Smallville S2 E21: “Accelerate”

This week on Smallville, it’s a blast from the past for Lana when she’s seemingly visited by the ghost of a childhood friend who tragically died years ago. Freaked out and confused, Lana turns to Clark for help, and our favorite super-powered teen is on the case. But as they dig into the mystery, they discover that what appears to be a ghost is something far more sinister and closer to home than they could ever imagine. Prepare for a story that’s as chilling as it is fast-paced, proving once again that in Smallville, not all spirits are what they seem.

Meanwhile, Lex is back to being suspicious of his father, which, let’s be honest, is just a day ending in “y.” He uncovers some of Lionel’s shady dealings and gets pulled into a web of deceit that has a very direct connection to the “ghost” haunting Lana. This episode ratchets up the tension as we barrel toward the season finale, reminding us that Lionel Luthor’s ambitions know no bounds and that the line between science and madness is a very thin one—especially when meteor rocks are involved.

Episode Review

This episode is a true gem of the season. It masterfully blends the “Freak of the Week” formula with the overarching plot, pushing both the Clark/Lana romance and the Lex/Lionel dynamic forward. The storyline is genuinely creepy and effective, with a great sense of dread that builds from the beginning. It’s one of those episodes that really leans into the horror and thriller elements of the show, which is a nice change of pace. The pacing is fantastic, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The ending is particularly chilling and sets up some really interesting possibilities for the future.

Starring:

• 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 Sullivan
• Annette O’Toole as Martha Kent
• John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
• John Glover as Lionel Luthor

Guest Stars:

• Jodelle Ferland as Emily Dinsmore (The Freak of the Week). Ferland does an incredible job playing the ethereal, yet menacing, Emily. It’s a role that requires her to be both innocent and terrifying, and she pulls it off with a maturity far beyond her years. You might recognize her from a number of horror films like Silent Hill and Case 39.
• Neil Flynn as Pete Dinsmore. Known for his much more comedic roles, like The Janitor in Scrubs and Mike Heck in The Middle, it’s a surprising and impressive turn for Flynn as a grieving father driven to desperate, and frankly, insane, measures. It’s a testament to his acting range that he can pull off such a dramatic and dark character so convincingly.
• Camille Mitchell as Sheriff Nancy Adams.

Special Effects:

The special effects in “Accelerate” are top-notch, especially for a TV show from 2003. The super speed effects are used brilliantly to create the “ghostly” effect of Emily, who seems to just appear and disappear. The scene where Clark is in super-speed mode, and the rain is frozen in place around him, is absolutely stunning and has rightly become a fan-favorite moment. It’s a great example of how the show’s visual effects team, Entity FX, were consistently pushing the envelope. The visual of the cloning pods and the pulsating green meteor rock liquid is also cool and creepy, adding to the episode’s overall unsettling vibe.

Music:

This episode features one of the most memorable songs from the entire series.

• “I’m with You” by Avril Lavigne (Plays during the iconic Clark and Lana barn scene)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 Stars) – One of my favorite episodes so far, the A story could have easily been a feature film.

A solid, memorable, and well-executed episode that excels at building suspense and delivering a compelling story. It’s a great example of Smallville at its best.

Lessons from this Episode

“Accelerate” teaches a powerful lesson about the dangers of not letting go and the moral decay that can result from grief. Pete Dinsmore’s inability to cope with the loss of his daughter leads him down a path of scientific and ethical depravity. He attempts to recreate what he lost, but in doing so, he creates a twisted, soulless version of his daughter with none of her humanity. This highlights that some things are meant to be left in the past and that trying to play God often leads to disastrous consequences.

How it Relates to Clark Becoming Superman:

This episode serves as a unique challenge for Clark, not just physically, but morally. He’s not fighting a simple brute but a child who is a product of her father’s grief and a corrupted science. This forces him to be more careful and compassionate than in a typical fight. It’s an important step in his development, as he’s learning that not all problems can be solved with a super-punch. The episode also touches on the theme of genetic manipulation and a super-powered being’s role in a world where such science is possible. The fact that Lionel is interested in this kind of research is a huge red flag and sets up the future moral conflicts Clark will have with Lex and his father. Clark is starting to see the true power of human ambition and the dark places it can go, which will inform his future role as a protector of humanity.

Synopsis and Plot Breakdown

The episode opens with Lana at a movie night at the Talon, when she’s visited by what appears to be the ghost of her childhood friend, Emily Dinsmore, who drowned years earlier. Terrified, Lana goes to Clark for help. Clark, initially skeptical, investigates and finds evidence that Emily’s “ghost” is real, but not supernatural. Her father, Pete Dinsmore, a former LuthorCorp geneticist, has cloned her using a form of refined Kryptonite to “accelerate” cell growth, creating a new, super-speed version of his daughter.

Meanwhile, Lex is preparing for his wedding to Helen Bryce and is gifted a private jet by his father, Lionel. He discovers that Lionel is secretly funding Pete Dinsmore’s illegal cloning experiments. This confirms Lex’s suspicions about his father’s true intentions and sets up another layer of their rivalry.

As Clark and Lana get closer to the truth, they discover that the Emily clone is unstable and lacks a conscience. The little girl’s memories of her past life are jumbled, causing her to relive the drowning incident and blame Lana for what happened. This leads to a tense confrontation on a bridge where the original Emily died. The clone, in a fit of rage, tries to drown Lana. Clark arrives just in time, rescuing Lana and leaving the Emily clone to be taken by Lionel Luthor. The episode ends with a chilling scene of Lionel comforting the clone, hinting at a darker purpose for the cloning project.

Photos

Review Notes

In that movie scene when Lana grabs Clark, Chloe looks like she wants to brand Lana

This episode has serious horror movie vibes, cool

That little girl killed Sue Heck’s dad… ok not dead but still.

Cool freeze rain effect etc, really well done.

Lionel just never stops gaslighting Lex

Clark and Lana just breaking and entering…

OK… Cryochamber clones cool

Using meteor rocks as miracle grow… great line

This is actually quite sad for Emily when you really think about it.

They got real close to Superman theme music when Clark dove in the water.