Originally aired March 3, 2004
Written by Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders
Directed by Kenneth Biller
When Clark receives a phone call from Lana and hears a gunshot, he races to the Talon, only to find Lana still alive and perfectly fine. Clark then figures out that the phone call came from the future, and he must now somehow stop events from unfolding as they did.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Antagonistic Offspring: After Lionel sets Lex up to take the fall for the murders at Metron Labs, Lex, finally fed up with his father's shenanigans, calls in the FBI and offers to help them bring Lionel down.
- Bad Boss: Lionel sets Lex up to take the blame for the murder of Dr. Teng and her team at Metron Labs.
- Break the Haughty: This happens twice to Detective Cage. The first time, Clark threatens to reveal that Cage held him, a minor, for questioning without his legal guardian present, forcing Cage to let him leave. The second time, Cage prepares to take Lex to jail until Agent Loder arrives and announces that the FBI is taking over the case.
- Calling the Old Man Out: After he and Clark find Dr. Teng and her staff dead, Lex confronts his father, who refuses to accept any culpability for what happened and makes it clear he intends to have Lex take the fall.Lex: Was it worth it? Sacrificing the lives of Dr. Teng and all those technicians just to get back into the pharmaceutical business?Lionel: I hope you weren't as emotional as this with the police.Lex: I just spent the last five hours covering for you.Lionel: I appreciate the gesture, but I told you, I had nothing to do with the lab at Metron.Lex: I suppose you didn't have anything to do with those murders either.Lionel: Lex, even if I were the demonic father you make me out to be, you know I would never do anything so sloppy. But I'm not worried, son.Lex: How can you be so cavalier?Lionel: Because I know that I have someone extremely competent in charge. Hmm? You wanted the project; it's yours. I'm trusting you to handle things.Lex: Nice try, Dad. But I'm not suiting up in the eleventh hour. Clean up your own mess. (leaves Lionel's office)
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Lionel, diagnosed with a terminal liver disease, contemplating suicide, holding a gun to his face with the episode closing on a shot of the gun barrel.
- Darker and Edgier: One of the darker episodes of the season, if not the whole series.
- Death by Secret Identity: Adam succumbs to his liver disease after finding out about Clark's powers.
- The Dog Bites Back: After Lionel frames him for the Metron murders, Lex calls the FBI and makes a deal with them to build a case against his father.
- Driven to Suicide: The episode ends with a disheveled Lionel, whom we learn has a terminal liver disease, sitting in his office, taking out a gun, and aiming it at his own face.
- Event Title: The episode's title refers to Clark doing everything he can to prevent Lana's death at the hands of Adam.
- Frame-Up: Lionel essentially frames Lex for the murders of Dr. Teng and her staff at Metron; this prompts Lex to bring in the FBI and offer to help them bring down his father.
- I Have Your Wife: A brief example. Adam takes Chloe hostage and forces her to take him to the Kent Farm where, after knocking out Jonathan when he comes out of the house to investigate, he threatens to kill both Chloe and Jonathan if Lana doesn't come with him.
- Internal Reveal:
- Lionel is dying of a liver disease.
- Lex begins working with the FBI to bring down his father.
- Smug Snake: Detective Cage, who acts like an obnoxious asshole towards Lex while he's questioning him about the Metron murders and initially refuses to allow Clark to leave until Clark threatens to tell the newspapers that a minor was being held by the police for questioning without his legal guardian present.
- Taking the Bullet: Clark saves Lana by speeding in front of the bullet fired by Adam and taking it. Naturally, he's unharmed by it.
- Villain of the Week: Adam Knight
- Would Hit a Girl: Adam punches Lana in the gut during their brief struggle at the storage house.
- You See, I'm Dying: Lionel reveals to a doctor that he's dying of a liver disease.
