Exodus (2)

Season 2, Episode 23, Aired
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Episode Summary

A sense of foreboding surrounds Smallville as Clark must choose between staying with Lana and his family or fulfilling his destiny to rule the Earth. Lex and Helen prepare for their marriage, and Chloe considers Lionel's offer to investigate Clark.
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Fan Episode Reviews (14)

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  • The second of a four-part series of episodes has Clark encountering Jor-El, his Kryptonian father, manifesting through the spaceship, and directing Clark to accept his destiny and set aside his relationships with loved ones.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By cxtasy, Mar 16, 2011 Report Abuse
    Written by Gough and Millar, this season-ending cliffhanger puts Clark at a crossroads - will he accept his Kryptonian destiny, or choose his own earthly existence? Clark is given one day to accept Jor-El's version of destiny, but an idyllic afternoon with Lana is his true desire. Lex admits to Helen that he has the blood sample, but his honesty costs him their relationship, and then he admits to Clark that the wedding is off because of his betrayal of Helen's trust.

    Clark slips past heightened security at the cave but is found by Lionel and they spar verbally about Clark's knowledge of the cave's meaning. As to the missing key, Lionel has created a duplicate from meteor rock. Sunset comes, and Joe-El's voice calls Clark to the spaceship, where he tries to defy Jor-El, resulting in the classic House of El symbol burned into Clark's chest. Next morning, Clark continues to pursue his own path, and tells Pete he intends to destroy the ship, but they need the new key. Pete creates a distraction in the cave while Clark speeds in and steals Lionel's key, sends Lana off to the wedding alone, then fends off an angry and spurned Chloe.

    Meanwhile, Helen returns to Lex, reaffirms that she loves him, and the wedding is back on. Clark inserts the meteor-rock-based key into the spaceship, resulting in a massive shockwave that strikes the Kent truck, putting Martha into the hospital where she loses her baby. John Schneider does some of his finest series acting in this wrenching scene. Clark is stricken by the damage he has done, and pushes Lana away.

    Chloe, suffering from Clark's rejection, cozies up to Lionel again and agrees to the investigation of Clark. Unable to face his grieving parents, and desperate with remorse, Clark goes to the Torch office and retrieves the red kryptonite ring, prepares to escape his life and family, and leaves Lana in tears...but Jor-El's foreboding voice follows him on the highway to Metropolis. Finally, Lex awakens in his honeymoon-bound bizjet to find that Helen and the crew has disappeared, and in a few seconds, he's in a high-speed impact with an unknown ocean. Re-run rating A, an essential episode for Smallville fans, one that is full of dramatic and surprising turns and defining moments.moreless

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  • this ep of smallville it was really good .

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this seaon 2 final of the smllville season clark must choose to stay on earth with his family or go forfill and his destany and become a ruler. on earth. this was a good ep . clark goes and sees the caves and learns that lexes dad linel has made a key out of a krptonigte exact replica of it. clark has a plan that if he puts it into the ship then it will be destoryed the way krptonight effects him. the wedding of lex luthor is final here and clark goes to it and his family sit at lexes table but clark does not think its a good idea to have lana at the table like he wanted to. she is having second thoughts about ther realationship. and so clark goes and steals the krptonight key and places it int othe ship and as his parents come home it expoles and cause a huge hole in the ground like a meator had just hit or a bomb went off and the truck flips over multple times with his mother and dad in it . and the plane is taking off and it coems to find out that its going down with no one in there and planes goes down. and clarks mom lost the baby and jothan is mad at what clark did and clark things they dont love him anymore so he gets on the bike and drives away. and the ep ends .moreless

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  • Jor-El Lays Down the Law

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By lenzinoH20, Apr 16, 2008 Report Abuse
    Exodus-A sense of foreboding surrounds Smallville as Clark must choose between staying with Lana and his family or fulfilling his destiny to rule the Earth. Lex and Helen prepare for their marriage, and Chloe considers Lionel's offer to investigate Clark.

    A fantastic finale that brings all the storylines and makes for a pretty gripping episode. The opening teaser truly stunning as Clark meets his father Jor-El for the first time. Terrance Stamp, who is well known for his unforgettable performance as Zod in Superman II, provides the voice of Jor-El. The actor shows how strong of a presence he puts so much soviction and hope in Jor-El's voice that most actors can't pull off in person. Clark is really put through a trial throughout the episode as Jor-El forces Clark to leave Smallville and all his friends. Tom Welling does a good job of showing Clark's fear and confusion of following his destiny.

    The special effects throughout are amazing from the effects of the ship coming to life in front of Clark during the teaser to Kryptonian mark Jor-El puts on Clark's chest to the desturction of the spaceship and the huge explosion from it's destruction. The most heartbreaking aspect of the episode is how Clark's actions affect Martha's baby. It was so sad seeing that Marth's baby died and just the sight of Johnathan not being able to look at Clark as he tries to apolozie is hard to watch as there is a rift between father and son. You can't help but feel bad for Clark especially when Lana tries to confront him at one point and Clark feels his the cause of so mcuh pain around him. It's a excellent played well by both actors as well as the scene where Clark prepares to leave for Smallville and Lana tries to stop him. Also, the use of the Red K ring was a nice touch.

    The only thing hurting the episode is Chloe yet again. The scene where Chloe verbally attacks Clark again about his relationship with Lana was probably Chloe's most unlikable moment ever! I'm just glad after season, the writers ease Chloe off her affections for Clark as she's a much, MUCH better character when she's supporting Clark. Hard to believe Chloe would become one of the best characters of the series in later seasons as she's almost unbearable here. But I love how Lionel manipulates Chloe's feelings for Clark to have him work her and investigate. It's a brilliant scene as both characters come to an agreement yet Chloe still being skeptical about her decision. I also love the cliffhanger with Lex crushing into the ocean after being left in his jet to die during his honeymoon. It leaves a sense of dread as you think Lex might not survive. A truly significant episode for the season as we left with shocking development, heartbreaking drama, and nail-bitting cliffhnager as Clark rides off to Metropolis leaving Smallville forever!moreless

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  • Great Episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Beer75, Aug 22, 2007 Report Abuse
    The will of Clark's biological father, Jor-El, informs Clark Kent he must leave Smallville. Not wanting to leave his family and friends, Clark Kent steals Lionel's copy of the spaceship key made out of refined green meteor rock and sticks it into the ship, destroying it. The blast from the explosion causes Martha to lose her baby. Grief stricken, Clark Kent decides to leave Smallville. During his honeymoon flight, Lex Luthor wakes to find the plane going down and Helen and the pilot missing. The jealous Chloe Sullivan accepts the proposal of Lionel Luthor to investigate the life of Clark Kent.moreless

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  • Clark leaves a heartbroken Lana behind in Smallville, and rides on red-k to Metropolis on a motorcycle.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By JustinLafferty, Jun 07, 2007 Report Abuse
    The 2nd season finale. I sat at the edge of my seat, and saw this amazing finale.

    The scene in the stormcellar with his birth father, is one of the best moment in this episode.

    Chloe begins a partnership with the devil-in-disguise- Lionel Luthor.

    Clark- along with Pete sets out to destroy the spaceship, but tragedy strikes the Kent family when Jonathan & Martha hurries home to Clark...

    Lex marries Dr. Helen Bryce and they fly off for their honeymoon- but something has happens. Lex was drugged. Helen & the pilot are gone and the plane is about to crash in the ocean...moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • When we see Clark driving away at the end, he seems to be going pretty slow (maybe 50-60 mph). As he is wearing the red kryptonite, shouldn't he be taking chances, like going above the speed limit? Edit
    • When Clark puts the Kryptonite octagon in the ship, he falls back because it's making him sick. When he's exposed to Kryptonite, bullets, knives, and explosions can kill him, so why doesn't the explosion from the ship kill him.? Edit
    • Helen claims that Clark's blood vial wasn't specially labelled or distinguished and Lex claims that he didn't have the blood sample analyzed... so how did his thieves know what to take and how did he know which vial to keep? Maybe Helen's lying or maybe Lex is... again. Or maybe good doctors just don't leave unmarked vials suspiciously lying around. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Music: "Strange & Beautiful" by Aqualung, "High On Sunshine" by Kelly Brock, "Take Me Away" by Lifehouse, "Weapon" by Matthew Good. Edit
    • A deleted scene on the Season 2 DVD reveals that Lionel interrupts the ceremony, so Lex and Dr. Bryce decide to elope instead. Edit
    • Besides the world domination part, most of Jor-El's speech to Clark about who he is was taken from the first Superman movie. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Jor-El: Fear not, Kal-El. Clark: Who are you? Jor-El: I am...Jor-El...your father. Clark: I thought you died! Jor-El: I am his will, his memory. I am to fullfill his promise and guide you all the days of your life. You are the last son of Krypton. When you traveled through the cosmos, you carried the hopes and dreams of your people. They now live through you, Kal-El. It is time. Edit
    • Lana: Smallville's my home. It's yours too. Clark: Not any more. Edit
    • Lex: I've always been fighting my destiny -- trying to avoid becoming my father. But we all have certain genes that no matter how much we want to change dominate us. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lionel Luthor: You two star-crossed lovers...
      Romeo and Juliet are the two lovers in the classic Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet". They were described as two star-crossed lovers and were, as Lex and Helen, destined to fail. Edit

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