Originally aired May 13, 2011
Written by Turi Meyer & Al Septien (Part 1), Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders (Part 2)
Directed by Kevin Fair (Part 1) & Greg Beeman (Part 2)
As Clark and Lois prepare for their wedding, the dreaded Apokolips finally arrives and an enemy from the past re-emerges in time for Clark to take the final step to becoming Earth's greatest hero.
Tropes present in the episode:
- And Show It to You: After making a deal with Earth-2 Lionel to bring Lex back to life, Darkseid rips Earth-2 Lionel's heart out of his chest and holds it before his face.
- Antagonistic Offspring: Tess shoots and fatally wounds Earth-2 Lionel after he tries to have her heart cut out so he can complete LX-0.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: Clark taking to the air and putting on the Superman costume as he soars out of the Fortress is a sign that Superman is truly back and here to stay.
- Back for the Finale: Jonathan, Martha, Lex, and Perry Whitenote return for the Grand Finale.
- Back from the Dead: Lex Luthor, thanks to Earth-2 Lionel's deal with Darkseid.
- Blood from the Mouth: Earth-2 Lionel, after being shot by Tess.
- Bookends: The finale begins with Chloe reading a Smallville comic book to her young son. In the final act, she concludes the story and tucks her son into bed.
- Bond One-Liner: Lex's reply to Clark when questioned how he came back to life.Lex: Seems my father had a-a change of heart. And I got a second chance at life.
- Cain and Abel: Lex and Tess. Lex (the evil sibling) kills Tess (whose turn to heroism comes full circle in this episode).
- The Cameo: Aaron Ashmore as the real Jimmy Olsen.
- The Chosen One: Lex remarks that Clark was born to be this.
- Colony Drop: Apokolips arrives in Earth's solar system and begins descending upon the planet. Fortunately, Clark/Superman arrives to save the day.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Green Arrow vs. Darkseid's Prophets.
- Clark, after fully embracing his destiny and gaining the power of flight, takes down Darkseid in less than a minute.
- Deal with the Devil: After being shot in the chest by Tess, a dying Earth-2 Lionel makes one with Darkseid to bring Lex Back from the Dead.Darkseid: You refused me once, but this may be the moment when you'll reconsider my offer.
Earth-2 Lionel: I never intended to live forever. There's only one life I care about. Let my son live.
Darkseid: In exchange for your soul. [rips Earth-2 Lionel's heart out of his chest] - Died in Your Arms Tonight: Tess dies in Lex's arms after he stabs her with a knife.
- Distant Finale: Although most of the action takes place in 2011, the episode ends in 2018.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Tess is stabbed by Lex, but before she dies, she exposes him to a neurotoxin that wipes out all his memories, making sure that Clark's secret stays safe.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Darkseid, both while speaking with a dying Earth-2 Lionel and again while possessing Earth-2 Lionel's body.
- Flight: After ten years, Clark finally masters this ability during his battle with Darkseid.
- Grand Finale: This is the final episode of Smallville, and boy, is it grand—Apokolips arrives in Earth's system, Lex returns from the dead, and Clark finally masters the power of flight, gets his Superman costume, and saves the world, becoming the hero he was always destined to be.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Tess is fatally stabbed by Lex, but before dying, she makes sure that Lex forgets all about Clark's secret by exposing him to a memory-wiping neurotoxin.
- He's Back!: Lex Luthor returns in this episode.
- Humans Are Flawed: Clark's response to Darkseid's claim that humans are easy prey for corruption.Darkseid: There must be a part of you that's disgusted by how easily your people fell to me!
Clark: They may not be perfect, but I believe, even in the darkest soul, there's always hope. People want to believe in something greater, and it may be easier to hate, but it's stronger to love. - "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Clark vs. Omega!Oliver. Clark manages to free Oliver from Darkseid's influence.Clark: Oliver! This isn't you. Don't let it take you over. Oliver? Listen to me. You need to fight it.
Omega!Oliver: You're too late. There's no saving you.
Clark: That's not true. You haven't always made the right choices, and you once gave up on yourself and those around you. I'm not giving up on you, Oliver. You have a good heart. Let it guide you. You and I—we have to save the world together. I need you to be a hero. I know you'll make the right choice. You know Gold Kryptonite will take my powers away forever. I believe in you. - Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Darkseid recognizes this in Clark, and it gets used against him.Darkseid: [to Clark] Eons have passed since I came face-to-face with a force that could possibly tip the balance to the light. [starts to telekinetically strangle Clark] You are the light! You cast out the darkness from Oliver Queen, and you will obliterate my darkness from the rest of the world if you are not stopped! [grabs Clark's neck] You will surrender to me. You will lose your soul. I will annihilate you! [sends Clark flying through the air]
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Tess pulls this on Lex using a neurotoxin developed by Summerholt.
- Mercy Kill: After stabbing Tess, Lex claims he did so to prevent her from becoming like him.Lex: [after stabbing Tess] You know I'm actually saving you.
Tess: From what?
Lex: From turning into me. - Neck Lift: Darkseid pulls this on Clark during their confrontation.
- Offing the Offspring: Earth-2 Lionel tries to transplant Tess's heart into LX-0. Tess instead gets free and shoots her father in the chest.
- The Only One: After Clark fully accepts his Kryptonian heritage, Jor-El states that Clark is the only one who can stop Apokolips from slamming into Earth.Jor-El: Any father can hope that he is someday humbled by the feats of his son, but it is your soul, Kal-El, of which I am most proud. You, and you alone, possess the courage, the determination, and the compassion that will be required of you to lift the darkness from the earth.
- Possessing a Dead Body: Darkseid possesses Earth-2 Lionel's corpse to confront Clark in the Kent barn. It's not a pretty sight.
- The Power of Love: Invoked by Clark during his speech to Darkseid. (See Humans Are Flawed / Humans Are Special above.)
- Planetary Relocation: Darkseid teleports his home planet of Apokolips into the Solar system and then moves it slowly towards Earth. Superman throws Apokolips back out of orbit at the climax.
- Psychic Strangle: Darkseid executes this on Clark during their confrontation.
- Redemption Equals Death: Tess is fatally stabbed by Lex, but she manages to expose him to a neurotoxin that erases all of his memories, protecting Clark's secret from Lex and thus showing she has truly redeemed herself.
- Refusal of the Call: Lex finally admits to Clark that, the reason why he hated him over his secret wasn't because of the powers, but the fact that he didn't want to use them.Clark: It wasn't a competition.
Lex: Of course it wasn't. You were born to be the chosen one. You're simply better than us.
Clark: And that always killed you.
Lex: No. No, what killed me is that you didn't even want it. You fought it, you hid from it! I would have taken it and relished it, embraced it. - Red Right Hand: The newly-resurrected Lex sports a black glove over his deformed hand.
- Satan: Darkseid is implied to actually be, or have been, Old Scratch himself.Granny Goodness: Please, Lutessa, let me save you!
Tess: From what?
Granny Goodness: Darkseid's Apokolips. Evil in its purest form—the heart of human nature, obscured over time as something to be cast away rather than embraced. Hades, Kali—even the word Lucifer is an old Latin phrase meaning "morning star," "bringer of light." I'm afraid the centuries and translations have twisted Darkseid's true gifts. - So Proud of You: Said by Jor-El to Clark after he fully embraces his destiny and heritage.
- Spirit Advisor: Jonathan appears once again to impart wisdom and guidance to Clark when he's doubting himself.
- Strapped to an Operating Table: Tess by Earth-2 Lionel's men. She, fortunately, gets loose and takes down her opponents in a matter of seconds.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Lex, in his own twisted way, gives Clark a peptalk, reminding him of the destiny the two have yet to play out.Lex: You and I, we will both be great men. Because of each other. You and I have a destiny together Clark, on opposite sides.
- You Are Number 6: Earth-2 Lionel informs Tess that Lex took the best parts of his clones and grafted them together in one body designated "LX-0." Lex himself is later resurrected in this body.
