Season 3, Episode 17: Legacy

 

"Legacy"

Episode 17

Air Episode: April 14th, 2004

While re-watching this series again, I remember certain episode rubbed me the wrong way when I use to watch them.  Legacy, in particular, always bothered me profusely!!! I always found this episode incredibly puzzling, confusing and that ending where that octagonal key just appears to a certain guest star at the end.....uhhhhh huh??? It's still one of the series' most unanswered questions, which I'm sure had to do with the writers not being able to build on this shocking cliffhanger that begs to be resolved at some point.  Jesus, the credit music is sooooo overdramatic, it's almost as if the show runners are mocking the audience about "Yeah, doesn't make sense but STAY TUNED!"  But after re-watching this episode again, older and more engaged in the story because of watching the series straight through and reviewing it, outside Dr. Swan's rather superfluous involvement in the episode looking back, there is a lot of great character work and stunning performances here by our cast.  For one, I'm glad this was a heavy arc episode that finally deals with Jonathan's deal with Jor-El since clearly, his heart problems were a consequence of said deal but not the outcome of Jor-El's end of the deal.  The opening for the episode, like the last episode, really sets the tone by Jonathan having to face his mortality first physically as Clark rushes to save him when the kryptonian key calls out to him, but also make him lament his past and wondering if he made the right decisions in life that have led him to possibly dying soon thanks to his deal with Jor-El.  John Schneider is tremendous as Papa Kent as usual and I loved both his scenes with Clark, first in the barn; revealing to Clark his reservations about the life and choices he lived then second, the graveyard scene with him visiting his father and Clark having to talk him into coming back home.  Once again, the Kent dynamic is a powerhouse of emotions that really make this show so family orientated in the best possible way.  Their scenes always feels so genuine together and heartwarming that I can never get enough of them.

As for our other pair of father and son, Lex is adamant about taking his father down with the help of the FBI, while Lionel's brilliantly harrowing cliffhanger from last episode is followed up with him being more desperate then ever to find the answers to curing his disease with the secrets within the caves under Smallville.  I just think it's messed up Lionel is trying to desperately convince Clark is the secret to unlocking the truth behind the caves and doesn't even mentioned he tried to frame his son for 9 murders last episode.  Jesus, no wonder Lex is wearing a wire and ready to feed any dirt he can find on his billionaire daddy.  Micheal Rosenbaum and especially John Glover are a class act of performers as we see both men desperate to achieve their individual agendas.  Not to mention, seeing Glover opposite Christopher Reeve during their first encounter at his observatory was excellent. I always wondered why Dr. Swan would help Lionel with the caves; directing him to continue his search by making a deal with him but clearly he wants to know more about Krypton's culture/heritage.  Which I do understand given the following scene where Swan is confronted by Clark after he finds out from Lex that Dr. Swann is the reason by Lionel was behind raiding his barn.  After Clark has shown to be not able to handle the truth and running away from Smallville, he feels apathy toward getting closer to the immense knowledge of Krypton by not leaving it in Clark's hands to unlock.  But what I don't get, like I said is the bizarre conclusion of the episode with Jonathan taking the key after it calls out to him to the cave and getting into a fight with Lionel.  Why would Jor-El call Jonathan to the cave and then the key just disappearing into the wall.  Then like I said, Dr. Swan turns out to have it at the end??? How did Jonathan even know it wasn't in the wall??? What is Swan's connection to the key and caves??? O_o Once again, this would have definitely been further explored and answered some time down the line for the show but when Reeve's past between this season and the next, those plans were clearly cut short.  Ewwwww!!! If it had been further developed, this episode would have looked MUCH better in retrospect, but like I said, Dr. Swan's return feels forced and unneeded; merely just awesome to see the legendary Superman actor again on the show.  That's about it!

In other plots going on, with Clark all vulnerable, he sees it as his second chance to be with Lana again but clearly home girl isn't waiting to be with him again.  While I've become numb to the Clark/Lana love antics, it's nice the writers are using this as a time to further progress her character outside the constant realm of Clark's high school sweet heart.  Makes you look forward to watch the future will bring for her and good on her for realizing she herself wants to be more than the girl crying over Clark not wanting to be with her all the time. So overall, Legacy propels multiple stories forward as Jeph Loeb's script brings up some touching heart to hear moments between characters and excellent performances from various members of the cast. Looking back, the unfulfilled follow up with Dr. Swan hurts his second appearance/point to the episode, but the strengths I see now outweigh the utterly perplexing plot twists and unforeseen character motivations. o_o

Final Kryptonite: A-