Crisis

Season 3, Episode 16, Aired
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Episode Summary

Clark receives a panicked call from Lana and hears a gunshot before the line goes dead, but when he arrives at the Talon he is stunned to discover she is alive and well. Clark realizes the phone call came from the next day and that Adam is the one who will shoot Lana.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (14)

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  • The "You're About To Die" Hotline

    8.6
    "Great"
    By lenzinoH20, Dec 28, 2010 Report Abuse
    Crisis-Clark receives a panicked call from Lana and hears a gunshot before the line goes dead, but when he arrives at the Talon he is stunned to discover she is alive and well. Clark realizes the phone call came from the next day and that Adam is the one who will shoot Lana.

    A fast-paced episode that sees the conclusion of Adam's storyline and sees the writers changing the way Smallville usually structures it episode. The concept of phone call from the future is not that original, but the writers manage to creat a solid episode out of it. While Lana is the damsel in distress again, the episode actually does well by creating actually suspense, which Smallville rarely does half the time. I love how the darkness of the episode and the reason behind Lana's call from the future is never explained until the last minutes as it builds actually builds tension for the episode. The opening teaser Ian Somerhalder convinces throughout as Adam grows more pyschotic and restless. But the same time you feel bad for him as his second life was forced on him. The episode develops well as the pieces of the phone call come trut like the storm, the baseball game, the cell phone, etc. Everything builds to a very intense climax as Clark gets to Lana literally at the last second to save her once again. The special effects as Clark jumps behind Lana to stop the bullet was beyond stunning. The only problem is that Lana never wonders how Clark got all the way across town to save her...during a thunderstorm...in just 2 seconds! But it's a satisfying conclusion, especially Adam's death which is slightly sad, but fitting end to the character. It's also a great development how Lionel uses the massacre at the lab to get Lex arrested, but the FBI saves him at the end. The team-up between Lex and the FBI makes for another interesting little storyline as we are getting back to finding out the truth about Lionel's past with his parents. All and All, a great episode with some good thrills, suspense, and developmets.moreless

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  • this was a good ep

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the show smallville clark gets a frantic phone call from lana but before he anwsers it goes dead after hearing a gun shot thing is he does not know how he got the call so he investgates and he got it from the future and its adam who is going to shoot her . and he must figure out were and when its going to happen today. and linel and lex are battling over the fate of the lab that has alot of info in . this was a goood ep i thougt and it was really good .moreless

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  • Good but stupid episode

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By xArsenal92x, Mar 05, 2009 Report Abuse
    To be honest i liked this episode but the fact that Clark went around looking for Adam and everyone else seemed to leave Lana was stupid, If Clark would have just stayed with Lana everything would of been fine he could have sorted out Adam without any of the worrying.

    All that was left at the kent farm to protect Lana was Mr Kent with his gun and to be honest it isnt a hard obsticle to bypass considering his condition and the fact that Clark got to Lana in a split second kinda annoyed me because in different episodes his superspeed seems to differ in how fast he is actually goingmoreless

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  • A frantic time-shifted call from Lana to Clark warns she is to be pursued by Adam, then a shot rings out. Clark, Chloe, and Lana put all they have into solving this mystery, while Lionel and Lex battle over the fate of the lab and its staff.moreless

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cxtasy, Nov 17, 2008 Report Abuse
    When Clark picks up a crisis hot line at the Youth Center, he hears Lana, whom we then see frantically running from a man armed with a rifle - Lana is shot in the back. Is this the end? Clark speeds to the Talon, but Lana and Chloe are there together...what did he hear? A hoax? Later they listen to a recording of the call in the presence of Sheriff Nancy, but there are no answers. This story setup comes fast, but that's ok, the story keeps up that pace.

    Chloe tries modifying the recording, but Clark's super hearing is even better at analyzing the waveform, and they hear a man's voice. And another sound - a basketball game, which has not even been played. In an all-to-easy conclusion, they decide the call was from the future. Well, of course, after all, it's Smallville.

    Lex shows Lionel a vial of an experimental medication, which he discovered last week in "Resurrection," saying he knows about the lab at Metron, but of course, Lionel denies knowing the details. Lex pursues the question - he wants to be a partner in the scheme, he wants to be in charge. Lionel is skeptical.

    Back in the shadowy lab, Dr. Teng is met by Lionel, who's canceling the project. He wants the lab moved elsewhere, threatening her with deportation. Dr. Teng gives Adam one more chance at survival, injecting him with the serum. His deterioration instantly is relieved, but with the lab shutting down, Adam is doomed. Twelve hours to live. This story line bears some resemblance to "Blade Runner," with Adam playing the latter-day replicant.

    Clark discusses the time shift theory with Lex, asking his help to find Adam - and Clark knows he was at the lab and met Dr. Teng. Lex has to yield on this one, due to the threat to Lana. He says Adam cannot survive or leave the lab, but Clark insists, and Lex takes Clark to the lab. The entire staff has been murdered, including Dr. Teng, and Experiment #1, Adam, is gone. Things have gotten out of hand for the Luthors again.

    Lex later accuses Lionel of the debacle, but Lionel denies knowledge of the murders. Lex has covered it up (no, he hasn't) and now Lionel offers Lex the project. Nice time to come on board, but Lex declines the promotion. Back to you, Dad.

    Clark tells Lana about Adams's escape, and Chloe has traced the futurecall that Lana will make...tomorrow. Lana is justifiably worried. At the hospital, Clark meets the woman who owned the cell phone Chloe traced...he says her phone is going to be used in a crime - so she admits she loaned her phone to her husband, whom we next see on the side of the road, when he is suddenly mugged by a creepy-looking Adam. Clark speeds to the scene, but Adam escapes.

    Now a storm brews, and Lana has taken refuge at the Kent farm, but things area happening anyway. The storm, the phone. Jonathan breaks out the family rifle. Lex and Clark are trying to track Adam too, and they discern he is searching for the rest of the serum. An unnecessarily arrogant police officer enters the mansion with a warrant, and with questions for Clark about the lab murders.

    At the Torch office, Adam surprises Chloe, she remains pretty calm, until Adam sees the Kent's truck that Chloe is using. The terror grows as he forces her to the Kent farm. Jonathan goes out to Chloe, who yells a warning, but Adam clubs Jonathan and roughs up Choe. Tough stunts in the rain for our regular cast, but we have to admire the Smallville crew for going to this much effort for a good scene. Adam threatens to kill Jonathan, and Lana has to come out, and become his prisoner.

    Lex realizes he's being set up to take the fall for the murders. Of course Clark is released in time to speed to the Youth Center to take the futurecall. Adam has taken Lana to the storage unit where she stashed his stuff. He frantically looks for the serum; finding none, he's in a rage. Now the forseen events play out as he pursues her through the building, and Ms. Kreuk does a pretty fine job of fighting back, even as she exhibits terror.

    Clark arrives home to find things have gone bad to worse, and he knows they're looking for the serum. Clark takes Lana's call again, as Adam shoots. In some pretty cool super slo-mo of the bullet speeding through stationary raindrops, Clark speeds to the storage area and stops the bullet with his own body. Adam saw this save, but he's dying. and warns Clark about Lionel with his last breath. The cast has been shown many times out in the rain without adequate protective clothing, but in this case it works well - adding to the desperate situation resolved by Clark's ingenuity and determination.

    As the police arrest Lex, the FBI appears, and takes over the case. Lex wants to make a deal - immunity in exchange for the goods on his own father. Deal? Meanwhile, Lionel has a new lab director on board, and wants the "Resurrection" lab back up and running in a week. He claims to have been diagnosed with a liver disease.

    Lana looks quite like wow really sharp in green, with matching eye shadow and earrings. She probes Clark again - how did he get from the Youth Center to the storage unit in a few seconds? He lamely suggests it was maybe the time anomaly. In turn, he asks why she called the hot line rather than the police. She answers - because she knew he'd be there, so not too many questions from the police. She was terrified, he was too, so is it time to stop being so afraid?

    Now back to Lionel, looking very disheveled in his office, listening to opera. What now? Is that his terminal diagnosis for hepatic disease? A gun. Will he take his own life? Nice cliffhanger, good for at least a week to see how this turns out.

    "Crisis" is a pretty darn good episode, fast-paced, offering some fun strife between Lex and Lionel, and finally resolving the Adam-Lana romance - it's over. Nice job by everyone, lighting, special effects, action sequences, and general scariness. Re-run rating B.moreless

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  • Lana's phone has great coverage!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By MovieMark, Jul 04, 2008 Report Abuse
    Once again, season three delivers with an episode that's on the one hand self-contained, waving adieu to a mini-arc, and yet teasingly hints at the ongoing struggles of the Luthors, a fascinating conceit that's one of the main strongpoint's to the hour. And there are many take the pre-title teaser for instance, it's ambitious and shocking, a knock-out combo that really leaves you in a state of awe during the credit sequence, even if you knew that Lana was alright (as shown). There are also a few unusually violent scenes for this show with Adam's escape. I was glad to see his return, as his previous farewell proved to be rather disappointing, so it was good to see him get a crazed send-off like every good 'ol fashion bad guy should. While the ending was fairly obvious, how the episode got to it proved to be interesting. More like this, please.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • On Lionel's medical report at the end, it says "Unspecified Hepatic Disease Affecting the Liver. Prognosis: Terminal." "Affecting the Liver" is redundant here, as "Hepatic Disease" means liver disease. It seems unlikely that a medical report would phrase the diagnosis like this. It should either be Unspecified Hepatic Disease or Unspecified Disease Affecting the Liver, not both. Edit
    • Apparently after Principal Kwan was killed his license plates were taken over by the Speedy Heat & Air company. Edit
    • When fighting with Lana in "Delete," Chloe took roundhouse kicks to the head and fell down two flights of stairs, but she could still fight back. Here, simply being pulled from the truck's cab is enough to knock her unconscious for several minutes. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Deleted Scene: Lionel is looking at his medical reports in his briefcase and on his computer just before his suicide attempt. Edit
    • This episode was nominated for a 2005 VES Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program. Edit
    • The piece of music playing during the final scene with Lionel is Je Crois Entendre Encore ("I Believe I Hear Still") from the "Pearl Fishers Overture" by Bizet/Caillet. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Sheriff Adams: If I had the answer to half the "whys" in this town, I'd have a best seller on my hands. Edit
    • Lana: Clark, there's still something I don't understand. How did you get from the hotline to the storage unit in a split second? Clark: It took me more than a few seconds . . . (Lana looks skeptical) Maybe it had something to do with the weird time anomaly. Edit
    • Clark: You know, there's something that I don't understand, either. Why did you call the hotline instead of the police? Lana: Because I knew you'd be there. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Clark: I guess I missed too many Linkin Park concerts. Linkin Park is a nu metal/rapcore band whose hits include "Crawling" and "In the End". Edit
    • Lex: You're secretly developing a serum that has a certain Lazarus effect on the dearly departed. The quote alludes to a scripture in the Bible at John 11:1-45, where Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, died and was raised by Jesus. It may also be referencing Ras Al G'hul, a Batman villain that used the Lazarus Pit to maintain his immortality. Edit

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