Season 2 Overview

1. Vortex 9/10

2. Heat 10/10

3. Duplicity 9/10

4. Red 10/10

5. Nocturne 6/10

6. Redux 7/10

7. Lineage 10/10

8. Ryan 9/10

9. Dichotic 8/10

10. Skinwalker 4/10

11. Visage 10/10

12. Insurgence 10/10

13. Suspect 9/10

14. Rush 8/10

15. Prodigal 9/10

16. Fever 10/10

17. Rosetta 10/10

18. Visitor 6/10

19. Precipice 10/10

20. Witness 9/10

21. Accelerate 6/10

22. Calling 8//10

23. Exodus 10/10


SEASON AVERAGE: 8.5/10


Top 5 Episodes

1. Precipice
2. Red
3. Lineage
4. Insurgence
5. Heat

 

Episode 2.23: Exodus

Clark’s space ship comes alive and the voice of Jor El tells him that he must leave his loved ones to fulfil his destiny. Helen breaks the wedding off with Lex. Clark and Lana decide to tell Chloe that they are now an item. Chloe, however, already knows about them after the kiss she witnessed between the two in the last episode. Maybe as a result of this she decides to accept Lionel’s offer of working for him to uncover Clark’s secrets.

After the finale of season one this season two closer had a lot to live up to. It almost succeeds. As is usual with any last episode of a season there is a lot going on.

Just as things seems to be going right for Clark, the rug is pulled from under him, and he is forced to make a drastic decision that leads to terrible consequences. He takes action to destroy the space ship in the hope that it will break whatever power Jor El might have over the direction of his life. In his efforts to steal the kryptonite key from Lionel we are treated to a great scene between Lionel and Pete Ross, who offers Clark the distraction he needs. The exchange between them is great, Lionel revealing just how much of a megalomaniac he is, Pete using that against him and throwing one of Lionel’s snide comments back in his face.

Jonathan Kent is a strange one. As I pointed out in my review of the last episode, ‘Calling’, he is often very contradictory in his attitude towards Lex. For all the times he has pointed out Lex’s flaws it seems somewhat strange that he should be so friendly with him here, presenting him with the gift of a compass, a ‘Kent family tradition’.

I feel so bad for Lex in this episode. He comes clean about lying, which is a massive step forward for him, only to be left by the Kents on his wedding day and sent down with the plane to boot. Seems like every time he tries to do the right thing the universe gives him a reason not to.

Jonathan’s reaction to Clark in the hospital, after Martha loses the baby, is painful yet quite understandable. While Clark’s intentions were noble, they were also reckless, and maybe even a little selfish. All the pain that Clark has caused through this error in judgement becomes too much for him to bear, and so he turns to red kryptonite to ease the pain, which ultimately turns him into emo-Clark. I love how, whenever a character in Smallville appears to be going over to the dark side, they start dressing in black. Even Chloe at the end, when she agrees to work for Lionel, is dressed in a black outfit.

One of the elements I always struggled with in season two was Helen’s betrayal of Lex. It is quite hard to pinpoint the exact moment she would have made that decision. But I will talk more about that in my review for Exile.

10/10

Episode 2.22: Calling

When the specialist who had been examining the hieroglyphs at the caves develops super powers, he breaks out of his padded cell and goes on the hunt for Clark Kent, with the intent to destroy him. Things continue to be a little awkward between Clark, Lana, and Chloe, and both Helen and Lana have concerns about the men they are romantically involved in. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Martha agree to sit at Lex’s wedding reception in place of his own parents.

After Clark and Lana finally smooch, and look to be moving into the next phase of their relationship, Lana starts to back off. This is so annoying. They have spent two whole seasons making googly eyes at each other and the moment something happens she starts to have second thoughts. Please, just get on with it already!

As much as I like Jonathan Kent for his principles, there are times when he can be very sanctimonious, which I suppose only goes to show that he is human. After telling Lex that he would be honoured to sit at his table during the wedding reception, he then precedes to make insinuations to Helen as to ‘what kind of man [she] is marrying’.

Chloe continues to demonstrate her loyalty to Clark, particularly in the way she reacts towards Lionel, as she basically tells him to get lost when he tries to manipulate her into digging up information on the Kent’s. Chloe’s loyalty has always been one of the most endearing qualities of her character. The episode does leave us wondering however, whether or not that loyalty is about to waver, thanks to some further manipulation from the silver tongued Lionel Luther. His words might not be quite enough to win her over, but the hurt she feels when she catches Clark and Lana kissing in the barn just might.

I’ve never really enjoyed any of the performances that I have seen from the actor playing Doctor Walden, and his performance here is no exception. He makes for a particularly weak nemesis, although his super-powered showdown with Clark is entertaining,

8/10

Episode 2.21: Accelerate

When Lana was eight years old she had a friend of the same age who drowned trying to save her. Now that friend has returned from beyond the grave, without looking any older, and so Lana believes that she is being haunted. The truth, however, may be a whole lot more creepy.

It is hard to figure out what to say about this episode. It is not a great addition to the series but neither is it a bad one. It is just fairly forgettable.

The little girl who plays Lana’s ‘back from the dead’ friend is somewhat grating on the nerves. Similarly, the casting of the guy who plays the janitor in Scrubs is very off-putting. I find it hard to take any other character he plays seriously. That may not be his fault. But I cannot help thinking that a better actor would be able to shake off the baggage and familiarity of their other work.

The story itself is a fairly interesting one. It just never quite gels into a satisfying whole. It is fair enough that Lana’s friend turns out not to be a ghost, but in that case, would she really go about setting up the film projector at the Talon to play the old family movies in an attempt to spook Lana. Surely that is too elaborate for a girl of such a young age to pull off, and if she believes herself to be real, then why act like a ghost? It is too inconsistent with what follows.

Average.

6/10

Episode 2.20: Witness

Three thugs exhibiting super strength pull a heist on a Luthercorp van, stealing a large quantity of refined meteor rock. Clark intervenes but is unable to stop them. When he discovers that the meteor rocks are being melted down into a gas that can be inhaled, thereby giving the users their abilities, he must find a way to bring them down that does not involve getting too close to the meteor rock. Also in this episode, Clark and Chloe have a major falling out, when she accuses him of never being there for her. Lana decides to slow things down with Henry Small, after she learns that their relationship is putting a strain on his marriage, and Chloe is given a proposition by Lionel Luther.

Lana Lang truly is the third wheel of Smallville. It is only when you go back to these earlier seasons that you fully realise the makers of the show just do not know what to do with her. They have spent a considerable amount of time developing the story between her and Henry Small over season two and after his appearance in this episode he is never seen or heard of again. But his exit is unsatisfactory. Lana tells him to cool things off for a while so that he can mend the rift between him and his wife. We are completely led to believe that this is only going to be a temporary thing. So where the hell is he for the next eight seasons?! It just renders everything we have seen between him and Lana somewhat pointless.

The stuff that goes on between Clark and the three meteor steroid thugs is very entertaining. There's some cool action beats, including Clark almost being roasted alive inside a giant furnace, and some typically intriguing back-and-to between Lex and his father.

You really do have to feel for Chloe. When she points out Clark’s eagerness to drop everything, including her, when it comes to spending time with Lana, it is very easy to agree with her.

9/10

Episode 2.19: Precipice

When Clark steps in to help Lana against three men who are being abusive to her, he gives them a beat down, which ends up with him having to do community service and the Kents being slapped with a one million dollar law suit. Lana chooses to get tough, training with Lex, learning how to defend herself. Meanwhile, an old boyfriend of Helen’s arrives in town with an unhealthy obsession for his former squeeze.

I love this episode. It’s quite dark, without being gratuitous, and it is good to see the writers of this show tackling the issue of violence against women.

The actor who plays Paul, Helen’s psychotic ex, is very effective in the role. Even in the scenes where he is asked to ramp it up he never over plays it.

It's nie to see Lana’s transformation from helpless victim to royal ass-kicker. It allows us to see the different reactions to violence from Clark, who worries that Lana may become over confident, Lex, who encourages Lana to take out her frustrations with a bout of kick-boxing, and Chloe, who makes Clark see things from the female perspective, allowing him to acknowledge the positives in Lana feeling self-empowered.

The theme of Precipice is anger. Every character involved has a reason to be angry at some point during this episode. Some are justified in their anger. Others are not. Some respond with pacifism, others with aggressive confrontation. Seeing the various ways in which these characters respond in their moments of anger allows us to see into their psyches. The inevitable result of course is that we get to see more of the darkness inside Lex and more of the hero inside Clark.

One of my favourite episodes. 10/10

Episode 2.18: Visitor

The ‘visitor’ of the title is a young boy convinced that he is in fact an alien. But, when the stories he tells of his past start to sound a lot like those of our favourite Kryptonian, Clark becomes convinced that the boy is telling the truth. Meanwhile, Lex gives Helen a key to the mansion, even going so far as to let her see what lies hidden in his most private room.

Visitor is actually a rather intriguing episode. It plays on the mystery of Cyrus’ true origins quite nicely, even if the outcome is an inevitable one. However, it is let down by an ending that forces some unnecessary action into what is an otherwise fairly character driven piece about obsession, and our need to discover the truth.

I can accept the fact that the Jocks who are bullying Cyrus would continue to do so after realising that the fire he started was just a trick. But not the second time after it appeared to them that he had destroyed their car with the power of his mind. They would be far too freaked out to consider going for him again.

The performance from the actor playing Cyrus was rather wooden, to the point of distraction. Maybe he was trying too hard to play it alien, but the choices he was making were obvious, making it hard to root for the character.

The most interesting part of this episode was when Lex reveals what is inside his private room, what he refers to as ‘my obsession’, to Helen. The look on her face suggests that it might also be her obsession.

In all, a good episode, brought down by some bad acting and a dull final act.

6/10

Episode 2.17: Rosetta

In this episode of Smallville Clark hears the key to his ship calling to him. When he places the key into the wall of the caves it downloads the Kryptonian language into him. When he uncontrollably burns the Kryptonian symbol for ‘Hope’ into the wall of his barn, it brings him to the attention of Doctor Virgil Swann, a man who may be able to unlock the answers to many of Clark’s questions about his origins.

Like the last episode, Rosetta is free from meteor freaks, relying on the main characters to drive the story forward. In many ways this particular episode should not work, simply because we all know the origin of Clark Kent, the alien from the doomed planet Krypton. We do not learn anything new about the destruction of his home planet. But the reason this episode works is that we get to see how these revelations about Krypton affect, not just Clark, but Jonathan and Martha too. They are all too aware that Clark is not their own flesh and blood and their reluctance to let Clark delve into his past is motivated by the fear that they might one day lose him.

The idea that Clark might have been sent to earth to rule is nicely counterbalanced with Jonathan’s insistence that he was raised by human parents, and that he will always be able to choose his own destiny.

The inclusion of Christopher Reeve as Virgil Swann is a welcome piece of casting. The role is substantial enough to not seem too much like a gimmick. The use of the Superman music from the original Richard Donner movie is also a moment of brilliance that sends a shiver of excitement down the spine.

10/10

Episode 2.16: Fever

When Martha Kent buries the key to the ship in the storm cellar, she unearths some green (i.e. Kryptonian) toxic spores that infect her with a virus, putting her into the hospital. While in hospital, Jonathan and Clark learn that Martha is pregnant, something that was made possible when the ship was last opened with the key. This news makes it all the more urgent to find a cure for Martha. But Martha is not the only one in need of a cure. Clark is also infected. When the DCA searches the farm for the cause of the virus they take the key to the ship with them. Jonathan breaks into a military base in order to steal it back, hoping that the ship will save both Martha and Clark.

This episode has a lot going on, and with no meteor freak to contend with, it is all character driven stuff, including one of the most heartbreaking moments in Smallville history, when Chloe confesses her undying love to a bedridden Clark, only to have him whisper Lana’s name in his comatose state. It is a crushing blow to Chloe that really makes you sympathise with her.

As an addendum to that, there is a moment right at the end of the episode in which Lana tells Clark that she cares for him, even if she is "not as good with words as some people". She says this after having read what Chloe had written to Clark. As a result, this moment really makes you want to slap Lana in the face. It almost feels like she is trying to cheapen the way in which Chloe feels by saying that Chloe is simply better with her words. In fact, Lana’s half-arsed attempt to tell Clark how she feels just seems really lame, especially when she tries to justify not going to see him when he was ill by saying "it would have been too hard to see him like that". What!!! Seriously Lana, get over yourself! Sometimes you really have to ask why Clark is still swooning over her.

Lex does not have a great deal to do, which is a shame, but it is always nice to see Jonathan stepping up to the plate in an effort to save his family. At one point, Clark comes to his rescue, even though he too has been struck with the kryptonian fever. This is a nice moment because it shows us that it is Clark's willingness to step up, no matter what the situation, that makes him a hero and not his super powers.

10/10

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

Episode 2.14: Rush

Pete and Chloe go to an all-night rave. The trouble is that the rave takes place at the caves that Clark has been studying. There are also some creatures of Kryptonian origin living in the caves. When these little beasties bite, the victims suddenly lose all of their inhibitions, endangering both themselves and the people around them. When Pete and Chloe are both bitten it's up to Clark to save them. But Pete slips a piece of red meteor rock into Clark's pocket and Clark also starts to lose all self-control.

There is always something amusing about seeing characters that we know and love suddenly acting completely 'out' of character, providing it makes sense for them to do so, as it does here. That is what this episode relies on. It's all a lot of fun and very entertaining, but in the end it doesn't really amount to much.

It is a little frustrating how forgiving Lana is throughout the series. Clark's behaviour in this episode is, from her perspective, despicable and a crushing blow. Yet, come the beginning of the next episode, it seems all is forgiven. His behaviour is never really dealt with and that is what makes the events of Rush seem somewhat pointless.

That said, Rush still provides excellent comic relief for forty-odd minutes. It's essentially a filler episode, but the kind you can really enjoy.

8/10.

Episode 2.13: Suspect

When Lionel Luthor is shot at the Luthor mansion Jonathan Kent is arrested for attempted murder. While all of the evidence seems to point to him there are others who may have just as much motive. But who is really guilty of the crime?

This is a good old-fashioned Cluedo-style mystery that works very well. It highlights Lionel Luthor's corruptive influence on the Smallville community.

While it is obvious that neither Jonathan Kent or Lex would be guilty of the crime, the interest lies in finding out who set Mr Kent up, and why.

The Rashomon style of storytelling works well though you get the feeling they really wanted to milk the stuntwork of Lionel falling through the table off the balcony. Not quite sure we needed to see it in every flashback.

9/10

Episode 2.12: Insurgence

When an attempt by Lex to bug his father's office, using hired help, goes wrong, a hostage situation ensues, and Clark must get inside the LutherCorp building in order to rescue his mother.

This is a cracking episode. Lots of drama, plenty of action, and Clark leaping tall buildings in a single bound, literally. It is supremely entertaining.

Also, it is revealed that Lionel has information on Clark and might know more than he is letting on.

Jitters, an episode of Smallville from the first season, ended with a very emotional scene in which Clark is reunited with his parents after a hostage situation, while Lex is left with his father who's display of affection is merely for the benefit of the press. This episode ends in an almost identical way, with one exception. This time Lex all but cuts himself off from his father. There is no show of affection, not even for the sake of publicity. It shows how the character has grown over the past year. It's not that he doesn't want loving parents. He still wishes he had what Clark has with his parents. But, at this point, he has ceased to look for it in his own father. He has accepted it and there is something very sad about that.

Insurgence is not only one of the best episodes of season 2 but simply one of the best episodes of Smallville.

10/10

Episode 2.11: Visage

This is a much needed improvement after the last stinker of an episode. Visage sees Lana-obsessed meteor freak Tina Greer return to Smallville posing as Whitney Fordman.

There are many highlights in this episode. The fight between the two Clarks at the end is very entertaining and the reaction by Whitney's mum to her supposed son's attack against a military officer is very well played, making the scene feel quite brutal and very believable. There is a cool moment where Clark's ship comes to his aid, revealing that it's purpose may not be entirely fulfilled just yet.

Lana's emotional outpouring at the end is very touching and I felt sorry for her. Much praise should go to Kristin Kruek for her performance here. The same can be said, as usual, of Alison Mack, who gets the chance to play it slightly creepy, as she goes all lesbian on Lana when Tina takes her form.

My only minor criticism about this episode is that, when Pete takes a pretty serious beating, there is nothing said about it later on. He takes one for the team and apparently no one seems to care. I realise that they only have so much time for each episode to put everything in but just a mention that he was okay would have been nice.

Back on form. 10/10

Episode 2.10: Skinwalker

This episode verges on awful. Unfortunately, it is also a pivotal episode due to the large part that the caves will play in future episodes.

Mark Snow's score for Skinwalker is one of the worst things about it, with it's stereotypical 'native American' sounds. He did the same thing whenever anything remotely NA popped up in The X-Files and it just has a paint-by-numbers feel to it. Don't get me wrong. His music for the show is usually spot-on. He just stumbles here by being far too obvious.

Clark's relationship with Kyla is absolutely preposterous. We are expected to buy into the idea of Clark meeting, falling in love, and sharing his secret with a girl, only to be heartbroken when he loses her, all within the space of 45 minutes. He cannot even tell Lana how he feels after more than an entire season. The fact that we know who Clark is really destined to be with, and that Kyla is only introduced here, means that she is never someone that the audience is going to emotionally connect with or care about.

The cave idea is nice. It puts a good spin on the Superman mythology. If they could have just steered away from the love interest angle, and reigned in the native American stereotypes, then this could have been so much better.

A major disappointment. 4/10

Episode 2.9: Dichotic

This episode features a student at Smallville High (played by one of the Home Improvement kids) who can split himself in two, thereby being in two places at once. Also, Lex is sent to anger management for smashing up a meter-maid's car. In the group he meets a female doctor and the two agree to have dinner together.

This is a typically entertaining episode of Smallville. Lex's road rage incident is every motorist's dream and brings a smile to the face. His burgeoning relationship with the doctor is interesting and the episode sets her character up for future instalments.

We also get to see some of Jonathan's insecurities coming to the surface as he starts to feel Martha slipping away from him while she continues to work for Lionel. These insecurities are very believable but obviously unfounded and I like that the writers have explored this. Mr Kent is a very proud and stubborn man and it is often this that makes him so watchable. But even stubborn men have doubts and fears.

I love the look on Clark's face when he comes out of The Talon at the end. He goes in there looking downhearted as though he expects to be put in his place with a good ear bashing from Lana and Chloe. By the time they've finished it is the two of them who look downhearted while Clark wonders off into the night with a look of self-satisfaction.

I'm not too sure about the climax of the episode on the bridge. I'm sure the bit where Clark jumps off the bridge to beat Chloe to the ground defies the laws of gravity. Otherwise a very strong episode.

8/10

Episode 2.8: Ryan

This episode is a kind of sequel to the first season episode 'Stray'. It sees Clark breaking the young Ryan James out of an institute in which he was being experimented on. What follows is a touching story of brotherhood as Clark aims to keep Ryan safe and save him from a brain tumour. The fact that Clark cannot save Ryan only adds to the emotional impact of the story.

Even Lex gets to act as a surrogate father to the boy and advises Clark to spend whatever time he has left with him rather than trying to fix a problem that cannot be fixed.

There is one moment that I found hysterical in this episode. It is when we see the cover of Warrior Angel morph into Clark's face. It's so cheesy that I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Whether or not it was meant to be taken this way I do not know. All in all though, 'Ryan' sits just on the right side of sentimentality, without becoming unbearably mushy.

A heart-wrenching story well told. 9/10

Episode 2.7: Lineage

This is one of the most emotional episodes of Smallville. Nearly every major character at some point during Lineage will bring a tear to the eye. Clark, Lana, and Chloe are all orphans in some way. Chloe still has her father but here we learn that her mother ran out on her when she was very young.

When a woman shows up in Smallville convinced that Clark is her son it leads to lots of personal discoveries and revelations about the nature of Clark's adoption. One of the saddest moments in this episode is when Clark is asked by Lex if he thinks they might be brothers. When Clark says "no", Lex looks extremely disappointed and it is very touching to think that all he longs for is a brother.

We also get to see what prompted Jonathan Kent's complete distrust of the Luthor name as we are treated to flashbacks of Lionel's involvement in Clark's adoption. Mr Kent is carrying a whole lot of guilt on his shoulders for his deal with the devil and it adds a lot of depth to an already rounded character.

It is worth noting that, once again, another outstanding episode is completely free of any meteor freak. While I am not against the idea of the freak of the week episode it is getting harder and harder not to acknowledge the fact that all of the best episodes of this series are freak free.

Deeply touching and character driven. Smallville at its best. 10/10

Episode 2.6: Redux

The freak of the week element of this story is extremely dull, and almost seems like an after thought by the writers, in an attempt to shoehorn a reason for some action and effects work into the episode. It involves a girl, Chrissi, who is actually an old woman who is able to suck the youth out of teenage girls.

The prosthetics work on Chrissi at the end is dodgy as hell and she is dispatched with in a way that makes you think nobody in the writer's room could really be bothered.

The real story is that of Clark trying to connect with his Grandfather and Lana trying to figure out the identity of a man that seems very close to her mother in a photograph. Lana has started to trust Clark once more though she is adamant that their relationship can grow only if Clark is willing to share everything with her. She lets him know this in a rather indirect way.

The stuff with Clark and his new principal is quite entertaining. The fact that he has never been to the principal's office before was pretty funny.

A fairly average episode. 7/10

Episode 2.5: Nocturne

This isn't one of the better episodes of the second season. In parts, Nocturne seems like an effort by the makers to recapture the essence of the early Universal horror pictures, like James Whale's Frankenstein. To some degree they have succeeded. But I guess that's the problem. The tone and style doesn't sit too well with what I have come to expect from Smallville and the character of Byron just feels too quaint and unconvincing. Maybe it is just that I, like Clark, am not overly fond of poetry and that element of the story feels too cringey.

The stuff going on with Martha and Lionel is the better half of the episode though it does seem somewhat out of character for Martha to accept the job she is offered from him. If she wanted a new challenge and a chance to use her education then I'm sure there are plenty of other places that she could find work.

Not great, but entertaining enough. 6/10

Episode 2.4: Red

What a great episode! Plenty of action, lots of comedy, and a fair amount of emotional stuff too. When Clark goes against the wishes of his father, and blows a load of money on a class ring, the red Kryptonite rock that has been substituted for a ruby causes him to go off the rails. The trouble that ensues is tremendously entertaining.

The emotional impact of Clark's odd behaviour on those around him is quite monumental. He unleashes dormant feelings of animosity towards his parents for not being able to afford more of the everyday comforts that other kids his age have. They know that it is just the red Kryptonite talking but they also have to acknowledge that these feelings are rooted somewhere deep within Clark's consciousness. This is an aspect of Clark's character that has not been explored before and it's easy to sympathise with Mr and Mrs Kent when these feelings surface.

Clark also treats Lana with a total lack of respect by taking her on a date and then going off with someone else. I really love Lana's reaction to Clark's apology at the end. It is far more realistic that she doesn't let him off the hook and it is one of the few times that she doesn't come off as a wimp who spends her days pining for Clark. She shows a stronger side to her character and it would be nice to see more of this.

Another reason why this episode is so good is that it shows the fears of those who know Clark's secret. His parents have always loved him and have never been under any doubt as to the kind of choices he would make. But the effects of the red Kryptonite force them to acknowledge that if Clark really wanted to harm others, instead of doing good, then there's very little that they would actually be able to do about it.

But that is the point. Clark is the man he is because of the upbringing he has had. Like he says, those dark feelings may be inside of him, but it's the love of his parents that keeps them at bay.

One of the best episodes of Smallville. 10/10

Episode 2.3: Duplicity

When Pete Ross discovers Clark's missing space ship it forces Clark into revealing his secret to him. At first Pete takes it hard, feeling betrayed by Clark for not trusting him, but soon learns the price he will have to pay and the responsibility that comes with knowing who Clark really is.

This is another great episode. Season two of Smallville has so far been practically faultless and it's easy to see why the creators once called it their favourite year.

The point at which Clark reveals his secret to Pete is handled very well and it is something of a relief to now have someone he can confide in other than his parents. The final scene shows Clark and Pete closer than ever and their relationship has become something more akin to that of the relationship between brothers.

Joe Morton is really quite good in this episode too, as the increasingly erratic Dr Hamilton, desperate to leave behind a legacy other than that of a crazy man who sold meteor fragments.

Lionel moves into the mansion, which allows for some great scenes between him and Lex over the coming episodes, especially as they both now seem intent on finding evidence of the alien craft.

Great stuff. 9/10

Episode 2.2: Heat

Heat is possibly one of the funniest episodes of Smallville ever. Learning that Clark's heat vision comes from his feelings of sexual arousal is just a classic moment. The part where his father helps him to control his new power of heat vision by getting him to think about sex is also quite hysterical.

With a teacher like Desiree Atkins there's no wonder Clark is getting a little hot under the collar. She has the power to make men do whatever she wants after the meteor shower heightened her pheromone levels. She soon has Lex eating out of the palm of her hand, and before long they are married, her plan being to have him killed so that she will inherit his fortune.

Lana's suspicions towards Clark are now seriously growing as she finds it hard to shake off what she 'may have' seen during the Tornado. Though, let's face it, it's about time she started asking him questions.

This is a top standalone episode filled with lots of humour and great character moments too. 10/10

Episode 2.1: Vortex

Vortex is a fantastic season opener and a great conclusion to the events that unfolded in last season's finale. We see Jonathan Kent fighting more than ever to keep Clark's secret safe and protect his family. Lex saves his father after a moment of hesitation and Lionel comes to see this as an act of weakness. Actually, Lionel doesn't see much of anything because an operation that he is given leaves him blind. Chloe's night at the Prom, as expected, ends in heartbreak when Clark rushes off to save Lana.

I genuinely felt sorry for Chloe in this episode thanks once again to the wonderful performance by Alison Mack.

Lex gets caught between a rock and a hard place when it is revealed to the Kent's that he knows Roger Nixon and might actually be the one who put him onto them. When he kills Nixon at the end it could just as easily be for his own benefit than that of Mr Kent's.

There is plenty of action in this episode as you would expect with any season opener. The moment when Clark goes up into the tornado to save Lana is brilliantly done and we later learn from Clark that there is a possibility that he was flying. It gives an insight into why he cannot usually fly in the series. It is because he simply does not have the will to do so.

Also, with a lot of other series, two-parter episodes have a tendency to drop the ball in the second part. Thankfully that isn't the case here. Vortex is just as satisfying as Tempest and the story is tied up nicely. 9/10