SMALLVILLE (01/15) - Ian's Big Thoughts on "Legion"

Post by Rob Jensen
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:54:57 -0800 (PST), "Ian J. Ball"

Alexz Johnson has had a 'nose job', hasn't she?
</big thoughts>

My first thought was that Rich Morrissey would have
been very, very pleased with the episode. Almost
expected a dedication to him at the end.
-- Rob -- adds, "Brainiac-Chloe looked exactly
like Killer Frost!"
added x-post to racdcu and racdclsh

I've dropped Smallville this season but I watched this purely
to see how they translated the Legion to live action. So my
first through fifth thoughts are on that.

In terms of my expectations going in, they were very low
in the sense I didn't think Legion was viable as a live action
series. Nothing to do with Smallville because that's a
train wreck as much as ever. It's just that a series set
permanently in the future with traditionally costumed
superheroes having various funky powers is a tough sell.
Sets and special effects are also a problem.

Against those expectations, I thought the episode -- or at
least the three characters and actors, and the villain the
Persuader at the beginning --worked quite well.

I checked IMDb on the casting and they were all Canadian.
I hadn't recognized the Saturn Girl actress because she looks
different, but she was indeed the "Star" in the Canadian show
Instant Star. I watched a few episodes when Supergirl was
cast because Laura Vandervoort was also in that show and
played the star character's sister I think. So they've now
ended up playing Saturn Girl and Supergirl, which happens
to also get us to the potential angle that might very well work
to translate this to series.

I've read there's been a "Supergirl and the Legion" comic
book so presumably posting the idea without too much
detail is no obstacle to them doing it. But that's basically
the live action series concept that could work quite well
here. Reboot it from scratch, though I think all four of the
actors could be cast.

I've described the Supergirl-focused series that I think
would work, but it was more Smallville-like than this.
Smallville season 8 is by now a poison pill for that model.
The JLA hurts for the same reason. So adding the Legion
angle might be just the thing needed for viewers to purge
Smallville from memory and give the new series and very
different concept a look.

I won't get into too much specifics and have no idea how
the new Supergirl and the Legion comic book worked,
but basically ignore that too except for the title. The
whole Supergirl fiasco and how the modern comic crap
so tainted that ought to be a clue and a lesson. The
simple winning concept, I think, is the Original Legion
model from Silver Age in that Supergirl replaces the
Superboy role. The new series establishes Supergirl
and then she gets recruited into the Legion. That could
happen in the pilot as largely a teaser, because there'd
be lots to establish. But the context would be very fresh
and unlike anything Smallville or even Heroes, to which
many might compare it.

The Legion of course came first, right around the same
time as Supergirl though independently. If they restore the
Mon-El character to the Legion (which they should --
they need to have total disregard for modern continuity
crap and just go with what's proven to work) it adds
the additional duo element that made Superboy and
Mon-El work. With Supergirl and Mon-El there'd also
be the obvious potential for a romantic arc.

Why and how the future Legion interacts with Supergirl,
how much of the series takes place in the present vs
the future and so on, would ideally be planned as a
series arc but still be episodic.

There are all kinds of pitfalls too, but I think most of
them can be addressed in the planning. For example
it's absolutely essential that a series like this know the
ending. Will Supergirl end up in the future rather than
our time? If not, will she have to have a memory wipe
at the end? Is there any way that can be made palatable
for viewers? Will a few of the future Legion spend a
sufficient time in the present, part of Supergirl's life, that
they too might have a secret identity here? If so, how
does that end? Does a Future Legion member end up
back in the present?

Perhaps not every question needs to have an answer
planned. But Smallville's fly by the seat of their pants
approach needs to be avoided, or else they'll get Chloe
Sullivan and no flying by season 8 fiascos. Create
something fresh and new and learn from Smallville's
big mistakes. Supergirl and the Legion will be a blank
slate for 99%+ of anyone who watches it.

Some decisions should be obvious. For example that
Supergirl should be Kal-El's cousin, not the gob of goo,
and that Daughter of Krypton's Hitler (among the crap
from modern comics that tainted Smallville's version)
is a show-killing characterization. Writers who think
like that can't be working for the show or it's doomed
to fail. But at the core I think last night's episode does
persuade me that a blank slate, new Supergirl and the
Legion series might work well. It should be Silver
Age, not modern comic crap inspired. Just some fun
entertainment week to week, with an overall plan that
takes the characters from here to there over 5 to 7
seasons.

Bill Steele

2009-01-16 21:01:58 UTC

Post by Rob Jensen
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:54:57 -0800 (PST), "Ian J. Ball"

Alexz Johnson has had a 'nose job', hasn't she?
</big thoughts>

I've dropped Smallville this season but I watched this purely
to see how they translated the Legion to live action. So my
first through fifth thoughts are on that.
In terms of my expectations going in, they were very low
in the sense I didn't think Legion was viable as a live action
series. Nothing to do with Smallville because that's a
train wreck as much as ever. It's just that a series set
permanently in the future with traditionally costumed
superheroes having various funky powers is a tough sell.
Sets and special effects are also a problem.
Against those expectations, I thought the episode -- or at
least the three characters and actors, and the villain the
Persuader at the beginning --worked quite well.
I checked IMDb on the casting and they were all Canadian.
I hadn't recognized the Saturn Girl actress because she looks
different, but she was indeed the "Star" in the Canadian show
Instant Star. I watched a few episodes when Supergirl was
cast because Laura Vandervoort was also in that show and
played the star character's sister I think. So they've now
ended up playing Saturn Girl and Supergirl, which happens
to also get us to the potential angle that might very well work
to translate this to series.
I've read there's been a "Supergirl and the Legion" comic
book so presumably posting the idea without too much
detail is no obstacle to them doing it. But that's basically
the live action series concept that could work quite well
here. Reboot it from scratch, though I think all four of the
actors could be cast.
I've described the Supergirl-focused series that I think
would work, but it was more Smallville-like than this.
Smallville season 8 is by now a poison pill for that model.
The JLA hurts for the same reason. So adding the Legion
angle might be just the thing needed for viewers to purge
Smallville from memory and give the new series and very
different concept a look.
I won't get into too much specifics and have no idea how
the new Supergirl and the Legion comic book worked,
but basically ignore that too except for the title. The
whole Supergirl fiasco and how the modern comic crap
so tainted that ought to be a clue and a lesson. The
simple winning concept, I think, is the Original Legion
model from Silver Age in that Supergirl replaces the
Superboy role. The new series establishes Supergirl
and then she gets recruited into the Legion. That could
happen in the pilot as largely a teaser, because there'd
be lots to establish. But the context would be very fresh
and unlike anything Smallville or even Heroes, to which
many might compare it.
The Legion of course came first, right around the same
time as Supergirl though independently. If they restore the
Mon-El character to the Legion (which they should --
they need to have total disregard for modern continuity
crap and just go with what's proven to work) it adds
the additional duo element that made Superboy and
Mon-El work. With Supergirl and Mon-El there'd also
be the obvious potential for a romantic arc.
Why and how the future Legion interacts with Supergirl,
how much of the series takes place in the present vs
the future and so on, would ideally be planned as a
series arc but still be episodic.
There are all kinds of pitfalls too, but I think most of
them can be addressed in the planning. For example
it's absolutely essential that a series like this know the
ending. Will Supergirl end up in the future rather than
our time? If not, will she have to have a memory wipe
at the end? Is there any way that can be made palatable
for viewers? Will a few of the future Legion spend a
sufficient time in the present, part of Supergirl's life, that
they too might have a secret identity here? If so, how
does that end? Does a Future Legion member end up
back in the present?
Perhaps not every question needs to have an answer
planned. But Smallville's fly by the seat of their pants
approach needs to be avoided, or else they'll get Chloe
Sullivan and no flying by season 8 fiascos. Create
something fresh and new and learn from Smallville's
big mistakes. Supergirl and the Legion will be a blank
slate for 99%+ of anyone who watches it.
Some decisions should be obvious. For example that
Supergirl should be Kal-El's cousin, not the gob of goo,
and that Daughter of Krypton's Hitler (among the crap
from modern comics that tainted Smallville's version)
is a show-killing characterization. Writers who think
like that can't be working for the show or it's doomed
to fail. But at the core I think last night's episode does
persuade me that a blank slate, new Supergirl and the
Legion series might work well. It should be Silver
Age, not modern comic crap inspired. Just some fun
entertainment week to week, with an overall plan that
takes the characters from here to there over 5 to 7
seasons.

Look up the post on rec.arts.tv about Cartoon Network developing a bunch
of live-action shows. That's about the only place something like this
would -- pardon the expression - fly.

KalElFan

2009-01-16 21:23:19 UTC

Post by Rob Jensen
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:54:57 -0800 (PST), "Ian J. Ball"

Alexz Johnson has had a 'nose job', hasn't she?
</big thoughts>

I've dropped Smallville this season but I watched this purely
to see how they translated the Legion to live action. So my
first through fifth thoughts are on that.
In terms of my expectations going in, they were very low
in the sense I didn't think Legion was viable as a live action
series. Nothing to do with Smallville because that's a
train wreck as much as ever. It's just that a series set
permanently in the future with traditionally costumed
superheroes having various funky powers is a tough sell.
Sets and special effects are also a problem.
Against those expectations, I thought the episode -- or at
least the three characters and actors, and the villain the
Persuader at the beginning --worked quite well.
I checked IMDb on the casting and they were all Canadian.
I hadn't recognized the Saturn Girl actress because she looks
different, but she was indeed the "Star" in the Canadian show
Instant Star. I watched a few episodes when Supergirl was
cast because Laura Vandervoort was also in that show and
played the star character's sister I think. So they've now
ended up playing Saturn Girl and Supergirl, which happens
to also get us to the potential angle that might very well work
to translate this to series.
I've read there's been a "Supergirl and the Legion" comic
book so presumably posting the idea without too much
detail is no obstacle to them doing it. But that's basically
the live action series concept that could work quite well
here. Reboot it from scratch, though I think all four of the
actors could be cast.
I've described the Supergirl-focused series that I think
would work, but it was more Smallville-like than this.
Smallville season 8 is by now a poison pill for that model.
The JLA hurts for the same reason. So adding the Legion
angle might be just the thing needed for viewers to purge
Smallville from memory and give the new series and very
different concept a look.
I won't get into too much specifics and have no idea how
the new Supergirl and the Legion comic book worked,
but basically ignore that too except for the title. The
whole Supergirl fiasco and how the modern comic crap
so tainted that ought to be a clue and a lesson. The
simple winning concept, I think, is the Original Legion
model from Silver Age in that Supergirl replaces the
Superboy role. The new series establishes Supergirl
and then she gets recruited into the Legion. That could
happen in the pilot as largely a teaser, because there'd
be lots to establish. But the context would be very fresh
and unlike anything Smallville or even Heroes, to which
many might compare it.
The Legion of course came first, right around the same
time as Supergirl though independently. If they restore the
Mon-El character to the Legion (which they should --
they need to have total disregard for modern continuity
crap and just go with what's proven to work) it adds
the additional duo element that made Superboy and
Mon-El work. With Supergirl and Mon-El there'd also
be the obvious potential for a romantic arc.
Why and how the future Legion interacts with Supergirl,
how much of the series takes place in the present vs
the future and so on, would ideally be planned as a
series arc but still be episodic.
There are all kinds of pitfalls too, but I think most of
them can be addressed in the planning. For example
it's absolutely essential that a series like this know the
ending. Will Supergirl end up in the future rather than
our time? If not, will she have to have a memory wipe
at the end? Is there any way that can be made palatable
for viewers? Will a few of the future Legion spend a
sufficient time in the present, part of Supergirl's life, that
they too might have a secret identity here? If so, how
does that end? Does a Future Legion member end up
back in the present?
Perhaps not every question needs to have an answer
planned. But Smallville's fly by the seat of their pants
approach needs to be avoided, or else they'll get Chloe
Sullivan and no flying by season 8 fiascos. Create
something fresh and new and learn from Smallville's
big mistakes. Supergirl and the Legion will be a blank
slate for 99%+ of anyone who watches it.
Some decisions should be obvious. For example that
Supergirl should be Kal-El's cousin, not the gob of goo,
and that Daughter of Krypton's Hitler (among the crap
from modern comics that tainted Smallville's version)
is a show-killing characterization. Writers who think
like that can't be working for the show or it's doomed
to fail. But at the core I think last night's episode does
persuade me that a blank slate, new Supergirl and the
Legion series might work well. It should be Silver
Age, not modern comic crap inspired. Just some fun
entertainment week to week, with an overall plan that
takes the characters from here to there over 5 to 7
seasons.

Look up the post on rec.arts.tv about Cartoon Network
developing a bunch of live-action shows. That's about
the only place something like this would -- pardon the
expression - fly.

Done just right it would fly on a Big 4. The Supergirl series
alone had that potential, especially set in LA with a Daily
Planet bureau there to link it to the Superman (or Young
Clark) side of the story for occasional guest spots. The
Legion then adds a Heroes and SF element, but grounded
in the present.

Beyond that and my previous posts (including on a Supergirl
series), your pure assertion provides no rationale for why
you think it wouldn't work. Clearly Supergirl did work in
attracting viewers on The CW, until they went and blew
the characterization and storyline. Even then, she drew a
good number this season for a one-shot and now the ep
last night. There's ample anecdotal evidence that it's been
well received and the numbers were quite good given the
ep comes after the traditional break. If Berman is right
that it's Smallville's best performance in the key demo this
season, all the better.

Bill Steele

2009-01-19 20:58:07 UTC

Post by Rob Jensen
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:54:57 -0800 (PST), "Ian J. Ball"

Alexz Johnson has had a 'nose job', hasn't she?
</big thoughts>

I've dropped Smallville this season but I watched this purely
to see how they translated the Legion to live action. So my
first through fifth thoughts are on that.
In terms of my expectations going in, they were very low
in the sense I didn't think Legion was viable as a live action
series. Nothing to do with Smallville because that's a
train wreck as much as ever. It's just that a series set
permanently in the future with traditionally costumed
superheroes having various funky powers is a tough sell.
Sets and special effects are also a problem.
Against those expectations, I thought the episode -- or at
least the three characters and actors, and the villain the
Persuader at the beginning --worked quite well.
I checked IMDb on the casting and they were all Canadian.
I hadn't recognized the Saturn Girl actress because she looks
different, but she was indeed the "Star" in the Canadian show
Instant Star. I watched a few episodes when Supergirl was
cast because Laura Vandervoort was also in that show and
played the star character's sister I think. So they've now
ended up playing Saturn Girl and Supergirl, which happens
to also get us to the potential angle that might very well work
to translate this to series.
I've read there's been a "Supergirl and the Legion" comic
book so presumably posting the idea without too much
detail is no obstacle to them doing it. But that's basically
the live action series concept that could work quite well
here. Reboot it from scratch, though I think all four of the
actors could be cast.
I've described the Supergirl-focused series that I think
would work, but it was more Smallville-like than this.
Smallville season 8 is by now a poison pill for that model.
The JLA hurts for the same reason. So adding the Legion
angle might be just the thing needed for viewers to purge
Smallville from memory and give the new series and very
different concept a look.
I won't get into too much specifics and have no idea how
the new Supergirl and the Legion comic book worked,
but basically ignore that too except for the title. The
whole Supergirl fiasco and how the modern comic crap
so tainted that ought to be a clue and a lesson. The
simple winning concept, I think, is the Original Legion
model from Silver Age in that Supergirl replaces the
Superboy role. The new series establishes Supergirl
and then she gets recruited into the Legion. That could
happen in the pilot as largely a teaser, because there'd
be lots to establish. But the context would be very fresh
and unlike anything Smallville or even Heroes, to which
many might compare it.
The Legion of course came first, right around the same
time as Supergirl though independently. If they restore the
Mon-El character to the Legion (which they should --
they need to have total disregard for modern continuity
crap and just go with what's proven to work) it adds
the additional duo element that made Superboy and
Mon-El work. With Supergirl and Mon-El there'd also
be the obvious potential for a romantic arc.
Why and how the future Legion interacts with Supergirl,
how much of the series takes place in the present vs
the future and so on, would ideally be planned as a
series arc but still be episodic.
There are all kinds of pitfalls too, but I think most of
them can be addressed in the planning. For example
it's absolutely essential that a series like this know the
ending. Will Supergirl end up in the future rather than
our time? If not, will she have to have a memory wipe
at the end? Is there any way that can be made palatable
for viewers? Will a few of the future Legion spend a
sufficient time in the present, part of Supergirl's life, that
they too might have a secret identity here? If so, how
does that end? Does a Future Legion member end up
back in the present?
Perhaps not every question needs to have an answer
planned. But Smallville's fly by the seat of their pants
approach needs to be avoided, or else they'll get Chloe
Sullivan and no flying by season 8 fiascos. Create
something fresh and new and learn from Smallville's
big mistakes. Supergirl and the Legion will be a blank
slate for 99%+ of anyone who watches it.
Some decisions should be obvious. For example that
Supergirl should be Kal-El's cousin, not the gob of goo,
and that Daughter of Krypton's Hitler (among the crap
from modern comics that tainted Smallville's version)
is a show-killing characterization. Writers who think
like that can't be working for the show or it's doomed
to fail. But at the core I think last night's episode does
persuade me that a blank slate, new Supergirl and the
Legion series might work well. It should be Silver
Age, not modern comic crap inspired. Just some fun
entertainment week to week, with an overall plan that
takes the characters from here to there over 5 to 7
seasons.

Look up the post on rec.arts.tv about Cartoon Network
developing a bunch of live-action shows. That's about
the only place something like this would -- pardon the
expression - fly.

Done just right it would fly on a Big 4. The Supergirl series
alone had that potential, especially set in LA with a Daily
Planet bureau there to link it to the Superman (or Young
Clark) side of the story for occasional guest spots. The
Legion then adds a Heroes and SF element, but grounded
in the present.
Beyond that and my previous posts (including on a Supergirl
series), your pure assertion provides no rationale for why
you think it wouldn't work. Clearly Supergirl did work in
attracting viewers on The CW, until they went and blew
the characterization and storyline. Even then, she drew a
good number this season for a one-shot and now the ep
last night. There's ample anecdotal evidence that it's been
well received and the numbers were quite good given the
ep comes after the traditional break. If Berman is right
that it's Smallville's best performance in the key demo this
season, all the better.

I didn't say that it wouldn't work, but I doubt that a mainstream
broadcast network would do it. (I am perhaps charitable in calling CW
mainstream.) But that there are other places where it would be regarded
as natural. Network execs will remember that comic book shows per se
have never been successful. The only successes have been in coming at
the idea sideways, as in Smallville, or creating new characters like the
Six Million Dollar Man or Kyle XY. An uncostumed Supergirl would be
basically a remake of Smallville--same problems, same angst. Not that TV
hasn't done that before.

The "best performance" could be attributed to it being the first new
show in quite a while, and perhaps the implication in the promo that
Clark is going to start flying -- though it may turn out he just jumped
really high...

KalElFan

2009-01-20 01:44:57 UTC

Post by Rob Jensen
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:54:57 -0800 (PST), "Ian J. Ball"

Alexz Johnson has had a 'nose job', hasn't she?
</big thoughts>

I've dropped Smallville this season but I watched this purely
to see how they translated the Legion to live action. So my
first through fifth thoughts are on that.
In terms of my expectations going in, they were very low
in the sense I didn't think Legion was viable as a live action
series. Nothing to do with Smallville because that's a
train wreck as much as ever. It's just that a series set
permanently in the future with traditionally costumed
superheroes having various funky powers is a tough sell.
Sets and special effects are also a problem.
Against those expectations, I thought the episode -- or at
least the three characters and actors, and the villain the
Persuader at the beginning --worked quite well.
I checked IMDb on the casting and they were all Canadian.
I hadn't recognized the Saturn Girl actress because she looks
different, but she was indeed the "Star" in the Canadian show
Instant Star. I watched a few episodes when Supergirl was
cast because Laura Vandervoort was also in that show and
played the star character's sister I think. So they've now
ended up playing Saturn Girl and Supergirl, which happens
to also get us to the potential angle that might very well work
to translate this to series.
I've read there's been a "Supergirl and the Legion" comic
book so presumably posting the idea without too much
detail is no obstacle to them doing it. But that's basically
the live action series concept that could work quite well
here. Reboot it from scratch, though I think all four of the
actors could be cast.
I've described the Supergirl-focused series that I think
would work, but it was more Smallville-like than this.
Smallville season 8 is by now a poison pill for that model.
The JLA hurts for the same reason. So adding the Legion
angle might be just the thing needed for viewers to purge
Smallville from memory and give the new series and very
different concept a look.
I won't get into too much specifics and have no idea how
the new Supergirl and the Legion comic book worked,
but basically ignore that too except for the title. The
whole Supergirl fiasco and how the modern comic crap
so tainted that ought to be a clue and a lesson. The
simple winning concept, I think, is the Original Legion
model from Silver Age in that Supergirl replaces the
Superboy role. The new series establishes Supergirl
and then she gets recruited into the Legion. That could
happen in the pilot as largely a teaser, because there'd
be lots to establish. But the context would be very fresh
and unlike anything Smallville or even Heroes, to which
many might compare it.
The Legion of course came first, right around the same
time as Supergirl though independently. If they restore the
Mon-El character to the Legion (which they should --
they need to have total disregard for modern continuity
crap and just go with what's proven to work) it adds
the additional duo element that made Superboy and
Mon-El work. With Supergirl and Mon-El there'd also
be the obvious potential for a romantic arc.
Why and how the future Legion interacts with Supergirl,
how much of the series takes place in the present vs
the future and so on, would ideally be planned as a
series arc but still be episodic.
There are all kinds of pitfalls too, but I think most of
them can be addressed in the planning. For example
it's absolutely essential that a series like this know the
ending. Will Supergirl end up in the future rather than
our time? If not, will she have to have a memory wipe
at the end? Is there any way that can be made palatable
for viewers? Will a few of the future Legion spend a
sufficient time in the present, part of Supergirl's life, that
they too might have a secret identity here? If so, how
does that end? Does a Future Legion member end up
back in the present?
Perhaps not every question needs to have an answer
planned. But Smallville's fly by the seat of their pants
approach needs to be avoided, or else they'll get Chloe
Sullivan and no flying by season 8 fiascos. Create
something fresh and new and learn from Smallville's
big mistakes. Supergirl and the Legion will be a blank
slate for 99%+ of anyone who watches it.
Some decisions should be obvious. For example that
Supergirl should be Kal-El's cousin, not the gob of goo,
and that Daughter of Krypton's Hitler (among the crap
from modern comics that tainted Smallville's version)
is a show-killing characterization. Writers who think
like that can't be working for the show or it's doomed
to fail. But at the core I think last night's episode does
persuade me that a blank slate, new Supergirl and the
Legion series might work well. It should be Silver
Age, not modern comic crap inspired. Just some fun
entertainment week to week, with an overall plan that
takes the characters from here to there over 5 to 7
seasons.

Look up the post on rec.arts.tv about Cartoon Network
developing a bunch of live-action shows. That's about
the only place something like this would -- pardon the
expression - fly.

Done just right it would fly on a Big 4. The Supergirl series
alone had that potential, especially set in LA with a Daily
Planet bureau there to link it to the Superman (or Young
Clark) side of the story for occasional guest spots. The
Legion then adds a Heroes and SF element, but grounded
in the present.
Beyond that and my previous posts (including on a Supergirl
series), your pure assertion provides no rationale for why
you think it wouldn't work. Clearly Supergirl did work in
attracting viewers on The CW, until they went and blew
the characterization and storyline. Even then, she drew a
good number this season for a one-shot and now the ep
last night. There's ample anecdotal evidence that it's been
well received and the numbers were quite good given the
ep comes after the traditional break. If Berman is right
that it's Smallville's best performance in the key demo this
season, all the better.

I didn't say that it wouldn't work, but I doubt that a
mainstream broadcast network would do it.

You said the Cartoon Network's live-action experiment was
"...about the only place something like this would -- pardon
the expression - fly..." and that certainly sounded like you
meant it wouldn't work. In any case the two assertions are
related. If mainstream broadcast network decision-makers
think it can work well enough, they would greenlight it. So

Post by Bill Steele
Network execs will remember that comic book shows per
se have never been successful. The only successes have
been in coming at the idea sideways, as in Smallville.

Lois & Clark was a near top-10 show at its peak. One
can always say that came at it sideways too, but so would
this Supergirl and the Legion series. The Supergirl-only
element is like Smallville, the future element of the Legion
(but anchored in the present) being a different approach.

Hulk and Wonder Woman were successful in their day,
Superman in the 50s, Smallville at least in its first few
seasons, and on the movie side the examples are not
just numerous but very lucrative. So, no, I doubt the
network executives would think such series have never
been or could not be successful. Done right they can
be and I think this series has that potential.

Post by Bill Steele
The "best performance" could be attributed to it being
the first new show in quite a while...

No, the final viewership number actually improved a bit
but is still 3rd of 11 episodes this season. The best this
episode after the break has ever done is 7th of 10 back
in season 6. In 3 seasons it was dead last, another tied
for last, another second to last... this episode in every
season has been low-rated relative to the season to date.
This is the only exception and it`s all the Legion. Now,
admittedly Smallville is in the tank and this is the lowest
rated season in an overall down trendline. But it`s still
an indication of viewer appeal, and it was well received
with lots of anecdotal evidence of that and the IMDb
ratings have it tied for second among all 163 episodes
to date. There`s nothing in the episode but the Legion
to attribute that to.

Post by Bill Steele
and perhaps the implication in the promo that Clark
is going to start flying...

Nah, he`s flown at least a half dozen times in the series.
The Legion flying with their anti-gravity rocket boots or
whatever they are was cool though, and all the better to
keep up with Supergirl in a brand new series. :-)

Bill Steele

2009-01-20 19:23:09 UTC

Post by KalElFan
Nah, he`s flown at least a half dozen times in the series.
The Legion flying with their anti-gravity rocket boots or
whatever they are was cool though, and all the better to
keep up with Supergirl in a brand new series. :-)

Actually only Kal-El possessing Clark and Bizarro Clark have totally
flown. There are three borderline cases I can think of: When he chased a
helicopter off a roof, when he caught a rising missile and when he
revealed himself to Lana just before the time-travel reset. All those
could be claimed as jumping, although they added the space-warp blur in
at least two of them (not sure about the missile). The producers could
also argue that OK he did fly but only because it was a moment of
extreme stress and he still can't do it just any time.

The Legion uses flying rings. Goes *way* back in the comics. But even if
you didn't know that, they mentioned to Clark that the ring they gave
him had flying turned off.

John Duncan Yoyo

2009-01-26 03:50:15 UTC