Smallville: Bound

The whole series, including this episode, is dark and doom-laden. It does not feel like a prequel to Superman. But this will be a different Superman.

Lex has a dark side. Jason has a bad relationship with his mother. His mother is connected with Lana's dreams of witchcraft.

What is interesting and unexpected is the miraculous physical and moral change in Lionel. He says that he deserves to be in this terrible place and that he has no one to blame but himself whereas he used to blame everyone but himself. It would be impossible to trust him but also wrong to deny the possibility of change.

I would like to put the unchanged Lionel Luthor in a society where everyone's basic needs were met and where there were many opportunities for productive and creative activity but where it was economically impossible to employ, exploit, manipulate, blackmail or bully. But the changed Lionel is a more interesting character and I hope that his change for the good continues.