Season nine launched last night. How did they fare?
Cast
Tom Welling as Clark Kent
Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance as Lois Lane
Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer
Callum Blue as Zod
Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow
Written by Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders
Directed by Kevin G. Fair
Original Airdate
Savior originally aired on Friday, September 25, 2009.
Synopsis
In the aftermath of season eight’s finale, Lois is missing and Clark is trying to cut all human ties. Meanwhile, two new characters are introduced. One is Zod, played by Callum Blue, and the other is Daily Planet reporter John Corben, which is a name most comic readers will recognize, played by guest star Brian Austin Green.
High Point
“Kneel before Zod!”
Low Point
Shouldn’t the world notice that others are missing, too?
The Review
As far as the series is concerned, this is an original take on Kryptonians in general and Zod in particular. The convenient amnesia was annoying once more, though. I give it 4 out of 6.
The effects were up to the same quality as usual. The Ellis Island shot was well done, as were most of the other effects. It’s a season opener with a fair amount of variety in the effects. I give it 5 out of 6.
This story was deliberately aimed at setting up the story arcs for the rest of the season. We’ve got a lot of potential here, even if loading all the preliminaries here feels more like getting viewers excited about the future more than the present. There does seem to be one big flaw in the story logic, though. Clark has supposedly made great progress in cutting his ties to the human world, which he’s doing so enemies can’t track him down and attack him through his friends. So, when faced with a supervillain, he moves her to a battlefield of his choosing that just screams about his past and these ties he’s supposed to be cutting. The convenient amnesia gimmick doesn’t help, either. I give it 4 out of 6.
The acting is at the same level we’ve learned to expect from this group. They’re all now comfortable in their respective roles. Blue and Green step in nicely as characters not previously seen on the series. I give it 5 out of 6.
The emotional response is nice, but could have been stronger. In the Miller/Gough years, there would be frustrating extremes between a season’s first and last episodes and the middling episodes. Here, if last year was any indication, we’re getting a more consistent season. The openers and enders may not be as extreme, but the middle episodes are much more watchable. That pattern may hold true this year, with a steady build throughout the season towards the end. I was entertained, but it wasn’t gripping. I give it 4 out of 6.
The production is consistently high throughout the episode. I’ve said it many times before, and expect to say it many times again: this crew knows how to work together to produce good TV. I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, it’s a decent episode likely to please fans of last year, but I doubt it’ll change the minds of anyone who has watched the series in the past four years or so. I give it 5 out of 6.
In total, Savior receives 32 out of 42.
Callum Blue’s “Kneel before ZOD” made me giggle like a little girl. In a good way. Also like Clark’s first costume. It’s off-the-shelf clothing in the vein I expect a superhero’s first costume to be, but still evokes just a touch of the final costume.
More amnesia is still annoying, but at this point I just ignore when that happens. Here’s hoping this is a great season, and the show comes to an end.
Honestly I’m just hoping this is the last season.
I love smallville but I just can’t take this shit anymore.
I’m still missing Jimmy Olsen myself. But anyway I’d thought maybe I was watching the introduction of Batman there for a little bit. Slow pan to the skyline with a shadowy black-caped figure while the orchestral score swells…sounds awfully familiar.
Also was I mistaken that they called him MAJOR Zod not General?
You were not mistaken. He was referred to as a major, not a general, at least three times.
Yes, and they also mentioned that their last memory was just before before a battle at Kandor. My theory?: they are copies of the originals remade from some kind of recording taken by Zod or Brainiac, a la Tom Riddle in the second Harry Potter.