in the open space: God & culture

CW We always have a choice, Kal-El. Your father didn’t have to care for you the way he did. Yet still he made that choice every day he was with you. He chose to be your protector, just as you’ve chosen to be the Earth’s protector. Nobody forced that on you, yet you embraced it. Nobody made that choice for you. We all choose our own fate. ~Brainiac, "Homecoming" episode of Smallville  The final season of Smallville is playing out fabulously. “Lazarus,” the season premiere, brought to the front burner a theme that has kept me intrigued in this 10-season-long series : how choice determines the path we walk, be it towards light and life or darkness and destruction. And the 200 th episode picked up on that and played it out in a wonderful and moving way. In a kind of twist on A Christmas Carol , a reformed and now good Brainiac takes Clark into the past, the present and the future in an attempt to help him face his fears and darkness and embrace the path we know he will. A...

Note: the promo has brief scenes suggesting sexual content. Above is another promo for the tenth and final season of Smallville , the CW series that chronicles the journey of Clark Kent as he eventually becomes Superman. While the promo content didn’t reveal anything I didn’t expect, I did find the song, Nature Boy , an unexpected and fascinating choice. The song is a classic , made famous by Nat King Cole: There was a boy A very strange enchanted boy They say he wandered very far, very far Over land and sea A little shy And sad of eye But very wise Was he And then one day A magic day he passed my way And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings This he said to me "The greatest thing You'll ever learn Is just to love And be loved In return" I’ve always liked the story nature of this song, and I think the song’s story pairs well with Clark’s, which we revisit through images and scenes in this promo. I also appreciate how the lyrics’ conclusion accentuates one of the ...

For more on Smallville , see this blog's Smallville category .

I’ ve watched Smallville —CW’s version of the Superman saga—since its very first season. This fall, the tenth and final season begins, and if CW’s latest (and very spoilerish ) press release (via Blaster) is correct, the series promises to continue its front burner themes of redemption , messiahs , sacrifice , and salvation . (Caution: minor spoilers ahead.) For example, the press release reveals that the final season premiere is entitled “Lazarus,” which finds Clark waking from a “near-death experience” and needing to “find a way to rid himself of every last temptation” in order to become “the beacon of hope the world needs.” Then there’s Chloe Sullivan, who will struggle with how much she is “truly willing to sacrifice to protect the people she loves,” and Tess Mercer, who must figure out how much she is “willing to give up to seize her second chance at redemption.” While I will be sorry to see the series end, I am glad they have a chance to complete the story—and I am looking fo...

I’m a little late on this one, but I couldn’t let the ninth season finale of Smallville go unblogged. Aptly entitled “Salvation,” the messianic thread in the Superman mythology was once again front and center. I particularly resonated with the final image of the episode above—and I wasn’t the only one to notice the Jesus imagery in it. That scene comes after a climatic fight with Superman-villain-of-lore Zod, who has been (mis)leading the Kryptonian Kandorians in a violent quest to rule Earth. To make a long story short, Clark had found a device to transport all those of Krypton (including himself) off Earth. Clark is willing to sacrifice his life and relationships on Earth to give the Kandorians a place where they could start over (and also protect the Earth from Zod)—but Zod will have nothing of that. As the rest of his people literally beam up to their new haven, Zod pulls out and goes after Clark with a dagger of Blue Kryptonite (the effect of which renders any Kyrptonian huma...

In the recent “Upgrade” episode of Smallville , Clark has been infected by red kryptonite, which (as Chloe wittily puts it) turns the young yet-to-be Superman “into the bad boy every girl dreams of—in her nightmares.” Working with Chloe, John Corben ( Smallville’s version of Metallo) tracks Clark to the Fortress of Solitude, which Clark has just revealed to Zod. When Corben approaches Clark with a piece of sharp, dagger-shaped green kryptonite, Clark weakens and collapses. Corbin walks over and stands above Clark, informing him that “someone who cares about you sent me here to save you.” Clark sneers at him. Clark: And this is my lucky day to be saved? Corben (kneeling down next to him): Take it from someone’s who been there. We don’t always know when we need saving. Corben stabs Clark with the green kryptonite and his eyes flash red as the red kryptonite’s infection leaves him. Corben has freed Clark. Smallville is in its ninth season and was just renewed for one more—and scenes...

When someone expresses concern about whether Clark’s plan will work to separate Davis Bloom from his Doomsday alter ego (over which Davis has no control and as whom he has killed many people) instead of kill or exile him as both to the Phantom Zone, Clark explains his reasons for taking such a risk: Clark: Sometimes justice, it’s not about making the easy decision. Sometimes it’s about finding that last bit of good in someone and saving them from themselves. In the most recent Smallville episode “Injustice,” the inevitable show down between Clark Kent and Doomsday— a Krypton creation that exists inside Davis Bloom and sent to destroy our favorite Kryptonian son—moves one step closer. It seems an impossible situation for Clark, who wants to save Davis and yet can't allow Doomsday to kill more people. When he comes up with a plan to separate the two personalities (saving Davis and exiling Doomsday to the Phantom zone) he gets opposition from all sides. And Clark’s reasoning abov...

Chloe: Okay, now, I know I don't need to remind you what happened last time you turned back the clock. There's always a consequence. Clark: The world fears me, Chloe, and as long as they know who I am, I can't help them. I don't have a choice. (text via tvrage.com ) In the “Infamous” episode of Smallville , villain Linda Lake (Tori Spelling) returns to blackmail Clark about his Kryptonian identity and powers and his masquerade as the Red-Blue Blur (who rescues folks in Metropolis). Instead of giving into her blackmail, Clark reveals his secrets to Lois Lane and asks her to publish them to the world. At first, folks are enamored and supportive of Clark and his work to save others. But Lake gets back at Clark by insinuating that he’s the first wave of an alien invasion. Public opinion turns (as Lake says at one point: “Funny thing about people. The only thing they love more than building up heroes is tearing them down.”), and Clark decides to use a time-travel ring the...

The scene opens on a priest inside a confessional, who slides open the panel to reveal paramedic Davis Bloom who is struggling with trying to control his seemingly inevitable transformation into a monster-like creature called the Destroyer. Bloom: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I. . . have hurt many people—people that I care about. Priest: I’m here, my son. Go on. Bloom: Something . . . takes over, without warning. It’s a beast inside of me, fighting to get out. Priest: We all have our inner demons, but we must learn to control them. Bloom: I’m trying, Father, the best way I know how. Bloom puts a his hand over his face. Bloom: But . . . I—I drive through Metropolis at night, searching for a way to save myself. The image switches to a memory and we see Bloom, driving his ambulance at night, as he comes upon a drug dealer roughing up a boy. Bloom (in a voiceover): Too much sin committed on those streets. We watch Bloom turn on the siren in his ambulance and get out of the ...

In the “Legion” episode of Smallville (which follows the life of a young Clark Kent who is yet to be Superman), Clark and Lana’s friend Chloe has been taken over by the villain Brainiac—who is bent on destroying the planet Earth—and they’ve been informed that the only way left to stop him is to kill his host. In other words, they must kill Chloe. Lana, whose been gone from Smallville and Metropolis for about seven months, can’t believe Clark is even considering it. Clark: Lana, I have always put my loved ones before everything. But this time I’m putting Chloe’s well being before the lives of billions of people. Lana looks at him, insistent and with conviction— Lana: I may have been gone awhile, but the Clark I knew would never doubt himself. Clark is uneasy. Clark: Lana— Lana: He would never waver. He would insist that he could save Chloe’s life and the rest of the world. Clark is quiet, and then he smiles. When things are dark and we feel like we have little option or recourse ...

Clark Kent (who will one day become Superman) and Oliver Queen (aka, the Green Arrow, a Justice League hero) are talking at the end of the " Identity " episode of CW's Smallville , in which Oliver helped Clark protect his identity as the mysterious person who's been rescuing folks around Metropolis. In the process, however, it's Oliver who rescues Clark's friend Jimmy from a bad guy. This is a turning point for Oliver, who a few episodes earlier had discovered that Lionel Luther murdered his parents (who died when he was a boy). He'd been having problems dealing with the information, spending a great deal of time partying and drinking instead of hero work. But agreeing to help Clark and then saving Jimmy has grounded him again. When Clark asks him what's changed, Oliver tells him: Oliver: You want to know the truth? I don’t know. It’s like, when I was zipping across the street, taking that punk down . . . Well, I finally felt like myself again, you k...

Peter Chattaway recently posted on a Wall Street Journal article relaying the decision by Warner Brothers to scrap their Justice League plans and instead focus films on individual DC comic book heroes—which includes a reboot (or is it a re-reboot, heh) of Superman. Interestingly, the powers that be are pondering the recent success of the Batman reboot and want the upcoming films to be “to be bathed in the same brooding tone as The Dark Knight :” Creatively, [Warner Brothers Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov] sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.’ DC properties. “We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it,” he says. That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well. Chattaway links to some responses by folks to the idea of a “brooding” Superman and gives his own as well . Interestingly, Chattaway’s post comes as my husband and I are almost finished watching the last season of Smallville ...

Lana, we all make mistakes. I’m living proof of that. It’s how we come back from our mistakes, that’s what matters. --Clark Kent to his girlfriend, in the “Blue” episode of Smallville We’re not defined by our parents, Kara. One of the most important things my adoptive parents taught me is that we shape our own destiny. --Clark Kent to his cousin, from the “Lara” episode of Smallville My husband and I are making our way through Season 7 of Smallville , of which most episodes we’ve stored over the last year on our DVR. One of the interesting things about watching several episodes back-to-back is picking up on the themes running through the season. This theme of our destiny or future being shaped by the choices we make versus where or who we came from is one of the themes I love about this series —and it’s playing throughout this season as well. I also like the thread that it's not a single decision that defines our life, but a series of them. Over the last few years, I've come...

Man, I gotta say if this season of Smallville is anything like its premiere, well, Wow . It was full of revelations and movements forward (maybe even a few too many) and, to the delight of this blogger, laced with God-talk. But if you're a reader of this blog, you know that's not unusual for this series which chronicles the years before Clark Kent becomes the Superman we know he's destined to be. (Stop reading now if you haven't seen "Bizarro" yet because there be spoilers below.) What I love about this series (one of my top 10 last year) is its constant exploration of what it means to be human--and that theme was one of this episode's main thrusts. The young Clark Kent faces one of his worst nemeses, Phantom, who takes on a form exactly like Clark (aka "Bizarro-Clark") and has all Clark's powers (and then some), but is his opposite in almost every way: Phantom/Bizarro is evil with skin on (if you can call it that). Yet as Clark faces Phant...

Last night, I watched a TiVo'd " Subterranean ", the last episode of chronicles-of-young-Superman-Clark-Kent Smallville (a fav of this blog) before the mid-season break and, frankly, thought it the weakest episode of the season (and, apparently, I’m not alone ). I’m not sure what its purpose was, other than to show Lex Luthor settled into his evil ways (which makes him a less interesting character than when he’s conflicted between doing-the-right-thing and his quest for power) and further expand the gulf between Clark Kent and former-Clark-girl-but-now-Lex’s-girl Lana Lang (their brief conversation definitely illustrated the power of a few exchanged sentences to expand a relationship-gulf into a chasm of distance). This episode also didn’t do much to explore its underlying political theme, immigration and undocumented workers— an issue dear to this blogger’s heart . The show attempted to draw attention to the plight of immigrants through a plot involving a farm near the...

I must admit, I’m somewhat giddy that the fall television season is underway—it’s been a smorgasbord of opportunities to bring God-talk into open spaces ( Survivor and Jericho being my favorite so far). The new season of one of my long-time favorite series, Smallville , began last night. Comic book stories are good God-talk generators , and Smallville has provided fodder for this blog before —and is doing so again. In this season’s opener , the major cliffhangers of the last one are resolved and we’re moved forward. “Everything’s changing,” reflects Clark at the end of the episode—and indeed he’s right. Paths have been chosen, and the characters are walking them: the young Clark Kent (just freed from the Phantom Zone where someone sacrifices their life to give him freedom to be the hero he needs to be) takes a huge psychological step towards becoming the superhero we know he becomes. And by the longing looks that Lex (just freed from the body-possessing evil Kryptonian Zod, who iron...

I'm late on this, but I just watched last week’s Smallville episode, “ Void ” (boy, do I love TiVo)—and it has lots of God-talk simmering just below the surface. Smallville chronicles the years of a young Clark Kent before he becomes Superman . It has many familiar characters also in their younger years, like Lana Lang , Lois Lane , Jonathan and Martha Kent , and—one of the most interesting— Lex Luthor . Like Clark, we are meeting Lex before he becomes Superman’s nemesis. As we watch Clark become a superhero, we also watch Lex become a super-villain. Neither starts out that way, but the show chronicles the choices they make that lead them down their respective roads. I like this show for the same reason I like movies in the comic book genre : it is ripe with themes that resonate with Christians: good versus evil, struggles with sin and redemption, etc. What made this particular episode special? Well, first a summary: The plot centers on Lana and her new addiction to a Kryptonite...