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 deliciously ironic about watching a young Clark Kent visit a mental institution where everyone inside is actually telling the truth. “You have superpowers!” they scream, to which the staff replies, “Sure you do, take your meds.” Welcome to Belle Reve Sanitarium, where in Smallville‘s 53rd episode, “Asylum,” the truth is crazier than fiction.

Airing on January 14, 2004, this pivotal Season 3 episode marked a crucial turning point for the series. Directed by Greg Beeman (who would become a key creative voice for the show), “Asylum” represents one of those rare episodes where the stakes feel genuinely high and the consequences painfully permanent.

“You’re the One Who’s Insane!” – The Plot Essentials

The episode picks up one month after Lex Luthor was committed to Belle Reve Sanitarium following the events of “Shattered.” Clark, having been denied visitation rights until now, finally gets to see his friend – only to discover Lex has refused his medication and remembers everything about Clark’s powers.

Throughout his month-long stay, Lex has had plenty of time to contemplate the evidence that Clark Kent is more than meets the eye. When Clark refuses to help break him out, Lex lashes out in a gut-wrenching scene that Michael Rosenbaum sells with frightening intensity. Lex tries to escape on his own but fails spectacularly, ending up restrained and headed for electroshock therapy on Lionel’s orders.

Meanwhile, Clark discovers that Belle Reve houses three familiar faces: Van McNulty (the meteor freak hunter), Eric Summers (who once stole Clark’s powers), and Ian Randall (who can duplicate himself). The trio plans an escape leveraging their knowledge of Clark’s kryptonite weakness. In a parallel storyline, we meet Adam Knight (Ian Somerhalder), a fellow patient who befriends Lana during her physical therapy following her horse accident.

“I’ve Met the Cost-Benefit Ratio” – Lionel’s Shocking Decision

John Glover’s Lionel reaches new levels of villainy in “Asylum.” When Dr. Foster informs him that Lex’s treatment isn’t progressing as desired, Lionel pushes for radical electroshock therapy – a dangerous procedure with less than a 50% success rate that often leaves patients with permanent brain damage.

The implications are chilling: Lionel would rather risk his son becoming a vegetable than have Lex remember damaging information about the Luthor family’s dark history. It’s a testament to Glover’s performance that we completely believe this monstrous calculation.

When Clark and Chloe confront Dr. Foster about the dangers of the procedure, they convince her to cancel it. But true to form, Lionel engineers her convenient “car accident” death, ensuring nothing stands between him and erasing his son’s memories.

“You Know Clark’s Secret?” – The Villainous Team-Up

One of the episode’s greatest strengths is bringing back three previous villains in a way that feels earned rather than gimmicky. Each character returns with their established motives and skills intact:

• Van McNulty (Jesse Metcalfe) still hates “meteor freaks” and wants revenge on Clark
• Eric Summers (Shawn Ashmore) knows exactly how to steal Clark’s powers
• Ian Randall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) can duplicate himself, making him doubly dangerous

Their plan to team up against Clark is a clever precursor to what would later be known in comic book adaptations as a “villain team-up.” It’s like a proto-Suicide Squad formed in Belle Reve (which, comic fans will note, is DC’s famous asylum that often houses the Squad members).

What makes this reunion particularly effective is that we see how knowledge of Clark’s vulnerability has spread among his enemies. By the third season, the show acknowledged that Clark’s secret wasn’t staying very secret anymore, adding genuine stakes to his weekly adventures.

“You’ve Given Him Too Many Chances” – The Pete Ross Reality Check

Sam Jones III delivers one of the most emotionally honest moments in the episode when Pete confronts Clark about his blind spot regarding Lex. Pete’s frustration about the burden of keeping Clark’s secret bubbles to the surface:

“You think it’s easy keeping a lid on your secret? I’ve got to think about it every time we’re around other people to make sure I don’t slip. I got to remember to say ‘meteor rock’ instead of ‘kryptonite,’ and I always got to cover your unexplained exits.”

This moment speaks volumes about the emotional weight of keeping Clark’s secret – something the show often glossed over. Pete articulates the everyday anxiety of friendship with someone who needs constant protection, foreshadowing his eventual departure from the series.

“Learn to Push Through the Pain” – Enter Adam Knight

The episode marks the introduction of Ian Somerhalder’s Adam Knight, who meets Lana during her physical therapy. His first appearance seems innocuous enough – just a fellow patient pushing Lana to work harder on her recovery. But his mysterious background and unusual skills hint at something more.

Behind the scenes, there was significant fan speculation that Adam was intended to be Bruce Wayne. The clues seemed compelling: his name combined Adam West (TV’s Batman) with “Knight” (from the Dark Knight), he was an orphan with martial arts training, and he possessed advanced computer skills. Showrunners later confirmed they had wanted to bring Batman into the Smallville universe, but Warner Bros. wasn’t allowing it because of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins being in development.

Instead, Adam’s character evolved into something completely different. Over his seven-episode arc, we would discover he was actually Chad Nash, a deceased patient resurrected by Lionel using a serum derived from Clark’s blood. Lionel sent him to spy on Clark and Lana, setting up one of the season’s more intriguing subplots.

“Those Who Have Knowledge Don’t Predict. Those Who Predict Don’t Have Knowledge” – Behind the Scenes

Director Greg Beeman made several interesting creative choices that elevated this episode. During Lex’s scenes in Belle Reve, he’s shown painting with Superman’s iconic colors: red, yellow, and blue. According to production notes, Beeman himself created the painting we see Lex working on – a subtle visual cue foreshadowing the adversarial relationship between Lex and the future Superman.

The episode also features another instance of Clark losing his powers – the third time in the series following “Leech” (also directed by Beeman) and “Perry.” These powerless moments always provided opportunities for Tom Welling to explore Clark’s vulnerability, something often missing when he’s essentially invincible.

Michael Rosenbaum’s performance deserves special attention. His portrayal of Lex’s mounting desperation and subsequent betrayal by his father is gut-wrenching. The electroshock scene, with Lex terrified and begging while strapped to a table, remains one of the most disturbing moments in the entire series.

Years later, on the TalkVille podcast he co-hosts with Tom Welling, Rosenbaum recalled the challenges of shooting scenes while in restraints and mentioned “dropping bombs in front of JTT” (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), highlighting the intensity of filming this episode.

“You Did This to Me!” – The Crucial Character Turning Point

What makes “Asylum” such a pivotal episode is its permanent alteration of the Clark-Lex dynamic. Up to this point, their friendship, while strained at times, always found its way back to solid ground. But after Lex’s treatment, something fundamental changes.

Even though Lex forgets what he learned about Clark, the electroshock therapy represents the moment their relationship becomes irreparable. Clark knows what Lex knew, and that knowledge permanently alters how he approaches their friendship. Meanwhile, Lex can sense something has changed but can’t identify what, feeding his paranoia and obsession with Clark’s secrets.

The final scene, with Lionel reviewing security footage and realizing what Lex knew before the treatment, sets up the sustained cat-and-mouse game that would define the remainder of the series. Lionel now possesses a crucial piece of information – that Clark has powers – without actually knowing what those powers are.

“Someone’s Got to Make Lionel Pay for His Crime” – Legacy and Impact

“Asylum” represents Smallville at its dramatic best, blending superhero elements with genuine psychological horror. The episode’s permanent consequences (Lex’s memory wipe, the deaths of multiple villains, the introduction of Adam Knight) demonstrate how the show was maturing beyond its “freak of the week” formula into something with more narrative complexity and continuity.

The episode also exemplifies Smallville‘s unique approach to Superman mythology. By exploring Clark’s journey through the lens of those who discover his secret, it examines the burden of keeping such knowledge and the lengths to which others will go to exploit it.

While later seasons would sometimes struggle with maintaining meaningful stakes, “Asylum” proved that Smallville could deliver genuine dramatic weight and lasting consequences when it dared to push beyond the usual reset button.

For a show that would ultimately run for ten seasons, this mid-season three episode stands as one of its most impactful – a psychological thriller that happened to feature superheroes, rather than a superhero story with psychological elements. In the asylum, truth became the most dangerous power of all.

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What are your memories of “Asylum”? Did you suspect Adam Knight was meant to be Bruce Wayne? Let me know in the comments below!