"Smallville"
Apocalypse (2008)

Director:

Tom Welling

Writers:

Alfred Gough (creator)
Turi Meyer (writer)

TV Series:

"Smallville" (2001)

Original Air Date:

1 May 2008 (Season 7, Episode 18)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Clark is shown by Jor-El what life on Earth would have been like, had he not sent him there instead of facing the doom of his fellow Kryptonians.

Plot Keywords:

Shipper | Best Friends | Young Versions Of Characters | One Word Title | Good Versus Evil

Cast

Tom Welling	...	Clark Kent
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Lex Luthor
Kristin Kreuk	...	Lana Lang (credit only)
Allison Mack	...	Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance	...	Lois Lane
Aaron Ashmore	...	Jimmy Olsen
Laura Vandervoort	...	Kara / Linda Danvers
John Glover	...	Lionel Luthor (credit only)
James Marsters	...	Milton Fine
Brett Dier	...	Clark Kent
Terence Stamp	...	Jor-El (voice)
Camille Mitchell	...	Nancy Adams

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Trivia:

Kara uses the alias Linda Danvers. In the comics, Supergirl merged with a dying Linda Danvers, and gained a human soul.

Quotes:

Jor-El: You disappoint me, my son. You cannot question your destiny on this planet.
Clark Kent: It was you! You wanted to show me what the world would be like if I wasn't here.
Jor-El: The disc in your hand revealed your misguided intentions. I was forced to show you the error of your ways. I sent you to Earth for a purpose, Kal-El, one that cannot be taken lightly.
Clark Kent: Send me back!
Jor-El: You must stop the Brain InterActive Construct from altering history and taking your life. You cannot fail. This time, there will be no second chances.

Time Travel is Risky Writing

Clark Kent sees what the world would be like without him in a milestone of an episode, the 150th of "Smallville." Clark realizes that a lot of grief and sorrow has come through him. He is reluctant to go back in time to Krypton to save Kara, and himself, because of the bad that in his mind is all his fault. Because of this (constant) self-evaluation, he wishes he had never been born. Jor-El shows him how incorrect Clark is in making that wish.

Once he sees how much danger the world would be under without him, Clark decides to return back in time to Krypton.

While an interesting episode in a 'It's A Wonderful Life' sort of format, it's unfortunate to see Clark still blaming himself for everything that has gone wrong with events near him. However, after emerging from the alternate reality, at least he realizes how much good he has brought to the world, and how much worse it could be without him. However, scenes from Krypton at the end of the episode tamper with the previous episodes of the show and the very basis of the myth. Basically, the writers' decision to go with a back-in-time conflict infringes upon previous established and epic facts that will leave you loving or hating this episode. Fortunately, a lot of their fans liked it.

Nods to the classic Lois and Clark relationship from the Superman story and the Smallville Lois and Clark's future are touched on in the alternate reality, which is a welcome story.