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"The Pilot"
Synopsis by BlackQueenKat
October
1989.
A small space craft and several meteors are on a collision course for
Earth. In Smallville, KS it's the high school homecoming and most residents
are at the game.
On the outskirts of town, Lionel Luthor is bringing his 9 year old son
Lex along on a business deal. While his father conducts business, Lex
discovers a teen ties up like a scarecrow in a nearby cornfield. As the
first meteor hits, the teen disappears in the impact blast and Lex is
thrown accross the feild. The dark cloud from the metoer is attracting
everyone's attention on Main Street. Suddenly, fire begins to rain down
on Smallville. Chaos ensues. Out on the city limits, the Kents are in
an accident as the smallcraft also makes a crash landing.
Twelve
Years Later
Clark Kent has grown to teen years keeping his unusual strength and speed
a secret. His friends Chloe and Pete tease about his lateness and his
inability to be around local beauty Lana Lang without tripping up. Lana
Lang wears a piece of the meteor that killed her parents 12 years ago.
She has grown up to be the most popular girl in school and date the football
hero, Whitney. Clark cannot understand his sudden sickness around her.
Obeying his father's wishes, Clark does not try out for the football team
but does daydream about being a football star - and dating Lana. Pete
on the other hand does tryout to prevent being picked "scarecrow"
and tied up in the cornfield on homecoming.
Lex Luthor, now 21, returns to Smallville on Luthor Corp business. He gets into an auto accident while juggling Porche and cell phone. He hits Clark Kent and goes over the bridge. Clark saves his life using his strength and earning Lex's gratitude and friendship. Jonathan Kent arrives to pick up Clark and is noticably cool to Lex. Seeking to repay Clark, Lex sends him a new pickup truck which Jonathan wants returned. Lionel Luthor's business dealings have left the elder Kent wary of the family. In the ensuing argument, Clark reveals the full extent of his strength to his father and his feelings of confusion. Jonathan then reveals the truth of Clark's origins to his son who runs away.
Lana finds Clark in the local cemetary when she goes to visit her parents gravesite. She has given her necklace to Whitney for luck in the Homecoming Game so she and Clark are able to talk. Still confused about his suddenly altered reality, Clark comforts Lana over the loss of her parents. The two walk home together and are seen by a jealous Whitney. The next day, Clark returns the truck to Lex who professes his gratitude and friendship.
Jeremy Creek (The Scarecrow from 1989) has returned to Smallville after waking from a coma induced by the meteor shower. The event has also left him with odd electrical powers which he uses to attack the 3 players who made him Scarecrow. Chloe (a budding journalist) and Pete spot him at one of the crime scenes and identify him. As they tell Clark of their suspicions, they also show Clark "The Wall of Weird". It is a bulletin board of all the odd occurances that have happened in Smallville in the past 12 years. Clark looks in horror at all the things that are all his "fault".
On his way out, Clark is ambushed by the Kryptonite wearing Whitney. Clark's sudden weakness around the necklace reveals its power over him. Mistaking Clark's interest for something concerning Lana, Whitney puts the necklace on Clark and ties Clark up as this year's Scarecrow. The former Scarecrow watches this but does nothing to help Clark. His focus is on teaching the jocks a lesson. Lex, instead, is the one to free Clark, in the process knocking off the necklace. Clark races to stop the Scarecrow, leaving a bewildered Lex with the necklace.
Clark catches up with the Scarecrow outside the dance. The two battle and the Scarecrow's electrical power backfires, leaving him powerless and with no memory of recent events. Clark gets his own brand of revenge by stacking the players trucks on top of Whitney's. Later Jonathan and Clark make peace. Clark tells his father he is happy he was found by the Kents. Jonathan replies, "We didn't find you. You found us." echoing an earlier sentiment of Martha's. Clark watches from his loft as Lana returns home from the dance.
Famous Firsts: All of the primary characters are introduced in this episode -- Clark Kent, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Whitney Fordman, Chloe Sullivan, Pete Ross, and the Kents. We also meet Lionel Luthor (Lex's father) and Nell Lang (Lana's aunt). We learn that the Smallville High mascot is the Crows, and we learn that Lana's parents died when a meteor crashed into them.
We also learn that Lex lives in the "Luthor ancestral home," brought brick by brick to its current location outside of Smallville, and that Lionel Luthor has never been there.
Trivia: The first draft of this episode featured Cynthia Ettinger as Martha Kent. She was replaced in the final version by Annette O'Toole (who ironically played Lana Lang in "Superman III"). Because of this many scenes were completely reshot to include O'Toole.
The newspaper being read by Lionel Luthor reads "Queen Industries CEO Missing, Presumed Dead." This is obviously a reference to Oliver Queen, comics' "Green Arrow."
Michael Rosenbaum did shave his head for the role of Lex Luthor.
Young Lex Luthor was played by Matthew Munn, who played "Young Byers" in an episode of The Lone Gunmen. And yes, that was a wig.
The pilot was filmed in the towns of Merritt and Cloverdale, in British Columbia, Canada.
David Nutter, who directed the pilot, has also directed episodes of The X-Files and the late-1980's Superboy series.
Episode #1
Original
Air Date: October 16, 2001
Re-Aired November 22, 2001
Written By: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Directed By: David Nutter
Special Guest Star: John Glover as Lionel Luthor
Guest Stars: Adrian McMorran (Jeremy Creek), Sarah-Jane Redmond (Nell Lang), Matthew Munn (Young Lex Luthor)
Pilot
Episode Music:
"The
Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby
"Long
Way Around" by Eagle-Eye Cherry
"Eight
Half Letters" - Stereoblis
"Wonder"
- Embrace
"Unstoppable"
- The Calling
"Inside
The Memories" - Fear the Clown
"Everything
I Own" - Jude
"Let's
Go" by Capitol Eye
"Maybe"
by Stereophonics
"Everything"
- Lifehouse
See the Smallville Music page for more information!
