Episode 3.17 - Legacy

 

Written By: Jeph Loeb
Directed by: Greg Beeman
Original Air Date: April 14, 2004

When Jonathan (John Schneider) begins to act strangely, Clark (Tom Welling) believes Jor-El is sending Jonathan messages through the key and is the cause for his father’s withdrawal from the family. Clark goes down to the caves to confront his biological father but Lionel (John Glover) catches him there and begins putting the pieces together - leading him straight to Dr. Swann (guest star Christopher Reeve). As the two billionaires face off, a deal is struck and Lionel’s true motives are revealed.

 

Christopher Reeve

as Dr. Virgil Swann
Bio | Gallery | Links

Gary Hudson

as FBI Agent Frank Loder
Bio | Gallery | Links

 

“Love’s Divine” by Seal — Music played during the Talon scene for lark and Lana in which they discuss his dad. Both emotional, Clark kisses her, but she stops him, telling him that he needs to focus on Jonathan right now nd that that’s what’s most important.

Other songs heard in this episode:

“One in a Blue Moon” by Edie Brickell

“Mona Lisa” by Grant-Lee Phillips

Jonathan: Martha, my father
and I built this roof. I could walk this roof with my eyes closed.

Clark: Um, Dad, look, you don’t have to–

Jonathan: [angrily] Damn it, Kal-El, I can get it myself!

Martha: Kal-El?

Clark: Why’d you call me that?

Jonathan: I don’t know.

Lionel: Lex? Listen. Something truly extraordinary has
happened. Do you remember the, um, the octagonal hole, or the
indentation that was in one of the walls of the cave?

Lex: [uninterested] I’m sorry, Dad, that’s your obsession,
not mine.

Lionel: All right, but you remember the hole was sealed over.
[Lex nods.] Yesterday, I found Clark Kent down there.

Lex: [skeptical] Clark?

Lionel: Yes. And the hole was opened. He’d opened it somehow.

Lionel: Oh, Lex, men of vision have so often been mocked.
Galileo knew it was the earth that orbited the sun, and he was
sentenced to death for that discovery.

Lionel: Don’t pretend that this isn’t an obsession you and I
share. We both know that you have an entire archive devoted to
uncovering the mystery of Clark Kent. And if you won’t help me, I’ll
find someone else who will.

Swann: I’ve been wondering how long it would take for you to
finally walk through the door.

Lionel: Then you, uh, obviously know why I’m here.

Swann: [calmly] I think perhaps you’ve been reading my
e-mails to Clark Kent. Am I correct?

Lionel: [chuckles] My transgression doesn’t seem to upset
you. I’m glad.

Swann: I’m a scientist. I find curiosity to be a most
admirable trait.

Lionel: Dr. Swann, I know that what can save my life is
locked within the wall of that cave.

Swann: I believe in the extraordinary, in the possibilities
it holds. But I prefer to follow my own path.

Lionel: I believe that we’re put on this earth for a reason,
Clark. Our task in life is to find out what that reason is.
Sometimes, we can’t do that alone.

Clark: You’re never gonna find what you’re looking for.

Lionel: I’m much closer than you think.

Jonathan: How’d you know to find me out here?

Clark: When I’m searching for answers, I turn to my dad. I
guess it runs in the family.

Jonathan: Your grandfather was the stubbornest man I ever
knew. [He stands up.] And believe me, Clark, I wasn’t nearly the son
you are. My mother used to say that he and I were like watching two
sides of the same coin duking it out. And I see the way you and Jor-El
fight and I wonder if maybe fathers and sons were the same on
Krypton.

Clark: Except he’s not my father. You are.

Lex: Lana, you know you can talk to me about anything.

Lex: Look, I’m afraid I’m a little jaded in the romance
department. The only thing I know about relationships is that
someone usually winds up getting hurt.

Lana: And you don’t think I can trust Clark to not do that.

Lex: I don’t think it’s about trust. It’s like the German
poet Rilke said, “A person isn’t who they are during the last
conversation you had with them. They’re who they’ve been throughout
your whole relationship.”

Clark: I talked to him today. He was saying all sorts of
crazy things. He thinks I can give him answers about the caves.

Lex: [turning to Clark] Can you? My father’s methods are
often questionable, but usually there’s a germ of truth in his
madness.

Clark: Your father’s so obsessed about those caves that he’s
imagining things that don’t exist.

Lex: Clark, I’m glad you told me about this. It means a lot
that you trust me enough to let me help.

Clark: Is there something you’re not telling me?

Lex: [avoiding the question] And what would that be,
Clark?… I’ll check into it.

Clark: You betrayed me!

Swann: Hello, Kal-El.

Clark: [annoyed] My name is Clark.

Clark: You don’t understand. There was another message in the
ship from my biological father, and it said I was sent here to
conquer. Do you know if that’s true?

Swann: I don’t have all the answers. I’m still on the same
journey as you are, Kal-El.

Clark: [turning away, frightened] Please, don’t call me that.
I don’t even know who that is!

Swann: Fathers often want futures that their sons reject.
That struggle is as old as the human race.

Clark: [turning back to Swann] Except I’m not… human.

Swann: Humanity is not only about biology.

Clark: It says, “I am waiting.” It must be from Jor-El.

Swann: That message didn’t come from the stars. It originated
right here on Earth. But I believe that it wasn’t meant for you, Kal-El.

Lionel: There exists in this world some things that are too
valuable to be the sole possession of any one person.

Lana: But, you know, it’s like Lex says, a person isn’t who
they say they are in any one moment. They’re who they’ve always
been.

Clark: Lex? What does he have to do with this?

Lana: I trust him. I trust his advice. He only wants what’s
best for us.

Clark: Look, Lana, how many times have we been standing here
avoiding what we both want?

Lana: That’s because every time you let me get close, it
hurts that much more when you leave. You can’t keep changing the
rules.

Clark: I’m sorry, Lana, I never meant to hurt you. But I
promise, I’m not gonna leave this time.

Lana: [quickly] Maybe I am.

Jonathan: The key is not in the wall, Clark.

Clark: You took it?

Jonathan: No. But it’s– it’s still out there somewhere.

 
************************************************** ****
Quote of the Week:

Swann: [to Clark] Was he the one who caused the explosion on the farm?
Did he make you run wild in Metropolis? [Shaking his head.] I opened the door to your heritage because I thought that you were ready. Your actions over the past year have proven me wrong.