Wither is an episode about relationship transitions. We see Jimmy Olsen and Chloe Sullivan take their friendship to a new level. We see Oliver Queen and Lois Lane develop their relationship and spend some time together. We also see Lex Luthor and Lana Lang's relationship flourish and become more intimate. But for Clark Kent, there is no relationship to develop. He does meet up with a hot Park Ranger in short shorts and the perma-grin on his face as he talks to her is pretty funny. But alas, it wasn't meant to be for Clark and by the end of the episode, he is all alone in his barn loft. The main plot is kind of weak and hearkens back to the tone of the first couple of seasons of Smallville. Where there is a murder mystery and Clark, Chloe and Jimmy Olsen (instead of Pete) set out to solve it. Instead of meteor rocks, there is an actual alien, a Phantom that escaped from the Phantom Zone, causing the murders. So, it's not an entirely original plot but the relationships and character development is well done and advances the overall story of the season and series.

FULL REVIEW:

At Makeout Point, there are lots of couples in cars making out. Jimmy Olsen and Chloe Sullivan are there because Jimmy got a tip that strange things happen there. Jimmy puts his arm around Chloe and they have an awkward moment and conversation about intimacy. They decide to take it slow. Chloe then changes her mind and they start kissing. A couple in another car get out and decide to go swimming. They hear screaming and go to check it out. Chloe and Jimmy find discarded clothes from the couple and as they are examining them, blood drips down from above. They look up and see the female impaled up in the tree.

It's morning at the Kent home and they have been invited to a Dark Thursday fundraiser event held by Lex Luthor. Martha Kent tells Clark Kent that she responded to the invitation for the both of them. Clark tells her that he isn't too interested due to the fact that Lana Lang and Lex are together. They discuss how people change, especially lately.

At the mansion, Monica is helping pick out costumes for the fundraiser. Lana is angry about being called the "Next Lex Girl", they talk about how the press can tear them apart if they let them. Lex and Lana discuss their relationship and how Lana is still trying to figure out what she wants. Lex is angry and says he is done paying for Clark's mistakes.

Clark arrives at the apartment above The Talon and talks with Chloe about the murders from the night before. They talk about how the murder was different and could be a somehow influenced by the meteor rocks. Clark asks Chloe what she was doing at make out point. Just then, Jimmy Olsen walks in and Clark realizes what is going on. He has a disappointed look on his face.

At the Kent home, Lois is sending an email regarding a job opportunity when someone knocks on the door. It is Oliver Queen, but Lois doesn't know who that is and mistakes him for an errand boy. He gives Lois an envelope with a donation to give to Martha, and Lois tips him and shuts the door. Martha comes down and asks who it was, and she realizes that it was Oliver but he has already left. Lois is embarrassed by what she did.

Chloe and Clark are approaching the murder scene with cops everywhere. Clark runs to the scene of the murder and is confronted by a park ranger, who just happens to be a good looking woman. They talk about how he isn't supposed to be there. They flirt a little and talk about how she has searched all over but hasn't found anything. Clark uses his x-ray vision and finds the missing boyfriend trapped under some roots. Chloe arrives just as Clark puts his hands on the roots and is cut.

At the hospital, Clark, Chloe and Jimmy sneak into the hospital and see the boyfriend. They look at the x-rays and see some things in his chest. Jimmy is jealous because he wasn't invited to go with them to the forest to look for the guy. Jimmy mentions that Chloe is his girl and they discuss their relationship. They decide to talk about it later. As they are leaving, they talk about how Lex factory might be influencing the forest and the vines. Clark will go to the mansion and check it out.

At the mansion, Clark goes into a greenhouse and discovers some seeds. Lex is there and confronts Clark as to why he is there. Clark tells him about the strange plants and they argue about how that everything Lex does isn't bad. Lex throws a dig in about Lana and Clark tells him that the closer Lana gets to him, the easier it will be for her to see what kind of person Lex is. Lex tells Clark to leave and that he isn't welcome there anymore.

Chloe goes to The Talon and runs into Lana, who was dropping off some things to Chloe. Lana felt like she needed an excuse to talk with her, they go upstairs to talk. Lana mentions that Lex thinks that she hasn't let go of Clark yet. She feels that if she gets into a relationship with Lex she will lose her identity. They talk about Lana's trust issues and that the one that she doesn't trust is herself and her decisions she has made. Chloe encourages Lana to make a decision, whatever that is.

Jimmy is out in the forest taking pictures looking for clues. He hears a noise and the pretty park ranger suddenly appears behind him. He asks her help in finding a weird vine, and she says that she can help him find what he is looking for. She pushes him down and holds him while the vines come out of the ground and one goes in his mouth and down his throat.

Lois Lane bursts in on Oliver Queen in an office with an apology basket. She attempts to apologize and Oliver is giving her a hard time about it. She recommends that he work with Martha Kent. He invites her to go with him to the fundraiser. He even has a costume ready for her, so she grudgingly accepts.

Chloe and Clark discuss how the things in the boyfriends stomach are pods that could erupt at anytime. Just then there are screams and they go to the room and see that vines have erupted from the boys stomach, killing him. The doctors bring in a dead body of the park ranger, Clark looks at the body and realizes the park ranger that he met earlier is the cause of the strange vines. Clark heads off to the forest. Chloe goes back to the hospital room and the vines have inserted themselves into the electrical socket, shorting out the electrical wiring in the hospital. She also discovers that the vine has died from the electrical shock.

Clark meets up with the park ranger and he reveals that he knows that she is alien and not from this world. She recognizes him from the Phantom Zone and that he released her. She has the vines grab Clark and he is impaled through the stomach by one of them and is held in place by them. Jimmy Olsen is being held captive close-by.

At the Dark Thursday fundraiser, everyone is dressed in costume having fun and dancing. Lex, dressed as a Roman soldier, is walking through the crowd talking to his guests, he looks and sees Lana walking in dressed as an Egyptian princess. Lex thought he scared her off, but Lana tells him he'll have to try harder than that.

Lois and Oliver are there as well. Oliver is dressed as a masked Robin Hood and Lois is Maid Marion. They meet up with Lex and Lana and Oliver and Lex trade barbs briefly, then move on. They also meet up with Martha and Oliver is willing to meet with Martha to discuss a partnership.

Chloe arrives at the forest and finds Clark, she has a stun gun that she uses to electrocute the vines and free Clark. He takes off to the mansion and Chloe frees Jimmy. At the mansion, Clark confronts the alien park ranger. She throws him and is about to set the vines on him. Clark uses his heat vision to set the sprinklers off, because he had noticed that in the scuffle a light had fallen on the ground. This combined with the water electrocuted the vines and the alien, disintegrating both.

After the fundraiser, Oliver is taking Lois home and he attempts to kiss her. She holds him off and challenges him to shoot a soda can at about 50 yards. If he hits it, then he can kiss her, if he misses her then no kiss. He gets his bow and arrow and shoots, barely missing. Lois consoles him on the miss and goes inside. The camera pans to the arrow and we see that although he missed the can, he bullseyed the tab used to open the soda can revealing he made a much more difficult shot.

Lex and Lana are talking after the party, how it is a night of firsts, that it was the first time he's felt as satisfied as he did. Lex tells Lana that she is not like anyone else. Lana takes off Lex's Roman armor and clothes and they kiss by the fire. Lex takes off her clothes and they continue on.

At the loft in the Kent barn, Clark is left throwing a ball against the wall by himself as contemplates life.