Smallville is on the verge of crisis with businesses struggling and a population on edge in the wake of recent events and the continued presence of the DOD. Edge’s return presages a whole new level of threat. Lois threads a clumsy line between loyalty to her father and journalistic integrity.

For a show which has made a virtue of emphasising the uplifting, positive, optimistic elements of its lead character, this episode goes very dark by the time the credits roll. Setting itself up for an explosive finale, I can only hope that it commits to stick the landing and doesn’t instead rush out an ending.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Smallville is in crisis with the DOD still on the streets and the population nervous and twitchy. Beppo’s article off the back of Lois’ information inflames matters further, leading to direct conflict with her father, understandably angry as he tries to contain a situation which threatens both the world at large and his own family in very different ways. It’s interesting and brave to see the show flip this relationship between Lois and her father like this, and I look forward to this dynamic being explored further.

Kyle and Lana are still on course to leave Smallville, even as both of them feel the tug of their long connections to the place. Kyle is actively looking for new jobs and even a heartfelt appeal from Clark can’t seem to sway Lana in her determination. Sarah is not worried, convinced it will never happen and therefore secure in her new relationship with Jordan, but can anyone really guarantee anything?

Speaking of that relationship, it’s causing a few issues for Sarah with her ex and his friends, who ironically don’t seem all that fussed she’s dating Jordan but are happy to join in with the town’s general shunning of the Cushing family, while still being friendly with the Kent boys. A party invite for Jordan and John leads to John gaining a different perspective on someone, and another interesting little flip of the script that gives the audience a different take on a character.

With Edge loose, it’s only a matter of time until Superman is needed, and he and Irons team up to take on Edge and Leslie Larr, freshly jailbroken, on the streets of Metropolis (where else?). But what might seem like an uneven fight proves to be an entirely different uneven fight as the full horror of Tal Rho’s father’s plan becomes apparent.

And then, things get really dark. As I said, I hope that the writers have the confidence to commit to this one and not try to wrap it up too easily or neatly for the finale, because this is an ambitious thread that could really serve to elevate the series, though if I’m honest we’ve been here once before and, well, we’ll see.

Verdict: A dark, uncharacteristically (for the show) hopeless instalment which one assumes is seeking to serve as the darkest night coming before the brightest dawn of its finale. 9/10

Greg D. Smith