ADVANCE REVIEW!
Smallville: "Rosetta"
Written by Craig Byrne
KryptonSite Webmaster

"Rosetta" airs on February 25, 2003 on the WB

I don't think anyone who's surfed the Web or turned on the WB lately wasn't aware that Christopher Reeve is going to be guest starring on the February 25, 2003 episode of Smallville.

The return of Reeve to the Superman legend has been a welcome one that has been encouraged and appreciated by the press and fans alike. Christopher Reeve appeared in four movies as Clark Kent/Superman between 1978 and 1988. What hasn't been noted, however, is that even without the "special guest star" fanfare and hype, "Rosetta" is an enjoyable ride from start to finish -- in a way, it's the show that Smallville always promised to be but sometimes didn't quite get to the level of being.

"Rosetta" almost aired like a pilot for a new television series. The teenage angst and flirtations, and the "freak of the week" type formulas that often plague the series are nowhere to be seen. Instead, we see exactly what they've been trying to do all along -- a story about what Superman was like as a teen. The character of *Clark Kent* is the true star of "Rosetta," and Tom Welling puts forth what may be his best performance in the role to date. I hope the folks who insist on doing a new movie are paying attention -- because this episode, more than any other, really made me wish Clark could just put on the "S" and start flying already, and I doubt anyone could do Superman better than this cast and crew did for this episode.

The episode made good use of every recurring character as well, save John Glover's absent Lionel. The characters weaved into the plot seamlessly and you could see how and where folks such as Lex Luthor and Lana Lang will fit into Clark's destiny. At one point in the episode, Jonathan Kent makes reference to Clark's upbringing being the determining factor in how he will turn out. He couldn't be more right. The characters and the situations for Clark, here in Smallville, really will pave the way for the future. Years from now, when people look back at the series, the "freaks of the week" will be forgettable, but the characters and the relationships of the series, especially the way they are portrayed in this episode, will endure. I think we can hope that Christopher Reeve's Dr. Swann is a new add

I really hope that "Rosetta" is a sign of what's to come in Smallville, and the show continues to plow forward in this way. Not since the January episode "Insurgence" have I felt this "damn, this is cool" factor, and you know, that one had a lot of foreshadowing in it too. Go figure. If you have friends who have never seen the show before, especially fans of the comics or previous incarnations of Superman, I highly recommend the episode. You will most definitely not be disappointed.

"Rosetta" airs Tuesday night, February 25, on the WB.

Craig Byrne created KryptonSite in February 2001. Note: The views of Craig Byrne don't necessarily represent the thoughts and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite.

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