As a longtime DC’s Superman’s origin through a teen drama lens. Though mostly compelling, some episodes suffered from bizarre tonal shifts or baffling writing decisions that completely derailed character development or plots. Whether it’s filler, cringe, or missed opportunity, these are the rough spots in an otherwise super legacy.

Smallville had a unique identity in the superhero genre. Blending the high school angst of Dawson’s Creek with the superpowered mystery of The X-Files, it created a world where alien heritage met teenage hormones. The show evolved significantly from its “freak of the week” beginnings to a more serialized narrative involving Justice League teases, Kryptonian lore, and moral dilemmas. Yet not every experiment worked. Budget constraints, changing showrunners, and occasional attempts to pander to teen trends sometimes led to misfires.

10 Season 6, Episode 20 "Noir"

Smallville’s Film Noir Episodes

“Noir” had the potential to be one of Smallville’s most visually unique episodes. Its black-and-white film noir aesthetic and 1940s crime thriller tone seemed like a fresh direction and an exciting break from the usual narrative. Unfortunately, the result was underwhelming and painfully slow. Rather than fully embracing the genre with snappy dialogue or clever twists, the episode meandered through a clunky alternate reality dream sequence that didn’t amount to much.

Jimmy Olsen’s fantasy was the vehicle for the noir detour, but it only highlighted how little the character was resonating at that point in Smallville. The gimmick overtook the story, leaving little substance for the central characters to. It wasn’t fun or suspenseful – just tedious. It’s a stylish detour that should’ve been a standout but ended up as a forgettable chore.

9 Season 4, Episode 8 "Spell"

Smallville’s Witch Episode

“Spell” is perhaps the most blatant example of Smallville chasing trends in all the wrong ways. The episode dives headfirst into supernatural territory, with Lana, Lois, and Chloe possessed by 17th-century witches – complete with gothic attire. It played more like Charmed fan fiction than a serious Smallville episode. The attempt to merge witchcraft lore with Kryptonian mythology made little sense, and the tone oscillated between silly and overly dramatic.

The camp factor could’ve worked if the writing had been tighter, but the script leaned on clichés and forced sex appeal. Even Kristin Kreuk, Allison Mack, and Erica Durance seemed uncomfortable in their magical girl roles. What’s worse, the episode made Lana’s storyline more convoluted, feeding into the overdone “chosen one” trope. “Spell” was a bizarre misstep that felt out of place and over-the-top, even for Smallville season 4.

8 Season 5, Episode 5 "Thirst"

Smallville’s Vampire Episodes

Smallville’s take on vampires in “Thirst” was clearly inspired by the popularity of Buffy and other teen vampire fare. The episode follows Lana’s bizarre initiation into a sorority of literal bloodsuckers. The concept alone is a stretch, but the execution is even worse – full of cheap horror tropes and an almost exploitative focus on female characters.

The episode also wastes the opportunity to give Chloe a substantial subplot, instead relegating her to a tongue-in-cheek Daily Planet internship that feels tonally disted. It’s hard not to view “Thirst” as borderline sexist, with its over-sexualized vampire girls and Lana once again shoehorned into a ridiculous plot. Instead of exploring any meaningful themes, the episode collapses into cringe territory, making it one of the few Smallville installments that’s both boring and embarrassing to watch.

7 Season 5, Episode 16 "Hypnotic"

Smallville’s Hypnosis Episode

“Hypnotic” is an agonizingly slow Smallville episode that exists almost entirely to stall the inevitable fallout of the Clark and Lana relationship. Clark is manipulated by Simone, a forgettable villain with the power of mind control, into dumping Lana in the most wooden and abrupt way possible. It’s clear the writers were stretching the love triangle drama between Clark, Lana, and Lex far past its expiration date.

Rather than letting the characters evolve organically, “Hypnotic” resets everyone’s emotional arcs with cheap manipulation. The episode also tries to shoehorn in more alien-related action with Dr. Fine (aka Brainiac), but those scenes feel completely disconnected from the main plot. “Hypnotic” is filler in every sense (plot, character, and theme) and easily one of the least engaging episodes in Smallville season 5.

6 Season 6, Episode 9 "Subterranean"

Smallville’s Illegal Immigrant Episode

“Subterranean” is the kind of mid-season episode that feels like a complete misfire in of pacing and relevance. Coming off major revelations and deepening conflicts in Smallville season 6 – especially involving Lex, Lana, and the arrival of other meteor-infected individuals – this episode grinds the momentum to a halt. Instead of pushing forward the season’s central narrative, it’s a story about Clark discovering an illegal immigrant boy being held in an underground tunnel system.

While the social message could’ve been powerful, it’s delivered in such a ham-fisted, one-dimensional way that it loses all nuance. The villain is uninteresting, the visuals are drab, and the emotional beats fall flat. As a standalone, it’s able at best, but within the broader Smallville season arc, it feels completely disposable.

5 Season 4, Episode 20 "Ageless"

Smallville’s Rapidly Aging Baby Episode

With “Ageless,” Smallville tries to hit emotional beats with a standalone character, but the execution ends up feeling off. The story centers around a rapidly aging baby that Clark and Lana take in, and while it tries to tug at the heartstrings, the melodrama is laid on so thick that it borders on parody. The pacing is clunky, the sci-fi premise is never properly explained, and it contributes absolutely nothing to the overarching season plot, which at this point was diving into witchcraft, ancient artifacts, and Lex’s descent into darkness.

Instead of advancing any of that, “Ageless” slams the brakes for a story that feels out of place and overacted. Even the emotional payoff feels unearned. It’s filler in every sense, and one of the many Smallville season 4 episodes that struggles with tone and relevance.

4 Season 1, Episode 7 "Craving"

Smallville’s Body Image Episode

“Craving” is a painfully awkward early Smallville episode that hasn’t aged well – especially when viewed through a modern lens. It depicts an overweight girl who rapidly loses weight by eating vegetables infused with meteor rock extract and then begins consuming people to sustain her transformation. On paper, it’s classic Smallville “freak of the week” material, but in execution, it’s a tone-deaf and insensitive exploration of body image issues.

Instead of empathy, the character is treated more like a horror movie villain, and the episode uses CGI that was rough even by 2001 standards. Lana’s subplot at Lex’s mansion doesn’t help matters either, dragging down the pacing. “Craving” is a clear example of how Smallville was still trying to find its identity – combining horror, teen drama, and sci-fi without enough finesse to pull it off effectively.

3 Season 4, Episode 21 "Forever"

Smallville’s School Kidnapping Episode

Coming right before the Smallville season 4 finale, “Forever” should’ve helped build excitement for the big showdown involving ancient Kryptonian artifacts and dark prophecies. Instead, it’s a detour into a strange kidnapping plot where a disturbed high school student traps classmates in a recreation of Smallville High, trying to preserve their youth. While Smallville often leans into comic book absurdity, this episode misses the mark with its weirdly tone-deaf villain and awkward execution.

The story feels detached from the main season, especially the looming threat of the Teagues, the Stones of Power, and Clark’s destiny. It’s another “Clark rescues Lana” episode at heart, but with a convoluted and oddly claustrophobic backdrop. “Forever” doesn’t feel exciting or scary – just distracting. It kills the momentum when the story should’ve been ramping up to something epic.

2 Season 3, Episode 7 "Magnetic"

Smallville's Lana Is In Trouble Again

“Magnetic” is one of the most forgettable and uninspired episodes in Smallville’s third season. It centers around yet another meteor-infected teen who develops magnetism-based powers – powers he conveniently uses to manipulate Lana into a romantic relationship. It’s a tired trope that Smallville leaned on far too often: n by a creepy guy.

The villain is shallow, the concept feels recycled, and the episode doesn’t offer any significant development for the main characters. It’s not even fun in a guilty-pleasure kind of way – it just drags. While the episode tries to explore the theme of control and obsession, it does so with zero nuance. Coming in a season that had stronger overarching arcs involving Lionel, Lex, and Clark’s inner conflict, “Magnetic” stands out for contributing nothing.

1 Season 2, Episode 14 "Rush"

Smallville’s "Teenagers At Risk" Episode

“Rush” is the kind of episode that tries to be edgy and wild but ends up being a cringe fest. It revolves around a parasite infecting students at Smallville High, causing them to act recklessly and throw caution to the wind – essentially turning everyone into hyper-adrenalized daredevils. While the idea might’ve sounded fun in the writers’ room, it’s executed with corny dialogue, forced party scenes, and embarrassing character moments – especially for Pete, who rarely got decent storylines.

The attempt to add some sex appeal and chaos feels desperate, and the visual effects don’t help either. It’s hard to take the stakes seriously when characters are behaving like cartoon versions of rebellious teens. Even Clark’s moral dilemmas feel undercooked here. “Rush” might be memorable for how off-the-rails it gets, but it’s a Smallville that’s more exhausting than entertaining.

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