Season 4

The fourth season of Smallville began airing on September 22, 2004. on The WB television network, and concluded its initial airing on May 18, 2005 with 22 episodes.

Summary[]

Clark has returned, though he isn't his usual self. Clark is "reprogrammed" by Jor-El, to seek out the Stones of Power from around the world.

Lois Lane comes to Smallville to search for the truth behind her cousin Chloe's death. Lois finds an amnesic Clark, returned to Smallville after a 3 month absence, and takes him to the hospital. Lana, still in Paris and with a new love interest, is researching an ancient martyr, Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux, which is connected to Lana in more ways than she knows. Jonathan lies in a coma with Martha by his side; Lionel awaits his trial.

Clark decides that this year will be the year of Clark and he will not be worried with what Jor-El has in store for him anymore. Clark goes out for the football team, goes through rocky terrain with his relationship with Lana, sees his relationship with Lex begin to fully crumble, meets future superheroes and old obsessions, and battles witches from the 17th century just in time to graduate from Smallville High. Clark's true destiny is also revealed to him by the season's end, and a second meteor shower comes to Smallville.

Season Four takes place during Clark, Lana, Chloe and the rest of their classmates' Senior year at Smallville High School at ages 17-18.

Opening Credits[]

The season 4 opening credits for each episode include the following:

		Tom Welling as Clark Kent 22/22 Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang 22/22
		Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor 22/22 Jensen Ackles as Jason Teague 20/22
		Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan 21*/22 John Glover as Lionel Luthor 13/22
		Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent 21/22 John Schneider as Jonathan Kent 21/22
		Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Developed for television by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

Recurring Characters[]

The following Recurring Characters appear in more than one episode this season:

Lois Lane - Erica Durance 13/22
Genevieve Teague- Jane Seymour 6/22
Countess Margaret Isobel Thoreaux - Kristin Kreuk 4/22
Sheriff Nancy Adams - Camille Mitchell 4/22
Shelby - Bud 4/22
Coach Wayne Quigley - Rob Freeman 3/22
Bridgette Crosby - Margot Kidder 2/22
Dr. Harden - Rekha Sharma 2/22
General Sam Lane - Michael Ironside 2/22
Nate Pratt - Jared Keeso 2/22
Alicia Baker - Sarah Carter 2/22
The voice of Jor-El - Terence Stamp 2/22
Mara - Moneca Delain 2/22

The following Recurring Characters appear in only one episode this season, but also appear in other seasons:

Recurring Locations[]

Episode List: 2004-2005[]

Title	Writer(s)	Director(s)	Airdate	#
Crusade	Writer: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar	Director: Greg Beeman	09/22/04	#67 401
As Kal-El, Clark returns to Smallville and embarks on Jor-El's crusade for the Stones of Power. Lana studies art in Paris and dates Jason Teague. Lex finds the Crystal of Fire in Egypt, but "Clark" steals it and stashes it in the cave before Martha saves him with a piece of black kryptonite. Jonathan awakes from a three-month coma, and Lois Lane vows to avenge her cousin Chloe's death.
Gone	Writer: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson	Director: James Marshall	09/29/04	#68 402
Clark and Lois search for Chloe. They discover that Lex and General Lane have had her hidden away, but Lionel manages to send Trent MacGowen to kill her. Meanwhile, Lana returns to Smallville and Jason follows her.
Façade	Writer: Holly Harold	Director: Pat Williams	10/06/04	#69 403
Abigail Fine receives Kryptonite-enhanced plastic surgery to treat her acne, but suffers from the side-effect of inflicting those she kisses with life-threatening hallucinations. Clark joins the football team. Lana is attacked. Lex learns that Lana is dating Jason.
Devoted	Writer: Luke Schelhaas	Director: David Carson	10/13/04	#70 404
Clark and Lois discover that the cheerleaders are spiking the football players sports drink with a kryptonite-enhanced love potion. Lex tries to patch things up with Clark by handing over the research he had on him.
Run	Writer: Steven S. DeKnight	Director: David Barrett	10/20/04	#71 405
Clark meets super-speeding teen Bart Allen. Lana tells Jason about her tattoo. Lex obtains an ancient manuscript with Kryptonian symbols and a hidden map.
Transference	Writer: Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer	Director: James Marshall	10/27/04	#72 406
Clark is drawn to the prison where Lionel is being held. When he sees Lionel attempt to stab Lex with a strange glowing stone, Clark grabs for the stone causing the two men to switch bodies. Learning his new body has super powers, Lionel immediately begins wreaking havoc on Smallville. Trapped without his powers, Clark must figure out a way to get his body back in order to save his friends and family.
Jinx	Writer: Mark Warshaw	Director: Paul Shapiro	11/03/04	#73 407
Chloe investigates an underground gambling ring at school run by foreign exchange student Mikhail Mxyzptlk. Mxyzptlk uses his telepathic powers to manipulate the football games. Under Mikhail's influence, Clark injures another player. Lex reveals to the school board that Jason is dating Lana, then he takes Mikail to Level Three.
Spell	Writer: Steven S. DeKnight	Director: Jeannot Szwarc	11/10/04	#74 408
Clark discovers he is vulnerable to magic when Lana is possessed by a 17th century witch. She casts spells on Lex, Chloe and Lois all in her quest to find the Stones of Power.
Bound	Writer: Luke Schelhaas	Director: Terrence O'Hara	11/17/04	#75 409
Clark helps Lex discover the truth when Lex is accused of killing a one night fling. Meanwhile, Lana sees Genevieve Teague in a dream of Isobel Thoreaux's execution just before she arrives to meet her son's new girlfriend.
Scare	Writer: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson	Director: David Carson	12/01/04	#76 410
A LuthorCorp experiment is released into the atmosphere- a toxin that causes its victims to hallucinate their worst nightmares. Chloe, Clark, Lana, and Jason all fall victims to the toxin. Lex, desperate to find a cure, takes a dangerous antidote. Meanwhile Genevieve Teague arranges for Lionel Luthor's release from prison and Chloe finds her mom.
Unsafe	Writer: Steven S. DeKnight & Jeph Loeb	Director: Greg Beeman	1/26/05	#77 411
Claiming to be cured, Alicia Baker is released from Belle Reve hospital and comes to Smallville to rekindle her relationship with Clark. Initially skeptical of Alicia, Clark finds himself enjoying dating someone who knows his secret, but when she pushes for more, he hesitates, causing her to use red kryptonite on him.
Pariah	Writer: Holly Harold	Director: Paul Shapiro	02/02/05	#78 412
Clark has big concerns after Alicia becomes the prime suspect in a brutal attack against Lana and Jason. Clark initially defends Alicia, but when the evidence begins to pile up, he is forced to take a harder look at the situation. Hurt by Clark's actions, Alicia forces Clark to unknowingly reveal his powers in front of Chloe.
Recruit	Writer: Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer	Director: Jeannot Szwarc	02/09/05	#79 413
Clark is approached by Met U for recruitment and meets Geoff, a former Smallville resident. It soon becomes apparent that he is using his powers to paralyze anybody who gets in his way... including Lois.
Krypto	Writer: Luke Schelhaas	Director: James Marshall	02/16/05	#80 414
Lois accidentally hits a dog and brings it back to the farm to heal, but Clark quickly realizes it has super-strength. He investigates and discovers it was part of an aborted LuthorCorp experiment and that robbers are using the dogs to help them steal money.
Sacred	Writer: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson	Director: Brad Turner	02/23/05	#81 415
After Clark receives a message from the recently-deceased Dr. Swann, he and Lana follow Jason and Lex to China in search of one of the Stones of Power. Lana is tortured, causing Isobel to emerge and wreak havoc in her search for the crystal.
Lucy	Writer: Neil Sadhu & Daniel Sulzberg	Director: David Barrett	03/02/05	#82 416
Lucy Lane, Lois' younger sister, comes to Smallville but Clark catches her stealing money from the Talon to pay off a European loan shark. Lex offers to help but everything is not what it seems. Meanwhile, a thief breaks into Lana's apartment and steals the crystal; Jason suspects Lionel.
Onyx	Writer: Steven S. DeKnight	Director: Terrence O'Hara	04/13/05	#83 417
A glimpse of the future Lex Luthor is revealed after a kryptonite explosion splits Lex in two and his evil side - Alexander- is released. Alexander immediately imprisons Lex in the mansion and begins his rampage by trying to kill Clark and Chloe Sullivan in the lab, jousting with Lionel and convincing him to return to his dark seeded nature, and finally, threatening to close the Talon unless Lana moves in with him.
Spirit	Writer: Luke Schelhaas	Director: Whitney Ransick	04/20/05	#84 418
On the eve of the Smallville High School Prom, stuck-up candidate for Prom Queen Dawn Stiles is involved in a car crash into a ravine filled with chunks of kryptonite. While her body lies in a coma, Dawn finds her spirit allowed to possess the bodies of others, where she can continue her quest to become Prom Queen.
Blank	Writer: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson	Director: Jeannot Szwarc	04/27/05	#85 419
Kevin Grady, a boy who can cause people to temporarily lose their memory, turns his powers on Clark and causes him to have total amnesia. Chloe discovers what has happened and must teach Clark about his superpowers while simultaneously trying to keep him from accidentally revealing them to others. Clark meets Lana and falls in love all over again. Lex takes advantage of the situation and convinces Clark to tell him about a secret room behind the back wall in the Kawatche Caves.
Ageless	Writer: Steven S. DeKnight	Director: Steven S. DeKnight	05/04/05	#86 420
Checking out a crater in a cornfield, Clark and Lana discover a baby with no parents and take him back to the Kent farm. However, when the baby, Evan, ages from a newborn to a 7-year-old in less than a day, it becomes clear he is aging at a rapid rate and they turn to Lex for help. Meanwhile, Lionel vies for one of the stones.
Forever	Writer: Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson	Director: James Marshall	05/11/05	#87 421
Clark must stop the school photographer after he sets up a fake high school and uses his ability to petrify people to kidnap students- including Chloe and Lana- to keep the glory days of high school going forever. Meanwhile, Lex and Lionel are kidnapped and tortured by the Teagues in an effort to find the Kryptonian artifact, revealing that Lana has it.
Commencement	Writer: Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer	Director: Greg Beeman	05/18/05	#88 422
A second meteor shower is headed for Smallville. Jor-El says that Clark must get all the Stones. Lana may be wanted for murder. Lois is leaving to find her sister in Europe.

Notes[]

This season introduces Lois Lane. She appears as a special guest star in thirteen episodes before joining the main cast the following year. In addition, comics characters Bridgette Crosby, Bart Allen, Lucy Lane, Sam Lane, and Mikhail Mxyzptlk make an appearance.
Clark recovered the first of the Stones of Power at the very beginning in Crusade. Then he recovered the last two in the very last episode, Commencement.
Black kryptonite is introduced in Crusade, and is the second creation of Smallville (first being Lionel Luthor) to be incorporated in the comic books. It is also the third kryptonite introduced (first being green kryptonite and the second being red kryptonite).
With Bart Allen's appearance, this is the first season of Smallville to feature an appearance from a DC Comics character who isn't part of the Superman mythology.
Although Clark doesn't get any new powers, it is shown that Kal-El can fly. (Crusade). And by now, he's acquired and mastered all of his abilities, except super breath/arctic breath and flight.
Originally Clark was supposed to gain his Arctic breath ability in an episode titled Cold. The story was ultimately told in Season Six in the episode Sneeze with the Arctic breath becoming Super breath.^[1]
Allison Mack did not appear in the opening credits of the first episode during its original airing. This was a tactic to maintain suspense of Chloe's fate, as she had been shown to be caught in an explosion in Covenant. She is not confirmed to be alive until the end of the season premiere, Crusade. She does appear in the opening credits of every other episode and reruns, after Jensen Ackles.
Jensen Ackles appeared in 20 of 22 episodes this season (Onyx and Ageless being the exceptions.) This was the only season that he appeared on Smallville.
This is the last season with this style of opening credits.
This is the first season to have both first-and-last episodes starting with the same letter (Crusade, Commencement)
This is also Jonathan Kent's last full season; he would appear only half of the fifth season, to die in the episode Reckoning.
Chloe discovers Clark's secret this year. This makes her the second regular cast member to discover Clark's secret (the first being Pete Ross), and the first cast member to be aware of the secret before Clark confesses. (Pariah)
Eric Johnson makes his final appearance as Whitney Fordman (Facade).
Former Lois Lane actress, Margot Kidder, guest starred in two episodes this season.
On the back of this season's DVD, it advertises 'Doomsday'. However, this is referring to the meteor shower in Commencement, not the season eight character.
According to Alfred Gough, season four was affected by several factors: the death of Christopher Reeve (forcing them to change their plans for the season); their inability to get Margot Kidder for more than two episodes (forcing them to make even more changes); around 2/3 through the season, the producers were called by David Nutter, who wanted Jensen Ackles for a pilot that he was working on (which became long-running TV series Supernatural). The producers allowed this. However, this meant that there was multiple episodes that Jensen was not able to be in, while they rushed to finish Jason's storyline.^[2]

References[]

↑ Smallville: The Official Companion Season 6 (Page 20)
↑ Talk Ville podcast: "Spirit" (May, 2024)

[1] Smallville: The Official Companion Season 6 (Page 20)

[2] Talk Ville podcast: "Spirit" (May, 2024)

[1]

[2]