Season 5 Recap Review

Season 5 (2005-2006)

Recap Review

Season Cast:

Tom Welling (Clark Kent)

Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang)

Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor)

Erica Durance (Lois Lane)

Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan)

John Glover (Lionel Luthor)

Annette O'Toole (Martha Kent)

John Schneider (Jonathan Kent)

After 4 seasons in high school, this was a big transition for the series with Clark as well as the rest of the college bound cast to mature and be more tested as they entered their freshman year! But first, they would have to deal with the massive aftermath of the second meteor shower to hit Smallville in the epic, thoroughly engaging Arrival which continued right where last season left off with Clark throwing that joined crystal into the Arctic and it immediately forming the almost god like palace that is the iconic Fortress of Solitude.  While being welcomed by his father to the next journey in his destiny, that an evil from Krypton has landed as well in the form of a blackship that releases two renegade Kryptonians ake the disciples of Zod who are on a mission to find Kal-El to form a new Krypton on Earth. Already, the stakes are pushed even higher as the fifth year of the show begins with Clark having to face far more powerful and menacing threats than the average meteor infected foes he's been battling for the last four years!  It's an immensely successful storyline that sets up various storylines throughout the season from Clark finally telling Chloe the full version of his secret as she becomes his new sidechick, Clark and Lex's friendship begins to start cracking for good this time, Lana's involvement in witnessing the spaceship and of course, Clark becoming human when Jor-El strips him of his powers for not returning to the Fortress by sundown.   It leads right into the equally stellar Mortal, where Clark once again finds romantic bliss with Lana but must learn how to deal with yet another meteor freak dilemma without his powers for the first time.  But nothing could prepare us for incredibly suspenseful Hidden where Clark dies but is brought back to like by Jor-El with a price: someone in his life that is close to him dying in his place.  It becomes the lingering impending threat of loss and grief that makes this year the darkest for him yet and not in a good way; having to carry such a burden with throughout the first half of the season.

I'm not gonna lie, Season 5, while arguably considered one of the finest seasons by the fandom, is probably my least favorite when it has come to rewatching this series over again. I understand that with high school and adolescent fears behind them that the writers wanted to mature the characters as well as the show at large but when it was successful with some things, it was even less successful with the plot twist and developments that occurred toward the later half of the season.  Like I said, this is probably the worst season for Clark in not just what he goes through but the awful decisions he continues to make and irrational reasons for making such decision.  If defying Jor-El wasn't bad enough, once he starts his relationship with Lana, things seem fine and perfectly happy (Mortal) until he finally gets his powers back in Hidden.  It's like Season 3 all over again with Clark making half a$$ed excuses about why he can't tell Lana his secret when Chloe knows and if you're so scared of her noting understanding, then maybe she's not the one for you buddy.  But it's funny how all season Clark thinks she won't understand and push him away when in the finale, after Lex gains Kryptonian powers, he immediately tells Lana and it perfectly fine with it.  Oh my god!!! It sad because it seemed this season would finally treat Clark and Lana's relationship like mature adults but even if high school is over, the tedious melodrama is absolutely NOT! Clark is a complete idiot for no immediately telling her and him constantly keeping his secret from her actually makes things so much worse.  Tho I will give the writers credit for actually tackling the sex dilemma by finally having the two sleep together but the following...uhhh issue with Clark being afraid to perform because he might hurt Lana....WOW! I think it honestly makes Clark look more laughable and Chloe quickly debunks his fear by him being able to control his powers when not using them so......HUH??!! Oh boy........-_-

Then comes Reckoning, where Clark finally tells Lana the truth in the most extravagantly stunning way possible by taking her to the Fortress and proposing to her immediately after.  You know, looking back, Lana seemed to be able to handle Clark's secret, it was just the unfortunate circumstance of the universe finding balance with taking someone from Clark.  But after Jonathan dies, there's no reason he can't bring Lana into the loop, especially when she becomes so interested in getting closer to Lex. If that wasn't bad enough, he drops out of college to take care of the farm and decides to ultimately break up with Lana to spare her anymore pain.  Clark is suppose to be letting go and moving on so she can be happy but all he does is have second thoughts and having to remind people how much he still loves her....even tho she broke up with her in the cruelest manner possible. -_- Talk about heartless and tremendously selfish.  It's a shame because early on in the season, it seemed the writers were giving Clark a storyline that would truly explore the next phase of his development from his friendship with Lex becoming a pretty permanent after that shocking confrontation in Mortal and then you had the introduction of Milton Fine aka the Brain Interactive Construct who manipulates Clark to believe he's a kryptonian and Jor-El destroyed Krypton but it all being a trick so he can help him release Zod from the Phantom Zone.

The second half is Clark at his absolute worst.  Just directionless and lost; becoming a long lasting issue for our leading Man of Steel for two more seasons before the writers decided to move the show forward in terms of Clark's destiny.  Sheesh! I mean in the end, Clark once again doesn't listen to Zod and Fine knows he would instead of taking a life which leads to Zod's arrival and possession of Lex's body before he sends Clark off into the Phantom Zone to suffer for eternity. As for Lana, besides her constant soap opera nonsense with Clark, she becomes drawn to the spaceship that landed in Smallville during the meteor shower.  It leads to an unlikely alliance with Lex as he himself wants to know the endless mysterious behind the ship but I just can't stand how atrocious this storyline goes from the two being curious and investigating something deeply connected to Clark to this new love triangle between them and Clark as after Clark dumps her, she immediately falls for Lex over night! I get it! After everything Lana has been through, especially the year from hell with Clark, I would understand her being so vulnerable to end up with him, especially since Lex is being so open with her about the ship! But my goodness, was this one of most disturbing turn of events for the show yet.  Michael Rosenbaum and Kristin Kreuk just don't seem comfortable with their characters coming together this way, especially as a new foil for Clark to deal with on top of him losing his father.  Jesus!  As for Lex, he becomes a lot darker this season without completely giving into the dark side yet.  There's a lot of grey area this season with him being included in various projects that involve potential genocide or claiming of a human life for the sake of science and advancement like Aqua and Cyborg.  Clark even points out in one episode that the ends justify the means and lies to his face to try to cover it up. Clearly Lex is too drawn to malicious agendas but it makes sense given the direct threat of alien life on Earth that could very well destroy them all. I mean he spends all season trying to not only open the ship but after Fine, who is connected to it.  The revelation of him collecting the world's deadliest viruses to make the ultimate vaccine makes sense for him to use to defend the human race against a global threat like the two kryptonians who rampaged through Smallville right after the second meteor shower.

Tho in the end, he's just Brianiac's pun aka a body for Zod to inhabit but Vessel still has that awesome moment between him and Clark where he literally unloads the truth behind his fascination with him by wanting everything he had.  It's not surprising but it sets up more of the rivalry that will become Superman vs Lex Luthor, it just sucks that he's using Lana as a way to get at him; making this forced love triangle seem more petty than evil.  As for Chloe, she goes from being Clark's oblivious best friend to his tech sidekick after she reveals the truth to him in Arrival and Clark finally tells her the complete truth. It not only makes their interaction more exciting and enjoyable, but develops Chloe's character from being a way more endearing and selfless character than she's ever been.  Tho by the second half, I did start noticing Chloe kept being Clark's voice of reason when it came to Lana as well as other decisions.  Something that will become more evident during the next 2 seasons. As for Chloe for herself, she finally gets to live her dream of being a real reporter by landing an internship at the Daily Planet! While we don't get much of a story focused on it outside Thirst, it's great just to see Chloe really working as a legit reporter and managing to get her own byline on a prestigious newspaper. Then there's Lionel, who begins this season becoming the vessel of Jor-El (Hidden) after one of those stones activated in his possession and turns out, revealed Clark's entire secret to him.  Lionel's role this season remained mostly mysterious with him seemingly being in the know, especially following Jonathan's death! What exactly did he show Jonathan??? Why is he being so nice and willing to take care of things for Martha....well outside the obvious attraction he has for her. We soon in Void then Mercy, that Lionel is protecting Clark but there seems to be more to his role than he's letting on.  Turns out he's also an oracle for Jor-El's messages to Clark in...Oracle. It was definitely a nice change of pace for Lionel and a surprising turn of events turning out to be this unlikely ally for Clark and the Kents. Makes his purpose on the show even more significant and John Glover manages to carry the role with even more strength and conviction. Even if Mercy was tired rip-off, he always turns in a brilliant performance none the less.

I almost forgot to mention Lois.....sigh.....it's like the writers seriously don't know what to do with her! She ends up moving into the Talon apartment and working at the Talon itself before becoming Jonathan's unlikely campaign management in Fanatic.  A role she continues for Ms. Kent after Jonathan dies after winning his Senate race.  Outside of that, there isn't much of any character progression for Lois outside of the writers heavily hinting at her finding interest in journalism finally in Solitude!  But there's no follow-up with that development as instead, the writers focus more on her failing love life in episodes like Aqua, where she has a brief fling thing with Arthur or Fade, when the guy she is trying to date turns out to be a transparent assassin.  Sigh....well, we can only hope things go up for her from here.  Lastly, our beloved Kents who must deal with unforeseen tragedy in Jonathan's death, but before that, the Senate Race arc was actually a really great story for the family, especially Jonathan who is clearly being pushed to his limit when his old friend Jack tells him to run in Exposed.  Then there's Fanatic, when Lex's overzealous fans attacking him so he can exit the race so Lex can win. But more importantly, it's what Jonathan's death does to the rest of the family for better or wrose from Clark deciding to dropout of school or Martha taking up the mantle of State Senator in Jonathan's place. It seems this season was a HUGE step forward for most characters outside of Clark who seemed to regress.  I mean Martha's goes through a significant change having to deal with the aftermath of losing Jonathan and taking his seat as State Senator, Lana actually wants to get closer to knowing the truth about what's out there, Lex makes a leap into his political future, even Chloe makes it at the Daily Planet. Sigh.....it was just such a depressing and despairing year for our future Man of Steel. :(

Outside of that, there were some of the absolute worst episodes this season. Which the embarrassing monstrosity of Hypnotic, the second gen meteor freak nightmare that was Fragile and pathetic film remakes like Mercy and Void.  Now Smallville has been guilty of this in the past but NEVER to these lazy proportions.  All that second half spent on fillers instead of focusing primarily on Fine and the spaceship; only to rush through its conclusion during the last two episodes.  Meh!  But this season of course not without merit as it also has many of the show's best episodes yet.  The immensely profound premiere (Arrival), the suspenseful thrill of Hidden, the back to back Fine filled face-off with Splinter and Solitude, not to mention, the season celebrating its 100th episode with the pulse pounding, emotion fueled Reckoning that finally shows the loved one Clark will be losing that changes the show forever! It was also great to have more exposure to the grander DC universe with not one but two future superheros stopping by to team up with out future Superman (Aqua and Cyborg).  It's just that Season 5 I remember was being promoted as "Everything you've been waiting for....finally happens!" And it sure seemed like it from the premiere, but mid-way through, the show clearly lost focus and meanders until it has to set up the BIG finale and it's a shame.  While Season 4 was mediocre at best, it still had some amazing one off episodes despite the main story arc being so poorly handled.  Can't say much of the same about Season 5 tho. :(

"As the first official season post-high school and into the world of adulthood, Season 5 of Smallville is the show at it's most dire and not in a good way.  What may seem like a season promised to be a HUGE step forward in his journey toward Superman, ends up being a morbid year of death, tragedy and doubt from our young Clark Kent who rather stay on the farm and play with Lana's heart because of his own insecurities stopping him from truly being happy.  There are some series highs during the first half (Arrival, Mortal, Hidden, Solitude) but the second half, after the 100th episode, the show becomes almost insufferable in terms of heighten melodrama and stomach turning plot developments like Lex and Lana becoming a couple.  It doesn't show Clark in the best light, even before he is sent off to the Phantom Zone during the superb finale." :(

Final Season Verdict: D+