SMALLVILLE 2:22: "CALLING" (2003)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*

After so many irrelevant pot-boiler episodes in Season 2, it's a relief to have one that delivers on all the major plotlines. The big one is of course Clark and Lana taking that first step into romance, though naturally impediments to their happiness spring up like cartoon stop-signs.

Doctor Waldman, last seen having fallen into a coma after interacting with the computer-knowledge within the Kawachi caves, begins uttering the phrase "The day is coming." And he's not talking about the day Lex Luthor weds Helen Bryce, though that event is just around the corner. Lionel also starts hanging around more, even though he's not invited to said event.

But someone breaks into Helen's lab and steals the sample of Clark's Kryptonian blood. She tells the Kents that she only kept the sample in case she had to treat that unique Kent boy for illness. When Helen informs Lex, he attempts to blame his father for the break-in. 

Clark's briefly on the top of the world for having exchanged passionate love-words with Lana, but she brings him down, fearing to hurt Chloe. So again, secrets are kept, but in due time Chloe finds out, and not in a nice way. Helen suspects Lex isn't telling the truth and searches his mansion. Lionel catches her in the act, decrying her own lack of trust in her future husband.

Waldman manifests energy-powers and breaks out of the hospital. He makes a beeline to the Luthor mansion and reveals to both Lex and Lionel that Clark Kent is the future ruler of Earth. Waldman gets anesthetized before he can say more, but a little later he'll break free again.

Lionel is very interested by the prophecies about Clark and intensifies his investigation of the cave-data. But he also finds time to approach Chloe again, and he reveals the agenda behind his offer of a job at the Daily Planet: to call upon Chloe's resources to investigate Clark Kent. Despite her antipathy for Clark, Chloe rejects the devil's temptations.

In the midst of a pre-wedding dinner, Clark realizes that someone is at the farm messing with the Kryptonian Key. He rushes home and finds Waldman in possession of the key. Waldman tries to kill the young man but things backfire and he perishes instead. However, whether Waldman's activity triggered some process or not, the episode ends with a voice from the star-vessel addressing Clark and beckoning him down into the storm cellar-- which is certainly one of the show's better cliffhangers.