For me, the TV series Smallville (2001-2011) was my first more "adult" show to watch. It was instrumental in my falling in love with my favorite superhero, and one of my favorite fictional characters: Clark Kent/Superman. It's a teenage drama without being overtly obnoxious, at least in my opinion, and with no shame I proudly say I own all ten seasons. For those who may have not seen the show, here are 5 reasons why you should give it a try.
1) Tom Welling as Clark Kent
Ah, Tom Welling playing the sweetheart, farm boy. To quote Rachel from F.R.I.E.N.D.S., "he's so pretty it hurts." (Fun fact: Tom Welling was almost cast as Tag, Rachel's younger love interest) That face and body for a character who has X-ray vision, but unless under the influence of red kryptonite, doesn't violate girls. Seriously, where are the Clark Kent's of the world? Did they all get sent to another planet besides earth?
2) Chloe Sullivan
No matter what anyone says or thinks, Chloe is the most heroic mortal character in the series. She suffers the most heartache, adapts to what her friends need without hesitation, and is always willing to make the greatest sacrifices for the greater good. The beautiful Allison Mack does an incredible job developing this amazing role model over the ten years of stories, and is a definitive role model throughout.
3) The Development of Lois Lane
Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of Erica Durance's portrayal of Lois when she first arrived on the scene in season four. By season eight, she was dead even with Margot Kidder's take on Lois in the Christopher Reeve movies. By the end of the series, I personally related to her character so much. She hates showing her vulnerability, she questions her own beauty when confronting Clark's relationship with Lana, and she loves fearlessly and relentlessly. Seriously, Lois Lane ladies and gentlemen.
4) The Justice League
Since Smallville is supposed to tell Superman's journey starting from his Freshman in high school I didn't expect the Justice League to show up, but since it ran for ten years it only made sense to start introducing characters like Oliver Queen along the way. As a major geek, I practically squealed every time a member was introduced starting with season five's introduction of Aquaman (Alan Ritchson).
5) The Journey Itself
Any Superman fan can relate to that amazing feeling when this scene takes place in any form. Just watching the GIF I can practically hear the Superman theme song playing. Throughout the journey from Clark Kent: farm boy, to Clark Kent: mild-mannered reporter and Superman, there are a lot of weird/crazy storylines, but the conclusion makes it all worth it.
The cast includes a lot of other notable actors including Annette O'Toole and John Scneider as the Kents. As a bonus, there are a ton of guest stars that are name droppers now, or even famous at the time. A couple notable guest stars include the one and only Christopher Reeve, and Dean Cain, two former Supermans. Jane Seymour also guest stars as the mother of Jason Teague, a character portrayed by Supernatural's Jensen Ackles, before he was a household name.
Yeah, Dean Winchester was Superman's football coach, and if that doesn't make you want to watch Smallville I don't know what will.
