Smallville (TV Series) Ryan (2002) User Reviews

A Beautiful Tale of Friendship and Loyalty

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 23 April 2006]

Clark Kent receives a desperate call from Ryan James (Ryan Kelley, from the episode "Stray") telling him that he is the subject of an experiment in a hospital. Clark rescues him, but is accused of abduction of a child by Ryan's tutor, Dr. Garner (Martin Cummins), being saved by Lex Luthor's attorneys. Ryan has a brain tumor and Clark uses his best efforts trying to save Ryan. Meanwhile, Lana Lang is informed by Nell that they will move to Metropolis with Dean. The corrupt Major Tate (William B. Davis) of Smallville asks for bribe to approve the expansion of Luthor's plant.

I liked a lot this episode, which is a beautiful tale of friendship and loyalty. The touching conclusion is very honest and never corny. It is sad to see how the behavior of politics is very similar, no matter in a First or Third World country, being most of them very dirty and corrupt. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Retorno de Ryan" ("The Return of Ryan")

A Bird, A Plane... Not a Healer

[Rcwilkinson123 · 9/10 · 17 September 2007]

The most interesting aspect from this episode is that Clark learns that despite his many abilities, he cannot save everyone. Yet this is a fact that is difficult for Clark to swallow, especially when his loss was a boy who was as close to him as a good brother.

This brother is Ryan, seen in the first episode, where Clark and Ryan became very close. When he was taken to supposedly be adopted by better parents, he in fact was taken to a research laboratory for people affected by the mysterious substances in the meteors of 1989. Ryan escapes from the lab, but his death is inevitable, even under the protection of Clark and the Kents, due to a brain tumor. What would be even more maddening to Clark, if he only knew, was that the lab was a function of LuthorCorp, proving yet another corrupt operation under the company.

Another draw to this episode was the score. The music was very well-handled for the mood of the story.

Emotional Rollar Coaster

[Sam_Ash_76 · 10/10 · 29 June 2020]

I love so many "Smallville" episodes that looking at the large back catalogue of adventures feels daunting when wanting to highlight some of my favorites, but "Ryan" cannot go unnoticed. This is one of the absolute best episodes of not only "Smallville" but for me at least, television. The friendship between Ryan and Clark was one of the best pieces in the first season of this series and it continues to be heartwarming in this installment.

Unfortunately, even when Clark has all the powers that he does at this stage in the series, none of them can save his friend. Ryan dies of a brain tumor in one of the most heartbreaking final few minutes of an episode that I've seen. "Smallville" is my favourite Superhero television series, and episodes like "Ryan" remind me why that is the case.

Score: 10/10

Heartwarming and Heartbreaking

[Birdsnare1974 · 10/10 · 6 January 2021]

This was one of the most poignant episodes in the whole series. It reflects upon themes of friendship and death. Touching.

By far one of Smallville's best

[JiS87 · 10/10 · 1 June 2020]

This episode, together with the first one where Ryan shows up (s1e16), is definitely one of the show's best episodes! Ryan is the closest that Clark ever comes to a younger brother, who connects with him and understand him, and you can see how Clark enjoys his company. And actually, we as a viewer, do too. And then showing him to deal with such a loss, even after trying everything and not giving up hope while everyone else did... Sad and great at the same time.

Looking forward to more of this!

The first really good episode of the season.

[m-47826 · 8/10 · 27 July 2022]

After two more or less watchable monsters of the week. That stole a lot from other supernatural dramas. And how the show was turned into a soap opera, with all the family drama, backstabbing and secret affairs. A milestone character from season one comes back. For all of Smallville's fans and viewers pleasure. The reunion between Clark and Ryan is bittersweet, but it gives the opportunity for the show to showcase better than usual acting. And have the episode end on another beautiful power ballad, like it did last season. You also have all the cool superheroes references, that clearly foreshadow future seasons storylines. Lana's choice for emancipation, is obviously the best idea to keep her character around. Leading to Chloe finally getting over herself, and doing something good for a change. And the episode has interesting guests like two sci fi series regulars, including Martin Cummings and William B. David. As well as a live performance by VonRay, to promote the then upcoming first official soundtrack for the show.

smallville season 2 episode 8 -Ryan

[blackwebwidow · 9/10 · 24 August 2006]

I would like to know the songs played on this episode 8 season 2 -Ryan where they two guys were playing the guitar, its a song I love and i would like to know who sang it, and played it on this episode.

I appreciate this so much.

I like smallville so much is one of my favorite, and i always seek its music or soundtracks played in it.

each one contains terrific music.This episode showed how much value friendship is and many other value.

I've been searching for it for a long time , I hope i get an answer, Thank you so much.

accidentally very dark

[tdanny-93080 · 3/10 · 9 November 2016]

*spoiler alert* I wanted to like this episode, because it tried to handle the difficult death and how we all most eventually yield to it, but because they choose Ryan to be subject of it, and that he had to rescued from abuse once again,I sadly felt like the message was that if you're a abuse victim you can't escape it, and the end result will be death.

Now I am certain the creator didn't mean to send this message, and I really wish they would have chosen another character for this, or not have Ryan start being abused for his power once again at the start, since without that the message would have been clear, emotional, and deep, rather then morbid and cruel, so I was left with feeling of depression over not a child's death, but his inability to escape his fate of abuse and then death as a result of that abuse, frankly if they had a at least left out the comment about the experiments making his condition worse that alone would have given it another star from me.

Why??

[sadikennt · 5/10 · 8 January 2022]

This poor child is once again saved from abuse and then ends up dead. There was no reason. He had such little happiness in his life, this was a terrible ending for such an innocent and young character.