Originally aired February 5, 2009
Written by Holly Henderson & Don Whitehead
Directed by Michael Rohl
An explosion at LuthorCorp kills the company's board members and leaves Oliver hospitalized, and Winslow Schott, a vengeful former employee of Oliver's, is the culprit. Clark and Lana work to stop Schott and encounter an old enemy, with devastating consequences.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Alas, Poor Villain: After Lex is killed in an explosion, Clark visits the site of his death and sprinkles some dust.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: In the final scene, after Lana leaves for good, Clark, weakened from the Kryptonite kiss, is left crouching on the floor and whispers a barely audible "I love you."
- Battle Couple: Clark and Lana. Oliver even refers to them as "Metropolis's new power couple."
- Bittersweet Ending: Though Lex is stopped from blowing up Metropolis through Toyman, he manages to permanently tear Clark and Lana apart, though he's killed by Oliver, for now.
- Board to Death: In the teaser, the LuthorCorp Board of Directors, sans Oliver, is killed by a bomb planted by Schott/Toyman.
- Book Ends: In the first season, Clark can't approach Lana due to the radiation of her "meteor rock" pendant; now, she can't get near him due to having absorbed the radiation from the bomb.
- But Now I Must Go: Lana to Clark at the end of the episode.
- Destructo-Nookie: In the first act, Clark and Lana's super-powered lovemaking breaks the bed.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Lex, on account of his Vader Breath.
- Fake Shemp: Lex's voice is obviously not provided by Michael Rosenbaum.
- Fat Bastard: Schott/Toyman is fat and a villain.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Toyman wears a pair of glasses, and is a bad guy.
- If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: Lana uses this to stop Clark from killing Lex after he forces them to make a Sadistic Choice.Lana: I know how much it hurts right now, Clark, but if you go after Lex like this, you will kill him.Clark: After what he's done to us, Lana, he needs to be stopped.Lana: I promise you I will help you to punish Lex. But if you kill him, you will lose so much more than just us being together. You'll lose yourself.
- Killed Off for Real: Lex Luthor meets his demise here.
- Put on a Bus: After ending her tenure as a regular cast member the previous season, and returning only for this final arc, Kristin Kreuk officially leaves Smallville for good. We wouldn't see Lana again until the Season 11 comics.
- The Man Behind the Man: Lex serves this role to Schott/Toyman.
- Sadistic Choice: Lex gives Clark and Lana the choice of disarming the Kryptonite bomb by having Lana absorb the Kryptonite radiation (and being unable to be around Clark forever) or walking away. Lana chooses to disarm the bomb.Lex: Clark Kent and Lana Lang, welcome to your destiny. You've destroyed me in every way, so now I'm going to take away what matters most to you. Do you know what people remember about the greatest star-crossed romances? Not how the lovers met, but the way the relationship tragically ends. The skin Lana's wearing was designed to absorb enough meteor rock that you'll never be able to go near her again.Clark: You're a coward, Lex. Come out here. Face us!Lex: No, Clark. It's time for you to face your defining moment. You can walk away, sacrificing innocent lives to stay together, or defuse the bomb and sacrifice your love forever.
- Tainted Veins: Clark gets these during his final kiss with Lana in the end scene.
- Villain of the Week: Winslow Schott/Toyman, former Queen Industries employee.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Chloe's response to Oliver after learning he placed one of Toyman's bombs in Lex's truck, leading to Lex's death and therefore framing Toyman for the murder.Oliver: Lex deserved to die, Chloe.Chloe: You certainly made sure he got what he deserved. They identified the remains as Lex's.Oliver: And what does Clark think?Chloe: That Winslow turned on Lex. Pieces of a toy bomb were found in the wreckage.Oliver: Yeah, well, that makes sense. Wouldn't be like Winslow to play a game he can't win.Chloe: Are you seriously gonna let another man take the blame for something you did?Oliver: Chloe, Winslow was already a killer. He blew up all those people at LuthorCorp. He was about ready to take down the entire Daily Planet. One more death's not gonna make a difference.Chloe: Are you listening to yourself? Oliver, you've really crossed a line here.Oliver: Lex is dead. The world is safer because of it. Clark is safe again.Chloe: This is murder.Oliver: This is justice.
