Smallville Season 9 Episode 7: Kandor

In a Lois-free, soap opera drama-free, Smallville finally makes some decent headway on the Kandorian/Kryptonian storyline, revealing the source of Zod and Jor-El’s rivalry.  (Julian Sands guest stars as Clark’s Kryptonian pappy, a more than acceptable substitute for Terence Stamp.)  Several other major reveals are dropped, including Tess’s knowledge of Clark/Kal-El’s true identity and origins. All in all, this was a refreshing change of pace from the love story-centric episodes of the past few weeks.  

Things kick off with a flashback of Major Zod (and the rest of the Kandorian soldiers) in the middle of a war 20 years before the destruction of Krypton. Jor-El requests the blood of Zod and several other Kandorians for a project he terms as his life work.  He congratulates Zod on his inspiring speech to rally the troops for what we can only assume is a Kryptonian civil war.  Just then, a big, mushroom cloud erupts on the spot where Kandor once stood.  An astonished and emotionally overwhelmed Major Zod is pulled to safety by Jor-El as Kandor – and Zod’s family —  is blown to itty-bitty pieces.