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This review may contain spoilers.

It is always a rare treat when "Smallville" delves into the Superman mythology, and "Kandor" is as momentous and integral an event to the mythos as the death of Jonathan Kent.

In a very epic way, we are finally introduced to Maj. Zod (Callum Blue) through a series of flashbacks set on Krypton, and you can't help but feel the thrill of such drool worthy nods to the big screen movie franchise; The rings of imprisonment, the faces of the council and the address of Zod are all familiar elements of the Christopher Reeve outings and help humanize Zod in a way similar to that of Lex Luthor.

Of particular note is the sentencing of Jor-El (Julian Sands) for his act of treason, in which Zod steps up to defend his truest friend and a hero of Krypton. Their comradery murkiest the waters slightly on if Zod is in fact a villain, while at the same time offers a lesson on hope and redemption. Indeed, the same is true of Jor-El, if such a thing is in fact possible following the numerous twists and turns the disembodied voice has gone through over the years.

Blue once again provides a fantastic performance as the morally twisted Kandorian leader, this time supported by Sands who offers a grandfatherly tone to the episode, further supporting the idea that Zod is simply a product of his circumstances … of in fact a product of Jor-El's ideals.

So much of this seasons arc relies on Blue and thus far he has certainly proved himself more than capable of carrying the bad guy mantle … let's just hope his run is slightly longer than that of Davis Bloom.

What Worked

There is just so much mythology all in one place not to hooked from the get-go. The fall of Kandor may be constructed from previous effects sequences from the seventh season but they do their job well and are simply gorgeous to behold. It is always a thrill to see rare glimpses of Krypton and this time the fall of Kandor in the opening teaser was given a very human feel, focusing on the troops in the trenches.

Additionally there was a series of epic moments, including Clark (Tom Welling) locating the shield of El, the reveal of his abilities to Tess (Freema Cassidy) and finally coming face-to-face with his father (even if the reunion is short lived). Each offered a grand scope and some engaging stuff.

"Kandor" is also a welcome opportunity for Cassidy to showcase her talents. Tess' darkish machinations and her grin of relief when she realizes that Zod is seeking another Kandorian and not Clark are great character moments that paint her as a cold and calculating hero rather than a villain following in the footsteps of Lex. Her "one-to-one" with an angry Man-of-Steel has been building for the best part of a year and a half and certainly does not disappoint.

And, as usual, "Smallville's" dialogue is filled with double meaning and in-jokes, specifically Chloe's, "You've had feelings for Lois since like the 1930's."

Plus there is finally a reason for the stones of knowledge, an aspect which dominated so much of the fourth season and was forgotten all too quickly.

What Didn't Work

Clark and Lois dominated so much of the last few episodes and the last time we saw these two love birds they were locked at the lips … but for some reason a cold shower has been directed on the couple through a one-line explanation which is more of an annoyance than an asset to continuity.

And unfortunately the episode suffers from more convenient storytelling - cameras secretly wired throughout the Kent farm by Chloe is just a stretch too far.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Smallville" stars Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Allison Mack, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman and Callum Blue. "Kandor" was written by Al Septien and Turi Meyer, and was directed by Jeannot Szwarc.

"Smallville" airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.