The CW's Official Description:

Under the influence of red kryptonite and living in Metropolis, Clark (Tom Welling) gets involved with a crime lord named Morgan Edge (guest star Rutger Hauer) who hires him to break into LuthorCorp. Meanwhile, desperate to put his family back together, Jonathan takes drastic measures to bring Clark home. At the mansion, Lionel (John Glover) accuses Helen (Emmanuelle Vaugier) of killing Lex (Michael Rosenbaum).

Kristin Kreuk, Allison Mack, Sam Jones III and Annette O'Toole also star. Greg Beeman directed the episode written by Al Gough & Miles Millar.

Detailed Description:

By Nadine

"Exile" takes place three months after the end of "Exodus".

Downtown Metropolis, evening, outside the Daily Planet. Clark Kent (Tom Welling) is walking down the street, wearing the red kryptonite class ring, in his "bad boy" persona. He walks past a showroom with the latest Ferrari in the window. He looks at it and obviously wants it.
Clark breaks into the ATM machines of the nearest bank, smashing the glass and helping himself to all the cash. Holding the bag of cash, he walks into the showroom and asks the salesperson how much the car is worth. She tells him that it is worth $240,000 but that if he has to ask, he probably can't afford it. She is shocked when Clark hands her a bag full of $20 bills and informs that this should cover it.
We then see Clark taking the young lady to a Metropolis club in his new car. As the wheels screech to a halt in from of the club, we see an old newspaper lying on the ground with the headlines "RIP Lex" and a picture of Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). The bouncer of the club immediately recognizes Clark and lets him and his date in, and calls him "Kal". Kal is obviously the name of Clark's bad boy persona. The bouncer admired Kal's new car, and Kal hands him the keys, telling him "You like the car? Here. It's yours".
Clark is at the bar with his date, shaking hands with the barman which he obviously knows well. As they are standing by the bar having a good time, Kal's date notices the top of the "S" scar that was left on Clark's chest 3 months ago. She goes to touch it and ask him about it, he tells her that it is a birthmark. She questions him further, noticing that it must be a pretty large birthmark. Kal gets upset and violent, grabs her arm and tells her never to touch the scar again. She gets upset and walks off. As Kal stands alone at the bar, the barman asks him how come Kal always arrives with the most beautiful women, but always leaves alone. Kal responds, "What is the point of starting something, if it's gonna end bad".
Later on that night, Kal is walking out of the club and down the street, when suddenly he holds his chest, in pain. He makes it into a nearby phone booth as his chest pains increase and he screams out in pain. He tears his shirt open, and the "S" sign on his chest starts glowing and the pain increases further. Clark falls to the ground in the box and struggles to remove the red kryptonite ring from his finger. As soon as the ring comes off, the pain subsides and the sign stops glowing. As Clark is left breathless on the ground in the phone box, his real persona returns for a few seconds. He stares at the phone, and a second later, he's calling home. His mom, Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) picks up, but Clark remains on the phone without talking. Martha realizes it is her son on the phone, and keeps repeating "Please come home", "Please come home"...

A Metropolis bank is being robbed by men wearing clown masks. Kal walks in wearing a dark mask and assaults one of the robbers, "Sorry Krusty, I saw the bank first". The robbers try to shoot him, but, in a terrific Matrix-like scene, Kal dodges some of the bullets and catches the others. He crushes the bullets, throws them to the ground, grabs the money bag and walks out of the bank to the street that is filled with cops with their guns pointed at Kal. Kal keeps walking, as every single policeman starts shooting at him. Kal keeps walking, unaffected by the bullets. He focuses on one of the police cars and blows it up with his heat vision. The diversion causes all the cops to take cover or look away for a second, long enough for Kal to superspeed away to a back alley. There, he removes his mask.

Pete Ross (Sam Jones III), Martha and Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) are at the Kent house, discussing the news they have read in the paper about the bank robberies in Metropolis. They are all convinced that this is Clark's doing. Jonathan wants to go to Metropolis to bring Clark back. Martha convinces him not to, explaining that they did everything they could to get him back, but that Clark can take the ring off anytime he wants to, and that the fact is, that Clark does not want to be found. "He'll come home when he's ready", she concludes, and Jonathan agrees to stay home.

Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) comes to visit Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) who is working at the Talon. Chloe wants to go for lunch, but Lana is too busy. She explains that, now that Lex is gone, it is a bunch of LexCorp accountants that are in charge of The Talon and who only care about the bottom line. Therefore, there is so much work to do that she does not have time to go for lunch. The two girls begin talking about Clark. Lana wants to go to Metropolis and stay at her Aunt Nell's (Sarah-Jane Redmond) place in order to look around and search for Clark. She feels that Clark is just waiting for the right person to find him. Chloe does not feel the same. She seems angry and says that he is the one who abandoned his friends and family, and that even the Kent Farm is in financial trouble and will have to be sold. She feels that Clark just does not want to be found and has turned his back on everything and everyone that mattered.

Kal is sleeping in his Metropolis apartment, when two gunmen silently walk into his room, point their machine guns at him and shoot him many times. As feathers fly, the gunmen approach the bed to make sure Kal is really dead, but Kal jumps up, grabs them both and knocks them out. A man named Morgan Edge (Rutger Hauer) walks in and introduces himself. Since Kal has just woken up, he is standing there shirtless, and Edge inquires about the scar on Kal's chest. Kal blames his father. Edge explains why he is here, saying that first, Kal regularly shows up at his clubs, then interrupts his robberies, and Edge is just curious about who this "Kal" is. He wants to know if he is a man or a myth. He then offers Kal a job, reasoning that Kal is just a kid and that he, Edge, Metropolis' crimelord, and that, when Kal is tired of playing in the little league, he should come and work for Edge.

Chloe is walking through the caves in Smallville, to meet up with Lionel Luthor (John Glover). She tells him she is surprised to find him here wanting to discuss business, since tomorrow is Lex's funeral. He tells her that business goes on. He asks Chloe if she remembers the octagonal keyhole that was in the wall of the caves, because it disappeared the day of the inexplicable explosion on the Kent Farm and when Clark left Smallville. He wonders if Chloe has seen Clark. She says no. He compliments her on her writing, and quotes her, "The worst sin of age is to forget the trials of youth", but he is disappointed in the reports she has given him on Clark, especially after the enthusiasm of their first meeting. She explains that it is difficult to report on someone who has disappeared. He encourages her and even threatens her to keep looking.

A desert island. Lex is lying there, unconscious. He suddenly wakes up. A man named Louis Leery Jr. (Ryan Robbins) is by his side, telling him to calm down. When Lex wonders where he is, Louis tells him that he is in the same place he has been for the past three months. Louis tells him is still has malaria and is still hallucinating. Louis knows Lex's story well and still thinks that it is Dr. Helen Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier) or his father Lionel who set him up. Lex shouts at him asking why Louis hasn't been working on building the raft, but Louis argues that it would be useless, that Lex would just get lost at sea, that he should just forget about his old life and stay on the island. Lex wants to leave and get back to his life to find out what happened.

In Metropolis, it is the day of Lex's funeral. Lana, Martha and Jonathan Kent are all there. Lionel is making his speech, saying that his son was filled with potential and that he has so many unanswered questions. Lana looks around, and spots Clark standing in a phone booth close by. She runs through the crowd to find him, but it's too late, he's gone. Lionel continues his speech stating that he will be searching for his son forever. "So will I", says Helen who has just arrived. Lionel is upset to see her there and asks her if she is there as a publicity stunt for the paparazzi. She tells him she wishes to pay her last respects to her husband, and he responds, "Then, Mrs. Luthor, allow me to leave, before the hypocrisy begins", and Lionel walks off.

Kal returns to his apartment in Metropolis to find Chloe waiting for him. We realize that she knew where he was the whole time, but she promises him that no one knows he's here. Kal yells at her, telling her that she should have never come back. Chloe tries to tell him about the Kent Farm being sold, and wonders how he is going to explain his long absence and lack of caring to his family and friends. He tells her that he has erased Smallville from his past. She tells him that someone else could find him like she did. He threatens her and tells her never to tell anyone where he is, or he will run even further away where no one will ever find him. At that moment, his chest pains return, and he pushes her out, telling her to leave him alone. She leaves, and he tears his shirt open again, as the "S" sign begins to glow. The pain is so intense that he is forced to remove the ring for the pain to subside.

Helen is at the Luthor Mansion where she runs into Lionel. He tells her he is surprised that she has finally decided to make her first public appearance. She has no time for him and tells him she wants him out of her house. Lionel reminds her that this is not her house yet. She wonders why he is still here, and that, surely, he was not waiting to offer her his condolences. Lionel sarcastically reminds her that he does not offer condolences to murders. She tells him that she is not a murder, and then, sarcastically, he remembers the story she gave him, that the plane was crashing, and that the pilot jumped out with a parachute, leaving her and Lex with only one parachute between them. She claims that Lex selflessly gave her the parachute and she jumped out to safety as Lex crashes with the plane. Lionel doesn't buy her story and tells her he won't rest until he has brought her duplicity to light. As he walks off, he tells her, "You know, Helen, black widows may be powerful predators, but every predator is somebody else's prey".

Lex is trying to survive on ants and maggots. As he is eating, he sees a plane flying overhead. He runs back to the shore, wondering why Louis hasn't made a fire to attract their attention. It's too late now, the plane has gone. Both men start fighting, and Louis tells Lex that he thinks that in his heart, Lex really wants to stay on the island.

Kal is in the Kent barn, looking at pictures. His parents walk into the barn, but remain below, not noticing Kal listening to their conversation. The Kents start packing boxes, and they are discussing selling the farm. Martha is crying. She is sad that the farm has been in their family for so long, 4 generations counting Clark, and now they have to sell it. Jonathan reminds Martha about the happy days they had and promises her to have happy days again. As Clark superspeeds away, one of the picture frames drops. The Kents run up the stairs, realizing that Clark was there, only to find the broken picture frame.

Chloe finds Lana at The Talon and apologizes for their last conversation. Lana doesn't want to give up on Clark. She wishes she had left Smallville with him when he first asked her, thinking that she could have convinced him to return. She tells Chloe that she saw Clark at Lex's funeral for a split second. Chloe finally admits to Lana that she knows where Clark is and has known all along. Lana is furious, shocked and hurt that Chloe would have lied to her and to his family for so long, even when she knew the pain they were all going through. Chloe explained that Clark threatened to disappear for good if she told anyone. She gives Lana his address and wants to go with her, but Lana refuses.

Kal is returning home on his bike and finds Lana standing there waiting for him. Lana begs him to come home. She stands in front of his bike and tells him she will not let him disappear from her life again. "Then get on", he tells her, and Lana gets onto the bike, and they drive off.

Lex is looking at the compass that Jonathan gave him the day of his wedding. He is crouching by the river, drinking water from a stream, when suddenly he sees a necklace pendant shining in the river. He goes to pick it up, but it is actually tied around the neck of skeleton that appears from the bottom of the river. The skeleton has a huge wound across the top of its head. Louis shows up, and Lex realizes that Louis killed his own father. Louis admits to it, saying that his father was rich and powerful, always critical of him, and that Louis felt like he was never good enough. His father kept chipping away at Louis until there was nothing left. He tells Lex that their stories are similar and that thought he had found a kindred spirit in Lex. But now he realizes that, because of Lex's insistence to leave the island, that they are not actually alike. Louis starts waiving his sword around and runs after Lex, trying to kill him.

Kal takes Lana to the club. The bouncer greets him as Kal once again, and Lana inquires about this. Clark explains that here, "Kal" is his secret identity. Lana is shocked at the way he is behaving and at his lifestyle. Clark mocks her and tells her to relax. She realizes she's not getting anywhere this way, and agrees to relax. She smiles and tells him that she wants to go freshen up. Kal grabs her and kisses her passionately and tells her that he's glad she's here. As she goes to freshen up, she calls the Kents from her cell phone. She tells them she found Clark in Metropolis, but Kal shows up and grabs the phone from her. He speaks to his father on the phone, telling him that Jonathan must be glad that Clark left, that he is not their son and that they are not his parents, that they never were. He smashes the phone on the ground and yells at Lana. Lana tells him that she loves him, but he just answers, "Do you always betray the people you love?".

Back at the Kent Farm, Jonathan is more determined than ever to go get Clark. Martha tries to remind him that he is not strong enough and cannot stop Clark. But Jonathan doesn't listen. He goes to the barn, opens a drawer and pulls out the octagonal key.

Kal shows up at Edge's club after closing time. Morgan wonders why Clark changed his mind, and Kal explains that his past is catching up with his present and he needs to disappear. Edge shows him the bank balance of an account waiting for Kal in a Grand Cayman's account. Kal is impressed. He is told that the job is to break into a titanium-reinforced steel safe located in the office on the 60th floor of LuthorCorp. "It's not a job for a mere mortal", Edge tells Clark. When Kal realized that he has to break into Lionel Luthor's office, Edge wonders if that will be a problem. "No" answers Kal. "It will be my pleasure".

Louis is running after Lex with his sword. They fight. Lex throws Louis to the ground, and starts hitting him over and over again. A man shows up. Lex turns around to the man, repeating, "I had to kill him", "I had to kill him". "Kill who?" asks the man. Lex turns back and looks at the ground where he had just beat up Lewis. There's no one there. Louis had just been a hallucination. The man tells Lex that he is lucky his captain saw Lex's fire.

Jonathan is walking through the caves, looking for the whole for the octagonal key. He can't find it. He gets upset and starts shouting to whomever will listen that Clark wasn't ready, that they had to keep pushing. He wonders what kind of race they are and warns then that they destroyed themselves. He drops the key. At that moment the key lights up and floats towards the cave wall, locks in to the keyhole that just appeared. As Jonathan stares at what is happening, the wall and it's inscriptions light up, and the key opens up. Out of the wall comes these blinding beams of light and energy that encircle and go through Jonathan. Jor-El's (Terence Stamp) voice is heard, introducing himself as Kal-El's true father. Jonathan shouts back that his name is Clark Kent and that he is Clark's true father, that he raised him. Jor-El tells Jonathan that he has fulfilled his function in Kal-El's destiny. Jonathan replies that Clark's destiny is whatever he chooses to make of it. Jor-El tells him that Kal-El's destiny is too great for Jonathan to comprehend. He says that this phase of Kal-El's journey is almost over and that it will be of no consequence whether Kal-El returns to Jonathan or not. "You'll bring him home?" asks Jonathan. "If you want him, you must retrieve him yourself", Jor-El replies. "He's too powerful", Jonathan says. "Are you willing to sacrifice anything", asks Jor-El. "Yes, for my son, I'll do anything". The light and energy beams empower Jonathan.

Clark breaks into the LuthorCorp building and office, and then into the safe. There he finds a small metal box. As he is about to walk out, Jonathan is standing there. Jonathan tells him that his biological father helped him find Clark. Clark says that he didn't listen to Jor-El then, and he's not about to listen to Jonathan now. Jonathan asks him nicely to come back with him. Clark grabs his father and throws him against the wall. Jonathan falls to the ground, but Clark is surprised to see that his father gets up without any injuries. "Son, you're coming home with me. NOW!". Jonathan superspeeds towards Clark, and pushes him out of the LuthorCorp 60th Floor office. They both start falling to the ground...

...TO BE CONTINUED...

All detailed descriptions © Copyright 2000-2008- All Rights Reserved

Notes:

To pump up the Season 3 premiere, the WB and Verizon Wireless presented a series of short scenes starring Maggie Sawyer (Jill Teed) and Daily Planet Editor Max Taylor. The two are tracking down Clark who has been dubbed "The Urban Legend," and has been terrorizing the city throughout the summer.

Replacing the EasyView encores of Smallville, Smallville: Beginnings, which are encores of Smallville episodes from past seasons, began the weekend after the premiere of this episode.
Rutger Hauer is billed as "Special Appearance by."

Good Charlotte's hit song, "Boys and Girls," was used in the opening scene of this episode. It fit in very well because it made a reference to cars, and Clark was looking at the car he wanted to buy.

The word "exile" was used by both Lionel and Chloe in this episode.

When the clowns are shooting at Clark in the bank, he only catches one bullet, but when he stands behind one of the clowns, he is holding a whole bunch. Did he stop to pick them up?
Why is Clark still riding Jonathan's old motorcycle? Isn't he trying to forget Smallville? Besides, wouldn't he want to use his money to buy a shiny new one?

Why isn't Clark wearing a mask when he breaks into the ATMs? Undoubtedly at least one of them caught him on camera. Not that the police could do anything about it, of course.

On Lana's cell phone address list, the Kent family is listed as "Kent's." It should say "Kents" -- with no apostrophe after the "t."

In the preceding episode, Exodus, it was mentioned that Lionel stepped up security at the cave. There seems no reason for him to have discontinued security, heavy or otherwise, three months later. Just because the keyhole disappeared doesn't mean there isn't still stuff in the walls. And yet Jonathan strolls right into the cave.

Initially it seems reasonable that the Kents want Clark to return on his own - he chose to put on the red kryptonite ring so bringing him back against his will using green kryptonite wouldn't make much sense or solve things in the long run. But once Jonathan does decide to bring Clark back against his will, why doesn't Jonathan just use green kryptonite (as they did in Red?) instead of going to the cave? They've never had trouble sneaking up on Clark before, and Lana is able to get away for a couple of minutes from him, so it's not like Clark is on guard against it or anything.

Is Lionel just not trying to find Lex? Since it seems he had nothing to do with the crash, and with his huge amounts of money, he would have searched every island in the area (if not the world). And yet he doesn't find Lex, who seems to keep a huge fire burning.

How many people just walk into a car shop and toss in a bag full of cash? Doesn't that seem a "bit" suspicious? Even if we assume the saleswoman figured it was stolen and just wanted the money, you'd think she'd say something to the police after he hurt her.

When Clark looks out of the window of his Metropolis apartment in Kansas, you can see fairly mountains in the background. Kansas is not known for its mountains.

Why do Lionel and Chloe meet in the cave? There are plenty of hiding places where anyone could listen in on them, there's no security, and it's hard to imagine either one of them, both nicely dressed, somehow secretly getting there (one imagines Lionel's chauffeur sitting outside with the limo trying to be inconspicuous :) ).

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