Content & Trigger Warnings for Smallville (2001)

Several meteor freaks become obsessively fixated on targets; a shape-shifter stalks a student

Lionel Luthor surveils his son obsessively; various villains fixate on targets

Surveillance and obsessive behavior from both Luthors; Lex investigates Clark's secret

Lex becomes increasingly obsessive about uncovering Clark's secret; surveillance escalates

Continued surveillance and obsessive behavior from Lex Luthor targeting Clark and others

Lex's obsessive investigation of Clark reaches dangerous levels

Surveillance and obsessive behavior continues though Lex's direct role diminishes

Davis Bloome's fixation on a character takes on obsessive qualities

Surveillance of Clark by various factions continues

Government surveillance of heroes; Darkseid's minions track and target Clark

Clark's biological parents' death on Krypton and his adoption are discussed; the Luthors' family tragedy referenced

Lex's complicated relationship with his abusive father intensifies; parental death is threatened

A parent figure is killed; family relationships remain fraught with danger

Parental figures face life-threatening situations; Lionel's imprisonment creates complex family dynamics

Jonathan Kent dies of a heart attack in a pivotal and emotional scene; profoundly impacts Clark

Jonathan Kent appears as a spirit; Clark reflects on his father's death as he prepares to become Superman

Clark's biological parents die when Krypton is destroyed, and his adoptive father Jonathan Kent dies on screen.

A character is forcibly committed to a mental institution as a form of control

Clark's grief over his father's death is a central emotional arc throughout the season

Characters continue to process losses and face new ones

Characters process ongoing losses and face new emotional challenges

A major character death in the finale brings significant emotional weight and mourning

Characters face loss as the Kryptonian conflict claims casualties

Characters face potential final losses as the series concludes; emotional farewells

A pregnancy storyline involves deception and loss that deeply affects a character

The pilot features a major car accident that brings Clark and Lex together, with car crashes recurring.

Lionel Luthor manipulates his son psychologically; Clark hides his identity causing confusion

Lionel Luthor's manipulations reach new levels; Lex begins his descent into deception

Lionel Luthor orchestrates elaborate psychological manipulation; Lex's mental state is questioned after being poisoned

Lex's manipulation of those around him deepens; Brainiac deceives characters about reality

Lex's villain arc deepens with more sophisticated manipulation and deception

Lex continues manipulation even from diminished power; new villains deceive characters

Characters are deceived about Doomsday's nature; manipulation continues in various storylines

Zod manipulates both humans and Kryptonians; deception is central to the conflict

Darkseid's influence corrupts characters psychologically; dark manipulation themes throughout

Romantic entanglements and emotional infidelity occur among the main characters.

Characters are abducted or held captive by various villains of the week

Multiple characters are captured or held hostage by villains of the week

Multiple abductions occur including significant character kidnappings

Characters are abducted and held in increasingly dangerous situations

Characters continue to be captured by various threats

Characters are kidnapped in several episodes as stakes escalate

Characters captured in various villain encounters throughout the season

Characters are captured during confrontations with Doomsday and other threats

Characters are captured by opposing factions during the conflict

Characters captured in the final conflict with Darkseid

Characters are frequently captured and held hostage as a recurring plot device.

A tornado sequence is a major season finale event with a character's death

A Kryptonian military force occupies Earth leading to combat scenarios

A character is wrongfully imprisoned; another is committed to a psychiatric facility against their will

More blood shown in Doomsday confrontations and violent scenes than previous seasons

Meteor-infected individuals develop grotesque physical mutations and powers throughout the season

Continued meteor freak mutations including more disturbing physical transformations

Continued meteor-induced mutations and transformations in villain-of-the-week episodes

Meteor freak transformations continue; experimental body modifications shown

Brainiac and Kryptonian technology cause disturbing physical effects on characters

Phantom Zone escapees possess and transform human bodies in disturbing ways

Bizarro's imperfect clone form is disturbing; Brainiac returns with body manipulation

Davis Bloome's transformation into Doomsday involves disturbing physical changes and loss of control

Darkseid's possession causes visible physical corruption; cloning experiments depicted

Characters are trapped in confined spaces during several meteor freak encounters

Characters trapped in caves and underground facilities during several episodes

Characters trapped in underground facilities and confined settings

An episode features a villain with insect-related mutation abilities

Red kryptonite acts as a drug metaphor affecting Clark's behavior and judgment

Red kryptonite continues to serve as a drug metaphor with Clark acting recklessly under its influence

Lex's relationships show controlling and emotionally abusive patterns

Lex and Lana's relationship becomes increasingly controlling and psychologically abusive

The aftermath of Lex's abusive relationship with Lana continues as a major plot thread

A relationship with Davis Bloome becomes dangerous as his violent alter ego emerges

Moderate violence in superhero confrontations; some deaths shown but not graphically

Superhero action violence; some deaths shown with moderate intensity

Action violence continues at moderate levels; some more intense confrontations

More intense action violence as the show matures; some graphic fight scenes

Kryptonian threats bring higher-stakes violence; more intense action sequences

Phantom Zone villains bring more violent confrontations; zoners cause graphic destruction

Continued action violence with Bizarro and other superpowered threats

Doomsday storyline brings more intense violence and destruction; Davis Bloome's transformations are graphic

Zod and the Kandorians bring military-level conflict and more intense violence

Darkseid arc brings epic-scale violence; the series finale includes intense combat sequences

Characters use firearms in confrontations throughout the series.

Interrogation and torture scenes as tensions between humans and Kryptonians escalate

Characters face physical and psychological torment from Darkseid's forces