An emotional farewell from one of Smallville's biggest fans...

Ten years! It has been a long journey as we have sat each week to watch Kal-El, the last son of Krypton, grow into the hero he was meant to be. After ten seasons of waiting patiently for Clark Kent to finally put on the red and blue long johns, watching him adapt to every new ability he had, wondering when he was going to finally fly, and seeing his interactions with the man who would one day be his most reviled nemesis, Lex Luthor, we are finally brought to an end. The writers shoved a lot into the two hour series finale, which made for a very entertaining watch - even if a few things felt slightly rushed through - but more on that later. Everything gets a brilliant end in tonight’s tale, and it all marks the end of an era. At times joyous, at others sad, and in many ways bittersweet, we bid a fond adieu to Smallville, and we will mourn its passing.

Last week Lois told Clark that she couldn’t be with him, knowing that every minute she had him to herself equaled a life that could be saved, a wrong that could be righted. She couldn’t take the guilt of knowing what he went through in his other job. Clark isn’t buying it, and is allowing for all of the preparations to commence. He is absolutely certain that she will change her mind, because for him there is no life without her. In fact, this is a very in charge Clark Kent, a man who knows his destiny and is embracing it. However, in facing the future, he seems to be willing to forget the past – every aspect of it. He is given a cold, hard reminder of what the past means when Martha shows up at the farm. She is aghast to see everything packed up and the house empty, and she tells Clark that he must have misunderstood why she sent him the deed to the house. She explains that it was for Clark to make a new life with Lois, and he retorts that they are, but in Metropolis. He tells Martha that she needs to stop hanging on to the past, as he has done, because it stops them from facing forward. It’s a very moving scene, made even more moving by the fact that Jonathan is standing in the room. The ghost of Jonathan Kent features prominently in tonight’s episode, a silent reminder of what Clark’s history is.

Apokolips is coming, and I guarantee it's not what you expected. Instead of four horsemen and religious legends, it’s actually the planet Apokolips, hurtling toward the Earth to unleash Hell and enslave mankind. The three prophets are all gathered to ensure that the reign of Darkseid will go off without a hitch. In fact, they do just that, in a manner of speaking. Lois and Clark do get down the aisle, but before the “I do”s happen, Oliver hands Lois a ring made of Gold Kryptonite to put on Clark’s finger, rendering him powerless to stop Darkseid. Chloe realizes what’s happening and stops it, and the chapel is evacuated. Clark fights a possessed Ollie, and saves him. That’s when everyone gets a good look at the impending doom facing the world.

Clark talks to Jonathan out in the barn, admitting that he’s scared, and that he shouldn’t have turned his back on his past. This is one of those scenes that just brings a tear to your eye, seeing a father tell his son that he will save the world. He tells Clark that he needs to go talk to Jor-El, but Clark is hesitant. “I turned my back on him,” he replies. Jonathan tells him, “He’s your father. He’ll understand.” Welling and Schneider play well off of each other, and it’s always a joy to see them together. That father-son relationship has been missed in the last few seasons, but Clark has still grown up to be a great man with one hell of a moral compass. This seems to be one of the real messages hit home tonight, that idea that while he needs to look forward, it was his time spent on Earth with good people like Jonathan and Martha that made him more than just a super powered strong man. It made him a hero.

We also saw the return – all too late – of Michael Rosenbaum in the role we all love him in, Lex Luthor. Lionel has plans to take Tess’ heart for Lex, as it was the only piece of his body he couldn’t clone right. Lex is a Frankenstein’s monster, if you will, sewn together from pieces of failed clones, to make a perfect version. Tess escapes, shooting Lionel in the process. As he crawls to Lex’s body, Darkseid appears, and Lionel makes the trade: His soul for Lex’s life. It is done, and soon Lex and Clark are reunited once more at the crumbling mansion. This is such a powerful scene, bringing these two together again for that last showdown. And yet, all they do is talk, but it’s the conversation that makes it powerful. Lex tells Clark that he studied the Veritas journals, and knows that a beacon of the light must rise up to save mankind from the darkness. Clark tells him that his destiny wasn’t Lex’s to take, and Lex blasts him for not wanting it, always running away from it. Lex says he would have embraced it - both the power and Clark's destiny - which again shows us that power-hungry side of Lex that makes him such a foe. He also tells Clark that lineage and friends don’t make someone who they are - it’s their enemies - and he explains that Clark is the hero to his villain. He also helps Clark realize that he needs Jor-El one last time.

En-route to Jor-El, Clark runs into Darkseid...in the form of Lionel. He taunts Clark, and tries to destroy him, but when he throws him through the barn, Clark stops in mid-air, floating. He has finally beaten that mean old gravity, and attacks Darkseid, stopping him for the moment. He then rushes off to the Fortress, where we are treated to a wonderful scene with Clark and Jor-El. Clark is shown images of his past exploits, and realizes that those were his trials. Saving people, stopping the bad guys, living his life as best he can while being of two different worlds - those were the real trials. Jor-El tells Clark that he’s proud of the man he grew up to be, and Clark tells him that he’s waited a long time to hear those words. Enter Jonathan for the last time, to hand Clark the suit. Clark takes off, changing mid-flight; off to save the world once again.

Lois is on Air Force One, and is trying to get the President’s council to stop a nuclear assault on the planet, knowing that it would do nothing more than irradiate the western hemisphere and kill a third of the planet’s population. She convinces them to stop and give the heroes a chance. The plane starts to go down, but Lois sees a flash in the window. There Clark is, righting the plane, and then flying up to the window to exchange a brief look with Lois before saving the day. He flies up, pushes the planet out of the atmosphere, and sends it off into space. Mankind has regained its faith in good, and the Omegas disappear.

The episode started with Chloe reading a Smallville comic book to her son. We are informed that this is seven years after tonight’s events. We end it with Chloe finishing the story, and finally calling Clark by his rightful name - Superman! Then she calls Lois, and we see that the wedding that was interrupted so long ago is finally going to happen. There are also television screens announcing that Lex Luthor has just been elected President, which was a nice addition. As Lois and Clark are talking, someone mentions that a bomb was found down-town. Clark tells Lois to inform the minister that he may be a few minutes late, and we see him on the roof. He rips open his shirt to reveal the big red “S”, and that’s how we end a great ten year run.

There were so many great things going on in tonight’s episode. The whole message of getting Clark to accept that his past will always be a large part of who he is, what made him the hero he has grown to become - it’s that idea that all of us need reminding of now and then. There are some tense moments between Lois and Clark, as both struggle with the idea of going through with the nuptials (which are beautifully played out). The cameos were wonderful; we had John Schneider and Annette O’Toole returning of course; John Glover was as always perfect as Lionel, Michael Rosenbaum returning as Lex was something that has been anticipated for months, and it was very much welcomed; and an uncredited Aaron Ashmore returning as Jimmy Olsen’s younger brother. But one of the most unexpected cameos was John Williams’ fantastic main theme from Superman: The Movie, which gave a wonderful overtone to the end of the episode. There were a number of really nice interactions between some of these characters, especially the reunion of Clark and Lex, and, for a moment, it was just nice to see those two back onscreen together. However, what made it even more poignant was the fact that this isn’t the old Clark, but a more self-assured Clark, who finally knows who he is and what he will become. And of course, the tights and flights. Finally, we see the big return on all of our invested time, and boy was it worth it.

There were some disappointments; the greatest of which is the fact that it’s now over, and with the fact that the finale set up so much for the future of Superman, we are left with something of a void. However, being the avid comic book reader that I am, all I really have to do is go to my collection and pull out some books - and my void is soon filled. Yet I remain ever hopeful that we may see more of Clark - and subsequently Superman - in the not so distant future.

Another disappointment was how the second half of the finale seemed rushed. Lex doesn’t make an appearance until about 15 minutes into the second part, and he gets little time. But what he does gets - boy does he use. There’s a gleam in his eye and that smirk of his that lets you know that, no matter how much faith Clark has in the idea of saving him, it won’t happen. Furthermore, we finally get to see when Lex kills Tess, but not before she uses a neurotoxin to wipe his memory. He won’t remember who Superman really is, and that’s how we like it.

Also, the takedown of Darkseid and his gang and the stop of the oncoming Apokolips feel like mere MacGuffins, simply there to make sure the rest of the plot goes along. Agreed, we get to see the people watch Superman fly through the air and save the day, but as a fan of the legend, it feels like there could have been so much more.

I am also greatly disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Superman in the suit. I felt that he should have gotten more screen time, especially since he’s finally “out”. That, and the suit was too similar to the suit from Superman Returns, which didn’t do it for me (seriously, does he need an embossed shield on his chest?). I would have liked to have seen something more classic, but it’s a minor quibble.

Overall, these really didn’t take too much away from an otherwise brilliant story, and a fitting end to one of television’s finest programs. For ten years, we have watched Clark stumble through adolescence before becoming the awesome man that he is; and we have seen him face some of the most dangerous of foes, each time taking with him a lesson and another step towards fulfilling his destiny. He became Superman, and the world is a safer place for it. The world needs Superman, even if he’s nothing more than a fictional character. He gives us hope and stands as an example for all of us. I feel more than a little melancholy that this really is the end, but Smallville had a good run, lasting longer than any other superhero series before it. Several other shows have tried and failed to strike such a chord with its audience (it’s recently been announced that the proposed Wonder Woman pilot wasn’t picked up), but this one lasted. So, let us not mourn its loss, but instead celebrate its success...long live Superman!

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