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Smallville might have ended over a decade ago but Earth-167 remains in the hearts of actors Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who recently reunited to do a podcast called "Talk Ville." On the podcast, the two, who played Clark Kent and Lex Luthor respectively do a rewatch of each episode before analyzing it.
Recently, after watching the episode, "Stray," the actors discussed a death they felt was too brutal for what was mostly a family-friendly show. And it involved Ryan watching his father shoot a broker to death. However, that was quite tame compared to many other deaths that the show served viewers in later seasons.
10 Tina Beats Lt. McNulty With A Baseball Bat
After the death of Betty Fordman’s son, Lt. Raymond "Ray" McNulty goes to tell her the sad news. But before he does so, he is attacked by the shape-shifter Tina Greer (posing as Whitney Fordman) who beats him with a baseball bat.
The manner in which Ray gets clobbered sends chills down the spines of viewers, but the lieutenant's death isn't as brutal as the others since there is no proper motive for it. Additionally, Ray not putting up a fight despite having plenty of military experience is both disappointing and unrealistic. However, Ray’s death still counts as an important one in the series because it lays a pathway for the emergence of yet another ruthless villain, his vengeful son, Van McNutty.
9 Lana Dies In A Car Crash
As she is being chased by Lex, Lana calls Clark to tell him that the villain knows his secret. As she does this, she gets distracted while driving and, as a result, a school bus hits her. Luckily, Clark takes her to the Fortress of Solitude and has Jor-El reverse time in order to save her.
The crash is undoubtedly one of the most gruesome ones ever depicted on TV, but the incident also ranks lower because it fails to impact the show's events in any major way. The events aren't original either since Christopher Reeve's Superman also reverses time in Superman (1978) when Lois dies after getting caught up in an earthquake while driving. Moreover, car crashes have become rather cliché on TV, hence Lana's death doesn’t stand out.
8 Dr. Fredrick Walden Gets Caught Up In An Explosion
While trying to prevent Clark from acquiring the Key, Dr. Walden causes an explosion but ends up incinerating himself. The Key’s imprint is then burned into his arm and later used by Lex Luthor.
Dying while trying to kill someone qualifies as a “clown” moment hence the death is as funny as it is brutal. They Key imprint also remains engraved in the minds of viewers just as it does on the doctor’s arm. But even though Walden gets what he deserves, his death puts an anticlimactic conclusion to what was promising to be one of the show’s best fights.
7 A Pile Of Cars Falls On Nathan Dean
During a fight with Clark at a car junkyard, the metahuman Nathan Dean attempts to use his Sonic Scream power. Sadly, this causes a pile of cars to fall on him, killing him.
In terms of its shock factor, Nathan Dean’s death is on the same level as that of Dr. Walden (and it plays out the same way too). Like Walden, Dean dies just as things are starting to get exciting. Right before the metahuman’s death, Clark happens to regain his full vision, hence paving way for a fair fight. Unfortunately, viewers are denied the chance to experience a few minutes of fisticuffs.
6 Zod Strangles Faora To Death
After learning about her betrayal, Zod strangles Faora. He then discovers that she was pregnant with his first child.
As one of the evilest Superman villains, Zod has never shied away from killing, but his actions trigger deeper melancholy this time because there is an unborn child involved too. The death could have ranked higher if not for the fact that lovers turning into foes is kind of a played-out trope in both TV shows and movies.
5 Lance Falls On A Bone Saw
Lance, a medical student at Metropolis University, creates a Limbo drug that enables people to talk to the dead. When Lana tries to break free of the drug, she and Lance fight over it, resulting in Lance falling on a bone saw.
The near-perfect death has everything, from gore to creativity. Lance lying in a large pool of blood also makes the scene seem like it’s taken out of one of the best horror movies. Additionally, the accidental nature is fitting because Lana would never willingly conduct such a brutal killing. It's a shame he was killed off since his character was starting to get interesting.
4 Clark Discovers Alicia Been Murdered
One of Clark Kent’s love interests, Alicia Baker, is subjected to a horrific death at the hands of Tim Westcott. When she heads home, Tim drugs her before hanging her. Clark later finds her body.
The murder is a memorable one because it involves double acts of brutality rather than just one. And the fact that Westcott doesn’t get to pay for what he did makes him one of the few villains lucky enough to come out on top in the end. The only problem is that Westcott’s fate is never revealed after Lois stops Clark from killing him. Such a development comes off as unsatisfactory because the victim happens to be one of the most important people in Clark’s life.
3 Max Taylor Gets Stabbed With A Pencil In The Ear
Chloe’s editor also gets a gruesome death courtesy of his assistant. This happens when the assistant stabs him in the ear with a pencil after getting hypnotized by Molly via email.
It’s an impossible death to forget, not only because no one ever sees it coming but also because there’s plenty for fans to process. Just as viewers are marveling at the creativity of someone getting hypnotized via mail, a pencil goes into someone’s ear. Additionally, the sound effect when the pencil goes in is quite distinctive too.
2 A Sword Falls From A Statue And Impales Alden
During an Excelsior Academy reunion, a large chunk of concrete falls from the roof and misses Alden. As he is musing on his luck, a statue’s sword falls and impales him.
It’s a scene that reminds viewers of one of the best horror franchises, the ever-surprising Final Destination. Watching Alden prepare to dance with joy only for him to get impaled is as sad as it is awe-inspiring. Even better is the revelation that the death didn’t result from a freak accident but from Alden’s bullying victim, Duncan, astral-projecting himself. This way, the show not only takes a stance against bullying but also gives a proper superhero-related explanation for a rather horrific scene.
1 A Policeman Gets His Spinal Cord Ripped By Aldar
A humanoid alien from the Phantom Zone, Aldar shows up halfway through the series and starts causing havoc in Seattle. While at it, he rips a police officer’s spinal cord before sucking out the bone marrow.
The sheer brutality of the scene is what qualifies it for the top spot. From Aldar tearing the officer’s spine apart to the officer's screams to Aldar enjoying the bone marrow like he’s Hannibal Lector, there’s no shortage of moments to make viewers uncomfortable. To sum it up is the lack of remorse, with Aldar simply telling Clark: “Hey, a man's got to eat.”
Smallville is available to stream on Hulu