Tempest
- Episode aired May 21, 2002
- TV-PG
- 43m
Lex and Lionel engage in a struggle over closing down the fertilizer plant. Reporter Roger Nixon steals Clark's spacecraft and learns his secret. Whitney joins the Marines, and Clark takes C... Read allLex and Lionel engage in a struggle over closing down the fertilizer plant. Reporter Roger Nixon steals Clark's spacecraft and learns his secret. Whitney joins the Marines, and Clark takes Chloe to the prom, while a huge tornado approaches.Lex and Lionel engage in a struggle over closing down the fertilizer plant. Reporter Roger Nixon steals Clark's spacecraft and learns his secret. Whitney joins the Marines, and Clark takes Chloe to the prom, while a huge tornado approaches.
- Erika Fox
- (as Angelika Baran)
- Themselves - Musical Guest
- (as Remy Zero)
- Themselves - Musical Guest
- (as Remy Zero)
- Themselves - Musical Guest
- (as Remy Zero)
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsThe Ledger edition that Jonathan and Martha are reading when Clark arrives home from school reads "Management Problems Sited" in the sub heading; it should say "cited" not "sited"
- Quotes
Lex Luthor: Any relationship founded on lies is destined to fail. It's a good thing we don't have that problem.
Clark Kent: Lucky us.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Smallville: Blank (2005)
- SoundtracksSave Me
Performed by Remy Zero
Nearly 20 years later the time felt right for a re-watch, and I was intrigued by how I might react to the plucky little WB show that ultimately attracted an enormous following as the years piled up. What I found was an inaugural season that finds itself balanced on a precipice: On one hand, all the pieces are in place for true greatness; on the other it could very easily be standard teen/tween fare for its network and times. Both of those observations are readily apparent over this season's 21 installments.
For a very basic overview, S1 of Smallville introduces viewers to the basic Superman canon: a young boy in a spacecraft falls into a Smallvile, KS cornfield and is adopted by Jonathan (John Schneider) and Martha (Annette O'Toole) Kent. They quickly discover that this child has powers not of this earth. After that preamble, of sorts, this series picks up with Clark Kent (Tom Welling) now in high school and struggling with the normal adolescent angst--while also of course harboring an enormous secret that not even he fully understands. When not pining for the unrequited love of Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), chumming with Pete Ross (Sam Jones III), or learning the journalistic ropes from HS newspaper editor Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), he also develops a unique friendship with a Smallville newcomer--rich young playboy Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), exiled to farm country by father Lionel (John Glover).
The hallmark of Smallville's first season is that it clearly has a vision for the Clark Kent character and sticks to it pretty religiously. Series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are adamant about the "no tights, no flights" rule--this is "high school Clark" only, not anywhere near "burgeoning Superman". It would be so tempting to push the cape-and-suit angle of a show like this right away, but this is all set up for the long game, which I respect tremendously.
Part and parcel to that, it largely captures the gravitas/feel of mid-2000s high school life. Because of that ability, it appeals to an almost embarrassingly large audience. For example, I was initially exposed to the show by a sister years my junior. She watched it for the soap-operatic content; me for the subtle hints at a large mythology. This is a show that worked for a wide demographic, and a handful of episodes here are truly compelling for both audience types.
Certain character interactions are also pretty memorable: Clark pining for Lana, any Lex/Lionel scene, and the overall Kent family dynamic are strong from beginning to end.
Yet, at the same time, Smallville's first season doesn't necessarily earn a "great" rating (8+ stars) from me. The "meteor freak of the week" formula gets stale about halfway through, moments of over-acting are sometimes a bit ridiculous, and the peppy dialogue is often as grating as it is humorous or clever. There are episodes that are a bit boring or tough to get through because it is so clear that time is being bided to fill out an entire-season order (20+ episodes).
This critique extends to some specific characters too: Chloe's ultimate S1 arc is underplayed until it is suddenly overplayed, Pete is pretty marginalized throughout, and Whitney (Eric Johnson) is a character set up to be so hated that it is basically impossible to empathize with him even when the show tries to pivot towards that angle again and again.
Overall, I still have a tremendous amount of nostalgia for Smallville, and that of course begins with this first season. That certainly counts for something in the overall rating. But I can't go higher than 7/10 stars because upon its conclusion, there is absolutely no way to know if it would grow to greatness or continue to be an entertaining-if-stretched "Superman's Creek" for the teen-focused WB network. Based on previous experience I can pretty confidently say that the show takes the former route and not the latter, but here in S1 that was still very much a 50/50 proposition.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Vancouver Technical Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada(Smallville High School)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro