doomed to appear in C level horror films until they disappear completely. KK's foray into martial arts for the Asian market is par for the course. It's been frustrating watching Pacey wander the world as arm candy to Diane Kruger until he finally nabbed a role in "Fringe" (for however long that lasts).

Michelle Williams seems to be the exception in finding roles worthy of her talents.

Anyway, Season 9? Bring it on. More abs and pecs, please.

Good point. Can I change my vote?

I made a longish post in the original Season 9? thread but that was sent into the internet ether so I won't repeat it here. Long story short, my response to season 9 is the same defeated sight-groan that happened with Season 8. At least I could have rationalized Season 8 with AlMiles getting to finish the story they intended to tell 8 years ago and the writer's strike putting a monkey wrench in the works. But Season 9...I don't think PS3 has an endpoint, I don't believe they have a "story" (and I didn't even believe AlMiles did to be honest), and I wouldn't mind it so much of the journey was even halfway decent, which it isn't.

As much as I like (some of) the cast, I'm not so in love with them to desire another year of their "company." There's enough eye candy on TV that TW or AM or JH or SW or CF don't really serve some unique function that I can't get elsewhere.

But I'll probably still be here making worthless post after worthless post and failing at humor and insight.

Honestly if S9 was Chlark and Lollie or Lois and Jimmy either dead/gone/over their Pining eyes of Pining, I'd watch it.

If it's another season of Chlark vs Clois shipper baiting, or Chlark isn't in it, then no.

TW's beefy muscles do nothing for me, despite the fact that normally I like cute guys a lot. But I need something more than beefy muscles to interest me in a show. If that's all the show has, I'm bored, bored, bored. Bored sick. Bored.

Clark is the worst excuse for a hero I've ever seen. He's stupid, self-righteous, judgemental, moralistic and a hypocrite. His beefy muscles do not make up for all of that, for me. I loathe him, and only want Doomsday to beat him to death with a huge kryptonite boulder.

The other characters are on about the same level. The only character I ever cared about was Lex, and he's the show's whipping boy for the other characters to take out all their frustrations on. And now we don't even have MR around to look at and listen to.

A season 9 will not fix anything. The show should be taken out and shot, in my opinion.

Sadly, none of the guys on TV are as visually pleasing as TW for me. He's not even my usual type but I love having something new with him on a weekly basis.

Same with AM. Only she perfectly fits my type.

On the other hand, no eye-candy can be enough for Season 9 to happen. The rate of suckage per episode in Season 8 is enough to last me for the next 5 years, minimum. That's all the suck a person can take.

I've come to the conclusion that if they haven't told the story of a young Superman well and they don't have anything new to bring to the table in eight seasons, they aren't going to do it in nine.

It's not about storytelling anymore. It's about collecting a paycheck.

What's really shallow is Tom is getting a bit soft for me. I can get man candy elsewhere and I don't have to put up with ED.

My thoughts exactly. I voted for "No! Dear God, no! Nooooo!" Gorgeous men are not enough to compel me to tune in-- heck, I can't even watch the show THIS season, and I think TW is the most beautiful man ever created. And yet there are a couple of scenarios in which I'd be all for a season nine...



Exactly. Focus the show on what we should have had this year, Chlark at the Planet, get rid of all the silly, irrelevant EDLo pining, and the Chimmy that no one wants, and then I could watch. If they could quit stalling, and moving characters around randomly without any regards to actual character development continuity, I could watch happily. If they wrote an enjoyable story in every episode and emphasized the characters I really care about, I could love the show again.



But yeah, this is pretty much where I'm at. If they can't make the second half of what might be their last season matter, and focus on the characters that are important to the show, then there's no reason to believe the show's going to magically improve next year.



Bingo. Send it to the glue factory. Wrap it up this year, give us a satisfactory, heroic ending, and let it go. At this point they're not even trying to produce original stories; they're just spinning wheels. I see no reason to believe season 9 would be any better.

I don't even know about this. The Chlark relationship is not enough for me to watch the show for. It's nice but I don't find it so particularly amazing that it's worth spending another whole year with plot holes and senseless character motivations, lame villains and personalityless secondary characters. I also doubt they can write a happy relationship so they'd ruin Chlark in that way.

Maybe a couple of years ago Chlark at the DP would have been a nice idea but right now it just seems tired. In other words, they have them there and then what? They don't know how to write a newsroom, they never established other people who work there, the FotW formula is stale, we have no Lex and Tess has lost being special. And if they create a new villain for S9, we're probably going to go through the same crap as we are now.

Put it this way-- *I* can easily imagine a season's worth of good, solid stories that could be had out of Chlark at the Planet. The question is, could the writers handle it? Like you, I doubt it. They've shown no understanding of character development lately, their dialogue is stiff and unnatural, and the way they handle plot arcs leaves huge gaping holes for the audience to fill. Probably we'd still get stalling, plot holes, and characters who do 180 degree turns from one episode to the next.

Even so, if they did Chlark next year, I'd probably tune in, simply because I'm a raging optimist:-).

EllyF:



I have many of the same thoughts.

My prescription if Smallville has a ninth season?

Have Geoff Johns be involved with everything or at least consulted regularly. And he should write every other episode. Or every third episode. Maybe this would force writers to bring up the quality of their writing because fans start complaining about the non-Geoff Johns episodes.

If Nois doesn't die at the end of this season, she'd better die damn well die at the beginning of the next. And make it so that there is no possible way for Chloe's healing power to help. Have her walk down a dark alley. A shadowy figure comes out, pulls out a large shotgun and fies several shots into head, body and limbs. Shadowy figure places something on the ground and leaves. Then we see what it is. A muffin.

Of the current main cast, keep only Tom Welling, Allison Mack, Aaron Ashmore and Jason Hartley. This would focus the storyline on fewer characters so that the primaries would get a bit more screentime per storyline. As an added benefit, they could use the money that would've gone to two or three more primary cast members for better special effects, recurring characters and cool guest shots.

As astrogea posted on the Chlois thread, Clark will need to spend the majority of the season trying to prove to Chloe/Chlois that she is his soulmate while she's dating other people. Maybe even have Vic Sage make an appearance or two as someone who's interested in pursuing her even she never goes out on a date with him. (I haven't read it yet, but in The Question miniseries from 2004, it's revealed that he had a crush on Lois Lane in journalism school.)

Get Michael McKean for at least a couple of guest shots, especially towards the end. But that's only if you can't get him as a full cast member or as a recurring character.

Hell, if you can get him to do a guest shot, have Jensen Ackles make a guest appearance as Jason Teague even though he apparently died. Have him revealed as Jason Blood/Etrigan as some people thought he might be.

An appearance by the Legion of Substitute Heroes! They appear, have powers that seem lame, but they still manage to kick some ass. Hell, have the Legion and the Subs in the same episode, each group taking on a separate threat while Clark is out of commission because someone from the future tried to take him out. Have it culminate in a call back to Fever except this time Clark says Chloe's name.

And the major threat of the season? It's got to be Darkseid, with voice provided by Michael Ironside. Have the season culminate in a battle above Metropolis like in the series finale of Justice League Unlimited.

They can do it if they want, but I doubt I'll be around to watch. That's not a con against the show at all, it's just that the honeymoon is over and other things interest me.

It has to go. Really, people bitch about Heroes, and I never hear complaint one about the suckitude of SV, which drives Superman down in my opinion. And on his worst day, Tim Kring is still better than PS3.

Preach it sister!! I've read enough of your stories to easily imagaine a solid season 9 too!! The story has been lost, imo, and I get that there's stall time needed and I'm flexible with that - but when shoehorning, ICONIC gagging and retelling stories that didn't work too well the first time are being thrown out there....enough already. PTB, *we'll* finish the series for you - really, it's not a problem.

Oh, why not one more season. It's not like the cast has anything better to do. Or me, for that matter.

Only if Lois ends up dead, you get Chlark together and Chloe adopts the Lois Lane penname.

Other than that, no there should be no S9.

Jensen has a much better gig.

The show should have ended about three years ago. All they've done is shove DCU characters at me---Jimmy, Ollie, Kara, Maxima, Plastique, Doomsday, the Legion, Black Canary*, and the more they do that stunt casting, the less I care.

Having a rehash of Wrath just proved to me they have no stories left to tell, just more anvils, shipper baiting, DCU stunts, and stalling. The shoestring budget is showing so badly. There are hardly any effects left and the music is just terrible. The guest star casting seems to have suffered too as of late. If they got a magical season nine, with the raise TW has due, I can't imagine ANY special effects. Everything Clark does will be fade to black/Offscreenville.

Look, the cast is pretty, but they ain't that pretty, IMHO.
***

* = I refuse to buy that Tess "I run to Oliver" Mercer is Mercy Graves.

I'm surprised he could still work after the Season From Hell. Not only should the CW stick a fork in SV, they should abort The Graysons right the hell now. Really, the adventures of Dick Grayson before he becomes Robin? The writers aren't going to improve, and the actors should just go on their merry ways to join other genre shows and, in a few cases, direct-to-DVD low budget porn.

As much as I hate where Smallville's plot goes I have to admit that the 3rd season of Heroes is even more of a bullshit. Except it's even more pathetic since two years ago this used to be a good show.

I quit watching after the second episode this season and then only fast-forwarded through episodes with Kristen Bell. And all of them sucked too.


They should do an on-stage musical.

It was announced a couple weeks ago that The Graysons is in a dumpster behind the "clinic."

My answers: No! Dear God, no! Nooooo! and The universe hates me

Really this show is so stalling that is going backwards is beyond mercyful killing is just plug out the cord from it.

This would be the only things that would get me behind a season 9, tough.

1- Placing the real Lois Lane (Chlois) and Clark on a Perry White purified planet.

2- Depicting Clark´s baby steps as flying Superman (with the suit) and trying for the first time to balance life as a hero and reporter and as a human and kryptonian.

3- The show somehow stops being so dramatic and had some actual humour (Geoff Jones did a great job balancing humor and drama) and by humur I mean really funny stuff not Bois wacky hijinks.

4- Bois dying (a cold, cruel definitive not coming back from the death dead) but I could also get behind of Chlois by having her using Cat Grant as a pen name: if the show stops pretending she is the real deal and makes clear that her pencil fellating would only drive Clark running for the hills then her presence is not that bad, IMO.

5- Jimmy trying to be a friend (a real friend) to Chlois like realizing that he wants Chlois happyness and that his pathetics attempt to drive Clark towards Bois were wrong.

6- Chlois dating around before actually paying attention to Clark because will be the best route because will help Jimmy and Clark bond as friends since Jimmy will not longer see the relationship with Clark as the reason his marriage didn't worked out also Cat Grant(Bois) wouldn´t feel like her cousin took her man (she is crazy enough to believe that, trust me) and also the viewers would had time to be convinced that Clana is over for good, (finally, for ever,dead buried beheaded, burned, salt on the coffin, ashes to ashes, dust to dust) and Lana wouldn´t had any claims of Chlois waiting for her to let Clark go to have a chance with him.

7- Clark moves to Metropolis with Shelby. They could call the new season Metropolis if they want to I don´t care.

8-Martha Kent having regular calls and mentions on the show like she sending some gifts and a sweater to Clark on winter heck she could sent her the El´s house symbol by mail if they want to give us a nice nod to LnC.

9- MR back with hair! Lex on some comics likes to wear tupees so is not that hard to buy he got one that resembled his natural hair color and stick it to it and of course he totally knows Clark´s secret and tortures him with it in 101 different ways every episode and of course his minions should be totally devoted to him, competent and never betray him (or die pretty quickly after that) also he gets real security this time and gets a mansion with more than four rooms...I could settled for five.

10- Gina survived she was in a coma all along and comes back to help Lex to take revenge starting by killing Tess and Lex start to call her Mercy and she likes it so much that she make is legally (hey I´m a Chloiser so I can live with two name changes) also she makes sure all Lex needs are fulfilled ;)

11- Musical episode. I know I know but I love musicals and Joss Whedon could get invited to write it and at this point it wouldnt be worse than some other studd they had done, IMO.

I of course would support CW projects, buy a Yaris and a DELL and give Stride gum for christmas present to all my friends for the rest of my life if they were to do that.

I like your ideas astrogea. If there was a season 9, my ideas are along these lines, based on my recollection of them wanting to use Darkseid (bearing in mind that I don't really know a lot about Darkseid).

First off, scrap the writers. They're tiredness of this show shines through. There's no joy, no pleasure. Get people like Geoff there who enjoy the characters, enjoy the opportunity and have fun with it.

The show centers around The Daily Planet. And the writers need to understand how a newsroom works. Clark, Chloe, Lois (if she's still alive) and Jimmy work there. They work there as a team, a team of four, not any more of this bullshit where only two of them can work together at any given time. There's also an older mentor editor figure- not Perry or Kahn but someone who has age and wisdom behind them.

Big bad is Darkseid. He'll be a normal looking guy but, like with every "big bad" on the show he can run his own business. He's not a woobie, he's not conflicted. He's a suave evil charmer kind of like Profit in Profit like Lex might have become, except competent. (He'll also have loyal minions.) His company starts selling alien technology and becomes so huge and powerful that he destroys Queen Industries and LuthorCorp. He's also preparing Earth for invasion through freaks and aliens. In doing this, the world becomes aware that We Are Not Alone, which might spur Superman to "reveal" himself.

Then at the end, Lex comes back armed with Kryptonite technology and blows him to hell.

Not a particularly original idea but just some random thoughts I had for how a Season 9 could work.

They could have Lex kill Superman every week. It would be like South Park. 'Oh, no. They killed Clarky!'

Then I'd watch season 9.

I have an answer. I just am like more emphatic than God no!

Why?

Stiletto , 'nough said. They are so out of ideas.

Jaysus Lawd, I would actually watch the show again just for that one. Save the Lex, Save the World!
P.S. to Heroes: You still suck.

astrogea:



If she survives, would she suffer a lot? We had to suffer through all of her idiocy, so I don't see why she shouldn't suffer a little too.



That would be a good time to change either the theme music or at least the graphics to the intro.

Originally, the intros were solid. In the back of my head, I've always kind of felt that the musical excerpt they used never quite worked with the series. But those intros made up for it by not trying too hard with insane graphics. They kept it simple. Later they started going all weird and then had the cast do that slow turn thing. And the music certainly couldn't make up for it.

Changing the intros back to something simple? Easy. Just think of something that doesn't want to make your eyes bleed.

If they do this, I would be happy. But I would at least like to have the intro music changed for the finale episode. Something orchestral possibly . Maybe a slight homage to the Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman theme or John Williams' score from the Superman movies.



Yes! I liked Gina a lot more than Tess. I actually found her hotter too. Her only real problem was her aim. :)


CantThinkUpName:



Darkseid is an evil alien conquerer. And probably wouldn't care to look human because of his ego. So, he wouldn't be able to run a business directly. But there was a Superman: The Animated Series episode where he was funneling high tech weapons to Metropolis' criminal element. (I think that was his introduction.)

If he played a part in a hypothetical ninth season, I think he'd probably have a role that's a mixture of Zod from season five and the Master from Buffy the Vampire Slayer season one. Clark would know that Darkseid is coming, but unlike Zod we'd actually get to see multiple appearances of Darkseid before the primary invasion. And we'd get to see appearances of Boom Tubes and parademons.

If the finale episodes are proper homages to the Superman: The Animated Series two-parter "Apokolips... Now! and the Justice League Unlimited series finale, they would probably make up for a majority of the crap we've had to endure.

A YouTube video search for Superman and Darkseid should give you a feel for the character.

It'll be like in Bloodline when Kara and Lois were in the transporter Fortress place and you could hear TW off screen going "Uh... Uh" and Lois cried "Clark's being attacked!"

God that was awful.

I predict in Season 9 Clark will lose his powers (again) so that they can go half the season without any special effects.

Nah she is too stupid to feel real pain she probably will beat herself against a wall because "I'm me" before falling unconscious the best we can hope is she rebounding on any other suit after Clark's gets a dry clean



What a better way to start a whole new stage on the show than be rehashing the intro however I do like Remy Zero Save me so not sure about the change of the song.



Oh didn't you knew? Luthorcorp scientist fixed this and she is now the best shooter on metropolis and guess what she likes to finish everything she starts ;)

astrogea:



Heh. That reminds me of something I said about Sleeper. People complained about Jimmy playing at being Bond but I said that if Nois had tried it she would have just shot herself in the foot with that tranquilizer dart.



I actually like the song in it's entirety. It's just that weaknesses in the excerpt weren't quite as readily apparent to me until they changed the intro into "Hey! Look what we can do with our insane graphics!" They could just kept the song as is and return to the relative simplicity of the visual aspects of the original intros. And eliminate the cast doing the spinning thing. I'd be happy with that.

And talking about music, I defintely would want some homages to other Superman-related media in the final episode.



Heh. Have her kill Nois if she isn't already dead. Then have her kill a few Standard Luthor Goons who lose their lunch over just what she did to Nois. Can't have weakness if you're on Luthor's team.

I'm cool with that, if Chlark were a couple. Then they could have lots and lots of sex. TW is still pretty even when he's not Super.

Pretty has taken the show too far. The CW has two Clydesdales with Supernatural, so Smallville would be redundant.

In general, a season 9 for any show is a lot to ask, but Smallville has done nothing to prove they would use it wisely. The show isn't going to go further than whatever endpoint PS3 have already designated in their minds. It's all about stalling and not even good stalling. There are a lot of stories that could still be told, but they have a track record of blazing past what could be interesting to explore and instead just reguritating retreaded formula.

Now the question really is, will there be a season 9? I fear that it will happen. Why? Because the universe hates me.

Absolutly - and the Clydesdales (love that btw) still have good stories to play in.


Very well said. Stories that have been used to stall, haven't really even kept the story at a "stand still" instead they've seemed to be more a back-slide that turns into character assasintion to some degree. IA that there are still some good stories to be told and some of the ones started should've taken more time to play out instead of rushing the "good ones" in trade for some half-ass filler ones that don't really move the story just fire up fandom debates.

I actually though of one scene:

Lex talks with Clark after reapering alive telling him that he doesn't remember a lot of the last months he was missing, then he proceeds to tell him about one of his guards betraying his trust while he was away, he calls him in.

Lex: Let me introduce you to Clark Kent...His real name is Kal-El of Krypton he his an alien that came during the first meteor shower he has superstrenght, superhearing, superspeed and X-Ray vision...

Clark of course gasps on fear and disbelieve then Lex takes a gun and calmly shoots the minion several times.

Lex: Don't worry Clark your secret will always be safe with me...

Oh! A twistedly loyal Lex. That would be great to see. Clark unable to completely control him for fear his secret is revealed and Lex performing unspeakable acts in Clark's name.

Hee! Nice one, astrogea. You should post that in the Whimsy thread, under 'Lines That Will Never Be Said on Smallville!

Thank your for the kudos aside from a Chloiser I'm also a beleiver that the best ending for the series and the secret about Superman we didn´t knew until now is that Lex Luthor always knew Superman's identity but that he keeps that info for himself due to a twisted sense of loyalty, the feeling of power on having something that Superman fears about him and to torturing him forever making he (Superman) beleive that maybe he was wrong not trusting him with his secret when they were friends on SV and that maybe lex wouldn't had turned out into the villain he will be.

Of course this makes as most sense as Chlois so who knows if it ever happens on this unlogical show. :(

ITA, Bkwurm. I mean, even when they have a good story to tell, they push it to the side and let crap take center stage (season six, I'm looking at you).

Also, personally, I don't want them to go past that endpoint. I don't want a Smallville Superman show. The whole idea of Superman, Lex, and Lois has already gotten so warped with the way this show has portrayed them that I don't think I could take a full-on Superman, no matter how much I, as a Chloiser, would like to see Chloe at the Planet again for a full-season, actually reporting again.

Creepy and awesome. I too believe that the best way to end the series is with Lex still knowing and keeping the secret. I really don't think it makes any sense otherwise.

Actually, I'm mildly hopeful if there should happen to be a season nine.

Why would I say that?

Because for the last three years the writers have been stalling because they had a set end in mind that they've never dared write beyond. This year though Dawn has pretty much said... plan on writing your season finale like it's the series finale. Which means that the stall is over and we'll actually see some new territory should there be a season nine.

Likewise, if there is a season nine I expect Erica Durance to not be a part of it simply due to contractual reasons. They're going to need to free up money to pay Tom and ED's current contract is over this season. With the exception of Tom, Allison, Mike, and Kristin the show has never made a concerted effort to hold onto its actors past their initial contracts... probably because renegotiation ups the pricetag of said actor considerably. If they wanted ED for next season they'd have to renegotiate and I just don't see that happening with their budget problems. Either they kill Nois off (Chlois!) or they send her on an extended overseas assignment... but either way I expect her to be gone (and the way they've been wrapping up a lot of her stray anvils just like they did with Lana in s6 when they thought KK would walk and Lex in s7 when his return was in doubt lends credence to this because ED has not been shy about saying she'd love to be resigned for next season).

I won't even presume to give odds on there actually being a season nine though. On the one hand Dawn seems to want something new. On the other it's not like they've had a lot of breakout successes, the economy isn't great, and Smallville is at least a sure thing.

In the aftermath of "Power," is there any doubt that Smallville has passed the ultimate point of no return, and should be taken out back and shot?

I'm changing my vote to, "Please, please, PLEASE, dear God, have mercy on our souls! Noooooo!"

I joked a couple of pages back that the pretty was worth a s9 but after "Power" nothing is worth another year... nothing.

So I take back my reponse as well. No this show needs to be shot dead because even if this show does goes Chlois, I'm sure we're going to be subject to more bullshit stalling of Chlark and other wacky hijinks.

Also, at least Allison Mack could follow her true destiny . . . popping up on Heroes and rocking it hard. Seriously, though, at least I get a sense that Kring likes the characters and has some clue about them, even if he does get fond of having them bumped off a little too soon.

Is there a "MY EYES! MY EYES!" category? How about ways to cancel season 8 right now? Maybe the Legion can come back and take Lane down BEFORE I watched Power? They can have Shelby as a bonus. Dog deserves some attention after all.

It's the Titanic all over again. But much stupider.