Homecoming (15 Oct. 2010)

Stil gravely pondering his place is life, Clark lets Lois drag him along to their Smalville high school reunion. Rather then enjoying his hero status, while Lois shines less then she ... See full summary »

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (character created by: Superman), Joe Shuster (character created by: Superman),

Stars:

Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Welling	...	Clark Kent
Erica Durance	...	Lois Lane
Cassidy Freeman	...	Tess Mercer (credit only)
Justin Hartley	...	Oliver Queen
James Marsters	...	Brainiac 5
Chad Donella	...	Greg Arkin
Anne Marie DeLuise	...	TV Reporter (as Anne Marie Deluise)
Chilton Crane	...	Guidance Counselor
Nicole Fraissinet	...	Carrie
Alex Simon	...	Mark Verheiden
Hilary Jardine	...	Suzanne Capra
Allie Bertram	...	Zoe
Tom Stevens	...	Clayton
Ash Lee	...	Production Assistant
Jill Morrison	...	Maddie Haroldhaus

Storyline

Stil gravely pondering his place is life, Clark lets Lois drag him along to their Smalville high school reunion. Rather then enjoying his hero status, while Lois shines less then she expected, Clark worries when he spots Brainiac, but it turns out he returned from the future with the Legions ring to show Clark how vital his contribution is to prevent a horrible future for him, Oliver, their friends and the world.

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Plot Keywords:

reunion | high school reunion | nightmare | dream | time travel | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 October 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DC Comics, Millar Gough Ink, Tollin/Robbins Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 200th episode in the series.

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Goofs

At the end of the episode, there is a shot of Jonathan Kent's tombstone. The date reads Sept. 1, 1954 - Jan. 26, 2006. (Jan. 26, 2006 is when the episode Jonathan Kent died first aired.) But episode 6 of season 3, Clark sees the past and Jonathan Kent's mother is pregnant with him, and the year is 1961.

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Quotes

Brainiac 5: It's time to move on from the past. Leave Clark Kent to me.

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Connections

References Dancing with the Stars (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Baby I Need You"
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by Kim Taylor

User Reviews

Insulting but gutsy story, uniquely bad, questionable Clark & Lois, awkward writing, some fun, sweet nostalgia and memorable ending

Lost had the rotten Across the Sea, now Smallville has Homecoming. There're writing dream teams like Don Whitehead and Holly Henderson that can produce masterpieces like Metallo and Charade. Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders, executive producers, is not one of them. As much as I respect their work I can't possibly excuse such an outrageous story and lazy fanservice.

First let's summarize what the show is all about. Basically the concept is to cover the first steps of Clark Kent before he becomes the superhero we all know and admire, Superman. Like the average human he grows up and learns life thanks to the people who revolve around him. From his charismatic father Jonathan to Lex Luthor without forgetting Lois Lane all these characters, good or evil, contributed to shape his destiny and turn into Metropolis most famous vigilante, the Blur. This installment tainted most past efforts to make that idea grow in our soul, thanks to Lois and Oliver inspiring quests for example. In my humble opinion Homecoming is an insult to the devoted fans and a clear demonstration that Peterson and Souders have lost track of what's going on.

I can't help comparing this installment to the unique Warrior, directed by Allison Mack and written by Bryan Miller. A Clark driven story featuring Brainiac first seemed like a refreshing surprise but it quickly mutated into a nightmare. James Marsters is a wicked actor, I mean how can you forget Spike, but here his talent was under exploited. I waited for a twist but it never happened. As for an other guest his role was anecdotic. It's like if the writers intention was to make us believe in pathetic happy endings. What a naive thought, specially when it comes to Superman ! An other issue were the dialogs. I still have in my mind the inspiring words Lois said about the Blur in Idol. Here because of inappropriate lines Erica Durance's acting was over the top. Last but not least the few cultural references to comics weren't subtle enough and even the elevator encounter wasn't flawless when it should have been. It's specially true if you compare these scenes to the one at the convention with the Blur cosplayer.

Now let's decrypt the mumbo jumbo story. As I already mentioned it just jarred with past events and in the end didn't make sense. I mean how can we relate to CK anymore ? What about Lois ? They had a few funny scenes but not as hilarious as in Persuasion. Moreover trust should be love's foundation. She's the only woman who can help Clark become the Man of Steel. Of course we can't ignore how much other characters contributed to boost his skills but in the end it's mostly about Lois & Clark. If you add the inevitable inaccuracies, due to the controversial and overused context, well the bottom of the barrel is not so far… It gets even worse if you consider Jonathan's emotional come back in Lazarus. Clark didn't need to be remembered again about what his spirit told him. He already knew what it takes to let go !

Of course as the 200th episode Homecoming was fueled with flashbacks and references to past installments. It could have been a blessing but instead it revealed how much the writing was inconsistent. However these elements were well mixed and should brought you many sweet memories. I also loved CK's outfit but still can bare the "new" Blur one. As for Oliver his role was anecdotic and nearly misplaced. Still his interview should move and inspire you. Justin Hartley is the man and we all have the seeds of a Green Arrow within us ! Otherwise they should have saved him for an other time.

To sum things up Peterson and Souders don't have to be ashamed as much as Lost's Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof but your opinion should definitely be mixed. However I have to admit that they at least had the courage to write something original. The end was also beautiful, pivotal and should touch your long time fan heart. But don't get me wrong, Homecoming is an abomination. Even an enigmatic SMS wasn't that intriguing and it was by far the most disappointing episode since… last time we saw leather Lana flying and kicking around like a crazy monkey !