Thoughts While Watching Smallville as an Adult

A trip down memory lane with high school freshmen played by full-grown adults.

Maybe it’s because the trailer for James Gunn Superman (2025) just dropped. Or maybe my TikTok algorithm has correctly assessed that I like the tall, dark, and handsome Superman type. But my algorithm started by showing me Henry Cavill as Superman content. While attractive, I remember the 27-part blind item deep dive on him by Kyle Marisa Roth and I’ve been turned off by him ever since.

No problem. After swiping away from Henry Cavill a couple of times, the algorithm shifted to show me Tom Welling from his Smallville days.

I was in fourth grade when Smallville aired and I only caught a handful of scenes from the first season, which I watched in secret until my parents would pop their heads in to tell me to switch the TV to the Disney channel.

So after 20+ Tom Welling fan edits, I’m back on my couch, searching for where I stream Smallville. Here are some thoughts as I watch the show for the first time as an adult.

The ages!

Being so young in the fourth grade, I had no sense of what people should look like at certain ages. (Remember when we thought everyone past thirty was old?)