Season 3 Overview

1. Exile 10/10

2. Phoenix 10/10

3. Extinction 10/10

4. Slumber 7/10

5. Perry 10/10

6. Relic 6/10

7. Magnetic 6/10

8. Shattered 10/10

9. Asylum 10/10

10. Whisper 8/10

11. Delete 10/10

12. Hereafter 5/10

13. Velocity 7/10

14. Obsession 9/10

15. Resurrection 7/10

16. Crisis 8/10

17. Legacy 8/10

18. Truth 6/10

19. Memoria 10/10

20. Talisman 9/10

21. Forsaken 9/10

22. Covenant 10/10

SEASON AVERAGE 8.4/10


Top 5 Episodes
    1. Memoria
    2. Covenant
    3. Shattered
    4. Delete
    5. Phoenix

Episode 3.22: Covenant

A woman named Kara arrives at the Kent farm claiming to be from Krypton. She exhibits the same powers as Clark and tries to persuade him to go back to Krypton with her through the cave walls. Jonathan does not trust her and so enlists the help of Chloe to find out the true identity of the woman.
Lionel tells Lex from behind prison bars that he is dying but Lex doesn't believe him and is determined to have him convicted. But he needs an eye witness to Lionel's crimes in order to prevent the judge from granting bail. Clark offers to help, but Lionel tells him about the room in Lex's mansion, that has all of the information Lex has been collecting on him. So Clark ends his friendship with Lex and decides to go with Kara. This is after he forgets to drive Lana to the airport. But Lex is able to be there to see her off. When Chloe gives Jonathan the true identity of Kara he tries to stop Clark, revealing that the woman is just a pawn in Jor-El's scheme to bring Clark through the cave wall. Jor-El kills "Kara", then threatens the life of Jonathan, leaving Clark with no choice but to step through the wall. The episode closes with Lionel saying goodbye to his hair in prison, Lex seemingly being poisoned, while Chloe and her dad appear to be blown to pieces when their witness protection accommodation is bombed out.

I never had the pleasure of seeing this episode in continuity as the first season I properly watched was season 4. This meant that the explosion that supposedly kills Chloe and her dad never hit me quite as hard as I'm sure it would have done had I seen it without the knowledge of what comes next. Even so, if I put myself into the shoes of someone who did watch this in continuity, I can easily imagine it being a shocking moment. It's a brilliantly orchestrated sequence in which pretty much every main character on the show finds themselves in a tight or unfamilar spot at the end.

Jor-El really does come off as a controlling, manipulative, and even murderous douchebag in this episode. There's no way around it. He's simply not the noble character that you would expect him to be based on his history in the comics and other media. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand they are telling their own story here so, ultimately, they don't have to be so strict in their adherence to the lore of these characters. On the other hand, I feel it more fitting for Jor-El to be the kind of man that Clark can aspire to be. But then there's always Jonathan.

I actually like the fact that Lex meets Lana at the airport. I'm enjoying his interactions with her over the past few episodes more than I am the ones between her and Clark. At this point I can sort of understand why some fans of the show prefer the Lexana relationship over the core Clana one.

It's painful to see how fractured the relationship between Clark and Lex has become. I really do feel sorry for Lex here. It always seems like he's the one who is actually making more of an effort to still be friends and do the right thing in spite of his circumstances. Even the care he shows to Chloe, by making sure she fully understands the danger she is putting herself in testifying against Lionel, is somewhat endearing.

Covenant is a densely packed season finale that is Smallville at its best. A great end to perhaps the greatest season of the show.

10/10

Episode 3.21: Forsaken

Emily Dinsmore, the clone of Lana's childhood best friend, who we last saw in the Season 2 episode, Accelerate, has been held prisoner by Lionel Luther for the past 11 months. When she escapes she kills the new owner of The Talon and then kidnaps Lana, holding her captive inside a giant glass prison. Clark has decided that the only way to stop Lana leaving Smallville is to tell her his secret. But when she doesn't show up for dinner it leads him to investigate her wareabouts, bringing him into a confrontation with Emily. Lionel finds out that Lex is wearing a wire. He pays off the FBI agent, Frank Loder, that was working with Lex to work for him instead. Part of that work involves attempting to beat Pete Ross into spilling the beans on Clark. He doesn't! Lex eventually comes to his aid and forces Loder to make an arrest on his father, thanks to evidence provided by Chloe of the confession that Lionel thought he had deleted.

I wasn't overly keen on 'Accelerate'. So imagine my surprise when this sequel to that episode actually turns out to be pretty damn good! While I'm still not all that fussed about the character of Emily Dinsmore, I do like Lana's interactions with her here, thanks to the performance of Kristen Kruek. Kruek is on great form throughout actually and I really feel her disappointment and frustration in her final moments when Clark backs out of telling her everything. But Clark does this after Pete decides to leave Smallville with his mother, due to the unbareable pressure of trying to keep his secret. So you can understand the choice Clark has made and kinda feel sorry for him.

There's a scene in this episode where Clark comes to Lex and accuses him of being responsible for making Lana leave for Paris early. This is a way of putting Clark onto the trail of Emily but, even so, it's still a hard scene to watch because scenes between these two men now always seem to be laced with a touch of bitterness as their distrust of each other grows. It's been a subtle shift across the course of the season but these are not the same two men who hugged each other like brothers in Phoenix.

Lex gets to save Pete. It is clear that he is trying to bring down his father and that he had nothing to do with Pete being beaten. Yet Pete still doesn't cut Lex any slack when he tells Clark about what happened. Based on his words to him, Clark could be forgiven for thinking Lex was really up to no good. I like this scene because it highlights how the ways that people frame information about a certain someone can shape the way we view them. It's a good reminder that we should always form our own opinions about people rather than being informed by other people's prejudices.

To be quite honest, I'm happy to see Pete leave Smallville at the end. I don't hate the character, and he has had his moments to shine now and then, but on the whole he's the character from the main cast that I'm least drawn to. There has just been too many times where he has been a liability or just plain whiney about living in Clark's shadow.

I love Lionel's arrest sequence. He refers to Lex as Judas, painting himself as the Jesus figure, which reveals just how monumental his ego truly is.

A highly entertaining episode with a lot going on.

9/10

Episode 3.20: Talisman

When Lionel Luther unearths an artefact from the Kawache caves, a small dagger, he believes it to be made of the same metal as the octagonal disc. This means he should be able to use it to make a new key. Unfortunately for him, the dagger is stolen by a young man named Jeremiah Holdsclaw, who works for Professor Joeseph Willowbrook. Both men believe the dagger to be part of a prophecy, in which Naman, whom Willowbrook thinks is Clark Kent, will kill the evil Sageeth. However, when the dagger grants Jeremiah the same powers as Clark, he decides that the prophecy must be referring to himself as the saviour Naman and goes on a quest to kill Lionel, the man he determines to be Sageeth. Meanwhile, Lana Lang asks Lex to buy her out of The Talon, so that she can afford to go to Paris. But when he puts the place up for sale she begins to have doubts about going until Lex persuades her otherwise.

This is a really good episode that I don't think I fully appreciated until now. When I go through the series like this and review each episode, it forces me to be a bit more analytical and a bit more objective. As a result I find that my opinion can really change on some episodes and this is definitely one of them.

I love the stuff between Lex and Lana here, particularly the fact that Lex admits to going into business with Lana in the first place because it kept a part of his business affairs grounded in a person of honesty and integrity. I also love that Lex is able to bring a strength out of Lana whereby she feels capable and driven enough to be truly independent. She doesn't always get this from Clark due to his overprotectiveness of her.

The story with the dagger forces Clark to consider his destiny. Is it already written or does he get to decide for himself who he is going to be? Sure, this is hardly a new question for him to be asking, but seeing the way that Willowbrook already looks to him as his people's saviour, it gives us some insight into the kind of pressures Clark will eventually have to face once he dons the red cape. How do you cope with people looking to you almost like a God?

We see how quickly such a pressure can transform a man so negatively through the character of Jeremiah. His belief that he is the chosen one has a huge impact on his ego, turning him into someone who thinks that he has the right to determine who gets to live and who gets to die. This is the way that most self-proclaimed saviours have gone when you look throughout the annals of history.

I love Lex's interpretation of the prophecy at the end. He asks Clark to consider the possibility that, actually, perhaps it is Naman who is the villain of the story. It's an interesting take, as most villains would never really see themselves as such. We are all the heroes of our own stories after all.

Clark and Lex's relationship is really starting to show cracks in this episode too. This is mostly because Lex senses that Clark is lying to him. The thing is, he is right, Clark is indeed lying to him. But you can see the way in which that growing distrust is affecting Lex's attitude towards Clark. And it's really hard not to see it from Lex's perspective and think, "You know what, you're right not to trust this dude!" That being said, the secrets that Clark wants to keep truly are nobody's business but his. As a viewer you are caught between a rock and a hard place in this complex relationship between the two men.

9/10

Episode 3.19: Memoria

When Lex is found by Lana standing on the edge of his rooftop balcony, screaming the name 'Julian', she tells Clark out of concern. Clark learns that Lex has been undergoing treatment with Dr Garner, at Sommerholt, to retrieve his missing memories. Fearing this might help Lex to recall his secret Clark goes to Lionel to have him do something about it under the guise of protecting Lex from the dangerous procedure. But Lionel betrays Clark, luring him into a trap, so that Dr Garner can use the machine on him and discover the secrets of his origins. Whilst in the machine Clark has a memory of his birth mother, Lara, while Lex eventually remembers the truth about Julian and, ultimately, the reason for why his father has never truly loved him.

WOW! What a bloody brilliant rollercoaster ride of an episode. Not only is Memoria my favourite episode of the third season, it might just be my favourite episode, period! The unfolding of Lex's history, particularly the final reveal about what truly happened to Julian, is jaw dropping and very emotional. Rosenbaum's performance is incredible throughout and by the time we get to the end I've probably never felt more sympathetic towards his character.

Glover is on form as Lionel as well. He makes a pretty sharp observation about Clark's motives for helping Lex at one point. Sometimes, Clark's drive to protect his secret really does outweigh his better nature, but it shows us that Clark is definitely more human than he cares to acknowledge.

Lionel realizes his mistreatment of Lex for so many years was all based on a lie. It is a really tragic moment. But if he'd have known the truth from the beginning it's pretty clear that nothing would have been different between him and Lex. Instead, he would have had Lillian killed and Lex would hate him for it. Either way, the evil nature of Lionel would always be the source of division in the Luther family.

Clark learns that his birth mother's biggest fear was that nobody on earth would love her son. It gives him a new perspective on his natural parents, who have so far been very alien to him, particularly with the demands that Jor-El has been placing onto him over the past year.

This is a stellar episode that really deepens the characters and enriches the mythology of the show.

10/10

Episode 3.18: Truth

When Chloe breaks into Luthercorp in search of proof that Lionel has blacklisted her dad from finding other work, she gets caught in a lab accident that sprays her with a kryptonite-infused gas. The gas gives Chloe the power to make anyone tell her the truth by merely asking them a question. Chloe's reporter instinct goes into overdrive and she makes enemies all over the place, pulling the darkest secrets out of everyone she meets, including Lionel Luther.

The concept for this episode is brilliant. It allows us to get to the heart of some of our main characters by bringing things out of them with a level of clarity that we are just not used to seeing, whether it's Lex admitting that the only thing he wants is for his dad to tell him he loves him, or Pete coming clean about how he really feels about Chloe. The standout scenes in the episode are between Lionel and Chloe. Glover is particularly on form and the way he subtly intimidates and manipulates Chloe, just with his body language and tone of voice, is brilliant.

My big problem with Truth is that Chloe is just so damn unlikeable in it. No matter what dark roads the character has taken up until now, I've always still managed to empathise with her and root for her. There's usually a good reason for those dark roads to be taken. But here she just comes off as a mega bitch! That's not something I would personally expect to be saying about the character as she is one of my favourites. I blame the writing here though. They just make her run too wild with her power, to the point that she doesn't care who it hurts, which doesn't ring true of a character that once removed the "wall of wierd" from her office for fear that the information on there was risking lives. Chloe IS a truth seeker, but she is NOT reckless with people!

There are a couple of scenes that are pretty laughable too. One is the opening in which Chloe is gassed, just because the whole set up seems very contrived. I don't know what she was hoping to find in the way of proof that Lionel was blacklisting her father. The other is the scene in which Clark gets the antidote. He finds the man who used to run the lab that produced the gas. He's been unemployed for years and appears to be living out of a camper van. And yet he pulls out a syringe from his fridge like one of the hosts of Blue Peter. "Here's one I made earlier!". It's just so... convenient.

These issues aside, I can still enjoy many of the other scenes throughout, like Martha blurting out info on Jor-El, Pete almost giving up Clark's secret, and the real sting that comes from getting Lionel to confess to the murder of his parents before finding out that he has erased the recording of that very confession. Where does Chloe go from here?

6/10

Episode 3.17: Legacy

The octagonal disc calls out to Jonathan, causing him to have an accident that nearly kills him. Lex begins to help the FBI to catch Lionel by wearing a wire, but only turns their attention on Clark due to Lionel's interest in him. Lionel visits Virgil Swann to see if he will help him gather info on Clark. Swann declines but says he can offer something else instead. When Lionel's men, posing as the feds, storm the Kent farm looking for the disc, it prompts Jonathan to confront Lionel and the two get into a dustup, during which, the key ends up disappearing into the wall of the Kawache caves, only to resurface later in the possession of Dr Swann.

This is a somewhat frustrating episode. By the time it ends I'm not entirely sure what happened. All the stuff with Jonathan Kent hearing the voice of Jor-El doesn't really seem to go anywhere. Stuff just seems to happen without any kind of explanation or reason. Just what exactly was it that Virgil Swann is supposed to have done for Lionel to help him out? And how the hell does he end up with the key?

Also, what was Jonathan thinking getting into a fist fight with Lionel so soon after a triple heart bypass? I can only assume this is why, for the majority of the fight, Jonathan seems to be getting his ass handed to him, which is actually a nice touch as I would expect him to be more of a fighter than Lionel. Honestly though, it's quite satisfying to finally see these 2 have a shot at each other.

Lana is getting cold feet once more about stepping back into a relationship with Clark, which is about as yawn-inducing as that sounds.

Michael Rosenbaum is pretty good, typically, as Lex begins to feel pulled in many different directions. When his actions against his father have repercussions for Clark, you can totally understand how Clark would see it and why he might be mad, but also feel for Lex as he genuinely did not mean to bring Clark into it.

It's a really good episode but definitely let down by some incoherent plotting. At one point Clark is suddenly with Lana, telling her that he's looking for his missing father. But this is the first we are hearing about it as well. It kinda feels like there is a scene missing.

Ultimately, I feel like they tried to do too much with this episode and, as a result, it's not quite as tidy as it should have been.

8/10

Episode 3.16: Crisis

When Clark visits Pete at the crisis centre where he volunteers they receive a call from Lana who is being chased. But when Clark rushes to The Talon he finds her safe and sound. The call, it seems, came from the future and the man who was chasing Lana was Adam. Can the gang stop fate or is this the end of the line for Lana? Also, Lex tells the FBI that he'll help them catch his father. But little does Lex know that Lionel already has a death sentence in the form of a rare liver disease.

As much as Adam does nothing in this episode to redeem himself I can't help but feel a small amount of pity for him. Ultimately, he was fighting for his life, but lost the battle here. Yet another example of the collateral damage that is left in the wake of Lionel's actions. Even so, it does seem somewhat strange that Adam would try to kill Lana. At the end of 'Obsession' we learned that he'd deliberately endangered his own life by pushing Lana away and refusing to do as Lionel had asked. I had assumed this was because he genuinely cared for her and so would rather lose her than lie to her. This episode muddies the waters of his character to the point where it's not really at all clear how he ever felt about her or whether he was a good guy forced to go bad or just bad to begin with. Given that he never returns after this I guess we'll never know. I feel like the writers could have done a better job on this element of season 3.

On the whole though, I do enjoy the story with this one. The idea of hearing your own death on a recording is kind of creepy and, while we never doubt the outcome, it does make for good drama.

I love the look on Lex's face when he tells the FBI agent that he'll help him bring down his father. There's a lot going on in Rosenbaum's eyes in that moment. He is determined to not let his father screw him over and yet there seems to be a certain sense of anguish at the realization that he is willing to betray his own flesh and blood.

Once again, as with the previous episode, Clark's superspeed is the cause of the biggest hole in this episode's plot. When Adam steals a van, Clark gets to the scene a minute later. But he gives up the chase because there are 3 different roads that Adam could have taken. Given how fast Clark is able to get to Lana towards the end and save her from Adam, it's a little hard to believe that Clark couldn't have used that same superspeed to check out each route and easily catch up with Adam.

Despite that annoying plot detail this is a very good episode that gives us a tragic end to a minor character. 8/10

Episode 3.15: Resurrection

Jonathan needs open heart surgery. Garrett needs to get his brother a liver transplant. But his brother has already died once and Garrett ain't willing to let it happen again. So he holds the hospital hostage. Meanwhile, Clark tracks down the laboratory that the brother was taken to, before he rose from the dead, in hopes of finding a cure. What he finds is Lex talking to the scientist that had worked for Lionel on Adam, whom she keeps alive in her lab, against Lionel's wishes. When Clark steals a vial that may contain the cure for Garrett's brother, he comes to realize that it is made from his own blood.

The kid they get to play Garrett isn't the best actor. He is either stone faced or shouting. They appear to be his only 2 settings. It doesn't help me warm to the guy. Neither does the character's justification for wanting to take Jonathan's liver. Especially after how good the Kent's have been to him.

I love the sheriff. She really does approach every situation as though she's back in the wild west.

The episode does pose an interesting dilemma for Clark. If his blood is the key to unlocking the secrets to regenerating dead tissue, surely he could save countless lives if he just came forward with his blood. I think an interesting answer to that quandry would be to say that we are simply not meant to live forever. That it is our sense of mortality that makes the time we've been given all the more important. Instead, we get a wishy washy response from Jonathan that doesn't really satisfy in this instance.

Also, how is it that Clark was unable to turn and catch the bullet that kills Garrett? We've seen him do it before where he hears a gun go off and then time slows down as we see Clark go into superspeed mode. Hell, he does it right here just moments later when he sees Garrett hit the trigger. I guess one could argue that Clark was just under a lot of stress due to his dad being worked on at that very moment, but it seems like a bit of a cop out to me.

Otherwise this is actually a fairly solid episode with a good story. I think better casting could have greatly improved it though.

7/10

Episode 3.14: Obsession

When Clark is out on a school field trip to Luther Corp he is forced to exhibit his powers in front of a class mate named Alicia. Subsequently, she is forced to do the same in order to help preserve his secret, teleporting the two of them away from danger. They quickly bond and Clark begins to see a future with her. He wants to take it slow but she has other ideas. Soon Clark realizes he's in over his head with a crazy lady, who has made him her obsession and Lana a target. Meanwhile, Lana is having other troubles as she tries to make Adam leave the apartment she rented out to him. At first he refuses to go, but then vanishes without warning. We later learn that Lionel has him in a laboratory. And he's not too pleased about him going off mission to gather intel on Clark. He orders doctor Teng to terminate him.

It's quite sad when Alicia starts to go off the rails because I buy into her as a character, and particularly as a love interest for Clark, far more than I did with the likes of Kyla. Sarah Carter does a wonderful job in the role. It's very funny to see her teleport to Clark's bedroom in order to get it on, only for Jonathan to walk in on them. The look on everyone's faces is priceless!

There is one moment during this episode that I do slightly have a problem with. It's where Lex all but blames Clark for leading Alicia on. It's a fairly warped attitude to take for someone as intelligent as Lex. More to the point, it's a dangerous suggestion for the writers of the show to be making, as it almost implies that anyone who has a stalker is responsible for making them behave that way.

We finally learn some of what's going on with Adam. His behaviour towards Lana seems to have been an effort to intentionally push her away so that he would no longer be able to glean from her the information he was sent to gather. Does this mean that he genuinely loves her?

The way that Lionel treats Adam as nothing more than a commodity towards the end is quite chilling. Like a broken piece of hardware he's willing to just toss him into the scrap. People are literally just "things" to him, which is what makes him truly the most despicable villain of the show.

9/10

Episode 3.13: Velocity

Pete Ross goes all Dominic Toretto and starts illegal street racing. When he nearly hits Clark and his mother during a race it sends Clark into big brother mode as he goes all out to convince Pete to stop racing, even going so far as to threaten forcefully stopping him if he has to. Meanwhile, Jonathan recovers from his heart attack, Clark blames himself for putting Jonathan in the position of having to make a deal with Jor-El, Lex recruits a biologist who has oddly been working with Adam and Lana gets to see Adam's temper when she starts to ask too many questions.

Pete Ross comes across as a total douche in this episode. Clark also comes off as a little sanctimonius at times, picking up some of his dad's not so perfect traits. Still, thanks to Pete's actions, he is put into an impossibly difficult position when he has to steal Lex's porsche. Pete just seems like a child spitting his dummy out because he can't get what he wants. He disrespects Clark and then uses him and it's easy to understand Clark walking away from him in the closing moments.

It is an interesting plot development to think that Jonathan's diminished health might be related to the strain his body was put under at the start of the season when Jor-El gave him powers, especially in hindsight of knowing what happens to him in season 5's 'Reckoning'.

This is a fairly solid episode, even if the whole street racing plotline is a bit silly. I can't imagine a particularly huge boy racer community in a small town like Smallville. We're still not given a right lot of answers for Adam's erratic behaviour but it does at least feel like it may be going somewhere.

7/10

Episode 3.12: Hereafter

A new kid at school has the power to see how people are going to die. But when Clark intervenes and changes one of the kid's premonitions, it raises questions about how much control we might have over our destiny. Also, new information comes to light about Adam, when Chloe, Lex and Lana all begin to investigate him after Chloe sees him apparently taking drugs and Lana witnesses him having a terrible nightmare.

The plot involving Jordan, the kid with the premonitions, is just terribly wooden. It feels very much like Smallville going through the motions, making this mostly a filler episode. The characters of both Jordan and the coach, grieving over the loss of his daughter, are so heavy handed, both in terms of performance by their respective actors as well as the way in which they are written, that I just feel absolutely no emotional attachment to them at all. The coach goes from grieving and suicidal to homicidal maniac so fast that I begin to wonder if he isn't meteor infected.

The awesome pyrotechnics in the final showdown feel somewhat wasted on the story that preceded it.

The revelation that Adam has died before doesn't quite hit as hard as it ought to either, but it does set up enough intrigue to make one wonder where they are going with this character.

The most notable thing about this episode is the cliffhanger ending, in which Jonathan appears to have had a heart attack. Again, a moment so huge feels somewhat wasted on this episode. But I do remember thinking when I first saw this one that this might genuinely be the moment where we lose Jonathan, knowing that this had happened already in multiple iterations of the character. It gave this moment a lot of weight for the first time viewer.

Other than that ending though, this is a pretty mediocre episode.
5/10

Episode 3.11: Delete

Molly Griggs, a crazy lady from Summerholt, uses a computer program she has designed to brainwash those closest to Chloe into killing her. It turns out that Molly is working for Doctor Garner, the man who had once had Ryan James in his "care". Adam decides to move to Smallville to be closer to Lana and Lex ends up recruiting Garner in order to restore his missing memories of the last seven weeks.

I love this episode. Alison Mack does a tremendous job as Chloe in this one. Once more she is put through the ringer as all her closest friends try to take her out one by one. The fight scene between her and Lana is totally badass and seeing her reactions to all these attacks just makes your heart break for her.

Thankfully, as a result of all this, it does push Clark and Chloe into patching things up and making friends again. It's actually one of the best moments of this episode and one of my favourite scenes between the two characters in the entire series up to this point.

We learn also that Adam has some mad computer and kung-fu skills. But he doesn't know where he got these skills from due to an apparent amnesia, presumably as the result of his accident. It makes some of his behaviour seem slightly erratic and unpredictable. At one point he emotionally manipulates Lana during a heated discussion by pinning everything onto her insecurites. This should be a dead giveaway for her to let him walk away. But this is Lana we are talking about and so she welcomes him further into her life. Why break the habit of a lifetime!

Clark puts himself into a difficult position at one point by running to Lex in order to make insinuations about Lionel. But all this does is key Lex in to the fact that Clark knows something he doesn't about his missing memories. This is the second episode in a row where he has done this and you kind of get the feeling that Clark is his own worst enemy. He needs to start thinking things through before running into blabbermouth mode to Lex.

A great episode, with some cool action scenes and top notch character moments, particularly for Chloe. 10/10

Episode 3.10: Whisper

When Clark gets caught in an accident whilst trying to stop some robbers, one of whom has a freaky ability to project sonic waves from his throat, he is blinded. But with this blindness comes a sharpening of his other senses. Well, his hearing at any rate! When the same sonic vibrator man kidnaps Pete Ross in an attempt to make the judge, Pete's mom, allow his partner to go free, it's up to Clark to focus his new hearing powers in time to save his friend. Meanwhile, Chloe is being pressed by Lionel to investigate Clark further, and Clark overhears their phone conversation. When he speaks to Lex about being careful with Lionel, he uses words that could only have come from Chloe. When Lex repeats those words to Lionel it put's Chloe in his crosshairs.

Poor Chloe! Her life does slowly seem to be unravelling in this episode. I admire her attempt to stand up to Lionel, but she instantly regrets it when she threatens him. I can't help but feel sorry for her. I also can't help but feel that Clark is somewhat reckless with the way he talks to Lex as well. He should have considered that using Chloe's words might somehow point Lionel back to her. He's indirectly responsible for making her situation worse.

The freak of the week aspect of the show is mainly just a catalyst to explore Clark's new hearing abilities. This leads to some typically great support from his parents, who help him focus his new power.

We get a first look at the man of steel wearing glasses too. It's a funny moment and a nice little nod to Clark's future 'disguise'.

As Lana draws closer to Adam, her and Clark seem to be drifting further apart. Though, to be honest, when Clark talks of the reasons they couldn't be together no longer existing, it made me want to slap his sorry ass. Like, what, now that you are blind you expect Lana to look after you, no questions asked? Dude! Yeah, Clark does not really come off well in this episode.

Also, there's no real weight or tension in Clark being blind because we know full well that it can only be temporary.

I do like the special effects work on the sonic vibrator man though. The way his lips and his throat vibrate. It's kinda disgusting but very effective.

8/10

Episode 3.9: Asylum

When Clark learns of Lionel's plans to have Lex's memories wiped, using a dangerous procedure that could leave him in a vegetative state, he must race against the clock to break him out of Belle Reve insane asylum. Unfortunately, Clark runs into not one, not two, but three (four if you really think about it) villains that he has previously faced off against. Meanwhile, Lana begins her physical therapy and meets Adam.

Following on directly from the results of Shattered, Lex continues to be put through the ringer in this episode. You gotta feel sorry for the guy at this point! Rosenbaum is once again on his A game, giving a really outstanding performance.

John Glover is also on great form as Lionel, who gets to show a genuine feeling of love towards his son at one point. But it is a feeling he must force to one side for the sake of self-preservation. It's truly tragic! Annette O'Toole delivers once again too. There's a scene towards the end where the compassion she conveys towards her son is deeply touching.

We learn from Pete that he really struggles to keep Clark's secret. Clark realizes what a burden it is for him. It's a nice moment that reminds us of the sacrifices that Pete has to make for his friend on a daily basis. It's not all fun and games being best friends with a superhero.

It's so cool having Smallville's first real super-villain team up, though it's a shame that Van McNulty gets taken out the way he does, given how strong the previous episode with him was. The final showdown with the two remaining meteor freaks is still fun to watch. However, it does present us with the disturbing reality of Clark getting his stolen powers back, only at the expense of flipping the switch that essentially fries Lex's brain. The scenes of Lex receiving the electro shock treatment are painful to watch.

The new addition of Adam comes across as a rival to Clark for Lana's affections. At this point there's not much to suggest anything more than that so it feels like a nice ease in to the character. This is the way they should have handled the character of Kyla in last season's Skinwalker, so at least the writers are learning from their mistakes.

There's a great moment towards the end where we get the satisfaction of seeing Lionel's face as he realizes Lex was privvy to a secret that has now been wiped from his memory.

Excellent episode. 10/10 

Episode 3.8: Shattered

With 'Shattered', Smallville really steps back up a gear, with a tour de force performance from Michael Rosenbaum, as Lex descends into what may or may not be a drug induced pit of dementia. It turns out that Lionel is responsible, using Lex's 'madness' to cover up any evidence Lex has found that might implicate Lionel and Morgan Edge in the death of Luthor Senior's parents.

Speaking of Morgan Edge, he resurfaces here, unfortunately no longer played by Rutger Hauer. This is explained away through means of plastic surgery in the character's effort to change his identity. Patrick Bergin takes over the role and does a more than adequate job of it, at times even displaying some of Hauer's mannerisms. Apparently, Bergin was good friends with Hauer at the time, which probably accounts for how well he takes him off.

Lex's journey into madness is totally convincing, and the discovery that he had previously lost it in the same way, after the death of his brother, adds further nuances to an already complex character. The scene in which Lex cradles the rolled up blanket is both creepy and sad.

Another scene, in which he tosses Lana under a horse, is also quite brutal and very realistic. You can almost feel the blows that she takes, and it makes her final words to Clark sting all the more, knowing that he is in some way responsible for putting her in harms way.

The final shot of Lionel staring through a double sided mirror at Lex, who stands in a padded cell wearing a straight jacket, is depressing, tragic, and deeply twisted. It sure makes for damn good television!

10/10

Episode 3.7: Magnetic

In this 'freak of the week' episode we get to see yet another nobody turned into a somebody with the help of the meteor rock. And yet again, you guessed it, he has a mad crush on Lana. Given the power of X-Men villain Magneto, along with the ability to make Lana attracted to him with one touch, he sets about trying to make her run away with him. Meanwhile, Lex and Chloe begin to dig deeper into the explosion that killed Lionel's parents, with all the evidence pointing to Lionel as the perpetrator. But Lionel may have had some help from the apparently deceased Morgan Edge.

Two guesses which of these two story lines is the most interesting! Suffice to say it is always a bonus to have scenes which feature both Michael Rosenbaum and Alison Mack in them.

It's also nice to see them develop further the history between Luthor Sr and Edge. It adds more weight to their previous scenes together in the two-part season opener.

The opening scene of Magnetic, which sets up the meteor infected villain of the episode, is much too heavy handed. It lays on the emotional attachment that this guy has for Lana rather thick, especially for a character that we are only just being introduced to. This might have worked in a season one episode but it doesn't quite work three seasons in. I am also unable to sympathize with him in the same way that I have with previous meteor infected victims-turned-scumbags. There's just no character to this guy. He's crazy about Lana. That's it! Boring!

Still, the Lex and Chloe stuff at least injects some life into proceedings, as it feels as though it is actually leading somewhere.

6/10

Episode 3.6: Relic

When Clark has an experience in the cave he starts to see flashbacks to a previous life. That life just so happens to be Jor-El's. Through these flashbacks Clark learns that Jor-El was once sent to earth as a test by his own father. These memories are also connected to a murder investigation that Lana is trying to solve because it is linked to her own relatives. Meanwhile, another murder investigation is about to begin by Lex, that of Lionel's own parents.

Relic is an interesting story that sheds a little more light on Jor-El's decision to send Clark to earth, and to Smallville in particular. Unfortunately, the decision to have Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk play both their usual roles, as well as those of Louise and Jor-El, does not work for me. It feels too gimmicky and the only valid reason for having them do so is to have the Mayor character at the end of the episode believe he is seeing a ghost.

I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Jor-El and grandpa Kent, and maybe a little less of the Jor-El/Louise relationship. The Louise character comes off as rather selfish and hollow when we should instead be feeling sympathetic for her with the predicament that she is in. I don't like the Hollywood trope of trying to make viewers side with the person in a marriage who is having an affair. Louise made her choice. Her little pity party about wanting to "be a star" does not make me root for her. In the end, I can't help feeling she gets what she deserves.

I love what they have done with the period setting though. It looks beautiful and authentic, if somewhat romanticized, in typical Smallville fashion.

We get to learn more about the Luthor family history, and find that there is a link between the Kents and the Luthors that existed, long before Jonathan and Lionel ever met. Finding out how Lionel's parents died makes for a well played scene between John Glover and Michael Rosenbaum. The sense that Lionel is not telling the whole truth gives way to a tantalizing prospect. Of course, the question isn't truly raised until the next episode. Did Lionel kill his own parents?

6/10

Episode 3.5: Perry

This rather funny episode of Smallville introduces the well known comic book character of Perry White. Perry comes to town looking for a story and finds one in Clark Kent. Clark is forced to display his powers in order to save him from a car accident, caused partly by Perry's drunkenness, and partly by the fact that Clark's powers keep malfunctioning due to a solar flare from the sun. Meanwhile, Lex is undergoing therapy sessions so that he can go back to work, but he isn't taking them very seriously.

Jonathan's reaction to Perry's suggestion that he 'borrow Clark to ferry him around for a few days' is priceless. It is very slight but it's all in the face.

The idea that Lex is suffering from insanity, which started with his experience on the island and is now continuing because of unresolved issues with his father, is the set up for what is to come within a few episodes. Watching the scenes between Lex and his psychotherapist makes me want to zip straight to the episodes where all this is leading to, 'Shattered' and 'Asylum', and I really feel that this story line was one of the strongest that the writers on the show ever came up with in terms of the journey that Lex goes through.

Perry White, as played brilliantly by Michael Mckean, is a whirlwind, offending everyone he comes into contact with, and holding nothing back. When he dredges up some painful memories for Lana, she goes running to Lex, and he literally runs the reporter out of town. But like the bad penny, he just cannot help coming back to investigate Clark further, culminating in a daring act of bravery/stupidity in order to test his theory about Clark.

How did Perry not spot the fact that Clark's hands had healed so darn fast, especially as they actually shake hands before he leaves? Seriously Clark, you couldn't even muster up some bandages and at least pretend like you were still injured? Duh!

Despite this minor quibble Perry is such a fun episode to watch. The scene where Clark accidentally hurls a tractor is hilarious and remains a comically iconic moment from the show.

10/10

Episode 3.4: Slumber

Slumber sees a teenage girl called Sara move next door to Clark. Looked after by her uncle, Sara spends her life in a coma constantly having nightmares, in which she is tormented by a ghostly apparition. Unfortunately for Clark, she is able to step into his dreams, bringing the apparition with her.

This episode has quite an intriguing concept. It is set up and mostly played out quite beautifully. The opening scene is somewhat risque (for early Smallville), with Clark and Lana getting all sexed up as they partake in the wonders of skinny-dipping, that is until we find out that it's all in Clark's head. The apparition has a fairly cool design, looking a lot like the Ghost of Christmas yet to come.

Katharine Isabelle is adequate in the role of the tortured teenager. Her character's predicament is constantly alluded to by the not-so-subtle choice of R.E.M. songs that pop up throughout.

One of the most entertaining parts of Slumber involves Clark having a nightmare in which Lex attacks him with a samurai sword. This reveals deep-seated fears he has about telling Lex the truth. He doesn't trust him because he is a Luthor.

One of my main gripes with this episode is the stupidity of certain characters, primarily Lana, but also Sara's uncle Nicholas. When Clark crashes his car, how is she possibly put at ease by his parents simply telling her that 'He'll be fine'. And what the hell was she thinking when she decided to just confront Nicholas on her own. At the very least she could have taken Pete or Chloe for back-up. I put it down to over-confidence after taking down Van McNulty in the previous episode, which was actually one of Clark's fears about Lana taking self-defense classes in season 2. Great foreshadowing or accidental narrative coincidence? I will leave that to you!

With regard to Nicholas, his plan to dispense with Lana was ridiculous. He sets it up to look like a car accident but then discards the petrol canister right at the side of the road with his finger prints all over it. Dumb!

Despite this poorly written final act, Slumber is a nice story about facing your fears, and sits among the finest of the lesser episodes of Smallville.

7/10

Episode 3.3: Extinction.

Van McNulty has a reason to hate the meteor infected. Tina Greer, the shape shifting meteor freak, murdered his father. Filled with the desire for vengeance McNulty goes on a killing spree, taking out any students at Smallville High that have made Chloe’s wall of weird, eventually turning his attention on Clark.

Extinction is a cracking thriller, and Van McNulty makes for an effective nemesis for Clark, using a kryptonite bullet to bring him down. This is a really cool moment in the series and the scene plays very well, both on the special effects side of things, as well as Tom Welling’s reaction to taking the bullet. His shock and disbelief are palpable.

The opening scene at first had me rolling my eyes as we get yet another Lana-obsessed media freak stalking her. But as soon as he is taken out and we realize this is going to be a different kind of villain, it instantly becomes a lot more intriguing. 

The episode also poses some interesting questions, such as whether or not all meteor freaks turn into psychos, and is it possible that Lex Luthor himself is a meteor freak?

After the events in Exile and Pheonix it’s hard to believe that Clark would be so easily able to settle back into life as usual in Smallville. Clearly Lana and Chloe are very forgiving.

Otherwise there is much to appreciate, including some funny moments, such as Lex being unable to get insurance due to his many scrapes with death, and Lana’s standout moment, in which she takes out Van McNulty. Not only does she totally floor him, she does it with her hands tied behind her back.

Chloe continues to struggle as she tries to escape Lionel’s manipulative clutches. John Glover is as excellent as ever delivering his threats to Chloe with all the slithery charm of a snake. It is always a bonus to see two of this series finest actors sharing screen time.

10/10.

Episode 3.2: Phoenix

Given powers by Jor El, Jonathan Kent tries to convince Clark to come back home, the hard way. When the Kent family are reunited they are left with a whole load of problems to clean up in the wake of Clark’s recent behaviour malfunction. The item that Clark was hired to steal from Lionel by Morgan Edge turns out to be the blood sample that was taken from him by Helen. Edge still wants it. And so does Lionel.

The first thing that needs to be said about this episode is that the ‘super-fight’ between Clark and his dad is awesome! They are throwing each other through walls, off buildings, hitting scaffolding and everything. It is the first real super-fight in Smallville and they went all out to make it special.

The Kent boys are not the only ones kicking butt in this episode either. Lana totally owns one of Morgan Edge’s goons, ending in yet another death on the Kent property. How the FBI is not investigating the Kent family by now I’ll never know. Regardless of that, it's great to see that the self defence classes Lana took, in last season's 'Precipice', are still informing her character..

The episode culminates in a shootout between Lionel and Edge, and their respective goons, while Lex turns the tables on Helen. Both of these confrontations make for a satisfying conclusion to one of Smallville’s finest multi-episode arcs.

10/10.

Episode 3.1: Exile

Kicking off three months after the events of Exodus, emo-Clark is living in a self-imposed exile in Metropolis, robbing banks and cash machines. Morgan Edge, a major league crime boss, eventually comes calling. He hires Clark to steal something from Luthercorp Plaza. Jonathan makes a deal with Jor-El to bring Clark back home, and Jor El gives him the same powers as Clark, so that he is able to do so. Helen is revealed as a traitor to Lex, having betrayed him to inherit his fortune. Meanwhile, Lex actually remains stranded on a remote island, with someone named Lewis.

There is some really great action in this season three opener. The bank robbery set piece at the beginning is outstanding. As is Rutger Hauer, in a supporting role and genius piece of casting, as crime boss Morgan Edge. He only appears in a few scenes. But Hauer has that unique ability to hold the screen without seemingly doing all that much.

It is revealed that Helen was hired by Lionel to spy on Lex but it is not made clear as to what point this treachery began. Has she been spying ever since the beginning? If so, there are a few previous moments between her and Lionel in season two that would no longer make sense. If it was fairly recent, then at what point did she decide to go from duplicitous spy to cold-blooded murderer?

We are quite familiar with Jonathan Kent making the odd rousing speech every now and then. But his ‘happy days’ speech to Martha takes the cheese factor to a whole new level.

Lex wrestling with his subconscious, in the form of Lewis, is a nice touch that I don’t think I fully appreciated the first time around. The actor playing Lewis is really quite good, making the most out of the role.

I have always loved the cliffhanger to this episode, with Jonathan and Clark’s face off, promising Smallville’s first truly great ‘super fight’. The fact that it is father versus son makes it all the more emotionally engaging.

A great start to the season.

10/10