Before Henry Cavill landed the job and suited up as Superman in the DC Extended Universe, Tom Welling spent a decade saving the day on Smallville. Created by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Miller, Smallville acted as an origin for the Man of Steel and saw Clark Kent battle many of his most dangerous foes including Lex Luthor, Zod, and Brainiac. Initially, the series followed a young Clark Kent as he learned to control his incredible powers, however, later seasons of the show focused on Clark’s development into the greatest superhero of all-time.
For ten seasons and a mind-boggling 217 episodes, Smallville delivered more than a few truly exceptional episodes of television, but that’s not to say they were all worthwhile. It only takes one trip to the show’s IMDb page to learn that not every episode of the beloved Superman prequel was a winner. Here are the five best and five worst episodes of Smallville, according to IMDb.
Worst: “Reaper” – 7.5
In this uniquely dull episode of Smallville, Clark attempts to stop a “meteor-freak” who believes he can end the suffering of the sick and elderly by killing them with a single touch. Meanwhile, Whitney’s dad is sick in hospital and Lex’s obsession with Clark is revealed when Lionel sends someone to investigate LuthorCorp’s financials.
“Reaper” has some entertaining aspects, especially when it comes to the more emotional material, but the lackluster villain, boring action sequences and a lack of importance to the overall season make it one of the least memorable episodes to re-visit.
Best: “Finale” – 9.3
In the relentlessly emotional and incredibly badass series finale, Clark’s ten-year journey came to a wildly satisfying end. Taking his final steps towards becoming Superman and finally accepting his Kryptonian destiny, Clark finally suits-up to fight Darkseid and erase his corruption.
Series finales often fail to give fans a satisfying end, but thanks to excellent storytelling and enough nostalgia to make even the most stubborn fans cry, the team behind Smallville was able to wrap-up a decades worth of storytelling and give fans the Superman origin story they waited years to see.
Worst: “Drone” – 7.5
In this horrifically bizarre episode, Clark begrudgingly runs for student president, hoping to live life as a normal teenager. When two candidates are attacked by a swarm of bees, Clark assumes that one of his opponents is attempting to remove the competition.
“Drone” is yet another disappointing “monster of the week” episode, with Clark fighting off killer bees (which can in no way harm him). Featuring a hilariously terrible villain and failing to give viewers a worthwhile adventure, “Drone” is undoubtedly one of the worst episodes Smallville has to offer.
Best: “Justice” – 9.4
In an attempt to find out what Lex is doing with 33.1 and his secret LuthorCorp experiments, Green Arrow assembles his very own superhero team, which consists of Bart Allen aka. Impulse, Arthur Curry aka. Aquaman and Victor Stone aka. Cyborg. Clark is quickly forced to assist the team, however, when Impulse is captured and tortured by Lex.
When it comes to satisfying fan service and badass superhero moments, Smallville delivered immensely with this episode. Featuring an extremely early version of the Justice League, “Justice” displays exactly how Smallville has evolved over the years and how devoted the writers/creators were to the fans.
Worst: “Craving” – 7.5
There are many terrible episodes of Smallville, but “Craving” is one of the few that we wish had never existed. When one of Clark’s classmates is infected by the meteor rocks and turned ravenous, the young Superman must save his friends from being eaten alive.
While the first season of Smallville was almost fully comprised of the typical “monster of the week” episodes, “Craving” failed to give viewers an exciting, surprising or genuinely memorable adventure.
Best: “Salvation” – 9.4
Clark aka. The Blur goes head-to-head with General Zod in the epic-scale ninth season finale. When Zod unleashes his Kryptonian army on the world in search of the Book of Rao, Clark is forced to accept his destiny and put everything on the line to find a new home for the Kandorians.
Ending with Clark making the ultimate sacrifice, “Salvation” does an excellent job of bringing various storylines to a satisfying and exciting end, especially when it comes to General Zod and his Kandorian army. Even more than that, however, the episode wonderfully displays how far Clark has come in his nine-year journey and flawlessly sets the stage for an incredible final season.
Worst: “Subterranean” – 7.4
In one of Smallville‘s most irritating “monster of the week” episodes, Clark learns that his neighbor is trapping migrant workers on his farm and forcing them to work. When a young boy escapes, Clark does everything in his power to help.
Over the course of ten seasons, Smallville gave fans some truly irritating episodes, but “Subterranean” was unquestionably one of the worst. The episode, which aired almost halfway through the sixth season, did nothing to push the overall narrative forward and seemed somewhat pointless in the overall series.
Best: “Reckoning” – 9.5
In the series’ heartbreaking 100th episode, Clark shockingly reveals his secret to Lana, while Jonathan and Lex learn the results of the senatorial election. When things take a tragic turn for the worse, however, Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude and begs Jor-El for help.
Standing as one of the show’s most heartbreaking and memorable episodes, “Reckoning” did an excellent job pushing Clark further towards his destiny. The death of Jonathan Kent is unquestionably a defining moment of the series, and the impact of this tragic event can be felt in every episode that follows.
Worst: “Thirst” – 7.1
In what is undoubtedly the strangest and weakest episode of Smallville, Lana enrolls at Metropolis University and is forced to join a mysterious sorority. Lana gets more than a bed to sleep in, however, when her sorority sisters turn her into a vampire and push her to kill.
While the somewhat campy style and bizarre storyline make “Thirst” an intriguing and almost enjoyable hour of television, the episode did nothing for the overall narrative. “Thirst” certainly has a few redeeming qualities, including Lex and Fine’s storyline, but looking back it’s undoubtedly an episode Smallville would be better without.
Best: “Homecoming” – 9.5
In the series’ monumental 200th episode, Lois persuades Clark to attend their five-year high school reunion in Smallville, which forces a reluctant Clark to take a trip down memory lane. Taking the opportunity to teach his old nemesis a lesson, Brainiac 5 arrives at the reunion and uses the Legion ring to show Clark a vision of the past and future.
Celebrating everything that made Smallville one of the most beloved shows of its time, “Homecoming” does an outstanding job of hitting fans with nostalgia, while pushing the narrative of the season forward in some surprisingly effective ways. The episode also sees a few fan-favourite characters return to the series, including James Marsters as Brainiac!
