Smallville: Season 1 Overview

Episode 1: Pilot 9/10

Episode 2: Metamorphosis 6/10

Episode 3: Hothead 8/10

Episode 4: X-Ray 7/10

Episode 5: Cool 7/10

Episode 6: Hourglass 9/10

Episode 7: Craving 7/10

Episode 8: Jitters 9/10

Episode 9: Rogue 9/10

Episode 10: Shimmer 7/10

Episode 11: Hug 8/10

Episode 12: Leech 8/10

Episode 13: Kinetic 6/10

Episode 14: Zero 9/10

Episode 15: Nicodemus 9/10

Episode 16: Stray 8/10

Episode 17: Reaper 6/10

Episode 18: Drone 6/10

Episode 19: Crush 8/10

Episode 20: Obscura 8/10

Episode 21: Tempest 10/10


SEASON AVERAGE: 7.8/10

Top 5 Episodes:

1. Tempest
2. Rogue
3. Hourglass
4. Nicodemus
5. Pilot

Episode 1.21: Tempest

There is a lot going on in this last episode of the first season: Clark takes Chloe to Prom; Lex attempts to usurp his father's decision to close down the Smallville processing plant by leading a public buy-out; sneaky journalist Roger Nixon threatens to expose Clark's secret; and Whitney Fordman leaves Smallville. Hooray!!! While all of this is going on there is a freak weather storm building all around Smallville, that leads to a cliffhanger ending, in which Lana get's caught up in the eye of a tornado.

The pace in Tempest never lets up. Right from the opening scene, where Lionel announces the closure of the plant, the weather is already kicking up a fuss and the constant build-up of wind only adds to the tension on screen.

This was the first ever episode of Smallville that I saw way back in 2001 and it got me hooked. The action and special effects haven't been this revved up since the pilot. The final moments between Lex and his father are the first time in the series where Lex comes one step away from being the man we all know from Superman folklore.

My only criticism is the shameless Remy Zero promotion. Not because of the band because I personally love them. But they are forced to mime due to the way it was shot which never looks good on camera.

Other than this, Tempest is the best episode from the first season, and it absolutely leaves you wanting more. Bring on season 2.

10/10

Episode 1.20: Obscura

Obscura sees Lana gaining a psychic link with a man, who has abducted Chloe, after being involved in a gas pipe explosion. Meanwhile, Lex begins surveying the field where Clark's ship landed, and finds what can only be an alien artifact.

With Lex now having conclusive proof that there is something bigger going on in Smallville, particularly in relation to the meteor shower, his lust to find the truth at all cost will no doubt become his main driving force.

Clark finally asks Chloe to Prom. Her reaction is beautiful. Alison Mack always makes you feel for Chloe and her moment in the hospital, after Clark saves her from a premature burial, is full of raw emotion that never feels forced. It's good to see her smile at the end but you cannot help thinking that Clark's feelings for Lana are just going to make it all end in tears.

Jonathan Kent is such a stubborn man at times. When he gives the cheque back to Lex all he does is draw more attention to himself. His anger at the work Lex is doing would seem, to Lex, to come from out of nowhere and might only serve to do more harm that good.

Still, this is a very good episode, with a great build-up to the season finale. 8/10

Episode 1.19: Crush

Clark finally learns that Chloe wants to be more than just friends and realises that maybe he feels the same way. Also, Lex receives a visit from a woman who helped guide him in his earlier years, leading to an emotional goodbye when he finds out she is dying of cancer. In the meantime, Chloe starts dating a telekinetic, out for vengeance against the man who crippled his hands in a hit and run accident.

Crush is a very good episode. The scenes between Clark and Chloe are all well played as their feelings for each other begin to bubble to the surface. We even get to see Lana looking rather jealous as Clark takes Chloe's hand towards the end. Yet again Alison Mack proves herself to be one of the best performers amongst the supporting cast and thankfully gets to take a more central role in this episode.

It's also nice to see Lex's relationship with his former minder. She is something of a surrogate mother who offers the hopeful belief that Lex has all the potential of becoming a good man.

When Whitney's father dies Lana knows that she will have to be there for him to help pick up the pieces. Clark knows this too. He will have to decide whether he will continue to wait for Lana or take a risk with Chloe.

A great episode with plenty of emotional ups and downs. 8/10

Episode 1.18: Drone

The meteor freak in this episode has the power to control bees. She tries to wipe out the competition in the student presidency race, including Clark, who is running for president himself. The plot with the bees, like many of the meteor related activities throughout the series, is really quite silly. But the entertainment here lies in Clark's efforts to become student president, not to mention a sub-plot with Lex, in which a female journalist goes to great lengths in order to snag an interview with him.

Clark runs with the rather amusing slogan 'The Man of Tomorrow', which any comic book fan will know is one of the monikers for Superman, given to him here by none other than Lex Luthor.

One of the interesting points for me in Drone is that we get to see that Clark isn't infallible. When he spits his dummy out at Chloe for endorsing another candidate it is clear that he is in the wrong for doing so. But I like this. It shows that even the Man of Steel can succumb to very human emotions.

Lana gets to show off her dark side. She makes a very underhanded move in order to put a café, that is in direct competition with The Talon, out of business. It all seems quite innocent really but it does foreshadow some of the darker behaviour that she exhibits in the later seasons.

A very entertaining if somewhat silly adventure. 6/10

Episode 1.17: Reaper

This episode walks a very fine line between being both something great and an absolute stinker. The plot with the meteor freak who can kill with a mere touch is the part that stinks. He is played with zero conviction by guest actor Reynaldo Rosales, though in fairness to the guy, the character isn't particularly well written. This is because the main focus of the episode shifts between the relationships that Clark, Lex, and Whitney all have with their fathers.

Any scene between Lex and his father is a delight to watch, so it goes without saying that the episode comes alive whenever the two of them are on screen together. The same can be said of Clark and his father. Their relationship is never anything less than convincing and is often the beating heart of the show. We also get a few scenes between Lex and Jonathan Kent which are very enjoyable. In one of these we finally get to see Mr Kent lower his defences as he acknowledges a kind act by Lex.

Finally, we have Whitney, still moping around and feeling sorry for himself. The sooner they axe this character the better. Watching Eric Johnson trying to strain the slightest emotion from his face is just painful! Their is a touching moment between Whitney and his father at the end but the emotional impact comes more from Lex's act of kindness than any real care for Whitney.

Watch this for the character moments that Clark and Lex have with their fathers. 6/10

Episode 1.16: Stray

The Kent family go all out to protect a young boy named Ryan from his evil step parents, who only wish to use his psychic abilities for their own personal gain.

Stray has always been something of a favourite among Smallville's legion of fans, which you can see from the overall mark it gets on IMDb, when compared to other episodes. I think it's a very solid episode but it does lay on the schmaltz and cheesy moments.

Ryan's step parents present a genuine threat, his step father in particular, being a bit more trigger happy with a shot-gun than one would expect to see in this kind of show. The moment where he carelessly shoots down a janitor at a bowling alley is quite shocking.

We get to see a bit more of Chloe's ever-increasing crush on Clark and, to be honest, I think I would rather see those two get it together than the alternative that Clark is holding out for.

I think the relationship between Ryan and the Kent's maybe moves a little too quickly and could have been built up over the course of several episodes. However, it's still quite touching to see the way in which the whole Kent family rallies round to protect this kid. The actor who plays Ryan also does a sterling job.

8/10

Episode 1.15: Nicodemus

I always seem to forget how good a lot of these first season episodes are. This one is no exception.

Doctor Hamilton has brought an extinct plant back to life using the meteor rocks. It is called the Nicodemus and when it is stolen by a member of LutherCorp it sets of a chain of events that are both thrilling and highly amusing. The plant causes people to act without any kind of emotional barriers.

The first ten minutes, in which we see Clark's dad acting totally out of character, is just hilarious. When he burped in Lex's face it had me in stitches. We also get to see Lana all sexed up and Pete goes gunning (quite literally) for Lex.

The whole episode feels really tight, without any baggage, and is yet another high point in a cracking series. The entire cast seems to be having a ball, especially John Schneider and Annette O'Toole as Mr and Mrs Kent, who fool around in the kitchen like a pair of randy teenagers.

On the serious side, the effects of the plant do eventually lead to the death of those who have been exposed. There is a great scene with Clark and Martha (again brilliantly played by O'Toole) which shows the skill of all involved in their ability to balance the comedy with the more dramatic stuff. Lex also lies to Clark to an extent that he has not previously done before. He has held things back in the past or managed to prove his innocence in times when he has looked guilty. But this time he just flat out lies in order to cover his own arse.

A brilliant mix of comedy and drama. 9/10

Episode 1.14: Zero

In this episode we finally get to see what happened at Club Zero, with Lex, something that has been alluded to several times already over the course of the first season.

Zero, like many other episodes, explores the idea that every action has consequences. The slogan of the night club that Lex visits is 'zero consequences' but Lex learns quickly that there is no such thing. Three years ago he deliberately took a woman to the club knowing full well that her fiancé was going to be there with other women. This was a bad move on Lex's part that is about to have nasty repercussions. There is also a sub-plot involving Chloe in which she starts to dig up information on Clark's adoption for a school project.

There is quite a lot going on here but it all comes together nicely. It's good to see Phelan pop up again (in flashback) after his previous mention of his involvement in the Club Zero incident. Once again, this episode is without a meteor infected villain and appears to be all the better for it, allowing the story to take a more personal look into the history of its darkest character.

The sub-plot with Chloe is just as interesting, adding a lot more emotional weight to her relationship with Clark, as she too is now torn, as Lex has been, between digging up Clark's secrets or leaving well alone. In the final moments we see that her reporter's instincts seem to win out and we are left wandering what the consequences of her decision might be in the future.

Another great episode. 9/10

Episode 1.13: Kinetic

It's official, football jocks do not make for interesting bad guys, just unintelligent and dull ones. Their ape-like behaviour and ridiculous school yard mentality just makes them damn annoying.

Kinetic focuses on the character of Whitney Fordman who, quite frankly, has always been something of an annoyance. His attitude towards the people around him shifts and changes so many times you could be forgiven for thinking that he had some sort of multiple personality disorder.

This is not a bad episode. On the contrary. It's actually quite entertaining. The idea for the story is an interesting one and the plot sufficiently explores the problems of peer pressure. It's just that they need to start moving away from the idea of the jock as bad guy. Even when they are not the freak of the week they still seem to pop up like the bad penny to give whoever is the freak of the week their motivation.

Entertaining stuff. Just lose the jocks! 6/10

Episode 1.12: Leech

Another outstanding episode from season one. Every time they take a misstep they seem to come back all guns blazing. Leech is heavy on the action and special effects without skimping on the great character moments too.

The story centres around what happens when Clark's powers are given to someone else who hasn't had the same upbringing as he has. The results are fairly predictable but no less fun for being so. This new 'Superboy' leaves a wake of destruction in his path and Clark takes on the burden of stopping him even though he is now just a regular person without his powers.

At first Clark enjoys the new found freedom that comes with not having to carry the responsibility of his powers. He is able to play basketball for the first time without worrying about hurting anyone. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so happy about losing. In his current predicament Clark is also able to throw an ever more suspicious Lex off the trail as his cuts and bruises seem to show that he is 'just human' after all.

It's nice to see Clark experience how hard his father must work to keep the farm going. It's quite a shock to his system as he spends two hours doing chores that would have previously taken him five minutes.

There is a moment in this episode that feels like something of a turning point in the relationship between Clark and Lex. It's when Lex confronts Clark about what really happened the day he crashed his car. You can totally understand where Lex is coming from, and how alone he really is, telling Clark that he's the closest thing he's ever had to a real friend. You always get the sense that if someone would just be straight with him then it might prevent him from heading down the inevitable path of super-villainy. Yet it is also understandable why Clark refuses to divulge his secret to anyone.

Funny, exciting, and a little tragic. 8/10

Episode 1.11: Hug

This episode is an awful lot of fun. Rick Peters is suitably smarmy as industrialist Bob Rickman, the man with a handshake that can seal any deal, even if it was a deal you did not wish to make. There is a great moment where he tries to use his powers of persuasion on Clark. But he doesn't quite get the reaction he was hoping for. Suffice to say it does not work and all he gets for his trouble is a sore hand.

There are plenty of other stand-out moments throughout: Chloe, whilst under the influence of another 'persuader' Kyle Tippet, makes a pass at Clark; Lex unleashes a flurry of bullets at Clark with a machine gun; Jonathan's confusion at his own decision to sell the farm...

The only problem with this episode is the ending when Lex is 'under the influence'. Tippet states that the power of persuasion he and Rickman have is so strong that anyone they have under their spell will only be free once they have completed the task they've been given or if they suffer some kind of shock to break them from the spell. So why does Lex suddenly go all out to kill Clark when it is Tippet he has been sent to kill? Surely he'd have put a bullet in Tippet while he had the chance. This is a minor quibble that does not detract too much from a highly entertaining episode.

9/10

Episode 1.10: Shimmer

The 'twist' in the tale during this episode is so predictable that the story becomes quite a bore. The inevitability of the invisible assailant being the brother, not the sister, is so blatantly sign-posted that it just saps any tension out of proceedings. The fact that you can see the predator-style outline of the invisible person in the opening scene instantly rules out the sister once strange things happen in her presence.

Kelly Brook has clearly been added to this season because she looks pretty. It certainly cannot be for her acting ability. She has none! There is also a sub-plot involving Whitney (yes, that other bag of acting talent) as he struggles with some bad news about his father. This news prevents a sympathetic Clark from making any moves on Lana. Though this plot has slightly more emotional resonance than the freak of the week plot, it still feels a little mundane, and the whole episode feels like something of a step back compared to the two previous outings.

Not without its charms though it will hardly be remembered as a Smallville classic. 6/10

Episode 1.9: Rogue

WOW! What a tremendous 45 minutes of television this edition of Smallville is. It is even better than the previous episode, which had been the season highlight up to that point, clearly showing that the makers of the show have begun to hit their stride.

Without a single meteor freak in sight Rogue offers up a traditional and more human nemesis for Clark to pit his wits against. The villain of the piece is Sam Phelan, a dirty cop, with blackmail in mind. Phelen offers a new challenge for Clark in the sense that Clark must defeat Phelan by outsmarting him instead of merely overpowering him.

The performances are great all round with the possible exception of Kelly Brook. She seems a little wooden, but as this is her first acting gig she may just require a little more time to get used to the part, so she gets the benefit of doubt for now. However, there are particularly notable turns from Alison Mack as Chloe, John Schneider as Jonathan Kent, and Tom Welling who gets to show a side to Clark that we have not previously seen when Phelan begins to push all the right buttons. Clark is pushed so far in fact that he actually considers killing his enemy.

A great episode and probably the best of the season so far. 9/10

Episode 1.8: Jitters

This is an excellent episode that really hits you with an emotional sucker-punch in its final scene. You feel deeply sympathetic towards Lex Luthor as the contrast in the relationships that both he and Clark have with their parents is made all too clear. Whatever future crimes Lex may commit he will always be a victim to his own father's inability to show even the slightest ounce of genuine affection towards his son.

But it's not all negative on the emotional side of things. There is plenty of humour too as Clark makes the mistake of hosting a house party while his parents are away in Metropolis for the night. He clears up the mess using his super-speed only to find that his parents got back early and have been stood there watching him for the past few minutes. The little applause that Jonathan gives is a top reaction that just made me chuckle.

It's worth noting that Lex also puts his life on the line in a genuinely heroic effort to save a load of school kids. This highlights the fact that he really does have a lot of good left in him, making the character much more tragic, as we are fully aware of the man that he will one day become.

A great character study that gives a real insight into what makes two iconic characters become the men they are destined to be. 9/10

Episode 1.7: Craving

Craving is notable mainly for the presence of actress Amy Adams in the supporting role of a girl so desperate to lose weight she starts to live on a diet of strange shakes that have been infected by the meteor rocks. As a result she becomes the victim of horrible cravings that make her attack people in order to suck out their body fat.

Amy Adams is a wonderful actress and has since gone on to deliver great performances in the likes of Enchanted and Doubt. She is just as spectacular here even though, during some sequences, she has to work under some dodgy prosthetics.

Although the story for this episode's freak of the week can at times come off as fairly silly, it does at least allow the viewer to sympathise for the meteor infected character, something that has been lacking since the pilot episode. This might be down to Adam's performance just as much as, if not more than, the writing itself. In fact, without her presence I'm not sure this episode would hold as much interest for me.

However, there is also an interesting plot involving Lex who spends most of the episode trying to get a scientist onto his payroll. The reason this is interesting is that the scientist in question is conducting research into the effects of meteor rocks on genetic makeup. It's nice to see the writers acknowledge the fact that there would be other people out there intelligent enough to see what's going on in Smallville other than Clark and friends.

This is a solid episode made all the more watchable by its guest star. 7/10

Episode 1.6: Hourglass

This episode features a villain named Harry Bollston who, after falling into a pond in his electric chair, is transformed into a much younger version of himself. Beyond this the meteor rocks in the pond that trigger his transformation offer him no other super powers like the typical meteor freaks we have seen so far. This makes him a much more interesting villain. He is also a much darker villain than we are used to seeing in Smallville as it is not the rocks that have brought about his nasty behaviour, rather, they have simply allowed him to continue where he left off so many years ago. George Murdock is particularly creepy as the older Harry Bollston who spends his days in a retirement home quietly reliving his past crimes through old newspaper clippings.

Also in this episode we are treated to visions of the possible futures of both Clark and Lex. These visions offer a glimpse into the destinies that we as viewers are already aware of for these characters. Clark's destiny is that of the saviour while Lex's is that of the destroyer. They are two sides of the same coin.

There is a touching moment with Lana too as she is forced to be reminded of her parents' deaths when she stumbles across a news article about it on Chloe's 'wall of weird'. It reminds us that the stories on Chloe's wall are not simply weird and entertaining headlines, but people's lives, much the same way as any news story in the real world might be. This ties into Harry's obsession with collecting old newspaper clippings about his crimes. To him they are trophies of past victories to be savoured. To the families of his victims they are a painful reminder.

Hourglass is a wonderful episode and one of the high points of the first season. 9/10

Episode 1.5: Cool

Cool focuses on a meteor freak who sucks all of the heat out of anything he touches. Unfortunately, when he does this to other people he kills them.

This episode is very entertaining for a number of reasons, the first of which is the performance of Alison Mack as Chloe. It is the first time we get to see Chloe as a full-blooded human being with real emotions and not just a tool of exposition for the other characters. She is absolutely charming and at times heartbreaking.

Lex also starts to make some moves on the Kent family and, although you want to believe his offer to help them is sincere, you can't help but think he's up to something. The tension that arises between Jonathan and Lex whenever they occupy the same space is palpable and you often wander whether Jonathan's distrust of Lex could be doing more harm than good. Is it a form of self-fulfilling prophecy? If you make someone out to be a bad seed for long enough is it inevitable that they will become as such?

The villain of the piece is okay for entertainment purposes. But in the end he's just another stupid jock. It would be nice if someone with a bit more brains, who could challenge Clark, was infected by the meteor rocks for a change. Also, Clark defeats Sean by throwing him into water, thereby freezing him inside a big block of ice. In this case how did Sean get out of the lake that gave him his powers in the first place?

Putting this minor quibble aside for a moment this was a very enjoyable episode that showed just how valuable some of the supporting players could be if they were given more to do. I look forward to seeing more from Chloe in the future. 7/10

Episode 1.4: X-Ray

This is another fairly solid episode from Smallville. The character of Tina Greer, while a cool idea, is fairly annoying as she is played to the hilt and possibly goes a little too overboard just a little too quickly. Though, in all fairness, you could say that the character does call for a little instability. I would have just liked a certain level of subtlety to the performance, which I felt was lacking, though she did give a nice reaction to the moment when she kills her own mother.

The most interesting parts of this episode involve Lex. He isn't in this one much but he makes an impact in the few scenes that he is in. In one of these he isn't actually Lex at all but Tina Greer pretending to be Lex. It's interesting to watch Rosenbaum's performance in this scene as he plays it with a slight feminine touch indicating Tina's inability to hide her body language despite the change in appearance.

The other scenes with Lex involve a sub-plot about a blackmail attempt which he turns to his advantage in one of his first truly devious moments.

I also like the character of Chloe and she is given a bit more to do in this episode as she helps Lana with something personal.

It's cool to see how Clark copes with his various emerging powers like a confused teenager going through the different stages of puberty. The scene where he looks into the girls showers using his x-ray vision, though obvious, is a classic and funny moment.

Entertaining but not without its flaws. 7/10