Smallville: Season 4 Overview

1. Crusade 9/10
2. Gone 8/10
3. Facade 7/10
4. Devoted 9/10
5. Run 10/10
6. Transference 10/10
7. Jinx 8/10
8. Spell 5/10
9. Bound 10/10
10. Scare 9/10
11. Unsafe 10/10
12. Pariah 10/10
13. Recruit 9/10
14. Krypto 8/10
15. Sacred 6/10
16. Lucy 7/10
17. Onyx 10/10
18. Spirit 6/10
19. Blank 7/10
20. Ageless 5/10
21. Forever 6/10
22. Commencement 9/10

Top 5 episodes
1. Onyx
2. Transference
3. Unsafe
4. Pariah
5. Run

Season 4 is pretty solid but it's let down by a fairly weak back end. This is the season where the cracks in Clark and Lex's relationship really start to show. Lex truly steps out of the shadow of his father, becoming his own man, for better or worse. And while I like the character of Jason, the narrative blunder they seem to make with him in episodes 18 and 19 really hurt his arc. The introduction of Lois is a definite plus thanks to the onscreen chemistry between Tom Welling and Erica Durance as well as the likeabilty of Durance in general. But in some ways that only serves to make Lana seem a lot more stale as a character, which isn't helped by the clunky witches story arc they give her throughout the season. Lionel's arc from bad guy, to good guy, then back to bad guy is also a highlight thanks to the ever reliable performance of John Glover. Finally, letting Chloe in on Clark's secret adds an interesting dynamic to the show whilst making me love her character all the more as we get to see her devoted loyalty to the flannel wearing farm boy.

SEASON AVERAGE: 8.0/10

Episode 4.22: Commencement

When Genevieve confronts Lana in order to get hold of the stone, Isabelle Thoreau takes control of Lana, killing Genevieve by stabbing her with the very rock she came for. Lex takes Lana back to the mansion for "protection". When he goes to clean up the evidence he finds that Lionel has already done it. Lionel tells Lex to retrieve the stone from Lana otherwise he'll shop her in to the cops for murder. But Lana has given the stone to Clark, believing it is somehow meant for him. This is quite the stroke of luck as there is another meteor shower heading to Smallville and Jor-El tells Clark that the only way to stop it is to unite the stones. However, when Clark does indeed unite the stones, they wisk him away to a snowy mountain landscape. Meanwhile, Jason Teague shows up to the Kent farm and holds Jonathan and Martha at gun point, determined to find the stones.

It's been some years since I had seen this episode and my memories of it were that it was super epic and one of my favourites. However, it doesn't quite live up to my memories of it. It's still an excellent episode, but it does have some issues. Lois makes a few remarks that are little nods and winks to what will happen in the future. But they feel far too on the nose to put it mildly. Add to that a scene where Lois distracts an army officer by barking orders and criticism at him, which is embarrassingly unrealistic, not to mention totally unnecessary.

There's also a moment that made me laugh for the wrong reasons. Clark gets hold of the last stone and takes it to the cave as meteorites rain down upon Smallville. But he moves with absolutely no sense of urgency, strolling through the caves like he's on a summer walk through the park. It just made me chuckle and took me out of the scene.

Other than those criticisms everything else in this episode is on point. I love the showdown between Jason, Jonathan and Martha on the farm. Jason gets a pretty good send off as a meteorite comes crashing through the roof of the house and despite the terrible thing he is doing I can't help but feel a little bit sorry for this man who has been pulled in all sorts of directions and who feels betrayed by everyone.

Lex seems to have truly embraced the darkside at this point. When he tells his father that he got the son he always wanted I believe him. He is willing to allow Lionel to die in this moment and, unlike the final episode of season 1, there is no hesitation or mulling it over. And the way he tries to manipulate Lana into giving him the stone is done in such a calculated way. He is driven by a selfish ambition throughout everything that is going on. He really does not feel like the same person that we met all that time ago in the pilot episode.

The pacing of this episode is pretty relentless. As a result the death of Genevieve Teague feels a bit rushed, but there is a lot of action in the final act that is all pretty well handled, even if some of the effects shots don't quite hold up as well as they once did. It makes for a fairly exciting climax to the season. Roll on season 5.

9/10

Episode 4.21: Forever

Brendan Nash, a photographer for the Torch that we've never met before, has the ability to freeze people into waxwork statues. He uses that ability to trap several students from Smallville High inside a large replica of the school that he had his dad build for him. It's the last day of school for each of these students, but Brendan doesn't want to let go of the "best years of his life", hence the giant prison cell. One of those students is Chloe. Another is Lana Lang. Meanwhile, Lionel and Lex are being held in a log cabin in the woods by Jason and Genevieve. Genevieve threatens to kill Lex in front of his father unless Lionel coughs up the wareabouts of the stone. Also, Clark has made the decision to go to a much less prestigious college in Smallville, rather that Met U. This decision upsets Jonathan, who believes Clark is only making it in order to stay home to help with the farm, jeopardizing his future potential.

Well this is an episode of two halves, that's for sure! Everything that ISN'T the Brendan Nash plot is absolutely great. The Nash plot itself, not so much! It has it's moments, such as the head being thrown down the stairs and Lois and Clark working together like they're in an episode of the 90's TV show. But the idea that Brendan could faithfully reconstruct half the school inside his dad's warehouse, even if his dad helped him, is utterly proposterous! It's one thing to rebuild the rooms and corridors, but decorating parts of it, such as The Torch office, to the point that even Chloe is fooled, just requires too much suspension of disbelief. And how on earth did Nash even get Chloe into that place without her realizing, given that the people he freezes still appear to be conscious once frozen? It's ridiculous!

However, I really love the other 2 plots that are going on. It's fun seeing Lex and his father having to work together in order to break free from Jason and Genevieve, clearly having not learnt her lesson in the previous episode, but with Lex still unable to trust Lionel as far as he can throw him. Seeing Lionel get under Jason's skin does clue us in to how Jason really feels about Lana. It makes him a more complicated villain as we see that he is genuinely torn between the love he feels for his former girlfriend and the duty he feels towards his mother.

Finally, there's the stuff between Clark and his dad, which I really enjoy. At first, he totally comes off as his typical stubborn self, which does lead to a really funny moment he has with Martha as he chops wood in the barn. But as his reasoning become clear I find it very easy, as a parent myself, to completely understand where he is coming from. No good parent wants to be the person responsible for holding their child back. But Clark's response is quite beautiful and really shows maturity beyond his years as he thinks about the kind of son he wants to be. I love that moment.

If they could have had a better freak of the week thrown into the mix, or none at all, this could easily have been one of the best episodes of the season. Unfortunately, it is there, which really drags the score for this one down considerably.

6/10

Episode 4.20: Ageless

Clark and Lana find a baby lying in a crater in Evans field. To prevent him being handed over to child services they offer to look after him, calling him Evan, after the place they found him. But after a couple of days Evan suddenly grows into a young boy. When Lex brings the best specialists from Metropolis to find out what's going on, they soon learn that this rapid ageing will continue to happen, unless they can get a bone marrow transplant from the boy's biological father. Meanwhile, Lionel is called to see Genevieve, who threatens to harm Lex if Lionel cannot get him to hand over the stone that she believes he took from China. In return, Lionel poisons her, refusing to give her the antidote until she gives him another stone that is in her possession.

I really don't like the main idea for this episode. I've seen it done in other shows and it never really works. It always feels a bit silly when the lead characters end up mourning the loss of a person they have only known over a few days as though they've truly put in the 20 odd years of parenting that actually goes in to building those connections. The scenes in which Clark, and particularly Lana, get all emotional over Evan's death are trying too hard to pluck the heart strings. They end up feeling unearned, as is often the case when you try to cram (in this case) years of relationship highs and lows into 40 minutes of television. I need to be able to care for this person as much as Clark and Lana do. But given how little screen time we get with him I just have no feelings towards him at all beyond seeing him as a plot device.

There are some things that come out of that plot device which are good moments, such as when Lex lies to Clark about when he's going to share the findings of the research that came from Evan with the rest of the world. This is a moment that truly makes me believe that Lex is now lost, with no hope of returning to the man he once was. Lying has become second nature and Clark seems nothing more to him than a wellspring of potential opportunities to be constantly plundered for personal gain.

The highlight of the episode though is the verbal sparring between Lionel and Genevieve. By the end, Genevieve looks like an amateur, trying to punch well above her weight. She's no match for the devious nature and underhanded trickery of Lionel Luther.

I just wish we'd had more of this and less of the rapid ageing storyline. Scenes like the one in which Evan accidentally kills his biological father just felt horribly contrived and totally unnecessary. It made me literally roll my eyes. That's never a good thing!

5/10

Episode 4.19: Blank

Kevin Grady has the power to make people forget the last few minutes of their life. When Clark tries to stop him stealing, Kevin uses his power againt him, but due to the power being a result of kryptonite-infused experiements that were done to Kevin at Sommerholt, Clark suffers total amnesia. Chloe leads him down memory lane whilst steering him away from situations that might reveal his powers. Eventually, they figure out that Kevin was sent to Sommerholt to supposedly have memories of accidentally killing his own brother wiped. But it turns out to be the father who had accidentally killed the boy and blamed Kevin for it. Meanwhile, when Lana tells Jason she's thinking about deciding to not go away with him, he gets angry and aggressive with her, leaving her pretty shaken.

In my review for the last episode I said that I felt there was a scene missing that might explain Jason's sudden allegiance to his mother. Well, here it is! The thing is, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense coming off the back of last episode. It makes Lana seem like she was cheating on him when she danced with Clark at the prom. I am totally and utterly convinced that this episode was meant to air before 'Spirit'. Had that been the case, Jason's journey to the dark side would have made far more sense.

Lex is really devious in this one too. He tries to take advantage of Clark's memory loss by lying to him in order to learn more about the caves. It's so sad to witness this behaviour from him as it illustrates just how far their relationship has fallen.

The plot with Kevin, while not the worst meteor freak plot, is far too predictable that I became emotionally detached from it as I waited for the reveal that I already knew was coming. It does however provide us with some great interplay between Chloe and Clark, where again, we get to see Chloe's incredible loyalty towards him.

I find it someone tedious though that we have to witness Clark's feelings towards Lana emerging once more. But, again, it makes what happened in the previous episode between the two of them feel much more organically executed when you view this one first.

A decent episode.

7/10

Episode 4.18: Spirit

When Dawn Stiles, the leader of some stereotypical bimbo girls that feel like they walked straight off the set of Mean Girls, crashes her car and ends up in a coma, she begins to walk the earth in spirit form, with the unique ability to hop into people's bodies. She sets about using this ability to live the ultimate life experience of going to prom and becoming prom queen. But once she realizes that nobody really likes her she decides to take revenge by attempting to blow up the school with everyone inside. Meanwhile, the body of Bridgett Crosby is found in Lex's garden and, while Jason Teague does everything he can to appear shocked by this, even calling the sheriff, it turns out he is the man responsible, having now apparently decided to give his allegiance to his mother. This allegiance is only strengthened when he sees Lana on the dance floor with Clark.

I feel like Jason's decision to follow his mother and go to the dark side is really mishandled, to the point that I'm questioning whether he was ever truly on Lana's side. But it makes absolutely no sense for him to have been in on it with his mother since the beginning given some of the exchanges we've seen between the two of them in private. What I can gather is that Lana broke up with him after she saw him roughing up Lionel. But that was never made 100 percent clear so we can only assume that's the case. From there he must have decided to heed his mother's warning about Lana being the person who will most likely try to wipe out his family and so started to work with Genievieve. This is one of those cases where a couple of extra scenes were needed to fill in the blanks because, either way, it doesn't quite add up. Even if Jason did suddenly decide to support his mother, would he really go so far as to make himself complicit in murder?

Speaking of which, getting rid of Margot Kidder's character with an off-screen death seems somewhat shameful given the actress' connection to the Superman legacy.

The body hop story also seems pretty flimsy given the stuff that is happening with Lex and Jason. It definitely could have been trimmed down a bit to accommodate more attention to Jason's turn.

The intro, for example, is meant to be one of those intros that builds intrigue because it's Chloe doing something totally out of character. These kind of intros, where the rest of the episode shows you everything leading up to that moment, only really works if the episode keeps you guessing how we end up there. But the moment Dawn jumps into Martha's body we know EXACTLY how we are getting there. The intro should have been Dawn crashing and becoming Martha instead of wasting screen time showing us the same scene twice.

Martha is the standout in this episode of course. Or at least Annette O'Toole is, to be more precise, as she begins acting like an immature high school girl with the most shallow of life goals. Seeing her dance in the kitchen and get all jealous over anyone who comes near Clark is quite hilarious thanks to her well judged performance and comedy timing.

There is a moment in the episode where we see Jason looking on as Lana dances with Clark. This scene would have played much better if we had seen Lana breaking up with Jason earlier on in the episode as it would have heightened Jason's sense of jealousy and made his switch to his mother a lot more plausible.

So, the body hop stuff, while flimsy, is fairly entertaining, and the revelations with Jason, while being a good avenue to take the character down, feels rather underdeveloped.

6/10

Episode 4.17: Onyx

When an experiment involving kryptonite goes wrong at Luthercorp, it splits Lex into two, one good and one evil. The evil Lex locks the good Lex up in his wine cellar the goes around causing all kinds of trouble. He makes an advance towards Lana then threatens to sell the Talon when she pushes him away. Then he challenges his dad to a sword fight, using it to bring Lionel's dark side bubbling back to the surface. He tries to kill Clark and Chloe, which reveals Clark's secret to him. And finally, using a kryptonite ring, he tries to force Clark into joining him in taking over the world. Clark eventually succeeds in bringing the two Lex's back together but some of the damage that evil Lex caused cannot be undone. Lionel has gone back to the dark side.

I love this one! We get to see Lex go full-on comic book level of villainy. The scene where he brings Clark to his knees with the kryptonite ring feels like it was ripped straight out of the pages of DC's Superman comics. And we get that great line, "I am the villain of the story!" Rosenbaum is definitely having fun in this one and it really shows. But with evil Lex we also get good Lex, which tells us that there is most definitely as much potential for good in the man as there is to do evil.

One of the most painful things about this episode is seeing good Lex starting to forgive and help his father, only for evil lex to come along and take a great big dump on it all, to the extent of bringing Lionel back to his evil self. Every time redemption seems just within reach of these two men, fate, the universe, or whatever you want to call it, seems to have other ideas. The fencing match between Lex and Lionel feels like a callback to one they had in the first season, only this time the power dynamics have shifted, with Lex commanding the floor and Lionel having something at stake.

Something I noticed about this episode is the fact that there are none of the usual subplots. There are usually several different stories going on at once. For instance, there is no Jason or Genieveve in this one. Everything that happens is directly related to the two Lex's. It makes Onyx feel both highly focussed and much more self contained than the average episode. It would have made a great idea for a feature length Smallville movie if they'd have decided to flesh it out some more. That's not to say that it isn't already well developed but I can't deny the idea of them developing movies based around the show would have got me excited.

I did roll my eyes a bit when, once again, they use the old faithful "memory loss" trope to bring everything back to the status quo at the end. Everything except Lionel that is! And I find it amusing that Lex only makes black kryptonite through a very carefully calibrated heating up of the meteor rock yet Clark creates it in a second with his heat vision. Even so this remains a classic episode.

10/10

Episode 4.16: Lucy

Lois' sister, Lucy, visits Smallville under the pretense of seeing her older sibling. In reality she is on the run from a man, whom she owes a serious amount of money. At least, that's how it appears. However, in actual reality, it's all one big con and she turns out to be working with the man in order to swindle Lex out of 50,000 dollars, using both Lois and Clark as pawns in her scheme. Meanwhile, Jason and Lana come back to Lana's apartment to find it's been ransacked and the power stone is now missing. Jason goes on the war path to find it, assaulting Lionel, despite promising Lana it no longer mattered just as long as they had each other. But in the closing moments we discover that the breakin at Lana's was all a ruse. Lana still has the stone.

In previous episodes the stones have called out to Clark, even when they are half way around the world at 10,000 feet. So why is it that they stay quiet when they are in such close proximity to him here, being in the same town and all. It's somewhat conveniently inconsistent.

I like that the show introduces another character from the comics in the shape of Lucy. The plot with her is meant to reveal information that gives us some insight into the kind of childhood Lois had. It does this pretty well and establishes the relationship between these two women in a reasonably satisfying way. But Lucy still ends up coming off as a spoilt brat and is therefore not altogether likeable.

There's a really great set piece moment involving Clark jumping from a bridge onto the roof of a moving truck. The special effects and stunt teams do a really good job of pulling it off and making it quite an iconic looking moment.

There are also some mildly amusing interactions between Lois and Clark as Clark begins to dote on Lucy. Is that a tinge if jealousy there Lois?

A fairly solid episode.
7/10

Episode 4.15: Sacred

Jason heads to China with the map that Lionel gave him, without telling Lana what he is doing. But Lex makes sure he is there to oversee things. Lionel tells Lana what they are up to and she heads off to China to join them. But with Clark also on the hunt for the stones, after the news of Virgil Swann's death sets him on the path once more, he goes along for the ride under the guise of being there for Lana. Once in China, Clark and Lana find Lex and Jason being held captive and tortured for information on the wareabouts of the stones. When the interrogators begin to torture Lana, they awaken Isabelle from within her, before our four adventurers all fight to retrieve the stone. The stone is then "lost" during a fight between Clark and Lana/Isabelle, only to have it revealed that Jason took the stone and kept it for Lana. Meanwhile, Clark recieves one final item from Dr Swann, who arranged for it to be delivered in the event of his death. That item is the hexagonal disc, the key that unlocks the cave wall.

I believe this episode is something of a fan favourite but I gotta say it's something of a disappointment for me. The Isabelle Theroux angle is, quite frankly, an annoyance at this point. The scene in which Lana goes all Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is just stupid. She may be posessed by a witch but she's still human, so why the heck Clark doesn't use his superspeed to end the fight before it begins I'll never know. That stuff may work in an Ang Lee film but it doesn't work here.

Beyond that the plot with the stones being meshed together with the Isabelle Theroux stuff just makes no sense at all. So, Jor-El, who knows about these stones that have been here for at least 400 years, didn't think to tell Clark about them much sooner given the destructive power they could grant to the one who has all three of them? Push aside for one minute that Jor-El has already been to Earth once before and could have retrieved them himself if they were such a big deal. And push aside for one moment that at some point hundreds of years ago the Kryptonian culture decided it was a good idea to leave these stones on Earth in the first place. Just the fact that they have made Isabelle such a big deal at this point, in Clark's journey of discovery of his Kryptonian heritage, just leaves me feeling like so many better paths could have been taken. It feels like it exists just for the sake of giving Lana something to do, an element of the show that the writers always seem to struggle with.

All that being said, it's a fairly fast paced episode with a really cool setting, that puts four of the main characters together in a race to find the same maguffin, each with different motives. The fact that Clark isn't the one who walks away with the stone was quite surprising. Though it does beg the question, how did Clark not see that Jason had it? Surely he would have scanned around the place with his x-ray vision when it went missing, especially since all of the people he is standing with each have a reason to take it.

There is a moment on the Luthorcorp jet where Lana tells Clark that she feels like he is the only one in all of this who doesn't have an agenda. Silly girl! Just face it Clark, she's not "The One".

There is fun to be had with this one but, considering it's quite a big episode in the overall mythology, it feels very sloppy in its execution.

6/10

Episode 4.14: Krypto

When Lois hits a dog in the road she takes it back to the Kent farm, little realizing that it has super strenth thanks to an experimental drug that was developed by Luthorcorp, and was recently used by two men as part of a robbery. The two men find out that Clark has the dog and send another dog to the farm that attacks Jonathan. When Clark and Lois figure out who was behind it they discover that the two men are about to use the dogs to hit a Luthorcorp van and head out to stop them. Meanwhile, Genievieve tells Jason that Lana descends from the line of Isabelle while they descend from the line of a woman named Gertrude. Gertrude is the one who betrayed Isabelle, which is why Isabelle swore to wipe out her entire family line. Jason is dating someone who may eventually kill them. When Jason later bumps into Lionel, Lionel gives him a copy of the map that could lead to the Kryptonian stones. He says he is helping because he doesn't want either Lex or Genievieve to get their hands on the stones.

Fans of Superman lore will either get a kick out of seeing Krypto the Superdog making an appearance or be slightly disappointed when it turns out not to be Krypto at all. Either way, this is a fun little adventure in which Clark and Lois go on a journey to save man's best friend, having lots of their usual banter along the way. I just love the verbal sparring that goes on between them. Clark always seems like a much happier person when they are together. I don't think he quite realizes this himself though, especially when he starts telling Chloe about the difficulty of having Lois stay with them. The man doth protest too much indeed!

Martha's reaction to Jonathan being attacked by the dog really sells that moment. But it's still hard to believe that the beast wouldn't have done more damage given the mess it make of a locked steel door in the opening scene. That specific scene is actually quite brutal, especially with the way they build it up before making you think the dog has left, only for it to then come crashing through the door. Makes Cujo look like a puppy!

There's a scene in this episode where Clark goes to see Lex at the mansion. The first words out of his mouth are a question about Luthercorp but in a really accusational tone. You can tell that Lex is getting sick of this routine and, to be quite honest, I really don't blame him. Clark always heads in there under the assumption that Lex has done something wrong. No small talk. No, "Hey Lex, how ya been?" Just no respect. Lex just wants to shoot some pool with someone. How many times does Lex have to play pool with himself before someone takes notice of his lonliness?

The best thing to come out of the Isabelle Theroux story is the character of Jason. He definitely appears to be on Lana's side for now but, with Lex trying to steer him on one side and his mother trying to steer him on the other, there is a conflict of interests that he now has to struggle with, which makes him an interesting character, beyond merely being a rival to Clark for Lana's affections.

7/10

Episode 4.13: Recruit

Lois is arrested when a drunken jock she kicks to the floor ends up paralysed. The evidence eventually leads to a star football player, named Geoff Johns, who has the ability to cause momentary paralysis. Johns kills the parylized jock in his hospital bed for fear that he will reveal his secret. Then he tries to drown Lois when she gets too close to the truth. But Clark arrives to save the day. Clark then quits football so that he won't have to face the same temptations as Johns did. Also, Lex tries once more to recruit Jason, telling him that it's his mother that is the threat and he wants him to spy on both her and Lana to find out as much as possible about Isabelle Theroux. Jason tells Lana and Lana confronts Lex directly. He tells her that Jason has been aware of Isabelle since he was a child as his mother has spent a lifetime investigating her.

The actor who plays Geoff Johns is actually really good in this episode. I really buy him as a young man who has essentially sold his soul in order to stay at the top. I can easily believe that he was once a good person who somehow lost his way through making little compromises, that eventually turned into big compromises, until eventually he even began to rationalize committing murder. There is a real sense of internal conflict with this guy and I feel that's down to the performance.

I love Lois in this. Seeing her beat a bunch of jocks at the start whilst still wearing her jammy's is quite cute. But she has a "take no prisoners" attitude throughout, which is quite endearing, even though it does put her life in danger. Speaking of which, the idea of being unable to move while water rises all around you is horrific to someone like me. From a very young age I had a fear of being buried alive after seeing a film called, err, "Buried Alive". But couple that with my fear of drowning and you pretty much have my worst nightmare.

Recruit is all about the pressures of stardom. While I have no interest in sports, when it comes to real life, I think this episode does make you think about all that one has to give in order to be at the top of their game. When Clark makes the mature decision to not even allow himself to be put in a position of temptation I feel like giving him a pat on the back. Chloe's reaction to that is quite moving. All of her interactions with Clark take on a new dynamic now that she knows his secret. It's fun watching her try to encourage him to fess up.

While I'm definitely not a fan of the whole witches angle with Lana, I do like the intrigue that comes from Jason and his mother, and the way that it puts Lana into a position of not knowing who to trust. Jason as a character is much more likeable and seems to be much better thought out than the likes of, say, Whitney or Adam. It's just the damn witches angle.

This is one of those episodes that, when I see the title of it in my dvd booklet, I sort of remember it as being one that is good but not great. But actually, watching it this time around for the sake of this review, it really is a great episode with very little that I can fault it on.

9/10

Episode 4.12: Pariah

Clark and Alicia are now dating, much to the disapproval of everyone who knows them. When Lana is attacked, whilst in a locked room with no evidence of anyone having been in there, all suspicions turn to Alicia. But she swears it was not her. However, when Jason is later attacked in his car by an unseen assailant, the only evidence that is found by Clark is Alicia's scalf. Doubting her innocence Clark confronts her on it and says that, even if she is innocent, she should turn herself in. What Clark doesn't know is that, at the time of Jason's attack, Alicia was being questioned by Sheriff Adams. But before Clark can talk to Alicia, she puts a plan into motion that reveals his secret to Chloe, hoping that once people know what he can do he'll be free to be himself. Alicia is then murdered by the (sand) man who was really responsible for the attacks on Lana and Jason, which leaves Clark feeling guilty for not having trusted her. Also, Lex hires Jason to find out what Genievieve Teague knows about how Lionel was released.

Another outstanding episode yet again. Man, I'd forgotten how good much of season 4 was. First of all, seeing Alicia's body hanging from a rope was truly upsetting the first time I saw this many years ago, but it hasn't lost its power to shock. They've done such a good job with this character in such a short space of time that it really does make me regret the fact that she isn't in more episodes. She was definitely a flawed character but I felt that the reasons for those flaws was pretty well explored and so I ultimately felt a great deal of sympathy for her. Again, props to Sarah Carter for the excellent job she did.

The death of Alicia hits Clark pretty hard and, unlike Kyla in season 2, I totally buy his emotions and feel like they've been earned. Usually, Clark has to keep his secret in order to save those he loves from being hurt. But, on this occasion, it was not telling people about his secret that may have led to Alicia's death.

I love that Chloe now knows and the scene where she witnesses Clark catching the car is one of the most memorable moments of the entire show for me. The way Chloe handles having that knowledge is also very touching and it seems somewhat appropriate that her approach was led by the advice of Lois.

Another great aspect to this episode is that no one is immune to prejudice and judgement. Even Martha, who is usually so careful with the way she considers everyone she meets, is practically ready to grab her pitchfork. I think we are all capable of this behaviour, no matter how virtuous we might be, and this is a touching reminder not to judge people based on their past.

Crackin' stuff!

10/10

Episode 4.11: Unsafe

Alicia Baker, the teleporter who tried to kill Clark and Lana, has been released from Belle Reve, apparantly cured. When she goes to see Clark to apologize, the two of them strike a connection once more, something that Alicia's doctor is not too happy about. He tells her to stay away from Clark or else he might have to re-institutionalize her. She decides to leave town and wants Clark to go with her. He does so, but only because she gives him a necklace with red kryptonite in it. As a result they end up getting married in Vegas. But Clark is very upset when the necklace comes off. When Alicia's doctor attempts to shoot Clark, she teleports in front of the bullet, in order to protect his secret. Thankfully, she survives, and while Clark breaks off their relationship at first, he appears to have a change of heart in the final moments. Meanwhile, Lana offers herself to Jason, misunderstanding the reason he left, so he tells her that his mother may have been responsible for getting them together. Also, Lionel wants to set up a charity.

I love this episode. It's one of the first episodes a remember watching that made me realize I was no longer just a casual fan. I really root for Alicia despite the way she goes about things. She does honestly seem to be trying to make amends, but she's just not quite emotionally equipped to handle things in the most mature way, which comes as a result of feeling like an outcast as well as her time in a mental institution. I like her and Clark as a couple, but we all know where it goes from here, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. Sarah Carter certainly helps me warm to the character. She's great in the role.

The scene where Clark and Alicia get married and then go on their honeymoon is hilarious. It's also quite racey for a show centred on teens. But I love that this episode deals quite heavily with the theme of responsibility in regard to sexual relations. I love that Chloe is able to advise Lana about what she intends to do with Jason. She's coming at it from the point of view of someone who regrets her first time. Add to that Jonathan and Martha's stance on marriage and the acknowledgement that Clark is still a virgin and I think the episode, for the most part, tries to display a moral attitude towards sex that is rarely depicted on film and television these days.

I'm glad that Jason doesn't take the opportunity that Lana gives to him to have sex with her, but I must admit that it makes me lose a little respect for Lana offering it in the first place. Not because I'm a prude, who doesn't want people to have sex, but because if that really was the reason that Jason left then I would hope that Lana would respect herself enough to let the door hit him on the arse on his way out!

Lex's interaction with his father is interesting. The whole dynamics of their relationship have changed, with Lex holding all the power and Lionel just trying to get the slightest bit of acknowledgement and affection from Lex. Seeing how Lex handles things from here on out will determine just how much he will end up like his father was before his conversion. Will absolute power corupt absolutely?

A great episode!

10/10

Episode 4.10: Scare

A research experiment at Luthorcorp goes wrong and sends a toxic cloud of gas into the atmosphere. Those who are infected with it begin to experience waking nightmares. The nightmares are so real that they produce a level of anxiety within the victim that can only be maintained for so long before their heart gives out. First Jason dreams of Lana turning on him because of his jealousy over Clark. Then Chloe sees her mother in a mental asylum only to then see herself in her mother's place. Then even Clark becomes momentarily infected, dreaming of Lana rejecting him when she finds out his secret, blaming him for her parents deaths. Eventually, Lex comes up with a cure but needs to test it as soon as possible if he is to save lives. So he tests it on himself.

Another really solid episode here. I love that we get to see some real altruism from Lex, not just with him testing the cure on himself, but also the care he shows towards his employees by abandoning the lucrative research for the sake of saving lives.

There's some really dark moments in this one too. The moments where Chloe sees herself in the hospital and when Lana comes face to face with herself in the morgue are both pretty chilling and have more than just a touch of a horror movie about them.

Clark's nightmare of course makes him retreat from the idea of telling Lana his secret once more. This is actually quite frustrating and is one of the more tedious elements of the character in general. Not because he flipflops so much when it comes to Lana, but rather, the fact that he fails to see the reasons for why he does so. Ultimately, he doesn't truly trust her, which is why they will never genuinely be together. He even projects his own fears about her knowing the truth onto Jason, when he tells Lana that maybe Jason didn't tell her about going for a job at Luthorcorp because he didn't know how she would take it.

As usual Alison Mack does a great job of plucking the heartstrings when she tells Clark about finding her mother. Clark tries to console her by telling her that we don't have to be like our parents but, as nice as that sentiment sounds, Chloe may not have a choice in the matter as it is all down to genetics. The idea of losing your sanity through no fault of your own is perhaps one of the scariest things I can think of. I really feel for Chloe in this scene.

9/10

Episode 4.9: Bound

When Lex picks up a girl at a party and takes her back to his hotel for sex, he wakes up to a screaming maid and a dead body beside him. When Clark tries to help Lex he finds an ally in the most unlikeliest of people, Lionel Luthor, who claims to be a changed man. When Lana has a dream about Isabelle Theroux, featuring a strange woman she's never seen before, she then meets a woman who looks identical to her. When that woman turns out to be Jason's mother, Jason reluctantly goes to see her, only to then suspect that meeting Lana in Paris was no accident.

This is a really great episode. But then episodes that mostly focus on Lex usually are. I like what the story has to say about one night stands. We see how Lex's laissez faire attitude towards women can wreak terrible emotional damage. It acts as a cautionary tale against treating people as though they were toys that can be discarded after they've been played with.

It had been a long time since I last saw this episode so I was really surprised to see Cobie Smulders pop up as the jilted and vengeful lover. She does a good job in the role.

The standout scene though is between Clark and Lex where Lex tells Clark, "Don't give up on me yet!" There is a real sense of desperation in his voice and it comes off the back of Clark telling Lex how he's been feeling about him lately. It's a great moment because the two of them are being emotionally honest with each other rather than the usual case of Clark hurling accusations and Lex giving suspect justifications.

It's a bit wierd seeing Lionel being good. Even having seen all of these episodes before it still takes some getting used to. But Glover goes a long way in making you believe that he is a changed man, with subtle changes in body language and vocal cadance, delivering a typically great performance.

While I'm still not sold on the whole witches angle, it's nice to see Jane Seymour pop up as Jason's mother. She only has a couple of scenes here but manages to convey that this woman could be trouble.

No meteor freaks, just a good old fashioned mystery thriller, and plenty of great character moments.

10/10

Episode 4.8: Spell

Lana comes into the posession of the diary belonging to the witch, Isabelle Theroux, dating back to the 1600's. When she touches a spot of blood dried into the page, Isabella's blood, Lana becomes posessed by the witch, who sets about reawakening her friends inside the bodies of Chloe and Lois, before going on a hunt for the same 3 stones that Clark has been looking for. They crash a party, intended for Chloe, and wreak all manner of Havok. Clark stops them in the caves, using the power stone and the 3 ladies wake up having no memory of what happened. Lex tells Lana that it was he who had Jason fired and she turns her back on him.

Oh dear Lord! This is not a good episode. Witches? Seriously?! Spell feels like an episode of Charmed. And I haven't even watched that show. In all fairness, I probably wouldn't have such strong feelings against this one if it weren't for the fact that it's so closely tied to the ongoing mythology. As a standalone episode it might have faired better. But mixing 17th century witches in with all the cave stuff and the Kryptonian symbols and stones is just a major mistep for me. They've got no business being together!

There are some scenes that are pretty entertaining. Seeing Clark dancing around in his boxers when a talent scout shows up did actually make me laugh out loud. And it's disturbing seeing Lex's fingers bleeding after being forced to play piano all night.

Kruek, Mack and Durance all seem to be having a good time, and there are moments when I really enjoy their performances. But would these three witches, who have waited 400 years to get their hands on the stones, really waste their time on a party with a bunch of fratboys and cheerleaders? The whole thing just seems silly in tone to me, which is why it should have been its own separate thing. It just doesn't sit well with the more serious thread of Clark trying to track down the kryptonian artefacts. It's a bizarre direction to go in.

5/10

Episode 4.7: Jinx

An exchange student comes to Smallville High. His name is Mikhail, otherwise known as Mxyzptlk. Mikhail runs an underground gambling business, which is very successful due to his unique ability to get people to do whatever he says, even from a distance. When he makes Clark trip over, causing him to seriously injure another player, it has Jonathan riled enough to want Clark off the team. However, sure of his own abilities, Clark knows that something caused him to trip. He's just got to find out what that something is before the next game. With help from Chloe, who just so happens to be doing an editorial on gambling in the school, they learn who Mikhail really is. But Mikhail wants Clark to throw the game as a way of proving his abilities to Lex, leading to a showdown in which Clark must not only win the game, but save Chloe from Mikhail. Also, Lex has Jason fired for being with Lana, claiming he did it for Clark.

I like this episode, particularly the way they handle the character of Mxyztplk, a character from the comics that could really turn out to be quite silly if they didn't make a few changes. Thankfully, they do, whilst still retaining the essence of the character.

The ending to Jinx has a double case of blu balls however, as we are heavily teased on two separate occasions without being given any answers. The first is when Lex takes Mikhail into a room to show him something. The look on his face is filled with awe and wonder but then we don't get to see what it is they are looking at. The second is the final moment when Clark asks Lex the real reason he got Jason fired and Lex just smiles. Both these moments are filled with intrigue but are highly frustrating as they are left open ended.

I love when Clark goes to see Lex to accuse him and Lex is quite antagonistic towards Clark. He's clearly not bothered any more about showing Clark he doesn't care for the way he treats him. The irony is that, in this case, Clark was correct in his accusations.

At one point in the episode Lex makes a really keen observation when he tells Clark that, if he isn't willing to do whatever it takes to get with Lana, then maybe deep down he knows that she isn't the one. In the case of Clark and Lana this is so true. They rarely seem to have fun together. Even when they were on good terms most of their interactions felt loaded with melancholy. Compare that to the few episodes where Clark has spent time with Lois and it's so different. They have fun together and are honestly able to have cracks at each other without getting butthurt about it. That's a sign that they trust each other.

Another fine moment is when Clark uses his superspeed to save Chloe in the middle of the pass he makes that wins the game. I still cannot help but think that Jonathan is right though. Clark is winning these games for his team because of an unfair advantage. We even get to see how Clark would really play without the aid of his powers during one scene where he holds a small piece of kryptonite whilst practicing his throws. Fact is, without his power, Clark simply wouldn't be the player he is. There's no two ways about it.

Finally, I love the glint in Chloe's eye in her final moments with Clark, which suggests she suspects he was somehow behind her rescue. He was the only one who knew where she was so it makes sense that he would have had something to do with it. I think Chloe suspects from this moment on.

A really fun, if sometimes frustrating, episode. 8/10

Episode 4.6: Transference

Clark hears the same ringing sound that had previously drawn him to a kryptonian artefact. This time it leads him into prison where Lionel sits poised to hit Lex with another artefact. When Clark gets between them Lionel accidentally hits him with it instead and the two of them undergo a body swap transformation. Lionel, in Clark's body, causes all manner of havok, while Clark sits in prison trying to avoid attempts on Lionel's life whilst figuring out what happened and how he might undo it.

While I really love this episode it does feel like something of a cop out that they revert to the old "memory loss" routine once it is over, especially as it is only Lionel who experiences the memory loss, whereas Clark remembers everything. Still, we come out of this one with the interesting revelation that Lionel may have had something of a "road to Damascus experience" as a result of Clark having been inside his body.

Once again both Lana and Chloe get to see, at least from their perspective, a Clark who, quite frankly, should have to do an awful lot to make up for his abhorrent behaviour. Though why he can't just tell them the truth this time around, leaving out a few specific details, is beyond me. "Lionel body swapped me but I have no idea how. Then it wore off". See, how hard is that?! It's not like they wouldn't believe him after all the crazy ass stuff they've witnessed in Smallville.

Despite this, Transference is just a very entertaining episode, in which both Tom Welling and John Glover do an excellent job of playing each other. The writers do a great job too of making sure the characters stay true to themselves even when they are not themselves. When Lionel, as Clark, talks to Lex in the car as they arrive at the farm, it's very easy to imagine John Glover speaking those lines. Likewise, when Clark, as Lionel, talks to his mother in prison, I can hear Welling speaking that dialogue. Great performances indeed!

I hate what Lionel does to Chloe in this episode. Clark truly is her kryptonite and Lionel uses that against her.

It's also very ammusing to see Lionel experiencing the same effects of horniness that Clark had once experienced, when he sets the farm on fire with heat vision, after receiving a cuddle from Martha.

But perhaps the most despicable actions from Lionel are when he tells Lex for the first time in his life that he loves him, merely as a way of getting him to reach out his hand, so that he can touch him with the transference stone.

So, while not entirely flawless, this is still a top tier episode for me, just because of the awesome concept and getting to see how these two men deal with the situation.

10/10

Episode 4.5: Run

When Jonathan Kent is almost hit by a car, he is saved by the fastest man alive. No, not Clark, but Bart Allen. Bart is no meteor infected kid though. He's a metahuman. But when he's not saving people from oncoming traffic, he's boosting their wallets. Clark tracks him down to retrieve his dad's wallet, but when he exhibits similar powers to Barry, Barry comes to the Kent farm to make his aquaintance. Clark tries to teach him to do right by people, but Barry doesn't listen, instead stealing a newly acquired artefact from Lex. The artefact is also of importance to Clark as it appears to be a map that could be instructions from Jor-El. Can Clark get the map back? And can he put Bart onto the straight and narrow path? Meanwhile, Lana tells Jason the truth about her new tatoo.

Season 4 so far has a very different flavour to previous seasons. We've had no Lionel for the past three episodes and I kinda miss the evil bugger! It's also strange to have so many scenes involving Lana which have nothing to do with Clark. It's not a bad thing but it definitely makes the show feel different.

This is the best episode of the season so far. The introduction of Bart really opens doors to a much wider world of DC characters, which is a tantilizing prospect. It also takes us away from the meteor infected angle, which is always a good thing for the show. Bart is a pretty cool character as well. I like that he embraces the fun that one could have with such powers and seeing him hitting on Chloe with the best chat up line ever really made me chuckle.

I've said this before but I have to say it again. I feel like I can only blame Clark at this point for Lex getting closer to the darkside. His bareface lies are so evident that I kinda just want Lex to call him out on it. "Dude, why are you so clearly lying to me?!" Lex says things in such a way that he makes it known that he knows. It's like he's dangling a carrot, giving Clark the opportunity to come clean. But the more Clark turns away from that carrot the closer Lex is going to get to wacking him over the head with it in sheer frustration.

For now the whole story with Lana and her tattoo is actually not that bad. I like that she opens up to Jason at this point. The thing that kept her and Clark apart were secrets. At the start of this episode she looked like she was going to fall into the same pattern of behaviour as Clark, dodging questions for fear of speaking the truth. So it's nice to see that she does things differently by sharing the truth with Jason.

She gets a nice moment with Martha too, when she helps Martha to realize that she's been working all night at the Talon as a way of avoiding the fear she feels, when she's at home, that she might lose Jonathan.

This is a very good episode that mixes a sense of fun with some really good character moments.

10/10

Episode 4.4: Devoted

A bunch of cheerleaders have developed a love potion to make their footballer boyfriends be totally devoted to them. Problem is, it makes them insanely jealous of anyone who comes near their infatuation, jealous enough to try and kill them. When Jason Teague is nearly killed by the star quarterback for this very reason, it puts Lois onto the hunt for answers, as well as giving Clark the opportunity to fill the position for the team. Meanwhile, Lex goes all out to prove to Clark that he's done investigating him, in order to repair their friendship.

I probably like this episode a heck of a lot more than I should. The plot is a bit thin, the love potion idea silly, and I've never given two figs about football.

But it's just so darn entertaining. I've always been a fan of episodes in which our main characters end up acting humorously out of character for whatever reason. This is one of those episodes. Seeing Chloe go all Stepford Wives over Clark and become a cheerleader is hilarious. But it's also very touching to see Chloe's reaction at the end when Clark has to tell her that he does not feel the same way.

I like how Lois doesn't back down from a fight, even when she's outnumbered, and I love seeing the chivalry of Clark, in the locker room, when he steps in front of Lois and Chloe to make a barrier between them and their would be assailants.

There's a great sequence in which Clark has to pretend to be affected by the love potion in order to keep one of the cheerleaders occupied while Lois goes through the girl's handbag. But every time Lois reaches out for the bag it ends up getting moved, meaning Clark has to keep up the charade for longer. Welling gives a great comedic performance during all of this, particularly the reactions on his face. They crack me up.

The same can be said of the scene in which Chloe comes on to Clark in the barn. The reaction on Clark's face is priceless.

Lex is acknowledging his own darkness a lot more this season. I feel like when Clark abandoned their friendship it was a real turning point. Lex appears to be trying to rebuild it but I get the sense that he doesn't really trust Clark at this point, and that this is more of a, "keep your enemies closer" kind if thing.

There are a couple of scenes that don't quite work. Like the quarterback being knocked unconscious when Clark makes the gun he is holding heat up. I could understand him screaming in pain at his hands being burnt. But being knocked out? Okay! Or the fact that Clark essentially becomes a hero on the team, thereby earning their respect, after using his powers to win the game in the final moment. This feels very much like cheating and goes against everything that Clark and Jonathan have a conversation about earlier on in the episode. Jonathan had to earn the respect of his teammates. I don't truly feel that that's what Clark has done here because he used his powers.

Despite these two minor quibbles this is just a really fun episode to watch.

9/10

Episode 4.3: Facade

There is a girl at Smallville High, called Abby, who has been nicknamed Scabby Abby due to some unfortunate skin problems. Her mother, Mrs Fine, a doctor/scientist/beauty therapist/tattoo remover (whatever) creates a new treatment that makes Abby look stunningly gorgeous. Unfortunately it also makes a kiss from her send people insane as they see their own faces melting away in reflections. When one such person throws himself in front of Lois' moving car just moments after Lana witnessed him kissing Abby, Abby's mother decides that Lana knows too much and needs to be taken care of. She persuades Abby to use her power on Lana. When Lois begins to investigate the procedure carried out on Abby by her mother, Mrs Fine decides to drug Lois and attempts to overdose her on the procedure she put her daughter through. Thankfully, Clark arrives just in time to save Lois who, in turn, saves Clark when the Kryptogas from Mrs Fine's machine brings him to his knees. Besides all of this, Clark defies his father by joining the football team, while Jason Teague becomes the new assistant coach at Smallville High.

This isn't exactly what you would call a standout episode but it's one that I can have some fun with. It's all about how high school is a time where we often wear masks, not really showing the people around us who we really are. This is the reason Clark decides to play football. He's tired of pretending that he doesn't want to do it. It does feel like we are going over old ground here with something that was already brought up in season one. But that's life I guess. We have a tendency to keep going over the same things again and again, maybe learning just a little bit more each time we come back around.

We get a little cameo from Whitney in the opening scene. I'm quite surprised that they bothered bringing him back for such a small portion of the episode but I appreciate the effort to make it more authentic by doing so, even if Whitney has never really been a character that I've cared all that much about.

I love the moment in the hospital between Lex and Jason as Lex lurks in the background while Jason tells a comatose Lana how much he cares for her. It shows us that Lex too has feelings for Lana, as he makes it quite clear that he thinks she deserves the best, though both of these men should be somewhat concerned about chasing after a girl that is still in high school.

I like that the meteor infected Abby isn't really the villain of this episode but rather, a young girl who is being manipulated by her mother, the true villain at the center of it all. Mrs Fine's motivations for becoming who she is are born from an adolesence of being mistreated in the most shallow of ways by superficial people. But in an effort to settle the score she has become shallow and superficial herself. It's a tragic irony that is often all too real.

I love when Lois gets to be a badass and kicks Mrs Fine in the face to stop her attacker. I'm not a violent person but for whatever reason it just amused me.

There's also a sting for Chloe in the final moments as she is hit with the reality that Clark might just be developing too good a relationship with her cousin. Poor Chloe! Girl can't catch a break.

A fun filler episode. 7/10

Episode 4.2: Gone

Clark and Lois go to the remains of the safe house where Chloe supposedly died but they are chased off by a military helicopter. The man in charge of the soldiers is Lois' father. General Lane warns his daughter to stop investigating. Someone else who is investigating Chloe's wareabouts is a budget T1000 working for Lionel. When Clark reluctantly goes to Lex for answers, believing that he must know something due to the Lionel connection, Lex lies to him and says that there were no remains in the coffin because there was nothing left to bury. But after further investigation Clark learns that Lex conspired with General Lane to make it appear as though Chloe had died in Lionel's bombing so that they could keep her safe until Lionel's trial. Problem is, budget T1000 has now killed the men guarding Chloe and kidnapped her, hoping to get Lionel to pay up more money before he kills her. When Lionel makes it clear why he can't, budget T1000 goes to kill Chloe but finds opposition from Lois and Clark, thanks to a tracker that Lex had planted on Chloe. Also, Lana returns to Smallville looking for answers to the tatoo that was burnt into her lower back. She finds the same symbol on the cave walls. Finally, Jason arrives in Smallville, determined not to let Lana be the one that got away.

I love the banter between Lois and Clark in this episode. The scene in which Lois won't leave Clark alone in the shower is a lot of fun and once again gives us some great chemistry between the two. Their relationship in this particular adventure almost feels like a throwback to their relationship in the 90's TV show, The New Adventures of Superman, which ain't such a bad thing.

The first meeting between Lana and Lois is pretty funny, as Lana comes to Lois' rescue, saving her from Budget T1000 before unwittingly referring to her as a psychopath for digging up her cousin's grave.

It's great to have Chloe back by the end and Alison Mack really sells the moment of her relief at seeing Clark once more. The joy she feels is such a beautiful moment.

There is a scene towards the end of the episode in which Clark and his parents suddenly sit on opposite sides of the fence to the ones they are used to, with Clark saying he can't trust Lex, while Jonathan and Martha all but applaud him for being true to his word in protecting Chloe. It is both refreshing and tragic at the same time.

When Clark states that he believes Lex might be the "enemy" that is painted on the cave walls, it makes me question the validity of the whole notion of destiny. Would Clark be looking at Lex this way if he'd never heard the prophecies concerning Naman? It's almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy, where if you believe something is going to happen, you are inclined to make it so.

Seeing Lionel enter the prison at the end gives Lex a great moment too, where he gets to taunt his father and cement his victory.

8/10

Episode 4.1: Crusade

Three months after the events of Covenant, Lois Lane comes to Smallville to find out who killed her cousin, Chloe Sullivan. She sees a lightning bolt hit a corn field and finds Clark, butt naked, wandering around with amnesia. She takes him to the hospital where Martha sits at Jonathan's bedside. When Martha sees Clark she persuades him to come home. It's only then that Lois realizes who Clark is and goes to the house to question him. But he's not there. Clark, now referring to himself only as Kal-El, has (literally) flown away on a crusade to hunt down a kryptonian artefact that has been found by Lex. He rips the door off Lex's private jet, mid air, and takes the artefact, placing it inside the caves. It is then that Martha shows up with some black kryptonite, given to her by Dr Swann's assistant, Bridgett Crosby. The black kryptonite separates Clark from Kal-El, returning him to his former self, which in turn releases Jonathan from his coma. When Clark goes to speak to Lois at Chloe's graveside he offers to help her find out what happened, as well as offering her a place to stay on the farm. Then he uses his x-ray vision to take a look inside Chloe's coffin. But there is no body inside.

And so we are introduced to the amazing ray of sunshine that is Erica Durance as Lois Lane. Right off the bat she brings a whole new energy to the show with her plucky attitude and great on screen chemistry with Tom Welling. I instantly want these two to get together. There is a sense of playfulness and humour that comes out of their relationship. The fact that he is naked the first time she meets him is pretty funny in and of itself given how long it took Clark and Lana just to get to first base.

But Lana is most definitely not out of the picture just yet. She has a new boyfriend in the shape of Jason Teague, played by Jensen Ackles, an actor once in the running to play Clark Kent himself. He too is fairly likeable off the bat, though I am much less interested in Lana's plot, especially on a repeat viewing when I know where it's heading. The whole witches thing with her that is going to run across the season is about as tedious as her Whitney plotline, as pointless as her Henry Small plotline, and as convoluted as her Adam plotline.

Seeing Clark, or should I say Kal, flying and ripping the door of an airborne jet is very cool and such a badass moment. The special effects still hold up pretty well too.

I love how we get a callback to the idea that Lex is a meteor freak, having such a resistence to death that not even the poison that he was dosed with at the end of the last season was enough to kill him. But the need for a blood transfusion every 72 hours does add an interesting dynamic to the character whereby he has to depend on others, at least for now, if he wants to stay alive.

I also really love Martha's reaction towards Clark, referring to himself as Kal-El, who needs to "fulfill [his] destiny". Once again, Annette O'Toole nails it and shows a really honest portrayal of a desperate mother at the end of her rope, essentially lashing out at Jor-El but unable to break through.

Some great lines of dialogue in here too, whether it's Margot Kidder as Dr Swann's assistant, telling Martha that, "the only thing that can challenge a father's will is a mother's love", or Lex telling his father that, he "shouldn't wound what he cannot kill".

Speaking of Lionel, there is a really great scene between him and Lois, when she goes to confront him in prison. Glover is always a formidable presence on the show but Durance more than holds her own here.

A very solid start to the season.

9/10