Smallville (season 10)

Smallville Season 10
File:SmallvDVD.jpg DVD cover art
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Broadcast
Original channel	The CW
Original run	September 24, 2010 (2010-09-24) – May 13, 2011 (2011-05-13)

Season ten of Smallville, an American Television series, premiered on September 24, 2010 and consisted of 22 episodes. It was the tenth and final season to air, and the fifth one to air on The CW television network. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman.

Regular cast members during season ten include Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman, and Allison Mack. John Schneider, Annette O'Toole, John Glover, Laura Vandervoort, and Callum Blue all returned sporadically throughout the season as Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent, Lionel Luthor, Kara, and Zod respectively, while Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olsen) returned for the series finale.

The final season of the series, season ten continues the romance first developed between Clark Kent and Lois Lane in season nine, as well as the continuation of Clark's trials, and the forging of his superhero identity "Superman". The season premiere was seen by 2.98 million U.S. viewers. The series finale aired on May 13, 2011. By the end of this season, Smallville had become the longest running science fiction television series in North America.

Cast

• Tom Welling as Clark Kent
• Erica Durance as Lois Lane
• Justin Hartley as Oliver Queen
• Cassidy Freeman as Tess Mercer
• Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan

Episodes

See also: List of Smallville episodes

No.	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	U.S. air date	Production code	U.S. viewers (million)
196	1	"Lazarus"	Kevin G. Fair	Don Whitehead & Holly Henderson	September 24, 2010 (2010-09-24)	3X6001	2.98
Following in the previous season finale, Lois removes the blue kryptonite dagger from Clark's body and hides as he heals. Chloe uses Doctor Fate's helmet to see her future and later swaps herself for Oliver's return from captivity. Tess wakes up healed in Cadmus Labs and discovers Lex Luthor clones. One clone escapes and forces Clark to choose between saving Lois or Metropolis; Clark pushes himself harder than before and saves everyone. Jor-El informs Clark that the darkness within himself will make him Earth's greatest threat, but a vision of his adoptive father Jonathan reminds Clark that he can still be the world's greatest hero. Meanwhile, Lois decides to take the reporting position in Africa and Tess unofficially adopts a child-aged clone of Lex.
197	2	"Shield"	Glen Winter	Jordan Hawley	October 1, 2010 (2010-10-01)	3X6002	2.38
Lois takes a Daily Planet field reporter position in Egypt, so Clark sends Carter Hall to look after her. Subsequently, Carter and Lois discuss her running away from Clark in order to protect his secret. Oliver discovers that Chloe erased all records of herself before she disappeared, so he sets out to track her down. He discovers that she traded her life for his, and afterward faked her own death during the interrogation to escape. Back at the Daily Planet, Clark is assigned a new partner, Cat Grant, who hates all superheroes. Meanwhile, the Suicide Squad tags Clark, Oliver, and Carter with special trackers embedded in their skin. Clark decides not to go after Lois in Africa and instead begins wearing a new, red and blue version of his costume.
198	3	"Supergirl"	Mairzee Almas	Anne Cofell Saunders	October 8, 2010 (2010-10-08)	3X6003	2.30
Radio personality Gordon Godfrey becomes possessed by the dark force Clark was warned about, and begins waging a crusade against all super-heroes. Kara comes back to Earth and tells Clark that Jor-El has sent her to take care of the evil that is coming, as the doubt in Clark's heart will allow it to possess him and use Clark's powers as the ultimate weapon. Lois returns from Africa and learns that Godfrey is planning to reveal Green Arrow's identity, and create doubt all over the world about the super-heroes so that he can manipulate them down a new path. Clark and Kara confront Godfrey, but Kara's Kryptonian bracelet exorcises the entity from Godfrey. Meanwhile, Oliver decides it is best everyone knows the truth, and reveals his identity as Green Arrow.
199	4	"Homecoming"	Jeannot Szwarc	Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders	October 15, 2010 (2010-10-15)	3X6004	3.19
Clark and Lois attend their five-year high school reunion, which triggers memories of Lana Lang and Chloe. Brainiac 5 arrives from the 31st Century and takes Clark on a journey through his past, present, and future. Brainiac shows Clark that he still blames himself for his adoptive father's death years prior, he is abandoning his friends in the present, and that his fear of his own future is unfounded. After seeing that his future can be exactly how he hopes, Clark returns to the present to support Oliver in his venture to reveal his identity to the world. Later, Clark works to rebuild his relationship with Lois by giving her the attention she deserves, and finally admitting that he loves her.
200	5	"Isis"	James Marshall	Genevieve Sparling	October 22, 2010 (2010-10-22)	3X6005	2.60
Clark contemplates telling Lois his secret, while Lois also decides to reveal to Clark that she already knows he is The Blur. Before either can say anything, Lois unwittingly becomes possessed by the Egyptian Goddess Isis, who sets out to resurrect her long lost lover Osiris. Clark and Oliver look to Tess for help in trying to stop Isis, as Osiris's return will unleash Hell on Earth. Clark sets out to stop Isis, but instead almost becomes the vessel for Osiris before Oliver arrives and informs Clark on how to defeat the goddess. Using his heat vision on Isis' amulet, Clark successfully releases Lois from possession. Afterward, Clark and Oliver invite Tess to be part of their team and take over Watchtower. Later, Clark finally tells Lois that he is The Blur.
201	6	"Harvest"	Turi Meyer	Al Septien & Turi Meyer	October 29, 2010 (2010-10-29)	3X6007	2.96
Clark and Lois get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, so Clark goes to the nearby town to fix the tire while Lois stays behind. Lois meets a young girl who takes her to a village where the water supply has been contaminated with blue kryptonite. Clark returns to find Lois missing and sets out to look for her. Lois discovers the villagers are planning to sacrifice her to bring continued good crops and health. She and Clark, who is powerless next to the villagers who emit blue kryptonite radiation, are captured. As a result of Lois's intervention, the villagers eventually move far enough from Clark that he superspeeds himself and Lois back to Metropolis where they later make love for the first time. Meanwhile, Tess decides not to stop Alexander's accelerated growth after realizing that he has all of Lex's memories and his evil personality.
202	7	"Ambush"	Christopher Petry	Don Whitehead & Holly Henderson	November 5, 2010 (2010-11-05)	3X6006	2.63
General Sam Lane and Lucy Lane, Lois's father and sister, come into town to celebrate Thanksgiving with Lois and Clark. While visiting, the General reveals that he is a proponent of a new vigilante registration law, much to the dismay of Clark and Lois. Tess and Oliver discover that the team is being tracked by Rick Flag, who is reforming the Suicide Squad and has sent out an assassination order for the General. Flag launches a missile to kill the General, but it detonates next to Lois. "The Blur" saves Lois, which helps to change the General's opinion of some vigilantes. Regardless, the vigilante law passes and Flag begins ordering acts of terrorism on anti-vigilante headquarters.
203	8	"Abandoned"	Kevin G. Fair	Drew Landis & Julia Swift	November 12, 2010 (2010-11-12)	3X6008	2.90
Lois watches a video tape left by her mother, where Ella Lane (Teri Hatcher) tells Lois not to let the loss of a loved one keep her from living up to her full potential. Subsequently, Lois goes to the Fortress of Solitude and pleads with Jor-El to reconcile with Clark so that Clark can be the hero he needs to be. Meanwhile, Clark helps Tess uncover the truth about a dream Tess had about being in an orphanage. Tess eventually learns she is the illegitimate child of Lionel Luthor, who abandoned her at 5 years of age; her birth name is Lutessa Lena Luthor. Tess was left with Granny Goodness, who turns out to be one of a trinity of prophets for the dark lord Darkseid, the other two being Gordon Godfrey and club owner Desaad.
204	9	"Patriot"	Tom Welling	John Chisholm	November 19, 2010 (2010-11-19)	3X6009	2.60
Oliver registers for the new vigilante registration law, now being overseen by Col. Slade Wilson, in order to protect the rest of the team and find out what the government is planning. Oliver's suspicions are confirmed when the registration location is revealed to be a trap designed to locate and arrest superheroes. Clark teams up with Arthur Curry, now aware of his Atlantean heritage, and Arthur's wife Mera, to track down the superhero prisons the government has built. After the team rescues Oliver, Clark discovers that Slade's actions were influenced by Darkseid. Subsequently, Clark brings Lois onto the team and finally reveals the threat of Darkseid's arrival to everyone.
205	10	"Luthor"	Kelly Souders	Bryan Q. Miller	December 3, 2010 (2010-12-03)	3X6010	2.76
Clark learns that there is another Lex clone in existence, and that Tess has been keeping him alive behind everyone's back. Clark also discovers that Tess has a Kryptonian box, and when he activates it, it sends him to a parallel universe where Lionel Luthor is his adoptive father and not the Kents. While on the alternate Earth, Clark learns that Tess is actually a Luthor, that his doppelganger goes by the alias Ultraman and murders anyone that gets in his way, including Lex Luthor. Clark acquires the Kryptonian box and manages to send himself back to his own reality, but unknowingly brings Lionel with him.
206	11	"Icarus"	Mairzee Almas	Genevieve Sparling	December 10, 2010 (2010-12-10)	3X6011	2.55
Clark proposes marriage to Lois and she accepts, but shortly after their engagement party Oliver is attacked by Metropolis citizens which sparks a manhunt for Queen and the rest of the heroes. Realizing General Slade is still alive, Clark orders all heroes underground until he can find a way to stop Slade. Subsequently, Slade brings in Emil, Tess, and Lois for questioning to find out where the Blur is. Carter Hall arrives and rescues Lois, but sacrifices his own life in the process. To stop Slade for good, Clark banishes him to the Phantom Zone. The heroes come together to bury Carter in his home country of Egypt, but are knocked unconscious by an unknown object that sprouts in Carter's burial chamber.
207	12	"Collateral"	Morgan Beggs	Jordan Hawley	February 4, 2011 (2011-02-04)	3X6012	2.37
After being knocked unconscious at Carter's funeral, Clark and his friends wake up without their powers and flashbacks of Chloe experimenting on them in a secret lab. Chloe informs Oliver that the government has put everyone in a coma and imprisoned their minds in a virtual reality. Clark and the team learn that the government is attempting to find a way to turn on and off the heroes' powers in the real world to ensure their cooperation with the Vigilante Registration Act. Chloe hacks into the program and one-by-one helps each hero back into reality. Chloe reveals that she blackmailed Flag's Suicide Squad into joining forces with her as a means of keeping them from harming innocent lives.
208	13	"Beacon"	Mike Rohl	Don Whitehead & Holly Henderson	February 11, 2011 (2011-02-11)	3X6013	2.32
Tess discovers that the alternate-universe Lionel has taken over LuthorCorp under the guise that he only faked his death years prior. Martha Kent holds an anti-VRA rally that results in her being shot by a spectator. Lionel finds the Lex clone in an abandoned building and realizes that he is the one who shot Martha, though his real intention was to kill Clark with kryptonite bullets. Later, Martha confronts Lionel and Lex at the Luthor mansion, but Lex subdues the others and sets fire to the mansion. Tess convinces Lex to give up his quest for vengeance, while Clark is able to save Lionel and Martha from the fire. Afterward, Tess attempts to kill Lex but discovers he is indestructible and the superheroes watch as the VRA is repealed by voters.
209	14	"Masquerade"	Tim Scanlan	Bryan Q. Miller	February 18, 2011 (2011-02-18)	3X6014	2.22
As Clark makes more saves around the world, resulting in more exposure of his face, Lois suggests that he develop a better secret identity. Meanwhile, Clark discovers the work of a serial killer in Metropolis and learns that the killer is a man named Desaad, a disciple of Darkseid. Desaad finds Chloe investigating his club so he kidnaps and tortures her. Clark saves Chloe before Desaad can turn Chloe into a Darkseid follower, but a confrontation between Oliver and Desaad leaves the former with an Omega tattoo on his skull. Later, Clark explains to Lois that his real identity is "The Blur", and that the persona of "Clark Kent" will be his true mask to the world. To accomplish this, Clark begins wearing eye glasses and changing his mannerisms to be more mild mannered.
210	15	"Fortune"	Christopher Petry	Anne Coffell Saunders	February 25, 2011 (2011-02-25)	3X6015	2.56
Zatanna sends magical champagne to Clark and Lois's bachelor/bachelorette party, which causes everyone to act out of character and afterward wipes their memory. As a result, Clark and Chloe wake up believing they are married, Emil is arrested for the theft of an armored truck, while Lois and Oliver wake up in the middle of nowhere with Lois's engagement ring missing. It is revealed that Emil was actually taken by casino owner Amos Fortune, who was trying to steal the armored truck himself, while Oliver and Lois discover that Lois lost her ring to Fortune in a rigged game of Black Jack. Lois and Oliver retrieve the ring, while Clark saves Emil from Fortune's henchmen. Afterward, Chloe announces that she is leaving, and Oliver reveals that it was because they were married.
211	16	"Scion"	Al Septien	Al Septien & Turi Meyer	March 4, 2011 (2011-03-04)	3X6016	2.18
Tess reveals that Alexander was genetically engineered from both Lex and Clark's DNA. Clark takes Alexander, now going by the name Conner (CNR), under his wing and attempts to teach him to control his powers. When Clark lies about where the other half of the DNA comes from, Conner flees and is found by Lionel who slips a red kryptonite ring on Conner's hand. Without his inhibitions, Conner's dark side comes out and he attempts to force Lois into loving him. Clark comes to the rescue and destroys the ring. Afterward, Conner returns home to the Kent farm and learns that Clark has enrolled him into Smallville High as "Conner Kent". Tess proves that Lionel is an imposter and retakes control over LuthorCorp. Later, Lionel is visited by Darkseid.
212	17	"Kent"	Jeannot Szwarc	Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders	April 15, 2011 (2011-04-15)	3X6018	2.37
Martha gives Clark and Lois the deed to the family farm as an early wedding gift, and the two decide it is best to sell the farm and move to Metropolis. Meanwhile, Clark Luthor arrives from the alternate universe and sends Clark in his place before destroying the gateway between the universes. Lois quickly discovers the truth and works with Emil to bring the real Clark back. Clark Luthor reveals himself to Tess and threatens to kill her if she does not help him find Lionel. Lois and Emil are successful and the real Clark saves Tess before Clark Luthor can kill her. Clark Luthor then follows the real Clark to the Fortress of Solitude, where Clark convinces his counterpart to return to his universe and use his powers for good.
213	18	"Booster"	Tom Welling	Geoff Johns	April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22)	3X6017	2.35
While Lois helps Clark to develop a mild mannered persona, superhero Booster Gold shows up from the future to try to take the spotlight from the Blur. Clark confronts Booster and informs him that a true hero is not made by the suit they wear, but by who they are inside. A young teen, Jaime Reyes, comes in contact with alien technology that encases him in a weaponized robotic suit, thus becoming Blue Beetle. Unable to control the suit, Jaime begins destroying property and injuring people. Inspired, Booster recounts Clark's words to Jaime and helps him gain control over the suit. Afterward, Clark convinces Booster to mentor Jaime.
214	19	"Dominion"	Justin Hartley	John Chisholm	April 29, 2011 (2011-04-29)	3X6021	1.99
After learning that General Slade escaped the Phantom Zone, Clark enters the Kryptonian prison to learn who has opened the portal. Oliver follows against Clark's wishes and the two are captured by General Zod's soldiers. Zod reveals that, upon entering the Phantom Zone, he met Darkseid who helped him become the ruler of the prison. Zod also reveals that Oliver has the Omega symbol; he then forces Oliver and Clark to fight to the death. When Zod attempts to kill Clark during the fight, the pair steal back the key to the portal and return to Earth. Afterward, Oliver sets out to find the bow of Orion with the hope that it will help them to defeat Darkseid.
215	20	"Prophecy"	Mike Rohl	Bryan Q. Miller & Anne Cofell Saunders	May 6, 2011 (2011-05-06)	3X6019	2.07
Jor-El gives Lois all of Clark's powers, leaving him powerless, so that the two can see what it is like to live in each other's shoes for one day. Clark and the team discover that the imprisoned Toyman is leading a group of supervillains that include Dark Archer, Black Manta, Metallo, Captain Cold, Solomon Grundy, and Roulette. Lois receives an implant that allows Toyman to control her, and he sends her to kill the Blur. Clark is able to regain his powers in time to stop Lois. Meanwhile, Oliver and Kara team up and locate Orion's bow. Afterwards, Jor-El sends Kara to the future to forge her own destiny, as Clark is ready to accept his on Earth. Granny Goodness steals the bow from Oliver and destroys it, then sends him after gold kryptonite. Lois calls off the wedding so Clark can focus on saving people.
216/217	21/22	"Finale"	Kevin G. Fair (Part 1) Greg Beeman (Part 2)	Al Septien & Turi Meyer (Part 1) Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders (Part 2)	May 13, 2011 (2011-05-13)	3X6020/3X6022	3.02
Tess learns that the planet Apokolips is coming to Earth to destroy humanity. While verifying the threat, Tess discovers that Oliver is under the possession of Darkseid. Desaad, Godfrey, and Granny supply Oliver with a wedding ring made of gold kryptonite to give to Clark, as it will remove his powers, but Chloe discovers the ring in time and keeps Clark from wearing it. Afterward, Clark helps Oliver to remove the Omega symbol and remove Darkseid's control over him. Lionel kidnaps Tess in an effort to transplant her heart into another Lex clone, but Tess escapes. Darkseid arrives and Lionel trades his soul for Lex's life. Possessing Lionel, Darkseid confronts Clark, who finally realizes that Jor-El was preparing him for this his entire life. Clark accesses his power of flight and vanquishes Darkseid from Lionel's deceased body. A newly revived Lex kills Tess, but not before Tess uses a neurotoxin to erase all of Lex's memories. Clark goes to the Fortress of Solitude and receives the suit Martha made for him before flying away to stop Apokolips from destroying Earth. By moving Apokolips away from Earth, Clark brings hope to humanity and breaks their connection to Darkseid. Moving ahead seven years, Lex is now President-elect of the United States, Clark and Lois are still trying to get married, and Clark has fully embraced his destiny as "Superman".

Production

Development

It's amazing to think that Chloe Sullivan and I have been one and the same for over a third of my life, I'm truly humbled by the love and loyalty of all the fans whose enthusiasm has carried me — along with a cast and crew that has become my second family — over the past nine and a half years. Out of respect for the amazingly loyal fans and the place I will always have in my own heart for Chloe, I'm coming back for several episodes next season to tie up Chloe's Smallville legacy properly. It's been a life-changing ride, and I look forward to what lies ahead with the strength of a 'superhero' as my foundation.

“

”

—Allison Mack on departing Smallville

On March 4, 2010, The CW announced that Smallville would be back for its tenth and final season, which would consist of 22 episodes. Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, Callum Blue, and Justin Hartley were the only regular cast members from the previous season who were contracted for the tenth season; although Blue was not picked up for the second year of his deal. As Allison Mack's contract was reportedly not renewed before the end of season nine, her status was in question. To put doubts to rest, executive producer Brian Peterson told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that he was "very optimistic" that Allison Mack would be back.

The studio's official press release was presented on May 20, 2010 and confirmed that Smallville would be remaining at its Friday, 8 p.m. time slot. It also revealed that Smallville would be reteaming with Supernatural, a series that was originally slotted just behind Smallville on Thursday nights for four seasons. The press release did not list Mack in the list of stars. On May 21, 2010, Mack released a statement confirming that she would not return as a series regular, but would return for multiple episodes to wind up her storyline. However, at the 2010 Comic-Con, Peterson stated that, despite her long absence and limited episode count, Mack would remain a series regular. Mack stated that her hope is that the character of Chloe will hold on to her integrity as the writers close out her storyline. For the actress, watching as her character matured over the years—from sacrificing the things she wanted for the sake of her friends, to finally reaching a point where she can strive to satisfy her own needs and wants—has been important for her. Tom Welling, who served as a part-time producer for season nine, was announced as a full executive producer for season ten. Welling was also set to direct two episodes during the season, and Justin Hartley was contracted to direct another episode.

Story

Souders and Peterson revealed that the theme for season ten will be "facing the ghosts of your past and how [the effect of seeing the past] helps you move on in the future"; as such, the return of previous cast members will play into this. Souders and Peterson also chose not to erase Lois's memory of Clark's secret, something she discovered in the season nine finale. Instead, Lois helped Clark do what he needs to do to get away and fulfill his destiny without telling him that she knows. The producers explained that there would be "some twists and turns" before Lois tells Clark that she knows. Initially helping Clark and Oliver at Watchtower, a secret from her past will define whether Tess ultimately ends on the side of good or bad. Chloe's ending will also be told "in a way that's fitting for Chloe." She will "sacrifice" herself for Oliver, who has been informed that she was killed. As a result, Oliver will spend much of the season looking for Chloe, trying to find who is behind her murder. In addition, Oliver is "literally and figuratively stripped down to his bare essence" early on this season.

Similar to season eight and nine, there will also be a new main villain. The producers revealed that Darkseid will fulfill this role for the final season, but will be a different incarnation than his comic book counterpart. They explained that Darkseid's presence will be felt throughout the whole season, but that he will not actually appear until near the end; unlike in previous seasons where the main villain was present from the start. Instead, Darkseid's minions—Granny Goodness, Desaad, Glorious Godfrey, and others to be named—will appear throughout the season as the physical presence for Clark to battle. That said, Darkseid will make an appearance in the season premiere, digitally created to start with, but with "more solid forms" making a short appearance by the third episode. The plan is for Darkseid's presence to be established as he takes over the bodies of various characters. The executive producers also wanted to take a look at the history of Smallville's Clark Kent in the 200th episode of the series. According to Peterson, "[The episode will] explore a little bit of the past, the present and the future. We kind of do a little look back to where we've been and we also take a look at where Clark is going."

When discussing how the series will end, Peterson stated that the creative team has had multiple visions of the finale episode since the show began. According to Peterson, there is the vision that series creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough developed and shared with the team over the years. Then there is the vision that Peterson and the current set of executive producers have. The producer said that ultimately, the finale episode will be a combination of all their visions that he believes will not disappoint anyone. In addition, the producers stated that they "don't want to hold anything back" for this season, and "give the fans what they want to see".

Characters

With the season being the show's last, plans began to bring back previous cast members for at least one appearance. Welling expressed his interest in having Annette O'Toole (Martha Kent), John Schneider (Jonathan Kent), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang), and Michael McKean (Perry White) return. Welling even stated that he was doing "everything [he] can to get Michael Rosenbaum back". For Welling, Rosenbaum was the only person he can have seen portraying Lex Luthor on the series. He said that the thing that he sees inspiring Clark to become Superman would be the return of Lex Luthor and the interaction between the two characters; he explained that you cannot have Superman without Lex Luthor. At the 2010 Comic-Con, Welling stated that Rosenbaum acknowledged the importance of Lex in the series and wanted to return in some degree for the show's final season, but that he needed to iron the details out. According to Welling, the series would tease early on that Lex would return with the introduction of bodies that Lex could tap into and heal himself later in life. Welling also stated that Lana could possibly have closure by season's end.

It was revealed on June 30, 2010, that John Schneider would be returning for the season premiere, and would ultimately film three total episodes for his return to the series. He would reprise his role in the episode "Kent", where Clark meets Jonathan Kent in an alternate universe. The actor would make his third guest appearance in the series finale, along with John Glover and Annette O'Toole. The producers also worked to bring John Glover back as Lionel Luthor, Lex's father; he later appeared for two episodes in late November. Laura Vandervoort, who portrayed Clark's Kryptonian cousin Kara in season seven would be returning for the season's third episode. According to Souders, Kara returns to Earth more as "Supergirl" and less as "Kara". Souders emphasized that because Kara's return is in a heroic capacity, also revealing her ability to fly to the world, Kara works on developing an alter-ego through the use of eye glasses, a wig, and a new name: Linda Lee Danvers. In addition, Kara provides her own input into Clark's development of his "Superman" persona. On March 22, 2011, Michael Ausiello revealed that Vandervoort would return for the season's 20th episode, titled "Prophecy".

James Marsters was confirmed to be returning for the series' 200th episode. Marsters first appeared as Brainiac/Milton Fine in season five and again in seasons seven. This time, Marsters will be portraying Brainiac 5, the version of Brainiac from the future that the Legion of Super-Heroes created after removing the original version of Brainiac from Chloe's body in the season eight episode "Legion". In addition, both Michael Shanks and Jessica Parker Kennedy will return as Hawkman/Carter Hall and Plastique, respectively, in the second episode of season ten. Hawkman made a brief appearance in the season nine finale, while Plastique was last seen in season eight. The return of Carter Hall means a deeper look into who that character is, while seeing a "more human side" to him than previously seen. On August 11, it was announced that Michael Ironside and Peyton List would be returning for a mid-October episode. Ironside previously portrayed Lois's father, General Sam Lane; while List played Lois's sister, Lucy. Both characters were last seen in separate season four episodes. On September 7, 2010, it was revealed that Alan Ritchson would reprise the role of Arthur Curry/Aquaman in a November episode. Ritchson described his character's return as "darker" and less "bubble-gummy" than previously seen on the show.

On July 22, 2010, Michael Ausiello revealed that Cat Grant, a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet in the comic books, would be appearing as Clark's new partner during season ten. Ausiello stated that Grant would act more as a "comedic foil" for Clark, and is not intended to interrupt the relationship he has with Lois. Instead, Grant will act as Lois's professional rival, and is considered by the producers to be her opposite. Keri Lynn Pratt, who portrays Grant, stated that her character will have a crush on Clark, which will annoy Lois more than threaten her. Pratt described her characters motivations: "Cat really believes in what she's working on and her message. She just really wants to get that through and have everyone on the same page as her. She kind of loses track of the big picture".

This season was slated to see the introductions of villains Granny Goodness, Desaad, and Glorious Godfrey. Lindsay Hartley was cast as another of Darkseid's minions, Mad Harriet, who works for Granny Goodness. Hartley explained the traditional claws her characters wears are powered by kryptonite, which give her an advantage over Clark. Hartley also stated that Harriet is the leader of Granny Goodness' Female Furies.

In addition, Geoff Johns, who previously wrote the introductions for the Legion of Super-Heroes and the Justice Society of America, wrote an episode featuring the introduction of superheroes Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, along with Suicide Squad member Rick Flag. In an interview with Comic Book Resources TV, Johns noted that the version of Blue Beetle will be that of Jaime Reyes, and that Booster Gold will be modeled directly after his comic book counterpart, as far as personality and history. Johns also explained that the episode might also see the introduction of the second Blue Beetle Ted Kord. He admitted that his choice in which comic book character to introduce was based solely on his personal preference, as he is a fan of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and has a history of writing for those characters. These introductions will come at a time when Clark needs to have interactions with the characters to "propel him forward". He noted that the two characters embody what Clark needs to learn: being in the public eye and fully accepting his alien heritage. Johns pointed out that Booster Gold is all about being in the spotlight, while Clark is not. At the same time, Blue Beetle is trying to understand the alien technology he has been given. Johns also stated that Booster's introduction will serve to show Clark that society needs a hero to look up to.

On January 21, 2011, it was announced that Eric Martsolf was cast as Booster Gold. Sebastian Spence was cast as the Ted Kord version of the Blue Beetle and Jaren Brandt Bartlett as the Jaime Reyes version. In addition to the return of Lois's father and sister, Teri Hatcher was cast as Lois's mother. Hatcher, who starred as Lois Lane for four seasons of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, appeared in lost video footage that Lois discovers. Entertainment Weekly reported that Callum Blue will return for the 19th episode, "Dominion". On February 11, 2011, Michael Ausiello reported that after the back and forth speculation as to whether Rosenbaum would return to the series the actor finally agreed to appear in the series finale. Rosenbaum expressed that his return for the final episode was for the fans, stating, "I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats." On April 14, 2011, The Futon Critic's official CW press release announced the return of Chris Gauthier as Toyman.

Superman mythology

With a glimpse of the iconic Superman costume in the season nine finale, Peterson confirmed that the costume will return and play a more prominent role in the final season, even going as far as to hint that the last scene of Smallville will see Clark wearing it. The producers were able to acquire the Superman costume worn by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. DC Comics offered the suit worn by Christopher Reeve, but Peterson explained, "[it] just didn't quite fit with our world." Welling promised long-time viewers that, "Our number one goal this year is to wrap it up in a way that will satisfy the fans and give them hope that Clark has gone on to become Superman." Executive producer Kelly Souders said that in order for Clark to do this, Clark has to "wrestle" with the internal things that are preventing him from being an "inspirational hope". Though Clark is still in his "dark hour", he will become Superman by the end of the season. Peterson explained, "This year... the palette of the show will grow brighter and what he wears... is going to change;" Clark will end up exploring his destiny and work toward his future of becoming a hero.

Broadcast and reception

The season ten premiere brought in 2.98 million viewers, the highest viewing figures The CW have had in the Friday 8–9 pm timeslot in over two years. The series finale brought in 3.02 million viewers. By the end of its tenth season, Smallville became the longest running science fiction television show in the United States; it broke the Guinness World Record held by Stargate SG-1. TV Guide ranked the series finale 5th in its review of the Top TV Episodes of 2011.

Home media release

The complete tenth season of Smallville was released on November 29, 2011 in North America in both DVD and Blu-Ray format. The DVD and Blu-Ray box set were also released in region 2 and region 4 on October 17, 2011 and April 4, 2012, respectively. The box set included various special features, including episode commentary, a documentary on the 200th episode called "Smallville: Coming Home", a featurette on Clark's father/son relationships over the course of ten seasons titled "My Father, My Son", and the music video "How Do We Do".

External links

• Official website
• List of Smallville episodes at the Internet Movie Database
• Kryptonsite
• Season 10 on Smallville Wiki