Exodus

## "Exodus"Season 02, Episode 23

**"Exodus"** is the twenty-third episode of The CW's *Smallville*. It was written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and directed by Greg Beeman. It is the fourty-fourth episode of the series overall, and premiered on May 20, 2003.

## Synopsis

A sense of foreboding surrounds Smallville as Clark must choose between staying with Lana and his family or fulfilling his destiny to rule the Earth. Lex and Helen prepare for their marriage, and Chloe considers Lionel's offer to investigate Clark.

## Recap

Clark Kent enters the storm cellar. His ship changes shape as it announces that it has been programmed with the memories and will of his Kryptonian father Jor-El. It tells him to return at sunset to leave his family and friends and fulfill his destiny. When Clark expresses hesitation, the ship says that he has no choice.

The next morning, Clark tells his parents what happened. They emphasize that his future is his to make. Clark loves his life with his family in Smallville, and he declares his intentions to stay. At the Luthor Mansion, Lex Luthor confesses to Helen Bryce that he did ransack her office to steal the blood sample. He apologizes and declares his love for her, but she seems unmoved.

Later, Clark and Lana Lang are sitting arm in arm in the meadow with the horses. Clark asks if Lana will officially be his date to Lex's wedding, and Lana agrees as long as they officially inform Chloe Sullivan of their new status. Clark says he wants to be the one to tell her, but first he has to go to the mansion to see a tailor. When he gets there he finds out that Lionel Luthor has tightened security at the Kawatche Caves and installed some sophisticated equipment. He also finds out that Lex canceled the tailor, since the wedding is off. Lex explains that Helen won't marry him because he betrayed her trust. He asks Clark not to tell anyone, so he can pretend for one more day.

Next, Clark goes to the caves to see some of this equipment Lionel has installed. Lionel is there and reveals his plan to use a duplicate key made of refined kryptonite. He claims that he had the key analyzed and the meteor rocks are the only substance on Earth similar to the key. He believes that by inserting the key into the wall of the cave, he will learn its secrets.

Lana is trying on dresses when Chloe walks in and teases her about upstaging the bride at the wedding tomorrow. Lana lies and says that she and Clark are going together as friends. Chloe knows this is a lie since she saw them kissing in the loft the night before. Lana asks if Chloe has seen Clark yet today. She says that Clark has something important he wants to tell her, but Chloe hasn't seen him. He is back at the farm watching the sun go down, worrying about Jor-El. Moments after Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent leave, Clark hears Jor-El's voice saying "it is time". When he goes into the storm celler the ship warns that if Clark does not concede to his destiny, he will hurt the ones he loves most. Then it gives him the scar of his ancestors.

A few moments after happened as Martha and Jonathan head off to the wedding early, Helen arrives at the mansion to find Lex dressed for the wedding. She forgives him, noting that she has made mistakes in her life as well. She still loves him. Meanwhile, Clark shows his scar to Pete Ross and shares his plan for destroying the ship. Pete creates a distraction in the caves by accusing Lionel of stealing his family's factory and Clark uses his super speed to zoom in and steal the key. While at the church, Jonathan gives Lex a compass as a wedding gift, saying that it is a Kent family tradition.

When Clark gets back to the farm, he finds Lana in the loft. She is ready for the wedding, but Clark has to do something first, so he sends her on ahead, promising to meet her there. When Lana arrives at the church and tells Clark's parents that Clark was busy with something important, they decide to return home to investigate. Jonathan encourages Lex to proceed without his best man. Lex goes ahead and marries Helen without Clark by his side.

Chloe arrives at the Kent Farm to confront Clark about dating Lana. It's ten minutes to noon, so Clark is too distracted to put any effort into the confrontation. Chloe is hurt and angrily storms away. Clark proceeds to the storm cellar and places the kryptonite key into its slot on the ship. Both are destroyed in a massive explosion, creating a shockwave that overturns the truck with Jonathan and Martha in it. It also disrupts electrical power throughout the county, briefly delaying Lex's honeymoon flight.

Clark finds his parents in the truck, and gets them to the Smallville Medical Center. Jonathan is fine but Martha has a mild concussion and loses the baby. Clark tells Jonathan what he did. Jonathan is very upset with Clark, and leaves him to sit with Martha. Lana finds Clark at the farm in what's left of the storm cellar. He tells her that he always causes pain and suffering for those he loves. He is convinced now that if he does not leave, he will continue to hurt them.

Meanwhile, Chloe visits Lionel at the mansion and accepts his previous offer to do an investigative profile on Clark in exchange for a weekly column.

He rushes back to the hospital where he sees his father holding his mother as she weeps bitterly. Next, he goes to find Chloe's class ring. Pete catches up with him there and tries to talk him out of it, but Clark is in so much pain that he isn't thinking clearly. He just knows that the red kryptonite will make him feel better. When he gets back to the farm, Lana is still there. Tearfully, she begs him to stay, but he puts on the ring and rides off on his father's motorcycle.

Later, Lex awakens during turbulence to find the plane empty and speeding toward the ocean with all of its controls malfunctioning.

As Clark rides along the road out of Smallville, Jor-El's voice tells him, "You will obey me, Kal-El".

## Cast

* Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
* Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
* Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
* Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
* John Glover as Lionel Luthor
* Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
* John Schneider as Jonathan Kent

Guest Starring* Emmanuelle Vaugier as Dr. Helen Bryce

Co-Starring* Ivana Paduch as Lexcorp Cave Scientist
* Arnie Walters as Reverend
* Dan Payne as Lexcorp Airport Security
* Rekha Sharma as Dr. Harden

## Trivia

### Production Notes

* Besides the world domination part, most of Jor-El's speech to Clark about who he is was taken from the Superman: The Movie.
* When Clark destroys his ship, you can see his bare chest, and the mark is gone, but in the next episode, it is back.
	+ It is possible that it reapeared when Clark put on the red kryptonite ring.

### Behind the Scenes

* Terence Stamp the voice of Jor-El played general Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman 2 (1980)

## References

1. ↑ http://www.pogdesign.co.uk/cat/Smallville/Season-2/Episode-23