As Lois heads for the basement, she bumps into Clark as he bumbles his way up the steps. "I'm sorry, Miss Lane," he says, adjusting his glasses. He gets down on his knees to help her with her spilled papers. "Can it, Clark," she says. "Nobody's paying any attention." After seven years, they're still not married, but they aim to change that as soon as possible. Clark even has the wedding bands -- and neither of them appear to be made of butterscotch candy this time. Before they can kiss, some guy runs around the place shouting that a bomb has been reported on an elevator uptown. "Just tell the minister I may be a few minutes late," Clark says as the Superman theme strikes up. As he darts up the stairs, he's already unbuttoning his vest. He reaches the roof in majestic slow motion. Against the backdrop of the golden sun, Maxfield Parrish clouds and a fluttering American flag, Clark tosses aside his glasses and rips open his shirt. The iconic S-shield on his chest fills up the screen and gives way to the end credits one last time as trumpets herald both the beginning and the end.

So. That was it. The very last episode of Smallville, ever. In the end, possibly the most disappointing thing is that, for all the talk of light and goodness and compassion, it was brute strength that saved the day. Clark saved the day not because he was the only one good enough, but because he was the only one left after a plot contrivance. If not for Jor-El's meddling, Kara would have been there to give Apokolips a shove. Instead, Clark got the save by default. It wasn't his fight against injustice, it wasn't his symbolizing of hope and goodness, or his tipping the scales toward the light. No, it was just that he was strong enough and in the right place at the right time. That's not legendary or inspirational. It's not even heroism by coincidence, as when a doctor just happens to be on a plane when someone on board has a heart attack, since Clark was carefully maneuvered into this position. Even still, I have to admit a got a fangirl chill seeing the last shot.