Even Superman Needs a Dog: My Thoughts on “Krypto,” an Episode from the Series “Smallville”

For those of you that don’t know, the TV show “Smallville” on the CW Network is about the young Clark Kent who I guess most of you know is Superman. Smallville is the small town he grew up in before he moved to the big city of Metropolis. Clark, played fantastically by Tom Welling, struggles as he discovers his superhuman abilities and learns to control them. On top of all that, Clark has to fool everyone into thinking that he’s just a normal teenager.

One of my favorite episodes, “Krypto,” includes one of my favorite songs, “Give a Little Bit” by the Goo Goo Dolls, and introduces the character of Clark’s “superdog,” Krypto. And you know, of course, if you know anything about me, I love dog stories! 

As the episode begins, two criminals use two dogs to help them steal. But when they whistle to call the dogs back, only one dog returns. The other dog runs away and ends up getting hit by the car driven by Lois Lane (Clark’s friend and future girlfriend). She takes the dog to the Kent farm to call the vet. But she’s amazed to find that the dog is not only miraculously healed, but has somehow gotten untied, gotten in the house, and made an absolute mess of the entire house in a matter of minutes. This our first hint of Krypto’s superpowers.

I love the chemistry in this show between Lois (Erica Durance) and Clark. I couldn’t help but smile when Lois teased and said that they should name the dog “Clarkie” because he was annoying and made her sick. 

I also love that in this episode Clark feels like he can be himself around this dog, and realizes that this dog like him has a secret.

I have already really enjoyed this series but this episode is the icing on the cake. How this story unfolds will throw you for a loop. And you’ll realize that at the end of the day even Superman needs a dog.