CW Scores Again - Smallville, Supernatural

Is there any better night on TV? Supes, then Supernatural, followed by Burn Notice and Sober House. Just a brilliant night of television goodness, if you ask me. So let's get into it:

Smallville is simply cracking this season, is it not!? I mean, I would say they are in "rare form," but I don't think it's ever been this good! Just like so many of us said for years, just embrace the superhero genre and Smallville will be as good as it can be! I'm pleased to say: we were right.

My only nitpick is one I'm pretty sure this episode answers: let Lana Lang go! It's over now; let us all move on! He's got Lois Lane to lie around in bed with for another season (he said hopefully). Still, a truly beautiful, touching, and immensely memorable way to end the storyline and relationship. This episode was award-worthy all the way around and I hope at least one of the 1230972309723590 million awards shows gives it a modest nod, if nothing else.

And on to Supernatural...

Holy shit! What a way to start a show! I don't think even X-Files ever came this far with the genre; this show lives up to its name and then some!

Aside from the unfortunate "c-block" line, tonight's episode was as good as the others since its return, although I have to admit the one with the magicians ranks pretty high on my all-time favorites so far. One of the comic book series explored a theme similar to the one in tonight's Sex & Violence (with the strippers/sirens thing, but it had more to do with "nesting"), but the writing on the series is so much better.

One of the tricks Supernatural employs fairly often - and to great effect - is a classic genre trick: telling the audience. It's when you see the monster behind the girl in the movie except, you know, deeper and more involved. It's one of the best ways to heighten suspense but in less capable hands, it becomes hackneyed. Supernatural benefits from the fact that, maybe specifically because of this, few use it anymore (excepting the way described above); most genre fare has been doing The Big Twist thing for the last decade or so.

But these guys never rest on their laurels, so? They gave us both!

Stephen King once said that horror and comedy are the hardest forms to write because when you fail, one becomes the other - e.g., bad horror writing becomes unintentionally comedic, while bad comedy is horrific. Supernatural always tows that line admirably.

I expected Bobby as the deus ex machina, but for a moment, I was afraid they were going to go all "brotherly love, c-block" on us and I cringed - just a little. But Supernatural really is the best thing on TV and it's been getting more press lately, so I think they're trying to appeal to a broader audience.

The emphasis on the special effects (should have gotten the guys from Hex - sorry, but those demons were a little hokey - though I doubt the CW can afford the guys from Hex or their vision), the sudden addition of sex scenes (we've gotten two since the return, one with each brother, and I can't remember a single one before in the entirety of the series - not that I mind them), the downplaying of the overall storyline (remember what I said about these genre shows: when they start playing the ratings game, they tone-down the "weirdness" and focus on the relationships - but, once again, Supernatural put that little truism on its head tonight, as well)... it all adds-up to "playing to the crowd."

But hey, so long as they keep killing bitches with meat tenderizers and shit, I'm game. We could use more fans, anyway - be nice to have that kinda security, you know?

So now it's off to enjoy the latest Burn Notice. And - for those of us with DirecTV - Trailer Park Boys comes on Channel 101 tonight!!!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009