Jonathan Kent is the true hero of Season 1. He is the moral gatekeeper, teaching Clark that his powers are not a burden to be hidden, but a gift to be used for others. The show argued that what makes Superman "super" isn't his ability to lift trucks or stop bullets—it’s the midwestern values of truth and justice hammered into him by a loving family.

: The season explores Clark's desire for normalcy [5.17]. In episodes like

There’s something magical about watching a teenage Clark Kent stumble through high school, secret identity barely intact, while meteors, kryptonite, and teenage drama collide in the most 2000s way possible.