Phoenix (2)

Season 3, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

Clark gives up the ring and its effects rather than kill his father, and both he and the rescued Lex return to Smallville. Clark must deal with crime lord Morgan Edge, who has followed him to Smallville, while Lex must determine who tried to have him killed - Lionel or Helen.moreless
9.4
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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Fan Episode Reviews (14)

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  • this was a good ep of smallville

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    clarks dad brings him back to smallville and lex returns to find his wife enjoying the mansion and everything after he suposivly died and learns about the fake story she told everyone but after clark comes home his dad collopes and clark tells martha his mom that jer rel powers overwelmed his body. and lex tells his wife we should go on a real honey moon and they go up in the plane and she final admits what she did and the plane goes down with her in it . and morgan edge is back in smallville to find out were clark lives and he shows up and clark gets really angrey .about that and problems start to happen with him. this was a good ep i thought.moreless

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  • Phoenix is the fourth episode in a climactic series about Clark's attempt to reject his Kryptonian destiny, with Johathan taking on super-powers under a pact with Jor-El in order to rescue Clark from his foray in Metropolis.moreless

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By cxtasy, Sep 04, 2008 Report Abuse
    In a tumultuous battle between Jonathan and Clark, the red kryptonite ring is destroyed, returning Clark to his normal state. Lex is rescued after his aborted honeymoon trip and subsequent plane crash, and returns to Lionel's office in murderous rage, based on his belief that Lionel was behind the accident, but Lionel casts the suspicion on Helen. A leaner and meaner Clark has stolen the blood sample back from Lionel at the behest of crimelord Morgan Edge (Rutger Hauer), and Jonathan destroys it.

    Clark apologizes to Lana for his conduct in Metropolis, but Lana struggles to understand and accept his actions - a scene played with great sensitivity by Kristin Kreuk. Lex rejoins Helen, who presents Lex with yet another story of the plane crash, claiming that her instinct for self-preservation caused her to abandon Lex to his fate, a tension-building scene as we still don't see whether Helen is deceiving Lex or not. Clark and Lex enjoy a reunion, giving us more insight on Lex and his three months of being marooned at sea, confronting his personal demons.

    While Lana remains angry that Chloe hid Clark's location in Metropolis, she begins to accept Chloe's apology - with Chloe getting the clever line, "Let's face it, Clark has more issues than Rolling Stone." Edge traps the Kents, forcing Clark to give him a blood sample, which Edge brings to Lionel at the docks, while his thugs disable Clark with kryptonite just as Lana arrives and puts her thug down with a well-placed kick into a pitchfork. If we dwelled on these details, we'd wonder why Lana wasn't brought up on manslaughter charges - but we must accept these leaps of illogic for the sake of the larger story.

    As Clark is brought to the dock, Lionel is on the verge of discovering that he is the source of the blood, but Clark escapes detection through a truck explosion, and Edge takes a header into the bay in the ensuing gun battle with Lionel's guards. Is he dead?

    On a second-chance honeymoon flight, Lex confronts Helen with his version of the first flight - she pulls a gun, the pilot is shot, and somehow Lex manages to fly a business jet to a safe landing - how did he get to be a qualified pilot? And how did Helen disappear from the plane? Is she dead? Glossing over these details, the script has Lex accepting Lionel's offer to join him in managing Luthercorp, and even buying the Kent farm at auction and putting the Kents back in ownership, whereupon Clark pushes Lana away one more time.

    Four episodes of numerous plots and subplots, fine acting, and excellent screenwriting, raising Smallville from a routine series of stand-alone stories to a higher level of legend-building, destiny and speculation about the possibilities of redemption. Essential viewing, and the four episodes together, "Calling," "Exodus," "Exile," and "Phoenix" get a re-run rating of A.moreless

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  • Rising From The Ashes

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By lenzinoH20, Apr 16, 2008 Report Abuse
    Phoenix-Clark gives up the ring and its effects rather than kill his father, and both he and the rescued Lex return to Smallville. Clark must deal with crime lord Morgan Edge, who has followed him to Smallville, while Lex must determine who tried to have him killed - Lionel or Helen.

    After an thrilling season opener, "Phoenix" continues to momentum and makes for another exceptional episode. The episode picks up exactly from the premiere as Clark and Jonathan are fighting to the death. It's a breif but intense fight and I loved how Jonathan's line, "If I raised a son that could kill, than kill!" and that Clark breaks the Red K ring right after. It was also a perfect move on the writers part to continue the Morgan Edge storyline as he continues to impress as a villian. It's was also genius to have Edge and Lionel have history as well as being both partners in crime. Both John Glover and Rutger Hauer command the screen in their scenes together. I also love the development of Clark stealing his own blood sample from Lionel and the mystery of why Lionel could want it in the first place. Lex's storyline is also solid as he returns angry and paranoid as he returns to Smallville. Micheal Rosenbaum is great throughout as Lex first blames his father for trying to kill him but the scene where he confronts Helen on the plane in wonderfully played. I just wish we knew what happened to Helen after this episode as she neever reutrns or is pronounced dead. There are some other great scenes like Clark cuting his arm to give Morgan Edge his blood, Clark causes the truck explosion to Morgan Edge being shot down by Lionel's henchmen. All and All, "Phoenix" is a tremendous follow-up to the season premiere with amazing development, storylines and acting, not to mention, a great title.moreless

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  • Great Episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Beer75, Aug 22, 2007 Report Abuse
    Jor-El grants Jonathan temporary superpowers, and he and Clark engage in a destructive battle below the LuthorCorp building. Clark, unable to kill his father, destroys the red kryptonite. Lex returns home to the shock of Helen. He quickly learns that Helen attempted to kill him, and takes measures to ensure that doesn't happen again. Morgan Edge finds Clark and kidnaps him in an effort to make amends to Lionel. Clark Kent spent practically all the episodes trying to reach the heart of Lana Lang. When she is absolutely fallen for him. Jonathan Kent's attitude towards Lex has always been of arrogance, scorn and disdain. But he easily accepts that Lex buys his farm in the auction and puts it back on his name.moreless

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  • The Return Of Clark... and Lex.

    8.3
    "Great"
    By tvfan332, Apr 28, 2007 Report Abuse
    A set back from the season premiere "Exile", but the second part of the episode was still pretty good.

    This episode was pretty slow to start, but when the hostage situation took place it got really awesome, but as I said the first part was kinda slow, after the Clark and Jonathan fightscene of course. Clark's return to Smallville was obviously going to happen, and it was handled pretty well, as was Lex's return from the Island he was on, but still, some of the scenes dragged a little, I did love Lex's reunion with Lionel, and his scenes with Helen were also pretty interesting.

    When the hostage situation took place, "Phoenix" got really great, and Clark giving his blood to Morgan Edge using the kryptonite was interesting, and lead to Morgan trying to reveal Clark to Lionel, though Clark blows up the truck he was being brough in, and Lionel thought Morgan set him up. I also loved that Lana wasn't the damsel in distress in this episode, as she basically saved the Kents from Morgan Edge's employess, and killed one accidentally.

    This was a great episode, not as entertaining as the first part, but still a good enough episode, this season has gotten of to an excellent start.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In the scenes after Lex returned to Smallville, the bruise around the corner of his mouth are not always the same size. In some shots, the bruise was very obvious, in others, it wasn't. Edit
    • From the time Jonathan and Clark fly out of the window, to the time they crash, Jonathan manages to grow quite a bit of stubble on his face. Edit
    • During the flashback, when the pilot opens the plane door, there is no evident change in pressure. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • On the DVD, the end credit music from seasons one and two plays at the end of this episode, not the new end credit music introduced in "Exile (1)." Edit
    • Final appearance of Emmanuelle Vaugier as Dr. Helen Bryce. Edit
    • Dr. Lia Teng appears in Lionel Luthor's limo, but the actress is uncredited. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Lex: If my father had wanted me dead, he would not have failed. Edit
    • Chloe: Let's face it, Lana – Clark has more issues then Rolling Stone. Edit
    • Clark: I thought you died. Lex: I guess Fate has bigger plans for me. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lex I have no doubt that I'll rise from the ashes again. In mythology, the phoenix is a magical bird that dies and then rises from its own ashes. Symbolic of renewal and rebirth, it refers to both Clark and Lex returning to Smallville. A phoenix, named Suzaku, is also the gaurdian of the western gate of Japan. Edit

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