'Smallville': The father and child reunion doesn't last for long

Tonight's "Smallville" is like spending your birthday at Disneyland: it's a fun-filled, action-packed day that doesn't disappoint and leaves you wanting more.

We get a lot of backstory filled-in here, what with Zod and Jor-El actually on the same side and Zod is, dare I say it... nice. The souring of the relationship begins with the total annihilation of Kandor. When Jor-El is later convicted of high treason and sentenced to death, it's none other than the good Major who crashes the private hearing and ultimately spares the life of the father of Kal. The catch: Jor-El has to finish the orb and include his and Zod's DNA. This is all well and good until Zod asks for his dead son to be resurrected via the power of the DNA. Jor-El feels as if this is too much for his ethics to handle, dooming him and the House of El to eternal doom.

FlashForward (natch) to the present where Tess has teams scouring the globe for Team Zod and turning up nothing. They're no match for Oliver's high-speed plane and Clark's supersight. Meanwhile, Chloe goes to crash at the Kent Farm when, lo and behold, it's Jor-El. He doesn't seem to be aware of Kal-El, so Chloe spins the tale of Clark... that is, until Tess' SWAT team storms the Kent Barn and takes him out. Later, Tess insists that she's on the side of good. As usual, she has a funny way of showing it. She plays to Jor-El's paternal side by convincing him he has to own up to being the Blur in order to save his son.

Now, in theory, this isn't the worst idea in the world. Jor-El's downfall is that Tess has a horrible poker face, giving away to Zod that he's locked-up in the wine cellar (which turns out to be Zod's new favorite vice!) When they finally meet face-to-face in the here and now, Zod has trouble hiding his true emotion. All he wants is the power of the sun back from his former friend, but no. Even worse, Jor-El's weakened state allows for Zod to deduce that there is another on Earth from the house of El. This allows for Jor-El to be savagely beaten and left for dead on the Farm... just in time for him to die in Clark's hands. His final words were "Save Zod," but this is simply one request Clark WILL NOT follow.

To Clark's credit, he may have lost an actual physical connection to his heritage, but both Oliver and Chloe reaffirm their unwavering support to him. I can only imagine the end battle between Clark and Zod will be epic.