What I’m Watching: Smallville

Smallville: Season 9, Episode 2 “Metallo” (B-)

This has to be the umpteenth time that some friendly newcomer in one of the main characters’ lives has become transformed into a meteor freak and turned greedy and evil. It used to happen every single week in the show’s first season, but it worked because they were all in high school and in Smallville and therefore, for some reason, it seemed a bit more plausible. Now, there seems to be a need to incorporate every major villain from the Superman universe. Metallo’s super-powered transformation here bears quite a bit of similarity to Doomsday last year, especially in the way he appeared in a leading female’s life shortly beforehand. It took Davis nearly a season to become Doomsday though, and therefore the need for John to be gotten rid of after only two episodes is peculiar. Hopefully it’s a signal that this season is going to be extremely action-packed and that the writers have lots planned. It’s great to see Clark turner into a much darker hero, and his newfound cape really does suit him well. Chloe’s jealousy over his connection with Lois spells trouble for the relationship of those three in the near future. Things are working well with a diminished, mainly female cast, and while this episode is nothing terrific, it’s still much better than the show was in between seasons three and seven.