Smallville’s ‘Subterranean’ Remains the Most Hard-to-Watch Episode

by

Smallville tells the story of Clark Kent’s journey to becoming Superman, focusing on the development of his strong moral character. The series starts with Clark as a teenager and follows him until he first becomes the iconic hero we know. While the show generally avoided political themes, one particular episode stands out and feels even more important today.

The Season 6 episode “Subterranean” featured Clark assisting a young immigrant in escaping a hazardous job and finding his way back to his family. The story highlighted the challenges and exploitation faced by immigrants. Given that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was using controversial methods and detaining a historically high number of people in 2026, this often-overlooked episode of Smallville feels particularly relevant today.

Smallville’s ‘Subterranean’ Is the Show’s Most Political Episode

The movie “Subterranean” begins with a young Tyler Posey playing Javier, a farmhand who feels trapped and considers himself a slave alongside his friend. Javier desperately wants to escape and find his mother. They attempt to flee one night, but only Javier succeeds – his friend, Francisco, mysteriously disappears. The next day, Javier discovers an injured man in his barn and begins to care for him.

Javier explained to Clark that the farm felt like a prison, stating that no one was permitted to leave and food was scarce. Moved by Javier’s story, Clark asked Chloe to search for Javier’s mother while he started investigating the farm Javier had fled. He attempted to speak with the other workers, but they were all afraid. Eventually, one worker secretly passed Clark a note revealing the location of a meeting.

Before Clark can greet the farm workers, he encounters Javier, an undocumented worker. Martha immediately wants to report Javier to immigration authorities, but Clark argues he needs to help and protect him. When Martha reminds Clark that Javier is in the country illegally, Clark points out her hypocrisy, saying, “You forged my adoption papers, making me an illegal immigrant too. You’ve been protecting me for over seventeen years.”

Clark’s direct question brought attention to the idea that Clark Kent, in a way, represents an undocumented immigrant. Al Gough, discussing the episode, explained that the intention wasn’t to create controversy or make a political statement, but to delve deeper into Clark’s character. He added that because of Clark’s appearance, he often avoids scrutiny – “He kind of gets a pass,” Gough noted.

Smallville’s ‘Subterranean’ Is Even Harder to Watch in 2026

A recent comic book, “Subterranean,” gained attention as people debated whether superhero stories should address political issues. The comic depicted the hardships faced by immigrants, specifically how they can be exploited and mistreated. The farm workers in the story were essentially held captive, forced to work for little to no pay, and given barely enough food to live on. They were afraid to speak out due to their precarious legal status, and ultimately suffered and died while working on the farm.

When Clark visited the farm to speak with the workers, he discovered several buried bodies – those of immigrant workers. The farm owner, Jed McNaly, possessed a unique power: he could move underground with incredible speed. McNaly used this ability to secretly kill anyone who disobeyed him, burying them beneath the earth.

McNaly stated that all of his employees had proper paperwork, but it was later discovered that these documents were fake, putting the workers at risk of deportation. Having already suffered through intimidation, imprisonment, and forced labor, they were left with no help from the government. However, a request from Clark moved Martha to leverage her government position to assist them.

Recent events have highlighted the significance of this previously unnoticed situation. While the plan to address illegal immigration focused on detaining violent criminals with records, data from January 2026 shows that over 70% of those detained have no criminal history at all. Of the small percentage who do have records, 95% have committed non-violent offenses.

People held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are facing horrific conditions, similar to the bleak situation depicted in the “Subterranean” episode of Smallville. An ACLU report details instances of physical and sexual abuse, lack of medical care, and intimidation tactics used to force detainees to leave the country at the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas. ICE is also facing accusations of causing the deaths of multiple detainees and has been documented shooting and killing two U.S. citizens – Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti – in Minnesota. It’s crucial to remember that this nation was built by immigrants.

The show subtly portrays Clark Kent’s arrival on Earth as being similar to that of an undocumented immigrant. Though his appearance didn’t immediately raise suspicion, he eventually revealed he was an alien and was accepted as a hero. People ultimately valued what he did for the world, not his origins. This message is beautifully captured in Martha Kent’s final words: “When you meet someone truly exceptional, you have to be willing to take a chance – a lesson I learned from my son.”

5 Questions
Test Your Knowledge: Clark Kent’s Stand for Immigrants in Smallville
Your Top Score
—
Attempts
—
0
0
Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

Read More

2026-02-22 07:08