This instalment of Smallville takes a dive into Clark’s origins, and it’s not about Krypton! While Clark and Pete are riding their speed bikes they come across a Luthorcorp development site where an explosion took place the previous night. Clark takes a tumble and ends up falling down into a cave. After a rough landing he draws the attention of Kyla, who is surprised to see he didn’t sustain any injuries after the fall. Kyla is doing research for her Grandfather Joseph Willowbrook and shows Clark the images displayed on the cave wall, she tells Clark the story of the legendary Naman which had been written in the earth long ago and never discovered. Naman was prophesised to fall from the skies in a rain of fire, have the strength of ten men and blast fire from his eyes… sound familiar?
Naturally Clark is intrigued with this tale and goes to his parents to tell them, he also saw a indent in the cave wall in the shape of an octagon – just like he key that came from his spaceship. Jonathan is sceptical as you would expect and puts it down to how the cave drawings can be interpreted. He tells Clark to be careful of what he divulges to Kyla and her Grandfather, like always he is worried about people discovering their secret and using Clark for their own gain. To try and put his Dad’s mind at rest Clark invites them over for dinner. They learn of the Kawatche people and how a man came from the stars and fell in love with the mother of their people, and that is how the legend of Naman was born. We also find out that the Luthorcorp development site is set to destroy the land where the caves are under.
Clark and Kyla become close in the barn looking at the stars when Lana interrupts them. They have a slightly awkward introduction but Clark asks for Lana’s help in preserving the caves since her birth father Henry Small is a lawyer. Martha also tries to appeal to Lionel to help the effort as well but it seems her words falls on deaf ears. Back in the caves Clark and Kyla are exploring the drawing on the walls. Kyla describes the meanings of the images to Clark as one of them depicts Naman’s nemesis Segeeth. The legend says that they were once like brothers and that one day Segeeth will turn against Naman and together they will be the balance between good and evil. Nicely parallel to the relationship the show is building between Clark and Lex. Clark then sees an image of a woman who Kyla says is the woman Naman is destined to be with – who could that be I wonder?! We are led to believe that it could be Kyla since she is wearing a bracelet the same as the woman in the drawing. While they are talking part of the cave collapses on them and Clark has to reveal his powers to Kyla to save her, making her think that he is this Naman.
It is nice to see Clark to spend time with and be attracted to someone who isn’t Lana, but is Kyla hiding something from him? When her Grandfather Joseph is arrested for an attack on the site foreman at the Luthorcorp development site Clark turns to Lex for help. He shows Lex the cave drawings and this peaks Lex’s interest enough for him to put up the bail money for Joseph. Clark begins to feel like Kyla isn’t being honest with him and that she could know something about the foreman’s death, his suspicions escalate when Martha is attacked by a wolf when leaving work. Clark confronts Kyla about Skinwalkers – Kawatche people who can turn themselves into animals. Clark believes that Joseph is a Skinwalker as it turns out the Luthorcorp foreman was murdered by a wolf. Kyla doesn’t take kindly to this accuasation and decides to end her relationship with Clark.
At the mansion Lionel is enjoying his evening scotch when the wolf appears to attack him, Clark arrives to stop Lionel from being killed and the wolf flees out of the window, hurting itself on the glass in the process. Clark chases after the wolf and when it changes back into human form Clark sees that it is Kyla. In a sad scene Kyla dies in his arms from her injuries saying that she sorry that she couldn’t be the one for him. Lionel shows up at the site the next day with Martha and they find Clark there protesting the works. Martha joins him and Joseph arrives to thank Clark for his efforts in trying to save the caves and Kyla. He apologies for not being able to keep her alive but Joseph doesn’t blame him, instead he gives him Kyla’s bracelet and tells him it is for the true one in his life. Lex also arrives and tells Lionel the state now has the right to presereve the land the caves are built on and have given Lex the contract to do so.
We end on a bit of a cliff hanger this episode as Lana goes to Clark in his barn to comfort him after losing Kyla. But, she is visibly upset about something more and opens up to Clark that Whitney has been missing in action from the military. I’ve noticed Lana does seem to have a way of making every situation more about her. I really enjoyed this episode as it explored so much of the mythology and also linked it to the story Smallville has set up, specifically with friendship between Clark and Lex. Whether or not Clark is this mysterious Kawatche legend named Naman we will have to wait and see! Stay tuned to Earth 9 for more of my Smallville reviews.
DCs Earth-9 