Alright, let’s dive into the episode that changed everything. Season 4 starts with a literal bang (and a flight), moving us away from the high school angst and toward the legendary destiny we all know is coming.
Clark takes flight, but Lois steals the show
Clark Kent is back, but he’s no longer the farm boy next door. After disappearing into the sunset at the end of last season, Clark returns to Smallville as “Kal-El,” a programmed Kryptonian with a one-track mind: find the three stones of power. (and Welling obviously spent the summer working out) With Jonathan in a coma and Martha desperate to save her son, a mysterious new face arrives in town to help and she’s brought some very “dark” jewelry to the party.
Meanwhile, a certain feisty brunette named Lois Lane makes her grand entrance, looking for her cousin Chloe and finding a naked, amnesiac Clark instead. In Paris, Lana tries to start a new life with her charming new boyfriend, Jason Teague, but a weird tattoo on her back suggests that her past in Kansas isn’t quite finished with her yet.
Episode Review
Title: Crusade
Directed by: Greg Beeman
Written by: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Starring:
- Tom Welling as Clark Kent / Kal-El
- Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
- Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
- Jensen Ackles as Jason Teague
- Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
- John Glover as Lionel Luthor
- Annette O’Toole as Martha Kent
- John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
Note: I hate when the opening credits basically tell us that everyone survived last seasons cliffhangers (spoilers much)
Freak of the Week: Technically, there isn’t a traditional “meteor freak” villain here. The guest star honors go to the legendary Margot Kidder as Bridgette Crosby. This was a massive deal for fans, as it reunited the original movie’s Lois Lane (Kidder) with the original movie’s Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole). Kidder plays the emissary of Dr. Swann, and while she isn’t a villain, she brings the Black Kryptonite that serves as the episode’s “fix.” We also have the debut of Erica Durance as Lois Lane, who basically steals every scene she’s in.
Special Effects: Hold onto your hats, because the flight sequence is absolutely top-tier for 2004 television. When Kal-El takes off to intercept Lex’s plane, the CGI is surprisingly fluid. They used a “Matrix-style” visual for Clark in the air, no cape, just pure power. Also, the effect of the Black Kryptonite splitting Clark into two entities (the “Good Clark” and “Evil Kal-El”) is handled with some great lighting and camera work. It’s a bit 2000s-cheesy in the transition, but the payoff is worth it.
Music: The soundtrack for this one is a mood.
- “Club Foot” by Kasabian (Plays when Kal-El is on his mission)
- “Better Days Will Come” by Tahiti 80
- “Plus Pres De Moi” by Sandrine
- “Fly” by Mark Joseph (The closing scene in the barn)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a perfect season premiere. It resets the status quo, introduces the best version of Lois Lane ever put on screen, and finally gives us the “Superman” moment we’d been waiting years for.
Complete Synopsis and Plot Breakdown
The episode kicks off three months after the Season 3 finale. Martha is sitting by Jonathan’s bedside (he’s in a coma after his showdown with Jor-El) when a lightning bolt hits the field. Out comes Clark, or rather, Kal-El. He’s cold, focused, and has zero memories of being a Kent. His mission? Find the three Kryptonian stones of knowledge.
Enter Lois Lane. She’s driving into Smallville to investigate the “death” of her cousin, Chloe Sullivan. A bolt from the sky causes her to crash, and she finds Clark—fully naked and very confused—in the middle of a cornfield. Their first meeting is classic: Lois is unimpressed by his lack of clothes, and Clark is too brainwashed to care.
Lex, having survived the poisoning, is on a private jet carrying one of the mysterious stones. Kal-El literally flies up to the jet, rips the door off, and takes the stone. It’s a terrifying display of what Clark could be without his humanity. Back at the farm, Bridgette Crosby (Margot Kidder) gives Martha a piece of Black Kryptonite. Martha uses it on Kal-El during a confrontation in the hospital, causing him to split into two: the robotic Kal-El and the soulful Clark. Clark wins the fight, absorbs the “evil” side, and finally comes back to his senses.
The episode ends with Lana in Paris, having a romantic time with Jason Teague, only to discover a strange Kryptonian-style tattoo on her lower back that appeared after she visited a tomb. Clark is back, Jonathan wakes up, and Lois decides to stick around to find out what really happened to Chloe.
Lessons and the Road to Superman
The Lesson: This episode is a giant lesson in Identity vs. Destiny. Clark spends most of the series running away from his Kryptonian side because he’s afraid it will erase the person his parents raised him to be. In Crusade, we see that fear come true. The lesson for Clark is that he can’t just ignore his heritage; if he doesn’t master it, it will master him.
Becoming Superman: This is the most “Superman” Clark has ever been. Even though he’s brainwashed, we see the potential. The flight sequence is the big one as it proves that Clark is physically capable of it, and the only thing holding him back is his own mental block. Also, the introduction of Lois Lane is the final piece of the puzzle. She challenges him in a way Lana never could, pushing him toward the man he needs to become.
Photos
Videos
Clark takes flight:
Talkville CRUSADE (S4E01) Intro to Lois Lane, Jensen Ackles Joins the Cast & Tom Takes Flight
Review Notes
Andy, your a liar (Clark never flies) although technically its Kal-El come on.
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