As a fan, I have to admit that it's a bit remarkable that Smallville has lasted nine seasons. It simply is the show that will not die. Since that's the case, viewers are fortunate that the latter few seasons have shown marked improvement. This ninth season has been fairly strong week in and week out, but the question I had in my mind as I sat down to watch this episode was if this season could finish on a high note and avoid the downfall of season eight - an underwhelming season finale.

This year's finale has Zod's forces attacking the Earth while Clark must decide if he wants to use the Book of Rau to rid the Earth of all Kryptonians, himself included, or find another way to defeat Zod and his army. Meanwhile, Lois is being manipulated to locate the Book of Rau while the not-yet-Justice League and Justice Society attempts to support Clark.

The opener was definitely a treat as we get a glimpse of 2013 Metropolis, complete with a flying red and blue blur, Lois calling for Perry White, and 'Lex Luthor running for President' being the headline on The Daily Planet's front page. Clark awakes from his dream to find a gift from his mother - the suit we all want him to wear. We don't know what happens to the suit, but it now exists even if we only saw an eye's reflection. 
 
What else exists after this episode? The Clark Kent we all know as Smallville Clark finally embraced his role as the "premiere" and inspirational superhero he is meant to be. While the budget got in the way of giving us a true reunion of Oliver's team and the JSA, they did manage a scene where everyone looked towards Clark for guidance and leadership. Clark finally looks comfortable in his role as Earth's protector. This was a huge moment in his heroic development, and I was glad that they made the decision to keep this episode's spotlight on Clark as opposed to cluttering it with super-guest stars.
 
Unlike last season, the budget doesn't ruin the battle we all wanted to see: Clark versus Zod - which is what this episode was all about. Initially, Clark had wanted to avoid fighting his people, but realized there was no other choice after his talk with Chloe and finding the hot Tess Mercer (sorry for the bad pun). Of course, Zod cemented Clark's decision by manipulating Lois into stealing the Book of Rau and nearly dissolving her relationship with Clark. Clark's reaction was great, and it was very nice (and long overdue) to see Lois realize who the real Blur is.

After Clark dealt with Zod's army, it was showtime. A lot of credit goes to the choreography, cinematography, and directing as the final fight was done about as well as any I've seen on Smallville. Tom Welling and Callum Blue also deserve a lot of praise for how much they delivered in this episode. It was intense, personal, and that's how it should be with Zod and Kal-El.

In particular, I'm going to miss Blue next year. He played a fantastic and captivating General Zod throughout the entire season. I couldn't help but let out a cheer when he growled, "Kneel before Zod." Clark's actions near the end were definitely very in-character, and the season ends with the Kandorian storyline resolved. 
 
In a season finale, not only do you have to resolve some storylines, but you need to lay some foundation for the tenth season. This episode accomplished just that. Yes, we have four questions that need answering: Who was the woman who went into Tess's hospital room? What attacked Green Arrow? How will Lois react the next time she sees Clark? Finally, of course, what happens after the final scene? The early favorites for the first two are Granny Goodness and the parademons while the latter two questions are open-ended. 

I've seen every show in Smallville's nine season run, and "Salvation" is easily among its best episodes. The acting was strong, they peppered in fanboy moments, the special effects were kept to a minimum, and there were no lulls in the fast-paced hour from start to end, and what an ending it was. The ending was on an entire other level, and I wasn't the only one to think so. Twitter was hit hard by Smallville fans as #smallville, #allisonmack, and #tomwellingissuperman were trending topics prior to, during, and, especially, after the finale where they held up for 30 minutes post-show. When it was all said and done the vast majority of fans all seemed to have the same thought: "Is it September yet?" Did Smallville's season finale succeed? Emphatically yes. 
 
LostLantern13's rating: 5 out of 5 Red Capes