Jack Rowand/The CWTonight, we have to say goodbye to Smallville after 10 remarkable seasons. And even though we get a two-hour send-off, it's still going to be hard to watch those characters fly off our TV screens for good. And you know what's going to make it even harder? Watching the series finale after reading the heartfelt and touching letter to the fans from executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson.
Seriously, prepare to choke up a bit when you read it. When we spoke to them earlier this week, they were also having a rough time talking about the end. But based on their message to all Smallville supporters, they are both proud of the work they've done and excited about Clark's final moments.
Now, go grab something to mop your face with and let's settle in to read...
Nine years. At times it feels like forever (especially when we look at our Warner Bros ID badges we received our first week of work and we looked like kids!) and some times it feels like it's only been a few weeks. We will probably measure all time against Smallville for the rest of our lives. As it turns out, we've started measuring a lot against Smallville. We began as wide-eyed freshman. All we could focus on was getting that first big break in television. We used to sit in the writers' room and stare at the beautiful Burbank scenery saying, "Wow, we did it. We're here." Two kids from the Midwest make good. And it was quite a ride. 9/11 had just happened. The world was looking for a hero. Superman always fits that bill. Especially when you're looking for an American hero who is just, not vengeful, home-grown and dare we say earnest.
Then a decade passes.The war falls on a later page in the paper. It's easy to get buried under the thousands of decisions that go into every television season. And you can lose perspective being in such a macro world. But, coming to the end of the show this year, we were able to step back and we were moved by what we saw. In fact, we used that view to help shape the final season of Smallville:
Hope.
The theme this year was Believe in Heroes.They exist. And not just in red capes.And the fact that a show that's survived two networks, two time slots and four different days of the week proves that people want to be inspired. People want to put their faith in hope and their trust in humanity.
We have been lucky. We got to sit with the writers and think about Superman every day. We got to think about what inspires us. Think about why Superman is the most recognizable character in the world. Think about the most avid fans in television and the reason they tune in every week—not only do they want to believe in good, they actually do. Someone once said that you can only truly appreciate in others what you have the potential for in yourself. Superheroes are a reflection of who we want to become. Whatever impact we've had on the Superman mythos, it pales compared to the impact the fans of Superman across the globe have had on us. It's what makes us believe there's a more peaceful future out there. Being reminded of that every week for a decade has been a gift.
Thank you,
Kelly and Brian
If you can see through the tears by the time you get this far, then you can see this: we'll be posting interviews with the cast and some behind-the-scenes footage from the final episode. So come on back and let's continue celebrating 10 seasons of Smallville!