When Does Chloe Find Out About Clark In Smallville & Why Was It Different?

Do you remember "Smallville"? The Superman prequel series that told the origins of Clark Kent's (Tom Welling) journey toward becoming the Man of Steel? Spanning 217 episodes, "Smallville" ran first on The WB before shifting to The CW midway through its impressive 10-season run. Along the way, Clark befriends countless new allies and fights dangerous threats that will later inform his career as a full-time superhero. But there was one character created just for "Smallville" who managed to make quite an impact on the Man of Steel's mythos: Allison Mack's Chloe Sullivan.

A "Smallville" original character, Chloe became so important to the series that the character would later be alluded to in 2013's "Man of Steel" and on episodes of the Arrowverse series "Supergirl." In fact, she even found herself joining Jimmy Olsen in some official DC Comics adventures. But Chloe is more than just Clark's small-town sidekick. Over the course of the show, she grows into a hero in her own right, and is invaluable to the Superman-in-training as he journeys toward his ultimate destiny. Like Tom Welling himself, Allison Mack was the only other main cast member to be included in all 10 seasons, cementing Chloe's importance to the story.

But when on the "Smallville" timeline did Chloe discover Clark's secret? At the beginning of the show, Clark refuses to tell anyone about his powers, getting him into quite a bit of trouble in the process, but by the end, everyone in the main cast knows the truth. When did that change? If you haven't seen "Smallville" in a long time, you might be surprised to recall the answer.

While "Smallville" Season 2 introduces Clark's best pal Pete Ross (Sam Jones III) to the weird world of all-things Kryptonian, he's the only other main cast member besides the Kents who retains that knowledge for quite some time. Though others, such as Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor and a host of Clark's enemies, also learn the truth (though, in Lex's case, only temporarily), it takes Clark years to let Chloe in on the secret. But even then, she discovers it before he's ready to explain it to her himself.

On the heartbreaking Season 4 episode "Pariah," Chloe is confronted by Clark's one-time girlfriend and former meteor freak Alicia Baker (Sarah Carter), a metahuman with Kryptonite-induced abilities of teleportation. On Season 3's "Obsession," Alicia went crazy due to her abilities, and nearly killed Chloe's best friend Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) before Clark could stop her. But during Season 4, Alicia is reformed, and wants to patch things up with her former Smallville High classmates. The problem is, someone out there is trying to frame Alicia for murder, and because her abilities are public knowledge, she's an easy target.

But Alicia believes that if Clark came forward, suspicion might fall away from her. If the rest of Smallville only knew there were others out there like her, maybe they wouldn't be so hasty to judge her. To that end, Alicia stages a car crash and brings Chloe along for the ride. Watching from afar as her runaway car nearly crashes, Chloe and Alicia see Clark super-speed to the scene and catch the vehicle with his bare hands. At this moment, all of Chloe's suspicions are confirmed.

Although this was a life-changing moment for Chloe, it wasn't an instant change in their friendship. Alicia is soon killed by the actual killer, and Chloe decides that it's best to let Clark open up to her about his abilities on his own terms. Until then, she protects her friend's secret from the shadows. Chloe doesn't instantly reveal her knowledge to Clark, and instead trusts her friend enough to wait until he is ready to tell her, proving herself faithful over and again in the meantime. On the Season 4 episode "Blank," Clark loses his memories, and instead of allowing Lex to exploit him for insight into Clark's life, Chloe watches his back and helps him use his powers wisely.

Everything changes on the Season 5 premiere "Arrival" when, after having been transported to the arctic via Kryptonian technology on "Commencement," Clark finds Chloe freezing to death in his Fortress of Solitude. Saving Chloe, it's here that Clark finally reveals his secret. But while Chloe knew that her best friend had superpowers, she didn't know how different Clark Kent actually was from other mere mortals. When Clark tells Chloe about his Kryptonian heritage, proving that he's no meteor freak after all, it shifts her worldview drastically.

From this point on, Chloe aids Clark in his superheroics, always doing her best to keep his secret safe (even from those she cares most about). She even takes on the identity of Watchtower during later seasons to hide her own involvement. On Season 8, after Chloe is possessed by Brainiac, Clark removes the burden of his secret from Chloe's mind, but it doesn't last. After saving Chloe completely from Brainiac's influence a few episodes later, her memories are restored.

So where does Clark and Chloe's story end? Well, at the end of "Smallville," on the two-part series finale aptly titled "Finale," Clark and Chloe finally go their separate ways. Chloe is only featured in a reduced capacity on Season 10 following the character's own mission of self-discovery, and though she returned for a few episodes, the end of the episode "Fortune" sets her on a new path in helping other heroes find their own potential. But Chloe returns for Clark and her cousin Lois Lane's (Erica Durance) wedding on "Finale," and saves Clark from being robbed of his powers by a Darkseid-possessed Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley), who happens to be her new husband.

Afterwards, Chloe says goodbye to Clark, knowing that now is the time he will finally take flight as Superman. She decides to leave Smallville for Star City, where she can help as Watchtower from afar, but not before a heartfelt goodbye with Oliver, who she tells to stay behind and help Clark as the Green Arrow. The two-part finale ends with Clark embracing his destiny as Superman and Chloe off saving the world in other ways that only she can. Appropriately, "Finale" is bookended by Chloe reading a "Smallville"-themed Superman comic book to her young son, reflecting on her and Clark's history together.

Though early seasons of "Smallville" played a "will they or won't they?" game with Clark and Chloe, they were never meant to be. Chloe eventually finds love and happiness apart from Clark, and Clark's eyes are always on Lana before shifting firmly to Lois. Nevertheless, they remain close friends and powerful allies in the battle against darkness, stronger because they trust each other.