This is going to a shorter review, mainly due to the fact that this was a bit of a filler episode. I don't mind filler episodes from time to time though, as they are often needed in seasons that are more than 10 episodes or so. Thankfully, in this case, the episode was still very good and still managed to have an ending that was quite impactful on the season's arc. I also love how the title is straight-up telling you that this is going to be a bit more of a laid-back episode (minus the ending). The calm before the inevitable storm.
The bulk of the episode served as a sort of recap of Clark's life leading up to Jordan and Jonathan's birth. While it's revealed later that there was an actual reason for all of this, most of the time the episode plays out as if it's a bottleneck, flashback plot. Almost clip show-like in nature, we see a young Clark discovering the Fortress Of Solitude, before beginning to train under Jor-El. We then fast forward to Clark returning to Martha in Smallville, who gives him the classic Superman suit. Shortly after, Clark moves to Metropolis, where the iconic Action Comics #1 scene is shown again.
Of course, this leads us to the meeting of Clark and Lois, which is also something that had already been shown. This time, however, we get a better, much more detailed look at their courtship. In fact, we get a whole team-up with the two of them as they attempt to bring down a Nazi arsonist (with Superman's help of course). I thought that this was a cool and fun way to showcase the early dynamic between Clark and Lois, and I especially loved the Lois/Superman interview scene, where Clark finds out Lois' true feelings about him. This leads to Clark bringing Lois to meet Martha, and then subsequently revealing his secret to her. What then follows are clips involving the couple getting married and finding out that they'll be having kids.
After Clark begins having flashes of Jor-El being in trouble, it's revealed that the whole time, Clark has been in a coma, while Tal-Rho uses a Kryptonian device to learn about his past. After Clark wakes up, Tal-Rho destroys Jor-El's A.I., before knocking Clark out again (dang can't the man get a break?). Tal-Rho then makes a move on Clark's family, forcing Clark to submit to him, much to the dismay of everyone. Tal-Rho takes Clark to his desert fortress, where he and the A.I. of Zeta-Rho manage to take control over Clark's mind and cause him to turn. Lois soon clues into what is happening and lets Irons know that what he warned everyone about is happening. I bet we're due for an "I told you so!".
Though the episode was very much focused on the titular characters, there was still a little room for the secondary characters after the "reminiscence" was done. Most notably, Sarah and Jordan finally kissed, which I'm sure we'll see more of the ramifications of in the next installment. Perhaps less eventful, but still impactful, was Kyle making amends with both Lana and Lois. He is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters, as he's come a long way from being the total jerk he was at the beginning of the season. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a redemption story.
What were your thoughts on this episode?
