Metamorphosis

## "Metamorphosis"Season 01, Episode 02

"*Chloe, I could never outgrow you– other than vertically.*"
—Clark Kent to Chloe Sullivan

**"Metamorphosis"** is the second episode of Season One of The CW's *Smallville*. It was written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and directed by Michael Watkins & Philip Sgriccia. It is the second episode of the series overall, and premeried on October 23, 2001.

## Synopsis

A bug-loving teen is infused with superpowers after a bizarre accident, and the boy sets out to steal Lana’s heart and dispose of her current boyfriend, an intimidating jock who warns the “bug boy” to stay away from Lana. Meanwhile, Lex asks the Kents to cater a party he is throwing.

## Recap

This episode follows immediately after the first. Lana goes into her house and discovers a gift. When she opens the box, butterflies fill the room. Her reaction is videotaped by a boy in a tree outside. He returns to his house to find that his mother has discovered his stash of such videos. They fight. The boy is Greg Arkin, whose obsession with bugs and Lana has grown since his father left. Fearing his mother is going to send him away to military school, Greg gathers his insect collection to free them. The insects all have kryptonite in the cages with them and escape in the car. They swarm around a screaming Greg who crashes his car. His mother later discovers his room has been cleared out but does not notice Greg clinging to the walls by the ceiling.

Clark has a dream where he is flying, and he ends up in Lana's bedroom. Lana awakens and tells him "It's all your fault." When he wakes up, the flying wasn't a dream. He crashes into his bed. At the Farmer's Market, a changed Greg (whose glasses, bad hair and zits are gone) maneuvers a study "date" out of Lana before being warned off by Whitney. Lex notices Clark's interest in Lana when he approaches Clark to find out about the Scarecrow incident. Clark shrugs off the incident and claims he simply wants to forget the whole episode.

As Whitney is driving home, Greg attacks his truck. The truck lips and crashes as the Kents drive up. Greg sees them coming and leaves. Clark removes Whitney from the truck just before the pair are engulfed in flames. The Kents are amazed when the two are unscathed by the fire. Clark later tells his father about floating that morning and how uneasy the changes are making him.

Lex goes to Lana's stables to assess her feelings for Clark. She reveals that she's met Lex before: When she was 10 she went to Metropolis for a riding competition. While a guest at the Luthor's she caught Lex skinny dipping with a girl. Lex is obviously disconcerted. He notices a picture of Lana wearing the necklace he found in the field with Clark. He rapidly figures out that Whitney - "the guy Kent saved today?!" - was the one to tie Clark up in the field. He drops hints about the incident to Lana and leaves.

Greg's mother returns home from the store to find the temperature in the house over 100 degrees. She finds a very disturbed Greg in who announces he is evolving. He then sprays his mother with a web, killing her for food, and then he will molt and mate.

Clark delivers produce to Luthor mansion and discovers a replica of the battle of Troy. Lex says it was a strategy lesson from his father when he was 9.

Lex reveals that he has Lana's necklace and gives it to Clark to return to Lana. That way, Whitney will be in trouble with Lana and Clark will be in her good graces. Clark is much more interested in the lead box the necklace has been stored it. It is obviously blocking the effects of the Kryptonite from him.

Lana has put the pieces together and confronts Whitney about tying up Clark and losing her necklace. Obviously upset, she leaves him to be confronted by Greg. She had forgotten their study date. Eager to find Clark, she puts off Greg - who is now upset with Clark.

Clark meanwhile is experimenting with the Kryptonite and the lead box trying to make sense of his reaction to the stone.

Lana arrives in the loft (which Jonathan made for Clark as his "Fortress of Solitude") and the two talk about what Whitney did. Lana confesses how confused she is and mentions the necklace. Clark questions her about the necklace and discovers it came from the meteor shower. He doesn't return the necklace to her.

Later that night, Greg attacks Clark and Jonathan while the Kents are fixing equipment. Greg runs off when Clark recognizes him. Clark tells Jonathan about the Wall of Weird and all the things the meteor has caused.

Feeling responsible for Greg, Clark goes to Chloe and asks if Greg still works for the paper. When she says no, Clark begins to leave prompting Chloe to remark how he is distancing himself lately. Clark tells Chloe about Greg's attack and the pair piece together what is happening to him. They gather Pete Ross and go to Greg's house, finding the remains of Greg's mother and the videos of Lana.

Clark races to find Lana. Whitney and Lana meanwhile are confronted by Greg at Lana's horse stable. Greg hurls Whitney to the side and kidnaps Lana. When Clark arrives, he and Whitney put aside their differences to help Lana. Whitney drives to the treehouse Clark remembers Greg having and Clark runs through the fields at high speed.

Clark arrives at the tree house and finds Lana cocooned. Greg is also there and the two fight. The battle quickly leaves the tree house and enters a foundry - deserted since the meteor shower and covered in Kryptonite.

Clark is on the ropes until he discovers a lead lined cauldron. An accident then occurs which squashes Greg. A swarm of insects come out from under where Greg would have been.

Clark races back to the treehouse in time to see Whitney arrive and "rescue" Lana. Later that night he returns leaves the necklace outside Lana's door - leaving her free to feel how she wants. Lana most likely assumes the necklace was found by Whitney, so again the jock gets the girl.

## Cast

* Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
* Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
* Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman
* Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
* Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
* Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
* John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
* Gabrielle Rose as Mrs. Arkin

## Trivia

### Production Notes

* This episode has occasionally been stitched up with the pilot to form a feature-length episode. This has led to some people noticing a continuity error in the length of Tom Welling's hair as the actor had about five inches cut off in between the two episodes. Welling had to wear hair extensions for most of his close-ups.
* Clark tells Lana that his father refers to Clark's area in the barn as his "Fortress of Solitude."
* The WB placed a full season order after this episode aired over their initial ordering of 13 episodes.
* This episode takes place in October 2001.

### Prop Notes

* The substance that the bug boy pulls off in the shower is not real skin but ham.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.smallvilleph.com/2001/10/metamorphosis/