Smallville: Crusade and Smallville: Gone

Not only does Lois Lane show up and meet Lana Lang but the old Lois Lane, Margot Kidder, shows up and meets the former Lana Lang who is now playing Martha Kent. Margot Kidder's new character says that Dr Swann and she had something in a previous life. Sure, they were Superman and Lois Lane.

How did Dr Swann get any kind of Kryptonite, let alone Black? It is unexplained here. I googled it but presumably it will show up again with some explanation. How Lex saved Chloe's life while faking her death is classic.

Lionel drops all pretense when he threatens Lex. Lionel going down for murder was unexpected. But he has to be got out of the way somehow so that Lex can control LuthorCorp - and maybe rename it?

The black helicopters are a modern myth, as Neil Gaiman said in American Gods. This time, they were not really threatening Clark and Lois. Sam Lane looks and sounds just right.

Smallville: Covenant

Amazing that the recorded personality of Jor-El can use a human being to fake a Kryptonian, complete with powers greater than Clark's as yet. The casual killing of human beings means that Jor-El's plans are not something that Clark can buy into. In this version of the story, Kal-El has not been sent as "...my only son..." because Terrestrials need "...the light to show them the way."

We learn what deal Jonathan made with Jor-El. Lionel remains a master of manipulation but Lex has become immune. Lionel reveals that he is dying only when he wants to influence Lex to get him out of prison. Lex is definitely moving into Clark's territory with Lana.

Lionel, in prison, knows that Lex has been poisoned and that the Sullivan's safe house has blown up with them in it. However, Lex has to survive and I understand that Chloe does also. Lionel should not have been able to influence a witness. Clark should not allow himself to be influenced against Lex with whom he has been consistently and systematically dishonest.

Lionel does not know what has happened to the FBI guy or Clark. How long will Clark be away and what will he be like when he comes back?

This was an appropriate episode to watch on Fathers' Day.

Smallville: Talisman; Smallville: Forsaken

What exactly is the relationship between one Native American tribe and Krypton? Interpreting the prophecy, Lex suggests that the super-strong savior from the stars could become a tyrant and therefore that the person brave enough to oppose him is the real hero of the story. This fits with Lex Luthor later seeing himself as the champion of terrestrial humanity against extraterrestrial super-humanity.

Both Lana and Pete are leaving Smallville. Does Lois arrive in Season Four? Two more super-powered villains go to Belle Reve. One is in a convenient coma but the other is able to walk through walls and escape.

Clark decides to tell Lana, then doesn't. This makes less and less sense and is unfortunately predictable.

Lionel suggests yet again that letting the Metropolis Police suspect Lex of murder was a way of strengthening Lex. It makes sense that when Lex works with the FBI to bring down his father, Lionel is able to pay one of the FBI men to sabotage the investigation.

Despite this, Chloe is able to help Lex get Lionel arrested for the murder of his parents. That was unexpected by me. Lionel has to die or otherwise exit sometime to leave the way clear for Lex to rebuild LexCorp and become Superman's enemy.

Lionel compares Lex to Judas so who is he comparing himself, a self-confessed murderer, to?

Smallville: Truth; Smallville: Memoria

I watched these two consecutive episodes end to end. We learn how Pete feels about Chloe and receive confirmation that Lionel had his parents murdered for insurance money to start his business. Lex did this post-Crisis but that crime has now been moved back a generation.

We learn the real basis of the relationship between Lionel and Lex. We already knew that Lionel treats Lex badly, rationalizing this by saying that it is good for Lex.

We now know that Lionel thought that Lex had murdered his younger brother, Julian. We also know that Lex saw his mother kill Julian but suppressed this knowledge to protect his mother from Lionel. Lex as the only heir was safe. His mother would not have been.

But Lionel was already treating Lex badly. Lex's mother killed her second son to protect him from a Luthor upbringing. Lex had wanted Lionel to love him. I cannot understand why.

We have our first sight, in this continuity, of Krypton. Clark already knew his father's name but now learns his mother's. The memory retrieval process utilizes Kryptonite, which weakens Clark.

Lana is leaving? When does Lois arrive?

Smallville: Legacy

Christopher Reeve again. It is taking too long to find out what deal Jonathan and Jor-El made and what the Kryptonian Key is going to do. Lana deciding not to have a relationship with Clark gets tedious. She listens to Lex.

The theme of father-son conflicts is central. Lex helps the FBI to spy on Lionel - but tries to keep them away from Clark. Lionel tells Clark that a son's love for a father is special; after all, we only get one. Does he suspect that Clark has two? In any case, Lionel murdered his own parents and has a terrible relationship with his son.

Dr Swann knows that the bullet-proof masked thief in Metropolis was Clark. He thinks that Clark is not ready for responsibility yet.

Smallville: Crisis

They can even make us feel sorry for Lionel. I was afraid that he would pull the trigger at the end. Will Lionel die or will Lex help the FBI to bring him down first? The alliance between father and son did not last long. Lionel is now using his considerable resources not for further profit but for mere survival. That does bring him down to closer to everyone else's level.

Lana rings the Youth Center Crisis Line because she has foreknowledge that, when she rings that line, Clark will
answer it. It is interesting to hear her say, "It's happening!" now that we know what that means - and how she came to be where she was with Adam despite her friends' attempts to prevent that.

We should not have seen her body lying with a bullet in the back. That is prevented from happening. Readers of the comics know that "Crisis" is a very powerful title.

Smallville: Resurrection

Suddenly a lot of stuff comes together. Now we know what was going down with Adam, who could more properly have been called "Lazarus." The theme of Luthor secrets will continue. What will become of Dr Teng?

We did not see how Vince escaped from the secret Luthorcorp lab. Presumably he was not meant to?

Clark lies to Lana right at the end. Superman's entire career is based on deception. I remember that the Kents were always telling "white lies" in Superboy comics.

Smallville: Obsession

A really cute teleport. Neat that lead blocks her power so covering her in lead paint prevents her from teleporting - just as covering the Invisible Man in paint makes him visible. Clark can throw it at her so fast that she does not have time to teleport.

Good to see Luthorcorp and Lionel again. An elevator would not drop in the Luthorcorp building. The connection between Adam and Lionel is revealed but the truth still comes out in very small doses.

Pete says, "We've had our problems lately," referring to the way things were between him and Clark at the end of the previous episode. Clark not being honest with Lana makes less and less sense - but it is necessary for the story.