For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.
Plot
Clark is left struggling to find a way to make Natalie see him as something other than a threat, when it becomes clear John Henry is still suffering mental trauma from the fight with Bizarro. Meanwhile, Lois and Sam search for Lucy as Ally Allston moves forward with her plans for ascension and Jonathan confronts the consequences of his actions.
Influences
Crisis on Infinite Earths (the opening sequence and flashbacks involving how Natalie got to Earth-Prime) and Poltergeist (the crossing into Bizarro world sequence.)
Performances
Jordan Elsass has the hardest job in this episode, making Jonathan sympathetic and noble despite some patently stupid decisions. The fact that he's successful is a credit to his talent.
Artistry
The scenes with Jordan fighting to save Jonathan are fantastic, being cinematic while also evoking feelings of the old Smallville series.
Super Trivia
The opening sequence of this episode seems to confirm that John Henry's battle with the evil Superman of his Earth took place during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The AI in Natalie's escape pod is named Hedy. Presumably this is in honor of Hedy Lamarr, who invented frequency hopping, which lay the groundwork for modern portable phones.
Technobabble
Hedy detects a temporal anomaly moving through our galaxy, which is compromising the integrity of our dimension.
According to John Henry's doctor, confusion is normal with his type of brain trauma and temporary. He agrees to order a new wave of tests to check for infection or nerve or blood vessel damage at Natalie's urging.
Thanks to John Henry's actions, the Department of Defense can track the Bizarro pendant using its unique heat signature.
Superman cannot see into the lead-lined Shuster Mines, but he can hear Chrissy Beppo's cries for help just fine.
Dialogue Triumphs
Clark: Natalie blames me for what happened.
Lois: Don't beat yourself up, Clark. You heard the doctor. John Henry's memory issue is temporary.
Clark: Yeah, but she's not wrong. He got hurt saving me.
Lois: She'll come around. They both need time to heal.
Clark: Ugh, I don't want to do this right now.
Lois: Neither do I, but we have to know what Jon knows about those drugs, Clark, or he is never getting back into that school.
Clark: Rochambeau?
(The two play rock-paper-scissors. Lois wins. Clark winces. Lois smirks.)
Jordan: I'm meeting up with Sarah and Aubrey.
Jonathan: No way. Like, the girl that kissed Sarah, Aubrey? Why? Why would you do that?
Jordan: Mostly 'cause of you.
Jonathan: What?
Jordan: (sighs) When Sarah asked me, I said yes, 'cause I was distracted by some townie yelling at Candice about money for X-K inhalers.
Jonathan: So you're gonna use your powers to rat me out to Mom and Dad now?
Jordan: No, man. I'm just trying to understand. You're doing all this for her? She's a drug dealer, Jon.
Jonathan: Jordan, she's doing it to help out her dad because he's broke, okay? It's just the two of them, and if they get kicked out, they'll literally have nowhere to go.
Jordan: And you care about her that much?
Jonathan: What, like you're the only one that can do something sketch to help their girlfriend?
Jordan: I guess you're right, but going on the most awkward date ever isn't exactly on the same level as, you know, breaking the law.
Jonathan: Hm...mm, yeah, you're right. Yours is way worse.
Kyle: So what would you say to people wondering how you'll keep scandal out of Smallville when you can't even keep it out of your own home?
Lana: I'd say that my personal life is none of their business.
Kyle: Well, that's not really an answer, Lana.
Lana: It's not really a question. It's a judgment from jerks with a question mark at the end. The moderator is Dean's hunting buddy.
Kyle: Right, so judgment is pretty much the only dish she's gonna be serving. So again, how are you gonna keep scandal--
Lana: I never brought scandal into our house! You did! But because I'm a woman, this is now a commentary on me. And that's not fair, and it's all because of your stupid mistake!
(There is a pregnant pause.)
Kyle: You're right.
Lana: I know. I know, okay? It doesn't make it okay to emotionally barf all over this room.
Kyle: Well, hey, look. Maybe you just needed to get that out of your system. Just take a breath, and, um, back to the question.
Lana: (sighs) Back to the question. Right. Okay. Unpredictable things happen in life. We all know that. The real question is how you respond to it in the face of a crisis. Is it with honesty and integrity? Because it's what I've tried to do in my personal life and what I promise to do as mayor of Smallville. I will never waver when it comes to trying to do what's right for my family and for this town.
(There is another pause. Kyle smiles.)
Kyle: Now, that's an answer right there.
Continuity
The opening sequence is said to take place one year ago
As John Henry goes to face Superman, Natalie detects a temporal anomaly that is destroying reality. She gets into her escape pod to try and warn her father, who won't be able to pick up her broadcasts once he leaves orbit.
In the present, Natalie helps John Henry with shaving his head and notes he might get a scar on his scalp. He jokes that it will match the one on his face.
When Lois and Clark come into John Henry's hospital room, he is momentarily confused and thinks Lois is his wife.
Clark tries to comfort Natalie, but she refuses to listen to his assurances that her father will be okay.
Kyle picks up Sophie and Sarah and takes them out for breakfast before school.
Kyle offers to help Lana with her debate prep, but she turns him down.
Jonathan finds out that lots of parents called the Kents and told them they didn't want their son anywhere near their children.
Clark also tells Jonathan that the principal decided to cancel the entire football season and all of the team's wins had to be forfeited, since Jonathan refuses to tell anyone who was selling the X-Kryptonite and the sheriff is stone-walled on finding out which team members might have been using it.
Jonathan will be allowed to take classes on-line so that he won't miss a grade.
Jonathan has also been set up with a job at Brit & Dunn's general store and is forbidden from being anyplace else but work or home.
Jordan once again asks Jonathan who he is protect, but Jonathan refuses to speak.
Anderson speaks to the Bizarro World Ally Allston and tells her that they have both pendants on Earth-Prime. She gives him a message to give to her other self.
The message Anderson gives to Ally Allston is "Come here now."
Chrissy gets a call from Ally inviting her to cover something big. She calls Lois to tell her she's going in a van being sent by Ally's organization.
The people in the van are wearing strange outfits that resemble Hazmat Suits or Space Suits.
Sarah says it has been one week since her quinceañera in 205.
Sarah still hasn't forgiven her father, but he says he is trying to be there for her, which she appreciates.
Sarah tells Jordan about her meeting with Audrey in 207 and suggests they all hang out together. Jordan is uncomfortable with the idea, but agrees quickly after overhearing an argument between Jonathan's girlfriend, Candice, and a strange older man trying to get into the school.
Jordan overhears the argument with his super-hearing and that the man is asking Candice for money.
Jordan intervenes, but the man says Candice had better have his money by tonight.
Sam Lane is temporarily out of retirement and back on active duty, leading the manhunt for Anderson.
Superman is back in the good graces of the Department of Defense and got a formal apology from General Hardcastle.
Sam Lane discovers that the pendant had been stolen from where it should have been when Anderson went AWOL.
Ally and her followers take Chrissy to the Shuster Mines.
Lucy sends a text to Lois and Sam that sounds like a good-bye, saying she is tired of feeling incomplete.
Sam has the ability to track Lucy's phone. He does so while Clark checks her home.
Ally reveals that there is a portal to what she calls the Inverse World in the Shuster Mines and that Kit Falkner found it before her death.
Ally and her followers start going into the portal, but most of them scream before they disappear.
Anderson takes Yellow Mist before snatching the pendants from Ally Allston and vanishing.
Superman stops Ally, Chrissy and one man from entering the portal before it vanishes.
4 of Ally's followers, including Anderson, apparently went across. Lucy Lane is presumed to be one of the other four.
Clark forgets to pick up John Henry and Natalie at the hospital because of the crisis at the mines. John Henry forgives him, but Natalie tells him off.
Lois goes to the Department of Defense with Sam to watch Ally Allston be questioned.
Natalie was put into hibernation for six months while she was trapped between worlds.
Jordan figures out that Claudia was the X-Kryptonite dealer Jonathan was trying to protect.
Jordan agrees to keep Jonathan's secret after learning he was trying to protect Candice, who he loves.
Lana asks Kyle for help with the debate after Emily bails on her.
Kyle tells Lana they have to prepare for Dean to attack her on Family Values because that's his most likely point of attack because she can't be touched on actual policy.
Sam tries to grill Ally, but she turns the tables on him and says she knows he has a hole in him from when his wife left him.
Lois tries to question Ally, but she refuses to speak to her without a lawyer present.
Sam blames himself for Lucy's death and tells Lois she was right about Ally all along.
Clark talks with John Henry about Natalie. He suggests he put in some time with her to prove he isn't the monster who killed her mother.
Clark hears someone in Lucy's apartment. He goes there and finds Lois, desperately looking for some proof Lucy is hiding somewhere.
Candice meets with Jonathan at his work. She identifies the man who was bugging her about money as Mickey.
Candice says she is staying with her friend Kim. Jonathan offers to walk her home.
Jonathan's boss is Mr. Olowe.
Candice tells Jonathan that she loves him because he makes her laugh even when things are bad.
Mickey and several of his friends follow Jonathan and Candice.
Mickey uses X-Kryptonite and throws Jonathan when he tries to defend her.
Jordan overhears the fight before going to the diner to meet Sarah and Aubrey.
Jordan helps to drive off Mickey and his friends.
Clark finds Natalie and John Henry a place to rent that isn't the Kent barn. It is revealed to have an old machine shop.
Jordan skips out on meeting with Sarah and Aubrey, due to his knuckles being bloody and him being bruised in a way that can't be easily explained.
Lucy shows up at the Kent house. She says that Lois' warnings finally got to her and she bailed on Ally and her followers as they were going to the mines.
Sam takes Lucy back to her place.
Lucy comments that Sam has loosened up, and that the old Sam Lane would never go to brunch or wear Hawaiian shirts.
Kyle asks Lana if she'll ever forgive him but she doesn't answer as she realizes she's late in picking up Shopie.
Kyle says he has his own place now and isn't living at the firehouse anymore.
Jonathan tells Clark and Lois that he walked Candice home. Clark tells him that from now on he is to be at work or home or moving between them with on exceptions.
Lois says she thinks that was kind of harsh given Jonathan was walking his girlfriend home at night.
Jonathan thanks Jordan for saving him.
Jordan asks Jonathan why he couldn't just tell him he was trying to protect Candice. Jonathan said he thought Jordan had enough on his plate without being his secret-keeper too.
Lucy drugs Sam and takes his work ID, revealing that she was left behind as the fail-safe in case something happened to keep Ally from going into the Inverse-World.
Location
John Henry and Natalie Irons' unnamed Earth, One Year Ago.
Bizarro World
Untelevised Adventures
This episode marks the first time Jordan has used super-speed. Given how good a handle he has on it, this suggests he has been practicing that ability off-camera for some time.
The Bottom Line
Another amazing episode, where all the subplots are firing on eight cylinders.
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