Lineage

## "Lineage"Season 02, Episode 07

**"Lineage"** is the seventh episode of Season Two of The CW's *Smallville*. It was written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and the teleplay by Kenneth Biller and directed by Greg Beeman. It is the twenty-ninth episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 5, 2002.

## Synopsis

A strange woman shows up claiming to be Clark's biological mother...and that his father is Lionel. Meanwhile Lana decides to meet with the man who is her biological father.

## Recap

After the Kents have left for work and school one morning, a woman enters the empty house and looks fondly at their family pictures. The woman approaches Clark at school. Confused, he asks if they know each other and she introduces herself as Rachel Dunleavy and announces that she is his mother. Clark tells his parents about her and Jonathan and Martha go to the Talon to meet her. She insists that she gave her baby son, Lucas, to Metropolis United Charities, and since they only handled one adoption, Clark must be her son. The Kents try to dissuade her, but she is determined to have a relationship with him. Jonathan politely but firmly tells her to never bother his family again.

Rachel later tries a different approach and asks Lex Luthor to encourage Clark to get to know her. Lex is reluctant to get involved until Rachel mentions that she was a nurse for his mother and had an affair with Lionel. She says that Lionel got her pregnant and forced her to give him up for adoption, so Clark is, in fact, Lex's brother.

The next day, Clark finds out that Chloe posted some information about him on some adoption websites, to which Dunleavy responded. He is furious with her for prying into his life and she doesn't understand why he isn't even a little curious. They argue until Clark yells at her to "find her own mother" instead. Chloe begins to cry and tells him that she knows where her mother is, but her mother isn't interested in her. She also tells Clark that Lionel Luthor founded Metropolis United, as Clark angrily storms out.

Lana finds Chloe still upset. She is concerned, but Chloe doesn't offer any details about the fight. Lana shows her the picture she found, of her mother and a mysterious man, who is Henry Small, a descendant of the town's founders. Lana suspects that Henry might be her biological father and asks Chloe to help her find more information about him. Chloe agrees, but suggests that Lana simply go visit him.

Clark tells his parents that he knows Lionel was involved in his adoption and demands that they tell him the whole story. As Jonathan explains with more detail, it flashes back to 1989 when their truck flipped over with a toddler standing outside. The town was in chaos and Jonathan borrowed a truck from a victim to haul the boy and his spacecraft away. On the way, they encountered a shell-shocked Lionel, who begged them to help his son. Lex was unconscious in the cornfield and Jonathan collected him and transported them to the hospital. Lionel told Jonathan that his quick action saved Lex's life and offered his resources if there was anything he could do for him.

Jonathan's story is interrupted in the present when Sheriff Ethan arrives and informs them that Rachel Dunleavy has ordered Clark to submit to a DNA sample. After giving the sample, Clark and Pete break into the laboratory and replace it with Pete's DNA instead. He announces that the mission was a success, but is puzzled because Jonathan still seems upset. Martha explains that Jonathan is under a lot of stress from having to involve Lionel in the first place and Clark asks her why. She explains that in 1989, they suddenly had this new person and needed something to tell both the authorities and the town when they started asking questions. Lionel produced fake adoption papers that enabled them to keep Clark. Just then, Lex arrives and tells Clark about Rachel's theory. Both of them are doubtful.

Lana arrives at Henry Small's house and he is high-strung and belligerent. He tells her that he boycotts the Talon because of his disdain for the Luthors. Undeterred, Lana shows him the photograph and asks if he loved her mother. His wife Jennifer briefly interrupts them and Lana blurts that she thinks Henry is her father. He is put off, says he has a family, and asks her not to bother him again. Lana leaves in tears. Later, Lana visits Clark's loft and tells him about their disastrous meeting. He tells her a little about his and Chloe's fight and his troubles with Rachel. He urges her to try again because a chance to know her birth parent is worth the risk. Lana writes him a letter and Henry shows up at the Talon and says that he is willing to find out if he and Lana are related.

Rachel angrily storms in on Lionel, accusing him of switching the DNA samples and forcing her to give up her child. She threatens to expose him. Lionel flirts with her and offers to get her psychiatric help and she runs away. Lex is leaving the LexCorp building when she approaches him and injects him, knocking him out. He awakes strapped to a chair in Rachel's house. She calls Lionel and tells him that she will kill Lex unless Lionel calls a press conference announcing that Clark's adoption is a sham.

Clark approaches Chloe again and asks her to help him find Lex. He apologizes for their fight and Chloe forgives him. She tells him that her mother left them when she was five and her father never explained why. They find the address and Clark super-speeds away. Lionel begins his press conference, but refuses to give in to Rachel's demands. She becomes enraged and goes after Lex with an axe, but Clark appears underneath it and it shatters. Rachel realizes that Clark could not be her son and dissolves into tears.

Later, Clark asks Jonathan why he hates Lionel so much since he helped and Jonathan reveals that he and Lionel had another meeting in 1989. Lionel asked Jonathan to convince the Ross brothers to sell their creamed corn factory, and when Jonathan was reluctant, Lionel subtly told him that he should be careful with Clark's adoption papers. Jonathan blames himself for getting involved with Lionel and letting him get a hold on the community.

Lex confronts Lionel on his lack of action to save his life. Lionel tells him how Rachel showed up with a child, wanting Lionel to leave Lillian for her. He maintains that the baby died as an infant, but when Lex leaves, Lionel opens a locket containing a lock of hair and a picture of him and a smiling young boy.

## 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
* Blair Brown as Rachel Dunleavy

Co-Starring* Mitchell Kosterman as Sheriff Ethan Miller
* Malkolm Alburquenque as Young Clark Kent
* Angela Moore as DNA Doctor
* Matthew Munn as Young Lex Luthor
* Shelly Schiavoni as Jennifer Small

## Trivia

### Episode Chronology

* The flashback scenes take place in October 1989.

### Prop Notes

* Rachel Dunleavy holds the same picture of Clark that Jor-El will hold in the episode "Kandor".

## References

1. ↑ http://www.pogdesign.co.uk/cat/Smallville/Season-2/Episode-7