Vortex (2)

Season 2, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

Clark rescues Lana from the storm, but discovers that the spaceship is released, while Jonathan is buried alive with the unscrupulous reporter who discovered Clark's secret. Meanwhile, Lex is wracked with guilt over his critically injured father.
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Fan Episode Reviews (19)

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  • I don't buy alot of it. But it's still amazing.

    8.8
    "Great"
    By teddanson37, Jul 04, 2011 Report Abuse
    There are lots of things I just don't buy on this episode. First and foremost, Lana's ease at accepting that she just dreamed that Clark was in the tornado with her. Second is Chloe's ease at accepting "just friends" status with Clark. Third is Clark not being able to see under that trailer. And even if he could see the led, why wouldn't he just rip up the trailer and look under it? Another thing is why isn't Clark flying? He just flew up into that tornado. Not to mention the show from last season where he was hovering over his bed. I know if I thought I could fly, I'd be jumping off ladders and roofs as soon as I could find the time to. But Clark just keeps walking around. And Lex actually thought about killing his dad? I know Lex is Lex Luthor, but he isn't the villain we know just yet. I just don't buy it.
    The scenes with Jonathan and the reporter trapped in the basement reveal so much about what it would be like to have a son like Clark. Sometimes I found myself siding with the reporter over Jonathan. And then I remembered what would most likely happen to his son if the truth was leaked.moreless

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  • A great second priemier

    8.0
    "Great"
    By foggygirl, Jun 27, 2011 Report Abuse
    Clark succeeds in saving Lana from the Toronado by flying (sort of) to her rescue and Lex and Lionel demonstrate once again that they are the poster family for family dysfunction if ever there was one. This second season sets the scene for even more adventure and fun as well as the required drama that is to be expected when dealing with an angsty teenage superhero and his future arch nemesis/friend. The first episode of the second season grabbed my attention and managed to keep it for the entire 21 episodes even though not all of episodes were always the most interesting.moreless

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  • Severe storms are hitting Smallville, with Lex and Lionel injured in the mansion, Jonathan and Martha are contending with tabloid journalist Nixon, who has learned Clark's secret, and Lana is spinning inside a tornado, as Clark tries another rescue.moreless

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cxtasy, Aug 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    The spaceship, activated by the octagonal key, has flown toward the tornado - but for what purpose? Is it programmed to protect Clark? Clark enters the tornado, pummeled by debris, as Lana looks up to see him protecting her again. Is it a delusion? He covers her as the truck is ripped to pieces. Cliffhanger #1 resolved. But lightning dislodges the spaceship key, and it loses power, falling back to earth.

    Jonathan is pursuing Nixon through the woods, but the storm has lifted an entire mobile home into the sky - it drops toward them, giving Jonathan mere seconds to push Nixon into a crypt, and the trailer crashes over them in one of the better special effects scenes of the episode - as though right out of "Oz." Cliffhanger #2 resolved.

    Lex finally makes the right decision, and frees Lionel from the debris in the mansion, but he's badly injured. Clilffhanger #3 resolved.

    Clark brings Lana to the hospital; she's checked quickly and found in pretty good shape considering. Back at the farm, Clark finds Martha in the cellar, she's ok, too, but as they urgently talk about the missing Jonathan, they see the ship has disappeared.

    Lana makes a remarkable recovery, as Chloe comes to the hospital, hearing for the first time where Clark went after disappearing from the arm of Chloe at the Spring formal. Now she knows, and must see the inevitable. Clark is Lana-bound.

    Lionel is in serious condition - ruptured spleen, optic nerve damage, can't be moved from Smallville. And he saw in Lex's eyes what he was thinking...Lex knows he's right, and apologizes. Later, he admits to Clark with shame that he hesitated before helping his father, and believes Lionel will not forget this. Meanwhile, it's night, and Clark is still floundering in the barn trying to find Jonathan - who is trapped in the graveyard crypt beneath the mobile home wreckage with Nixon, who expected Jonathan to kill him. But no, there must be some other demise in store for Nixon.

    Clark and Lex head into the woods to search for Jonathan - when Lex looks up to see a Ford Taurus lodged in the trees. Lex knows it's Nixon's car, but splits up with Clark to keep it to himself.

    Jonathan and Nixon talk - "You have the most amazing being on earth and he's doing chores on a farm." He's not even human, Nixon says, insisting that Clark belongs to the world. Some truth in that - writers Gough, Millar, and Levens have come up with some excellent dialog between the two. But Clark overheard Lex trying to call Nixon, and has discovered the deception, and Lex just hates to be found out. Clark now has more reasons to mistrust Lex.

    Meanwhile, the Talon has become a tornado relief center, and Jonathan's photo is among the MIAs. And Lana questions Clark about the rescue, he claiming to have found her on the road, but she recalls Clark....well, that trails off. Clark insists on feeling guilty about bringing on this disaster involving his father.

    Nixon and Jonathan argue about Clark's powers - the offer is the videotape or an escape, so Nixon yields the video, which Jonathan destroys. They begin digging out. Lex has driven out to the farm in his Mercedes convertible, tags "LEX VII," and claims to have been protecting the Kents from Nixon, who said he had information about Clark. Clark is somewhat accepting of this explanation, so they trace cell phone calls to one tower, narrowing the search area, and soon find the trailer. As Nixon and Jonathan try to dig out, the walls collapse, burying them, while Clark, Chloe, and Pete give up the search above. Meteor rocks are in the rubble.

    Chloe proposes staying good friends with Clark, he agrees, but Chloe is trying to minimize the real effects of her disappointment - it was a test. Pete is a bit more understanding, and Ms. Mack does the best acting in the episode here, with tears on cue as her character is losing hope for a boy-girl relationship with Clark.

    Down below, Jonathan and Nixon talk more about Clark's abilities and the Kents' early plan to learn more, but decided not to have him tested when he was young. Clark tries the mobile home again, lifting the whole mess off the crypt in a pretty good special effects scene, and heads down, only to be weakened by the meteor rocks. Nixon puts more rocks in Clark's pockets and drags him out, leaving Jonathan in the crypt. As Nixon is about to kill Jonathan, a shot rings out. Lex has killed Nixon, the fate of anyone who learns too much about Clark.

    Doctors cannot agree on the treatment for Lionel, but Lex opts for surgery. First, it sounds like good news of a recovery, but as Lex visits, Lionel reveals that he has been blinded. As Lionel tells Lex it would have been better if he had let him die, Lex...backs...away.

    Jonathan and Clark realize either Lex or Nixon lied about Nixon's intentions - Clark sides with Lex - who saved Jonathan. Jonathan reluctantly thanks Lex for saving his life, and grants a handshake for a fresh start. How long will that last? Maybe part of the next episode.

    At the Torch, Chloe is tearfully deleting the photos of her with Clark at the short-lived formal, but she stops short at emptying the Mac trash. These photos will no doubt resurface in a future episode.

    Clark tells Jonathan he had experienced the feeling of flying in the tornado, willing himself to the truck to free Lana, so perhaps this power will develop this season. When Lana visits, she says things will not get back to normal in their lives. She discovered something about herself - previously thinking she was going to die young, and the tornado had finally found her. Yet Clark has always appeared to save her. He denies being in the truck, one of many secrets he must keep from her. "You can't hide out here forever," she says.

    Finally, as we look upon a field of golden corn, we learn the location of the missing spaceship. A nice ending to this episode, leaving another unanswered question for next time - who will find it, and how? "Vortex" is another well-written story, with some excellent acting, and only falling short in the special effects category with rather unrealistic tornado graphics. Worth seeing again - re-run rating B.moreless

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  • this was a really good ep

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 09, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of smallville its the continuation of the seasonal final of season 1. where the storm had happend and clarks dad had gone missing and clark had saved lana from the storm by ripping open the truck and covering her so she would be protected but cloey was really upset by clark ditching her at the dance. and lets not forget about lex and lional lex had hestitated to save his father and caused him to go blind . and clark and pete and cloye are still looking for clarks dad and cloey and clark argue and clarks says he just wantes to be friends and cloey says ok but in reality is devastated. johnathan and nixion are traped under ground and are arguing about clarks secret but are trying to figure a way out and nixion hands over the tape and has it destroyed. clark later goes back to that same area and finds his dad there and trys to help him but its loaded with metor rocks and nixen takes clark and jonthan runs after him and they fight but nixion gets shot through the chest by lex . clark also got into argument with lex over finding his dad saying he knew nixon. but lied about it. and that is the end of this ep . it was really good.moreless

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    0 0

  • Is it the powerfull wind that lifts Clark during a dramatic airborne rescue of Lana? A snoopy reporter meets a sudden end...and certain secret dies with him.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By kennedyS7, Jun 11, 2008 Report Abuse
    It is a great episode to start the season. Clark saves Lana from the tornado but is it the wind that lifts him or is he really flying. Lana remembers seeing Clark's face before she blacked out and woke up at the hospital. Lex killed "The snoopy reporter" aka Perry White and he with him died the knowledge of Clark's superhuman abilities. This episode Martha tells Lana what happened the day of the meteor shower and how martha's wish came true which made Lana feel better. Chloe tells Clark that there better of as just friend but bursts into tears afterwords.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • After Clark said "It felt like I was flying" the shot switches to his dad. Clark is visible at the far right, his lips are moving, but there is no sound. Edit
    • When Clark and Lex are out in the woods, they find Nixon's car hanging in a tree. Well, since the tree is that thin, it's just impossible that the car would hit it hard enought to hang in it without breaking and tearing it apart. Edit
    • When the TV is on in the background at the Talon, the newscaster who reports Lana's miraculous lack of injuries misprounces Lana's first name. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music: In My Place (Coldplay), Time And Time Again by Stretch Princess. Edit
    • Eric Johnson no longer appears in the opening credits. Edit
    • This episode was rerun along with "Tempest" on January 7, 2003 as a two-hour movie and presented in widescreen format. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Lionel: (to Lex) I need to say something to you. If I've acted ruthlessly, it was because I knew my opponents wouldn't hesitate to do the same. I know you've always seen us as opponents, Lex. When I needed help... you saved my life. I thank you, son. (Lex takes his hand) Listen, I know you agreed to go right ahead right way to operate. Lex: I thought it was best to take immediate action. Lionel: I would have done the same thing, and we both... would have been wrong. Edit
    • Clark: Dad's missing because of me. I brought this upon us. Martha: You can't blame yourself. You can't change who you are. As long as you live, people will try to exploit you. Your father and I have tried to shelter you as long as possible, but one day we won't be there for you. And you're gonna have to carry the burden of your gifts on your own. Edit
    • Jonathan: The first time Clark used his abilities, he'd crawled under a big oak bed that my grandfather had made, and I crawled underneath it to try to get him out. All of a sudden the frame just came up in the air. (he laughs) He... he was a toddler lifting--I don't know--500 pounds over his head. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Chloe: So you clicked your heels, said theres no place like home, and ended up in Smallville Medical Center. Alluding to the movie The Wizard of Oz released in 1939. The story started with a girl getting sucked up into a tornado, and surviving. At the end she clicks her heels three times and states "There's no place like home." Edit

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