With Smallville having been confirmed to be part of the Arrowverse, many are wondering where they can binge the classic superhero series before the start of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event. This includes both those who watched Smallville when it was first aired and fans of the Arrowverse who have never seen the show before.
First airing in 2001 on The WB network, Smallville focused on the adventures of a young Clark Kent and his journey towards becoming Superman, as he learned about his alien heritage and superpowers. The show ran for 10 seasons, earning several Emmy nominations and becoming the longest-running science-fiction series in television history, as measured by total number of episodes. It is also notable for establishing the formula utilized by later superhero shows on The CW, focusing on the emotional drama between characters rather than on large-scale action sequences.
With two months until "Crisis On Infinite Earths" begins, and 217 episodes of Smallville to watch, it's time for fans to start thinking about binge-watching the series. Smallville is available to stream, with all 10 seasons currently on Hulu. For those fans without a Hulu subscription who have no interest in signing up for yet another streaming service, there are also digital options for buying the entire series outright. Smallville's 10 seasons are also available for digital download through a variety of online retailers. These include Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Fandango Now and Vudu.
Curiously, Smallville is not currently available on the DC Universe streaming service, though subscribers to that service can access the entirety of the 2012 Smallville comic book series, which continued the story of the show and introduced the characters of Batman and the Green Lantern John Stewart into the continuity of Smallville. That in itself might be a worthy investment for some Smallville fans, who despaired that Welling's Clark Kent was never seen flying in the costume in the series finale. The comic not only shows Welling's character in costume, but sees him interacting with the DC Universe as a whole.
Fans of Smallville have been hoping for the series to see some kind of revival (and possibly a full-scale reboot) through the Arrowverse, and "Crisis On Infinite Earths" comes close to granting that wish. Both Tom Welling and Erica Durance, who played Clark Kent and Lois Lane on Smallville, have been confirmed to be taking part in "Crisis". It is also rumored that Justin Hartley, who played Green Arrow on Smallville, might reprise his role and fight alongside Stephen Amell's Green Arrow. The question of what other cast members might make an appearance in "Crisis" and how active a role they will play in the event is still uncertain, but what's not is that fans will be rewatching Smallville before the Arrowverse crossover happens.