Smallville S4 E14: Krypto

Preview

Lois Lane is back in Smallville and hitting the ground running! After accidentally striking a dog on a dark country road, she hauls the injured stray back to the Kent Farm, only to discover this is no ordinary pooch. When the dog starts ripping through wooden posts and lifting cars like chew toys, Clark realizes he’s dealing with a canine that has super-strength! But where did this super-pup come from, and why are bad guys tracking him down?

Meanwhile, Lana pushes deeper into the mystery surrounding Jason and his mother, Genevieve. As LuthorCorp secrets threaten to tear the town apart once again, Clark and Lois must team up to save the dog (and each other) from a localized crime syndicate using mutts for muscle. Will Clark find a lifelong companion, or will kryptonite prove to be man’s best friend’s undoing? Tune in for bickering, tail-wagging, and full-blown comic lore nods!

Episode Review

Starring: Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Jensen Ackles (Jason Teague), Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan), John Glover (Lionel Luthor), Annette O’Toole (Martha Kent), John Schneider (Jonathan Kent), and Erica Durance (Lois Lane).

Freak of the Week: This week’s antagonists aren’t meteor-infected teens, but rather two low-level criminal brothers, Josh Greenfield (played by Diego Klattenhoff) and Zack Greenfield (Nolan Gerard Funk). Diego Klattenhoff went on to have huge roles in Homeland and The Blacklist, while Nolan Gerard Funk later starred in MTV’s Awkward. and Glee. They are using LuthorCorp steroid-infused dogs to rob local stores, making them less “Freak of the Week” and more “Puppy Trainers of Doom.”

Special Effects: The visual effects in this episode are a mixed bag, leaning heavy on mid-2000s TV CGI. Watching a Golden Retriever (played by a very good boy named Bud) lift the back end of a car or rip through thick rope looks slightly goofy today. That said, the practical stunts—like the dog bursting through windows or interacting with Clark’s super-speed—hold up surprisingly well because they rely on solid animal training rather than digital magic.

Music:

• “Give a Little Bit” by the Goo Goo Dolls (a cover of the Supertramp classic, which is also a nice sneaky nod to the original 1978 Superman movie where the Supertramp version plays on Lois’s car radio!)
• “Anarchy” by Matchbook Romance
• “Collapsible Accent” by Spoon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

A fun, lighter-toned episode that hits all the right classic Superman references while giving us top-tier Clark and Lois banter.

Lessons & The Path to Superman

The core lesson of this episode centers on responsibility, companionship, and protecting those who can’t speak for themselves. Up until now, Clark’s secret has been an isolating burden that he can only share with his parents and Chloe. Finding an animal with elevated abilities gives Clark a rare moment of feeling less alone in the world. He learns that power isn’t just something to hide or fear, it can be nurtured, guided, and used to bring joy.

As for his journey to becoming Superman, this episode is a massive stepping stone for his future dynamic with Lois Lane. We see Clark stepping into a lighthearted, domestic partnership role with Lois as they bicker over who gets to keep the dog and what to name him. Furthermore, giving Clark a canine companion grounds his humanity; Superman isn’t just a god-like alien standing on a skyscraper, he’s a farm boy who loves his dog.

Complete Synopsis & Plot Breakdown

The episode kicks off with a store robbery carried out not by men, but by trained dogs, specifically a Rottweiler and a Golden Retriever who display unnatural, terrifying strength. During the heist, the Golden Retriever runs off. Cut to Lois Lane driving down a dark Smallville road; she hits the stray retriever with her car! Distraught, she brings the seemingly unharmed dog back to the Kent Farm.

Overnight, the dog exhibits bizarre abilities, snapping heavy chains, smashing wooden barn posts, and raiding the Kents’ fridge. Clark catches the dog watching him use super-speed and realizes the animal is far from normal. Soon, Clark witnesses the dog literally lifting a car to grab a ball, confirming that this dog possesses super-strength. Investigating further with Lois, Clark tracks the dog back to an abandoned LuthorCorp facility where scientists were experimenting with a liquid form of green kryptonite to enhance animal power.

The Greenfield brothers, who were using the experimental dogs to pull off robberies, realize the Kents have their star retriever (whom they called “Einstein”). They ambush Lois and kidnap her, aiming to wipe out any witnesses. Clark rushes to save her, but the brothers trap him near a cage lined with green kryptonite, leaving him helpless and weak. Just when things look grim, the hero pup breaks free, attacks the bad guys, and knocks the kryptonite away from Clark!

With the criminals handed over to the authorities, the Kents decide to officially adopt the dog. Clark wants to name him “Krypto”, but Lois mocks the name as goofy. Martha mentions her first family dog was named “Shelby,” and the name sticks. The episode wraps up with Clark drying off Shelby with a bright red towel, giving us a classic visual mirror of Krypto wearing his red cape.

Photos

Talk Ville: KRYPTO (S4E14) Inconvenient Truth About Working with Dogs & Dirty Ways to Increase Ratings

Review Notes

A golden retriever with unusual abilities named Einstein may be a reference to the dog in Watchers by Dean Koontz.

DC Comics said, ‘You can’t name him Krypto because Krypto is the dog that Clark has when he’s an adult. ‘ So at the end of the episode, they end up calling him Shelby , which is actually Clark’s dog in the Smallville comic books.”

Krypto, named “Shelby” in the show is the central focus of only this one specific episode (Season 4, Episode 14, titled “Krypto”). However, as a Kent family pet, the super-powered dog makes cameo and recurring appearances in roughly 20 additional episodes across Seasons 4 through 10

I so hate the entire season B plot this year witches etc.

Now she’s got Chloe going on Jason’s mom.

Lionel’s hair is not growing back near as cool

Feel good ending with Shelby becoming their pet and Clark playing frisbee with him.