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 fascinating about dreams in television shows. They give us a peek into characters’ subconscious desires, fears, and hopes – all while giving writers the freedom to break their own established rules. Smallville‘s 48th episode, “Slumber” (Season 3, Episode 4), takes full advantage of this narrative device, creating one of the series’ more psychologically interesting outings while still delivering the superhero-adjacent content fans expect.

When Dreams Feel More Real Than Reality

“Slumber” begins with what may be the most wish-fulfilling scene possible for early-2000s Smallville fans: Clark and Lana skinny-dipping together in Crater Lake. If that doesn’t immediately trigger your “this is definitely a dream” radar, you might need to check your own frontal lobe activity. The sequence establishes the episode’s dreamlike tone right away, and the fact that we don’t realize it’s a dream until later is part of the fun.

The plot centers around Sarah Conroy, who has moved in next door (or, more accurately, a mile across several Kent fields) and is contacting Clark through his dreams. Sarah, we later learn, has been kept in a medically-induced coma by her uncle Nicholas, who controls her substantial inheritance as long as she remains incapacitated. Through meteor rock magic – because this is Smallville, after all – Sarah has developed the ability to enter other people’s dreams, specifically Clark’s.

What makes “Slumber” particularly effective is how it plays with our expectations. In Clark’s dreams, everyone acts slightly off-character in ways that reveal both his perceptions and desires: his parents give him an extravagant truck (a notable departure from the Kents’ usual frugality), Chloe dismantles her beloved Wall of Weird in favor of “real journalism,” and Lana is completely understanding about his constant disappearing acts.

The most fascinating dream element, however, is Lex Luthor’s portrayal. Dream-Lex is openly hostile and paranoid, accusing Clark of hiding his secrets and vowing to expose him – a not-so-subtle manifestation of Clark’s fears about their friendship. When Lex tests Clark’s invulnerability by swinging a samurai sword at him, the blade shatters against Clark’s arm, revealing how deeply Clark worries about his secret being discovered. It’s telling that in Clark’s subconscious, Lex immediately turns adversarial upon learning the truth.

The Symbolic Traveler

The episode’s nightmare villain, “The Traveler,” deserves special mention. Appearing as a tall, ominous figure in a tattered red hood with decayed fingers, this character represents Sarah’s fear of her uncle keeping her trapped. The name itself is clever – Nicholas wears a St. Christopher medallion, the patron saint of travelers, giving us a subtle hint about the connection.

The Traveler’s design feels like something straight out of a horror film, a refreshing departure from Smallville’s often straightforward threat-of-the-week formula. The fact that Clark can’t simply overpower this dream entity adds tension to the story. It’s only when Sarah confronts her fear directly that Clark can use his heat vision to destroy the manifestation, allowing them both to wake up.

For Superman comics fans, the Traveler’s appearance bears some resemblance to the Time Trapper, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Whether this was an intentional nod or coincidental, it adds an interesting layer for those familiar with the broader Superman mythology.

R.E.M. Meets REM Sleep

One of “Slumber’s” most inspired creative choices is its soundtrack, featuring five R.E.M. songs throughout the episode: “Imitation Of Life,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Losing My Religion,” “Bad Day,” and “At My Most Beautiful.” This isn’t just a random music selection – it’s a clever play on REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the phase associated with dreaming.

The music choices also thematically underscore the episode’s emotional beats. “Everybody Hurts” perfectly captures the isolation of both Clark and Sarah, while “Losing My Religion” subtly comments on Clark’s crisis of faith in his friendships. It’s the kind of thoughtful detail that elevates the episode beyond its somewhat formulaic “meteor freak of the week” structure.

R.E.M. also recorded a cover of “I Am Superman,” making their music an even more appropriate choice for a show about the future Man of Steel. This level of attention to detail in the soundtrack shows how Smallville, at its best, could blend pop culture and Superman mythology in satisfying ways.

The Kent-Lang Dynamics: Swimming in Complicated Waters

Clark and Lana’s relationship has always been the definition of “it’s complicated,” but “Slumber” gives us an interesting window into Clark’s idealized version of their dynamic. In his dream, Lana is completely understanding of his mysterious behavior, openly declaring she’ll wait for him to realize they should be together. When dream-Lana mentions their usual relationship is “miserable,” it reveals Clark’s awareness of how his secrets create distance between them.

The episode ends with a knowing callback to the skinny-dipping scene when real-Lana suggests going swimming, and Clark blurts out that “skinny-dipping is probably not a good idea.” Lana’s bemused response – “Maybe in your dreams, Clark” – gives us one of those perfect ironic moments Smallville excelled at. The scene encapsulates their relationship: mutual attraction complicated by secrets, with Lana always sensing there’s something Clark isn’t telling her.

The Lionel-Lex Chess Match

While not the main plot, the Lionel-Lex storyline provides an interesting counterpoint to the dream-centered A-plot. Lionel’s insistence that Lex undergo psychological evaluation, ostensibly for the good of LuthorCorp, continues their perpetual power struggle. When Lionel remarks, “When you’re rich, you’re not crazy – you’re eccentric,” it’s one of those deliciously cynical lines that made John Glover’s Lionel such a compelling antagonist.

Lex’s initial resistance and eventual acquiescence to the evaluation shows his strategic thinking – sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war. Michael Rosenbaum’s ability to convey Lex’s calculating nature while maintaining his sympathetic qualities remains one of the show’s greatest strengths. The subplot also serves as ironic commentary on the episode’s dream analysis themes – while Clark’s dreams are being literally invaded, Lex faces the prospect of having his psyche professionally probed.

The Psychology of “Slumber”

For a show that often relied on physical confrontations, “Slumber” stands out for its psychological approach to conflict. The episode references both Carl Jung (through Lex) and Sigmund Freud (through Chloe), two towering figures in dream interpretation and psychology. This gives the episode an intellectual foundation that makes its supernatural elements more compelling.

Chloe’s explanation about “telepathic receptivity” during REM sleep due to “frontal lobe activity” is typical Smallville pseudoscience, but it works because it’s grounded in just enough real science to sound plausible within the show’s universe. The addition of meteor rocks as an amplifier for Sarah’s abilities follows Smallville’s established internal logic while creating a unique threat.

The episode also touches on an aspect of Clark that isn’t often addressed – his need for sleep. Despite his superhuman abilities, Clark can’t simply will himself to stay awake indefinitely. This vulnerability creates tension throughout the episode and reminds us that despite his powers, Clark still has limitations.

The Dream Production

Visually, “Slumber” takes advantage of its dream premise to play with the show’s usual aesthetic. Director Terrence O’Hara employs slightly disorienting camera angles and lighting shifts to create the dreamlike atmosphere. The Traveler sequences use horror film techniques – quick cuts, darkened skies, and menacing sound design – that stand in stark contrast to Smallville‘s typically bright, primary-color palette.

The episode also cleverly uses dream logic to move its story forward. Clark’s ability to use powers in the dream that he hadn’t yet developed in the real world (like heat vision) plays into the fantasy element while foreshadowing his growing abilities. Similarly, characters appearing and disappearing suddenly, locations shifting without explanation, and time compression all contribute to the authentic dream experience.

Waking Up to Reality

What ultimately makes “Slumber” work is how it uses the dream framework to explore Clark’s character. His subconscious fears about Lex, his idealized version of Lana, and his parents’ unconditional support all reveal aspects of Clark’s psychology that the character himself might not fully recognize or acknowledge.

Sarah’s observation to Clark that “Lana’s the girl of your dreams” works on multiple levels – literal in the context of the episode, but also speaking to how Clark has idealized Lana throughout the series. Similarly, Sarah noting that she “saw some of the things you’re able to do” reinforces Clark’s constant anxiety about his secret being discovered.

The episode also touches on Clark’s hero complex through Martha’s remark that “it’s not your responsibility to save everybody.” Even in his dreams, Clark can’t stop trying to help others, suggesting this trait is fundamental to his character, not just a conscious choice. This unconscious heroism is what separates Clark Kent from others with superpowers and makes him worthy of eventually becoming Superman.

Final Thoughts: Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

“Slumber” represents Smallville at its most creative – using its science fiction premise to explore character psychology while still delivering the action and relationship drama fans expected. Written by Drew Z. Greenberg (who also worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Arrow), the episode demonstrates how Smallville could stretch beyond its “freak of the week” formula when it wanted to.

Is it perfect? Not quite. The Nicholas Conroy villain is somewhat underdeveloped, and the resolution feels rushed compared to the dream sequences’ careful construction. But these are minor complaints in an episode that takes risks with its storytelling approach and largely succeeds.

For a show about a teenage alien with superpowers, “Slumber” reminds us that sometimes the most interesting conflicts aren’t the physical ones but those that take place within our own minds. Clark may be able to bend steel with his bare hands, but navigating his own subconscious proves just as challenging as any external threat.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Crater Lake. I hear the skinny-dipping there is remarkable – at least in someone’s dreams.