Episode 2.15: Prodigal

When Lex tracks down his half-brother, Lucas, it unleashes a game of one-upmanship between all three Luthors. During all of the games Lex is forced out of the Luthor mansion and is taken in by the Kents to live on the farm for a while until he can get back on his feet.

I love the moment in this episode when Jonathan reveals that he gave Lex all the worst possible chores he could think of to give him. It just made me laugh. Moments of humour such as this are interspersed throughout what is otherwise a very serious episode.

Once again we get a close examination of the very different styles of parenting that shape both Clark and Lex. And Lucas offers an example of someone who has had neither but instead had to raise himself.

There is a subplot involving Clark getting a job at the Talon, which kind of feels like dead weight in what is already a pretty crammed episode. The whole plot with Lucas maybe could have done with being spread over two episodes, as it feels like they have to race through some stuff in order to fit everything in. As a result there are times when Lucas' motivations seem somewhat confusing. Those motivations do become clear when you stop to really think about what has happened, but I just feel like a bit more screen time to let the story breathe would have been of benefit.

At one point, Jonathan gets pistol whipped but then we do not see him again. I would have expected a scene towards the end in which this attack causes him to backtrack on the kindness he showed to Lex, by blaming Lex for bringing this trouble into his home. 

Despite the quibbles I have, this is still another great example of a series at its best. It makes you sympathise with the man who will one day be Clark's most ruthless foe.

9/10