Crusade

Only time will tell where Smallville ends up in TV history, but this episode deserves to be remembered on its own merit. The two exceptionally young producers who launched this show were never better at their craft -- this one has a "film noire" vibe to it, never a dull moment, never a bad performance. Durance makes the most of her character debut, Welling relishes playing his inner Kyptonian, the flight scene is better than most of the movies, and Kruek steals her scenes with an intensity new to her character as well. A standout.