The Legion of Superheroes Visits Smallville – Sneak Peek Video

After pretty much a year or two of active, consistent downhill sucking (even though it didn’t stop me from watching it), Smallville has returned this season pretty much kicking ass from the get-go. Almost no lowest common denominator T&A fan service, no useless tangent episodes that grind everything to a halt (especially any and all plot and character development), and no Lex and Lana, who I surprisingly don’t miss. And even though Lex has consistently been the most interesting character on the series in the past (and Michael Rosenbaum the most talented), they were doing nothing with him anymore. I would appreciate seeing him back in a guest role for a few episodes (just as Lana has recently and successfully done, without being wincy and tiresome), especially in the finale if the series comes to an end this year. But as I said, even without them, the show has taken some creative leaps, and although we know that nothing bad can ever happen to post-post-post-teen wonder Clark Kent before he puts on the cape and tights, the same can’t be said of his supporting cast.

The fall finale for Smallville actually made me curse aloud when the words “to be continued” came on the screen, and for the first time, not in any negative way. I was actually excited about what they were doing. They were telling interesting stories, not filler crap. Chloe and Jimmy getting married, Lois harboring a secret crush on Clark, and Doomsday actually is kinda cool with a cooler origin than in the comics. If he does kill Clark (even temporarily) as he seems destined to do, it could be a great knock down, drag out fight. Smallville has had it’s share of alightly above tv quality special effects ooh and ahh moments, but if done right, the battle to come could top everything they’ve done so far, especially if they inject a lot of humanity and sacrifice into the tale. And since the actor playing him is a part of the official cast this year, I can see that battle likely coming at the end of the season/series with Lex egging him on (and Lana or Chloe likely getting killed).

But until then, when the series returns to the CW on January 15th, the Legion of Superheroes will make a long trip from the future to give Clark the encouragement and assistance he needs to become the hero they pretty much worship. Expect to see Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and the Persuader to make a possible future franchise-creating appearance in one or more episodes in 2009. (Ooh! I just thought of something better… what if Lex returned in the final episodes with a Legion of bad guys that could, oh, I don’t know… spell Doom for Clark and his pals, and teamed them up with Doomsday at the front? And as a result, Clark could bring in his old pals from the Justice League and the new future pals from the Legion of Superheroes to fight them in a massive brawl to the finish. Sounds fun to me.)

Check out the new promo for what might be the final episodes of the final season of Smallville right here…