MYTHICITY: (1) *good*, (2,3) *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, psychological*
Finally, in "Legacy," Season Three wanders back to the still-mysterious designs of the Jor-El AI, left unaddressed since "Exile." In a few previous episodes the writers suggested that Jonathan's health has suffered from Jor-El's "power boost," and Clark becomes concerned enough that he takes the Krypton-Key to the Kawache Caves, trying to draw out the AI for a heart-to-heart. But the key's only response is to send forth a ray that carves a new aperture in the wall with the Kryptonian symbols. Critically-ill Lionel, though, gets alerted by his agents re: Clark's cave-trespass, and somehow arrives in time to behold Clark and the "new keyhole," but not the key in Clark's possession.
Lionel doesn't reference the Adam Knight failure, but clearly he ups his investigation of the Kents, even sending bogus FBI agents to the farm, because he seeks a reprieve. He also meets with Virgil Swann (Christopher Reeve in his final performance), and the enigmatic genius reveals nothing, though he lends Lionel some conditional aid. This motivates Clark to confront Swann, thus also providing the show's last encounter between "Superman" and "Superboy." Jonathan makes an effort to end Lionel's threat, and Clark must intervene. It's a solid "mythology" episode, though I suspect the many SMALLVILLE mysteries don't have a payoff much better than LOST.
"Truth" turns out better than its premise suggests. Demon journalist Chloe inhales an experimental gas and acquires the power to make almost anyone answer her questions with complete truthfulness. Clark alone can resist her power, but Chloe becomes drunk with her new abilities. Naturally most of the episode concerns characters managing to dance around the Big Reveal, though Chloe does play dice with the devil when she tries to blackmail Lionel.
"Memoria" puts aside one Luthor's obsession for another's, as Lionel's struggle to avert death takes a back seat to Lex's quest for his repressed Belle Reve memories. To that end, he accepts treatment by Doctor Garner, one of Smallville's many resident mad scientists, who stimulates buried memories via a machine powered by-- what else-- meteor rocks. Both Lionel and Clark don't want Lex's memories to return, but while Lionel just puts pressure on Garner, Clark beards the rogue researcher in his den. Garner sticks Clark in the memory-machine, offering the teen's memories to willing buyer Lionel, but even after kryptonite weakening Clark's body generates enough feedback to destroy the machine. Lex then arrives in time to save Clark's life without learning the Big Secret. Yet Garner's process does give Lex closure on a trauma dating back to the show's first season: the belief that he killed his baby brother Julian. It's a good payoff for a so-so story.
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