TV Review

Pete returns in SMALLVILLE:Hero(2008).
© CW

Mania Grade: F
Series: Smallville
Episode: Hero
Starring: Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristen Kreuk, Allison Mack, Erica Durance
Written By: Aaron Helbing, Todd Helbing
Directed By: Mike Rohl
Network: CW

SMALLVILLE: Hero

By: Stephen Lackey
Date: Sunday, March 16, 2008

We understand about advertising here at Mania, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed and Smallville finally crossed it this week. Does the CW really need this excessive level of product placement to get Smallville paid for? A while back the series did some heavy Yoris product placement that was heavy but only mildly offensive. Chloe’s car didn’t have any real effect on the plot of the episode. Well this week, Smallville is half a commercial for Stride gum and half a music video for some new generic sounding band. I won’t be buying the CD for the band and I’ll pass on the Stride gum. The offensive product placement in this episode of Smallville is having the opposite effect on me than it was meant too. There are some commenters that try to defend this series here at Mania. I’m looking forward to seeing this hour long ad getting defended.

This week, Kara is still trying to find out the truth about her past and Lana and Clark are still hiding it from her, boring. Kara is in fact the most boring character on the series and the worst actor, even more boring than Lana and that’s saying a lot. The meteor freak of the week is Clark’s old buddy Pete. He’s back in town chomping on some meteor infected Stride gum and he’s stretching all over the place with his new ability. Does anyone else think Pete having a job as a roadie is a bit off? Oh wait, we have to tie in all of the live performance and music montage of the band in some way, that’s right. Pete’s bitter because of what knowing Clark’s secret has supposedly done to him and his family. He’s also still jealous of living in Clark’s shadow. As usual, the krypto brings out the worst in people so Pete is convinced that he can do the hero thing better and more responsibly than Clark has ever done. The episode tries to offer up some commentary on what it’s like to be a hero and how it’s a harder job than it seems like it would be. Pete learns this the hard way when he gets his best friend Chloe used against him by Lex. Pete learns what it has been like for Clark all of these years. Why can’t this show strive to be more intelligent and at least more clever? The commentary comes off way to after school special for my taste.

The only thing still making this series interesting is that Lex is finally giving in to being completely evil. He’s spying on Chloe through her computer and he freely admits it and he tortures Pete to find out the location of Kara’s bracelet which he was supposed to steal. So, Smallville is actually coming back for another season; why? Can it get worse? Well ,the answer must be yes because I asked this when I reviewed an episode earlier in the season and then we got this week’s show.

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Comments/Responses

AzuLTaLoN • Mar 16, 2008, 02:33pm •

i'm not one of those who will defend this episode or even the series, in fact if anybody has got this episode on tape, i've got the geto boys stiil song on mp3 and we could go out to a field with boom box blasting and go office space on that bitch. and yes stephen they can and will always find ways to make it worse, but you know that already, my rating f-----------------------------------------------------------------.

mlaforcer • Mar 16, 2008, 02:33pm •

Well I stopped watching Smellville awhile back so I'm not even mildly offended...What does offend me is that this show started off great and continued to do so into the next few seasons but then they let a bunch of school graders start writing for the show, and now it shows...Drivel I tell you, drivel...

WaterOz • Mar 16, 2008, 03:19pm •

Okay, so I'll admit, I still watch and enjoy the show (which still has some good episodes). That said, yes, this week absolutely ridiculous. There was the normal week by week slow pan in front of the Toyota vehicles (which is normal in todays TV environment - I see this in most shows, although I swear Smallville does it more than most). But then the Stride stuff. The point it got waaaaayy too much for me was when Chloe basically quotes the whole commercial for the company, with the "the factory shut down already? Guess they made the flavor last too long" or something along those lines.
As for the band, that's been a staple of Smallville since the beginning. They've shown at least one band a season as far back as I can remember. The band this week was OneRepublic, who I have to say I enjoy their music. Apologize (their biggest hit) is pretty catchy...

themovielord • Mar 16, 2008, 05:25pm •

I hung in there till this season. After the holiday break I tuned in and 10 minutes into the new episode Lana is oblivious that Bizzaro Clark is not the real Clark. Chloe knew in 10 seconds... Where was the believability???? She's sleeping with him and didn't notice!!!! He's opened up? Lana that should be your first indication that it wasn't Clark. She's leaving the show this season. That should have happen years ago!

Hobbs • Mar 16, 2008, 05:39pm •

Maga plugging in this episode from the band to the Stride gum. Have to pay those bills somehow!

Everything that needed to be said has been...just think we have another season of this show yet....I know, hard to believe.

Good to see Pete is still a cry baby little bitch even after 3 or 4 years. There is no evolution or character developement in this show except Lex who by the way isn't coming back for a full season next year.

jedi4sshield • Mar 16, 2008, 06:15pm •

This episode sucked from top to bottom. Talk about Advertising in almost ever damn scene. Oh, oh and the dumbest most idiotic source of power ever. KRYPTONITE ENHANCED GUM (Stride no less). I couldnt freakin believe my ears I was actually waiting to see if Chloe or Clark would laugh their asses off when he told her. I mean come ooooooooonnnnnn. Hahahahaha how stupid was that!!!!! I give this an F- It was pointless. I'm sure that the Stride company thought up this whole scenario to sell gum. What sell out's the CW are. Let's see, oh yeah then theres the whole rub it in Clark, I'm jealous of your powers trip (sigh). Pete being there was just filler, and pointless, I'm bored with this already. From my perspective its like Clark doesnt even want people to have powers, natural or unnatural. I remember when he was taking Kara around showing her the ropes and thinking here he is teaching her how to use her powers and yet the dude can't even fly.

And lastly all this freakin pop-up advertising is getting out of hand I cant even freakin click on a photo without something popping up. I thought Mania said they were working on IMPROVING THE SITE!!!

jonniej1017 • Mar 17, 2008, 12:08am •

Unfortunately I have to agree with everyone on this one. When i was watching it this past week I was kind of in denial.. saying it's gonna get better, it will. Clark will use his powers and it will all get better... but it didn't, AGAIN!!! All he does is run fast.. that's it. I mean if thats the kind of show they wanted it to b then make a show about the flash - i mean superman flies, isn't that what makes him so cool, well one one of the main things AND Kara is a horrible actress and character on the show, but she is so damn gorgeous i can't stand it sometimes.. Lana is making me sick, she is so annoying. And Chloe is getting on my nerves.. does she always have to say some stupid little tricky sayiing for everything??? (Something tells me u got a dear John letter. lol. or something like that) PLEASE STOP!!. And this week was the worst.. if they make one more REGULAR person have powers on this show and have Clark stop them or tell them it's wrong what ur doing- i will kick that TV... where do they come off bringing back PETE and giving him powers too. I mean can't they think of anything else? I think the writers are trying to get fired...the only good character is Lex. If they don't make him do something soon this show is done. There are so many things I could mention about that episode, but i won't bore u.. Just pissis me off. That's all.

Merin • Mar 17, 2008, 12:37am •

Want to defend the show.

Can't.

This episode was weak. This whole season is weak. I wanted to have a fun season with Supergirl, but they are wasting the character so badly.

This is like X-Files for me at this point - expect I liked that series more at the beginning, and and I gave up on it a few seasons earlier.

ponyboy76 • Mar 17, 2008, 03:41am •

I also regularly watch and enjoy Smallville, but this episode sucked. The only interesting thing about this episode was the potential of Lex and Kara getting together and her turning evil, which will hopefully end up Clark having to send her to the Phantom Zone or something. She can`t act. Get her off the show! I also remember why they got rid of Pete Ross`s character in the 1st place. He`s boring and doesn`t do shit. At least Chloe is handy with a computer. All Pete does is play Basketball in the back yard.
Lex is really the saving grace on the show. His evolution into the evil bastard we all know he`ll become has been great. I still like Clark but he really hasn`t done much this season. He`s not really growing and evolving into the Man of Steel.

Johnzilla • Mar 17, 2008, 12:16pm •

The show has always been corny and the acting has always been bad, but I enjoyed it.
Now, the writing is so bad, I am almost embarrassed to watch it.

The "Smallville" part of Smallville is over. Clark is too old to be hanging out in that small town.
The show needs to be overhauled. Heck, even change the name. Its time for Clark to be Superman.

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SMALLVILLE: Hero

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