SMALLVILLE: Season 8

[The Mike]

Eh. Gwyneth Paltrow is about 5'10" and Robert Downey Jr is 5'8" barely yet we saw this:

RDJ stood on boxes and such when he needed to, if they wanted to they could make Witner look 7" next to Welling. That's not that big of a deal.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Eh. Gwyneth Paltrow is about 5'10" and Robert Downey Jr is 5'8" barely yet we saw this:

RDJ stood on boxes and such when he needed to, if they wanted to they could make Witner look 7" next to Welling. That's not that big of a deal.

True that, true that. Anybody know how much into Season 8 we get to see Doomy?

 

[Darklord Dave]

True that, true that. Anybody know how much into Season 8 we get to see Doomy?

I think the actor is a season regular, but I'm betting we don't get to see his bad side until just before the winter break.

 

[McHavyck]

I think the actor is a season regular, but I'm betting we don't get to see his bad side until just before the winter break.

and up until then just a bartender, apparently.

 

[Krypto]

Very much looking forward to the premiere in the next couple of weeks. Johns endorsement is making me very excited for what lies ahead this season. Clark becoming a reporter for the Planet is a step in the right direction. It's about time the whole dual identity part of the character starts to creep in.

I wonder how they'll explain away Lex and what happened in the Fortress.

 

[Krypto]

Season seven was released today on DVD and Blu-Ray, for those interested in catching up before the eighth season's premiere next week.

 

[Darth Caedus]

Very much looking forward to the premiere in the next couple of weeks. Johns endorsement is making me very excited for what lies ahead this season. Clark becoming a reporter for the Planet is a step in the right direction. It's about time the whole dual identity part of the character starts to creep in.

I wonder how they'll explain away Lex and what happened in the Fortress.

Since he's not in Season 8, I wonder if they're just going to leave him in there. Maybe Jor-El will keep him there for some reason.

 

[Krypto]

Since he's not in Season 8, I wonder if they're just going to leave him in there. Maybe Jor-El will keep him there for some reason.

I think Rosenbaum declined to come back even for an episode or two, so they'll have to do something to explain his absence. I know there's going to be a new Luthorcorp character to play as an antagonist, but I have no clue what's going on with Lex in the Fortress. Jor-El imprisoning him in the Phantom Zone or at the Fortress would make sense, as Luthor is too much of a threat, but we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

 

[Darth Caedus]

I think Rosenbaum declined to come back even for an episode or two, so they'll have to do something to explain his absence. I know there's going to be a new Luthorcorp character to play as an antagonist, but I have no clue what's going on with Lex in the Fortress. Jor-El imprisoning him in the Phantom Zone or at the Fortress would make sense, as Luthor is too much of a threat, but we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

I can agree with that. But the bad part, to me at least, is that Rosenbaum was pretty much the whole show to me. He was the best actor, best written character, and has become Lex Luthor to me. Now that he has gone, there's really not much left in the show for me (apart the Chloe + Lois mud wrestling event...which will happen, I know it)

 

[Krypto]

I can agree with that. But the bad part, to me at least, is that Rosenbaum was pretty much the whole show to me. He was the best actor, best written character, and has become Lex Luthor to me. Now that he has gone, there's really not much left in the show for me (apart the Chloe + Lois mud wrestling event...which will happen, I know it)

While Lex was a big part of the show and Rosenbaum was great, I kind of feel that by the end of the seventh season, they had taken that character to the end. He had become the evil mad scientist hell-bent on taking out Clark. There's not much more room for his character to grow or expand at this point until Clark becomes Superman.

Clark's evolution is the reason I watch the show and while Rosenbaum and Lex were a big part of that, they're only one part of that evolution.

 

[nash]

While Lex was a big part of the show and Rosenbaum was great, I kind of feel that by the end of the seventh season, they had taken that character to the end. He had become the evil mad scientist hell-bent on taking out Clark. There's not much more room for his character to grow or expand at this point until Clark becomes Superman.

Clark's evolution is the reason I watch the show and while Rosenbaum and Lex were a big part of that, they're only one part of that evolution.

I'd have to agree with you. Sad that he's gone, but his endless secret experiments and excursions were getting old.

 

[JABBATHERIDGE]

I must admit I'm a bit disappointed with the things I've heard about the way Lex has been written out of Smallville at the end of series seven. We're only a few episodes off the conclusion of the series in the UK (just watched the Jimmy Olsen spy episode on Tuesday) so I haven't actually seen it yet, but it sounds disappointing. They could've given him a more permanent ending seeing as Smallville more or less exists outside Superman continuity these days. Also the introduction of a female Luthorcorp character we've never heard of seems a bit desperate and just looks as though they're trying to replace him in the show. It would've been better to introduce an all new cooperate villain, someone not connected with Luthorcorp, if we can't have the Luthors themselves IMHO.

I'm still going to be tuning in when series 8 eventually airs over here, but I'm a bit less excited about it. I'll miss Lex and Lionel. I'm glad we're gonna get Doomsday though and I'm prepared to give the interpritation a chance to see how it pans out. Also the fact the Justice League seem to be getting used more is great. Now if the producers could just get us a young Bruce Wayne for a few episodes.

 

[Krypto]

I imagine if the writers knew that Rosenbaum wouldn't be back for an eighth season, they might have given him a more explosive finale perhaps, but the one we get felt appropriate to me given where the character had to eventually end up and what had happened to him in the seventh season. I do agree that the inclusion of a female Luthorcorp CEO is a bit desperate.

 

[JABBATHERIDGE]

I imagine if the writers knew that Rosenbaum wouldn't be back for an eighth season, they might have given him a more explosive finale perhaps, but the one we get felt appropriate to me given where the character had to eventually end up and what had happened to him in the seventh season. I do agree that the inclusion of a female Luthorcorp CEO is a bit desperate.

I must admit I didn't know what was going on behind the scenes with Rosenbaum. How come Rosenbaum left then? He always seemed happy in the role so I'd have thought he'd have at least been willing to come back for a couple of episodes in season eight. Do we know what went on behind the scenes? When Gina turned up in Descent I'd already heard the rumour about Lex being replaced with a woman from Luthorcorp so I thought that it would probably be Gina, but as anyone whose seen the episode will know that's not the case. If the producers knew there was a chance that Rosenbaum wouldn't come back they could've introduced the female character half way through season seven or something and built her up just in case. Then it wouldn't have looked as desperate when she took over in season eight.

 

[Krypto]

I must admit I didn't know what was going on behind the scenes with Rosenbaum. How come Rosenbaum left then? He always seemed happy in the role so I'd have thought he'd have at least been willing to come back for a couple of episodes in season eight. Do we know what went on behind the scenes? When Gina turned up in Descent I'd already heard the rumour about Lex being replaced with a woman from Luthorcorp so I thought that it would probably be Gina, but as anyone whose seen the episode will know that's not the case. If the producers knew there was a chance that Rosenbaum wouldn't come back they could've introduced the female character half way through season seven or something and built her up just in case. Then it wouldn't have looked as desperate when she took over in season eight.

I think Rosenbaum had been wanting to jump ship for a couple of seasons and I don't remember hearing anything about his leaving until near the end of the seventh season. But I think you may be pleased with where they take him during the last few episodes. It really doesn't leave anything else for them to do with the character. They had totally played it out by this point.

 

[JABBATHERIDGE]

I've gotta admit after the end of his marriage to Lana, pretty much everyone in Smallville had turned against him and realised what he was like. The Kara plot at the beginning of the series just seemed like a desperate attempt to give him something to do. I have to admit Descent was a pretty good episode though and the one where Clark got into Lex's mind was also quite cool. I'll certainly miss Lex being in the show.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Rosenbaum's contract expired (as did everyone else's except Welling, I think) and they're had never been any talk of him returning as a regular for an 8th season. Even the producers who created the show have left. I think they were expecting to be able to use Rosenbaum for some guest shots, but it seems that's not going to happen.

I don't think that it's that there was a problem, just he's tired of the character after 7 years and wants to grow his hair out. James Marsters has said that he doesn't miss Spike because the hair bleach was such a pain.

 

[Krypto]

Hopefully with the exit of Gough and Millar we can get rid of the latter part of their mantra - "no tights, no flights".

I think Kreuk will only be back as a guest for a couple of episodes this season as well.

 

[JABBATHERIDGE]

Rosenbaum's contract expired (as did everyone else's except Welling, I think) and they're had never been any talk of him returning as a regular for an 8th season. Even the producers who created the show have left. I think they were expecting to be able to use Rosenbaum for some guest shots, but it seems that's not going to happen.

I don't think that it's that there was a problem, just he's tired of the character after 7 years and wants to grow his hair out. James Marsters has said that he doesn't miss Spike because the hair bleach was such a pain.

I would've thought they'd have spent a little bit of time building up the new female Luthorcorp character (Tess Mercer is it?) if they thought he wasn't going to come back in season eight, even if they were only going to have him back for occasional guest shots. Still I haven't seen the end of series 7 yet so maybe it'll make more sense once I get there.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I would've thought they'd have spent a little bit of time building up the new female Luthorcorp character (Tess Mercer is it?) if they thought he wasn't going to come back in season eight, even if they were only going to have him back for occasional guest shots. Still I haven't seen the end of series 7 yet so maybe it'll make more sense once I get there.

The show runners were leaving - they didn't care what happened in season 8 and would have been just fine if there wasn't a season 8.