Episode Title: Hidden
Episode Airdate: October 13, 2005
Episode Recap:
Our fresh new Smallville begins looking down the barrel of a gun. The guy with the gun is with two people who look like military personnel, demanding that they put in the key. One military guy argues not to do it, as the other one inserts the key anyway. The kid with the gun then shoots and kills both of them anyway.
Meanwhile, Chloe is packing her belongings, getting ready to head off to Met U. The guy with the gun, evidently named Gabriel, calls her on the phone and tells her to get out of Smallville, saying that soon everything will be over, and that he had no other choice. He asks how many times he helped her get the big story and that in an hour she’s going to get it, claiming that Smallville is going to be gone forever. We then see a missile getting ready to launch. A nice beginning to the episode, but I can’t help but nitpick about the fact that, as far as I can remember, we’ve never once seen this Gabriel character at the Torch, and now they’re clearly trying to make it seem as if he was there all the time. I know, it’s nitpicking but it is grating nonetheless.
We return from the commercial break with Clark and Lana waking up in bed together. I think I have that same bedspread. Just minus the exceptionally hot girl underneath it. I am actually a little irked about this scene, because I was really hoping that the show wouldn’t turn into “Hey! Clark’s having sex now!” I’ll see how they handle all of this before I judge, though. Lana remarks that this was the best night sleep she’s ever had, but once the alarm notifies them that it’s 6:30, they start panicking. This is actually a pretty humorous scene, as both frantically try to get their stuff together before Clark’s dad wakes up as they argue, and Clark stubs his toe. They then sneak downstairs, and I can’t help but wonder why Lana, ya’ know, doesn’t leave through the FRONT DOOR. Instead, they knock over something, as Martha and Jonathan wait in the kitchen. Clark insists “I can explain.” Jonathan doesn’t look too pleased, and Martha looks shocked. Lana explains that she and Clark made this decision together, so if they’re mad they should be mad at both of them. Martha says they’re not mad, and that they’re in new territory. Jonathan seems pretty surprised by her reaction. So am I. Jonathan explains to Lana that this is about a lot more than just her, and curtly states that he’d like to talk to his son alone. After she leaves, Jonathan angrily tells Clark to sit down. Martha asks if they were safe, but Jonathan tells him he shouldn’t be doing this, no less under their roof. The moment is thankfully interrupted by Chloe, who asks why Lana would be there at 6:30. She then pieces it together, and awkwardly says “Oh…” Chloe then explains her talk with Gabriel. Jonathan says that she and Clark should look for Gabriel, and that he’ll talk to the sheriff.
This was another enjoyable scene however I can’t help but be surprised by how the Kents reacted to Clark having sex. Especially since last week it seemed like Jonathan was pretty laid back about Clark and Lana being in the house alone together. That said, it was refreshing seeing the mother react calmly and understandingly to her teenage son having sex, while the father acts strict and angry. But, again, why didn’t Lana just leave through the front door????
Speaking of Lana, she walks into her apartment where Lex is waiting inside. She’s of course angry to see him. I enjoyed his “early morning or late night?” line. He also makes note of her sketches of the spaceship that she saw. Lex insists that he believes her, and that he sent an expert to the site, and whatever caused that crate was not a meteor. He asks her if she told anybody else about it, but Lana answers vaguely. He insists she’s not crazy, and leaves.
Meanwhile, military transportation arrives at Smallville. The Sheriff insists to Jonathan that it’s just a routine drill.
Inside, 43 minutes remain before the missile gets launched. Military officers sneak through the halls as Gabriel continues typing away at the computer. The soldiers finally get inside the room, but it’s empty. Sheriff Adams thinks it’s a false alarm, but one of the soldiers tells them that he can be in one of any 15 possible locations.
Clark and Chloe arrive at Gabriel’s house, where they find a super duper wall of weird inside. Chloe wonders why somebody would be so obsessed with meteor freaks. Clark gives her a look. That was pretty funny, actually. They then (with unusual calmness) find Gabriel’s father’s dead body.
Inside LutherCorp, Lex argues with a scientist about the spaceship they found. Lex yells that LuthorCorp does not believe in finite solutions. That’s actually a pretty good slogan. The scientist counters that they’ve used every element that exists, but Lex tells him that he needs to think outside the box. He looks underneath the spaceship, and finds a symbol that was not previously there.
Clark wonders how they could search 15 compounds in 40 minutes. Clark tells Chloe that Gabriel trusts her, so they may not have to search every silo. Chloe calls Gabriel, telling him that she crashed her car into a ditch and that she needs his help. With 33 minutes remaining, he tells her he’ll be right there.
At Belle Reve, Lex shoves Lionel, demanding that he tell him what the symbols mean. Lex notes that the symbols he draws on the wall are identical to the ones on the ship. Lionel mumbles “you’ll never open it. Only he can open it.”
Chloe waves her hands as Gabriel arrives on his motorcycle. She apologizes, saying she didn’t know who else to call. At that point Clark arrives, asking Gabriel which silo he activated. Gabriel turns to Chloe and says that he trusted her, and then pulls out a gun and shoots Clark in the chest. Looks like Clark wasn’t faster than a speeding bullet that time! Chloe yells in horror, as Gabriel grabs her. Clark drops to the ground, as he coughs up blood. He then lies lifelessly on the road. Actually, this was quite a powerful scene, and excellently shot (pun not initially intended).
Clark is rushed through the halls of the hospital as Jonathan and Martha are in tow. The doctor tells them that she can’t tell how serious it is until they open it up, but it looks like the bullet pierced his lung.
Meanwhile, at the compound, Chloe pleads that Clark could die out there. He tells her that in 20 minutes it won’t matter anymore, as he types in the coordinates. She yells that he’s going to kill everyone in Smallville. Um, didn’t she already know that? Gabriel tells her that she’s safe there, and that she’s getting the story of a lifetime. He then explains that the last meteor shower left 10 times more rocks for people to be affected by, so there’s going to be even more freaks running around town. Chloe then figures out that the articles on the wall actually belonged to Gabriel’s dad. Gabriel then tells her that during the last shower his dad turned into one of them, and explains that his dad begged for him to kill him.
Clark lies in his hospital bed as Lana sneaks in. She sits beside him and tells him that she needs him to know that from the first moment she saw him, she knew that nobody could make her happier than him. But she also knew he couldn’t change, and that he’d always be running around saving the day. All those times she pulled away was because she knew this day would come. Clark then opens his eyes and stares lovingly at her. His eyes then close as he flat lines. The doctors rush in and try to save him. This was another very power scene, between the music and the acting, and the frantic camera movements. As they try to resuscitate Clark, Lionel’s eyes open and the color of his eyes return. He then walks to the window, and punches it out, shattering it into pieces. He steps into the hallway, where he runs away with super speed. At that point, the doctor calls Clark’s time of death. Lana hurries into the room in tears as she affectionately grabs Clark’s face.
Jonathan and Martha sit in the waiting room as they see Lana stumble from the hallway, barely able to contain herself. They stand up, sensing what they are about to hear. The doctor walks in, and tells them that they did everything they could, but they lost him. Jonathan holds Martha as they both express their emotions in their own way. A nurse then tells the doctor that they have a problem with the Kent boy. They all rush into the room, where Clark’s body is gone. Yep, looks like they lost him indeed.
Two minutes remain until the launch. Chloe looks at the two dead bodies in the room as she tries to untie herself. She grabs a club and goes to hit Gabriel with it, but she’s too late. He’s already activated the missile. Chloe and Gabriel fight over the gun, when suddenly one of them pulls the trigger. They stare at each other, until Gabriel drops to the ground. The missile then launches.
Clark wakes up inside the Fortress of Solitude, curiously not even wearing the clothes he was wearing when he was shot. Also inside the Fortress is Lionel, who calls Clark “Kal-El.” Clark asks how he knew to call him that, and Lionel explains that he is Jor-El. He says “I hope the day will come that you will call me father.” Clark asks how he got here, and Lionel explains that “when this body got activated by the crystal, it became an oracle of Kryptonian knowledge. A vessel if you ever need me.” Lionel explains to Clark that his mortal journey is over, and that he will return with all of his natural gifts. Unfortunately this rectification will come at a price: The life of somebody Clark loves will be exchanged for Clark’s life. Clark refuses. Lionel says that this was his choice. Clark pleads not to bring him back, but Lionel tells him it is too late. Lionel says “For everything in nature, there is a balance. The life force that has been returned to you will be taken from somebody you love. You are about to face your darkest hour, my son. But remember the lessons that we learn from pain are the ones that make us the strongest.” Lionel then hugs Clark. “Always know, that I love you,” he says. I will talk about this scene at length in my review. There is then a bright light, when suddenly Clark appears at the launching of the missile. He uses his super speed to catch up to it, then leaps (or flies?) onto the missile. He climbs up the missile as it flies into space. He tears the missile apart piece by piece, until he reaches the top, where he forces the explosion to happen in space.
Meanwhile, in the compound, Chloe believes that Smallville has been annihilated. She then sees that there was a malfunction. She quietly says “Clark.”
At the Kent house, Jonathan argues with the police about the hospital losing his son. Seems like a reasonable complaint. Just then, Clark walks into the room, with his clothes all battered and torn. They are obviously shocked to see him. Clark explains that he was dead, but Jor-El brought him back with his powers. He somewhat sadly tells them that he’s not human anymore, and that it’s the only way he could come back. Jonathan tells him “it’s not easy to sacrifice the things you want the most to save other people, we’re so proud of you.” Based on the way that line echoed Jor-El’s speech, I’m sensing that Jonathan is the one that bites the bullet. Clark begins walking away, but Jonathan asks him if Jor-El wanted anything in return for giving Clark his powers back. After a pause, Clark answers “no.”
Just then, Lana walks inside the house, and Jonathan motions for him to go talk to her. He walks into the hallway, where a shocked Lana runs into his arms. Seeing him lift her up is a somewhat funny visual, as she is so tiny compared to him.
Lana storms into Lex’s office and throws some files onto his table. Apparently he requested Clark’s medical file, but all of the test results came back normal. She asks him when he’s going to realize that Clark is just like the rest of us. Lex tells her that she’s had his doubts about him too. She counters that the only thing unusual about Clark is his ability to see the good in people who don’t deserve it. Lex notes that whatever new lie he told her, a normal person doesn’t rise from the dead. Lana leaves, but Lionel walks in, asking Lex if he’s going to give his dad a hug. Lex asks Lionel what he’s meant by mumbling about Krypton and Kal-El, but Lionel tells him the last thing he remembers is arguing with Lex. Lex states “I have my father back, what’s to disappoint? If anything, I’d say this is cause for celebration.”
Clark sits up in the original Fortress of Solitude (his loft) when he is interrupted by Chloe. She suspects that he got his powers back, but Clark tells her he didn’t have a choice. Chloe tries to be supportive and funny (which I think she succeeds at, saying they were a good team today, “except the part that I got kidnapped and you got shot at.”). She then asks him if he’s healing, to which he shows her the bullet wound, which isn’t so much there. She says “unscathed at the surface,” but she knows something is going on underneath. He’s disappointed that he’s back to the lies and hoping that nobody will ever ask to see the scar. Chloe tells him that although it felt special being the only one who knew his secret, but if he believes that he can stay with Lana and not tell her, he’s kidding himself. He responds that he doesn’t have a choice, and that he can’t expect her to react the way she did. He says he can’t take the risk of giving her that choice, saying he’s already risked enough already and that somebody else is going to have to pay for it. He confesses that he never should have given up his powers, and that he thinks he made a terrible mistake. I really like these endings they do where you think you’re about to hear the next sentence, but the episode then abruptly ends. In moderation, it’s a cool and dramatic way to conclude an episode.
Episode Review:
I quite enjoyed the series of episodes where Clark didn’t have his powers, but I understand why they needed to end that so soon. They obviously have a lot of ground to cover this season, and it would have been foolish to spend so much time having Clark without his powers. That said, I believe that these past few episodes were important, as it showed that Clark is a hero beyond just having super powers, as even powerless he made every effort possible to save people. Along with that, forcing Clark to use other resources to accomplish his tasks allowed him to grow as a character and as a hero. I also enjoyed his Scooby-gang-esque relationship with Chloe the past couple of episodes.
Above all else, I thought this was an absolutely wonderfully scripted and filmed episode. Everything from the directing to the lighting to the camera work was just spot on, to the extent that I actively took notice of it upon first viewing. And that’s not even giving proper credit to the tremendous acting from Lana, Chloe, Lionel, Jonathan, and Martha in particular (taking nothing away from those names I didn’t mention). The filming of the scene where Clark gets shot, the splicing of the scenes where they are trying to resuscitate Clark as Lionel comes out of his catatonic state, and everything in the Fortress of Solitude was just fantastic.
So, what is to become of Lana and Clark’s relationship now that Clark has his powers back? If this is indeed the final season, they only have twenty or so episodes to get Clark from Lana to Lois. Part of me believes that the only reason the two are together right now is to just give the viewers everything they had waited to see before having Clark move on for good. I’m sure that once Clark has to resort back to his secrets and lies, it’ll be the death toll for their relationship. However, I wish they would give us a better reason for why exactly Clark can’t tell Lana about his abilities. We saw last year with that baby that she could unconditionally love somebody different, and she already believes in extraterrestrial life after seeing the spaceship. I guess I understand that Clark doesn’t want to take the risk, especially considering how much he realizes he’s risked already, but I wish they would delve deeper into this. That said, I thought it was sweet how he can’t expect her to react the same way Chloe did.
Lex surprised me a bit this episode, since he seems to be trying to cozy up to Lana again. The whole Lex/Lana relationship is deceivingly complex, as Lana is really the only person outside of Clark that has developed an individual, close relationship with Lex. By the time the third season came about, Lana had a relationship with Lex that was mutually exclusive from the one between Clark and Lex. I didn’t really like the whole thing where Lex was in love with her, because it seemed creepy, but I’m curious what Lex’s motives are for trying to reconcile with her. I did also notice his subtle attempts at stirring trouble between her and Clark, in the scenes at the Talon and at his mansion.
Seeing the two Luthor males together was quite nice. Now that Lex has reverted to the dark side, there is no doubt a new complexity to their relationship. I am curious how Lionel will react to Lex undertaking the role of Beta Villain. Will he be proud or threatened? No matter the case, I’m thrilled that Lionel will remain a character on the show, and the fact that he’s also a vessel for Jor-El only makes his character that much more intriguing.
I absolutely loved the scene at the Fortress of Solitude. I really enjoyed how John Glover (who plays Lionel) changed his voice pattern to mimic that of Jor-El, opposed to how he usually speaks as Lionel. John Glover is an incredible actor, and it’s always fun to see him exercise his abilities (the Transference episode remains one of my favorites). Also, I’ve noticed since the season premiere that we’ve seen a softer, more loving side of Jor-El. In the past, he’s been (seemingly) malicious and mean spirited, having no problem whatsoever killing people once their purpose is served. Now, he seems to understand Clark’s human emotions, and he’s telling Clark he loves him and that he hopes he will soon call him father. This is definitely an interesting development, and I’m not quite sure how we’re supposed to read into it. I also really, really enjoyed the lighting of this scene, between the wavy motions when Clark woke up (as if he was in water), and the lighting on Lionel’s face at the end of the scene, when he was telling Clark he loves him.
In regards to who will die, I am not interested in receiving any spoilers, but right now the only conceivable person I can think of is Jonathan. In many of the Superman lore, Jonathan Kent dies before Clark leaves Smallville to go to Metropolis. We know for sure it won’t be Lex or Lois and Clark doesn’t love Lionel (so it can’t be him). That leaves Lana, Chloe, Jonathan, and Martha. I can’t imagine they’d kill off Lana or Chloe, and considering that Jonathan’s speech echoed the sentiments of Jor-El (about making sacrifices and difficult decisions), it seems likely that he’ll be the one who dies. Along with that, there’s always been a connection between Jonathan and Jor-El.
The stuff with Chloe and Clark in this episode was, again, excellent. I really like how Chloe is not reacting jealously in regards to Clark and Lana. She was funny in the scene that she discovered they were having sex, and she was really supportive in the final scene, where she essentially told Clark that he should tell Lana, even at the expense of her own feelings. I also find it interesting that had Chloe never found out about Clark’s abilities, he would not have been able to accomplish any of the tasks he’s had to undertake since losing his powers. Along with that, I also really enjoyed how Clark seemingly showed more trust in Chloe than he did his own parents, as he seemed much more willing to open up to her about Jor-El’s threat than he did with Jonathan and Martha. Chloe is certainly playing a crucial role in Clark’s life right now, and I’m really pleased with how much they’ve fleshed her character out in the past year or so.
Next week is the Aquaman episode. Hey, after five years of saying “we’re gonna have a Bruce Wayne episode” they give us an Aquaman one instead. Yeah, that’s a fair trade…
