Ep 5. Committed

After seven seasons of watching Clark Kent (Tom Welling) grow from a small-town farm boy to the powerful Superman he's meant to be, Smallville kicks off Season 8 by exploring the iconic character of Doomsday--a super-powered beast that eventually kills the Man of Steel. Now that he's here, where will he go from here? The answer--as revealed in the action-packed, emotionally-charged "Committed"--is certainly unexpected. Meanwhile, Smallville's other characters continue to deal with their own challenges. Clois finally move forward, Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) adjusts to the fact that she's not the only one with special abilities (thanks to a deadly parasite that's infected her), and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) continues her journey down a dark path.

In "Committed," Smallville sticks to its long-standing tradition of exploring the complex relationships of its central characters while also keeping the action levels high. The episode's main focus is on Chloe, who's slowly but surely becoming infected by the "brain bug" that's been featured in previous episodes. As the parasite begins to take over her mind, Chloe becomes increasingly paranoid and erratic, causing concern for her friends and family.

Thankfully, the episode doesn't spend all its time with Chloe--there's plenty of other plotlines to keep viewers engaged. Clois fans will be pleased to learn that Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and Clark's relationship is progressing nicely, with both characters finally beginning to accept their feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Lana--who has been missing from the show for several episodes--finally makes her return, but she's not the same person she once was. After absorbing the essence of a Kryptonian crystal in the Season 7 finale, Lana has become something of a super-powered menace, and she's using her new abilities to wreak havoc on the people of Smallville.

As always, Smallville's writers do an excellent job of keeping the episode's many plot threads moving at a brisk pace. There's never a dull moment in "Committed," and the episode's mix of humor, action, and drama keeps things interesting from start to finish. The cast is obviously very comfortable with each other by this point, and their easy rapport helps to make even the most outlandish scenes (such as the one involving a giant insect monster) seem believable.

All in all, "Committed" is another fine episode of Smallville. If you're a fan of the show, you're definitely going to enjoy it. And if you're new to the series, this episode is a great place to start--it's got everything that makes the show great, and it serves as a good introduction to the characters and their various quirks.