Season six got underway on 28 September, 2006. Zod, the season premiere was written by Steven S, DeKnight.

Clark (Tom Welling) remains trapped in the Phantom Zone, Metropolis looks like a war zone with riots consuming the city, Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) is possessed by Zod with Lana (Kristin Kreuk) at his side, Lois (Erica Durance) and Martha (Annette O’Toole) have survived their plane crash, but for how long? and Lionel (John Glover) and Chloe (Allison Mack) are trying to figure out a way to stop Zod/Lex no matter the cost.

Can Clark find a way out of the Phantom Zone? He may have some help from a young woman, Raya (Pascale Hutton) who bears a symbol that will become very important to Clark. Thanks to her help, and his father’s creations, Clark is able to return home, but a number of prisoners escape with him (so that’s going to be a recurring thing this season).

And Terrence Stamp not only provides the voice of Jor-El, he makes a quick appearance as Zod, or at least it looks like him! And speaking of Stamp’s Zod, there are a number of lines lifted from Superman II that make welcome appearances here.

I don’t understand the Lana/Lex dynamic here. She seems kind of set on staying with him, whether or not it’s to stop Zod and try to find a way to save Lex, I dunno. And I think she begins to regret it as well when Zod reveals his plans for her.

I do like that Martha and Lois (who is unconscious) end up at Clark’s Fortress and Martha has her first interaction with Jor-El.

It’s a big episode, a nice big season opener, and it also introduces another iconic character, though he’s been mentioned before this, Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore).

So new characters, a new worry for the season; the escaped prisoners, the Lex/Lana thing continues (?) and Clark continues to become the man he was born to be.

Sneeze was written by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer. It first aired on 5 October, 2006.

While everyone is attempting to recover from the events of what they are calling Black Thursday, Clark seems to be coming down with something that looks like the common cold, but that sneeze. Looks like Clark has discovered a new power.

There’s someone new in town, again, and they’ve kidnapped Lex, again. Orlando Block (Lochlyn Munro) is going to cause some problems for the millionaire.

It’s not all bad for Lex, however, Lana moves in. Something Clark is shocked to discover when he tries to find Lex and who has kidnapped him. It’s no surprise that once again Lex and Lana end up in some serious trouble… and who is going to save them this time?

Lois ends up working for a tabloid, The Inquisitor, and also finds herself investigating some strange happenings. Yup, much like Chloe before her, she’s now investigating Clark, and doesn’t know it, and this time Chloe works to keep her off the trail.

And meanwhile Lionel is meeting with another millionaire, an old boarding school mate of Lex’s Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley) – that’s right, it’s time to introduce this universe’s version of Green Arrow!

It’s a little bit of a silly episode, especially coming off the end of the season opener. It’ll be interesting to see how the Ollie Queen character works out here (he’s the one who orchestrated Lex’s kidnapping to understand what happened to him when Zod took him over), and I do like seeing Lana being really proactive, I just wish we got a better story for all of them, especially coming off Zod.

Hopefully this is not an indicator for the rest of the season.