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Watched a bit of the Roswell reboot yesterday and it made me think of this. What if, in 2011, the CW had opted to continue the show, even with Tom Welling leaving it? Other shows have survived departures of the original cast. Though, with Smallville, I could see several problems.
1) Conner's a teenager and in high school. He couldn't live on his own. He'd need a legal guardian. Martha Kent would be to obvious choice. The problem is that Anette O'Toole had left the show in season 6. Would she be willing to come back as a regular? Which would also require Martha to suddenly quit being a senator and move back to Smallville.
2) The sudden drop of the entire season 10 cast. Usually, a cast gets phased out over time, or some remain. Take Once Upon a Time for example. With season 7, they essentially rebooted the show, but they kept three members of the existing cast. They recast Henry, to make him older. So, that's four main character remaining. Here, Tom and Erica would be gone. Allison had already sort-of left. Justin would've probably not been interested. Leaving us with Cassidy Freeman/Tess. Meaning everything would hinge on her being willing to stay. Which has the additional problem of her seemingly being killed in season 10. Now, they could've brought her back, like they did in the season 11 comic. However, that would then require a recasting. As she couldn't live in Smallville, with the face of Tess Mercer (a dead woman). Now, if they had wanted to continue, they could've elected to not seemingly kill her. Have her be Conner's legal guardian. Which brings us to another problem.
3) Past characters seemingly swallowed by the Earth. Conner's Clark Kent's cousin (a cousin who is involved with Lois Lane). Tess is Lex Luthor's half-sister. Yet, season 11 and onward would not feature Clark, Lois or Lex. Conner and/or Tess would've never been able to go to Clark or Lois for help. If they're in Metropolis (a place not long from where they're living), they couldn't ever drop by and visit them. They'd either never be brought up or the new main cast would have to dance around it and reference encounters and events that took place offscreen.
4) The proximity between Smallville and Metropolis. Depending on the episode, there could be a barely 20 minute drive between them. Shared universes have the problem of people asking "why don't they just call for help?". A complaint that is easily resolved: help is too far away and the character doesn't have the phone number for this other character. Only, in this case, the characters live right down the street from Superman and do have his phone number.
1) Conner's a teenager and in high school. He couldn't live on his own. He'd need a legal guardian. Martha Kent would be to obvious choice. The problem is that Anette O'Toole had left the show in season 6. Would she be willing to come back as a regular? Which would also require Martha to suddenly quit being a senator and move back to Smallville.
2) The sudden drop of the entire season 10 cast. Usually, a cast gets phased out over time, or some remain. Take Once Upon a Time for example. With season 7, they essentially rebooted the show, but they kept three members of the existing cast. They recast Henry, to make him older. So, that's four main character remaining. Here, Tom and Erica would be gone. Allison had already sort-of left. Justin would've probably not been interested. Leaving us with Cassidy Freeman/Tess. Meaning everything would hinge on her being willing to stay. Which has the additional problem of her seemingly being killed in season 10. Now, they could've brought her back, like they did in the season 11 comic. However, that would then require a recasting. As she couldn't live in Smallville, with the face of Tess Mercer (a dead woman). Now, if they had wanted to continue, they could've elected to not seemingly kill her. Have her be Conner's legal guardian. Which brings us to another problem.
3) Past characters seemingly swallowed by the Earth. Conner's Clark Kent's cousin (a cousin who is involved with Lois Lane). Tess is Lex Luthor's half-sister. Yet, season 11 and onward would not feature Clark, Lois or Lex. Conner and/or Tess would've never been able to go to Clark or Lois for help. If they're in Metropolis (a place not long from where they're living), they couldn't ever drop by and visit them. They'd either never be brought up or the new main cast would have to dance around it and reference encounters and events that took place offscreen.
4) The proximity between Smallville and Metropolis. Depending on the episode, there could be a barely 20 minute drive between them. Shared universes have the problem of people asking "why don't they just call for help?". A complaint that is easily resolved: help is too far away and the character doesn't have the phone number for this other character. Only, in this case, the characters live right down the street from Superman and do have his phone number.
and I'm sure they'd find some way to get around the fact that Martha and the others weren't around. Maybe the cover story would be that he was there to watch over the farm and would also work at the Talon coffeehouse, because he was emancipated much like Lana Lang was later on in the seasons.
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