Smallville Season 6

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Smallville Season 6 is available on and right now. The show says what it needs to say in a single season, no filler. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Tom Welling anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Smallville Season 6 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Smallville Season 6 treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. Clark manages to escape from the Phantom Zone with the help of an unexpected ally. He subsequently sets out on a mission to hunt down the dangerous prisoners who followed him to Earth. Adding to Clark's troubles, there is a new vigilante in town who goes by the name Green Arrow. Tom Welling and Erica Durance lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2006. The rules of Smallville Season 6's world are consistent enough that the big swings never feel like cheating. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Smallville Season 6 fits the bill. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Watch for Tom Welling in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.