The 8th season of Smallville begins to answer questions that have been around since the beginning... such as how far in the timeline the show is willing to go. The Daily planet has a new reporter, and we're starting to get our answer. Jimmy Olsen has a picture of The Red-Blue Blur, and Davis Bloome is beginning to realize he's Doomsday.
We've gone all the way from the farm to Metropolis having a new hero, and the eighth season is packed with new adventures, new dynamics, and new faces (including Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy). Overall, this is easily one of the best seasons of the show, which didn't do much for me at the start. Season 8 throws a lot at you, and the job of making it all fit together somehow is managed nicely. You've got the Justice League bouncing in and out, providing audiences with more to latch onto, and the Davis Bloome character plays through the season well as a new kind of counter to Superman.
The 22-episode, 6-disc set is a nice collection, though it may seem a little light on the special features. However, it does try to focus on quality over quantity, with unaired scenes, cast & crew commentary tracks on two important episodes, and more.
Smallville's Doomsday: The Making of a Monster gives a look at the development and special effects necessary to bring Doomsday to life. It's no more than what you expect from such a feature, but it's a fairly interesting display.
In the Director's Chair - Is a "Behind the Lens" featurette showcasing Allison Mack's efforts at directing. It's not bad at all, and moments of it manage to relay better-than-average behind-the-scenes life working on a television show.
While the season finale was notoriously given what for on the internet, the season overall builds itself into something that is actually much more worthy of attention than what has come before. Even the most casual of fans should make sure they check out season 8, because a revisit now may be surprisingly rewarded. For those already converted, the set is easily worth the purchase. While not the very best treatment of a television show, it is certainly a respectable one, which obviously pays attention to quality and the show's fans.
Check out the official site here!
Own it on Blu-Ray and DVD August 25th!
Check out a few clips to get you in the mood below, and be sure to leave a comment which includes the word "Win" in order to be automatically entered to win your own copy of the Smallville Season 8 DVD. A winner will be randomly selected on September 20th. You must be in the U.S. or Canada to be eligible to win.
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- Smallville Comic-Con 2009 Panel (screenrant.com)
- Smallville Season 8 Finale Review and Discussion (screenrant.com)
- Smallville (8.22) - Doomsday (popsyndicate.com)
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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