Isn't Smallville somehow jumping the shark lately?

[Calcoran]

Oh, by the way, I almost forgot:
.
.
Warning: Spoilers for Smallville season 4!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Any Smallville fan here?
I've been catching up on Smallville season 4 lately, and athough there have been a few great episodes ("Jinx" or "Pariah" come to mind), I slowly get the feeling that they have started to stamp repeatedly if somewhat gingerly (a first) on the meteorite mutated dogfish.

It first started during the first season 4 episodes, with Lana in Paris. All right, the French spoken in SmallvilleParis and SmallvilleFrance ... urgh ... and SmallvilleParis itself ... urgh too. They could have christened it ... dunnow, Lutecia, Eifelville, anything, to indicate that this wasn't really Paris but an archetype of it, just like Smallville and Metropolis. Anyhow, that's not really jumping the shark, those were just some bad moves. But Lana bathing/showering in her bathbedroom with oh so diaphanous curtains (or laying in bed sweating after her impression in the church) ... I couldn't help thinking "uh oh, sultry Vulcans love slaves, here we come!".
There were a few more shots of it with Lois, then Lana again, then Clark's wife (although in this particular case I thought it was handled rather well, almost tactfully).

Then the whole business about magic. I have nothing against magic, but to make it so tightly related to Clark's power ... I don't know, seems kind of cheesy. Lana/Isabelle's magic chinese crouching dragon fighting was certainly cheesy (urgh).

And last (but not least), during the 4 or 5 last episodes, I couldn't help noticing growing inconsistencies in the scenarii. Sometimes characters would vanish from the scene, only to reappear coveniently later on, with updated motives. Things would happen leaving us trying to guess what could have led from the previous state of event to the current one, and so on. Well, I don't know ... over the season, I felt as if the scenarii were becoming more confused, less focused. The characters themselves seem to lose their focus too. What I like in Smallville is that characters are often on the "bigger than life" side, with a manicheism that made their dilemma all the more interesting. Of course, they would change, slowly, but we always know where they stood (even if they didn't ). Lately, it seems even the writer do not know exactly what to do with their characters. Except Lionel. Lionel season 4 is just great .

Anyhow ... what do you think? Jumping, not jumping? Just a momentary lapse in quality? Or just the contrary, maybe you think Smallville season 4 is the best thing since sliced meteorite?

[Cochrane]

I never much cared for Smallville. I think Superman (and Trek, etc.) should be wholesome. I have happened to see some of Smallville, and like a few things they mix in, like all the guest appearances and such. Lois and Clark was at least a little better, from what I've seen anyway.

[REG]

I never much cared for Smallville. I think Superman (and Trek, etc.) should be wholesome.

Meh. I don't like the idea of an infallible, wholesome, very clean, moralistic young Clark Kent. I want a normal teenager going through normal teenaged problems, where he learns his mistakes. I don't like seeing him already knowing right from wrong at age 7 (the Age of Reason) and eager to be a Hall Monitor or one of them Junior Police Officers slash crossing guards, and trying to earn his Eagle Scout badge.

OR worse yet, to have the title "Most Likely to Join a Seminary."

[Calcoran]

Erm, not sure, but it looks like Cochrane was speaking about the series (or franchise, or whatever), not about Clark Kent.

Anyway, I take it you like the show, REG ... any thoughts on the dogfish jumping theory?

[REG]

Honestly, they're doing too many story paths leading to one singular climax, which would take place right around their graduation.

Of course, the "Lana possessed by a witch" part kinda threw me off. But I'm still wondering what the three crystals are for, when they're found and combined.

[Doug Burke]

Of course, the "Lana possessed by a witch" part kinda threw me off. But I'm still wondering what the three crystals are for, when they're found and combined.

Three words. "Fortress of Solitude."

Okay, I really have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[First of Two]

I don't like seeing him already knowing right from wrong at age 7 (the Age of Reason) and eager to be a Hall Monitor or one of them Junior Police Officers slash crossing guards, and trying to earn his Eagle Scout badge.

Meh. Sounds like my teen years, but without the superpowers.

Then again, I WAS a goody twoshoes, before I turned evil.

[Capt. Anderson]

4th Season is the worst of the lot. Writers are getting lazy.

[Calcoran]

Oh well, there are some good episodes in the lot, but indeed, the writers seem to rely more heavily on eye candy than on good tightly written scenarii lately :/ .