Smallville S1 E15 – Prodigal

Preview

Get ready for some serious family drama, Smallville fans! This week, Lex Luthor’s past comes back to haunt him in a big way when he uncovers a shocking secret about his family that could turn his world upside down. Prepare for betrayals, unexpected alliances, and a whole lot of questions about who you can really trust.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent finds himself in a new environment, attempting to navigate the world of customer service. Will our super farm boy be able to handle the rigors of the Talon, or will his powers get in the way of his new gig? You won’t want to miss “Prodigal,” an episode packed with twists, turns, and some truly compelling character development!

Episode Review

“Prodigal” definitely delivers on the Luthor family drama, and honestly, that’s where this episode shines brightest. It’s like a twisted chess match between Lionel, Lex, and a newly introduced player. The tension is palpable, and you’re constantly guessing who’s playing whom.

The highlight, without a doubt, is the introduction of Paul Wesley as Lucas Luthor. He absolutely nails the blend of cunning, vulnerability, and a hint of instability that makes Lucas such a fascinating character. Michael Rosenbaum (Lex) and John Glover (Lionel) are, as always, phenomenal, and their scenes together are a masterclass in psychological warfare.

Clark’s storyline, while providing a nice contrast to the Luthor saga, feels a bit like filler at times. His brief stint at the Talon is amusing, but it doesn’t quite have the same emotional weight as the main plot. Still, it’s good to see Clark trying to live a more “normal” life, even if it’s short-lived.

Starring in This Episode

• Tom Welling as Clark Kent
• Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
• Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
• Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
• Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan¹
• Annette O’Toole as Martha Kent
• John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
• John Glover as Lionel Luthor²

Guest Star: The Freak of the Week (or rather, the “Prodigal Son”)

• Paul Wesley as Lucas Luthor: Before he was a vampire heartthrob on The Vampire Diaries (where he was credited as Paul Wasilewski), and before he got to play Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Paul Wesley graced Smallville as Lucas, Lex’s long-lost half-brother. His performance here is memorable, showcasing a manipulative yet surprisingly complex character who adds a new layer to the already tumultuous Luthor family dynamic. He’s not exactly a “Freak of the Week” in the traditional meteor-infected sense, but he certainly brings the chaos!

Special Effects

Honestly, the special effects in this episode are pretty minimal, focusing more on the character interactions than big action sequences. There’s a decent bullet-time effect when Clark stops a shooting, which is always cool to see, and a moment where Clark uses his heat vision to disable a gun. Otherwise, it’s mostly subtle uses of super-speed and X-ray vision. Nothing groundbreaking, but they serve the story well enough without distracting from the excellent acting.

Music

The music in “Prodigal” does a great job of setting the mood, especially during the more intense Luthor scenes. It’s got that early 2000s alt-rock vibe that Smallville is known for!

• “Burn Baby Burn” by Ash
• “Fight Test” by The Flaming Lips
• “China” by Mystica (played during Lucas’s gambling scene)
• “Home Sweet Alabama” by Lizzie
• “Like a Dream” by Morphic Field
• “Don’t Tempt Me” by The Contes

Rating

4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis and Plot Breakdown

“Prodigal” opens with Lucas Luthor, a young man with a gambling problem, in some serious trouble. He’s quickly bailed out by none other than Lex Luthor, who has discovered that Lucas is his half-brother, a son Lionel Luthor supposedly gave up for adoption years ago. Lex sees Lucas as a potential ally against their manipulative father, Lionel.

Meanwhile, Clark, after some financial advice from Lana, decides to get a job at The Talon coffee shop to help out the Kents, who are still dealing with the fallout from the previous episode’s events. Lana, ever the supportive friend, helps him get hired.

Lex brings Lucas back to the Luthor mansion, much to Lionel’s dismay. Lionel feigns surprise and claims Lucas died as an infant. However, it’s soon revealed that Lionel knew Lucas was alive all along and had been secretly supporting him, setting him up as a pawn in his never-ending game against Lex. Lionel manipulates Lucas, offering him a significant sum of money and control of LexCorp if he sides with him against Lex.

Clark, noticing Lucas’s shifty behavior, becomes suspicious, especially when Lucas starts causing trouble at The Talon and seems to have a vendetta against Clark. Chloe, with her investigative skills, helps Clark uncover some dirt on Lucas, confirming his questionable past.

The corporate battle escalates, leading to Lex being completely cut off financially by Lionel, forcing him to move in with the Kents. This provides some genuinely humorous and heartwarming moments as Lex attempts to adjust to farm life and chores, much to Jonathan’s amusement.

The climax of the episode takes place when Lucas, having realized Lionel’s continued manipulation (and even discovered Lionel has regained his sight, faking his blindness to control them), stages a confrontation. He holds both Lex and Lionel hostage in a remote LuthorCorp facility, forcing Lionel to choose between his sons. Lucas puts a gun to Lex’s head, then hands the gun to Lionel, daring him to shoot Lex. Lionel, despite his ruthless nature, cannot bring himself to kill his son. Lucas then aims a second gun at Lionel, revealing his plan to get rid of both of them and inherit everything.

Clark, having tracked them, uses his X-ray vision and super-speed to intervene. He melts Lucas’s gun with his heat vision, allowing Lionel to disarm Lucas. In the ensuing chaos, Lionel seemingly shoots Lucas. However, it’s revealed that the gun was loaded with blanks; Lucas was testing Lionel to see if he truly cared.

In the aftermath, Lucas leaves Smallville, supposedly under Lex’s protection. Lionel admits to Lex that he has regained his sight and offers Lex his rightful place back at LuthorCorp, seemingly wanting to mend their relationship. Lex, ever wary, accepts, but the deep-seated mistrust remains. Clark, having fulfilled his brief coffee-making career, realizes that helping people directly as Superman is probably a better fit for him than pouring lattes.

Lessons from This Episode and How it Relates to Clark Becoming Superman

“Prodigal” offers some crucial insights into the complexities of family, trust, and the environment in which one is raised, all of which indirectly shape Clark’s journey to becoming Superman.

First, and perhaps most importantly for Clark, this episode highlights the stark contrast between the Kent family and the Luthor family. While the Kents are built on a foundation of honesty, love, and unwavering support, the Luthors are a tangled web of lies, manipulation, and power struggles. Lex’s brief stay on the Kent farm, where he experiences genuine care and a simpler life, is a significant moment. It subtly reinforces to Clark the importance of his own upbringing and the values instilled in him by Jonathan and Martha. He sees firsthand how a different family environment could easily twist a good person, like Lex, into something far darker. This solidifies his appreciation for his own moral compass, which will be essential for his future as Superman.

Secondly, the episode subtly touches on the idea of identity and purpose. Clark’s attempt at a “normal” job at The Talon, while brief, shows him that his destiny isn’t in mundane tasks. His unique abilities and inherent desire to help lead him to the realization that he’s meant for something more. While he’s not actively saving the world here, his frustration with the limitations of a normal job and his quick intervention in the Luthor conflict underscore his innate drive to protect and serve. This is a small step in his understanding that his powers are meant for extraordinary purposes, not just making coffee.

Finally, the episode, through the Luthor conflict, explores the theme of good intentions gone wrong. Lex initially brings Lucas home with the hope of genuine brotherhood and a united front against Lionel. However, Lucas’s own twisted upbringing leads him down a path of betrayal and further manipulation. This serves as a cautionary tale about the potential for corruption and the difficulty of truly escaping one’s past. For Clark, it reinforces the idea that even those with seemingly noble goals can be led astray, and that vigilance and a strong moral code are paramount, qualities that will define his heroic career. He witnesses the collateral damage of a family driven by greed and control, further solidifying his resolve to use his powers for the greater good, protecting others from such destructive forces.

Notes:

You can see this weeks guest stars upcoming stardom as his acting is great.

Ive been saying for weeks that Lionel is not blind. This week makes that clear.

Clark can be very blunt when speaking to adults, its kind of offputting at times, this week it was Lionel so who cares, but he kind of has the tendency to not know his place as far as adult/children interactions go. Understandable for sure and makes him seem more real to be honest.

Lionel for all his faults does try to stop Lucas from killing Lex and does shoot at Lucas though the gun has blanks as the brothers double cross him.

“My father may try to rule the world, but yours will inherit the earth” Lex to Clark – Perfect ending

Next Week: S2E16 – Fever: Is someone in Smallville going to get sick? New kryptonite effect on Clark? Tune in next week and find out with me.