Forsaken is the penultimate episode of season three, which means there will be lots of things being set up for the season finale. Written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, it first aired on 12 May, 2004.

Lana (Kristin Kreuk) is getting ready to leave for Paris, an Clark (Tom Welling) is having a tough time dealing with that. Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) reminds him that if he wants Lan to stay, he needs to be open and honest with her. Will he finally reveal his secret?

Pete (Sam Jones III) is dealing with his parents’ divorce; it’s a nice moment to let viewers relate.

But it’s not going to be just relationship melodrama, Emily Dinsmore (Amber Rothwell) last seen as a little girl in the episode ‘Accelerate’ is back, grown up, and seemingly more upset than Clark, and doesn’t want the Talon to be closed, either.

Lana is very creeped out, and when Emily’s dad (Neil Flynn) arrives in an attempt to warn her, things go very badly. Dad ends up dead, and Lana is held captive, missing out on a dinner with Clark.

And the Lex/Lionel (John Glover) verbal fencing and betrayals continue. Lex has been working with the FBI to deal with his dad. And if Clark can find Emily, they can help Lex prove that Lionel has been cloning people.

But Lionel isn’t going down without a fight, but he may not be able to avoid what is coming. And Lex realizes Pete knows what Clark’s secret is… whatever it may be.

And there are big changes coming for Clark and the series. Lana’s going away to Paris, and Pete is leaving to live with his mom, because keeping Clark’s secret is too hard and too dangerous.

Covenant closes out the season. It debuted on 19 May, 2004 and was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar from a story by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer.

Hello Kara (Adrianne Palicki)! Clark is shocked when a beautiful young woman shows up on the Kent farm claiming she’s from Krypton. She seems to have powers like Clark, and knows about Jor-El, the caves, and Clark’s secret.

Lex comes to chat with Clark about his father’s upcoming trial, and what he can do to help.

Kara tells him that he can learn and become more if he comes with her, into the caves, and through a portal there. She also reveals the deal that Jor-El (Terrence Stamp) made with Jonathan (John Schneider). And that’s going to cause some family problems.

And Kara isn’t concerned with taking a life.

Clark discovers that the Luthors have been investigating him and the caves. Both of them looking into the truth. Lex and Clark have it out, Lex has been trying to figure out what has been going on since the car crash in season one.

And Clark misses out on saying goodbye to Lana, when he sees her with Lex. He still goes to testify against Lionel, but it may end the Lex/Clark friendship. And Lionel prepares for life in prison, and gets his locks shorn.

So what will Clark do as the episode closes? He’ll go with Kara. Will Jonathan be able to stop him when he gets some info from Chloe (Allison Mack). But Chloe… and her father… end up in an explosion in their new safe house, to protect them from Lionel. Guess that didn’t work. Leex is poisoned (again).

And Kara and Clark? Kara isn’t her name. She was used by Jor-El, to manipulate Clark. And Jor-El kills ‘Kara’ and tortures Jonathan to force Clark to enter the portal in the cave wall – there’s a nice phantom zone nod to end the season.

It’s a fairly dark ending, setting up the next season nicely.