tiberiuscan, I recall (from an old comic book I read as a kid - I think it was the 70's, but could have been a repreint from the 60''s) it was once explained that Clark's glasses were indeed Krpytonian-made, and they had the power to make everyone view Clark as a skinny weakling. Even as a kid I thought that idea was pretty lame. I hope they don't go that route.

Also, I always hated the "superkiss" as much as I hated the insignia saran wrap. I was able to forgive a lot of that movie as a kid, but those two things stuck out at me, and angered me. Even then I realized if you have a character as powerful as Superman, your main job as a writer is to find out ways of legitimately nullifying his power to make him vulnerable. You don't invent new powers, or research and find little-known powers that have long since dropped by the wayside in comic lore. Saran wrap and superkisses still make me shudder. 

The Donner version is far superior in my mind, and I would have prefered the Salkinds let Donner finish his movie. Richard Lester was great for the Beatles, but he camped up Superman way too much.

As for Zatanna playing a part in the disguise - I'm a purist, I'd rather they figure out a natural solution, but that would have been put Welling in glasses years ago. I guess the Smallville Bigwigs just assumed the specs would ruin Welling's pretty boy face. I hate those guys.

Don't you know, Joe...Glasses aren't sexy!  Or so the bigwigs at the CW seem to think.

The Donner version of Superman 2 is better than the Lester cut, but it still has some flaws that bother me.  One, and this is a minor nitpick, but Clark and Lois get all naughty and sleep together BEFORE he gives up his powers.  Maybe he was using this "control" that Tom Welling spoke about a few episodes back.

The second is the reusing of the turning the world back on its axis to turn back time.  And yes, I know that was supposed to be the ending of Part 2 the whole time, but WB wanted it used for part 1.  And that reuse leads to the third problem I have with the Donner Cut.  The world is turned back on its axis, thus turning back time.  Then why does Clark return to the little Alaskan café and beat the crap out of that trucker?  If he turned back time, then the incident earlier where Clark is beaten to a pulp by said trucker, never happened.  So basically, Superman is just a big dick.

joe- i think the reason you get alot of crap from season1 fanhumans is because its like you're only reading the last chapter in a book while the rest have read the whole book.  It does make for alot of comment posts and hiliarity.  I am one them season1 vets and I tend to get more laughs out of your lack of knowledge comments than the other stuff.  The whole fortress in seattle was hilarious and this week with the "if season gets renewed" thing (even though it was posted on this website back in like Dec or Jan).  All in all its good press for the show which i still enjoy, so keep up the good work  ;p

Madmardegan, eh, the Fortress thing is a simple viewing mistake. I found that particular episode so boring I zoned out. The snow in Seattle and the sudden appearance of the two in the Fortress made me connect the two. I admit I was confused, but I thought Clark made it snow in Seattle so he could fashion a makeshift Fortress... not because he just wanted to make it snow in Seattle. I admit to missing info in that episode, but that one was mind-numbing.

As for whether or noot the show had been renewed, congratulations to you. You read more of thiis site than I do.

I enjoy the show now and then, but I wouldn't watch if it weren't my job. It's just too inconsistent, sloppy and lazy.... like my viewing and assumptions of the Fortress, which I only made because the writing was so inconsistent, sloppy and lazy.

That said, I'd put my knowledge of all things Superman up against you any day of the week. Not saying you don't know the character, but except for the first 8 seasons of this program and all of Lois and Clark, I'm pretty good in my Superman trivia.

redhairs, yeah I noticed the Superman being a dick bit back in the Donner cut, but if Donnner did the whole movie uninterupted I'm betting it would have been a much superior film to his patchwork cut of Lester's version.

I think we can agree there, Joe, it would have been better.  Just saying some of that stuff in the Donner cut had me scratching my head.

Good review mate, but you do have to let go a bit.  You had to know after the first season with the ship and everything that there were going to be a ton of lack of common thought.  I used to love this show and I would be so excited when a new episode was on.  Now the last 2 or 3 seasons they have gone off the bloody grid.  I watch every week now just cause I am a superman geek, but pick a story line and go with it.  I think they just go week to week making up stuff and sometimes it flows by pure luck.  Come on let him fly now for crying out loud.  People have been waiting long enough for that.  I mean he is working at the daily planet.  Let him fly and get him in the costume.  I dig Superman I even have a tat, but I almost wish they would end the show if they can't figure something out.

I stoped watching this show way back in season 6 and have been tunning in here and there to see other DC character cameos and overall this show was never great... sure it's about Superman, well what he was before he became Superman, but it's just a novelty item nothing more... people who actually watch it are either harcore Superman fans and will take anything Superman or girls drooling over Tom Welling (me being categorized in the hardcore Sup fan)...  having said that I read this review only because I had nothing to do and I enjoy Joes work. But I am glad I did. The crazed Smallville fan that emailed you Joe made my day! :D It's funny though... I would have done the same had Joe been badmouthing my precious LOST even if I knew it was bad... I'd defend it to the death! lol

IT's Good That In This Week's Episode Clark's Mother Mrs. Kent Has Returned To See How Clark Has Been Doing,Since She Left. I Am Watching This new Episode NOW,So Is ZOD Absent This Week? I'll Find Out By The End OF this episode. 

Hey JoeArtistWriter. Even the series Lois and Clark in the second episode dealt with how people thought Superman looked. The 'Artists conception' drawing was closer to the original 1938 version of the comic Superman then any other version. I have always wished that Mario Puzo's script had been 'novelized' but that never happened. Donners version failed only because it was a hack job. Since they could only use scenes filmed by Donner including the screen test scenes of Lois and Clark in Niagara Falls. Speaking of comics from the sixties I remember one story that had Lex Luthor hypothesising what kind of Secret Identity Superman would have. He said Superman would have to look and act the total opposite of Superman, meak, unassuming, cclumsy, a face that blends in a crown. Never mind Lois, Perry and Jimmy, Lex is supposed to be one of the smartest people on the planet. With all the other 'Powers and Abilities' Superman possesses, Super Hypnotism certainly can't be that far fetched.

Was I also the only one who noticed that Chloe made a freakin incision behind her right shoulder. Ummm No bother to stich it up? No Blood on the shirt? whats going on?