Smallville S3 E9: Asylum

Hey there, Smallville fans! It’s time to dive back into the drama of Season 3, and boy, are things getting dark. Put on your protective lead suits, because we’re heading to the loony bin for S3 E9: Asylum!

Preview

A trip to the sanitarium is in order for one wealthy resident when Lionel Luthor (John Glover) decides his son Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) needs a permanent time-out. Locked inside the sterile, chilling walls of Belle Reve, Lex finds himself fighting not only to escape but to save his very mind from his father’s sinister plans for electroshock treatment. But getting out of the Luthor-controlled facility won’t be easy, forcing Lex to turn to some familiar faces, including a handful of former meteor-infected convicts who all share one thing in common: a burning grudge against Clark Kent.

Meanwhile, Clark (Tom Welling) is torn between his moral obligation to help his friend and the harsh reality that helping Lex escape would be a grave betrayal of his parents’ (Annette O’Toole and John Schneider) trust. As Clark scrambles to find a legal way to free Lex, the three “Freaks of the Week” realize the true target isn’t Lex’s freedom, but the source of Clark’s power. The stage is set for a showdown inside the asylum that will put Clark’s secret at risk and fundamentally change the relationship between the two young men forever. Plus, a recovering Lana (Kristin Kreuk) meets a mysterious and charming fellow patient named Adam Knight (Ian Somerhalder).

Episode Review

This episode is a masterclass in tension, delivering a seriously great payoff to the slow-burn breakdown of Clark and Lex’s friendship. “Asylum” is basically a DC Comics crossover event condensed into one hour. You’ve got the Belle Reve Sanitarium, which is definitely the Smallville stand-in for Arkham, filled with past baddies gunning for the hero. The drama is high, the stakes are personal, and the entire episode feels pivotal for Lex’s descent. It’s a tragedy you can’t look away from, watching Lex, who finally knows the truth about Clark and is trying to save himself, get completely steamrolled by the evil machinations of his dear old Dad. The final confrontation is epic, and the emotional fallout—Lex’s memory loss—is the cruelest twist Lionel could have engineered. It’s a huge turning point, effectively hitting the reset button on all the secret-keeping anxiety, but tragically wiping out the genuine trust Lex had just managed to find.

Starring Cast

• 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

Freak of the Week (The Revenge Squad)

This episode features a “Freak of the Week” squad, bringing back three memorable, Kryptonite-affected baddies to form a short-lived but highly effective supervillain team.

• Jesse Metcalfe as Van McNulty (from S3 E3 “Extinction”): You may recognize him from Desperate Housewives or the movie John Tucker Must Die. Van is the one determined to kill all meteor freaks, and he’s clearly not giving up the fight, even in a straitjacket.
• Shawn Ashmore as Eric Summers (from S1 E12 “Leech”): Fans will know Shawn best as Bobby Drake/Iceman in the X-Men film franchise, making this a fun pre-superhero-movie role. Eric is the guy who temporarily stole Clark’s powers in Season 1, so he knows exactly how to get under Clark’s skin… and into his powers.
• Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Ian Randall (from S2 E18 “Dichotic”): JTT was a huge teen star, primarily known for playing Randy Taylor on Home Improvement and voicing young Simba in The Lion King. Ian is the meteor-infected student who could duplicate himself, which is a neat power to bring back for an escape attempt.

We also get the introduction of Ian Somerhalder as Adam Knight, a charming but mysterious patient Lana meets. Ian, of course, went on to major stardom as Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries. He certainly knows how to play the dark and brooding type, and his character here promises interesting trouble for Lana.

Special Effects

The effects in this episode are mostly solid for Smallville‘s mid-run budget, primarily focusing on fast-paced action. The Clark-speed blurs look pretty great when he’s tearing through the halls of Belle Reve. However, let’s talk about the final shock sequence. Lex getting hit with that electroshock therapy looks appropriately gruesome, but the way Clark is simultaneously zapped by the trio, and how that energy transfers to Lex, feels a little too convenient and visually busy. It’s a classic case of the show trying to make a moral or narrative point (Clark’s powers causing collateral damage) using effects that look just slightly off, like they ran out of time to polish the lightning bolts. Also, the scene where Ian crushes Van with the weights feels a bit flat—it’s a quick, cheap way to kill off the Freak Killer.

Music

The soundtrack here is pure early 2000s angst rock, setting a perfect mood for Lex’s institutionalization and Clark’s guilt.

Track Listing:

• “Future Proof” by Massive Attack (Plays early on, setting the dark, electronic, trip-hop mood).
• “So Far Away” by Staind (Plays at the very end when Clark and Lex have their awkward, tragic reunion).

Rating

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Complete Synopsis and Plot Breakdown

The episode opens at Belle Reve Sanitarium, where Lex Luthor is confined after the events of “Shattered.” Lionel visits, confirming Lex is scheduled for electroshock therapy designed to eradicate his recent memories, including everything about Clark’s secret. Lex tries desperately to convince Clark to help him escape before the procedure, offering to give up the evidence he has on Lionel’s crimes. Clark refuses, arguing that escaping would only prove Lionel right about his instability.

Desperate, Lex aligns himself with three known former meteor-infected criminals—Van McNulty, Eric Summers, and Ian Randall—who are also inmates. They all hold a serious vendetta against Clark. Lex’s plan is simple: use them to cause a distraction so he can escape. Their plan, however, is much more sinister: they want Clark’s powers.

Van lures Clark to the sanitarium by calling the Kent farm and asking for help. Clark arrives and, realizing the situation, tells Lex he can only help legally. Lex, feeling utterly betrayed and abandoned, tells Clark he will never forgive him.

The vengeful inmates corner Clark and get him with Kryptonite. This takes away his powers, but before they can escape, Eric Summers (who still wants Clark’s powers) and Ian Randall (who wants the money from the Luthor escape fund) betray and kill Van McNulty, framing him for the escape attempt.

As Clark is incapacitated, Eric and Ian use Kryptonite to absorb his remaining Kryptonian energy, momentarily regaining their own meteor-freak abilities and becoming super-powered again.

During the ensuing chaos, Clark’s energy surge accidentally causes the electroshock equipment to short-circuit, zapping Lex repeatedly, wiping his memory. Clark manages to regain his composure and uses his super-speed to stop the freaks. Eric and Ian are apprehended (or escape, leaving loose ends).

In the B-plot, Lana is recovering in the hospital from her accident and meets Adam Knight, who encourages her to fight the pain.

The episode concludes with Clark and Lex meeting post-procedure. Lex is cordial but utterly empty; he has no recollection of the past few months, including the car accident, the confrontation with Lionel, and crucially, Clark’s secret. Clark, in pain, knows he lost his friend again, but his secret is safe. Lionel, meanwhile, is pleased, realizing he achieved his goal, but even he looks momentarily defeated, realizing he sacrificed his son’s trust completely.

Lessons from “Asylum” and the Road to Superman

“Asylum” is a crucial, defining moment for Clark’s moral compass and his understanding of the real world—a world where not every problem can be solved with a super-punch.

1. The Limits of Intervention: Clark desperately wants to save Lex, but he learns a hard lesson: he cannot save people who will not save themselves, especially when the solution involves compromising his own morality (by breaking Lex out). As Superman, he will face many ethical dilemmas, and this episode teaches him the cost of the easy solution (escape) versus the right solution (following the law, even if the law is unjust, to protect his secret). This restraint is a cornerstone of the future Superman.
2. The Burden of the Secret: The core theme here is the inherent danger of Clark’s secret, not just to himself, but to those who discover it. Lex’s discovery of the truth led to his mental and literal imprisonment and, ultimately, his traumatic memory loss. This reinforces Clark’s deeply ingrained belief that the secret must be kept at all costs. This lesson will continue to guide his actions for years, forcing him to keep the world at arm’s length for their own protection.
3. Collateral Damage and Guilt: The most tragic moment is the final confrontation. Clark’s struggle to regain his powers is what inadvertently causes the surge that fries Lex’s mind. Clark’s existence, his very being, causes collateral damage to those around him. This is a heavy lesson he must carry: his powers aren’t just for saving; they also carry risk. It foreshadows the great guilt Superman will often feel when his battles cause harm, even unintentionally.

Review Notes

Welcome back freaks!

Lionels goal is to fry Lex’s brain ugh 50% chance of making a vegetable and he don’t give a F

JTT is such a dick LOL

Lionel is the most evil sociopath of all time

OK the bowling was stupid lol

Technically Clark turned the power back on and fried Lex

That second ones on Lionel though

Lex remembers nothing… Almost like a reset

Clark wants to take up the case against Lionel, Pa forbids it…??

Clark feeling isolated

Next week S3 E10 Whisper – super hearing??