Before Arrow started the Arrowverse and introduced fans to The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and more, there was Smallville. The Superman origin story premiered on The WB in 2001 and ended ten years later on The CW, with Clark Kent not even putting on the uniform until the very end.
With Clark Kent and Lex Luthor playing off each other through the entire series and everyone from Flash and Supergirl to Aquaman and Martian Manhunter introduced at one point or another, Smallville brought the DC Universe to our screens a decade before it was seen everywhere. With Tom Welling returning as Superman in Crisis on Infinite Earths, here is a look back at the best episode from each season of Smallville.
TEMPEST (SEASON 1)
It took Smallville a little while to get its footing, and Season 1 had a lot of ups and downs. The best episode of that premiere season came at the very end, with the finale “Tempest.”
Lex Luthor was still a good person, and finished the season still trying to save people from his villainous father, Lionel Luthor. The episode even had a big cliffhanger ending with a tornado sucking Lana into it and Clark racing to the rescue as the episode ended.
DESCENT (SEASON 7)
The best episode of Season 7 of Smallville was the 16th episode of the season, “Descent.” This was the episode where Lex Luthor killed his father Lionel and finally took that step over the line toward his eventual fate as Superman’s greatest enemy.
Clark approaches Lex in this episode and tells him he knows the truth, which is when the rivalry between the two reached a new level. This episode was so crucial for the path of Lex Luthor, taking him from a complex and conflicted character into the villain DC Comics fans know him to be.
COVENANT (SEASON 3)
The season finale of Season 3 saw Clark meet another superhero icon. The girl who made her debut in “Covenant” was none other than Kara — Supergirl. In this version of the Superman story, Kara was sent to look after her cousin, but she was left in suspended animation for 18 years.
Everything changed in this episode, as Clark learned about Jonathan’s deal with Jor-El. The season ends with Clark taken by Jor-El and Chloe possibly dying in an explosion.
ROSETTA (SEASON 2)
There is a good reason why “Rosetta” is the best episode of Season 2 of Smallville. Christopher Reeve, the man who portrayed arguably the most beloved Superman in the movies, appeared on the television show as Dr. Virgil Swann.
Reeve showed that he was still a charismatic fan-favorite as he educated Clark about Krypton. Reeve would continue to appear in Smallville until he passed away.
BRIDE (SEASON 8)
The 10th episode of Smallville Season 8 saw the wedding of Chloe and Jimmy. However, things do not go as anyone hoped. This was the mid-season finale, and it ended with everything that could go wrong going wrong.
Oliver and Lana show up at the wedding, a Kryptonian monster shows up and takes Chloe, and Oliver and Lois leave Smallville in search of Lex Luthor. As with most happy moments for Clark, Chloe, and Lana, this one does not have the happy ending the characters felt they deserved.
COMMENCEMENT (SEASON 4)
Fans of the popular CW series Supernatural got a good chance to see what Jensen Ackles was all about when he portrayed Jason on Smallville. In the finale of Season 4, Jason takes Jonathan and Martha hostage trying to find Clark Kent and the mysterious Kryptonian stones.
However, this episode sees Clark find the stones and end up transported to the Arctic in front of Lex and Chloe. This is a nice move to bring the Fortress to Smallville as a significant home base for Clark Kent, although it wouldn’t form fully until the premiere of Season 5.
SALVATION (SEASON 9)
The best episode of Smallville Season 9 came with the season finale. The episode was called “Salvation” and saw Zod at his most dangerous. Zod convinces Lois that he is The Blur, and not Clark, and makes her think that Clark is trying to expose him and ruin his efforts to save people.
Zod kills Tess Mercer, Lex Luthor’s replacement and Lionel’s illegitimate daughter, and almost turns Lois Lane against Clark. The episode ended with a shocking finale as Clark sacrifices himself to defeat Zod, falling in the end and making fans wait through the summer to learn the truth of his fate in Season 10.
JUSTICE (SEASON 6)
A decade before Oliver Queen partnered up with Flash; Green Arrow teamed up with Superman, Aquaman and more on Smallville. It all came together in Season 6’s “Justice.”
This episode, clearly named after the Justice League, sees Clark Kent, Victor (Cyborg), A.C. (Aquaman), Bart (Flash) and Oliver (Arrow) team up. It then ends with a huge moment where the heroes all leave Smallville to seek out Lex Luthor’s army and try to beat them, leaving Clark and Lois behind.
HOMECOMING (SEASON 10)
The fourth episode of the final season of Smallville was “Homecoming,” which took Clark back to high school. The episode saw Clark and Lois go to a five-year high school reunion, which (for Clark) brought back memories of Lana Lang.
The episode also saw the arrival of Brainiac 5 (James Marsters), as he takes Clark on a trip through the past, present, and future. It was a great episode that showed Clark what his future looked like. This revelation forced him to finally buckle down and start along the road to becoming the hero and man he was meant to be.
RECKONING (SEASON 5)
Arguably the best episode of Smallville in history came in Season 5, with the 12th episode, “Reckoning.” This episode was supposed to be all about Clark Kent finally revealing his secret to Lana, but the episode saw the most heartbreaking moment of the series. Lana agrees to marry Clark but then dies.
Clark is able to bring her back, but the trade saw the death of his father, Jonathan Kent. This was an episode that profoundly affected Clark for five seasons; he would always blame himself for the death of the man who raised him and still not winning the heart of the woman he loved.
