What's up with Ryan?
Ryan has been suffering from intense headaches. He's being tested at Summerholt Neurological Institute in Metropolis, by what seems to be a merciless Dr. Garner. Suffering, he phones Clark from the Institute to come and save him. After Ryan's aunt learned of his telepathy and could not find help for him and his headaches, she left him with Dr. Garner as his legal guardian.

Guest-star Ryan Kelly portrays "Ryan." Ryan appeared as the same character in the "Stray" episode of Smallville in season 1.

What's up with Clark?
After Ryan's pleading phone call, Clark tracks him to the Institute, and takes him away to refuge at Lex's mansion. Clark didn't take Ryan to the Kent farm, since his parents had warned him against a dramatic rescue.
What's up with Lex?
Lex knows Clark could be in trouble for kidnapping, but agrees to keep Ryan overnight. Dr. Garner comes to Smallville looking for Ryan, and wants Clark arrested for kidnapping. Lex protects Clark by getting a temporary custody order for Ryan and the Kents. He threatens Dr. Garner with the Metropolis D.A's interest in investigating Summerholt's research on minors against their will.

Guest-star William B. Davis portrays "Mayor William Tate." Davis is best known by TV audiences as "Cigarette-Smoking Man" on the long-running cult hit "The X-Files."

In his business, Lex is planning a plant expansion. During a meeting with Smallville's Mayor Tate about the project, the mayor suggests speeding up the project's city paperwork via a "campaign contribution," a regular business practice he's enjoyed with Lionel. Lex is against paying a bribe. Instead, Lex has a political ad produced against Mayor Tate. He tells the mayor he'll support Tate's opponent in the upcoming election, and suggests the dishonest Tate retire from politics.
What's up with Lana?
Lana and friends throw a surprise party to welcome Ryan back at the Talon. The whole time, Ryan reads everyone's mind, sharing his insight with Clark.
Aunt Nell wants to move to Metropolis. Lana doesn't want to go. Upset, she tells Clark about the move. Clark tells her not to go if it doesn't feel right. Chloe and her dad agree to let Lana stay with them until she graduates from high school.
What's up with Martha?
Martha is delighted by Ryan's arrival, even ready to stop working for Lionel Luthor to spend time mothering Ryan at home. Ryan knows Martha enjoys working for Lionel, despite her being low-key about the job to Jonathan. Ryan also knows Martha's "secret," and asks why she doesn't tell Jonathan and Clark. She says she'll tell them when the time is right.
How it ends:
Ryan and Lex are both fans of "Warrior Angel" superhero comic books. While at Luthor mansion, looking at comics together, Ryan collapses and is hospitalized. Ryan tells Clark he has a brain tumor and is dying. Despite Ryan's limited chance of survival, Clark will not give up hope. Lex tells him of Dr. Burton, a cancer surgeon with an experimental procedure. Lex also advises Clark that sometimes its better to spend time with a loved one than chase a fruitless hope to save them. Clark runs 425 miles to stop the cancer surgeon from leaving on an international trip. Dr. Burton performs surgery on Ryan. Despite the surgery, Ryan has only a few more days to live. He wants to spend the time with Clark. Ryan and Clark take a balloon ride over the fields of Smallville. Ryan thanks Clark for a perfect moment, asking Clark not to be sad when he's gone or to ever give up.
[back to top]

Remember that kid from "Stray"? He's back. And in the preview he says, "I'm dying, Clark." Well, we can hope, can't we?

We open on said psychic kid. We pan down on him from above, and see all kinds of diodes and wires hooked up to his tow head. He appears to be in some sort of lab with blue lighting. Somebody off-camera asks, "Okay, Ryan, what am I looking at?" A bunch of blue lighting gels? Little Luka Lost -- who is shirtless and pasty -- says, "A dog." A shadowy figure asks what kind of dog, and what color. It's a brown lab. The intense lab guy is looking at an image on a computer screen of a brown lab that Luka can't see. The guy pulls up another image and Luka guesses it correctly. A pine tree. We see an image of Luka's brain, and then suddenly he puts a hand to his temple in pain. The lab guy calls Luka's name. Without opening his eyes, Luka says, "Father, mother, and son." He's correct again. The doctor (or whoever he is) asks if Luka's having another pressure headache. Does he need Advil? Luka nods. Evil Doc says they should push on. Luka says he doesn't want to answer any more questions. The Doc says there's just a few left. "Full moon," Luka says, answering the next image question. Butterfly. Train. Luka moans suddenly and jerks his head. Creepy music plays as Luka's nose starts to bleed. Evil Doc just stares at Luka. He's got some Peter Gallagher eyebrows going. Luka wipes his nose and looks back at the Evil Doc. Luka tells the Doc, in his creepy psychic matter-of-fact voice, that Evil Doc's afraid he isn't going to get all his research done. "Get the coagulant," Evil Doc says to some lackey off in the side. The lackey goes up some stairs to fetch it. When the guy is gone, Luka asks what Oxycontin is. Doc says it's a powerful narcotic. Luka tells the Doc that his assistant is stealing it. "I knew it," Evil Doc says and goes to pursue his wayward lackey.

Wayward lackey. All he was getting was some damn coagulant! Just like the doctor asked! Poor him! Evil Doc got fooled by a scrawny kid. "Son of a bitch!" he yells, and starts running down the ill-lit hallway. He re-enters the torture lab, calling for Luka, but Luka's gone, man. Next time, screw the coagulant. Let the boy bleed.

Luka is crawling through the ventilation ducts without any tools or a means of getting way up there. So he's MacGyver now? He opens a grate into another room and climbs down. He finds a phone and dials. Hope he pushed 9 to get out. Banging on the door as Luka calls. We cut to the Kent kitchen. MamaKent is working on a laptop as the phone rings. She asks Clark to get it. He looks comatose for a second, just standing there. It's Luka! And he needs help! "Is that you?" Clark asks. Clark asks where he is. Luka, near tears, says it's a hospital called Summerholt Clinic. The fuzz busts in and starts to grab the phone. Luka yells that they're experimenting on him. "What?" Clark asks. How much more clear could Luka have been? MamaKent comes over, concerned. Much struggling back at the lab phone. Luka struggles as they point a needle at him. The needle goes way, way, WAY deep into his skull toward his brain. Yikes, man. Luka falls asleep and then we abruptly break into the opening credits. (more...)
-- Omar G (TWoP)

Clark pushes his abilities to the limit to save his telepathic young friend Ryan from an evil doctor who wants to control the boy's abilities. Meanwhile, Nell tells Lana they are moving to Metropolis. Michael Rosenbaum, Sam Jones III, Allison Mack, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider also star.

Lex: Life is not like a comic book - sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.
Ryan: Your father told you that - it doesn't mean it's true.

Chloe: Clark and I just had a *massive* blowout.
Lana: About what?
Chloe: His secrets...privacy...my pathological inability to curb my curiosity. How are you?

Lex: How did you get him out without anyone seeing you?
Clark: Just lucky, I guess.
Lex: You're the luckiest guy I've ever met.

Ryan: You should have seen him throw that orderly. He must have been 300 pounds.
Clark: He's exaggerating...a little.

Chloe: Surprise! It's your obligatory jailbreak party!

Clark: You knew about this the whole time, didn't you?
Ryan: Half a block away.

Clark: Don't go to Metropolis.
Lana: Or what? You'll kidnap me too?

Lex: If you start a fire, Mayor Tate, you'd better be prepared to deal with the flames.

Ryan: Why do you think Devilicus went bad?
Lex: I'm not sure. Probably wasn't aware of it. You see, Ryan, in life, the road to darkness is a journey, not a light switch.
Ryan: You should remember that, Lex.

The effects were stuff they've done before, and on long effect that we haven't seen before. That effect was nicely done, too. I expect to see them get a lot of use out of it. Hopefully the next time they'll get it to look like Clark isn't just running on the spot. (Maybe film the live footage with Tom running on a treadmill?) I give it 5 out of 6.

The story was an excellent way to bring Ryan back. It's about time one of these Smallville transients comes back, and they picked the right character and brought him back the right way. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting from the guest star, Ryan Kelley, was extremely impressive for an actor of any age. The main cast did a good job, too. I give it 5 out of 6.

Ah, the emotional response. Bullseye. 6 out of 6.

The production was the usual high for most of the episode. In other scenes, such as Nell's scene, the slow-motion pull-out shot, and the damaged comic scene, the director of photography did an absolutely incredible job. I give it 6 out of 6.

Overall, this episode had everything. It had past threads to tie up, new threads that got started, character revelations, upheal in the personal lives of guest characters and stars, and the guts to do what Fox wouldn't let George Lucas do in Return of the Jedi. I give it 6 out of 6.

In total, Ryan receives 38 out of 42.
By fiziko