The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "Descent," the sixteenth episode of the seventh season of The CW?s "Smallville."

"Total absence of love. Some say that is the definition of evil." -- Chloe.

When it was first revealed that a "big character" would die in the first post-strike completed episode, there were only a few characters in a position to bite the dust.

And no one was expecting it to happen within the first four minutes. In one blink-and-you-miss-it moment, Lionel Luthor (John Glover) plummeted from the highest floor of the corporation he built. And from that moment, the episode was Michael Rosenbaum?s greatest hour.

For seven years, we have watched as Lex Luthor (Rosenbaum) dabbles with darkness through government contracts, Kryptonian invasions and the meteor-centric 33.1, but none of that even compares to ?Descent? ... the episode in which kills his own father and finally crosses the ambiguously murky line to become a true villain.

The subsequent haunting of Lex was given a sincere and serious edge thanks to the talents of young Connor Stanhope, who again proves he can channel the complex and multifaceted emotions of Lex Luthor. His screams of ?you shouldn?t have done it? relayed Lex?s guilt-stricken state of mind and the scene as the real Lex burns young Alexander perfectly caps off the character arc that first started in ?Fracture.?

What Worked

Lionel?s office was unusually dark, making it a stark contrast to the usual vibrant and lurid blue sanctum that lively CEO normally basks in -- very appropriate considered what was about to come.

Lois and Jimmy (Erica Durance and Aaron Ashmore) as the reporting duo are back, and this time get themselves into a small scrape resulting in bullets, freezers, a lot of dry ice fog and not to mention a little beat of heat-vision. And thanks to their incriminating photo the reporting team?s goal for the rest of the season is clear: bring down Lex Luthor.

The confrontation between Clark (Tom Welling) and Lex was steeped in so much character history and nudges to the future making it the culmination in seven years worth of planning and development. It was made particularly poignant through the debates over the real reason for the death of Jonathan Kent. Their meeting comes to a dramatic conclusion as Clark proclaims, ?I have proof,? and storms out of the mansion to the almighty notes of Mark Snow?s score.

And again Chloe (Allison Mack) proves herself a wonderful asset to the ?Smallville? story and provides a very deep and meaningful eulogy to not only the life of Lionel Luthor, but Jor-El and Jonathan Kent as well. ?There was a reason those men were in your life: each of them added something to the man that you are today.?

What Didn?t Work

Don?t people in Smallville lock doors when they are trying to expose the devilish actions of an elusive billionaire? The ease in which Gina (Anna Galvin) was able to break into the Isis Foundation and wrestles the photo from Chloe was just plain embarrassing. You would think after so many dangerous encounters in the small Kansas town that the reporter-wannabe would at least watch her back from time to time.

The events of the night were more than a little disjointed thanks to the split between the two episodes (?Veritas? and ?Descent?), with mentions of Lionel visiting the Daily Planet and then crossing the street into Luthorcorp. Yet in the episodes opening seconds, Lionel steps out of a limousine and almost calmly strolls into Luthorcorp Plaza -- where is the paranoid, panic-stricken man that made ?Veritas? the joy it was?

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Smallville" stars Tom Welling, Kristen Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Allison Mack, Erica Durance, John Glover and Laura Vandervoort, and airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on The CW. "Descent" was written by Holly Henderson and Don Whitehead, and was directed by Ken Horton.

Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Airlock Alpha and its sister site Rabid Doll. He is currently studying for a diploma in freelance journalism and can be reached at anytime at ablair@airlockalpha.com.

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