Away From Smallville

The first two episodes of Smallville, Third Season, are like a liberation. Lex and Clark seem already to have escaped the restrictions of Smallville. We see Lex surviving half naked on an island and Clark enjoying the greater freedom of Metropolis as against Smallville as well as the unrestricted license of a super-powered villain's role.

Although we had already seen "Kal" robbing ATM's, I did think, when he interrupted a bank robbery, that he had returned to a familiar crime-fighting role but instead he proceeded to rob the bank himself. Of course, it is the Red Kryptonite influence but he knowingly opted to wear the Red Kryptonite ring.

Will it be an anti-climax when, in the third episode, all the action is safely back in Smallville? We have had a preview of what will happen in later seasons when Clark moves permanently to Metropolis and uses his powers covertly. Will Morgan Edge still be a crime boss? Will Edge also control Galaxy Broadcasting? Will Lionel Luthor still be in Metropolis? Will Lex also have moved there? Will Lex build a LexCorp Tower in Metropolis? Will Chloe be working for the Planet?

We know that Clark and Lois Lane, who has not appeared yet, will work for the Planet. Some plot features have to be the same in any version of the story.