Smallville

We rate Smallville 8/10 on Comic Movie DB. I loved this series because, for us, it was one of the first superhero shows where the characters actually felt relatable. We were teenagers when we were watching it, so seeing Clark dealing with school, friendships, relationships, parents and trying to work out where he fitted into the world made far more sense to us than starting with an established Superman who already had everything figured out.

Tom Welling played Clark Kent so well that we were instantly hooked. He looked like someone who could eventually become Superman, but he also made Clark feel like a normal teenager who happened to have extraordinary abilities. That was a huge part of the appeal. He could stop a car, move at incredible speed or discover another new power, but then still struggle to speak to Lana or deal with an argument at home. And, obviously, as teenagers watching it, we all wanted Superman’s powers.

The relationships kept us watching just as much as the superhero side. Clark and Lana gave the early seasons their emotional centre, while Clark’s friendship with Lex Luthor was probably one of the smartest ideas in the whole series. Knowing who Lex would eventually become made every moment between them more interesting. Michael Rosenbaum was brilliant because Lex did not begin as a simple villain. You could understand him, sometimes agree with him and watch the friendship gradually break down.

As Smallville grew, so did its version of the DC universe. Lois Lane, Green Arrow and other familiar characters started appearing, Clark moved closer to his destiny and the show gradually changed from a teenage drama with superhero elements into a much broader superhero series. That evolution meant we could grow with it rather than feeling as though we were watching exactly the same story every season.

Not every episode was perfect and, across ten seasons, there are naturally storylines that work better than others. But Smallville had something that mattered more: characters you wanted to spend time with. It made Superman relatable before he was Superman. Even now, hearing the opening of ‘Save Me’ immediately takes you back to that era.

For me, 8/10 feels right. Smallville was a huge part of getting hooked on superhero television, Tom Welling remains one of my favourite versions of Clark Kent, and the series proved that sometimes the most interesting part of a superhero story is everything that happens before the cape.