‘Smallville’s Most Heartbreaking Two-Parter Changes Clark Kent Forever

The Big Picture

• Ryan James is a key figure in
  Smallville
  as he symbolizes the little brother Clark Kent never had and impacts Clark’s journey significantly.
• Ryan’s tragic demise was the first pivotal loss Clark was unable to prevent in his formative years, emphasizing the harsh realities of heroism.
• Ryan’s introduction also highlighted the ‘Warrior Angel’ motif in
  Smallville
  , offering a refreshing addition to Superman’s mythos within the series.

When it comes to recurring characters on Smallville, there’s a long list of who might be considered the greatest. Discounting anyone who became a main cast member in the future, or maybe some of the other long-running characters introduced in the show’s later years, one of the most memorable was introduced in the show’s very first season: Ryan James. Played by future Teen Wolf star Ryan Kelley, Ryan was introduced first in the Season 1 episode “Stray” and only returned for the episode’s sequel, “Ryan,” the following season. Tom Welling‘s Clark Kent may never have had a biological or adoptive younger brother on Smallville, but Ryan was the closest thing to a surrogate the show ever gave us. On the long road to becoming Superman, the events of this Smallville two-parter helped shape Clark for the future and taught him the true meaning of a hero.

What Happens in This ‘Smallville’ Double-Feature?

While the episodes “Stay” and “Ryan” weren’t aired back-to-back, they’re ultimately two halves of one whole. In the show’s first season, Ryan James (Kelley) arrived in Smallville after he escaped his thieving stepparents and got hit by Martha Kent’s (Annette O’Toole) car. As a result, he falsely claims to have no memory of his life or family, and the Kents take him in for a short time. But unbeknownst to the farmers, Ryan is a telepath who can read the thoughts skimming the surface of one’s mind, except Clark’s, of course. Eventually, Ryan’s step-family returns to reclaim him, using his powers to help them steal from Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). Eventually, Clark stops the villains and saves Ryan, who is reunited with an aunt from Edge City who happens to be his only living blood relative.

The following season, it’s revealed that Ryan’s aunt freaked out after discovering the young boy’s superpower and sent him to the Summerholt Research Facility in Metropolis, which kept him under close lock and key. But after calling Clark to rescue him, Ryan returns to Smallville and is sheltered by both Lex and the Kents while Dr. Lawrence Garner (Martin Cummins) fights to get Ryan returned to him. But all this becomes a non-issue when it becomes clear that Ryan is dying. Dr. Garner believed that a tumor in Ryan’s head caused his telepathic ability and was slowly killing him. Though the Kents (and Lex) do all they can, Ryan eventually dies, becoming the first person that Clark loved whom he was unable to save.

Ryan James Was the Little Brother Clark Kent Never Had

While a more recent show like Superman & Lois gave the Man of Steel an actual brother, the Clark Kent of Smallville never had any true siblings. Sure, in the early years, Lex saw Clark as the younger brother he never had, but Clark’s secret meant that he couldn’t reciprocate that sentiment. At least not entirely. But with Ryan, who quickly learned Clark’s secret, Clark found someone he could trust with his alien heritage since he had a superpowered secret of his own. From the get-go, Clark took to Ryan, teasing him and lugging him around as any older brother might with their little sibling, but it was so much more than that.

Clark saw himself in Ryan in a way he couldn’t relate to anyone else. He, too, was an orphan with strange origins that contributed to an even stranger existence with superpowers. He was considered a freak by most of those who knew about his abilities, and he was experimented on in ways that Clark often feared LuthorCorp would do to him. It’s not surprising that Clark would gravitate to an individual like Ryan, especially when he can’t defend himself the same way Clark could. Yes, telepathy is useful (“Stray” especially proves that), but in Ryan’s case, it came at a much higher cost than Clark’s abilities. But beyond their obvious similarities, Clark saw something deeper in Ryan that made him care more deeply than he might’ve thought possible: his capacity for good.

It’s easy to wish that Ryan had stuck around in Smallville and become a more recurring part of the narrative. Had he been saved and had his abilities removed via the removal of the tumor, he could still have been there for his surrogate older brother. While Smallville was already a groundbreaking new take on the Superman mythos, adding Ryan to the main cast would’ve been an even bigger departure from the DC Comics story, yet it would’ve been a welcome one. Tom Welling and Ryan Kelley have clear chemistry on screen, and in both “Stray” and “Ryan” (but especially the latter), he fits in with the rest of the cast almost instantly. Series creators Al Gough and Miles Miller likely didn’t fully realize the dynamic these two had, nor the story potential that Ryan might’ve granted them in the future. Though, more than likely, DC would’ve axed the idea anyway.

Ryan Is the First Loved One That Clark Fails to Save

Despite his horrible circumstances, Ryan James always wanted to do the right thing. That’s why he continued to tell Clark the secrets of those around him, including Lex, Lana (Kristin Kreuk), Chloe (Allison Mack), and Pete (Sam Jones III). He cared about Clark enough to want to give him the upper hand but needed help setting boundaries with his abilities, just as Clark would likewise need to with his own powers (X-ray vision being the biggest of these). Even under coercion, Ryan tried to do what was right to keep others from getting hurt. It’s admirable and very Clark-like. In some ways, Ryan’s even braver since bullets don’t magically bounce off his chest. No doubt, Clark saw the heroic potential in Ryan and continued to meditate on it long after he was gone.

While “Ryan” isn’t the first time Clark is unable to save someone (plenty of meteor freaks die in Smallville‘s third acts), Ryan is the first character Clark had a genuine relationship with who died a death he couldn’t prevent––predating even Kyla Willowbrook (Tamara Feldman) and former main cast member Whitney Fordman (Eric Johnson), who both died a few episodes later. Ryan’s death is a hard blow, and it was a brush with mortality that Clark didn’t expect he’d have to endure so early in his life. Ryan was special to Clark, as the brother he always wanted. Had Ryan survived, the Kents likely would’ve taken him in for good (if only). But his death showed our hero that being a superhero, even the Man of Steel, doesn’t mean that people won’t die on your watch. Sometimes, there’s nothing more that you can do.

Clark races to Hub City to find the right doctor who might help Ryan, but even this only buys the boy a little more time. In Ryan’s last moment in Smallville, Clark takes the young boy on a hot air balloon ride above the Midwestern town to get him away from all the “loudness” of the world around him. Despite Clark’s fear of heights, he sets that aside to spend these final moments with Ryan, who reassures Clark that he changed his life and that he’ll change a lot of other people’s lives. Here, Ryan is the one who makes Clark promise to never give up, and it’s easy to see how this moment could have a profound effect on the future Superman. It sure affected us. If Smallville is all about Superman’s formative years before becoming a hero, his relationship with Ryan is undoubtedly one of the most formative aspects of this incarnation’s youth.

These ‘Smallville’ Episodes Also Introduced the Show’s ‘Warrior Angel’ Motif

While Ryan himself is a major highlight of this Smallville two-parter, it’s not the only important addition it makes to the series’ mythos. Ryan is mentioned a few more times on the show, but one element from “Stray” and “Ryan” that makes its way into the rest of the series is the Warrior Angel comic book series that Ryan’s a fan of. It turns out Lex is a big fan of the comic book, too, and he owns every issue. Since Superman was originally (and is still primarily) a comic book character, this motif was a welcome addition to Smallville. In many instances, the WarriorAngel narrative (which we only get glimpses of throughout the series) blends well with what we know of the Superman story. Warrior Angel has his own Fortress of Solitude-like hideout, a best friend who turned on him to become his sworn enemy, and a reporter girlfriend who always gets herself into sticky situations.

When Clark asks Ryan why he likes Warrior Angel comics, he explains, “Because he protects people who can’t protect themselves.” In “Stray,” when Clark rips open the garbage truck that Ryan accidentally gets himself into, it’s juxtaposed with a panel from one of Ryan’s comic books, where Warrior Angel says the same thing Clark does, “You’re safe now.” It’s a beautiful moment that pays thoughtful tribute to the DC Comics that came before. At first, these were the only two episodes of Smallville that referenced Warrior Angel, with the writers’ content keeping the comparisons between this newly minted comic book character and Superman with Ryan. But eventually, the Warrior Angel parallels continued into Seasons 6, 7, and 9, with other references peppered throughout.

Clark Kent’s Suffering in ‘Smallville’ Made Him a Better Superman

But just like Warrior Angel is often seen suffering, so does Superman. It’s no secret that Superman lost his fair share of family members, friends, and allies throughout his vastly expansive DC Comics history. It’s also no secret that Clark Kent on Smallville lost many people he cared deeply about. While Ryan James was the first, folks like his one-time girlfriend Alicia Baker (Sarah Carter), his father Jonathan Kent (John Schneider), and his friend Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore) all ended up dead down the line. Even Lex, Lana, and Lionel Luthor (John Glover) died at different times in the series, and with each loss, Clark carries that darkness with him. His father’s death, in particular, had a deep impact on the future Man of Steel, pushing him further away from the light.

By Smallville‘s final season, Clark realized he needed to face the darkness he let fester because of those deaths. When he finally did, Jor-El (Terence Stamp) revealed that his time in Smallville was part of a long series of trials, leading him to become the Superman we know from the comics. This includes his time with Ryan, which challenged him to never give up despite the odds and reminded him that being a hero means protecting those who can’t defend themselves. Smallville‘s Clark Kent ultimately learned that lesson, and even factoring in the coda at the end of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” television crossover where Clark has given up his powers, he does so heroically for the sake of his family. It’s also worth mentioning that, in that Smallville epilogue, we learn that Clark and Lois Lane (Erica Durance) have multiple girls. No doubt, Clark likely had Ryan in mind when he and Lois decided that one kid wasn’t quite enough…

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