The sexual harassment has clearly affected James on a deep level. We joke about it as guys, and very often yes we can brush off these things, even when they make us uncomfortable. But they can sometimes really affect us, and our connection to people. Any abuse is capable of breaking our trust in humanity, which in affect has massive effects on every aspect of our mental health, and makes us more susceptible to depression and anxiety. We should treat sexual harassment towards men exactly the same as we do for women. If a man said that to a woman on set he would have been fired.
true, but that's how it works: in situations or societies/cultures where women are oppressed, you tend to see men also oppressed (other than the select few who are associated w the oppressors) so you have to have equality for both genders simultaneously. you can't single one out and then try to make up for it by overcompensating towards the other. then the whole system goes out of whack (lol kinda what we've seen in our society) and we're still working thru the rough patches of moving towards balance
During his interview, I was so upset to hear that happened...😢 Someone close to me (a guy) was sexually abused, and that affects you the rest of your life. He goes to therapy. I was upset to hear that James was sexually harassed, and that it happened on the set of Smallville.
@alexxthegreatest8134 yeah that's the culture of TV for 50-60 yrs. many times prior to the 90s you would have horrible work conditions (like Moonlighting: Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis kind of hated each other) and people would be miserable. it's generally gotten better over the decades. and there was at least efforts made after the sexual harassment movement of the eighties and nineties but the last 30 yrs has at least trended towards getting better. still plenty of hits/misses and it really did take unfortunately until Me-Too for Hollywood to make a paradigm shift
@@alexxthegreatest8134 They feel in a welcoming environment and this gives them the freedom to express feelings that have probably been repressed for a long time and that should have been shared before. Michael has another podcast focused on mental health and in the episode that aired this week the guest is the same. Situations like this need to be shared and fought, not normalized!
Marsters perfectly articulated why Smallville is one of the best Superman adaptations. The Superman character is best when his struggles are not just physical ones but also emotional and personal ones, which are the ones we all can relate to.
which is why Superman is actually the BEST and most interesting character. he's 3 characters in one, plus (what Hollywood most often gets wrong) his strength isn't just about smashing things. he needs to be in control of every movement every action to make sure he's exerting the exact appropriate level of energy otherwise he would just be smashing everything like the Hulk or kill everyone he hits. THEN on top of that, the many layers of his emotional conflicts that can be explored if done correctly (as Smallville did) are just brilliant. Superman being the best in the DC universe is def the hill I'm willing to go down on lol 😅😂
@@asyouwish3636I'll join you on that hill, Superman has been my favorite fictional character since I can remember, I'm almost 50 and I still think he's incredibly inspiring. He has all the power anyone could ever dream of having and he chooses to help people, that's pretty cool.
@@asyouwish3636 I agree too! I've been a Superman fan since I watched The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves in syndication back in the 1960s. In most of those episodes he isn't physically vulnerable, although there are a few with kryptonite (which was invented on the radio show of the same name, to give Bud Collyer a vacation!), but he is challenged mentally and emotionally. The thing about Superman that struck me from the very first was he always tries to do the right thing.
Michael, we are 5 seasons in. You should know by now that they always have 'spare' kryptonite around for the times when Clark gets sick or out of control.
What a Great guest James bought Brainiac to life, what a great interview, the sexual harassment was an eye opener just goes to show it can happen to anyone, famous or not. Great inside of you interview 😊
When James talks, I feel like I'm sitting in on one of Brainiac's history classes. In and out of the role, he's just fascinating to listen to. He's so incredibly well spoken.
Got a picture with Tom, Michael, John Schneider, and John Glover last Sunday in Tampa after becoming a patron. I got married this past Sunday. Now there’s one of my favorite Smallville episodes on talkville. Life is so good!
Glad Tom made that comment about Lois/Lex interaction, it totally felt like Lex was gonna ask her to join his campaign! great foreshadowing and also a bit of validation to justify why she would later be a senior campaign member for Jonathan
Talkville always has Top-Tier guests on the show, but I think James is my favorite so far. Gosh. I could listen to you three talk for an hour. Thanks for the pod guys, this one was great as always!
Tom immediately offering to have him back and James saying yes, I'll come back no problem and the infectious smiles on all their faces was my favorite part we need them together at a Con.
❤️ the James Marsters interview! the BTS is GOLD, he has really good energy totally understandable how he always has great chemistry in every scene 👏👏🤗
I love that you can tell that James Marsters is a geek. 😅 He loves Batman, he knows his Superman lore, he's voiced in DBZ and many other things. I just love it.
He's also a super accomplished narrator. He's been the guy reading the Dresden Files since they came out. When they made the show people really wanted him as Dresden.
Finally James Marsters getting to talk about his first time experience joining the established Smallville show. Every word with Milton Fine it sounded calculating. Milton attacked Clark psychological throughout the episodes he appeared in season 5. The opening intro to Milton Fine coming out of the hull of the ship brought back to T-1000 introduction in T2: Judgement Day and the way he attacked his victims mirrors to the T-1000 with the use of his fingers.
When Lex grabs Lionel face that reminds me of a John Glover influence move. Jonathan foreshadowed his own death at the end scene especially when he says no one lives forever. Thank y’all for being the highlight of my Wednesday. Lexmas is next week!!!
Finally we have James Marsters aka Brainiac himself on the podcast. Been waiting for this for a long time. This is the episode that dives so heavily into the Kryptonian lore with the introduction of iconic villian General Zod. Really found it interesting that of Brainiac's spin of the history that Jor-El was a violent dictator who ruled over Krypton with an iron grip of fear and intimidation. And who caused the planet's destruction. Sending his only son to Earth to conquer the human race and recreate Krypton on Earth. Easy how Clark believed this knowing how harshly Jor-El treated him in the past. Also playing into the great irony of Terence Stamp formerly pertraying Zod in Superman 2, and then voicing Jor-El on Smallville. Pretty clever of the writers for this episode.😀🙏🙏🙏🙏
yeah i was thrown during my 1st watch! excellent excellent! every aspect the way they handled Brainiac, really interesting having him try to team up w Zod (and great intro to Zod, to do it slowly and build up to it) and LOVED that James Marsters (who's just so freaking great) knew to play Brainiac as an "evil" human and not an over-the-top villain
@@clairemendoza8082 That's a neat bit of trivia. James would have always fit so well on Supernatural as he had similar roles on shows like Buffy as Spike.
@@asyouwish3636 Yes, the intro to Zod was my favorite aspect of this one. Such an iconic villian. James always had a knack for playing Brainiac very calculating, fluid human like, over cold and mechanical. Which worked so much better for this version of Brainiac.
This was honestly one of the best episodes of Smallvile that really projects Clark's kryptonian life as Kal El and also shows how well Annette really was one of the best characters in Smallville with her outstanding acting
Yay! James Marsters! "Solitude" is a seriously solid episode, so grateful Tom liked both this one and last week's "Splinter" too! Thanks for an amazing start to the super stellar Season Five of Smallville! Congratulations Jen L! BELATED!: Great to see Tom in the studio for three episodes! Happy Belated 52nd Birthday To Michael! Congratulations to Ryan on purchasing a new car! BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Bryce and family on the birth of twins! Congratulations To Patreons: Justin, Zach, Leanne, Raj, Bob, & Zeb!
Annette gave such a great performance in this episode. That couch scene was so touching. I was so happy when I saw that y’all got James on the podcast. I enjoyed hearing him on Inside of You yesterday. That cave fight scene was so well done. I enjoyed the Lois and Lex muffin peddler scene. I don’t remember many scenes between those characters. Shout out for Chole for saving the world.
Spike the vampire & Brainiac Both nailed Two of my fave characters and he gave them layers and depth …multiple layers Also pretty amazing Terence stamp sounds nice and good being Jor’el since he was also Zod
James’ portrayal of Braniac was perfect!! Nobody could have done it better. A true master of his craft. So cool to hear from him. Thank you guys, as always 🙏🏽
As always, Annette's performance was brilliant in this episode! Loved the scenes between Clark and Martha in this one. I'm also enjoying how Chloe is becoming Clark's "partner" in crime. Also loved the tense scenes between Lionel and Lex, John Glover and Michael have a way of heightening the suspense in their scenes. Thanks again guys ❤️
James is the second best guest on the Pod after Erica. Also, that scene with Martha and Clark on the couch was so powerful, I was not emotionally prepared for it, and it hit hard.
Thank you for getting James Marsters on! 🙏 He seems like such a great actor and his role as Brainiac was awesome. Especially seeing how his character progresses and transforms by the time he returns in Season 10.
Haha I STILL to this day have a hard time realising that James Marsters DOES NOT have an English accent and is in fact American! 🤣🤣 Even meeting him at Perth Supanova and speaking to him (having a laugh over it in fact!) does not help. Anyway, I LOVE listening to him, so knowledgeable and kind, with amazing insights. I was so betrayed by Milton Fine, just as James intended and remember being so blindsided by Brainiac's big twist reveal. Love the Martha and Clark interactions, so emotional. Thank you for another great podcast Talk ville crew 😀😀💕💕💕💕
My 13 yr old daughter is into buffy/angel (I've been waiting her whole life to watch it with her lol) and she loves Spike. She could not believe his wasn't British. I had to show her this interview to convince her 😂😂
This episode hit hard for me rewatching. My husband and I would binge watch this podcast together every week together, every new episode. Tragically he passed away in my arms 2 days before this episode of the podcast aired. I want you all to know he loved Smallville so much and loved showing me this podcast since he rewatched the series so many times with his uncle. He always wanted us to call into the hot line together. The timing of the episode couldn't be more eerie with hindsight. I wanted to tell you guys how much he loved the whole show and I enjoyed watching it with him and the podcast together. I'll continue watching it in his memory. Thank you guys so much, much love to you all.
A great episode. When these episodes happen you can tell that no matter what powers that Clark has, he can't save his parents from illnesses or a heart condition from making a deal with Jor-El. BrainIAC plays the great manipulator to get Clark to play his game. These episodes leading up to 100 are amazing and all of the actors really bring their A game. Again, Chloe shows how far she'll go to help Clark. I'd give this episode another 3 roses. I liked how almost releasing Zod looked like the Phantom Zone from Superman 2.
2.5 🌹 James Marsters.. What a legend!! "Solitude" is a thoroughly enyoyable mythology episode. James Marsters again fantastic as Braniac, playing on Clark's fears and desperation, only for Chloe to literally save the day. I like the the fact this episode also plays on one of the big questions this season: Which loved one will Clark lose? For a moment you'd think it could be Martha Kent until the very end when they hint at Jonathan Kent's demise, leaving it on a little cliffhanger. Other good shouts goes to my favourite character Lex and his scene with Lois when he throws the "muffin peddler" line. 😂😂 Brilliantly delivered by Rosenbaum. Another masterful scene involving Lex and Lionel. I loved how Lex grabs Lionel indicating how far obsession has pushed him, further revealing that it is also Lionel and the Clark lies in particular are 2 things which gaslight him to the point of insanity. Again, very well acted by Rosenbaum.
Martha/Mama Kent is the heart of Smallville in many ways. ❤ I cried when I watched the couch scene - Annette always does a fabulous job. Tom, your reactions definitely felt genuine, and I thought you did an awesome job too. The thought that Clark is going to outlive everyone he loves was always sad to me...I know its part of Supernan, but still. That's actually one reason I love the Cameo scene you and Erica did, Tom. I could see a grown up Clark making that choice, at least while his kids are growing up (I'm talking about YOUR Clark, not a parallel time Clark...many years after the series ended.) Anyway, thank you so much for having James Marsters on - great interview. I'd love to see him on the Podcast again. The fight scene at the end was fantastic, too! 👍👍❤️
James Masters at last! This episode is peak Smallville: Action, drama, emotion, powerful Kent family scenes and captivating Luthor scenes that resembled verbal chess games. And at the heart of it: The amazing James Masters who plays such a delicious villain. No wonder they bring him back later on (originally that wasn't the plan). The best scene is "Where's my smile?". AOT is so freaking brilliant in that moment, as is Tom whose improvement elevates these scenes even more. And while Tom has his strongest scenes with Annette, it's the last one with Schneider that hits hardest. It's a tragic foreshadowing and the show lets you know as much: It's one of the rare times when a Smallville episode ends in silence, followed by an ominous drum beat as soon as the credits roll. As for the Luthors, I loved their stuff here. The reason why their scenes never got old is because in the last 3 seasons the roles were reversed, with Lex spiralling towards villainy as Lionel tried to talk sense into him.
James might be the best guest y’all have had on here!! One of the best played characters in all of smallville no doubt. So cool to hear from him. His insight and thoughtfulness is so cool to hear. I love this podcast. Thank you guys!
Since I lost my mother in 2021, there have been two episodes of Smallville that really hit hard: Memoria, from season 3 - the ending scene with Martha telling Clark "a mother's love never dies" always brings tears to my eyes - and this one. Annette is SO good, her performances as Martha are always powerful and she makes Martha not just Clark's mom, but all of our mom.
Tom nailed it! S5 theme is all about truth, I think it's like how IRL your 1st yrs out of HS you are transitioning from adolescent to adult and the way you perceive the world changes and you are able to see "truths" more clearly and not thru the eyes of a child. and that is a common thread in this season. where S4 was about growing up and taking accountability, S5 is now you're a grown up, how do you manifest your adult choices, now you can see the world thru the eyes of an adult. no more safety net (or getting to that point)
oh, also I think it is about embracing the truth and not running from it. which is why we see Lex embrace his narcissism (running for office, not putting up w Clark/Lana when they behave/act in a way he can't control, Lois' comments - which isn't about the comment it's about how she can see thru him), we also see Clark/Lana/Lois/Chloe all begin to embrace what will become their destinies too. so it's not just about recognizing a new reality but embracing it as well
@ninjanibba4259 lol well technically every character except maybe the Kents have major trauma and abandonment issues from their past. so in a way, I think "suffering" is more of a series-theme because it reflects on the lessons they need to learn each ep and each season.. .
That might’ve been the best interview I’ve seen on this podcast, James was interning, funny, seemed like he was having a great time talking to you guys…keep ‘em coming !!!
8:20 the reaso9n why they have green kryptonite is because if Clark goes ballistic, then they can defend themselves. I love Professor Fine aka Spike from Buffy the vampire Slayer. he was so hilarious in the series.
Which makes perfect sense after the previous episode where Clark almost killed his parents while under the influence of “silver kryptonite” (which was actually Brainiac).
I really love the episode Solitude 🌹🌹🌹 because it highlights the Kent family as protagonists, which I adore. The love of this great little family of three who help and protect each other even at the cost of personal sacrifice, is immense! All of Clark and Jonathan's anguish for Martha and Martha's anguish for them is so moving and so realistic that you forget it's a cinematic family. Tom, Annette and John you are great and unique, you are amazing. You are and will forever be the one and only Kent family for me. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for another great episode of Talk Ville guys, Tom, Michael, Ryan, James and all the staff guys. Love you all ❤️❤️❤️
47:20 One point that I find interesting is that it will later be discovered that Clark ages more slowly than Earthlings so he will have to prepare for many losses throughout his existence!
I was gonna say, I never would've guessed James Marsters/Brainiac had a bad start to the show because he did so well but ... Brainiac did kind of have this inner resentment kind of energy to him, maybe that's what it was all along 🤣🤣
45:35 I think the last time Lionel and Chloe interacted with each other was when Lionel was possessing Clark's body in the Season 4 episode Transference.
Season 5 is awesome bc it keeps pushing us closer to your guys comic counter parts. We’re learning how to Lex becomes Clark’s greatest adversary and how Clark is moving closer to Superman.
Yessss I love you guys got James Marsters on TALK VILLE and INSIDE OF YOU this week!! So awesome ❤ This is such a great episode too!! That scene between Clark and Martha is so touching and beautiful ❤ Thank you guys for doing this amazing podcast ❤ Happy TALK VILLE Wednesday ❤☄️🌽
Ryan's "Before Zod...." got a chuckle out of me. Another episode that in my mind really proves how great the cast was on this show. Like some of the unscripted choices Rosey made as Lex just really went toward his portrayal being the best on-screen iteration of the character to date. And seriously; how great is James Marsters? Loved him in Buffy, loved him in this show. One of those actors I really enjoy just seeing show up in stuff. REALLY looking forward to hearing them talk about Lexmas next episode!
I think The Kents keep a piece of Kryptonite around because they never know when Clark could be infected with the other Kryptonites again. It's their only defense against him! It's kept in a locked lead box.
Wow. Maybe the best Talkville so far. James is awesome. I always appreciated Michael's ambiguity and vulnerability. One of my favorite Smallville scenes is Lex admitting he just wants to be loved when Chloe has truth powers. A subtle snort/pshaw hybrid is what the noise he made sounded like, but clearly conveyed surprise and acceptance as the truth. That was as good as I have ever seen from anyone.
One of the best parts of smallville / superman is when the actors influence the mythology and how characters are portrayed A lot of the characteristics introduced in smallvile became defining pieces of certain characters for lack of better words
What an awesome episode! The heart-wrenching drama of Martha, the betrayal of Clark and the Fortress by Brainiac, the killer fight scene... Definitely one of my favs! I would definitely show this episode to someone who has never seen Smallville and this would have them hooked!
So cool that, as great of an actor that he is, that James Marsters took something from Tom and that was to not to know too much about a character or scene so that he would be surprised along with the audience. Thanks for having James on. I met him in person once and he said, "Tom Welling is awesome!" Nice to hear an actor compliment a fellow actor. Great podcast.
I watched yesterday's episode of INSIDE OF YOU and James Marsters was the guest!!... Loved that episode and I'm sure I'll love this one... Solitude is a really good episode that doesn't get talked about as much, which is a shame... This episode really tugged on my heartstrings, especially the scene with Martha and Clark having that mother-son convo, which had me tearing up... The last scene with Clark and Jonathan was very emotional, especially given a possible foreshadowing of what's to come... Chloe was the unsung hero in this episode and James was great as Dr. Fine... Again, I love the scenes with Lex and Lionel chopping it up (their chemistry is one of the greatest ever)... All in all, I give this episode a strong 🌹🌹 (2 roses)... The next episode (Lexmas) is one of my favorites and Kristin says that it's actually her favorite episode of the entire series so I wonder if she'll be on the podcast next week🤞🏾... #LoveThePodcastFellas #TalkvilleWednesdays
One thing I didn't understand is how can Brainiac use kryptonite, we saw from the first few seasons kryptonite hurts kryptonian materials like Clark's ship.
Thanks so much for having James on. He's such a legend of an actor. It was awesome to listen to all of you chatting about your acting experiences with each other. Have an awesome week!
It’s always fun seeing Clark go toe to toe with someone who is as powerful as him. I also remember this episode is where they unveiled the teaser for Superman Returns, which came out the following summer.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
The sexual harassment has clearly affected James on a deep level. We joke about it as guys, and very often yes we can brush off these things, even when they make us uncomfortable. But they can sometimes really affect us, and our connection to people. Any abuse is capable of breaking our trust in humanity, which in affect has massive effects on every aspect of our mental health, and makes us more susceptible to depression and anxiety. We should treat sexual harassment towards men exactly the same as we do for women. If a man said that to a woman on set he would have been fired.
true, but that's how it works: in situations or societies/cultures where women are oppressed, you tend to see men also oppressed (other than the select few who are associated w the oppressors) so you have to have equality for both genders simultaneously. you can't single one out and then try to make up for it by overcompensating towards the other. then the whole system goes out of whack (lol kinda what we've seen in our society) and we're still working thru the rough patches of moving towards balance
During his interview, I was so upset to hear that happened...😢 Someone close to me (a guy) was sexually abused, and that affects you the rest of your life. He goes to therapy. I was upset to hear that James was sexually harassed, and that it happened on the set of Smallville.
As much as I love this show,I am noticing that a good chunk of the actors tend to express their mistreatment on set at some point or another.
@alexxthegreatest8134 yeah that's the culture of TV for 50-60 yrs. many times prior to the 90s you would have horrible work conditions (like Moonlighting: Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis kind of hated each other) and people would be miserable. it's generally gotten better over the decades. and there was at least efforts made after the sexual harassment movement of the eighties and nineties but the last 30 yrs has at least trended towards getting better. still plenty of hits/misses and it really did take unfortunately until Me-Too for Hollywood to make a paradigm shift
@@alexxthegreatest8134 They feel in a welcoming environment and this gives them the freedom to express feelings that have probably been repressed for a long time and that should have been shared before. Michael has another podcast focused on mental health and in the episode that aired this week the guest is the same. Situations like this need to be shared and fought, not normalized!
Marsters perfectly articulated why Smallville is one of the best Superman adaptations. The Superman character is best when his struggles are not just physical ones but also emotional and personal ones, which are the ones we all can relate to.
loved that story with Al
which is why Superman is actually the BEST and most interesting character. he's 3 characters in one, plus (what Hollywood most often gets wrong) his strength isn't just about smashing things. he needs to be in control of every movement every action to make sure he's exerting the exact appropriate level of energy otherwise he would just be smashing everything like the Hulk or kill everyone he hits. THEN on top of that, the many layers of his emotional conflicts that can be explored if done correctly (as Smallville did) are just brilliant. Superman being the best in the DC universe is def the hill I'm willing to go down on lol 😅😂
@@asyouwish3636I'll join you on that hill, Superman has been my favorite fictional character since I can remember, I'm almost 50 and I still think he's incredibly inspiring. He has all the power anyone could ever dream of having and he chooses to help people, that's pretty cool.
@@asyouwish3636 I agree too! I've been a Superman fan since I watched The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves in syndication back in the 1960s. In most of those episodes he isn't physically vulnerable, although there are a few with kryptonite (which was invented on the radio show of the same name, to give Bud Collyer a vacation!), but he is challenged mentally and emotionally. The thing about Superman that struck me from the very first was he always tries to do the right thing.
@@asyouwish3636agreed. It’s not his physical strength that is inspiring, it’s his strength of character.
Michael, we are 5 seasons in. You should know by now that they always have 'spare' kryptonite around for the times when Clark gets sick or out of control.
You can also tell when you hear a weird noise that someone has Kryptonite
There is also refined Kryptonite from Lionel and the sniper kid that shot Clark. In the future, even Chloe is developing a Kryptonite arsenal.
Also that the led box protects him from feeling sick 😂
What a Great guest James bought Brainiac to life, what a great interview, the sexual harassment was an eye opener just goes to show it can happen to anyone, famous or not. Great inside of you interview 😊
Ikr. If they ddnt have it, I could definitely hear Michael complaining the reverse. "After everything how do they not have kryptonite!?"
When James talks, I feel like I'm sitting in on one of Brainiac's history classes. In and out of the role, he's just fascinating to listen to. He's so incredibly well spoken.
Absolutely. Couldn’t agree more
He's on Michael's inside of you podcast too! Love him since Buffy. Seeing him on my 2nd favorite show Smallville was amazing ❤ He's such a great actor
I don't think Bryce gets enough props for his weekly show summaries. They are freaking hilarious! Thank you Bryce for your service. 👌🏾💙
Totally agree, thank you Bryce! 🫶
Seriously!!! Comedic genius! By far best part of the show!!! lol
Thought the same thing! Hilarious
He’s 62!!!!! He’s actually a freaking vampire.
For feal. I saw him at a con last year, and it looks great. Super nice dude too.
I mean .... he is a vampire.
James needs to do a masterclass in acting. You can tell he is passionate, caring, and wise with his craft.
Got a picture with Tom, Michael, John Schneider, and John Glover last Sunday in Tampa after becoming a patron. I got married this past Sunday. Now there’s one of my favorite Smallville episodes on talkville. Life is so good!
good indeed. congrats bud
Awesome congrats 🎉
So awesome 😮
Congrats man!
One of Annette's most heartfelt performances and can't beat James as a villain.
You can tell Michael respects and admires James, as he sits and listens while he talks and doesn't interrupt him at all.
You're right !
Is respect a foreign concept nowadays? That’s how it should be
@@br5073 Listening respectfully *IS* a foreign concept nowadays.
😂😂😂
Too bad he can’t show that respect to Tom and the others.
Glad Tom made that comment about Lois/Lex interaction, it totally felt like Lex was gonna ask her to join his campaign! great foreshadowing and also a bit of validation to justify why she would later be a senior campaign member for Jonathan
Talkville always has Top-Tier guests on the show, but I think James is my favorite so far. Gosh.
I could listen to you three talk for an hour. Thanks for the pod guys, this one was great as always!
Tom & James definitely have a mutual appreciation and good friendship
Nice to see
Tom immediately offering to have him back and James saying yes, I'll come back no problem and the infectious smiles on all their faces was my favorite part we need them together at a Con.
Michael, like Lex, knows Tom’s weakness. That weakness being selecting Ryan’s favorite scene, lol. Great pod eposide😄
thanks bud
This was a solid episode ..one of the best of the season. Annette and James killed it
season 5 is so good. great one coming up
A double dose of James Marsters! Loved his Inside of You episode yesterday and now Talk Ville today! Such a great guy with his fans.
Special week for sure!
James is so into Smallville. I love that.
❤️ the James Marsters interview! the BTS is GOLD, he has really good energy totally understandable how he always has great chemistry in every scene 👏👏🤗
loved this convo with James. brilliant
@TalkVillePodcast YESSS really glad Michael invited him to return, would love to see him back a few times! esp S10 Homecoming 🤗
@@asyouwish3636home coming is my favorite episode! Talkville better last and James Marsters better be there! lol
I love that you can tell that James Marsters is a geek. 😅 He loves Batman, he knows his Superman lore, he's voiced in DBZ and many other things. I just love it.
Yes and what he say make so much sens 😮
He's also a super accomplished narrator. He's been the guy reading the Dresden Files since they came out. When they made the show people really wanted him as Dresden.
Yeah, he’s phenomenal. I’ve loved him ever since I first saw him in Buffy.
WHAT he was in DBZ?! How did I not know this???
@@thobat14 So sorry, I meant DB Super. He was Zamasu!
Finally James Marsters getting to talk about his first time experience joining the established Smallville show. Every word with Milton Fine it sounded calculating. Milton attacked Clark psychological throughout the episodes he appeared in season 5. The opening intro to Milton Fine coming out of the hull of the ship brought back to T-1000 introduction in T2: Judgement Day and the way he attacked his victims mirrors to the T-1000 with the use of his fingers.
When Lex grabs Lionel face that reminds me of a John Glover influence move. Jonathan foreshadowed his own death at the end scene especially when he says no one lives forever. Thank y’all for being the highlight of my Wednesday. Lexmas is next week!!!
Thought we might get a James Marsters double-feature this week on Talkville and Inside Of You... and we did! Thanks, Rosey!!
great instincts
Finally we have James Marsters aka Brainiac himself on the podcast. Been waiting for this for a long time. This is the episode that dives so heavily into the Kryptonian lore with the introduction of iconic villian General Zod. Really found it interesting that of Brainiac's spin of the history that Jor-El was a violent dictator who ruled over Krypton with an iron grip of fear and intimidation. And who caused the planet's destruction. Sending his only son to Earth to conquer the human race and recreate Krypton on Earth. Easy how Clark believed this knowing how harshly Jor-El treated him in the past. Also playing into the great irony of Terence Stamp formerly pertraying Zod in Superman 2, and then voicing Jor-El on Smallville. Pretty clever of the writers for this episode.😀🙏🙏🙏🙏
@nickhydier1201 absolutely 👍 loved this episode so happy he came on! He and Charisma Carpeneter were on an episode of Supernatural in season 7. ❤️❤️
yeah i was thrown during my 1st watch! excellent excellent! every aspect the way they handled Brainiac, really interesting having him try to team up w Zod (and great intro to Zod, to do it slowly and build up to it) and LOVED that James Marsters (who's just so freaking great) knew to play Brainiac as an "evil" human and not an over-the-top villain
@@clairemendoza8082 That's a neat bit of trivia. James would have always fit so well on Supernatural as he had similar roles on shows like Buffy as Spike.
@@asyouwish3636 Yes, the intro to Zod was my favorite aspect of this one. Such an iconic villian. James always had a knack for playing Brainiac very calculating, fluid human like, over cold and mechanical. Which worked so much better for this version of Brainiac.
This was honestly one of the best episodes of Smallvile that really projects Clark's kryptonian life as Kal El and also shows how well Annette really was one of the best characters in Smallville with her outstanding acting
Damn, we need an entire hour with James, his just amazing! Even that I just watched the Inside of You with him, I need more. James is wonderful!
Yay! James Marsters! "Solitude" is a seriously solid episode, so grateful Tom liked both this one and last week's "Splinter" too! Thanks for an amazing start to the super stellar Season Five of Smallville! Congratulations Jen L!
BELATED!:
Great to see Tom in the studio for three episodes!
Happy Belated 52nd Birthday To Michael!
Congratulations to Ryan on purchasing a new car!
BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Bryce and family on the birth of twins!
Congratulations To Patreons: Justin, Zach, Leanne, Raj, Bob, & Zeb!
Good to see you back, Fatima! I was wondering if you were ok, missed your comments xxx
@@appleel7937 Thanks, Karen!
Love it when Brice Chimes in!
James Marsters gave a fabulous performance. Definitely upped everyone's game.
Annette gave such a great performance in this episode. That couch scene was so touching. I was so happy when I saw that y’all got James on the podcast. I enjoyed hearing him on Inside of You yesterday. That cave fight scene was so well done. I enjoyed the Lois and Lex muffin peddler scene. I don’t remember many scenes between those characters. Shout out for Chole for saving the world.
You guys got James Marsters!!!! I love him in Smallville and he’s the voice of Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files audiobooks he’s the best!
he is THE man
James Marsters is absolutely brilliant. What a legend of not just an actor, but also of a man. Love him!
Spike the vampire & Brainiac
Both nailed
Two of my fave characters and he gave them layers and depth …multiple layers
Also pretty amazing Terence stamp sounds nice and good being Jor’el since he was also Zod
This has become my favorite podcast, fitting because its about my favorite show!
love to hear it
My favorite show to man!!!
James’ portrayal of Braniac was perfect!! Nobody could have done it better. A true master of his craft. So cool to hear from him. Thank you guys, as always 🙏🏽
As always, Annette's performance was brilliant in this episode! Loved the scenes between Clark and Martha in this one. I'm also enjoying how Chloe is becoming Clark's "partner" in crime. Also loved the tense scenes between Lionel and Lex, John Glover and Michael have a way of heightening the suspense in their scenes. Thanks again guys ❤️
as always!!
James is the second best guest on the Pod after Erica. Also, that scene with Martha and Clark on the couch was so powerful, I was not emotionally prepared for it, and it hit hard.
Thank you for getting James Marsters on! 🙏 He seems like such a great actor and his role as Brainiac was awesome. Especially seeing how his character progresses and transforms by the time he returns in Season 10.
Haha I STILL to this day have a hard time realising that James Marsters DOES NOT have an English accent and is in fact American! 🤣🤣 Even meeting him at Perth Supanova and speaking to him (having a laugh over it in fact!) does not help. Anyway, I LOVE listening to him, so knowledgeable and kind, with amazing insights. I was so betrayed by Milton Fine, just as James intended and remember being so blindsided by Brainiac's big twist reveal. Love the Martha and Clark interactions, so emotional. Thank you for another great podcast Talk ville crew 😀😀💕💕💕💕
My 13 yr old daughter is into buffy/angel (I've been waiting her whole life to watch it with her lol) and she loves Spike. She could not believe his wasn't British. I had to show her this interview to convince her 😂😂
This episode hit hard for me rewatching. My husband and I would binge watch this podcast together every week together, every new episode. Tragically he passed away in my arms 2 days before this episode of the podcast aired. I want you all to know he loved Smallville so much and loved showing me this podcast since he rewatched the series so many times with his uncle. He always wanted us to call into the hot line together. The timing of the episode couldn't be more eerie with hindsight. I wanted to tell you guys how much he loved the whole show and I enjoyed watching it with him and the podcast together. I'll continue watching it in his memory. Thank you guys so much, much love to you all.
A great episode. When these episodes happen you can tell that no matter what powers that Clark has, he can't save his parents from illnesses or a heart condition from making a deal with Jor-El. BrainIAC plays the great manipulator to get Clark to play his game. These episodes leading up to 100 are amazing and all of the actors really bring their A game. Again, Chloe shows how far she'll go to help Clark. I'd give this episode another 3 roses. I liked how almost releasing Zod looked like the Phantom Zone from Superman 2.
2.5 🌹
James Marsters.. What a legend!!
"Solitude" is a thoroughly enyoyable mythology episode. James Marsters again fantastic as Braniac, playing on Clark's fears and desperation, only for Chloe to literally save the day. I like the the fact this episode also plays on one of the big questions this season: Which loved one will Clark lose? For a moment you'd think it could be Martha Kent until the very end when they hint at Jonathan Kent's demise, leaving it on a little cliffhanger.
Other good shouts goes to my favourite character Lex and his scene with Lois when he throws the "muffin peddler" line. 😂😂 Brilliantly delivered by Rosenbaum.
Another masterful scene involving Lex and Lionel. I loved how Lex grabs Lionel indicating how far obsession has pushed him, further revealing that it is also Lionel and the Clark lies in particular are 2 things which gaslight him to the point of insanity. Again, very well acted by Rosenbaum.
Martha/Mama Kent is the heart of Smallville in many ways. ❤ I cried when I watched the couch scene - Annette always does a fabulous job. Tom, your reactions definitely felt genuine, and I thought you did an awesome job too. The thought that Clark is going to outlive everyone he loves was always sad to me...I know its part of Supernan, but still. That's actually one reason I love the Cameo scene you and Erica did, Tom. I could see a grown up Clark making that choice, at least while his kids are growing up (I'm talking about YOUR Clark, not a parallel time Clark...many years after the series ended.)
Anyway, thank you so much for having James Marsters on - great interview. I'd love to see him on the Podcast again.
The fight scene at the end was fantastic, too! 👍👍❤️
James Masters at last!
This episode is peak Smallville: Action, drama, emotion, powerful Kent family scenes and captivating Luthor scenes that resembled verbal chess games. And at the heart of it: The amazing James Masters who plays such a delicious villain. No wonder they bring him back later on (originally that wasn't the plan).
The best scene is "Where's my smile?". AOT is so freaking brilliant in that moment, as is Tom whose improvement elevates these scenes even more. And while Tom has his strongest scenes with Annette, it's the last one with Schneider that hits hardest. It's a tragic foreshadowing and the show lets you know as much: It's one of the rare times when a Smallville episode ends in silence, followed by an ominous drum beat as soon as the credits roll.
As for the Luthors, I loved their stuff here. The reason why their scenes never got old is because in the last 3 seasons the roles were reversed, with Lex spiralling towards villainy as Lionel tried to talk sense into him.
Yeah that's what I like then in season 7 Lex was the bad guy and Lionel was good even though there's still that Old Evil Lionel in him
James might be the best guest y’all have had on here!! One of the best played characters in all of smallville no doubt. So cool to hear from him. His insight and thoughtfulness is so cool to hear. I love this podcast. Thank you guys!
Marsters should be nicknamed Masters. His insight and openness here along with Rose and Tom is great. Thank you Talk Ville.
15:35 Chloe even brought with Star Wars reference about adding with R2D2🙂↔️😂
Tom fanboying over James Marsters is so me 😭 The guy's just a phenomenal actor.
Since I lost my mother in 2021, there have been two episodes of Smallville that really hit hard: Memoria, from season 3 - the ending scene with Martha telling Clark "a mother's love never dies" always brings tears to my eyes - and this one. Annette is SO good, her performances as Martha are always powerful and she makes Martha not just Clark's mom, but all of our mom.
LOVE James Marsters. He’s so enthusiastic and he’s a geek for this stuff like the fans. Puts so much thought and effort into it.
Tom nailed it! S5 theme is all about truth, I think it's like how IRL your 1st yrs out of HS you are transitioning from adolescent to adult and the way you perceive the world changes and you are able to see "truths" more clearly and not thru the eyes of a child. and that is a common thread in this season. where S4 was about growing up and taking accountability, S5 is now you're a grown up, how do you manifest your adult choices, now you can see the world thru the eyes of an adult. no more safety net (or getting to that point)
oh, also I think it is about embracing the truth and not running from it. which is why we see Lex embrace his narcissism (running for office, not putting up w Clark/Lana when they behave/act in a way he can't control, Lois' comments - which isn't about the comment it's about how she can see thru him), we also see Clark/Lana/Lois/Chloe all begin to embrace what will become their destinies too. so it's not just about recognizing a new reality but embracing it as well
It’s also about suffering, cuz there’s plenty of it here and it carries over next season
@ninjanibba4259 lol well technically every character except maybe the Kents have major trauma and abandonment issues from their past. so in a way, I think "suffering" is more of a series-theme because it reflects on the lessons they need to learn each ep and each season.. .
Really looking forward to seeing James back in the later seasons. This was a really good podcast episode overall.
I love Solitude. Annette was amazing, as always. Great guest today!
No way BRAINIAC on the show!! Like a dream come true , you guys are always so awesome I have said it so many times!!
It's really unfortunate that happened to James but I'm glad he stayed cuz he is Brainiac to me.
26:02 James's fantastic and deep understanding of the show!
Best part of his Interview, I thought the same!
Michael could be a director. his comment on not wanting to cry is actually how you cry.. brilliant
Episodes like this are what make this rewatch so great
That might’ve been the best interview I’ve seen on this podcast, James was interning, funny, seemed like he was having a great time talking to you guys…keep ‘em coming !!!
8:20 the reaso9n why they have green kryptonite is because if Clark goes ballistic, then they can defend themselves. I love Professor Fine aka Spike from Buffy the vampire Slayer. he was so hilarious in the series.
Which makes perfect sense after the previous episode where Clark almost killed his parents while under the influence of “silver kryptonite” (which was actually Brainiac).
Omg my fav interview in Talkville thus far!! James is an absolute treasure! So insightful for a part he played 20 years ago!
It’s so great to hear the guests talk long form. I feel like I can be friends with every single one.
I really love the episode Solitude 🌹🌹🌹 because it highlights the Kent family as protagonists, which I adore. The love of this great little family of three who help and protect each other even at the cost of personal sacrifice, is immense! All of Clark and Jonathan's anguish for Martha and Martha's anguish for them is so moving and so realistic that you forget it's a cinematic family. Tom, Annette and John you are great and unique, you are amazing. You are and will forever be the one and only Kent family for me. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for another great episode of Talk Ville guys, Tom, Michael, Ryan, James and all the staff guys. Love you all ❤️❤️❤️
47:20 One point that I find interesting is that it will later be discovered that Clark ages more slowly than Earthlings so he will have to prepare for many losses throughout his existence!
I was gonna say, I never would've guessed James Marsters/Brainiac had a bad start to the show because he did so well but ... Brainiac did kind of have this inner resentment kind of energy to him, maybe that's what it was all along 🤣🤣
45:35 I think the last time Lionel and Chloe interacted with each other was when Lionel was possessing Clark's body in the Season 4 episode Transference.
It was.
Also don't forget during the airing of this episode is when the WB premiered the teaser trailer for Superman Returns.
What a pleasure to see James on the podcast. hes such a cool, nice guy
I can listen to this conversation with three of you for hours.
Season 5 is awesome bc it keeps pushing us closer to your guys comic counter parts. We’re learning how to Lex becomes Clark’s greatest adversary and how Clark is moving closer to Superman.
James Marsters is a legend!!!
Yessss I love you guys got James Marsters on TALK VILLE and INSIDE OF YOU this week!! So awesome ❤ This is such a great episode too!! That scene between Clark and Martha is so touching and beautiful ❤ Thank you guys for doing this amazing podcast ❤ Happy TALK VILLE Wednesday ❤☄️🌽
Every time you go to get your coat you're like, "Oh, I feel like sh*t... Oh yeah, there's kryptonite up there." 😂😭
Ryan's "Before Zod...." got a chuckle out of me. Another episode that in my mind really proves how great the cast was on this show. Like some of the unscripted choices Rosey made as Lex just really went toward his portrayal being the best on-screen iteration of the character to date. And seriously; how great is James Marsters? Loved him in Buffy, loved him in this show. One of those actors I really enjoy just seeing show up in stuff. REALLY looking forward to hearing them talk about Lexmas next episode!
The writers never knew what to do with Jor-El. He was only ever there to give Clark misleading information.
I think The Kents keep a piece of Kryptonite around because they never know when Clark could be infected with the other Kryptonites again. It's their only defense against him! It's kept in a locked lead box.
James on Inside of You AND on Talkville in one week. Perfection.
Thanks for S05E08! 🥂🥂🍻🍻
And special thanks for Spike, slaying it in anything and everything he's a part of. 🥳🥳😎😎
Wow. Maybe the best Talkville so far. James is awesome. I always appreciated Michael's ambiguity and vulnerability. One of my favorite Smallville scenes is Lex admitting he just wants to be loved when Chloe has truth powers. A subtle snort/pshaw hybrid is what the noise he made sounded like, but clearly conveyed surprise and acceptance as the truth. That was as good as I have ever seen from anyone.
Solitude is a great and heartbreaking episode ❣💔 Amazing TalkVille with James Marsters ❤ who spoke about his character with his usual acuity 👏👏👏!!
I remember being so shocked about this! I'm so glad I went into this show knowing almost nothing about Superman. Made the whole ride really fun 😂
I love this! Thank you for having James on!!! He's the best!!!
One of the best parts of smallville / superman is when the actors influence the mythology and how characters are portrayed
A lot of the characteristics introduced in smallvile became defining pieces of certain characters for lack of better words
I always thought the abrupt ending to this episode was very chilling. A definite foreshadowing for only a couple episodes later
On a different note, it was awesome that you guys were invested and helped a future actor in her journey and that was awesome to see in real time.
James Marsters!!! Best iteration of Braniac and it’s not a debate! Let’s go!
Love Brainiac's arc on this show! "Spike" is such a good actor!! 😂 James Marsters, you're a badass actor, sir.
Terrific episode of TalkVille and what a treat to have James Marsters on it, Solitude was a fantastic Smallville episode, keep it up guys 👍🦸😄
What an awesome episode! The heart-wrenching drama of Martha, the betrayal of Clark and the Fortress by Brainiac, the killer fight scene... Definitely one of my favs! I would definitely show this episode to someone who has never seen Smallville and this would have them hooked!
There was only one fight scene, though.
@@GabePuratekutait's a typo.. no need to pick nits.
Wow, that was great hearing from James Marsters!!! Love his energy and hope he can come back to talk more! Great episode overall!
"James man, relax" 😂😂😂😂 21:50
So cool that, as great of an actor that he is, that James Marsters took something from Tom and that was to not to know too much about a character or scene so that he would be surprised along with the audience. Thanks for having James on. I met him in person once and he said, "Tom Welling is awesome!" Nice to hear an actor compliment a fellow actor. Great podcast.
Brainiac made season 5 of smallville worth watching
Man, James Marsters is so cool!! Awesome interview!
I hope Talkville lasts to Homecoming to have him on again. My favorite episode!
James Marsters is the best!!!!! One of my favorite recurring characters and love him as an actor!!
I watched yesterday's episode of INSIDE OF YOU and James Marsters was the guest!!... Loved that episode and I'm sure I'll love this one... Solitude is a really good episode that doesn't get talked about as much, which is a shame... This episode really tugged on my heartstrings, especially the scene with Martha and Clark having that mother-son convo, which had me tearing up... The last scene with Clark and Jonathan was very emotional, especially given a possible foreshadowing of what's to come... Chloe was the unsung hero in this episode and James was great as Dr. Fine... Again, I love the scenes with Lex and Lionel chopping it up (their chemistry is one of the greatest ever)... All in all, I give this episode a strong 🌹🌹 (2 roses)... The next episode (Lexmas) is one of my favorites and Kristin says that it's actually her favorite episode of the entire series so I wonder if she'll be on the podcast next week🤞🏾... #LoveThePodcastFellas #TalkvilleWednesdays
One thing I didn't understand is how can Brainiac use kryptonite, we saw from the first few seasons kryptonite hurts kryptonian materials like Clark's ship.
Allison as Chloe was great in this episode. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks so much for having James on. He's such a legend of an actor. It was awesome to listen to all of you chatting about your acting experiences with each other. Have an awesome week!
It’s always fun seeing Clark go toe to toe with someone who is as powerful as him. I also remember this episode is where they unveiled the teaser for Superman Returns, which came out the following summer.
JM brings the sparkle magic. Love Brainiac. Double for Spike. Thx for bringing the special guests into the show.