Descent (17 Apr. 2008)

Despite his father's warning, Lex still finds himself in a power struggle from within over the secret to The Traveler...with some deadly results.

Director:

Ken Horton

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (character created by: Superman), Joe Shuster (character created by: Superman),

Stars:

Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Tom Welling	...	Clark Kent
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Lex Luthor
Kristin Kreuk	...	Lana Lang (credit only)
Allison Mack	...	Chloe Sullivan
Erica Durance	...	Lois Lane
Aaron Ashmore	...	Jimmy Olsen
Laura Vandervoort	...	Kara (credit only)
John Glover	...	Lionel Luthor
Anna Galvin	...	Gina
Connor Stanhope	...	Young Lex Luthor
Jill Teed	...	Detective Maggie Sawyer
Don Broach	...	Mysterious Attacker (as Don Broatch)
Shaw Madson	...	Lex's Henchman

Storyline

Now Lex is about to discover the secret of the Veritas society that Lionel Luthor and Oliver's father founded, Lionel implores him no to go and tells his son that the traveler is none other than Lex. Lex wrestles the locket (with the second key for the strongbox in Zurich) from Lionel's neck and pushes him down the Luthorcorp skyscraper to his death. Clark believed Lionel protected the secret for his Kryptonian sake, and finds confirmation. There are more murderers at work, notably Lex's assistant Gina who is specifically after the secret.

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Plot Keywords:

falling | fight

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 2008 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Smallville Films, Tollin/Robbins Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lex completes the cycle of patricide by killing his own father Lionel who killed his father in order to collect the insurance money years ago.

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Quotes

Lex Luthor: It wasn't an accident we were in Smallville the day the meteor shower, was it? The factory was just a cover. You were really there to meet this Traveler that Veritas wanted to protect. I remember everything, Dad.
Lionel Luthor: Those are the memories of a small boy trying to cope with the trauma of a meteor shower.
Lex Luthor: A trauma brought on by his own father. My life changed forever that day. You sacrificed me for the Traveler. Why? Who is it, Dad? Who is it? Who is it?
Lionel Luthor: What if I told you now that you were the ...
[...]

User Reviews

Lex Luthor, the Legend

Lex Luthor makes decisions that uncover his dark side completely in a long-awaited episode of the series that discloses the inevitable with respect to Lex's decisions towards complete evil.

Lex is desperate to answer questions that have eluded him ever since the town of Smallville became part of his life seven years ago. He knows that the answer to these questions is within his grasp if he can get hold of a key that he believes to be around the neck of his own father. Feeling insulted and unloved by his father over the years, the final straw is drawn when Lex realizes that much of his own life was sacrificed for the future of this Traveler. After making a climactic decision, the good in him begs to not search out the secrets that may be in Zurich. Meanwhile, Clark learns the atrocity that Lex committed and the tragedy which he has brought to others, understanding that he and his former best friend have become mortal enemies.

Every scene in 'Descent' is dynamite, from the final Lex-Lionel confrontation at LuthorCorp to the first full-fledged meeting of animosity at the Luthor mansion that now pits the true antagonist and protagonist of the show. These scenes had so much impact involved due to superb acting and an element of the story that has been foreseen since the show's early years. 'Descent' is perhaps the darkest, and one of the most emotionally impactful episodes of the series.