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Episode Recap: Apocalypse
Shut away in his loft, Clark is studying the latest of Kara's future-past Kryptonian messages. Krypton is on the verge on destruction and Brainiac is going to prevent Clark from ever being sent to earth.
Despite Chloe's protestations, Clark is willing to let this happen.
“All I've brought is death and suffering...meteor freaks, phantoms, Brainiac. I'm taking responsibility for all the lives I've ruined.”
“This planet would be better off if I never existed.”
At this point, it's obvious the episode is headed in one of two directions. Either Clark tries to change the future-past while fading from existence ala Back to the Future, or, his wish is granted, It's A Wonderful Life style.
As fun as the former scenario might have been, it's the latter that plays out, parlaying its slightly hokey premise into one of the most enjoyable episodes of the entire series.
Ignoring his wishes, Chloe forces the octagonal Kryptonian key into Clark's hands, triggering a blinding flash that knocks Clark back onto the floor of his barn, except...
It's no longer his barn. The loft is stacked with barrels of hay, and he's immediately confronted by none other than an alternate, earth-born Clark Kent.
After learning that both Jonathan and Martha are still alive, Clark asks Earth-Clark what's become of Lana Lang. He has no idea. How Earth-Clark never noticed the gorgeous, popular, next-door brunette is one of a million paradoxes not worth exploring.
Clark rushes off to find Chloe, hoping she can help locate their “mutual friend” Lana. Alas, Chloe knows Lana only as a cheerleader who ran in a different social circle. She'd love to help him, but she's got plans with her loving fiancee. Clark's happy for her. So am I.
His next stop is the Daily Planet, where he cons Jimmy into tracking down Lana for him. Turns out, she's a happily married family woman living in France. Given Clark's somewhat... limited perspective, he's apparently right on the money about the world being better off without him.
That is, until he bumps into Lois, who's almost immediately dragged away by a team of government agents led by Kara Kent, under the orders of President Lex Luthor. Awesome.
Sure, Lex as President makes no sense in this universe (no way he's 35 or older, among other glaring issues) but as a fan of assorted Batman (specifically the “No Man's Land” series) and Superman (specifically the “Red Son” series) comics, I loved seeing this concept played out on the show.
So. Lex as President plans to start a nuclear war, his intentions being to kill off all but the best and brightest so they can start a new and better world in the aftermath. With Brainiac as his chief advisor and Kara as his muscle, he's virtually unstoppable. But before he launches the attack, he needs to hold a press conference. Held at the Luthor Mansion.
Clark shows up, donning the awkward, bespectacled costume of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter from the Daily Planet. He convinces Kara to turn on Lex; but it's too late – Lex was strapping a kryptonite clip and wastes no time taking them both down and triggering the inevitable nuclear apocalypse.
It's at this moment that Clark flashes back to the beginning of the episode – it was all a dream! – and realizes the error of his ways. He zips off to Krypton to confront Brainiac on the future-past version of Krypton.
With Kara's help, he manages to defeat Brainiac and ship baby Kal-El off to planet Earth. But all is not well.
Lana is still stuck in her Brainiac-induced coma, Lex is the only one offering to save her and Kara is apparently stricken with the same affliction as Lana.
The only upside? Lois offers to take Clark out and buy him a brew. After all he's just been through, Clark deserves at least that.
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May 2, 2008 8:36 AM
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No one responded yet??
This was the BEST episode this season.
LOVED how Lois was all flirty with Clark and Clark was LOVING it.
It was also funny when Clark went to change into the tux and Lois went to peep through the door. LOVE IT!
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May 2, 2008 9:15 AM
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Glad I'm not the only one who saw the 35+ issue.
Why the heck was Kara hit by the Kryptonite bullet. Clark, OK: he's dumb enough to just stand there if Lex fires a gun at him, not thinking that there's a REASON Lex would use a gun. But Kara? She knew it was kryptonite. Faster than a speeding bullet and all?
Smallville's most unforgivable sin: making Clark Kent whiny and foolish.
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May 2, 2008 9:17 AM
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Am I the only one that liked the "alternate" future better?
Lois was more like "traditional" Lois. Clark was more like Superman, and I loved the glasses. The biggest downside was no Chloe in Clark's life. Oh, and that little thing about the planet being nuked.
I like how Kara was "Linda Danvers." The alias that was used by the original Supergirl. Not said, but Chloe's hubby was George Dean in homage to George Reeves and Dean Cain. Nice.
I'm still not sure where this series is headed, but with KK not returning as Lana next season, I hope they leave her instituted or at least find away to remove her from Clark's heart. I guess this is the start of Clark and Lois?
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May 2, 2008 9:44 AM
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I was wondering about the baby being wrapped in the yellow blanket. Wasn't Clark wrapped in a red blanket? His cape? I don't think kara has what Lana has. I think Brainiac is inside her. Just a thought.
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May 2, 2008 9:47 AM
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I am suprised they didn't use this episode to segue into next season and take the show in a new direction. This alternate reality is closer to the Superman of the comics and would have been able to explain how all the characters didn't know Clark was superman. I am thinking they could still try and tie this one into the series finale. If Lana and Lex are not regulars next season maybe Lana will move to France and get married.
But about this episode.
Loved Clark as a mild mannered reporter. He looked great in the classes.
Clark not so shy with the powers in this universe when saving Lois. Like that she thought he was a meteor freak.
Jimmy in the Bow Tie, stalking Lois with his Camera. Classic.
Brainiac, we didn't see die, he must have possesed Kara before coming back to Earth, so he will be there to help save Lana.
Lex in the white suit blowing up the world. Just like the Old Seerer woman saw in one of the first seasons. Ties it altogether nicely.
Great episode.
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May 2, 2008 9:49 AM
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Again the writers write a good episode, but walk all over themselves.
If Clark was not around Lex would have died in the car crash on the bridge. Also why was Lex wearing one black leather glove. And then the other things already mentioned.
It was a good episode, but too many times I rolled my eyes.
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May 2, 2008 9:51 AM
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Okay. I haven’t been too thrilled with Smallville this season. It hasn’t felt like it had any direction. But I LOVED last night’s episode. I loved everything about it. I do know why Earth-born Clark didn’t know Lana… If her parents weren’t killed in the Meteor Shower then she had no reason to be living with her Aunt next door to the Kent’s…. I did love Lois totally flirting with Clark…. I love their scenes together and I wish there were more of them… And I want Chloe to find that guy she was going to marry in the real world and marry him for real… I really want Chloe to be happy. As for Lana… Sorry folks but I am just so TIRED of her, send her to France let her have a normal life….
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May 2, 2008 10:02 AM
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Jambuba,
I can't speak to the black glove thing aside from it being iconic of the comic books. As for the car crash, there wouldn't have *been* a car crash if not for Clark. If you remembre (and my geek is showing) the crash was caused when Lex swereved to avoid Clark who'd suddenly appeared on the road in front of him. No clark, no crash, Lex liveth.
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May 2, 2008 10:12 AM
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allsummersingle – That scene with peeping Lois was great, I can’t believe I left it out of the recap.
Ðarclyte & Gerald – Even though I knew the episode would retcon itself, I liked that alternate future (minus the nuclear warfare and President Lex) much better than the direction the series has been headed in. I think it would have been a great way to re-establish the show’s universe as one where Clark’s identity is still a secret and where Lois is a serious reporter for the Daily Planet.
kim99dallas – I missed the yellow blanket thing. You’re right that it should have been red, but if there’s still a no-tights/no-flights rule in place for the show, it probably won’t matter.
Jambuba – Yeah, Lex should have been dead, but then, so should most of the population of Smallville, The episode was good enough that I was willing to give it a pass on most of the obvious plot holes, and the only one that really bothered me was Earth-Clark not knowing who Lana was.
K. pointed out that Lana’s parents should have lived, because the meteor shower killed her parents and that’s why she was living across the way from Clark, but it seemed like the meteor shower happened anyway (Lex was bald, Lois made reference to meteor freaks, etc.) and it doesn’t make sense that Clark’s absence prevented her parents from being killed.
Gazerbeam – Lex swerved to avoid debris from a tractor-trailer; he hit it anyway and it sent his Porsche careening off the bridge. Clark was standing against the railing, and Lex crashed into him. It was not Clark's fault at all.
One last thing - the black glove in the comic books was, I think, a result of Lex' hand getting poisoned from wearing a kryptonite ring. Then again, he was wearing black gloves in that scene where he crashed off the bridge, so, who knows.
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May 2, 2008 10:33 AM
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After learning that both Jonathan and Martha are still alive, Clark asks Earth-Clark what's become of Lana Lang. He has no idea. How Earth-Clark never noticed the gorgeous, popular, next-door brunette is one of a million paradoxes not worth exploring.
Well, there are a few reasons why this alternate Clark wouldn't know who Lana is. For one thing, whether he's Jonathan and Martha's birth son or was adopted, this would have taken place years after Kal-El's arrival on Earth should have occurred. It's obvious this Clark was significantly younger and still in high school, and wouldn't have known Lana when she was in high school. Lana moved to Paris after high school, so they never would have met. Smallville isn't so small that everyone knows everyone else.
K,
Just because Kal-El never made it Earth doesn't mean Lana's parents didn't die in the meteor shower. It still happened, hence the awareness of "Meteor Freaks" and Lex's access to kryptonite. Lana's parents still would have died...Lex still went bald after being caught in the meteor shower.
And yes, Gazerbeam has it right...Clark caused Lex's car crash to begin with, so no Clark means no crash. In the comics, Lex wears a black glove because he got cancer in that hand as a result of wearing a kryptonite signet ring to keep Superman at bay (this was early in the John Byrne reboot and Lex got the kryptonite by pulling it out of Metallo's chest, killing him). The hand was amputated and replaced with a prosthetic. Eventually the cancer spread and killed his body, but not before he had his brain removed and stored for his eventual return.
Anyway, this was a great episode and it was fun to see alternate Lois interacting with Clark...and then to see the real Lois trying to console him at the end. I'm looking forward to next week, when it looks like Lex witnesses a monk played by Robert Picardo call Clark the Traveler.
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May 2, 2008 10:35 AM
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FrenchCelt - You've got a good point about Earth-Clark likely being younger, but considering the age of the actors on this show, it's never obvious (to me at least) how old they're supposed to be.
But like I said above, Clark had nothing to do with Lex' crash, aside from saving his life afterwards.
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May 2, 2008 10:59 AM
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I only watch this show for Chloe but now the creators are turning her appearances in most episodes into Clark's voice of reason. If this is what she's going to be doing next season, I say don't come back Allison Mack and find a show that appreciates your talents. I am so over Piggly Super Girl, Faux Lois Lane (I don't buy ED as a professional anything let alone reporter), Bland Lana (her coma is the best acting I've seen her do on this show), and Woe is Me Clark Kent. I mean Clark is going to give up his existence for Lana and not even consider his other friends and family.
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May 2, 2008 12:01 PM
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This episode was much better than last week's. Lex is definitely too young to be President, but I like that it was a nod to an episode from the first season. What was with the creepy black glove thing? I thought it was sweet that Clark only cared that his friends were happy in the alternate reality, but it's too bad we didn't get to see Jonathan, Martha or Lionel. Bummer. I liked that instead of the Kents finding Clark's ship, Lionel had discovered Kara's ship and raised her as his own. Kara and Lex having a brother/sister relationship was interesting. I enjoyed all of the Clark & Lois stuff and the nods to the comics and movie. I also liked the scenes on Krypton. Loved it when Kara kicked Brainiac in the face and the maniacal laugh and evil look on his face before she supposedly killed him. The ending has me intrigued. I'm sure Brainiac really isn't dead and that he did something to Kara.
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May 2, 2008 12:17 PM
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Re: Lex's age. What I've always gotten from the show was that Lex was several years older than Clark and the rest of the gang. At this point, if Clark's 21-22, Lex may be close to 30.
If this episode were actually a few years in the future (which makes sense--how could Fine have gained Lex's confidence in only two years, so that he'd be President Luthor's chief of staff), then you can kind of stretch Lex to his mid-30's.
I realize it's a bit of a stretch, but I maintain that Lex has been older to begin with (otherwise he'd have been in school with everyone else, instead of running the LuthorCorp plant during S1), so it's not impossible.
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May 2, 2008 12:34 PM
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