The connections, the subtle inferences, the parallelisms, the wit and humor balanced with serious drama--I live for great writing.  And apparently, I am not alone. Smallville fans across the online community are praising the writing team for the increased caliber of storytelling this season, hence, the rejuvenated hype and ratings.

But is the hype just hype? Are we simply enjoying the stories more this season and nothing more? I think not. Case and point: Chloe and Zod.

"Kandor" served as quite the prequel last Friday, allowing the writers the opportunity of introducing a history beyond what Jor-El previously revealed from his fortress of ice. Flashbacks delved deep among the layers of Zod, enlightening his past and offering insight into his character and motives--a character Chloe described as monstrous. Let me remind you of this significant exchange:

Jor-El: "Perhaps I played my part in making Zod the man he became."

Chloe: "Look, whatever you did to him, Zod is the only person responsible for choosing to become a monster."

Why significant? Because I propose that the writers specifically chose Chloe for this encounter. Because of all the characters on Smallville presently, Chloe shares the greatest parallels with Zod. These parallels justify her condemnation of his character, while also reflecting a path he rejected--a path that might have changed the past, even saved Krypton from destruction.

If one compares Jor-El and Clark as the heroes of our story, the parallels between Zod and Chloe become obvious: best friends, inspirations, advocates, recognizing the darkness within themselves, yet honoring and protecting the light guiding their friends. Even more specifically, Zod and Chloe both saw those they loved destroyed while they stood helpless to save them. Zod lost his wife and son, Chloe her husband. Each requested a miracle of their best friend--a resurrection, a turning back of time. The responses they received sound distinctly similar:

Jor-El to Zod: "But we cannot change the past [...] We do not have the right [...] I am sorry."

Clark to Chloe: "That would be changing destiny. [...] I'm not a god! [...] I can't."

And herein lies the reason Chloe may rightly and justly declare Zod as solely responsible for becoming a monster--because faced with the same decision, Chloe chose differently and became a hero in her own right. While Zod rejected Jor-El and chose darkness and destruction, Chloe ultimately forgave Clark and chose understanding and hope. And although Callum Blue and Allison Mack portrayed this character development ingenuously, the existence and complexity of these parallels reflect the brilliance of the writers alone.

One further stroke of genius (in my humble opinion only, of course)? Despite possessing the powers of a Kryptonian living under a yellow sun, Clark adamantly declared he was "not a god". Contrastingly and just as adamantly, Zod assured his soldiers that once they gained those same powers, they would be "gods on this planet". With these two simple statements, the writers clearly identified the delineating difference between hero and villain, Clark and Zod, and the heart of the coming conflict.

So what are your thoughts? Are you impressed by the writing this season? Do you love the character development? Or do you find all the connections and parallels obvious and implausible? Tell us below.