What’s up, fellow Smallville fans? We continue looking back at Clark Kent’s long, angst-filled journey from farm boy to the Man of Steel. Today, we’re diving into a heavy hitter from Season 3.
Grab some popcorn and maybe a box of tissues, because “Legacy” is one of those episodes that reminds us why this show was so much more than just “the teen Superman show.”
Preview
When Jonathan Kent starts acting like he’s been spending way too much time reading the fine print on a contract with Jor-El, Clark begins to worry that his dad is losing his grip. The Kawatche caves are buzzing again, and this time, the stakes involve more than just some glowing wall drawings. Clark is forced to seek out the one man who knows more about his heritage than anyone else on Earth, but getting answers might come at a price he’s not ready to pay.
Meanwhile, the battle of the billionaires reaches a boiling point as Lionel Luthor and Dr. Virgil Swann finally go head-to-head. It’s a clash of egos and secrets that leaves Clark caught in the middle of a destiny he’s still trying to outrun. With the “FBI” sniffing around the Kent farm and Lionel getting closer to the truth, the secret of the “Traveler” has never been in more danger.
Episode Review
“Legacy” is an episode that feels big. You can tell the writers knew they were heading toward a massive Season 3 finale because every scene feels like a ticking time bomb. The highlight, obviously, is the return of the legend himself, Christopher Reeve. Every time he shares a screen with Tom Welling, you can practically feel the torch being passed. It’s poetic, it’s classy, and it gives the show a level of gravitas that few other WB/CW shows ever achieved. It’s unfortunate that they did not get to finish this storyline out with Reeve’s untimely passing.
The episode does a great job of balancing the “spy thriller” vibe of Agent Loder and the FBI with the “cosmic destiny” vibe of the Kawatche caves. My only real gripe? Sometimes the drama between Jonathan and Clark feels like they’re shouting the same three arguments they’ve had since Season 1. We get it, Jonathan hates Jor-El! But even with the repetitive “dad anger,” the emotional payoff at the end of the episode is a gut punch. It’s a solid 40 minutes of television that moves the plot forward at breakneck speed.
The Cast & “Freak of the Week”
The main cast is firing on all cylinders here. John Glover (Lionel) is at his most deliciously manipulative (and his hair is truly majestic), and John Schneider (Jonathan) does “tortured soul” better than almost anyone else on TV.
- The “Freak of the Week”: We don’t actually have a meteor-infected villain this time around! Instead, the antagonist is Agent Frank Loder (played by Gary Hudson). He’s the classic “man in black” FBI type who is way too interested in why the Kents are always at the center of every weird event in Kansas. He’s not a “freak,” but he’s definitely a pest.
- Special Guest Star: Christopher Reeve as Dr. Virgil Swann. This was Reeve’s final appearance on the show before he passed away, and he is magnetic. He plays Swann with such intelligence and grace. His interaction with Lionel Luthor is a masterclass in “polite” intimidation.
Special Effects
Smallville usually does a decent job for a 2004 budget, but “Legacy” is a mixed bag. The glowing effects on the octagonal disk and the cave walls still look pretty cool—they have that classic sci-fi shimmer. However, there’s a scene where Clark uses his heat vision on a phone that looks a little “early Photoshop.” Also, the “possession” eye-glow effect on Jonathan is a bit cheesy by today’s standards, but back then, it was the height of cool. Let’s just say the practical sets of the caves are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Music Track Listing
The music in this episode is peak early-2000s alt-rock.
- “One Thing” by Finger Eleven – This is the big one. It plays during a montage and perfectly captures that “I’m a teenager with superpowers and my life is hard” vibe.
- “Mona Lisa” by Grant-Lee Phillips – A softer track that underscores the more emotional moments.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
(It loses half a star only because Agent Loder is kind of a generic “bad guy,” but the Swann/Lionel/Jon/Clark stuff is 5-star material all day long.)
The Lessons & The Journey to Superman
The Lesson: This episode is all about the “Legacy” of fathers. Clark is caught between three of them: Jonathan (the man who raised him), Jor-El (the man who created him), and Dr. Swann (the man who understands him). The lesson here is that you can’t choose your heritage, but you can choose which parts of it you let define you.
The Superman Connection: We see Clark starting to realize that he can’t just be “Clark Kent from Smallville” forever. By interacting with Dr. Swann, he’s learning that he is part of something much bigger than a farm in Kansas. He’s also learning that being a hero requires a level of honesty—even when it hurts. The way he tries to protect Jonathan, even when Jonathan is being difficult, shows the compassion that will eventually make him the world’s greatest protector. He’s learning that “the hero” often has to carry the heaviest burdens alone.
Complete Synopsis & Plot Breakdown
The episode kicks off with Lionel Luthor visiting Dr. Virgil Swann. Lionel is dying (remember that pesky liver disease?), and he thinks Swann has the key to a cure hidden within the Kryptonian mystery. It’s a battle of wits, but Swann isn’t budging. He knows Lionel is bad news.
Back at the farm, Jonathan Kent is acting bizarre. He’s going to the Kawatche caves in the middle of the night and seems to be “talking” to the walls. It turns out the octagonal disk (the key to the ship/caves) has been found by the FBI, specifically Agent Loder. Loder is obsessed with the Kents and thinks they are hiding something world-changing. He’s not wrong, but he’s definitely a jerk about it.
Clark discovers that Jonathan made a “deal” with Jor-El back in the Season 3 premiere to get Clark back from Metropolis. The price of that deal is starting to come due. Jor-El is using Jonathan as a vessel to get Clark’s attention. This leads to a huge confrontation in the caves where Clark has to use his powers to stop his own father from being consumed by the Kryptonian “will.”
Meanwhile, Lana is getting ready to head to Paris (the classic “I need to get away from Clark’s secrets” move), and Chloe is caught in the middle of Lionel’s schemes. Lionel eventually gets his hands on the disk, but it doesn’t give him the “fountain of youth” he was hoping for.
The episode ends on a haunting note: the disk is gone, the FBI is still watching, and Clark realizes that his “biological” father, Jor-El, isn’t going to stop until Clark fulfills his destiny. The tension between Clark’s love for his Earth parents and his duty to his Kryptonian roots has never been tighter.
Photos
Story Notes
Core storyline
Clark discovers Jonathan has been secretly receiving new “messages” from Jor‑El through the octagonal key, which causes Jonathan to become withdrawn, sleepless, and short‑tempered with his family. Clark, afraid Jor‑El is trying to reclaim him through his father, heads to the Kawatche caves to confront this influence directly.
Lionel, Swann, and the key
Lionel follows Clark’s interest in the caves and the key and begins putting together that Clark and the alien markings are connected. This leads Lionel to Dr. Virgil Swann, and the two men strike a secret deal: Lionel wants the caves’ secrets to cure his terminal illness, while Swann tries to control how much access Lionel gets to Kryptonian knowledge.
Lex, the FBI, and mistrust
At the same time, Lex is still covertly cooperating with the FBI in an effort to bring Lionel down, wearing a wire and feeding them information about his father’s illegal activities. Clark learns about Lex’s involvement and feels betrayed, deepening the growing rift between them even as they share a common enemy in Lionel.
Cave confrontation and climax
The episode builds to a violent confrontation in the caves when Lionel and Jonathan clash over the key, with Jonathan nearly strangling Lionel before Clark intervenes. In the struggle, the key glows, levitates, and disappears into the cave wall, sealing the octagonal slot and leaving Lionel convinced the key is now embedded in the stone while Jonathan believes Clark has it. The incident reinforces Clark’s fear of Jor‑El’s power and Jonathan’s willingness to endanger himself to protect his son.
Thematic resolution
By the end, Clark is left with shaken trust in both Dr. Swann and Lex, and with renewed anxiety over Jor‑El’s plans for him. The episode underlines the legacy theme in its title: the burden of Kryptonian destiny, Lionel’s ruthless quest to alter his fate, and the cost Jonathan is willing to pay to keep Clark’s future his own. Then there is also the legacy of having Christopher Reeve in the episode. Great naming continues with these episodes.
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