Smallville was packed with memorable stories, but not all of Clark’s exploits in the series were excellent additions to the Superman mythology. Over the course of its ten-season run, Smallville delivered a multitude of memorable storylines for Clark and company, with its season finales being among its most beloved installments. That said, not every Smallville episode is held in such high regard.
Unfortunately, a few have gained a certain degree of notoriety from the fandom. Almost every season, the Superman prequel series offered one or two episodes that don’t meet the level of quality typically expected from the show. But since Smallville aired over 200 episodes, many of which being well-liked, most of its “bad” entries into the series are considered outliers with even cast members and writers able to admit the issues with them now and perhaps even laugh about them. Here’s ten Smallville episodes that never should have happened.
10 Smallville Season 6 - “Noir”
Smallville attempted to veer into more comedic territory than what it was accustomed to with “Noir,” a Jimmy-centric episode that transformed Smallville characters into film noir caricatures inspired by the likes of Humphrey Bogart and 1940s movie cliches. While there’s some fun to be had in seeing Lana as a sultry nightclub singer or Clark as a detective, Jimmy’s film noir-inspired fantasy took a mystery that wasn’t even that deep – who shot Lana Lang – and turned it into a full-blown episode through its unnecessary twists and turns.
9 Smallville Season 6 - "Subterranean"
"Subterranean" was an altogether forgettable Smallville entry. A filler episode, season 6's "Subterranean" dove into political subject matter by having Clark involve himself in a fight that involved illegal immigrants. If handled correctly, this could have been a poignant Superman story, but was held back by the worn-out trope of Clark developing a bond with a young boy in danger. It was also lacking in excitement and interesting characters, with both the action and the story being bland to say the least.
8 Smallville Season 4 - “Ageless”
“Ageless” saw Clark Kent and Lana Lang - traveling together for unknown reasons - coincidentally find a baby who grows into an old man in the matter of hours. The standalone episode amounted to a tragic story that ended in death for the child, whose accelerated growth powers had no limit. The premise of the episode was shaky, with the story feeling like it only happened to make Clark and Lana close again. The two had been drifting apart for the better part of a season, with Smallville hastily getting back to their romance in season 4’s final episodes.
7 Smallville Season 3 - “Relic”
There are few episodes in Smallville history that required more suspension of disbelief than “Relic.” Aired during season 3, the entire plot hinged on the idea that Jor-El came to Smallville in 1961 and fell in love with a person who just happened to be the great aunt of Clark’s main love interest. This allowed Tom Welling and Kristin Kreuk to play star-crossed lovers of a different era, but the basis of the story was flimsy at best, made worse by Jor-El and Louise both being identical to Clark and Lana respectively.
6 Smallville Season 5 - “Void”
The underlying problem with season 6’s “Void” is the direction it took with Lana Lang. Driven to depression by Clark breaking up with her, Lana abruptly developed an addiction to a Kryptonite drug that briefly induced a death-like state. This extremely out-of-character behavior from Lana serving as the driving force of the episode kept “Void” from working.
5 Smallville Season 4 - “Forever”
The villain plan in Smallville season 4’s “Forever” was most certainly unique, but also one of the most ridiculous plotlines conceived in the series. Apparently, one of Clark, Lana, and Chloe’s classmates was so upset about high school ending that he used his Kryptonite powers to trap members of their senior class in a warehouse made to resemble Smallville High in order to ensure that this period of their lives lasted forever. It wasn’t the first time Clark has gone up against someone with an off-the-wall goal, but “Forever” took the absurdity of Smallville’s villains to new heights.
4 Smallville Season 4 - “Spirit”
What went wrong with “Forever” can also be applied to the criticism aimed at “Spirit,” a story that aired just a few weeks prior. Both depended on overly unrealistic villains obsessed with their high school lives. “Spirit” focused on Dawn, a character embodying the stereotypical “mean girl,” who becomes a violent ghost determined not to let her death deny her prom night. Scenes of the teenage ghost possessing Martha, Lana, and even Clark created some of the show’s most cringeworthy moments, all in one episode.
3 Smallville Season 7 - “Hero”
Ever since Sam Jones III exited the show in season 3, there were hopes that Pete Ross would one day make a guest appearance. Smallville finally made that happen in season 7, but sadly ruined the fan-favorite character’s return. In “Hero,” Pete came back to Smallville after acquiring stretching abilities from Kryptonite-laced chewing gum. In addition to being filled with product placements for Stride Gum, the premise behind Pete’s new abilities was silly and took away from what could have been a meaningful reunion.
2 Smallville Season 5 - “Thirst”
One episode that managed to exceed the cringe-level of “Spirit” was season 5’s “Thirst.” In the episode, Lana unknowingly joined a sorority filled with vampires. Lana’s turn to vampirism and ensuing thirst for Clark’s blood was hardly material that felt appropriate for a show that didn’t include these sorts of supernatural concepts. That aspect of it, combined with the campiness of it all, made Lana and the other vampires in “Thirst” hard to watch.
1 Smallville Season 4 - "Spell"
The vast majority of Smallville's bad episodes were filler and therefore stood on their own, allowing them to be forgotten or even skipped during rewatches. One exception to this is "Spell," which is actually vital to season 4's main narrative. In "Spell," Lana's acquisition of the journal of her ancestor, Isabelle Thoreaux, led to the latter controlling her body. This culminated in Clark having to combat Lana, Chloe, and Lois who were all possessed by 17th-century witches. The inclusion of witchcraft prevented the episode from maintaining any sort of a grounded feel. All things considered, it was unfortunate that arguably the strongest candidate for Smallville's worst episode wound up being such an important story for season 4.