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Smallville Season 8 Episode 22

Doomsday

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AIRED: May 14, 2009

7.6

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Episode Summary

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Despite the threat that Doomsday poses, Clark cannot bring himself to kill Davis--forcing Oliver and his team to take matters into their own hands. Chloe finds herself caught in the conflict between Oliver and Clark, while Lois takes on Tess.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (134)

Would the real Jimmy Olsen please stand up?

6.0

By drydenroesch, Aug 22, 2011

Would the real Jimmy Olsen please stand up?

The writers pulled an extremely bizarre stunt by killing off Jimmy Olsen. When he died, everyone was saying "what the heck", but then they show us that the Jimmy Olsen we have seen for the past 3 years is actually the real Jimmy Olsen's brother. He carried a camera and wore bow ties, but he wasn't Jimmy Olsen. And at his funeral, Chloe hands the fake Jimmy's camera to his younger brother and says, "maybe you'll follow in his footsteps". Y'know, this reminds me of a plot in Spider-Man comics a few years back. Basically, Spider-Man got cloned, and he fought his clone. In the end, we assume it's the real Spider-Man that won. But a few years later, a writer decided that all of the Spider-Man stories during that time had been about the clone. Ridiculous.moreless
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Worst finale that Smallville has aired.

10

By KD_kid, Aug 21, 2011

All the season finales have so good and keep you waiting anxiously till season but this one didn't do that. The Doomsday fight had to be the worst fight on the show, wasted the CGI on going through buildings and not on fighting.I know most are done with seeing Lana in the show but if the were gonna use her this was the episode that she could have had a real purpose for being there. Lois had the best fight in the episode and i thought it was kinda lame that Clark decides to leave cuz people aren't what he wanted them to be. Hope the season premiere makes up for this. They tried to entice us with Zod coming out of the orb, well what looks like Zod could easily be another Braniac.moreless
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Not so good ending...

7.5

By seriesguy3998, Aug 21, 2011

Smallville has run for 8 seasons, now going for a 9nth one, and with the season 8 finale a chapter closes and a new one begins, but I must say that this might b one of the lamest season finales in smallville in the past few years.

I thought the episode was gonna be amazing and great, full of action and suspense, but there was barely of it. Doomsday just appeared after Chloe splited him from Davis, Lois disappears to God knows where, Clark decides to become a full time superhero, Chloe and Jimmy come back together but Jimmy is killed by Davis. I think that last part was the worst of all the episode. And at the end we can see Tess opening a door in the mansion and with a figure we might think is Lex ontop of the Zod symbol. I think that ending was too overthought. I've certainly seen better season finales in the series, and I dont have many expectations in the upcoming season.moreless
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Very delusional finale for a great season that introduced some fresh air in Smallville cast.

4.5

By arbox81, Aug 21, 2011

Very delusional finale for a great season that introduced some fresh air in Smallville cast: Tess and the Legion on top of my mind.

Were they running out of budget? Seriously, Doomsday is a beast revealed step by step, episode by episode, one could expect the whole season finale being centered around it and its fight against Clark and his friends (expecially his super-powered friends), hell it is called "the ultimate destroyer"! What happens instead? Doomsday is killed in a second by an underground explosion that seriously lacks special effects and explanations. I didn't understand Doomsday was killed till Clark showed up at Jimmy's funeral. It seemed they were in a hurry to end the season and it's a pity that 21 episodes of good job got ruined by a flawed finale. The unwritten rule of every show is that you don't need to make all great episodes, but you must hide the not-so-good ones in the middle of the series, season premiere and season finale should be the show fireworks and this one surely was not.moreless
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While the episode was in no means perfect, there has been some considerable fan backlash regarding the events that unfolded in the season 8 finale. This review will address those concerns (contains spoilers)moreless

8.0

By CuseClarkKent, Aug 21, 2011

The 8th season finale, "Doomsday," contained 2 monumental and series turning events in it's last few acts. First was the death of Davis, Doomsday's "human side," and the subsequent burial of Doomsday deep within the Earth. The general fan outrage at this was centered on 2 things: that the fight between Clark and Doomsday was nothing more than a few punches, and that the event itself did not meet the expectations of a year-long build up that included some of the series' best moments. The length of the fight was upsetting, but only because producers hyped it so much in the months leading up to the episode. That was the real mistake. I judge all events in "Smallville" through the lens of the Superman mythos. I was nervous the minute I heard of "Davis Bloome." Let's not forget that the real battle between these characters happens years later, when Superman was known to the whole world. What made his death so tragic was that it happened at a time when Lois finally knew/loved him, and the whole world had embraced him as a symbol of hope (indeed, taking him for granted, which was the motivation for the writers to bring on his death in the first place). It was that feeling, where you could sense that Clark, Lois, and the world, were so close to finding happiness, that made it so painful as you "watched" it get ripped away from them. Clark Kent and the "Red/Blue Blur" of Smallville are no where near that level of tragedy and sacrifice. He is not Superman, and his character is not yet ready to lay his life down for others. For the writers of Smallville to include a titanic and epic fight between these characters would have been a monumental mistake, a form of "Superman Blasphemy." Smallville should always be allowed to reinterpret the mythos, but the death of Superman should not be changed in anyway. In the end, they handled the Doomsday story line as flawlessly as possible. Even more chilling, is that we get to watch the rest of the series fully knowing that Clark's eventual killer is buried just around the corner. The second major element in question was the death of Henry James "Jimmy" Olsen. This was hard to swallow because up until his funeral scene, nobody knew that he was not Jimmy B. Olsen, Superman's Pal. As you may or may not know, this happened because DC comics told the writers that the Jimmy on Smallville was too old. As I stated above, I am all for aligning the show with the Superman mythos. However, of all the things for DC to step in and govern, the age of Jimmy is extremely trivial and petty. To force the writers of Smallville to come up with some kind of cover story was painful to watch. Ultimately, DC made a critical error 3 years ago. If they had such a problem with Jimmy's age, why did they allow Smallville to even bring him in? I guess we may never know. The way the writer's handled it was noble, and even believable. It is entirely plausible that Henry did not like his first name as a child, so he went by his middle name. Ok, no problem. But why would the parents then name his little brother Jimmy? If they said, "hey Jimmy, you have a phone call," who would respond? It is also believable that young James, as a sign of honor to his now deceased brother, would go by Jimmy in the future, thus becoming the Jimmy of the comics. Despite it's believability, it is still very unsettling that they had to do this. Perhaps the most awkward part, was that Chloe had no idea who her in-laws and brother-in-law were, and that none of them were at wedding. All that leads me to believe that DC Comics made this decision late in the game, and the writers were scrambling. As a total package, the episode was good, and some scenes will go down as monumental Smallville moments. I applaud the writers for tackling the challenge of the Doomsday character, and for dealing with the uncomfortable Jimmy situation. Ultimately, the direction of the show should not be so abused by the fan base.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Tom Welling	Clark Kent/Kal-El of Krypton
Allison Mack	Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance	Lois Lane
Aaron Ashmore	Jimmy Olsen
Cassidy Freeman	Tess Mercer
Sam Witwer	Davis Bloome

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Alaina Huffman	Black Canary	Guest Star
Kyle Gallner	Bart Allen/Impulse	Guest Star
Ryan Kennedy	Rokk Krinn/Cosmic Boy	Guest Star
Ari Cohen	Regan	Recurring Role
Mike Dopud	Tess' Assistant	Recurring Role
Dario Delacio	Doomsday	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Justin Hartley as Green Arrow in Smallvi...

© 2009 The CW Network, LLC.
Alaina Huffman as Black Canary and Kyle ...

© 2009 The CW Network, LLC.
Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen in Smallvil...

© 2009 The CW Network, LLC.
Tom Welling as Clark Kent and Aaron Ash...

© 2009 The CW Network, LLC.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- Trivia: Clark's letter to the citizens of Metropolis that he wanted Lois to print in the Daily Planet: You have welcomed me into your city and allowed me to make it my home. I will always be grateful for that. Which is why I cannot leave without saying goodbye. This newspaper has made me into what you think I am – an example, a symbol, a "hero." But the truth is, I'm simply one of you. The only difference is that my days in the shadows and my nights on the streets have allowed me to see what you've lost sight of – the good in each of you. I've seen regular people do extraordinary things. I've seen you help each other up after you've been knocked down. I've seen you stand together when times are tough. And I've seen the smallest act make the biggest change. If I've done anything right, I hope it's help you realize one person can make a difference in the lives of others – that Metropolis doesn't need a hero. Have faith in yourself, and you will find hope in each other. Remember, it's not the mask that makes he hero. It's the choices we make and the desire to do what's right. I've seen that desire in all of you. It inspired me to promise I would do everything in my power to protect this city – but I can't promise that I'll be around forever. One day, there may be a fight I cannot win. But if that day comes, please, keep fighting without me to make the world a better place. Be the heroes I know you are.--The Red-Blue Blur.
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- Jimmy's full name is supposedly Henry James Olsen, as given at his funeral. However, the wedding invitations seen in "Bride" stated that his name is James Bartholomew Olsen.
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- When Clark plays Black Canary's audio message, the closed captioning says it's Lois' voice.
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QUOTES (9)
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- Davis: How could you do this? I loved you. You're the only one who ever loved me. Why? Why?!
  Chloe: I thought I did. Okay? But really, what I wanted to do was save you.
  Davis: Save me? There is nothing left to save! (attacks her)
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- Clark: This place, Chloe, just get rid of it. Just walk away and don't look back.
  Chloe: You don't get it. Clark, Jimmy is here. He's watching over me. He knew me so well. He knew this place would be perfect. Jimmy wanted to know that, no matter where I was in the city, I could look up here and see this beacon. The Watchtower.
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- Clark: I've always tried to forget I was an alien or a creature. I've always tried to pretend I was human. I was raised to believe it was my Kryptonian part that was dangerous, Chloe but I was wrong. It's my human side. It.. It's the side that gets attached, the side that makes decisions based on emotions. That's my enemy. And Davis proved that to me.
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- Lois: You just want to take over the world with some alien nation.
  Tess: I am trying to save the world.
  Lois: What's wrong with Greenpeace?
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- Lois: Clark, I haven't slept in days and I am dangerously close to a caffeine OD.
  Clark: I hadn't noticed.
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- Clark: (as the Red-Blue Blur) Sometimes we can't outrun our destiny.
  Lois: But I thought you were invincible.
  Clark: So did I.
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- Oliver: You never wanted to admit it... but there is a darker side to humanity.
  Clark: I know there is. I'm looking at it right now.
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- Lois: Jimmy, you stepped on my hand.
  Jimmy: Next time, don't leave your hand on the floor under a desk in an office you're not supposed to be in.
  Lois: I'm sorry--did I just get a lecture from Jimmy Olsen?
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- Clark: Jimmy...
  Jimmy: No, I'm not buying it. That whole "you're here one second and then you're not"? You took a bullet, and the next day you were fine. I mean, it's like you're some kind of super... guy.
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NOTES (3)
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- This is the last appearance of Aaron Ashmore as Jimmy Olsen and Sam Witwer as Davis Bloom as series regulars.
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- International Airdates:
  Norway: Saturday, May 30, 2009 on TVNorge
  Sweden: Friday, October 16, 2009 on TV6
  Czech Republic: April 14, 2010 on TV Nova
  Turkey: August 1, 2010 on CNBC-e
  Slovakia: June 22, 2012 on Markiza
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- This is the only episode of the season to feature the entire main cast.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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