Smallville: Best Episode Of Each Season, According to IMDb

It has been a decade since Smallville went off the air. With the entire series hitting Blu-Ray for the first time in 2021, it’s a good time for old fans to catch up on the popular superhero drama and for new fans to discover why it was one of television’s most popular comic book TV shows years before the recent comic craze began.

Smallville told the story of Clark Kent, starting as a high school student and growing into the hero fans knew he would become. However, what makes the show different was that Clark never became Superman until the very last episode of the 10th season. In between, the seasons presented some of Clark’s most important moments. But what were the most memorable episodes of each season?

10 Season 1: Tempest – 9.0

“Tempest” was the season finale for Smallville and was the highest-rated episode based on IMDb voters, with a 9.0 rating. It was also the lowest of the high-ranked episodes, as the series was still finding its feet in that first season.

The storyline had various plots playing out as tornadoes are heading toward Smallville. The episode worked fabulously because it didn’t focus as much on Clark as a man with powers, it was more about the characters and their relationships with destruction looming. It also had a massive cliffhanger that ensured Season 2 would start with a bang.

9 Season 2: Rosetta – 9.2

The highest-rated episode of the second season was the episode “Rosetta.” What possibly caused so many people to rate it highly was the arrival of a new supporting cast member, Christopher Reeve. Having the man who played Superman in the movies show up as a scientist was a great casting decision for the show.

However, there was more to the episode than just that. Reeve was Dr. Virgil Swann and he knew Clark was an alien. This was where a mentor stepped in to convince Clark to learn more about his homeworld, and the episodes with Reeve allowed the world’s greatest Superman actor to pass the torch to Tom Welling.

8 Season 3: Memoria – 9.1

In Smallville Season 3, Lex got one of his better storylines, and the one episode that really showed why Luthor is who he is. This episode was “Memoria,” which saw Lex using a procedure in an attempt to regain memories he lost about his father. This leads to flashbacks of Lex’s childhood.

Clark Kent also undergoes the procedure, but his memories short out the equipment. What makes this rise to such a fan-favorite level was to see Lex Luthor as a young boy, as well as a rare chance to see his mother Lillian.

7 Season 4: Commencement – 9.2

The fourth season wasn’t the best but it concluded with a great episode in “Commencement.” There is another meteor shower heading toward Earth and Clark tries to stop it by finding different Kyroptronian stones to prevent the catastrophe.

The meteor shower itself was a great scene, and Clark Kent showed once again why he was a great hero. The graduation was a nice touch, as was Clark getting the Crystal of Knowledge and creating the Fortress of Solitude in a great callback to iconic comic moments.

6 Season 5: Reckoning – 9.5

Season 5 had one of the most devastating moments in Clark Kent’s life occur, as this was when Jonathan Kent died. In “Reckoning,” Smallville took fans on a journey from the best moment in Clark’s life, as he tells Lana the truth, to the worst thing in the world that could have happened to him.

This episode changed everything and shattered fans of the show, as they lived through the horrors with Clark. From this moment on, Clark had to be the man in his family and no longer had a father to go to for advice.

5 Season 6: Justice – 9.4

For six seasons, fans had waited to see Clark Kent take on the role of Superman. While he didn’t do it here and kept the suit off until the very final episode, “Justice” gave Smallville fans something to tide them over until Clark finally became the Man of Steel.

This episode gave fans the first version of the Justice League. It was a superhero team-up and allowed Clark to work with other heroes, including Green Arrow, Aquaman, Impulse, and Cyborg. This was Clark’s first superhero team-up and fans of Smallville loved it.

4 Season 7: Descent – 9.2

Lex Luthor was always a complicated character in Smallville. Michael Rosenbaum did so much with Lex that fans wondered if he could somehow avoid his fate and become the hero he could have been.

However, Season 7 changed all that, and “Descent” was the true turning point for Lex. He was on a dark road through most of the seventh season and when he finally killed his father Lionel by pushing him through a window, Luthor finally took that step into the villain role he was always fated for.

3 Season 8: Bride – 9.2

Season 8 saw fans waiting for Doomsday to arrive, and while that moment was not as great as many hoped, the season did have one upbeat, fan-favorite moment. Jimmy Olsen got married to Chloe Sullivan. However, what made this episode rate so high was that it all took a dark turn.

Lana Lang made her return here, but the big moment was Doomsday showing up, almost killing Jimmy, and kidnapping Chloe. After this moment, no one would ever be the same.

2 Season 9: Salvation – 9.4

The Season 9 finale of Smallville was “Salvation,” and it might be the best season finale in the show’s history. The fans on IMDb seemed to think so, as this was the highest-rated finale Smallville ever had. General Zod is on Earth and has set out to conquer the planet.

This episode was a masterclass in tension as Clark and Zod began their slow build to what would be their epic showdown. The final fight was tremendous, with the two men fighting in the rain and it ended with Clark using his brains over his brawn to beat the villain.

1 Season 10: Homecoming – 9.5

The final season of Smallville saw Clark Kenty finally become Superman in the final episode. However, that wasn’t the fans’ favorite episode of the season, as the 200th episode matched the 100th as the highest-rated in the show’s history.

Clark knew he had it tough because he had already faced the power for Darkseid. He gets some great advice from Brainiac 5, who comes back from the future to talk to Clark and lead him on a journey through his past. The best part was when Brainiac 5 took Clark to the future to see what he would become, and it was a hint that the best was still to come for the Man of Steel.

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