Smallville S3 E5 – Perry

What a blast! This is one of those classic episodes where the Smallville crew dives deep into Superman lore, but still keeps things firmly grounded (mostly) in Kansas.

Preview

A drunken, down-on-his-luck journalist, Perry White, rolls into Smallville looking for the next big alien scoop for a tabloid TV show. Unfortunately for Clark, a massive solar flare has decided to throw the teenage Kryptonian’s powers out of whack, leading to some hilariously awkward incidents, like accidentally zipping into a cornfield in front of the very reporter looking for super-powered trouble. When the reckless writer gets a whiff of Clark’s secret, he decides to cross a major line, forcing Clark to choose between staying secret and saving the life of a future Pulitzer winner.

Meanwhile, Lex is doing some serious work in therapy after his little lost-at-sea adventure, but finds a juicy distraction when he learns Perry White is sitting on some old, damaging dirt about dear old Dad, Lionel. This episode is packed with future Daily Planet easter eggs, fantastic guest star casting (wait till you hear who Perry is married to in real life!), and a major revelation about why Clark is so darn strong. So grab your farm gear and pour yourself a glass of water—we’re about to see the future of journalism hit rock bottom, then quickly sober up.

Episode Review

What a ride. This episode is an absolute triumph simply because of the introduction of Perry White. Michael McKean plays the character as a perfect blend of abrasive drunkard and genuinely good man who’s lost his way. The chemistry between him and Tom Welling is instantly great, and you immediately understand how these two men will eventually end up as colleagues. The main plot device—solar flares messing with Clark’s powers and teaching him he’s solar powered—is a stroke of genius, finally providing the scientific explanation for his abilities in this version of the story.

The pacing is snappy, the stakes are genuinely high when Perry pulls his crazy stunt on the dam, and the subplot involving Lex trying to get the goods on Lionel using Perry’s information is a great way to keep the Luthor drama simmering without overshadowing the main event. It’s a beautifully constructed episode that manages to be both a “Freak of the Week” (even though Perry isn’t meteor-infected) and a crucial piece of the Superman origin story.

Starring Cast

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

Freak of the Week

Michael McKean as Perry White: McKean, known for his iconic roles in comedies like This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show, brings a manic, slightly tragic energy to Perry. He’s the first version of the character we see outside of the Daily Planet newsroom. Fun Fact: Michael McKean is actually married to Annette O’Toole (Martha Kent) in real life! The meta casting just makes this even better.

Special Effects

The effects in this episode are… mixed. The sequence where Clark accidentally throws the tractor across the field is fantastic. It’s a sudden, powerful display of uncontrolled might that genuinely looks dangerous and makes his parents realize just how far out of control he is. However, the recurring super speed blur effects are starting to show their age. Anytime Clark runs, it looks a little less like a blur and a little more like a low-budget Photoshop filter being dragged across the scene. Still, A for effort!

Music

This episode featured a surprisingly country-heavy soundtrack, which actually worked perfectly for the setting.

Track Listing:

• “I Love This Bar” by Toby Keith (Played when Perry is getting drinks in “Littleville.”)
• “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes (Played during the scene between Clark and Perry at the Wild Coyote bar.)
• “Walkin’ In Memphis” by Lonestar (Played over the emotional final scene as Clark watches Perry leave Smallville.)

Rating

★★★★ out of 5 stars. (An essential episode for any Superman fan.)

Lessons Learned and The Man of Steel

This episode is arguably the most important foundational episode for Clark’s future career as Superman, focusing on two main pillars: his powers and his personal ethos.

The Lesson of Solar Power: This is the big one. Clark finally learns why he has abilities. The fluctuating solar flare gives him a crash course in Kryptonian biology, teaching him that his powers are intrinsically tied to the yellow sun’s energy. This is a huge, mature step away from the random ‘meteor rock of the week’ weakness and toward the classic Superman cannon. It teaches Clark that his powers are not just a random anomaly from the meteor shower, but a scientific function of his alien heritage, giving him a scientific grounding for his destiny.

The Lesson of Responsibility in Journalism: Clark’s interaction with Perry White is his first real brush with the media. Perry represents the good intentions of journalism twisted by personal failure (thanks, Lionel) and alcoholism. By the end, Perry sees Clark’s inherent goodness and chooses not to exploit a teenager for a sensationalist story. This act of moral integrity teaches Clark that not all journalists are predatory. It’s a vital, early seed planted that shows Clark that the press, when wielded by a person of integrity, can serve justice and protect secrets, paving the way for him to trust and later work with Perry White at the Daily Planet. Clark learns that his path must eventually converge with the world of publishing, not just crime-fighting, to truly protect his city.

Review Notes

When the tractor fell by Perry his reaction was hilarious.

Just realize thats Lenny LOL

He definitely married up. 🙂

Andy gets to do his sheriff impression 🙂

It’s kind of funny how the adults on this show just tell the kids anything… Perry/Chloe interaction was weird.

This psychologist gets Lex and it scares the hell out of him.

The way they handled this Clark would be powerless at night all the time.

This gorge in Kansas is the funniest thing they ever did.

Nice foreshadowing ending with the look me up if you ever make it to metropolis

Next Up: S3 E6 Relic – Guessing we are back to cave stuff and something is found that affects Clark?