It has been announced that Laura Vandervoort, who played Kara this season on Smallville', has not had her contract picked up for next year. In interviews she has stated that she feels she will be back for a couple of episodes next season. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
The truth is I lost interest in Smallville after season 3 and so missed a whole lot of the continuity of the series. Friends who continued to watch talked about the inclusion of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, etc. into the show and that it was pretty good. I sort of felt the series had played out and just couldn't get roped back in.
Of course, then they announce that Kara will be introduced and played by Vandervoort. She begins to appear in photo shoots and well .... okay, I got roped back in.
It was pretty clear that this Kara was more or less based on the current Kara in the DCU. She arrives on Earth as Clark's 'older cousin' who was supposed to help raise him as a baby. She has manifested her powers immediately and could be 'more powerful' than Clark. She even has a bit of an attitude. It was intriguing to see a Kara in that position talking to the farmer Clark rather than an established Superman.
But then it seemed like the writers didn't know what to do with her. So she suddenly wants to 'fit in' and enters a beauty contest. Then she loses her memory and power. She falls under Lex's influence. Then she regains her power, makes a noble sacrifice and takes off with Brainiac, and ultimately ends up trapped in the mirror Phantom Zone from the Donner films.
I don't know where I stand on this. It was cool for Kara to be part of something as big as Smallville, but it also seems like she was not utilized the right way. The show itself seems like a crazy mess in some final death throes. Kristin (Lana) Kreuk and Michael (Lex) Rosenbaum have all signed up for partial duties next year. Seems like they should just wrap things up next year ... and please put Clark in the costume finally!
As for Kara, there were rumors of a spin-off. Who knows if that's true.
As for Vandervoort, she is currently filming 'Into the Blue 2'. And while I think she did a fine job, she was no Helen Slater.
Totally feel the same way when you say they didn't do all these great things they could've done with the character.
ReplyDeleteI hate how the show makes her go away but brings Green Arrow as a series regular next season. I'm like WTF?!
Thanks so much for the post.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame. Last night was the 'Miss Sweet Corn' episode. In that episode she definitely showed some heroism and fire ... saving Jimmy, confronting Clark, saving the day.
If only more of that could have made it's way into the show.
I do hope they resolve the character next year. It would be a shame to think she is stuck in the Phantom Zone for eternity.
My friends agree that Smallville overstayed its welcome after the first few seasons.
ReplyDeleteHowever I'm grateful because it gave us another live-action Supergirl after so many years, and Kara began gaining exposure out of the comicverse. Seven years later we have seen her in several cartoons, animated movies and her own show. Incredible.
"I do hope they resolve the character next year. It would be a shame to think she is stuck in the Phantom Zone for eternity."
She got stuck in the future, instead... which is admitedly a better fate. And at least the tie-in comic series brought her back.