Summary
Pete Ross was a beloved character in the early seasons ofSmallvillebefore suddenly leaving the series. Played by Sam Jones III, theDC Universecharacter was drawn from theSuperboycomic books all the way back to 1961, where he played the role of one of Clark Kent’s childhood best friends. With the character pulled directly from the comics and with stories centered around his experience ofdiscovering Clark Kent is Supermanyet to be told, there seemed to be much left for Pete Ross to do inSmallville.
Unfortunately, changes totheSmallvillecastseemed to occur rapidly, and with several notable figures.Laura Vandervoort appeared in only oneSmallvilleseasonand much of her story did not even have the time to wrap up.TheSmallvilleshowrunners seemed to be constantly adjusting the series, and many new characters were added and quickly removed. Pete Ross was, unfortunately, one of these casting casualties.
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Pete Ross Was Written Out After Smallville Season 3 For Story Reasons
With New Additions Of Lois Lane And Jason Teague There Was Little Room For Pete
Smallvilleseason 4 made some substantial changes to the show, and it seemed that Pete had to be cut to make room. Within the season, Jensen Ackles was added to the main cast as an antagonist, and Erica Durance debuted for a recurring role in the season as Lois Lane. With these new cast additions, the series had to make some sacrifices, and it appearsthere wasn’t an essential role for Pete Ross to play in the plans for this chapter of the story.Notably, like Jones,Jensen Ackles also leftSmallvilleearly.
Based on Jones' comments, the showrunners couldn’t figure out what to do with his character amid all the story changes. “They said my character had too much pressure with knowing the secret,” he explained in aComic-Con Liverpool panel. It seemed that amid adding new stories to season 4, there were no avenues that the showrunners found would make sense for the Pete Ross character, and writing Pete off also served as a way to avoid the issues with the character’s awareness of Superman’s secret identity.
How Sam Jones III Found Out He Was Leaving Smallville
The Pete Ross Actor Was Put In A Difficult Place At A Convention Appearance
OnTalk Ville, aSmallvillerecap podcast, Sam Jones III went into his dismissal from the series. The actor explained he was told he would be dismissed from the series only briefly before a convention appearance, and then informed he needed to keep the fact he would not return in season 4 a secret. Jones states that the producers told him,“if the fans ask you about next season, don’t bring it up because we don’t want them to know,”to which he reluctantly consented.
As an actor early in his career, Jones found this difficult. He claims that he had been told that the show was a family, and that’s how he looked at it in his time there, making his sudden dismissal a complicated experience that he described as “really heartbreaking”.
Why Pete Ross’s Return In Smallville Season 7 Was Such A Disappointment
The “Hero” Episode Felt Like A One-Off
Sam Jones III was able to reappear onSmallvilleseveral seasons later. Still, many considerPete’s return inSmallvilleseason 7to be a disappointment, and even to have ruined the character.Returning to the town of Smallvilleas a roadie, Pete had gained the ability to elongate his body due to chewing on kryptonite bubble gum.Wishing to be a hero, Pete goes through a rapid character journey across this single episode that left him right where he started: an ordinary, depowered man still grappling with the implications of Clark’s secret.
The Pete who appeared in “Hero” did not feel like the same character from the earlier seasons and was, in some ways, a strange degradation. Bringing Pete back for an appearance made sense; however,that opportunity could have been used to give closure to the character. Instead, he flared up with jealousy in what felt more like a disposable monster-of-the-week episode.
Ultimately, none of “Hero” felt true to Pete Ross' development in the show’s first three seasons. This made it all the more disappointing that Ross' initial story inSmallvilleended so early, since it never had the chance to live up to his potential in his eventual return, leaving the show with a lot of what if questions surrounding the character’s overall arc.
Smallville
Cast
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
