Smallville

Smallville
File:Smvil.jpg
Created by	Alfred Gough Miles Millar
Starring	Tom Welling Kristin Kreuk Michael Rosenbaum Eric Johnson Annette O'Toole John Schneider Sam Jones III Allison Mack John Glover Jensen Ackles
Country of origin	USA
No. of episodes	88
Production
Running time	approx. 0:42
Original release
Network	WB (USA) YTV (Canada)
Release	October 16, 2001 – present

Smallville is a television series that airs in the United States on the WB television network. Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the series follows the adventures of the young Clark Kent in his hometown of Smallville before he became Superman. It is primarily filmed in Vancouver's Lower Mainland in and around Cloverdale, British Columbia, Canada (which has a sign at its entrance saying "Home of Smallville").

The WB television network airs new episodes on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM EST. It was announced the show was renewed for a fifth season, for which the show will move to Thursday nights, starting September 29th.

General series info

Plot

Template:Spoilers The series is loosely based on the comic book mythos of the superhero Superman - more specifically, the character's origins - with a teenage Clark Kent growing to manhood in his hometown of Smallville (which is based in Kansas), and slowly learning to cope with his developing powers, his alien heritage, and his eventual destiny. It also explores his (often complicated) relationships with his family and friends, such as his kindly adoptive parents, Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent; his best friends, intrepid reporter Chloe Sullivan and the loyal Pete Ross; his childhood crush Lana Lang; his future girlfriend (and possibly wife), the feisty Lois Lane; and his future nemesis, the charismatic Lex Luthor. An ongoing subplot to Clark's growth as both a man and superhero is Lex's often-complicated relationship and dealings with his father, the unscrupulous businessman Lionel Luthor, and Lex's eventual emergence as an enemy of Clark's.

Kryptonite is also used as a recurring plot element throughout the series. (In this version of the Superman mythos, meteors from the planet Krypton followed the baby Kal-El's space capsule to Earth, and its arrival in Smallville.) As well as possessing the ability to weaken - or in the case of red kryptonite, influence - Clark to varying degrees, it is also depicted as being able to grant normal human beings a wide variety of powers, including psychic abilities, shape-shifting, and various element-based powers.

The series often features allusions (sometimes presented in the form of in-jokes) to Clark's future destiny as Superman (e.g., Clark's tendency to dress in blue t-shirts or red shirts, the same colour scheme as the familiar Superman costume). For example, the ongoing friendship between Clark and Lois is presented in a comedic (and highly ironic) fashion, considering that both will one day become the other's primary romantic interest; and the pair are often depicted as bickering, with others commenting on the subtle attraction between the two.

The series has just finished its fourth season.

Plot synopsis

First Episode's Opening Scenes

The opening scenes of the the first episode, 'Pilot', begin in the year 1989, and function as a prologue of sorts for the first series. A small alien spacecraft approaches Earth followed by a large number of meteors. The audience is also introduced to several of the series' main characters prior to the arrival of the meteor storm at the town of Smallville, Kansas.

The wealthy and infamous businessman Lionel Luthor (owner of LuthorCorp) and his nine-year-old son, Lex (with a full head of bright red hair), arrive in Smallville in a helicopter. Lionel is in Smallville regarding a business deal with the Ross Creamed Corn factory, owned by Pete Ross' grandfather.

We are then introduced to Clark's future adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, as they go about their daily business. We are also introduced to a three-year-old Lana Lang and her Aunt Nell. We learn that it is the Kents' wish to one day have a child of their own.

When the meteor strike begins, the young Lana and her aunt watch as Lana's parents are killed by a meteor. Also, as the Kents drive home, a meteor lands nearby, causing Jonathan to swerve off the road. Lex, having wandered away from his father into a nearby corn field after hearing a cry for help, finds a teenage boy strung to a wooden post in a bizarre 'scarecrow'-like fashion with a crude red 'S' painted on his chest - and is then caught up in the debris from the meteor storm himself. Lionel later finds Lex in the cornfield quivering on the ground. As a strange side-effect of the meteor shower, Lex is now completely bald.

Meanwhile, having climbed out of the wreckage of their truck, the Kents find a young naked boy who has undoubtedly come from a scorched spaceship lying nearby. Martha holds the boy in a blanket, and while Jonathan is ambivalent about what to do with this strange child, Martha smiles and says, "We didn't find him. He found us."

Season 1

Thirteen years after the meteor storm, Clark has grown into a teenager, and is aware of his growing powers (such as super-strength and -speed). His only confidants in this regard are his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, who finally reveal to him his suspected alien heritage. Clark attends Smallville High along with his friends Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan, and works with them at the school newspaper, 'The Torch'. He also has a crush on cheerleader Lana Lang, who unfortunately is going out with Whitney Fordman, a school football player. Also, Lana is wearing on her necklace a portion of the meteor that killed her parents, which causes a weakened Clark to inadvertently act like a fool in front of her.

Clark also saves the life of the wealthy Lex Luthor in a car accident. Lex has arrived in Smallville to run a fertilizer factory for his father, Lionel, the infamous businessman and CEO of LuthorCorp, whom Lex often clashes with. As a result of Clark saving his life, Lex develops a friendship with Clark, but also a keen interest and suspicion of him and his family (much to the dismay and annoyance of Jonathan, who clearly distrusts the Luthors). Lex also aquires the services of a newspaper journalist, Roger Nixon, to help him investigate Clark.

Clark, much to his delight, begins a budding friendship with Lana and the two grow close, following Whitney's need to look after his terminally ill father, which results in him seeing less of Lana. Lana's life also undergoes several changes, including quitting the cheerleading squad and getting a job as a waitress at The Talon, of which she eventually becomes manager when it is purchased by Lex Luthor.

Clark learns of a new ability, x-ray vision, and is also unnerved after waking up hovering over his bed. He wonders what this could mean in relation to his growing abilities.

Also, Clark has a multitude of encounters with individuals who have somehow each been granted differing powers resulting from exposure to the meteor debris. Among these is Cassandra Carver, a blind elderly woman who can see the future of whomever she touches; in the case of Clark, it is to help people. However, when Lex touches her hand, Cassandra sees Lex in the Oval Office, and then in a field of bones and blood; she appears to be so horrified that it results in her death.

As the first season comes to a close, Whitney's father dies, and Whitney decides to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. As Lana bids him a tearful farewell, Clark goes to the spring formal dance with Chloe, and it seems the two are set to begin a romantic relationship. Roger Nixon, meanwhile, locates Clark's spaceship in the Kents' stormcellar and activates it with a strange sort of key that Lex had previously found and kept on his desk. Jonathan and Martha confront the journalist, and Jonathan chases him outside the cellar as tornadoes begin to strike the town. Martha, meanwhile, notices the ship begin to move and glow intensely...

As the ferocious storm worsens, Clark is forced to abandon Chloe to rescue Lana, who is trapped in her crashed truck by the roadside in the southern part of town. At the Luthor mansion Lex and Lionel argue violently over Lex's work in Smallville when suddenly debris collapses on Lionel, pinning him to the ground. As more rubble threatens to fall on Lionel and undoubtedly kill him, Lex is left with a tantilising choice as to whether to rescue his father...

Meanwhile, as Lana gets swept up into a violent tornado; Clark unhesitatingly races in after her...

Season 2

In the first episode, Clark rescues Lana and then finds his father, who was missing after the storm. In episode 3, Clark tells Pete about his powers and where he is from, after Pete finds his ship in the middle of a field. In episode 4, Clark comes in contact with red kryptonite for the first time -- in his class ring. We discover that it alters Clark's behavior and causes him to lose his common sense. In episode 10, Clark meets a Native American girl in a cave and discovers drawings on the walls from the girl's ancestors that tell a tale mirroring Clark's arrival in Smallville during a meteor shower. Lana also discovers that her biological father is Henry Small. In episode 14, Clark finally asks Lana out on a date, which goes awry when Clark has to save Pete and Chloe. The following episode, Lex finds his younger brother, Lucas. In episode 17, Christopher Reeve (the actor who portrayed Clark Kent/Superman in the 70s and 80s movies) plays a scientist with information about Clark's otherworldly origins. Reeve stars as Dr. Virgil Swann, a rich and reclusive physicist with an interest in extraterrestrial beings. The intrigued Swann asks Clark to meet with him after he sees a newspaper photograph of a Kryptonian symbol burned into the side of the Kents' barn. In the last two episodes, Clark kisses Lana and hears a cryptic message from an unknown source. Elsewhere, someone breaks into Helen's office and steals a sample of Clark's blood. Lex and Helen plan their upcoming wedding as Clark receives piercing frequencies coming from the missing part of the ship, which happens to be the key. A sense of foreboding surrounds Smallville, as Clark must choose between staying with Lana and his family and fulfilling his destiny to rule the Earth. In the end, Clark destroys the ship with a kryptonite key. Feeling responsible for the loss of his mother's baby in the explosion of the ship, Clark uses red kryptonite to become worry-free and leaves for Metropolis. To be continued…

Season 3

In the first two episodes, Jonathan makes a deal with Jor-el to help bring Clark back home to Smallville. Jonathan temporarily receives Clark's powers and battles Clark, ultimately leading to Clark's homecoming. Meanwhile, Lex wakes up on a deserted island. He imagines another man, Louis, who suggests that either Lionel or Helen set him up to die in the plane crash. Louis attacks Lex and Lex imagines he kills Louis. Lex is rescued and goes home to determine whether the fault belongs with Lionel or Helen. Lana meets a new man, Adam, and tries to discover Adam's secret. There are many filler episodes until episode 10, when Clark refines his newfound power of super-hearing. In episode 14, a new girl, Alicia, witnesses Clark using his powers. She also has powers from the meteor shower, and she becomes obsessive about sharing Clark with anybody (especially Lana). In episode 17, Lionel tries to extract information about Clark from Dr. Swann. Dr. Swann does not give Lionel any of his information. While Lionel is distracted by trying to learn more about Clark, Lex is teaming up with the Feds to make a case against his father. In the final episode, Kara, a beautiful girl with superpowers, claims to be from Krypton and comes to entice Clark to fulfill his destiny. Lionel tells Lex that he is dying of liver disease and nothing can save him, but Lex doesn't believe him. Kara reveals the deal made between Jonathan and Jor-el (that Jonathan would release Clark to Jor-el when it came time for Clark to fulfill his destiny). Clark discovers Lex's research on him and forgets to take Lana to the airport for her flight to Paris, as he had promised. He arrives at the airport too late, just in time to see Lex and Lana hugging one another. Lana sees Clark across the street, but when she follows there is no one there: just a white rose, left behind by Clark. Clark testifies against Lionel, but declares that his friendship with Lex is over. Clark and Kara prepare to leave but Chloe identifies the fingerprints as a girl who was killed on the day of the meteor crash. When Clark refuses him, Jor-El dissipates him and then hits Jonathan with a bolt of energy and threatens to kill him if Clark doesn't agree. Despite Jonathan's pleas, Clark enters the light and disappears. Martha runs outside to see a Kryptonian symbol burned into the fields. The Sullivans go into protective custody but their new house blows up with them in it. Lionel gets shaved bald in his new home, a prison. Lex chokes after drinking a glass of brandy. Clark floats in a void while Jor-El promises "He shall be reborn." To be continued...

Season 4

At the beginning of season 4, Lois Lane is introduced to the series when she discovers Clark (reprogrammed as Kal-el) in a field. Kal-El takes to the skies to steal a powerful kryptonite crystal to fulfill his destiny. Martha turns to Dr. Swann's emissary and learns about a surprising new form of kryptonite that she later uses to bring Clark back. Meanwhile, Lois comes to town to investigate the murder of her cousin Chloe. Lana returns from Paris with a new boyfriend (Jason) and new outlook on life. Jonathan lies in a coma, while Lionel faces a grim new life in prison. There are a few filler episodes, including one in which Clark meets Bart, The Flash. In that same episode, Lex finds a manuscript with Kryptonian symbols and Clark learns that it contains a hidden map. Bart risks his life and steals the map for Clark. In the following episode, Lionel and Clark switch bodies. When Lionel discovers that Clark (himself at the time) has powers, he begins to wreak havoc on Smallville. After Clark and Lionel switch back to their original bodies, Lionel's liver disease is cured and he has a new revelation to help people. In episode 10, Lionel is released from prison despite the fact that he did not want to leave (because he could help others there). In that same episode, Chloe finds her mother and Jason broke up with Lana because of his mother. In the following episode, Clark's obsessive ex-girlfriend, Alicia (from season 3), 'drugs' Clark with Red Kryptonite, and the two run away to Las Vegas to get married. In the meantime, Lana offers to have sex with Jason in attempt to win him back. In the episode following that one, Alicia exposes Clark's powers to Chloe and Jason's mother returns with and offer for Lex. In episode 15, Dr. Swann dies and Clark and Lana go to China after learning that Jason and Lex are searching for one of the Kryptonian crystals there. Clark finds an artifact that leads them to the crystal, but he must battle Isobel, the witch (from episode 8), who has once again inhabited Lana's body in order to take the crystal for herself. Lana gets the crystal eventually. In the following episode, we meet Lois's younger sister, Lucy, while the crystal from China disappears from Lana's apartment and Jason accuses Lionel of stealing it. In episode 19, Clark loses his memory and Chloe must teach him about his powers. Clark falls in love with Lana all over again and tells her his secret. In the end, Lana's memory is erased so she doesn't remember him saying that. Lex also takes advantage of Clark's lost memory and convinces Clark to tell him where the stones are. In the following episode, Genevieve (Jason's mother) tells Lionel to kill Lana or she will send him back to prison. In the episode after that, Lex and Lionel are kidnapped and tortured by the Teagues in an effort to find the crystal. However, Genevieve realizes Lana has it and attacks her. In the final episode, Clark figures out why he was sent to Earth after he has a nightmare that something horrible is going to happen to Smallville. He heads to the cave to seek answers from Jor-El. His biological father tells him he must reunite the three crystals immediately or a disaster of epic proportions will befall the planet and even Clark won't be able to stop it. Meanwhile, Lex helps Lana escape Smallville when Lana kills Genevieve in the fight for the crystal. Realizing the crystals are connected to Clark, Chloe tries to stop Lex from discovering the truth about them. Jason takes Jonathan and Martha hostage and threatens to kill Martha unless Jonathan tells him where Clark hid the crystals. There is a massive meteor shower during graduation. Clark puts the crystals together which stops the meteor shower and takes him to an icy, deserted place. Clark throws the crystal-combo and we are left with a view of the crystal in the air until next season.

Season 5

Template:Spoiler In the aftermath of the meteor shower, the Kent farm is destroyed, Jonathan and Martha are hospitalized, Jason is killed in the ensuing chaos, and Lana finds two Kryptonian disciples of General Zod who are searching for Kal-El (Clark). Meanwhile, Clark has constructed the Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic, and Chloe, who was also transported, is healed by Clark and discovers his secret. Later, the gang heads to college, Chloe goes to Metropolis in search of her mother, Lex and Clark's relationship comes to an end, and Clark meets Dr. Fine (Brainiac) who reveals to him the secrets of Krypton and its destruction....

Broadcast Times

United States

• Repeated episodes are every weekday on ABC Family, at 7/6c in the evening.
• Currently, there are repeats on the WB until season 5 begins on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9PM Eastern Standard Time.
• Season 5 begins September 29th, 2005 Thursday at 8pm (ET) on the WB.
• The first 3 seasons are available on DVD to buy.
• The fourth season will be coming out for purchase on September 13th, 2005.

Canada

• Repeats can be seen on Canada's YTV on Saturday and Sunday at 8:00pm.
• Repeats air on Canada's Citytv Tuesdays at 8:00pm.
• Repeats can also be seen on Canada's Space Channel.

United Kingdom

• Repeats of Smallville Season 4 are being shown on Channel 4's Entertainment channel, E4, weekdays at 2pm and 6.05pm.
• Smallville Season 5 is expected to start on E4 in January/February.
• The Season 4 boxset will be released October 10th, 2005.

Cast and characters

Regular cast

• Tom Welling - Clark Kent, Kryptonian name Kal-El
  • Also plays the young Jor-El, Clark's biological father from Krypton
• Kristin Kreuk - Lana Lang
• Michael Rosenbaum - Lex Luthor
• Eric Johnson - Whitney Fordman, Lana Lang's boyfriend (Season 1)
• Annette O'Toole - Martha Kent
• John Schneider - Jonathan Kent
• Sam Jones III - Pete Ross (Seasons 1-3)
• Allison Mack - Chloe Sullivan
• John Glover - Lionel Luthor (Season 2- )
• Jensen Ackles - Jason Teague (Season 4)

Recurring and significant characters

• Terence Stamp - Voice of the elder Jor-El (5 episodes as of the end of season 3)
• Christopher Reeve - Dr. Virgil Swann is a scientist who discovers a message from Krypton. (appeared in #2-17 (aired February 25, 2003) and #3-17 (aired April 14, 2004))
• Erica Durance - Lois Lane
• Jill Teed - Maggie Sawyer, police lieutenant in Metropolis' Special Crimes Unit.
• Rutger Hauer - Metropolis crime boss Morgan Edge (2 episodes)
• Joe Morton - Mad scientist Dr. Hamilton (4 episodes)
• Patrick Bergin - Metropolis crime boss Morgan Edge (1 episode)
• Ian Somerhalder - Adam Knight died in a car crash but was revived by Lionel Luthor who discovered a method of keeping dead people alive by using Clark's blood (8 episodes)
• Kelly Brook - Victoria Hardwick, Lex Luthor's girlfriend (4 episodes)
• Emmanuelle Vaugier - Dr. Helen Luthor (née Bryce), Lex Luthor's ex-wife
• Camille Mitchell - Sheriff Nancy Adams (#2-19 ff.)
• Sarah Carter - Alicia Baker, a girlfriend of Clark's who has the ability to teleport. She revealed Clark's powers to Chloe before being killed. (3 episodes)
• Margot Kidder - Bridgette Crosby, a colleague of Dr. Swann introduced in season four who was killed off in the episode entitled, "Spirit".

Main character analysis

Clark Kent

Played by Tom Welling, Clark Kent is the central character. The last remaining Kryptonian, he came to Smallville during the meteor shower of 1989. At the outset of the show, Clark is a fifteen-year-old freshman at Smallville High just learning of his true origins, and deeply troubled by that knowledge. The stories of Smallville center around Clark, his acceptance of his powers, his role in society and his relationships with others, most importantly Lex Luthor and Lana Lang. He does this with the support of his parents, especially his father.

Clark's mystique and famous (notorious?) habit of being the hero make him a busy, and conflicted teen. He is often torn between his feelings for Lana and the need to protect her from the truth. His need to conceal his identity also frequently puts him at odds with his best friend, Lex. Chloe Sullivan, his partner at the school newspaper, has feelings for him that she disguises with friendship.

Clark has a huge heart and wants there to be nothing between him and his friends -- most importantly, Lana. Unfortunately, his powers do not allow him to be completely honest with the ones that he loves. In order to prevent media exposure, Clark always has to take care when using his powers. Initially, the only people he speaks of his powers with are his mother, father and Pete. He eventually also tells his girlfriend, Alicia Baker. Later, a foster brother, Ryan James, and Chloe also discover his powers. Several others also stumble upon his secret, but always forget, die or disappear. He hopes that someday he can openly share the secret of his powers with those around him, but it seems unlikely to happen.

Apart from his powers and incessant heroism, Clark is a normal teenage boy just hoping to make it through the rest of the day.

Lana Lang

Formerly the girl-next-door, Lana Lang is the love of Clark’s life. She also has feelings for Clark. Unfortunately, every day that Clark does not share his secret with Lana is a day in which they grow further apart. She is free-spirited and has a love for horseback riding. Aside from being an equestrian, she’s also a cheerleader and gymnast. She is in several clubs including: French, Art, Math, and Poetry. She volunteers at the Smallville Nursing Home; her cheerleading squad took first place at summer camp; she has taken home many ribbons for equestrianism in 4-H. Despite her numerous extra-curricular activites, Lana also manages and is partial owner (partners with Lex Luthor) of the Talon; a restored movie-theater turned Egyptian-themed coffee shop. The Talon is the local teenage hot-spot due to “Smallville’s Best Cappucino” and the occasional live band. Lana can often be seen re-filling sugar bowls and cookie trays.

Regardless of her actively involved character, Lana cannot hide the pain in her heart. She lost her parents during the meteor shower and is trying to discover herself, with only the guidance of her Aunt Nell. Lana wears/wore a lucky charm around her neck, which is made from the meteor that killed her parents (kryptonite). She continues to struggle with her relationship with Clark, as she is deeply conflicted by "not knowing the whole man".

Lex Luthor

At the show's beginning, Alexander Luthor is a spoiled, angry, genius and extremely rich 21-year-old. His father, billionaire Lionel Luthor, has not had time for his son, and his mother is deceased. Lex lost his hair at the age of 9 during the meteor shower of 1989 in Smallville. At that time he was a self-described "brat", and his behavior only grew worse as he got older. If not for his father's considerable influence, he would have been expelled from his English private school, Excelsior. Growing up alone, Lex is an extremely bitter man.

Lex has been expelled from college and, to his horror, has not been invited to help run his father's corporation, but instead assigned to a small fertilizer factory in Smallville. A seminal event occurs when Lex hits Clark with his car and Clark saves his life. Following the accident (and a resultant near-death experience), Lex forges a friendship with Clark, believing they are meant to be friends. They grow very close, but cursed by a overwhelming curiosity, things start to take a turn as Lex digs deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Clark and his family. Additionally, he grows to distrust Clark as Clark repeatedly lies to cover his true identity. Their personal interests are at odds, and began to erode at their friendship. Their bond is critically damaged in Season Three, when Clark discovers Lex has an entire room devoted to peculiarities relating to Clark.

Lionel has raised Lex to be distrusting and conniving, and his lessons don't end with adulthood. His extreme cruelty and inhumane actions cause Lex to grow paranoid of his surroundings, especially of anything that could be related to his father. Their relationship comes to a head in Season Three when Lex discovers his father is a murderer, and has him imprisoned. In the fourth season, Lex becomes consumed with trying to find the three stones that, when brought together, are reputed to release the knowledge of the universe. The search for these stones further destroys his relationship with Clark and his father, and pushes him further to the dark side.

Chloe Sullivan

Young journalist and investigative reporter extraordinaire, Chloe Sullivan has a knack for getting to the truth. She is reporter and editor at The Torch, the Smallville High School newspaper. She also maintains "Wall of the Weird," on which she posts articles and theories concerning the often bizarre and eerie events that take place in Smallville, many of which are related to the effects of the meteor rocks (aka kryptonite). For Chloe, getting to the truth sometimes means getting herself in trouble. She has often gotten into muddy water with prominent people such as Lionel Luthor.

Chloe was born in Metropolis and moved to Smallville with her family when her father began work at LuthorCorp. Her mother abandoned the family at a young age(it was later revealed that her mother suffered from mental illness or insanity). Chloe first met Clark in the 8th grade when she moved to Smallville, and Clark was asked to show her around the school. Chloe's close friends are Clark, Pete, and Lana. Chloe developed a crush on Clark and they attended a school dance together, the pictures of which she often fawns over. Chloe's crush was shattered when she witnessed Clark and Lana embracing in Clark's loft. Needless to say, this has strained Lana and Chloe's friendship.

Later in the series, she finds out about Clark’s powers through Alicia, but he has yet to tell her freely. Altogether, Chloe is just in search for the truth in her life and surroundings.

Pete Ross

He plays football and golf, and participates in several clubs (Agriculture, Chess, Journalism, Key Club, Math). Pete's mother is a judge in Smallville.

Pete is Clark’s best friend in their childhood and high school years. Clark revealed his powers to Pete, after he discovered the spacecraft in a field after it flew out of the Kent's storm cellar during the tornado. Clark finds great relief in having a peer to confide in about his powers. At times Pete feels overshadowed by Clark, and is jealous of the developing friendship between Clark and Lex Luthor.

Martha Kent

The adoptive mother of Clark Kent and wife of Jonathan Kent, Martha is usually portrayed as a kind and caring parent. She helped to instill strong morals within Clark. She, with her husband, runs Kent Organic Produce. During Season Two, she worked briefly for Lionel Luthor and, during Season Four, she also became the manager of the Talon.

She has a poor relationship with her father, as he didn't support her marriage to Jonathan. She also didn't trust her father with Clark's secret. She became pregnant in Season Two, when she was cured from infertility by Clark's ship; however, a tragic accident caused her to lose the baby.

Jonathan Kent

The adoptive father of Clark Kent and husband of Martha Kent, Jonathan is usually portrayed as strong, supportive, and caring, though he is sometimes stubborn. He, with his wife, runs Kent Organic Produce, and he and Martha are responsible for instilling strong morals in Clark. He is portayed as the epitomy of a wise country gentleman, making him the perfect father for an American legend. He and Clark are very close.

He was born in 1961 to Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Kent. He was a football hero in highschool (Smallville High) and dated Nell Potter. He has lived in Smallville all of his life. He has heart trouble as a result of being given temporary powers by Jor-El. He is occasionally jealous of Jor-El and deeply suspicious of the Luthors.

Lionel Luthor

Famous billionaire and founder of LuthorCorp, Lionel is a dark character that brings out the worst in his son, Lex. He is briefly blinded in Season Two, is incarcerated and later released during Seasons Three and Four, and is left catatonic at the conclusion of Season Four. Lex took over LuthorCorp during Lionel's incarceration. His parenting style is often contrasted with that of Jonathan Kent.

Whitney Fordman

A typical jock, Whitney Fordman is involved in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He dated Lana Lang and later joined the marines, where he was killed in action.

Lois Lane

Lois is introduced in Season Four as a freshman in college. Even though she and Clark will be married in the future, at this early stage in their lives they get along about as well as oil and water. Clark and Lois are forced to work together as they seek out the true fate of Lois' cousin, Chloe Sullivan, who “died” in the third season. While Chloe and Lana both seem to adore Clark to a fault, Lois is not impressed by him, and will not hesitate to bust his chops and bring him back down to Earth.

Jason Teague

Jason is also introduced at the beginning of the fourth season. He was Lana’s boyfriend in Paris and moved to Smallville so he could be with Lana. When he and Lana became entangled in a search for the three stones of power, he became corrupted by the drive to find the stones and his mother's manipulations.

Clark's history

Template:Spoilers The boy known today as Clark Kent (played by Tom Welling) first arrived on Earth as a young child in a space ship that crashed near the farm of Martha and Jonathan Kent in 1989, during a meteor shower in Smallville, Kansas. The Kents named the young boy "Clark" after Martha's maiden name. Jonathan and Martha took the boy home, where he shocked them by crawling under a bed and lifting the 500 pound wood frame over his head. The Kents decided to take Clark to a doctor, but while waiting to see the doctor, Martha warned Jonathan if they told anyone about the boy's abilities, they'd likely never get to see Clark again. This prompted them to return home without seeing the doctor. With the help of Lionel Luthor, the Kents were able to fake an adoption of the boy. In return for helping the Kents, Lionel asked them to aid him in a business deal in Smallville, something they later regretted.

When Clark first started school he met young Pete Ross. When Clark and Pete were attacked by a school bully, Clark impressed everyone by throwing the boy through a door, but after that he learned to better hide his abilities.

Clark set up the loft in the Kent barn as his own; his father refers to it as his "Fortress of Solitude".

When Clark was in junior high, a girl named Chloe Sullivan enrolled in Clark's school. Chloe had moved to Smallville from Metropolis and Clark was assigned to show her around school. When Clark invited her back to his barn she kissed him; it was Clark's first kiss.

Clark later attended Smallville High School, where he worked for the school newspaper, The Torch, and became good friends with Chloe Sullivan. Clark soon developed a crush on schoolmate Lana Lang, but unfortunately, she dated school jock Whitney Fordman.

Clark eventually saved the wealthy Alexander "Lex" Luthor from a car crash, and since then Lex has tried to help Clark, while being suspicious of Clark's abilities. Soon afterwards, Clark's parents told him of his unworldly origin, which led to Clark feeling guilty over the all the bad things that have happened in Smallville because of the meteor shower. Clark did his best to make things better for others, and together with Pete and Chloe started to investigate the strange happenings in Smallville linked to the meteor shower.

Clark and Pete used to hang out with another boy named Greg Arkin, but later they grew apart as Greg became obsessed with insects. Clark later came into conflict with Greg when he was transformed into an insect-boy thanks to the meteor rocks. Greg was killed in the fight with Clark.

Clark developed the ability to see through solid matter about the same time he first came into conflict with Tina Greer. Tina had gained the ability to change shape and possessed increased strength because of exposure to meteor rocks; Clark soon uncovered a plot by her to take over Lana's life.

The Kents eventually took in a young runaway boy named Ryan who could read minds. Ryan learned Clark's secret, but because he saw Clark as a hero and older brother, he kept the secret.

When Pete discovered the space ship Clark came to Earth in, Clark revealed his secret. Although Pete was shocked at first, he kept Clark's secret and their friendship became closer.

Eventually, Clark learned he could emit infrared-wavelength beams from his eyes.

Clark was once exposed to a red meteor fragment, which altered his personality to be more amoral for a short time, but he was soon cured.

After being exposed to a piece of alien technology Clark learned to read the language on the various artifacts within his space ship. Clark eventually learned from a scientist that his ship came from a planet called Krypton, and named the meteor fragments that fell with his ship "kryptonite".

Clark's powers

Clark is a human-looking alien who has great strength, enabling him to lift cars with ease. He is invulnerable to extreme heat, cold and electrical shock. He can move so quickly he is a blur to others. Clark has displayed the ability to see through objects and has at least a small level of telescopic vision, as well as the ability to emit infrared beams from his eyes. He also has heat vision, which through practice he has tamed from enormous blasts to just enough to turn bread slices into toast or anywhere in between.

Clark is capable of making lightning fast calculations rivaling that of a computer and has a photographic memory. Clark has proven immune to telepathic mind reading, something that his comic book incarnation was not invulnerable to (along with psionic attacks and magic). Clark has also recently displayed enhanced hearing.

Clark's powers seem to be increasing with age, and it is possible he will discover other abilities as he grows up. Clark once dreamed he was flying and woke up floating over his bed, but he cannot consciously control that ability. A later episode demonstrated he is already physcially capable of flight, but only as Kal-El, his Kryptonian alter ego induced by a sinister Jor-El.

Clark is diminished by the presence of kryptonite, which litters the ground in Smallville. Although he can be hurt when under its influence, he quickly heals from any damage when removed from the presence of fragments. The rarer Red Kryptonite does not affect him physically, but seems to cloud his judgment, making him wilder and less inhibited. Clark's powers were once transferred to someone else when the two were struck by lightning while near Green Kryptonite, but eventually, another electrical jolt transferred the powers back to Clark.

Inconsistencies with the comic books

It should be noted that while the show is not entirely consistent with the DC Comics titles about Superman and Superboy, this is not only expected but inevitable. There is, in fact, no single Superman comic continuity, but instead a wide variety. The first given origin story of Superman, in Action Comics #1 (1938) stated that Clark was turned over to an orphanage rather than being raised by the Kents, who had various names before being identified as Jonathan and Martha. By 1939's Superman (volume 1) #1, however, Jonathan and Martha Kent were first introduced, with an explanation that they were the ones who adopted Clark from the Smallville Orphanage. The source and nature of Clark's powers have also varied over the years, as well. The show is not meant to be a recreation any particular comic book continuity, but a summary of the Superman mythos.

Smallville is located somewhere in Kansas, a completely landlocked state, yet in one episode, Clark and Lana can see Metropolis from the top of a Smallville windmill. Both the television series and comic books have established Metropolis as a coastal city, almost always on the east coast of the United States. The writers for the Smallville series have indicated that Metropolis (in this series) is approximately 150 miles (240 km) from Smallville. It is interesting to note that the original Superboy comics held that Smallville was in close proximity to Metropolis; Kansas wasn't specified as Smallville's state until comic writer John Byrne's 1986 origin rewrite of Superman, which removed Superboy from Superman's continuity.

In the Smallville continuity, Clark Kent reveals his alien nature to Pete Ross. In the continuity of the Superboy comics, Pete had witnessed Clark changing into Superboy – a fact which he never revealed even to Clark. Periodically, he would assist Clark in keeping his secret identity in subtle ways. An example of this assistance was in the 1973 Superman story "I Can't Go Home Again" (published in Superman (volume 1) #270), in which Pete Ross once again attempts to help Clark by arranging for his boyhood home in Smallville to be destroyed, which he believes will assist Clark in keeping his secret identity. He realizes, however, that Clark does not keep the house to keep his secret, but rather because he is sentimental about his childhood home (in the Superboy comics' continuity, Jonathan and Martha Kent had died after Clark graduated from high school, but in recent comics' continuity, the Kents are still alive in Clark's adulthood). Pete is able to undo this mistake when Clark reminds him of writing by Native Americans in a nearby cave, which hints at a treasure buried underneath the Kent home. In the modern comic book continuity, Pete was not initially aware of Clark's secret. However, the secret was known by the villainous Manchester Black, who informed then-President Lex Luthor of the secret, only later to wipe his memory of it. However, prior to losing the knowledge of Clark's secret, Lex informed his Vice President, Pete Ross, that his close friend Clark Kent was in fact Superman. As with the former continuity, Pete has yet to reveal to Clark that he knows the secret. A minor difference between the television and comic book versions of the character is that in the comics, Ross is Caucasian, while in the series, he is African-American.

Kryptonite is handled differently in the television series. It has appeared in solid, liquid and gaseous forms, typically in experiments or put to creative uses by unsuspecting Smallville natives. The most common variety, Green Kryptonite (referred to simply as "meteor rocks" by the townsfolk) has the additional effect of producing super or mutant powers in humans, one of the major plot devices of the series. This is not the case in the comics continuity, where kryptonite generally affects only natives of the planet Krypton. Traditionally, kryptonite was harmless to humans, but in current comic continuity, long-term exposure to Kryptonite has caused cancer in humans, namely Lex Luthor. In the show, Red Kryptonite produces a psychological effect, while in the comics it causes random physical transformations that last from 24 to 78 hours. Also in the comic books once a kryptonian is exposed to a piece of red kryptonite, he or she is immune to that specific piece of red kryptonite. In the Smallville show the same piece of red kryptonite is used repeatedly and the effects still affect Clark. Black Kryptonite, used in one episode to annul the mental influence of Clark's Kryptonian alterego Kal-El, never appeared in the comics. Both red and green Kryptonite appear to lose their effects (indicated by lambent glowing) when violently struck or broken into smaller pieces.

Smallville also differs from the comics in how Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane first meet. In the television series, they meet while Clark is still living in Smallville. In the Superboy comic continuity, Clark first met Lois while the two attended a week-long student summer internship at the Daily Planet while they were in junior high or high school (several other contradicting first meetings of the two appeared in the Superboy series, but this was the first such depiction), though afterwards, the two didn't meet again until Clark began working at the newspaper after college. In the comics continuity established by John Byrne's 'Man of Steel', Lois Lane first meets Clark when he used his powers (before assuming the Superman identity) to save an experimental spacecraft. Surrounded afterwards by reporters and curious eyewitnesses, Clark fled. Sometime afterward, Clark adopted the identity of Superman, and Lois tried to get his story. She eventually succeeded, only to discover that a new reporter, Clark Kent, has beaten her to the story. This sequence of events has been slightly retconned by the limited series 'Birthright,' in which Lois first meets Superman in costume before being assigned to "break in" the Daily Planet's newest reporter, who has landed the job by virtue of an excellent scoop on the events that led to the first appearance of Superman. The Smallville television series also establishes that Lois is older than Clark (the original comics have usually depicted the two as about the same age).

The character of Lana Lang is typically depicted with curly red hair in the comic books (and in the movie adaptations). Kristin Kreuk, who plays Lang in Smallville, keeps her hair straight and nearly jet-black, making her appearance much closer to that of the comic books' Lois Lane. In the recent comic books, Lana also had a long-term on-and-off relationship with Pete Ross, of which there has been no indication so far in the television series.

The character of Bart Allen (a super-powered teenager known as "Impulse" and "Kid Flash" in the comics) has a completely different origin for his powers in the series. In the comics, he is born with them as the grandson of the second superhero to use the identity of the Flash. Bart Allen is portrayed as being around the age of Clark Kent, when he is considerably younger than the adult Clark in the comics. Also, in the comics Bart is from the 30th century where he travels to the past to see his uncle Wally West. When he arrives to the 20th century Clark is already Superman. Bart arrived to the past a little to early.(It should be noted that the Bart Allen of the television series uses several aliases, including Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West---the names of the three DC Comics characters who have taken on the identity of the Flash.)

Probably the largest divergence in the series has been the nature of Clark's father, Jor-El. In the comics, Jor-El has traditionally been a benevolent scientist, whose purpose in sending his son to Earth is strictly a matter of the child's survival. In this series, Jor-El visited Earth-- and Smallville-- during the 1950s, and it is suggested he chose the Kents to find his son due to a positive meeting with Jonathan Kent's father. However, the adult Jor-El lives on through an interactive recording of unspecified nature, and the series implies that this Jor-El wants Clark to be a conqueror. He shows none of the ethics of his comic counterpart-- he is, for example, quite willing to steal the life of a young woman, store her in suspended animation for fifteen years, brainwash her into believing she is a Kryptonian, and send her to his son as some sort of queen. When she is unsuccessful-- mostly because her non-Kryptonian nature is discovered-- he removes her from existence. Some fans speculate that this could not be Jor-El at all, especially when his voice is provided by the actor who played General Zod in the films.

Kryptonian Technology

• Clark's Ship: The life vessel of Kal-El (Clark Kent) to escape the unknown destruction of Krypton. It was destroyed by an octagonal-shaped Kryptonite key placed in by Clark.

• The Octagonal Key: A Kryptonian metal key that would open everything and download information.

• The Kawatche Caves: Caves in Smallville that was founded by the Kawatche Indians. The Caves were created by the Kryptonians to hold the knowledge for inhabitants from the planet.

• The Kryptonain Crystals: Powerful stones that would be formed to open the Fortress of Solitude.

Episode list & Character List

Season 1 (2001-2002)

No.	Title	Airdate
1-01	Pilot	October 16
1-02	Metamorphosis	October 23
1-03	Hothead	October 30
1-04	X-Ray	November 6
1-05	Cool	November 13
1-06	Hourglass	November 20
1-07	Craving	November 27
1-08	Jitters	December 11
1-09	Rogue	January 15
1-10	Shimmer	January 29
1-11	Hug	February 5
1-12	Leech	February 12
1-13	Kinetic	February 26
1-14	Zero	March 12
1-15	Nicodemus	March 19
1-16	Stray	April 16
1-17	Reaper	April 23
1-18	Drone	April 30
1-19	Crush	May 7
1-20	Obscura	May 14
1-21	Tempest	May 21

Smallville Characters Season One

Season 2 (2002-2003)

No.	Title	Airdate
2-01	Vortex	Sep 24
2-02	Heat	October 1
2-03	Duplicity	October 8
2-04	Red	October 15
2-05	Nocturne	October 22
2-06	Redux	October 29
2-07	Lineage	November 5
2-08	Ryan	November 12
2-09	Dichotic	November 19
2-10	Skinwalker	November 26
2-11	Visage	January 14
2-12	Insurgence	January 21
2-13	Suspect	January 28
2-14	Rush	February 4
2-15	Prodigal	February 11
2-16	Fever	February 18
2-17	Rosetta	February 25
2-18	Visitor	April 15
2-19	Precipice	April 22
2-20	Witness	April 29
2-21	Accelerate	May 6
2-22	Calling	May 13
2-23	Exodus	May 20

Smallville Characters Season Two

Season 3 (2003-2004)

No.	Title	Airdate
3-01	Exile	October 1
3-02	Phoenix	October 8
3-03	Extinction	October 15
3-04	Slumber	October 22
3-05	Perry	October 29
3-06	Relic	November 5
3-07	Magnetic	November 12
3-08	Shattered	November 19
3-09	Asylum	January 14
3-10	Whisper	January 21
3-11	Delete	January 28
3-12	Hereafter	February 4
3-13	Velocity	February 11
3-14	Obsession	February 18
3-15	Resurrection	February 25
3-16	Crisis	March 3
3-17	Legacy	April 14
3-18	Truth	April 21
3-19	Memoria	April 28
3-20	Talisman	May 5
3-21	Forsaken	May 12
3-22	Covenant	May 19

Smallville Characters Season Three

Season 4 (2004-2005)

No.	Title	Airdate
4-01	Crusade	Sep 22
4-02	Gone	Sep 29
4-03	Façade	October 6
4-04	Devoted	October 13
4-05	Run	October 20
4-06	Transference	October 27
4-07	Jinx	November 3
4-08	Spell	November 10
4-09	Bound	November 17
4-10	Scare	December 1
4-11	Unsafe	January 26
4-12	Pariah	February 2
4-13	Recruit	February 9
4-14	Krypto	February 16
4-15	Sacred	February 23
4-16	Lucy	March 2
4-17	Onyx	April 13
4-18	Spirit	April 20
4-19	Blank	April 27
4-20	Ageless	May 4
4-21	Forever	May 11
4-22	Commencement	May 18

Smallville Characters Season Four

Season 5 (2005-2006)

The information presently available is as follows:

No.	Title	Airdate
5-01	Arrival	Sep 29
5-02	Mortal	October 6
5-03	Hidden	October 13
5-04	Aqua	October 20
5-05	Thirst	October 27
5-06	Exposed	November 3

External links

• Devoted to Smallville- News and Message Board
• The best Smallville reviews on the net.
• Smallville site on thewb.com
• KryptonSite, the web's very first and best fan resource for the show, includes message board, spoilers, and up-to-date news
• SmallvillePH, a fansite based in the Philippines
• Smallville at IMDb
• Template:Tvtome show
• Smallville on Cyclops.IT, an Italian fansite
• Smallville Webring