Season 9 seems to be a lot closer to the ‘Superman’ mythology, as Clark is embracing his Kryptonian side and getting closer to Superman and his relationship with Lois.
Smallville Executive Producer Brian Peterson says we can expect Clark to go through a few more trials that Jor-El is putting him through on his path to becoming Superman. And Clark is definitely going to deal with a lot more existential issues about his Kyptonian versus human side as he gets closer to Zod and the other Kryptonians that are on earth.
Peterson says that,
Clark will get to mentor two somewhat ragged Wonder Twins. Then we actually quickly start to pay off the visions that Lois is having from her time in the future. That’s going to be in episode nine called ‘Pandora’ which is the final episode of our Fall run. And then we bring in somebody from Oliver Queen’s past and we introduce one of his sidekicks Mia Dearden, Speedy. So that’ll be a fun arc that we have for her. We bring some old favorites back in like Zatanna and Martian ManHunter. So he’s in the thick of the universe that he’s going to be in when he’s Superman this season.
On whether or not we will more of Zod, Peterson says;
Yes. He has a season wide arc and so you’re going to be seeing a lot of Zod as he gets his footing here on earth and formulates his plan as to what he wants to do while he’s on earth. Then in episode nine, in ‘Pandora’, we get our glimpse of what the future would be if Zod gets his way on earth. So you will see him interacting with more and more characters as the season unfolds, for sure.
Chloe is being put aside by Clark this season and Peterson says,
That is actually something that we have planted on purpose because as Clark has taken on his new mantle, as he’s working more closely or will eventually work more closely with some of the Kandorians, as he’s developing his relationship with Lois, someone needs to take the reins of Watchtower and their kind of burgeoning league and that person might be Chloe. I think that Chloe may at first appear to be in the shadows but we will very quickly, especially, actually for anyone who watches, reveal that she’s pulling a lot more of the strings than anyone realizes.
On the return of Lex Luthor, Peterson says;
We would love to have Lex Luthor back in the show. In our minds the only Lex Luthor is Michael Rosenbaum. So, we will see. All I can say is that we’d love for that to happen.
Smallville hasn’t even crossed the midway point of season 9 and already talk of a possible 10th season is heating up — and not just among fans.
Smallville Executive Producer Kelly Souders says;
“We are really, really pushing for season 10, We really hope it happens.”
Although the show lost a good chunk of viewers since moving to that ratings kryptonite known as Friday night, the drop-off hasn’t been nearly as disastrous as some had predicted. And Souders believes that the numbers will rise as the season progresses.
“I think the word still isn’t out there that we’re on Friday nights. So if people keep tuning in and telling their friends about it, I think [a 10th season] is quite likely.”
The uncertainty surrounding the show’s future has proved challenging as Souders and her fellow writers begin to map out the second half of the season. Are they approaching a season finale or a series finale?
“It’s something that we faced last year, too, To try and break two different endings for a season kind of puts you at cross-purposes a little bit. For one, you’ll rev things up, and for another, you’re trying to bring everything to the finish line. But we’re really planning on breaking a season finale and not a series finale.”
As for whether we’ll get a glimpse of Clark in his iconic blue, red and yellow suit by the show’s conclusion, Souders says,
“We think Smallville from the get-go was about how a young man turns into Superman. And it’s really about the journey getting there. I can’t make any promises, but if it was ever going to happen, it would be at the very end.”
