Crusade

## "Crusade"Season 04, Episode 01

**"Crusade"** is the first episode of Season Four of The CW's *Smallville*. It was written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and directed by Greg Beeman. It is the sixty-seventh episode of the series overall, and premiered on September 22, 2004.

## Synopsis

Clark returns to Smallville as Kal-El. Intent on fulfilling his destiny, he goes after a powerful Kryptonian crystal that Lex has obtained in Egypt. Meanwhile, newcomer Lois Lane arrives in Smallville to look into the death of her cousin Chloe, and Lana returns from Paris with a new boyfriend. Jonathan lies in a coma and Lionel must deal with his new life in prison.

## Recap

A brunette is watching a video diary made by Chloe Sullivan.

In the video, Chloe states that something must have happened to her and says that Clark is the only person that can learn the truth of her death. The young woman is now driving to the Kent Farm, but she is lost. Her car is struck by lightning and she veers off the road and into the corn field. Suddenly, a ball of light falls from the sky and a hole the shape of a pentagon is burned into the corn. In the middle lies Clark Kent, who is naked and claims not to know who he is. She offers to take him to the hospital, but he says he is fine. She introduces herself as Lois Lane.

They arrive at the hospital, but the orderly says that she has to stay with him until he can be identified. Lois decides to keep an eye on him to prevent him from wandering around the waiting room naked.

In Paris, Lana is taking photographs on the street when she bumps into a young man who asks her opinion on a gift to celebrate the two month anniversary of meeting his girlfriend. After a bit of banter, it is revealed that the man is her new boyfriend, Jason Teague.

Martha Kent is reading to an unconscious Jonathan Kent when Dr. Harden informs her that she needs to think about the future and that Jonathan is brain-dead. Martha declares that she will not give up on him.

Lois starts talking about why she's in Smallville, but Clark is apathetic and keeps trying to leave. Clark wanders into the hallway and Martha is overwhelmed when she sees him, but he does not recognize her. Clark tells her he is waiting for the sign. She says that she can help him find the sign, but he must go with her immediately. Lois finds out that it is Clark, but he has already left.

Lex Luthor is in Egypt, where he obtains an artifact, an ancient statue. He pays a large amount of money to erase all the evidence of him visiting Egypt. Lex boards his plane and Dr. Harden reminds him that he survived a massive poisoning that would have killed most people. It is also revealed that Lex must have his blood purified every 72 hours or his organs will shut down.

Martha takes Clark back to the farm and up to his loft to try and jog his memory. She shows him a picture of Jonathan and says it's his father, but Clark just replies that Jonathan is dead to him. When she realizes that his behavior is probably due to Jor-El's influence, Martha grows upset and starts to scream and cry for her son to be returned.

Lex in his airplane returning from Egypt, when the plane hits some turbulence and the statue breaks, revealing a mysterious stone. Suddenly, Clark hears an incredibly piercing sound in his head. He says that he is Kal-El of Krypton and that it is time to fulfill his destiny. Martha grows upset and starts to scream and cry for her son to be returned. Kal-El says that Clark Kent is dead, and to Martha's shock, launches himself into the sky and flies away from the farm.

Lana and Jason Teague go to a church to do a tombstone rubbing of the crypt of Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux for an art-history class. When Lana touches a symbol on the tomb, a great surge of bright energy flows through her body. The Mark of Transference appears on her lower back.

Back at the Kent farm, Martha is trying to reach Virgil Swann over the phone. Lois arrives, having followed them home and asks Martha about Clark and Chloe's relationship. She asks about Clark, but Martha makes the excuse that Clark is sleeping to hide the fact that he is no longer there. Martha states that she will have Clark contact Lois if he remembers anything. Lois explains that she thinks Clark might know something about Chloe's death. She also states that she is trying to get in to speak to Lionel but she is having trouble getting him to accept the visit, and that Lionel would otherwise be discharged in two weeks and Chloe's murder would never be avenged. Martha warns her to stay away and tells her that getting involved with Lionel is dangerous. Lois says that she knows Martha used to work for Lionel and wants to know how she escape unscathed. Martha tells her she didn't and finally gets Lois to leave.

Meanwhile, Kal-El flies up to Lex's plane and rips off the door at 20,000 feet. As Lex and Dr. Harden are tossed about in another cabin, Kal-El steps into the plane, reaches out his hand and draws the stone through the cabin wall to him. As Lex scrambles up to look through the hole, Kal-El flies away. Martha's request to speak with Virgil Swann is finally answered, but by his emissary, assistant Bridgette Crosby instead. She tells her that Clark flew away and Crosby realizes that he has completely embraced his Kryptonian destiny. She gives her black kryptonite, which will split Kal-El and Clark.

Lex visits his father in jail believing that he stole the Stone from him. They throw insults back and forth. Lionel tells him that he is chasing a fairy tale even though he himself has been extensively searching for the Stones by financing six expeditions over the last two years. Lex accuses him of poisoning his son and murdering Chloe. Lionel says that those responsible for him being charged for murder will feel his wrath, but claims that Chloe's death was an accident.

Kal-El goes to the Cave and activates three symbols around the octagonal hole, which opens the pathway to the inner chamber. He places the first Stone on the table. Lana somehow ended up back at her place. She hears someone banging on the door. She goes to see who it is and finds out that it's her boyfriend Jason Teague. He asks her what happened but she doesn't know how she ended up back at her apartment.

On his way out of the cave, Clark encounters Martha. When she presses the black kryptonite into his chest, Clark and Kal-El split and begin to

fight each other for control. Martha throws the black kryptonite to Clark who stabs it into Kal-El, effectively combining them back, this time with Clark in control. Simultaneously, Jonathan miraculously wakes up. Lana is taking a shower and once she steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around and looks in the mirror to see the Mark of Transference mark on her lower back.

Lois gets in to visit Lionel in jail by saying she is Martha Kent. After some back and forth, Lois tells him that she knows that safe house was no accident. As she leaves, Lois taunts Lionel with the question of whether he is being set up as he prepares to walk out of the hospital a free man.

Lois goes to Smallville Cemetery to pay her respects to Chloe, whose headstone reads "Chloe Sullivan 1987-2004 Beloved Daughter." Lois promises to find out who did this to Chloe. She is surprised when she sees Clark behind her. Clark offers to help find out what happened to Chloe and extends an invitation for Lois to stay at the Kent farm. Lois gives him some time alone at the grave and Clark X-rays Chloe's coffin and discovers it to be empty. He announces to Lois that Chloe is still alive.

## Cast

* 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

Guest Starring* Erica Durance as Lois Lane
* Margot Kidder as Bridgette Crosby
* Dan Joffre as Hospital Receptionist
* Rekha Sharma as Dr. Harden
* Mina E. Mina as Head of Dig
* Bill Meilen as Arab Digger
* Ian Robison as Pilot
* Viv Leacock as Co-Pilot
* Alexander Kalugin as The Seer
* Helena Yea as Old Lady in Hospital

## Trivia

### Production Notes

* Lois says she would never fall for a farm boy, and that she more loves nerds with glasses. In future when working in Daily Planet Clark wears glasses. And is her boyfriend.
* The famous "no tights, no flights" rule is partially broken in this episode. When Clark, as his Kryptonian alter ego Kal-El, actually takes flight in order to retrieve the stone on board Lex's jet, at 20,000 feet.
* Allison Mack's was temporarily removed from the opening credits of Season Four in order to keep fans guessing as to whether or not Chloe died. She did not.

### Goofs

* When Lana traces the likeness of Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux, she clearly starts on the left chest area, yet the first view of Lana's work is that of the Countess' face.
* At the hospital, when Clark is looking at his reflection, the blanket on his back isn't covering his left shoulder. When he moves away, and the camera changes, the blanket fully covers both his shoulders.
* When Lana takes a shower, the steam is rising before she turns the water on.