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Recap / Smallville S 04 E 08 Spell

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Originally aired November 10, 2004
Written by Steven S De Knight
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Lana is possessed by the spirit of her ancestor Isobel, a witch who then works a spell that allows the spirits of her companions to inhabit the bodies of Chloe and Lois. The three witches then set out to find the Stones of Power, and when Clark tries to stop them, they strip him of his powers.


Tropes present in the episode:

  • Brought Down to Normal: After being stripped of his powers by the witches, Clark confronts them in the Kawatche Cave chamber with nothing but Jonathan's shotgun.
  • Buxom Beauty Standard: Brianna is very pleased that her host body, Lois, has larger boobs.
    Brianna: I'm gorgeous! [holds up her breasts] Look at these!
    Isobel: [deadpan] Yes, they're very nice.
  • Demonic Possession: Isobel pulls this on Lana in the teaser after Lana touches her spell book, and she later works a spell that causes her two cohorts Brianna and Madelyn to possess Lois and Chloe.
  • Dropping the Bombshell: "Magic is real. And it can *hurt* me!"
  • Shirtless Captives: Clark spent quite sometime chained and shirtless on the barn while the witches interogate and torture him.
  • Depower: Isobel, Brianna, and Madelyn magically strip Clark of his powers.
  • Evil Wears Black: The three witches all wear black and other dark colors.
  • Finding a Bra in Your Car: In the final act, Jonathan finds a bra in the loft and questions Clark about it. Clark then tells his parents about his vulnerability to magic.
    Jonathan: Son, is there maybe a little something you'd like to tell your mother and me? [holds up a bra]
    Martha: Where did that come from?
    Jonathan: From out in the barn. In the hay.
    Martha: Clark!
    Clark: It was magic.
    Martha: I'm sure it was.
    Clark: No, I mean it really was!
  • Hot Witch: Isobel, Brianna, and Madelyn in Lana, Chloe, and Lois's bodies.
  • Hyde Plays Jekyll: Madelyn convincingly poses as Chloe for a brief moment to taunt a restrained Clark.
  • Identical Grandson: Lana resembles Isobel.
  • Mythology Gag: Clark has always been vulnerable to magic.
  • Not Hyperbole: Played for laughs. Clark's explanation that "It was magic" for the misplaced lingerie in the barn, followed by him insisting that, no, Mom and Dad, it literally was magic.
  • A Party, Also Known as an Orgy: Clark's birthday party for Chloe in the Kent family barn is getting a little wild, worrying him. He hadn't seen nothing yet: Lana, Chloe, and Lois, having been possessed by a trio of witches from the 1600s, cast a spell that turns it into a bonafide orgy—the Kents are still finding misplaced underwear in the barn days later (fortunately for Clark, they're so used to bizarre events by season 4 that his explanation that A Wizard Did It barely rates a raised eyebrow).
  • Plot Device: Two of them.
    • Isobel's spell book, which allows the witch to possess Lana when the latter touches it.
    • The Crystal of Fire, which restores Clark's powers after the three witches strip them.
  • Terrible Trio: Isobel, Brianna, and Madelyn.
  • Torches and Pitchforks: And a few axes.
  • Villain of the Week: Isobel and her cohorts.
  • Virgin Power: Isobel's possession spell requires strands of hair from two virgins, namely Clark and Lana.
  • Weak to Magic: Lana, Lois, and Chloe are possessed by the spirits of three witches who were burned at the stake and now want revenge. When Clark realizes what's happened, he tries to stop them but they are able to use their magic to overpower him, strip him of his powers, and restrain him. Eventually, he escapes and is able to burn the book that released the witches' ghosts, undoing the possession. Afterwards, visibly shaken, he tells his parents that magic is real and it can actually hurt him.
  • Wham Episode: Clark is exposed to the forces of magic for the first time and discovers that he is completely vulnerable to them.
  • Wild Teen Party: Not the first one in the series, but this one was Lois's fault — it was a surprise party for Chloe's birthday), and as before, Clark's parents find evidence of it happening. Again, they're somewhat distracted from it by more serious matters: namely, when Clark tells them about the witches he was dealing with the night before, and that magic can hurt him.

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