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Episode Recap "Descent"
“How does a son murder his own father?”
“Total absence of love. Some say that’s the very definition of evil.”
Satisfying as it may be to have the show finally acknowledge Lex’ conversion to the dark side, I think the phrase Chloe was looking for was “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Considering what a backseat Clark’s taken to the wicked machinations of the Luthor family, it’s a much more suitable cliché.
That being said, if Al & Miles (while they’re still around) wanted to brand Lex as a wholly unredeemable villain, what better way to do it than having him murder his own father?
“I was raised in your shadow. Now you’re going to die in mine.”
Over at the Daily Planet, Clark & Chloe are hard at work tracking down Kara and Brainiac when they’re rudely interrupted by the rest of the staff exploding into action over the fact that someone’s leapt to their death out of the Luthor building, which, conveniently, is right across the street.
Before Clark gets a chance to stare down Lex with knowing eyes, the ghost of Lex’ conscience past, last seen in “Fracture,” appears in the ghostly form of a pre-adolescent, pre-meteor shower version of Lex.
“You killed him? You killed dad?”
The apparition shows up a few more times throughout the episode, trying to convince Lex he doesn’t have to be a bad person, but, gruesome as it was, seeing Lex toss him into the fire was something of a relief. It’s already been established that Lex is mad as a hatter and rotten to the core; a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil was wholly unnecessary.
Speaking of Lex, his personal assistant/right-hand woman Gina soon realizes he’s responsible for Lionel’s death, but promises to keep it to herself. I understand she’s got some weird thing for Lex, but considering his predilection for murdering those who stand in his way, couldn’t she have just kept that to herself?
Regardless, they head off to the Daily Planet in search of the second Veritas key. Lionel, predictably dropped it in Chloe’s desk. Confronted by Lex, she pretends she has no idea what he’s talking about, but once he opens her drawer and finds the key, she’s fired and swiftly escorted out of the building sans any of her personal belongings.
This conveniently allows Gina access to Chloe’s cell phone, and, in turn, the knowledge that Jimmy and Lois have discovered proof that Lionel was murdered. She tracks them down, shoots Lois and locks them both in a walk-in a freezer before heading off to the Isis foundation, where the only remaining copy of the photo implicating Lex in Lionel’s murder remains.
She also manages to overhear Clark and Chloe discussing his status as "The Traveler," which leads to her predictable death at the hands of an unknown assailiant. My best guess is that it was Jason Teague's father, but it seems that if anyone was going to have her killed, it would be Lex.
Clark, meanwhile, is scouring the Luthor mansion for the locket Lionel tried to pass off on him before dying. Instead, he finds a bizarre flashlight/projector covered in Kryptonian symbols warning him that if someone should come into possession of the box Lex is hours away from obtaining, they will have complete control over him.
After thawing out Jimmy and Lois, Clark heads off to Lionel’s grave site, where, conveniently, he and Lex are the only mourners. Sure, Lex made it a closed funeral, but wouldn’t there be a few intrepid paparazzi covering the burial?
Lex struts off, and Clark tosses the symbolic handful of dirt onto Lionel’s grave as the credits begin to roll.
Solid as this episode was, I hated to see Lionel go. Considering Michael Rosenbaum will only appear as a guest star next season, it’s going to be weird to see how Smallville operates without the Luthor family in a significant role. Then again, there’s always the chance that Lionel didn’t die, considering that Lex also killed off the younger version of himself, who was also a character since season one, and the fact that we never actually saw Lionel’s dead body.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:05 PM
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I apologize for the delay in posting this entry. For whatever reason, my original write-up never got posted and I had to re-write it from scratch over my lunch break. If I missed anything, please let me know.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:06 PM
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I wonder... we say a little twinkle in Lionel's eye as he fell from the building.. Maybe he's the 12th Cylon????
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Apr 18, 2008 12:20 PM
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Better late than never!
I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. Not enough airtime with Clark. Did like the picture of Jonathan he was looking at toward the end of the episode.
When Lionel was pushed so early in the episode, my first thought was: 'this is too easy.'
James:"Then again, there’s always the chance that Lionel didn’t die"
I don't think he did. When Lex identified him, that glimpse we had of one eye looked just like Lionel's eyes did when Jor-El took over his body--that eerie, white/grayish zombie look. He may have been buried, but I won't be surprised if we see him smash through the grave. The show never said the character that would die would remain dead. Hey! This is Smallville, rememember? 
I don't think I've seen Chloe act more stupid than she did last night. She sees the key, Lex approaching, and puts it in her desk? Should've put in her purse or on her person, if you get my drift.
When Gina shot Lois, I thought, 'oh no, not again', please don't let her be near death. I figured Gina would die, just from that look Lex gave her. And her death reminded me of that one episode in Superman: The Animated Series, "The Late Mr. Kent", where this crooked cop put a bomb under Clark's car...was found guilty of framing this guy who was in jail (and who Clark found evidence to his innocence). The cop was put in the electric chair and realized that Clark was Superman (how else could he have survived the car bomb?), but realization came just as he got the jolt, as with Gina. She realized who the Traveler was, right before she was killed. I had to smile. Do you think they got the idea from the cartoon? heh.
At least there was no Lana, but of course we had to hear Clark whine about trying to find Brainiac so that she could be cured. I'm getting frustrated with Clark--he's just taking Chloe for granted and telling her to find a way to find Brainiac and Kara. Hey Clark? Why don't YOU try to find them? Go to Jor-El.
I want some ACTION!
I'm sooo going to miss Michael Rosenbaum next season. 
~Sangeeta
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Apr 18, 2008 12:21 PM
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"If I missed anything, please let me know."
Well, "Veritas" keeps showing up as the recap for "Descent."
any way you can correct that?
~Sangeeta
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Apr 18, 2008 12:25 PM
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Doug - what's a Cylon?
Sangeeta - I always enjoy your comments, and yeah, it was awesome that there was no Lana this episode.
Seeing Lionel punch out of his grave Kill Bill style would be a bit hokey, even for Smallville. But it would be cool. Honestly, if they bring him back, I see it more as a "Lex knew he would survive the fall, had him put in a top-secret medical facility and held him prisoner there" scenario. Why else make the funeral private?
I never saw that episode of the animated series, but you've got a good point... It seems like any bit-part villain who realizes Clark's secret meets an untimely demise.
And are you really surprised at Clark taking Chloe for granted? That's been going on since the first season!
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Apr 18, 2008 12:29 PM
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Sangeeta - it's just a technical glitch that should correct itself in short order. Hopefully.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:33 PM
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"And are you really surprised at Clark taking Chloe for granted? That's been going on since the first season!"
True, but he would realize it and apologize, but now he can't be bothered. Just gets in a snit until Chloe tells him to stop. I just miss the old Clark, if that makes sense.
But it was cool how Clark 'defrosted' Jimmy and Lois!
~Sangeeta
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Apr 18, 2008 12:36 PM
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I may be alone in this, but I'm actually not worried about MR not being around much next season. He's already fulfilled his destiny of becoming the evil Lex in the comics, so unless he's the main villain next season, what purpose would he serve? I was really sad to see the end of John Glover's character. He's such a fabulous actor. Hopefully, he'll appear in flashbacks in upcoming episodes. At least we finally know the truth about Lionel now. He really did want to protect Clark all along. I also want to mention how glad I am that Jimmy's been acting like less of a weenie the past few episodes. I'm not sure how Chloe or Kara could've been attracted to the the old whiny Jimmy. I wonder if we'll be seeing Mr. Kent again soon in a flashback or alternate reality? They kept mentioning him in this ep.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:38 PM
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Sangeeta - no, that makes perfect sense.
Clark has become a secondary character in a show that he's supposed to feature in, and it seems like that's really taken a toll on the way the writers are portraying him.
Personally, I've never understood why, if the writers are able to take so much liberty with canon, they can't just have Clark and Chloe get together.
And yeah - that was really cool the way Clark used his heat vision to save Jimmy and Lois. I hope we start seeing more of Clark adapting his powers to different situations.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:49 PM
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Per the infamous Ausiello: "Find a calendar and draw a circle around April 17. That's the day the show's first post-strike episode airs. It's also the day a long-running character — a series regular — takes his/her last breath. As in dies. For real. No cloning crap this time around."
He's not coming back. Although I WISH he would. =(
IMHO - one of the best Smallville episodes EVER last night!
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Apr 18, 2008 12:55 PM
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Bluegrumpy - that's a good point about Jimmy. I wasn't much of a fan of his character at first, but the writers have done a good job into making him less of a nancy.
I hope you're right about Jonathan Kent making a re-appearance, but, considering that Martha wasn't killed off yet still hasn't been around at all this season, I'd be real surprised if they brought him back at this point.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:56 PM
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Great recap. One correction though, Clark found the flashlight message dealie in Lionel's vault at Luthorcorp, not in the mansion. Anyhow, I believe the reason for showing young innocent Alex and his demise was to imprint upon us that this was the point of no return. Lex could never be redeemed.
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Apr 18, 2008 12:59 PM
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Azureene - that's right. I hadn't been sure where he was when he found that because the whole set-up to that scene was a bit weird, but I'm glad you pointed that out.
And I agree completely about why young Alex appeared.
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Apr 18, 2008 1:19 PM
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I love the idea that Lex might have had the one person who could tell him who the 'Traveler' is killed.
And count me among those glad there was no Lana last night. I've only recently(since the writers' strike) been able to get myself to actually watch Smallville, simply because I for reasons I can't even place have an aversion to the actress. Couldn't watch Earthsea cause of it and likely won't see the new Streetfighter movie because of it. And I'm sure she's fine actress and a lovely person, I just can't seem to watch her in anything. I read or surf the web during her scenes since I started watching during the strike.
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Apr 18, 2008 2:03 PM
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