With Smallville finding its way back into conversation, landing on Netflix on 13 January 2026, it feels like the right time to revisit a series that defined a very particular era of superhero television.
The early seasons are widely seen as the strongest, with a focus on long-running character relationships and a clear “villain of the week” structure that defines the show. It’s a format that works best in those first few years, and we’d recommend watching at least the first four seasons if you haven’t seen it before.
Led by Tom Welling alongside Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum, it’s a show that still holds up remarkably well, particularly that pilot episode, which remains one of the strongest openings in the genre. It’s a brilliant blend of early DC mythology, introducing younger versions of characters in cool episodes that don't feel forced at all into the plot.
That said, moving into the later seasons, particularly eight and nine where we currently are as a family, the dialogue does begin to feel repetitive, with character beats circling familiar territory rather than evolving.
There are still some brilliant effects for the time it was produced, and a lot of them genuinely hold up, feeling believable even now. It strikes a great balance between high school drama and the wider world of Smallville, with its mix of strange creatures and storylines all tied back to meteor rock, which conveniently explains just about everything that happens. Also, the opening theme Save Me by Remy Zero has a brilliant vibe, and we really love it. It really frames the whole series and even makes you want to watch the opening title sequence every time.