14 Underrated Episodes Of Smallville That Deserve More Appreciation

Audiences often groan at having to sit through yet another superhero origin story, especially one that's already so embedded in pop culture that even people who've never read a comic book in their lives could describe it. The CW's "Smallville," which takes a look at the formative years of Clark Kent before he became Superman, could've fallen into the trap of repeating so many of the same story elements that we're all so familiar with. And yet, the series — which launched in 2001 and ended in 2011 — managed to wring a lot of great material out of Clark's early days and, for the most part, maintain its high quality over the course of 10 seasons.

Part of what made "Smallville" work so well was its creators' ability to fuse the teen drama that made the CW so popular with young people during the network's heyday with thrilling superheroics and action set pieces. While the series experienced some ups and downs throughout its decade-long run, every season produced at least a few classic episodes that epitomized just how great a character Superman really is. Of course, there were also plenty of episodes that, despite being largely overlooked by fans at the time, are better than we remember. So, let's take a look at a few of those, shall we?

Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan go to a party at Crater Lake for a typical high school good time. Annoying jock Sean Kelvin puts the moves on Chloe. She's not too impressed but gives him her number just so he'll leave her alone. Later on at the party, Sean falls into the frozen lake, which happens to have some kryptonite fragments in it. After seemingly dying, Sean reemerges, but with a fierce cold and the ability to freeze anyone and anything he comes into contact with. He needs warmth from the bodies of others, leading to his girlfriend Jenna's death. Next on his list: Chloe.

Sean serves as a great villain-of-the-week, and because of his powers' origins, also makes for a sort of anti-Superman. We glimpse how superhuman abilities amplify a person's character, and how they can corrupt an already-selfish person. The special effects, for the most part, hold up quite well, and do a great job of illustrating the dangers of Sean's new gifts. Additionally, we get some nice character development here: the usual teen drama when Clark finally musters the courage to ask out Lana (with some help from Lex Luthor) and welcome fleshing out of the complicated relationship between Clark's parents and Lex.

Professor Joseph Willowbrook and his graduate student assistant Jeremiah Holdsclaw arrive at the Kawatche Caves upon the request of Lionel Luthor, who wants them to identify a strange relic found there. Jeremiah smashes the object, revealing it to be a sacred blade that grants him superhuman powers comparable to Clark's, and escapes. Professor Willowbrook posits that Clark is part of an ancient prophecy associated with the blade, the same prophecy that prompts Jeremiah to believe that Lionel is his destined enemy who must be killed.

Seeing Superman (or, in this case, a young Clark) go up against villains who possess the exact same power set on screen and in the comics is often boring, as it usually devolves into a punching contest. However, the climactic Clark-Jeremiah showdown is actually stellar and puts their equal abilities to creative use. Jeremiah's a one-off villain, but Nathaniel Arcand creates an adequate antagonist. Though "Talisman" falls into the action episode category, it offers some nice developments in the characters' relationships, most notably Lex's feelings for Lana. He might be a narcissistic and manipulative jerk, but we can't help but be a little touched by his genuine desire to spend time with her.

Two police officers barge into Lex's home and warn him of a supposed bomb threat. However, Lex believes they're lying and escapes into a panic room. One of the police officers then reveals that he survived the second meteor shower that ravaged Smallville and explains that he suspects Lex knows the location of the spaceship connected with it. The other police officer kidnaps Lana and brings her to Lex's manor to coerce him into leaving his panic room. A scuffle breaks outs and Lex frees Lana, but not before one of the officers shoots him in the chest. Clark rescues Lex and takes him to a hospital. Lana is still the police officers' hostage, and with a bomb about to go off, Clark has only seconds to save her life.

The tension ratchets up to 11 in "Lockdown" and it does so scene by scene. This episode brilliantly balances complicated romance between Lex and Lana, and the escalating conflict right outside the panic room involving the manic police officers. As expected, Clark saves the day in a suitably explosive climax. But the ending is given an extra dose of dramatic weight when Lana mistakenly believes, because of Clark's superspeed, that Lex is the one who saved her life. Clark is too honorable to reveal the truth, but also realizes that he could win her heart if he told her who he really is.

Jimmy Olsen convinces Chloe to watch the classic noir film, "The Big Sleep," with him one night in the basement of the Daily Planet. However, the screening is interrupted by the sound of a gunshot and the appearance of a critically wounded Lana in the elevator. A mysterious figure then dashes away from the scene, but not before Jimmy snaps a picture of them with his phone. Before Jimmy can download the image, though, he's knocked out — only to reawaken in a black-and-white 1940s world wherein he's an ace reporter covering a murder case ... accompanied by a clumsy Clark as his trusty sidekick.

"Noir" does little to develop Season 6's overarching plot, yet it makes for an amusing diversion. The episode's creators wring a surprising amount of clever ideas out of the 1940s noir film setting, ensuring it never devolves into a cheap gag. Welling's turn as a bungling reporter version of Clark is a wonderful nod to the character's portrayal of yore, and Kreuk hams it up as a classic femme fatale. The only real problem with this episode is the wraparound plot, which feels like an afterthought compared to Jimmy's black-and-white dream, although it is fun seeing him still carry the hard-nosed detective bit when he comes to in the real world.

Missing since the battle with Zor-El, Kara's tracked down by Lois. Unfortunately, Kara can't remember anything and now works at a small restaurant. She attracts the attention of the busboy, Finley, but his affection for her soon becomes an obsession. He shoots Lex when he arrives at the diner, fearing he's there to take Kara away from him. Clark, desperate to find Lois and Kara, uses a piece of experimental LuthorCorp equipment to enter Lex's mind for answers.

Lex has pretty much gone full villain by this point in the series, but the episode's creators go to great lengths to reveal to the viewer the complex layers of his mind –- literally. We see the obvious dark and twisted sides of Lex, such as when we're shown how his love for Lana is couched in his desire to make Clark suffer. However, a small part of his goodness still resides within his psyche, desperately calling out to be genuinely loved. Despite his massive ego, all Lex cared about was hearing his father tell him that he loved him.

Much to Clark's annoyance, he and Lois spend their Valentine's Day pursuing a story. He hoped to do something romantic. Lois, however, hates the superficiality of the holiday and refuses to celebrate. But Clark is soon stricken by gemstone kryptonite, which enables him to influence people to do his bidding. When he tells Lois that he wants them to have a more old-fashioned romantic life, she ends her career as a reporter and takes on a role akin to a 1950s housewife. And when Clark informs Chloe he wants her to watch his back, she sets out to protect him from Lois.

Erica Durance amuses as the typically determined Lois, who instantly turns into June Cleaver. And Allison Mack's overly vigilant Chloe deserves praise here, too. It's a testament to how well-defined these characters are that seeing them act in a manner completely opposite to their usual portrayals brings such delight. "Persuasion" falls short of perfection only because of Zod's storyline which, while interesting, clashes too much with the more lighthearted hijinks of Clark's new brainwashing abilities. Zod's presence ups the ante, but his arc's continuation deserves its own episode.

Bernard Chisholm carries out his revenge against the Kandorian scientists who performed experiments on him by kidnapping them and coercing Lois Lane to write a story about them. Even without his powers, Zod hunts down Bernard to rescue the Kandorians but is shot, leaving it up to Clark to save the hostages. While he's too late to save Zod's life, Clark uses his own blood to revive him, which ends their animosity. The two promise to aid the Kandorians in their transition to Earth life, but Zod secretly hides the fact that Clark's blood also resurrected his powers.

Zod may be hellbent on world domination, but the deep love he has for his people elevates him above a cartoony, mustache-twirling supervillain. His decision to rescue his people, even in his depowered state, shows just how noble he truly is. A high point occurs when Clark chooses — fatefully — to save Zod. He knows the danger Zod presents and that letting him die will make the world safer, but, just like the Superman he eventually becomes, Clark never shies away from the chance to show someone a better way.