Episode Summary: After Lana dies, Clark turns back time to prevent it, with tragic consequences. Smallville can play Superman for laughs and it does with varying degrees of success, but it also likes its drama, and the most dramatic event of the young Clark Kent's life is the death of his father. In an episode which features time travel, the Fortress of Solitude, and a car wreck, it's poignant that Jonathan Kent dies of a heart attack. What's more, it's possibly because of all he endures in Exile/Phoenix, leaving Clark with guilt which will play on his mind for years. Smallville spent far less time on the father/son relationship than it did on that of Clark and Lana, but it felt genuine, and Reckoning sees the show using its soapiest tactics for an emotional gut-punch. Jonathan Kent's death marks the show's transition from teen fare to a more confident series with dramatic as well as comedic beats as well it should.
