Writing on Smallville...

[ginnyfan]

I've been watching a lot of Lois and Clark. While there's a lot of cheese and the effects aren't all that great, I'm discovering that the writing is superb.

It's gotten me thinking about Smallville, where it seems that they are playing an improv game with their story arcs sometimes. LOL!

Lois and Clark Season 2... the writers seemed to decide that this was the season in which they would explore Lois and Clark transitioning into romance. So throughout that season they gradually take that on. But with Smallville...

The brainiac arc in Season 5. I wonder if the writers knew how it would end or if they just threw out brainiac almost as a dare to see how they could weave him in. Season 6 the Lexana baby feels that way. It's almost as though from one team of writers to another, they don't really watch the episodes... they can't carry several threads through each episode til the finale. It feels choppy.

One minute the characters are going in one direction, and the next episode it's as though it never happened, then three episodes later, they'll finally address something that happened three episodes ago.

I realize I'm being rather general. And I do love the show. I'd rather them take risks than let the show grow stale. But sometimes I wish they would take in depth risks rather than surface, flashy, sexy risks. Character depth can be sexy. It's just harder to pull off.

Smallville is just rather shallow at times IMO. And it doesn't need to be.

My sister said the other day that it's a "Teen Drama." And that says it all doesn't it? I just wish the expectations of the Teen audience were a little higher. LOL!

It seems that there are things upcoming in this next season that fit in with the idea of... throwing out a crazy idea that comes from nowhere to shake things up and see if they can pull it off - not to mention, boost ratings.

All of this juggling makes me a little annoyed. I like that they are risk takers... but... *sigh*

Anyway, here's a place to talk (vent) about the writing... good or bad.

[cksidekick]

i hve to say i dont entirely dissagree with you....it is a teen drama to the point of nausia sometimes,can we say (CLANA)?? but then again, the entire network is geared to this audience....why would Smallville be any different???

and im ABSOLUTLY SHURE, with all the DC contract restrictions on them it gets a bit difficult to tell their story...so they have to take chances..it is after all a reimagining of the origins of Clark....they have re-defined mythos in many places, and done a pretty good job of it...

it seems the most vocal anti-Smallville voices on K-site LOVE the show....and i think most are teens???at the least, its the love of the show that makes us nit-pick it in sometimes down right petty ways...all due to the writing...

in ten years, i think Smallville will go down as THE BEST Superman show....Lois and Clark coming in second..now that is just opinion,(may be the other way round) but you get the point...

having said all of that, the plot does tend to (hold tight) on an issue to tie up a sting or two in other places before we move on again...the teen audience has a short attention span, and they have to leapfrog back and forth to keep everyone interested....lots of things going on all at one time gets tricky....especialy when you have to cram it all into 40 minuts...:(

[j_sundude]

Before Smallville, L&C was my favorite show. Even though there were some incredibly cheesy moments, the writing was still great. Some story arcs seemed to last for half a season if not the whole season. They did a great job of continuity with the writing as well. The characters would actually remember and sometimes discuss things that happened in previous episodes. On L&C it seemed like the writers had a blueprint for the entire season. On Smallville it sometimes seems as if all the writers just do their own thing without having any interraction or colaboration with each other, which makes some of the plots seemed jumbled and out of place.

[InLove_with_Chloe]

Originally posted by ginnyfan
The brainiac arc in Season 5. I wonder if the writers knew how it would end or if they just threw out brainiac almost as a dare to see how they could weave him in. Season 6 the Lexana baby feels that way. It's almost as though from one team of writers to another, they don't really watch the episodes... they can't carry several threads through each episode til the finale. It feels choppy.

One minute the characters are going in one direction, and the next episode it's as though it never happened, then three episodes later, they'll finally address something that happened three episodes ago.
Excellent observations, ginnyfan.
I completely agree!!!

[MetroGirl06]

Good post ginnyfan, I also agree with you. I'm not the biggest fan of LnC, but I see what you're saying about the Smallville writing.

[freefall]

I absolutely agree with you ginnyfan. Another thing I've noticed is that Smallville is probably more character/relationship-driven rather than plot/continuity-driven, I believe that's why most if not all Smallville fans are so passionate when it comes to a certain character and even cited the reason they watched Smallville is simply because of [insert character's name] here.

We love certain characters and couldn't care less about the others, and the same goes for the storylines, where many of them are so plot-holey and nonsensical. And I believe Smallville also has one of the most hostile fandoms in history ever when it comes to shipperism. :)

I think S1 and S2 are the only seasons where they've managed to consistently strike a good balance between the relationships drama and the overall story arc, while still maintaining that inspiring spark we've always associated with any Superman story, from the premiere all the way till the finale.

[98chase]

Ok, over the past week I've watched season 1 through 3 of L&C and just finished episode 2 of season 4. I must say, the writing for that show was far better than Smallvilles. Don't get me wrong, I am "pro" Smallville and will/do fight for it. However, there is no question that the writers for L&C knew where they wanted to go with each perspective season. L&C does make it look like the writers of Smallville go at it one episode at a time, without considering the "big picture."

Not really relevant to this thread, but the season 3 finale and season 4 premier of L&C absolutely shatters any finale/premier that Smallville has had. Also, I think it would be nice if Smallville writers would have episodes "to be continued" at random parts of the season. Get a 2 to 3 episode arc going, that ends on a cliffhanger each episode. L&C did it and IMO, it worked. It mixes things up a bit.

[BadToad]

I've always been of the opinion that the writing is the weakest link with Smallville. The show has a great concept, an amazing cast, plenty of story to work with, a unique, beautiful look, good directors, good music, etc. Where the show continously gets hung up is how they choose to tell their stories. They used to be more careful, but for the last few years, stories have felt very slapped together.

[DeeperWell]

I think what makes the seasons weak is definately the lack of a coherent season long plan. The lack of continuity episode to episode on Smallville in recent years has become a little laughable. As has their writing of relationships... some are fairly well done. But even friendships aren't presented as friendships -- it's more investigations and Clana angsting. There is very little friend interaction IMO and I feel that is partly what's missing, although continuities return would be better.

[98chase]

Originally posted by DeeperWell
I think what makes the seasons weak is definately the lack of a coherent season long plan. The lack of continuity episode to episode on Smallville in recent years has become a little laughable. As has their writing of relationships... some are fairly well done. But even friendships aren't presented as friendships -- it's more investigations and Clana angsting. There is very little friend interaction IMO and I feel that is partly what's missing, although continuities return would be better.
As far a continuity is concerned, I thought season 6 was the best thus far.

[ginnyfan]

An excerpt from a live journal-er named Huzzlewhat... I especially like what she says about the visuals.

In a nutshell, Smallville is a story whose characters work best as icons, whose storylines are most coherent for what they represent on the large scale rather than piddling little things like plot details, and which is intensely visual rather than verbal. Cues come in colors, in blocking, in lighting. SV has been criticized for being too “soap-y,” but for me, that fits. The best explanation I ever heard of comics was, “like a soap opera, but with spandex and explosions.” Comics have the same love-hate relationship with continuity that soaps do, with characters who get stranded on desert islands, who have children who miraculously age to attractively cast teenagers in a matter of months, while the adults are in some perfect stasis of mid-30-dom, and long-lost illegitimate children from affairs that might have been mentioned once a decade or so ago. It’s always amused me (in a ‘this must mean something, but I’m too lazy to figure out exactly what’ sort of way) that the ultimate “for boys!” world of comics and the ultimate “girls!!!” form of soaps are so incredibly alike in so many ways.

I have a friend that tells me Wrestling is "soap opera" for men. LOL!

[BadToad]

As far a continuity is concerned, I thought season 6 was the best thus far.

For me, its by far the worst. I don't even know who these characters are week to week since their opinions and attitudes change from week to week. Was anyone ever really sure what the heck Lionel was doing from week to week? Honestly, I thought is was a complete mess. JMHO

[ForzaItalia]

To me, the writing crew needs some guy from DC comics to get involved.... They need someone who knows Superman beyond the Christopher Reeve movies.