Had Clark decided against undoing Lana Lang’s shocking death, several stories could have ended differently in Smallville. Lana staying dead would surely have had a tremendous impact on multiple characters in the series. As she was important in more ways than one, Clark isn’t the only person whose future would have been affected by the change.
Season 5’s “Reckoning” is remembered as one of the most important episodes in Smallville's entire ten-season run. Released as a midseason finale, the show’s 100th episode served as a landmark story for the series. True to what the marketing for the episode promised, “Reckoning” was a game-changing story that killed off a major Smallville character. After faking out viewers by making it look like Kristen Kreuk’s Lana Lang was gone for good, the show used time travel to undo the tragic incident. But instead of simply taking back this heartbreaking moment in Clark’s life, Smallville simply swapped it for an equally devastating tragedy by killing off John Schneider’s Jonathan Kent.
“Reckoning” was a memorable roller coaster of emotions, particularly for Clark. Smallville robbed him of his happy ending and then made him responsible for Jonathan Kent's death. Given everything that happened, not all were pleased with the direction the show took. In fact, some have wondered if it would have been better for the series if Clark had just grieved Lana naturally without resorting to time travel to fix it. Here’s what likely would have happened to the show’s main characters if Lana had stayed dead in Smallville’s 100th episode.
What Jonathan’s Future Could Have Been
In the unaltered timeline, Jonathan inadvertently avoided a confrontation with Lionel when Lana’s accident happened. Since the heart attack that killed happened as a result of his heated conversation with John Glover's Lionel Luthor about Clark’s secret, Jonathan would have survived a bit longer in the series. Had that happened, Smallville would have had an opportunity to spend some time on his new duties as a senator. However, it’s important to note that his health issues would persist, so a fatal heart attack would have been on the table regardless. Jonathan may have survived season 5, and perhaps even season 6, but sadly, there’s a good chance that he wouldn’t have lived to see Clark become Superman in the series finale no matter what happened in “Reckoning”.
Even so, having a longer life could have changed numerous Smallville stories, one of which being how Lionel was used in the later seasons. With there being no need for Martha to take over Jonathan’s position, it’s hard to imagine Martha and Lionel’s alliance ever happening if Jonathan had stuck around, especially since he held such a strong hatred toward the elder Luthor. Lionel becoming an ally to the Kents is a storyline that may have been put off, if not averted altogether.
Clark’s Romance With Lois Would Be Different
In Smallville season 8, Lana’s exit paved the way for Clark’s relationship with Lois to progress to the next level. That being said, Lana’s story getting an early ending wouldn’t necessarily have sped things up between Clark and Lois. If Lana had died, she would have continued to be an obstacle toward their romance, albeit in a different way. Clark already had reservations about telling people his secret in Smallville and Lana dying permanently could easily have convinced Clark that he should remain alone and never tell anyone else the truth about his powers. Plus, losing her in such a way would have made it incredibly difficult for Clark to move on. Lana’s death could have ended a Clark-Lois romance years before it even began.
Lana’s Death Would Have Escalated Clark and Lex’s Rivalry
When “Reckoning” aired, Smallville was in the early stages of developing Clark’s rivalry with Lex. At this point, the two had ceased being friends, and though Clark was certainly aware of Lex’s flaws, they weren’t full-blown enemies just yet. They didn’t become at odds with each other on a regular basis until Smallville season 6, but Lana’s death would have forced their issues to come to a head much earlier. It shouldn’t be forgotten that a drunken Lex chased Lana on the road and caused her car accident to happen. Clark knew Lex was at fault, but overlooked it when he reversed time. Had he been unable to undo Lana’s death, it’s not hard to imagine his grief turning into anger in the days ahead, not to mention the emotional impact this event would have had on Lex. Another tragedy in Lex’s life could have pushed Michael Rosenbaum’s character closer to becoming the villain he was destined to become in the first place.
Lana’s Death Would Have Completely Changed Smallville Season 6
Lana’s death would have been deeply felt for years to come, with season 6 being the story that would have experienced the most changes. Building on the fallout from Clark and Lana’s breakup in season 5, season 6 hinged on Lana’s relationship with Lex. Throughout the season, Clark struggled immensely with this, knowing that Lex was manipulating her. As the season unfolded, Lana went through some challenges of her own, including a miscarriage that turned out to be a trick by Lex to get her to marry him. Along the way, Lana stepped into dark, unfamiliar territory the more she spent time with Lex, which was one more thing that troubled Clark. This journey, her pregnancy, and the wedding were all key storylines for the show. Without them, season 6 would have felt completely different from what Smallville ultimately delivered.
Clark Could Have Become Superman Earlier
Lana dying in season 5 had the potential to serve as an extra stepping stone toward Clark becoming Superman. In Smallville season 7, Lana started to realize that she could be holding Clark back from making the most of his abilities. To a certain extent, her concerns were well-founded, as Lana leaving in season 7 led to Clark getting a job with the Daily Planet and becoming a superhero in Metropolis. So while it was never Lana’s intention to hinder him in his journey, his feelings for her did prolong his stay on the farm and slow down his evolution into Superman on Smallville. If Lana wasn’t around, Clark would have had one less hurdle in the way of him leaving home, going to Metropolis, and donning the cape. Instead of Oliver pushing Clark to leave in season 6, Clark could very well could have been in a rush to go after losing what he thought was the love of his life.