tina, I miss my show, too.

I'm fairly new to Smallville. It passes the time. It amuses, but as ita notes, I haven't caught whiff of any greatness (granted, I haven't been around long enough), there's no wordsmithing, and, without spoiling it, I thought this past episode was really derivative of BtVS. Drew G. wrote it, so I could have been hyper-sensitive to that charge in the first place.

Smallville is to Buffy as Hershey's is to Valrhona. It'll do, but it's not the good stuff. I think that's how its internet following sees it.

Okay, I can actually make it all the way through a Hershey bar without changing the channel.

Oh, it definitely was -- and they've done it before. It's just that -- this is it's 3rd season -- think of what Buffy was doing in Season 3. . . and what it had done in Season 4.

(Oops, I meant season 2!)

Yeah, Smallville can sometimes come up with a good idea -- but it doesn't follow through. I don't know whether this is because it is hampered by a high number of beginning actors who don't seem to be catching on -- or if it's the writing or direction or what.

It's HNoBA factor is about the same as Buffy's, and a lot of the core cast (outside of TW and KK) are very talented. However, I think the goal with Smallville is not at all the same as the goal with Buffy, so the Smallville PTB are more than happy with where the show is at. It's popular with both critics and the audience, gets praises sung and rung for the wholesome factor, and with the combination of a more episodic formula and broader plot brush strokes, it has a wider general appeal than Buffy.

The ideas won't ever be exceptionally daring or go to the Hard Places in the same way that BtVS, because that's counter to the Smallville raison d'etre.

Plei: HNoBA ?

Otherwise, I agree, although it makes me sad, because there's so much potential in the concept.

Question: What are the 3 ways that the scythe kills mosters? The axe-thing, the stake, and what else? I thought Buffy said 3 at some point.

Debet, it scares me that I figured this out, but: HNoBA=high number of beginning actors

My main distinction between Buffy and Smallville would be that Buffy was good.

I *heart* ita. Such Xander-like economy of word.

Smallville plays it safe in my opinion. I love the show, but it makes me scream every week, although not nearly as much as Alias does. I think it is getting better. The show just has a certain feel to it of them holding back for no good reason.

Breaking from that mold and trying to be funny more than it has been would probably be untrue to the show and seem out of place. 24 doesn't have humor, because it is so action packed and suspenseful it doesn't have time for funny. With all the disposable monsters of the week, it should leave time for the writers to come up with at least some subtle funny one-liners since they don't have to spend a great deal of time on continuity and mytharc ideas.

Right now nothing hits me with the same brilliance of Buffy's run, not even Angel. The closest anything has ever had to making me feel the same way was Firefly. Losing that really hurt.

Last year we had 3 ME shows, this year 1. I thought that the loss I felt for Firefly's cancellation would dissolve over time. It hasn't. Same goes for Buffy. The longer I go without it, the more brilliant it seems in hindsight.

Smallville = new Buffy? NOT EVEN CLOSE...

Did I love Buffy?...does the phrase "best show ever" mean anything to you?

I was in the neighborhood, just couldn't find the house.

The show just has a certain feel to it of them holding back for no good reason.

Continued high ratings = good reason.

I love the show, but it makes me scream every week, although not nearly as much as Alias does.

Watch Alias the way I do: as if it were a strange foreign film with bad overdubbing and very pretty people. You'll be charmed. (Alias is my "just go with it, please check your brain at the door, mmm... Sark" show.)