Talk Ville - Season 8

We are so back! Season 8 is coming in hot with special guest Cassidy Freeman! We discuss the introduction of Tess Mercer, embodying a sympathetic villain, and permanently changing her hair as a result. In the episode, the Justice League scours the globe for Clark, Chloe comes to grips with her new Brainiac powers, and the Daily Planet gets a new employee. It's the beginning of a whole new era. Lex is gone but we're still here for the analysis, memories, and bits. Here we go!

Season 8 gets heated as Clark catches the eye of his new boss, Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), Chloe gets involved in a potential new love triangle with Metropolis's hottest EMT, Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer), and a young woman who can blow stuff up with her mind enters the fray. Michael's still on board. Tom's memory is still sharp. Join us before it goes off the rails

It's the Green Arrow origin story. Oliver is poisoned at a gala and has traumatic flashbacks of his time on a deserted island where he hones his archery skills and connects with Tess Mercer. It's all one big metaphor for something and we're gonna try to figure it out. Join us this week on our "island of me."

There's always a sexy one. This week, when Tess Mercer's experiment summons a hot alien babe looking to mate, relationships, morals, and our patience are tested. Also Tom teaches Michael and Ryan how to shop for dress. We always have fun with these, so join us for some remarkably deep insight into a steamy, yet strange episode.

Relationships can be tricky. Especially when a masked lunatic kidnaps you and your significant other, straps you to an electric chair, and forces you to tell the truth. That's what goes down in this episode. Chloe and Jimmy get stronger, while the Lois and Clark "when will they" dynamic officially gets underway. We talk about love, lust, and an attempted horror atmosphere in episode 5 of season 8, Committed.

It's a bloody good time this week as we uncover more secrets in episode 6 of season 8: Prey. When an inhuman killer is on the loose, Clark suspects his own kind, Davis suspects himself, and Chloe is caught in the middle. This episode asks the big questions. Do we ever know who we really are? What is the truest self? What do Sam Witwer's abs look like? Tune in as we discuss all that and more.

Erica Durance joins us for the first time this season to help us break down episode 7 of season 8, Identity. We talk about navigating the early Clark and Lois flirtation stages and laying the groundwork for the destinies ahead of them. Also stunts and cool stuff. In the episode, Jimmy snaps a blurry photo of Clark saving Lois. Now that evidence is out there, Clark has to choose: finally let the world in on his secret or keep up the lie to protect the people he cares about. This one's got action, intrigue, and a dress zip-up scene. Join us for a true series highlight!

Laura Vandervoort returns to chat about her bittersweet, yet powerful return to the show as Kara. We dig into the real challenges of the industry and also play with dolls. In the episode, Clark and Lois get square-flipped into the Phantom Zone, meet Kara, and accidentally bring back Zod's wife, Faora, who inhabits Lois, and shows her son (an oblivious Davis), who he really is. It's a lot. But we love it. We also get to the bottom of the spitting vs. splitting image debate.

What happened? Did you forget another memory? Well, come on down literal memory lane with us this week to find out as we get into season 8, episode 9, Abyss. When Brainiac starts removing Chloe's memories, it's up to Clark to rebuild the fortress and get her back online no matter the cost. We talk about the concept of Brainiac, inappropriate confessions of love, and actually have a deep discussion about the heartbreak of losing memories as we age. Who says we don't get deep here, too? Join us!

The Davis in our dreams, the Doomsday in our nightmares, Sam Witwer joins us today to talk through the heartbreaking halfway point of season 8. In his dulcet tones, he shows reverence for the cast and crew and opens up about about how he wishes his younger self just shut up and enjoyed the moment. We've all been there, Sam. In this landmark episode, Chloe and Jimmy's wedding gets crashed by Lana Lang and Doomsday but with very different agendas. People are torn apart just as they come together. Smallville gets turned upside down. Don't miss this one!

Long live the Legion! In the aftermath of Doomsday's wedding crash, Clark's new friends from the future step in to help extract Brainiac from Chloe. In the first episode credited to DC legend, Geoff Johns, we're treated to some necessary comic (in multiple ways) relief after a devastating event. Join us for a fun one!

The benevolent spaceman himself, Phil Morris, joins us again to chat about his final episode of season 8. We get into the Martian's humanity, the missed buddy cop spin-off opportunity, and how an episode that came out 17 years ago remains relevant today. In the episode, powerless John Jones is a detective for Metropolis PD. When he goes down in the line of duty, Clark goes undercover as a cop and finds out the dark truth about the department. Join us as we unpack the season wrap on the wise, compassionate Martian Manhunter, who also played a lawyer in a popular sitcom.

Lana's back and now we know why. In this controversial episode, we get into the Foo Fighters, 80s montages, and HBO's the Pitt. We do also analyze the episode and actually come to our own revelations about character motivations and Smallville's overarching themes. As Tom says, "it's just good drama" and boy do we have it. Join us for season 8, episode 13 Power.

Kristin Kreuk joins us one more time to discuss Lana Lang's final episode of Smallville. We talk about the heartbreak, deeper meanings, and contractual obligations behind her return and exit from the show. In the episode, Clark and Lana are super-powered lovers at last, until Lex reenters the fold to tear them apart with the help of demolitions expert, the Toyman. Will love outlast an obscene level of kryptonite? Tune in for what could be Kristin's last appearance on Talk Ville. And yes, Michael does get righteously upset about this portrayal of Lex.

Director extraordinaire and friend of the pod, Glen Winter joins us to break down the technical side of things as we dive into season 8 episode 15, Infamous. With his sparkling attitude and wealth of knowledge, Glen sheds light on the cinematic choices and production hazards that go into creating the Smallville spectacle. In the episode, Clark decides to reveal his secret to the world before he can be outed by disgraced and damp reporter Linda Lake (guest star Tori Spelling). How will the citizens respond? What will Lois think? And how much does it cost to soak all the actors with rain towers?

Buckle up for a physically and emotionally bumpy ride. Tess hatches a ludicrous plan to out Clark's abilities. Davis searches for ways to calm the beast inside. And after just a couple episodes of matrimony, Jimmy and Chloe are already on the fritz. We'll talk about lies, manipulation, and Finnish rock bands.

Special guest star Serinda Swan mystifies the podcast today to chat about the 17th episode of season 8, Hex and what it meant to inhabit the role of the iconic super magician, Zatanna Zatara. Smallville was Serinda's crash course on the business, from set etiquette to how not to land an off-color joke. In the episode, Zatanna hexes Chloe into Lois's body and Clark into...a wet blanket. It's all in an effort to bring her father back to life but is it all worth it? Can she be contained? Join us for what we can honestly say is Smallville's funniest episode to date.

This one's for the fans. Showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson join us for an insightful and heartwarming discussion. They tell us what it's like to inherit the show after 7 seasons, keep it fresh, and deal with pushback from all angles. It wasn't easy, but they rose above and beyond the task of running Smallville for its final seasons. In the episode, we get a glimpse into Davis's arrival and the magnitude of his destruction. It begs the question: what if the boy from Krypton first fell into the hands of the Luthors? This is a big episode jam-packed with behind the scenes details about our favorite show.

A momentous episode of Season 8 for us. On one hand we get a stellar Lois performance but on the other...it's our first bomb in a while. But as always, we have fun with these. In the episode, Lois dons a mask and adopts a vigilante identity as Stiletto in the hopes that she can land an exclusive interview with the Blur. For all its faults, we do get some iconic Clois moments. Michael needs some convincing but he gives us some gold.

How does a hero protect the world from a distant threat that grows more dangerous every day? This is a thought-provoking episode that tests Clark's morals and raises some deep psychological questions between us. We don't have answers but we have a good time talking about putting crystals in crystals and even spontaneously calling up our good friend Aaron Ashmore to compliment his gritty portrayal of Jimmy in this episode. We're getting close to the end of the season and things are only getting more intense! Join us!

It's the penultimate episode of season 8 and it's another Tom Welling joint. Your favorite Clark Kent/podcast co-host takes us behind the scenes of his 4th directorial outing with Injustice. He tells us all about his shot choices, how he the cast responds, and how to light Justin Hartley's abs. In the episode, Tess's team of meteor freaks have run amok as Clark and Oliver butt heads about how to stop them. Join us for an action packed episode!

A tragic end to a dark season. Luckily the actors are still very much with us. Sam Witwer and Aaron Ashmore return to wrap up the season and, sadly, their characters. We get into how they found out, how they felt, and what they did to cope on set. The episode leaves us with many questions. What's next for Clark? Where did Lois go? Who's the naked guy on the lawn? Join us as we conclude the Doomsday saga and give one final salute Davis and Jimmy.