The House of El: A Superman, Smallville & DCU Podcast

April 18, 2011 – “Hex” writer Bryan Q. Miller joins Damian and Derek for a fascinating look back at this season eight episode, and all the changes that it went through from inception to end result. It’s a great insight to a fan favorite episode.

April 15, 2011 – Martha gives Clark and Lois the deed to the family farm as an early wedding gift, and the two decide it is best to sell the farm and move to Metropolis. Meanwhile, Clark Luthor arrives from the alternate universe and sends Clark in his place before destroying the gateway between the universes. Lois quickly discovers the truth and works with Emil to bring the real Clark back. Clark Luthor reveals himself to Tess and threatens to kill her if she does not help him find Lionel. Lois and Emil are successful and the real Clark saves Tess before Clark Luthor can kill her. Clark Luthor then follows the real Clark to the Fortress of Solitude, where Clark convinces his counterpart to return to his universe and use his powers for good. The countdown begins! Smallville returns after a nearly 6 week hiatus with the first of the final five episodes of the series. They guys reunite to discuss the end of the beginning with “Kent” and all that lies within. There’s a lot of discussion on what these final installments bring to the table.

March 4, 2011 – Tess reveals that Alexander was genetically engineered from both Lex and Clark’s DNA. Clark takes Alexander, now going by the name Conner (CNR), under his wing and attempts to teach him to control his powers. When Clark lies about where the other half of the DNA comes from, Conner flees and is found by Lionel who slips a red kryptonite ring on Conner’s hand. Without his inhibitions, Conner’s dark side comes out and he attempts to force Lois into loving him. Clark comes to the rescue and destroys the ring. Afterward, Conner returns home to the Kent farm and learns that Clark has enrolled him into Smallville High as “Conner Kent”. Tess proves that Lionel is an imposter and retakes control over LuthorCorp. Later, Lionel is visited by Darkseid. It’s the last Smallville for nearly 6 weeks and we’ve pulled out all the stops for this cliffhanger. ‘Scion’ writers Al Septien and Turi Meyer join Damian and Derek to talk about their latest outing in Smallville. Plus more Superman casting news and Craig from Kryptonsite and Robin join us as well.

February 25, 2011 – Zatanna sends magical champagne to Clark and Lois’s bachelor/bachelorette party, which causes everyone to act out of character and afterward wipes their memory. As a result, Clark and Chloe wake up believing they are married, Emil is arrested for the theft of an armored truck, while Lois and Oliver wake up in the middle of nowhere with Lois’s engagement ring missing. It is revealed that Emil was actually taken by casino owner Amos Fortune, who was trying to steal the armored truck himself, while Oliver and Lois discover that Lois lost her ring to Fortune in a rigged game of Black Jack. Lois and Oliver retrieve the ring, while Clark saves Emil from Fortune’s henchmen. Afterward, Chloe announces that she is leaving, but Oliver reveals to Chloe they were the ones married, and they leave together. If the cast had half as much fun filming ‘Fortune’ as the guys did recording ‘Fortune’, this was all worth it. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll probably find yourself saying, “what the hell?” a lot! Listen as Joe and Robin walk you through one of the zaniest episodes of Smallville (and SHoE) ever!

February 18, 2011 – As Clark makes more saves around the world, resulting in more exposure of his face, Lois suggests that he develop a better secret identity. Meanwhile, Clark discovers the work of a serial killer in Metropolis and learns that the killer is a man named Desaad, a disciple of Darkseid. Desaad finds Chloe investigating his club so he kidnaps and tortures her. Clark saves Chloe before Desaad can turn Chloe into a Darkseid follower, but a confrontation between Oliver and Desaad leaves the former with an Omega tattoo on his skull. Later, Clark explains to Lois that his real identity is “The Blur”, and that the persona of “Clark Kent” will be his true mask to the world. To accomplish this, Clark begins wearing eye glasses and changing his mannerisms to be more mild mannered. In this week’s episode, Damian and Derek discuss the latest Bryan Q. Miller penned episode, ‘Masquerade’ and what its events mean for Clark Kent. Plus we talk about Michael Rosenbaum returning for the finale, what could fill up those two hours, more casting for the Superman film franchise reboot, and spoilers for ‘Fortune.’

February 11, 2011 – Tess discovers that the alternate-universe Lionel has taken over LuthorCorp under the guise that he only faked his death years prior. Martha Kent holds an anti-VRA rally that results in her being shot by a spectator. Lionel finds the Lex clone in an abandoned building and realizes that he is the one who shot Martha, though his real intention was to kill Clark with kryptonite bullets. Later, Martha confronts Lionel and Lex at the Luthor mansion, but Lex subdues the others and sets fire to the mansion. Tess convinces Lex to give up his quest for vengeance, while Clark is able to save Lionel and Martha from the fire. Afterward, Tess attempts to kill Lex but discovers he is indestructible and the superheroes watch as the VRA is repealed by voters. In this week’s episode, Robin and Joe talk about the thirteenth episode of the season, ‘Beacon’, which quickly became a SHoE favorite between the return of Martha Kent, Lionel Luthor, and fan videos featured in the episode. If one of yours was shown, let us know!

February 4, 2011 – After being knocked unconscious at Carter’s funeral, Clark and his friends wake up without their powers and flashbacks of Chloe experimenting on them in a secret lab. Chloe informs Oliver that the government has put everyone in a coma and imprisoned their minds in a virtual reality. Clark and the team learn that the government is attempting to find a way to turn on and off the heroes’ powers in the real world to ensure their cooperation with the Vigilante Registration Act. Chloe hacks into the program and one-by-one helps each hero back into reality. Chloe reveals that she blackmailed Flag’s Suicide Squad into joining forces with her as a means of keeping them from harming innocent lives. After nearly two months of no new episodes, Smallville is back with the 12th episode of the final season, ‘Collateral’. Damian and Derek kick off the first batch of new episodes with a full recap, plus talk of NBC’s pilot for a new Wonder Woman series, and discussion of the new Superman reboot

Steve Glosson returns to Starkville’s House of El along with Derek Russell to cover the entire first half of the final season of Smallville. There’s a lot to discuss in those first eleven episodes from Lazarus to Icarus, that will shape what is to come when Smallville returns next Friday.

January 17, 2011 – An oldie but a goodie! Steve and Derek bring you a full length running commentary from 2009 of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Since we never got to release it via SHoE we thought it was a good a time as any since Smallville has been delayed a week. Enjoy!

December 10, 2010 – Clark proposes marriage to Lois and she accepts, but shortly after their engagement party Oliver is attacked by Metropolis citizens which sparks a manhunt for Queen and the rest of the heroes. Realizing General Slade is still alive, Clark orders all heroes underground until he can find a way to stop Slade. Subsequently, Slade brings in Emil, Tess, and Lois for questioning to find out where the Blur is. Carter Hall arrives and rescues Lois, but sacrifices his own life in the process. To stop Slade for good, Clark banishes him to the Phantom Zone. The heroes come together to bury Carter in his home country of Egypt, but are knocked unconscious by an unknown object that sprouts in Carter’s burial chamber. Happy Holidays! The gang is all here as Damian, Joe, Derek, and Robin discuss the winter cliffhanger, ‘Icarus’. We’ve got a full look at the eleventh episode of the final season inside, plus news, our casting picks for the new Superman film, a lot of laughs, and some spoilers for 2011!