Smallville: The Way It Shoud Have Been

[Joe Washington]

• After the meteor shower, Smallville was a suffering, scared little town. Luthorcorp gaining interest in the town and opening a plant there gave way for jobs for many in town as well as hope that was desperately needed. But when meteor freaks-people who got infected by the meteor freaks left scattered across town-began to pop up and stir up trouble, the Mayor was put in a corner and forced to turn to Lionel Luthor for help. On that day, a secret deal was made: Lionel will help the Mayor keep the existence of the meteor freaks a secret in exchange for the Mayor looking out Lionel's interests such as turning a blind eye on any shady activities that may be going on at the plant or any shady dealings that Lionel may wish to bring to Smallville. When the series opens, the meteor freaks are being held as a urban myth and nothing more which the Mayor and the Sheriff's office have been working hard to keep that way.
• In the beginning of the series, Clark is 15 years old. He possesss superhuman strenght and speed but has no knowledge of his alien origins. The Kents have been keeping that a secret from him in fear of him spilling the beans to someone who may tell the government that will have no hesistance in capturing Clark and torturing him for information. So the story they told him about his origins instead was that he left on the side of the road since he has no memory of the alien pod and his crash landing in Smallville and that they found him and adopted him. They have no idea who his biological parents are, which is the truth.
• Clark is wearing glasses out of necessity because of an accident that happened to him during childhood which would have damaged the eyesight of any normal human so Clark has to wear the glasses to keep up the appearance that he is normal.
• Clark is best friends with Pete Ross, who's the quarterback of the high school football team and who's known about Clark's secret since they were kids.
• He also has a crush on the sharp-tongued, egocentric Lana Lang who's a cheerleader and the most popular girl in Smallville High because of her relation to her father, who's the Mayor of Smallville. Lana also has a boyfriend named Whitney, who's the head of the football team that Pete is a part of. Both Clark and Pete are jealous of Whitney for more or less the same reason: they are in love of Lana. But Pete doesn't act on his crush on Lana which he keeps to himself for the sake of his friendship with Clark.
• Lex Luthor is 18 years old and a low-level employee in his father's company. He's been trying to drown his sorrows in partying and casual flings with women but those haven't been enough to make him forget his meager role in Luthorcorp.

SEASON ONE

• In the series premiere, Clark begins his sophmore year of high school. An incident involving a meteor freak occurs at the Luthorcorp plant. Lionel needs to send someone to assess the situation and find out the cause of the incident. Lex steps up to the task to prove to his father that he has the potential to be more than just a low-level employee.
• During the course of his investigation, Lex meets Clark who gets curious about what happened in the plant and begins to look for the meteor freak responsible. A friendship blossoms between Lex and Clark when they join forces more or less to stop the meteor freak.
• By the end of the episode, Lex decides to stay in Smallville to run the plant and to continue his newfound friendship with Clark. Urged by a mysterious silent partner who tells him that there's someone in Smallville who's connected to the meteor freaker who may be the reason for Lex's desire to stay in Smallville, Lionel becomes very curious about Lex's decision and sends someone to keep an eye on him and anyone he comes in contact with.
• At the Kents' home, Clark learns about the secret his parents have been keeping from him for years. Since learning the secret, Clark has been feeling responsible for the meteor freaks and what was once an innocent curiosity about them turns into a duty to look after the meteor freaks and protect the people of Smallville from the dangerous elements among the freaks.
• Also in the series premiere, it is mentioned there has been a increase in meteor freak activities over the recent years and the reason for it has yet been discovered. And Mr. Kents learns from his doctor that there has more strain on his heart which requires him to start taking things easy if he doesn't want to have a heart attack in the future.
• Pete doesn't like or trust Lex Luthor, whose father took his family's farm away from them. He is jealous of Lex's friendship with Clark, who believes there is good in Lex despite what Pete has said about him. But Pete finds comfort in a fellow student named Alicia. Pete falls for her and learns that she is a closet meteor freak.
• Meanwhile, Clark becomes increasingly curious about the meteor freak activities and begins to believe they aren't random and that there is some kind of pattern to them like someone is causing them to attack the way they do. At some point, Clark comes across something that makes him suspect that Whitney may have something to do with the meteor freak attacks. So he decides to join the football team to get close to Whitney to slyly find out what he knows and what specifically he may hiding. Clark also uses his time in the football team to try out the sport that he’s always wanted to play since his father told him stories about his glory days at high school as a football team’s quarterback. Jonathan and Martha have issues with that along with Pete, who's afraid of Clark stealing the spotlight like he wasn't getting enough competition from Whitney in the football team.
• It turns out Whitney actually does harbor a secret. Years ago, his father got infected by one of the meteor rocks. At first, the mutation was small and Whitney’s father was able to hide it. But the mutation grew over time and it affected Whitney’s father’s ability to speak or move. Whitney kept his father’s condition a secret from the people of Smallville except a doctor in town who he brought in to check on his father’s condition when it became serious. When someone asks Whitney how’s his father, Whitney tells them that his father’s very sick and has to stay indoors. Whitney and the doctor run interference when someone tries to meet Whitney’s father personally or when questions concerning his father’s whereabouts become problematic. Whitney hasn’t shared this with Lana, afraid of what she may think of him, and so far has worked hard to maintain a normal life outside of home. But Whitney doesn’t know is that his father has the ability to influence meteor freaks with his mind and is responsible for the increase in meteor freak activities. At first, Whitney’s father was influencing the meteor freaks into attacking all things Luthorcorp-related in Smallville, possessing a burning hatred against the company and the belief that Luthorcorp has been making things worst in Smallville than better. When Clark got in the way of that and Whitney’s father learned about Clark and his abilities, he began to influence some of the freaks into attacking Clark to keep him from becoming a further obstacle in his personal war against Luthorcorp. He also saw Clark as trouble in Whitney’s relationship with Lana and what he wants the most out of his life is for his son to be happy with no one messing it up for him.
• Mid-season, Whitney's father uses one of the meteor freaks under his control to trigger Mr. Kent's heart attack to keep Clark off Whitney's back. Mr. Kent is rushed to the hospital and into surgery. Because of his father's situation, Clark puts his investigation into Whitney on hold and quits the football team.
• Late in the season, the Mayor finally stands up to Lionel by refusing to do any more offers for him and his company. Lionel warns him that he will regret this.
• Whitney’s father is defeated near the end of the season but his actions became the excuse Lionel needed to launch his plan against Smallville into action.
• . In the season finale, Lex’s father shuts down the plant and sends a government taskforce to Smallville to hunt down every meteor freak in town. Lex’s father is using the taskforce as a smoke screen to find Clark and bring him to a lab where he could find out what is special about him which attracts Lex’s attention so much.
  
• Whitney goes through a downward spiral after his father is ousted as a meteor freak but the events of the season finale prompts Whitney to stand up and be a hero to those being hunted down by the government.
  
• Lana is shocked when she witnesses Clark using his abilities.
• Lex saves the day by working out a deal with his father, who only listened to him because of some leverage Lex was able to gain over him. The deal is if he stops the chaos that’s going on in Smallville, lets the plant continue to run, and leave Clark alone, he’ll find out Clark’s secret for his father through their friendship and attempt to persuade him to join Luthorcorp as an invaluable resource. This way would be easier than forcing Clark to admit his secret and be subjected through experiments. But this will take time, Lex points out. Lionel agrees and puts forth the order to cease the hunt for any more meteor freaks.
  
• The meteor freaks already in custody are taken to a secret facility, feeling it would be unwise to release them to the public until they are sure they aren’t a threat anymore. Alicia is among the meteor freaks held in custody.
• The plant is re-opened and life goes on in Smallville like before…partially. People are still angry and shaken by the recent events. Lana keeps what she saw concerning Clark a secret but finds herself more curious about the man she used to barely acknowledge in the beginning.
  
• In the final scene of the season, Lex shares with Clark his deal with his father but assures him that he has no intention of bringing him over to his father. However, he will make the appearance that he’s doing his part of the deal because any sign that he isn’t would be an opportunity for Lionel to take matters into his own hands and use force to make Clark do what he wants. Touched by Lex’s act of friendship, Clark makes a profound decision to confess his secret to Lex. When the scene ends, we are left wondering how this will affect Clark’s friendship with Lex.
  

 

[Jetfire]

I don't have a problem with this too much. I always hated the fact that Lex was a friend of Clark. I always thought it would be interesting if Lex was a 1st year science teacher at Smallville High, Lex being a mentor to Clark until they are working on a science experiment and it goes wrong Lex who had long hair and a poneytail loses his hair and nothing happens to Clark, from there on Lex is bitter, joins his fathers company and now starts having it out for Clark.

 

[DigificWriter]

A while ago, I myself came up with a new treatment for Smallville that operated more along the lines of Joss Whedon's iconic 'high school superhero' series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with a bunch of standalone stories based primarily around the high school and an overall arc revolving around Lionel Luthor's shady dealings, with Lex and other iconic characters (like Jimmy, Perry, etc.) also featuring in the storylines. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about the specifics.

In terms of your ideas, Joe, I like the overall arc, despite the absence of Chloe, who is one of the more interesting characters to come out of the Smallville mythos.

 

[StarTrek1701]

I like it, but would be too heavy handed for the casual viewer. It certainly would be a different direction with Lex learning Clark's secret.

 

[Reynolds]

Yeah. When the show opened everybody had opinions and very good idea on how the show should have been handled.

I did like the angle of powers that Clark developed as an allegory for puberty.

I kinda of Clark's telescopic vision to be on constantly at some point in the show. Then he would need glasses to see normally. It would have been a great handicap. He would take them off if he wanted to see really far away. Also he would need to take then off when he would run at super speed. His vision would also prevent him from running too fast at super speed because he was so far sighted that he would have difficulty seeing what's right in front of him.

But then again what do I know. I prefer my Clark Kent human. Like back in 1986 when he had to flip burgers in order to pay for college. Or back in the silver age when he loved working on cars. I think he hand made (literally) Black Canary's motorcycle as a gift. I loved when the biggest problem that Clark had was not resolving a situation but resolving it in a way that didn't give away his abilities. A more subtly Clark most of the time with occasional feats that amazes the audience.

What I really hate about the show is not showing Clark hanging out with his friends. Fishing trip with Pete. Camping with Lex. Stuff like that.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Joe I really like your ideas with the exception of the absence of Chloe...Chloe and Lionel's creation were really what drew me to Smallville in the first place. I too have a partial outline for a re-written Smallville along with a sequel series called "Metropolis: Beyond Smallville" which takes place after my re-written Smallville's fifth season.

 

[CorporalClegg]

No Chloevage, no dice.

 

[Joe Washington]

• Season 2 will show the beginning of Lex’s corruption, Lana’s transformation into becoming a less self-absolved and more caring being which would have started slowly last season, Clark rising from being an occasional local hero to Smallville’s sworn protector, and Mr. Kent’s rise to becoming the new Mayor of Smallville.
• By this point in the series, the meteor freaks are no longer an urban myth in Smallville but a secret that everyone in town is on.
• This season, Clark develops x-ray vision and super-hearing.

SEASON TWO

• The Kents and Pete are less than pleased that Clark has brought Lex into the inner circle but Clark feels Lex is someone who can be trusted and that there is some good in him no matter what other people think. Lex funds the repair of the damages left behind by the meteor freak hunt last season.
• Families and friends of the captured meteor freaks are still demanding the return of their loved ones with zero success. And because of what happened in the season finale, the people of Smallville have doubts about their dear Mayor. Those doubts couldn’t have come at a worst time than election year. The Mayor runs for re-election. Some of the people of Smallville turn to Clark’s father Mr. Kent to be supported as a candidate to run against the Mayor.
• Whitney is kicked off the football team but continues to go to Smallville High despite what other people think and finds a deeper calling in helping out the remaining meteor freaks in town. He thinks the only way to help those meteor freaks who are afraid of coming out in public and to keep them from finding the need to attack others is to form a private club for meteor freaks. Many thinks such a club is a bad idea and Smallville High refuse to have it on its grounds. So Whitney tries to find a different place to have the club, which Clark finds for Whitney in some old Native American caves.
• Ostracized by her in-crowd friends because of her father and Whitney, Lana leaves the cheerleading squad and joins the Torch newspaper to work alongside Clark. Lana discovers she may have a knack for journalism, which tightens the growing bond between her and Clark but the mayoral race causes some conflict between them when standing by their opposing fathers.
• Outside of Smallville, only the high ranks in the US government know of the existence of meteor freaks to be real and they made a cover story for what happened in Smallville in the season finale. But a powerful Senator, tipped off by an anoymous source, uncovered the truth of what really happened and, in exchange for his silence, he demands that an effort is made to make sure that all of the meteor freaks in Smallville were rounded up and taken away from the public so they can be less of a threat. This leads to the DPA (Department of Paranormal Activities) establishing a presence in Smallville to keep an eye out for any meteor freaks left behind after the search. Lex and Clark form an alliance against the DPA.
• Clark is forced to be more discreet with his abilities with them around and tries to do everything he can to keep any meteor freak activities from slipping under the DPA’s radar because if it did, it would be lead to the restart of what happened in the season finale.
• With the DPA breathing down on their necks, the people of Smallville agreed to keep the existence of the remaining meteor freaks a secret from them in the consensus that the meteor freaks is a matter exclusive only to them and no one else because they are still a part of the community no matter what they are. Clark gets support in his attempts to protect the meteor freaks from some of the town's people who are unaware of his abilities but knows that he is good at helping those in need.
• Lex plots for a way to remove the DPA’s presence in Smallville while Lionel plots for a way to use the DPA’s presence to his advantage. Lex tries to extract information from the doctor working for the DPA who seems to be studying on the meteor freaks.
• Pete is worried about Alicia who’s been sent to live with the other captured meteor freaks in the secret facility. He becomes obsessed with trying to find a way to get her back, which is distracting him from school work and football. Clark becomes concerned for Pete and puts himself to the task of planning Alicia’s rescue for Pete’s sake without the risk of outing himself to the DPA. Clark also sees this as an opportunity to repair his friendship with Pete which has been a bit strained since he met Lex.
• Lex is brought into his father’s confidence for reasons unknown and suspicious to him. He learns from his father that the secret facility the meteor freaks were sent to is actually a facility run by Luthorcorp under the authority of the government. Luthorcorp is tasked with doing a series of experiments and tests to test the limits of their abilities, measure how much of a threat they can be to the general public, and what use they can be to the government. Lionel knows Lex doesn’t intend on turning Clark over to him but if he makes Lex see how dangerous Clark can be to others which he suspects him to be (already suspecting that Clark may have abilities like the meteor freaks); Lex may start changing his mind about Clark. Lionel’s plan acts of work when Lex begins to wonder that if the meteor rocks which are actually pieces of the planet Clark comes from can have an effect on humans, what does that stay about Clark’s world. By the look of their technology (Clark shown Lex the ship he landed in), they can be capable of both wonder and destruction. What if there are more like Clark coming towards Earth who are planning on the meteor rocks creating their own personal army on Earth as a prelude to invasion? Lex keeps these suspicions to himself. When Lex tried to bring up the danger of the meteor freaks that are being held and those who are still out there and extreme measures may be necessary in protecting the public, Clark goes against Lex’s belief. He tells Lex that the meteor rocks are the problem and that they are influencing the meteor freaks into behaving the way they are. What’s necessary is treatment for the meteor freaks' illness, not forced confinement and experiments against their will. Seeing that him and Clark don’t eye-to-eye on the matter but hope that one day he does, Lex keeps the secret of Luthorcorp’s ownership of the facility from Clark with some remorse.
• When Lex learns about Clark’s quest to locate the facility and rescue Alicia, Lex tries to get Alicia out his own way. But eventually Clark uncovers the location of the facility and goes in to rescue Alicia with Pete by his side. Clark tries to free the other meteor freaks but didn’t have enough time to do that. Before leaving the facility, Clark is shocked to learn about the connection between the facility and Luthorcorp. Lex erases all footage recording Clark’s break into the facility so his father won’t know that Clark is involved. When the dust settled after the rescue, Clark confronts Lex on Luthorcorp running the meteor freak containment facility. Lex tries to make it look he just learned about it and has been trying to figure out to share it with Clark without Clark seeing me as the villian. Clark believes him finding him convincing but points out to Lex that something has to be done to stop the meteor freaks' imprisonment.
• Meanwhile, Alicia returns to Smallville and reunites with her father but Pete is saddened when Alicia and his father decide to leave Smallville to hide from the government who will be hunting after her and find somewhere where she can free to be herself without fear of being found. Alicia and Pete say their goodbyes. Afterwards, Pete tries to get his head back in school work and the game of football.
• It is later revealed that Lionel has in his possession the missing piece to Clark's alien ship. He was given it by his mysterious silent partner the day after the meteor shower, which is how they met. Lionel tested the piece of the alien ship and learned that it is made of a mineral not found on Earth. Lionel has come to believe there is a connection between the alien piece and Clark who’s different than your usual meteor freak. At some point, Lex comes to believe that his father is an increasingly dangerous threat who will not rest until he has Clark under his control with or without Lex’s participation. And he has no problem casting aside anything or anyone that stands in his way. So Lex tries to come up with a plan to bring his father down.
• Mr. Kent wins the mayoral election but keeps Lana’s father on as his Deputy Mayor in spite of other people's the objections. He feels that there are times he may need help in moments of stress which may affect his heart condition and Lana’s father may be the experienced hand he needs to stand up to the plate when those times occur.
• In the season finale, Lionel Luthor is sent to prison leaving Lex in charge of Luthorcorp.
• The DPA finally leaves Smallville but Lex recruits the DPA doctor and takes her into Luthorcorp so she could be a part of the project on the meteor freak containment facility.
• Lex removes the meteor freak facility from the eye of the government by making it like it was destroyed in a terrible accident. Lex told the same story to Clark and blamed the accident on Lionel.
• Clark learns that Lana knows his secret. Clark and Lana get together.
• Martha receives miraculous news when she learns she is pregnant.
• Clark gets his hands on the alien piece which was in Lionel’s possession and inserts it into the alien ship. The ship activates along with its AI which starts speaking in the voice of Jor-El. The season ends with the Jor-El AI calling Clark Kal-El and expressing his pride in Clark for finally coming to the age to begin the next phase of his journey.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Awesome stuff. Season three Joe?

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Joe, you really like these alternate beginnings huh? Although nobody has said anything about the alternate version of Heroes post season 1. Keep it up though i think these are pretty intriguing.

They should have just kept this show heavily serialized. They would have totally beat shows like Lost to the punch. Leave in all the cool mythos stuff and leave out all the standalone bubblegum WB to UPN to CW crap forced down our throats all these years. And by season 6 or 7 he'd already be superman by now. Screw the whole no flights no tights bullshit. We want to see this mothereffer fly!

 

[Joe Washington]

• Season 3 will show Clark being mentored by the Jor-El AI, the consequences his destiny is having on others, and the further corruption of Lex Luthor brought on by his growing desire to protect Clark by any means necessary.
• There are a handful of meteor freaks left in Smallville. But they are allowed to live among the normal people of Smallville as long as they are a part of Whitney’s peaceful meteor freak club. The club has been a working solution to the problem the meteor freaks pose. Clark keeps Whitney’s club a secret from Lex, fearing that if he tells him Lionel or the government will somehow find out if they have ears in the company that Lex is unaware of. Clark can't risk to take any chances after the events of last season even if lying to Lex causes trouble in their friendship.
• This season, Clark develops heat vision and puts it to good use.

SEASON THREE

• Martha is happily embracing her pregnancy and the Kents are preparing for the baby's impending arrival and presence in their lives although Clark is somewhat afraid of being replaced by the baby who's normal unlike him.
• Clark is enjoying his romantic relationship with Lana while spending lots of time with the Jor-El AI who's been teaching him stuff about his Kryptonian homeworld and human nature as preparation for his destiny to be the protector of the human race.
• Before Krypton was destroyed, Jor-El headed a government project in which he created a device which allowed him to see the future of a number of worlds. These worlds were targeted as test bases for the experiment. It was this device that warned him of Krypton's fate and it was this device that gave him a glimpse of a similiar fate for Earth. Only Earth's destruction is brought on by chaos and violence and not a natural disaster. For years, Jor-El has studied Earth, its history, and its culture because it reminded him a bit of the way Krypton was many centuries ago. When he was unable to stop the destruction of his world, Jor-El sent his only son to Earth so he can survive the devastation and save Earth from being destroyed.
• As Clark spends his time learning from Jor-El, Mr. Kent feels he's losing his son to the ship's AI and the demands of his job as Mayor aren't helping that feeling. Martha tries to convince Jonathan and herself that there's nothing to worry about until she hears from the Jor-El AI that there will come a day that Clark will leave Smallville and never return.
• Lana is enjoying her times with Clark as her boyfriend but fears that his destiny has become a third party in their relationship. Lana turns to Pete for reassurance and guidance. This starts off a triangle between Clark, Pete, and Lana when Lana finds Pete’s company increasingly comforting which stirs up awkward feelings between her and Pete.
• Meanwhile, Lex learns that even from prison his father is still a force to be reckon with. Lionel is bent on wrestling back control of the company from Lex and continuing his ruthless pursuit of Clark Kent. Lionel is pressured by his mysterious silent partner to kick things up a notch with getting Clark Kent. If he succeeds, the silent partner will get him out of prison. If not, the silent partner will make sure he won’t leave prison with his life. Lex does everything possible to protect Clark and his family from his father while fighting to give Luthorcorp a new reputation and image now it is under his control.
• Lex is forced to shut down the Luthorcorp plant when he needs the money he’s funding into the plant to expand his meteor-freak project but promises to open a new place of business for the town to get most of their jobs from. Clark defends Lex from many angry newly unemployed plant workers. But, despite his efforts, Lex's mansion gets burned down by a lynch mob of ex-employees. Lex puts some of his people to the task of rebuilding his mansion while residing in a penthouse in Metropolis.
• The meteor-freak project takes a turn when Lex starts taking samples of the freaks’ DNA to inject into a group of soldiers. Lex’s goal with the soldiers is to make them into the ultimate peacekeepers of the world which is so overwhelmed by war, crime, and the chaos of human nature. Lex hopes on the day that he finally lets Clark in on his project that Clark becomes the soldiers’ leader, training them to use their powers wisely without abuse. The project takes a hit when an unknown force unleashes something that ends up killing all the meteor freaks in the facility. Lex doesn’t have enough of the meteor freak DNA to inject it into soldiers he has selected so he has to find some way to get more of them. Lex turns to Clark asking him if there are any meteor freaks left in Smallville that might need his protection, lying to him that there are rumors that the DPA may have something that could bring them back to Smallville. Clark lies to him, telling that according to his knowledge they all left when the DPA was here. Lex believes Clark but just because Clark isn't aware of any meteor freaks left in the town doesn't mean there aren't others who are. So Lex creates a charity foundation in Smallville with the financial backing of Luthorcorp. He tells the people of Smallville his reason for creating the foundation is to improve life in Smallville through a number of causes related to the town such as providing better tools of learning for kids and putting some of Luthorcorp’s experimental farming technology to use to increase the number of crops for the town. The organization will also provide new jobs for those who lost their jobs when the plant shut down. But Lex actually plans on using the organization to covertly access Smallville’s resources. That way, he can be absolutely sure that there aren’t any meteor freaks left there for him to use for his project.
• In Lex's personal life, the business relationship between him and the DPA doctor he taken into (let's call her Helen Bryce) takes an unexpected intimate turn when Lex ends up kissing her while consoling her about the deaths of her meteor-freak patients.
• Things begin to heat up this season when Lionel recruits the help of a ruthless mobster from Metropolis, Morgan Edge, to shake things up in Smallville to muscle Clark into doing what he wants. Edge is flooding the town with an addictive new drug and is using thugs and some of the town’s people to do it. Edge has Smallville’s Sheriff in his pocket.
• Mid-season, Lionel goes too far in his obsessive need to control Clark when he orders Edge to send some of his thugs to rough Mrs. Kent up to persuade Clark to do what he says. The encounter causes Martha to lose the baby. To end the threat of his father once and for all, Lex is pushed to do the unthinkable. He orders the death of his father in prison and makes look it was a normal prison stabbing. Afterwards, Lex cleverly covers up his involvement in his father’s death and makes sure none of it falls on Clark or his family. After receiving news of Lionel's death, Clark tries to be there for Lex believing him to be in mourning over Lionel. The only person Lex tells the truth about what he did is Dr. Bryce who has become his girlfriend. He even tells her about Clark’s secret.
• To distract himself from his consuming feelings about his father's death, Lex throws a wild 18th birthday party for Clark.
• After losing her baby, Martha falls into a state of depression which lasts a few episodes.
• Meanwhile, despite Lionel's death, Edge continues to mess with Clark and Smallville after discovering why Lionel wanted Clark so much.
• Whitney gets violently killed by Edge's thugs. Deeply saddened by his death, the meteor freaks continue the existence of his club in honor of him while willing to provide Clark with as much help as he needs to bring Edge down.
• Clark confesses his feelings of guilt over Whitney’s death to the Jor-El AI who warns that his destiny is a burden that comes with its share of hardships and sacrifices. Whether Clark likes it or not, Whitney's death is only the first of many to come.
• Hearing about Whitney's death, Lex suspects Edge's involvement and declares war aganist Edge's organization in Metropolis using the resources he has in the police department and the press.
• When the high school prom came around, Lana persuades Clark to go with her to give himself a break from the crap he's been going through with his mother losing the baby and Whitney getting killed. But during the prom, Clark comes to realize Lana and Pete’s feelings for each other. Clark comes to peace with it and makes the decision to break up with Lana so she could be allowed to be happy with someone else without feeling guilty.
• Edge is finally brought down and sent to prison before the season finale with the combined help of Clark and Lex. To keep him from giving Clark any grief, Lex threatens the people close to Edge and subtly hints his role in Lionel's death to show Edge he has the balls to carry out his threat.
• In the season finale, Graduation Day has arrived.
• Pete and Lana finally hook up.
• Feeling that the time has come for Clark to take on the next step of his journey, Jor-El pops out a crystal from the ship telling Clark to take it and bring somewhere where it will grow his fortress of solitude. But Lex ends up being the one standing in the way of destiny when his descent into darkness takes another dark leap forward.
• Gradually over the course of the season, Lex has been developing his own concerns about Jor-El like Jonathan and Martha and more so when he learns about his warning that Clark will leave Smallville one day. Lex fears that Clark’s connection to Jor-El will not only take him away from his life in Smallville but their friendship as well. And having a cynical viewpoint on the world, Lex fears what would happen to Clark if he does what Jor-El says and puts his abilities to public use which many will exploit or view as a threat, targeting Clark as Public Enemy #1. So for Clark’s sake and the sake of their friendship, Lex sends someone to trigger the self-destruct sequence of Clark’s alien pod. When the guy Lex sent told him about the crystal, Lex tells him to take it. Lex plans on giving it to Clark one day to fulfill his destiny but in a way that won’t get him killed or exploited and only on a day of his choosing. Lex’s henchman leaves after taking the crystal and the ship explodes taking out a piece of the farm. Clark is shocked by the destruction of his alien ship and is at loss where the crystal has gone.

 

[Trekker4747]

I don't have a problem with this too much. I always hated the fact that Lex was a friend of Clark. I always thought it would be interesting if Lex was a 1st year science teacher at Smallville High, Lex being a mentor to Clark until they are working on a science experiment and it goes wrong Lex who had long hair and a poneytail loses his hair and nothing happens to Clark, from there on Lex is bitter, joins his fathers company and now starts having it out for Clark.

Lex and Clark being friends, for me, has always been one of the greater parts of early Smallville. Their friendship is well handled and it's awesome to watch knowing what vengful enemies they will be.

 

[Jetfire]

I don't have a problem with this too much. I always hated the fact that Lex was a friend of Clark. I always thought it would be interesting if Lex was a 1st year science teacher at Smallville High, Lex being a mentor to Clark until they are working on a science experiment and it goes wrong Lex who had long hair and a poneytail loses his hair and nothing happens to Clark, from there on Lex is bitter, joins his fathers company and now starts having it out for Clark.

Lex and Clark being friends, for me, has always been one of the greater parts of early Smallville. Their friendship is well handled and it's awesome to watch knowing what vengful enemies they will be.

I have enjoyed it on the show...just in general I would have like to have seen Clark(student) and Lex(teacher) more than Clark(farmboy) Lex(richboy). I just think it would make a greater story...now that I think about it...it sounds like Star Wars and kinda like Batman begins.

 

[Trekker4747]

I don't have a problem with this too much. I always hated the fact that Lex was a friend of Clark. I always thought it would be interesting if Lex was a 1st year science teacher at Smallville High, Lex being a mentor to Clark until they are working on a science experiment and it goes wrong Lex who had long hair and a poneytail loses his hair and nothing happens to Clark, from there on Lex is bitter, joins his fathers company and now starts having it out for Clark.

Lex and Clark being friends, for me, has always been one of the greater parts of early Smallville. Their friendship is well handled and it's awesome to watch knowing what vengful enemies they will be.

I have enjoyed it on the show...just in general I would have like to have seen Clark(student) and Lex(teacher) more than Clark(farmboy) Lex(richboy). I just think it would make a greater story...now that I think about it...it sounds like Star Wars and kinda like Batman begins.

The problem I have with your suggest is that, well, it's... odd.

A lab experiment causes a teacher to lose his hair so he quits teaching and becomes an evil businessman hell-bent on destroying the world and, oh, he hates the student that caused it? Kid of... Odd. I know there was a Superboy comic with a similar set-up, but still..

 

[Jetfire]

Lex and Clark being friends, for me, has always been one of the greater parts of early Smallville. Their friendship is well handled and it's awesome to watch knowing what vengful enemies they will be.

I have enjoyed it on the show...just in general I would have like to have seen Clark(student) and Lex(teacher) more than Clark(farmboy) Lex(richboy). I just think it would make a greater story...now that I think about it...it sounds like Star Wars and kinda like Batman begins.

The problem I have with your suggest is that, well, it's... odd.

A lab experiment causes a teacher to lose his hair so he quits teaching and becomes an evil businessman hell-bent on destroying the world and, oh, he hates the student that caused it? Kid of... Odd. I know there was a Superboy comic with a similar set-up, but still..

It wouldn't all happen at once. Lex wouldn't autohate Clark he would become suspicious of Clark after the events in the lab. I just don't buy that a guy who saved my life, I have to investigate and get involved in every part og his life...that to me was odd, but it works.

 

[Trekker4747]

I have enjoyed it on the show...just in general I would have like to have seen Clark(student) and Lex(teacher) more than Clark(farmboy) Lex(richboy). I just think it would make a greater story...now that I think about it...it sounds like Star Wars and kinda like Batman begins.

The problem I have with your suggest is that, well, it's... odd.

A lab experiment causes a teacher to lose his hair so he quits teaching and becomes an evil businessman hell-bent on destroying the world and, oh, he hates the student that caused it? Kid of... Odd. I know there was a Superboy comic with a similar set-up, but still..

It wouldn't all happen at once. Lex wouldn't autohate Clark he would become suspicious of Clark after the events in the lab. I just don't buy that a guy who saved my life, I have to investigate and get involved in every part og his life...that to me was odd, but it works.

Well, to be fair, Lex was suspicious of Clark following the accident because he had hit Clark while speeding in his Porsche and the roof of his car was peeled back like a sardine can. Then there's all the other odd stuff that happens while Clark was around.

In the series, I believe Lex really did "want to do good" and could've been a better person had Clark confided his secrets more into Lex.

 

[Jetfire]

I know...but Lex a billionaire's son has nothing better to do than go behind his "friend's" back and investigate him? Not trusting someone isn't enough to make a person go bad...the friendship wasn't very solid...again, why does a billionaires son need to be involved in every part of a farmboy's life...even if they are friends. I know in season 2 Pete says to Lucas that Lex and Clark are like brothers...really after a year or so??? It was fun to watch...but odd to me.
Lex proved he couldn't be trusted from early season 1...I wouldn't have told Lex the truth either.

 

[Trekker4747]

I know...but Lex a billionaire's son has nothing better to do than go behind his "friend's" back and investigate him? Not trusting someone isn't enough to make a person go bad...the friendship wasn't very solid...again, why does a billionaires son need to be involved in every part of a farmboy's life...even if they are friends. I know in season 2 Pete says to Lucas that Lex and Clark are like brothers...really after a year or so??? It was fun to watch...but odd to me.
Lex proved he couldn't be trusted from early season 1...I wouldn't have told Lex the truth either.

Well, as nice as the friendship was the show did a poor job showcasing it. The only time we even see Clark and Lex talk is one wants something from the other or during a confrontation.

There's an epsiode where Lex is testing Clark with a question, saying that they're always laughing about what Pa Kent said to Lex when they first met. It would've been nice if occasion the show got away from the angst and FOTW stuff and just showed more "character moments" like Lex and Clark hanging out being friends. It's certainly possible their friendship was real and had meaning, we just never really saw it.

Lex was a little too obsessed with knowing every aspect of Clark's life. I mean, does your best-friend know every little thing about you? Mine doesn't.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Lex investigating Clark and his curiousity becoming an obsession leads to Lex's interest in astronomy which was never brought up I think during Smallville. This was introduced in Birthright (I think Lex was setting up somekind of super telescope at the time the lab accident happened) .

Part of the reason why Lex and Clark's friendship dissolved is the aspect of Lex's character that he can never be content with what he has in his own life and especially in Smallville was jealous of what Clark had. The relationship Clark enjoyed with his father and mother, Lex never had that, the love between Clark and Lana, Lex never had that with Helen or any other woman. He wanted things that Clark had and also as he explained inside the Fortress during their final confrontation that he wanted to "protect" Clark (while actually really using him for his own means like everything else he has in his life). Their friendship was always destined to collapse. I kind of wish like most other things in Smallville it was handled better and that Lana wasn't one of the direct causes.

Great stuff again Joe...this is inspiring me to do my own five year plan for Smallville, been putting it off due to other projects. Season four next?

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, again, I really think Smallville did the Clark/Lex dynamic very, very well. It could've been better, sure, (again showing us more of them being friends) but I do believe Lex wanted to change, wanted to protect Clark and I do not necessairly believe he wanted to "use" Clark for sinister or selfish gain.

But Clark's secrecy drove Lex mad and just pushed him more and more to the edge. We see in the episode "Lexmas" how much somewhere deep in Lex he wanted a normal life, wanted to be accepted by the Kents (which, after a time and before he and Clark had a falling out they mostly did) and how he truly liked his friendship with Clark.)

The Clark/Lex stuff in Smallville really was great and is only tainted, heavily, by the Lana nonsense. Lex is a billionaire mogol who can have a different super-model in his bed everynight and he chooses to concentrate his passions on some comparitively average-looking vapid girl with trust issues.

The Lana nonsense taints most of Smallville, really. I mean after a while I think the "Barness of Mopitude" scenes with Clark and Lana was just too much, it was getting tiresome.