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!

There’s something inherently satisfying about a good comeback story. Whether it’s Rocky Balboa getting back up after a brutal beating or a tech company rebounding from near-bankruptcy, we love to see the underdog rise again. Smallville‘s 46th episode, “Phoenix,” which aired on October 8, 2003, is all about comebacks—some triumphant, some deceptive, and some downright dangerous.

As the second episode of Season 3, “Phoenix” had a lot of heavy lifting to do. It needed to resolve the “Exile” cliffhanger, bring our hero back to his small-town roots, and somehow make us believe that Lex Luthor could survive a plane crash over the ocean. Let’s dive into how this pivotal episode managed to pull it all off while setting up character arcs that would define the rest of the series.

The Prodigal Son Returns

We begin where “Exile” left off—with Jonathan Kent (using his temporary Kryptonian powers) engaged in a super-powered smackdown with his rebellious son. While the CGI budget clearly wasn’t quite up to the task, the emotional weight carries the scene. Jonathan’s desperate plea, “Kill me if that’s how I raised you,” finally breaks through Clark’s Red Kryptonite-induced selfishness. The ring shatters, and just like that, we have our farm boy back.

What’s fascinating about Clark’s return is how the writers don’t let him off the hook. Throughout the episode, his summer of crime in Metropolis follows him like a shadow. Lana’s heartbreak, Chloe’s cautious friendship, and even Lex’s surprised welcome all remind us that actions have consequences. Tom Welling does some of his best work here, conveying Clark’s shame without descending into melodrama. His line to Lana—”That person in Metropolis, that’s who I am when I’m not trying”—speaks volumes about his fear of his own power and potential for darkness.

This theme of confronting your inner demons resonates throughout the series, but rarely is it handled with such maturity. When Chloe tells Clark, “You can’t keep running away… Sometimes you have to stop and face your demons,” she might as well be speaking to every character in the show.

Lex Luthor: Not Dead Yet

Meanwhile, in a twist that surprised absolutely no one who saw Michael Rosenbaum’s name in the opening credits, Lex Luthor returns from his watery grave. While Clark’s journey is about returning to his moral center, Lex’s is about embracing his darker instincts.

The island storyline—mostly told through implication rather than flashbacks (thank goodness, as TV “stranded on an island” sequences are rarely as interesting as writers think they are)—serves as Lex’s crucible. Like a comic book version of Lord of the Flies, Lex had to shed his civilized veneer to survive. “All the tests you put me through helped me to survive,” he tells Lionel in what might be one of the most backhanded thank-yous ever delivered.

Lex’s confrontation with Helen aboard their doomed second honeymoon flight is chilling in its calculated calmness. When he remarks, “I’ve become quite adept at cheating death. In fact, I have no doubt that I’ll rise from the ashes again,” we get a glimpse of the supervillain he’s destined to become. Rosenbaum masterfully balances vulnerability and menace here—we sympathize with his betrayal while simultaneously feeling unsettled by his cold revenge.

The Luthors: Like Father, Unlike Son?

John Glover continues to be one of television’s most underrated villains as Lionel Luthor. His scenes with Lex crackle with tension and unspoken history. When Lex emerges from the shadows to confront his father, Lionel’s shocked “Lex?” might be the only genuine emotion we ever see from him.

The power dynamics between these two are fascinating. Lionel, cunning and manipulative as ever, versus Lex, physically strengthened by his island ordeal but emotionally wounded by betrayal. Their final scene together, where Lex proposes they run LuthorCorp together, sets up one of the show’s most compelling relationships. The embrace they share is anything but warm—it’s two scorpions in a bottle, temporarily agreeing not to sting each other.

What makes the Luthor storyline so compelling is how it mirrors and contrasts with the Kents. Both father-son relationships are tested in this episode, but with dramatically different outcomes. Jonathan risks his life to save his son; Lionel is suspected of trying to kill his. Clark returns to the family farm; Lex moves deeper into his father’s corporate world. These parallel journeys give “Phoenix” its thematic backbone.

The Women of Smallville: More Than Love Interests

While early seasons of Smallville sometimes struggled to give its female characters agency beyond their relationships with Clark, “Phoenix” shows significant growth in this area.

Lana Lang gets to be both vulnerable and badass here. Her confrontation with Clark at the Talon, where she points out that he claims to keep secrets to protect her but is “the only thing that keeps hurting her,” is a rare moment of clarity in their often frustrating romance. Later, when she takes down Morgan Edge’s thug with a well-placed shovel blow, we see that the former cheerleader has developed some serious survival instincts.

Chloe Sullivan continues her evolution from nosy reporter to loyal friend with emotional intelligence beyond her years. Her heart-to-heart with Lana about Clark—”The reason he’s more comfortable talking to me than he is with you is because he’s not in love with me”—is both insightful and heartbreaking. Allison Mack delivers this line with perfect understated emotion, showing us Chloe’s acceptance of her place in Clark’s life without diminishing her own worth.

Even Helen Bryce, despite being written out of the show, gets a compelling arc as a villain whose motivations remain intriguingly murky. Was she working for Lionel all along? Was she after Lex’s fortune? Or did she simply see a chance to escape a marriage to someone whose darkness matched her own? Emmanuelle Vaugier’s performance leaves these questions tantalizingly unanswered.

The Blood Plot: Seeds of Future Conflicts

The MacGuffin driving the plot—Clark’s blood sample—might seem like a standard issue “freak of the week” device, but it actually plants seeds for storylines that will blossom throughout the series. Lionel’s obsession with Clark’s uniqueness, which began as mere curiosity, is now becoming dangerous.

When Clark cuts himself with Kryptonite to produce a blood sample for Edge, it’s a shocking moment of self-sacrifice that shows how far he’s willing to go to protect his parents. It’s also a neat inversion of the typical Superman narrative—here, his vulnerability to Kryptonite becomes a tool rather than just a weakness.

Morgan Edge, played with menacing charm by Rutger Hauer, serves as an effective bridge between Clark’s Metropolis life and his Smallville one. His presence reminds us that Clark’s actions in the city had consequences that won’t simply disappear with his return home. Edge’s eventual (apparent) death also foreshadows how Metropolis’s criminal underworld will continue to intersect with the show’s small-town setting.

The Visual Language: A Show Finding Its Identity

“Phoenix” represents Smallville hitting its stride visually. Director James Marshall balances the intimate character moments with dynamic action sequences. The color palette shifts noticeably when Clark returns to Smallville—from the cool blues and grays of Metropolis to the warm golds and greens of rural Kansas.

The show’s trademark close-ups during emotional moments are used judiciously here, letting the actors convey complex emotions without relying on dialogue. Particularly effective is the silent scene of Lana crying in the back room of the Talon while Clark watches helplessly—more is said in those few seconds than in pages of dialogue.

The special effects, while modest by today’s standards, effectively convey the superhuman elements without overshadowing the human drama. Clark’s heat vision attack on the propane tank creates a spectacular explosion that serves both as a plot point and as a visual metaphor for his own rebirth.

The Legacy: How “Phoenix” Shaped Smallville’s Future

Looking back, “Phoenix” stands as a turning point for Smallville. The episode effectively closed the door on the “freak of the week” formula that dominated much of the first two seasons and opened up richer, more serialized storytelling that would define the show going forward.

Clark’s decision to stay in Smallville—to face his problems rather than run from them—established the moral foundation that would eventually lead him to become Superman. Lex’s embrace of his father’s world marked a crucial step toward his villainous destiny. The Kent Farm’s rescue from foreclosure (through Lex’s intervention) preserved the show’s physical and emotional center while adding layers of complication to the Kent-Luthor relationship.

Perhaps most importantly, “Phoenix” reset the board while respecting what came before. Unlike some shows that use dramatic events to simply return to the status quo, Smallville allowed its characters to be changed by their experiences. Clark may be back in Smallville, but he’s not the same naive farm boy we met in Season 1. Lex may still be Lex, but the island has hardened something in him that can never be softened again.

Final Thoughts: Why “Phoenix” Still Resonates

Twenty years after it first aired, “Phoenix” remains one of Smallville‘s most compelling episodes because it balances comic book spectacle with genuine human emotion. The mythological references—from the phoenix imagery to Lex’s mention of Abraham and Isaac—elevate the material beyond standard teen drama fare.

What makes the episode truly special, though, is how it honors the fundamental theme of Smallville: that our choices, not our circumstances, define who we become. Clark chooses to return home. Lex chooses to embrace his darker instincts. Lana chooses to walk away from a relationship that keeps hurting her. Chloe chooses friendship over resentment.

In these choices, we see the characters not as archetypes from comic book lore, but as fully realized individuals navigating the complex territory between heroism and humanity. And really, isn’t that what made Smallville worth watching in the first place?

In a show about a young man learning to fly, “Phoenix” taught us that sometimes the most heroic act is simply coming home and facing the mess you’ve made. Not with heat vision or super strength, but with honesty, humility, and hope.

And if that isn’t Superman, I don’t know what is.