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
"Great"
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