Posted by Cory Barker on March 8, 2012 · 1 Comment
The accused: Smallville, “Reckoning” (Season 5, Episode 12) The crime: Sending its lead character on an aimless, never-ending path of self-loathing How much impact, both positive and negative, can one bad episode have on an entire series? How do long-running series continue onward in the aftermath of an episodic failure? Is it possible that individual, … Read more
Filed under SMALLVILLE, Featured, #TVFail · Tagged with #TVFail, Allison Mack, Annette O'Toole, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, Cory Barker, DC Comics, Erica Durance, Green Arrow, John Glover, John Schneider, Jonathan Kent, Justin Hartley, Kristin Kreuk, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Lionel Luthor, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Michael Rosenbaum, Oliver Queen, Smallville, Smallville 100th episode, Smallville 200th episode, Smallville 9, Smallville Jonathan Kent dies, Smallville Reckoning, Smallville Season 10, Smallville Season 5, Smallville Season 6, Smallville Season 7, Smallville Season 9, Superman, Tom Welling
Posted by Cory Barker on December 19, 2011 · 2 Comments
It is that time again folks! The end of the year is upon us and that means it is time to look back on the highs, lows and WTFs in television from the past 12 months. There is a lot to reflect on in regard to television 2011. Charlie Sheen went crazy. Well, crazier. Comedy … Read more
Filed under Best of 2011, CHUCK, DEXTER, Episode Reviews, Featured, Glee, Modern Family, SMALLVILLE, The Office, TRUE BLOOD · Tagged with ABC, Alan Ball, Best of 2011, Chuck, Chuck Season 4, Clark Kent, Cory Barker, Dexter, Dexter Season 6, Entourage, Entourage Season 8, Entourage Series Finale, FOX, Glee, Glee Season 2, Glee Season 3, HBO, Jeremy Piven, Lois Lane, Modern Family, Modern Family Season 3, Most disappointing veteran series, NBC, Ryan Murphy, Showtime, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Steve Carell, The CW, The Office, The Office Season 7, The Office Season 8, True Blood, True Blood Season 4, TV Surveillance Best of 2011
Posted by Cory Barker on June 1, 2011 · Leave a Comment
With the 2010-2011 television season officially over, I’ll be taking some time over the next week or so to look back on how some of television’s best and worst fared this season. General thoughts: Endings are, of course, difficult to manage. This has to be especially true for a series that has been on the … Read more
Filed under 2010-2011 season wrap, Featured, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with 2010-2011 season wrap, Annette O'Toole, Cassidy Freeman, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, Cory Barker, Erica Durance, Final seasons, John Schneider, Jonathan Kent, Justin Hartley, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Michael Rosenbaum, Oliver Queen, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Superman, Tess Mercer, The CW, The Daily Planet, Tom Welling
Posted by Cory Barker on February 7, 2011 · 1 Comment
Apologies for the delay in this review, hectic weekend. When it was announced that Smallville‘s 2011 return would be pushed back a week, I wasn’t really upset. For the most part, this final season has been more scatter-brained and problematic than the last two seasons, despite some very, very great moments. Usually the series is … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Alaina Huffman, Allison Mack, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, Cory Barker, Deadshot, Dinah Lance, Erica Durance, Green Arrow, Justin Hartley, Lionel Luther, Lois Lane, Neo, Oliver Queen, Reviews, Rick Flag, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Suicide Squad, Superman, Tess Mercer, The Black Canary, The Blur, The CW, The Justice League, The Matrix, Tom Welling
Posted by Cory Barker on December 4, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Time travel, alternate universes, these storytelling techniques are such gimmicks — gimmicks Smallville uses on a fairly regular basis. However, because the series is so good when they do employ this gimmicks, I’m willing to give them a reprieve for dipping into an elseworlds-type tale in “Luthor.” Plus, the series is based on a comic … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, Featured, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Allison Mack, Alternate universes, Bryan Q. Miller, Cassidy Freeman, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, Clark Luthor, Cory Barker, Erica Durance, Green Arrow, John Glover, Justin Hartley, Kelly Souders, Lex Luthor, Lionel Luthor, Lois Lane, Luthor, Michael Rosenbaum, Oliver Queen, Reviews, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Superman, Tess Mercer, The CW, Tom Welling, Ultraman
Posted by Cory Barker on November 22, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Sorry for the delay folks, with the holidays and the end of the semester coming up, it’s going to be something of a crazy time for me. After last week’s episode solidified a number of things in the overarching plot, “Patriot” pushes that narrative forward in a very satisfying way, while still dealing with some … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, Featured, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Aquaman, Arthur Curry, Cassidy Freeman, Clark Kent, Darkseid, Erica Durance, Gordon Godfrey, Green Arrow, Justin Hartley, Lois Lane, Michael Hogan, Oliver Queen, Patriot, Reviews, Rick Flag, Slade Wilson, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Suicide Squad, Superman, Tess Mercer, The CW, The Justice League, Tom Welling, Vigilante Registration Act, Watchtower
Posted by Cory Barker on November 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment
This week on Smallville, it’s all about family and family histories. And though his issues with Jor-El are certainly present here, “Abandoned” works well in letting the two ladies move to the front and deal with their pasts in emotional resonant and in Tess’ case, twisty kind of ways. The result is the second fine … Read more
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Posted by Cory Barker on November 8, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Sorry for the delay folks, I had to take a few days off to restore some sanity, and not the Jon Stewart variety. That decision is kind of unfortunate, at least in relationship to Smallville, which turned in one of its better episodes of the season. After a few goofy and gimmicky episodes, “Ambush” felt … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Allison Mack, Cassidy Freeman, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, DC Comics, Erica Durance, General Sam Lane, Green Arrow, Justin Hartley, Lois Lane, Lucy Lane, Metahumans, Michael Ironside, Oliver Queen, Peyton List, Reviews, Rick Flag, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Suicide Squad, Superman, Ted Whittall, Tess Mercer, The CW, Tom Welling, Vigilante Registration Act
Posted by Cory Barker on October 31, 2010 · Leave a Comment
I noted last week that it would be difficult to top the 200th episode, so there was really no reason for “Isis” to attempt to. However, I didn’t really expect or want the trend of mediocrity to continue into “Harvest,” which is unfortunately what happened. “Harvest” is also similar to “Isis” in that it writes … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, Featured, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Alexander Luthor, Blue Kryptonite, Brian Peterson, Cassidy Freeman, Clark Kent, Clones, Connor Stanhope, DC Comics, Erica Durance, Green Arrow, Harvest, Justin Hartley, Kelly Souders, Krypton, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Oliver Queen, Pagans, Reviews, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Superman, Tess Mercer, The CW, The Daily Planet, Tom Welling
Posted by Cory Barker on October 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
After a glorious 200th episode, there was no way Smallville could really top that episode’s events, so the best thing to do is continue the plotlines of “Homecoming” in a natural, but less epic way. “Isis”…kind of does that. In one sense, “Isis” has a number of the season’s best emotional and quiet moments. In … Read more
Filed under Episode Reviews, Featured, SMALLVILLE · Tagged with Allison Mack, Brian Peterson, Cassidy Freeman, Cat Grant, Chloe Sullivan, Clark Kent, DC Comics, Erica Durance, Isis, Justin Hartley, Kelly Souders, Keri Lynn Pratt, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Michael Rosenbaum, Oliver Queen, Smallville, Smallville Season 10, Superman, Tess Mercer, The CW, Tom Welling, Watchtower
