Smallville Season 5 Episode 12-Reckoning

Lana Lang and Clark Kent meet in the loft for a mystery date. Clark is nervous that he is losing Lana, he tells her that he should have shown her something a long time ago. He takes her to the caves, and to the secret room. He pulls out the key and inserts it into the table and they are transported to the Fortress of Solitude. Clark tells Lana he is from Krypton and she doesn't believe him. Clark takes her in his arms and jumps to the top of the Fortress.  She realizes how many times he has been there to save him. Then in one of the coolest proposal scenes ever, Clark then crushes a piece of coal into a diamond, sets it into a gold ring via his heat vision and the proposes to Lana. Back at the Kent Farm, Clark tells Martha and Jonathan that he has told Lana everything and then proposed to her. Clark mentions that he asked Lana to not respond yet and to thing about it. Clark and Jonathan have a man to man and Jonathan is proud of the man Clark has become and they hug.

Things are going too well in the episode and I'm wary that this is another dream episode or another alternate story that in the end everything goes back to normal.

At the Daily Planet, Clark and Chloe talk about how Clark has told Lana everything, and Chloe is happy.  At The Planet, weird things are happening, which tips me off that this isn't your normal story. Plus the soundtrack is too uppity and happy.

Lana and Clark meet at the Kent Farm and Lana accepts his proposal. Clark puts the ring on her finger and everything is awesome for them!

At the Talon campaign headquarters, Jonathan Kent appears to be winning the election and everyone is hugging. Lana breaks the news to the Kents and they are happy and hug. Just then Jonathan is announced as the winner. Lex calls Lana and she heads over to the mansion.

At the mansion, Lana and Lex talk about the election and how he lost. Lex expresses his feelings on how he wants to get out of his father's shadow. Lex is drunk and hurts Lana's feelings. Lex sees Lana's engagement ring and Lana breaks the news to him. Lex is bitter and tries to dissuade Lana by pointing out all the times Clark has lied to her. Lex realizes that Clark has told Lana the truth, he gets angry and Lana escapes the mansion. Lana calls Clark and Lex is driving real fast, Lana's car is hit by a bus and her car rolls. Clark rushes to the scene to help. Lex sees him. Lana is killed in the accident.

Clark goes to the Fortress of Solitude to plead with Jor-El for Lana's life. Jor-El reveals a way, but that the consequences are unpredictable. Clark is then taken back to the beginning of the episode where he and Lana talk about the mystery date. Clark decides to not tell Lana. Lana realizes that Clark is not telling her the truth. Lana tells Clark she can't do this anymore and wants a break from their relationship and walks out.

At the Daily Planet, Chloe and Clark talk about how he has come back in time. He points out the odd things that were happening in the beginning of the episode. He tells Chloe about how he told Lana and proposed. Chloe and Clark come up with a plan to keep an eye on Lana to make sure she is safe.

At the Talon, Jonathan Kent wins again, but this time, Lois Lane almost dies and Clark saves her from electrocution. Lana gets the call from Lex again.

However, Lana still ends up going to the mansion to talk with Lex, as he lost the election-again. Lex is drunk and Lana talks with him about she and Clark are no longer together. They've had their 'last' fight. She tells Lex that Clark would never let her in. Lex tells Lana how Clark will never trust her and puts the moves on her and kisses her. Lana leaves and again Lex goes after her in his car.

Chloe tells Clark that she can't find Lana and Clark rushes to the scene and stops the bus before it can hit Lana. Lana narrowly misses getting hit by the bus, but appears to see Clark stopping the bus. She is freaked out by the whole incident. Lex stops and tries to console Lana, but she leaves before anything happens. We see Jonathan driving home to meet with Lionel.

At the Kent Farm, Jonathan and Lionel have words and Lionel tries to blackmail Jonathan with a photo. Jonathan punches Lionel and  tells him to leave his family alone. Jonathan  starts feeling faint. He then collapses as Jonathan and Martha arrive home. Jonathan Kent dies in their arms.

The day of the funeral, Clark blames himself for his father's death. His mother consoles him and tells him that it isn't his fault. In this pivotal scene for the entire series, Martha tells Clark that he will be the man that Jonathan wants him to be.

Jonathan Kent is buried on a cold, snowy winter day. The visuals for this scene are perfect, the black suits and dresses contrasting with the white snow with large snowflakes falling all around them. Lana grabs Clarks hand for a moment, Chloe looks longingly back at Clark with Lex from afar watches the ceremony. Clark is left alone by the gravesite and drops a handful of dirt on the casket.

While I knew the upbeat and happy start to this episode was a setup, I didn't think this was going to be the ending. This episode ran the gamut of emotions from start to finish. While we all know Jonathan Kent dies from a heart attack in the story, I didn't think it was going to be at this point in the series. This episode did Jonathan Kent's character justice and provided a more than fitting end to his character arc in the series.

On a sidenote, in a deleted scene Clark brings Jonathan back to the Fortress of Solitude to plead with Jor-El to bring Jonathan back. There is no answer this time from Jor-El.