5/5 Probably the Best Season Yet.
  by C. Healy
I am one of the rare "Smallville" fans that greatly prefer the darker seasons of late to the light-hearted, freak-of-the-week seasons that the show started with. Season 8 introduced the marvelous Tess Mercer (as excellently portrayed by Cassidy Freeman) who filled the shoes of an MIA Lex Luthor with more charisma and grace than, dare I say it, the great Michael Rosenbaum in the past couple seasons. Also among the characters this year is Davis "Doomsday" Bloome, who is taken to the next level by Sam Witwer, who plays the role in such a way that the viewers can actually sympathize for the tortured, lonely murderer that Davis has unfortunately become.

There are only two problems that I have with season 8. The first is that around episodes 8.03-8.05, the show lagged. A lot. The episodes, I thought, were quite boring and just not the best work that the "Smallville" writers have put forth. Specifically 8.03 "Toxic," which could've been a fantastic exploration of Justin Hartley's Oliver "Green Arrow" Queen character but ended up being a bland, practical snorefest.

The second problem is the Lana-arc in episodes 8.10-8.14. While 8.10 "Bride," 8.11 "Legion," and 8.12 "Bulletproof" were all outstanding and Kristin Kreuk delivered on every front in her reprisal as Lana Lang, the storyline of giving Lana super powers was extremely unwelcome to most fans (myself included) and, if anything, ruined what could've been a perfect end to the lengthy Clark/Lana storyline that has haunted "Smallville" since the first episode. 8.14 "Requiem" is a good episode, mind you, but the poorly done super!Lana storyline brings it and 8.13 "Power" down as the worst episodes of the season.

Now, there are definitely some blockbuster episodes that were perfect, in my eyes. The entire slew of episodes from 8.15 to 8.21 were brilliant - specifically 8.15 "Infamous," 8.16 "Turbulence" (a brilliant and emotionally raw exploration of the characters - specifically Jimmy Olsen), 8.18 "Eternal," and 8.21 "Injustice." Watching this season, I was in awe at how much the actors and actresses - and their characters - have grown since they were first introduced to us and I have yet to be disappointed by the work turned in by the fantastic Tom Welling, the outstanding Allison Mack, and the stunning Erica Durance.

Overall, I highly recommend that new viewers catch this season when its on sale and all "Smallville" fans should purchase this boxset as soon as it's released. As we enter season 9, which may very well be our last "Smallville" season, I have high hopes that the show will kick it into high gear and go out with a bang.

5/5 Arguably Smallville's Best Season Yet
  by Mister Mitchell (Biloxi, Mississippi)
Before I get to my review, let me give the run-down of what this DVD set has to offer, according to KryptonSite. The Blu-Ray version may differ.

For starters, the current release date is August 25, 2009.

It'll include all 22 episodes from Smallville's eighth season, as well as the following features: cast & creator commentaries (including Geoff Johns for "Legion"), unaired scenes, a featurette titled "Smallville's Doomsday: The Making of a Monster," and another featurette called "In the Director's Chair: Behind the Scenes and Calling the Shots with Allison Mack."

Awesome features for an awesome season.

Now, on to my review...

I've been a fan of the show since day one, but I wasn't expecting much from Season 8.

This time around, Lex and Lana aren't recurring characters. Also, the original producers didn't return. To say the least, I was fearful.

To my pleasant surprise, however, Smallville's eighth season has become my favorite yet. It's darker. It's edgier. Finally, Clark is making the transition from farmboy to superhero.

Don't get me wrong. This season has its missteps, like any other in Smallville's history. But I'd say that, overall, this has been the most entertaining season yet. Here's why...

- Clark is more heroic than ever
- Chloe gets some spotlight for a change
- The Lois and Clark relationship begins to blossom
- Some loose ends are tied (Lex, Lana, Kara)
- More input from the Justice League
- The introduction of Tess Mercer, a worthy replacement for Lex
- Sam Witwer as Doomsday

And let me repeat that. Sam Witwer as Doomsday.

He successfully turns a 2D character with no personality into one of the most intriguing, exciting parts of Smallville history. I think I enjoyed his performances more than any others this season.

Let those Season 7 wounds heal.

Enjoy Season 8 of Smallville.

5/5 Here's the real scoop of Smallville Season 8 CONTAINS SPOILERS*
  by J. J. Bollinger (Japan)
I've been tuning into Smallville since Episode 1, and have been a fan of Superman since I was a little kid.
Smallville is one of the greatest interpretations of Superman ever created in any type of medium (comic book, TV, etc.) And I was disappointed to see that Smallville Season 8 only received an average rating of 3.5 stars.
Most of the lower rated reviews include complaints about how the show is starting to lose credibility with it's comic counterpart. In other words it doesn't tie into the comic book that well, the finale of Season 8 was anti climactic, how the writing is starting to dwindle, so on so forth.

Smallville is an INTERPRETATION of the comic book story. It is NOT the comic book itself. So to bash Season 8 because it doesn't tie in to the comic that well is pretty silly, cause there have been apparent changes from the comic book since Season 1. And if you are a long time fan of Smallville, why bash season 8 for something that's been going on since .. well .. forever?

Smallville has always stayed true to the basics of the Superman mythos. Clark and Lex are enemies. Lois and Clark will fall in love. Clark will become Superman, etc.
And I don't believe for a second that Lex is truly dead. And if he is then damn the writers to hell. Although it is highly unlikely that Rosenbaum will return to the cast of Smallville, I am for certain we have not heard the last from Lex. He cant be dead ... come on ... he's Lex Luthor.

The writers have done an amazing job picking up from Season 7. Despite the loss of Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), they still do a great job of tying in Lex to the story without actually having him on screen.
Tess Mercer fills in for Lex as the new CEO for Luthercorp. Pretty much the new "bad guy" to give Clark and his friends a hard time. And although Lex is missed (A LOT!!!) She's good. Nuff said.

Also in this season we are treated with the ever growing romance between Lois and Clark. Love is in the air in season 8! (Is love ever NOT in the air?) But I have always admired Smallville for it's character development, especially with Clark's love interests (well mostly Lana). But Lois and Clark are as equally intoxicating to watch as Lana and Clark in previous seasons.
Erica Durance plays the best Lois Lane I have ever seen. She nails her personality flawlessly. Naive, cocky, rude, Clarks opposite ... his perfect match.

And what about the final battle between Doomsday in the Season Finale? What about it? Nothing short of ... awesome can you say? Many complained that the battle was too short and anti climactic. It depends on how you see it. In my opinion, the battle had started the day Clark met Davis Bloome (Doomsday). It wasn't the physical battle so much as it was the emotional battle that Clark went through, and the writers did a superb job presenting it.
Can Clark overcome the beast without killing him?
Time and time again through Season 8, Clark is tempted by his friends, and even his fellow heroes that sometimes the only way to save the day is to kill. That killing is a sacrifice a hero has to make once in a while to benefit the greater good of mankind.
But Clark shows why he isn't a hero. He shows why he is a superhero. He can make the decisions that no one else can make, not even heroes like Green Arrow. That there is always a way to save the world without crossing the line, and that a life is a life no matter who it may be.

Season 8 is awesome, and even after 8 years, Smallville has not lost its quality when compared with previous seasons. The drive of the show, the ambition of the show has remained the same.

If you are a fan of Smallville don't compare it to other mediums of Superman, but cherish as is.

If you do you wont be disappointed. 5 stars.

4/5 Small in name only!
  by Nelson Smith (Petersburg, VA)
Smallville is the rare show that actually seems to genuinely improve with age, season after season. There was a time when I believed that the life of the show was being artificially extended solely for profit, but the acting and production value is genuinely excellent, and years later this is still one of my favorite shows.

Tom Welling as "Clark Kent" is excellent. I literally do not think they could have chosen a better person for the role. To me he embodies who the character is and he has the acting ability to easily pull off the role and leave the viewer wanting more. As I watch "Clark" go through his highs and lows on the show, it is as if I am experiencing those same events myself, the good and the bad, and I love it.

Erica Durance has become every bit as good in her role as "Lois Lane" as Tom Welling is at being "Clark Kent". She is the penultimate Lois and this season really brings that home. The flirtatious and romantic moments between the two characters are magical and as the viewer you find yourself emotionally tangled up in the drama onscreen, and wondering what's going to happen next.

They have managed to take the essence of the classic Superman movies and comic books and modernize it for today's audience, but at the same time they have perfected the formula, to the extent that this is the version of the mythology that I prefer above all others, this is the Superman that I would want my kids to grow up watching and listening to and admiring.

The special effects are excellent, as always, but as I said, the thing that has made this season for me, so far, are the little details, the story, the great acting, and the interaction between the various characters, the wonderful escalation of character relationships that have been years in the making.

The downside of loving the show this much is that I know one day it will come to an end and I will be heart-broken.

There is a problem accessing the episode menu for these blu-rays, which means that unless you watch each disk all the way through, when you come back later in the day to continue watching, or the next day, you will have to search through each disk, chapter by chapter to find the episode that you stopped at. This is why I rated the blu-ray version of this season 4 out of 5 stars instead of 5 out of 5, and this is the only thing that makes this season less then perfect, in my opinion.

3/5 It's getting real old
  by Dennis Brandt (Red Lion, PA United States)
Someone here touted the 8th season of Smallville as "inventive." How so? I've watched all the previous seven years of episodes and the first twelve of season 8 but have seen precious few new ideas, just old ones rehashed with different characters. Clark still loses his powers, constantly runs into kryptonite (and even keeps a box in the barn for some strange reason), ends up in the Phantom Zone and inevitably releases another monster, and finds yet another survivor of Krypton. Characters continue to get possessed by alien entities, and love affairs always fall short of success. The pressure for Clark to develop a Superman alter identity is foolish as presented. For seven seasons he has been the football/super hero to whom everyone turns in a time of crisis, including adults. He has saved every Smallville damsel in distress and, while he may be a nice guy, is anything but mild-mannered. The double image Christopher Reeve portrayed so well just isn't possible in the Smallville setting. Worse, the show continues to strain credulity. No, I'm not talking about super powers. You can't watch Superman and not accept that premise. I have trouble with impossible human timelines. I'm weary of seeing characters beaten to a pulp and the next day bouncing around like nothing happened. Lois ends up in the Phantom Zone and - duh! - thinks it was all a dream. How convenient! Just how many times can you get knocked out, possessed, or kidnapped into other-worldly environments before you lose your sanity? And they must develop a new street set. They've doctored that insanely curved city street six ways from Sunday, but it's still obviously the same location. It is not that anything in the eight season is bad, it's just that I've seen it all before in one form or another. Perhaps it's time to let Clark don the cape and tights and let Smallville fade into TV history.