Calling (Episode) - SirJeffCena

"**Calling**" is the twenty-second episode in the second season of *Smallville*, and forty-third episode overall. It aired on May 13, 2003.

## Summary

Dr. Walden wakes up from his coma and tells Lex and Lionel that Clark is an alien and must be destroyed. Meanwhile, a romantic encounter between Clark and Lana hints at a promising future, but after Chloe finds out they are together, Lana pulls back.

## Recap

Dr. Marcus asks Lex to come visit Dr. Frederick Walden. There has been a complete normalization of his higher brain functions. Dr. Walden regains consciousness suddenly and announces: "The day is coming."

Lana brings Clark a birthday cake to his loft and tells him to make a wish. He says he doesn't have to because what he's wanted since he was five is standing in front of him. They share a kiss. The next morning, Lex arrives at the Kent Farm to ask Jonathan and Martha to sit at his table at the wedding rehearsal dinner in place of his parents. Jonathan accepts the invitation as an honor. After an awkward interaction with Lana at the Talon, Clark asks her to go out with him after the rehearsal dinner; Lana pulls back without explaining.

Helen and Lex are stunned to learn that someone has broken into her office at the hospital. Helen goes straight to the Kent Farm to tell Jonathan that the vial of Clark's blood that she drew from him when he was sick is missing. Helen suggests that Jonathan might have stolen it; Jonathan accuses Lex.

Clark asks Lex what to do about Lana. Lex says Lana is probably scared to take a chance. He suggests Clark try again and tell Lana that he's willing to risk it. Lana admits to Clark that she's worried about Chloe's feelings and if things don't work out, all three of their friendships will be ruined. Suddenly, Clark starts to hear a voice telling him, *"The day is coming,"* and he rushes away.

Dr. Walden is now walking around, muttering the same phrase over and over. His cataracts have faded over the course of a day. When Dr. Marcus tells Lex that Dr. Walden should be sedated, Dr. Walden destroys the large glass window of his room with a blast of energy from his palm and runs away. Lex discovers Kryptonian symbols written on the ceiling of his room and asks Clark if he knows what they mean. Clark reiterates that he can't read the symbols and Lex claims to believe him. Meanwhile, Dr. Walden has returned to the cave. He is able to use a burst of energy from his palm to activate the circle of symbols on the cave wall. He appears to be gaining additional information from the experience.

Helen runs into Lana at the Talon and they talk about their relationship problems. Lana says that Clark isn't being completely honest with her and Helen can relate. Later, she is snooping in Lex's study when Lionel catches her. He guesses that she is looking for whatever Lex took from her office and questions why she would marry a man she doesn't trust.

Clark goes to the Kawatche Caves looking for Dr. Walden when Lionel shows up. He remarks that he used to own a keepsake that would fit into the hole in the wall but it disappeared the day Clark rescued Martha from the siege at LuthorCorp. He informs Clark that he has taken over conservatorship of the caves. Lionel notices that the symbols surrounding the recess are in a different order. Clark warns Lionel that Dr. Walden is dangerous and goes home to tell his parents that Lionel controls the caves; Dr. Walden can read the symbols; and the symbols on the wall have changed. They now read, *"The day is coming when the last son will begin his quest to rule the third planet".*

Lex learns his restraining order to keep Lionel out of the caves was rejected. Just then, Dr. Walden shows up and announces that he has read the wall and the "last son" is Clark Kent. He tells them they have to kill Clark just before Dr. Marcus shoots him with a dart. On the way to the hospital, Dr. Walden comes out of sedation, shorts out the ambulance, and escapes.

Chloe visits Clark and tells him that Dr. Walden woke up. She attempts to repair their friendship by asking him to write a story for the Torch with her. Clark says he is busy with the rehearsal, but he also wants to be friends again. He says it will take time, and Chloe says that it will work out if they are honest. Clark agrees and they part on friendly terms.

In the newly repaired office of the *Torch*, Chloe is approached by Lionel. He tells her that he pulled some strings at the Daily Planet, and she is all set up to do a weekly column on current affairs from the young person's perspective, but her first assignment is a complete investigative profile of Clark Kent. Chloe gets upset and refuses. Lionel remarks that he wonders if Clark would be as good a friend to Chloe as she is to him.

At the rehearsal dinner, Lex warns Clark that Lionel heard Dr. Walden say that Clark will rule the world. Lex doesn’t think that Lionel will just let this go. Clark makes his toast as best man, seemingly aiming it at Lana, saying that true love is worth taking a chance no matter what the cost. Immediately after, Clark begins to hear a high-pitched whining sound, and leaves to get some air. He tells his parents that the key is calling him and rushes home to find Dr. Walden, still bent on destroying Clark. Dr. Walden blasts Clark through the barn wall with a beam of energy and holds him suspended until Clark uses his heat vision to burn his shoulder. He superspeeds away and Dr. Walden tries to catch him with the beam. He hits a gas tank, causing an explosion, which envelops him and burns him to death. Clark pries the key from his charred hand. Later, when Lionel examines Dr. Walden's body, he sees that the only part not burned beyond recognition is an outline in his palm, shaped like an octagon with symbols on it.

At the Luthor Mansion, Helen admits that she found a file with confidential medical information on Martha Kent. Lex admits that he got that file from a DCA agent investigating her illness. He reassures her that he had nothing to do with her office break-in. He tells her that if she believes he could deceive her, maybe she shouldn't be marrying him. She calls his bluff by saying maybe he is right, and leaves. It is revealed that Lex did indeed steal the test tube of Clark's blood from her office and has stored it in a box behind a bookshelf.

Apprehensive about the cave readings, Clark asks his parents what it all means. They reassure him that they know he will do the right thing when the time comes. Lana comes to check on him and remarks that he has so many secrets, but Clark just says he doesn't want his feelings for her to be one of them. Chloe walks up the stairs just in time to see them kissing and leaves unseen, in tears. As Lana walks away, Clark hears the voice of Jor-El, stating, "Kal-El, it is time." He sees a light from the storm cellar and enters to see what it is.

## Cast

### Starring

* Clark Kent
* Lana Lang
* Lex Luthor
* Pete Ross
* Chloe Sullivan
* Lionel Luthor
* Martha Kent
* Jonathan Kent

### Guest Starring

* Dr. Helen Bryce
* Dr. Frederick Walden

## Notes

* Antagonist: Frederick Walden
* Terence Stamp, the voice of Jor-El AI, portrayed General Zod in Superman II (1980).
* This is the second (after *Tempest*/*Vortex*) of only six multi-part episodes (ending with ***"To be continued"***) in the series, and the first to conclude within the same season.
* Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super speed and heat vision.
* In his speech, Clark says he looked through every book from Socrates to Shakespeare. Socrates left no written works, and is only known through second hand sources, mostly the works of his student, Plato
* In the freshly repaired Torch, Chloe's new flat screen computer appears to be an example of product placement: her Gateway computer replaces her iMac.
* This is the first of only a very few episodes in the series where the pre-opening credits scene ends on a positive note. In this case, it's Clark and Lana kissing.

## In Other Media

* This is the first "appearance" of Terence Stamp as the voice of Jor-El, significant to fans of the original *Superman* movies, because the actor played General Zod in the films. Terence Stamp is the third *Superman* alum to appear on Smallville, after Annette O'Toole and Christopher Reeve.
* Besides the presence of Terence Stamp, this episode contains many other references to the Superman universe: strains of John Williams' original movie score can be heard; Helen and Lex's seating chart is arranged in red, yellow, and blue—Superman's colors; and Jor-El's intentions for Clark to take over Earth is based on a plot from the comics.
* Jor-El is the 9th DC Comics character adapted into the series.

## Trivia

* David Lewis plays Dr. Marcus in this episode. He later played the jeweler Macy in the season 8 episode *Committed*.

## Continuity

* Lex admits he stole Martha's confidential medical file detailing her illness, which occurred in *Fever*.
* Dr. Walden was introduced in *Rush* and has been in a coma since *Rosetta*.
* This episode marks the first time that Clark and Lana become a couple while neither of them were under the influence. Previously, they had gotten together while under an influence of kryptonite or kryptonite-enhanced plants; or alternatively, one of them had been replaced by an impostor.
* This episode marks the ninth appearance of Clark's red jacket and blue shirt outfit.
* Helen was last seen in *Precipice.*
* This episode marks the first episode of Belle Reve.

## Spoilers

* The whereabouts of Clark's stolen vial of blood are revealed in *Phoenix*.

## Locations

* Smallville
	+ Smallville High School
		- Smallville Torch
	+ Kent Farm
		- Kent House
		- Clark Kent's Loft
		- Storm Cellar
	+ Luthor Mansion
	+ Talon
	+ Smallville Medical Center
	+ Belle Reve
	+ Kawatche Caves

## Quotes

**Clark**: It's just it's not really my birthday. It's just some date that my parents picked off the calendar for the adoption papers.
**Lana**: Maybe some of us want to celebrate the day you came into our lives.

**Lana**: If you knew that Lex was keeping secrets from you, but he was being truthful about the important things like the way the way he feels about you. Would that be enough?
**Helen**: I guess you have to decide: Is the part of themselves that they're willing to share with you better than not having them in your life at all?

**Chloe**: I don't know what your interest is in Clark, but you can take your job offer and shove it down your thousand-dollar pants.
**Lionel**: Clark is very lucky to have a friend like you. All that integrity. I wonder though, if he had to make a choice, would he sacrifice his dream out of loyalty to you?