Welcome back to Rewatching Smallville, my weekly dive into the iconic series that explores Clark Kent’s journey before becoming Superman. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the show, you’re invited to join in each Tuesday as I revisit episodes and share my thoughts and observations. Be sure to share your own memories and theories in the comments below!

Remember when your high school’s star athlete was suspiciously good at baseball? In Smallville, they don’t just juice with steroids – they inhale refined kryptonite. Because of course they do.

Episode 41, “Witness,” lands in the latter half of Season 2, when Smallville was really hitting its stride. The show had found its sweet spot between teen drama and superhero origin story, and this episode serves up both in spades.

The Setup: Not Your Average School Sports Scandal

Our story begins with Clark Kent stumbling upon a rather unusual robbery. Three masked men with crossbows – because apparently regular guns aren’t dramatic enough – hijack a LuthorCorp truck. When Clark tries to intervene, he discovers these aren’t your garden variety thieves. They’re as strong as he is, which in Smallville can only mean one thing: kryptonite is involved.

The twist? The mastermind behind it all is Eric Marsh, Smallville High’s baseball superstar. Instead of shooting up steroids in the locker room, Eric and his pals are inhaling refined kryptonite to gain Superman-level strength. It’s a clever subversion of both high school sports drama tropes and traditional Superman villains. Usually, kryptonite weakens our hero – here, it’s empowering his enemies.

The Clark-Chloe Implosion

But the real heart of this episode isn’t about super-powered baseball players. It’s about the deteriorating friendship between Clark and Chloe Sullivan. Their relationship has been strained all season by Clark’s obvious pining for Lana, and here it finally reaches its breaking point. When Chloe calls Clark out for prioritizing Lana over his commitments to The Torch, he quits the paper entirely.

The scene where Chloe discovers The Torch office completely ransacked is genuinely heartbreaking. “There is no ‘we’ anymore Clark!” she shouts. “There’s only me! And this paper was my whole life!” Allison Mack delivers these lines with such raw emotion that you almost forget this is a show about teenagers with meteor powers.

Enter the Devil in an Italian Suit

And then there’s Lionel Luthor, arriving like a well-dressed vulture to prey on Chloe’s vulnerability. In what might be the episode’s most pivotal scene, he offers to rebuild The Torch and – more tantalizingly – gives her a column in the Daily Planet. It’s a masterclass in manipulation, wrapped in corporate philanthropy.

“Journalists are the midwives of history,” Lionel purrs, in a line that’s both pretentious and somehow perfect for his character. “Perhaps, with my help, we could make history together.” Anyone who’s watched more than three episodes of television knows this deal comes with strings attached, but Chloe’s position makes her vulnerability understandable. When your dream is dangled in front of you, it’s hard not to grab it.

Meanwhile, in Parallel Plot Land…

While Clark deals with super-powered thugs, Lana’s storyline mirrors the main plot’s themes of betrayal and difficult choices. She discovers that Jennifer Small, her biological father’s wife, is planning to divorce Henry because of his relationship with Lana. It’s a different kind of strength being tested here – the emotional kind.

Both storylines explore the cost of pursuing what you want. Eric Marsh uses kryptonite to achieve athletic greatness. Henry Small pursues a relationship with his biological daughter at the cost of his marriage. Chloe considers taking Lionel’s deal to advance her journalism career. Every character faces a moment where they must decide if the end justifies the means.

The Superman of it All

This episode’s use of kryptonite is particularly interesting for Superman fans. In most Superman stories, kryptonite is simply Superman’s weakness – a plot device to level the playing field. But Smallville consistently found new ways to use the meteor rocks, and here they serve as both a performance-enhancing drug and a commentary on the corruption of power.

The image of Clark fighting opponents with his own abilities foreshadows his future battles with General Zod and other Kryptonian villains, though here it’s handled with a distinctly teenage spin. Instead of alien warriors, he’s fighting the captain of the baseball team. It’s Superman by way of Varsity Blues, and somehow it works.

Setting Up the Dominoes

“Witness” plants several seeds that will bloom into major plot points. Lionel’s manipulation of Chloe sets up a complex storyline about journalistic integrity versus personal ambition. The episode also showcases Clark’s growing willingness to work with Lex, even as it hints at the friction that will eventually destroy their friendship.

The final scene between Chloe and Lionel in The Torch office is particularly loaded with dramatic irony. When Chloe asks why he’s helping her, Lionel claims they’re “after the same thing: the truth.” It’s a moment that would be laughable if it weren’t so ominous – Lionel Luthor and truth go together like kryptonite and a healthy complexion.

The Verdict

“Witness” exemplifies what Smallville did best: taking familiar teen drama scenarios (sports rivalry, newspaper drama, family conflicts) and giving them a superhero twist. It’s an episode that manages to advance both the meteor freak of the week plot and the season’s larger character arcs while maintaining emotional resonance.

Sure, the sight of baseball players huffing kryptonite might seem silly, but the core conflicts – about power, integrity, and the choices we make when tested – are anything but. It’s these human elements, more than the super-powered showdowns, that made Smallville worth watching.

Plus, where else are you going to see Superman fight a baseball player with crossbows? Sometimes that’s entertainment enough.