Tonight's Smallville Notes

In a graveyard the ghost of Jonathan Kent coaxes Clark to kill Lionel Luthor. If you guessed clever ruse devised by Brainiac, you were right. Dispatching the episode's big mystery, I was free to focus as usual on the scenes between Lois and Clark.

Emotionally smarting Clark finally admits Lana has moved on with Lex.

LOIS
Look. Sometimes you gotta tuck your feelings away until it's the right time. Like stuffing dollars into a piggy bank for a bike you can't quite afford.

CLARK
Except I can't quite imagine there is anyone else out there.

LOIS
Well, you never know, Clark. Maybe when you finally crack open that piggy bank, you'll find that all this time you haven't been saving for a bike. You've really been saving for a Harley.

CLARK
There are times when I think you don't know me at all. Then others when I think you know me better than anyone.

LOIS
Now that's what I'm here for, Smallville. One save at a time.

The way this plays, Lois could be revealing herself as much as she's consoling Clark. Lois's bicycle-motorcycle analogy is a clever metaphor for the childhood crush Clark had on Lana versus the more sophisticated relationship he'll have with Lois. Clark's response gives a hint of the chemistry between them. And the last line is a great twist on the classic scenario of Superman saving Lois.

Praise to teleplay writer Caroline Dries.