Subtitle: And I see the light about The CW.
It’s officially been reported that Michael Rosenbaum, who portrays Clark Kent’s nemesis Lex Luthor on CW’s Smallville, has left the show. The character is going to be replaced by two new baddies. But more on that a little bit later.
He posted the following on his website:
“It is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career,” Rosenbaum said. “I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying.”
In that same post, he stated that the executive production team from Smallville hinted at the idea that Lex may show up in season eight.
They go into a little detail on the replacement characters that will fill the evil void that Lex Luthor is leaving behind. One is a dangerously sinister female villain “whose attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him.” They don’t specify anything else about her, but the second nemesis they announced is… Doomsday.
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To the Superman aficionado, Doomsday is the Krypton spawned monster who killed Superman in the DC comic universe.
Every now and then something pushes my buttons, and the new creative forces bringing in Doomsday hit that sucker hard. Up until now I’ve been pretty neutral about Smallville, season eight, the departure of Gough and Millar at the end of season seven, and other things.
I’ve been pretty patient with the “no fly” rule initiated by Gough and Millar, despite more and more flying Kryptonians showing up on the show.
Vic has mentioned previously that Smallville should have bowed out willingly - as he also said, like Seinfeld did, at the height of their game. I’ve been fairly patient with Vic’s perspective, but I’m getting on his bandwagon and thinking that this eighth season coming up is a mistake.
With Gough and Millar leaving, the CW is replacing the duo from within the show’s ranks with executive producers Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. They’ve been with the show for the last 6 seasons, and the series is where the majority of their creative experience comes from. The lack of outside experience causes me to take pause.
When Gough and Millar (G & M) said things in their open letter about leaving the show like: “they never compromised their vision”, they thanked folks like John Litvack for “.. when the knives were out, he always had their backs.” and they referenced the “much missed WB staff”.
With the announcement of Doomsday showing up, I think I can read a few things between the lines here. That G & M had to defend some of their creative input like the no-fly rule that made their interpretation unique, (I didn’t say I liked it.), that others at the new CW wanted something different than the WB was producing and the introduction of Doomsday proves this to me.
After season 7, I’m guessing we’re going to get very little character growth and more Black Canary type episodes that are painful to watch.
The introduction of Doomsday to the show sounds like a last ditch effort to generate attention and make some lame promise of violence. There are so many other bad guys that could have provided an intellectual challenge that they could have introduced to the show for the long haul of the season and they’re bringing in yet another Kryptonian. There’s no originality in that approach.
Doomsday changed the face of the Superman franchise. The sales for the comic were mediocre and slipping and they were going to end the title with a bang in 1993. But when the Kryptonian beast came on the scene and ended up killing Superman after quite the slug fest, the sales numbers went through the roof and DC changed their minds and instead, Doomsday ended up creating several new Superman based story arcs and characters.
What the CW is now trying to pull sounds like a desperate ploy to me. It is way too early in Kent’s life to have Doomsday show up. With G & W departing and the CW pawns at the helm, I’m betting Clark flies next season.
That’s how desperate I think they are.
Sources: Michael Rosenbaum.com, SuperHeroHype.com
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20 Comments
While I respect your opinion, I think ur being too harsh. Even when Al and Miles where still involved they said that Clark might fly. And the replacemente producers where the ones who pushed the really good episodes. Al and Miles, while excellent showrunners, where also the driving force of the exhausting Clark/Lana love storyline. I know that in this era of Clark’s life the love-life is Lana based, but u have to admit it grew very tiresome. I hope they execute correctly the Doomsday storyline and that they close neatly the Smallville storyline this season and bow out.
Yes, the Lana love angle is old. Do we see Clark and Lois finally cross paths of the romantic nature to match up with the Superman franchise?
I understand I seem too harsh, but teasing us with a mystery woman nemesis and Doomsday just brought clarity to all the details that I’ve been pondering for the last 1/2 season.
Thanks for visiting.. I like seeing the different opinions.
I agree. Although even if Smallville would have ended after this season, I wouldn’t have called it “the height of the game”.
In my opinion the quality of the show climaxed a long time ago, but during this season I really wondered why I still keep watching it. I was especially disappointed what they did with the character Kara during the course of the season. After the season premiere, I was pretty excited about the character and thought of what possible storylines they could do with her. But shortly after the show brought me back to reality fast with this crappy “Miss Smallville” episode.
As far as I can see, the authors have clearly run out of ideas for this show. How else can you explain introducing a new character to a show, give her two, three mediocre stories and then let her vanish for half a season? But this is only one example how bad the storylines got. You can’t even count the plot holes or inconsistencies anymore, which the authors obviously don’t even bother to fix anymore.
This is the main problem of the in my opinion. The show was always about sex and action, but in the first years it also had intruiging stories, interesting relationships (Clark and his father, Clark and Lex, and others) and characters you care about. Now most of that is gone: Jonathan is dead, Clark and Lex barely speak and Clark and Lana are a couple (which is by definition boring). Even the thrill, that someone could find out Clarks secret is gone, with most of the main cast already part of the Scooby gang.
After I heared that Rosenbaum would likely leave the show after the 7th season, I assumed that the makers would not honestly consider continuing the show without him and instead close up the storylines and (as a best-case scenario) show how Clark moves to Metropolis and goes on with his live. In fact this was the main reason I was even tuning in this season.
But now knowing that Smallville will continue next season, I can’t seem to bother me watching the show anymore…
jm2ยข
Dariush
I agree that Doomsday is waaay too early to bring in, he is still a young superman and hasn’t fully developed his power, why bring in an aswome character far of from his future? it doesn’t make any sense at all. I don’t know why they don’t bring in the legion of Superheroes, that would be more in the superman(boy) timeline or have “Superman” from the future come back in time so that if they use Doomsday it would kinda make more sense. They have great potential but it seems they have been lacking in trying to move his history along,everything just drags along. If the new team after G&M want to revive Smallville they need to really change things and kick it up a notch “Let him fly” for pete’s sake and let us see the famous “S”. So much potential but yet they keep missing the mark.
I totally agree with Dariush, They should just focus on Clark and move him on with his life and revamp the show and change the name from “Smallville” to “Metropolis” but they are milking it to the very end with the lame stories
I think Smallville peaked in it’s 6th season, and they should have done some sort of “closure” episode and called it a day. But then of course, what the heck would CW have to pitch to advertisers?
Manuel, I’d love a link to a quote where G&M stated that Clark will fly.
Dariush, I’m with you. I’m to the point where I’m actively wondering why I tune in ever week. I think it’s the fear of missing something that might actually be “cool” among all the dreck.
I couldn’t believe the idiotic “Jimmy Olsen as super-spy” episode. Like the FBI would use some wet-behind-the-ears photographer to do that sort of work for them.
Yeesh.
Vic
I’ll try and find the link. I remember reading it as a tease or hint in one of the Ask Ausiello’s in TV Guide, after the show was given an 8th season.
this show is rediculous and has been for a few seasons. It has no continuity so everything that happens is stupid. It should of ended in 4 seasons with the ending being him going to the big city. Then they could of continued it as an actual superman show with supervillains seeing how there should be none before that
I give the CW…another 5 years and it’s off the air. Regarding SMALLVILLE, this forthcoming 8th season will probably be its last.
So don’t be shocked if and when they put the suit on Welling during the last 4-5 episodes.
Jamie
In the last episode they mentioned that Zod is stil alive, wtf I mean it was cool when they brought him in but by the looks of it it looks like they are doing season 6 all ovcer again.
I really hate the filler episodes but I stil have hope that they might bring Darkseid as the last villain in the series finaly.
IDK there has been a lot of superman tv shows but non of them (thet I know of) has Darkseid in it.
Well I am suprised that Rosenbom is leaving the show. And I am going to miss seeing him on there. Aside from Gene Hacman Rosenbom is my favorite lex luthor. That so called lex luthor played by Kevin Spacy or however his name is spelled he was a joke. But I was hoping that he would be there fir the final season
I mean I know he wants to move on and do other things but for heaven sakes stick around. Its only ONE MORE SEASON!! But anyway he wants to do what he wants to do. I will miss seeing him on the show though!!
I don’t mind following the show.. I’m just not challenged anymore by the character or storyline developments - that’s my real gripe.
Jessica: Yea, back in the beginning of March of 2007 we uncovered this tidbit about Lex leaving, but it looked like it was tied in with the show ending after seven seasons. It’s a bummer, but then again, Rosenbaum may be doing the right thing for himself. He needs to move on before he’s trapped or type cast. (BTW: It’s weird seeing him in other movies where he A: Has Hair, B: Not plotting the demise of someone.)
Thanks for writing everyone.
I don’t blame Rosenbaum for leaving, c’mon, people showing up at Lex’s mansion unannounced (lana, Clark, etc.)from almost every other episode. That has to be annoying!!!! It seems that they rehash episodes and they think we don’t realize it? How many evil Clarks do we need or evil lana’s, kinda reminds me of some Enterprise episodes where they rehash old themes (been there done that. When it first came out is was great, now it’s tired and run down, move on I say. Heroes paved they way to what a great superhero show should be like (except the last episode). Smallville cannot compare!!! They should go alll out!, why not? They have an awsome franchise but they are always missing the mark!
………Vic might find this shocking……..I have a sick feeling that this last season is really going to suck.
DOOMSDAY?!?!?!?!? What the heck are they thinking??? I have supported and followed this show sense way before the pilot.
This is one totally freaked out(not in a good way) Smallville fan.
I hope I am wrong…..but I don’t think so.
Smitty
After the 5th season, Smallville has gone down hill at a consistent speed. The only episodes I enjoyed past that were Justice and Zod. The finale for season six was one of the poorest television finales I have ever seen! And if you’re one of those weirdos who’s like, “no, it was awesome!” then you either don’t know a good story from a bad one, or are too big of a fan to know when to let go. Smallville just sucks right now, and I totally don’t blame Rosenbaum for leaving, heck I wouldn’t be surprised if more of the cast suddenly died. John Glover probably asked to have his character killed! SUCH poor story telling, and HORRIBLE acting the last two seasons. The only reason I still watch it, is for some reason, to either say i’ve seen it, or desperately hoping it’ll get better. I guess. I really don’t know anymore.
I thought the last episode was pretty good, at least at lot better than what we have been getting. Next Thursday is the end of the season; let’s hope it goes out with a bang.
I’m confident about the new producers they have worked together on episodes and wrote some very mythos heavy episodes and one of them said that season 8 will focus more on Clark and Lois’s journey. However, I think the real villain here is the CW itself, they are pressuring the writers to do the whole Lana thing EVERY season because according to K-site the CW president want’s shows targeted 13-35 year old women and added to that they want to bring in the freaking Doomsday. So I don’t think it’s the producers or the writer’s it’s the CW cause she (the CW president) knows who is going to get the blame: the writers and producers.
It came as a shock to here there are going to be so many changes in season 8. I thought the show could go on and on to be honest. Hope they create a spin off show from this with the Daily Planet format like they did with Lois and Clark:the new adventures of superman. Lex Luthor was so key to Smallville, to let the actor who plays him go is a big mistake. Its sad the show is coming to an end as it seems like it really didnt tie up any of the Clark-Lana-Lex story arks at all. Alot of loose ends.
I agree with Frank, Lex Luthor was an asset to the programme. I can’t believe the shows carrying on without him!
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