i totally agree about making the characters interesting. i truly enjoy jeph loeb's work, and i'm thrilled that he, and the writers, are given the creative leeway to do things on the show that the comics would never receive. important to note: they're not devastating the 65-year legacy of superman -- they're expanding it. its a refreshing and rejuvenated take that pays homage to everything it should without trapping itself in the past.
it is, after all, a story -- not a rehashed history lesson.
. .. ... .... ..... some spoilers to follow ..... .... ... .. .
one particular aspect i like about jeph loeb is that, in his stories, he generally does an amazing job at setting up new possibilities. in this episode, just off the top of my head, we have:
a more defined struggle of clark vs kal
the introduction of lois (and possible budding romance)
a new relationship for lana
the ramifications of new lana vs new clark
flight
lex's purification troubles
the luthor's search for artifacts / ultimate knowledge
dr. swan's assistant
chloe's non-death
a better role for ma/pa kent
and plenty more ("but wait, there's more!")
i also liked the nice touches of bringing back margot kidder (the 70-80s lois lane) as dr. swan's assistant ... then insinuating that her and dr. swan (lois and supes) had / have a relationship.
then, of course, draping clark in the red blanket (of perfect cape width and length) was cool as hell
so, here we are, at the beginning of a whole new season, where everything and every angle is new and interesting.
i'm pumped (as long as they don't start fuckin with the schedule like last season!)
