Welcome back to the Smallville rewatch! We’re deep into the third season now, where the angst is high, the secrets are heavy, and Clark’s hair is consistently perfect. Today we’re diving into “Hereafter,” an episode that manages to be both a “Freak of the Week” procedural and a massive lore-drop for the Superman mythos. Grab your red jacket and let’s get into it.
Preview
Clark Kent faces a literal deadline when he encounters Jordan Cross, a new transfer student with the chilling ability to see exactly how a person will die just by touching them. When Jordan accidentally brushes against Clark’s hand, he’s terrified to see… nothing at all. But when Jordan sees a vision of Lana Lang perishing in a fiery explosion, Clark must race against fate itself to prove that the future isn’t set in stone.
Meanwhile, the mystery of Adam Knight deepens as his health takes a turn for the worse, and Lex finds himself caught in a web of medical intrigue involving his father. Can Clark save Lana from a predetermined end, or is he just delaying the inevitable? It’s an episode packed with “Final Destination” vibes and one of the coolest foreshadowing moments in the entire series.
Episode Review
“Hereafter” is one of those Season 3 gems that balances the “meteor freak” formula with genuine emotional weight. It feels a bit like a supernatural thriller, focusing on the burden of knowledge. The episode does a great job of making you feel for the “Freak of the Week” rather than just making him a villain. It’s also a pivotal moment for the series’ identity—moving away from just “Clark saves people from mutants” and toward “Clark discovers his epic destiny.”
The chemistry between Tom Welling and guest star Joseph Cross is solid. You can really feel Clark’s desperation to change the future, which is a classic Superman trope: the man who can do anything vs. the one thing he can’t control (time/fate). Plus, we get more of the slow-burn mystery regarding Adam Knight, who is officially becoming “the guy we all love to suspicious-eye.”
The Freak of the Week:
Our guest star is Joseph Cross playing Jordan Cross. You might recognize Joseph from films like Jack Frost or his later work in Lincoln and Mindhunter. In this episode, he plays Jordan with a weary, “I’ve seen too much” vibe that really works. He’s not a bad guy; he’s just a kid who wants to stop seeing people’s deaths every time he bumps into them in the hallway. High school is hard enough without knowing your math teacher is going to choke on a grape in twenty years.
Special Effects:
The “Death Visions” are the standout here. They used a grainy, desaturated, high-shutter-speed look that was very trendy in the early 2000s (think Seven or Saw). It’s effective, if a bit dated now. The fire at the end during the rescue at the Talon is a mix of practical flames and some “meh” CGI enhancements. The real “special effect” though is the final vision Jordan has of Clark—the silhouette of the cape and the red/blue blur. Even with 2004 technology, that moment still gives me chills.
Music:
Smallville always crushed it with the soundtrack, and this episode is no exception.
- “100 Years” – Five for Fighting: This is the big one. It plays at the end and has become synonymous with this era of the show. It’s the ultimate “growing up is bittersweet” anthem.
- “I Wish I Cared” – A-Ha: Plays during a scene at the Talon.
- “Two-Step” – Dave Matthews Band: A classic early-2000s background track.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Losing half a star only because the “Adam Knight is sick” subplot feels a little slow compared to the “When am I going to die?” main plot.)
Synopsis & Plot Breakdown
The episode kicks off with Clark meeting Jordan Cross. When Jordan touches a teacher, he sees the man’s impending heart attack. Clark tries to intervene, and while he saves the teacher initially, the man dies anyway shortly after. This sets up the central conflict: Can destiny be cheated?
When Jordan touches Clark, he sees nothing—just a vast, infinite void of stars and a red-and-blue cape trailing into eternity. This freaks Jordan out because he’s never “not” seen a death. Later, Jordan touches Lana and sees her dying in a fire at the Talon, trapped behind a door with a specific “Exit” sign.
Clark goes into full Hero Mode. He spends the episode trying to prevent the conditions of the fire. We find out the fire is caused by a grieving father who blames the school’s coach for his son’s death. In a tense climax at the Talon, the fire breaks out exactly as Jordan predicted. Clark uses his powers to break the “Exit” door (which was jammed) and saves Lana, effectively proving to Jordan that the future can be changed.
In the subplot, Lex is investigating Adam Knight’s injections, discovering they are a weird blood-platelet serum from LuthorCorp. Adam is dying of a rare liver disease, and Lionel is essentially keeping him on a leash with the “cure.”
The episode ends with Jordan leaving Smallville. He shakes Clark’s hand one last time and tells him that while he still doesn’t see Clark’s death, he saw more this time: Clark lives forever, surrounded by those he protects. Queue the Five for Fighting music, and everyone at home cries.
Lessons & The Path to Superman
The Lesson:
The big takeaway here is that fate is a choice. Clark refuses to accept that Lana is destined to die. This reinforces his core belief that he can save everyone if he just tries hard enough. It’s also a lesson in the burden of leadership—knowing that your actions have the power to alter the course of history.
Becoming Superman:
This is a massive “Superman” episode. Up until now, Clark has been worried about being a “freak.” Jordan’s vision of the cape and the “endless” life is the first time the show explicitly tells us that Clark isn’t just a guy with powers; he’s a god-like figure whose legacy will span generations. The “void” Jordan sees isn’t death; it’s immortality. It’s a beautiful nod to the “Man of Tomorrow” concept. Clark is starting to realize he isn’t just a farm boy with a secret—he’s something much, much bigger.
Review Notes
Nice 5 for fighting one hundred years thought they were going to just go right into Superman the way radio has conditioned me 🙂
Nice easy episode but that end got me (not going to spoiler this one, but it got me) fitting with the theme of this episode though.
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