Originally aired April 28, 2004
Written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Directed by Miles Millar
Lex undergoes a Kryptonite-based treatment at the Summerholt Institute in an effort to regain his lost memories so he can put Lionel in prison. Clark turns to Lionel for help in stopping Lex from continuing the treatments, but Lionel seizes the opportunity to lure Clark into a trap so he can uncover the truth about Clark's origins.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Applied Phlebotinum: Dr. Garner uses a Kryptonite-based solution as part of Summerholt's memory-recovering procedure.
- Batman Gambit: Lionel pulls one on Clark by falsely claiming that Lex has decided to speed up the memory procedure at the risk of his mental health, prompting Clark to confront Dr. Garner at Summerholt, where he ends up captured and experimented on at Lionel's behest.
- Book Ends: In the teaser, Lex comes out of his memory screaming Julian's name. Later in the episode, Clark screams his biological mother's name as he comes out of his own childhood memory.
- Convenient Coma: Dr. Garner is reported to be left comatose after the events in the memory well.
- Death of a Child: Lillian is revealed to have murdered her newborn son Julian to spare him from Lionel's unique style of parenting.
- The Faceless: In the flashback to Krypton during Clark's time in the memory tank, Jor-El and Lara's faces aren't seen; only their voices are heard, and their hands and arms are seen.
- Hypocritical Humor:Lex: Summerholt's a highly-respected institution.Lionel: Respected? Lex, this Garner character operates on the outer fringes of accepted science.Lex: Well, then you should feel right at home.
- I Am Not My Father: After Clark warns Lex he's risking becoming just like his father the more and more they keep fighting one another, Lex declares he will never become like Lionel.Clark: You always tell me how you don't want to turn into your father, and I believe that, but the more you two go at each other, the more like him you become and the more people get hurt.Lex: I will never become my father. I would never sacrifice you or anybody I cared about to bring him down.
- I Lied: Lex lied that he killed Julian to protect his mom, because he knew Lionel would do anything to keep his heir safe but wouldn't do the same for Lillian.
- Idiot Ball: Clark seeks help from Lionel (y'know, the guy who's trying to find out his secret) in stopping Lex from recovering his memories. The result? Lionel makes a deal with Dr. Garner that involves handing Clark over to Garner in exchange for Garner stopping Lex's treatments.
- The Man Behind the Man: Lionel becomes this to Dr. Garner when he arranges for Clark to be captured so he can have Garner help him find out about Clark's past.
- Mercy Kill: After realizing the truth behind Julian's death, Lex reasons that his mother murdered Julian to spare him a life being raised by Lionel.Lex: Mom did it. [Beat] I walked in and I found her. That's what I repressed.Lionel: Don't you dare. I won't let you desecrate your mother's memory like that.Lex: I don't blame her. I blame you.Lionel: What are you talking about? Your mother loved Julian. She would never— She wasn't capable of murdering her own child. She loved him!Lex: Loved him so much, she couldn't subject him to your particular brand of parenting.
- Mundanger: Dr. Garner isn't superhuman, but he manages to cause harm to Clark. That about covers it.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Lionel's reaction after Lex reveals that Lillian murdered Julian and he realizes he's hated Lex all these years for nothing.Lionel: I... If I'd known- If... if I'd seen. Things would've been so different between us.
- Offing the Offspring: Lillian is revealed to have killed Julian (see Mercy Kill).
- Pet the Dog: In a flashback, Lionel, with some initial difficulty, is seen consoling a young Lex after no one shows up for his birthday party, presenting Lex a lead box (the same one Lex would give to Clark in early Season 1) he claims was made from the armor of St. George.
- Say My Name:
- In the teaser, Lex screams Julian's name over and over until he's snapped out of it by Lana.
- After experiencing his earliest memory of his Kryptonian mother placing him into his spaceship, Clark screams out Lara's name as he experiences an adverse effect to the Kryptonite solution.
- Sibling Rivalry: In a flashback, Lillian expresses her fear that Lionel will turn their sons against one another in competing for his love.Lillian: [to Lionel] You'll pit these boys against each other. [...] Make them fight for your affection. I won't let you turn them into monsters. I want a divorce, Lionel.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Lillian's murder of baby Julian is the major cause of Lionel and Lex's difficult relationship. Even after learning the truth didn't change their relationship.
- Villain of the Week: Dr. Garner, head of Summerholt.
- Would Hurt a Child:
- A flashback shows Lionel striking a young Lex after finding Julian's body in his crib.
- It's revealed that Lillian murdered her newborn son Julian to spare him from being raised by Lionel.
- Written-In Absence: John Schneider doesn't appear in this episode, but Jonathan is stated to be in Metropolis for medical tests.
- You Can't Fight Fate: In a flashback, Lara expresses doubts about her son Kal-El being loved by the people of Earth, but Jor-El gently insists to her that Kal-El's destiny is set, as is theirs.Lara: What if they don't love [Kal-El]?Jor-El: Lara, his destiny is set, as is ours.
