Arrow & The Flash vs. Smallville

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I love superheroes. What’s not to love? Saving damsels in distress, pulling people out of burning buildings and stopping crises on a global scale. The show that turned me onto this genre was the legendary Smallville. When Smallville went off-air, I was crushed. I’d waited so long to tune in and when I finally got caught up, boom: show’s over. Then I learned about Arrow. Yay!

Some of you may remember Smallville’s version of Green Arrow: the blond, yummy Justin Hartley. His costume was a little…cartoony, but this character was badass and had a ‘no kill’ policy, which I thought was cool. He was also the person to go to if you wanted something stolen and could sneak up on you like a ninja. When I learned the Emerald Archer was getting his own show starring an actor who WASN’T Justin Hartley…I was pissed. I didn’t want to watch it. I’d already invested time and grown to love my version of Green Arrow, so I wasn’t up to changing all of that. Then I read an interview with Stephen Amell, who took the time to address fans like me with this very concern. He stated the shows were separate and not to judge one based on the other. He hoped Smallville fans would give his version of Green Arrow a chance. So I tuned in for the pilot, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Then Arrow of course gave birth to The Flash and now I’m in superhero heaven.

So what’s with all of this bloggage I’m seeing about Arrow paving the way for superhero TV shows? Granted, we wouldn’t have the Flash if it weren’t for the episodes he did on Arrow, and they’ve arguably helped sell the Supergirl series, but you can hardly credit Arrow for the rise in superhero stories. Smallville was barely even cold before Arrow began. If you judge Smallville by its first couple of seasons, then I can see why you would misjudge it and think it has nothing in common with Arrow. But in its later seasons, Smallville was much like Arrow is now. It was dark, the stakes were high and Metropolis and the rest of the world often hung in the balance. Very comic-esque. Watch these last few pulse-pounding seasons and you can see why fans were thirsty for more once the show ended.

After 10 long years, Clark had fulfilled his destiny and became the Man of Steel (don’t get me started on THAT movie!!) and yet, these days, Smallville and Tom Welling get no credit in the comic book world. It’s as though they never even existed. This makes hardcore fans like me angry, but for diehard fans like my sister, it’s downright insulting. On more than one occasion I’ve had to listen to her rant almost endlessly because some blogger has credited Arrow as the catalyst for this booming market. I can say with absolute certainty that there would be no Arrow if there hadn’t been a Smallville. Smallville took a b-rated comic book character like Green Arrow, who had never before been played in a live-action show or movie, and turned him into something more. He became something else. (haha). That is why people (or at least Smallville fans) flocked to watch the new show. It gave Arrow the chance, and Arrow captivated viewers everywhere and created a place on the market for more shows like it.

I’m not going to get into which Arrow is better. I don’t even know—I love them both. I love the Flash, too, but Smallville has a special place in my heart. Smallville was the first to give my generation a full-blown superhero TV show and Tom Welling won my heart as the lovable farm boy/protector of mankind. Season after season we watched as Clark realized what he believed in and took a stand for it. It’s a big part of the reason why girls like me started viewing superheroes as sexy instead of ‘for boys’. Doesn’t any one else see that? It was on the air for ten years! You don’t get that by being mediocre. Why do we have to pit these shows against each other when we should be lumping them together? Please, give credit where credit is due. Smallville gave birth to a wonderful new genre and revamped a dead horse, so let’s act like it!

 

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Yes, I am a TV Addict

There’s nothing I love more than a good TV show marathon. This weekend, I’ve been getting caught up on my favorite shows. As most of you know, I’m a CW nut, I mean, really, do I need any other channels? Nope. Since I can’t help but gush over this fantastic new lineup, are my thoughts on the season this far.

The Originals—

This show gives the term ‘family drama’ a whole new name. I really should’ve foreseen the Original parents coming back. (It IS a show about Originals and the Otherside was falling apart, giving them the perfect chance to escape). I didn’t see it coming though, and I love it! Esther’s all creepy and “I’ll give you a new life” and the big-bad Michael “the vampire who hunts vampires” is on a leash! A leash wielded by a very powerful, but still very teenage witch. How awesome is that? And poor, murderous Haley…she needs Hope…literally. I’m thrilled to see Kohl back, and as a witch. This series has had me hooked since the backdoor pilot on TVD, and this season is no exception.

My predictions: Michael will find out that Hope is still alive and then take her from Rebekah (hopefully NOT killing her in the process), then Hope will be raised by Michael to hate Klaus. He obviously isn’t strong enough to kill Klaus, so he’ll do the next best thing…kill their family’s hope. Let’s not forget this child has a destiny—she is a miracle baby, after all. (I also predict she will age fast and be able to practice magic.)

Arrow—

All I can say is: OMG. This season has literally had me jump out of my chair two times. The first was when Sara died. Sara was my hero (all blond and badass and going after rapists) and to see her shot down so suddenly…I walked around for a week pouting. The only the good thing that came from it was that I just KNEW (in my gut knew) that this was their way of bringing Tommy back into the picture. We’re not really supposed to believe he’s dead, right? Of course not, he’s off being brainwashed somewhere by Malcom Merlin and will come back hating Laurel and Oliver at some point. But, I digress. Last weeks’ episode showed that Tommy didn’t kill Sara—Roy did! Let’s take a step back and say that Roy is also my hero. He’s all troubled and mysterious, and we come from similar backgrounds and I always rooted for him and the things he wanted. So, not only did the Arrow writers kill off my hero, but they used my other hero to do it! I’m devastated…and hooked. You can bet I’ll keep tuning in to find out what happens. BTW, Roy is obviously suffering from some side effect of the “miracle drug” cure. They injected him with it, not knowing anything about it, so even if he did really kill Sara, it’s not like we can hold him responsible for it. And, while I miss Sara, I am enjoying Laurel’s arc this year.

Predictions: Tommy will be back this season, with a vendetta against Oliver and possibly Laurel.  The Tommy flashbacks in Hong Kong confirmed this: that whole storyline will seem pointless unless it’s a gradual way of putting Tommy back in our heads. Also, Lila will go to a dark place and threaten her relationship with Digg and baby Sara. (She does what Amanda Waller says, right? And Amanda is shady, Digg is more of a black-and-white, good-and-bad type person.) Of course Laurel will become Black Canary, but I think she’ll go much darker than we realize.

Supernatural—

I’ve been waiting for Dean to go darkside for a long time, but when he did…it was downright chilling. I wouldn’t have wanted to stumble into his path while he was off the rails. It’s a good thing Sam FINALLY stepped up and saved Dean for a change. He hasn’t done that since season…4 or 5, and frankly it was starting to annoy me. I am disappointed he was cured so soon, but the good news is that I have no idea where the season is going from here. It’s keeping me on my toes, and Supernatural is one of the only shows where my predictions tend to be way off. Obviously Cole will become a hunter, at least to find Dean, but then what?

Prediction: Sam and Dean will at some point, be recruited to hunt monsters for the government. (Don’t laugh!) They’ve referenced A LOT about Big Brother, and who makes up those cover stories like “meteor shower”? How exactly do Sam and Dean get away with faking their deaths so many times, being most wanted so many times, only to walk around un-arrested and seemingly undetected? I think Big Brother has had their eye on Sam and Dean for a while and know exactly what the brothers have been doing. Eventually, I think the brothers will end up flashing badges that are real.

The Flash—

I love this newbie! Barry is a cute, geeky underdog. He’s got quirky sidekicks and a mission to save his dad. Plus, he’s the fastest man alive. I’m also a big fan of Tom Cavanaugh and love his role in this…so ominous and creepy. There’s depth to every word Wells says. It’s hard to explain what gives this show it’s…fresh feel, but it’s exactly that: refreshing.

Predictions: Barry will find out that A.) Wells is his real father and killed his mom. B.) Wells has been manipulating him his whole life—he obviously wanted him to be affected by the particle accelerator. Which brings me to C.) The explosion was no accident—Wells knew exactly what he was unleashing and has ‘waited for this for centuries.’

What do you think about these fresh new seasons? What is Wells up to? What does the future hold for Sam and Dean? Will Team Arrow survive this already hellish year? Will Klaus and Haley be reunited with their miracle baby? I’d love to discuss this with more fans.

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