MICHAEL ROSENBAUM Reveals Why He Left SMALLVILLE After Season 7

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The boys are back… Al Gough and Miles Millar (Wednesday, Smallville) join us to talk about everything that went on behind the scenes with creating Netflix’s biggest new series Wednesday! The guys talk about the nerves of getting Tim Burton involved in the project, the difficulties of filming during the pandy in Romania, and how just about every studio said ‘no’ to (what would become) the second most popular TV series of all time. We also talk about the evolution of storytelling with streaming services, how they’ve mastered the art of teenage sci-fi, and of course… our time together on Smallville.
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MICHAEL ROSENBAUM Reveals Why He Left SMALLVILLE After Season 7 #insideofyou #smallville

[@TheQuebecDragon]

Mr. Rosenbaum, I understand why you did it, but indeed the show suffered from your loss. Also, out of all actors who portrayed Lex Luthor, you were definitely my favorite. I loved how nuanced and complex your Lex was.

[@willpeony5534]

Almost as good as the real Lex.

[@tomthemantv6482]

@@willpeony5534 Funny thing is, I had not heard of this actor before Smallville, but after seeing him as young Lex Luther, I couldn’t imagine anybody else as young Alex Luther.

[@willpeony5534]

@@tomthemantv6482 Yeah, I meant he was so believable you'd think LL had really been real.

[@OgBigNut]

He’s easily the best Lex Luthor we’ve got in live action

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

He is hands down the closest to a comic accurate Luthor we've ever gotten.

[@alexakaa.charlesross8919]

The show became very different in season 8, 9 and 10 but that wasn't a bad thing because Clark was evolving. Glad Michael came back for the finale.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

Seasons 6 & 7 where too infuriating. Seasons 8, 9 and 10 finally gave the spotlight to Clark and Lois.

[@dkirby9052]

5, 8, 9, 10 are my fav seasons of the show

[@BishopWalters12]

I put 8-10 above 6 or 7. The Lana s@@t in seasons 6 and 7 got annoying.

[@jimdigitalvideo]

The change (regarding the later seasons) was a good thing. It kept the show fresh.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@jimdigitalvideo They finally changed the format, which it took four seasons to do after high school.

[@ddm62571]

Michael did come back in the series finale and closed out his character beautifully! Nice job Michael!

[@Ben-rz9cf]

Michael Rosembaum and Tom Welling are still the best cast Lex Luthor and Clark Kent in my opinion.

[@matthiasck]

Amen

[@MovieTimeWithMT]

Without a doubt! They should write a follow up season and get all the OG actors back.

[@Ben-rz9cf]

@@MovieTimeWithMT back in the day i was hoping they would cast them for a proper superman movie

[@gualacheesesteak]

Facts! And I don’t think we’ll ever get a lex as menacing as Rosenbaum’s

[@sarahleveque1]

Yeah in mine too, these Two guys have the best friendship also

[@atteb7]

Michael was fantastic as a conflicted frenemy of Clark. Ha masterly portrayed the evolution of Lex from Clark's friend to enemy and pulled it off in a way that you LIKED him and empathize with his turn to the darkside. Alfred and Miles are just straight up geniuses.

[@melbaelba5706]

They did humanize Lex.

[@mikewilliams-qf4xv]

"What supreme irony...turning their friend, into their foe."- Megatron

[@cowel8734]

I agree. I often found myself rooting for Lex and wanting him and Clark to stay friends longer

[@rvanemburg78]

That man and that story writing made me cheer for their friendship. Even after watching the series dozens of times I still hope in my heart they come clean with each other and become incredible friends.

[@krane15]

I'm pretty sure the writes did that.

[@The482075]

I love the fact they are so humble about it. "We did all we did, the show needed new ideas" kind of statement. They are there to entertain as a team. They see themselves as part of the show as opposed to being the show. Also kudos to Smallville. That show lasted a really long time. So many shows don't even make it past the pilot episode.

[@krane15]

That's not true just in show business, but in more things. Business that refuse to innovate, go out of business. Take the gasoline industry how many are investing in EV? So far I've only see charge stations at Shell station. In fact, they should have been the first. Since they already have the infrastructure.

[@ArthurHILL-xp8bv]

Smallville animated series next in 2024 plan to the Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor.

[@SerenRhewi]

​@@ArthurHILL-xp8bv thats not even happening, They have been talking about it for years, but never has anything been done about it. No directors no producers no animators. Its just not happening

[@ParanormalTheology]

@@SerenRhewiI wouldn’t say that, with crowd funding you can make it work and get people hyped. It could be decades later but as long as there’s an audience for it, you could at least get the cast to do voice work and do it as a comic like Season 11 imo

[@ParanormalTheology]

I feel like they should’ve had Clark in the symbol way sooner. You don’t need to call him Superman yet, but that red embossed jacket should’ve shown up a season or two after we saw the symbol in ancient Kryptonian imo

[@xvx4848]

I'm just glad he came back for the Series Finale. Literally wouldn't have been the same if he didn't. Clark, Lex and their dynamic really made the show.

[@shenlonggohan]

Those first four seasons were magical and he will always be the best Lex.

[@whitleybayman123]

best Lex for you

[@COMEDYSPREAD-]

Well Said The Early Seasons Were Indeed Captivating And Filled With Different Elements With A Laid Back Feel.

[@twilightskiesx]

I also lovedddd season 5

[@ArthurHILL-xp8bv]

Smallville animated series next in the 2024 for the Michael Rosenbaum

[@HailSocialite]

Another thing I don’t think people realize - 7 years is a long time to do one job. How many of us are still working at the exact same place we were 7 years ago? For actors, it can be great to have a long term show, but it also means they probably have to turn down other roles and opportunities. Shooting schedules - esp with 22 episode seasons - means being away from home, not seeing family as often, and working long hours. I’m sad when actors leave a show, but it makes sense.

[@cfamick]

Ten month long seasons, eighteen hour days...

[@ascap2854]

Problem is he didn't get a new job, not a leading role anyway.

[@kye3k1]

13 years and counting

[@TruthAdv]

Boy is this true. I'm entering my 6th year into a job and I'm thinking it's time to go. Love the job and everyone I'm working with, but it feels like it's time to go to keep my spirits up.

[@MichaelTerndrup]

That what I try to tell these new kids going into college you will get tried of your job

[@irish7193]

I missed Michael when he left. Outstanding actor who brought so much to the show! Great decision by all. All the best gentlemen!

[@marlenesheffield8777]

This was the best portrayal of Lex Luthor. His turn to the dark side was so beautifully nuanced. I will never forget the scene when the "essence" of Zod possessed Lex. That scene in the barn when "Zod" revealed himself to Clark made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and gave me a warm shiver. Trust me -- that is saying a lot and is a true testament to your "A" game. Mic drop!! 🔥🧡❤️💋💯

[@sharding14]

To be fair, Season 10 was a great culmination of the entire season, and it brought everything together and completed it perfectly. Love all you guys though.

[@party4keeps28]

I watched a bit of Smallville because my little brother followed the show. What I remember is Lex Luther CONSTANTLY telling people he'll "get the best doctors" or "specialists" for all different situations when someone was hurt. It felt like it happened every other episode

[@TrentPruitt1997]

Haha true, always something like, “I’m gonna fly in the best specialists from Metropolis and get the proper treatments”. That always seemed to be a card that Lex could flex on people.

[@party4keeps28]

@@TrentPruitt1997 Right? I remember him saying that all the time. Someone could make a pretty long, funny compilation video.

[@TrentPruitt1997]

@@party4keeps28 that or a long compilation of people in danger screaming, “CLARK!”

[@party4keeps28]

@@TrentPruitt1997 Put both compilations together lol.

[@Gladius-XC]

@@TrentPruitt1997 Every specialist on the planet lived in Metropolis!

[@OmarFigueroa-kz7xx]

Rosie, I’ll be honest,I used to think Lex was a boring comic book villain, BUT, You changed that opinion completely. You brought so much depth to the character and your representation of Lex made him such a figure to be feared. You’re literally one of my favorite live action villains and I can’t see anyone else playing a more perfect Lex than you. Thanks for all the time and hard work you put in on that show, Definitely want to make it to one of your convention appearances and grab an autograph,also to personally give you the praise and thanks for awesome work you’ve done

[@logankerlee]

Huge fan of Rosenbaum as Luthor! He did a fantastic job playing the role. The show went on without him and it was still fun but many feel (myself included) that a hefty chunk of the show's draw was gone once he wasn't there anymore.

[@Nohcal]

I still find myself going back and watching Smallville over and over again. Love the cast of all the characters. Lex was amazing character. I once went to get an autograph from Lex. But the weather turned really bad and so he never came to do autographs.

[@ChristinaTaft]

Aww you can still get an autograph from Rosenbaum

[@vbrandy7088]

Smallville is seasons 1-7. After season 7 it became a different show, that could have been renamed "Metropolis" tbh. Thank you Michael for the best portrayal of Lex Luthor and Al and Miles for creating one of my all time favorite TV show!

[@highlanderc]

"I am the villain of this story". That was so fitting.

[@dantesilvermine5160]

Agree always thought it should have been the end of smallville at that point and been a new show called metropolis for those 3 seasons. Lex was gone, Pete was gone, Lana was gone, Jonathan and Martha gone. And the farm mostly gone. Nothing like the previous seasons. Still good just different

[@stxrmking]

Tbh I still felt the name fit. It transitioned from it being about the town and all within it, to the boy from Smallville. Lois constantly calling Clark Smallville hammered it home for me. Wherever/Whatever Clark went/did he always brought the essence of Smallville with him: that small town kindness, his father’s teachings, his life experiences. It worked

[@DiamondJoyJoy]

100%?👌🏽👌🏽

[@yudah7492]

@@dantesilvermine5160 I think they should have ended Smallville after season four. Smallville's fourth season finale was the perfect set up for a new Superman show and to have Lex and Clark being aware about each other from the beginning would've made their rivalry more unique and complicated and would've made Lex a more formidable nemesis.

[@MichaelCorbanRose]

Sam Witwer certainly picked up that baton and ran with it. He did a great job in season eight. Him and Michael were fantastic in their roles. (I've yet to watch seasons nine and ten so I don't have an opinion on them. I saw the Justice Society two-parter and that's it.)

[@blackthornep8115]

You should finish it!

[@Chimchimchu]

Witwer said they offered him to come back as Zod for season 9 ... I really wish he would have, even though the Zod they picked was great, he wasn't a personal favorite for me. He was my least favorite person to ever join the show. Callum Blue I think his name was.

[@sammillard549]

I absolutely loved Rosenbaum as Lex, truly the best live adaptation to date for me. That said, while I’m sad that Rosenbaum left, I’m glad the show shifted focus from continuous Lex vs Clark. The idea of Smallville was to portray how Clark Kent became Superman, and that included time without Lex or Smallville. Both Lana and Lex were constant reminders of smallville time and dwelling on his past. I’m glad Rosenbaum came back for the finale, I would’ve loved a little more time portray Lex but I’m personally very happy with seasons 8-10 and seeing Clark deal with problems that didn’t involve a Luther at the heart of it.

[@midknightgeek6629]

Let me just say, Michael Rosenbaum...You are my Lex Luthor! I don't care if it's feature films, animated shows or tv...YOU Sir are and will always be the "standard" to which all others will be held against in my world. And I'm happy to say, none have come close to what you as an actor brought to life in that character. Was very sad to see you go, but perfectly understandable. Especially with some distance and hindsight and understanding of what led to that decision. Thank you very much for sharing that with us! Loved the show, have the box set...think it's time for a re-visit binge lol 😎 👍

[@EmmanuelShahid7]

agree 100%

[@ChristinaTaft]

Michael Rosenbaum is the Best Lex Luthor of all - realistic, full of depth, dramatic... layered... the writing was good too.

[@gregorysleeth1792]

I just started watching Smallville in 2023 what a great show this is, just finished watching season 1 and now started season 2

[@matt_valentine]

To this day he remains my all-time favorite Lex Luthor, by far. He was the best part of the show, for me. Stellar work!

[@DavidJordao]

I think Al and Miles leaving the show was felt during season 8, but I think the show found it’s footing again in season 9 and 10 which allowed Smallville to have a successful ending.

[@marvynthemartian]

💯

[@RyanlovesTh]

Season 7 and 8 were awfuuuuuulllllll

[@DavidJordao]

@@RyanlovesTh to each their own. I loved season 7… it was my favourite.

[@rebeccabuller1510]

@@RyanlovesTh That could've been the result of the writer's strike, unfortunately. Season 7 was, by far, the worst season, imo.

[@captnmaim]

They should have never left. What stupid reasoning.

[@strawberryherpes528]

Unpopular opinion maybe, but seasons 8 - 10 were amazing. Clark's character had become stagnant and stale for a few seasons there, and I credit that to him revolving so much around Lana. So when she finally left, I feel like he was finally able to grow more as a character and into the Superman dynamic. (I love all the Blur stuff). And Tess Mercer was a fantastic addition to the show. She was so similar to Lex, but her goodness ultimately prevailed. So, yeah, while I'm sad Michael left, I felt like the new creative team was exactly what the show needed to get exciting and fresh again.

[@oldhollywoodfan8009]

👏👍 I Agree 💯 % with every word you said.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

After seasons 5, 6 & 7 I was very glad to see Clark move on.

[@thegirlleastlikelyto]

Hell yeah 9 was excellent character development for Lois and Clark, I absolutely loved it

[@Appletech179]

I actually don’t agree (to an extent)… they absolutely needed to move on from Lana. But no lex on the show made it pretty boring…callum blue was an awesome zod though lol..but yeah as someone who’s on season 10 right now (watching it for like the 50th time)…the show was way better season 1-7

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@Appletech179 Hated seasons 5, 6 and 7, the Lexana marriage absolutely destroyed the show for me.

[@outermarker5801]

As we the audience enjoy these shows season after season, it's easy to forget how much creative time and effort they take from everyone in front and behind the camera. They're people, and some people get tired, bored, feel stifled, stuck and long to move on in their careers - just like any job. Similarly there are others who are perfectly happy with the stability and predictability.

[@LowfDog]

I missed the heck out of Michael Rosenbaum on the show,but then again I love everything he does. 😺

[@mychelseyl8717]

Seasons 8-10 are my fave. Clark grew as a character (not to mention the evolution of Clark and Lois) and the storylines were chefs kiss 🤌🏾 they almost became movie like with the Continuous villain storylines and I loved it

[@OPGrimmz]

8-10 where the worst seasons , crazy how opinions vary right ? Good for you though .

[@fade9004]

10.04 "homecoming" is tied for the highest rated episode on imdb. but overall I agree with you the first half of the show was better on AVERAGE@@OPGrimmz

[@kingzach74]

I personally hated the Lois introduction and storyline. In my opinion I felt Lois never really earned Clark. She dropped in out of nowhere a few times and eventually swept Clark off his feet but in Smallville it never felt right. She's the only character I never liked. And that's saying something because I'm including the freak out the weeks in that.

[@Amminari]

most boring seasons. too much lois made it even worse.

[@jeremyroberts8822]

You know what I could never really get on board with smallvilles version of their relationship. They tried to make it a slow burn thing to give it years to develop organically but imo it never felt organic at all. I liked seasons 8-10 but their relationship was one of the few aspects I didn’t like even tho I still liked the show as a whole.

[@jk_46]

Have to say season 8 is probably one of my favorites together with 5 and 6. So it wasn't a bad thing. I need to watch 9 and 10 again as I can be 100% sure. Smallville as a series to me is still phenomenal!

[@Chimchimchu]

Season 9 kind of had a weak first 6 episodes. In a way they were weak, to me. You gotta start out strong. Although, everyone is different, maybe other people thought different.

[@jasminemagee410]

I love the last few seasons as it became more of a superhero/comic book show. Clark, Lois & Oliver are my favourites so didn't really miss Lex or Lana 😉

[@MiddleEarthGirl75]

This may not be a popular take but I loved what the show became for seasons 9 & 10. Now, that's not saying I didn't miss Lex, because that is the one thing I would've definitely changed and kept, but the stories got more mature and DC centered. There was so much more going on with different plots. Acting was fantastic. The lead up to Clark becoming Superman was great to see....they really made it a slow burn yet kept it interesting. I just wish they had had more screen-time/stories with the Lois and Clark's relationship a couple of seasons earlier instead of the constant Lana thing, because they wrote L&C so multi-levelled and so well done, and of course Tom and Erica's chemistry as them together was insane.

[@davethepak]

This was a great segment. As someone who has almost 1000 shows under their belt (stage - for over 20 years - many repeat gigs) - I can totally respect their attitude here - move on - let someone else take something on - sometimes it is nice to be done with something, knowing you did a good job, and leaving it when you were still good on your game. Michael was incredible as lex - kudos to him for breathing incredible life into the well written and complex character of lex.

[@MikeOdyssey]

Seasons 8, 9, and 10 were amongst my favorite. I loved Tess Mercer. She did an incredible job not replacing Lex but being another great character in the show. Yes, Lex was missed but in a way, I feel the show needed a change from the Clark vs Lex vs Lana drama and needed to move forward. Clark needed to become Superman and the absence of Lex just made it better for the final episode toward the end. I could have gone without some characters like David Bloom/Dooms Day. Doomsday is too big of a villain for the resources the show had at the time and a more tone-down villain could have worked better. But over all for Lex and these other two to leave was a good move for the show. When you are out of ideas or lose passion for a character, you should stop and hand it over to someone with fresh ideas. Guy to the right, wrong answer lol He talks as if he has beef with the show continuing after he left. Guy with the hat to the left, Great answer! When you are out of mojo, train others and pass the torch so other can continue.

[@vbrandy7088]

I think some fans don't get that Smallville was never suppose to be a Superman/Lois and Clark's show. The premices of the show were always about young Clark Kent's journey before his Superman days. For Lex Luthor it was about finding out why and how he went bad and the journey to friends from enemies with Clark. I think this is one of the reasons Al Gough and Miles Millar left at the end of season 7 when the show was still grounded in Smallville, they told the stories they wanted to tell. They even said in an other interview that their original plan was for the series to last 5 seasons but they kept going (most likely bc of the success). Smallville was about the origins stories of these characters., the stories that were never been told on screens before (or at least not that developed).

[@shahrukh631]

The journey of Lex you are referring to is something he didn't remember after the series finale. He was almost a new man, whatever the kindness he had was gone, not even a glimpse of any memory while his seven years in Smallville. They even showed how he would have renamed LuthorCorp to LexCorp. 😢

[@UmeastudentTV]

I would've loved for Lex to be a large part of seasons 8-10 because those seasons really evolved Clark which was sorely needed after 7 seasons. 8-10 were overall pretty awesome seasons, actually some of the best, but they did lack from not having Lex.

[@coreymartin6486]

Smallville is the only show that was live action based on comics that I've ever liked. Frankly, it's amazing how much better that everything THEN is better than every show that came after. Even the special effects and fight scenes were better 20 years ago than shows like titans, super girl, flash, etc

[@mikewilliams-qf4xv]

Michael Rosenbaum had a presence, like James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano. They both stole the show. Every scene you see them in, it's always good and fun to watch!

[@AJM01]

For me Smallville wasn't the same when Lex,Lana and Lionel all left at pretty much the same time!

[@BishopWalters12]

Lana should've been written out in season 4 and they run out of ideas for Lex by season 6 but I wish Lionel would've stuck around until the final season.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@BishopWalters12 Clana was a three or four season love story that dragged for seven seasons and her marriage to Lex butchered her character.

[@jasmindamt6066]

Al and Miles have said Clana should have only run 4 seasons and that it was ‘torturous’ trying to keep that storyline going for so long.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@jasmindamt6066 If we were writing our own Superman continuity that uses the high school history of Smallville, have Lana stay in Paris while Clark travels the world saving people.

[@iloveu172]

The show was designed for 5 seasons … not 10 . Clana was the best and the hit of this show. Lois had nothing to do in Smallville.

[@louisbrantmeyer8786]

Michael Rosenbaum always will live for me as the subtlest, more richly drawn, and best Lex Luther there ever was or can be.

[@thepluggy1]

I'm rewatching Smallville now, and damn he was so good in it, he really brought weight with it and duality .

[@pandemoniumgaming6344]

I remember being so upset when he left but now after watching these podcasts I have a greater understanding for what they did and put themselves through to give us such an amazing show and for that I'm so grateful of them all.

[@meeeeeeeeeeeep]

He was literally the BEST Lex Luthor in all of television & cinematic history!!! But it's so sweet he came back at the very end 😊

[@lucascook6947]

Michael Rosenbaum is literally Lex Luther to me! He was my first Lex Luther growing up, second was Kevin Spacey. Michael has a place in my top 5 Goat actors of my Generation

[@luisalonsoesquercota566]

Hands down the best Lex Luthor portrayal ever, started of as a spoiled rich brat, who only knew one thing and that was survival, as taught by Lionel. Then evolved into a hopeful philanthropist, but still dwelling into the darkness that was in him, helping some people and manipulating others (sometimes challenging them into becoming better versions of themselves, like Lana for example). Then as his dark decisions would start to become impossible to hide anymore, started to lose the confidence of people he cared about. Then when he gave up to the darkness and started experimenting with meteor ''freaks'', things got worse since people started abandoning him and pushing him down into the pit of dark. Lastly after everything he became what he hated the most, his father... only a smarter but darker version of him. Ending with the absolute of Lex Luthor, a genius with a lack of love and empathy, blinded by his thirst for power and knowledge, sad and lonely, viewing himself as the only one who could save the world from threats like aliens. A perfect portrayal of Lex Luthor, thank you Mr. Rosenbaum for the best portrayal of Lex Luthor the world has ever seen until now.

[@gurjeetbara7192]

Seasons 8 to 10 focused on the love story between Lois and Clark, which I found to be so beautiful! If Al and Miles were willing to watch those seasons I would love to hear their perspectives. Maybe when Talk Ville gets there

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

It took four seasons to introduce Lois and five seasons for her to have the spotlight and make her and Clark a thing.

[@rolandofgilead43]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 i wonder what they Would think if they saw that awful season 8 finale?

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@rolandofgilead43 Probably dogshit with Jimmy turning not to be the real Jimmy Olsen, it's like "What the fuck".

[@rolandofgilead43]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 yeah that was poorly done

[@gurjeetbara7192]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 I think if they watched episode 200 (Homecoming) they would love it

[@cyber6sapien]

Rosenbaum's Luthor is my favorite portrayed character in all of television. And I've watched A LOT of television. Only Wentworth Miller's Michael Scofield is a close second.

[@teyvang3953]

Michael's take on as Lex was just awesome.

[@Johnny82Utah]

Smallville is possibly my favorite show of all-time. I enjoyed 8-10 simply because of Lois i feel like it was her time to shine. I'd be lying if if i didn't often say Lex wouldn't do that when a story unfolded.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

They would've wasted Lois if the show lasted seven seasons. She's the only stand out character of the show other than Lex.

[@brontosa5351]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 Lol, stand out only in the character's name...I don't care if it's Juliet, if you've been saying "I love you, you're my everything, blah blah blah" for 7 season, then turned the page only to say the same sh*t to a different chick, it will feel forced, artificial, and plane awful, and it did, it felt cheep each time, there is nothing Clark told to Lois that he did not tell to Lana, if anything, watch Clark confessing his feelings to Lana so many times, versus him confessing his "feelings" to Luis. Tom is a good actor, he makes it work for the most part, but him being the Superman I'd expect something other then repeating same bs to different chick every few years, even if it is Lois Lane. There are many times and many places for Clark and Lois Lane, Smallville universe clearly wasn't one of them.

[@fiction5559]

Actually, nope. I don't even Clark and Lois as a couple in most media (including the comics), this show is literally one of the few times I liked the pairing. It worked in this Universe perfectly, in fact this show was the first time I actually liked the pairing. The Lana thing got toxic and tiring right after Season 2, Lois was a breath of fresh air, and her banter with Clark elevated both the characters. And I don't even like Clark/Lois in the comics, so this 'you like Lois and Clois because of comics' BS that Lana/Clana fanatics use doesn't work on me.

[@Chimchimchu]

@@fiction5559 I really liked the new girl they added ... Lex's sister Tess Mercer. She was a worthy replacement for the newly formed hole in the show. She did the tense dramatic scenes great and she's super fine, but of course she would be.

[@KEEverwood]

Mr. Rosenbaum, I’m so happy you came back towards the end of the show. No other person has yet to play as great a Lex Luther in live-action as you have through Smallville’s run.

[@AdamWhiteside]

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are criminally underrated. They did Shanghai Noon and some Spider-Man too. These days they would get millions more for their scripts.

[@garinsparks7041]

They were our boss's on Into the badlands and you couldn't ask for better boss's to work for

[@lousmer427]

That’s the most respectable take I’ve ever heard about moving on from a project like that. Passing the baton. Having trained the next batch to take it o er. V cool

[@miketapia4527]

I was depressed when you left Smallville. You and John glover were the glue. I always paid extra attention when you were talking. Loved the History lessons you would reference too from time to time

[@rayquancaldwell2548]

I understand why he left how much more could they tell of his story after 7 seasons it made sense for him to leave when he did.

[@tornadochaser2457]

I'm happy Michael left the show, and Kristin too. First off, I want to say I love when characters go in and out of shows, it keeps them feeling fresh, characters being on a show forever feels repetitive and stale to me. Smallville is a show that wonderfully, especially thrives on evolution - While some fans favour periods over others, I'm fine with and love the dynamics of all the periods. Furthermore, Lana's romance with Clark and Lex's descent into villainy had truly run its course after seven seasons. Season eight feels like getting out of a warm shower and feels delightfully fresh, it revitalised the show with a proactive, no longer somewhat mopey, reflective Clark, and a bigger, more epic, stylish scale on the streets of Metropolis. The show also felt wonderfully sophisticated here. Season eight and nine are two of the show's strongest seasons, and season nine is a fantastically constructed arc of Clark and Lois' romance, Clark leading Kryptonians, and dealing with different factions of his expansive world like Checkmate and The Justice Society. The show is so wonderfully serialised here, with excitement and character development flowing so smoothly, with the constantly engaging storytelling, that I didn't actually know Smallville was capable of being quite this strong. I'm an unabashed season nine fan, it's the best Smallville's ever been I think. Season ten struggles with honing many different factions in its story into a cohesive, satisfying whole, and I think it also struggled with not having a clear, ultimate villainous presence to create a strong sense of threat like Doomsday and Zod. So many fans swear by Lex being the show, and him needing to be there, and I definitely don't see it. Season eight and nine truly elevated to me.

[@kindabatooni9314]

When Micheal left I left as well. Never watched the rest of the show. Watched the last episode though. Lex Luthor and his dynamic with his father and clark and Lana was the highlight of the show for me.

[@tonybinder9392]

Agreed 💯 love Smallville! Probably my 2nd favorite show all time. But stuck around a few seasons too long. Glad MR reprised his role in season 10

[@CallegriaofSoulbound]

I like these two! I can see why they were a joy to have on the show.

[@TheLadyWolf1]

Lex Luthor was dynamic and multidimensional. I really feel like the story of Smallville was more how Lex went from Morally grey to the villain.

[@keepdreamin]

Smallville was ALWAYS FRESH. And John Glover always made Smallville interesting and took Smallville to the NEXT LEVEL every time John Glove was on Smallville.

[@49ersfirsttakes]

and his career was never the same after, for him and for tom, they peaked, in the early 2000s

[@sculluhlakoo]

Sure, or, they were lucky as hell to be a part of a cult classic whose following is strong and that is still getting hits today. Decades later.

[@rinraiden]

@@sculluhlakoo I'd say both statements are true.

[@Dats_Mark]

I think Michael, as a fairly young guy at the time, was also sick of shaving his head everyday

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

Maybe people thought that he was Vin Diesel's nephew. 👨‍🦲👨‍🦲👨‍🦲

[@darklighter66]

​@@DanielAppleton-lr9eqThey thought he was Family?

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@darklighter66 La Famiglia. His voice should be more bass & gravelly.

[@nathandrake9129]

He was, he's even said about that before!

[@FeelItRising]

@@DanielAppleton-lr9eq ha. that is hilarious. /s

[@jasonjlloyd]

John Glover was my MVP. He was fantastic as LL.

[@Chimchimchu]

Without this show I would've never known about him. How sad would that have been? It would have been a tragic waste of immense talent.

[@TheTurbanator123]

It has to be stated that so many writers suck at writing superman. The smallville crew of writers definitely deserve more praise of making a good show within WBs restrictions.

[@mattlu5493]

Michael is still to this day the best Lex without a doubt

[@whitleybayman123]

Yo you. but totally in doubt for me and many others

[@vbrandy7088]

It didn't feel like Smallville anymore after season 7. I kept watching bc of my love for the others characters but almost everything that made Smallville "Smallville" was gone : Clark & Lex's relationship, Clark & Lana's relationship, the Kents and Luthors juxtaposition, Al Gough and Miles Millar vision... The heart and soul of Smallville was gone so it became a completely different show. Also no others vilains after S7 could fill the void of Lex Luthor. Lex and Lionel Luthor (in the early seasons) were the best antagonists of the series.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

The whole Clark and Lana romance went on way too long, it was like a high school era storyline that dragged on for seven seasons.

[@vbrandy7088]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 personally it didn't bothered me because it was the Smallville universe not Metropolis/Superman era but mostly because Tom and Kristin had amazing chemistry.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@vbrandy7088 Al and Miles have regrets about Clark & Lana, and wish they gone a different route with them. Her attitude towards Clark for refusing to tell her his secret made her come across as hypocritical and kind of dislikeable. The whole Lex and Lana marriage destroyed it for most people. It was too agonising.

[@vbrandy7088]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 I know Al and Miles said years after Smallville ended that they dragged the "will they won't they" between Clark and Lana for too long. But It was a popular TV trope back then hence why they did it at the time. Nowdays TV couples get together 6 episodes into the series 😂 I hated the Lex and Lana's storylines in season 6 and Lana was very dislikeable when she started dating Lex. But at the same time Clark broke her heart in season 5 when he told her "I don't love you" and broke up with her while still keeping his secrets from her. So she had a lot of hurt and resentment towards him after that. When Clana got together in S5 she wasn't keeping secrets from him so she wasn't being hypocritical by asking him to do the same. Lana wanting Clark to be honest with her didn't make me dislike her bc I think it's pretty normal to want the person you love to be honest with you. Can't be in a relationship with someone while living a secret double life.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@vbrandy7088 Her response did come off a cold. Hypocritical as if she was treating it if no one had no right for privacy. Clark was lying to her for noble reasons, but those reasons are known only to him, not to the people around him. Kind of hard to have the will they/won't they? thing be effective at all when everyone knows he ends up with Lois, the Superman and Lois love story is like pop culture common sense, which made Lana's stay more over welcomed because it's no surprise to anyone she's not the one, so your just watching this toxic relationship you know is gonna end badly, which takes you out of their relationship.

[@jeffeaston5078]

Their final season was very rough, to be quite honest. Probably the worst season of the show, other than a couple episodes. And season 6 was pretty rough at times as well, with all of the Lex/Lana stuff. Season 8 felt like a rejuvenation with the writers being forced to take the series in a different direction. Bringing back Oliver and promoting him to main cast was a terrific decision, as was doing something as wild as Doomsday on a CW budget and turning him into a more tragic Hulk-like character. (They didn't stick the landing in the finale, unfortunately, but I think they overall did a very good job.) Tess was also a great addition to the crew. And season 9 ended up being one of my favorites of the entire series with Callum Blue's great take on Zod. Really enjoyed the final season as well, though their attempt at Darkseid didn't really work overall. I understand why everyone who left in season 7 did in fact leave. But I do think it forced the show to recreate itself and I largely believe that seasons 8-10 are better than 6 + 7. Really excited to see Michael and Tom go through those, especially Michael.

[@sema6008]

I agree. Believe it or not, I liked Lexana because it gave the characters something else to do. Gosh, some of season 6 was tough. Some I liked. I hate season 7 and the Clana stuff dragged the show down so much. If lex stayed, the show would be so much better BUT having Oliver, Tess, Doomsday, Zod, Braniac etc really helped. Clark needed to grow up and seasons 8-10 were excellent minus the Lana episodes. It was just draining to see Clark regressing and stuck. So yeah, I much prefer seasons 8-10. Jimmy! How I loved jimmy. Having lex would have made it perfect.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@sema6008 Clana was a high school era romance that dragged for seven fricking seasons. The whole Lex and Lana marriage butchered her character in people's minds. It took four seasons to introduce Lois and five seasons for her to have the spotlight and make her and Clark a thing.

[@skurinski]

I loved season 6 and season 7. Lana was at her most interesting

[@Mattbogus]

I think Rosenbaum should've played Lex Luthor in the films. I like Jesse Eisenberg as an actor, but the depth and dynamic that Rosenbaum could've added with his maturity as an actor years later on the big screen could've (IMO) rose up there as Lex Luthor with the likes Heath Ledger playing the joker. You have his Lex with Henry Cavill. Movie Magic.

[@sciencesleuth4781]

If there are any people who are smart in Hollywood still around, the first thing they should do if they're going to remake Superman is ask Rosenbaum to come back as Lex Luthor. And older Lex Luthor now. He would be fantastic and it would be a guaranteed blockbuster.

[@rickyjackson8230]

I didn't know the president is in town (c) lol

[@Jerseyboy1805]

And yet Rosenbaum never went on to star in anything as big as his role as Lex. A tale as old as time.

[@mr.midnight8090]

He definitely made a great Lex Luther probably the best we’ll ever see on screen. Thank you Michael

[@thomasstengel7356]

IMO, it's admirable for people to leave a comfortable situation that provides a very nice livelihood because you just don't feel that you have more to give. That shows, just my opinion, great integrity and respect for the work.

[@batman5224]

I just wish Lex had been given more screen time and purpose during the finale. In fact, it would have been better if he had returned for the last five or six episodes. His memory loss also should never have occurred.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

Lex was similar to Harry Osborne in the Sam Raimi Spiderman trilogy, except that Lex lived.

[@jasminemagee410]

That was completely Michael's choice as he didn't agree to return for the finale until the last minute and told them he wouldn't shave his head (fair enough) and that he would only work for one day.

[@BishopWalters12]

@@jasminemagee410 They shouldn't have even bothered because it was so pointless but so was the whole clone storyline.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@jasminemagee410 Changing the subject a bit - he has an amazingly pleasant voice. He could do voiceover work, narration, etc., if he wanted to quit entertainment. I wonder if he ever did radio during college years ? He could read from a phone book, if they could find one, 😉& make it interesting.

[@jasminemagee410]

@@DanielAppleton-lr9eq Michael's mentioned auditioning for live action roles and voice over work (the new animated Batman show) but hasn't landed anything yet. At least he has his podcasts, regularly attends conventions and has his band to keep himself busy.

[@L1ghtOn3]

Lex and Lionel help make that show great. For me the parts were Clark is finding himself and the caves and sort of mystical feeling it all had was really good. I think for me I felt around Season 5 it started to drag a bit and now understand why it was so different after Season 7 now as the last 3 seasons were clearly not the best seasons. For me the first 4 seasons were the best, season 5 was ok and I caught up on the rest with boxsets later on after it was on tv. Overall one of the best TV shows I've watched, even all round as a tv show. I love my Sci-Fi tv shows and Comic books etc. Stargate SG1 and Atlantis were great as well, then programs like Lost to House and more recently the OA and Dark. Some very good shows over the past 20 odd years creatively and loved the series V from the 80s as well. I think Supernatural was in the same boat as Smallville, really strong first 5 seasons story wise, then yeah it kinda just felt like add ons to the story, which is fine but it can start to get too one dimensional and the actors type cast as well. Personally even though Michael might not really want to, he would STILL be a great Lex, but I think he might want to be remembered for the "young" Lex rather than older version? Plus DC Studios WHY are they not capitalising on crossovers and multiverse stories like the Flash but with EVERYTHING just now on Big Screen and TV? It seemed they were, but now reboot and now get everything together? Why STUFF ALREADY EXISTS, just USE what is already there but add in new characters over time. Imo I've not really liked James Gunns attitude towards fans nor cast etc., don't understand how a gig at Marvel got him co-CEO of DC Studios considering a lot of his stuff is quite goofy and jokey and DC isn't like that to me, so yeah not sure about that guy at all, he keeps saying crap to the fans, no way to treat the fans or possible future paying customer etc. But Yeah Smallville was great! 👍🏽

[@zardox78]

It started to seem a little ridiculous that the show was still called Smallville after season 7. The only time we would even visit Smallville was when he was at the farm, and he would usually only be there for a scene or two. But then of course Lois kept calling Clark "Smallville" so one could make the argument that he was just the titular character now. A more apt title might've been "Perpetual Pre-Superman" or "Flightless Trench-Coat Superman". Hell, by that point, I think he was older than Christopher Reeve was in the first movie.

[@HoldenNY22]

They should have renamed the Show Metropolis since it was set in Metropololis or even how about The Adventures of Clark Kent or just Clark Kent.

[@GratefulAmerican]

Tom Welling is also older than Brandon Routh who portrayed Superman in 2006, 5 years before Smallville ended. Also, it never made sense Lois called Clark Smallville because technically she is from there too since she finished high school there, and her cousin lived there.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@GratefulAmerican Calling Clark Smallville was taken from TAS.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

They could have called it metropolis. I think there's just rules you can't change a show's title or the effect on the audience. But people get hung up, he was essentially superman. Superman is the man. Once he became the blue and red blur, he was Superman. Especially by the time he had the symbol on his shirt. It's just he was still unknown. Supes didn't fly early in his career too.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

@@DSan-kl2yc Predated New 52 Superman where he wears a T shirt with an S and jeans, he starts to fly once he gets his proper suit.

[@coryjordan2874]

It's still a fun ride watching the progressive evolution of Lex, his friendship with Clark, and the wonderful portrayal of both characters by Tom and Michael. Also, the absence of Lex made Michael's return in season 10 awesome, especially when Lex and Clark have their reunion 😀

[@dralin350]

Especially as a writer, going for that long to fulfill a contract can be difficult. You'll have burnout and become scraping the bottom of your barrel of ideas. It's good to have a team that grows to provide longevity. And as for actors, you'll want to go onto other projects. And some characters only have so many story beats to go through. If you can't expand very well, the franchise will have difficulties. ❤

[@Kaiser8361N]

Seasons 8-10 were pretty amazing just different, but in my opinion the arcs were just stronger than any other season. Clark actually evolved without Lana and Martha around. I think Tess was a great addition and was genuinely sad that she didn’t make it.

[@tornadochaser2457]

She was the one Luthor who truly overcame her darkness and ultimately had a successful relationship with Clark, the one all the main Luthor characters had desired, so I think it would've felt right if she stayed alive. Lena Luthor is indeed Lex's sister in the comics too, so it doesn't feel like she had to go, regarding the show appearing to desire to get rid of her due to her not being a part of the Superman mythos.

[@airwreck213]

Seasons 8-10 were much better than 6-7 so good thing they left, I guess

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

I fucking hate season 6 and 7.

[@FeelItRising]

yup. This wasn't Steve Carrell leaving the office. There was good seasons post Rosenbaum

[@jasminemagee410]

Season 8 was a soft reboot and the show needed it. They moved on from the teen drama and it became more of comic book superhero show. Clark, Lois and Oliver are my favourites, so I'm not complaining that they got more screen time in the later seasons 😊

[@sema6008]

Exactly. I was actually happy they left. Lol. I wanted lex to stay but the writing was so horrible that I was ok with him gone. As long as they ended the Clana stuff and made Clark move on. Thankfully we had Lois, Jimmy, Oliver, Tess etc to spice things up.

[@sema6008]

@@michaelmcdonnell3905 same except for the justice league and Lois scenes that made season 6 great

[@DavisHusbandsVids]

One of the greatest shows to binge... FN phenomenal!

[@majormarketing6552]

Cut the shit, name your price and us DC fans will make sure you are in the next Justice League as Luther

[@rickyjackson8230]

And Tom as Superman, please

[@kennethbryantii8053]

The show was different afterwards! And in its own way it suffered after you left. I am thankful the network allowed it to conclude in a satisfying way for fans that watched from the first episode to the last. 🎉

[@johnnyboy7663]

I loved more Lois Lane and Oliver Queen story's in seasons 8-10. And Tess Lutessa Mercer was a fantastic addition. Other characters that I loved were Metallo, Toyaman both out the comics. The Justice Society episodes. The Legion episode. David Bloom aka Doomsday worked when it worked. The treatment of Jimmy Olsen and Kara was pretty bad and they deserved better. And I didnt like Zod and The kryptonians in season 9. Personally I missed Lex sure but the show was still great.

[@rolandofgilead43]

From Jan to about March of last year i watched the entire show it was my 1st watch of the entire show as i hadn't seen any of it past around the time Pete found out about Clark i do remember watching it than i lost track of what the hell was even going on. but i knew that he left after season 7 and for me doing watching it like that it felt like it was time to end Lex's time on the show it felt like there really was nothing left to tell and i frankly got tired of it but he was missed on the show of course. i loved season 8 with the exception of that piece of shit awful finale for season 8 the rest for me were gold for season 8. Season 9 was a hit and Miss i really loved season 10 with what i call the hangover episode being my favorite one. i call it that because it felt like they were copying those films since they were so big at the time and i didn't much care for the finale i don't hate it, though i will say that one thing i didn't like was when they had Oliver come out and the public find out who the hell Green Arrow was they stopped showing him kick some ass in costume. but i get that there was no reason for him to get into costume anymore i wonder why they had Oliver come out clean? though i do think that Steven Arnell if i spelled his last name right is a better Oliver to be honest.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

I freaking loved Zod. I think that's the best Zod ever done. It's up there with Terrence stamp.

[@DSan-kl2yc]

​@@rolandofgilead43 I loved early arrow. I'm not a GA fan. So I loved the stoic character they made. But Justin was just as good. He was closer to the comics. While being serious like the original version, and Batman. They did the emotional stuff well too. Only real criticism is maybe the costume. I mostly like it but uhh it was loud

[@rolandofgilead43]

@D. San oh both were great in the role I prefer arrowverse cause it was such a dark ass show0

[@jeremyellismusic]

My biggest problem with Smallville was that Clark was floating above his bed in the pilot episode and never had another hint of ability to fly until the last episode of the show. He should have been flying by at least the 2nd season.

[@mrmicro22]

Clark is overpowered creating writing problems. Very smart to power him up slowly and leave something on the tab!e.

[@jeremyellismusic]

@@mrmicro22 I agree that the slow power build was right move. Kryptonite was all over Smallville for that balance. But they could have had him "leap tall buildings in a single bound" a bit more often:) Have a great day.

[@matthewpelletier6900]

It's weird to say, because Lex was one of the best (if not THE best) character on the show, but the show actually got better after he left. It had more to do with the new showrunners than any actor changes, but the show had been on a bit of a downward trend for a couple years and season 8 was like a breath of fresh air, it felt revitalized.

[@iloveu172]

No

[@michaels9595]

it was like a half step towards what would be arrowverse.

[@SumDumGy]

The finale of season 7 never would have worked as a conclusion to the series but, considering how far downhill the show went starting with season 8, Mr. Rosenbaum made the right decision. It was very difficult to continue watching the last three seasons.

[@MarekWachowski]

James Gunn should hired him as Lex in new DCU:) It would be awesome:)

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

As a completely different Lex, like having JK Simmons as J Jonah Jameson in the MCU being a parody of Alex Jones.

[@tjcarr8097]

They had to do what they felt was right. Not mad at them. I was a hardcore fan from Pilot to Finale!

[@trh4982]

I stopped watching after season 7 or something. When Clark Kent does not learn from his mistakes over and over and over again, what is the point?

[@euphemia_Lang]

The show wasn't the same once he left. I have been watching it on hulu. It my second time this year. But I think I'll stop at the 7th season.

[@Exlegion19]

As sad as it was, it was for the best because the show drastically improved in quality in Seasons 8-10.

[@sema6008]

100% agree

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

Seasons 5, 6 & 7 were so agonising and stagnant.

[@skurinski]

disagree

[@JacobOlli]

I sometimes rewatch the series finally, with Lex meets Clark again. I love that "Hello Clark"

[@seamusburke639]

160 episodes is a long enough time to be doing anything in TV. I totally don't blame him for being ready to move on.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

It was too bad that TVLand didn't give " Impastor " a fair chance. The Religious Right hated it probably without bothering to watch one clip.

[@gregvandell]

This channel has been popping into my feed for a while and enjoy all the videos. What I find hilarious is that it wasn't until this short that I found out that I've been watching Lex Luthor for the last year, and I loved Smallville back in the day! Thanks for the great content!

[@societysvillain]

In retrospect, I think there were two key things that both made Smallville great and also signaled it's end. One was Michael's performance as Lex and how the loss of that was irreplaceable. And two was the chemistry between Clark and Lana was just so strong by the mid seasons that nobody could really replace that either even though the story called for it.

[@goglux2]

Good call there.

[@GranImperi]

Could'nt agree more

[@GranImperi]

Could'nt agree more

[@KungFuKing166]

The problem was that it was too many episodes per season, which meant they created 'filler' episodes with Lana Lang which were just dull. I loved the introduction of Oliver Queen and would have preferred to see more of Clark developing his powers

[@g.sferrazza10-13]

I wish I could say that the show got worse when they left. But fact of the matter is that the show had a lot of issues before season 7. Between storylines that never went anywhere due to issues both behind and in front of the camera, the storytelling got more and more Soapy alla 90210 and Melrose Place. I mean I will give them credit for staying so long, back then some creators/showrunners left after the first Season. Heck I use to watch Invisible Man and i think the creator basically gave the SCI-FI channel (now SyFy) the pilot and maybe 2 episodes and then he was gone

[@Samtheman85844]

Michael Rosenbaum Thank you for playing Lex Luthor for 7 Season. You are one of the best Lex Luthor of all time.

[@iloveu172]

Michael and Kristin never agreed on the Lexlana arc. That's also part of the reason Michael left. It had to be Chloe or Lois as Loeb said. It's part of the creative differences the CW forced on the creators, like Clois 🙄 in an outlier universe and timeline, the power struggles made the creators leave too. Lana & Lex, arrow/Jimmy & Chloe are not Canon couples while forcing Clois, two conflicting standards clash and DC killed Clois in Crisis: Not Canon, Smallville was and still is an alternate universe. S6 didn't ruin the series because it is in the top 6, but the last 3 seasons are the 3 worst according to IMDB. Forcing Clois and breaking the continuity of Clana ruined the series.

[@michaelmcdonnell3905]

Where did Michael and Kristin say they never agreed on the Lex & Lana arc? Clana was like a three or four season romance that dragged for seven seasons.

[@theboxingicons8429]

take me back, loved the show, by far best clark and lex, cant believe how long ago it was now, feels like yesterday watching season 1

[@sculluhlakoo]

I didnt watch Smallville, but my only impression from seeing the clips and commercials back in the day, is that the Lex actor was fuckin intense, different, and an actor that really stood out. Thats you, Michael! Now i know you as a silly billy buddy of the Bobby Lee.😋 it was cool to see you again on tigerbelly years later. Now i watch yo stuff on Inside of You! You did it, bruh! Keep on making these great podcasts, thank you!

[@rolandofgilead43]

it's a great show check it out

[@ClintBandito]

I absolutely love the last 3 seasons, I didn't love season 7 and I think the show really needed change at that point and I think the Lex stuff was wearing thin so I'm glad they left when they did.

[@mongobaracuda]

season 8 was a weird one with the whole Davis&Chloe arc but I absolutely loved season 9 and 10.