An end of an era, "Arctic" marks the final episode where series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, along with series stars Michael Rosenbaum (Lex), Kristin Kreuk (Lana), Laura Vandervoort (Kara Zor-El), and John Glover (Lionel, who actually died earlier this season) would be regular fixtures on "Smallville." While Lex, Lana, Kara, and even an alternate version of Lionel would all return over the course of the next three seasons, "Arctic" rounds out Clark and Lana's relationship, pits Clark against Brainiac (who sent Kara to the Phantom Zone), and deals with Lionel's death as Lex finally confronts Clark in his Fortress of Solitude.
This epic climax finally puts Clark and Lex on equal footing, with both of them on the same page for, well, the first time ever. Don't get us wrong, they're still on different sides, as Lex makes abundantly clear, but they each now understand each other. Their final confrontation at the end of the episode had been seven years in the making, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Unfortunately, many of the plot threads from this episode wouldn't be dealt with until over halfway through Season 8, most notably in the episodes "Bloodline," "Power," and "Requiem." Still, it stands strong as one of "Smallville's" most compelling finales regardless.
